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the following is a detailed description of the invention provided to aid those skilled in the art in practicing the present invention . those of ordinary skill in the art may make modifications and variations in the embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention . unless otherwise defined , all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs . the terminology used in the description of the invention herein is for describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention . all publications , patent applications , patents , figures and other references mentioned herein are expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety . now referring to fig1 , in accordance with one embodiment a microtrap 10 includes a capillary tube 12 and carbon nanotube ( cnt ) sorbent 14 . carbon nanotubes have excellent mechanical strength , are thermally stable and exhibit high electrical as well as thermal conductivity . lengths of carbon nanotubes in sorbent 14 may range from 0 . 1 nm to 400 micrometers while the average diameter may range from 1 to 200 nm . the carbon nanotubes may be vertically aligned . the carbon nanotubes may form a film thickness on the capillary tube of about 0 . 1 microns to about 2000 microns . in a preferred embodiment the carbon nanotubes form a film thickness on the capillary tube of 0 . 1 microns to 100 microns . in one embodiment the sorbent includes multi - walled carbon nanotubes ( mwnts ). a single - walled carbon nanotube ( swnt ) is formed by rolling up a graphene layer , while multi - walled carbon nanotubes ( mwnts ) consist of multiple concentric tubes . see , r . c . haddon , acc . chem . res ., 2002 , 35 , 977 - 1013 ; s mitra , c . yu , j . chromatogr . a 648 ( 1993 ) 415 . the carbon nanotube sorbent 14 can be employed in the microtrap 10 in a packed format or as a self - assembled trap . in one embodiment , the microtrap packing procedure was carried out by applying a vacuum to one of the capillary tube ends along with a vibrator to ensure uniform distribution of sorbent particles . certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention embrace a microtrap 10 with capillary tubing 12 ranging from about 0 . 1 mm to about 5 . 0 mm interior diameter . one exemplary embodiment studied extensively experimentally was the 0 . 5 mm interior diameter embodiment . microtraps of such dimensions may be wrapped into a coil of about 3 cm of diameter . the length of microtrap 10 may range from about 1 cm to about 300 cm . preferably the microtrap has a length of about 1 cm to about 100 cm . in an exemplary embodiment the microtrap has a length of about 15 cm . breakthrough and desorption efficiency are important characteristics of a microtrap . since the presently disclosed subject matter employs a design utilizing small dimensions , the microtrap 10 preferably will contain small amounts of sorbent 14 , which may have a relatively low absorption capacity . for quantitative sampling , it is preferable that the sample volume not exceed its breakthrough volume , defined as the volume that can be sampled per unit weight of the sorbent before the analyte is lost . now referring to fig2 , a system 20 employing microtrap 10 includes gas inlet 22 , microtrap 10 , temperature controlled chamber 24 , timer 26 , thermal conductivity detector ( tcd ) equipped gas chromatograph 28 for analysis and data acquisition device 30 such as a computer . a gas dispensing unit 32 may be connected to inlet 22 . the microtrap 10 may be resistively heated using pulses of electric current from a power supply 34 . microtrap 10 serves as a preconcentrator of greenhouse gases so that low levels of greenhouse gases may be detected and analyzed in the gas chromatograph 28 and data acquisition device 30 . the experimental examples herein are set forth so as to provide those of ordinary skill in the art with a complete disclosure and description of how to make and use the present invention , and are not intended to limit the scope of what the inventors regard as their invention nor are they intended to represent that the experiments below are all or the only experiments performed . to test an embodiment employing a 0 . 5 mm microtrap , an experimental system was used similar to the one shown in fig2 . a gas standard containing approximately 10 ppm of ch 4 was purchased . it flowed into the microtrap 10 of system 20 continuously while the ch 4 was trapped by the sorbents . microtrap 10 was resistively heated with about a 7 - about 10 ampere pulse of electric current from power supply 34 . desorption was applied at regular intervals , so that the trapped organics were desorbed and detected by the gas chromatograph with the thermal conductivity detector 28 . the duration of the pulse was between about 0 . 5 to about 2 . 5 seconds . an electric timer 26 was used to control the durations and interval between electrical pulses . a power resistor was put in series to control the current . gas chromatograph with tcd 28 was used for analysis using a capillary column . the microtrap 10 was packed with about 13 mg of four different adsorbents in a silcosteel tubing approximately 15 cm long . the adsorbents used for this experiment were multiwall carbon nanotubes from cheap tubes , usa , carbosieve , carboxene and carbopack from sigma - aldrich , usa . conventional carbon - based sorbents may be sub - classified into activated carbon , carbon molecular sieves and graphitized carbon blacks . activated carbons are micro - porous materials with a wide distribution of pore size and high specific surface areas . the carbon forms micro - crystallites with a graphitic structure . the carbon in graphitized carbon blacks is organized in a hexagonal graphite lattice forming planar layers . the higher the degree of graphitization , the lower the specific surface area . the carbon molecular sieves are synthesized by thermal decomposition of polymers such as poly ( vinylidene chloride ), and poly vinyl chloride . they are micro - porous sorbents with a sharp pore size distribution and high specific surface areas . now referring to fig3 a - 3d , scanning electron microscopic images of the sorbents used in this experiment are shown . it is evident that the morphology of the cnts , in this example , mwnts , is quite different from the other sorbents tested . carboxene , carbopack and carbosieve are porous sorbents with significant internal surface areas . the cnts themselves are nonporous structures . this is one of the major advantages of cnts , where the solute is held on the surface by van der walls type forces , thus eliminating the mass transfer resistance related to the diffusion into elaborate pore structures . the high capacity of the cnts comes from their large aspect ratio . the sorption capacity of the microtrap 10 was evaluated by studying the breakthrough time which is defined as the time required by an analyte eluting through . to compare the sorption capacity of the different sorbents used , the breakthrough times of said sorbents ( mwnt , carboxene , carbosieve and carbopack ) were estimated , and are presented in fig4 and 5 and table 1 . fig4 is a plot of detector response as a function of absorption time ( measured as the interval between injections ). the time required to reach the maximum point is the measure of breakthrough time . the mwnt showed the longest breakthrough time ( fig4 ). the stronger sorption also allowed more greenhouse gas to be trapped in the microtrap 10 , as a result the response in terms of peak height was much higher from mwnt than from the other sorbents ( fig5 ). according to preliminary estimates , using a mwnt microtrap , detection sensitivity of the analyzer in which the microtrap is employed will be increased by two to three orders of magnitude and would allow for detection of ghg in the ppb range . one way to enhance sensitivity and increase the breakthrough time is lowering the temperature of a microtrap . when the sorption temperature is decreased , the breakthrough time increased . the breakthrough time of one embodiment of the present invention more than doubled as the temperature was lowered from 20 ° c . to − 20 ° c . the results followed the van &# 39 ; t hoff - type relationship as shown in fig6 . the plot of log btv as a function of 1 / t and was found to be linear according to : log ( btv )= k 1 1 / t + k 2 , where btv is the breakthrough volume ( the volume that can be sampled per unit weight of the sorbent before the analyte breaks through the sorbent bed ) and k 1 and k 2 are constants . it was interesting to note that the slopes varied for the different sorbents utilized with mwnt showing the highest while carbopack the lowest . the isoteric heat of adsorption , δh s is the amount of heat released when an atom adsorbs on a substrate , and is related to the activation energy of sorption for a sorbate - sorbent system . the strength of interaction of compound with the surface of the of the adsorbent is represented by the enthalpy of adsorption , δh s , given by the δh s were obtained from the slope of plots of ln vg vs 1 / t , where vg is the retention volume of the organic compound on the sorbent . a linear dependence indicated a constant value of the isoteric heat of adsorption in the temperature range studied , while relative change in δh s of sorbents with temperature is attributable with the activation of the sorbent surface . see , e . diaz , s . ordonez , a . vega , j . colloid interface sci . 305 ( 2007 ) 7 ; m . karwa , s . mitra , anal chem . 78 ( 2006 ) 2064 - 2070 ; c . h . wu , j . colloid interface sci . 311 ( 2007 ) 338 . these values for greenhouse gases are presented in table 2 . the maximum δh s was for mwnt , suggesting that it had the strongest interaction with the analyte . this was followed by carboxene , carbosieve and carbopack . once again this demonstrated that the mechanisms of adsorption were quite similar in these other sorbents . although the systems and methods of the present disclosure have been described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof , the present disclosure is not limited thereby . indeed , the exemplary embodiments are implementations of the disclosed systems and methods are provided for illustrative and non - limitative purposes . changes , modifications , enhancements and / or refinements to the disclosed systems and methods may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure . accordingly , such changes , modifications , enhancements and / or refinements are encompassed within the scope of the present invention .	1
the compounds of this invention , represented by formula i , are prepared according to the following scheme : ## str8 ## where r , r 1 , and x are as defined above , w represents potential further substitution on the aromatic ring , b represents an organic or inorganic base and m represents a monovalent organic or inorganic cation such as a sodium cation , a potassium cation , a dialkylammonium cation and the like . reaction ( 1 ) is carried out by reacting an appropriate aryl or alkyl - o - aminophenylketone ( ii ) with an essentially equimolar amount of hydroxyamine hydrochloride ( iii ) using an equimolar amount of a base ( b ) to yield the oxime ( iv ). reaction ( 1 ) is conducted in an organic solvent such as ethanol , methanol , acetone and the like . the base employed may either be organic or inorganic . preferably , the base is an organic base such as sodium carbonate , sodium bicarbonate and the like . the reaction is heated at reflux and is generally complete within 1 to 24 hours . reaction pressure is not critical and for convenience , the reaction pressure is generally atmospheric . the resulting oxime , iv , is isolated and purified by conventional procedures such as extraction , filtration , chromatography , distillation , or alternatively , used in reaction ( 2 ) without purification and / or isolation . the oxime , iv , is next converted to the 2 - chloroalkyl - 3 - oxo - 4 - substituted quinazoline , vi , by reaction with 2 equivalents of an α - chloro acid chloride , v , as shown in reaction 2 above . the reaction is conducted in a liquid phase using an organic solvent such as acetic acid , propanoic acid and the like . the reaction is generally conducted at a temperature of 0 °- 100 ° c . and is generally complete within 1 to 72 hours . reaction pressure is not critical . for convenience , the reaction pressure is generally atmospheric . the 2 - chloroalkyl - 3 - oxo - 4 substituted quinazoline products , vi , are isolated and purified by conventional procedures such as extraction , filtration , chromatography , distillation , or alternatively , is used directly in reaction ( 3 ) without purification and / or isolation . the 2 - chloroalkyl - 3 - oxo - 4 - substituted quinazoline products , vi , are converted to other 2 - substituted alkyl - 3 - oxo - 4 - substituted quinazoline by reaction with an appropriate salt as shown in reaction ( 3 ) above . the reaction is conducted in a liquid phase using an organic solvent such as methyl ethylketone , acetonitrile , dimethylformamide , ethanol , methanol and the like . when a metallic halide is used in reaction 3 , the preferable solvent is ethanol . whereas , when a dialkyldithiocarbonic acid dialkylammonium salt is used in reaction 3 , the preferable solvent is acetonitrile . the reaction is heated at reflux and is generally completed within 1 to 24 hours . reaction pressure is not critical and for convenience , the reaction pressure is generally atmospheric . the 2 - haloalkyl - 3 - oxo - 4 - substituted quinazoline products are then isolated and purified by conventional procedures such as extraction , filtration , chromatography , distillation and the like . alternatively when x is imidazolyl , the synthesis of the 2 - imidazolylalkyl - 3 - oxo - 4 - substituted quinazoline is preferably accomplished by reacting the 2 - chloroalkyl - 3 - oxo - 4 - substituted quinazoline with an essentially equimolar amount of imidazoline and an equimolar amount of a base ( b ) as shown in reaction ( 4 ) below : ## str9 ## the reaction is conducted in a liquid phase using an organic solvent such as acetonitrile , dimethylformamide and the like . the base employed may be organic or inorganic . preferably , an inorganic base such as potassium carbonate , potassium bicarbonate or sodium carbonate is employed . the reaction is generally stirred at room temperature and is complete within 1 to 72 hours . reaction pressure is not critical . for convenience , reaction pressure is atmospheric . the 2 - imidazolylalkyl - 3 - oxo - 4 - substituted quinazoline products are then isolated and purified by such conventional procedures as extraction , filtration , chromatography , distillation and the like . the compounds of this invention are useful for controlling fungi , particularly leaf blights caused by such organisms as phytophthora infestans conidia , alternaria solani conidia , septoria apii , downy mildew caused by organisms such as plasmapara viticola , bean powdery mildew caused by the organism erisiphe polygoni , and other fungal infections . however , some fungicidal compounds of the invention may be more fungicidally active than others against particular fungi . tables iii and iv list a summary of activity against some particular fungi for several compounds of this invention . when used as fungicides , the compounds of the invention are applied in fungicidally effective amounts to fungi and / or their habitats , such as vegetative hosts and non - vegetative hosts , e . g ., animal products . the amount used will , of course , depend on several factors such as the host , the type of fungus and the particular compound of the invention . as with most pesticidal compounds , the fungicides of the invention are not usually applied full strength , but are generally incorporated with conventional , biologically inert extenders or carriers normally employed for facilitating dispersion of active fungicidal compounds , recognizing that the formulation and mode of application may affect the activity of the fungicide . thus , the fungicides of the invention may be formulated and applied as granules , as powdery dusts , as wettable powders , as emulsifiable concentrates , as solutions , or as any of several other known types of formulations , depending on the desired mode of application . wettable powders are in the form of finely divided particles which disperse readily in water or other dispersant . these compositions normally contain from about 5 - 80 % fungicide , and the rest inert material , which includes dispersing agents , emulsifying agents and wetting agents . the powder may be applied to the soil as a dry dust , or preferably as a suspension in water . typical carriers include fuller &# 39 ; s earth , kaolin clays , silicas , and other highly absorbent , readily wettable , inorganic diluents . typical wetting , dispersing or emulsifying agents include , for example : the aryl and alkylaryl sulfonates and their sodium salts ; alkylamide sulfonates , including fatty methyl taurides ; alkylaryl polyether alcohols , sulfated higher alcohols , and polyvinyl alcohols ; polyethylene oxides , sulfonated animal and vegetable oils ; sulfonated petroleum oils , fatty acid esters of polyhydric alcohols and the ethylene oxide addition products of such esters ; and the addition products of long - chain mercaptans and ethylene oxide . many other types of useful surface - active agents are available in commerce . the surface - active agent , when used , normally comprises from 1 % to 15 % by weight of the fungicidal composition . dusts are freely flowing admixtures of the active fungicide with finely divided solids such as talc , natural clays , kieselguhr , pyrophyllite , chalk , diatomaceous earth , calcium phosphates , calcium and magnesium carbonates , sulfur , lime , flours , and other organic and inorganic solids which act as dispersants and carriers for the toxicant . these finely divided solids have an average particle size of less than about 50 microns . a typical dust formulation useful herein contains 75 % silica and 25 % of the toxicant . useful liquid concentrates include the emulsifiable concentrates , which are homogeneous liquid or paste compositions which are readily dispersed in water or other dispersant , and may consist entirely of the fungicide with a liquid or solid emulsifying agent , or may also contain a liquid carrier such as xylene , heavy aromatic naphthas , isophorone , and other nonvolatile organic solvents . for application , these concentrates are dispersed in water or other liquid carrier , and are normally applied as a spray to the area to be treated . other useful formulations for fungicidal applications include simple solutions of the active fungicide in a dispersant in which it is completely soluble at the desired concentration , such as acetone , alkylated naphthalenes , xylene , or other organic solvents . granular formulations , wherein the fungicide is carried on relatively coarse particles , are of particular utility for aerial distribution or for penetration of cover - crop canopy . pressurized sprays , typically aerosols wherein the active ingredient is dispersed in finely divided form as a result of vaporization of a low - boiling dispersant solvent carrier , such as the freons , may also be used . all of those techniques for formulating and applying fungicides are well known in the art . the percentages by weight of the fungicide may vary according to the manner in which the composition is to be applied and the particular type of formulation , but in general comprise 0 . 5 to 95 % of the toxicant by weight of the fungicidal composition . the fungicidal compositions may be formulated and applied with other active ingredients , including other fungicides , insecticides , nematocides , bactericides , plant growth regulators , fertilizers , etc . the compounds of the invention are also useful for controlling microbiological organisms such as algae , bacteria , molds and occasionally aquatic weeds which foul aqueous industrial effluents and cooling streams , such as those occurring in the paper and food processing industries . they may also be used to control such organisms in other aqueous bodies such as lakes , streams , canals , pools and the like . when so used , a biocidal quantity of one or more of the compounds of this invention is added to the aqueous growth environment of the organisms . usually , this dosage will range between about 0 . 1 to 50 ppm . in any given instance , the optimum dosage will depend upon the particular organism and aqueous body involved . for instance , when used to control algae , these compounds will usually be employed at concentrations of about 0 . 1 to 10 ppm . in terms of pounds of compound per acre of water one foot deep 0 . 1 to 10 ppm is equal to about 0 . 3 to 30 pounds per acre of water one foot deep . these compounds may be applied to the aqueous growth environments of such organisms as dispersible powders or in solution with water - miscible solvents . a further understanding of the invention can be had in the following non - limiting examples . wherein , unless expressly stated to the contrary , all temperatures and temperature ranges refer to the centrigrade system and the term &# 34 ; ambient &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; room temperature &# 34 ; refers to about 20 ° c .- 25 ° c . the term &# 34 ; percent &# 34 ; or &# 34 ;%&# 34 ; refers to weight percent and the term &# 34 ; mol &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; mols &# 34 ; refers to gram mols . the term &# 34 ; equivalent &# 34 ; refers to a quantity of reagent equal in mols , to the mols of the preceding or succeeding reactant recited in that examples in terms of finite mols or finite weight or volume . also , unless expressly stated to the contrary , geometric isomer and racemic mixtures are used as starting materials and correspondingly isomer mixtures are obtained as products . 2 - acetylaniline , 33 . 8 gm , was added slowly to 300 ml of ethanol containing 18 . 3 gm of hydroxylamine hydrochloride and 27 . 7 gm sodium carbonate . after addition of the entire amount of 2 - acetylaniline , the system was refluxed for 16 hours and then cooled to room temperature . after cooling , the ethanol was removed by stripping . water was then added to the residue to give a precipitate . the precipitate was filtered and dried to give a pale yellow solid , m . p . 55 °- 60 ° c . examination by nmr and ir spectroscopy was in complete accord with the proposed structure . 2 - acetylaniline oxime , 14 . 8 gm , was added to 100 ml of acetic acid and the system was then warmed to 50 ° c . after warming , 24 gm of chloroacetyl chloride was added dropwise over 2 minutes . the system was heated at 50 ° c . for an additional 20 minutes and it was then stirred at rt for 16 hours . the acetic acid was removed by stripping to give a yellow solid . the 2 - chloromethyl - 3 - oxo - 4 - methylquinazoline product was washed with hexane / ether and then dried yielding 16 gm of a brownish - yellow solid , m . p . 162 °- 164 ° c . examination by nmr and ir spectroscopy was in complete accord with the proposed structure . 2 - chloromethyl - 3 - oxo - 4 - methylquinazoline , 2 . 0 gm , was added to 50 ml of ethanol along with 1 . 7 gm of potassium iodide . the system was reflux for 8 hours . the ethanol was removed by stripping and the residue dissolved in dichloromethane . the organic solution was washed with water and dried with magnesium sulfate . the dichloromethane was removed by stripping to give a brown solid which was then further purified by washings with hexane / ether . 1 . 8 gm of the 2 - iodomethyl - 3 - oxo - 4 - methylquinazoline was recovered , m . p . 123 °- 133 ° c . examination by nmr and ir spectroscopy was in complete accord with the proposed structure . 2 . 6 gm of imidazole was added to 50 ml of acetonitrile along with 5 . 3 gm potassium carbonate . the system was cooled to 0 ° c . after cooling , 3 . 3 gm of 2 - chloromethyl - 3 - oxo - 4 - methylquinazoline in 10 ml of acetonitrile was added dropwise . after addition , the system was allowed to come to room temperature and stirred there for 8 hours . the reaction was then stopped and the reaction solution poured into 30 ml of water . the product was extracted with dichlormethane . the organic solution was treated with charcoal , filtered and then washed with water . the solution was dried with magnesium sulfate and the dichloromethane stripped to give the 2 - imidazolylmethyl - 3 - oxo - 4 - methylquinazoline as a yellow solid . similarily , by following the same procedure as described in examples 1 to 4 and using the appropriate starting compounds , the following compounds are made : a number of the compounds of the present invention were evaluated for in vitro fungicidal effectiveness by means of a mycelial inhibition test . this test is designed to measure the fungitoxic activity of fungicidal chemicals in terms of their degree of inhibition of mycelium growth . each compound to be tested was dissolved in acetone to 500 ppm concentration . paper strips were inoculated with the particular mycelium growth by covering the paper with a potato dextrose broth culture of mycelial suspension . the inoculated papers were then placed on potato dextrose agar plates and sprayed by means of a microsprayer with the fungicidal solution . the treated paper strips were incubated at 25 ° c . and the data is taken after 24 hours . fungicidal activities are measured by a zone of inhibited mycelial growth from the center of the paper strip . the effectiveness of the compounds tested for fungicidal activity is reported in table iv for those compounds which were effective in inhibiting mycelial growth . the activity is reported in terms of the micrograms / cm 2 for 99 % control of the fungus . compounds of the invention were tested for the control of the tomato late blight organism phytophthora infestans conidia . five - to six - week - old tomato ( variety bonny best ) seedlings were used . the tomato plants were sprayed with a 250 ppm solution of the test compound in acetone , water and a small amount of a non - ionic emulsifier . the sprayed plants were then inoculated one day later with the organism , placed in an environmental chamber and incubated at 66 °- 68 ° f . and 100 % relative humidity for at least 16 hours . following the incubation , the plants were allowed to dry and then were maintained in a greenhouse for approximately 7 days . the percent disease control provided by a given test compound was based on the percent disease reduction relative to untreated check plants . the compounds giving effective control at the test concentration are tabulated in table iii . compounds of the invention were tested for the control of the tomato early blight organism , alternaria solani conidia . tomato ( variety bonny best ) seedlings of 6 to 7 weeks old were used . the tomato plants were sprayed with a 250 ppm solution of the test compound in an acetone - and - water solution containing a small amount of a non - ionic emulsifier . the sprayed plants were inoculated one day later with the organism , placed in the environment chamber and incubated at 66 ° to 68 ° f . and 100 % relative humidity for 24 hours . following the incubation , the plants were maintained in a greenhouse for about 12 days . percent disease control was based on the percent disease development on untreated check plants . the compounds giving effective control at the test concentration are tabulated in table iii . compounds of the invention were tested for the control of celery late blight using celery ( utah ) plants 11 weeks old . the celery late blight organism was septoria apii . the celery plants were sprayed with solutions of the candidate toxicant mixed with acetone , water and a non - ionic emulsifier . the plants were then inoculated with the organism and placed in an environmental chamber and incubated at 66 °- 68 ° f . in 100 % relative humidity for an extended period of time ( approximately 48 hours ). following the incubation , the plants were allowed to dry and then were maintained in a greenhouse for approximately 14 days . the percent disease control provided by a given candidate toxicant is based on the percent disease reduction relative to untreated check plants . the compounds giving effective control at the test concentrations are reported in table iii . the compounds of the invention were tested for the control of grape downy mildew organism plasmapara viticola . detached leaves , between 70 mm and 85 mm in diameter , of 7 - week - old vitis vinifera cultivar emperor grape seedlings were used as hosts . the leaves were sprayed with a solution of the test compound in acetone . the sprayed leaves were dried , inoculated with a spore suspension of the organism , placed in a humid environmental chamber and incubated at 66 ° to 68 ° f . and about 100 % relative humidity . after incubation for two days , the plants were then held in a greenhouse for seven to nine days , then , the amount of disease control was determined . the percent disease control provided by a given test compound was based on the percent disease reduction to untreated check plants . the results are tabulated in table iii . representative compounds of the invention were tested as aquatic herbicides and algicides by the following method . the weed test species were lemna , elodea canadensis , and the algae used was spirolina maxima . an acetone solution of the test compound and a small amount of an alkylarylpolyoxyethylene glycol - containing surfactant was prepared . this solution was mixed with a nutrient broth in quantity sufficient to give a concentration of 2 ppm . eight ounce plastic cups were filled with 150 ml of this solution . a sample of the test , lemna and elodea , was added to each cup . forty ml of spirolina culture with the 2 ppm treatment was placed in 11 / 2 ounce plastic cups . the containers were then placed in an illuminated environment maintained at a temperature of about 20 ° c . for incubation . the containers were observed periodically for growth ( as compared to an untreated check ). the effectiveness of the test compound was determined based on a final observation of growth after 7 to 10 days . the results of the test on a 0 - to - 100 basis -- 0 indicating no effectiveness and 100 indicating complete effectiveness -- are reported in table v . table i__________________________________________________________________________compounds of the formula ## str10 ## analysiscomp . carbon hydrogen nitrogen # r x y z calc . fd . calc . fd . calc . fd . m . p . __________________________________________________________________________1 h cl cl h 59 . 00 59 . 15 3 . 30 3 . 56 9 . 20 9 . 21 yellow powder 121 - 124 ° c . 2 h br cl h 51 . 50 56 . 10 2 . 88 3 . 30 8 . 01 7 . 71 brown solid 108 - 116 ° c . 3 h i cl h 45 . 4 49 . 3 2 . 54 3 . 06 7 . 06 7 . 49 brown solid 110 - 125 ° c . 4 h ## str11 ## cl h 55 . 40 56 . 29 4 . 10 4 . 31 10 . 80 10 . 84 off - white powder 202 - 204 ° c . 5 h i h cl 45 . 40 46 . 10 2 . 54 2 . 90 2 . 06 2 . 25 yellow solid 174 - 180 ° c . 6 h ## str12 ## h h 65 . 4 65 . 2 5 . 76 5 . 68 11 . 4 11 . 8 tan solid 143 - 148 ° c . 7 h ## str13 ## h h 66 . 9 66 . 8 6 . 39 6 . 43 10 . 7 10 . 9 brown solid 116 - 123 ° c . 8 ch . sub . 3 scn cl h 59 . 7 56 . 9 3 . 54 3 . 57 12 . 3 12 . 3 yellow solid 153 - 155 ° c . 9 * ch . sub . 3 i cl h -- -- -- -- -- -- yellow solid 144 - 148 ° c . 10 h cl h cl 59 . 0 58 . 38 3 . 3 3 . 4 9 . 2 9 . 78 yellow powder 168 - 171 ° c . __________________________________________________________________________ * compound 9 loses iodine during analysis . table ii__________________________________________________________________________compounds of the formula ## str14 ## analysiscomp . carbon hydrogen nitrogen # r x y calc . fd . calc . fd . calc . fd . m . p . __________________________________________________________________________11 h cl h 57 . 87 60 . 85 4 . 35 5 . 0 13 . 43 14 . 05 light gold powder 162 - 164 ° c . 12 h br h 47 . 4 43 . 5 3 . 58 4 . 2 11 . 10 11 . 5 brown solid & gt ; 200 ° c . 13 h i h 40 . 0 40 . 5 3 . 02 3 . 17 9 . 34 9 . 63 brown solid 123 - 133 ° c . 14 h cn h 66 . 3 61 . 8 4 . 55 5 . 15 21 . 1 15 . 6 orange solid & gt ; 200 ° c . 15 h scn h 57 . 1 56 . 7 3 . 92 3 . 91 18 . 2 18 . 3 cream solid & gt ; 147 - 150 ° c . 16 h n n h 64 . 9 63 . 6 5 . 03 5 . 87 23 . 3 24 . 1 yellow solid & gt ; 200 ° c . 17 h ## str15 ## h 56 . 0 56 . 14 6 . 0 6 . 83 13 . 1 12 . 15 off - white solid 132 - 136 ° c . 18 h sc ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 3 h 64 . 1 58 . 1 6 . 92 6 . 7 10 . 7 11 . 8 brown solid -- 19 ch . sub . 3 cl h 59 . 3 60 . 28 5 . 0 5 . 39 12 . 6 12 . 96 yellow needles 175 - 178 ° c . 20 ch . sub . 3 ## str16 ## h 66 . 13 64 . 7 5 . 55 5 . 72 22 . 03 20 . 5 mustard solid 143 - 154 ° c . 21 ch . sub . 3 ## str17 ## h 57 . 3 57 . 88 6 . 3 6 . 51 12 . 5 12 . 58 off - white solid 133 - 135 ° c . 22 h sh h 58 . 2 61 . 7 4 . 89 4 . 96 13 . 6 14 . 3 mustard solid 170 - 185 ° c . 23 h ## str18 ## h 57 . 33 58 . 21 3 . 61 3 . 71 8 . 36 8 . 41 cream solid 175 - 178 ° c . __________________________________________________________________________ table iii______________________________________comp . grape downy tomato celery tomato # mildew late blight late blight early blight______________________________________ 1 88 50 39 90 2 89 0 23 23 3 35 0 33 0 4 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 23 50 6 6 0 0 0 7 0 29 0 11 8 0 18 29 0 9 67 0 0 7710 96 29 62 1111 0 57 8 612 84 94 56 4413 99 39 71 014 0 0 14 815 6 0 0 -- 16 0 0 29 5717 35 0 90 2718 0 11 0 019 64 0 98 020 13 4 17 021 0 0 0 3722 0 0 44 023 35 39 -- 57______________________________________ table iv______________________________________ ## str19 ## % control______________________________________ pythium 66 % botrytis 94 % asper . 100 % xantho . 88 % gdm 99 % tlb 39 % clb 71 % rb 28 % ______________________________________ table v______________________________________comp . # spirolina lemna elodea______________________________________1 48 0 652 80 0 03 80 0 08 50 0 011 85 65 8012 80 95 8014 30 0 019 0 0 65______________________________________	0
there is shown in fig1 a side view of the preferred embodiment of the transport apparatus 10 . the transport apparatus 10 is made up of a tiltable trailer 20 and a load carrying structure 40 . the tiltable trailer 20 includes a ground wheel support chassis 28 having ground engaging wheels 29 and a tiltable frame element 26 . the tiltable frame element 26 has longitudinal guide surfaces 22 on each side thereof and a winch 24 and tool and accessory box 23 at its forward end . the longitudinal guide surfaces 22 are in the shape of tracks that function to retain the anti - friction devices . the tiltable frame element 26 is a weldment of tubular members and sheet material and thus provides a sturdy structure that can support substantial loads . the sides of the tiltable frame is constructed of longitudinal tubes , such as bottom longitudinal tube 21 which has a flat upper surface and vertical post 31 . the tiltable frame element 26 is pivotally connected to the ground wheel support chassis 28 along a hinge axis 30 . a pair of three link arrangements 32 are connected at their free ends to the tiltable frame element 26 and the ground wheel support chassis 28 . hydraulic cylinders 34 , anchored at their cylinder ends on the ground wheel support chassis 28 are connected at their rod ends to each of the hinges 32 . it should be noted that there is a three link arrangement 32 and a hydraulic cylinder 34 on each side of the ground wheel support chassis 28 . when the hydraulic cylinders 34 are expanded the tiltable frame element 26 is pivoted about hinge axis 30 toward its lowered or horizontal position and when contracted tiltable frame element 26 is pivoted about hinge axis 30 toward its raised or elevated position . conventional hydraulic fluid pumps , storage batteries and control mechanisms are carried by the ground wheel support chassis 28 and function to control the flow of hydraulic fluid to and from the hydraulic cylinders 34 . conventional electronic controls are provided for actuating the control mechanisms for the hydraulic cylinders 34 . the electronic controls can be located in the cab of a self propelled vehicle that is used to tow the transport apparatus 10 or hand held remote controls can be used . conventional remote controls have a range of about 50 feet which enables an operator to control the tiltable frame element 26 from a safe distance and from a vantage point where the operator has an overview of the entire operating area . the load carrying structure 40 has a set of anti - friction devices 42 on each side thereof and ground engaging supports 44 at the front and back thereof . the anti - friction devices 42 are dimension and located such that they ride in grooves formed in the longitudinal guide surfaces 22 . a winch 24 , mounted at the forward end of tiltable frame element 26 , functions to wind in and out a cable 36 that is connected to load carrying structure 40 . when winch 24 is engaged the load carrying structure 40 moves longitudinally along the tiltable frame element 26 . control mechanisms or remote controls are provided for operating the winch 24 . when remote controls are used an operator can control both the pivoting movement of tiltable frame element 26 and the winch operation from a safe location where an overview of the operating area is possible . when the load carrying structure 40 is positioned in its full forward position member 37 , that is secured to its forward portion , overlies a locking member 38 that is carried by the forward portion of tiltable frame element 26 . the member 37 and the locking member 38 have apertures formed therein that become aligned when the load carrying structure 40 reaches its full forward position . gravity pins 39 are inserted through the aligned apertures to lock the load carrying structure 40 in its full forward position on the tiltable frame element 26 . with the gravity pins 39 in place the tiltable frame element 26 can be raised and the load carrying structure 40 will remain in its full forward position relative to the tiltable frame element 26 . this arrangement could be used when it is desired to dump the load out of the rear of load carrying structure 40 rather than sperate the load carrying structure from the tiltable frame element 26 . however the main function of gravity pins 39 is to function as a safety lock mechanism to insure that the load carrying structure 40 will not accidently roll off the tiltable trailer 20 during transport of the transport apparatus 10 . the ground wheel support chassis 28 has a pair of forward ground engaging jacks 54 and a pair rear ground engaging jacks 56 which can be lowered to anchor the ground wheel support chassis 28 in place . this relieves the springs and axles from the burden of supporting heavy loads during loading and unloading operation and can be of particular importance when heavy loads are being manipulated or the ground is not solid . a manual support mechanism 58 , is carried by ground wheel support chassis 28 , that includes a stop 60 in the form of a plate that extends inwardly toward the side of tiltable frame element 26 and overlays the flat upper surface of longitudinal tube 21 . manual support mechanism 58 functions to support the tiltable frame element 26 in a raised position relative to the ground wheel support chassis 28 . when the tiltable frame element 26 reaches its maximum inclined position the bottom surface of stop plate 60 engages the upper flat surface of longitudinal tube 21 , thus providing a mechanical stop preventing further elevation of the tiltable frame element 26 . at this time a lever type stop 62 can be manually repositioned such that it engages the bottom flat surface of longitudinal tube 21 . thus , stop provides a mechanical stop preventing the lowering of tiltable frame element 26 . the stops 60 and 62 , when functioning , also relieve stress on hydraulic cylinder 34 . this is particularly important when a heavily loaded load carrying structure 40 is being pulled up the inclined tiltable frame element 26 . without the manual support mechanisms 58 the force of the load is transferred to hydraulic cylinder 34 which could be damaged . when the tiltable frame element 26 is raised to receive a load carrying structure 40 , stop 60 is engaged to prevent inclination beyond the designed maximum and stop 62 is manually engaged to support the tiltable frame element 26 from downward movement . this provides a mechanical support to hold the tiltable frame element 26 in the inclined position and relieves the stresses from the hydraulic cylinder 34 . referring now to fig1 which is a rear view of the tiltable frame element 26 . in this view the base 27 and it rear end portion 25 can be seen . the longitudinal guide surfaces 22 are elevated , a given distance , above the base 27 . in this view a second set of longitudinal guide surfaces 122 are identified . guide surfaces 122 are located at a level below guide surfaces 22 . in fig1 the load carrying structure 40 has been added to the view of the tiltable frame element 26 seen in fig1 . it should be noted that the bottom surface of load carrying structure 40 does not contact the base 27 and the entire weight of the load carrying structure 40 is supported by the anti - friction devices 42 that ride in the longitudinal guide surfaces 22 . the roll on roll off feature of the transport apparatus 10 will now be discussed with reference to the series of drawings identified as fig2 - 7 . it should be noted that because of the small scale of the these drawings some of the details , such as the hinge 32 , that are seen in fig1 are not included in these drawings . in fig2 the tiltable frame element 26 is in its horizontal or fully lowered position . this is the transport position and prior to transport the gravity pins 39 should be inserted to lock the load carrying structure 40 to the tiltable trailer 20 . when it is desired to roll the load carrying structure 40 off the tiltable trailer 20 at a delivery destination the gravity pins 39 are removed and the hydraulic cylinders 34 are contracted which causes the three link arrangement 32 to begin opening and the tiltable frame element 26 to begin pivoting up about hinge axis 30 . the tiltable frame element 26 is shown in fig3 at a position where it has been pivoted up about 10 °. the load carrying structure 40 has , in fig3 moved rearwardly from its home position shown in fig2 . the winch 24 is actuated to unwind cable 36 in the direction which permits the load carrying structure 40 to roll in response to gravity down the longitudinal guide surfaces 22 of the tiltable frame element 26 . as seen in fig4 the elevation of tiltable frame element 26 has been increased to about 30 ° and the load carrying structure 40 has rolled down the longitudinal guide surfaces 22 to the point where the rear ground engaging supports 44 make initial contact with the ground . in fig5 the tiltable frame element 26 remains at about a 30 ° elevation and the load carrying structure 40 has rolled further down the longitudinal guide surfaces 22 . the rear ground engaging supports 44 , which are in the form of rollers or wheels , permit the bottom rear corner of the load carrying structure 40 to roll rearwardly relative to the transport apparatus 10 . it should be noted that in fig5 only the forward most anti - friction devices 42 remain in engagement with the longitudinal guide surfaces 22 which minimizes the frictional resistance between the anti - friction devices 42 and the longitudinal guide surfaces 22 . if the friction between the rear ground engaging supports 44 and the ground is to great to permit gravity to roll the - road carrying structure 40 back the transport apparatus 10 can be driven or pulled forward . as seen in fig6 the tiltable frame element 26 remains at an elevation of about 30 ° and the load carrying structure 40 has rolled further down the longitudinal guide surfaces 22 and further to the rear of transport apparatus 10 . in fig7 the tiltable frame element 26 has been elevated to about 40 ° and the load carrying structure 40 is now supported on the ground by both its front and rear ground engaging supports 44 . at this point the cable 36 can be disconnected from the load carrying structure 40 and the empty transport apparatus 10 moved away from the load carrying structure 40 . when it is desired to pick up the load carrying structure 40 from its fully ground bearing or supported position , the empty transport apparatus 10 is backed up to the load carrying structure 40 to the positions as shown in fig7 at which the forward most anti - friction devices 42 of the load carrying structure 40 are in engagement with the longitudinal guide surfaces 22 of the tiltable frame element 26 . when engagement of the forward most anti - friction devices 42 with the longitudinal guide surfaces 22 has been achieved the winch 24 is activated in the direction to wind in the cable 36 and begin rolling the load carrying structure 40 up the inclined longitudinal guide surfaces 22 . the sequence of events shown in fig2 - 7 is reversed until the tiltable frame element 26 is in its horizontal or fully lowered position and the load carrying structure 40 is in its home or fully forward position . when the load carrying structure 40 has been rolled up to about the position shown in fig4 the tiltable frame element 26 can be lowered to its horizontal position and the load carrying structure 40 pulled by winch 24 to its full forward position . at the full forward position the gravity pins 39 are inserted to lock the load carrying structure 40 in place on the tiltable frame element 26 . referring now to fig8 which shows the load carrying structure 40 isolated and at a larger scale . the forward most anti - friction devices 42 are constructed of cast iron or steel wheels such that there is no cushion or compression between the load carrying structure 40 and the longitudinal guide surfaces 22 . this minimizes the frictional resistance between the forward most anti - friction devices 42 and the longitudinal guide surfaces 22 . however , the rear most anti - friction devices 42 and those between the forward most and rear most have rubber surfaces and have a slightly larger diameter than the forward most ground engaging supports . as a result when the tiltable frame element 26 is in its horizontal or transport position the load carrying structure 40 is supported on the longitudinal guide surfaces 22 by the larger cushioned anti - friction devices 42 . this not only cushions the ride when in the transport position but also results in a much quieter ride . also disclosed in fig8 are sockets 46 which can be used in cooperation with portable jacks to store the load carrying structure 40 at a level above the ground . a detailed disclosure of a system of this type is disclosed in my above identified co - pending application ser . no . 08 / 200 , 958 . fig9 and 10 are figures taken from my co - pending application ser . no . 08 / 200 , 958 minus the reference numbers from that application . fig9 corresponds to fig3 after the tiltable frame element 26 has been returned to its horizontal or lower most position . portable jacks 48 of the type shown in fig9 and 10 are secured to the load carrying structure 40 through sockets 46 to thus store the load carrying structure 40 at a position elevated from the ground . fig9 and 10 are illustrations of another embodiment of the applicant &# 39 ; s invention . in the illustrations of this embodiment the transport vehicle is shown as a pick up truck however the invention could be used with any type of vehicle or transport device . for example the transport vehicle could be a small trailer , a large trailer pulled by highway tractor , a flat bed truck , a small or large van , a train , a ship , a barge or an airplane . as seen in fig9 and 10 the container 40 includes two sets of rollers 42 that are secured to horizontal bottom support surfaces such that they are horizontal to each other . the transport vehicle includes a pair of elongated flat support surfaces 22 that extend horizontal to the ground and parallel to each other . the flat support surfaces 22 are unencumbered from above and are located on the transport vehicle such that they function to support the container 40 through the rollers 42 . the container 40 is supported on the transport vehicle at a fixed elevation above the ground such that the bottom surface of the container is spaced from and not in contact with the bottom surface of the transport vehicle . the sets of rollers 42 and the flat support surfaces 22 function as cooperating anti - friction mechanisms that will permit the container 40 to be rolled on and off the transport vehicle with little effort . the transport vehicle and container 40 include cooperating anchor devices that function to secure the container 40 in place on the transport vehicle . anchoring devices such as gravity pins 39 as shown in fig1 could be used for this purpose . in this embodiment independent support 48 for the container 40 are transported with the container and transport vehicle . it is important that the portable independent support is capable of supporting the container at the same elevation above the ground as it will be or was supported on the transport vehicle so as to insure a smooth relative movement therebetween . in this respect it should be noted that if multiple transport vehicles are used their support surfaces may not be located at equal elevations above the ground . for this reason the independent supports 48 used in this embodiment are in the form of jacks that can be adjusted to support the container at a selected elevation above the ground . as seen in fig9 sockets 46 are provided near the bottom of the container 40 for receiving the jacks 48 . in fig1 the transport vehicle has been driven forward or the container 40 has been rolled rearwardly to complete the transfer of the container from the transport vehicle to the jacks 48 . the transport apparatus 10 disclosed herein also has the versatility of using stationary storage platforms of the type disclosed in my above identified co - pending patent application ser . no . 08 / 001 , 960 . fig1 is a figure that has been reproduced , without the old reference numbers , from application ser . no . 08 / 001 , 960 . platforms of the type 50 disclosed in fig1 , are provided at the regular pick up and delivery locations . a load carrying structure 40 can be loaded from a platform 50 to a tiltable frame element 26 , that is horizontal , by sliding it horizontally along the elongated flat support surfaces 52 on to the longitudinal guide surfaces 22 of the horizontal tiltable frame element 26 . when the transport vehicle has spring loaded axles , as would be expected in the pick up truck disclosed in fig9 and 10 , the longitudinal guide surfaces 22 would begin to lower as weight is transferred to the transport vehicle . this can be accommodated for by adjusting the jacks located at the front of the platform 50 . the sliding operation is reversed when it is desired to unload a load carrying structure 40 from a horizontal tiltable frame element 26 to a platform 50 . the opposite is also true when unloading a heavy loaded container 40 , of the type seen in fig9 to a stationary platform 50 of the type seen is fig1 . when such an operation is accomplished the guided surfaces 22 will raise up as weight is removed from the transport vehicle . when this occurs the jacks on the front of platform 50 must be expanded to insure that the surfaces 22 and 52 remain on the same plane . loading and unloading from a platform 50 , of the type illustrated in fig1 , is a much simpler and faster procedure that loading and unloading from the ground . thus , this is a valuable and useful option that is available with the transport apparatus of this invention . referring now to fig1 wherein another embodiment of the load carrying structure is disclosed . the load carrying structure 140 seen in this figure is a flat bed carrier having a flat bottom surface 142 and a front vertical wall 146 . it should be noted that this embodiment the anti - friction devices 144 ride in the second set of longitudinal guide surfaces 122 rather than the guide surfaces 22 . this lowers the center of gravity of the loaded load carrying structure 140 and stabilizes the transport apparatus 10 . fig1 is a side view of the embodiment of the invention seen in fig1 without the load carrying structure 40 . when the load carrying structure 40 is removed from the transport apparatus 10 the tiltable frame element 26 can function as a dump trailer . the tiltable frame element 26 has a solid bottom , front and side walls . all that needs to be added to this structure is a tail gate 70 that can for example be hinged 72 along its bottom edge . it is intended that the accompanying drawings and the foregoing detailed description is to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive , the scope of the invention is intended to embrace any equivalents , alternatives , and / or modifications of elements that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention , and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein .	1
although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention , the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in other specific structures . while the preferred embodiment has been described , the details may be changed without departing from the invention , which is defined by the claims . turning now to the figures , fig1 presents an embodiment 200 of a method of reducing cholesterol in a milk product according to the present invention . the method 200 will be explained with reference also to the system 10 depicted in fig2 a and fig2 b . the system 10 is preferably generally controlled by a programmable logic controller ( plc ) that is programmable or otherwise interactive through a human machine interface ( hmi ), which may be provided on a touch - screen panel . before initiating the processing of a quantity of raw whole milk 100 that has been received 211 , the plc may require some programming input from a system operator . for instance , the operator may program the plc with the whole milk batch size to be processed . other parameters will be discussed throughout the remaining description . depending on the implementation of the system 10 , some manual swing connections may be required to establish desired or required fluid flow paths . for instance , flowverter panels may be used to direct fluid flow . flowverter panels may be used , for example , to insert or remove optional equipment from the fluid flow circuit . once the manual swing connections have been made , if needed , the generally automated process may begin . the method 200 generally begins when after whole milk 100 , which may be raw , is received 201 . the raw whole milk 100 is delivered to a processing site having a receiving capacity , which may be , for example , 3000 gallons . the delivery 201 may be made to a processing site by way of a delivery vessel 12 , such as a tank carried by a truck . the delivery vessel 12 is preferably coupled to a receiving pump 14 , which conveys the raw whole milk 100 from the delivery vessel 12 to a receiving tank 16 . a flowmeter ( not shown ) may be installed in the flow path from the delivery vessel 12 to the receiving tank 16 to monitor the amount of product pumped into the tank 16 to assist in preventing overflow . a level transmitter ( not shown ) may be operatively coupled to the receiving tank 16 to provide an overflow or desired level emergency alert , also to assist in preventing an overflow condition . upon completion of receiving 201 the raw whole milk 100 , the receiving line 15 may be air blown by way of an air blow check valve and an air solenoid valve , which reside generally at opposite ends of the receiving line 15 . alternatively , rather than receiving raw whole milk 100 , the process may begin by receiving raw skim and raw cream which have been separated from raw whole milk . generally , the whole milk 100 , or other supplied cream and skim , is received into the receiving tank 16 , which may keep the delivered product at a desired temperature , such as approximately forty degrees fahrenheit . after the delivery 201 of raw whole milk 100 , the method 200 generally includes a whole milk separation step 203 , using a separator 22 to separate the raw whole milk 100 into skim 102 and cream 104 . while the process herein describes use of skim 102 and cream 104 , it is to be understood that the skim 102 is provided as an initial milk product , but other initial milk products are contemplated . thus , the process may be run on an initial milk product that is , for example , one or two percent milk , or whole milk . the whole milk 100 is preferably heated prior to separation 203 , perhaps by flowing through a whole milk heat exchanger 20 , thereby creating a heated whole milk 101 . the whole milk 100 may be heated to any desirable temperature that will maintain integrity of the milk 100 , but a temperature of about ninety - five degrees to about one hundred and ten degrees fahrenheit , and more preferably a temperature of about one hundred and five degrees fahrenheit , produces desirable results . any heating or pretreatment of the whole milk 100 prior to separation 203 may depend upon the type of separator being employed , e . g ., a centrifugal separator or membrane filtration unit . after separation , the skim 102 and the cream 104 are preferably processed in parallel before being rejoined in the agitation tank 56 , if cream 104 is rejoined . the separated skim 102 is preferably heated 205 , such as by flowing through a skim heat exchanger 24 , preferably to a temperature of between about 120 to about 150 degrees fahrenheit , and more preferably from about 135 to about 140 degrees fahrenheit , thereby creating a heated skim 106 . the heated skim 106 is then added to a mixing tank 26 to be combined 213 with a quantity of desired edible oil 108 , such as soybean oil , that is usually stored onsite 211 . in fluid communication with the mixing tank 26 , is a supply 211 of edible oil , which may be , for example , a 4 × 4 × 4 portable oil tote having a capacity of approximately 360 gallons . as the heated skim 106 is delivered to the mixing tank 26 , oil 108 from the supply 211 is metered into the tank 26 . the amount of oil 108 is based upon an oil - to - skim ratio that is predetermined before starting the substantially automated process and is programmed into the plc through the hmi . the desired oil - to - skim ratio may range from 1 : 1 to 1 : 99 , but preferably is about 1 : 19 . although any suitable blending device may work , a preferred mixing tank 26 is a breddo likwifier ™ available from american ingredients company of kansas city , mo . while a single tank 26 is shown , a plurality of tanks 26 may be cascaded to accommodate various production capacities . the flow of skim 106 to the mixing tank 26 may be monitored by a flowmeter ( not shown ), and the mixing tank 26 may be provided with level indicators , which are utilized for high level alarm while filling . if a plurality of mixing tanks 26 is used , the system 10 may automatically fill each of the plurality of tanks 26 in succession , based on a whole milk batch size entered into the hmi and recorded by the plc . upon or near the completion of the filling cycle of the mixing tank 26 , the skim - and - oil mixture may be blended . the blend time is preferably predetermined and set on the hmi prior to starting the process , but is preferably on the order of about one to about ten minutes , and more preferably about 3 to about 5 minutes . where a plurality of mixing tanks 26 are used , the blending process may begin while successive tanks 26 are being filled with the skim 106 and oil 108 . alternatively , or additionally , to the skim 106 and oil 108 being mixed in mixing tanks 26 , oil 108 may be introduced into the fluid flow conduit of the skim 106 , perhaps eliminating the need for a mixing tank 26 . the blended skim - and - oil mixture 110 may be pumped by a pump 30 , which may be a positive pump , to a shearing device 32 , such as a colloid mill . other shearing or blending devices could be used , such as a shear pump , a hydroshear device , a high level shear mixer , or even a homogenizer , although the latter may be less desirable based on desired particle size . an example of a high level shear mixer that may be employed is a quadro ytron z emulsifier , available from quadro ( us ) inc . of millburn , n . j . the shearing device 32 is used to shear 215 the skim - and - oil mixture 110 to , at least in part , standardize the particle size of the mixture 110 prior to being added to a processing tank 56 , thereby forming a particulated skim 112 . as used herein , “ particle size ” refers to the preferred maximum dimension through the geometric center of any particle of a given mixture . for instance , the particle size of a spherical particle would be its diameter . the desired particle size of the mixture 112 prior to being added to the processing tank 56 is about 0 . 1 micron to about ten microns . the shearing is preferably carried out at a pressure of about fifty to about 2000 pounds per square inch ( psi ), and more preferably at a pressure of about 850 to about 950 psi , and more preferably at a pressure of about 900 psi . the particulated skim 112 is then added to the processing tank 56 , to which cream may be added , which may have been processed substantially in parallel . turning now to the preferably parallel processing of the separated cream 104 , the cream 104 is preferably heated 207 and then homogenized 209 prior to being added to the processing tank 56 with the skim - and - oil mixture 110 . while the heating 207 of the cream 104 is optional , it may be desirable prior to homogenization 209 as it has been found to improve flavor of the resulting product . cream heating 207 may be provided by causing the separated cream 104 to flow through a cream heat exchanger 42 , thereby creating a heated cream 114 . a preferred temperature range for the heated cream 114 is about 145 to about 170 degrees fahrenheit , and more preferably about 165 degrees fahrenheit . the heated cream 114 may be forced through the cream heat exchanger 42 by a pump 40 , which may be a positive pump , to maintain a relatively constant pressure supply to the homogenization 209 step . while a single homogenizer may be used , two or more optional homogenizers may be provided . the direction of heated cream 114 to a desired homogenizer 52 or 54 may be provided by a flowverter panel 44 . for instance , a larger 10 , 000 - lb . batch homogenizer 52 and a smaller 700 - lb . batch homogenizer 54 may be provided . the speed of the pump 40 is controlled to maintain a relatively constant inlet pressure on the selected homogenizer , which may be measured by a pressure transducer ( not shown ). if the smaller homogenizer 54 is used , the flowverter 44 is switched to divert the cream 114 to the small homogenizer 54 and by - pass a hold tube 48 , cream cooler heat exchanger 50 , and larger homogenizer 52 . the smaller homogenizer 54 then homogenizes 209 the provided cream 114 at a predetermined pressure . if the larger homogenizer 52 is used , the flowverter 44 is switched to divert the cream 114 through a hold tube 48 , which provides a hold time , or travel time , of preferably about twenty - one seconds at a predetermined flow rate , such as about 4 . 6 gallons per minute . the cream 114 is then preferably cooled through a cream cooler heat exchanger 50 , thereby producing cooled cream 116 that may be presented to the larger homogenizer 52 . the temperature of the cooled cream is preferably about 120 degrees to about 150 degrees fahrenheit , and more preferably about 135 degrees to about 140 degrees fahrenheit . the cooled cream 116 is then provided to the large homogenizer 52 for homogenization 209 . regardless of which homogenizer is used , the homogenization 209 occurs at a predetermined pressure , which is preferably about 2 , 000 to about 5 , 000 pounds per square inch , and more preferably at about 250 bar or about 3 , 600 to about 3 , 650 pounds per square inch . the resulting homogenized cream 122 includes at least substantially homogeneous particles having preferred sizes from about 0 . 04 microns to about 1 micron , and more preferably about 0 . 08 microns to about 0 . 5 microns . a predetermined amount , including none , of the homogenized cream 122 is then provided to the processing tank 56 , therein joining the particulated skim - and - oil mixture 112 . while described and shown as being added to the particulated skim - and - oil mixture 112 , a predetermined amount of homogenized cream 122 may alternatively be added prior to the standardization process 215 to the blended skim - and - oil mixture 110 . if the homogenized cream 122 is added prior to the particle size standardization 215 , the shearing is preferably carried out at a lower pressure , preferably about 125 to about 160 psi . a plurality of processing tanks 56 may be provided , if desired to handle the volume of the process . regarding the processing tank 56 , the tank 56 may be a zoned jacketed tank , which may be provided with level indicators ( not shown ) and an agitator , such as a batch pasteurization tank . during the filling of the processing tank 56 with the sheared skim - and - oil mixture 112 and the homogenized cream 122 , the agitator and various jacket zones are controlled . for instance , when the tank 56 is approximately five percent full , the agitator may begin , rotating at a top speed of preferably about five to about thirty revolutions per minute , and more preferably at a top speed of about twenty - five revolutions per minute . also when the tank 56 is about five percent full , hot water may be introduced into a bottom zone of the tank jacket . the temperature control for the heating media used in the tank jacket is controlled by way of a cascade proportional , integral , derivative ( pid ) loop , as is known in the art . when the tank 56 is about twenty percent full , hot water may be introduced into a lower side zone of the tank jacket , and when the tank 56 is about sixty percent full , hot water may be introduced into a top side zone of the tank jacket . while the hot water used in the jacketed tank 56 may be provided by any suitable source , the jacket water source is preferably coupled to the same hot water supply that provides hot water to the various heat exchangers in the system 10 . the skim - and - oil mixture 112 and cream 122 , having been combined to form a milk - and - oil mixture within the tank 56 , is held and agitated at a predetermined rate for a predetermined amount of time at a predetermined temperature , the parameters for which may be entered into the hmi prior to processing by the system 10 . the predetermined length of time for holding and agitating the milk - and - oil mixture is preferably about five minutes to about 120 minutes , and more preferably about twenty to about sixty minutes . the predetermined agitation rate is mentioned above , but is generally a relatively mild agitation . the predetermined temperature of the milk - and - oil mixture in the tank 56 is preferably about 120 degrees to about 150 degrees fahrenheit , and more preferably about 130 degrees to about 140 degrees fahrenheit , and more preferably about 135 degrees fahrenheit . after the milk - and - oil mixture has been held and agitated 217 for the desired time , the mixture 124 may be transferred out of the processing tank 56 , preferably at a rate of about twenty - four gallons per minute . the transfer may be aided by a pump 58 and the milk - and - oil mixture 124 is preferably cooled through a milk - and - oil mixture cooler heat exchanger 60 , to form a cooled milk - and - oil mixture 126 . the temperature of the cooled milk - and - oil mixture 126 may be any desired temperature suitable for the next separation 219 , but the temperature is preferably about 105 degrees fahrenheit . the cooled milk - and - oil mixture 126 is presented to a separator 62 for a milk - and - oil separation 219 . the separator 62 performs a separation 219 of a majority of the edible oil from a first reduced cholesterol milk product 130 , sending waste oil 128 to a waste oil tank 65 , which may be used as a basis for biodiesel fuel , as an ingredient for food products such as mayonnaise , or potentially as food for animals . the first reduced cholesterol milk product 130 may be held 221 in a surge tank 66 , if desired for process flow . from the surge tank 66 , the first reduced cholesterol milk product 130 may actually be packaged and sold as an end product 237 , in and of itself , perhaps as an ingredient for further processing . alternatively , further processing may be performed . for instance , the first reduced cholesterol milk product 130 may include some residual oil , which may be addressed in at least a couple of ways . a second milk - and - oil separation 224 may be performed , thereby attempting to separate additional waste oil 223 from a second reduced cholesterol milk product 226 , and the second reduced cholesterol milk product 226 may be packaged and sold as an end product 239 , in and of itself . preferably , however , a second milk separation 225 is performed on the first reduced cholesterol milk product 130 . the first reduced cholesterol milk product 130 is provided to an additional separator 70 from the surge tank 66 by a pump 68 at a desired flow rate , such as about twenty - five gallons per minute . while shown in fig3 as utilizing an additional separator 70 , the separation 225 may be performed by the same separator 22 that performed the initial whole milk separation 203 , rather than requiring the additional separator 70 . if this is desirable , the separator 22 is preferably cleaned during the time in which batch processing 217 occurs in the processing tank 56 . regardless of which separator is used , the separation results in a first reduced cholesterol skim 132 and a first reduced cholesterol cream 136 . the first reduced cholesterol skim 132 is preferably chilled by a first reduced cholesterol skim heat exchanger 73 to a preferred storage temperature , to provide a cooled first reduced cholesterol skim 134 to be stored in a first reduced cholesterol skim storage tank 74 . the first reduced cholesterol skim 132 is cooled to a temperature of preferably about forty - five degrees fahrenheit or below , to form the cooled first reduced cholesterol skim 134 . alternatively , rather than being chilled and stored after the separation 225 , the first reduced cholesterol skim 134 may be processed through another separation 228 , resulting in a second reduced cholesterol skim 230 and further waste oil 223 . thereafter , the second reduced cholesterol skim 230 may be chilled and stored in a similar manner as described in connection with the first 132 . the first reduced cholesterol cream 136 , although it could be packaged and sold in its present form , is preferably separated again 231 . the first reduced cholesterol cream 136 is preferably fed to another separator 78 , perhaps by way of a positive pump 77 . this separation 231 results in a second reduced cholesterol cream 140 and more waste oil 138 which is fed 223 to the waste oil tank 65 . the second reduced cholesterol cream 140 is then preferably cooled to a predetermined temperature by a second reduced cholesterol cream cooler heat exchanger 84 to form a cooled second reduced cholesterol cream 142 , which may be fed into a storage tank 86 . the predetermined temperature to which the second reduced cholesterol cream 140 is cooled is preferably about forty - five degrees fahrenheit or below , and more preferably about forty degrees fahrenheit . desired products are then mixed 235 to form a final end product to be shipped 241 . in the system 10 depicted in fig3 , a cooled first reduced cholesterol skim 134 and a cooled second reduced cholesterol cream 142 are combined in a predetermined ratio to form a reduced cholesterol milk product 144 having desired properties . the predetermined ratio may include zero percent of either of the products to be mixed where , for example , only the skim or only the cream is to be provided as the reduced cholesterol milk product 144 . an on - line solids / fat sensor may be used to standardize the reduced cholesterol milk product 144 to a predetermined milk fat percentage , such as two percent . the milk product 144 may then be stored in a storage tank 92 , preferably at a predetermined temperature , to await pick - up . a centrifugal pump 94 may be provided to assist in the transfer of the milk product 144 to a delivery vessel 13 , which may be a tanker truck . while the mixing step is shown utilizing a first reduced cholesterol skim 134 and a second reduced cholesterol cream 142 , it is to be understood that the mixing step 235 may combine any of the reduced cholesterol products , such as the first reduced cholesterol milk product 130 , the second reduced cholesterol milk product 226 , the first reduced cholesterol skim 132 , the second reduced cholesterol skim 230 , the first reduced cholesterol cream 136 , and / or the second reduced cholesterol cream 140 . the system 10 may also utilize a plurality of balance tanks , such as those 71 , 76 , and 80 shown in fig3 , to ensure generally continuous process flow for processing a desired amount of end product . additionally , the system 10 may incorporate a clean in place ( cip ) system for cleaning the respective tanks and fluid flow conduits . the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention . furthermore , since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described . while the preferred embodiment has been described , the details may be changed without departing from the invention , which is defined by the claims .	0
large - area radiators with a rectangular base and of an even thickness are used to describe this invention , however , the teaching in accordance with this invention can also be applied to other shapes of large - area radiators . therefore those are made a part of this invention . parallel , strip - like spacer elements , which continuously extend parallel with an edge of the large - area radiator ( fig2 ), are used to describe this invention . however , the teaching in accordance with this invention can also be applied to any other designs , in particular segmented spacer elements ( fig3 ), and spot spacer elements ( fig4 ), or wavy spacer elements ( fig5 ), which are a part of this invention . it was discovered that a sufficient strength of large - area radiators could also be achieved with front and rear panes of glass of a thickness of less than 2 . 5 mm , if the glass panes are laminated with plastic coatings . tests have shown that with laminating the exterior of the glass panes , used as front and rear panes , with thin , ductile polymer films , a sufficient surface strength of the large - area ; radiators is achieved . suitable for this are thin coatings of silicon , polyurethane or polymers from the group of ormoceres . because of their high temperature resistance ( up to 200 ° c .) and great resistance to many organic solvents and aqueous solutions , silicon coatings are preferred . the polymer films already become effective at coating thicknesses starting at approximately 6 μm . the stability increasing effects of the coatings basically increase with increasing thickness . however , starting at a thickness of 50 μm this increase is no longer significant . the thickness range between 6 to 50 μm is preferred , because then the elasticity of the bond is little reduced and the shrinkage of the polymer films leads to only small stresses in the glass panes . however , the application of thicker coatings up to approximately 200 μm can be useful for manufacturing reasons . it is possible to employ primers for improving the adherence of the mainly homopolar polymers on the polar glass surface which , by a reactive bond of oh groups on the glass surface with their homopolar side chains , provide a homopolar glass surface with good adhesive properties for homopolar organic polymers . dimethoxydimethyx silane or hexamethyl disilazane , for example , are suitable primers . the stability - increasing effect of the polymer coatings actually is a stability conservation . the coatings prevent the creation of stability - reducing micro - defects in the surface of the glass panes during transport , assembly or handling of the glass panes . this effect therefore is particularly developed when the coatings are applied early , preferably immediately following the drawing of the glass panes , and even more preferred prior to cutting the glass panes , for example for fabricating the panes in the size of large - area radiators . with the above described glass panes it is possible to achieve considerably greater distances between spacer elements than with the known large - area radiators , without their strength being reduced . table 3 shows , by way of example , which distances w between spacer elements can be achieved as a function of the pane thickness t . an advantageous variation can result if the polymer coating is applied at a temperature above the operating temperature of the large - area radiator . with this the polymer coating on the pane is under permanent compressive strain and is therefore scratch - proof . coatings with polymers have one disadvantage that the coated glass panes may not be exposed to high temperatures during subsequent thermal treatment . the temperature must remain clearly below 200 ° c . as a rule . this limitation is unacceptable if , for example , the panes must be soldered while mounting the large - area radiator , or if gettering must be performed on mounted large - area radiators . in this case , the panes can be advantageously sealed with a removable protective film immediately following their production . this temporary protective film is washed off prior to the respective temperature treatment . thereafter , another temporary sealing takes place , if required , or there is the immediate application of the permanent coatings in accordance with this invention . tests show that it is possible to create a thermal tempering of panes starting from a thickness of 1 . 5 mm by strongly blowing cold air against them or dipping them into oil , or oil - covered water , which considerably increases the stability of the large - area radiators . thermal tempering should take place after cutting the glass panes , for example for fabricating the panes in the size of large - area radiators . the combination of thermal tempering and coating with ductile polymer layers results in a further increase of stability . coating must occur after tempering . this invention is explained in greater detail in view of two embodiments : the rear pane of a large - area radiator , which itself is finished and capable of functioning , is sprayed with a thin coat of a two - component silicon polymer after the last baking process , so that a continuous wetting layer is created . the layer is then polymerized . the amount of silicon polymer is set so that a polymer coating of 40 to 45 μm thickness results . a large - area radiator of 320 × 360 mm size is to be provided with a a chemically tempered front pane of 1 . 1 mm thickness . glass d263 , for example desag ag of grünenplan , is used for the front pane . 1 . 1 mm thick panes made of this glass are dipped for 16 h in a hot kno 3 bath at 450 ° c . in order to temper them by the “ na — k exchange ”. by means of this , tempering of more than 230 mpa is created in a surface layer to a depth of 80 μm . it was observed that , in the subsequent processes in the course of producing the large - area radiator , a portion of the tempering was “ washed out ” again , but tempering of more than 200 mpa was observed to be a permanent value . the invention relates to a large - area radiator with a front pane and a rear element , wherein the front pane is kept apart from the rear element by means of spacer elements , wherein a gaseous filler has been introduced into the space between the front pane and the rear element and is at a lesser pressure than the pressure of the surrounding atmosphere , and wherein the front pane is made of a glass material . transmissive lcds require background illumination by a strong light of homogeneous luminance , reduced thickness , low rate of breakage during assembly and handling , and with a great strength over time . gas discharge lamps with a filling of a noble gas at underpressure meet the requirements of homogeneous luminance and low heat emission . these lamps can also be designed as large - area radiators . the essential mechanical components of such large - area radiators are the front and rear pane and spacer elements for keeping the front and rear panes apart . front and rear panes made of glass are preferred . it is known to provide rear panes made of glass with reflecting coatings , or larger - area radiators are known in the prior art , wherein the discharge current flows through “ folded ” channels between the front and rear panes , which requires an operating voltage of several hundred volts ( company publication “ flat candle backlight products for 4 ″ diagonal lcd ”). large - area radiators are also known , in which the current flows directly from the rear to the front pane . such large - area radiators are operated in connection with lcd applications with operating voltages of only approximately 10 v . a considerable disadvantage of large - area radiators with an underpressure filling is the great thickness and large weight . the thickness is the result of the minimum discharge distance and of the thickness of the glass panes for the front and rear panes . the pane thickness is the result of strength requirements . large - area radiators with front and rear panes of approximately 2 . 5 mm thickness , which are maintained at an essentially even distance of 40 to 50 mm by spacer elements , represent the prior art . fig1 shows a section in a perspective view through a known large - area radiator , in which the front and rear pane and parallel , continuous , strip - shaped spacer elements can be seen . it has been shown that when employing thinner glass panes for the front and rear pane , for example for weight - saving or for reducing the thickness of the large - area radiator , the following problems occur : a too large mechanical stresses in the panes , too great bending of the panes between spacer elements , buckling , tipping over or tearing off of the spacer elements . the mechanical stresses in the panes because of the exterior pressure are considered to be an essential problem . the tensile stress at the exterior surfaces of the pane is on a scale of approximately σ × a ( w / t ) 2 , wherein t identifies the pane thickness and w the distance between the spacer elements . it can be seen that when the pane thickness is reduced , it is also necessary to reduce the distance between the spacer elements . it is assumed that with a pane thickness t = 2 . 5 mm , a distance between the spacer elements of at least w = 40 to 50 mm is required to keep the tensile stress at the exterior surface of the panes below approximately 10 mpa ( expected fatigue strength of class ). at a pane thickness of 1 mm , a distance between the spacer elements of less than 20 mm would therefore be required . this results in an increased production outlay and a reduction of the light yield because of the many spacer elements . this assumption has up to now prevented the production of large - area radiators with thinner front and rear panes , or with a greater distance between the spacer elements . it is the object of the invention to achieve a weight reduction of a large - area radiator of the type mentioned at the outset . this object of the invention is attained in that the front pane and / or the rear pane are embodied as glass panes , which are at least partially thermally or chemically tempered . by means of thermally or chemically tempered glass panes it is possible to achieve considerably greater spacer element distances than with known large - area radiators . table 1 shows what maximum distance can be obtained for the spacer elements w as a function of the pane thickness t , and what surface pressure tempering must be achieved in the glass panes at least ( σ vtmin ). tempering of more than 100 mpa in thin glass panes can only be achieved with high - stress glass ( thermal expansion coefficient σ20 , 300 & gt ; 7 × 10 − 6 1 /° c .) or with glass with a high t g ( t g & gt ; 550 ° c . ; t g is the temperature at which the viscosity of the glass is 10 13 . 6 dpa ). the use of glass with a high t g has the further advantage that it is then possible to subject the large - area radiators to high temperatures during the manufacturing process . therefore glass with a high t g is preferred . but the thermal tempering of thin glass panes is still very expensive . for panes with low stress , or for panes of a thickness of less than 1 . 5 mm , thermal tempering shows hardly positive effects . therefore chemical tempering by means of the methods known per se is preferred . the combination of chemical tempering and coating with ductile polymer layers here leads to a further increase in strength . coating must be performed after tempering . with chemically tempered glass it is possible to achieve considerably greater distances between the spacer elements than with the known large - area radiators , along with a sufficient strength of the large - area radiators . table 2 shows the distance w between spacer elements which can be achieved as a function of the pane thickness t , and what surface pressure tempering must be achieved in the glass panes at least ( σ vtmin ). it was found that the strength of the large - area radiators can be considerably increased if the stability under load of the spacer elements is increased by using wavy spacer elements instead of straight spacer elements . the object of the invention is also attained in that the front pane and / or the rear element are embodied as glass panes , which are at least partially provided with a coating consisting of a ductile polymer material . large - area radiators with a rectangular base and of even thickness are made the basis for describing the invention , however , the teaching in accordance with this invention can also be applied to other shapes of large - area radiators . therefore those are made a part of the invention . parallel , strip - like spacer elements , which continuously extend parallel with an edge of the large - area radiator , are made the basis for describing the invention . however , the teaching in accordance with this invention can also be applied to any other designs , in particular segmented spacer elements ( fig3 ), and spot spacer elements ( fig4 ), or wavy spacer elements ( fig5 ). therefore those are made a part of the invention . it was discovered that a sufficient strength of large - area radiators could also be achieved with front and rear panes of glass of a thickness of less than 2 . 5 mm , if the glass panes are laminated with plastic coatings . tests have shown that by means of laminating the exterior of the glass panes used as front and rear panes with thin , ductile polymer films a sufficient surface strength of the large - area radiators is achieved . suitable for this are thin coatings of silicon , polyurethane or polymers from the group of ormoceres . because of their high temperature resistance ( up to 200 ° c .) and great resistance to many organic solvents and aqueous solutions , silicon coatings are preferred . the polymer films already become effective at coating thicknesses starting at approximately 6 μm . the stability - increasing effects of the coatings basically increase with increasing thickness . however , starting at a thickness of 50 μm this increase is no longer significant . the thickness range between 6 to 50 μm is preferred , because then the elasticity of the bond is little reduced and the shrinkage of the polymer films leads to only small stresses in the glass panes . however , the application of thicker coatings up to approximately 200 μm can be useful for manufacturing reasons . it is additionally possible to employ primers for improving the adherence of the mainly homopolar polymers on the polar glass surface which , by a reactive bond of oh groups on the glass surface with their homopolar side chains , provide a homopolar glass surface with good adhesive properties for homopolar organic polymers . dimethoxydimethyx silane or hexamethyl disilazane , for example , are suitable primers . the stability - increasing effect of the polymer coatings actually is a stability conservation . the coatings prevent the creation of stability - reducing micro - defects in the surface of the glass panes during transport , assembly or handling of the glass panes . this effect therefore is particularly developed when the coatings are applied early , preferably immediately following the drawing of the glass panes , and even more preferred prior to cutting the glass panes ( for example for fabricating the panes in the size of large - area radiators ). by means of the above described glass panes it is possible to achieve considerably greater distances between spacer elements than with the known large - area radiators , without their strength being reduced . table 3 shows by way of example what distances w between spacer elements can be achieved as a function of the pane thickness t . an advantageous variation can result if the polymer coating is applied at a temperature which lies above the operating temperature of the large - area radiator . by means of this it is achieved that the polymer coating on the pane is under permanent compressive strain and is therefore scratch - proof . coatings with polymers have the disadvantage that the coated glass panes may not be exposed to high temperatures in the course of subsequent thermal treatment . the temperature must remain clearly below 200 ° c . as a rule . this limitation is unacceptable if , for example , the panes must be soldered in the course of mounting the large - area radiator , or if gettering must be performed on mounted large - area radiators . in this case it is possible to make use of the advantages of the invention by sealing the panes with a removable protective film immediately following their production . this temporary protective film is washed off prior to the respective temperature treatment . thereafter , another temporary sealing takes place , if required , or the immediate application of the permanent coatings in accordance with the invention . tests show that it is possible to create a thermal tempering of panes starting from a thickness of 1 . 5 mm by strongly blowing cold air against them or dipping them into oil , or oil - covered water , which considerably increases the stability of the large - area radiators . thermal tempering should take place after cutting the glass panes ( for example for fabricating the panes in the size of large - area radiators ). the combination of thermal tempering and coating with ductile polymer layers results in a further increase of stability . coating must take place after tempering . the invention will be explained in greater detail in what follows by means of two exemplary embodiments : the rear pane of a large - area radiator , which itself is already finished and capable of functioning , is sprayed with a thin coat of a two - component silicon polymer after the last baking process , so that a continuous wetting layer is created . the layer is then polymerized . the amount of silicon polymer is set in such a way that a polymer coating of 40 to 45 μm thickness results . a large - area radiator of 320 × 360 mm size is to be provided with a chemically tempered front pane of 1 . 1 mm thickness . glass d263 ( reference : desag ag of grünenplan ) is used for the front pane . 1 . 1 mm thick panes made of this glass are dipped for 16 h in a hot kno 3 bath at 450 ° c . in order to temper them by the “ na — k exchange ”. by means of this , tempering of more than 230 mpa is created in a surface layer to a depth of 80 μm . it was observed that , in the subsequent processes in the course of producing the large - area radiator , a portion of the tempering was “ washed out ” again , but tempering of more than 200 mpa was observed to be a permanent value .	2
with reference to the drawing , residual oil feed is split into a first and second fraction at junction 10 . residual oil is generally described as those heavy petroleum fractions produced by atmospheric and / or vacuum distillation of crude oils . since the high sulfur components of the crude oil tend to be concentrated in the higher boiling fractions , residual oil fractions generally contain from about 1 to about 5 % by weight of sulfur . the process of the present invention is not limited to use of petroleum oil residua , but other heavy hydrocarbon stocks such as tar sands , bitumen , shale oils and the like may be effectively processed . accordingly , the residual oil or heavy hydrocarbon stocks contemplated for use herein generally boil above 400 ° f ., preferably above 650 ° f ., and have gravities from about 7 ° api to about 25 ° api . the first residual oil fraction is mixed with a hydrogen - rich stream 16 and the resulting admixture is heated in furnace 11 before being charged to the first hydrodesulfurization reaction zone 12 . reaction zone 12 contains desulfurization catalyst and is operated at conventional hydrodesulfurization conditions , as will be described presently . the reaction zone may include a plurality of catalyst beds with hydrogen rich gas injection between the beds to effect quenching , as is known in the art . catalysts which can be used to promote desulfurization reactions generally contain at least one metallic component selected from the groups vib and viii of the periodic table deposited on a refractory inorganic oxide support or binder . the preferred metallic component may be an oxide or sulfide of nickel or cobalt , particularly the latter and an oxide or sulfide of molybdenum or tungsten . the group viii metal is generally present in amounts from 1 - 15 percent by weight , while the group vib component is present in amounts from 5 - 25 percent by weight . the refractory inorganic oxide support may comprise alumina , silica , zirconia , magnesia , titania , boria , strontia , hafnia , and mixtures thereof . particularly preferred are alumina or silica stabilized alumina , with the alumina being of the greater proportion . a typical catalyst consists of 3 percent coo , 10 percent moo 3 , and 5 percent silica with the remainder being alumina . catalysts are generally presulfided prior to use . table 2 lists suitable reaction conditions for the catalytic hydrodesulfurization of residual oils . table 2______________________________________hydrodesulfurization conditions general range preferred______________________________________pressure , psig 500 - 3000 1000 - 2000temperature , ° f . 600 - 1000 700 - 850space velocity lhsv 0 . 2 - 5 . 5 - 2 . 0hydrogen rate , scf / bbl 1000 - 20 , 000 5000 - 10 , 000______________________________________ the effluent from hydrodesulfurization reaction zone 12 is passed to separator 13 . in separator 13 , which preferably is a high pressure flash , the effluent from the reaction zone is separated into liquid and gaseous streams . the gaseous stream , which includes h 2 , h 2 s and any light hydrocarbons , goes overhead into line 14 . the liquid stream , which contains the desulfurized product , is withdrawn into line 18 . the gaseous stream of line 14 now is passed to hydrogen sulfide recovery system 15 , wherein h 2 s is removed from the stream preferably by contact with a caustic scrubbing agent such as methylamine . other hydrogen sulfide recovery systems such as stretford process may also be used . these are well known in the art . the effluent from the hydrogen sulfide recovery system is a stream which comprises hydrogen and light hydrocarbons . to this stream is added make up h 2 from line 17 to form the h 2 rich stream 16 , previously described . the hydrodesulfurization liquid effluent in line 18 , which was previously described as usable as a hydrogen donor diluent , is conducted to the second or hydrogen transfer reaction zone 21 , where it is combined with the second residual oil fraction before being reacted at conditions which promote hydrogen transfer . the second residual fraction in line 19 may be heated in furnace 20 before entering hydrogen transfer reaction zone 21 . it is apparent that if the two streams were simply mixed , the sulfur level of the residual oil stream would be lowered due to dilution by the hydrodesulfurized product . this simple mixing , however , makes no use of the available hydrogen in the naphthenes of the hydrodesulfurized product . therefore , it is important that the two streams be contacted under hydrogen transfer conditions . a catalyst which promotes hydrogenation / dehydrogenation reactions is present in reaction zone 21 . suitable hydrogenation / dehydrogenation catalysts generally contain at least one metallic component selected from the groups vib and viii of the periodic table , deposited on an acidic support or binder . oxides or sulfides of the metallic components may also be employed . the group viii metallic component is generally present in amounts from 1 - 15 percent by weight , while the group vib component is generally present in amounts from 5 - 25 percent by weight . particularly contemplated are combinations of the metallic component such as cobalt / molybdenum and nickel / molybdenum . suitable acidic support materials include the refractory inorganic oxides such as alumina , silica , zirconia , magnesia , titania , boria , strontia , hafnia , and mixtures thereof . preferred are alumina or silica stabilized alumina , with the alumina being of the greater proportion . the group of crystalline aluminosilicate materials known as zeolites are also contemplated as suitable for use as the catalyst support . non - limiting examples of the zeolite materials include such synthetic zeolites as a , b , l , t , x , y , zk - 4 , zk - 5 , zsm - 4 , zsm - 5 and others , and the naturally occurring zeolites levynite , dachiarite , erionite , faujasite , analcite , paulingite , noselite , phillipsite , chabazite , leucite , mordenite , ferrierite and others . table 3 lists suitable conditions for the promotion of the hydrogen transfer reaction . table 3______________________________________hydrogen transfer conditions general range preferred______________________________________pressure , psig 500 - 3000 700 - 2000temperature , ° f . 700 - 1200 850 - 1000space velocity , lhsv 0 . 2 - 5 0 . 2 - 1______________________________________ the reaction is carried out under a pressure sufficient to maintain the combined feedstock , i . e . residual oil feed from line 19 and hydrodesulfurized product from line 18 , substantially in the liquid phase . in this manner , it is possible to dehydrogenate the naphthenes contained in the combined feedstock and to utilize the hydrogen so released in converting the organic sulfur to h 2 s . the small amount of hydrogen present in the reaction zone is sufficient to enable a substantial hydrogen pressure to be built up in the reactor enabling hydrogenation of the sulfur - containing molecules to be effected . however , to maintain pressure , it may be desirable to add small amounts of additional hydrogen to reaction zone 21 via line 22 if conditions warrant . the effluent from reaction zone 21 is conducted to separator 23 , where h 2 s , as well as any h 2 and light hydrocarbons which may be formed , are separated from the final product . it is the desired sulfur level of the final product which determines the relative amounts of desulfurized product in line 18 and additional residual oil feed in line 19 which are combined prior to reaction under hydrogen transfer conditions in reaction zone 21 . for most applications , in which the sulfur level of the final product is low , i . e ., about 0 . 5 % by weight or lower is contemplated that the streams are combined in the following proportions : from about 0 . 5 to about 4 bbl of hydrodesulfurized product per bbl fresh residual oil , with about 0 . 7 to 3 bbl / bbl being preferred . therefore , it is noted from the foregoing that the first residual oil fraction , which is separated at junction 10 , generally amounts to from about 33 to about 80 %, of the original residual feed , and is preferably about 40 to about 75 %. in the typical modern refinery , h 2 s gas which eminates from both h 2 s recovery unit 15 and separator 23 , is usually sent to sulfur recovery units ( not shown ), where the h 2 s is converted to elemental sulfur via known processes , such as the claus process , thus preventing discharge of this dangerous gas to the atmosphere .	2
referring to fig1 , a seed planting assembly 10 includes a laterally extending toolbar 12 connected at its middle ( or other location ) to a forwardly extending tow bar 14 . tow bar 14 includes a connector 16 disposed at its longitudinally forward end and configured to mate with a corresponding hitch , or the like , of a towing tractor ( not shown ). toolbar 12 is supported by a chassis 18 that is connected to tow bar 14 via a hinged bracket assembly 20 . chassis 18 is supported on the ground by two pair of wheels 22 . outer portions of tool bar 12 are supported by outer wheels 24 having an adjustable height to thus control the height of the toolbar 12 . a plurality of seed planting units ( or row units ) 26 extends longitudinally rearwardly from toolbar 12 . in particular , referring also to fig2 , each planting unit 26 includes a frame 28 that is connected at its front end 30 to toolbar 12 via a mounting assembly 32 . mounting assembly 32 includes a pair of upper support beams 34 ( one illustrated ) and a pair of lower support beams 36 ( one illustrated ) that are hingedly connected to frame or drill 28 at one end , and to a mounting structure 38 at another end . mounting structure 38 is , in turn , connected to tool bar 12 . frame 28 defines a front end 30 having a first pair of aligned apertures ( not numbered ) extending laterally therethrough . corresponding apertures ( not numbered ) extend through the rearward ends 40 of each upper support beam 34 . a pin 42 extends through each pair of aligned apertures , and is fastened to provide a joint 44 that enables planting unit 26 to pivot about mounting assembly 32 . likewise , the front end 30 of frame 28 defines a second pair of laterally extending apertures ( not shown ) disposed below the first pair of apertures . the second pair of apertures is laterally aligned with corresponding apertures ( not shown ) extending laterally through the rearward ends 46 of each lower support beam 36 . a pin 48 extends through each pair of aligned apertures and is fastened to provide a joint 50 that enables planting unit 26 to pivot about mounting assembly 32 . each upper support beam 34 further defines a forward end 52 that defines corresponding apertures ( not shown ) extending laterally therethrough . likewise , each lower support beam 36 defines a forward end 54 that defines apertures ( not shown ) extending laterally therethrough . mounting structure 38 extends rearwardly from tool bar 12 , and defines laterally extending apertures ( not shown ) that are aligned with the apertures extending through forward ends 52 and 54 . upper and lower pins 56 and 58 extend through the corresponding apertures and form corresponding joints 60 and 62 that pivotally connect the forward ends 52 and 54 of support beams 34 and 36 to mounting structure 38 . it should thus be appreciated that while the right - hand side of mounting assembly 32 ( taken with respect to a view from rear - to - forward ) is illustrated as being mounted onto the right - hand laterally outer walls of frame 28 , the left - hand side of mounting assembly 32 is likewise mounted onto the left - hand laterally outer walls of frame 28 in a symmetrical and parallel manner with respect to the right - hand side of the mounting assembly . accordingly , while the left support beams 34 and 36 are connected to the left side of planting unit 26 and mounting structure 38 such that both pairs of beams 34 and 36 are parallel to each other during operation . as is well - known in the art , planting units 26 are mounted in a side - by - side ( lateral ) relation relative to each other along the toolbar 12 . while sixteen such row units are illustrated in fig1 , the present invention contemplates that more or less than sixteen row units can be assembled on a single toolbar 12 in accordance with a preferred embodiment . during operation , forward movement of the tractor causes row units 26 to ride along the ground , forming a plurality of seed trenches that receive seeds and are subsequently closed . referring again to fig2 , each planting unit 26 preferably includes a conventional seed trench opening assembly 64 , each of which including a pair of laterally spaced seed trench opener discs 66 ( also referred to as reels or coulters ) that converge forwardly and downwardly to define a convergence point 68 . a seed trench finning point 70 is disposed rearwardly from convergence point 68 , and an opener shoe 72 is disposed rearwardly from seed trench firming point 70 . firming point 70 preferably extends slightly downwardly from the opener shoe 72 , and firms the seed trench that is formed by convergence point 68 . firming point 70 and opener shoe 72 are preferably integrally connected . the depth of the seed trench can be controlled by a pair of gauge wheels ( not shown ) that are supported by gauge wheel arms 74 as understood by those having ordinary skill in the art . alternatively , the planting unit 26 can be provided with a runner opener type for providing a seed trench in the ground as is appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art . planting unit 26 further includes a pair of seed trench closer discs 76 disposed rearwardly from opener shoe 72 . a press wheel 78 is disposed rearwardly from closure discs 76 . a pair of screw and spring assemblies 80 ( one shown ) is displaced laterally from each other and extends downwardly from a first support member ( not shown ) extending laterally between the upper support beams 34 to a second support member ( not shown ) extending laterally between the lower support beams 36 . assemblies 80 are angled with respect to support beams 34 and 36 , and can thus be actuated in a known manner to increase and decrease the down pressure exerted onto seed trench opening assembly 64 to control downward force on the opening discs 66 , as is well understood by those having ordinary skill in the art . a knob 82 extends rearwardly from frame 28 , and can be rotated to adjust the depth of gauge wheels ( not shown ) which control the desired seed trench depth as appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art . planting unit 26 further includes a seed hopper 84 that provides storage for seed material that is to be gravitationally deposited into the seed trench that is formed as the seed trench opening assembly 64 moves across the field during operation . it should be appreciated , however , that a hopper container , smaller than container 84 , can alternatively be connected to a centralized bin or large hopper in a conventional manner . in the illustrated embodiment , seeds are delivered from seed hopper 84 to a seed metering assembly 86 that acts under vacuum received by connector 88 . the received seeds are then delivered into a seed tube 90 at a uniform rate . seed tube 90 defines a conduit having an outlet end immediately downstream of firming point 70 and upstream of seed trench closer discs 76 . seed tube 90 thus receives seeds from metering assembly 86 and defines a substantially vertical passage through which the seeds are delivered through the opener shoe 72 and into the seed trench . the components of seed metering assembly 86 are further described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 109 , 193 , the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference . in a similar manner , seed hopper 84 may also be used to deposit fertilizer to the seed bed . alternately , a separate hopper ( not shown ) containing fertilizer may be used . during operation , as the tractor pulls the tool bar 12 across and over the ground , the seed trench opening assembly 64 opens a seed trench in the ground . seeds from the hopper 84 flow into the seed metering assembly 86 in bulk and are subsequently deposited into the seed trench via seed delivery tube 90 at a controlled rate . the seed trench closer discs 76 trail the seed trench opening assembly 64 and , as the seed planting unit 26 is drawn across the field , close the seed trench together and over the seed dispensed by the seed metering assembly 86 . the trailing press wheel 78 compacts the soil closed over the delivered seeds . planting unit 26 can also be equipped with a pesticide hopper 92 that is mounted towards a rear end of the planting unit . hopper 92 preferably includes an insecticide and is provided with conventional dispensing apparatus for applying controlled amounts of insecticide where desired in combination with the planting of seeds by each planting unit 26 . referring again to fig1 , each planting unit 26 can be coupled to an air moving system 94 that includes one or more air moving units ( collectively identified as 96 ) enclosed in one or more housings ( collectively identified as 98 ). while air mover unit ( s ) 96 is configured to provide negative pressure , they can alternatively function as blower units if a positive pressure seed metering assembly is implemented in planting units 26 . air moving system 94 includes a lower lateral tubing member 100 that is connected at its middle to one of the air moving units 96 , and extends laterally outwardly therefrom in both directions . a plurality of openings ( not shown ) are formed in tubing member 100 that connect to a forward end of a corresponding plurality of flexible intake tubes that , in turn , connect with the corresponding metering assembly connector 88 . a bifurcated arrangement is illustrated with respect to a pair of upper lateral tubing members 102 that are connected at their laterally inner ends to one or more air mover units 96 . tubing members 102 extend parallel to , and are disposed above , tubing member 100 , and are connected at their outer ends to outer tubing members 104 . outer tubing members 104 are vertically aligned with lower tubing member 100 , and extend across those planting units 26 that are disposed laterally outwardly with respect to lower tubing member 100 . a plurality of openings ( not shown ) are formed in tubing members 104 that connect to a plurality of flexible intake tubes that , in turn , connect with the corresponding metering assembly connectors 88 of laterally outwardly disposed planting units 26 . during operation , air moving units 96 draw air through the metering assemblies 86 of all planting units 26 to which the lateral tubes 100 and 104 are operably connected . the number of air mover units 96 implemented in a given seed planting assembly depends largely on the number of planting units 26 and the airflow rating of each air mover unit . the present invention recognizes that certain seed types ( for example , soybeans ) are well suited to be planted in seed trenches that are laterally spaced a distance equal to the distance between adjacent seed trench opening assemblies 64 of all planting units 26 disposed on tool bar 12 . however , in order to accommodate other seed types ( for example , corn ) that require additional distance between adjacent seed trenches in order to grow properly , it is necessary , from time to time , to raise certain planting units 26 above the ground 106 . it should thus be appreciated that the term “ raised position ” as used in the present application refers to a position whereby planting unit 26 has been translated upwardly to a height sufficient to cause at least the corresponding seed trench opening assembly 64 ( and preferably closer disc 76 and press wheel 78 ) to become suspended above the ground 106 . accordingly , raised planting units 26 will not form a seed trench in the ground 106 when the seed planting assembly 10 is driven across the ground 106 . in one preferred embodiment , alternating planting units can be raised from the ground 106 , thereby doubling the distance between adjacent seed trenches compared to the distance that is achieved when all planting units are engaged , such as described in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 111 , 566 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein . additionally , each planting unit 26 may include a vertical positioner assembly and associated linkages such as described in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 111 , 566 to raise and lower the planting unit . referring now to fig3 , a disc opener 66 is shown coupled to a caster mounting assembly 108 that allows the disc opener 66 to caster freely in a single direction . the caster mounting assembly 108 includes a stationary arm 110 coupled to a movable or castering arm 112 by a pivot connection 114 . the stationary arm 110 is connected to a disc frame or drill 116 that is secured to the planting unit in a conventional manner . the stationary arm 110 may be secured to the disc frame 116 using one a number of known devices , such as a connector bracket or weld joint . the movable arm 112 is coupled to shaft 116 extending centrally through the disc opener 66 and coupled to a center hub 118 . in a preferred embodiment , the disc opener 66 is angled by approximately five to seven degrees relative to axis 120 . the disc opener 66 also carries a scraper blade 122 mounted opposite of hub 118 as is known in the art . as is also known , the seed tube 90 extends between the scraper blade 122 and the disc opener 66 such that seed , fertilizer or other product is delivered into a trench through outlet 124 . in a preferred embodiment , the caster mounting assembly 108 includes a screw 126 extending through stationary arm 110 . the screw 126 has a threaded body 128 extending from head 130 . the stationary arm 110 has a threaded bore 132 adapted to securely receive the screw 126 when the threaded body 128 is threaded therein . the threaded body 128 terminates in a flat end 130 against which the movable arm 112 may seat . moreover , since the screw 126 has a threaded body 128 , the amount of body extending past the stationary arm 110 toward the movable arm 112 can be varied . this effectively allows for variations in the angle of the disc opener 66 relative to axis 120 . more particularly , the greater the amount of threaded body 128 extending past the stationary arm 110 , the larger the offset of the disc opener 66 relative to axis 120 . the stationary arm 110 and the movable arm 112 are oriented such that the pivot connection 114 is forward of hub 118 relative to the direction of travel 127 . the pivot connection 114 and its position allows the movable arm 112 to caster away from the stationary arm 110 when the seed planting assembly 10 turns counterclockwise from the direction of travel 127 . more particularly , when the seed planting assembly 10 turns counterclockwise the leading edge 128 of the disc opener 66 will drive into the soil and the torque placed on the leading edge 128 will be countered by movement of the movable arm 112 away from the stationary arm 110 , as indicated by arrow 129 , to relieve the torque applied on the disc opener 66 , as illustrated in fig4 . the greater the angle of the disc opener 66 relative to axis 120 , the greater amount of caster that will be available during turning of the seed planting assembly 10 . in one application , a seed planting unit 10 will have two sets of disc openers . more particularly , as shown in fig5 , the seed planting unit 10 may have a first set 134 of disc openers operative to caster in a clockwise direction and a second set of disc openers 136 operative to caster in a counterclockwise direction . the disc openers are mounted to a disc frame or drill 138 . as schematically illustrated , when the seed planting unit 10 turns clockwise , shown by arrow 140 , about turning point 142 , the disc openers of the first 134 each caster clockwise . the degree of caster of the disc openers increases with those disc openers farthest from the center 144 of the drill 138 . the second set 136 of disc openers are designed to caster in a counterclockwise direction and thus do not caster when the seed planting unit turns clockwise . since these disc openers are farthest from the turning point 142 , they will have a larger turning radius than disc openers of set 134 . as a result , the amount of torque on set 136 is less than that on set 134 . similarly , when the seed planting unit 10 makes a counterclockwise radial turn , as represented by arrow 146 , so as to turn about turning point 148 , the set 136 of disc openers will caster in a counterclockwise direction whereas the set 134 of disc openers will not caster . since the disc openers of set 134 are farthest from the turning point 148 , they will have a larger turning radius than disc openers of set 136 . as a result , the amount of torque on set 134 is less than that on set 136 . the degree of caster of the disc openers of set 136 increases with those disc openers farthest from the center 144 of the drill 138 . therefore , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention , a ground opener for an agricultural planter movable along a direction of travel is presented . the ground opener includes an arm attachable to a frame of the agricultural planter and a disc mounted to the arm and adapted to form a furrow along the direction of travel . the ground opener further includes a stop pivotably mounted to the frame and adapted to allow the disc to caster in only one direction when the agricultural planter turns radially from the direction of travel . in accordance with another embodiment , an agricultural implement movable along a direction of travel includes a drill and a first set of coulters mounted to the drill and a second set of coulters linearly spaced from the first set of coulters and mounted to the drill . the first set of coulters are operative to caster in a counterclockwise direction when the farm implement turns in a counterclockwise direction relative to the direction of travel and the second set of coulters are operative to caster in a clockwise direction when the agricultural implement turns in a clockwise direction relative to the direction of travel . according to yet another embodiment , the present invention includes a mounting assembly for coupling a rotating disc to a drill used to furrow a field . the mounting assembly includes a stationary arm adapted to be coupled to the drill and a movable arm adapted to be coupled to the rotating disc . a pivot connection interconnects the stationary arm and the movable arm in a manner that allows the movable arm to pivot about the first connection . while the present invention has been described with respect to a seed planting unit , it is understood that the invention could be used with other agricultural implements . many changes and will modifications could be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof . the scope of these changes will become apparent from the appended claims .	0
referring first to fig1 a choke valve 10 is shown as sidewardly connected at 11 to well casing 12 , to receive pressurized well fluid from the annulus region 13 . examples of such fluid are drilling mud , steam ( as produced by secondary recovery steam injection ); and oil and gas possibly containing abrasive particulate . well tubing appears at 12a . extending the description to fig2 the valve 10 is shown to include an axially elongated tubular body 14 having a side inlet port 15 for well fluid , a fluid outlet port 16 at one end of the body , and a control entrance 17 at the opposite end of the body through which selected control packages are inserted and withdrawn , for adapting the valve to different flow conditions . ports 15 and 16 have associated flanges 15a and 16a . referring to the body itself , it basically includes first attachment structure , designated at 18 , located at a first tubular interior region generally between the ports 15 and 16 . the structure 18 is shown to include internal threading 18a formed in body wall extent 19 , and adapted to receive a first flow control unit 20 of a selected flow control package inserted into the body via entrance 17 . as shown , unit 20 comprises a tubular insert 21 having a tubular and frusto - conical seat 22 presented upstream , toward entrance 17 , coaxial with respect to axis 23 of the body 14 . a flange 24 on the insert engages stop shoulder 25 on the body to position the insert , in response to rotary make - up of external thread 21b on the insert within internal thread 18a . the insert is elongated , and terminates at 21a , near outlet port 16 . second attachment structure 26 is provided on the body 14 , located at a second tubular interior region between entrance 17 and port 15 . the second attachment structure is shown to include internal threading 27 near entrance 17 , and an internal frusto - conical surface 28 on the body between threading 27 and port 15 . ( threadin9 27 may be external , on the body ). structure 26 is adapted to receive a second flow control unit 29 of the selected package inserted endwise into the body via entrance 17 , for retention by the second threading . as shown , unit 29 includes a needle or stem 30 , and mechanism for moving the needle tapered end 30a axially toward and away from the seat 22 , whereby flow through the seat may be controlled . in this regard , stem 30 is externally threaded at 31 for rotary meshing engagement with internal thread 32 on a tubular insert 33 , and a handle 42 on the end 30b of the stem is rotatable to advance or retract the stem . note also thread protective jacket 125 fastened at 126 to insert 33 . insert 33 has an external frusto - conical surface 34 that seats against corresponding internal surface 28 on the body , axially positioning the insert and the stem in the valve body chamber 36 , coaxially with the seat 22 . an annular retainer 37 extending about the insert 33 has an the external thread 38 meshing with body thread 27 , and a nose 39 engaging shoulder 40 on the insert to clamp the insert in position with conical surfaces 28 and 34 interengaged . in regard to the above , note annular seals 43 - 46 . retention elements for seal 45 appear at 47a , 47b and 47c . seal 46 is retained in recess 46a and against taper 28 . also , a set screw 48 is provided on the insert to engage the stem thread 31 and lock it in position , axially . when it is desired to change valve control packages , retainer 37 is rotatably removed , and inserts 33 and 21 withdrawn , in sequence , via entrance 17 , whereby the described package , that includes units 20 and 29 , is removed . that package is adapted to low erosion application , i . e . fluids which contain few if any abrasive particles . a typical example would be hydrocarbon gas , such as methane , containing few if any abrasive particles . graspable protruding end 37b of the retainer 37 facilitates rapid removal of the retainer . note also lubricant porting 100 and 101 . flange 24 on insert 20 has notches 102 for reception of a tool to rotatably advance or retract that insert . referring now to fig3 a and 3b , the same body 14 is shown receiving a first flow control unit 50 of another selected valve control package inserted into the body via entrance 17 . as shown , unit 50 comprises a first tubular sleeve 51 with side wall through openings 51a for controllably passing well fluid from the exterior 52 of the sleeve to the sleeve bore 53 . the sleeve is carried by a tubular insert 54 , there being annular mounting ring 55 positioned between a flange 56 on the sleeve and a flange 58 on the insert . flange 58 engages stop shoulder 25 on the body to position the insert in response to rotary make - up of external thread 59 on the insert within internal thread 18a . the insert is elongated , and the sleeve end 51b remote from flange 58 protrudes from the insert , as shown , and a seal 60 on the insert , retained at 61 , engages the body bore 62 . note also seals 63 and 64 . in closed position , seal 56 is pressurized axially to seal against bore 66a of sleeve 66 , as shown in fig3 a . a second flow control unit 65 of the selected package is inserted endwise into the body via entrance 17 , for retention by the second threading 27 . as shown , unit 65 includes the above referenced second tubular sleeve 66 , together with mechanism for moving that sleeve axially in telescopic relation with the first sleeve 51 to control flow through openings 51a and sleeve bore 53 . in the example , sleeve 66 has a bore 66a in sliding interfit with the cylindrical surface 51d of sleeve 51 . in this regard , the sleeve 66 is carried at the end of a stem 68 which is externally threaded at 69 for meshing engagement with internal thread 70 on tubular insert 71 ; and a handle 110 on the end 68a of the stem is rotatable to advance or retract the stem . note also the external flange 72 on the end of the stem engaging one end of the internal flange 73 on the sleeve 66 , and the retainer ring 74 on the stem engaging the opposite end of the flange 73 . insert 71 has an external frusto - conical surface 76 that seats against corresponding internal surface 28 on the body , axially positioning the insert and the stem in the valve body chamber 36 , coaxially with the sleeve 66 . an annular retainer 77 extending about the insert 71 has an the external thread 78 meshing with body thread 27 , and a nose 79 engaging shoulder 80 on the insert to clamp the insert in position , with conical surfaces 28 and 76 interengaged . in the above , note annular seals 81 - 83 . also , a set screw 84 is provided on the insert 71 to engage stem thread 69 to lock that thread , the stem , and sleeve 66 in position , axially . when it is desired to change valve control packages , retainer 77 is rotatably removed and inserts 71 and 54 withdrawn in sequence via entrance 17 . this package ( fig3 ) is especially adapted for control of liquid flow , as for example petroleum , and at the end of drilling operations , i . e . &# 34 ; clean - up &# 34 ;, prior to production of a well . note tool graspable shoulders 112 and 113 on insert 54 and retainer 77 . referring now to fig4 the same body 14 is shown receiving a first flow control unit 90 of yet another selected valve control package inserted into the body via entrance 17 . as shown , unit 90 comprises a first tubular sleeve 91 with side wall through openings 91a for controllably passing well fluid from the exterior 92 of the sleeve to the sleeve bore 93 . the sleeve includes a tubular insert portion 91b positioned between a flange 97 on that insert portion and outlet port 16 . flange 97 engages stop shoulder 25 on the body to position the sleeve in response to rotary make - up of external thread 99 on the insert within internal thread 18a . the insert is elongated , and the sleeve 91 protrudes into chamber 36 from the insert , as shown . a seal 100 on the insert engages the body bore 62 . note also seal 102 . a second flow control unit 105 of the selected package is inserted endwise into the body via entrance 17 , for retention by the second threading 27 . as shown , unit 105 includes a second tubular sleeve 106 , together with mechanism for moving that sleeve axially in telescopic relation with the first sleeve 91 to control flow through openings 91a . in the example , sleeve 106 has a bore 106a in sliding interfit with the cylindrical surface 91c of sleeve 91 . in this regard , the sleeve 106 is carried at the end of a stem 108 which is externally threaded at 109 for meshing engagement with internal thread 110 on tubular yoke 111 ; and a handle 138 on the end 108a of the stem is rotatable to advance or retract the stem . note also the external flange 112 on the end of the stem engaging one end of the retainer ring 113 on the sleeve 106 . an insert 114 has an external frusto - conical surface 115 that seats against corresponding internal surface 28 on the body , axially positioning the tubular insert 114 , the stem 108 and the sleeve 106 in the valve body chamber 36 , coaxially with the sleeve 91 . yoke 111 is positioned axially relative to the insert 114 by retainer 128 ( integral with yoke 111 ) and stuffing box seal elements 115 - 125 located axially between the collar and flange 127 on insert 114 are compressed by adjustable flange 126 . the annular retainer 128 extending about the insert 114 has on the external thread 129 meshing with body thread 27 , and a nose 130 engaging flanged shoulder 131 on the insert to clamp the insert in position with conical surfaces 28 and 115 interengaged . removable and adjustable fasteners 140 retain part 126 to the retainer , to adjust the axial compression exerted on seal elements 115 - 125 . note also seal ring 133 on insert 114 and engaging surface 28 . a set screw 136 is provided on a thread protector collar 137 to engage stem end 108a to lock the collar 137 and handle 138 to the stem 108 . when it is desired to change the valve control package , retainer 128 is rotatably removed , and inserts 114 and 91 withdrawn in sequence via entrance 17 . removal of retainer 114 also removes stem 108 and sleeve 106 . this package ( fig4 ) is especially adapted for control of steam flow , as for example during secondary recovery of petroleum from oil wells , the steam being injected into the well through the choke , as via ports 15 and 16 in sequence . referring finally to fig5 body 14 is shown receiving a first flow control unit 150 of a further selected valve control package inserted into the body via entrance 17 . unit 150 comprises a tubular part 151 in the form of a flow bean , having an entrance end 151a for controllably passing well fluid from the inlet 15 to outlet 16 , via chamber 36 . tubular part 151 is carried by a tubular insert 153 , and elements 55 , 56 , 60 and 61 correspond to those shown in fig3 b . a flange 155 on the insert 153 engages stop shoulder 25 on the body , to axially position the insert , and part 151 , in response to rotary make - up of exterior thread 156 on the insert within internal thread 18a . flange 155 is notched at 155a for reception of a tool , inserted via entrance 17 , for rotatably advancing or retracting the insert . the tubular part 151 protrudes beyond the insert , in both axial directions to protect the metallic insert from abrasive wear . part 151 typically consists of wear resistant material , as for example silicon carbide , and it may become abraded substantially over time by abrasive particles in the flow , without damage to insert 153 . a second flow control unit 160 includes a plug 161 closing entrance 17 . plug 161 has a conical surface 161a engaging body conical surface 28 , and a retainer 162 clamps the plug in position , with sealing and centering surfaces 161a and 28 interengaged . retainer 162 has external thread 162a made - up to body thread 27 , and has a protruding nut end 162c accessible exteriorly for retainer turning purposes . a nose 162b on the retainer engages flanged shoulder 163 on the plug to urge the latter downwardly , as shown . a closure 164 has threaded fit at 165 with the plug to close axial opening 166 therethrough . opening 166 serves as an access port , as for pressure gages , or bleeder valves . the fig5 package is useful for non - changing flow control &# 34 ; choke &# 34 ; requirements , and is inexpensive . it will be noted in the above figures , that the first threading 18a has a root diameter less than the smallest diameter of conical surface 28 ; and that the largest diameter of surface 28 is less than the thread internal tip diameter of the second threading 27 . as a result , the different flow control packages can easily be inserted into the valve body via entrance 17 , and withdrawn for replacement or for substitution of other packages . note also the discharge piping 175 downward of port 16 .	5
fig1 through 4 , discussed below , and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present invention in this patent document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the invention . fig1 illustrates a block diagram of a side profile view of an exemplary apparatus ( generally designated 100 ) for socketing and testing an ic 135 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . in operation , apparatus 100 is at least substantially self - contained and operates to test ics ( and is particularly well suited for testing rf and high - frequency semiconductor devices ). apparatus 100 illustratively includes a conventional suitably arranged air machine 105 and housing 110 . exemplary air machine 105 operates to controllably provide thermally - varying air flow and includes an interface 115 . according to the illustrated embodiment , interface 115 has a circular design that enables a direct and convenient association with test housing 110 . those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that any device for providing a controlled thermally - varying test environment is within the scope of the present invention . exemplary housing 110 illustratively includes a first housing - layer 120 , a second housing - layer 125 , a pcb 130 , a dut 135 , i / o connectors 140 , a controller 145 and a power supply 150 . exemplary first and second housing - layers 120 ; 125 , as well as the remainder of housing 110 are made from one or more physiologically acceptable materials suitable for ic - testing apparatus . according to the illustrated implementation , first housing - layer 120 is associated with second housing - layer 125 and includes an aperture ( shown in fig2 and 3 ) that is sized and shaped to mate with interface 115 . according to the present embodiment , interface 115 includes a suitably arranged insulating gasket that operates to at least substantially seal the association of interface 115 with the aperture of first housing - layer 120 . it is desirable to have an at least substantially air - tight seal between interface 115 and first housing - layer 120 to prevent moisture buildup , icing or the like . exemplary pcb 130 is a universal circular core pcb employed with standard sma i / o connectors 140 placed circumferentially and symmetrically near the edge of pcb 130 . according to the present embodiment , pcb 130 advantageously includes ( i ) a plurality of “ leadless ” sockets developed for dual in - line “ tssop ” and quad - flat - pack packages that are used in place of the above - described clamping mechanisms widely used in the prior art , and ( ii ) gold - fuse - dotted arrays that are used as contactors in sockets for ball - grid array packages . exemplary dut 135 may be any circuit in which active or passive elements are fabricated and selectively connected on a substrate , and may advantageously include rf or other high - frequency semiconductor devices . dut 135 and any support components are preferably centered on pcb 130 . exemplary i / o connectors 140 illustratively provide standardized sma i / o ports configured radially at the perimeter of circular pcb 130 to facilitate signal line trace matching and minimize parasitic element coupling . exemplary controller 145 illustratively is a micro - controller / sequencer operable to configure ( i . e ., program ) dut 135 or support components settings . according to the illustrated embodiment , controller 145 may , by way of example , be a nsc - cop * acc ( available from n ational s emiconductor c orporation located in santa clara , calif . ), that is fully integrated into apparatus 100 . an important aspect hereof is the use of integrated controller 145 to obviate the use of distributed computing / monitoring resources , which tend to generate , often intense , rf signals that may interfere with the testing of dut 130 . those of ordinary skill in the art will understand , depending upon the implementation , that any computing / monitoring resource , whether distributed or centralized , whether integrated or not , may suitably be used in place of or in cooperation with controller 145 without varying the scope of the present invention in its broadest terms . controller 145 and air machine 105 are illustratively connected via bus 155 . exemplary power supply 150 is a built - in battery that operates to power dut 135 . built - in power supply 150 reduces unwanted noise generated by external power supplies and ac adapters , and facilitates use of apparatus 100 for portable applications . in practice , switch circuits powered by the exemplary battery source may cause the supply voltage to deviate significantly above and below the normal value . to the contrary , use of a lab power supply to perform dut testing often leads to erroneous / unrealistic results as the relatively high capacity and well regulated lab power supply often does not fluctuate under normal circumstances . finally , it should be noted that the illustrated implementation may be suitable for use in an electrostatic and magnetic (“ e & amp ; m ”) shielded chamber , as apparatus 100 provides a sufficiently self - contained test jig suitable for use inside a faraday cage for accurate measurements . fig2 illustrates a block diagram of a top view of housing 110 of apparatus 100 for socketing and testing dut 135 as previously set forth in the embodiment depicted in fig1 . first housing - layer 120 is associated with second housing - layer 125 and includes an aperture 200 that is sized and shaped to mate with interface 115 of fig1 . dut 135 is illustratively socketed and at least substantially centered on pcb 130 . pcb 130 is suitably positioned and supported above i / o connectors 140 ( e . g ., standardized sma i / o ports ) which are configured radially at the perimeter of circular pcb 130 to facilitate signal line trace matching and minimize parasitic element coupling . again , the socket is preferably self - registering and leadless to add no additional inductance between pcb 130 and dut 135 . dut 135 is fixably associated with pcb 130 illustratively using a clamp - shell top 205 having a large center opening that allows ( i ) a thermally / cryogenically treated air stream from air machine 105 to “ blanket ” dut 135 , and ( ii ) micro - probing . those of ordinary skill in the art will understand , depending upon the implementation , that any suitable socketing approach may be implemented that enables environmental testing without varying the scope of the present invention in its broadest terms . for instance , two exemplary styles of sockets are the “ gull - wing ” and “ screw ” methods , each using thin plastic slabs mounted directly on top of pcb 130 . fig3 illustrates an isometric view of housing 110 of apparatus 100 for socketing and testing dut 135 as previously set forth in the embodiment depicted in fig1 and 2 . for purposes of illustration , ( i ) dut 135 is associated with pcb 130 via socket 320 which is self - registering and leadless ; ( ii ) pcb 130 is further shown to include a digital bus interface to a computer 300 and jumpers to set commonly used voltages 305 ; and ( iii ) housing 110 further includes terminals for a battery charger or external power supply 315 . according to an advantageous embodiment hereof , the metallurgical composition of the conductors and dielectric material of pcb 130 to achieve optimal contact and flatness for the top surface metal finish are as follows : ( i ) from insulator ( e . g ., fiber glass or polyamide ) start with approximately a 0 . 1 mil copper thickness ; ( ii ) plate the copper up to 4 . 0 mil thick minimum ; ( iii ) nickel plate ( bright nickel ) 250 micro inches , 350 micro inches preferred on copper ; and ( iv ) plate hard gold 70 micro inches thick minimum , 100 micro inches preferred on nickel . it is preferred that a pulse - plating ( non - dc plating ) process is used to attain better electrical characteristics , namely , lower impedance , higher atomic packing density , uniform distribution and flatness of the finished metal layer , which improves high frequency performance . this approach also improves the mechanical strength so that repeated pressure from contacting device pin onto a metal pad tends not to lead to accelerated metal fatigue as in conventional plating processes . fig4 illustrates a flow diagram ( generally designated 400 ) of an exemplary method of operating apparatus 100 of fig1 to 3 according to one embodiment of the present invention . for purposes of illustration , concurrent reference is made to the embodiment of apparatus 100 of fig1 to 3 . initially , either manually or via computer automation , i / o device pins are attached to stimuli and data capture / processing instruments via sma connectors 140 and the desired instruments setting controls are set , and the serial control data bus is connected to a computing / monitoring resource ( process step 405 ; these actions are illustrative in nature only , and will depend on the nature of the dut ). next , either manually or via robotic arm , dut 135 is selected and associated with socket cavity 320 of pcb 130 via “ leadless ” socket onto pcb 130 ( process step 410 ); integrated power supply 150 is powered “ on ” ( process step 415 ); air machine 105 is associated with housing 110 creating an air - tight seal , the desired temperature ( s ) and cycle times are set and test stimuli are applied to dut 135 and the desired response data is captured ( process step 420 ); and , finally , integrated power supply 150 is powered “ off ” and dut 135 is removed ( process step 425 ). according to the illustrated embodiment , the testing may suitably include applying both signal and pulse stimuli to test apparatus 100 during varying thermal conditions to enable logic , spectrum , phase - noise , phase - error and other like analysis of dut 135 . apparatus 100 introduces a self - contained test apparatus for ics , and , in particular rf and high frequency semiconductor devices . although the present invention has been described in detail , those skilled in the art should understand that they can make various changes , substitutions and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its is broadest form .	6
an exemplary embodiment of an image sensor mounting system according to the invention is described with reference to the assembly drawing of fig1 . in this embodiment , a plate 10 is provided for back mounting an image sensor 12 . in a simplified form of this mounting scheme , plate 10 is provided by a substantially rigid planar member comprising insulating material , image sensor 12 is mounted to plate 10 by any suitable means such as gluing or taping , and the resulting assembly comprising a plate and sensor 10 and 12 is mounted to an optical reader component frame 14 by inserting plate into a pocket 16 which may be defined , as is shown , by a pari of pins 18 and wall sections 20 . plate 10 is sized to a length l p such that the edges of plate 10 extend beyond the edges of sensor 12 when sensor 12 is attached to plate 10 to the end that a pocket 16 can hold an image sensor in a secure position by applying lateral holding forces to plate 10 without supplying lateral forces to the top glass , or bottom planar members of image sensor 12 . component frame 14 in the example provided is an optical assembly component frame . optical assembly frames of optical readers are typically comprised of molded plastic and are typically adapted to carry various optical system components of an optical reader . in addition to carrying an image sensor 12 , an optical assembly frame of an optical reader may carry such components as mirrors , lenses , and illumination sources , such as leds . in most optical readers , an optical assembly component frame 14 is installed on a printed circuit board , e . g . circuit board 15 which , in addition to carrying frame 14 , carries most , if not all , of the electrical components of the optical reader . the mounting scheme described is advantageous over the prior art because it increases the security with which image sensor 12 is held in pocket 16 and furthermore , increases the precision with which a pixel plane to fixed point distance can be controlled . while the total thickness , t , of stacked up image sensor 12 cannot be tightly controlled , the thickness tp of plate 10 can be tightly controlled . accordingly , pockets 16 of several like designed optical assembly frames will apply relatively consistent holding forces to image sensors disposed therein . the mounting system increases the precision with which pixel plane to fixed point distance , d , is controlled because it reduces the number of manufacturing tolerances which contribute to the distance , d , the distance between any fixed point , pp . on the plane of a pixel array 12 and a fixed point , p p , away from the pixel plane . in a prior art mounting system described with reference to fig6 , and 8 , the pixel plane to fixed point distance , d , is a function of the total thickness , t , of an image sensor 10 , which is a function of the highly variable top planar member to bottom planar member spacing , s . because a pixel plane of an image sensor 10 is disposed flush on a bottom planar member , it is seen that pixel plane to fixed point distance , d , in the mounting system of fig1 is influenced only by the bottom plate thickness t b , and the mounting plate thickness t p , both of which can be tightly controlled . additional features can be incorporated in the mounting system thus far described for further improving the operation of the mounting system . one enhancement to the mounting system thus far generally described is to form in mounting plate 10 first and second cutout sections 26 and 28 . cutout sections 26 and 28 defined by side walls 30 are sized to a length 1 c approximately the same length or slightly longer than lead frames 114 so that edges of lead frames 114 are benched on walls 30 when image sensor 10 is mounted on mounting plate 10 . cutout sections 26 and 28 provide the function of stabilizing the position of an image sensor on mounting plate 10 so as to prevent sliding or twisting of image sensor 12 on plate 10 . another enhancement to the mounting system generally described relates to a mounting scheme for mounting an image sensor 12 to mounting plate 10 . it has been mentioned herein that sensor 12 can be secured to plate 10 using any conventional securing means , such as adhesives , glues , double sided tapes , etc . however , such schemes for attachment have the potential drawback in that they add thickness to an assembly including an image sensor and a back plate . in the image sensor to plate mounting scheme of fig1 the mounting is accomplished without use of any thickness - adding material . as seen in fig1 pins 32 will extend outwardly beyond the back surface 34 of plate 10 when sensor 12 is pressed flush against plate 10 . a flex strip 38 which includes two strips 40 and 42 of pin receptacles for providing electrical connection between sensor leads 12 and certain electrical connectors of reader ( normally on pcb ), a distance away from sensor 12 may be attached to image sensor 12 such that first row of pins 32 are received in a first row of receptacles 40 and a second row of pins 32 are received in a second row of receptacles 42 of flex strip 39 . pins 32 can be soldered onto receptacles 40 and 42 such that the compression force of flex strip 38 impinging on mounting plate 10 to bias plate 10 against sensor 12 is sufficient to hold sensor 12 securely on plate 10 without additional securing forces supplied by glues , tape , or other adhesive material . in the mounting system of fig1 plate 10 may further include side wall formations 31 which are received in complementary formations of pocket 16 . in particular , the mounting system can be configured such that bottom surface 31 ′ of formation 31 is received on a complementary surface of pocket 16 . furthermore , when plate 10 is installed in pocket 16 , at least one screw 33 can be received in at least one hole 29 formed in pocket 16 , at least one screw 33 can be received in at least one hole 29 formed in pocket 16 in such a location that screw head 33 h or associated washer 33 w applies a vertical holding force to a received image sensor 12 . in the particular embodiment shown , a cutaway section defined by walls 35 is provided so that plate 10 does not interfere with the receiving light optics in the particular optical system in the example provided . a variation on the mounting schemes described thus far is described with reference to fig4 a through fig5 . in the schemes described thus far , image sensor 12 is mounted to a plate 10 which , in turn , is received in a pocket 16 in an optical assembly frame 14 of a bar code reader . in the mounting scheme described with reference to fig4 a , 4 b , and 5 , the mounting pocket 16 of optical assembly frame 14 is deleted , and optical assembly frame 14 instead is furnished with a back plate 48 integral with frame 14 which provides essentially the same function as mounting plate 10 . certain figures of an optical system which may be incorporated in a frame of the type shown in fig4 b and fig5 are described in detail in copending applications entitled “ optical assembly for barcode scanner ,” ser . no . 09 / 111 , 476 , filed jun . 8 , 1998 , now u . s . pat . no . 6 , 119 , 939 , and “ adjustable illumination system for a barcode scanner ,” ser . no . 09 / 111 , 583 , also filed jun . 87 , 1998 , now u . s . pat . no . 6 , 164 , 544 , concurrently herewith , incorporated by reference herein , and assigned to the assignee of the present invention . as shown and described in greater detail in the above applications , frame 14 as shown in fig4 b and 5 is a single piece frame which includes a rectangular - shaped housing 60 partially delimited by back plate 48 and a pair of forwardly extended wall - shaped arms 61 . received at the distal end of arms 61 is an elongated single piece optical element 70 . frame 14 receives a lens assembly such as a lens card ( not shown ) in a lens assembly guideway 63 delimited by wall - shaped arms 61 . guideway 63 is formed at a neck of frame 14 characterized by a relatively narrow spacing between well - shaped arms 61 . laterally extending from arms 61 of single piece frame 14 are a pair of lamp brackets 64 . each lamp bracket 64 includes a platform 65 and a front aperture wall 66 . each platform 65 includes a pair of led receiving clips 67 on which leds 68 are received . in this mounting scheme , image sensor 12 is mounted directly to back plate 48 in essentially the same manner that sensor 12 is - mounted to mounting plate 10 in the general scheme described previously . in mounting sensor 12 to back plate 48 then sensor 12 is pressed against surface 50 of back plate 48 . in the specific example of fig4 b , it is seen that surface 50 may include spaced apart image sensor receiving ribs 75 and 75 . when present , receiving surfaces of outer ribs 75 receive outer ends of a back surface of image sensor 12 while receiving surfaces of inner ribs 74 receive an inner region of a back surface of image sensor 12 . frame 14 includes elongated aperture 52 defined by side walls 30 of back plate 48 , frame 14 and by a bottom edge of back plate 48 , as is seen in fig4 b and fig5 to accommodate bottom pins 32 b of lead frame 114 when sensor 10 is mounted against back plate 48 . securing material such as glues , tapes , or other adhesives may be provided to aid in the securing of an image sensor 12 against back plate 48 . in the alternative , image sensor 12 may be secured to back plate 48 as described previously by a compression force supplied by flex strip 38 , which when soldered , works to bias image sensor 12 against plate 48 . cutout section 56 and aperture 52 can be sized to have lengths 1 c approximately equal to the respective lengths of lead frames 14 so that sidewall 30 of aperture 52 and of cutaway section 56 operate to bench lead frames 114 and to thereby prevent sliding or twisting of image sensor 12 when image sensor 12 is mounted on back plate 48 . it will be seen that a back plate of the invention can be provided by virtually any substantially planar rigid surface integrated onto a mounted component frame . while the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred mode as illustrated in the drawing , it will be understood by one skilled in the art that various changes in detail may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims .	6
the following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the application and uses . furthermore , there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field , background , brief summary or the following detailed description . as used herein , the term module refers to any hardware , software , firmware , electronic control component , processing logic , and / or processor device , individually or in any combination , including without limitation : application specific integrated circuit ( asic ), an electronic circuit , a processor ( shared , dedicated , or group ) and memory that executes one or more software or firmware programs , a combinational logic circuit , and / or other suitable components that provide the described functionality . with reference to fig1 , a vehicle 10 is shown having a steering system 12 in accordance with various embodiments . although the figures shown herein depict an example with certain arrangements of elements , additional intervening elements , devices , features , or components may be present in an actual embodiment . it should also be understood that fig1 is merely illustrative and may not be drawn to scale . in various embodiments , the steering system 12 includes a hand wheel 14 coupled to a steering shaft 16 . in one exemplary embodiment , the steering system 12 is an electric power steering ( eps ) system that further includes a steering assist unit 18 that couples to the steering shaft 16 of the steering system 12 and to tie rods 20 , 22 of the vehicle 10 . the steering assist unit 18 includes , for example , a rack and pinion steering mechanism ( not shown ) that may be coupled through the steering shaft 16 to a steering actuator motor and gearing ( hereinafter referred to as the steering actuator ). during operation , as the hand wheel 14 is turned by a vehicle operator , the motor of the steering assist unit 18 provides the assistance to move the tie rods 20 , 22 which in turn moves steering knuckles 24 , 26 , respectively , coupled to roadway wheels 28 , 30 , respectively of the vehicle 10 . although an eps system is illustrated in fig1 and described herein , it is appreciated that the steering system 12 of the present disclosure can include various controlled steering systems including , but not limited to , steering systems with hydraulic configurations , and steer by wire configurations . as shown in fig1 , the vehicle 10 further includes various sensors 32 , 34 , 36 that observe conditions of the steering system 12 and / or of the vehicle 10 and generate sensor signals based the observed conditions . in various embodiments , the sensor 32 is a vehicle speed sensor , the sensor 34 is a first wheel position sensor associated with the wheel 28 and the sensor 36 is a second wheel position sensor associated with the wheel 30 . it should be noted that the sensors 32 , 34 , 36 are merely exemplary , as any number of sensors could be employed and further , one or more of the conditions measured by the sensors 32 , 34 , 36 can be derived from other sources , such as by modeling , for example . it should also be noted that the vehicle 10 can include various other sensors that detect and measure observable conditions of the steering system 12 and / or of the vehicle 10 , including , but not limited to a yaw angle sensor and a hand wheel angle sensor . in one example , the sensors 34 , 36 are associated with a suspension system 38 , 39 of the vehicle 10 . as a further example , the sensors 34 , 36 are associated with a magneto - rheological active shock suspension system , which is in turn associated with each of the wheels 28 , 30 . generally , each of the sensors 34 , 36 detect and measure a position of the respective wheel 28 , 30 relative to a frame 40 of the vehicle 10 . it should be noted , however , that the sensors 34 , 36 can be independent wheel position sensors , if desired . in various embodiments , a control module 42 controls the operation of the steering system 12 and / or the vehicle 10 based on one or more of the sensor signals and further based on the steering control systems and methods of the present disclosure . generally speaking , the steering control systems and methods of the present disclosure determine a range of travel for the steering assist unit 18 . in one example , the steering control systems and methods of the present disclosure determine a range of travel for a rack of the steering assist unit 18 based on the vehicle speed ( e . g ., from the vehicle speed sensor 32 ) and the wheel position ( e . g ., from the wheel position sensor 34 , 36 ). according to various embodiments , the control module 42 increases the amount of travel the steering assist unit 18 can move the tie rods , 20 , 22 if the vehicle is below a predetermined speed and the wheel position is within acceptable limits . conversely , the control module 42 decreases the amount of travel the the steering assist unit 18 can move the tie rods 20 , 22 if the vehicle is above the predetermined speed or below the predetermined speed and the wheel position is outside of acceptable limits . it should be noted that the control module 42 is in communication with the sensors 34 , 36 and steering assist unit 18 over a suitable communication architecture , such as a data bus , associated with the vehicle 10 . referring now to fig2 , and with continued reference to fig1 , a dataflow diagram illustrates various embodiments of a steering control system 100 for the steering system ( fig1 ) that may be embedded within the control module 42 . various embodiments of the steering control system according to the present disclosure can include any number of sub - modules embedded within the control module 42 . as can be appreciated , the sub - modules shown in fig2 can be combined and / or further partitioned to similarly limit the travel of the rack of the steering system 12 ( fig1 ). inputs to the system can be sensed from the vehicle 10 ( fig1 ), received from other control modules ( not shown ), and / or determined / modeled by other sub - modules ( not shown ) within the control module 42 . in various embodiments , the control module 42 includes a steering travel control module 102 and a travel datastore 104 . the travel datastore 104 stores one or more tables ( e . g ., lookup tables ) that indicate an acceptable amount of travel of the steering assist unit 18 along a path of travel associated with the steering assist unit 18 . in other words , the travel datastore 104 stores one or more tables that provide limits for the movement of the steering assist unit 18 . in various embodiments , the tables can be interpolation tables that are defined by one or more indexes . a travel limit value provided by at least one of the tables indicates an amount of travel permitted by the steering assist unit 18 . for example , the amount of travel may be an amount of travel of a rack of the steering assist unit 18 . as a further example , one or more tables can be indexed by vehicle parameters such as , but not limited to , vehicle speed and wheel position , to provide the travel limit . thus , the travel limit indicates an amount of travel permitted by the steering assist unit 18 based on a particular vehicle speed and wheel position . the steering travel control module 102 receives as input vehicle speed data 106 from sensor 32 and wheel position data 108 from sensors 34 , 36 . the steering travel control module 102 generates a steering assist control signal 110 to the steering assist unit 18 based on the vehicle speed data 106 and wheel position data 108 . in one example , the vehicle speed data 106 and wheel position data 108 are received and a travel limit value 112 is determined from the one or more tables of the travel datastore 104 based on the vehicle speed data 106 and wheel position data 108 ( e . g ., by performing a lookup function on the tables to determine a travel limit value using the vehicle speed and wheel position ). the steering assist control signal 110 is generated to the steering assist unit 18 based on the vehicle speed data 106 and wheel position data 108 to control the travel of the steering assist unit 18 based on the current operation of the vehicle 10 . for example , at a predetermined vehicle speed , such as less than about 15 miles per hour ( mph ) the permitted travel limit for the steering assist unit 18 may be increased so long as the wheel position data 108 is within acceptable limits ( i . e . the suspension system 38 is not at full rebound ), as the slow movement of the vehicle 10 reduces a risk of collision between neighboring components of the steering system 12 . the increased travel of the steering assist unit 18 thereby reduces the turning radius of the vehicle 10 , which aids in parking the vehicle 10 . if , however , the wheel position data indicates that one or more of the wheels 28 , 30 are outside of acceptable limits , the travel limit of the steering assist unit 18 is not increased or decreased to prevent damage to the steering system 12 . thus , the control module 42 adapts the travel limits of the steering assist unit 18 based on the current operating conditions of the vehicle 10 , which aids in the maneuverability of the vehicle 10 , thereby increasing customer satisfaction . generally , the acceptable travel limits depend on the proximity of neighboring components to the steering system 12 . for example , the acceptable travel limits for the steering system 12 can range from about 86 millimeters ( mm ) to about 92 mm . in this example , if the wheel position data indicates that one or more of the wheels 28 , 30 is experiencing jounce due to passing over an uneven surface , the travel limit for the steering system 12 can be reduced from about 92 mm to about 86 mm . referring now to fig3 , and with continued reference to fig1 and 2 , a flowchart illustrates a control method that can be performed by the control module 42 of fig1 in accordance with the present disclosure . as can be appreciated in light of the disclosure , the order of operation within the method is not limited to the sequential execution as illustrated in fig3 , but may be performed in one or more varying orders as applicable and in accordance with the present disclosure . in various embodiments , the method of fig3 can be scheduled to run based on predetermined events , and / or can run continually during operation of the vehicle 10 . the method can begin at 200 . at 202 , the method receives the vehicle speed data 106 and wheel position data 108 . the travel limit value 112 is determined from the tables of the travel datastore 104 based on the vehicle speed data 106 and wheel position data 108 at 204 . the steering assist control signal 110 is generated based on the travel limit value 112 at 240 . thereafter , the method can end at 206 . 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 disclosure in any way . rather , the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments . it should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims and the legal equivalents thereof .	1
a schottky diode shown in fig1 is produced by the teaching of this invention . the processes of production are explained by referring to fig1 ( a ), ( b ), and ( c ). ( 1 ) a monocrystalline diamond plate of 2 mm × 1 . 5 mm × 0 . 3 mm synthesized by the ultra high pressure method is used as a substrate ( 1 ). the crystallographical direction of the surface of the substrate ( 1 ) is equal to a ( 100 ) plane or is slightly slanting to the ( 100 ) plane within five degrees . a p + - type diamond layer ( 2 ) doped with boron is epitaxially grown on the monocrystalline diamond substrate ( 1 ) up to 10 μm in thickness by the microwave plasma cvd ( chemical vapor deposition ) method . fig1 ( a ) shows the substrate with the p + - type layer . ______________________________________material gas h . sub . 2 , ch . sub . 4 , b . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ch . sub . 4 / h . sub . 2 = 6 / 100 ( ratio in volume ) b . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 / ch . sub . 4 = 0 . 001 / 6 ( ratio in volume ) pressure in the growth 40 torrmicrowave oscillation power 300 wthickness 10 μm______________________________________ the concentration of boron in the p + - type diamond is 3 × 10 20 cm - 3 . here &# 34 ; p + &# 34 ; means &# 34 ; high doped p - type &# 34 ;. ( 2 ) a non - doped diamond layer ( 3 ) is epitaxially grown up to 0 . 5 μm in thickness on the p + - type diamond layer ( 2 ) by the microwave plasma cvd method under the following conditions ; ______________________________________material gas h . sub . 2 , ch . sub . 4 ch . sub . 4 / h . sub . 2 = 6 / 100 ( ratio in volume ) pressure in the growth 40 torr / - microwave oscillation power 300 wthickness 0 . 5 μm______________________________________ fig1 ( b ) shows the substrate ( 1 ) coated with the p + - type layer ( 2 ) and the non - doped layer ( 3 ). ( 3 ) a titanium electrode ( 4 ) is deposited on a part of the non - doped diamond layer ( 3 ) as an ohmic contact electrode by the evaporation coating . ( 4 ) an aluminum electrode ( 5 ) is deposited on another part of the non - doped diamond layer ( 3 ) as a schottky electrode by the evaporation coating . fig1 ( c ) shows the schottky diode . the voltage - current relations are examined at room temperature and at 300 ° c . the titanium ohmic electrode ( 4 ) is connected to the ground level . forward voltage or reverse voltage is applied on the aluminum schottky electrode ( 5 ). the forward current which flows from the titanium electrode ( 4 ) to the aluminum electrode ( 5 ) is measured , while the forward voltage is applied between the electrodes ( 4 ) and ( 5 ). here , &# 34 ; forward &# 34 ; means the direction from the titanium electrode ( 4 ) to the aluminum electrode ( 5 ). then , the negative voltage applied to the aluminum electrode is called the forward voltage . fig2 shows the results of the measurements . the abscissa is the voltage ( v ) applied . the ordinate is the current ( a ). although the reverse voltage and the reverse current are negative quantities , the relation therebetween is also depicted together with the forward current - voltage relation in fig2 for simplicity . the upper curves in fig2 show the forward voltage - current relation . solid line denotes the relation at room temperature . dotted line denotes the relation at 300 ° c . these curves show enough large forward currents . the forward currents increase according to rising of temperature . the two curves are not distanced so far in spite of the difference of temperature . this proves the high stability of the device against the change of temperature . this is because the carrier concentration does not change so much by the change of temperature , because the high doped diamond has too many dopants ( more than 10 18 cm - 3 ) and electronic states are already degenerated in the conduction band or the hole states are degenerated in the valence band . besides , the thermal stability , the two curves show high carrier mobilities , because of the large forward currents . this is because the carriers flow in the non - or low doped diamond without being scattered by the heavily - doped dopants in the high doped diamond . namely , these good features of the device derive from the fact that thec carriers are supplied by the high doped diamond but they flow in the non - or low doped diamond . the dynamics of transference of carriers is now briefly explained . if the carriers supplied by the high doped diamond layer were to stay in the high doped diamond layer , carriers would have been scattered frequently , and the forward current would be very low . in practice , the carriers are transferred from the high doped diamond to the non - doped diamond by diffusion or the electric field applied . since the high doped diamond has plenty of carriers and the non - doped diamond has little carriers , the carriers will diffuse by the action of the inclination of the carrier concentration . if the interface between the high doped diamond layer and the non - doped diamond layer has been made in good order , the diffusion will occur furiously , because the difference of carrier concentrations is very large . the impurity concentration of the high doped diamond layer is 10 18 cm - 3 to 10 22 cm - 3 . on the contrary , the impurity concentration of the non - or low doped diamond layer is less than 10 17 cm - 3 . however , the transference of carriers leaves the dopants being ionized . the ionized dopants , positively charged donners or negatively charged acceptors ; cause coulomb attraction for the transferred carriers . this coulomb attraction pulls the carriers back to the high doped diamond layer . the balance of the diffusion and the coulomb attraction determines the number of the carriers transferred into the non - or low doped diamond layer . another force for transferring the carriers from the high doped layer to the non - doped layer is an electric field applied on the layers . when the electric field is applied in the direction vertical to the interface , the electric field carries the carriers by the electrostatic force into the non - doped diamond layer . such vertical electric field will be explained later by the embodiment 2 . in the embodiment 1 , the carriers borne in the high doped diamond ( p + - type ) layer ( 2 ) are transferred into the non - doped diamond layer ( 3 ). since the non - doped diamond layer ( 3 ) has little impurities , the carriers can move freely without being scattered . the voltage applied between the electrodes ( 4 ) and ( 5 ) makes horizontal electric field in the non - doped layer ( 3 ) and in the p + - type ( high doped ) layer ( 2 ). the carriers in the non - doped layer ( 3 ) run with high speed because of the high carrier mobility . but the carriers left in the high doped layer ( 2 ) run with low speed , being scattered frequently by the dopants . thus , the electric field does not penetrate into the high doped layer ( 2 ). because the electric field is almost rejected from the high doped layer ( 2 ), the carriers there are moved only little . thus , the energy loss induced by the carriers scattered by the dopants in the high doped layer ( 2 ) is trivial in spite of the low mobility of carriers . in fig2 the lower curves show the reverse voltage - current relation . the reverse currents are small enough . the rectifying ratio ; quotient of the forward current to the reverse current at the same voltage ; attains to 10 5 . the breakdown voltage does not exist below 140 v . the embodiment 1 exhibits excellent performance as a schottky diode . to estimate the quality of the embodiments 1 over the prior art , a comparison example as shown in fig3 based on the state of art is manufactured . the comparison example has only a single p - type diamond layer ( 6 ) instead of the p - doped layer ( 2 ) and the non - doped layer ( 3 ) in the embodiment 1 . the p - type diamond layer of the comparison example is 10 . 5 μm in thickness . the boron concentration is 17 17 cm - 3 . a titanium electrode ( 4 ) and an aluminum electrode ( 5 ) are formed on the p - type diamond layer ( 6 ). like the embodiment 1 shown by fig1 ( c ), the titanium electrode ( 4 ) is an ohmic contact electrode and the aluminum electrode ( 5 ) is a schottky contact electrode . in the comparison example , the holes supplied by the dopant atoms in the p - type layer ( 6 ) run through the same p - type layer ( 6 ), being scattered by the dopant atoms . fig4 shown the relation of the voltage - current of the comparison example . the solid lines show the result of the measurement at room temperature . the dotted lines show the result at 300 ° c . at room temperature , both the forward current and the reverse current are small . at room temperature , the concentration of free holes is too small , because the dopant level is so deep that most of the carriers do not separate from the acceptors . small number of free holes leads to the low forward current . but the forward current at 300 ° c . is about hundred times as much as the forward current at room temperature . at 300 ° c ., most acceptors separate the free holes and are ionized . the concentration of free holes becomes very big . namely , the forward current changes extremely as a function of temperature . besides the thermal instability , the comparison example has a drawback that the breakdown voltage is as low as 80 v to 90 v . the thermal instability is caused from the low concentration of dopants ( 10 17 cm - 3 ). the hole states are not degenerated at room temperature in the valence band , because of the low concentration of dopants and the deep dopant level . on the contrary , the highly - doped ( 3 × 10 20 cm - 3 ) diamond layer ( 2 ) of the embodiment 1 has , even at room temperature , almost degenerated hole states in the valence band . if the concentration of dopant in the p - type layer ( 6 ) was raised , the problem of the drastic change of carrier concentration as a function of temperature would be solved but the free holes would not run so fast by the scattering owing to the disorder of lattice that the forward current would be very small . thus , the concentration of dopant should not be raised so much higher than 10 17 cm - 3 in the p - type layer ( 6 ) of the comparison example . the low breakdown voltage 80 v to 90 v is perhaps caused partly by the disorder of lattice owing to the doping and partly by the thin depletion layer at the schottky junction . since the thickness of the depletion layer is inversely proportional to the root square of the dopant concentration , the depletion layer in the p - type layer ( 6 ) of the comparison example is much thinner than the depletion layer in the non - doped layer ( 3 ) of the embodiment 1 . the results of fig2 and fig4 confirm the excellency of the embodiment 1 in the thermal stability and the high breakdown voltage . embodiment 2 is a schottky diode having a low doped diamond layer instead of the non - doped diamond layer ( 3 ) of the embodiment 1 . the low doped layer is a p - type layer doped with boron of 10 16 cm - 3 in concentration . other structures are all the same as the embodiment 1 except for the replacement of the non - doped diamond layer ( 3 ) by the low doped diamond layer . thus , the schottky diode of the embodiment 2 comprises a monocrystalline diamond substrate ( 2 mm × 1 . 5 mm × 0 . 3 mm ), a p + - type diamond layer ( boron concentration = 3 × 10 20 cm - 3 ) of 10 μm in thickness , a p - type diamond layer ( boron concentration = 10 16 cm - 3 ) of 0 . 5 μm in thickness , a titanium ohmic electrode and an aluminum schottky electrode . the forward currents and reverse currents are measured by applying the forward voltage or reverse voltage . the rectifying ratio is about 10 4 . the forward current at 300 ° c . is nearly twice as much as the forward current at room temperature . the change of the forward current owing to the change of temperature is much less than the change of the comparison example shown by fig4 . another schottky diode shown in fig5 is fabricated by the teaching of this invention . the schottky diode comprises a p - type si substrate ( 7 ), a p + - type diamond layer ( 8 ), a non - doped diamond layer ( 9 ), a tungsten ( w ) electrode ( 10 ) and a gold ( au ) electrode ( 11 ). ( 1 ) the substrate ( 7 ) is a p - type si plate of 5 mm × 5 mm × 0 . 3 mm instead of diamond . the resistivity is 10 - 2 ω cm . the p + - type diamond layer ( 8 ) is synthesized up to 10 μm in thickness on the si substrate by the microwave plasma cvd method under the following conditions ; ______________________________________material gas h . sub . 2 , ch . sub . 4 , b . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ch . sub . 4 / h . sub . 2 = 1 / 100 ( ratio in volume ) b . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 / ch . sub . 4 = 0 . 001 / 6 ( ratio in volume ) pressure 40 torrmicrowave oscillation power 300 wthickness 10 μm______________________________________ ( 2 ) the non - doped diamond layer ( 9 ) is synthesized up to 1 μm in thickness on the p + - type diamond ( 8 ) by the microwave plasma cvd method under the conditions , ______________________________________material gas h . sub . 2 , ch . sub . 4 ch . sub . 4 / h . sub . 2 = 1 / 100 ( ratio in volume ) pressure 40 torrmicrowave oscillation power 300 wthickness 1 μm______________________________________ ( 3 ) the tungsten electrode ( 10 ) is fabricated on the non - doped diamond layer ( 9 ) by the sputtering method . ( 4 ) the gold ( au ) electrode ( 11 ) is coated on the bottom surface of the si substrate by the evaporation coating using a resistor heater . a current flows in the direction vertical to the interfaces of the layers . since the sectional area is wide and the length of the current is short in the vertical direction , the series resistance is small . the diode can rectify at most 100 a of alternate current ( at 100 v of applied voltage ) at room temperature . the test of the diode practiced at 400 ° c . shows the same forward voltage - current relation as that done at room temperature . in the embodiment 3 , the free holes are injected from the p + - type diamond layer ( 8 ) into the non - doped diamond ( 9 ) in the vertical direction by the action of the electric field . although the holes are frequently scattered in the p + - type layer ( 8 ), the resistance of the p + - type layer ( 8 ) is low enough because of the wide sectional area and the short length of the passage in the layer ( 8 ). a fet ( field effect transistor ) shown in fig6 is fabricated by the teaching of this invention . ( 1 ) a monocrystalline diamond substrate ( 1 ) of 2 mm × 1 . 5 mm × 0 . 3 mm synthesized by the ultra high pressure method is used as a substrate . the surface of the substrate is equal to or inclined within 5 degrees to the crystallographic ( 1 0 0 ) plane . a p + - type diamond layer ( 12 ) is synthesized up to 0 . 1 μm on the substrate ( 1 ) by the microwave plasma cvd method under the conditions ; ______________________________________material gas h . sub . 2 , ch . sub . 4 , b . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ch . sub . 4 / h . sub . 2 = 6 / 100 ( ratio in volume ) b . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 / ch . sub . 4 = 0 . 001 / 6 ( ratio in volume ) pressure 40 torrmicrowave oscillation power 300 wthickness 0 . 1 μm______________________________________ the boron concentration in the p + - type diamond layer ( 12 ) is 3 × 10 20 cm - 3 . fig6 ( a ) shows the substrate ( 1 ) deposited with the p + - type diamond layer ( 12 ). ( 2 ) a non - doped diamond layer ( 13 ) is grown up to 0 . 5 μm on the p + - type diamond layer ( 12 ), as shown in fig6 ( b ), by the microwave cvd method under the same conditions as the step ( 1 ) except for the nonuse of the dopant gas b 2 h 6 , namely ; ______________________________________material gas h . sub . 2 , ch . sub . 4 ch . sub . 4 / h . sub . 2 = 6 / 100 ( ratio in volume ) pressure 40 torrmicrowave oscillation power 300 wthickness 0 . 5 μm______________________________________ ( 3 ) an aluminum gate electrode ( 14 ) is deposited on the non - doped diamond layer ( 13 ) by the aid of the photolithography . the gate electrode ( 14 ) is a schottky contact electrode with the length of 1 μm and the width of 10 μm . ( 4 ) a titanium source electrode ( 15 ) and a titanium drain electrode ( 16 ) are deposited on the non - doped diamond layer ( 13 ) by the aid of the photolithography . the titanium electrodes ( 15 ) and ( 16 ) are , of course , ohmic contact electrodes with the width of 10 μm . fig6 ( c ) shows the fet ( field effect transistor ) of the embodiment 4 . the p + - type layer ( 13 ) supplies holes into the non - doped layer ( 13 ). the holes mainly move in the non - doped layer ( 13 ) without being scattered by dopant atoms . the fet of the embodiment 4 is able to amplify 12 ghz of microwave without deforming the shape of waves .	7
hereinafter , the exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described in detail in reference to the accompanying drawings . moreover , drawings are shown by emphasizing a respective portion for easy understanding , and it should be noted that the dimensions thereof are not identical to those of practical devices . fig4 shows an exemplary structure of a voltage generation circuit according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention . the voltage generation circuit 100 of this embodiment comprises : a conversion circuit 110 , converting an input voltage v in provided by an input node n in to a required voltage and outputting a converted output voltage v out to an output node n out ; a resistor voltage - division circuit 120 connecting the output node n out ; a comparison circuit 130 comparing a voltage vm from the resistor voltage - division circuit 120 with a reference voltage v ref ; and a control circuit 140 controlling the conversion circuit 110 according to a comparing result of the comparison circuit 130 . the voltage generation circuit 100 has a feedback loop to monitor the output voltage v out generated at the node n out and control the conversion circuit 110 according to the monitor result , thereby stabilizing the output voltage v out generated at the output node n out . the conversion circuit 110 is not limited to the structure described above , and it may , for example , be a charge pump , a switching mode regulator , a voltage - boosting circuit , or a voltage - bucking circuit . the resistor voltage - division circuit 120 comprises a plurality of resistor devices connected in series between the output node n out and a reference ground , and generates a voltage vm corresponding to the output voltage v out at a voltage - division node n r . the resistor devices are made of arbitrary conductive material such as conductive wiring , layers , or regions . the resistor voltage - division circuit 120 further comprises a conduction portion 122 which is obtained by forming parasitic capacitors cp between at least one part of the plurality of resistor devices and the output node n out . the comparison circuit 130 compares the voltage vm at the voltage - division node n r of the resistor voltage - division 120 and the reference voltage v ref and provides a signal responding the comparing result to the control circuit 140 . for example , when the voltage vm is higher than the reference voltage v ref , the comparison circuit 130 provides a signal of h level to the control circuit 140 and when the voltage vm is lower than the reference voltage v ref , the comparison circuit 130 provides a signal of l level to the control circuit 140 . the control circuit 140 controls the operations of the conversion circuit 110 according to the comparing result of the comparison circuit 140 . for example , when the conversion circuit 110 is a voltage - boosting circuit , the voltage - boosting circuit generates the output voltage v out at the output node n out and the output voltage v out is monitored by means of the voltage vm generated by the resistor voltage - division circuit 120 . or , when the output voltage v out is lower than the required voltage , the voltage - boosting circuit carries out voltage - boosting and when the output voltage v out is higher than the required voltage , the voltage - boosting circuit stops boosting voltage . current flows from the output node n out to the resistor voltage - division circuit 120 and therefore the voltage vm is generated at the voltage - division node n r . the current flowing through the resistor voltage - division circuit 120 is a through - current , and when the through - current is large , the current consumption become high . therefore , it is desirable to lower the current flowing through the resistor voltage - divided circuit 120 as far as possible . on the other hand , reducing the through - current will result in slow reaction speed of the voltage vm at the voltage - division node n r . as a result , control by virtue of the control circuit 140 is delayed and the ripples of the output voltage v out become large . in this exemplary embodiment , to solve the problem described above , the parasitic capacitors cp are formed between the output node n out and the resistor devices , thereby reducing the through - current flowing through the resistor voltage - division circuit 120 such that the voltage vm responding to the output voltage v out can react quickly at the voltage - division node n r . the parasitic capacitors cp are formed by arranging the conduction portion 122 capacitively coupled with the resistor devices , but the structure of the conduction portion 122 , for example , is formed by deposition or utilizes well regions . therefore , the parasitic capacitors cp will not substantially increase layout ( area ) of the voltage generation circuit , or the increased area is quite small fig5 shows the structure of a voltage generation circuit with a charge pump circuit according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention . the devices in fig5 are the same as what is described in fig1 , and are indicated by the same notations or symbols , and therefore they are not described again . as shown in fig5 , the voltage generation circuit 100 a according to the invention has a resistor voltage - division circuit 120 which has a conduction portion 122 capacitively coupled to resistors r 1 ˜ r 4 , and the parasitic capacitors cp are formed between the resistors r 1 ˜ r 4 and the output node n out . the conduction portion 122 , for example , is a conduction wire extending over the resistors r 1 ˜ r 4 by virtue of a dielectric layer . when monitoring the output voltage v out , the current through the resistors r 1 ˜ r 4 generates the voltage vm at the voltage - division node n r . when the output voltage v out changes , the current through the resistors r 1 ˜ r 4 also changes and the capacitively coupled variation will be reacted at the voltage - division node n r . for example , when the output voltage v out exceeds a target voltage , a charging operation happens when the current flows through the resistors r 1 ˜ r 4 , and the voltage vm at the voltage - division node n r is raised due to capacitive coupling . furthermore , when the output voltage v out is less than the target voltage , discharging operation by the resistors r 1 ˜ r 4 happens and the voltage vm at the voltage - division node n r is reduced due to capacitive coupling . as described above , the variation of the output voltage v out can be responded quickly to the voltage - division node n r by setting the parasitic capacitors cp . as a result , control delay resulting from monitoring the output voltage v out can be alleviated , thereby reducing the ripples of the output voltage v out and stabilizing the output voltage v out . fig6 shows an alternative of the voltage generation circuit of the invention . fig5 shows an example of the voltage generation circuit 100 a having the parasitic capacitors cp formed on all the resistors r 1 ˜ r 4 . however , fig6 shows an example of the voltage generation circuit 100 b having the parasitic capacitors cp formed on one part of the resistors ( r 3 and r 4 ) in the resistor voltage - division circuit 120 . forming the parasitic capacitors cp on the one part of resistor devices is to design the mentioned part of resistors closer to the voltage - division node nr . compared to cases where the parasitic capacitor cp is formed on the resistor r 1 , forming the parasitic capacitors cp on the resistors r 3 and r 4 near the voltage - division node n r can make the variation of the output voltage v out be able to respond quickly to the voltage vm at the voltage - division node n r . next , an exemplary structure of a resistor voltage - division circuit according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention will be described in detail . fig7 ( a ) schematically shows a resistor voltage - division circuit in cross - sectional view when the resistor voltage - division circuit is formed by utilizing the polysilicon layer of a memory cell in a nand - type or nor - type flash memory . in fig7 ( a ), 200 is a silicon substrate or well region , 210 is an isolation region such as shallow trench isolation ( sti ) or field oxide film , 220 is an n - type polysilicon layer constructing a floating gate ( fg ), 230 , for example , is a high dielectric layer having ono structure of deposited silicon oxide film and silicon nitride film , 240 is an n - type polysilicon layer constructing a control gate ( cg ), 250 is a metal silicide layer formed on the polysilicon layer 240 , and 261 - 1 , 261 - 2 are contacts . the polysilicon layer 220 , for example , extends in strip on the isolation region 210 . the polysilicon layer 240 is separated into a first polysilicon portion 240 - 1 and a second polysilicon portion 240 - 2 by an opening 242 . the first polysilicon portion 240 - 1 extends over the polysilicon layer 220 by virtue of the dielectric layer 230 . a via hole is formed in the dielectric layer 230 at a location corresponding to the contact 260 - 1 , and the first polysilicon portion 240 - 1 electrically connects the polysilicon layer 220 . similarly , a via hole is formed in the dielectric layer 230 at the location corresponding to the contact 260 - 2 and the second polysilicon portion 240 - 2 electrically connects to the polysilicon layer 220 . the polysilicon layer 220 forms a current path between the contact 260 - 1 and the contact 260 - 2 and operates as a resister device . the first polysilicon portion 240 - 1 extends over the polysilicon layer 220 by virtue of the dielectric layer 230 , whereby parasitic capacitors are formed between the first polysilicon portion 240 - 1 and the polysilicon layer 220 . as an alternative of the embodiment , the contact 260 - 1 may correspond to the output node n out and the contact 260 - 2 may correspond to the voltage - division node n r , but the ground electrode of the resistor voltage - division circuit is omitted . as another alternative of the embodiment , the structure of fig7 ( a ) may serve as a basic structure and the resistor voltage - division circuit can be constructed by connecting a plurality of the basic structures in series . a nand - type flash memory comprises a voltage generation circuit , which uses an external power - supply voltage to generate write voltage , erase voltage and pass voltage , etc . similarly , a nor - type flash memory comprises a voltage generation circuit to generate write voltage or erase voltage . in a situation where the voltage generation circuit with the resistor voltage - division circuit depicted in fig7 ( a ) is applicable to a nand - type or nor - type flash memory , the common ( or compatible ) process for fabricating the nand - type or nor - type flash memory can be utilized to form the resistor devices and the parasitic capacitors cp of the resistor voltage - division circuit . in addition , the memory cell structure is applicable to a part of the voltage generation circuit , and thus the layout ( area ) of the voltage generation circuit can be reduced . fig7 ( b ) shows an example of utilizing a well region to serve as the conduction portion of the resistor voltage - division circuit . similar to the fig7 ( a ), the resistor device is the n - type polysilicon layer 220 formed over the substrate 200 by virtue of the dielectric layer 232 . a contact 270 - 1 electrically connects one terminal of the polysilicon layer 220 by virtue of the metal silicide layer 250 and a contact 270 - 2 electrically connects the other terminal of the polysilicon layer 220 by virtue of the metal silicide layer 250 . the polysilicon layer 220 , for example , can be formed by a common ( compatible ) process for fabricating mos transistors and the dielectric layer 232 is a silicon gate oxide film in this case . furthermore , the n - type or p - type silicon substrate or the well region 200 electrically connects the contacts 272 - 1 and 272 - 2 by virtue of well taps 280 . the well taps 280 for example are metal silicide layers . the well taps 280 are 2 0 electrically isolated from the polysilicon layer 220 by virtue of the isolation region 210 such as sti , etc . in this manner , the parasitic capacitors are formed between the polysilicon layer 220 and the well region 200 . for example , the contacts 270 - 1 and 272 - 1 may correspond to the output node n out in fig5 and the contact 272 - 2 may correspond to the voltage - division node n r . in addition , the structure of fig7 ( b ) may serve as a basic structure and the resistor voltage - division circuit can be constructed by connecting a plurality of the basic structure in series . the structure depicted in fig7 ( c ) is a combination of the structures depicted in fig7 ( a ) and fig7 ( b ). the polysilicon layer 220 between the contacts 270 - 1 and 270 - 2 works as a resistor device . the polysilicon layer 240 , as described in fig7 ( a ), formed over the polysilicon layer 220 works as a conduction wire , thereby forming the parasitic capacitor sandwiching the dielectric layer 230 . moreover , the well region 200 formed below the polysilicon layer 220 by virtue of the dielectric layer 232 , as described in fig7 ( b ), works as a conduction portion , thereby forming the parasitic capacitor sandwiching the dielectric layer 232 . the capacitive coupling to the resistor device by virtue of the parasitic capacitor being further enhanced according to the structure of this embodiment . while the invention has been described by virtue of examples and in terms of the embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments . on the contrary , it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements ( as would be apparent to those skilled in the art ). therefore , the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements .	7
the compositions of the invention are stable , pourable suspensions of abrasive particles in an aqueous detergent vehicle . it has been found that such stable suspensions are most difficult to prepare unless certain key suspension agents are present in the composition . specifically these key suspension agents are : in amine oxide surfactant , a multiple - ionic oxygen containing salt , and an alkylbenzenesulfonate salt . these suspension agents along with water produce a suspension vehicle that is fully capable of suspending abrasive particles for an indefinite period of time . thus the product has a long &# 34 ; shelf - life &# 34 ; and there is no necessity for agitating the composition before use to ensure complete distribution of the abrasive throughout the composition . in addition the composition is &# 34 ; pourable &# 34 ; and may be squirted or forced through small orifices for easy application to vertical or overhead surfaces . it has also been noted that it is possible to add abrasive to the suspension vehicle in increasing amounts without &# 34 ; breaking &# 34 ; the suspension . however eventually the composition &# 39 ; s viscosity increases ( at about 700 parts / 1000 abrasive ) to a point where it is no longer possible to pour the same . thus it is ordinarily desirable to hold abrasive levels down to a point where it is easy to apply the composition and it is relatively liquid , or of the consistancy of a heavy cream . in a preferred composition , the abrasive is present in about 500 parts by weight , lauryl dimethyl amine oxide is present in about 20 parts by weight , the citrate salt is present in about 10 - 20 parts by weight , and sodium alkylaryl sulfonate is present in about 30 parts by weight , in water sufficient to make up a total of 1000 parts of the composition . while the abrasive may be varied over a wide range as pointed out above , each of the suspension agents must be present within defined limits in order to produce a stable composition . in this regard , when the potassium citrate salt , the abrasive , and the sulfonate are held at their preferred levels , the lauryl dimethyl amine oxide concentration may be varied from about 12 parts / 1000 of composition up to about 40 parts / 1000 without destroying the suspension capabilities . however , maximum suspension capabilities appear at about 36 parts amine oxide / 1000 parts of composition . when the abrasive , potassium citrate salt and the lauryl dimethyl amine oxide are held at their preferred levels , the sulfonate detergent may be varied from about 16 . 5 parts / 1000 of composition up to a sufficient concentration to increase composition viscosity to the &# 34 ; pour - point &# 34 ;. generally , however , sulfonate concentrations beyond 100 parts / 1000 are uneconomical . when the abrasive , sulfonate detergent , and amine oxide are held at their preferred levels , the potassium citrate salt may be varied from about 2 parts / 1000 up to about 30 parts / 1000 without seriously impairing the suspension abilities . maximum suspension capabilities are realized at a concentration of about 10 parts / 1000 of composition . the amine oxide is an essential component of the composition . the preferred amine oxides are of the type : ## str1 ## where r 1 is an aliphatic carbon chain and r 2 and r 3 are methyl groups . one specific preferred amine oxide is lauryl dimethyl amine oxide , available commercially from the onyx chemical co . the alkylbenzenesulfonate ( las ), also an essential component of the composition , is of the general formula : ## str2 ## where r is an aliphatic carbon chain mixture of from 8 to 18 carbon atoms . preferably , the 10 , 11 12 , 13 and 14 carbon atom chains predominate in the mixture . such a material is commercially available from the pilot chemical company . the oxygen containing salt is also a necessary component in the composition . the preferred salt is potassium citrate , which yields a non - phosphate product with the necessary suspension and detergency properties . other salts exhibiting similar properties are such salts as : tetrapotassium pyrophosphate , sodium gluconate , potassium sodium tartrate , potassium sulfate , potassium carbonate , sodium acetate , tetrasodium ethylenediamine - tetraacetate , and sodium citrate . any of the above - named salts can be utilized in place of potassium citrate at the level of 2 %, by weight . all of the above - noted salts are characterized by multiple ionic - oxygen atoms in the molecule . tests have shown that mono - ionic - oxygen containing salts , e . g ., sodium bicarbonate , do yield suspensions under moderate temperature storage conditions . however , under elevated temperatures , e . g . 140 ° f ., such suspensions breakdown . salts with no oxygen atoms , e . g . sodium chloride do not yield stable suspensions even under storage at room temperature . the abrasive material is generally a matter of choice between the well - known insoluble materials utilized for these purposes . e . g . silica , calcium carbonate , zirconium oxide etc . it is preferred , however , to use rather &# 34 ; soft &# 34 ; abrasive with mohs hardness of less than about 4 , in the invention compositions . calcite , i . e ., calcium carbonate serves this purpose quite well . particle size of the abrasive should be such that at least 99 % passes through a 100 mesh screen but not so fine as to unduly thicken the mixture . the abrasive can be present in the composition in from only minute amounts up to a concentration where the composition is no longer pourable . generally , abrasive concentrations above 700 parts / 1000 are impractical . the partical size may vary from that noted above and will vary in accordance with the particular abrasive material utilized in the composition . the acceptable particle size is affected by the density of the abrasive and concentration of the suspension agents in the aqueous suspension medium . while it is necessary to employ all of the above - noted suspension agents in order to achieve a stable product , it has been found that it is also important to mix the various ingredients in the proper sequence in order to produce a product of uniform quality from batch to batch . if the mixing sequence disclosed below is not followed , successive batches mixed in the same vessel will be of varying rheological properties and reduced suspending capability . in commercial production it is desirable to mix successive batches in the same vessel without resort to extensive cleaning operations between batches . if the mixing sequence noted below is not followed , the successive batches , for undetermined reasons , exhibit successively lower viscosities and reduced suspending ability . if the mixing order described below is followed , then successive batches mixed in the same vessel will produce products of uniform viscosity and stability . the desired quantity of water is charged into a suitable mixing vessel . the entire amount of dry abrasive particles is then mixed into the water with moderate stirring to keep the abrasive well distributed throughout the water . the addition of abrasive to the water with continued stirring also permits occluded air to escape from the vessel . the amine oxide ( obtainable as a 30 % aqueous solution ) is then added to the abrasive - water mixture with continued stirring but not so vigorously as to entrap air into the mixture . after addition of the amine oxide the multiple ionic - oxygen containing salt is then added with continued stirring . finally the las is added into the vessel containing the previously mentioned components . the las may be added as solid flake ; however , most preferably the las flake is normally predissolved in water to allow the aqueous las solution to de - aerate before mixing with the product . lasmmay also be used as an aqueous solution , as received from the manufacturer . the presence of hydrotropes must be avoided as they destroy the suspending properties of the mixture . after addition of the las , small amounts of perfume and / or colorants may be added in order to enhance the aesthetic properties of the product . no heat or pressure is necessary in the mixing process but agitation must be controlled to avoid high shear which may degrade the end product stability . after final mixing of all the ingredients the product may then be drawn off from the mixing vessel into suitable containers for storage and subsequent shipment . the product produced from the ingredients described above and in accordance with the above procedure has a slightly grayish - white , rather &# 34 ; chalky &# 34 ; appearance . the product is the consistency of a &# 34 ; heavy cream &# 34 ; but is easily pourable with a consistency thick enough to cling to vertical surfaces . the product may also be stored for many months without exhibiting any appreciable separation or settling out of the abrasive material . the product of the invention further exhibits the aforesaid stability even when stored at moderately high temperatures , e . g . 140 ° f . storage stability test performed onthe preferred composition have shown that , after storage in a close glass container , with little or no headspace , for as much as ( a ) 11 months at 70 ° f ., ( b ) 6 months at 100 ° f . followed by 5 months at 70 ° f . ( c ) 3 months at 140 ° f . followed by 8 months at 70 ° f . and ( d ) 3 successive freezings and thawings , followed by 11 months at 70 ° f ., the composition exhibits no serum formation nor settling of the abrasive material . the product finds utility as a cleaning composition especially useful for kitchen and bathroom surfaces and may even by applied to fiberglass surfaces if gently wiped therefrom . however , since the abrasive normally utilized in the composition , i . e ., calcite is relatively soft , the cleaner may be applied to many types of surface without damage thereto .	2
the main feature of the invention is to arrange the resonator circuit of an insulating substrate , such as gaas and at least part of the amplifying circuit on a semiconductive substrate , such as si or sige . the block diagram of fig2 shows the main parts of a voltage - controlled oscillator ( vco ) 200 according to the invention . accordingly , the vco 200 comprises a supporting member , e . g . a chip cavity 210 on which a substantially insulating substrate 220 and a semiconducting substrate 230 are arranged in a conventional way . the entire resonator circuit is arranged on the substantially insulating substrate 220 , while at least part of the amplifying circuit is arranged on the semiconducting substrate 230 . the circuits on each substrate are interconnected by means of bonding wire ( s ) 240 . the amplification circuit is connected to a rf means 250 through wiring 260 . fig3 shows the wiring diagram of an oscillator circuit 300 . the oscillator 300 comprises two main parts , i . e . the resonator 310 ( surrounded by dashed dot line ) and the amplifier 320 ( surrounded by dotted line ). the resonator 310 comprises , very schematically illustrated , a lc circuit comprising inductor l / r and capacitor c / r . the amplifier , preferably a reflection amplifier 320 , comprises a transistor t , feedback capacitors c 1 and c 2 , capacitor c out and a ( possible ) inductance radio frequency choke , rfc . the resonator circuit 310 according to the present embodiment is illustrated very elementarily for simplifying the understanding of the invention . however , a preferred embodiment of the resonator is disclosed in more detail in fig4 . the resonator 400 according to fig4 relates to a resonator according to above - mentioned resonator application . the function of the resonator is assumed to be known to a skilled person and not described closer in here . the resonator 400 comprises an inductor l r , in parallel with a capacitor c r . the capacitor c r comprises two anti - serially connected varactor diodes v d1 and v d2 . the varactor diodes are connected through their anodes and a radio frequency choke , rfc 1 to a scanning voltage v tune , through which the capacitor c r is varied . the varactor diodes v d1 and v d2 may also be connected together through their cathode terminals . connecting the varactor diodes anti - serially allows varying of the capacitor c r without the diodes limiting the signal amplitude as the diode conducts current in its forward direction . the resonator 400 further comprises capacitor c c connected to the varactor diode v d3 for coupling the resonator to the amplifier . the capacitance of the varactor diode v d3 is variable through the rf choke , rfc 2 , by means of a scanning voltage v tune , which can be the same scanning voltage as mentioned above . back to fig3 in the amplifier 320 the feedback capacitor c 1 connects the emitter of the transistor t to its base and capacitor c 2 connects the output signal rf to ground . the feedback capacitors c 1 and c 2 are arranged to produce a positive feedback , which makes the circuit unstable and obtain better characteristics . the circuit is supplied with voltage v dc through a rf choke , rfc . however , the voltage may be supplied directly to the emitter of the transistor t . the screening capacitor c out shields the circuit from incoming noise . according to the first aspect of the invention , the entire resonator circuit 310 and the amplifier circuit 320 , except for the transistor t ( encircled with dashed line ), are arranged on the substantially insulating substrate , e . g . gaas , indium phosphide ( inp ), gallium nitride ( gan ), indium arsenide ( inas ), metamorphous techniques as a thin layer on inp on a wafer of gaas different types of field effect transistor techniques or the like . the transistor t is arranged on the semiconducting substrate , e . g . si , sige , silicon carbide ( si or the like , and connected to the remaining circuitry through bonding wires . however , any choice and combination of semiconducting material , which provides an optimised semiconducting substrate for both the resonator and amplifier with optimal q - factor and lowest possible transistor noise may occure . fig5 is the equivalent wiring diagram for the first aspect of the invention , i . e . placing the transistor t on the semiconducting substrate . two new inductances l b1 and l b2 are introduced due the presence of the bonding wires connecting the base and the emitter of the transistor t to the remaining circuitry . this is however a drawback as the inductances l b1 and l b2 ( about 0 . 5 nh ± 0 . 1 nh for bonding wires having a thickness of 400 - 500 km ) deteriorate the characteristics of the amplifier and thus the features of the oscillator . moreover , the manufacturing process for this embodiment is more demanding as bonding process generally results in different lengths for bonding wire and accordingly different values for l b1 and l b2 . the most preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in fig6 . the oscillator circuit is exactly the same as the embodiment of fig3 however , here the partition is between the amplifier circuit 620 and the resonator circuit , which is more distinct as the entire amplifier circuit 620 , i . e . including the transistor t , feedback capacitors c 1 and c 2 , output capacitor c out and rfc , is arranged on the semi conducting substrate . the base of the transistor t is connected to the coupling capacitor c c of the resonator circuit 610 . fig7 is the equivalent wiring diagram for the second aspect of the invention , i . e . placing the entire amplifier section on the semiconducting substrate . a new inductance l b3 is introduced due to the presence of the bonding wire connecting the base of the transistor t to the resonator circuit . the advantage of this embodiment is that small variations in the bonding wire results in small variations in the phase displacement , which yields small variations in the phase but insignificant variations in the phase noise . in yet another embodiment the oscillator may be regarded as a positive feedback amplifier 800 , shown in fig8 in which the feed - back network h and the amplifier circuit a are distinctly separated . this circuitry is suitable for lower frequencies ( e . g . & lt ; 3 ghz ), as it is easier to distinguish the parts belonging to the amplifier part and parts belonging to the feed - back part . it should be noted that it is possible to transform between this model and the resonator - amplifier model . accordingly , the resonator consists of the feedback network h . also , here it is required that the resonator has a high q - factor and that the amplifier has a low 1 / f noise . consequently , it is possible to apply the invention to this type of circuits , i . e . the feedback network on the substantially insulating substrate 820 and the amplifier on the semiconducting substrate 830 . the invention is not limited the shown embodiments but can be varied in a number of ways without departing from the scope of the appended claims and the arrangement and the method can be implemented in various ways depending on application , functional units , needs and requirements etc . in one embodiment , for example , the semiconducting substrate can directly be arranged on the insulating substrate or in a cavity arranged on the insulating substrate . the amplification and resonator circuits may be provided with more or fewer components with respect to the relevant applications .	7
the various inventive concepts disclosed herein relate to methods and system components for a wireless packet communication system , which implement initial power control during the access phase based on an initial power estimation of the transmitted random - access signal and subsequent fast open and closed - loop power control . reference now is made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings , wherein like reference numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views . in a preferred embodiment of a system implementing the invention ( fig1 ), the system comprises a plurality of base stations 13 and a plurality of mobile stations 15 . although not shown , a radio network controller ( rnc ) of the like provides two - way packet data communications to a wide area network , for example a packet - switched network . the rnc and the packet - switched provide the ms units 15 with two - way packet data communications services to enable communication to and from devices , such as an ip telephone , a personal computer ( pc ) and / or a server . although the illustrated network may offer services over a number of different types of channels , for purposes of this discussion , the wireless system provides at least some packet data communication services using a plurality of random access channel ( rach ) resources . each base station ( bs ) 13 has a bs - spread - spectrum transmitter and a bs - spread - spectrum receiver . each mobile station ( ms ) 15 has an ms - spread - spectrum transmitter and an ms - spread - spectrum receiver . an exemplary spread - spectrum transceiver ( combination of transmitter and receiver ) usable in the bs or in the mss appears in fig1 and will be described later . the terms “ mobile station ” and “ remote station ” are used interchangeably to refer to one of the remote wireless devices . in most applications , the remote stations provide mobility , although in some services the remote device may remain stationary , e . g ., in a wireless loop application . in this preferred embodiment , the wireless system provides packet data communication services using a plurality of random access channels ( rach ). each rach sub - channel through the system is an uplink transport channel for transmitting signals relating to requests for access to other uplink channel resources , such as an uplink access channel ( aach ). each aach channel through the system is an uplink transport channel for transmitting variable size packets from a mobile station ( ms ) 15 to a base station ( bs ) 13 , which utilizes a random access procedure to allow the mobile stations to use the rach channel resources . the combination of the ms spread - spectrum transmitter and the bs spread - spectrum receiver form a single high - capacity logical channel over the wireless air - link . the logical channel has a large processing gain at the demultiplexed sub - channel data - sequence level , for example 18 db per symbol or 11 . 1 db per bit . this single channel can be slotted for random access , broadcasting , paging and control , uplink and downlink data transport in a time - division - duplex ( tdd ) mode . when a user requests a high data - rate application , such as mobile video , all the sub - channels in a timeslot can be grouped together to serve a single mobile station . on the other hand , if there are many low data - rate applications , each single sub - channel in a timeslot can be assigned to a different mobile station . the base station transmits a broadcast channel ( bcch ). in the embodiment , the bcch may be part of a broadcast , paging and common - control channel ( bpcch ), the format of which is shown in fig2 . the bpcch , in the example , includes fields or slots that form the bcch as well as a paging channel ( pch ) and a control channel ( ccch ). the fields of the bpcch provide various parameters used for communication with the base station . upon power - up , an ms 15 searches for a transmission from any nearby bs 13 . upon successful synchronization with one or more bss , the ms 15 receives the necessary system parameters from the continuously transmitted bs broadcast control channel ( bcch ), which is broadcast by all base stations 13 . mobile stations which try to access the bs for the first time listen to the message on the bcch channel that is embedded in the broadcast , paging and common - control channel ( bpcch ) as shown in fig2 . the broadcast message on the bcch channel contains the information such as the available random - access preamble codes and their associated timeslots ( i . e ., the rach sub - channels ), ack messages , etc . the receiver in the mobile station ms aligns its internal clock timing with the received bpcch slot boundary . the ms establishes the timing with the bs and starts to demodulate the received messages . in such an embodiment , the mobile stations demodulate the bcch broadcast messages using one of the broadcast random - access preamble codes and the associated timeslot . in the embodiment , the access attempt proceeds essentially as represented by the high - level flow diagram of fig3 and as described below . when on of the ms stations needs to communicate , the ms selects an available preamble code sequence for one of the rach sub - channels based on a random selection method , and then the ms transmits a random - access signal using the selected preamble code sequence . the random - access signal transmission consists of repeated preamble code sequence , preferably in orthogonal sequence , such as the modified hadamard code sequence exclusive - or gated with the cell - site signature sequence with length of 64 chips . in a preferred embodiment shown in fig4 , the random - access signal may also consist of a data portion , comprising of a mobile station identification number ( ms id ) field , a message field for carrying short messages ( typically under 8 bytes ) to the bs , and a cyclic - parity - check ( crc ) code protecting the ms id and the message . the data portion of the random - access signal is typically obtained by modulating the respective preamble sequence with the data bits using binary - phase - shift - keying ( bpsk ) type modulation . in this preferred embodiment , a guard period of 896 chips is appended at the end of the random - access signal . each random - access signal is one slot length of the high - capacity channel , e . g . 250 μsec in length . the ms transmits the first random - access signal with an initial power p i . the ms may select the initial power p i by any of the various methods commonly known in the arts . in practice of the embodiments , the mobile station ms estimates power level p i for its first access attempt based on an analysis of one or more signals received from the base station , for example by measuring the signal strength of the base station transmission . any known technique may be used for the analysis of the base station signal . a preferred technique is described below , by way of an example . typically , p i is a function of any one of a bs broadcast transmit power symbol ( ps bs ) from the bcch channel and a measured received - signal - strength - indicator ( rssi ) value of the bcch channel by the ms , or a combination of both . fig5 is a graphical illustration of an algorithm of an initial power estimator ( ipe ), usually implemented in a dsp ( digital signal processor ). in this particular algorithm , a rssi block computes the rssi value and outputs it to a power calculator , which also takes the received ps bs as input and calculates p i . the ps bs is a two - bit field in a packet from the bcch channel , which represents 4 levels of power p , which is the transmission power of the bs ( p actual ) as a percentage of the maximum transmitted power ( p max ) on the bcch channel . the maximum power allowed by the fcc is used as a reference when p max on the bcch channel is not available . p max can be programmed into the mobile station ms . an example of the mapping of p to ps bs is illustrated in table 1 in this example , upon receipt of the bs transmitted ps bs symbol via the bcch channel , the ms converts the ps bs symbol to a power control value p by reverse mapping using table 1 . the ms then calculates the ms received - signal - strength - indicator ( rssi ms ) of the received bcch channel using this formula : rssi ms = p max + 10 log 10 ( p )+ g bs ( θ , φ ) − l path − l cable + g ms ( θ , φ ) ( dbm ) g bs ( θ , φ ) and g ms ( θ , φ ) are the bs transmitter gain and the ms receiver gain , both in units of db in the spherical coordinate system , respectively . l path is the propagation loss between the bs and the ms and l cable is the cable loss in db . nf is the noise figure in db . ms_datarate is the ms transmitted data rate , in bits per second ( bps ), and p n ( ms ) is the baseband noise power at the ms receiver , where p n ( ms ) = 10 * log 10 ( ms _datarate )− 174 + nf ( dbm ) the signal to noise ratio measured at the ms receiver ( snr ms ) on the dl link can be obtained as the ratio of the received signal power over the noise power , snr ms = p max + 10log 10 ( p )+ g bs ( θ , φ ) − l path − l cable + g ms ( θ , φ ) − 10 * log 10 ( ms _datarate )+ 174 − nf in essence , during a tdd cycle the radio propagation channel remains fairly constant and the changes of antenna gain of both the transmitter and the receiver remain small . therefore , the ms transmitted random - access power can be estimated given the ms received snr ms and the difference in the snr ratios required between the uplink and the downlink . assume the snr ratio difference between the uplink and the downlink is γ db and let snr bs denotes the required snr value at the bs receiver on the ul link , then snr bs = ⁢ snr ms + γ = ⁢ p max + 10 ⁢ ⁢ log ⁢ ⁢ 10 ⁢ ( p ) + g bs ⁡ ( θ , ϕ ) - l path - l cable + g ms ⁡ ( θ , ϕ ) - ⁢ 10 * log 10 ⁡ ( ms_datarate ) + 174 - nf + γ since the snr bs can also be computed from the ms transmitted random - access signal power ( p t ( ms ) ), snr bs = p t ( ms ) + g ms ( θ , φ ) − l path − l cable + g bs ( θ , φ ) − 10 * log 10 ( bs_datarate )+ 174 − nf thus , the required ms transmitted random - access signal power can be computed as , p t ( ms ) = p max + 10 log 10 ( p )+ 10 log 10 ( bs _datarate / ms _datarate )+ γ . further , assume η is the asymmetric loss between the two links from the uplink to downlink due to any non - linearity exists over the two links such as cable loss and noise figure for the power amplifier , etc ., then the ms transmitted preamble power can be calculated as described and the ms transmits its first rach access attempt signal at that power level . when the bs receives a random - access signal at an adequately detectable power level , it transmits back an acknowledgement ( ack ), containing a signature that corresponds to the preamble code of the random - access signal . upon receipt of the acknowledgement ( ack ), the ms then transmits data and other information over an assigned uplink aach channel , at its last transmission power ( see fig3 ). optionally , the bs may also transmit back a negative acknowledgement ( nack ), indicating that the ms should back - off . upon receipt of the nack , the ms then waits for a certain number of slots before resuming the access procedure . the inventive power control technique is particularly useful in a situation where the ms does not receive an acknowledgement signal of any kind . in such a situation , with the inventive technique , the ms will compute a composite power control command to determine its next step . optionally , before such computation , if the ms has reached a maximum number of tries , it may wait for a certain number of slots before resuming the access procedure ( see fig4 ). the composite power control command is based on an ms generated open - loop power - control symbol ( olpcs ) and a received closed - loop power - control symbol ( clpcs ) from the bs . the mobile station ms computes the olpcs by subtracting a target ms snr value ( snr ms — target ), which is a system design parameter representing the optimal snr value , from the actual snr value measured for the bcch channel , and is represented in bits through mapping . from this computation , the ms generates a 2 - bit power control symbol ( pcs ) for use as the olpcs for its further power control computations , as will be discussed below . when a mobile station selects a preamble code for use in its access attempt , the preamble code is specific to only one of the rach sub - channels , and the mobile station sends its access signal using the selected sub - channel code as the preamble . however , the bs constantly monitors the sub - channel transmissions and computes a clpcs value for each of the available sub - channels . the bs periodically broadcasts the clpcs value of each available sub - channel to the entire cell . in the embodiment , when the base station bs receives an access signal for a rach sub - channel , from one or more of the mobile stations , the bs performs a power control symbol calculation similar to that used by the ms for the olpcs . essentially , the bs measures the snr for the access signal for a rach sub - channel and computes the difference between that snr and a target snr value . from this computation , the bs generates a 2 - bit power control symbol ( pcs ) for use as the clpcs for the respective rach sub - channel . the bs includes this 2 - bit pcs symbol in its next broadcast transmission over the bcch . of course those skilled in the art will recognize that either or both of the pcs symbols ( olcp , clcp ) may comprise more that the exemplary two bits of power control information . table 2 is an example of the mapping of the olpcs or clpcs , as used in the embodiment . in this example , the difference between the actual snr and the target snr is quantified into four levels , represented by four 2 - bit power control symbol ( pcs ) values . if more levels are desired , the pcs can be more than 2 - bits . pcs symbols “ 01 ” and “ 11 ” indicate that the actual transmission power is lower then desired ( power - up required ), while “ 10 ” and “ 00 ” indicate that the actual transmission power is higher then desired ( power - down required ). fig7 is a graphical illustration of the algorithm for generating the clpcs by the bs . the measured snr value on the bcch channel is compared with the targeted snr value ( snr bs — target ) by the subtractor block , which outputs the resultant difference signal into a pcs mapper implementing a mapping function similar to the one shown in table 2 . as outlined above , the mobile station ms generates the olpcs symbol . after its initial access signal transmission , the ms monitors the bcch channel , essentially to look for and capture the clpcs specific to the sub - channel corresponding to the preamble code previously selected by the ms . with the generated olpcs and the received clpcs for the sub - channel , the ms now has enough information to generate the composite power control command . the possible commands include : ( 1 ) transmitting the next random - access signal at the same power ; ( 2 ) transmitting the next random - access signal at the power of the last transmission + δ , − δ , + nδ , − nδ or a function of any of them ; or ( 3 ) waiting for a certain number of slots before transmitting the next random - access signal at the same power ( back - off ). the δ is an adjustable system parameter , which can be determined experimentally . the n is an integer . typical values of δ and n are 3 and 2 , respectively . those skilled in the art will recognize the other degrees of command and control are possible . for example , the possible values for the possible commands may include + xnδ , − xnδ , n being the integer multiple , if the system merits it . in a nutshell , when both the clpcs and the olpcs indicate that more power is desired , the composite power control command will instruct the ms spread - spectrum transmitter to increase the transmission power of the next random - access signals by δ or nδ . similarly , when both the clpcs and the olpcs indicate that less power is desired , the composite power control command will instruct the ms spread - spectrum transmitter to decrease the transmission power of the next random - access signals by δ or nδ . however , when there is a conflict between the clpcs and the olpcs , the composite power control command may instruct the ms spread - spectrum transmitter to transmit the next random - access signal at the same power or to back - off . fig6 is a graphical illustration of the algorithm to generate the composite power control command . the power - control decision ( pcd ) circuit takes as inputs the olpcs symbol generated from the ms receiver and the received clpcs symbol generated by the base station receiver and outputs the composite power control command . to better illustrate the inventive concepts , we will look into table 3 , whose composite power control commands are based on mapping of table 2 . according to table 3 , when both the clpcs and olpcs symbols equal “ 11 ”, both measurements indicate that the transmission power is more than 3 db lower than the target snr . therefore , the pcd circuit will command the ms to increase the transmission power in its next random - access transmission signal by nδ db . likewise , when both the clpcs and olpcs symbols equal “ 00 ”, these measurements indicate that the transmission power is more than 3 db higher than the target snr . therefore , the pcd circuit will command the ms spread - spectrum transmitter to decrease the transmission power for its next random - access transmission signal by nδ db . the “ initial ” or “ first ” attempt here is the immediately preceding attempt , which may have been an actual start - up based only on the power estimate or an intervening attempt based on an earlier composite power command . when the clpcs is “ 01 ” or “ 11 ” and the olpcs symbol is “ 01 ”, the pcd circuit will command the ms to increase transmission power by only δ db . similarly , when the clpcs is “ 00 ” or “ 10 ” and the olpcs symbol is “ 10 ,” or when the clpcs symbol is “ 10 ” and the olpcs is “ 00 ”, the pcd circuit will command the ms spread - spectrum transmitter to increase transmission power by only δ db , to balance the power among all the rach sub - channels . when the clpcs is “ 01 ” or “ 11 ” and the olpcs is “ 00 ” or “ 10 ”, there is a contradiction between the measurements by the two stations ( bs and ms ). the bs thinks the ms is not transmitting enough power , whereas the ms thinks it is transmitting too much power . the pcd circuit will then command the ms spread - spectrum transmitter to transmit the next random - access signal at the same power or at a decreased power depending on the one or more of the previous composite power control commands . for example , if the last command was to decrease power by δ , it is possible that this ms was previously in a fade and is just coming out of the fade . in this situation , it is better for the ms to wait out and transmit at the same amount of power as before and not to introduce any unnecessary interference to the access channel . however , if there was no power - down command previously , then the pcd circuit will command the ms spread - spectrum transmitter to reduce transmission power by δ db . how far back the power control commands should be taken into consideration in the computation of the new power control command is a design specific issue , and the inventive concepts should cover all variations thereof . the net cumulative power control gain on the ms transmitted random - access signal over the entire access duration should not exceed a system designed cap , e . g ., half of the average fading depth ( p f ) plus the error margin in the initial power estimation . the fading depth can be measured from the radio channel in which the high - capacity system operates . in addition , the ms transmitted random - access signal power should never exceed the maximum allowed value for each service class . another contradiction in measurements arises when the clpcs is “ 00 ” or “ 10 ” and the olpcs is “ 11 ”. in this situation , the bs thinks the ms is transmitting too much power , whereas the ms thinks it is absolutely transmitting not enough power . this may happen if the mobile station is just getting into a fade situation . the pcd circuit will instruct the ms spread - spectrum transmitter to cease transmission for a certain number of slots ( back - off ) immediately and resume transmission later at the current power level . yet another contradiction in measurements arises when the clpcs is “ 00 ” or “ 10 ” and the olpcs is “ 01 ”. in this situation , the bs thinks the ms is transmitting too much power , but the ms thinks it is may be transmitting not enough power . this situation may arise if is a collision of multiple access attempts on this one rach sub - channel , and this particular ms is losing in the contention . the clpcs measurement could be based on the colliding mobile stations , and the bs has already received the strongest contending mobile station &# 39 ; s random - access signal . in this case , the ms must immediately cease its transmission for a certain number of slots ( back - off ), so that it does not add any unnecessary interference to the access channel . when the ms resumes access , the transmission of its next random - access signal will be increased by δ db to ensure fast channel - access for the subsequent random - access attempt . the back - off commanded by the inventive power - control method provides a mechanism to resolve collision between mobile stations . optimally , the average back - off time should be no less than the average fade duration of the radio channel to ensure that the same ms will not fall back to a fade again in the subsequent random - access attempt . this approach shortens the average time for gaining the access to the bs when a losing ms is in the active channel - access state waiting for the actual time - out mechanism to kick in . there are times that the clpcs symbol cannot be received with a reasonable probability , as indicated by the “- -” in table 3 . then , the pcd circuit will commence no power - control on the next random - access signal . instead , the pcd circuit will command the power - control by the olpcs power - control alone when the ms is being power - controlled for the first time . all the aforementioned random - access signal power - control cases assume that the ms has not received either an ack or a nack message on the bcch channel and the time - out timer has not expire yet . upon a successful access attempt ( received ack message ), the ms and bs will begin communicating on an uplink access channel ( acch ) channel and a dedicated forward access channel ( fach ) channel , respectively . depending on the network load and the service requested by the ms , more than one acch channel or fach channel may be assigned . assignment information is broadcast down to the ms on the common - control channel ( ccch ) along with the timing information of the channels . this access protocol is a random access with channel reservation , and the overall power - controlled random - access scheme is illustrated in fig3 . the same invented power - control method can be used to power control the data transmission phase . the bs can apply the method to set the appropriate transmitted power level to the ms on the fach channel . the ms , which gained the access to the bs , can also continue using this method to control transmission power on the acch channel . by controlling the power on both the bs and ms on the respective acch and fach channel , co - channel interference can be minimized . fig8 is an illustration of a 5 - ms basic frame ( 20 slots ) of the packet - access scheme for this high - capacity system . in this example , only five slots of the twenty slots are assigned for access attempt : 2 rach slots and 3 bpcch slots are located next to each other . if the bs cannot determine the identity of the ms trying to gain access to a specific rach sub - channel over two consecutive bpcch slots , it will tag that sub - channel as “ available ” so that a contending ms can start to back - off immediately . this provides yet another mechanism for resolving collisions between mobile stations , which is a time - out mechanism provided by the bs to free the access - channel resource . the time - out time is a system parameter that can be determined to meet certain network and traffic load requirements . if the network load is light , the bs can broadcast a change in the frame format to all mobile stations over a control channel to achieve fast power - controlled random access . for example , slots for access attempt can be concentrated in a single frame over a two - frame period , as shown in fig9 . under this configuration , more pairs of rach / bpcch are placed right after the pair of rach 2 / bpcch 3 so that more ms transceivers can have access - granted over a one - frame period . at the frame immediately right after that shown , all slots will be for traffic bearing acchs and fachs . this method of changing frame format allows the network to dynamically allocate channel resources . to ensure a complete understanding of the invention , it may be helpful to consider the structure of preferred embodiments of the base station transceivers and the mobile station transceivers , particularly for use in a preferred implementation in a fourth generation ( 4g ) type wireless network . fig1 shows an embodiment of an ms spread - spectrum transmitter and an ms spread - spectrum receiver , essentially in the form of a base - band processor for performing the phy layer transceiver functions for a mobile station . the ms spread - spectrum transmitter and the ms spread - spectrum receiver are located at one of the remote or mobile stations ( ms ) 15 , shown in fig1 . an implementation of a base station ( bs ) 13 would utilize a similar combination of a transmitter and receiver , although a typical base station likely would include a number of such transceivers . the ms spread - spectrum transmitter consists of an encoder 1 , which receives input information data at 28 mbps . the encoder 1 performs error correction encoding , for example by application of a rate - ½ convolutional code . the resultant encoded data at 56 mbps is applied to an interleaver 2 . at the output of the interleaver 2 , the data stream is divided into a number of sub - channel data streams by a de - multiplexer 3 . the preferred embodiments utilize 8 sub - channels , therefore the 56 mbps interleaved and encoded data stream is split into 8 sub - channel data sequences , each at a 7 mbps rate . for each sub - channel , each five bits of new input data ( encoded , interleaved and sub - divided ) is used for mapping by a phase mapper and a code mapper . as noted , the preferred embodiments have 8 sub - channels , therefore the transmitter in the system includes 8 code mappers and 8 phase mappers . within each code or phase mapper , three bits of the sub - channel data are mapped onto one of 8 distinct 64 - chip length orthogonal codes unique to the respective sub - channel . the other 2 data bits are mapped to one of 4 distinct quadrature - phase - shift - keying ( qpsk ) phasors . logically speaking , the qpsk phasor signal is used to modulate the spreading code output signal of the particular sub - channel . a complex signal combiner 13 algebraically combines the in - phase and quadrature components of the spread - spectrum channels to form an in - phase ( i ) multi - channel signal and a quadrature ( q ) multi - channel signal . in the preferred embodiments , each spread - spectrum sub - channel is identified with a set of distinct spreading codes and a set of distinct phasors . these spread - spectrum sub - channels are combined in - phase and quadrature , and the combined signals are spread by a cell - site specific signature - sequence for identifying users in different cells . for this purpose multiplier 14 modulates the in - phase ( i ) multi - channel signal by a cell - site specific signature - sequence , for example in the form of an extended gold code sequence g i 15 . similarly , a multiplier 16 modulates the quadrature ( q ) multi - channel signal by the cell - site specific signature - sequence g q 17 . the gold codes are the signature sequences used for cell identification . multipliers 18 , 20 modulate carrier - frequency signals 19 , 21 generated by a local oscillator to shift the complex signals to a radio frequency . specifically , multiplier 18 modulates the spread - spectrum signal from multiplier 14 with the local oscillator signal cos ( ω o t ) 19 ; and the multiplier 20 modulates the spread - spectrum signal with the local oscillator signal sin ( ω o t ) 21 . the two local oscillator signals have the same frequency but are shifted 90 ° apart in phase . the in - phase and quadrature rf modulated signals are summed and amplified by a power amplifier 22 and / or other circuitry as is well known in the art for transmitting the combined signal over a communications channel via an antenna 23 . the receiver includes an antenna 41 for receiving the spread - spectrum signal transmitted over the air - link . a rf front - end system 42 provides low noise amplification from the antenna 41 . the rf front - end system 42 supplies the channel signal to two translating devices 43 and 44 . one or more local oscillators generate proper carrier - frequency signals and supply a cos ( ω o t ) signal to the device 43 and supply a sin ( ω o t ) signal to the device 44 . the translating device 43 multiplies the amplified over - the - air channel signal by the cos ( ω o t ) signal ; and the translating device 44 multiplies the amplified over - the - air channel signal by the sin ( ω o t ) signal . the translating devices 43 and 44 translate the received multi - channel spread - spectrum signal from the carrier frequency to the baseband . the translating device 43 supplies the spread - spectrum signal at the baseband to an analog to digital ( a / d ) converter 45 . similarly , the translating device 44 supplies the spread - spectrum signal at the baseband to an analog to digital ( a / d ) converter 46 . each of the digital output signals is applied to a matched filter ( mf ) bank 47 or 48 . each matched filter bank 47 , 48 utilizes two quadrant sub - matrices of the matrix of potential spreading codes as reference signals , in this case to recognize the 64 spreading codes , and correlate the signal on its input to identify the most likely match . in this manner , each mf filter bank 47 , 48 selects the most probably transmitted code sequence for the respective channel . the signals from the mf banks 47 and 48 are supplied in parallel to a processor 49 , which performs automatic frequency correction ( afc ) and phase rotation , and the outputs thereof are processed through a rake combiner and decision / demapper circuit 51 , to recover and re - map the chip sequence signals to the original data values . the data values for the i and q channels also are multiplexed together to form a data stream at 56 mbps . this detected data stream is applied to a deinterleaver 52 . the deinterleaver 52 reverses the interleaving performed by interleaver element 2 at the transmitter . a decoder 53 performs forward error correction on the stream output from the deinterleaver 52 , to correct errors caused by the communication over the air - link and thus recover the original input data stream ( at 28 mbps ). the receiver section also includes a clock recovery circuit 54 , for controlling certain timing operations of the receiver , particularly the a / d conversions . as noted earlier , the invention is applicable to other channel access technologies . the invention admits of a wide range of variations and applications . for example , the preferred embodiments involve application to cdma type wireless communications . however , the invention may find application to packet data communications in other types of digital wireless networks . as an example , the transceivers in the embodiment are of the type disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 324 , 209 entitled “ multi - channel spread spectrum system ” by don li and gang yang , which operate essentially as described above . the inventive concepts also are applicable in a wide range of other wireless packet data communication systems , for example , including systems using transceivers similar to those used for common packet channel communications in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 169 , 759 to kanterakis et al . while the foregoing has described what are considered to be the best mode and / or other preferred embodiments , it is understood that various modifications may be made therein and that the invention or inventions disclosed herein may be implemented in various forms and embodiments , and that they may be applied in numerous applications , only some of which have been described herein . it is intended by the following claims to claim any and all modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the inventive concepts .	7
the elevation of fig1 shows a plating system 100 , including a number of electroplating tanks and several surface treatment stations , adapted to apply electroplated coatings to parts carried through the system 100 by means of conveyor apparatus 10 . in accordance with the teachings herein , the conveyor apparatus 10 is constituted with an endless conveyor belt 12 , whose constructional details will be described with reference to fig3 and other illustrations , which runs on two vertical pulleys 14 and 16 . with the pulleys arranged to be rotatable about substantially horizontal axes , the belt runs horizontally between tangent points on the pulleys , with the lower of the two horizontal runs representing the working portion of the belt 12 . the belt is impelled into continuous motion by a drive -- typically an electric motor / gearbox combination -- imparting rotational motion to the pulley 14 ; the pulley 16 serves as a return roller and tensioner for the conveyor belt 12 . a loading station 30 is provided at the pulley 16 , the start of the working length of the belt 12 ; an unloading station 40 is provided as the belt approaches the point of tangency with the driving pulley 14 . the loading station is provided with a part loading slide 32 which conveys parts , properly aligned for entrainment by the conveying apparatus , to be plated to the conveyor belt 10 at the point where it leaves its semicicular path around the outer face of pulley 16 . the parts for which the system 100 , with its component carrying apparatus 10 , is principally intended , belong the family of electronic devices encapsulated in ceramic bodies , generally known as c - dips . this designation arises from the dipping of such components -- most generally integrated circuit chips -- into a ceramic slurry , after the external contact array has been attached to the active components , and the subsequent firing of the slurry into a rigid ceramic body . such devices are commonly referred to by the generic designation of ` sidebrazed ceramic packages `. because of the brittle nature of the encapsulating material such devices require particularly careful handling in subsequent manufacturing operations . a typical , ceramic - encapsulated , sidebrazed electronic package 20 is shown in the perspective view of fig2 . a ceramic sheath 22 encompasses all the active components of the package and an array of contact fingers 24 extends from either side of the sheath 22 . because of the fragility of the ceramic sheath 22 , the array of contact fingers is bent into its final alignment before encapsulation and is reinforced by a peripheral rail 26 for support during further processing , including electroplating . fig3 is a perspective view of a short segment of the conveyor belt 12 . the belt 12 is constructed from an elastic and conductive material unaffected by the chemical and electrical environment of the electroplating system 100 , typically by selecting a stainless steel as the constructional material . the belt is preferably made as an integral array of grip fingers 114 depending from a central spine formed by web 112 . the grip fingers 114 are formed in opposing , phased pairs , such a pair 114a and 114x , which are mirror images of one another and aligned orthogonally to the centerline of web 112 . the tip of each grip finger 114 is formed into a pad 116 , adapted to engage a longitudinal rail 28 of the frame 26 of part 20 , or a similar portion of other workpieces , as appropriate . the grip fingers 114 are so shaped and dimensioned that , upon being spread apart from their unloaded rest positions , the part 20 may be readily positioned with its rails 28 between the pads 116 . upon the removal of the forces applied to spread the fingers 114 , the pads 116 engage the rails 28 with sufficient residual force to securely suspend the part 20 below the web 12 by the frictional forces generated therebetween . the web 112 of the conveyor belt 12 is pierced by regularly spaced orifices 122 along its axis of symmetry . cam buttons 120 are attached to the belt 12 , suitably by means of threaded fasteners or rivets passing through such orifices , at fixed intervals . the cams 120 engage mating pockets 162 in the peripheries of pulleys 14 and 16 and serve to propel and align the belt 12 -- formed into an endless , flexible loop for use in the conveying apparatus 10 -- with the drive components therein . the loading station 30 is illustrated in the fragmentary elevation of fig4 . a portion of the idler pulley 16 is shown , in partial section to expose peripheral pockets 162 which engage the cam buttons 120 of the belt 12 . the belt is shown draped around the pulley 10 and passing over a spreader cam 300 which is parallel to the periphery of the pulley 16 for approximately 45 degrees preceding the point of tangency of the conveyor belt , and then proceeds horizontally for some distance within the belt 12 . a leading portion 302 of the spreader cam 300 is designed with an increasing cross - section -- as seen from a position transverse to the run of the conveyor belt 12 -- until the thickness of the cam comes to correspond to the fully spread - apart condition of grip fingers 114 . the central portion of the cam 300 , extending some distance past the aforementioned point of tangency , is of a constant thickness and maintains the open alignment of the grip fingers . a trailing portion 304 completes the cam 300 , its reducing cross - section -- in the direction of travel of the belt 12 , corresponding to the rotation of the pulley 16 in the direction of arrow r -- allows the gradual reclosure of the grip fingers 114 . the part loading slide 32 -- an arcuate groove similar in shape to a ski jump followed by a horizontal extension lying below , and aligned with , the belt 12 just past its point of tangency to pulley 16 -- feeds parts 20 , or their analogues , into juxtaposition of rails 28 with pads 116 . to this end , parts 20 are loaded , from a bin 36 , into the upper end of the loading slide 32 with their projecting contact finger arrays pointing upwardly . a significant constructional feature of the loading station 30 lies in the cam 300 being supported on a central spline , or cam support , 34 secured to the support structure of the slide 32 at its upper end . the lower end of the cam support 34 is cantilevered into the space between the inner surface of the conveyor belt web 112 and the base of the slide 32 , so as to permit the free movement of parts 20 in the groove of the slide , as illustrated in the sectional view of fig9 . the perspective view of fig4 a shows the same components as the illustration of fig4 but , due to the perspective afforded permits the clear depiction of the manner in which the cam support plate 34 is maintained in a cantilevered position above the part loading slide 32 , and below the distal surface of the idler pulley 16 . the floating alignment of the cam support plate 34 permits the ready passage thereover of the conveyor belt 12 and allows for the operation of the grip fingers 114 by means of the cam 300 . the cam support plate 34 is maintained in this position by attachment to a bridge - piece 84 which is itself secured to cam support pedestal 80 . fig5 is a fragmentary view , in elevation , of the plating system 100 , particularly illustrating the unloading station 40 therein . a portion of the drive pulley 14 is shown , engaging the cam buttons 120 of the conveyor belt 12 , which is entrained by the drive system into motion to the right in the illustration , in the sense of arrow r . the conveyor belt brings into the unloading station area the parts 20 which were engaged with it in the loading station 30 . these parts , with their contact fingers now plated , are caused to drop from the conveyor belt 12 into receiving chute 144 -- and thence into receiving container 146 -- by means of a spreader cam 400 . the cam 400 is constructed similarly to the spreader cam 300 at the loading station 30 . both spreader cams are split into identical , mirror - image halves and mounted on either side of a cam support plate -- 34 at the infeed end and 44 at the outfeed end , respectively -- and both are constructed from a material such as a high - density nylon -- which exhibits low frictional resistance when bearing against the grip fingers 114 . the principal difference between cams 300 and 400 is that the latter does not require an extended central section of constant depth , and is , effectively , comprised of an expanding cross - section portion 402 and a contracting cross - section portion 404 only . this is sufficient to secure the release of parts 20 from the conveyor belt 12 , through the release of the grip of pads 116 against the rails 28 of the encapsulated parts , and to permit their discharge from the plating system under the influence of gravitational forces , in the direction of arrow y in fig1 . fig6 is a fragmentary section of a pulley 146 , employable at either end of the conveyor apparatus 10 , taken through the plane of symmetry of the pulley , thereby exposing a cavity 162 with the cam button 120 seated therein . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , the cam 120 is offset from the upper surface of the web 112 of the conveyor belt by a short spacer 112 , and its head is formed as a frustrum of a cone whose largest diameter is matched by that of the cavity 162 . aided by the angled flanks of the cam button , the two parts readily slide into intimate engagement as the belt 12 approaches the periphery of a pulley . the perspective view of fig7 shows the terminal transition area of the plating system 100 where the conveyor belt 12 leaves a final treatment station 58 and enters the unloading station 40 . the cam support plate 44 is shown cantilevered from its base leg 46 with the rail 48 superposed thereon . the rail 48 forms a base to support the belt 12 in the event of material sag in the latter , so as to maintain the efficacy of the spreader cam 400 in imposing sufficient lateral movement on the grip fingers 114 to secure the release of parts 20 from the conveying apparatus . also visible in the view of fig7 is the outfeed end of horizontal beam 64 , a structural member which is continuous between loading station 30 and unloading station 40 , but spaced a short distance from both . this beam , constructed from a nonconductive material in the preferred embodiment of the carrying system of the invention , passes through all the stations of the electroplating system 100 and forms the main support for the conveyor belt 12 between its guiding pulleys 14 and 16 . the beam is provided with a central , continuous , longitudinal slit in its distal face ; this slit is flanked by rails 60 affixed to the beam 64 , forming a continuous track along the centerline of the beam . the rails 60 are made from a conductive material and form the main cathode connection of the electrical circuit of the electroplating stations incorporated into the system 100 ; they also support the basal surfaces of the cam buttons 120 which , in their passage between the two pulleys of the conveyor apparatus , serve the additional function of hangers for the conveyor belt 120 . in this area , the shank 126 of the cams 120 serves as a spacer to allow for the thickness of the conductive rails 60 to supervene above the upper surface of the web 112 without rubbing contact therebetween . the rails 60 are secured to the beam 64 by means of fasteners 62 -- suitably removable screws , to permit the replacement of the rails 60 should wear shorten their service life . the cam buttons 120 are similarly subject to wear as a result of their contact with the rails 60 and are preferentially secured into the orifices 122 by means of threaded fasteners 128 . fig8 is a view , in elevation , of the cam support plate 44 and its pedestal leg 46 from which the cam support plate is cantilevered . the pedestal 46 is located in a region of the carrying apparatus where the plated and treated parts have already been released from the conveyor belt 12 and where the gap between the pads 116 of the spaced grip fingers 114 on either side of the web 112 -- such as grip fingers 114a and 114x in fig3 -- permits the positioning of fixed structural components . it should also be noted that the cam 400 seen from one side of the cam support plate is only one half of the operative cam 400 , which is composed of two half cams mounted on either side of the cam support plate 44 . the cam 400 is developed so that its leading portion 402 not only increases in thickness in the direction of conveyor travel , but is also angled downwardly with respect to th nominal path of the conveyor web 112 . this development allows for some sag from the aforementioned nominal path of the web and its potential droop through the small gap down to the surface of the cam support plate rail 48 without affecting the operation of cam 400 . the trailing portion 404 of the cam 400 is developed in an inverted form of the portion 402 , with the thickness reducing and the elevation rising towards its trailing edge . fig9 is a transverse section -- taken along section line 9 -- 9 in fig4 -- of the conveyor belt 12 at the infeed portion of the loading station 30 . the grip fingers 114 of the belt are seen displaced outwardly by cam 300 -- whose constituent halves 300a and 300b are clearly visible in this illustration , mounted on either face of the cam mounting plate 34 -- creating a gap between the inner faces of pads 116 at the ends of the tines 114 and the uppermost rails 28 of parts 20 in the part loading slide 32 . the parts 20 move forward , out of the plane of the illustration , either by the action of gravitational forces acting on the following parts 20 in the arcuate portion of the slide 32 , or , where this is deemed insufficient or inappropriate , by means of feeder devices or a friction conveyor coating with the slide 32 to cause the required movement into the space below the spread fingers of the conveyor belt 12 at this location . in either case , the motion of the parts in the groove of the slide 32 is governed by the speed of the conveyor belt 12 , through the entrainment of the foremost part 20 at any instant in the operation of the loading station . fig1 is another transverse section -- taken along section line 10 -- 10 in fig3 -- showing the outfeed portion of the conveyor belt at the loading station 30 , a few inches downstream from the view of fig9 . at this location the belt is passing the reducing thickness portion 304 of the cam 300 and the distal ends 116 of the grip fingers 114 have been clamped onto the rails 28 of the part 20 directly below the belt , thereby entraining that part with the conveyor . the clamping forces necessary to securely grip the rail 28 and to support the weight of the part 20 are provided tby the residual elastic strain of the grip fingers , as compared to their unloaded condition shown in fig3 induced by the action of the cam 300 . fig1 is a third transverse section through the conveyor belt -- taken along section line 11 -- 11 in fig4 -- showing the interaction of the expanding infeed segment 402 of the cam 400 with the grip fingers of the conveyor belt 12 . the increase in the thickness of the cam 400 causes a forcible separation of the grip fingers 112 , thereby releasing their frictional grip on the parts 20 and restoring the relative positions shown in fig9 . since at the discharge station there is no support element corresponding to the feed slide 32 at the loading station , the parts released by the grip finger pads 116 drop , under the action of the force of gravity , in the direction of the arrow y into discharge chute 144 . these parts , released after passing the plating and treatment stations of the plating system 100 , fall into a receiving container 142 for finished components . fig1 is a transverse section taken through a typical plating station 68 of the electroplating and surface treatment system 100 . in such stations the parts carried by the conveyor 12 are made the cathode of a direct - current electrical circuit and are immersed on a volume of electrolyte 70 . this electrolytic bath is created and maintained by a continuous flow -- through feed channel 180 , terminating in a sparger tube section with a plurality of small orifices , so as tro control electrolyte trubulence -- of such fluid from a larger reservoir and by the controlled discharge of the fluid weirs 166 in the end panels of an inner plating tank 164 . the electrical circuit is completed through anode balls 72 , resting in conductive baskets 74 connected by cable 78 to the source of dc current . the substance of the anode balls -- suitably tin metal -- is plated out onto the conductive surfaces of the contact fingers 24 of parts 20 , which are connected to the same dc source as the anode bars -- via a cable 76 and a conductive path incorporating rails 60 in contact with the cam buttons 128 of the conveyor 12 . since the conveyor belt and its cam buttons are constructed from electrically conductive materials , the current is readily passed from the cable 76 to the surfaces of the contact fingers to be plated . the plating tank 164 is surrounded by a larger , outer tank 168 into which the electrolyte 70 is continously discharged through weirs 166 . the outer tank 168 is provided with cutouts 169 , in line with corresponding to the weirs 166 , to allow for the passage of the conveyor belt 12 . the electrolyte forms a pool 170 in the outer tank 168 and is drained back into he storage container through conduit 182 . fig1 is a transverse section through the system 100 at the position of treatment tank 58 , wherein parts 20 are washed -- typically in distilled water -- to remove any traces of electrolyte or other chemically active fluid which had been in contact with the pairs carried on conveyor belt 12 . the details of station 58 are the same as those associated with station 68 , apart from the absence of any anode bars or balls and of electrical connectors forming part of the plating circuit . the pool in the inner tank of station 58 drains through weirs similar to weirs 166 , with the washing water draining into tank 370 and recirculated , where appropriate , by means of a pump 360 . also visible in fig1 are an air blower 390 -- for drying the parts exiting the station 58 -- and control box 380 -- for controlling the operation of the main drive to pulley 14 .	1
by virtue of what we believe to be happening in this invention , any amount of added silica to the catalyst will improve catalyst activity . on the other hand , too much silica should not be added because the available cobalt is reduced sufficiently to overcome the advantage of adding silica , for example , available cobalt may be reduced by masking by the silica . also , the cobalt may tie up with silicates if too much silica is added . generally , silica additions may range up to about 15 % by weight , preferably about 1 wt . % to about 10 wt . % catalyst , and more preferably 3 to 7 wt . %. silica can be added to the catalyst with any suitable compound that will result in sio 2 upon decomposition , for example , as an alkoxide solution ( tetraethyl ortho - silicate in methanol ). other precursors for silica that are usable in this invention are described in european patent application no . 86 / 180269a . the silica or silica precursor may be added to the support either before or after addition of catalytic metals . either method will produce the results disclosed herein although addition of silica or silica precursor after addition of catalytic metals is preferred . catalysts that may be employed in this invention comprise cobalt or cobalt and thoria on an inorganic oxide support containing a major amount of titania . the catalyst may also contain a promoter metal , preferably rhenium , in an amount sufficient to provide a catalyst having a rhenium : cobalt weight ratio greater than about 0 . 01 to 1 , preferably 0 . 025 : 1 to about 0 . 1 to 1 . the catalyst contains about 2 to 25 wt . % cobalt , preferably 5 to 20 wt . % cobalt . in general , the hydrocarbon synthesis reaction is carried out ar conditions that are known in the art . the h 2 : co ratio is at least about 0 . 5 up to about 10 , preferably 0 . 5 to 4 . 0 , and more preferably about 1 . 0 to 2 . 5 . the gas hourly space velocity can range from about 100 v / hr / v to about 5000 v / hr / v , preferably from about 300 v / hr / v to about 1500 v / hr / v and reaction temperatures may range from about 160 ° c . to about 300 ° c ., preferably about 190 ° c . to 260 ° c ., while pressures are above about 80 psig , preferably about 80 to 600 psig , more preferably about 140 to 400 psig . hydrocarbon synthesis results in the formation of hydrocarbons of carbon number range c 5 to about c 40 or higher . preferably , the synthesized hydrocarbons are primarily or almost completely paraffins . reaction temperatures , while generally in the range accepted for this type of reaction may be in the lower regions of that range , thereby reducing the amount of methane made during the reaction . the catalytic metals are supported on an inorganic refractory oxide support comprising a major portion of titania although other materials , e . g ., alumina , may be present . preferably , the support material is titania and more preferably the titania has a rutile : anatase ratio of at least about 2 : 3 as determined by x - ray diffraction ( astm d2730 - 78 ), preferably about 2 : 3 to about 100 : 1 or higher , more preferably about 4 : 1 to 100 : 1 or higher , e . g ., 100 % rutile . the surface area of the support is , generally , less than about 50 m 2 / gm ( bet ). rhenium - cobalt / titania catalysts exhibit high selectively in the synthesis of hydrocarbon liquids from carbon monoxide and hydrogen the catalysts employed in the practice of this invention may be prepared by techniques known in the art for the preparation of other catalysts . the catalyst can , e . g ., be prepared by gellation , or cogellation techniques . suitably , however , the metals can be deposited on a previously pilled , peleted , beaded , extruded , or sieved support material by the impregnation method . in preparing catalysts , the metals are deposited from solution on the support in preselected amounts to provide the desired absolute amounts , and weight ratio of the respective metals , cobalt and rhenium . suitably , the cobalt and rhenium are composited with the support by contacting the support with a solution of a cobalt - containing compound , or salt , or a rhenium - containing compound , or salt , e . g ., a nitrate , carbonate or the like . optionally , the cobalt and rhenium can be coimpregnated upon the support . the cobalt and rhenium compounds used in the impregnation can be any organometallic or inorganic compounds which decompose to give cobalt , rhenium oxides upon calcination , such as a cobalt or rhenium , nitrate , acetate , acetylacetonate , naphthenate , carbonyl , or the like . the amount of impregnation solution should be sufficient to completely wet the carrier , usually within the range from about 1 to 20 times of the carrier by volume , depending on the metal , or metals , concentration in the impregnation solution . the impregnation treatment can be carried out under a wide range of conditions including ambient or elevated temperatures . the catalyst , after impregnation , is dried by heating at a temperature above about 30 ° c ., preferably between 30 ° c . and 125 ° c ., in the presence of nitrogen or oxygen , or both , or air , in a gas stream or under vacuum . it is necessary to activate the cobalt - titania and promoted cobalt - titania catalysts prior to use . preferably , the catalyst is contacted with oxygen , air , or other oxygen - containing gas at temperature sufficient to oxidize the cobalt , and convert the cobalt to co 3 o 4 . temperatures ranging above about 150 ° c ., and preferably above about 200 ° c . are satisfactory to convert the cobalt to the oxide , but temperatures up to about 500 ° c . such as might be used in the regeneration of a severely deactivated catalyst , can generally be tolerated . suitably , the oxidation of the cobalt is achieved at temperatures ranging from about 150 ° c . to about 300 ° c . the cobalt , or cobalt and rhenium metals contained in the catalyst are then reduced . reduction is performed by contact of the catalyst , whether or not previously oxidized , with a reducing gas , suitably with hydrogen or a hydrogen - containing gas stream at temperatures above about 200 ° c ., preferably above about 300 ° c . suitably , the catalyst is reduced at temperatures ranging from about 200 ° c . to about 500 ° c ., and preferably from about 300 ° c . to about 450 ° c ., for periods ranging from about 0 . 5 to about 24 hours at pressures ranging from ambient to about 40 atmospheres . hydrogen , or a gas containing hydrogen and inert components in admixture is satisfactory for use in carrying out the reduction . degusa p25 tio 2 was calcined at 650 ° c . for 16 hours and then screened to 80 - 150 mesh size . the support had a rutile content of 97 %, a surface area of 14 m2 / g and a pore volume of 0 . 17 cm3 / g . cobalt and rhenium were deposited on to this support from an acetone solution using a slurry technique . the slurry was dried at room temperature in a rotary evaporator and then in vacuum at 140 ° c . for 16 hours . it was then calcined at 250 ° c . for 3 hours and rescreened to remove fines . the catalyst was then reduced before chemisorption and hydrocarbon synthesis measurements at conditions described below ( flowing hydrogen 250 °- 450 ° c .). the co and re contents of the reduced catalyst were 11 . 6 and 0 . 43 - 0 . 48 wt . %, respectively ( x - ray fluorsecence ). sio 2 was desposited onto an unreduced core / tio 2 [ catalyst a ] by incipient wetness impregnation with a solution of tetraethoxysilane ( teos ) in methanol in an inert atmosphere ## str1 ## teos was decomposed by treating with water - saturated he ( 40 torr ## str2 ## while increasing the temperature from 25 ° to 400 ° c . at 4 ° c ./ min and holding at the latter temperature for 13 hours . the catalysts were reduced at 250 °- 450 ° c . for 2 - 14 hours before chemisorption and hydrocarbon synthesis experiments . two sio 2 contents were examined : 4 . 0 wt . % [ catalyst b ] and 5 . 2 wt . % [ catalyst c ], on the basis of completely reduced catalysts ; their cobalt content was 10 . 8 - 11 . 1 wt . %. sio 2 loadings were lower than calculated from the amount of impregnating solution ( 5 . 0 and 9 . 0 wt . %., respectively ), suggesting some sublimation of the supported teos material during the steam treatment . a portion of catalyst a was pretreated in water - saturated he ( 40 torr h 2 o ) following the procedure used for catalysts b and c , but without sio 2 addition in order to insure that any observed effects of added sio 2 are not caused by the pretreatment procedure . the catalyst was then reduced as described above . molecular hydrogen was used as a probe of surface cobalt atoms in hydrocarbon synthesis catalysts . dihydrogen uptakes were measured in an all - glass static chemisorption unit , pumped by diffusion and roughing pumps isolated from the system by liquid nitrogen traps , and capable of a dynamic vacuum of 10 - 7 torr . prereduced and passivated samples were rereduced in flowing dihydrogen ( 200 cm3 ( stp )/ g - cat - min ) for 1 - 2 hours at 200 °- 800 ° c ., and then evacuated to less than 10 - 6 torr for 0 . 5 - 1 hr . at a temperature sufficient to remove all chemisorbed hydrogen (& gt ; 250 ° c .) the samples were then cooled to the adsorption temperature ( 25 ° to 150 ° c .) and isotherms were measured at 3 to 5 hydrogen pressures between 100 and 700 torr . a backsorption isotherm was sometimes measured by evacuating the sample to 10 - 6 torr at the adsorption temperature for 0 . 5 hour and then measuring the hydrogen uptakes again between 100 and 600 torr . adsorption and backsorption isotherms were extrapolated to zero pressure to obtain the total and weak chemisorption uptakes , respectively . dispersions were calculated from hydrogen uptakes and from the cobalt content of the samples , assuming 1 : 1 stoichiometry of hydrogen to surface cobalt atoms . dispersions were converted to surface - averaged crystallite sizes ( d ), assuming hemispherical crystallites , using : ## equ1 ## where d is the fractional dispersion , assuming cobalt crystallites form in fcc structures with a random distribution of ( 111 ), ( 110 ), and ( 100 ) crystallographic planes . a mettler ta 2000c thermal balance measured both weight changes ( tg ) and rates of weight change ( dtg ) in h 2 , co , or 1 : 1 h 2 / co mixtures , at atmospheric pressure . peaks in the derivative weight curve correspond to maximum rates of weight change . gas flows were set at 100cm 3 ( stp )/ min and 150 mg catalyst samples were used . a 6 ° c ./ min temperature program was adopted as a standard heating rate . all samples were reduced in h 2 from room temperature to 500 ° c . following the h 2 treatment , the sample was cooled and treated in 1 : 1 h 2 / co mixture . the growth of an amorphous carbon phase was used to determine intimate contact and strong interactions between cobalt and silica . powder x - ray diffraction spectra , taken before and after the runs confirmed the phases present . steady - state kinetics and residence time studies were measured in a plug - flow fixed - bed reactor at 180 °- 230 ° c ., 100 - 2050 kpa , and h 2 / co of 2 / 1 using 2 - 10 g of catalyst . catalysts were reduced in hydrogen at 250 °- 450 ° c ., cooled to synthesis temperature , and exposed to h 2 / co feed . all reported data were obtained after at least 24 hours on stream . standard conditions are 200 ° c ., 2050 kpa , and h 2 / co of 2 / 1 . products were analyzed by capillary and packed column gas chromatography and gc / ms , using dinitrogen as an internal standard . c 20 + distributions were obtained by gas chromatography and gel permeation chromatography . hydrocarbon synthesis rates are reported as cobalt - normalized rates ( cobalt - time yields ), defined as the moles of co converted per hour per g - atom cobalt in the catalysts , as site - normalized rates ( site - time yields ), defined as the molecules of co converted per hour per surface cobalt atom in the catalysts , and as volumetric rates , defined as the volume of co converted per volume of catalyst per hour . hydrocarbon selectivities are reported on a carbon atom basis , as the percentage of the converted co that appears as a given product . reported chain growth probabilities are asymptotic values , obtained from the constant slope of flory plots for c 35 - c 100 hydrocarbons . effect of sio 2 addition on hydrocarbon synthesis performance of core / tio 2 the addition of small amounts of sio 2 ( 4 - 6wt . %) to core / tio 2 increases the cobalt time yield in spite of the decrease in cobalt dispersion that occurs during the pretreatment required in order to decompose the sio 2 precursor ( table 1 and 2 ). the apparent intrinsic activity of a cobalt surface atom ( site - time yield ) actually increases two - fold with the addition of 4 - 6wt . % sio 2 . hydrocarbon synthesis selectivity is almost unchanged by sio 2 addition ; ch 4 selectivity is 5 . 0 - 5 . 4wt . % and c 5 + selectivity is 88 . 8 - 90 % on these catalysts . the olefin content increases with sio 2 addition for c 5 + hydrocarbons . treatment of core / tio 2 with he / h 2 o at 400 ° c ., decreased cobalt dispersion to the level measured on sio 2 containing samples subjected to the same pretreatment . the cobalt time yield is lower than on fresh core / tio 2 because of the lower dispersion , but the site - time yields are identical . activity maintenance is at least equal to that of core / tio 2 catalysts not containing silica . however , because of their high initial activity , sio 2 - promoted catalysts maintain a higher level of productivity throughout a cycle . table 1______________________________________effect of sio . sub . 2 promotion ( 47 - 50 h on stream ) catalyst a d b c______________________________________percent sio . sub . 2 0 0 4 5 . 2pretreatment : he / h . sub . 2 o , 400 ° c . no yes yes yesh . sub . 2 / 450 ° c . yes yes yes yesrun 110 - 19 41 - 174 37 - 62 39 - 124time on stream ( hr ) 50 . 0 49 . 1 47 49co conversion (%) 61 . 5 67 69 60cobalt - time yield 5 . 7 5 . 1 7 . 5 8 . 3 ( moles co converted / g - atomco - hr ) site - time yield ( moles co 90 98 145 150converted / g - atom surfaceco - hr ) volumetric productivity 310 275 410 450 ( cc co converted / cc cat . hr ) cobalt dispersion (%) 6 . 5 5 . 3 5 . 2 5 . 6carbon selectivity (%) ch . sub . 4 5 . 3 4 . 6 5 . 2 5 . 4c . sub . 2 [ o / p ] 0 . 6 [. 12 ] 0 . 6 [. 17 ] 0 . 7 [. 11 ] 0 . 6 [. 13 ] c . sub . 3 [ o / p ] 2 . 1 [ 1 . 9 ] 2 . 2 [ 2 . 6 ] 2 . 4 [ 2 . 0 ] 2 . 3 [ 2 . 0 ] c . sub . 4 [ o / p ] 2 . 3 [. 70 ] 2 . 0 [ 1 . 6 ] 2 . 4 [ 1 . 1 ] 2 . 6 [ 1 . 2 ] c . sub . 5 + 89 . 5 90 . 3 89 . 3 89 . 1co . sub . 2 0 . 2 0 . 3 0 . 07 0 . 05______________________________________ conditions : 200 ° c ., 2100 kpa , h . sub . 2 / co = 2 / 1 , 60 % co conversio ( 1 ) from hydrogen chemisorption measurements at 100 ° c ., assuming 1 : 1 h : surface co stiochiometry table 2______________________________________effect of sio . sub . 2 promotion ( 120 - 190 h on stream ) catalyst a d b c______________________________________percent sio . sub . 2 0 0 4 5 . 2pretreatment : he / h . sub . 2 o , 400 ° c . no yes yes yesh . sub . 2 / 450 ° c . yes yes yes yesrun 110 - 28 41 - 188 37 - 71 39 - 133time on stream ( hr ) 139 190 120 119co conversion (%) 64 58 61 55cobalt - time yield ( moles co 5 . 5 4 . 4 6 . 8 7 . 5converted / g - atom co - hr ) site - time yield ( moles co 85 85 131 135converted / g - atom surfaceco - hr ) volumetric productivity ( cc 295 240 370 410co converted / cc cat . hr ) cobalt dispersion (%) 6 . 5 5 . 3 5 . 2 5 . 6carbon selectivitych . sub . 4 5 . 1 5 . 0 5 . 6 5 . 8c . sub . 2 [ o / p ] 0 . 6 [. 14 ] 0 . 6 [. 19 ] 0 . 7 [. 13 ] 0 . 6 [. 14 ] c . sub . 3 [ o / p ] 1 . 9 [ 2 . 1 ] 2 . 1 [ 2 . 8 ] 2 . 5 [ 2 . 1 ] 2 . 3 [ 2 . 1 ] c . sub . 4 [ o / p ] 2 . 16 [. 63 ] 1 . 9 [ 1 . 6 ] 2 . 6 [ 1 . 3 ] 2 . 5 [ 1 . 3 ] c . sub . 5 + 89 . 9 90 . 1 88 . 5 89 . 1co . sub . 2 0 . 2 0 . 3 0 . 06 0 . 04______________________________________ conditions : 200 ° c ., 2100 kpa , h . sub . 2 / co = 2 / 1 , 60 % co conversio ( 1 ) from hydrogen chemisorption measurements at 100 ° c ., assuming 1 : 1 h : surface co stoichiometry effect of sio 2 addition on reduction and carburization properties of core / tio 2 the addition of sio 2 to core / tio 2 did not affect its reduction behavior . the temperature - programmed reduction profiles and the extent of reduction at 450 ° c . were identical in sio 2 - promoted and unpromoted samples ( fig1 ). carburization of the catalysts was dramatically inhibited by sio 2 addition ( fig2 ). the addition of 4wt . % sio 2 delays the onset of carburization from 370 ° c . to 500 ° c . during temperature - programmed treatment with h 2 / co mixtures ( 1 / 1 ratio ). similar results were obtained at higher sio 2 loadings . these data suggest that the role of sio 2 is not to improve the reducibility of cobalt oxide precursors or to prevent the formation of cobalt titanates during catalyst preparation , pretreatment , and use in hydrocarbon synthesis . the effect of sio 2 during carburization suggests that sio 2 may prevent the short term deactivation observed on these catalysts during the first few hours in h 2 / co environments ; the effect is to increase the apparent site activity by maintaining surface cobalt atoms available during hydrocarbon synthesis . sio 2 is known to adsorb onto strong acid sites in ## str3 ## to modify hydroxyl groups and acid sites in fuse silica tubing , and to prevent carburization of stainless steel reactor walls . we believe that sio 2 titrates or modifies specific sites on co / tio 2 catalysts , decreasing their activity for carbon formation . decoration of the cobalt surface with sio 2 , and inhibition of carbon deposition by the accompanying decrease in available cobalt ensemble size is unlikely . if so , the addition of sio 2 would have decreased the hydrogen uptake , and the apparent dispersion , more than the he / h 2 o treatment did ( table 1 ). a decrease in catalyst acidity with sio 2 addition is consistent with the observed decrease in the internal olefin and branched product selectivity of the c 6 + hydrocarbons when sio 2 was introduced in the tio 2 - supported cobalt catalyst ( table 3 ). internal olefins are branched products and are usually associated with double bond and skeletal isomerization of primary alpha - olefin products on metal and oxide catalysts . table 3______________________________________effect of sio . sub . 2 addition on the selectivity tointernal olefins and branched products______________________________________run 110 - 28 37 - 65 39 - 124catalyst a b cc . sub . 6 hydrocarbons % 3 - hexene in c . sub . 6 1 . 7 1 . 7 2 . 3 % 2 - hexene in c . sub . 6 12 . 8 11 . 4 8 . 9 % methyl - hexanes in c . sub . 6 2 . 6 1 . 6 1 . 9______________________________________	2
as described with respect to fig1 , conventional free space optical communication links that transmit and receive coherent , laser - generated light are plagued by a form of distortion , commonly referred to as speckle . speckle is the result of destructive interference as atmospheric turbulence introduces phase shifts to portions of a largely coherent beam of laser - generated light and then randomly deflects the phase shifted and un - shifted portions of the beam into one another , resulting in destructive interference within the transmitted signal . the method and apparatus for free space optical communication , described here , is based upon the transmission of substantially phase incoherent light . given that the transmitted beam is phase incoherent , phase shifts introduced by atmospheric turbulence do not result in a significant degree of destructive interference ; hence , speckle in the transmitted signal is virtually eliminated . to illustrate , fig2 presents four representative examples of a beam of light as might be viewed at separate points in time by a free space optical receiver upon receipt of an initially incoherent beam of light that has passed through the same atmospheric turbulence that generated the distorted optical signal represented in fig1 . in accordance with the present invention , any source of phase incoherent light may be used , so long as a beam of sufficient intensity is achieved to support the free space distance to be spanned by the optical communication link . a typical free space communication link of approximately 1 km requires approximately one milliwatt of transmitted power . a conventional single mode optical - fiber - coupled light emitting diode ( led ) is typically capable of propagating no more than 100 microwatts of transmitted power into the optical fiber to which the led is coupled . however , single mode optical - fiber - coupled superluminescent leds ( sleds ) have recently been developed , each capable of propagating as much as 20 milliwatts of power into the optical fiber to which the sled is coupled . the incoherent light produced by such an optically coupled sled is sufficient to support a free space optical link of significant distance , without a need for amplification . sleds typically generate phase incoherent light ( i . e ., generate phase incoherent photons ) based upon a process known as spontaneous emission . spontaneous emission based processes typically generate light that includes a broader spectrum of wavelengths than the phase - coherent light produced using light amplification by the stimulated emission of radiation ( i . e ., laser ) based processes . as demonstrated by fig3 , the index of refraction for fused silica 300 ( i . e ., the material typically used to produce optical fiber ) is significantly higher for shorter wavelengths than for longer wavelengths . as a result , shorter wavelengths of light within a pulse of light generated by an led do not pass through an optical fiber at the same speed as longer wavelengths of light within the same pulse of light . this effect , known as dispersion or group dispersion , has the effect of physically and temporally stretching a pulse of light . such pulse stretching reduces the maximum transmission rate that can be achieved , using broader spectrum led - generated light , to below the maximum transmission rate that could otherwise be achieved using narrower spectrum laser - generated light . for this reason , the trend in fiber - optic - based communication has been to use narrow - bandwidth laser light in order to maximize transmission rates by reducing the effects of dispersion . use of a narrow - bandwidth of light also maximizes the number of wavelength - based channels that may be simultaneously transmitted within any given spectral range , thereby further increasing total optical fiber data throughput . fortunately , dispersion plays a far less significant role in the transmission of light through free space . as demonstrated by fig4 , the change in the index of refraction of humid air 400 for the same spectrum of wavelengths represented in fig3 , is significantly less than the change in the index of refraction of optical fiber fused silica . in fact , the slope representing the change in index of refraction ( dn ) versus the change in wavelength ( dλ ), or ( dn / dλ ), as shown in fig4 , is approximately four orders of magnitude lower for humid air than for fused silica over the same range of wavelengths . as a result , and in accordance with the present invention , broader spectrum phase incoherent light may be used in a free space optical transmission system to eliminate the effects of atmospheric speckle without experiencing the negative performance due to dispersion that is encountered by broader spectrum light in optical - fiber - based systems . for example , the bit rate capability of an sled illuminated free space optical link may be determined from the relationship described below by eq : with d defined as the dispersion parameter , as described below by eq2 : d = 1 c ⁢ ⅆ n ⅆ λ ( eq ⁢ ⁢ 2 ) wherein b is the bit rate , l is the link distance , c is the speed of light , and σ λ is the spectral width of the sled . assuming a dispersion parameter for the atmosphere is d atmos ≈ 2 . 8 fs /( km · nm ) for a typical sled bandwidth of 40 nm or less , a bit - rate length product of 893 ( gb / s )- km results . based upon the relationships described by eq1 and eq2 , free space optical communication at 2 . 5 gbps for link distances in excess of 350 km may be achieved . further , based upon the relationships described by eq1 and eq2 , free space optical communication at 10 gbps for link distances of approximately 90 km may be achieved . note that these calculations assume that the entire path through which the beam of light travels is a stable atmosphere at 100 % humidity . further , eq1 assumes that a bit slot may not be broadened any more than 10 %. eq1 and eq2 demonstrate that phase incoherent light produced with an sled may be used in virtually any free space communication system in which laser - generated light is conventionally used . a common misconception regarding the broader spectrum and phase incoherent light emitted by an sled is that a beam of such light can not produce as narrow a beam divergence as can be achieved using the narrower spectrum and phase - coherent light produced with a laser . in fact , a beam produced with an sled does not have a larger divergence than a comparable beam produced with a laser . the divergences are identical . there is no “ power penalty ” through the use of sleds as compared with lasers . the physical equation that governs the limiting divergence of a diffraction - limited beam of light is given by eq3 , below : wherein θ is the full - width beam divergence , d is the diameter of a telescope aperture ( or diameter of the collimated beam at the aperture ), and λ is the wavelength . although eq3 assumes a uniform beam illumination , as opposed to the gaussian illumination of a laser beam , the correction to eq3 due to gaussian apodization is minor and results in only a minor increase in the determined divergence value . note that there is no phase coherence term in eq3 ; therefore , the phase characteristics of a beam of light have no effect upon the divergence of the beam . the broader bandwidth of the sled means that the divergence of the beam is dictated by the longer wavelengths , but this is also true of laser - generated beams . fig5 presents a block diagram of a free space optical transmitter 502 and a free space optical receiver 504 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig5 , free space optical transmitter 502 may include phase incoherent light source 506 , optional optical fiber 508 , optional light modulator 510 , optional light amplifier 512 , collimating optics 514 , which may include a lens or a mirror , and optional propagation optics / controls 516 . free space optical receiver 504 may include optional reception optics / controls 518 , receiving lens 520 , optional optical fiber 522 , light detector 524 and optional signal demodulator 526 . if the optional components identified for free space optical transmitter 502 are excluded , an unmodulated phase incoherent free space beacon transmitter is achieved that includes phase incoherent light source 506 and a collimating optics 514 that collimates light received from phase incoherent light source 506 and propagates the collimated light across a free space to free space optical receiver 504 . such an embodiment may be used to propagate an unmodulated incoherent light beam to an optical receiver across a significant free space distance , as described above with respect to eq1 and eq2 . however , with the addition of one or more of the optional components shown in fig5 , a high - speed phase incoherent free space optical transmitter may be achieved that is capable of providing high - speed transmission rates over significant distances while greatly reducing the impact of atmospheric speckle , as described above . in such an embodiment , phase incoherent light source 506 may be a fiber - coupled superluminescent light emitting diode ( sled ) that emits a phase incoherent beam of approximately 20 mw of power over a spectral range of as little as 35 nm into optional optical fiber 508 . optical fiber 508 may be used to route the generated phase incoherent light between the other modules included in free space optical transmitter 502 , namely an optional light modulator 510 , and optional light amplifier 512 , collimating optics 514 and propagation optics / controls 516 . with respect to optional light modulator 510 , there are many methods that may be used to modulate data upon an optical beam of light . one popular approach is to “ turn off ” or “ turn on ” the optical beam signal to represent a bit slot . such an on - off approach may use a return to zero ( rz ) or a non return to zero ( nrz ) method . it should be noted that sleds are not well suited for internal modulation at high data rates . given that sled light emission is based upon a process of spontaneous emission , as described above , the upper energy state lifetime of the semiconductor material may be too long for internal modulation to allow high data rates . fortunately , sled - generated light may be modulated using the same external modulation techniques conventionally used with laser - generated light , as described below . in one exemplary , externally - modulated embodiment , optional light modulator 510 may be implemented using a lithium niobate ( linio 3 ) mach - zender interferometer . such a device breaks a beam of light into two beams , inserts a π phase delay into one of the beams whenever a “ 0 ” is needed and inserts no phase delay when a “ 1 ” is needed . recombining the two beams results in mutual interference that causes the combined beam to turn off or turn on , respectively . even though a beam of light generated with an sled has a broader spectrum than light generated with a laser , sled - generated light is still narrow enough for an linio 3 modulator to work well . for reliable free space optical communications , an extinction ratio of at least 20 db should be used . a beam of light generated with an sled with a spectrum as wide as 40 nm will experience an extinction ratio near 40 db using a standard lithium niobate mach - zender type data modulator . band limiting an sled for purpose such as wave division multiplexing , as described below , further increases this extinction ratio . if the distance to be supported by the optical free space link requires power greater than the phase incoherent light source 506 can generate , optional light amplifier 512 may be included to amplify the incoherent light ( optionally modulated ) emitted from phase incoherent light source 506 . for example , an erbium doped fiber amplifier ( edfa ) may receive light from optional light modulator 510 via optional optical fiber 508 and amplify the received light . an edfa amplifies light coherently . any incoming phase is reproduced in the amplified signal . given that the light received by optional light amplifier 512 is incoherent , the output generated by optional edfa light amplifier 510 is also incoherent , but at an amplified intensity . to help clarify this point , consider a sled with a 1 mw output . there are millions of billions of photons being generated ( about 8 million - billion photons per second ), and each photon can be thought of as having a unique phase . these photons may be amplified through the edfa , for example to an output power of 20 w . to achieve such amplification , each photon is amplified 43 db . so , one individual photon that has a given phase has been transformed into 20 , 000 photons with the same phase . although these 20 , 000 photons will interfere with one another in the same manner as coherent light generated by a laser interferes with itself , as described above , there are still millions of billions of other photons with which these amplified coherent photons will not interfere . therefore , amplifying phase incoherent light generated by an sled through the use of any coherent amplifier , such as an edfa , produces no significant degradation in performance . in one alternate embodiment , the need for optional light amplifier 512 may be avoided by using multiple sleds to pump the same optical fiber . such an approach substantially reduces the cost of high - power sled communication by eliminating the need for an edfa . collimating optics 514 receives phase incoherent light ( which , optionally , has been modulated and / or amplified ) and collimates the received light . for example , if free space optical transmitter 502 is configured to propagate light directly from the collimating optics , a gradient index ( grin ) lens may be used to collimate light received via optional optical fiber 508 by gradually varying the index of refraction within the lens material of the optical element . by precisely controlling a radial variation of the lens material &# 39 ; s index of refraction from the optical axis to the edge of the lens , the grin lens may smoothly and continually redirect light beam into a collimated beam without the need to tightly - control the surface curvature . an anti - reflective coating may be applied to the end face of the grin lens to avoid unwanted back reflection . alternatively , collimating optics 514 may be a conventional lens or mirror that receives optionally modulated and optionally amplified phase incoherent light via optional optical fiber 508 and collimates the received light . depending upon the distance and nature of the link to be supported by free space optical transmitter 502 an embodiment may optionally include optical beam propagation optics and / or active pointing and tracking controls 516 . for example , collimating optics 514 may project collimated light upon a lens or mirror of a telescope . such propagation optics may be part of an active pointing and tracking control system designed to reduce scintillation due to beam wander , as described above . depending upon the distance supported by the optical link , however , such propagation optics and beam controls may not be required . active pointing and tracking techniques typically make use of a sensor that is placed at the focal point of a telescope . in laser - based optical links the phase coherence of the laser - generated light produces speckle patterns at the focal point of the telescope similar to that described with respect to fig1 , but to a somewhat lesser degree . as described above , the deep fades that occur from speckle can last as long as several refresh rates of the active pointing and tracking control system . this lack of information leaves not only a gap in the data stream but also a gap in the pointing information . when the fade has passed , the control system is required to make larger corrections in order to “ catch up ” to where it should have been had there not been a loss in signal . therefore , by reducing and / or eliminating the deep fades due to speckle , the present invention facilitates more accurate pointing and tracking and thereby further reduces contributions to scintillation caused by beam wander . in one exemplary embodiment , the free space optical transmitter of the present invention is configured to perform wavelength division multiplexing ( wdm ). assuming that the phase incoherent light source 506 is an sled that produces approximately 20 mw of power over a spectral range of 35 nm , an exemplary wdm embodiment may break the bandwidth of 35 nm into 4 channels with 8 nm spacing , each channel having a bandwidth of 6 nm with each channel modulated by a light modulator at up to 10 gbps per wavelength channel . in laser - based systems , wavelength division multiplexing is commonly used in which channel spacings are 100 ghz wide . each channel uses a laser with a linewidth of a fraction of a nanometer . for a sled to work in such a system , its wavelength band would have to be limited to less than 0 . 5 nm . for a 20 mw sled that produces a 35 nm linewidth , such a band limited sled would have a power of less than 250 μwatts , which may not be sufficient power for some applications . however , by using multiple sleds to pump the same fiber , or by amplifying the light using light amplifiers , additional power per wavelength channel may be generated , if needed . one advantage of such an sled - based wdm embodiment , in which each wavelength channel is established by band - filtering light emitted from an sled , is that each wavelength channel would remain stable under extreme environmental conditions that would otherwise affect the wavelength stability of a similar , laser - based wdm implementation . therefore , such an sled - based wdm embodiment would be capable of operating under extreme environmental conditions that would cause a laser - based wdm implementation to fail due to wavelength instability caused by the effect of extreme heat and / or extreme cold upon internal laser processes . referring again to fig5 , free space optical receiver 504 may include optional reception optics / controls 518 , receiving lens 520 , optional optical fiber 522 , light detector 524 and optional signal demodulator 526 . the components included within free space optical receiver 504 may be matched to support the components and features included in free space optical transmitter 502 , as described above . if free space optical transmitter 502 is configured as an unmodulated phase incoherent free space beacon , by excluding optional components identified for free space optical transmitter 502 , free space optical receiver 504 may be similarly configured . such an exemplary optical receiver embodiment may include receiving lens 520 to receive the incoherent beam of light from free space and to focus the received beam of light upon a light detector 524 that is capable of detecting the presence or absence of light . such an embodiment may be used to receive an unmodulated incoherent light beam from free space optical transmitter 502 across a significant free space distance , as described above with respect to eq1 and eq2 , and may be incorporated within a larger system that is notified by light detector 524 of the presence or absence of a light signal from free space optical transmitter 502 . however , if free space optical transmitter 502 is configured as a high - speed phase incoherent free space optical transmitter , capable of achieving high - speed optical transmission rates over significant distances while greatly reducing the impact of atmospheric speckle , as described above , free space optical receiver 504 may be configured to receive and process high - speed optical transmissions . in such an embodiment , free space optical receiver 504 may include optional reception optics / controls 518 , receiving lens 520 , optional optical fiber 522 , light detector 524 and optional signal modulator 526 . as described above with respect to free space optical transmitter 502 , optional optical reception optics / controls 518 may include reception optics , such as a telescope and / or active pointing and tracking controls . receiving lens 520 may be any conventional or grin based lens capable of receiving light , either directly from free space or from the optional reception optics / controls component 518 , and focusing the received light upon light detector 524 , either directly , or upon optional optical fiber 522 for transmission by optical fiber to light detector 524 . light detector 524 , may generate an electronic signal based upon the absence or presence of received light and may convey the electronic signal to signal demodulator 526 for demodulation and further processing by the system , or network to which optical receiver 504 is integrated . fig6 is a process flow diagram for transmitting a beam of incoherent light using an exemplary embodiment of an incoherent optical beam transmitter , as described above with respect to fig5 . as shown in fig6 , in one exemplary embodiment of the invention , a beam of phase incoherent light may be generated , at step 602 , collimated at step 608 , and propagated at step 610 , into free space in the direction of an optical receiver or other target . such a simplified process results in the propagation of an incoherent beam of light that is not corrupted by the effects of speckle and therefore increases the power and uniformity of light hitting the optical receiver or selected target . as further shown in fig6 , in an embodiment of the invention in which an incoherent beam is used for high - speed data transmission , additional steps may be included within the process flow . for example , upon generating a phase incoherent beam of light , at step 602 , the generated beam may be modulated , at step 604 , amplified to a required power level , at step 606 , and collimated , at step 608 , prior to propagation across a free space , at step 610 , in the direction of an optical receiver or selected target . as described above with respect to fig5 , block 506 , any phase incoherent light source may be used , at step 602 , such as an led , fiber coupled led , sled , fiber coupled sled , or any other phase incoherent light source . the intensity of the phase incoherent beam of light , at step 602 , may be determined using criteria that includes , but is not limited to , the free space link distance , the degree of atmospheric dispersion expected or experienced across the free space link distance and the level of power desired at the receiving device . as described above with respect to fig5 , block 510 , any form of internal or external modulation may be used , at step 604 , to modulate data upon a transmitted optical beam . for example , an incoherent beam generated at step 602 may be modulated using a lithium niobate mach - zender interferometer to turn the generated incoherent beam on and off and to thereby encode data upon the beam of light . as described above with respect to fig5 , block 512 , an optionally modulated incoherent beam may be amplified , at step 606 , prior to propagation across free space . such amplification is optional depending upon the intensity of the incoherent beam generated at step 602 . the need for optional amplification may be determined using criteria that includes , but is not limited to , the free space link distance , the degree of atmospheric absorption expected or experienced across the free space link and the level of power desired at the receiving device . for many optical link distances , assuming that an sled is used , amplification may not be necessary , as described above with respect to eq1 , eq2 and eq3 . however , if optical beam amplification is necessary , amplification of a beam is preferably performed after the beam has been modulated due to input power limitations commonly associated with conventional data modulators and wdm multiplexors , described above . as described above with respect to fig5 , block 514 , an optionally modulated , optionally amplified incoherent beam may be collimated , at step 608 , using a collimating optic lens or mirror prior to propagation across free space . the manner in which a received beam is collimated depends largely upon the how the generated beam of light is transferred to the collimating optic lens or mirror . if , for example , the generated beam of incoherent light is not coupled to an optical fiber , a conventional lens or mirror may be used to collimate the generated beam . however , if the generated beam of incoherent light has been coupled to an optical fiber ( e . g ., through use of an optical - fiber - coupled sled ) either a grin lens or a conventional lens or mirror may be used to collimate the beam of light . as described above with respect to fig5 , block 516 , a collimated beam of incoherent light may be propagated , at step 610 , directly across a free space or propagation of the incoherent beam may be assisted with the use of propagation optics , such as a telescope , and / or the use of active pointing and tracking controls . although the effects of scintillation in the transmitted beam are substantially reduced through the use of a phase incoherent beam , in accordance with the present invention , active pointing and tracking controls may still be required to avoid scintillation due to beam wander , as described above . fortunately , elimination of speckle in a transmitted beam increases the effectiveness of conventional active pointing and tracking controls , resulting in a further reduction in scintillation due to beam wander , as described above . fig7 is a process flow diagram for receiving a beam of incoherent light using an exemplary embodiment of an incoherent optical beam receiver , as described above with respect to fig5 . as shown in fig7 , an incoherent beam is received , at step 702 , and focused upon a light detection device which detects the presence or absence of light , at step 704 . as described above with respect to fig5 , blocks 518 - 522 , a collimated beam of incoherent light may be received , at step 702 , by a receiving lens either directly from free space or via an optional reception optics / controls module , such as a telescope and / or an active pointing and tracking control system . the received beam of light may be focused upon a light detector , either directly , or transmitted to a light detector via an optional optical fiber pathway . typically the light detection device produces an electromagnetic signal based upon the presence of absence of detected light . depending upon the nature of the reception , no further processing is required . however , if the incoherent beam is modulated , the light detection device typically acts as a transducer that produces an electronic signal based upon the absence or presence of light . in such a case , the electronic signal may be optionally demodulated , at step 706 , to retrieve information encoded upon the received phase incoherent beam of light . fig8 is a representative comparison of expected power measurements as may be recorded by a free space optical receiver for an incoherent beam of light and a coherent beam of light , each of the same initial intensity , after each beam has passed through the same atmospheric turbulence . curve 802 presents a representative plot of expected power that may be delivered by the incoherent optical beam to a target or receiver . as described above , and as represented by curve 802 , such an incoherent beam is not affected by speckle , but may still include scintillation as a result of beam wander introduced by atmospheric turbulence . curve 804 presents a representative plot of expected power that may be delivered by the coherent optical beam to a target or receiver . as described above , and as represented by curve 804 , such a received coherent beam may include scintillation as a result of speckle as well as beam wander introduced by atmospheric turbulence . as demonstrated in fig8 , power measurements for a coherent beam ( i . e ., curve 804 ) may be expected to conform with a power envelope defined by scintillation due to beam wander ( i . e ., the power envelope defined by incoherent beam 802 ), yet include additional losses of power as a result of scintillation due to speckle . it may be appreciated that the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings represent only a few of the many ways of applying incoherent light to reduce scintillation and improve the reliability of free space optical beam transmissions . the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein and variations of the method and apparatus described here may also be used to reduce scintillation and improve optical beam transmissions . the free space optical beam transmission system and components described here can be implemented in any number of hardware and software units , or modules , and is not limited to any specific hardware module and / or software module architecture . each module may be implemented in any number of ways and is not limited in implementation to execute process flows precisely as described above . the free space optical beam transmission system described above and illustrated in the flow charts and diagrams may be modified in any manner that accomplishes the functions described herein . it is to be understood that various functions of the free space optical beam transmission system may be distributed in any manner among any quantity ( e . g ., one or more ) of hardware and / or software modules or units , computer or processing systems or circuitry . the free space optical beam transmission system of the present invention is not limited to any particular use or purpose , but may be used within any optical system in which a beam of light may be transmitted across a free space for any purpose . for example , applications may range from an unmodulated directed beacon to a highly modulated multi - channel high - speed optical data link capable of transmitting data over a free space link at transmission rates as high and / or higher than conventional and future laser / coherent light based systems . embodiments of the incoherent beam free space optical beam transmission system may include , but are not limited to , optical range finders , optical targeting systems , firearms and / or firearm adapters that propagate a beam of light in place of firing a solid projectile , vehicle speed tracking and monitoring systems ( e . g ., police motor vehicle speed limit enforcement “ radar ” systems ), long range electronic security beams , and / or virtually any other system in which coherent laser beams may be used . depending upon the nature of the application in which the free space optical beam transmission system of the present invention is used , such as targeting systems and speed tracking systems , an optical receiver may not be required . it is to be understood that processor based controls for data modulators , beam tracking and control systems and other modules included within the free space optical beam transmission system components may be implemented in any desired computer language and / or combination of computer languages , and could be developed by one of ordinary skill in the computer and / or programming arts based on the functional description contained herein and the flow charts illustrated in the drawings . further , the free space optical beam transmission system may include commercially available components tailored in any manner to implement functions performed by the free space optical beam transmission system described here . free space optical beam transmission system component software may be available or distributed via any suitable medium ( e . g ., stored on devices such as cd - rom and diskette , downloaded from the internet or other network via packets and / or carrier signals , downloaded from a bulletin board via carrier signals , or other conventional distribution mechanisms ). the free space optical beam transmission system may accommodate any quantity and any type of data files and / or databases or other structures ( e . g ., ascii , binary , plain text , or other file / directory service and / or database format , etc .) used to control any aspect of optical beam modulation and / or any other aspect of system component control . further , any references herein to software , or commercially available applications , performing various functions generally refer to processors performing those functions under software control . such processors may alternatively be implemented by hardware or other processing circuitry . the various functions of the free space optical beam transmission system may be distributed in any manner among any quantity ( e . g ., one or more ) of hardware and / or software modules or units . processing systems or circuitry , may be disposed locally or remotely of each other and communicate via any suitable communications medium ( e . g ., hardwire , wireless , etc .). the software and / or processes described above and illustrated in the flow charts and diagrams may be modified in any manner that accomplishes the functions described herein . from the foregoing description it may be appreciated that the present invention includes a method and apparatus for propagating a beam of optical light in which the effects of atmospheric turbulence upon the propagated optical beam are greatly reduced . by transmitting an optical beam that is substantially phase incoherent , the present invention greatly reduces scintillation in a received optical beam signal due to atmospheric speckle . further , reducing the effects of atmospheric speckle increases the effectiveness of conventional active pointing and tracking techniques , thereby allowing additional reductions in optical beam scintillation by allowing contributions to signal scintillation due to beam wander to be further reduced . having described preferred embodiments of a method and apparatus for free space optical communication using incoherent light , it is believed that other modifications , variations and changes may be suggested to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings set forth herein . it is therefore to be understood that all such variations , modifications and changes are believed to fall within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims .	7
the method provided by the present invention mainly comprises collecting biological cell samples from a fermenting tank and obtaining current status information of biological cells according to the collected biological cell samples , comparing the current status information of biological cells with preset target status information to obtain a difference status between the current status information of biological cells and the target status information , and controlling the feed rate of nutrient solution flow to the fermenting tank based on the obtained difference status . this method is described in detail by referring to a particular embodiment below . fig1 is a flow chart of the method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig1 , the method may comprise collecting biological cell samples from the fermenting tank and obtaining the current status information of the biological cells based on the collected biological cell samples , as indicated in step 101 . here , real - time collection of biological cell samples and determination of status information of biological cells can be achieved by using a biological cell status determination instrument , such as a flow cytometer ( fcm ). the fcm injects the collected biological cell samples into the center of a sheath fluid , and causes the biological cells to align in a single line and form a cell bundle under the restriction of sheath fluid . after being excited by laser , the cell bundle produces a scattering light , of which the forward angle light scattering ( fals ) and right angle light scattering ( rals ) are collected and undergo photoelectric signal conversion . the electrical pulse signals obtained from fals and rals undergoing photoelectric signal conversion form a fals - rals scatter plot , from which cell concentration information , cell size information and cell form information can be obtained . the fals - rals scatter plot may be as shown in fig2 , where the x axis indicates the electrical fals pulse signals and the y axis indicates the electrical rals pulse signals . in addition , cells may also be first dyed with a fluorescent dye , where the waveband of the scattered light produced by the laser - excited cell bundle is detected , and the obtained waveband information is used to form a scatter plot of waveband information , from which cell structure information and cell metabolism information can be obtained . in this way , the present invention is not limited to the method for acquiring specific cell status information . next , the current status information of biological cells is compared with the preset target status information to obtain a difference status between the current status information of biological cells and the preset target status information , as indicated in step 102 . if a fals - rals scatter plot is obtained from fcm , the preset target status information may be the optimal fals - rals scatter plot obtained from previous fermentation batches , or may be the optimal fals - rals scatter plot obtained from experiments . the optimal fals - rals scatter plot may be the fals - rals scatter plot that reflects the highest cell concentration and the best product expression rate . the difference status between the current status information of biological cells and the target status information may be expressed by a vector { right arrow over ( e )}. taking the fals - rals scatter plot as an example , fig3 is a schematic diagram showing the steps for obtaining the vector , { right arrow over ( e )}, where the scatter plot of target status information and the scatter plot of current status information of biological cells are displayed in the same fals - rals coordinate system . the center of gravity of the scatter plot for target status information is determined as the center of gravity 1 . the center of gravity of the scatter plot for current status information of biological cells is determined as the center of gravity 2 . the vector { right arrow over ( e )} starts from the center of gravity of the scatter plot for current status information of biological cells , and points to and ends at the center of gravity of the scatter plot for target status information , i . e ., vector { right arrow over ( e )} starts from the center of gravity 2 and points to and ends at the center of gravity 1 . the vector { right arrow over ( e )} can be expressed in accordance with the relationship : { right arrow over ( e )}=[ e m , e x , e y ] τ . here , e m indicates a density difference between the scatter plot for current status information of biological cells and the scatter plot for target status information , characterizing the difference between cell concentration during current fermentation process and target cell concentration ; e x indicates the difference between the center of gravity 2 and the center of gravity 1 , characterizing the difference in size between the cells , during the current fermentation process and the target cell size ; e y indicates the difference between the center of gravity 1 and the center of gravity 2 in the y axis , characterizing the difference in form between the cell form during current fermentation process and the target cell form . consequently , the vector { right arrow over ( e )} can be used to characterize the difference in cell concentration , cell size and cell form between the status information during current fermentation process and the target status information . the feed rate of nutrient solution flow into the fermenting tank is determined based on the obtained difference status information , as indicated in step 103 . here , the vector { right arrow over ( e )} may be first converted to a scalar according to the preset conversion strategy to utilize the difference status in a more straightforward and direct way . in certain embodiments , the conversion methodology is , a linear conversion or a non - linear conversion . the converted scalar e may be expressed as e = f ({ right arrow over ( e )}), where f is the adopted conversion methodology . here , taking linear conversion as the example , the converted scalar e may be expressed as : here , 0 ≦ k 1 , k 2 , k 3 ≦ 1 . k 1 , k 2 , k 3 may indicate the weights of cell concentration , cell size and cell form in the control process respectively , and can be set according to specific control requirements . for example , if the only purpose of fermentation process control is to allow the cell concentration to approach as close as possible to the target cell concentration , then k 2 and k 3 may be set to 0 and k 1 may be set to 1 . after the scalar e is obtained from the conversion , the feed rate of nutrient solution flow to the fermenting tank is determined according to the scalar e . the determination process is conducted based on the predetermined flow feed rate determination methodology so that the determined feed rate of nutrient solution flow can minimize the difference between the status information of biological cells during fermentation process and the target status , i . e ., the status information of biological cells in the fermenting tank converges to the target status information . the specific flow feed rate determination methodologies can be in various forms , e . g ., proportional - integral - derivative ( pid ), model predictive control , fuzzy control and neural network control . here , taking the pid methodology as the example , the feed rate f ( t ) of nutrient solution flow to the fermenting tank may be expressed in : here , f p ( t ) indicates the preset target feed rate of nutrient solution , and proportionality constant k c and integration constant τ 1 may be determined by experimental paradigms according to the dynamic response of biological cells in the fermenting tank . for example , k c and τ 1 that minimize the scalar e may be determined by the dynamic response information of biological cells in the fermenting tank during experiments . the measured noise of the biological attribute is large . accordingly , integration may be neglected , i . e ., τ d may be set to 0 and the constants in f ( t ) should be selected in a way to minimize the scalar e . the feed rate of nutrient solution flow determined at this point may be used as the feed rate of nutrient solution flow to the fermenting tank and the process is now finished . in preferred embodiments , the additional step of judging whether the determined feed rate of nutrient solution flow is within the preset range of feed rate may be performed , as indicated in step 104 . if yes , then proceed to step 105 . if no , then proceed to step 106 . as various noises or device failures in the control device may cause considerable error in the determined nutrient feed rate , the flow feed rate range can be preset to prevent such considerable error from affecting the fermentation process control . the flow feed rate range is the acceptable range of feed rates of nutrient solution flow . if the determined feed rate of nutrient solution flow is within the flow feed rate range , as shown in fig4 , it indicates that there is no considerable error and the determined feed rate of nutrient solution flow can be directly used as the feed rate of nutrient solution flow to the fermenting tank . conversely , if the determined feed rate of nutrient solution flow is outside the flow feed rate range , then it indicates that there is considerable error and the preset target feed rate of nutrient solution flow is directly used as the feed rate of nutrient solution flow to the fermenting tank , as shown in steps 105 and 106 below . if the determined feed rate is within the flow feed rate range , then the determined feed rate of nutrient solution flow is next used as the feed rate of nutrient solution flow to the fermenting tank and the process is then ended , as indicated in step 105 . if the determined feed rate is outside the flow feed rate range , then the preset target feed rate of nutrient solution flow is used as the feed rate of nutrient solution flow to the fermenting tank and the process is ended , as indicated in step 106 . various steps in the aforesaid process occur during the fermentation process , and step 101 is re - executed following step 106 . consequently , a closed - loop feedback control process is formed . the above is the detailed description of the disclosed embodiments of the method in accordance with the present invention , and the device of the present invention is described below . fig5 shows a schematic block diagram of the structure of a device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig5 , the device may comprise a status information acquisition unit 500 , a comparison unit 510 and a control unit 520 . the status information acquisition unit 500 is used to collect samples of biological cells from a fermenting tank and obtain the status information of the current biological cells according to the collected biological cell samples . the comparison unit 510 is used to compare the current status information of the biological cells with preset target status information , obtain the difference status between the current status information of the biological cells and preset target status information , and to provide the difference status to the control unit 520 . the control unit 520 is used to control the feed rate of nutrient solution flow into the fermenting tank based on the difference status . here , the status information acquisition unit 500 may comprise a flow cytometer and the specific structure is shown in fig6 . the flow cytometer may comprise a collection subunit 601 , a flow chamber 602 , a laser generator 603 and a detector 604 . the collection subunit the 601 is used to collect samples of biological cells from fermenting tank and inject the collected samples into the center of sheath fluid in the flow chamber 602 . the flow chamber 602 is used to allow biological cells in the collected samples to align in a single file and form a cell bundle under restriction of the sheath fluid . the laser generator 603 is used to generate a laser and excite the cell bundle to produce light information . the detector 604 is used to obtain the current status information of biological cells from the light information . the detector 604 may be a photodiode or a photomultiplier tube , which collects scattered light or fluorescence produced by laser - excited cells and converts light into electrical signals . the converted electrical signals can be used to form the status information scatter plot . for example , fals and rals scattered light can be collected and converted to obtain a fals - rals scatter plot and scattered light may be detected for a waveband to obtain a waveband information scatter plot ; cell concentration information , cell size information and cell form information can be obtained from the fals - rals scatter plot , and cell structure information and cell metabolism information can be obtained from waveband information scatter plot . the detector 1 in detector 604 shown in fig6 can collect fals scattered light and convert light into electrical signals , and detector 2 can collect rals scattered light and convert light into electrical signals . the comparison unit 510 can implement the method in accordance with step 102 depicted in fig1 to conduct comparisons and obtain the difference status . with the fals - rals scatter plot as an example , the comparison unit 510 can firstly determine the center of gravity of the scatter plot for target status information , expressed as center of gravity 1 , and the center of gravity of the scatter plot for current status information of biological cells , expressed as center of gravity 2 , and take the vector { right arrow over ( e )} starting from the center of gravity 2 and pointing to and ending at the center of gravity 1 to indicate the difference between the current status information of biological cells and target status information , and then provide the vector { right arrow over ( e )} to the control unit 520 . the control unit 520 can firstly convert the vector { right arrow over ( e )} to a scalar according to a predetermined conversion methodology , and then take the converted scalar e as a variable to determine the nutrient feed rate according to a predetermined flow feed rate determination methodology that allows the status information of biological cells in the fermenting tank to converge to the target status information , where , the feed rate determination strategy includes various modes , such as a pid methodology . in an embodiment , the device also comprise a target status information storage unit 530 for storing target status information . here , the target status information storage unit 530 can store target status information that corresponds to different application needs , where an operator can select target status information suited to the current fermentation process according to different application needs for the comparison unit 510 to conduct comparisons , and can update target status information at any time as needed . the comparison unit 510 is also used to obtain target status information from the target status information storage unit 530 . here , the control unit 520 may comprise a flow feed rate determination subunit 521 and a feeding operation subunit 522 . the flow feed rate determination subunit 521 is used to determine the feed rate of nutrient solution flow according to the difference status by using the predetermined flow feed rate determination methodology that causes the status information of biological cells in the fermenting tank to converge to the target status information , and send the feed rate of nutrient solution flow to the feeding operation subunit 522 . the feeding operation subunit 522 is used to feed the nutrient solution flow to the fermenting tank based on the received feed rate of nutrient solution flow . in alternative embodiments , the control unit 520 also comprises a judgment subunit 523 , which is used to receive the feed rate of nutrient solution flow from the flow feed rate determination subunit 521 , and judge whether the feed rate of nutrient solution flow is within the preset range of flow feed rate . if the feed rate of nutrient solution flow is within the preset range of flow feed rate , then the feed rate of nutrient solution flow is sent to the feeding operation subunit 522 . if the feed rate of nutrient solution flow is not within the preset range of flow feed rate , then the preset target feed rate of nutrient solution flow is sent to the feeding operation subunit 523 . in other embodiments , the control unit 520 also comprises a target nutrient solution flow feed rate storage unit 524 , which is used to store the target feed rate of nutrient solution flow and the flow feed rate range , and the judgment subunit 523 can obtain the target feed rate of nutrient solution flow and flow feed rate range from the target nutrient solution flow feed rate storage unit 524 . here , the target nutrient solution flow feed rate storage unit 524 can store the target feed rate of nutrient solution flow and the flow feed rate range that correspond to different application needs , and an operator can select a target nutrient feed rate and feed rate range suited to the current fermentation process based on different applications needs for judgment subunit 523 to conduct judgment , and can update the target nutrient feed rate and feed rate range at any time as needed . as shown in the above , the method and device in accordance with the disclosed embodiments of the present invention comprise collecting biological cell samples from the fermenting tank and obtaining the current status information of biological cells based on the collected biological cell samples , comparing the current status information of biological cells with the preset target status information to obtain a difference status between the current status information of biological cells and the target status information , controlling the feed rate of nutrient solution flow to the fermenting tank the obtained difference status . in this way , the biological fermentation process can be controlled based on the status information of the biological cells during fermentation , and the consistency of the fermentation process and product quality can be improved . moreover , the method and device of the disclosed embodiments of the invention do not require complicated data analysis and can achieve real - time control of the biological fermentation process by using a closed feedback loop . the automatic control of cell status during the fermentation process is achieved without any control delay . preferably , the method and device in accordance with the disclosed embodiments can make further judgements about the feed rate of nutrient solution flow that is determined based on the difference information , i . e ., judge whether the determined feed rate of nutrient solution flow is within the preset feed rate range . if the determined feed rate of nutrient solution flow is within the preset feed rate range , the determined feed rate of nutrient solution flow is used for feeding the nutrient solution to the fermenting tank . if the determined feed rate of nutrient solution flow is not within the preset feed rate range , then the preset target feed rate of nutrient solution flow is used for feeding the nutrient solution to the fermenting tank . as a result , the feed rate of nutrient solution flow to the fermenting tank can be maintained in an acceptable range to prevent the definite errors caused by various noises or device failures of the control device . the above only describes the preferred embodiments according to the present invention , and is not intended to limit the protective scope of the present invention . any modifications , equivalent substitutions and improvements within the spirit and principle of the invention should fall within the protective scope of the present invention . thus , while there are shown , described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the illustrated apparatus , and in its operation , may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention . moreover , it should be recognized that structures shown and / or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice .	6
it might be helpful to an understanding of the concept of the present invention to briefly discuss a simplified control circuit for an electric motor . fig1 is a graphical representation , without scale designation , of the four power control switches ts1 - ts4 in fig2 . these switches are shown in fig2 as connecting a motor between plus and minus line voltage . each of the switches is connected in parallel with a diode ( d1 to d4 ) poled for conducting current in the opposite direction to its associated switch . the switches have been given designations indicative of their position in the circuit and their driving effect on the motor m . thus , switch ts1 is designated cwp ( for &# 34 ; clockwise positive &# 34 ;). switch ts2 is designated ccwp ( counterclockwise positive ), ts3 is designated ccwm ( counterclockwise minus ) and switch ts4 is designated cwm ( clockwise minus ). the graphical representation of fig1 indicates the states of their respective switches ts1 - ts4 as a function of an applied bias voltage ( corresponding to a variable control level ). as the voltage applied to the respective control terminals of the respective switches is varied between a value of - v , at which all switches are in the condition indicated at the left side of the figure , to + v , at which all switches are in the condition indicated at the right - hand side of the figure , the switches change state along paths indicated by the arrows . in changing state between saturated off and saturated on conditions , each of the switches changes state from off to on at a slightly different bias potential from that at which it changed state from on to off , thus exhibiting the hysteresis loops shown in fig1 . the arrows indicate the direction of the change of state versus control voltage . moreover , the switching circuits are designed so that each switch exhibits its changes of state at a different level of control voltage . there are three cases to consider in discussing the operation of the simplified control circuit of fig2 : motor current negative , motor current zero , and motor current positive . with the control voltage at - v ( see fig1 ) both counterclockwise switches ts2 and ts3 are on , while the clockwise switches ts1 and ts4 are off . this results in a motor voltage of - vl across the motor m . as the control voltage becomes more positive , switch ts2 turns off first , resulting in zero voltage being applied to the motor . the back emf of the motor now drives current through the conducting switch ts3 , then through the transistor current sense resistor rs1 and back through the diode current sense resistor rs2 and diode d4 . it will be noted that when a shunting diode conducts as the result of turning off one of the control switches , current in the diode sensing resistor is opposite in direction , relative to line potential , to current in the transistor sensing resistor . the resulting current sensing levels are picked off from the circuit of fig2 as feedback currents is1 and is2 , for transistor current sensing and diode current sensing , respectively . as the control voltage is increased further , the switch ts3 turns off and the energy stored in the inductance of the motor drives current to and from the line through diodes d1 and d4 , respectively . the voltage applied across the motor is + vl . again starting with the most negative input (- v of fig1 ) to the level dependent logic , this condition results in - vl being applied to the motor , as before . as the control voltage is increased , switch ts2 turns off and the application of line voltage vl is removed , so that the voltage across the motor becomes equal to its back emf . this is the voltage seen across the motor until the applied control voltage reaches the highest level , at which switch ts1 is turned on . at this point voltage + vl is applied across the motor . starting again with the most negative applied control voltage , - vl is applied to the motor as before , although the direction of motor current is opposite to that of case 1 , corresponding to a deceleration of clockwise rotation . as the level of control voltages increases , the voltage across the motor remains - vl until the switch ts4 is turned on , resulting in zero volts being applied across the motor . thereafter , when the switch ts1 turns on , the voltage becomes + vl across the motor . the following table may be constructed to illustrate the different levels of motor voltage for the different switch conditions . table i__________________________________________________________________________ - v + v__________________________________________________________________________cwp off off off off oncwm off off off on onccwm on on off off off switch conditionccwp on off off off offi & lt ; 0 - vl 0 + vl + vl + vli = 0 - vl vbemf vbemf vbemf + vl motor voltagei & gt ; 0 - vl - vl - vl 0 + vl__________________________________________________________________________ upon examination of table i , it can be seen that in every case as the input level increases to the control switches ( level dependent logic ) the motor voltage increases . the motor current affects where the changes to the motor voltage take place . since the difference between the desired or commanded motor current and the actual motor current is integrated , the time average of the actual motor current will equal the commanded motor current . the output of the integration ( the control error signal ) will always be moving in the direction to bring the actual motor voltage toward the desired motor voltage ( and current ). since the motor voltage switches from one discrete level to another , it is always too low or too high and the feedback current changes accordingly , thus causing the error signal applied as control to the level dependent switches to oscillate correspondingly . fig3 illustrates waveforms showing motor operation for a brief interval during a specific control mode . the command current ic is shown rising to a steady state level . the motor current im follows and overshoots , then oscillates back and forth about the command current level . the error current ie which is applied to the control switches for the example of fig1 dithers back and forth across the biasing level at which a particular one of the switches changes state . the voltage to the motor ( vm ) shifts correspondingly between + vl and zero . thus , when the motor voltage vm is first switched off , the slope of the motor current im changes sign and motor current decreases . this causes the feedback current to change , thus causing the error signal ie to move positively until a particular switch affecting control turns on . motor current then increases until the switch is turned off and the cycle repeats . the time span for the segments of waveform illustrated in fig3 is approximately one millisecond . thus it can be seen that the oscillation frequency is about 10 kilohertz . the block diagram of fig4 shows a control circuit 10 for a motor 11 coupled to drive an actuator 12 , which may , for example , be a member coupled to control the position of a control surface of an aircraft , the position of which is to be set in response to an applied position command signal . a position sensor 14 is coupled to the actuator 12 to develop a position signal which is applied to a summing stage 16 for comparison with the applied position command signal . the difference between the two signals is amplified in amplifier 18 and applied to comparison stage 20 for comparison with a rate feedback signal from a rate feedback loop including a tachometer 22 coupled to the motor 11 and providing a rate signal through a demodulator 24 and amplifier 26 . the thus - modified position error signal is applied to a dynamic compensation stage 28 which has at its input a current limiting circuit 29 . this current limiting circuit 29 may comprise an operational amplifier having a pair of zener diodes for limiting the command signal between predetermined limits which correspond to the particular maximum currents to be permitted in the motor 11 . the portion of the circuit of fig4 shown within the broken line 10a represents the basic control circuitry of my preferred embodiment , and it will be demonstrated hereinafter that this control circuit can be used to control a motor without the need for a rate feedback signal , as developed from the tachometer 22 and applied to the comparator 20 to modify or condition the applied position error signal . thus , any suitable current command signal can be applied as input to the current limiter 29 and first dynamic compensation stage 28 to drive the basic control circuit 10a . in the preferred embodiment , the dynamic compensation stage 28 includes a single pole filter providing a roll - off at 15 , 000 radians per second . this has the laplace transform function 1 /( s / 15 , 000 + 1 ). the resulting filtered current command signal from the dynamic compensation stage 28 is applied to a comparison stage 30 which also receives as its input a feedback current signal from a feedback loop which includes a current sensor 41 coupled to a power switching circuit 40 which drives the motor 11 . as will be explained further , this current sensor 41 provides a signal equal to the absolute value of the larger of two currents which are sensed in the switching circuit 40 . this absolute value signal is then multiplied in the stage 42 by a signal ( designated normal ) from the level dependent logic stage 34 which has a value of either plus or minus 1 . the output stage 42 will then be either positive or negative , depending on the state of the normal signal from the stage 34 . this feedback signal is then fed through a filter 44 , preferably having a roll - off at approximately 314 , 000 radians per second , having the laplace transform 1 /( s / 314 , 000 + 1 ). the result of the comparison in stage 30 of the command current and the filtered feedback current becomes the error signal ie which is applied to the second dynamic compensation stage 32 . there the signal is amplified , integrated and filtered in accordance with a function having the laplace transform kn /[ s ( s / 199 , 000 + 1 )], wherein , in one preferred embodiment , the gain k = 725 , and n = 0 . 0000503s + 1 . as noted above , the compensating functions of dynamic compensation stages 28 and 32 operate together to prevent erroneous switching due to command signal noise . the compensation provided in dynamic compensation stage 32 is used to control the modulation frequency of the switching . the rest of the circuit of fig4 comprises the level dependent logic stage 34 , coupled to receive the compensated error signal ie from stage 32 and provide signals to a following commutation logic stage 38 representing desired on and off states for the switches corresponding to those shown in fig2 ( cwp , cwm , ccwm , and ccwp , and their complements ). these are combined with phase signals (. 0 . 1 , . 0 . 2 and . 0 . 3 and the complements thereof for the three phase winding shown in fig5 ) as developed from the motor 11 by a rotor position sensor stage 36 . circuitry in the commutation logic stage 38 develops control signals for the switching circuit 40 which drive the motor 11 from a power source . fig5 is an exemplary circuit corresponding to the switching circuit 40 of fig4 wherein the motor 11 is represented schematically as having windings a , b and c ( respectively numbered 50 , 48 and 46 ) connected in a wye configuration and coupled to switching transistors a -, b -, c -, a +, b + and c +. the switching transistors shown in fig5 are merely exemplary of solid state switching devices . it will be understood that the actual circuits corresponding to these individual transistors may comprise conventional power switching circuits as are known in the art . in the circuit of fig5 the negative transistors a -, b - and c - have their emitters coupled together and connected to ground through a series sensing resistor rs1 . the positive switching transistors a +, b +, and c + have their collectors coupled together and connected to a positive line voltage terminal 52 . the free end of each motor winding is coupled between the two transistors of a pair . thus , for example , the pair of transistors a - and a + which are connected to the a winding 50 have the capability of connecting the winding 50 either to ground or to positive vl terminal 52 . the same is true for the remaining transistor pairs and the corresponding motor windings 48 and 46 . each of the switching transistors of fig5 has an associated diode 56 , 58 , 60 , 62 , 64 or 66 , connected in parallel with it , but with a polarity such as to permit current flow in the opposite direction to that through the associated transistor . diodes 56 , 58 and 60 are coupled together and connected to ground through a diode current sensing resistor rs2 . by comparison with the circuit of fig2 the similarities between the switching transistors of fig5 and the switching transistors of fig2 can be discerned , except that the circuit of fig2 is for a single phase motor , whereas the circuit of fig5 is for a three phase motor . as indicated in fig2 the transistor current sensing and diode current sensing signals is1 and is2 are picked off the sensing resistors rs1 and rs2 for application in the current sensor stage 41 ( fig4 ). fig6 is a schematic diagram illustrating particular details of the circuitry employed in the level dependent logic stage 34 and the commutation logic stage 38 for driving the switching circuit 40 ( see fig4 and 5 ). as shown in fig6 a , the integrated error signal ie is dropped across a voltage divider comprising resistors r1 and r2 and filter capacitor c1 and applied to one input of each of four level dependent switches u1a , u1b , u1c and u1d . these are connected across positive and negative power supplies as shown , and furthermore the two switches u1a and u1b have second input terminals coupled through resistors r9 and r10 to the + 5 volt supply while the switches ulc and u1d have their second input terminals coupled through resistors r13 and r14 to the - 5 volt supply . the different connections and the different values of the input coupling resistors develop different bias levels for the switches u1a - u1d so that the switches change state for different levels of applied error signal ie , applied at the terminal block 70 . phase signals from the rotor position sensor 36 ( fig4 ) are also applied at the terminal block 70 and fed directly through to the commutation logic stage 38 . these lines are connected respectively to the + 5 volt power supply through resistors r3 - r8 . plus 15 volts , - 15 volts , and ground connections are provided to establish the + 5 volt and - 5 volt power supplies . the + 5 volt power supply comprises a zener diode 76 and filter capacitors c2 and c3 , connected to the + 15 volt line 72 through series resistor r11 . the plus voltage for the switches u1a - u1d is taken from another 15 volt line through series resistor r19 , filtered by capacitors c6 and c7 . the - 5 volt supply is developed from - 15 volts supplied through series resistor r12 and the zener diode 78 and parallel capacitors c4 and c5 . each of the switches u1a - u1d is provided with resistors r15 - r18 and r20 - r23 , respectively , connected as shown , plus output coupling resistors r24 , r26 , r28 and r30 , respectively . these switch output lines are further connected to the + 5 volt line through respective resistors r25 , r27 , r29 and r31 . as noted in fig6 a immediately above these resistors , these output lines correspond respectively to the switching signals representing cwp complement , cwm complement , ccwm and ccwp . these output signals from the level dependent switches in level dependent logic stage 34 are applied to comparators in the commutation logic stage 38 for combination with the respective phase signals . 0 . 1 , . 0 . 2 , . 0 . 3 and their respective complements which are combined in the manner indicated in the circuit of the commutation logic stage 38 by means of the nor gates u2a - c , u3a - c , u4a - d , u5a - c , u6a - c , and u7a - d as shown . the six outputs of the commutation logic stage 38 are indicated as the complements of signals a +, b +, c +, a -, b - and c - which correspond to the following commutation equations by virtue of the operation of the commutation logic on the variables indicated : ______________________________________commutation equations______________________________________a + = --. 0 . 1 . 0 . 3 cwp + . 0 . 1 --. 0 . 3 ccwpb + = . 0 . 2 --. 0 . 3 cwp + --. 0 . 2 . 0 . 3 ccwpc + = . 0 . 1 --. 0 . 2 cwp + --. 0 . 1 . 0 . 2 ccwpa - = . 0 . 1 --. 0 . 3 cwm + --. 0 . 1 . 0 . 3 ccwmb - = --. 0 . 2 . 0 . 3 cwm + . 0 . 2 --. 0 . 3 ccwmc - = --. 0 . 1 . 0 . 2 cwm + . 0 . 1 --. 0 . 2 ccwm______________________________________ the development of the commutation equations in the circuitry of fig6 may be considered by an example with respect to the upper line involving the nor gates u2a , u2b and u4a . the inputs to nor gate u2a are . 0 . 1 and the complements of cwp and . 0 . 3 . the output of nor gate u2a , applied as one of the inputs to nor gate u4a , will thus be true ( or representing the value 1 ) only when all three of the inputs are false ( or 0 ). this is equivalent to . 0 . 1 . 0 . 3cwp . similarly , the inputs to nor gate u2b are . 0 . 3 and the complements of . 0 . 1 and ccwp , the latter being developed by inversion through the nor gate u4d . the output of nor gate u2b , applied as the other input to nor gate u4a , is . 0 . 1 . 0 . 3ccwp . the output of nor gate u4a thus becomes the complement of the commutation equation for a +, which becomes inverted in the transistor stage 84 to develop the a + signal as expressed in the commutation equations . the remaining portion of fig6 located within the broken lines to the right of the figure and designated 40a , represents a driving stage to the power switching transistors of the switching transistors designated 40b in fig5 . as shown in fig6 b the driving transistors are designated by numbers 84 - 89 , having respective resistors r33 - r38 connected to the + 15 volt side of a power supply which is center tapped to ground and has filter capacitors c8 and c9 coupled to + 15 volts and capacitors c10 and c11 coupled to - 15 volts . - 15 volts is fed out through the terminal block 103 as the minus side of the respective drive line pairs carrying the signals corresponding to the commutation equations . it will be understood that , although the transistor switches of fig5 are shown as single transistors for simplicity and ease of understanding , these transistors are in fact , as indicated above , more complex power switching circuits to which dual drive lines are connected for control . the other one of each pair of the output control lines from the terminal block 103 in fig6 is coupled to the output terminal ( collector ) of a corresponding one of the inverting driver transistors 84 - 89 . in series with each such output line is a corresponding one of a plurality of light emitting diodes ( leds ) 97 - 102 which are included in the circuit for test purposes . another switching stage , similar to the stages u1a - u1d but not shown in the circuitry of fig6 is included in the level dependent logic stage 34 of the circuit of fig4 . this switching circuit is biased to change state about the zero level of applied control voltage . this provides the normal output and its complement (+ 1 /- 1 ) which is applied as the multiplier for the feedback current in the stage 42 so that the feedback current can be made negative when counterclockwise operation is desired . the relationship of the normal switch relative to the remaining switches in the level dependent logic is indicated in fig7 . the changes of state of the normal switch occur as the applied error signal changes polarity and as the control circuitry is progressing from counterclockwise operation to clockwise operation ( considering the applied control voltage progressing in the positive direction ). with the exception of the addition of the normal switch states shown in fig7 fig7 corresponds to fig1 and the explanation is comparable thereto . in accordance with an aspect of the present invention , the level dependent logic , as just described , allows for the proper switching transistors to be turned on without having to have prior knowledge as to which transistors are needed because of variations in the operating modes . as described above , the current sensor 41 receives the feedback current signals is1 and is2 developed across the sensing resistors as shown in fig5 and provides an output signal corresponding to the larger of the two . since the currents through rs1 and rs2 only give the absolute value of the current flow in the motor , the resultant current feedback signal must be inverted if the motor is being driven in the counterclockwise direction . the current feedback is inverted in the stage 42 ( fig4 ) depending on which transistor switches are being turned on next . the feedback sign may not agree with the current in the actual motor winding , but this is in accordance with the four - quadrant control realized by the control circuit of the present invention . the &# 34 ; highest wins &# 34 ; stage for comparing the absolute value signals developed across rs1 and rs2 of fig5 may be eliminated and a simple summing stage may be used if the circuit modification shown in fig8 is employed . fig8 represents a portion of the circuit of fig5 showing the diodes 62 , 64 and 66 coupled in association with switching transistors a +, b + and c +, similar to the arrangement in fig5 except that the common connection to the cathodes of the diodes 62 , 64 , 66 is connected in series with a resistor rs2 &# 39 ; to the + vl terminal 52 . with the switching circuit connected as shown in fig8 the resistor rs2 of fig5 would be eliminated , and the diode feedback signal is2 is derived from the resistor rs2 &# 39 ;. with this circuit , a simple summing stage can be provided for comparing is1 and is2 . the method of driving the motor is independent of the method of making the current measurement for the feedback signal . the use of control circuits in accordance with the present invention as shown and described hereinabove for controlling the power applied to an actuator motor is particularly advantageous in electrical actuating systems for controlling the control surfaces and certain other elements which are now controlled by hydraulic systems in aircraft . indeed , control systems in accordance with the invention may be used in many applications where reliable operation , simplification of hardware and reduction of weight are desired . it will be understood that for fail - safe reliability , as in an aircraft control system or the like , dual channel redundancy is provided by duplicating the actuator motors , control circuits , and the like . although there have been described above specific arrangements of a multi - quadrant brushless dc motor drive in accordance with the invention for the purpose of illustrating the manner in which the invention may be used to advantage , it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited thereto . accordingly , any and all modifications , variations or equivalent arrangements which may occur to those skilled in the art should be considered to be within the scope of the invention as defined in the annexed claims .	7
all of the nozzles receive full flow of water at all times . the impact locations on the ground of streams of water are parallel evenly - spaced and rectilinear throughout the length of the rectangular or square water distribution pattern . the boundaries of the rectangular or square water distribution pattern are rectilinear and orthogonal both widthwise and lengthwise . water is provided to corner areas of typical rectangular or square areas to be watered without producing waste water and / or run - off waste water outside of the boundaries between the four corners . the typical rectangular or square area to be watered is watered evenly throughout . the parallel evenly - spaced rectilinear impact locations on the ground of streams of water , and the rectangular or square water distribution pattern are produced automatically . one method of using a sprinkler embodying the invention is to place the sprinkler in the center of the area to be watered and then to adjust the flow from the faucet so the size of the water distribution pattern is compatible with the size of the area to be watered . alternatively , the sprinkler may be placed at an edge of the area in which case the adjustable stops on the oscillation mechanism may be engaged causing the oscillating tube to oscillate between the vertical and only one horizontal - most position . efficiency is available to the user by appropriately locating the sprinkler within the area to be watered , directionally orienting the sprinkler , engaging or disengaging adjustable stops on the oscillation mechanism , and adjusting the flow from the faucet . thereby a full - sized rectangular distribution pattern as large as the sprinkler is capable of producing , or a less than full - sized rectangular pattern of the right , left , or center section of a full sized pattern may be produced — all of which are rectangular shaped . if the oscillation mechanism is disconnected or otherwise adjusted causing the tube to remain in a fixed position , embodiments of the current invention may also be used to evenly water a linear area such as a row of flowers or a row of bushes or trees for example , with no oscillation involved . fig1 a , 1 b , and 1 c show examples that if a prior art sprinkler 101 is located where its elliptical water distribution pattern 103 does not distribute water beyond the boundaries of a typical rectangular area to be watered 102 , corner areas y may not receive water . if the prior art sprinkler is located where the water does reach the corner areas , then waste water and / or run - off waste water x results between the corners . fig2 a , 2 b , and 2 c show that the problem of corner areas not receiving water , and the problem of waste water and / or run - off waste water between corners are solved by the rectangular water distribution pattern 203 which is geometrically compatible with the typical rectangular area to be watered 202 and which is automatically produced by sprinkler 201 , in accordance with embodiments of the invention . fig3 shows an exemplary unitary body 301 comprising regulatory channels 303 which regulate both the longitudinal and radial angles of relatively long , flexible nozzles as the oscillating tube oscillates . the relatively long , flexible nozzles extend from the oscillating tube through the channels . the unitary body may be attached to the base structure of the sprinkler by an attachable portion 306 . the unitary body may include vertically - oriented portions 304 , horizontally - oriented portions 305 , and an arcuate portion 302 which is located superior to the oscillating tube and which comprises the regulatory channels 303 . the device of fig3 represents a way of enabling an oscillating sprinkler to 1 ) automatically produce a rectangular water distribution pattern 2 ) automatically produce even watering with parallel evenly - spaced rectilinear impact locations of water on the ground throughout the length of the water distribution pattern , and 3 ) automatically water the corners without producing waste water between the corners . the results may be seen in fig1 and fig1 . the device of fig3 functions basically in the same way and produces the same results as are described herein regarding fig3 a through 15 . one difference between the unitary body of fig3 and the devices of fig3 a through 12 is that regarding 3 a through 12 the flexible nozzles must be manufactured in relatively precise longitudinal ( and radial ) angles and be somewhat resilient so as to exert some force against the curved longitudinal angle regulators . regarding fig3 , the longitudinally - outwardly angled nozzles used may be made of less substantial material and may be simply shaped cylindrically throughout their length . the size , shape , and location of the regulatory channels will regulate the longitudinal and the radial angles of the nozzles as desired . the relatively long flexible nozzles that may be used in regard to fig3 may comprise circumferential ridges as in 603 a between which may be confined a rigid , slick contact receptor as in 602 a . the rigid , slick contact receptor is in loose , low - friction contact with the walls of the regulatory channels . the walls of each regulatory channel may be beveled or angled so as to be parallel with the rigid , slick contact receptor of the nozzle that extends through the channel . the bevel or angle of the walls of each channel may vary through the “ circumferential ” or lateral length of the channel in order to be parallel with the rigid , slick contact receptor throughout a complete oscillation cycle . as the sprinkler operates , water that falls onto the channel walls and rigid , slick contact receptors may function as a lubricant to reduce friction . considering the relatively long flexible nozzles independent of the regulatory channels , and considering them prior to being inserted through the channels , the longitudinally outward angle of each nozzle increases as the nozzles distance from the center nozzle increases . this is as is typical of prior art and sprinklers embodying the invention . regarding the regulatory channels 303 , the longitudinal length or distance from one termination of the channel to the center point of the channel increases as the channel &# 39 ; s distance from the center channel increases . thereby , the amount of change in the longitudinal angle of a nozzle from the horizontal - most to the vertical oscillating position is greatest for the end - most nozzles and least for the center nozzle . this is what is required to change the curved and unevenly - spaced lines of a prior art sprinkler of fig1 in general , and in regard to 1303 and 1304 in particular , to the rectilinear and evenly - spaced lines shown in fig1 . for example , if one considers the regulation of an end - most nozzle , one will notice that in the horizontal - most oscillating position , the longitudinal angle of the nozzle is unchanged from what it would be if there were no channels and no regulation at all , but in the vertical position , the amount of change effected by the channel is greatest and the rectilinear lengthwise boundaries and rectilinear impact locations of water on the ground are formed . the parallel even spacing of the rectilinear lines of fig1 are formed because the amount of change in the longitudinal angle of a nozzle increases as the nozzle &# 39 ; s distance from the center nozzle increases . stated differently , the size , shape , and location of the regulatory channels regulates the longitudinal angle of the nozzles as the oscillating tube oscillates such that the impact locations of the water on the ground are changed from those as seen in fig1 , to those as seen in fig1 . the longitudinal angle of each nozzle is regulated at any given point of the oscillation cycle , to the extent needed to produce the rectilinear lengthwise boundaries of the water distribution pattern , and the evenly - spaced rectilinear impact locations throughout the length of the rectangular water distribution pattern . the amount of change in the longitudinal angle of a nozzle from the horizontal - most to the vertical oscillating position may increase as the nozzle &# 39 ; s distance from the center nozzle increases . the center nozzle undergoes no longitudinal angle regulation at all . regarding the regulatory channels 303 , the “ circumferential ”, or lateral length or distance from one termination of the channel to the center point of the channel increases as the channel &# 39 ; s distance from the center channel increases . thereby the change in the radial angle of a nozzle at and / or near a horizontal - most oscillating position is greatest for the center nozzle and least for the end - most nozzles . the end - most nozzles undergo no radial angle regulation at all . this is what forms the rectilinear widthwise boundaries of the rectangular water distribution pattern . the “ circumferential ”, or lateral length of the channels on the arcuate portion of the device of fig3 regulates the radial angle of the nozzles at and / or near the horizontal - most oscillating position , thereby forming the rectilinear widthwise boundaries of the rectangular water distribution pattern . the “ circumferential ”, or lateral length of each channel increases as the channel &# 39 ; s distance from the center channel increases . as the oscillating tube approaches a horizontal - most oscillating position , the rigid , slick contact receptor of a nozzle comes in contact with the distal or proximal termination of a channel , and the motion of that nozzle is stopped . in this position , the end - most nozzles are at a radial angle optimal for producing an impact location of water on the ground a maximal horizontal distance from the sprinkler , thereby forming the corners of the rectangular water distribution pattern . each nozzle , other than the end - most nozzles , are “ stopped ” at a redial angle “ higher ” than optimal and thereby produce an impact location of water on the ground less than a maximal horizontal distance from the sprinkler . in this horizontal - most oscillating position , the number of degrees “ higher ” than optimal of the radial angle of each nozzle increases as the nozzle &# 39 ; s distance from the end - most nozzle increases . as an example , in this oscillating position , the end - most nozzles may be radially angled at approximately 45 degrees while the center nozzle may be radially angled at approximately 55 degrees . thereby , the corners and the rectilinear widthwise boundaries of the rectangular water distribution pattern are produced . this may be seen in fig1 for example . one will notice that the regulatory channels do not decrease the horizontal distance from the sprinkler to the corners of the rectangular water distribution pattern . this is because in the horizontal - most position , the end - most nozzles do not undergo any longitudinal nor any radial angle regulation at all , and water is provided to the corners as far from the sprinkler as the sprinkler &# 39 ; s maximal capacity allows . one will notice that in a horizontal - most position , all of the regulation takes place with all of the nozzles except the end - most nozzles . one will also notice that in all positions of the oscillation cycle except the horizontal - most , all of the regulation takes place with all of the nozzles except the center nozzle . fig3 may visually lead one to believe that the number of degrees of alteration or regulation , and / or the linear measure of alteration or regulation , in the longitudinal and the radial angles of the flexible nozzles throughout a complete oscillation cycle may be relatively great . in fact , the amount of alteration or regulation is quite small and easily accomplished . it is anticipated that for example , there may be approximately ¼ of an inch of space between the oscillating tube and the arcuate portion 302 comprising the regulatory channels 303 , and anticipated that the flexible nozzles may extend approximately ¼ inch above the regulatory channels , though many possibilities exist in this regard . if desired by the manufacturer , optional staggered rectilinear impact locations of water on the ground at the widthwise boundaries may be produced by slightly reducing the circumferential side - to side length of even numbered channels . this option is discussed elsewhere in this disclosure and may be seen in 1105 of fig1 and 1504 of fig1 . if desired by the manufacturer , the arcuate portion 302 comprising the channels , and / or the rigid , slick contact receptors such as in 602 a may be made available to the consumer as consumer - replaceable “ snap - on ” replacement parts . a typical prior art sprinkler may provide less water per square foot when the oscillating tube is at and / or near the vertical position . this is because at and / or near vertical , the elliptical water distribution pattern is maximally wide , and the impact locations on the ground of all of the streams of water are maximally widely - spaced . the impact locations on the ground conversely , are minimally widely - spaced and closest together in the horizontal - most positions wherein the elliptical water distribution pattern is narrowest . this is depicted in fig1 in general , and in 1303 and 1304 in particular . this may cause a prior art sprinkler to unevenly distribute water within its ellipse with maximal amounts of water per square foot at each end and minimal water per square foot across the center of the ellipse wherein the oscillating tube is at and near the vertical position . conversely a sprinkler in accordance with embodiments of the invention longitudinally regulates the angle of not only the end - most nozzles that form the rectilinear lengthwise boundaries , but of all of the nozzles except the center nozzle . the degrees of change of the longitudinally outward angle of all of the nozzles , during an oscillation cycle , increases as the nozzle &# 39 ; s distance from the center nozzle increases . thereby , the impact locations on the ground of streams of water from all of the nozzles are evenly - spaced , and rectilinear throughout the entire oscillation cycle . they do not form curved paths within the boundaries , but form rectilinear paths lengthwise from one widthwise boundary to the second widthwise boundary . thereby embodiments of the current invention may automatically , very evenly water a typical rectangular area to be watered . regarding fig3 a , base structure 301 a may function as a stable base for the entire sprinkler and also as a component to which the curved longitudinal angle regulators 304 a and curved radial angle regulators 305 a may be attached . the angle regulators may be attached by various means such as being of one mold with the base structure , with screws , with tabs and slots , and / or by “ snap on ” friction in combination with tabs and slots etc . tabs and slots , grooves and flanges , etc ., may be used to cause the angle regulators to be positioned precisely in place . precise positioning , size , and shape of the angle regulators is essential for automatically producing the evenly - spaced rectilinear impact locations of water on the ground , and the rectilinear widthwise and also lengthwise boundaries of the rectangular water distribution pattern . for clarity and simplicity the drawings except for fig9 a show the angle regulators as individual components . however , it is likely they may be interconnected by additional parts that may extend throughout , interconnecting the regulators into a unitary grid as exemplified in fig9 a . by this method , for example , all of the longitudinal angle regulators may be interconnected as a unitary grid and it is likely that the radial angle regulators may also be connected to the grid , thereby all of the angle regulators may constitute a single unitary grid , made of a single piece of material . many configurations of the unitary grid may be contemplated and coordinated with , for example , the length of the flexible nozzles , and the distance from one base structure member to the other etc . the general side - to side shape of the unitary grid may be “ domed ” or “ squared ,” for example . rigid oscillating tube 306 a has sufficient length ( not shown ) between the water motor and the first proximal end - most nozzle to accommodate an “ o ” ring and an oscillation mechanism with adjustable stops ( not shown ). flexible nozzles 302 a are relatively long . it must be understood that even though they are flexible , they are of a material and of a size and shape ( see fig6 a , 6 b , 7 , and 8 ) that causes each nozzle , when not in contact with an angle regulator , to be precise in its longitudinal and radial angle . thereby , all of the nozzles , when not in contact with an angle regulator have the same radial angle just as they would if they were rigid instead of flexible . also thereby , the longitudinally outward angle of each nozzle increases as the nozzle &# 39 ; s distance from the center nozzle increases , just as they would if they were rigid instead of flexible . each flexible nozzle may have a rigid , slick contact receptor 303 a which comes into contact with the angle regulators . fig3 a shows the nozzles in the vertical oscillating position . at this vertical point of the oscillation cycle , the number of degrees of decrease in the longitudinally outward angle that each nozzle is being flexed increases as the nozzle &# 39 ; s distance from the center nozzle increases . within the oscillation cycle , as the oscillating tube rotates from a horizontal - most position toward the vertical position , the rigid , slick contact receptor of each nozzle contacts and traverses the curved part of its corresponding longitudinal angle regulator . the size , shape , and location of the curved part of each longitudinal angle regulator progressively reduces the longitudinally outward angle of the end most nozzles as the oscillating tube rotates from a horizontal - most position toward the vertical position , to the extent that impact locations of streams of water from the end - most nozzles do not form a curve producing the lengthwise portion of an ellipse and producing waste water and / or run - off waste water x , as does a prior art sprinkler . instead , the impact locations form the rectilinear lengthwise boundaries of the rectangular water distribution pattern . as the cycle continues and the tube rotates from the vertical toward the second horizontal - most position , the effect is basically reversed in that the longitudinally outward angle of the end - most flexible nozzles is progressively increased as the rigid , slick contact receptor of the nozzles traverses the second half of the curved part of the longitudinal angle regulator and as the flexible nozzle is progressively allowed to return to its unregulated longitudinally outward angle . thereby , the impact locations of streams of water from the end - most flexible nozzles form the second half of the rectilinear lengthwise boundaries of the rectangular water distribution pattern . fig4 is a top view , therefore it is easy to see the curved portions of the longitudinal and radial angle regulators . the regulation of the longitudinal and radial angles of the flexible nozzles may automatically produce parallel evenly - spaced rectilinear impact locations of water and a rectangular water distribution pattern with substantially equal amounts of water delivered to every square foot of a typical rectangular area to be watered . continuing with fig4 , radial angle regulator 405 may , in variations , optionally comprise indentations 407 for the purpose of receiving the odd - numbered flexible nozzles as the oscillating tube reaches a horizontal - most position . thereby , in this option or variation , as per fig1 , the end most nozzles are optimally radially angled to produce streams of maximal horizontal distance from the sprinkler thereby demarcating the corners of the rectangular water distribution pattern and defining the overall size of the rectangular water distribution pattern . the radial angle of the flexible nozzles is regulated by the radial angle regulator when the nozzles are in a horizontal - most position . the number of degrees “ higher than ” optimal of each nozzle increases as the nozzle &# 39 ; s distance from the end - most nozzles increases . thereby the rectilinear widthwise boundaries of the rectangular water distribution pattern are produced . the point to be made in viewing the radial angle regulator 405 which comprises the optional indentations 407 , and in viewing fig1 , is that rectilinear but staggered impact locations may be produced . odd numbered nozzles in this variation , are allowed to proceed very slightly closer to the optimal radial angle while the even numbered nozzles without the indentations , are “ stopped ” very slightly “ additionally ” “ higher ” than if they were to proceed into an indentation . thereby the rectilinear but staggered impact locations may be produced if the manufacturer so desires . this option or variation may be applicable if the manufacturer desires to counter the possibility that additional water per square foot may be distributed to the widthwise boundaries , not because of unevenness of distribution by the nozzles , but because the sprinkler embodying the invention , just like prior art sprinklers , may temporally pause in each horizontal - most position as the oscillating tube comes to a stop and reverses its direction of rotation . staggered impact locations along each widthwise boundary is therefore an option available with embodiments of the current invention . as an option to having indentations for only odd - numbered nozzles , a curved radial angle regulator may have an indentation for all of the nozzles it will come into contact with . this may be desirous because a nozzle received and contacted within an indentation will not be able to undesirably slide out of position longitudinally while it is being pressed against the curved radial angle regulator . the option of producing staggered rectilinear impact locations as described above , and also the option of having an indentation for all of the nozzles that will come in contact with a radial angle regulator may both be desired by the manufacturer . if such is the case , the indentations for odd - numbered nozzles may be slightly “ deeper ” indentations than those for even - numbered nozzles — thereby the rectilinear staggered impact locations may be produced . as the flexible nozzles approach a horizontal - most oscillating position , the rigid , slick contact receptor of the center nozzle may contact a curved radial angle regulator near , for example , a radial angle of approximately 55 degrees . the radial angle at which each rigid , slick contact receptor may contact the curved radial angle regulator decreases as its distance from the center nozzle increases , the end most nozzles most likely reaching an exemplary optimal radial angle of approximately 45 degrees . thereby , the rectilinear widthwise boundaries are produced . it may be desirous that the leading edge surface of a curved radial angle regulator that is contacted by the rigid , slick contact receptors , be oriented at a similar angle , of for example an angle of approximately 50 degrees . it may be difficult to visually perceive in the drawings but it may be desirous that the curved portion of radial angle regulators extend , not horizontally , but extend at an angle approximately matching that of the nozzles as they approach and contact it . it may be desirous that ( 1 ) the curved portion or ( 2 ) the leading edge surface of the curved portion be oriented at an angle matching , or approximately matching that of the nozzles . a variety of functional configurations may be contemplated . for example , the curved portion of a radial angle regulator may extend at approximately a 50 degree angle , or it may extend generally horizontally with only the leading edge surface oriented at an approximate 50 degree angle . fig4 a shows that as an option to a radial angle regulator having a curved leading edge with or without indentations , the leading edge may instead be a stepped leading edge 401 a . a stepped version may perform the same function as the curved version with indentations , or the curved version without indentations . each step may receive and contact a nozzle . being generally rectilinear , the surface of the step that is contacted by a rigid , slick contact receptor may prevent the nozzles from undesirably sliding out of position longitudinally . also , if the option of producing rectilinear staggered impact locations is desired , a slight increase in the horizontal length of steps 402 a for the even - numbered nozzles , or else a slight decrease in the horizontal length of steps 402 a for the odd - numbered nozzles , will produce the rectilinear staggered impact locations . fig5 shows an option or variation wherein the radial angle regulator is of a length sufficient to contact and regulate all of the flexible nozzles including the end - most nozzles . in fig3 and 4 for example , no contact is made between the radial angle regulators and the end - most nozzles in as much as the end - most nozzles &# 39 ; s radial angles are not regulated but are allowed to reach a radial angle optimal for producing impact locations of streams of water a maximal distance from the sprinkler , thereby demarcating the corners of , and defining the overall size of the rectangular water distribution pattern . in some embodiments , the two radial angle regulators may be of a sufficient length as to contact all of the flexible nozzles , including the end - most nozzles , then the manufacturer may potentially simplify the production of a sprinkler embodying the invention and potentially reduce the financial cost of production . this may be because it may be complicated and / or financially expensive to manufacture a sprinkler with the water motor and gears , etc ., calibrated and configured to rotate the oscillating tube relatively precisely to a desired horizontal - most angle , a 45 degree angle for example . conversely , it may be very simple and very financially inexpensive to simply have radial angle regulators which position all of the flexible nozzles , including the end - most nozzles , in radial angles so as to produce the rectilinear widthwise boundaries of the rectangular water distribution pattern even if the sprinkler is simply and inexpensively calibrated and configured , with a margin of error , to rotate with a relatively low level of precision , “ farther than ” or “ beyond ” the radial angle which is optimal for producing streams of water with impact locations of a maximal distance from the sprinkler , 45 degrees for example . this concept of novelty is that the manufacturer may benefit from a margin of error regarding the angle at which the direction of rotation is reversed . in this case the manufacturer may simply and inexpensively configure the sprinkler to rotate to an angle within a range between , for example 45 and 30 degrees , knowing that the inexpensive , simple , radial angle regulators will angle the flexible nozzles precisely to produce the rectilinear widthwise boundaries of the rectangular water distribution pattern . alternatively , the manufacturer may choose to use a radial angle regulator that is of a shorter length so as to contact all of the nozzles except the end - most nozzles , as may be seen in fig3 a and 4 , for example . embodiments of the current invention may use flexible nozzles 601 a with rigid , slick contact receptor 602 a held in place by circumferential ridges 603 a on the flexible nozzle . even though they are flexible , the nozzles are oriented at a definite radial and definite longitudinal angle when they are manufactured and when they are not in contact with any angle regulator . a portion of the nozzle between the rigid , slick contact receptor and the larger base portion of the nozzle flexes when the nozzle is in contact with an angle regulator thereby regulating the direction of the stream of water emanating from the nozzle . the flexible nozzles in most of the drawings are depicted as having a relatively large base area , usually a generally conical , square , or rectangular base area , however this is meant to be exemplary . any functional shape of a flexible nozzle may be used . the nozzles need to have a definite radial and longitudinal angle when not in contact with an angle regulator , to be flexible , to accommodate and retain some type of contact receptor , etc . nozzles of the shape shown in fig1 ( rigid , slick contact receptors not shown in fig1 ) for example , may function as desired . the drawings and / or text of this disclosure may mislead the reader into perceiving that the number of degrees of change in the angles of the nozzles and the corresponding amount of flexion effected by the angle regulators are larger than may in fact be the case . in fact , experiments indicate that the greatest alteration in the number the degrees of a nozzle may be , as an example , approximately 10 degrees . the flexible nozzles may be relatively longer than most nozzles on prior art sprinklers . one method of incorporating flexible nozzles into embodiments of the current invention is to produce a rigid oscillating tube with a rectangular opening 601 b and insert into it a flexible tube comprising flexible nozzles 602 b . the flexible tube , flexible notched flanges , and flexible nozzles may be “ all of one mold ,” and made of a single piece of material . flexible tube notched flange end 603 b and flexible tube notched flange edge 604 b are geometrically configured to fit into the rectangular opening of the rigid tube and form a water - tight seal . ( see fig7 and 8 ). proximal to the rectangular opening is a length of the rigid oscillating tube 605 b ( for accommodating an “ o ” ring and oscillation mechanism with adjustable stops , not shown ). length 606 b is water - tight . flexible nozzles 607 b have a definite longitudinal and radial angle orientation when manufactured . their flexibility allows for angle regulators to alter their angles and therefore also the direction and the horizontal distance from the sprinkler that a stream of water travels before impacting the ground . thereby , evenly - spaced rectilinear impact locations of water , and a rectilinear and rectangular water distribution pattern may be automatically produced . another method of incorporating flexible nozzles into embodiments of the current invention is to produce a rigid oscillating tube with a rectangular opening 701 , and insert into the rectangular opening flexible nozzles on a flexible rectangular base 702 , with notched flange end 703 , and notched flange edge 704 which form a water - tight seal . proximal to the rectangular opening in the rigid oscillating tube is a length of the rigid oscillation tube 705 ( for accommodating “ o ” ring and oscillation mechanism with adjustable stops , not shown ). another method of incorporating flexible nozzles into embodiments of the current invention is to produce a rigid oscillating tube with rectangular openings 801 , and insert into the rectangular openings a flexible nozzle on a rectangular base 802 , with notched flange end 803 , and notched flange edge 804 which form a water - tight seal . proximal to the rectangular openings in the rigid oscillating tube is a length of the rigid oscillating tube 805 ( for accommodating “ o ” ring and oscillation mechanism with adjustable stops , not shown ). other methods of incorporating flexible nozzles onto a rigid tube are contemplated . an exemplary unitary grid 901 a may be constructed of a single piece of material . the unitary grid comprises longitudinal angle regulators 902 a , radial angle regulators 903 a , end - to - end interconnecting and reinforcing portions 904 a , and a portion of the unitary grid 905 a that is attachable to the base structure of a sprinkler embodying the current invention . fig9 b through 9 e exemplify various means by which an attachable portion of a unitary grid may be attached and precisely positioned on to a base structure of a sprinkler embodying the invention . many methods of attaching and precisely positioning a unitary grid to a base structure may be contemplated by one skilled in the art . attachment and precise positioning may be accomplished most simply and economically by configuring the attachable portion of the unitary grid to frictionally “ snap on ” to the base structure such that it not only is securely attached , but is also precisely positioned . many such configurations are contemplated such that the securing and positioning holds the unitary grid securely “ side to side , end to end , and up and down ” onto the base structure . fig9 b shows a side view of an attachable portion of the unitary grid 901 b “ snapped on ” to the base structure 902 b and precisely positioned “ end - to - end ” by ridges 903 b on the base structure . similar in function , fig9 c shows an end view of attachable portion of unitary grid 901 c with tab 904 c extending through slot 903 c in base structure 902 c . fig9 d and 9 e show end views of attachable portions of unitary grid frictionally “ snapped on ” to base structure . any such configuration of attachment simply needs to effect secure attachment and stable , precise positioning of the unitary grid on to the base structure . if so desired by the manufacturer , other methods and / or other components or devices such as screws , may be used . fig1 is an end view showing the production of rectilinear impact locations of streams of water 1004 along the rectilinear widthwise boundary 1003 when the oscillating tube 1001 is in a horizontal - most oscillating position . this drawing is a end view using simple lines to represent the radial angle of the proximal five nozzles 1002 . the end most nozzle is at a radial angle such as 45 degrees for example , optimal for producing a stream of water with an impact location in the corner , a maximal distance from the sprinkler . a radial angle regulator , ( not shown ), is in contact with the nozzles . the number of degrees “ higher ” than optimal of the radial angle of each nozzle increases as the nozzle &# 39 ; s distance from the end - most nozzles increases . thereby , the corners and a rectilinear widthwise boundary are automatically produced . the information conveyed in fig1 is similar to that of fig1 . fig1 is a perspective view that demonstrates an option or variation easily available to the manufacturer should the manufacturer choose to use it . the oscillating tube 1101 is in a horizontal - most position . end - most nozzles 1103 are at a radial angle optimal for producing streams of water with impact locations in the corners a maximal horizontal distance from the sprinkler . the radial angle regulator ( not shown ) is in contact with the flexible nozzles 1102 . as in fig1 , the number of degrees “ higher ” than optimal of the radial angle of each nozzle increases as the nozzle &# 39 ; s distance from the end - most nozzles increases . however , with this option , the radial angle of the even - numbered nozzles may be very slightly additionally “ higher ,” thereby a second rectilinear row of impact locations is produced a desired distance inward from the boundary . the optional staggered impact locations along the rectilinear widthwise boundaries may be produced by various means which are shown in fig4 and 4 a and discussed in the text regarding fig4 and 4 a ( see also fig1 ). if the oscillating tube of an inexpensively manufactured sprinkler pauses for a short period of time in the horizontal - most positions as it reverses its direction , it may provide more water to the end or widthwise boundaries than to other parts of the area to be watered . the optional staggered impact locations 1105 may be used to spread out the impact locations of water produced during the time that the movement of the oscillating tube is paused , thereby more evenly distributing the water , if so desired by the manufacturer . fig1 is a side view of a motion - imparting time - lag representation of the production of the rectilinear lengthwise boundaries of the rectangular water distribution pattern . for clarity and simplicity , only the end - most nozzles are shown . as was described in conjunction with fig3 a , as the oscillating tube 1201 rotates from one horizontal - most position toward the vertical , the rigid , slick contact receptor 1205 of the flexible end - most nozzle 1202 contacts and traverses the curved longitudinal angle regulator 1206 . the longitudinally outward angle of the end - most nozzle is progressively decreased from horizontal - most to vertical , then allowed to progressively increase from vertical to the second horizontal - most position . thereby the rectilinear impact locations of water 1204 produce the rectilinear lengthwise boundaries 1203 of the rectangular water distribution pattern . as shown in other drawings , all of the nozzles except the center nozzle , are altered longitudinally throughout the oscillation cycle , thereby the evenly - spaced , rectilinear impact locations of water are produced throughout the length of the rectangular water distribution pattern . the number of degrees of change in the longitudinally outward angle of each nozzle increases as the nozzle &# 39 ; s distance from the center nozzle increases . ( see also fig1 and the text regarding fig1 ). fig1 shows problems and inefficiencies of typical prior art sprinkler 1301 . it shows the curved impact locations of streams of water and the elliptical water distribution pattern of typical prior art sprinkler 1301 superimposed over a rectangular area to be watered 1302 . it shows curved impact locations outside of the widthwise and lengthwise boundaries which represent waste water and / or run - off waste water . it also shows unevenness in the amount of water delivered to a given square foot of area regardless of the shape of the area to be watered . this unevenness is shown by the narrowly - spaced impact locations 1304 at and / or near the “ ends ” as compared to the widely - spaced impact locations 1303 at and / or near the center section of the area being watered . stated differently , fig1 shows waste water between the corners , and also the unevenness in the amount of water distributed per square foot while the prior art sprinkler is in a horizontal - most position 1304 compared to the amount per square foot in the vertical position 1303 . a typical prior art sprinkler may deliver substantially more water per square foot to the “ ends ” than to the center because it : ( 1 ) produces impact locations narrowly - spaced at the “ ends ” and widely - spaced at the center , and also ( 2 ) typically spends more time , or more seconds per minute in a horizontal - most position , as its oscillating tube slows down and pauses or “ stops ” in the process of changing directions of rotation , than it spends passing through the vertical position . conversely , a sprinkler in accordance with embodiments of the invention produces parallel evenly - spaced rectilinear impact locations by automatically regulating the longitudinal angle of all of the nozzles except the center nozzle ( see fig1 ). however , similar to a prior art sprinkler , an inexpensively manufactured sprinkler embodying the invention also may be in a horizontal - most position for more time or for more seconds per minute than at its vertical position , that is why embodiments of the current invention offer the manufacturer the option of spreading out water impact locations along the rectilinear widthwise boundaries by staggering the impact locations along the widthwise boundaries as is discussed elsewhere in this disclosure ( see fig1 and 15 ). fig1 shows exemplary sprinkler 1401 , by way of its longitudinal angle regulators , automatically producing parallel evenly - spaced rectilinear impact locations of streams of water 1403 throughout the entire oscillation cycle , throughout the entire rectangular water distribution pattern , and along the rectilinear lengthwise boundaries . it shows , by way of its radial angle regulators , the automatic production of evenly - spaced and rectilinear impact locations along the rectilinear widthwise boundaries . it shows the even distribution of water per square foot within the entire rectangular area to be watered 1402 . fig1 shows generally the same information as fig1 except that fig1 includes showing the option of producing two rectilinear rows of impact locations or “ staggered ” impact locations of water along the widthwise boundaries . this option is discussed elsewhere in this disclosure and is available to the manufacturer if the manufacturer wishes to partially counter the effects of an oscillating tube spending more time or more seconds per minute at and / or near a horizontal - most position while the oscillating tube slows down and “ stops ” as it reverses its direction of rotation , than it spends in other oscillating positions . fig1 through 19 generally refer to another embodiment of the current invention . fig1 is a side view showing an embodiment of the current invention in the vertical oscillating position and with base structure 1601 and bifurcated rigid oscillating tube 1602 . the bifurcated rigid oscillating tube has a length 1605 ( for accommodating “ o ” ring and oscillation mechanism with adjustable stops , not shown ). the ends of the flexible tube 1603 , are disposed into the ends of the bifurcated rigid oscillating tube with water tight length 1604 . the flexible tube is not a length of tube cut from a roll of tubing , but is a tube manufactured individually and has a definite shape , length , and angular orientation of its nozzles , etc . widthwise and lengthwise channels , grooves , ridges , etc ., ( not shown ) on the outside of the flexible tube ends and on the inside wall of the bifurcated length of the rigid oscillating tube within the length 1604 may be used to precisely position the flexible tube and precisely determine its overall length and ensure that its shape is not distorted by twisting , etc . the flexible tube has rigid , slick contact receptors 1606 and nozzles 1609 . the nozzles 1609 may be “ of the same mold ” as the tube , the tube and nozzles being made of a single piece of material . alternatively , the nozzles may be separate components . alternatively , the nozzles may simply be cylindrically round openings extending throughout the wall thickness of the flexible tube if the length of the wall thickness is sufficient to constitute a cylindrically round “ nozzle .” in a horizontal - most oscillating position , the median part of the flexible tube contacts curved radial angle regulator 1608 . the center of the flexible tube is thereby stopped from proceeding while the ends of the tube continue to their full horizontal - most position . thereby , in the horizontal - most position , the number of degrees “ higher ” than optimal of the radial angle of each nozzle increases as the nozzle &# 39 ; s distance from the end - most nozzles increases . the end - most nozzles stop their rotation at a radial angle , 45 degrees for example , optimal for producing impact locations of maximal distance from the sprinkler , and forming the corners of the rectangular water distribution pattern . thereby the rectilinear impact locations are produced along the rectilinear widthwise boundary . note that the length of the radial angle regulator 1608 is small relative to the overall length of the flexible tube . fig1 shows the rigid , slick contact receptors in contact with the longitudinal angle regulators and shows the rigid oscillating tube in its vertical position , and shows the flexible tube less curved and more linear than when the flexible tube is not in contact with the longitudinal angle regulators . this “ relatively less curved and more linear ” shape of the flexible tube reduces the longitudinal outward angle of the nozzles and produces the rectilinear lengthwise boundaries of the rectangular water distribution pattern . it also may produce evenly - spaced rectilinear impact locations throughout the water distribution pattern such as shown if fig1 . as the oscillating tube rotates from a horizontal - most position to the vertical position , and from the vertical to a horizontal - most position , the rigid , slick contact receptor 1606 contacts and traverses the curved longitudinal angle regulator 1607 . from horizontal - most to vertical , the curve of the longitudinal angle regulator changes the shape of the flexible tube to be “ relatively less curved and more linear ” thereby progressively reducing the longitudinally outward angle of all of the nozzles except the center nozzle . from vertical to horizontal - most , the curve of the longitudinal angle regulator allows the resilience of the flexible tube to progressively return to its “ relatively less linear and more curved ” shape . this produces rectilinear impact locations along the lengthwise boundary of the rectangular water distribution pattern and may produce evenly - spaced rectilinear impact locations of streams of water on the ground throughout the rectangular water distribution pattern as shown in fig1 . in this embodiment , the two longitudinal angle regulators and the two radial angle regulators may be reinforced , strengthened , and held precisely in position by interconnecting parts , ( not shown ) and may attach to the base structure 1601 . note that with this embodiment , the length of the curved radial angle regulator is relatively short in as much as its function is to contact the flexible nozzle at and near the location of the center nozzle . note that with this embodiment , a stepped radial angle regulator would not be used . with this embodiment , the option of staggered impact locations of streams of water along the rectilinear widthwise boundaries may be accomplished by manufacturing the flexible tube with its row of nozzles having slightly staggered radial angles . fig1 shows a top view of an embodiment with a rigid bifurcated oscillating tube 1702 , flexible tube 1703 , curved longitudinal angle regulators 1705 , and curved radial angle regulators 1706 . the rigid oscillating tube is shown in a horizontal - most position and the section of the flexible tube at and near its center nozzle is shown in contact with a radial angle regulator . the section of the flexible tube near the center nozzle may have a rigid contact receptor ( not shown ) for coming into contact with the curved radial angle regulator . the flexible tube in fig1 is seen in its curved shape and length as it was manufactured . it is seen “ relatively more curved and less linear ” than in fig1 where it is in contact with the curved longitudinal angle regulators . in this horizontal - most position , the end - most nozzles are at a radial angle optimal for producing streams of water that travel a maximal horizontal distance from the sprinkler and define and demarcate the corners of the rectangular water distribution pattern . when in contact with a radial angle regulator , the number of degrees “ higher ” than optimal of the radial angle of each nozzle increases as the nozzle &# 39 ; s distance from the end - most nozzles increases , thereby the rectilinear impact locations along the rectilinear widthwise boundaries are produced . longitudinal and radial angle regulators may be strengthened , reinforced , and held precisely in position by interconnecting parts ( not shown ). fig1 shows the flexible tube 1801 in a horizontal - most position in contact with the curved radial angle regulator ( not shown ). the end - most nozzles are at a radial angle optimal for producing impact locations a maximal horizontal distance from the sprinkler and defining and demarcating the corners of the rectangular water distribution pattern . the number of degrees of radial angle “ higher ” than optimal of each nozzle increases as the nozzle &# 39 ; s distance from the end - most nozzles increases . thereby the rectilinear impact locations of streams of water 1803 produce the rectilinear widthwise boundaries of the rectangular area to be watered 1802 . fig1 shows a side view of a motion - imparting time - lag representation of the production of the rectilinear lengthwise boundaries of the rectangular water distribution pattern . for clarity and simplicity , only the end - most nozzles are shown . as the rigid bifurcated oscillating tube ( not shown ) rotates from one horizontal - most position toward the vertical , the rigid , slick contact receptor 1904 on the flexible tube 1901 contacts and traverses the curved longitudinal angle regulator 1905 . the longitudinally outward angle of the end - most nozzle is progressively decreased from horizontal - most to vertical , then is allowed to progressively increase from vertical to the second horizontal - most position . thereby the rectilinear impact locations of water 1903 produce the rectilinear lengthwise boundaries 1902 . all of the nozzles except the center nozzle are altered longitudinally throughout the oscillation cycle , thereby the evenly - spaced rectilinear impact locations of water may be produced throughout the length of the rectangular water distribution pattern . the number of degrees of change in the longitudinally outward angle of each nozzle increases as the nozzle &# 39 ; s distance from the center nozzle increases . in variations , a unitary grid may comprise side - to - side strengthening and reinforcing parts that may be located above and / or below the oscillating tube . in variations , a unitary grid may be attached not only to the base structure , but also , if desired , to the “ framework ” of the sprinkler at and / or near the area of the water motor and / or to the “ framework ” at the distal end of the sprinkler . in variations , all longitudinal and radial angle regulators need not be part of a unitary grid , but instead , some or all may be separate components , if so desired . in variations , the “ longitudinal angle regulators ” adjacent to the center nozzle , on both sides of the center nozzle , may be omitted in as much as the center nozzle does not undergo any alteration or regulation of its longitudinal angle anyhow . in variations , the arc formed in the vertical plane by the oscillation of a rigid , slick contact receptor on a flexible nozzle or a flexible tube may be an arc of the same size and shape , in the vertical plane , as that of the curved longitudinal angle regulator or the walls of the regulatory channel which it contacts . in variations , the arc of the curved longitudinal angle regulator in regard to its vertical plane , may be slightly different than the arc formed by the oscillation of the rigid , slick contact receptor , in which case frictional abrading or “ wearing out ” of the rigid , slick contact receptor may be reduced because the contact points may thereby be distributed through a vertical length of the surface of the rigid , slick contact receptor . the slightly differently shaped arcs thereby may take advantage of the available length of the rigid , slick contact receptors to increase their life span . in variations , a rigid , slick contact receptor may comprise two parts . one part may fit securely onto the flexible nozzle while a second part may be a rotating wheel or rotating cylinder for example , which may roll along the curved longitudinal angle regulator or regulatory channel , instead of sliding along . in variations , in regard to fig1 for example , the center portion of the flexible tube 1703 which comes into contact with the radial angle regulator 1706 , may have a rigid , slick contact receptor ( not shown ) configured to provide a contact surface where contact is made . in variations , as an alternative to an embodiment generally depicted in fig3 a through 12 , there may be no rigid tube used . instead , only a flexible tube somewhat similar to 602 b may be used . in this case , there would not be any water - tight notched flange such as is described regarding 603 b and 604 b . in this case a relatively “ strong ,” “ thick - walled ,” oscillating tube may be made of the same material and formed “ of the same mold ,” for example “ of the same body ,” as the flexible nozzles . in this case , even though this body may be made of a single material , the thicknesses of the material may vary from part to part . for example , relatively thick material may constitute the generally cylindrically - round tube , and relatively thinner material may constitute various parts of the flexible nozzles . thereby , the nozzles may be functionally flexible and have a definite longitudinal and radial angle . thereby also , the tube may be substantial enough to attach to the sprinkler at its proximal and distal ends , and substantial enough to be attached to and driven by an oscillation mechanism at only one end , but not being deformed by twisting or torsion along its longitudinal length . if needed , simple and inexpensive rigid circumferential and / or longitudinal reinforcing components may be attached to the exterior of the flexible tube . the manufacturer may choose from many options , alternatives , and variations available regarding the current invention . also available are options , alternatives , and variations described in patent application ser . no . 12 / 192 , 689 filed by the same applicant on aug . 15 , 2008 , now u . s . pat . no . 8 , 011 , 602 issued sep . 6 , 2011 , entitled “ oscillating sprinkler that automatically produces a rectangular water distribution pattern .”	1
fig1 shows a basic diagram of a magnetic field sensor 100 . magnetic field sensor 100 includes a first coil 110 , a second coil 120 , and a core 130 . magnetic field sensor 100 is designed as thin - film system . in one exemplary embodiment of a miniaturized ( mems ) magnetic field sensor 100 , core 130 has a length of a few 100 μm to a few mm and a width of typically 20 to 200 μm . first coil 110 and second coil 120 may each include one or more windings , and each winding may be formed on a substrate of magnetic field sensor 100 . the windings may enclose core 130 or run adjacent to core 130 . an indication of the magnetic field inside core 130 , such as a magnetic flux density or a magnetic flux , may be determined with the aid of second coil 120 . a periodic ( e . g ., triangular ) voltage characteristic is applied at first coil 110 , so that a magnetic field which periodically decreases and increases is generated in the region of core 130 . core 130 may be made of a magnetically soft material that has a low hysteresis . because of the magnetic alternating field caused by first coil 110 , core 130 is subjected to periodic remagnetization when a direction of the magnetization of core 130 changes . at the remagnetization instants , a voltage u 2 is induced in second coil 120 (“ pickup coil ”). as will be explained in the following text , an external magnetic field is able to be determined based on an instant of such a voltage pulse 220 . in order to measure the instant of the pulse as precisely as possible , the pulse must be as narrow as possible in relation to a period of delta voltage u 1 . for this purpose , a material of core 130 is usually selected in such a way that the hysteresis of core 130 is as low as possible . in miniaturized flux gate magnetic field sensors , there is a limit to the optimization of the smallness of the hysteresis of core 130 via a corresponding selection of material and manufacturing process of core 130 within the framework of a production process of a miniaturized system . furthermore , as the miniaturization of coils 110 , 120 and core 130 continues , the strength of pulse 220 drops , so that an evaluation of signal voltage u 2 becomes more difficult . fig2 shows a diagram 200 of time characteristics of voltages u 1 and u 2 at magnetic field sensor 100 from fig1 . a characteristic 210 shown in the upper portion of diagram 200 represents a characteristic of voltage u 1 at first coil 110 in fig1 . pulses 220 shown in the lower portion of diagram 200 correspond to voltage pulses of u 2 at second coil 120 in fig1 . characteristic 210 is a symmetrical delta signal . a magnetization of core 130 is proportional to characteristic 210 . at instants t 1 , t 4 , t 5 and t 8 , voltage u 1 of characteristic 210 has the value of 0 . if no external magnetic field is applied , then a remagnetization of core 130 takes place at these instants in fig1 , which is detectable by pulses 220 of voltage u 2 of coil 120 at the same instants . if core 130 has been premagnetized by an external magnetic field , remagnetizations of core 130 take place at instants when the external magnetic field is compensated by the magnetic field produced by first coil 110 . in the illustration of fig2 , this is the case whenever first characteristic 210 corresponds to external magnetization 230 , i . e ., at instants t 2 , t 3 , t 6 and t 7 . from a relative position of pulses 220 with respect to each other or with respect to characteristic 210 , it is possible to determine the intensity or direction of the external magnetic field . in order to perform a measurement of pulses 220 or of instants t 1 through t 8 as precisely as possible , pulses 220 of voltage u 2 must reach a predefined voltage and be as small as possible in the process . a ferromagnetic material like core 130 frequently has a crystal structure that includes magnetized domains . these domains are referred to as weiss domains and have an extension in the range of approximately 10 − 8 to 10 − 4 m . the boundaries between the weiss domains are called bloch walls . in general , the weiss domains are magnetized until saturated and the magnetization of different weiss domains has different directions . in an increasing magnetic field , the bloch walls dislocate in favor of the particular weiss domains that are aligned in the direction of the external field . in an external field that continues to increase , more and more weiss domains ultimately change their magnetic alignment . the dislocation motion of the bloch walls may be hampered by lattice faults in the crystal of the ferromagnetic material , by grain boundaries or a limitation of the magnetic material itself . this effect is called pinning . the magnetization of the ferromagnetic material thus does not increase in accordance with the externally steadily increasing magnetic field , but by small differences , the barkhausen jumps . this prevents a uniform remagnetization of the ferromagnetic material , so that in the case of core 130 in fig1 , pulses 220 from fig2 experience an expansion in a temporal ( horizontal ) direction . the core of the invention focuses on forming core 130 in such a way that a remagnetization of core 130 in a miniaturized magnetic sensor 100 is possible in a homogeneous and rapid manner . for this purpose the boundaries of core 130 are developed such that pinning effects are prevented . in addition , core 130 may be formed in such a way that a remagnetization process is influenced by the form of core 130 . fig3 shows longitudinal sections of different cores 130 for magnetic field sensor 100 from fig1 . each of the illustrated longitudinal sections 310 through 370 may pertain to a core 130 which is essentially flat , so that longitudinal sections 310 through 370 correspond to a plan view of core 130 . such cores may be produced in thin - film technology . in one variant of the exemplary embodiments and / or exemplary methods of the present invention , core 130 is developed in axial symmetry with respect to a longitudinal axis l of core 130 , so that the three - dimensional form of core 130 is able to be defined by the rotation of longitudinal sections 310 through 370 about their longitudinal axes , and the particular core has circular cross - sections exclusively . intermediate forms between a flat and a round development , such as flattened or elliptical cross - sections , are likewise possible . the production of such cores may require a production method other than thin - film technology . longitudinal sections 310 through 370 all have sections at which a surface o of core 130 is curved . in these sections , shifting of bloch walls through a delimitation of core 130 is hampered to a lesser degree . in all longitudinal sections 310 through 370 , a ratio between length and width of the particular longitudinal section is selected such that the movement of the bloch walls is hampered as little as possible . a core 130 formed in this way is known as “ narrow core ” in the literature . first longitudinal section 310 has the shape of a rectangle with rounded end sections e . the roundings of end sections e may merge in pair - wise manner , so that end sections e have the form of semicircles or elliptical sections . second longitudinal section 320 corresponds to first longitudinal section 310 , but additionally includes a tapered section in a center section m between the ends . transitions between end sections e and tapered section m may be rounded . because of tapered section m , the field strength required for the abrupt magnetization of core 130 is able to be controlled via the form of core 130 . there is increased magnetic flux density in the region of tapered section m , which promotes rapid remagnetization of section m . given an identical electrical signal shape 210 , thickened end sections e lead to smaller magnetic fields in fig2 , which offers advantages in the component with regard to measuring range and alignment . this effect also improves the temporal reproducibility of pulses 220 in fig2 and thus reduces the noise of miniaturized magnetic field sensor 100 from fig1 . third longitudinal section 330 includes a rectangular center region m , which transitions into two end sections e having a triangular form in each case . the peaked shape of triangular end sections e avoids poor magnetization in these regions and furthermore offers a starting and end point for a bloch wall that is shifting through core 130 . due to the lack of end domains , the entire material of core 130 in longitudinal section 330 is able to contribute to signal 220 . fourth longitudinal section 340 has the form of a symmetrical ellipse . with regard to the advantages of this longitudinal section , the above comments in connection with third longitudinal section 330 apply . in addition , the elliptical form of longitudinal section 340 prevents the occurrence of regions that are poorly accessible to an external magnetic field . fifth longitudinal section 350 corresponds to first longitudinal cross - section 310 but has a pronounced narrow region in a center section m . this pronounced narrow region causes an extreme flux density excess in this area , which immediately leads to a remagnetization of adjoining regions . sixth longitudinal section 360 results from the basic form of first longitudinal section 310 and has end sections e that have an even flatter form ; it also has a segmented center region m . in segmented center region m , segments al having a first width alternate with segments a 2 having a second width ( in the horizontal direction ). transitions between adjacent segments a 1 , a 2 may be rectangular , as illustrated , or also rounded as shown in center region m of fifth longitudinal section 350 . the serrated edge of longitudinal section 360 reduces pinning of bloch walls ; at the same time , regions of defined magnetization are offered for starting the remagnetization process . a ratio of widths of adjacent segments a 1 , a 2 may be selected as desired and need not have the 1 : 1 ratio illustrated . seventh longitudinal section 370 results from a trapezoidal distortion of first longitudinal section 310 . the distortion images a rectangle into a trapezoid ; the base line of the trapezoid may extend parallel to longitudinal axis l of core 130 or perpendicular to longitudinal axis l , as in core 370 . because of the defined asymmetry of longitudinal section 370 , a more optimally defined start of the remagnetization process and thus an improved temporal reproducibility of pulses 220 from fig2 are able to be achieved . a centroid of core 130 in the seventh longitudinal section lies to the right of a transverse axis q , which halves longitudinal axis l in core 130 . the defined asymmetry of seventh longitudinal section 370 is basically applicable to any one of longitudinal sections 310 through 360 and may be realized by appropriate distortions . a temporally precisely defined and rapid remagnetization of core 130 in miniaturized system 100 from fig1 is improved by the form of core 130 illustrated by longitudinal sections 310 through 370 , especially by providing rounded sections . in effect , the shape of core 130 according to the present invention makes it possible to improve the measuring accuracy of magnetic field sensor 100 . in addition , other measures such as the selection of a material or a manufacturing process for core 130 or for magnetic field sensor 100 may be used to optimize the remagnetization of core 130 even further .	6
the ancillary instrument set 1 in accordance with the present invention as shown in fig1 comprises a lockable handle 2 to which are attached , on one side , a set of guide tubes 3 mounted on an extension 4 which is joined to the handle using a socket 5 with a locking screw 6 , and on the other side an aiming block 7 with parallel drill tulles 8 in a plane perpendicular to the plan defined by the axes of the handle 2 and the extension 4 and , additionally a drill tube 9 in the same plane but perpendicular to the first tubes 8 . the aiming block 7 is set on one end of a mounting arm 10 the end other of which has a square fitting 11 that is inserted in the far end 202 of the handle 2 in such a way that the mounting arm 10 has no degree of freedom with respect to the handle 2 . the square fitting 11 of the mounting arm 10 that is inserted into the socket 202 of the handle 2 is locked by a longitudinal ram 12 operated by a knurled knob 121 that is attached to a threaded shaft 122 . by rotating the knob 121 , the longitudinal ram is brought to bear on the upper face of the square fitting 11 of the mounting arm 10 with the result that the arm 10 is locked on the inside of the handle 2 . in accordance with the embodiment of the instrument set that is especially suited to ligament reconstruction by arthrotomy , the whole of the guide tube unit 3 as in fig1 a comprises two parallel bent tubes 301 , 302 the upper ends of which are welded on either side of the extension 4 . each bent tube 301 - 302 has a distal end 303 - 304 which will , after introduction through the intercondylar fossa , bear on the posterior surface of the upper end of the tibia to provide a stop for the drill 89 which drills the tibial insertion channels . preferably , the other ends of the bent tubes 301 - 302 are bevelled laterally to provide a wider exit 305 from the intercondylar fossa to facilitate the extraction of the metallic loop used to draw the ligament . it will be seen that the distal ends 303 and 304 of the guide tubes 3 are also bevelled 306 to be absolutely certain of trapping the ends 131 of the wire guide tubes 13 inserted in the drill tubes 82 and 84 ( fig1 b ) of the aiming block 7 . the ends 131 of the wire guide tubes 13 are bullet shaped , formed by swaging , which ensures that the wire guide tubes 13 engage the guide tubes 3 satisfactorily . finally , a pin 14 can be inserted through a radial hole 15 in the mounting arm 10 supporting the aiming block 7 in order to immobilize the ancillary instrument set on the tibia while the surgeon is operating , as will be described hereinafter . in accordance with one of the features of the present invention , the mounting arm 10 supporting the aiming block 7 can be removed from the handle 2 as shown in fig1 by the arrows f2 , simply by unscrewing the knurled knob 121 in the direction of arrow f1 . removing the mounting arm 10 in this way in the direction of f2 allows the aiming block 7 to be moved to the left of fig1 sliding off the wire guide tubes 13 which must remain in place in the tibial insertion tubes , as will be described hereinafter . in the same way , the aiming block 7 can be removed from the mounting arm 10 by unscrewing the screw 70 . it is then possible to rotate the aiming block 7 by 90 ° bringing the drill channel 9 ( fig1 b ) in line with the bent tubes 3 . when this is done , it is necessary to replace the set of guide tubes 3 in fig1 a which are intended for reconstruction by arthrotomy , by an assembly with a single guide tube attached to an extension of the same type as heretofore described . this single guide tube 3 will , of course , be in the median plane of the instrument set , that is exactly in line with the central tube of the aiming block , which may be the specific drill tube 9 . it should be remembered in this context that the specific drill tube 9 which has replaced the central drill tube 83 by rotation about the mounting arm 10 is particularly useful for autogenous ligament reconstruction . in fact , natural tendons or ligaments intended for posterior cruciate knee ligament reconstruction are usually of a size requiring a drill tube that is approximately twice the section . it should be noted that the embodiment of the instrument set fitted with a single guide tube intended for reconstruction using an arthroscope has been intentionally omitted from fig1 : as the diagram is simpler , it can easily be derived from the instrument shown . two examples of the typical use of the ancillary instrument set in accordance with the present invention are now given , one for ligament reconstruction under open surgery / and the other for ligament reconstruction using an arthroscope . the first example of use of the ancillary instrument set in accordance with the present invention shows , with reference to fig1 , 7 and 8 , the main stages of ligament reconstruction under open surgery . the two aforementioned guide tubes 3 are inserted through the intercondylar fossa 16 to bear against the posterior surface of the upper end of the tibia 17 ( fig2 ). it can be seen that as the guide tubes 301 , 302 are perfectly cylindrical they cause considerably less damage to the capsule and ligament structures of the posterior surface of the tibia 17 than the spatula fitted to the aforementioned known ancillary instrument . moreover , it is particularly useful that each guide tube 301 , 302 helps to open up a tubular path through the nerve - free parts of the implantation zone for the internal posterior or external posterior ligament which will settle down more readily in the tubular path as it is itself approximately circular with a resultant improvement in acceptance of the prosthetic by the fibroblasts . using this configuration , the surgeon first inserts the guide tubes 301 and 302 through the intercondylar fossa 16 and then proceeds to locate the mounting arm 10 in the distal socket 202 of handle 2 , locking it into position with the knob 121 ( fig1 ). the surgeon then attaches the aiming block 7 to the base of the mounting arm 10 using the screw 70 so that the aiming tubes 82 and 84 are in line with the distal ends 303 , 304 of the guide tubes 301 , 302 . the whole of the instrument set thus arranged within the articulation is immobilized to the bone by introducing the pin 14 into the tibia . the surgeon can then proceed to drill the channels through the bone using the drill tubes 82 and 84 , confident that the drills 89 will strike the ends 303 , 304 of the guide tubes , thus avoiding damage to the surrounding tissue . the drills 89 are then withdrawn and the surgeon can insert the two wire guide tubes 13 within the two channels through the bone until the ends 131 of the wire guide tubes 13 meet the ends 306 of the guide tubes 3 . the surgeon can then pass the metallic loops 18 through the channel thus formed . these can then be recovered at the exit 305 of the guide tubes 3 inside the intercondylar fossa 16 . all that remains to do then is to attach the prosthetic ligament traction points to the ends of these metallic loops 18 so that the posterior cruciate knee ligament can be fitted permanently using the well - known techniques . the second embodiment of the present invention is intended particularly for ligament reconstruction using an arthroscope and will now be described with reference to fig1 and 3 to 8 . the instrument set has only one guide tube 3 . the tube 3 is introduced into the femur - tibia articulation through a small incision made by the surgeon in the anterior surface of the knee in such a way that the distal end 306 of the guide tube 3 fits exactly into the intercondylar fossa 16 of the femur ( fig4 ). when the guide tube 3 is in place , the surgeon fixes the mounting arm 10 in position on the handle 2 of the instrument 1 ( fig5 ). the central drill tube 83 that is provided for this purpose in the center of the aiming block 7 allows the surgeon to locate with precision the incision point on the knee for the first tibial channel that corresponds , for example , to the external posterior cruciate knee ligament . after the drill 89 has been removed , a wire guide tube 13 is inserted as in the aforementioned variant by arthrotomy , in order to create a continuous channel through which the metallic wire 18 can be slid from the tibial entry of the channel , emerging without difficulty from the intercondylar fossa 16 , to exit finally from the articulation by the small incision made for the introduction of the guide tube 3 . the mounting arm 10 of the aiming block 7 is then removed by sliding it along the wire guide tube 13 . the mounting arm 10 is thus removed parallel to the direction of the first insertion channel . one of the lateral drill tubes 81 or 85 provided at the ends of the aiming block 7 is repositioned ( fig6 ). it will be noted that the two openings of the drill tubes 81 and 85 ( fig1 b ) are recessed on the aiming block 7 to provide the surgeon with a guide to avoid confusion between the drill tubes . in this operation , the single guide tube 3 must be moved sideways within the intercondylar fossa 16 so that the plane defined by the mounting arm 10 and the axis of the central drill tube 83 of the aiming block 7 remains parallel to its original position . the surgeon can then drill the second tibial insertion channel using the central drill tube 83 which corresponds , for example , to the internal posterior part of the prosthetic posterior cruciate knee ligament . the drill 89 is then replaced by a second straight wire guide tube 13 , allowing a second sheathed metallic wire 18 to be passed through the new continuous channel thus created . the end loop on this second wire 18 then emerges , like the first loop , through the small incision made for the introduction of the guide tube 3 . finally , the same result is obtained as for the first embodiment as shown in fig7 and 8 . of course , any embodiment of the form of the instrument set in accordance with the present invention which has the same essential characteristics is included within the present invention . for example , there can be variation in the angle between the handle 2 and the extension 4 or the curvature of the guide tubes 3 , provided that their ends 303 , 304 remain coincident with the ends 131 of the wire guide tube 13 . equally , any mechanism , apart from that which has been described , for locking the arm 10 to the handle 2 belongs to the present invention .	0
in the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention , reference is made to the accompanying drawings . the detailed description and the drawings illustrate specific exemplary embodiments by which the invention may be practiced . other embodiments may be utilized , and other changes may be made , without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention . the following detailed description is therefore not to be taken in a limiting sense , and the scope of the present invention is defined by the stated claims . the invention is implemented with databases and web pages accessible via the internet or any company &# 39 ; s internal network . fig9 is an entity relationship diagram for the database . in this diagram , each work of authorship is referred to as an “ article .” major subgroups within the database design include the publisher subsystem 61 , the end user registration subsystem 62 , the clearance and fulfillment subsystem 63 and the payment and revenue subsystem 64 . the publisher subsystem 61 and the end user registration subsystem 62 are further supported by a persons file 65 and an addresses file 66 which also further supports the clearance and fulfillment subsystem 63 . the revenue subsystem 64 provides data to a separate accounting system 67 . when a user seeks clearance of a license to use a source work of authorship ( an “ article ”) the system also provides a service to the user by providing the article either in preferred electronic format or professionally printed and mailed . consequently , there is a link 71 between the publisher subsystem 61 and the clearance and fulfillment subsystem 63 . the link allows articles from an articles file 72 or from the network accessed via a url from an articles url file 73 to be communicated to the clearance and fulfillment subsystem for transmission to a user as identified in a user file 74 or for transmission to a fulfillment provider as identified in a fulfillment providers file 75 . publishers , identified in the publisher &# 39 ; s file 76 , can upload articles to the articles file 72 , or article urls to the article urls file 73 , along with article rules stored in an article rules file 77 and business rules for the licensing of each article stored in a business rules file 78 . clearances may be sought by companies , which are identified in a companies file 81 , as known via their contacts stored in the contacts file 82 , or by users identified without companies stored in a users file 74 . their requests for clearances are stored in the clearance request file 83 and the granted clearances are stored in a clearances file 84 . similarly , fulfillments requested by users or companies are stored in a fulfillment request file 85 with details in a subfile 86 . the fulfillment options which may be allowed for each granted clearance are stored in the fulfillment options file 87 . each publisher will typically service many authors and the author identities are stored in an authors file 91 . the authors or publishers often work through agents which are stored in an agents file 92 . when clearances are requested , the company or user will authorize a payment which is stored in the payments file 93 . some of the revenue from the payments is allocated to publishers and stored in a shared revenue file 94 . the publishers may request that a portion of the payments to which they are entitled be directed to the one of their distributors that distributed the source article . the database shown in fig9 is made available across the computer network through a user interface which controls the entire behavior of the system as perceived by parties accessing the system from client computers . as shown in fig1 , a member of the publisher &# 39 ; s audience will retrieve a work of authorship which is provided by a server 2 to a client computer 4 via the network . each work of authorship is presented with a visual image 1 at the client computer 4 . the visual image includes an icon 3 which is intended to create an association in the mind of the viewer with the invented system . associated with the icon 3 is a unique work identifier 5 . the unique work identifier 5 can be entered at a keyboard of a computer on the internet to access the licensing web page 8 for the work in question . the unique work identifier 5 is also encoded into the digital form of the visual representation 1 so that it can be used by a web browser to automatically refer (“ point ”) to the licensing web page 8 . a hot spot 6 is defined to include the icon 3 and the work identifier 5 . if the user clicks on this hot spot 6 , the work identifier is used as part of a network address and the users &# 39 ; web browser is directed to the licensing web page via the machine - readable copy of the work identifier 5 . the prc tag may be thought of as consisting of either the icon 3 , or the work identifier 5 , or both of them together , or the entire hot spot 6 which surrounds them . while connected to the licensing web page 8 , the user may cause the client computer to transmit to the licensing web page an acceptance signal indicating that the offered license is accepted . the server which runs the licensing web page 8 then transmits to the client , in digital format ready for use in a document created by the user , an icl which is evidence that the license has been granted . as shown in fig2 , a license record 11 may be created in a database for any licensed work which is made available on the same network 13 as the database containing the license record 11 . the licensed work may be based on any source . it may be in any form . it is accompanied by a visual representation 12 which is displayed at a client computer when the work is accessed from the client computer . the visual representation 12 includes a license icon 14 and a license identifier 15 . the license identifier can be entered at the keyboard of a computer on the network 13 to access the license record 11 . the license icon 14 and the license identifier 15 are surrounded by a hotspot 16 . a machine - readable copy of the license identifier 15 is incorporated into the digital representation of the visual representation 12 such that when the user clicks on the hotspot 16 , the license identifier is used as part of a network address and the user &# 39 ; s web browser is directed to the license record 11 . in this aspect of the invention , the source work 17 need not be available on the internet or any other computer network . the icl may be thought of as the icon 14 , or the license identifier 15 , or both , or the hot spot 16 which surrounds them . fig3 shows the complete system where both source works of authorship 21 and licensed works of authorship 22 and 23 are made available on the internet or other network . the source content 21 includes a prc 24 which points to a licensing web page 25 . there is a one - to - one relationship between each source item and each licensing web page . the contents displayed at the licensing web page are managed by the user interface and the database system shown in fig9 . the business rules from the business rules file 78 of the database system control the options that are presented to each client who accesses the web page . if the person at a client computer wishes to accept one of the offered licenses , the client computer transmits a signal to the database system which indicates acceptance . this process triggers the creation of a license record 26 for that license transaction . the license record is stored in the clearances file 84 of the database . when the license record is created , the database system also transmits to the user an icl 27 complete with an icon and a license identifier for the user to incorporate in any work of authorship prepared by the user which is based on the source 21 . as shown in fig3 , many works of authorship 22 and 23 which are based on the source can be created under a single license . they will all incorporate the same icl 27 . the icl 27 in each work which is based on the source 22 and 23 will point to the single license record 26 . the license record 26 also has a source icon 28 which is a link that points to the url for the source 21 . this allows anyone who finds the license record to also find the source and , by following the prc 24 at the source , find the licensing page 25 for the source . source items which are mirrored on the web all have the same prc , all of which point to the same licensing page . the database behind the licensing page maintains a list of all the mirrored locations . it learns their locations either by explicit entry or via a web spider that automatically searches the web for mirrored copies and adds their locations to the database so when a user wants to read or download a copy , they can chose from a set of mirrored copies that which is the “ closest ” or “ easiest ” for them to access . the relationships between the essential items which are stored in the database are shown in fig4 . for each work of authorship there is a prc 31 . for each prc there is one set of business rules 32 . the rules can change over time , and all changes are recorded by the database . once licenses have been accepted based on the business rules , there will be one or more license data records 33 , each identified by an icl , for each prc . if one of the licensees under an icl creates a derivative work based on the source , the derivative work may itself be registered as a prc 34 . the entries in the database for the derivative works 34 are the same as to the entries in the database for the source works of authorship 31 . they are as shown as separate groups in fig4 merely for clarity . as stated above , each derivative work prc 34 has one set of business rules 35 . as shown in fig4 , the process has now become circular as derivatives of derivatives may be created . each publisher or author can , at any time , check the database to obtain information on the licenses which have been granted . the unique work identifiers or prcs may each be thought of as a universal resource name (“ urn ”) as that term is used to refer to the basic structure of the internet . a prc is made up of a series of fields , each separated by a “.” ( dot ). moving left - to - right , each field provides successively increasing identification precision . a prc has the following basic format : aa = the prc series identifier , which determines how the rest of the fields are to be interpreted . bbbb , cccc and dddd = subsequent fields , who &# 39 ; s interpretation depend on the interpretation of each of the fields to the left . bbbb identifies the publisher . cccc is a sub - identifier identifying anything the publisher wishes , such as which distributor was used for the content , such as yahoo or cnn or a newspaper , so web page access information can be tracked and the publisher and distributor can be informed and the distributor can be given credit when the content is licensed . the interpretation of dddd , which typically identifies the content , is controlled by the interpretation of bbbb ( the publisher ) and may be controlled by the interpretation of cccc . for example , for series 01 prcs , there are four fields . they have the following meanings : dddd = content part number ( assigned by , or on behalf of , publisher bbbb ) an icl has one ( or more ) fields added to the right of a prc , to specify the content user and content use that is registered for a particular prc . for example , the icl 01 . 2196 . 5773 . 9876 . 1234 is interpreted as follows : 5773 = content part number , viz . the article “ what &# 39 ; s in a name ?”, written by mike o &# 39 ; donnell . 1234 = right to use id , indicating that andrew cameron has the right to print 20 copies of this article on a local printer . prcs are uniquely assigned whenever documents are registered via the web - browser based interface or when bulk registration or workflow registration protocols are used . icls are derived from prcs , and are uniquely assigned whenever a user commits to a particular clearance type for a particular piece of content . additional clearances for the same content , even by the same user , usually result in a new and unique icl being assigned . this obviously occurs when requesting a different type of clearance for a particular piece of content , but may also apply when additional quantities are requested for the same type of clearance against the same piece of content . for example , a user requests 200 high - quality reprints of an article , and then , two weeks later , wishes to order 200 more . depending on whether the same print provider is used , and whether the publisher &# 39 ; s business rules for that piece of content have changed , two things can happen . if nothing has changed , the original license identified by the icl can be upgraded to 400 licensed copies . if anything changes in the order , a unique icl for that use is issued . a new prc is only issued when the content it identifies changes so as to mean that a new and distinct piece of content has been created . if the same piece of content is submitted for registration more than once , the same prc is generated each time . fig5 shows the process by which a publisher registers content items . at step 41 , the publisher enters a name and password . from here , the publisher can go to any of steps 42 , 43 , or 44 . the publisher enters information about the company at step 44 , information about the billing contact at step 45 , information about the person registering the content at step 46 and information about other contacts for the publisher at step 47 . the publisher then enters the default business rules at step 43 and the default prices at step 48 . the publisher is then given a confirmation and an opportunity to provide additional instructions . the system then provides to the publisher the default prc base code for that publisher . the publisher or distributor can extend this base code with a field that identifies each of the publisher &# 39 ; s distributors or anything else that the publisher wishes . after registering the individual content items at step 42 , the publisher enters specific prices for that content at step 37 . dates can be attached to prices so clearance at a certain price can be available one day and not the next . functions can be attached to the prices , to have them change over time . “ aging ” or “ decaying ” the prices correlates to the fact that yesterday &# 39 ; s news is not worth as much as today &# 39 ; s news . the publisher receives base prc codes for each content item from which the final prc codes are generated at step 38 . at step 39 , the publisher can view the licensing web page that will be presented to the public . fig6 shows the process followed by a user . when a user views on the internet an item of content which is registered with the system 51 the user can click on a prc tag 52 which directs the user &# 39 ; s web browser to a page of the icopyright website which is customized for that publisher and that content . at the website , the user enters a name and password at step 53 . from here , the user can go to step 54 or directly to step 58 . the user enters information about himself , step 54 , his affiliation and intended use , step 55 , and his payment information , step 56 . the user then accepts or declines the terms and conditions at step 57 , and proceeds to state his intended use at step 58 . the user then views the license or a summary of the license , step 59 , and accepts or declines the license . if the license is accepted , the user proceeds to step 91 and receives confirmation and specifies any special instructions that are required to fulfill the user &# 39 ; s request . in the case of professional reprints or other specialized document fulfillment requests , the user fills out forms that collect the required job and document transmittal information . this could also include the use of special ( publisher required or user requested ) document packaging , encryption , digital watermarking or transmission techniques . upon successful completion ( including payment authorization ) an example citation and the icl code for the license are provided . when the icl icon 92 is embedded in a document , a user on the internet who clicks on the icon is directed to a license record 93 which presents the particulars of the license granted to the user . within this license record , any person who has the icl code can view particulars for the work that was published with the icl code in step 94 . the license record further includes an internet url which acts as a pointer back to the original source content 51 on which the work is based . when a user clicks on a prc associated with a work of authorship , a child browser window 101 , which occupies less than the entire screen , appears superimposed on top of the work of authorship as shown in fig7 . the child browser 101 includes a toolbar 104 for accessing related features of the system . in a primary information field 102 the window presents the title of the content , the owner of copyrights in the content and the publisher . each of these three items can be a link to an appropriate web page . from this child browser window , the user can view a list of available clearances 103 . the user can also review the terms to which the user must agree for the license to be granted by clicking on a go button 105 . another go button 106 allows the user to login in so they can obtain a clearance . after the user selects a category of clearances from the list 103 , the user is presented with a screen such as shown in fig8 . from this screen , the user selects a specific license or clearance . for short quotations , many publishers allow passages shorter than a certain number of words to be used without a fee . these can be accommodated as shown in fig8 by allowing the user to paste the desired passage into a window 111 . the system then counts the number of words pasted into the window and presents the count in a word count window 112 . the system then informs the user whether the authorized word count has been exceeded . in addition to entering the database system from a prc or an icl , a user can enter the database through a website which allows searches of the database . the database can be searched by copyright owner &# 39 ; s name , author &# 39 ; s name , content title , content url , content prc number , an icl number , or any other attribute which will lead both to information on the source work of authorship and on any work of authorship based on the source which has also been registered . the system will display to the user a summary of the licensing policies of any publisher for any content , as well as a link to a page on the publisher &# 39 ; s website where the full information can be found . the information in the database about each publisher is most complete for publishers who have voluntarily registered . however , the database is also loaded with data on other publishers who have not chosen to register by collecting such information which they publish . users cannot automatically obtain licenses for works published by publishers who have not registered , but they can get assistance from the system in contacting the publisher directly to obtain a license . the system collects the necessary information from the user for a request for a license and automatically forwards the request to the appropriate permissions manager for the publisher , thereby acting as an automated agent for the user . when the user enters the system to obtain a clearance , the user is given an opportunity to see a list of similar material also available for clearance through the system . this similar content list is created from the keywords and category tags that were attached to the content when it , and it &# 39 ; s business rules , were registered . although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments , other embodiments are possible . therefore , the spirit or scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein . it is intended that the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended .	6
the starting petroleum pitch utilized in the process of the invention is an aromatic base unoxidized carbonaceous pitch produced from heavy slurry oil produced in catalytic cracking of petroleum distillates . it can be further characterized as unoxidized thermal petroleum pitch of highly aromatic content . these pitches remain rigid at temperatures closely approaching their melting points . the preferred procedure for preparing the unoxidized starting petroleum pitch uses , as a starting material , a clarified slurry oil or cycle oil from which substantially all paraffins have been removed in fluid catalytic cracking . where the fluid catalytic cracking is not sufficiently severe to remove substantially all paraffins from the slurry oil or cycle oil , they must be extracted with furfural . in either case , the resultant starting material is a highly aromatic oil boiling at about 315 ° to 540 ° c . this oil is thermally cracked at elevated temperatures and pressures for a time sufficient to produce a thermally cracked petroleum pitch with a softening point of about 38 . 7 ° to about 126 . 7 ° c . the manufacture of some other unoxidized petroleum pitch products , although not necessarily considered suitable for use as is ashland petroleum pitch 240 , is described in nash u . s . pat . no . 2 , 768 , 119 and bell et al u . s . pat . no . 3 , 140 , 249 , table ii presents comparative properties of four unoxidized commercially available petroleum pitches ( a , b , c , and d ) suitable for use as a starting material for use in this invention . as mentioned elsewhere in the present specification , the preservation of alpha and beta hydrogens ( i . e . alkyl side chains ) is a special feature of the present invention . the percentage of alpha and beta hydrogen mentioned above will be preserved in the pitch after all processing is complete to form the pitch fibers . alpha and beta hydrogen content can be determined analytically by nuclear magnetic resonance ( nmr ) techniques . this technique also determines the concentration of other hydrogen types ( aromatic , etc .). the softening point for the present invention will be determined by methods well known to the industry , preferably astm no . d - 3104 , modified to use stainless steel balls and cup and high temperature furnance in view of the high softening points of the present pitches . softening point will preferably be in the range of at least 249 ° c ., more preferably from about 265 ° c . to about 274 ° c ., and most preferably from about 254 ° c . to about 266 ° c . the xylene insolubles content of the materials of the present invention should preferably be in the range of from about 0 to about 40 percent by weight , more preferably from about 0 to about 35 percent by weight , and most preferably from about 0 to about 32 percent by weight . xylene insolubles will be determined by techniques well known to the industry , including astm no . d - 3671 . quinoline insolubles of the pitches of the present invention will preferably be from about 0 to about 5 percent by weight , more preferably from about 0 to about 1 percent by weight , and most preferably from about 0 to about 0 . 25 percent by weight . as quinoline insolubles generally represents either catalyst or free carbon or mesophase carbon , the lowest possible quinoline insolubles content is preferred . the sulfur content of the pitches of the present invention will be determined by the content of the feed materials , but will preferably be as low as possible . sulfur contents of from about 0 . 1 to about 4 percent by weight , more preferably from about 0 . 1 to about 3 percent by weight , and most preferably from about 0 . 1 to about 1 . 5 percent by weight can be used with the invention . both environmental considerations and the disruption of fiber quality caused by the gasification of the sulfur from the pitch dictate this preference for low sulfur content . sulfur content is readily determined by astm no . d - 1551 or other techniques well known to the industry . the coking value of the pitches of the present invention will generally be determined by astm no . d - 2416 and will preferably be in the range of about 65 to about 90 weight percent , more preferably from about 70 to about 85 weight percent , and most preferably from about 75 to about 85 weight percent coke based on the total weight of the pitch . even higher coking values are , of course , as the coking value represents to a large degree the percent carbon which will remain in the final carbon fiber after stabilization and all other processing has been completed . the mesophase content of the pitch of the present invention will preferably be as low as possible , though amounts of as much as 5 % or even more may be tolerated in special instances . generally , for economic considerations , amounts of from about 0 to about 5 percent by weight mesophase , more preferably from 0 to about 1 percent by weight mesophase , and most preferably from about 0 to about 0 . 25 percent by weight mesophase will be useful with the invention . the percent mesophase content of the pitches can be determined by quinoline insolubles , or by optical microscropic techniques , utilizing crossed polarization filters and measuring the area ( then calculating as volume and as weight ) of the mesophase present under microscopic examination under polarized light . table ii______________________________________ pitch pitch pitch pitch a b c d______________________________________ testtest methodsoftening astm 78 . 3 115 . 6 115 . 6 126 . 7point , ° c . d - 2319density , beckman 1 . 192 1 . 228 1 . 210 1 . 239g / cc hc pycmod . con . astm 37 . 8 51 . 0 50 . 4 53 . 1carbon wt . % d - 2416flash , astm 316 307 . 2 312 . 8 312 . 8coc , ° c . d - 92sulfur , astm 2 . 73 2 . 0 10 . 3 2 . 5wt . % d - 1551xylene astm 0 . 7 5 . 0 2 . 2 5 . 8ins . wt . % d - 2317quinoline astm 0 . 11 nil nil nilins . wt . % d - 2318______________________________________brookfield viscosity usingno . 2 spindle temperature , ° f . viscosity , cps______________________________________350 40 395 515 2000325 60 -- -- -- 300 140 -- -- -- ______________________________________ the preferred unoxidized enriched petroleum pitch used in this invention has a carbon content of from about 93 % by weight to about 95 % by weight and a hydrogen content of from about 5 % by weight to about 7 % by weight , exclusive of other elements . elements other than carbon and hydrogen such as oxygen , sulfur , and nitrogen are undesirable and should not be present in excess of about 4 % by weight preferably less than 4 %. the pitch , due to processing , may likely contain a low concentration of hard particles . the presence or absence of particulate matter can be determined analytically and is also quite undesirable . preferably particulate matter should be less than 0 . 1 %, more preferably 0 . 01 %, and most preferably less than 0 . 001 %. for example , a sample of the pitch under consideration can be dissolved in an aromatic solvent such as benzene , xylene or quinoline and filtered . the presence of any residue on the filter medium which does not soften at elevated temperatures up to 400 ° c . ( as measured by a standard capillary melting point apparatus ) indicates the presence of a hard particle material . in another test for suitability , the pitch under consideration is forced through a specially sized orifice . plugging of the orifice indicates the presence of unacceptably large particles . ash content can also be used to establish hard particle contamination . a pitch supplied under the designation a - 240 by ashland oil , inc ., is a commercially available unoxidized petroleum pitch meeting the above requirements . it is described in more detail in smith et al , &# 34 ; characterization and reproducibility of petroleum pitches &# 34 ;, ( u . s . dep . com . n . t . i . s . 1974 ; y - 1921 ), incorporated by reference herein . it has the following characteristics . table iii______________________________________typical analysis for a commercial pitch ( a - 240 ) typicaltest method analysis______________________________________softening point astm d - 2319 120 ° c . density , g / cc , beckman pycnometer 1 . 23025 ° c . coking value astm d - 2416 52flash , coc , ° c . astm d - 92 312ash , wt % astm d - 2415 0 . 16bi , ° wt % astm d - 2317 5qi , ° wt % astm d - 2318 nilsulfur , wt . % astm d - 1552 2 . 5 % distillation , wt % astm d - 25690 - 270 ° c . 0270 - 300 ° c . 0300 - 360 ° c . 2 . 45specific heat calculatedcalories / gm at - 5 ° c . 0 . 27138 ° c . 0 . 29993 ° c . 0 . 331140 ° c . 0 . 365viscosity , cps brookfield rpm thermosel , model325 ° f . 1 . 5 lvt , spindle # 18 2734350 ° f . 1 . 5 866375 ° f . 1 . 5 362400 ° f . 3 . 0 162______________________________________ preparation of improved pitch material having increased softening point and high reactivity in order to produce the high softening point aromatic enriched preferred pitch material of the present invention , the pitch of table iii hereof is treated so as to increase the softening point of the pitch material to about 249 ° c . ( 480 ° f .) or above and to provide the characteristics as set forth in table i hereof . the pitch so produced is nonmesophase pitch . by nonmesophase is meant less than about 5 % by weight of mesophase pitch . such a pitch would generally be referred to in the art as an isotropic pitch , e . g ., a pitch exhibiting physical properties such as light transmission with the same values when measured along axes in all directions . in an effort to produce such a pitch material various methods have been tried . as a result it was discovered that a preferred technique involved the use of a wiped film evaporator . this technique reduces the time of thermal exposure of the product , thus providing a better fiber precursor . a suitable wiped film evaporator is manufactured by artisan industires , inc . of waltham , mass . and sold under the trademark rototherm . it is a straight sided , mechanically aided , thin - film processor operating on the turbulent film principle . feed , as for example , pitch material , entering the unit is thrown by centrifugal force against the heated evaporator walls to form a turbulent film between the wall and rotor blade tips . the turbulent flowing film covers the entire wall regardless of the evaporation rate . the material is exposed to high temperatures for only a few seconds . the rototherm wiped - film evaporator is generally shown in monty u . s . pat . no . 3 , 348 , 600 and monty u . s . pat . no . 3 , 349 , 828 , incorporated by reference herein . as noted in the &# 39 ; 600 patent , the various inlet and outlet positions may be changed . in fact , in actual operation of the rototherm wiped - film evaporator it has been determined that the feed inlet ( no . 18 in the patent ) can be the product outlet . the following will serve as examples as to how produce the high softening point pitch of the present invention . a number of runs are made using an artisan rototherm wiped film evaporator having one square foot of evaporating surface with the blades of the rotor being spaced 1 / 16 &# 34 ; away from the wall . the evaporator employed is a horizontal model with a countercurrent flow pattern , i . e ., the liquid and vapors traveled in opposing directions . the condensers employed are external to the unit and for the runs two units are employed along with a cold trap before the mechanical vacuum pump . the unit employed is heavily insulated with fiberglass insulation in order to obtain and maintain the temperatures that are required . a schematic of the system employed is shown in fig1 hereof . briefly described , a - 240 pitch material is melted in a melt tank 1 . prior thereto it is filtered to remove contaminants including catalyst fines . it is pumped by zenith pump 3 through line 2 and through back pressure valve 4 into the wiped - film evaporator 5 . the wiped - film evaporator 5 is heated by hot oil contained in reservoir 6 which is pumped into the thin - film evaporator through line 7 . as the pitch material is treated in the thin - film evaporator 5 vapors escape the evaporator through line 8 and are condensed in a first condenser 9 and a second condenser 11 connected by line 10 . the vapors then pass through conduit 12 into cold trap 13 and out through line 14 . vacuum is applied to the system from vacuum pump 15 . an auxiliary vacuum pump 16 is provided in case of failure of the main vacuum pump . feed rates of between 15 to 20 pounds of pitch per hour are utilized which produce about 10 pounds per hour of the higher softening point pitch . the time it takes to increase the softening point is only five to fifteen seconds . the absolute pressure employed was between about 0 . 1 torr and 0 . 5 torr . the temperature of the unit is stabilized at about 377 ° c . ( 710 ° f .). table iii below shows the result of three runs designated run 1008 , run 1009 and run 1010 : table iv______________________________________ xylenerun insolu - coking heliumdesig - s . p . bles value density sulfurnation ° c . % % gm / cc % ______________________________________1008 245 15 . 2 78 . 1 1 . 260 2 . 691009 244 17 . 6 78 . 4 1 . 287 2 . 791010 261 29 . 1 81 . 3 1 . 260 2 . 61astm no . d - 3104 d - 3671 d - 2416 * d - 1551______________________________________ * determined by beckman pyconometer g / cc at 25 ° c . for comparative purposes , pitch material is prepared in the following fashion and the run is designated pitch a - 410 - vr . all products had softening points of about 210 ° c . ( 410 ° f .). conventional production a - 240 pitch as described earlier is filtered through a one micron fiberglass wound filter . about 250 pounds of this pitch is loaded into a conventional vacuum still , subsequently heated to 343 - 371 ° c . ( 650 - 700 ° f .) and evacuated to between one to two torr . tables iv ( a ) and ( b ) provide added information as to the method of pitch preparation and the resultant properties . table v ( a ) ______________________________________ run number 5521 5522 5693 5855______________________________________charge , kg . to still 114 114 114 114overhead , % 30 29 . 6 28 . 2 32 . 0bottoms , % 68 . 8 70 . 4 72 . 0 69 . 4vacuum , mm hg abs 1 1 1 2final pot tem ., ° c . 364 364 335 342distillation time , hr . 17 . 0 13 . 6 27 . 7 19 . 0______________________________________ table v ( b ) ______________________________________test method 5521 5522 5693 5855______________________________________s . p ., ° c . d - 3104 208 212 212 212xi , % d - 3671 19 . 6 19 . 1 21 . 6 16 . 3cv , % d - 2416 -- -- -- 73 . 5he dens ., * 1 . 260 1 . 289 1 . 275 1 . 268gm / ccs , % d - 1552 1 . 1 - 1 . 14 1 . 19 1 . 33 1 . 25ash , % d - 2415 0 . 04 0 . 04 0 . 03 0 . 05______________________________________ * determined by beckman pyconmeter g / cc at 25 ° c . without further processing , the increased softening point pitch ( ar - 510 - tf ; run 1009 of table iii ) is fed to a melt blowing extruder of the type disclosed in buntin et al . u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 615 , 995 and buntin et al 3 , 684 , 415 . these patents describe a technique for melt blowing thermoplastic materials wherein a molten fiberforming thermoplastic polymer resin is extruded through a plurality of orifices of suitable diameter into a moving stream of hot inert gas which is issued from outlets surrounding or adjacent to the orifices so as to attenuate the molten material into fibers which form a fiber stream . the hot inert gas stream flows at a linear velocity parallel to and higher than the filaments issuing from the orifices so that the filaments are drawn by the gas stream . the fibers are collected on a receiver in the path of the fiber stream to form a non - woven mat . fibers are prepared in a like manner using the a - 410 - vr ( run 5521 ) pitch material . the fibers are then stabilized as follows . the fibers made from the ar - 510 - tf pitch are successfully stabilized in air by a special heat cycle found to be especially suitable . more particularly , it was empirically determined that the stabilization cycle as shown in fig2 can be effectively employed to stabilize the fibers in less than 100 minutes , a time consistent with commercial criteria . more particularly , the 100 minute cycle consists of holding the pitch fibers at approximately 11 ° c . ( 20 ° f . ) below the glass transition temperature ( tg ) of the precursor pitch ( i . e . about 180 ° c . [ 356 ° f .]) for about 50 minutes . this is followed by an increase to about 200 ° c . ( 392 ° f .) and holding 30 minutes at that temperature . the temperature is then increased to about 265 ° c . ( 509 ° f .) and the fibers hold 10 minutes . finally , the fibers are heated to about 305 ° c . ( 581 ° f .) and held 10 minutes at this temperature . the physical properties of these fibers after heating them to about 1100 ° c . ( 2000 ° f .) in a nitrogen atmosphere for two hours in order to convert them to carbon fibers is presented in table vi . by &# 34 ; oxidizing &# 34 ; environment it is meant either an oxidizing atmosphere or an oxidizing material impregnated within or on the surface of the fiber . the oxidizing atmosphere can consist of gases such as air , enriched air , oxygen , ozone , nitrogen oxides , sulfur oxides , and etc . the impregnated oxidizing material can be any of a number of oxidizing agents such as sulfur , nitrogen oxides , sulfur oxides , peroxides , persulfates , and etc . table vi______________________________________property ar - 510 - tf a - 410 - vf______________________________________tensile strength , ( 10 . sup . 3 psi ) 53 41 . 2astm d - 3379young &# 39 ; s modulus , ( 10 . sup . 6 psi ) 4 . 3 4 . 1astm d - 3379diameter , microns 13 . 4 22number of fibers tested 11 10______________________________________ in order to stabilize fibers made from a a - 410 - vr pitch a heating cycle extending over a period of 36 hours is required . more particularly , they are air stabilized by holding them at a temperature of about 152 ° c . ( 306 ° f .) for 24 hours and then increasing the temperature to 301 ° c . ( 574 ° f .) where they are held for a period of twelve ( 12 ) hours . if either temperature is exceeded or time shortened , the fibers begin to melt and fuse during subsequent processing . the fibers when treated properly are carbonized by heating them to 1200 ° c . ( 2192 ° f .) in a nitrogen atmosphere . the physical properties of carbon fibers prepared from the a - 410 - vr pitch material are set forth in table vi and are approximately equal to , or slightly inferior to , the properties of the fibers prepared from the ar - 510 - tf pitch material as set forth in table vi above . as noted above , in the air stabilization of fibers made from the ar - 510 - tf material or from other high softening point pitch materials , it has been found that the air stabilization is much more effective where the fibers are first heated to a temperature of about 6 ° to 11 ° c . ( 10 ° to 20 ° f .) below the glass transition temperature of the pitch precursor and thereafter after a period of time of approximately 50 minutes are then heated to 299 °- 316 ° c . ( 570 °- 600 ° f .) until they are stabilized . as used herein , the &# 34 ; glass transition point &# 34 ; represents the temperature of young &# 39 ; s modulus change . it also is the temperature at which a glassy material undergoes a change in coefficient of expansion and it is often associated with a stress release . thermal mechanical analysis is a suitable analytical technique for measuring tg . the procedure employed comprises grinding a small portion of pitch fiber and compacting it into a 0 . 25 &# 34 ; diameter by 0 . 125 &# 34 ; aluminum cup . a conical probe is placed in contact with the surface and a 10 gram load is applied . the penetration of the probe is then measured as a function of temperature as the sample is heated at 10 ° c ./ minute in a nitrogen atmosphere . at 6 °- 11 ° c . ( 10 °- 20 ° f .) below the glass transition the fibers maintain their stiffness while at the same time the temperature represents the highest temperatures allowable for satisfactory stabilization to occur . this temperature is below the point at which fiber - fiber fusion can occur . after the fiber has been heated at this temperature for a sufficient time to form a skin , the temperature can then be raised at a rate such that the increased temperature is below the glass transition temperature of the oxidized fibers . it has been discovered that during the oxidation of the carbon fibers the glass transition temperature increases and by maintaining the temperature during heat - up at a point 6 ° to 11 ° c . ( 10 ° to 20 ° f .) below the glass transition temperature , undesired slumping of the fibers does not occur . as the temperature is increased the oxidation rate increases and conversely the stabilization time decreases . as noted in the tables above , the ar - 510 - tf pitch fiber can be stabilized in a much shorter period of time than can the a - 410 - vr fiber . in fact , the time required to stabilize is approximately twenty - five times longer for the fiber made from an a - 410 - vr pitch . this decrease in stabilization time is in part due to the increased softening point of the pitch fiber which enables it to be heated to a much higher initial stabilization temperature . it is also due in substantial part to the increased reactivity of the precursor pitch material as contrasted to the lower softening point pitch material from which it was prepared . as noted , the use of a wiped - film evaporator is presently the preferred method since the high thermal efficiency leads to a decreased exposure of the product to high temperatures , and thus minimizes the formation of higher viscosity dispersed phases , e . g ., mesophase , which can result in difficulties in the fiber forming operation , and can result in discontinuous compositional areas in the final product fiber . in order to demonstrate that the shortened stabilization cycle is due in large part to the different chemical composition of the pitch materials , the following tests are conducted . two pitches , samples ar - 510 - tf ( run 1009 ) and a - 438 - vr ( run 5053 ), are crushed and screened to a - 100 mesh + 200 mesh sizing ( i . e . - 150 + 75 microns ) and then heated at 160 ° c . ( 320 ° f . ), 182 ° c . ( 360 ° f . ), and 190 ° c . ( 375 ° f .) in circulating hot air . samples are removed at different times between 16 and 165 hours . the samples are analyzed for both weight change and xylene insolubles content . the rate constants are found by plotting xylene insolubles versus time as a first order relationship . from this evaluation it is determined that ar - 510 - tf ( run 1009 ) oxidizes substantially faster than the a - 430vr ( run 5053 ). the calculated rate constants are about 25 times faster , a figure which correlates reasonably well with the actual test results . the high softening point pitches of the present invention prepared in 15 seconds or less have a substantially higher reactivity than pitches of the prior art . various methods besides wiped - film evaporation may be employed to increase the softening point of the pitch without adversely affecting its reactivity . solvent extraction , oxidation , nitrogen stripping and flash distillation may be employed . a brief description of each will now be provided . a method which can be used to produce a high softening point pitch material is solvent extraction . three extraction methods can be used . they are : ( 1 ) supercritical extraction , ( 2 ) conventional extraction , and ( 3 ) anti - solvent extraction . these methods greatly reduce the temperature to which the pitch is subjected , thus providing a better fiber precursor . extraction is a method that removes lower molecular weight materials thus leaving a high softening point high molecular weight fiber precursor . in supercritical extraction the pitch is pumped into a pressure vessel where it is continuously extracted with a solvent at a pressure which is above the supercritical pressure of the solvent . the usual solvents for this process are normal hydrocarbons although the process is not so limited . the solvent along with the part of the pitch that is solubilized is removed to a series of pressure step - down vessels where the solvent is flashed off . the insoluble part of the pitch is removed from the bottom of the reactor . this insoluble portion is used as the fiber precursor . the softening point of the insoluble fraction is adjusted by varying the temperature at which the extraction is conducted . one advantage of supercritical extraction is that it can be used to purify the fiber precursor pitch . it has been mentioned previously that the pitch contains inorganic impurities and particulates . by using a solvent that will extract at least 95 % of the pitch the inorganic impurities and particulates can be left in the insoluble fraction which constitutes less than 5 % of the pitch . the , at least , 95 % of the pitch obtained from the first extraction is then supercritically extracted as described above to yield a high softening point fiber precursor pitch that is free of inorganic impurities and particulates . another method of extraction that can be used is anti - solvent extraction . this method of extraction can also be used to produce a fiber precursor pitch which is free of inorganic impurities and particulates . the starting pitch is dissolved in a solvent such as chloroform which will dissolve at least 95 % of the pitch . the pitch / chloroform solution is then filtered through a small pore filter . this filtration step removes the inorganic impurities and particulates . the pitch / chloroform solution is then diluted with a solvent , such as a normal hydrocarbon which has a limited solubility for pitch . upon the addition of the normal hydrocarbon solvent an insoluble pitch begins to precipitate . when the addition of the normal hydrocarbon is complete , the solution is filtered . the insoluble portion which is removed by filtration is a high softening point fiber precursor pitch which is free of inorganic impurities and particulates . the softening point of the insoluble portion is adjusted by the amount of normal hydrocarbon added to the pitch / chloroform solution . another extraction method that can be used to produce a high softening point fiber precursor pitch is conventional solvent extraction such as that used in refinery solvent deasphalting . pitch is extracted in an extraction vessel using an extraction solvent at a given temperature and pressure . the usual solvents for this process are normal hydrocarbons although the process is not limited to these solvents . the solvent along with the part of the pitch that is solubilized is removed to a flash chamber where the solvent is removed . the insoluble part of the pitch is removed out the bottom of the extractor . this insoluble fraction is used as fiber precursor . the softening point of the insoluble fraction is adjusted by varying the severity of the extraction conditions . another method which can be used to produce a high softening point pitch fiber precursor is oxidation . oxidation can be catalytic or non - catalytic . the time the pitch is subjected to high temperatures is quite long so care is necessary to prevent the temperature of the oxidizer from becoming too high . if care is exercised it is possible to produce a mesophase free pitch . oxidation is a method which both removes lower molecular weight molecules by distilling them and / or eliminates them by causing them to react to form larger molecules . oxidation can be either a batch or a continuous reaction . pitch is oxidized in either a batch or continuous oxidizer at a temperature of 250 °- 300 ° c . the oxidizing gas can be any number of gases such as air , enriched air , no 2 and so 2 . care must be taken not to allow the temperature of the oxidizer to go above 300 ° c . to avoid the formation of unwanted mesophase . this technique is one of the least desirable techniques since the amount of time which the pitch is subjected to fairly high temperatures is great and there is a risk of mesophase formation . the oxidation can be carried out catalytically by the addition of any number of oxidation catalysts . these catalysts include fecl 3 , p 2 o 5 , peroxides , na 2co3 , etc . the catalysts could also perform another function in that they could act as catalysts for fiber stabilization . stabilization is simply an oxidation process . another method which can be used to produce a high softening point fiber precursor is the reaction of the pitch with sulfur . sulfur performs much the same funcion as oxygen in that it dehydrogenates and crosslinks the pitch molecules . it mostly eliminates the small molecules by causing them to react . the sulfur is added to the pitch slowly after the pitch has been heated to 250 °- 300 ° c . when the sulfur is added there is evolution of h 2 s so care must be taken . also , the temperature must be controlled below 300 ° c . to avoid mesophase formation . this technique is one of the least desirable also because the pitch is subjected to high temperatures for an extended period of time , and sulfur is also incorporated into the final product . another method consists of stripping with nitrogen while the pitch is maintained at a temperature of about 300 ° c . for example , the softening point of the pitch can be increased by stripping with nitrogen according to the following procedure . a reactor , equipped with a 300 rpm stirrer , is half - filled with commercial a - 240 pitch . the temperature of the reactor and its stirred contents is raised to 300 ° c . using an electrical heating mantle . nitrogen is sparged through the stirred pitch at a rate of 5 cubic feet / hour / pound of pitch . the overhead material is vented through a pipe in the top of the reactor and is flared . after six hours the pitch is removed from the reactor and its softening point is determined to be about 250 ° c . using the mettler softening point apparatus ( astm d - 3104 ) and the modified conradson carbon ( astm 2416 ) is determined to be 81 . 0 . the same procedure can be repeated with superheated steam as the stripping gas . high softening point pitch can be produced by use of an equilibrium flash distillation still . in such a unit , liquid a - 240 pitch is pumped into a pre - heater zone where the feed is heated to the flash temperature . directly after heating , the feed enters the flash zone . this zone is a large , well - heated vessel under vacuum where the volatiles are allowed to escape from the liquid phase . the vapors are condensed and collected through an overhead line , while the liquid bottoms are allowed to flow out a bottom opening to be collected and used as a carbon fiber precursor . modifications : it will be understood that the examples are merely illustrative and that the invention is susceptible to a variety of modifications and variations which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the application . references cited above and literature cited therein are hereby incorporated by reference into the application . in preferred embodiments , the fibers are heated in an oxidizing environment to a first temperature that is about 6 to 11 ° c . below their glass transition temperature and then the temperature is increased to a higher temperature to render the fibers infusible . more preferably , the first temperature is about 175 ° c . and the higher temperature is above 285 ° c ., more preferably above 300 ° c .	2
it has now been found that the foregoing blends of pentanes with trans 12 dramatically improves fire resistance of pentane blown foams , as well as improving the initial k - factor ( thermal conductivity ) of such foams . as noted above , these blends are particularly useful for making closed cell polymer ( insulation ) foams having improved fire resistance , such as polystyrene , phenolic and polyurethane foams . in addition to the trans 12 / cyclopentane blend , the data below confirm the utility of blends of trans 12 with n - c5 , i - c5 , n - c5 / i - c5 mixtures , and c - c5 / i - c5 mixtures . trans 12 generally makes up greater than 1 mole % of the blends , preferably about 5 to 25 mole %. a practical upper limit on the amount of trans 12 is about 40 to 45 mole %. in the premix compositions the blowing agent blend is typically present in a concentration range of about 2 - 60 weight % ( preferably 5 - 40 weight %), based on the weight of the polyol . in polyurethane foam compositions , the effective concentrations of the blends are typically about 0 . 1 - 25 weight % ( preferably 0 . 5 - 15 weight %), based on the weight of the total polyurethane foam formulation . the blowing agent can be distributed between the “ a ” and “ b ” sides of the foam composition . all or a portion of it can also be added at the time of injection . the other components of the premix and foam formulations may be those which are conventionally used , which components and their proportions are well known to those skilled in the art . for example , fire retardants , surfactants and polyol are typical components of the b - side , while the a - side is primarily comprised of polyisocyanate . water is frequently used as a coblowing agent . the a and b sides are typically mixed together , followed by injection of the catalyst , after which the mixture is poured into a mold or box . the practice of the invention is illustrated in more detail in the following non - limiting examples . the formulations used ( all having an iso index of 300 ) each contained 170 . 51 parts m - 489 , a polymeric methane diphenyl diisocyanate available from bayer corporation ; 100 parts ps2352 , a polyester polyol having a hydroxyl number of 230 - 250 available from the stepan company ; 0 . 16 part pc - 5 and 0 . 29 part pc - 46 , which are , respectively , pentamethyldiethylenetriamine and potassium acetate in ethylene glycol , catalysts available from air products ; 2 . 57 parts k - 15 , potassium octoate in dipropylene glycol , a catalyst available from air products ; 2 parts b - 8462 , a polysiloxane - polyether copolymer surfactant available from goldschmidt chemical corporation ; 10 parts ab - 80 , a tris ( 1 - chloro - 2 - propyl ) phosphate fire retardant available from albright & amp ; wilson americas , inc . ; and about 22 - 24 parts blowing agent , the exact amounts of which are more particularly set forth below ; all parts are by weight . the a - side ( m489 ) and b - side ( a mixture of the polyol , surfactant , fire retardant and blowing agents ) were each cooled to 10 ° c ., then mixed , after which the catalyst mixture was injected . after further mixing for about 18 seconds , the mixture was poured into a box . a mobil 45 fire resistance performance test was then performed on samples of the resulting foams . in this test samples are weighed before and after exposure to a burner and the weight loss percentage is calculated . the less the weight loss , the better the fire performance . a one inch thick core foam sample was used to determine thermal conductivity ( k - factor ) of the foam . k - factor measurement is conducted according to astm c518 . the lower the k - factor the better the foam &# 39 ; s thermal performance . in this example the performance of c - c5 alone ( 21 . 7 parts ) is compared to that of the three blends shown in table i below : table i parts & amp ; mole % ( of trans 12 ) of blowing agent in invention examples c - c5 20 . 62 19 . 53 16 . 28 trans 12 parts 1 . 50 3 . 01 7 . 52 trans 12 mole % 5 10 25 the fire resistance weight loss results are shown in table ii : table ii mobil 45 fire resistance weight loss % results : c - c5 alone : 10 . 3 % c - c5 with 5 mole % trans 12 6 . 1 % c - c5 with 10 mole % trans 12 : 8 . 6 % c - c5 with 25 mole % trans 12 : 3 . 0 % the foam made with c - c5 alone had an initial k - factor of 0 . 157 btu . in ./ ft 2 . h .° f . at 24 ° c ., while the foams made with the 3 levels of trans 12 had k - factors of 0 . 153 , 0 . 153 and 0 . 149 , respectively . in this example the performance of n - c5 alone ( 22 . 32 parts ) is compared to that of the two blends shown in table iii below : table iii parts & amp ; mole % ( of trans 12 ) of blowing agent in invention examples n - c5 20 . 09 16 . 74 trans 12 parts 3 . 01 7 . 52 trans 12 mole % 10 25 the fire resistance weight loss results are shown in table iv : table iv mobil 45 fire resistance weight loss % results : n - c5 alone : 7 . 3 % n - c5 with 10 mole % trans 12 5 . 6 % n - c5 with 25 mole % trans 12 : 3 . 3 % the foam made with n - c5 alone had an initial k - factor of 0 . 164 btu . in ./ ft 2 . h .° f . at 24 ° c ., while the foams made with the 2 levels of trans 12 had k - factors of 0 . 160 and 0 . 157 , respectively . in this example the performance of i - c5 alone ( 22 . 32 parts ) is compared to that of the two blends shown in table v below : table v parts & amp ; mole % ( of trans 12 ) of blowing agent in invention examples i - c5 20 . 09 16 . 74 trans 12 parts 3 . 01 7 . 52 trans 12 mole % 10 25 the fire resistance weight loss results are shown in table vi : table vi mobil 45 fire resistance weight loss % results : i - c5 alone : 5 . 1 % i - c5 with 10 mole % trans 12 4 . 0 % i - c5 with 25 mole % trans 12 : 3 . 1 % the foam made with i - c5 alone had an initial k - factor of 0 . 158 btu . in ./ ft 2 . h .° f . at 24 ° c ., while the foams made with the 2 levels of trans 12 each had a k - factor of 0 . 157 . trans 12 / hydrosol ™ blends ( hydrosol is the tradename of totalfinaelf for a pentane blend containing about 22 - 25 % i - c5 and about 75 - 78 % n - c5 ) in this example the performance of hydrosol alone ( 22 . 32 parts ) is compared to that of the two blends shown in table vii below : table vii parts & amp ; mole % ( of trans 12 ) of blowing agent in invention examples hydrosol 20 . 09 16 . 74 trans 12 parts 3 . 01 7 . 52 trans 12 mole % 10 25 the fire resistance weight loss results are shown in table viii : table viii mobil 45 fire resistance weight loss % results : hydrosol alone : 9 . 6 % hydrosol with 10 mole % trans 12 7 . 4 % hydrosol with 25 mole % trans 12 : 4 . 3 % the foam made with hydrosol alone had an initial k - factor of 0 . 161 btu . in ./ ft 2 . h .° f . at 24 ° c ., while the foams made with the 2 levels of trans 12 had k - factors of 0 . 158 and 0 . 157 , respectively . trans 12 / hydrosol ™ 15 blends ( hydrosol 15 is the tradename of totalfinaelf for a pentane blend containing about 15 - 19 % i - c5 and about 81 - 85 % n - c5 ) in this example the performance of hydrosol 15 alone ( 22 . 32 parts ) is compared to that of the two blends shown in table ix below : table ix parts & amp ; mole % ( of trans 12 ) of blowing agent in invention examples hydrosol 15 20 . 09 16 . 74 trans 12 parts 3 . 01 7 . 52 trans 12 mole % 10 25 the fire resistance weight loss results are shown in table x : table x mobil 45 fire resistance weight loss % results : hydrosol 15 alone : 6 . 4 % hydrosol 15 with 10 mole % trans 12 4 . 3 % hydrosol 15 with 25 mole % trans 12 : 3 . 5 % the foam made with hydrosol 15 alone had an initial k - factor of 0 . 159 btu . in ./ ft 2 . h .° f . at 24 ° c ., while the foams made with the 2 levels of trans 12 had k - factors of 0 . 158 and 0 . 155 , respectively . in this example the performance of a c - c5 / i - c5 blend alone ( 10 . 85 parts of c - c5 and 11 . 16 parts of i - c5 ) is compared to that of the two blends shown in table xi below : table xi parts & amp ; mole % ( of trans 12 ) of blowing agent in invention examples c - c5 9 . 77 8 . 14 i - c5 10 . 04 8 . 37 trans 12 parts 3 . 01 7 . 52 trans 12 mole % 10 25 the fire resistance weight loss results are shown in table xii : table xii mobil 45 fire resistance weight loss % results : c - c5 / i - c5 alone : 7 . 3 % c - c5 / i - c5 with 10 mole % trans 12 5 . 1 % c - c5 / i - c5 with 25 mole % trans 12 : 3 . 6 % the foam made with c - c5 / i - c5 alone had an initial k - factor of 0 . 154 btu . in ./ ft 2 . h .° f . at 24 ° c ., while the foams made with the 2 levels of trans 12 had k - factors of 0 . 150 and 0 . 149 , respectively .	2
the present inventors have determined that improved chemical resistance is exhibited by a composition that includes specific amounts of an aromatic polycarbonate , a block polycarbonate - polysiloxane , a poly ( alkylene terephthalate ), a block polyestercarbonate , and an organophosphate ester . the improved chemical resistance is achieved while substantially maintaining impact strength , melt flow , heat resistance , and flame retardancy . thus , one embodiment is a composition comprising , based on the total weight of the composition , 5 to 50 weight percent of an aromatic polycarbonate ; 10 to 40 weight percent of a block polycarbonate - polysiloxane ; 5 to 35 weight percent of a poly ( alkylene terephthalate ); 5 to 50 weight percent of a block polyestercarbonate comprising a polyester block comprising resorcinol ester repeat units having the structure and a polycarbonate block comprising carbonate repeat units having the structure wherein at least 60 percent of the total number of r 1 groups are aromatic ; and 4 to 20 weight percent of an organophosphate ester . the composition includes an aromatic polycarbonate . “ polycarbonate ” as used herein means a polymer or copolymer having repeating structural carbonate units of the formula wherein at least 60 percent of the total number of r 1 groups are aromatic . specifically , each r 1 can be derived from a dihydroxy compound such as an aromatic dihydroxy compound of the formula wherein n , p , and q are each independently 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , or 4 ; r a is independently at each occurrence halogen , or unsubstituted or substituted c 1 - 10 hydrocarbyl ; and x a is a single bond , — o —, — s —, — s ( o )—, — s ( o ) 2 —, — c ( o )—, or a c 1 - 18 hydrocarbylene , which can be cyclic or acyclic , aromatic or non - aromatic , and can further comprise one or more heteroatoms selected from halogens , oxygen , nitrogen , sulfur , silicon , or phosphorous . as used herein , the term “ hydrocarbyl ”, whether used by itself , or as a prefix , suffix , or fragment of another term , refers to a residue that contains only carbon and hydrogen unless it is specifically identified as “ substituted hydrocarbyl ”. the hydrocarbyl residue can be aliphatic or aromatic , straight - chain , cyclic , bicyclic , branched , saturated , or unsaturated . it can also contain combinations of aliphatic , aromatic , straight chain , cyclic , bicyclic , branched , saturated , and unsaturated hydrocarbon moieties . as used herein , “ substituted ” means including at least one substituent such as a halogen ( i . e ., f , cl , br , i ), hydroxyl , amino , thiol , carboxyl , carboxylate , amide , nitrile , sulfide , disulfide , nitro , c 1 - 18 alkyl , c 1 - 18 alkoxyl , c 6 - 18 aryl , c 6 - 18 aryloxyl , c 7 - 18 alkylaryl , or c 7 - 18 alkylaryloxyl . so , when the hydrocarbyl residue is described as substituted , it can contain heteroatoms in addition to carbon and hydrogen . some illustrative examples of specific dihydroxy compounds include the following : bisphenol compounds such as 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxybiphenyl , 1 , 6 - dihydroxynaphthalene , 2 , 6 - dihydroxynaphthalene , bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) methane , bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) diphenylmethane , bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 1 - naphthylmethane , 1 , 2 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) ethane , 1 , 1 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 1 - phenylethane , 2 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 -( 3 - hydroxyphenyl ) propane , bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) phenylmethane , 2 , 2 - bis ( 4 - hydroxy - 3 - bromophenyl ) propane , 1 , 1 - bis ( hydroxyphenyl ) cyclopentane , 1 , 1 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) cyclohexane , 1 , 1 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) isobutene , 1 , 1 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) cyclododecane , trans - 2 , 3 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - butene , 2 , 2 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) adamantane , alpha , alpha &# 39 ;- bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) toluene , bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) acetonitrile , 2 , 2 - bis ( 3 - methyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propane , 2 , 2 - bis ( 3 - ethyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propane , 2 , 2 - bis ( 3 - n - propyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propane , 2 , 2 - bis ( 3 - isopropyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propane , 2 , 2 - bis ( 3 - sec - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propane , 2 , 2 - bis ( 3 - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propane , 2 , 2 - bis ( 3 - cyclohexyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propane , 2 , 2 - bis ( 3 - allyl - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propane , 2 , 2 - bis ( 3 - methoxy - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propane , 2 , 2 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) hexafluoropropane , 1 , 1 - dichloro - 2 , 2 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) ethylene , 1 , 1 - dibromo - 2 , 2 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) ethylene , 1 , 1 - dichloro - 2 , 2 - bis ( 5 - phenoxy - 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) ethylene , 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxybenzophenone , 3 , 3 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - butanone , 1 , 6 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 1 , 6 - hexanedione , ethylene glycol bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) ether , bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) ether , bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) sulfide , bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) sulfoxide , bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) sulfone , 9 , 9 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) fluorine , 2 , 7 - dihydroxypyrene , 6 , 6 ′- dihydroxy - 3 , 3 , 3 ′, 3 ′- tetramethylspiro ( bis ) indane (“ spirobiindane bisphenol ”), 3 , 3 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) phthalimide , 2 , 6 - dihydroxydibenzo - p - dioxin , 2 , 6 - dihydroxythianthrene , 2 , 7 - dihydroxyphenoxathin , 2 , 7 - dihydroxy - 9 , 10 - dimethylphenazine , 3 , 6 - dihydroxydibenzofuran , 3 , 6 - dihydroxydibenzothiophene , and 2 , 7 - dihydroxycarbazole ; resorcinol , substituted resorcinol compounds such as 5 - methyl resorcinol , 5 - ethyl resorcinol , 5 - propyl resorcinol , 5 - butyl resorcinol , 5 - t - butyl resorcinol , 5 - phenyl resorcinol , 5 - cumyl resorcinol , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 - tetrafluoro resorcinol , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 - tetrabromo resorcinol , or the like ; catechol ; hydroquinone ; substituted hydroquinones such as 2 - methyl hydroquinone , 2 - ethyl hydroquinone , 2 - propyl hydroquinone , 2 - butyl hydroquinone , 2 - t - butyl hydroquinone , 2 - phenyl hydroquinone , 2 - cumyl hydroquinone , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 - tetramethyl hydroquinone , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 - tetra - t - butyl hydroquinone , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 - tetrafluoro hydroquinone , and 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 - tetrabromo hydroquinone . specific dihydroxy compounds include resorcinol , 2 , 2 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propane (“ bisphenol a ” or “ bpa ”), 3 , 3 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) phthalimidine , 2 - phenyl - 3 , 3 ′- bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) phthalimidine ( also known as n - phenyl phenolphthalein bisphenol , “ pppbp ”, or 3 , 3 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl )- 2 - phenylisoindolin - l - one ), 1 , 1 - bis ( 4 - hydroxy - 3 - methylphenyl ) cyclohexane ( dmbpc ), 1 , 1 - bis ( 4 - hydroxy - 3 - methylphenyl )- 3 , 3 , 5 - trimethylcyclohexane ( isophorone bisphenol ), and combinations thereof . in some embodiments , at least 90 percent of the total number of r 1 groups in the polycarbonate have the formula in some embodiments , the polycarbonate comprises or consists of bisphenol a polycarbonate resin . more than one polycarbonate can be used . for example , the composition can comprise a first polycarbonate having a weight average molecular weight of 18 , 000 to 25 , 000 atomic mass units and a second polycarbonate having a weight average molecular weight of 27 , 000 to 35 , 000 atomic mass units . methods of forming polycarbonates are known , and many are commercially available from suppliers including sabic innovative plastics , bayer materialscience , and mitsubishi chemical corp . the composition comprises the polycarbonate in an amount of 5 to 50 weight percent , based on the total weight of the composition . within this range , the polycarbonate amount can be 10 to 40 weight percent , specifically 15 to 36 weight percent . in addition to the aromatic polycarbonate , the composition comprises a block polycarbonate - polysiloxane . a block polycarbonate - polysiloxane is a polycarbonate copolymer comprising at least one polycarbonate block and at least one polysiloxane block . in some embodiments , the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane comprises multiple polycarbonate blocks and multiple polysiloxane blocks . the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane can be transparent , translucent , or opaque , depending on its composition . block polycarbonate - polysiloxanes and methods for their preparation are known and described , for example , in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 419 , 634 and 3 , 419 , 635 to vaughn , u . s . pat . no . 3 , 821 , 325 to merritt et al ., u . s . pat . no . 3 , 832 , 419 to merritt , and u . s . pat . no . 6 , 072 , 011 to hoover . block polycarbonate - polysiloxanes are also commercially available as lexan ™ exl resins from sabic innovative plastics . in some embodiments , each of the at least one polysiloxane blocks of the copolymer comprises diorganosiloxane units of the formula wherein each occurrence of r 2 is independently c 1 - 13 hydrocarbyl . examples of suitable hydrocarbyl groups include c 1 - c 13 alkyl ( including alkyl groups that are linear , branched , cyclic , or a combination of at least two of the foregoing ), c 2 - c 13 alkenyl , c 6 - c 12 aryl c 7 - c 13 arylalkyl , and c 7 - c 13 alkylaryl . the foregoing hydrocarbyl groups can , optionally , be fully or partially halogenated with fluorine , chlorine , bromine , iodine , or a combination of at least two of the foregoing . in some embodiments , including embodiments in which a transparent block polycarbonate - polysiloxane is desired , r 2 is unsubstituted by halogen . the polysiloxane blocks can each comprise 2 to 1 , 000 diorganosiloxane units . within this range , the number of diorganosiloxane units can be 2 to 500 , more specifically 5 to 100 . in some embodiments , the number of diorganosiloxane repeat units in each block is 10 to 75 , specifically 40 to 60 . wherein r 2 is defined above ; e is 2 to 1 , 000 , specifically 2 to 500 , more specifically 5 to 100 , still more specifically 10 to 75 , even more specifically 40 to 60 ; and each occurrence of ar is independently an unsubstituted or substituted c 6 - c 30 arylene group , wherein aromatic carbon atoms of the arylene group is directly bonded to each adjacent oxygen atom . ar groups can be derived from a c 6 - c 30 dihydroxyarylene compound , for example a dihydroxyarylene compound of formula wherein r a , r b , r h , x a , p , and q are defined above . examples of dihydroxyarylene compounds include hydroquinone , resorcinol , 1 , 1 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) methane , 1 , 1 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) ethane , 2 , 2 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propane ( bisphenol a ), 2 , 2 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) butane , 2 , 2 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) octane , 1 , 1 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propane , 1 , 1 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) butane , 2 , 2 - bis ( 4 - hydroxy - l - methylphenyl ) propane , 1 , 1 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) cyclohexane , bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl sulfide ), and 1 , 1 - bis ( 4 - hydroxy - t - butylphenyl ) propane . wherein r 2 and e are as defined above , and each occurrence of r 3 is independently ( divalent ) c 1 - c 30 hydrocarbylene . wherein r 2 and e are as defined above ; each occurrence of r 4 is independently a divalent c 2 - c 8 aliphatic group ; each occurrence of m is independently halogen , cyano , nitro , c 1 - c 8 alkyl , c 1 - c 8 alkoxyl , c 1 - c 8 alkylthio , c 2 - c 8 alkenyl , c 2 - c 8 alkenyloxyl group , c 6 - c 10 aryl , c 6 - c 10 aryloxyl , c 7 - c 12 arylalkyl , c 7 - c 12 arylalkoxyl , c 7 - c 12 alkylaryl , or c 7 - c 12 alkylaryloxyl ; and each occurrence of v is independently 0 , 1 , 2 , 3 , or 4 . in some embodiments , at least one occurrence of v is not zero , and each associated occurrence of m is independently chloro , bromo , c 1 - c 6 alkyl ( including methyl , ethyl , and n - propyl ), c 1 - c 6 alkoxyl ( including methoxyl , ethoxyl , and propoxyl ), or c 6 - c 12 aryl or alkylaryl ( including phenyl , chlorophenyl , and tolyl ); each occurrence of r 4 is independently c 2 - c 4 alkylene ( including dimethylene , trimethylene , and tetramethylene ); and r 2 is c 1 - c 8 alkyl , c 1 - c 8 haloalkyl ( including 3 , 3 , 3 - trifluoropropyl ), c 1 - c 8 cyanoalkyl , or c 6 - c 12 aryl or alkylaryl ( including phenyl , chlorophenyl , and tolyl ). in some embodiments , each occurrence of r 2 is independently methyl , 3 , 3 , 3 - trifluoropropyl , or phenyl . in some embodiments , all the occurrences of r 2 collective include at least one methyl and at least one 3 , 3 , 3 - trifluoropropyl . in some embodiments , the two occurrences of r 2 attached to a silicon atom include at least one methyl and at least one phenyl . in some embodiments , each occurrence of v is 1 , each occurrence of m is methoxyl , r 4 is a divalent c 1 - c 3 alkylene group , and each occurrence of r 2 is methyl . wherein e , v , r 4 , r 6 , and m are defined above . such dihydroxy polysiloxanes can be prepared by a platinum - catalyzed reaction of an aliphatically unsaturated monohydric phenol with a polysiloxane hydride of the formula wherein e , and r 2 are defined above . examples of aliphatically unsaturated monohydric phenols include 2 - methoxy - 4 - allyl - phenol ( eugenol ), 2 - allylphenol , 2 - methyl - 4 - allylphenol , 2 - allyl - 4 - methylphenol , 4 - allyl - 2 - phenylphenol , 4 - allyl - 2 - bromophenol , 4 - allyl - 2 - t - butoxyphenol , 4 - allyl - 2 - phenylphenol , 2 - allyl - 4 - propylphenol , 2 - allyl - 4 , 6 - dimethylphenol , 2 - allyl - 4 - bromo - 6 - methylphenol , 2 - allyl - 6 - methoxy - 4 - methylphenol , 2 - allyl - 4 , 6 - dimethylphenol , and combinations of at least two of the foregoing . the at least one polycarbonate block of the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane comprises carbonate units of the formula wherein at least 60 percent of the total number of r 1 groups are aromatic , and various specific embodiments of r 1 are described above . in some embodiments , the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane comprises , based on the weight of the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane , 70 to 97 weight percent carbonate units and 3 to 30 weight percent of diorganosiloxane units . within this range , the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane can comprise 70 to 90 weight percent , specifically 75 to 85 weight percent , of carbonate units , and 10 to 30 weight percent , specifically 15 to 25 weight percent of diorganosiloxane units . in some embodiments , the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane has a weight average molecular weight of 2 , 000 to 100 , 000 atomic mass units , specifically 5 , 000 to 50 , 000 atomic mass units , as determined by gel permeation chromatography using a crosslinked styrene - divinyl benzene column , a sample concentration of 1 milligram per milliliter , and bisphenol a polycarbonate standards . in some embodiments , the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane has a melt volume flow rate , measured at 300 ° c . and 1 . 2 kilogram load according to astm d1238 - 04 , of 1 to 50 cubic centimeters per 10 minutes , specifically 2 to 30 cubic centimeters per 10 minutes , more specifically 3 to 20 cubic centimeters per 10 minutes . mixtures of block polycarbonate - polysiloxanes of different flow properties can be used to achieve desired flow properties for the composition as a whole . in a very specific embodiment , the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane comprises , based on the weight of the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane , 10 to 30 weight percent of dimethylsiloxane units , and 70 to 90 weight percent of carbonate units of the formula and the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane has a melt volume flow rate of 3 to 20 centimeter 3 / 10 minutes measured at 300 ° c . and 1 . 2 kilogram load according to astm d1238 - 04 . the carbonate units can be present in a single polycarbonate block , or distributed among multiple polycarbonate blocks . in some embodiments , the carbonate units are distributed among at least two polycarbonate blocks . wherein x , y , and z are such that the block copolymer has 10 to 30 weight percent , specifically 15 to 25 weight percent , of polydimethylsiloxane units . in some embodiments , x is , on average , 30 to 60 , specifically 30 to 56 ; y is on average 1 to 5 , specifically 1 to 3 ; and z is on average 70 to 130 , specifically 80 to 100 . t is a divalent c 3 — c 30 linking group , specifically a hydrocarbyl group which can be aliphatic , aromatic , or a combination of aromatic and aliphatic and can contain one or more heteroatoms including oxygen . a wide variety of linking groups and combinations thereof can be used . the t group can be derived from a eugenol or allyl end - capping agent on the polysiloxane chain . other end - capping agents , in addition to eugenol , include aliphatically unsaturated monohydric phenols such as 2 - allyl phenol and 4 - allyl - 2 - methylphenol . the carbonate units can be present in a single polycarbonate block , or distributed among multiple polycarbonate blocks . in some embodiments , the carbonate units are distributed among at least two polycarbonate blocks . wherein x , y , and z are such that the block copolymer has 10 to 30 weight percent , specifically 15 to 25 weight percent , of polydimethylsiloxane units . in some embodiments , x is , on average , 30 to 60 , specifically 30 to 56 ; y is on average 1 to 5 , specifically 1 to 3 ; and z is on average 70 to 130 , specifically 80 to 100 . the carbonate units can be present in a single polycarbonate block , or distributed among multiple polycarbonate blocks . in some embodiments , the carbonate units are distributed among at least two polycarbonate blocks . the composition comprises the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane in an amount of 10 to 40 weight percent , based on the total weight of the composition . within this range , the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane amount can be 15 to 35 weight percent , specifically 20 to 30 weight percent . in addition to the aromatic polycarbonate and the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane , the composition comprises a poly ( alkylene terephthalate ). the alkylene group of the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ) can comprise 2 to 18 carbon atoms . examples of alkylene groups are ethylene , 1 , 3 - propylene , 1 , 4 - butylene , 1 , 5 - pentylene , 1 , 6 - hexylene , 1 , 4 - cyclohexylene , 1 , 4 - cyclohexanedimethylene , and combinations thereof . in some embodiments , the alkylene group comprises ethylene , 1 , 4 - butylene , or a combination thereof , and the poly ( alkylene terephthalate comprises poly ( ethylene terephthalate ), poly ( butylene terephthalate ), or a combination thereof , respectively . in some embodiments , the alkylene group comprises 1 , 4 - butylene and the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ) comprises poly ( butylene terephthalate ). the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ) can also be a copolyester derived from terephthalic acid ( or a combination of terephthalic acid and isophthalic acid ) and a mixture comprising a linear c 2 - c 6 aliphatic diol , such as ethylene glycol and / or 1 , 4 - butylene glycol ), and a c 6 - c 12 cycloaliphatic diol , such as 1 , 4 - cyclohexane diol , 1 , 4 - cyclohexanedimethanol , dimethanol decalin , dimethanol bicyclooctane , 1 , 10 - decane diol , or a combination thereof . the ester units comprising the two or more types of diols can be present in the polymer chain as individual units or as blocks of the same type of units . specific esters of this type include poly ( 1 , 4 - cyclohexylene dimethylene co - ethylene terephthalate ) ( pctg ) wherein greater than 50 mole percent of the ester groups are derived from 1 , 4 - cyclohexanedimethanol ; and poly ( ethylene - co - 1 , 4 - cyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate ) wherein greater than 50 mole percent of the ester groups are derived from ethylene ( petg ). it will be understood that the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ) can include small amounts ( e . g ., up to 10 weight percent , specifically up to 5 weight percent ) of residues of monomers other than alkylene diols and terephthalic acid . for example , the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ) can include the residue of isophthalic acid . as another example , the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ) can comprises units derived from an aliphatic acid , such as succinic acid , glutaric acid , adipic acid , pimelic acid , 1 , 4 - cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid , and combinations thereof . in some embodiments , the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ) is poly ( l , 4 - butylene terephthalate ) or “ pbt ” resin that is obtained by polymerizing a glycol component comprising at least 70 mole percent , specifically at least 80 mole percent , of tetramethylene glycol ( 1 , 4 - butanediol ), and an acid component comprising at least 70 mole percent , specifically at least 80 mole percent , terephthalic acid or polyester - forming derivatives therefore . commercial examples of pbt include those available under the trade names valox ™ 315 and valox ™ 195 , manufactured by sabic innovative plastics . in some embodiments , the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ) has an intrinsic viscosity of 0 . 4 to 2 . 0 deciliter / gram ( dl / g ), as measured in a 60 : 40 phenol / tetrachloroethane mixture at 23 ° c . in some embodiments , the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ) has an intrinsic viscosity of 0 . 5 to 1 . 5 dl / g , specifically 0 . 6 to 1 . 2 dl / g . in some embodiments , the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ) has a weight average molecular weight of 10 , 000 to 200 , 000 atomic mass units , specifically 50 , 000 to 150 , 000 atomic mass units , as measured by gel permeation chromatography ( gpc ) using polystyrene standards . if a poly ( alkylene terephthalate ) having a weight average molecular weight less than 10 , 000 atomic mass units is used , the mechanical properties of the articles molded from the composition can be unsatisfactory . on the other hand , if a poly ( alkylene terephthalate ) having a weight average molecular weight greater than 200 , 000 atomic mass units is used , the moldability can be insufficient . the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ) can also comprise a mixture of two or more poly ( alkylene terephthalate ) s having different intrinsic viscosities and / or weight average molecular weights . in some embodiments , the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ) component comprises a modified poly ( butylene terephthalate ), that is , a pbt derived in part from poly ( ethylene terephthalate ) ( pet ), for example recycled pet from used soft drink bottles . the pet - derived pbt polyester ( referred to herein for convenience as a “ modified pb %”) can be derived from a poly ( ethylene terephthalate ) component such as poly ( ethylene terephthalate ), a poly ( ethylene terephthalate ) copolymer , or a combination thereof . the modified pbt can further be derived from biomass - derived 1 , 4 - butanediol , e . g ., corn derived 1 , 4 - butanediol or a 1 , 4 - butanediol derived from a cellulosic material . unlike conventional molding compositions containing virgin pbt ( pbt that is derived from 1 , 4 - butanediol and terephthalic acid monomers ), the modified pbt contains units derived from ethylene glycol and isophthalic acid . use of modified pbt can provide a valuable way to effectively use underutilized scrap pet ( from post - consumer or post - industrial streams ) in pbt thermoplastic molding compositions , thereby conserving non - renewable resources and reducing the formation of greenhouse gases , e . g ., carbon dioxide . the modified pbt can have at least one residue derived from the poly ( ethylene terephthalate ) component . such residue can include residue derived from one or more of ethylene glycol groups , diethylene glycol groups , isophthalic acid groups , antimony - containing compounds , germanium - containing compounds , titanium - containing compounds , cobalt - containing compounds , tin - containing compounds , aluminum , aluminum salts , 1 , 3 - cyclohexane dimethanol isomers , 1 , 4 - cyclohexane dimethanol isomers , the cis isomer of 1 , 3 - cyclohexane dimethanol , the cis isomer of 1 , 4 - cyclohexane dimethanol , the trans isomer of 1 , 3 - cyclohexane dimethanol , the trans isomer of 1 , 4 - cyclohexane dimethanol , alkali salts , alkaline earth metal salts , including calcium , magnesium , sodium and potassium salts , phosphorous - containing compounds and anions , sulfur - containing compounds and anions , naphthalene dicarboxylic acids , 1 , 3 - propanediol groups , and combinations thereof . depending on factors such as the type and relative amounts of poly ( ethylene terephthalate ) and poly ( ethylene terephthalate ) copolymers , the residue can include various combinations . for example , the residue can include mixtures of units derived from ethylene glycol groups and diethylene glycol groups . the residue can also include mixtures of units derived from ethylene glycol groups , diethylene glycol groups , and isophthalic acid groups . the residue derived from poly ( ethylene terephthalate ) can include the cis isomer of 1 , 3 - cyclohexane dimethanol groups , the cis isomer of 1 , 4 - cyclohexane dimethanol groups , the trans isomer of 1 , 3 - cyclohexane dimethanol groups , the trans isomer of 1 , 4 - cyclohexane dimethanol groups , and combinations thereof . the residue can also include a mixture of units derived from ethylene glycol groups , diethylene glycol groups , isophthalic acid groups , cis isomer of cyclohexane dimethanol groups , trans isomer of cyclohexane dimethanol groups , and combinations thereof . the residue derived from poly ( ethylene terephthalate ) can also include mixtures of units derived from ethylene glycol groups , diethylene glycol groups , and cobalt - containing compounds . such cobalt - containing compound mixtures can also contain isophthalic acid groups . the amount of the ethylene glycol groups , diethylene glycol groups , and isophthalic groups in the polymeric backbone of the modified pbt component can vary . the modified pbt ordinarily contain units derived from isophthalic acid in an amount that is at least 0 . 1 mole percent and can range from 0 . 1 to 10 mole percent . the modified pbt component can also contain units derived from ethylene glycol in an amount that is at least 0 . 1 mole percent and can range from 0 . 1 to 10 mole percent . the modified pbt component can also contain units derived from diethylene glycol in an amount of 0 . 1 to 10 mole percent . in some embodiments , the amount of units derived from butanediol is 95 to 99 . 8 mole percent . in some embodiments , the amount of units derived from terephthalic acid is 90 to 99 . 9 mole percent . unless otherwise specified , all molar amounts of units derived from isophthalic acid and / or terephthalic acid are based on the total moles of units in the composition derived from diacids and / or diesters . unless otherwise specified , all molar amounts of units derived from 1 , 4 - butanediol , ethylene glycol , and diethylene glycol are based on the total moles of units in the composition derived from diol . the total amount of the poly ( ethylene terephthalate ) component residue in the modified pbt can vary in amounts from 1 . 8 to 2 . 5 weight percent , or from 0 . 5 to 2 weight percent , or from 1 to 4 weight percent , based on the total weight of the modified pbt . when it is desirable to make a poly ( butylene terephthalate ) copolymer having a melting temperature t m that is at least 200 ° c ., the total amount of diethylene glycol , ethylene glycol , and isophthalic acid groups should be within a certain range . as such , the total amount of the diethylene glycol , ethylene glycol , and isophthalic acid groups in the modified poly ( butylene terephthalate ) component can be more than 0 and less than or equal to 23 equivalents , relative to the total of 100 equivalents of diol and 100 equivalents of diacid groups in the modified pbt . the total amount of inorganic residues derived from the poly ( ethylene terephthalate ) can be present at more than 0 parts per million by weight ( ppm ) and up to 1000 ppm . examples of such inorganic residues include antimony - containing compounds , germanium - containing compounds , titanium - containing compounds , cobalt - containing compounds , tin containing compounds , aluminum , aluminum salts , alkaline earth metal salts ( including calcium and magnesium salts ), alkali salts ( including sodium and potassium salts ), phosphorous - containing compounds and anions , sulfur - containing compounds and anions , and combinations thereof . the amounts of inorganic residues can be from 250 to 1000 ppm , more specifically from 500 to 1000 ppm . commercial examples of a modified pbt include those available under the trade name valox ™ iq resin , manufactured by sabic innovative plastics company . the modified pbt can be derived from the poly ( ethylene terephthalate ) component by any method that involves depolymerization of the poly ( ethylene terephthalate ) component and polymerization of the depolymerized poly ( ethylene terephthalate ) component with 1 , 4 - butanediol to provide the modified pbt . for example , the modified poly ( butylene terephthalate ) component can be made by a process that involves depolymerizing a poly ( ethylene terephthalate ) and / or a poly ( ethylene terephthalate ) copolymer , with a 1 , 4 - butanediol component at a temperature from 180 ° c . to 230 ° c ., under agitation , at a pressure that is at least atmospheric pressure in the presence of a catalyst component , at an elevated temperature , under an inert atmosphere , to produce a molten mixture containing an oligomer containing ethylene terephthalate moieties , an oligomer containing ethylene isophthalate moieties , an oligomer containing diethylene terephthalate moieties , an oligomer containing diethylene isophthalate moieties , an oligomer containing butylene terephthalate moieties , an oligomer containing butylene isophthalate moieties , a covalently bonded oligomeric moiety containing at least two of the foregoing moieties , 1 , 4 - butanediol , ethylene glycol , or a combination thereof ; and agitating the molten mixture at sub - atmospheric pressure and increasing the temperature of the molten mixture to an elevated temperature under conditions sufficient to form a modified pbt containing at least one residue derived from the poly ( ethylene terephthalate ) component . the composition can comprise a combination of virgin poly ( alkylene terephthalate ) and modified poly ( alkylene terephthalate ), including a combination of virgin and modified poly ( 1 , 4 - butylene terephthalate ), the latter obtained from recycled poly ( ethylene terephthalate ) as described above . the composition comprises the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ) in an amount of 5 to 35 weight percent , based on the total weight of the composition . within this range , the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ) amount can be 10 to 30 weight percent , specifically 15 to 25 weight percent . in addition to the aromatic polycarbonate , the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane , and the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ), the composition comprises a block polyestercarbonate . the block polyestercarbonate comprises at least one polyester block and at least one polycarbonate block . the polyester block comprises resorcinol ester repeat units having the structure wherein at least 60 percent of the total number of r 1 groups are aromatic , and various specific embodiments of r 1 are described above . in some embodiments , the polyester block comprises resorcinol ester repeat units having the structures the composition comprises the block polyestercarbonate in an amount of 5 to 50 weight percent , based on the total weight of the composition . within this range , the block polyestercarbonate amount can be 5 to 40 weight percent , specifically 10 to 35 weight percent , even more specifically 15 to 35 weight percent . in addition to the aromatic polycarbonate , the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane , the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ), and the block polyestercarbonate , the composition comprises an organophosphate ester . exemplary organophosphate ester flame retardants include phosphate esters comprising phenyl groups , substituted phenyl groups , or a combination of phenyl groups and substituted phenyl groups , bis - aryl phosphate esters based upon resorcinol such as , for example , resorcinol bis ( diphenyl phosphate ), as well as those based upon bisphenols such as , for example , bisphenol a bis ( diphenyl phosphate ). in some embodiments , the organophosphate ester is selected from tris ( alkylphenyl ) phosphates ( for example , cas reg . no . 89492 - 23 - 9 or cas reg . no . 78 - 33 - 1 ), resorcinol bis ( diphenyl phosphate ) ( cas reg . no . 57583 - 54 - 7 ), bisphenol a bis ( diphenyl phosphate ) ( cas reg . no . 181028 - 79 - 5 ), triphenyl phosphate ( cas reg . no . 115 - 86 - 6 ), tris ( isopropylphenyl ) phosphates ( for example , cas reg . no . 68937 - 41 - 7 ), t - butylphenyl diphenyl phosphates ( cas reg . no . 56803 - 37 - 3 ), bis ( t - butylphenyl ) phenyl phosphates ( cas reg . no . 65652 - 41 - 7 ), tris ( t - butylphenyl ) phosphates ( cas reg . no . 78 - 33 - 1 ), and combinations thereof . in some embodiments the organophosphate ester comprises a bis - aryl phosphate having the formula wherein r is independently at each occurrence a c 1 - c 12 alkylene group ; r 9 and r 10 are independently at each occurrence a c 1 - c 5 alkyl group ; r 5 , r 6 , and r 7 are independently a c 1 - c 12 hydrocarbyl group ; r 7 is independently at each occurrence a c 1 - c 12 hydrocarbyl group ; n is 1 to 25 ; and s1 and s2 are independently an integer equal to 0 , 1 , or 2 . in some embodiments or 5 , or 6 , or 7 and or 8 are independently derived from phenol , a monoalkylphenol , a dialkylphenol , or a trialkylphenol . as readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art , the bis - aryl phosphate is derived from a bisphenol . exemplary bisphenols include 2 , 2 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propane ( bisphenol a ), 2 , 2 - bis ( 4 - hydroxy - 3 - methylphenyl ) propane , bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) methane , bis ( 4 - hydroxy - 3 , 5 - dimethylphenyl ) methane and 1 , 1 - bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) ethane . in some embodiments , the bisphenol comprises bisphenol a . in some embodiments , the organophosphate ester comprises bisphenol a bis ( diphenyl phosphate ). the composition comprises the organophosphate ester in an amount of 4 to 20 weight percent , based on the total weight of the composition . within this range , the organophosphate ester amount can be 5 to 15 weight percent , specifically 6 to 12 weight percent , more specifically 7 to 10 weight percent . the composition can , optionally , comprise one or more flame retardants in addition to the organophosphate ester . such flame retardants can include metal dialkylphosphinates ( such as aluminum tris ( diethylphosphinate )), melamine - containing flame retardants ( such as melamine phosphate , melamine pyrophosphate , melamine polyphosphate , and melamine cyanurate ), metal hydroxides ( such as magnesium hydroxide , aluminum hydroxide , and cobalt hydroxide ), and combinations thereof . when present , such additional flame retardants can be used in an amount of 1 to 10 weight percent , based on the total weight of the composition . the composition can , optionally , further comprise one or more additives , including flow modifiers , antioxidants , heat stabilizers , light stabilizers , ultraviolet ( uv ) light stabilizers , uv absorbing additives , plasticizers , lubricants , mold release agents , antistatic agents , anti - fog agents , antimicrobial agents , surface effect additives , radiation stabilizers , anti - drip agents ( e . g ., a styrene - acrylonitrile copolymer - encapsulated polytetrafluoroethylene ( tsan )), and combinations thereof . in general , the additives , when present , are used in a total amount of less than or equal to 5 weight percent , based on the total weight of the composition . within this limit , the additives can be used in a total amount of less than or equal to 2 weight percent , specifically less than or equal to 1 . 5 weight percent . the composition can , optionally minimize or exclude impact modifiers . impact modifiers include , for example , natural rubber , fluoroelastomers , ethylene - propylene rubbers ( epr ), ethylene - butene rubbers , ethylene - propylene - diene monomer rubbers ( epdm ), acrylate rubbers , hydrogenated nitrile rubbers ( hnbr ), silicone elastomers , styrene - butadiene - styrene block copolymers ( sbs ), styrene - butadiene rubbers ( sbr ), styrene -( ethylene - butene )- styrene block copolymers ( sebs ), styrene - isoprene - styrene block copolymers ( sis ), styrene -( ethylene - propylene )- styrene block copolymers ( seps ), acrylonitrile - butadiene - styrene copolymers ( abs , including bulk abs and high - rubber graft abs ), acrylonitrile - ethylene - propylene - diene - styrene copolymers ( aes ), methyl methacrylate - butadiene - styrene block copolymers ( mbs ), and combinations thereof . in some embodiments , the composition comprises 0 to 1 weight percent of impact modifiers . in some embodiments , the composition excludes impact modifiers . the composition can , optionally , minimize or exclude fillers , including reinforcing fillers ( such as glass fibers , talc , mica , and wollastonite ), and non - reinforcing fillers ( such as silica and alumina ). in some embodiments , the composition comprises 0 to 1 weight percent of reinforcing fillers . in some embodiments , the composition excludes reinforcing fillers . in the context of the minimizing or excluding fillers , the metal hydroxides described above in the context of flame retardants are considered fillers . the composition can , optionally , minimize or exclude polymers other than those described above as required or optional . thus , in some embodiments , the composition comprises 0 to 1 weight percent of any polymer other than the aromatic polycarbonate , the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane , the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ), the block polyestercarbonate , and , optionally , up to 2 weight percent of a poly ( styrene - acrylonitrile )- encapsulated polytetrafluoroethylene . in some embodiments , the composition excludes any polymer other than the aromatic polycarbonate , the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane , the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ), the block polyestercarbonate , and , optionally , up to 2 weight percent of a poly ( styrene - acrylonitrile )- encapsulated polytetrafluoroethylene . in a specific embodiment of the composition , it comprises 15 to 36 weight percent of the aromatic polycarbonate , 20 to 30 weight percent of the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane , 15 to 25 weight percent of the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ), 20 to 35 weight percent of the block polyestercarbonate , and 5 to 12 weight percent of the organophosphate ester . in a very specific embodiment of the composition , the aromatic polycarbonate comprises repeat units having the structure the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane comprises , based on the weight of the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane , 70 to 90 weight percent of carbonate units of the formula and 10 to 30 weight percent of dimethylsiloxane units ; the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ) comprises poly ( butylene terephthalate ); the block polyestercarbonate comprises a polyester block comprising resorcinol ester repeat units having the structures and a polycarbonate block comprising carbonate repeat units having the structure the organophosphate ester comprises bisphenol a bis ( diphenyl phosphate ); and the composition comprises 15 to 36 weight percent of the aromatic polycarbonate , 20 to 30 weight percent of the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane , 15 to 25 weight percent of the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ), 20 to 35 weight percent of the block polyestercarbonate , and 5 to 12 weight percent of the organophosphate ester . the composition is useful for fabricating articles , including components of household appliances ( including microwave ovens , refrigerators , freezers , dishwashers , and laundry washers and dryers ), components of office equipment ( including printers and photocopiers ), and components of consumer electronic devices ( including televisions , computer gaming consoles , mobile phones ). the composition is also useful for forming single - wall and multi - wall sheets . suitable methods of forming such articles include single layer and multilayer sheet extrusion , injection molding , blow molding , film extrusion , profile extrusion , pultrusion , compression molding , thermoforming , pressure forming , hydroforming , vacuum forming , and the like . combinations of the foregoing article fabrication methods can be used . all of the variations of the composition described above can be applied to the article . in a very specific embodiment of the article , the aromatic polycarbonate comprises repeat units having the structure the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane comprises , based on the weight of the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane , 70 to 90 weight percent of carbonate units of the formula and 10 to 30 weight percent of dimethylsiloxane units ; the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ) comprises poly ( butylene terephthalate ); the block polyestercarbonate comprises a polyester block comprising resorcinol ester repeat units having the structures and a polycarbonate block comprising carbonate repeat units having the structure the organophosphate ester comprises bisphenol a bis ( diphenyl phosphate ); and the composition comprises 15 to 36 weight percent of the aromatic polycarbonate , 20 to 30 weight percent of the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane , 15 to 25 weight percent of the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ), 20 to 35 weight percent of the block polyestercarbonate , and 5 to 12 weight percent of the organophosphate ester . embodiment 1 : a composition comprising , based on the total weight of the composition : 5 to 50 weight percent of an aromatic polycarbonate ; 10 to 40 weight percent of a block polycarbonate - polysiloxane ; 5 to 35 weight percent of a poly ( alkylene terephthalate ); 5 to 50 weight percent of a block polyestercarbonate comprising a polyester block comprising resorcinol ester repeat units having the structure and a polycarbonate block comprising carbonate repeat units having the structure wherein at least 60 percent of the total number of r 1 groups are aromatic ; and 4 to 20 weight percent of an organophosphate ester . embodiment 2 : the composition of embodiment 1 , wherein the aromatic polycarbonate comprises repeat units having the structure wherein at least 60 percent of the total number of r 1 groups are aromatic . embodiment 3 : the composition of embodiment 1 or 2 , wherein the aromatic polycarbonate comprises repeat units having the structure embodiment 4 : the composition of any of embodiments 1 - 3 , wherein the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane comprises a polycarbonate block comprising repeat units having the structure wherein at least 60 percent of the total number of r 1 groups are aromatic , and a polysiloxane block comprising siloxane repeat units having the structure wherein each occurrence of r 2 is independently c 1 - c 13 hydrocarbyl . embodiment 5 : the composition of any of embodiments 1 - 4 , wherein the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane comprises , based on the weight of the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane , 70 to 90 weight percent of carbonate units of the formula embodiment 6 : the composition of any of embodiments 1 - 5 , wherein the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ) comprises alkylene groups comprising ethylene , 1 , 3 - propylene , 1 , 4 - butylene , 1 , 5 - pentylene , 1 , 6 - hexylene , 1 , 4 - cyclohexylene , 1 , 4 - cyclohexanedimethylene , or a combination thereof . embodiment 7 : the composition of any of embodiments 1 - 6 , wherein the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ) comprises poly ( butylene terephthalate ). embodiment 8 : the composition of any of embodiments 1 - 7 , wherein the polyester block comprises resorcinol ester repeat units having the structures and wherein the polycarbonate block comprises carbonate repeat units having the structure embodiment 9 : the composition of any of embodiments 1 - 8 , comprising 0 to 1 weight percent of impact modifiers . embodiment 10 : the composition of any of embodiments 1 - 9 , comprising 0 to 1 weight percent of reinforcing fillers . embodiment 11 : the composition of any of embodiments 1 - 10 , comprising 0 to 1 weight percent of any polymer other than the aromatic polycarbonate , the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane , the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ), the block polyestercarbonate , and , optionally , up to 2 weight percent of a poly ( styrene - acrylonitrile )- encapsulated polytetrafluoroethylene . embodiment 12 : the composition of any of embodiments 1 - 11 , comprising 15 to 36 weight percent of the aromatic polycarbonate , 20 to 30 weight percent of the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane , 15 to 25 weight percent of the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ), 20 to 35 weight percent of the block polyestercarbonate , and 5 to 12 weight percent of the organophosphate ester . embodiment 13 : the composition of embodiment 1 , wherein the aromatic polycarbonate comprises repeat units having the structure wherein the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane comprises , based on the weight of the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane , 70 to 90 weight percent of carbonate units of the formula and 10 to 30 weight percent of dimethylsiloxane units ; wherein the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ) comprises poly ( butylene terephthalate ); wherein the block polyestercarbonate comprises a polyester block comprising resorcinol ester repeat units having the structures and a polycarbonate block comprising carbonate repeat units having the structure wherein the organophosphate ester comprises bisphenol a bis ( diphenyl phosphate ); and wherein the composition comprises 15 to 36 weight percent of the aromatic polycarbonate , 20 to 30 weight percent of the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane , 15 to 25 weight percent of the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ), 20 to 35 weight percent of the block polyestercarbonate , and 5 to 12 weight percent of the organophosphate ester . embodiment 14 : an article comprising a composition comprising , based on the total weight of the composition : 5 to 50 weight percent of an aromatic polycarbonate ; 10 to 40 weight percent of a block polycarbonate - polysiloxane ; 5 to 35 weight percent of a poly ( alkylene terephthalate ); 5 to 50 weight percent of a block polyestercarbonate comprising a polyester block comprising resorcinol ester repeat units having the structure and a polycarbonate block comprising carbonate repeat units having the structure wherein at least 60 percent of the total number of r 1 groups are aromatic ; and 4 to 20 weight percent of an organophosphate ester . embodiment 15 : the article of embodiment 14 , wherein the article is selected from a component of a household appliance , a component of office equipment , and a component of a consumer electronic device . embodiment 16 : the article of embodiment 14 or 15 , wherein the aromatic polycarbonate comprises repeat units having the structure wherein the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane comprises , based on the weight of the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane , 70 to 90 weight percent of carbonate units of the formula and 10 to 30 weight percent of dimethylsiloxane units ; wherein the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ) comprises poly ( butylene terephthalate ); wherein the block polyestercarbonate comprises a polyester block comprising resorcinol ester repeat units having the structures and a polycarbonate block comprising carbonate repeat units having the structure wherein the organophosphate ester comprises bisphenol a bis ( diphenyl phosphate ); and wherein the composition comprises 15 to 36 weight percent of the aromatic polycarbonate , 20 to 30 weight percent of the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane , 15 to 25 weight percent of the poly ( alkylene terephthalate ), 20 to 35 weight percent of the block polyestercarbonate , and 5 to 12 weight percent of the organophosphate ester . all ranges disclosed herein are inclusive of the endpoints , and the endpoints are independently combinable with each other . each range disclosed herein constitutes a disclosure of any point or sub - range lying within the disclosed range . components used to compound the compositions are summarized in table 1 . compositions were prepared by dry - blending all ingredients except for the liquid organophosphate ester bpadp , and feeding the resulting dry blend to the feed throat of a twin - screw extruder . bpadp was injected into the composition in a middle zone of the extruder . typical extruder operating conditions included a screw rotation rate of 380 rotations per minute , a throughput of 50 kilograms / hour , and a temperature profile of 100 ° c ./ 238 ° c ./ 238 ° c ./ 242 ° c ./ 242 ° c ./ 242 ° c ./ 242 ° c ./ 252 ° c ./ 252 ° c ./ 250 ° c . from feed throat to die . the extrudate was pelletized and dried at 120 ° c . for 4 hours before use for injection molding test samples . injection molding was conducted with a barrel temperature of 250 ° c . and a mold temperature of 80 ° c . chemical resistance of the compositions was evaluated in two ways . first , in a visual inspection test , pellets were immersed in chloroform for 24 hours at 23 ° c . before being filtered and dried at room temperature . the morphology and shape of the chloroform - exposed pellets were differentiated into four grades by visual inspection , with grade “ a ” meaning that the pellets appeared intact , grade “ b ” meaning that the pellets appeared slightly eroded , grade “ c ” meaning that the pellets appeared severely eroded and were very sticky to the touch , and grade “ d ” meaning that the pellets completely dissolved in the chloroform . in a second chemical resistance test , before and after exposure to sunscreen under strain , tensile stress at break values , expressed in units of megapascals , were determined according to astm d638 - 10 at 23 ° c . using a type i tensile bar , a gage length of 50 millimeters , and a test speed of 5 millimeters / minute . the sunscreen test was utilized because many hand - held electronic devices are exposed to sunscreen . the sunscreen contained the active ingredients 1 weight percent avobenzone ( 1 -( 4 - methoxyphenyl )- 3 -( 4 - tert - butylphenyl ) propane - 1 , 3 - dione ; cas reg . no . 70356 - 09 - 1 ), 10 weight percent homosalate ( 3 , 3 , 5 - trimethylcyclohexyl 2 - hydroxybenzoate ; cas reg . no . 118 - 56 - 9 ), 5 weight percent octisalate ( octyl salicylate ; cas reg . no . 118 - 60 - 5 ), 0 . 8 weight percent octocrylene ( 2 - ethylhexyl 2 - cyano - 3 , 3 - diphenyl - 2 - propenoate ; cas reg . no . 6197 - 30 - 4 ), and 4 weight percent oxybenzone ( 2 - hydroxy - 4 - methoxyphenyl )- phenylmethanone ; cas reg . no . 131 - 57 - 7 ); and ingredients including water and alcohol derivatives . tensile bars were clamped to a semicircular jig to impart a constant applied strain of 0 . 5 percent or 1 . 0 percent . the strained bars were exposed to the sunscreen ( spf30 ) for 24 hours . the tensile stress retention was then calculated by comparison of the tensile stress values before and after the chemical treatment . melt flow values , expressed in units of grams per 10 minutes , were determined according to astm d1238 - 13 at 265 ° c . and 5 kilogram load . notched izod impact strength values , expressed in units of joules / meter , were determined according to astm d256 - 10 at 23 ° c . using bar dimensions of 63 . 5 by 12 . 7 by 3 . 2 millimeters . vicat softening temperature values , expressed in units of degree centigrade , were determined according to astm d1525 - 09 using a load of 50 newtons , a heating rate of 120 ° c . per hour , and bar dimensions of 63 . 5 by 12 . 7 by 3 . 2 millimeters . flame retardancy of injection molded flame bars was determined according to underwriter &# 39 ; s laboratory bulletin 94 “ tests for flammability of plastic materials , ul 94 ”, 20 mm vertical burning flame test . before testing , flame bars with a thickness of 1 . 5 millimeters were conditioned at 23 ° c . and 50 % relative humidity for at least 48 hours . in the ul 94 20 mm vertical burning flame test , a set of five flame bars was tested . for each bar , a flame was applied to the bar then removed , and the time required for the bar to self - extinguish ( first afterflame time , t1 ) was noted . the flame was then reapplied and removed , and the time required for the bar to self - extinguish ( second afterflame time , t2 ) and the post - flame glowing time ( afterglow time , t3 ) were noted . to achieve a rating of v - 0 , the afterflame times t1 and t2 for each individual specimen must have been less than or equal to 10 seconds ; and the total afterflame time for all five specimens ( 0 plus t2 for all five specimens ) must have been less than or equal to 50 seconds ; and the second afterflame time plus the afterglow time for each individual specimen ( t2 + t3 ) must have been less than or equal to 30 seconds ; and no specimen can have flamed or glowed up to the holding clamp ; and the cotton indicator cannot have been ignited by flaming particles or drops . to achieve a rating of v - 1 , the afterflame times t1 and t2 for each individual specimen must have been less than or equal to 30 seconds ; and the total afterflame time for all five specimens ( 0 plus t2 for all five specimens ) must have been less than or equal to 250 seconds ; and the second afterflame time plus the afterglow time for each individual specimen ( t2 + t3 ) must have been less than or equal to 60 seconds ; and no specimen can have flamed or glowed up to the holding clamp ; and the cotton indicator cannot have been ignited by flaming particles or drops . to achieve a rating of v - 2 , the afterflame times t1 and t2 for each individual specimen must have been less than or equal to 30 seconds ; and the total afterflame time for all five specimens ( 0 plus t2 for all five specimens ) must have been less than or equal to 250 seconds ; and the second afterflame time plus the afterglow time for each individual specimen ( t2 + t3 ) must have been less than or equal to 60 seconds ; and no specimen can have flamed or glowed up to the holding clamp ; but the cotton indicator can have been ignited by flaming particles or drops . compositions not achieving a rating of v - 2 were considered to have failed . the results , presented in table 2 , show that inventive examples 1 - 6 , each containing polycarbonate , polyester , block polycarbonate - polysiloxane , block polyestercarbonate , and organophosphate ester , exhibited chemical resistance grades of a or b in the chloroform exposure test , and tensile strength retentions ranging from 77 to 100 percent in the sunscreen exposure test . examples 1 - 6 all exhibited the top rating of v - 0 in the ul 94 vertical burn test . comparative example 1 , lacking the block polyestercarbonate , exhibited a chemical resistance grade of c in the chloroform exposure test . comparative examples 2 and 3 , lacking polyester , exhibited chemical resistance grades of d in the chloroform exposure test and tensile strength retentions of zero percent in the sunscreen exposure test . comparative example 4 , lacking the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane and including an impact - modifying copolymer of methyl methacrylate , butadiene , and styrene , failed the ul 94 vertical burn test . and comparative example 5 , lacking the block polycarbonate - polysiloxane and the organophosphate flame retardant , also failed the ul 94 vertical burn test . thus , only the inventive examples exhibited the desired combination of chemical resistance and flame retardancy , without substantially compromising melt flow , heat resistance , or impact strength .	2
referring to fig2 , fig2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a driving circuit 30 according to one embodiment of the invention . as shown in fig2 , the driving circuit 30 is connected between a pwm signal generating unit 32 and a power mosfet 34 . the driving circuit 30 comprises a first switch 300 , a second switch 302 , a third switch 304 and a fourth switch 306 . in this embodiment , the first and third switches 300 and 304 can be p - type transistors and the second and fourth switches 302 and 306 can be n - type transistors . in other words , an inverter consists of the first and second switches 300 and 302 and another inverter consists of the third and fourth switches 304 and 306 . the first switch 300 has a gate g 1 connected to a first node n 1 , a source s 1 connected to a second node n 2 , and a drain d 1 connected to a first power end vdd . the second switch 302 has a gate g 2 connected to the first node n 1 , a drain d 2 connected to the second node n 2 , and a s 2 source connected to a first ground end gnd 1 . the third switch 304 has a gate g 3 connected to the second node n 2 , a source s 3 connected to a third node n 3 , and a drain d 3 connected to the first power end vdd . the fourth switch 306 has a gate g 4 connected to the second node n 2 , a drain d 4 connected to the third node n 3 , and a source s 4 connected to a second ground end gnd 2 . in this embodiment , the power mosfet 34 is also an n - type transistor . the power mosfet 34 has a gate g 5 connected to the third node n 3 , a drain d 5 connected to a second power end vcc , and a source s 5 connected to a third ground end gnd 3 . furthermore , the pwm signal generating unit 32 is connected to the first node n 1 , so a pwm signal generated by the pwm signal generating unit 32 can be inputted from the first node n 1 to the driving circuit 30 . referring to fig3 , fig3 is a timing diagram illustrating waveforms of each signal within the driving circuit 30 . at time t 1 to t 2 , the pwm signal is high at the first node n 1 , so the first switch 300 is turned off and the second switch 302 is turned on , so that the pwm signal is converted from high to low at the second node n 2 . since the second node n 2 is low , the third switch 304 is turned on and the fourth switch 306 is turned off , so that the pwm signal is converted from low to high at the third node n 3 . at this time , the first voltage supplied by the first power end vdd will be outputted to turn on the power mosfet 34 through the third switch 304 and the third node n 3 . in this embodiment , the first voltage ( e . g . 5v ) supplied by the first power end vdd is larger than a second voltage ( e . g . 3 . 3v ) of the pwm signal . accordingly , the driving circuit 30 of the invention can amplify the pulse of the pwm signal so as to amplify a gate - to - source voltage ( v gs ) of the power mosfet 34 . therefore , the number of charge carriers of the power mosfet 34 will increase ( i . e . the number of channel counts will increase ), so as to increase conductance or reduce resistance . consequently , the conduction loss is reduced and the efficiency of power conversion is enhanced . it should be noted that the first voltage has to be larger than the second voltage but the first and second voltages are not limited to the aforesaid 5v and 3 . 3v . the first and second voltages can be determined based on practical applications . at time t 2 to t 3 , the pwm signal is low at the first node n 1 , so the first switch 300 is turned on and the second switch 302 is turned off , so that the pwm signal is converted from low to high at the second node n 2 . since the second node n 2 is high , the third switch 304 is turned off and the fourth switch 306 is turned on , so that the pwm signal is converted from high to low at the third node n 3 . at this time , the power mosfet 34 can discharge through the fourth switch 306 and the second ground end gnd 2 . the principle of the invention is depicted in detail in the above when the pwm signal is high or low during one operating cycle and the follow - up procedure can be obtained by the same manner . therefore , it will not be depicted here again . referring to fig4 , fig4 is a simulation waveform diagram illustrating the pulse signal at the gate g 5 of the power mosfet 34 . as shown in fig4 , the real line a represents a simulation waveform after using the driving circuit 30 of the invention , and the broken line b represents another simulation waveform before using the driving circuit 30 of the invention . it is obvious that the driving circuit 30 of the invention can reduce charging / discharging time of the parasitic capacitance within the power mosfet 34 , wherein the power mosfet 34 discharges through the fourth switch 306 and the second ground end gnd 2 . therefore , the switching loss can be reduced and then a square waveform of the pulse signal will be obtained at the gate g 5 of the power mosfet 34 , as the real line a shown in fig4 . referring to fig5 , fig5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the driving circuit 30 of the invention applied to a boost circuit 3 . the boost circuit 3 comprises the driving circuit 30 , the pwm signal generating unit 32 , the power mosfet 34 , an inductor 36 a shottky diode 38 and a loading 40 , wherein the loading is overload . as shown in fig5 , the driving circuit 30 is connected between the pwm signal generating unit 32 and the power mosfet 34 . the principle of the driving circuit 30 is mentioned in the above and will not be depicted here again . furthermore , the connecting relation between the aforesaid components is shown in fig5 and the principle thereof can be achieved by one skilled in the art , so it will not be depicted here again . referring to fig6 , fig6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the driving circuit 30 of the invention applied to an led backlight driving circuit 5 . the led backlight driving circuit 5 comprises the driving circuit 30 , the pwm signal generating unit 32 , the power mosfet 34 , the inductor 36 , the schottky diode 38 , a plurality of led backlight modules 50 and a current matching unit 52 , wherein the led backlight modules 50 are connected with each other in series and in parallel and equivalent to the loading 40 shown in fig5 . as shown in fig6 , the driving circuit 30 is connected between the pwm signal generating unit 32 and the power mosfet 34 . the principle of the driving circuit 30 is mentioned in the above and will not be depicted here again . furthermore , the connecting relation between the aforesaid components is shown in fig6 and the principle thereof can be achieved by one skilled in the art , so it will not be depicted here again . though the driving circuit 30 shown in fig2 utilizes two inverters to reduce the conduction loss and switching loss of the power mosfet 34 , the invention is not limited to two inverters . if the frequency of the pwm signal gets high or the aforesaid first , second , third and / or fourth switch ( es ) 300 - 306 are / is not ideal , the invention can install more than two inverters ( e . g . four , six and so on ) in the driving circuit 30 , so as to reduce the conduction loss and switching loss of the power mosfet 34 more effectively and then obtain a square waveform at the gate g 5 of the power mosfet 34 . compared to the prior art , the driving circuit of the invention consists of four switches and utilizes the pwm signal to control the four switches immediately , so as to reduce the conduction loss and switching loss of the power mosfet effectively . the structure of the driving circuit of the invention is simple and the circuit size will not increase too much . those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention .	7
although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention , the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied in other specific structures . while the preferred embodiment has been described , the details may be changed without departing from the invention . the present invention provides systems and methods comprising modified regeneration cycling operations for treating and monitoring fluids in a fluid treatment apparatus , such as a water treatment system . the invention allows for modified or alternative regeneration sequences to be incorporated in a single fluid treatment apparatus and method . for instance , the present invention allows a water softening system to adjust some cycles of its regeneration sequence depending upon the actual amount of fluid that has passed through the system . such a system will minimize the waste of resources . the water softener system of the present invention employs a method of reducing the regenerate water used in the softener regeneration sequence by adjusting the time , presence , and / or order of regeneration cycles . the adjustments are made based on either time since last regeneration , volume of water treated , a sensor in the system , or other triggering events . water softeners or filters have a predetermined capacity and typically regenerate based on a predetermined volume of water used . since most softeners and filters delay their regeneration until a predetermined no or low water use period , not all capacity is used . based on this unused capacity , the softener or filter of the present invention will adjust the regeneration cycles either by percentage or a fixed number thus using less water . softeners often use a “ days over ride ” feature in conjunction with a meter , sensor , or other triggering device , to trigger a regeneration sequence . if the full capacity of the softener or filter is not used prior to reaching the time limit (“ days over ride ”), the amount of water treated will be calculated and the device will adjust selected regeneration cycle times either by a percentage or a fixed number . water softeners and filters which regenerate based on time ( for example every 3 days ) may employ a meter or other method to measure the amount of water treated . given the amount of water treated , the device of the present invention will compute the length of regeneration times based on the actual amount of water treated . a fixed minimum regeneration duration may be employed again depending on the triggering device in the case of no water usage and the triggering event is time . in our preferred embodiment , the regeneration duration would be reduced by no more than 50 %. a fixed maximum regeneration length may be employed again based on the triggering event . in our preferred embodiment , the regeneration duration would be increased by no more than 130 %. a softener has a rated capacity of 1000 gallons before regeneration is to occur . because this regeneration is to occur at a non or low use of water time period ( for example 2 : 00 am ) the unit will determine if enough water treatment capacity is in reserve to supply the user with treated water through the next day . if insufficient capacity is remaining , the unit will trigger regeneration . if insufficient treatment capacity is indicated , the unit will regenerate automatically at its predetermined time ; however , there may be unused capacity in the system or treatment device . this remaining capacity can be calculated and regeneration times altered based on a percentage of unused capacity . in a system with 1000 gallons total capacity , the user has treated 800 gallons , and 300 gallons are needed for the next day &# 39 ; s water usage , the unit will regenerate because of insufficient capacity remaining . however 200 gallons ( 1000 - 800 ) have not been used . regeneration could occur with a 20 % reduction in time of the regeneration cycles thus saving water . conversely if the triggering event for regeneration is amount of water treated and the total capacity of the system is “ over run ,” the unit will make an upward adjustment to the selected regeneration cycles or add additional cycles allowing for a more thorough regeneration . a filter may be programmed to regenerate at a minimum of every three days because of loading factors ( pressure drop through system because of iron , manganese , sand , or any other turbidity ). based on the amount of water treated , the unit will compute the proper length of regeneration cycle times . if the 3 days is the triggering event and the total gallons treated is not achieved , the unit &# 39 ; s regeneration cycle times will be altered according by percentage . conversely if the triggering event is consumption ( as measured by a meter , sensor , etc .) and the total capacity is “ over run ,” the unit will make an upward adjustment to the regeneration times allowing for a more though regeneration . fig1 shows a portion of a general flow chart for a typical program setup for a typical regeneration sequence including cycles 1 and 2 . on a typical fluid treatment system that incorporates the present invention , the manufacturer will program the predetermined regeneration cycles . the manufacturer first selects what type of function the unit will perform . the unit is initially programmed to determine which individual cycles or stages will make up the selected regeneration sequence . the manufacturer then enters in the physical capacity of the system . in the case of a water softener , the unit will have a capacity of grains . for example and as shown in fig1 a , the unit may have a 32 , 000 grain capacity . as discussed herein , when the installer enters the hardness of the water to be treated , the capacity of the unit can be calculated . the manufacturer next sets the operating parameters for each of the cycles used in the regeneration sequence , with the duration of operation of each cycle also being entered . while the present invention may be embodied and employed in any of several fluid treatment apparatuses , examples of apparatuses can be seen in the following drawings . fig2 and 3 show a water treatment system 10 . the system has a programmable controller 20 and valve body 30 that are supported on a treatment reservoir 40 . the controller 20 has an interface 22 , which provides an area for a display screen output 24 , which is capable of displaying the flow chart depicted in fig1 . the controller also has various buttons 26 that allow the cycles to be programmed for the system 10 . exemplary individual cycles are depicted passing through the multiple configurations of the valve body 30 in fig4 - 9 . fig4 - 9 depict cross - sectional views of the valve body 30 performing various cycles or stages that may be carried out within each of the regeneration cycles . the terms used to describe the various cycles , service ( fig4 ), backwash ( fig5 ), downflow brine ( fig6 ), upflow brine ( fig7 ), rinse ( fig8 ), and brine tank fill ( fig9 ), are common terms used by those having ordinary skill in the art of water treatment and , specifically , water treatment for home and non - industrial water treatment systems . however , it is to be understood that this list is not inclusive and that other cycles or stages could be utilized as well . the valve 30 has a fluid inlet 32 , which allows untreated water into the valve body 30 and a fluid outlet 42 for treated water , which is shown in fig3 . inlet / outlet 34 is connected to the reservoir 40 ( through a draw tube or pipe not shown ) and allows solution to be brought into the valve body 30 and circulated through the valve body 30 . an inlet 36 is also connected to the reservoir 40 and allows fluid to flow from the valve body 30 , depending on which specific cycle is being performed at a given time . a drain 44 is used for various cycles to purge used or spent fluid from the system . the arrows in the various figures indicate which of these inlets / outlets will be used for each of the various cycles . the valve body 30 is best shown in fig2 and 3 . valve body 30 includes inlets and outlets to connect the system 10 to a water or fluid source , a chemical source and the treatment reservoir , as well as the treated fluid system being fed by the system 10 . the valve body 30 is depicted as exemplary of any of several valve body configurations that are known and used in the art and should not be considered limiting to the present invention . the valve body 30 may be modified depending on the specific needs for an individual treatment system . such valve bodies 30 are capable of regenerating with brine solutions , chlorine , potassium permanganate , hydrogen peroxide and others for use as regenerants in water softening and filtering processes . to further explain the invention and to show how it is incorporated into a water treatment device , fig1 through 13 depict flow charts incorporating various setup and monitoring functions used in connection with the present invention . fig1 depicts various functions that are shown on the display screen 24 during normal operation of the regeneration device . the normal operation screen variables shown include : capacity of the system , predetermined days until a regeneration sequence will occur , flow rates including the current flow rate and the flow rate during regeneration , and time of the day . the normal operation screens also may show default features . fig1 depicts a flow chart for an installer to set during installation of a water softener . when entering the water hardness in the first depicted screen , the unit computes its capacity by dividing the grains of capacity which is typically set by the manufacturer ( 32 , 000 as referred to by example above ) by the water hardness . a system with 32 , 000 grains of capacity divided by a hardness of 20 grains will have a capacity of 1 , 600 gallons of water . thus , 1 , 600 gallons of water can be treated before a full regeneration sequence is required by the system . the manufacturer also typically sets the “ days over ride ” or maximum days between regeneration shown in the next screen . the installer can adjust the number of days if necessary . the time of day for regeneration to occur , which is ideally at a time of minimal or no water usage , is set by the installer . as further shown , the system also allows for alarms to be activated when service should be performed on the system , with the ability to direct the service to a specific operator or installer of the system , possibly the installer who originally setup the system . fig1 shows a flowchart for a filtering cycle for the present invention as set by the system manufacturer . the flowchart in fig1 will be accessed from the flowchart shown in fig1 . like the softening sequence , the filtering sequence can be set to operate for a predetermined capacity of the system . fig1 provides a flowchart depicting various data screens that a service technician can use to perform diagnostic functions on the system . for instance , the volume that has flown through the device since the last regeneration performed , the total amount of time the system has been in operation , or the total volume that has flown through the system since the system has been in operation . such data may be useful in determining whether the system is operating properly or not . the system also has the ability to detect the number of errors that may arise during running of the system , which can be further used by the service technician in assessing reoccurring and / or isolated problems in the system . fig1 shows a flowchart of the steps utilized by the present invention to modify the duration of each selected regeneration cycle depending upon a measured characteristic of the device such as volume of water treated , time since last regeneration occurred , etc . the steps include providing a water treatment device , setting a predetermined capacity of the treatment device , setting the maximum number of days until regeneration is required (“ days over ride ”), and setting a predetermined duration for each regeneration cycle . the regeneration cycle has at least one stage such as backwash , down brine , up brine , rinse , and brine tank fill . the next step is setting at least one characteristic of the water treatment device to trigger regeneration . the characteristic can be the volume of water passed through the device as measured by a meter , the time the device has been in operation as measured by a clock , the differential between the pressure of fluid entering the device compared to the pressure of the fluid leaving the system and / or a sensor output . for example a sensor output commonly used in water treatment uses a first probe to measure conductivity of the resin bed in first location and a second probe to measure conductivity in a second location . when a comparison of the probe outputs differs by a predetermined factor , the resin bed needs to be cleaned and regenerated . the next step is programming the device to initiate a regeneration sequence upon at least one characteristic achieving said setting . as water treatment begins , the device begins measuring at least one characteristic of the water treatment device . this measurement is periodically compared with the programmed predetermined setting to determine whether or not regeneration is required . the volume of water passing through the water treatment device since the prior regeneration is also measured . once regeneration has been triggered , the duration of each cycle of the regeneration sequence is computed based upon the following formula : preferably , the duration of each cycle should not be below a pre - set minimum or above a pre - set maximum . for this reason , the computed regeneration duration is compared with the minimum and maximum regeneration durations and the appropriate duration is selected . if the device is programmed to regenerate at a specific time of day or night , the regeneration sequence will not be initiated until that time . alternatively , the device may calculate its average daily water usage and compare the average daily usage with its remaining capacity to determine when the appropriate day for regeneration is . duration is defined as any variable to measure a length or magnitude , such as a volume ( gallon , liter ), time ( hour , day , week ) number of cycles ( 10 cycles , 3 cycles ), sensor output , pressure differential or other variable to measure the fluid passing through the system . in some instances , it may be desirable for the device to add a cycle or to omit a cycle or to change the order of cycles . for example , if water usage has been excessively high , it may be desirable to have two backwash cycles , one before brining and one after brining . alternatively , if water usage has been quite low , the backwash or rapid rinse cycle or programmed multiples of these cycles may be entirely eliminated during the regeneration sequence . the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention . furthermore , since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described . while the preferred embodiment has been described , the details may be changed without departing from the invention .	1
the structure partially illustrated at fig2 comprises , somewhat similar to that described in conjunction with fig1 a silicon substrate 1 having a 20 nm thick sio 2 layer 2 thereon , with a 300 nm thick n + - doped ( phosphorus or arsenic ) polysilicon layer 3 on layer 2 and a 200 nm thick tantalum silicide layer 4 deposited on layer 3 . a photosensitive resist layer 5 , functioning as an etching mask , is positioned on layer 4 . the tantalum : silicon ratio in layer 4 is about 1 : 2 ( fluctuations of the ta : si ratio can occur , with about 30 % to 50 % ta ). the structure illustrated in fig2 is one in which the goal was to achieve a strictly anisotropic etching . such etching can be achieved , for example , by a two - step etching process in that the tantalum silicide layer 4 is first etched with a relatively low amount of chlorine in the etching gas ( i . e . with a sf 6 / cl 2 - containing gas mixture , at a mixing ratio of sf 6 : cl 2 of greater than about 3 : 1 ) and subsequently the polysilicon layer 3 is etched in relatively pure chlorine ( with or without an inert carrier gas ). in this manner , structured silicide - polysilicon double layers can be obtained free of undercuttings with vertical edges , as illustrated in fig2 . the changeover from the first etching step to the second etching step can be reliably determined , for example , by recording the intensity of a suitable emission line of the plasma . at the same time , a very high selectivity of poly - si to sio 2 of greater than about 30 : 1 can be achieved in the second step ( with relatively pure cl 2 ). all structures described herein were obtained by positioning suitably prepared substrates having a double layer polycide thereon , with or without an insulating layer being provided between the substrate and the double layer , and a suitably developed photosensitive resist mask on the double layer to define desired structures , in an operational plate reactor ( i . e . coupled to a controllable hf - power source , having gas inlets connected to select controllable gas sources and gas outlets connected to controllable vacuum pumps for maintaining a select gas pressure within the reaction space of the reactor ). such operational plate reactors are well known in the art and need not be described further . changes in the edge profiles of the double layers 3 , 4 in relation to the composition of the reactive etching gas can be seen from fig3 . in the illustrated graph , the various mixing ratios of sf 6 : cl 2 are entered along the abscissa and the etching times , t n a , for the double layer is entered along the ordinate . the broken - line curve illustrated in fig3 shows the dependency of the etching time on the gas composition . the structure a illustrates a structure etched without a chlorine component in the etching gas with a high etching time ( see arrow a ). the structure b has a relatively low etching time ( see arrow b ). the structure c has the lowest etching time , with a sf 6 : cl 2 mixing ratio of about 2 : 1 . although structure c is noticeably underetched , it is still quite usable in terms of its profile . structure e was obtained with a sf 6 : cl 2 mixing ratio of about 5 : 15 . in this instance , the silicide layer 4 was underetched to a relatively high degree . a significantly better anisotropy for a sf 6 : cl 2 mixing ratio of 5 : 15 can be obtained with a lower gas pressure ( i . e ., about 10 mtorr , which is equal to about 1 . 5 pa ) in the etching atmosphere . the various structures shown in fig3 were etched in an etching atmosphere contained within an operational reactor having a gas pressure adjusted in the range of about 6 through 9 pa ( 40 through 60 mtorr ) and which was provided with an hf - power input of about 0 . 12 w / cm 2 . in fig4 and 5 , the etching rate in nm / min units is entered along the ordinate as a function of gas pressure in pa units ( fig4 ) and as a function of hf - power in watts / cm 2 units ( fig5 ) along the abscissa . the respective arrows , a , b and c , denote the conditions under which the illustrated structures a , b , c , were obtained . the arrow b ( in fig4 and 5 ) for the respective structures b obtained with the most favorable conditions is more greatly emphasized . with the diagram illustrated in fig4 an hf - power input of 0 . 1 w / cm 2 was provided to the reactor . the gas atmosphere within the reactor was composed of a mixture of sf 6 : cl : he with a mixing ratio of about 12 . 5 : 6 . 5 : 20 . the x - dashed curve applies to tantalum silicide layer , the o - dashed curve applies to the polysilicon layer , the □- dashed curve applies to the sio 2 layer and the s - dashed curve illustrates the selectivity of polysilicon : sio 2 . the same designations also apply to the curve diagrams illustrated in fig5 which shows the dependency of etch rate ( nm / min ) on the hf - power density ( watts / cm 2 ). the gas pressure in the reactor was about 40 mtorr . during the development of the invention , it was determined that , with a constant gas mixture , the etching profile of a structure also depends quite sensitively on the reactor geometry and on the ratio of active reaction gas volume or plasma volume to the overall volume of the reactor . this ratio apparently influences the concentration distribution of the various radicals in the plasma . in producing a structure having the etched profile shown in fig6 a ratio of active reaction gas volume to the overall reactor volume of less than about 1 : 20 existed , whereas this ratio was approximately 1 : 2 , i . e . the plasma volume corresponded to about half of the reactor volume , during production of a structure having the etch profile shown in fig7 . a significant difference between these ratios is that , in the former instance ( fig6 ) the silicide layer 4 can be etched anisotropically relative to the photosensitive resist mask 5 at all sf 6 : cl 2 ratios . in the second instance ( fig7 ) the silicide etching behavior can be varied by varying the mix ratio of the reactive etching gases from anisotropic up to substantially underetching ( see fig3 ). when a polycide layer ( composed of polysilicon layer 3 and a silicide layer 4 ) is to topically have a contact with a silicon substrate ( buried contact ), then a certain degree of incipient etching of the substrate cannot , of course , be avoided ( see fig1 arrow 13 ). at the end of the production process of a circuit , this can lead to increased contact resistance between the polycide and the substrate and topagraphical problems . however , with a correct selection of the fluorine / chlorine ratio in a reactive etching gas , one can achieve a relatively high selectivity ( up to about 100 : 1 ) of n + - polysilicon : silicon substrate and , thus , keep the incipient etching of a substrate very low . these relationships can be derived from the illustration in fig8 . the diagram shows the etching rate ratio for n + - poly - si ( polysilicon ): monocrystalline ( 20ω cm ) or , respectively , the selectivity between n + - polysilicon : sio 2 as a function of reactive gas mixing ratio in sccm units ( standard cm 3 per min ; standard being defined at atmospheric pressure and a defined temperature ). the curve associated with arrow 14 applies to the selectivity while the curve associated with arrow 15 applies to the etching rate ratios . the illustrated □ and o markings represent measuring points . as can be seen , the most favorable range lies at a reactive gas mixing ratio for sf 6 : cl 2 between about 5 : 15 and 2 : 18 . in accordance with the principles of the invention , structuring of the polysilicide ( layers 3 and 4 ) can occur before an annealing process , by which the silicide is converted into a polycrystalline and low resistant material . it has been noted that the boundary surface of a silicide / polysilicon layer is far more homogenous before annealing , i . e . it is not as rough , as after annealing . this has the advantage that the changeover point when etching in a two - step process can be better defined . as is apparent from the foregoing specification , the present invention is susceptible of being embodied with various alterations and modifications which may differ particularly from those that have been described in the preceding specification and description . for this reason , it is to be fully understood that all of the foregoing is intended to be merely illustrative and is not to be construed or interpreted as being restrictive or otherwise limiting of the present invention , excepting as it is set forth and defined in the hereto - appended claims .	7
the invention is a method and apparatus for monitoring data flow . in the following description , numerous specific details are set forth to provide a more thorough description of embodiments of the invention . it is apparent , however , to one skilled in the art , that the invention may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , well known features have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the invention . according to one embodiment of the present invention , at each boundary between sub - buffers of a ripple fifo buffer , a nand gate detects when the predecessor stage is full and the successor stage is empty . the operation of a nand gate is shown in the truth table labeled as table 1 . in table 1 , columns 1 and 2 represent the inputs to the nand gate and column 3 represents the output . one input to the nand gate signals whether the predecessor sub - buffer is full . the other input to the nand gate signals whether the successor sub - buffer is empty . this provides a convenient means to detect congestion and starvation at the sub - buffer , or local , level . starvation or congestion is determined when both input signals to the nand gate are hi by which input signal went hi first . if the predecessor sub - buffer fills before the successor sub - buffer empties , the ripple fifo buffer is locally congested . if the successor sub - buffer empties before the predecessor sub - buffer fills , the ripple fifo buffer is locally starved . if the predecessor sub - buffer fills at the same time the successor sub - buffer empties , the sub - buffers are said to be locally self - limited . detecting which of the two signals arrives at the nand function first determines whether the sub - buffers are locally starved or locally congested . fig6 illustrates the process used to determine whether there is local starvation or local congestion at a border between two sub - buffers of a ripple fifo buffer in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . at step 600 , data is transferred from the predecessor sub - buffer to the successor sub - buffer . at step 605 , it is determined whether the predecessor sub - buffer is empty . if the predecessor sub - buffer is not empty , the process repeats at step 600 . if the predecessor sub - buffer is empty , at step 610 , it is determined whether the successor sub - buffer is full . if the successor sub - buffer is not full , the process repeats at step 600 . if the successor sub - buffer is full , at step 620 , it is determined whether the predecessor sub - buffer fills before the successor sub - buffer empties . if the predecessor sub - buffer fills before the successor sub - buffer empties , at step 630 , the sub - buffers are locally congested . if the predecessor sub - buffer does not fill before the successor sub - buffer empties , at step 640 , it is determined whether the successor sub - buffer empties before the predecessor sub - buffer fills . if the successor sub - buffer empties before the predecessor sub - buffer fills , at step 650 , the sub - buffers are locally starved . if the successor sub - buffer does not empty before the predecessor sub - buffer fills , at step 660 , the sub - buffers are locally self - limited . in one embodiment of the present invention , the ripple fifo buffer operates in a steady - state mode with the clock speed of the data producer equal to the clock speed of the data receiver . additionally , the clock cycles of the data producer and data receiver are much longer than the cycle time of the sub - buffers of the ripple fifo buffer . thus , some number of stages at the input end of the ripple fifo buffer are locally starved and some number near the output end of the ripple fifo buffer are locally congested . at some point along the ripple fifo buffer , there is a region where the sub - buffers of the ripple fifo buffer transition between locally starved and locally congested . the transition region may contain one or more locally self - limited sub - buffers . as the ripple fifo buffer input or output rates vary over time , the location of the transition region will also vary . since the input and output rates are significantly slower than the ripple fifo buffer cycle time , it is unlikely that there will be more than one self - limited stage . fig7 illustrates a state machine for detection of local starvation or congestion in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . when the predecessor sub - buffer is not full and the successor sub - buffer is not empty , the state machine ( 700 ) is in state p ( 710 ). when the predecessor sub - buffer is full and the successor sub - buffer is not empty , the state machine moves to state q ( 720 ) and the flow between sub - buffers is labeled locally congested . similarly , when the successor the successor sub - buffer is empty and the predecessor sub - buffer is not full , the state machine moves to state r ( 730 ) and the flow between sub - buffers is labeled locally starved . however , when the predecessor sub - buffer is full and the successor sub - buffer is empty , the state machine moves , non - deterministically , to either state q or state r . fig8 illustrates a circuit which detects which of the two nand gate inputs arrive first in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . the embodiment utilizes a mutual exclusion ( mutex ) element ( 800 ) followed by a filter circuit ( 875 ) followed by a latch ( 805 ). a nand gate ( 810 ) receives a signal from the successor sub - buffer ( 815 ) that goes high to indicate that the sub - buffer is empty . the nand gate also receives a signal from the predecessor sub - buffer ( 820 ) that goes high to indicate that the sub - buffer is full . the output of the nand gate is coupled to the predecessor and successor sub - buffers . when the nand gate output goes low , a data item is transferred from the predecessor to the successor , the predecessor is reset to the empty state and the successor is set to full . the signal from the predecessor sub - buffer also couples to not gate 1 ( 825 ). the signal from the successor sub - buffer also couples to not gate 2 ( 830 ). the signal from not gate 1 couples to nor gate 1 ( 835 ). the signal from not gate 2 couples to nor gate 2 ( 840 ). the signal from nor gate 1 couples to nor gate 2 , the signal input of transistor 1 ( 845 ) and the control input of transistor 2 ( 850 ). the signal from nor gate 2 couples to nor gate 1 , the signal input of transistor 2 and the control input of transistor 1 . the signal from transistor 1 couples to not gate 3 ( 855 ). the signal from transistor 1 also couples to output c ( 860 ), which indicates whether the sub - buffer is congested . the signal from transistor 2 couples to not gate 4 ( 865 ). the signal from transistor 2 also couples to output s ( 870 ), which indicates whether the sub - buffer is starved . the signal from not gate 3 couples to not gate 4 and output s . the signal from not gate 4 couples to not gate 3 and output c . fig9 illustrates the operation of the embodiment of fig8 . at step 900 , the signals from the predecessor sub - buffer , the successor sub - buffer , nor gate 1 and nor gate 2 are lo . the signal from the nand gate , not gate 1 and not gate 2 are hi . the signals from not gate 3 and not gate 4 are unchanged . transistor 1 and transistor 2 are not conducting . at step 905 , it is determined whether the signal from the predecessor sub - buffer changes to hi . if the signal from the predecessor sub - buffer changes to hi , at step 910 , the signals from not gate 1 , nor gate 2 , transistor 2 and not gate 3 are lo . the signals from the nand gate , not gate 2 , nor gate 1 and not gate 4 are hi . transistor 1 is not conducting . at step 915 , it is determined whether the signal from the successor sub - buffer changes to hi . if the signal from the successor sub - buffer changes to hi , at step 920 , the signals from the nand gate , not gate 1 , not gate 2 , nor gate 2 , transistor 2 and not gate 3 are lo . the signals from nor gate 1 and not gate 4 are hi . transistor 1 is not conducting . at step 925 , the signals from the predecessor and successor sub - buffers are reset to lo . at step 930 , the signals from nor gate 1 , nor gate 2 and not gate 3 are lo . the signals from the nand gate , not gate 1 , not gate 2 and not gate 4 are hi . transistor 1 and transistor 2 are not conducting . thus , not gate 3 and not gate 4 maintain the correct signal to outputs c and s and the process repeats at step 900 . if at step 915 the signal from the successor sub - buffer does not change to hi , the process repeats at step 915 . if at step 905 the signal from the predecessor sub - buffer does not change to hi , at step 940 it is determined whether the signal from the successor sub - buffer changes to hi . if the signal from the successor sub - buffer changes to hi , at step 945 , the signals from not gate 2 , nor gate 1 , transistor 1 and not gate 4 are lo . the signals from the nand gate , not gate 1 , nor gate 2 and not gate 3 are hi . transistor 2 is not conducting . at step 950 , it is determined whether the signal from the predecessor sub - buffer changes to hi . if the signal from the predecessor sub - buffer changes to hi , at step 955 , the signals from the nand gate , not gate 1 , not gate 2 , nor gate 1 , transistor 1 and not gate 4 are lo . the signals from nor gate 2 and not gate 3 are hi . transistor 2 is not conducting . at step 960 , the signals from the predecessor and successor sub - buffers are reset to lo . at step 965 , the signals from nor gate 1 , nor gate 2 and not gate 4 are lo . the signals from the nand gate , not gate 1 , not gate 2 and not gate 3 are hi . transistor 1 and transistor 2 are not conducting . thus , not gate 3 and not gate 4 maintain the correct signal to outputs c and s and the process repeats at step 900 . if at step 950 the signal from the predecessor sub - buffer does not change to hi , the process repeats at step 950 . if at step 940 the signal from the successor sub - buffer does not change to hi , the process repeats at step 900 . in the embodiment of fig7 the two inputs must reset lo within a gate delay of each other in order to ensure correct operation . if the later input to arrive happens also to reset late , a spurious grant pulse could flip the keeper to the incorrect state . the circuitry of the embodiment is tuned to ensure near - simultaneous reset to avoid incorrect states . additionally , if the two inputs to the embodiment are very close together , the mutex becomes metastable internally . the two n - type pulldown transistors are configured to shield this metastability from the keeper . however , if the mutex falls out of metastability , or “ decides ,” just as its inputs are reset , the keeper becomes metastable . in practice , the metasability is acceptable . metastability occurs only in the transition region of the ripple fifo buffer . additionally , in one embodiment of the present invention , the output signals are aligned to the data producer or data receiver clocks using standard synchronizer techniques to filter out any metastable voltages . fig1 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention . a nand gate ( 1000 ) receives a signal from the successor sub - buffer ( 1005 ) telling whether the sub - buffer is empty . the nand gate also receives a signal from the predecessor sub - buffer ( 1010 ) telling whether the sub - buffer is full . the nand gate sends its result to the predecessor and successor sub - buffers . the signal from the predecessor sub - buffer also couples to identity gate 1 ( 1015 ). the signal from the successor sub - buffer also couples to identity gate 2 ( 1020 ). the signal from identity gate 1 couples to the signal input of transistor 1 ( 1025 ) and the control input of transistor 2 ( 1030 ). the signal from identity gate 2 couples to the signal input of transistor 2 and the control input of transistor 1 . the signal from transistor 1 couples to not gate 1 ( 1035 ). the signal from transistor 1 also couples to output c ( 1040 ), which indicates whether the sub - buffer is congested . the signal from transistor 2 couples to not gate 2 ( 1045 ). the signal from transistor 2 also couples to output s ( 1050 ), which indicates whether the sub - buffer is starved . the signal from not gate 1 couples to not gate 2 and output s . the signal from not gate 2 couples to not gate 1 and output c . fig1 illustrates the operation of the embodiment of fig1 . at step 1100 , the signals from the predecessor sub - buffer , the successor sub - buffer , identity gate 1 and identity gate 2 are lo . the signal from the nand gate is hi . the signals from not gate 1 and not gate 2 are unchanged . transistor 1 and transistor 2 are not conducting . at step 1105 , it is determined whether the signal from the predecessor sub - buffer changes to hi . if the signal from the predecessor sub - buffer changes to hi , at step 1110 , the signals from identity gate 2 , transistor 2 and not gate 1 are lo . the signals from the nand gate , identity gate 1 and not gate 2 are hi . transistor 1 is not conducting . at step 1115 , it is determined whether the signal from the successor sub - buffer changes to hi . if the signal from the successor sub - buffer changes to hi , at step 1120 , the signal from the nand gate is lo . the signals from identity gate 1 and identity gate 2 are hi . transistors 1 and 2 are conducting and sized such that the state of not gates 1 and 2 are maintained . thus , the signal from not gate 1 remains lo , and the signal from not gate 2 remains hi . at step 1125 , the signals from the predecessor and successor sub - buffers are reset to lo . at step 1130 , the signals from identity gate 1 , identity gate 2 and not gate 1 are lo . the signals from the nand gate and not gate 2 are hi . transistor 1 and transistor 2 are not conducting . thus , not gate 1 and not gate 2 maintain the correct signal to outputs c and s and the process repeats at step 1100 . if at step 1115 the signal from the successor sub - buffer does not change to hi , the process repeats at step 1115 . if at step 1105 the signal from the predecessor sub - buffer does not change to hi , at step 1140 it is determined whether the signal from the successor sub - buffer changes to hi . if the signal from the successor sub - buffer changes to hi , at step 1145 , the signals from identity gate 1 , transistor 1 and not gate 2 are lo . the signals from the nand gate , identity gate 2 and not gate 1 are hi . transistor 2 is not conducting . at step 1150 , it is determined whether the signal from the predecessor sub - buffer changes to hi . if the signal from the predecessor sub - buffer changes to hi , at step 1155 , the signal from the nand gate is lo . the signals from identity gate 1 and identity gate 2 are hi . transistors 1 and 2 are conducting and sized such that the state of not gates 1 and 2 are maintained . thus , the signal from not gate 1 remains hi , and the signal from not gate 2 remains lo . at step 1160 , the signals from the predecessor and successor sub - buffers are reset to lo . at step 1165 , the signals from identity gate 1 , identity gate 2 and not gate 2 are lo . the signals from the nand gate and not gate 1 are hi . transistor 1 and transistor 2 are not conducting . thus , not gate 1 and not gate 2 maintain the correct signal to outputs c and s and the process repeats at step 1100 . if at step 1150 the signal from the predecessor sub - buffer does not change to hi , the process repeats at step 1150 . if at step 1140 the signal from the successor sub - buffer does not change to hi , the process repeats at step 1100 . fig1 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention . a nand gate ( 1200 ) receives a signal from the successor sub - buffer ( 1205 ) telling whether the sub - buffer is empty . the nand gate also receives a signal from the predecessor sub - buffer ( 1210 ) telling whether the sub - buffer is full . the nand gate sends its result to the predecessor and successor sub - buffers . the signal from the predecessor sub - buffer also couples to identity gate 1 ( 1215 ). the signal from the successor sub - buffer also couples to identity gate 2 ( 1220 ). the signal from identity gate 1 couples to the signal input of transistor 1 ( 1225 ), the control input of transistor 2 ( 1230 ) and the nor gate ( 1235 ). the signal from identity gate 2 couples to the signal input of transistor 2 , the control input of transistor 1 and the nor gate . the signal from transistor 1 couples to the signal input of transistor 3 ( 1240 ). the signal from transistor 2 couples to the signal input of transistor 4 ( 1245 ). the signal from the nor gate couples to the control inputs of transistor 3 and transistor 4 . the signal from transistor 3 couples to not gate 1 ( 1250 ). the signal from transistor 3 also couples to output c ( 1255 ), which indicates whether the sub - buffer is congested . the signal from transistor 4 couples to not gate 2 ( 1260 ). the signal from transistor 4 also couples to output s ( 1265 ), which indicates whether the sub - buffer is starved . the signal from not gate 1 couples to not gate 2 and output s . the signal from not gate 2 couples to not gate 1 and output c . in this embodiment , both the pulling down of not gate 1 by transistor 1 and transistor 3 and the upward transition of the output of not gate 1 must be faster than the falling transition of the output of the nor gate . both paths are triggered by an upward transition on the output of identity gate 2 . likewise , both the pulling down of not gate 2 by transistor 2 and transistor 4 and the upward transition of the output of not gate 2 must be faster than the falling transition of the output of the nor gate . both paths are triggered by an upward transition on the output of identity gate 1 . fig1 illustrates the operation of the embodiment of fig1 . at step 1300 , the signals from the predecessor sub - buffer , the successor sub - buffer , identity gate 1 and identity gate 2 are lo . the signals from the nand gate and the nor gate are hi . the signals from not gate 1 and not gate 2 are unchanged . transistor 1 and transistor 2 are not conducting . transistor 3 is conducting , but it does not form a connection from the output of identity gate 1 to output node c because transistor 1 is not conducting . likewise , transistor 4 is conducting , but it does not form a connection from the output of identity gate 2 to output node s because transistor 2 is not conducting . at step 1305 , it is determined whether the signal from the predecessor sub - buffer changes to hi . if the signal from the predecessor sub - buffer changes to hi , at step 1310 , the signal from identity gate 2 is lo . the signals from the nand gate and identity gate 1 are hi . thus , transistor 2 conducts a signal of lo . at step 1311 , the signal from transistor 4 is lo . thus , at step 1312 , the signal from not gate 1 is lo , and the signal from not gate 2 is hi . at step 1313 , the signal from the nor gate is lo . thus , at step 1314 , transistors 3 and 4 are not conducting . at step 1315 , it is determined whether the signal from the successor sub - buffer changes to hi . if the signal from the successor sub - buffer changes to hi , at step 1320 , the signals from the nand gate and the nor gate are lo . the signals from identity gate 1 , identity gate 2 , transistor 1 and transistor 2 are hi . transistors 3 and 4 are not conducting . thus , the signal from not gate 1 remains lo , and the signal from not gate 2 remains hi . at step 1325 , the signals from the predecessor and successor sub - buffers are reset to lo . at step 1330 , the signals from identity gate 1 , identity gate 2 and not gate 1 are lo . the signals from the nand gate , the nor gate and not gate 2 are hi . transistor 1 and transistor 2 are not conducting . transistor 3 is conducting , but it does not form a connection from the output of identity gate 1 to output node c because transistor 1 is not conducting . likewise , transistor 4 is conducting , but it does not form a connection from the output of identity gate 2 to output node s because transistor 2 is not conducting . thus , not gate 1 and not gate 2 maintain the correct signal to outputs c and s and the process repeats at step 1300 . if at step 1315 the signal from the successor sub - buffer does not change to hi , the process repeats at step 1315 . if at step 1305 the signal from the predecessor sub - buffer does not change to hi , at step 1340 it is determined whether the signal from the successor sub - buffer changes to hi . if the signal from the successor sub - buffer changes to hi , at step 1345 , the signal from identity gate 1 is lo . the signals from the nand gate and identity gate 2 are hi . thus , transistor 1 conducts a signal of lo . at step 1346 , the signal from transistor 3 is lo . thus , at step 1347 , the signal from not gate 2 is lo , and the signal from not gate 1 is hi . at step 1348 , the signal from the nor gate is lo . thus , at step 1349 , transistors 3 and 4 are not conducting . at step 1350 , it is determined whether the signal from the predecessor sub - buffer changes to hi . if the signal from the predecessor sub - buffer changes to hi , at step 1355 , the signals from the nand gate and the nor gate are lo . the signals from identity gate 1 , identity gate 2 , transistor 1 and transistor 2 are hi . transistor 3 and transistor 4 are not conducting . thus , the signal from not gate 1 remains hi , and the signal from not gate 2 remains lo . at step 1360 , the signals from the predecessor and successor sub - buffers are reset to lo . at step 1365 , the signals from identity gate 1 , identity gate 2 and not gate 2 are lo . the signals from the nand gate , the nor gate and not gate 1 are hi . transistor 1 and transistor 2 are not conducting . transistor 3 is conducting , but it does not form a connection from the output of identity gate 1 to output node c because transistor 1 is not conducting . likewise , transistor 4 is conducting , but it does not form a connection from the output of identity gate 2 to output node s because transistor 2 is not conducting . thus , not gate 1 and not gate 2 maintain the correct signal to outputs c and s and the process repeats at step 1300 . if at step 1350 the signal from the predecessor sub - buffer does not change to hi , the process repeats at step 1350 . if at step 1340 the signal from the successor sub - buffer does not change to hi , the process repeats at step 1300 . when the ripple fifo buffer reaches a steady state , all sub - buffers except for those close to the transition region will have stable outputs . thus , static information is extracted from the highly dynamic control circuits . in one embodiment of the present invention , congestion or starvation data is gathered at every sub - buffer of the ripple fifo buffer . in another embodiment of the present invention , starvation and congestion data from a subset of the sub - buffers of the ripple fifo buffer allows generation of appropriate warning messages . in one embodiment of the present invention , the approximate occupancy of the ripple fifo buffer is calculated by counting the number of sub - buffers reporting a steady congestion state . in another embodiment of the present invention , the approximate occupancy of the ripple fifo buffer is calculated by counting the number of sub - buffers reporting a steady starvation state . in another embodiment of the present invention , the approximate occupancy of the ripple fifo buffer is calculated from the number of sub - buffers reporting a steady starvation state and the number of sub - buffers reporting a steady congestion state . one embodiment of the present invention monitors complex networks of ripple fifo buffers . one embodiment detects “ hot spots ” in complex networks of ripple fifo buffers . another embodiment gathers other traffic statistics in complex networks of ripple fifo buffers . one embodiment of the present invention uses the starvation and congestion data to make global routing decisions . one embodiment of the present invention operates without the keeper portion of the circuitry . the embodiment &# 39 ; s starvation and congestion outputs drive an analog circuit . another embodiment of the present invention uses the congestion and starvation output signals to charge and discharge a capacitor . in one embodiment of the present invention , the starvation and congestion outputs are wired together to deliver a summed current output . the analog voltage or current thus produced is fed back to control the input or output rates . one embodiment of the present invention is based on the asp * protocol . it is apparent , however , to one skilled in the art , that the invention may be practiced with other ripple fifo buffer designs . thus , a method and apparatus for data flow control is described in conjunction with one or more specific embodiments . the invention is defined by the following claims and their full scope an equivalents .	7
the terms &# 34 ; high pressure synthesis &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; high pressure reactions &# 34 ; as used herein are intended to describe preparation of fulvalene compounds by subjecting certain reactants to a pressure of at least about 1 , 000 atmospheres for a time and at a temperature sufficient fo form fulvalene compounds . the term &# 34 ; fulvalene compound &# 34 ; is intended to embrace products made by the process of the invention , which products contain the basic structural configuration of tetrathiafulvalene ( ttf ) [ also known as 1 , 3 - dithiole - 2 -( 1 , 3 - dithiol - 2 - ylidene )] depicted in formula i : ## str2 ## such fulvalene compounds may be prepared by processes utilizing the step depicted generally in equation ii : ## str3 ## wherein the z groups are substituents as defined before . expected substitute tetrathiafulvalene reaction products will be found as both cis - and transisomers . the process is particularly suitable for preparing substituted tetrathiafulvalenes useful as precursors to obtaining relatively pure quantities of tetrathiafulvalene ( ttf ). preferred acetylenic starting materials for making substituted ttf compounds include compounds of the general type zc . tbd . cz wherein at least one of the z groups is an electron - withdrawing substituent selected from carboxyl group , carboxyl aliphatic ester groups and amido groups . carboxyl and carboxyl aliphatic ester groups suitable as z substituents may be further defined as members of a class embraced by empirical formula iii : ## str4 ## with such z substituents being attachable to the ttf structure at the carbonyl carbon of the z substituent . carboxyl group as a z substituent is typified by carboxyl group contained in formic acid . carboxyl aliphatic ester groups as the z substituent are typified by groups contained in the esterification products of formic acid with an aliphatic alcohol of one to about 12 carbon atoms . representative straight - chain aliphatic alcohols include methyl , ethyl , n - propyl , n - butyl , n - pentyl , n - hexyl , n - heptyl , n - octyl , n - nonyl , n - decyl and n - dodecyl alcohols . representative branched - chain aliphatic alcohols include isopropyl , isobutyl , sec - butyl , tert - butyl , isopentyl , amyl and tert - pentyl alcohols . examples of amido group substituted acetylenic compounds include acetylene carboxamide , acetylene dicarboxamide , propiolic carboxamide , propiolic dimethylcarboxamide , acetylene bis ( dimethylcarboxamide ), propiolic diethylcarboxamide , propiolic dipropylcarboxamide , acetylene bis ( diethylcarboxamide ), acetylene bis ( dipropylcarboxamide ), propiolic dioctylcarboxamide and acetylene bis ( dinonylcarboxamide ). particularly preferred acetylenic starting materials for reacting with carbon disulfide in preparation of substituted ttf compounds are acetylenic - containing compounds such as methyl propiolate , propiolic acid , dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate and acetylene dicarboxamide . substituted ttf compounds prepared from these starting materials will have structures as shown in equation ii with z substituents selected from the group consisting of hydrogen , ## str5 ## in the reaction of carbon disulfide with methyl propiolate , or with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate , or with a mixture of both esters , as the acetylenic starting material , an intermediate structure is formed as shown in formula iv : ## str6 ## wherein &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; may be 1 or 2 . formula iv embraces di , tri , or tetra - ester substituted ttf compounds including cis - or trans - isomers of such compounds . such intermediate compounds may be subjected step - wise to firstly alkaline hydrolysis to form a carboxylic acid salt , which carboxylic acid salt may then be subjected to acid hydrolysis to form a carboxylic acid derivative , which derivative may then be decarboxylated to yield tetrathiafulvalene . alkaline hydrolysis may be accomplished by subjecting the intermediate of formula iv to refluxing conditions in the presence of aqueous or alcoholic sodium or potassium hydroxide . acid hydrolysis of the resulting salt may be accomplished by acidification with a strong inorganic acid , such as hydrochloric and sulfuric acids . decarboxylation of the carboxylic acid derivative may be accomplished by heating the derivative to 240 ° c . in the presence of pyridine in a sealed vessel . in the reaction of carbon disulfide with propiolic acid as the acetylenic starting material , an intermediate is formed having the structure v : ## str7 ## formula v embraces di - substituted ttf compounds including the cis - or transisomers . these intermediates may be decarboxylated to tetrathiafulvalene under decarboxylation conditions like those outlined above for the formula iv intermediates . in the reaction of carbon disulfide with acetylene carboxamide , or with acetylene dicarboxyamide , or with a mixture of both amides , as the acetylenic starting material , an intermediate structure is formed as shown in forumla vi : ## str8 ## wherein &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; may be 1 or 2 . formula vi embraces di , tri , or tetra - amide substituted ttf compounds including cis - or trans - isomers of such compounds . such intermediate amide - substituted compounds may be subjected sequentially to alkaline hydrolysis , acid hydrolysis and decarboxylation steps , as described above for the formula iv intermediates , to yield ttf . it has been found that effective synthesis of ttf and substituted ttf compounds is achieved by a combination of suitable temperature and pressure conditions . for example , when acetylenic compounds and cs 2 are subjected to pressures as high as 4500 atmospheres , synthesis does not go forward at temperatures around 20 ° c . generally , reaction temperatures of at least about 60 ° c . are required , and temperatures in a range from about 70 ° c . to about 110 ° c . are preferred ; reaction temperatures in a range from 70 ° c . to about 90 ° c . are especially preferred . reaction temperatures greater than about 120 ° c . should be avoided inasmuch as unwanted by - products may form at such higher temperatures . while pressures of at least about 1000 atmospheres are generally effective in the described process , reaction pressures of about 2000 atmospheres or greater are preferred . in order to demonstrate the process of the invention , reactions of carbon disulfide with four acetylenic compounds were carried out under varying reaction conditions of temperature , time and pressure . in all cases except one , good yields of very pure substituted ttf compounds were obtained under high pressure conditions at reaction temperatures of 80 ° c . or higher . in the synthesis of ttf dicarboxylic acid , yield was lower in one high pressure run at a relatively higher temperature , as compared to yields obtained in other high pressure preparations of ttf dicarboxylic acid and ttf ester . this one low - yield run may be attributed to decomposition of the ttf dicarboxylic acid product to ttf and co 2 inasmuch as co 2 was evolved during the reaction . the high pressure reactions were run in teflon capsule having a three - ml capacity . the capsule was mounted in a steel die equipped with a heating band ; pressure was applied with a clifton 200 - ton hydraulic press . acetylenic compound starting materials were obtained from aldrich chemical co ., milwaukee , wis ., and were used as received without further purification . infrared spectra for reaction products dispersed in kbr pellets were recorded on a perkin - elmer model 457 grating ir spectrophotometer ; melting point determinations were made using an electro - thermal melting point apparatus . a starting mixture was prepared by dissolving 5 ml of methyl propiolate ( 56 mmol ) in 15 ml of carbon disulfide ( 250 mmol ). a three - ml capacity teflon reaction capsule was filled with a portion of this starting mixture , there being substantially no free - space above the reaction mixture . pressure was applied to the contents of the reaction vessel and maintained at 5 , 000 atm ., ± 200 atm ., for a period of about 26 hours , while the temperature was maintained at about 100 ° c . the capsule was allowed to cool to room temperature over a period of about two hours . the capsule was opened and found to contain a dark red solid material in contact with a small amount of red liquid . the solid material was isolated from the liquid , washed several times with small quantities of cs 2 , and then dried under reduced pressure . a dark brown solid material in an amount of 1 . 28 g was obtained equivalent to a 96 percent yield , based upon the amount of methyl propiolate used . the dark brown material had a melting point of 236 °- 240 ° c . after recrystallization of the dark brown material from 1 , 2 - dimethoxy ethane solvent , red crystals were obtained having a melting point of 242 °- 244 ° c . the red crystal product , characterized by ir peaks at 3060 , 3040 , 1700 , 1580 , 1250 and 820 cm - 1 , was identified as 4 , 4 &# 39 ;( 5 &# 39 ;)- bis ( carbomethoxy ) tetrathiafulvalene . the high pressure reaction of methyl propiolate and cs 2 was repeated under conditions substantially as set out in example i , except that the pressure applied was 4 , 000 atm ., the temperature of reaction was 80 ° c . and the reaction time was about 24 hours . a dark brown solid material was obtained in an amount of 1 . 18 g , equivalent to a yield of 88 percent . qualitative determinations of the reaction product confirmed the presence of relatively pure compound identified as 4 , 4 &# 39 ;( 5 &# 39 ;)- bis ( carbomethoxy ) tetrathiafulvalene . a starting mixture was prepared by dissolving 5 ml of dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate ( 41 mmol ) in 15 ml of carbon disulfide ( 251 mmol ). conditions of reaction were repeated substantially as set out in example i , above , with a pressure of 5 , 000 atm ., ± 200 atm ., applied to the contents of the reaction vessel , heated to a temperature of about 100 ° c . for about 24 hours . a dark red solid material was obtained in an amount of 0 . 8 g , equivalent to an 87 percent yield based upon the amount of dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate used . this product , isolated and washed as described before , was found to have a melting point of 162 °- 167 ° c . recrystallization of this product from ether - hexane solution yielded red crystals having a melting point of 163 °- 167 ° c . the product , characterized by ir peaks at 1740 , 1720 , 1575 and 1225 cm - 1 , was identified as 4 , 4 &# 39 ;, 5 , 5 &# 39 ;- tetrakis ( carbomethoxy ) tetrathiafulvalene . a starting mixture was prepared by dissolving 5 ml of propiolic acid ( 81 mmol ) in 10 ml of methylene chloride . to this mixture was added 15 ml of carbon disulfide ( 251 mmol ). conditions of reaction were repeated substantially as set out in example i , above , with a pressure of 5500 atm ., ± 200 atm ., applied to the contents of the reaction vessel , heated to a temperature of about 85 ° c . for about 19 hours . upon opening of the reaction vessel after cooling to room temperature , co 2 gas was found to have evolved from the reaction mixture . a black solid material was removed from the capsule , and then treated sequentially by the steps of washing with cs 2 , dissolving 1n naoh , filtering , acidifying with 2n hcl , and then drying the product overnight under reduced pressure at 60 ° c . a crystalline product was obtained in an amount of 0 . 82 g , equivalent to a yield of 69 percent based upon propiolic acid starting material . the product , found to have a melting point of 360 ° c . ( literature ref : 360 ° c .) and characterized by ir peaks at 3500 , 2500 , 1660 and 1550 cm - 1 , was identified as tetrathiafulvalene - 4 , 4 &# 39 ;( or 5 &# 39 ;)- dicarboxylic acid . the high pressure reaction of propiolic acid and cs 2 was repeated under conditions substantially as set out in example iv , except that the temperature was maintained at 95 ° c . over a 26 hour period . discharge of a relatively large amount of co 2 gas was noted upon opening of the reaction vessel indicating substantial decomposition of ttf acid product to ttf and co 2 . a black solid material was obtained in an amount of 0 . 24 g , equivalent to a yield of 20 percent . this relatively low yield was likely due to the in situ spontaneous decomposition of the product as indicated by the discharge of co 2 gas . qualitative determinations of the solid material , treated as described in example iv , confirmed the presence of relatively pure compound identified as tetrathiafulvalene - 4 , 4 &# 39 ;( or 5 &# 39 ;)- dicarboxylic acid . a starting mixture was prepared by dissolving 441 mg of acetylene dicarboxamide ( 3 . 9 mmol ) in 30 ml of dimethyl formamide with mild heating . to this mixture was added 5 ml of carbon disulfide ( 84 mmol ). a three - ml capacity teflon reaction capsule was filled with a portion of this starting mixture , there being substantially no free - space above the reaction mixture . pressure was applied to the contents of the reaction vessel and maintained at 6 , 000 atm ., ± 200 atm ., for a period of about 24 hours , while the temperature was maintained at about 95 ° c . the capsule was allowed to cool to room temperature over a period of about two hours . the capsule was opened and found to contain a reddish - brown solid material in contact with a small amount of liquid . the solid material was isolated from the liquid , washed several times with small quantities of ethyl ether , and then dried under reduced pressure . a dark brown solid material was obtained in good yield . the dark brown material had a melting point above 360 ° c . after recrystallization of the dark brown material from acetone solvent , brown crystals were obtained having a melting point above 360 ° c . the brown crystal product , characterized by ir peaks at 3340 , 3180 , 3070 , 3050 , 1660 , 1590 , 1260 , 1125 , 1090 , 1030 , 845 , 795 , 730 , 700 , and 480 cm - 1 , was identified as 4 , 4 &# 39 ;, 5 , 5 &# 39 ;- tetrakis ( carboxamide ) tetrathiafulvalene . although specific examples of the instant invention have been set forth hereinabove , it is not intended that the invention be limited solely thereto , but is to include all the variations and modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims .	2
fig6 to 8 show a cooling structure of the electronic equipment according to a first embodiment of the invention , wherein fig6 is an exploded perspective view of a cooling structure in an information processing equipment , fig7 is a perspective view of the information processing equipment provided with the cooling structure as viewed from the front face side and fig8 is a perspective view of the information processing equipment provided with the cooling structure as viewed from the back face side . the information processing equipment is provided with a rectangular parallel piped housing 100 as a main enclosure , for example , made of a metallic material , wherein a front shelf 102 serving as a first substrate housing frame body is provided at a front side of the housing 100 and a back shelf 104 serving as a second substrate housing frame body provided at a rear side thereof . substrate housing parts 106 are individually installed in the shelves 102 , 104 , and one or plurality of substrate units 108 , onto which various circuit units such as electronic equipment and so forth are mounted , are detachably housed in the substrate housing parts 106 . guides 109 are installed in the shelves 102 , 104 , and the substrate units 108 are mounted in the substrate housing parts 106 while guided by the guides 109 . in this case , the substrate units 108 are housed in the front shelf 102 side from the front part thereof and the substrate units 108 are housed in the back shelf 104 from the rear part thereof . the substrate housing parts 106 of the shelves 102 , 104 are partitioned by a back panel 110 installed at the rear part side of the front shelf 102 . an intake side duct 112 serving as an upstream side duct is installed in common to the shelves 102 , 104 at the upstream side of the substrate housing parts 106 . the intake side duct 112 is open to an outside air through a first intake part 114 provided at the front shelf 102 side . that is , the first intake part 114 is a window for intake air . an exhaust side duct 116 serving as an downstream side duct is installed in common to the shelves 102 , 104 at the downstream side of the substrate housing parts 106 . the exhaust side duct 116 is open to the outside air through a first exhaust part 118 provided at the back shelf 104 . that is , the first exhaust part 118 is a window for exhaust air . one or plurality of fans 122 , for example , made up of an axial - flow fan , are installed in the first exhaust part 118 , serving as first exhaust means for allowing the air in the housing 100 to forcibly discharge , thereby allowing air for cooling w to flow to the substrate housing parts 106 . according to this embodiment , three sets of fans 122 are installed to secure the air for cooling w having necessary volume . air adjusting plates 126 serving as air adjusting means for adjusting the air for cooling w which flows toward the exhaust side ducts 116 through the substrate housing parts 106 are respectively installed in the shelves 102 , 104 at a first boundary part 124 where the exhaust side duct 116 and substrate housing parts 106 contact each other . the air adjusting plates 126 serving as air adjusting means for adjusting the air for cooling w may be installed at a second boundary part 127 where the intake side duct 112 and the substrate housing parts 106 contact each other , and they may be installed at the first and second boundary parts 124 , 127 . the air adjusting plates 126 are made of a metallic material sheet same as the shelves 102 , 104 , wherein they have a plurality of air openings 128 each having a large diameter and a plurality of air openings 130 each having a small diameter which are formed regularly , for example , as shown in fig9 . fig9 is a plan view showing an example of the air adjusting plates 126 . the positional relation between the air openings 128 , 130 and the substrate units 108 a , 108 b are set depending on the heating value such that according to the air openings 128 , 130 installed in the air adjusting plates 126 , the air openings 128 each having a large diameters correspond to a substrate unit 108 a having a high heating value and the air openings 130 each having a small diameter correspond to a substrate unit 108 b having a low heating value . with such an arrangement , the air for cooling w can be allowed to flow to the substrate housing parts 106 while forming the volume of air and the distribution of air velocity corresponding to the heating value of the substrate units 108 a , 108 b and so forth . one or plurality of housing units 132 serving as a subunit for effecting a forced - air - cooling are installed in the exhaust side duct 116 separately from the substrate units 108 such as a power supply unit and so forth , wherein the housing unit 132 are detachably installed in the exhaust side duct 116 from the front face side of the housing 100 . according to this embodiment , although five sets of housing units 132 are installed , one set of housing unit 132 may be installed to block an opening produced at the font face side thereof . the housing unit 132 is configured , for example , as shown in fig1 to 12 , wherein fig1 is a perspective view of the housing unit 132 as viewed from a front face side thereof , fig1 is a perspective view of the housing unit 132 as viewed from a lower face side thereof , and fig1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the housing unit 132 . in this case , each of the housing units 132 is pillar cylindrical body wherein the front part side is blocked and a second intake part 134 which is open at the exhaust side duct 116 is provided at the lower face part of the front face side thereof . the second intake part 134 is a window for allowing the housing units 132 to open toward the exhaust side duct 116 . a fan 136 for forcibly drawing the air for cooling wb from the second intake part 134 to the interior of the housing units 132 is installed inside the second intake part 134 . further , an exhaust part 138 serving as second exhaust means provided in the housing unit or housing for exhausting the air for cooling w in the housing units 132 and a fan 140 are installed at the rear part of the housing units 132 . a second exhaust part 142 corresponding to the exhaust part 138 of the housing units 132 is formed in the housing 100 . the second exhaust part 142 is a window for allowing the housing units 132 to open to the outside air . the second exhaust part 142 is installed on the different faces of the housing 100 , namely , the first exhaust part 118 is installed at the back face part of the housing 100 and the second exhaust part 142 is installed at a ceiling face , such that exhausting directions thereof do not cross each other so that an exhaust effect of the first exhaust part 118 and second exhaust part 142 is enhanced . as shown in fig1 , for example , the front shelf 102 and the back shelf 104 are installed in the housing 100 via the back panel 110 and the housing units 132 is installed in the exhaust side duct 116 to structure the cooling structure . fig1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the cooling structure . connectors 144 , 146 are provided on the front face and back face of the back panel 110 , wherein the substrate units 108 at the front shelf 102 side are inserted into the connector 144 to electrically connect therebetween while the substrate units 108 at the back shelf 104 side is inserted into the connector 146 to electrically connect therebetween . according to this embodiment , there is installed an exhaust guide 148 , which connects the exhaust part 138 of the housing units 132 to the second exhaust part 142 at the housing 100 side for exhausting air , in the exhaust side duct 116 of the housing 100 . the exhaust guide 148 is structured to serve as guide means for guiding exhaust air from the housing units 132 to the second exhaust part 142 while separating from the exhaust air at the exhaust side duct 116 side , also to serve as supporting means for supporting the housing units 132 in the housing 100 . that is , the air for cooling w at the substrate housing parts 106 side is divided into air for cooling wa at the exhaust side duct 116 side and air for cooling wb at the housing units 132 side , wherein the air for cooling wa is independently exhausted to the outer air by means of the first exhaust part 118 and the fans 122 while the air for cooling wb is independently exhausted to the outer air by means of the exhausts parts 138 , 142 and the fan 140 further , as shown in fig1 , for example , independent power supplies 156 , 158 , 160 are connected to motors 150 , 152 , 154 of the fans 122 , 136 , 140 for supplying power to the motors 150 , 152 , 154 , wherein the power supplies 156 , 158 , 160 are controlled in supply of power by a controller 162 serving as control means for controlling exhaust capacity , and the number of revolutions of the motors 150 , 152 , 154 can be adjusted . in this case , although the fans 122 , 136 , 140 are structured by each set thereof , multiple sets of the axial - flow fan are installed in parallel with one another , and they may be driven by independent power supplies . with such an arrangement , safety efficiency can be enhanced . as mentioned above , according to the cooling structure of this embodiment , when the fans 122 are rotated in a direction to draw air from the housing 100 , the air for cooling w is drawn from the first intake part 114 into the intake side duct 112 , and it passes through the substrate housing parts 106 and flows from the exhaust side duct 116 into the first exhaust part 118 , and finally it is discharged to the outer air as shown in fig1 . as a result , the substrate units 108 of the substrate housing parts 106 are cooled . incidentally , assuming a state where the housing units 132 is removed from the exhaust side duct 116 as shown in fig1 , it is possible to sufficiently cool both the shelves 102 , 104 by the volume of air by drawing air using the fans 122 obtaining sufficient volume of air relative to both the front shelf 102 and back shelf 104 . in this case , since the shelves 102 , 104 have rack mount structures , an interval between upper and lower plates is determined to some extent , it is possible to arrange a circuit unit on the upper and lower plates and cool it by setting the surfaces of the upper and lower plates to be flat . in this case , viewing the relation between the front and back shelves 102 , 104 installed at the lower surface side of the exhaust side duct 116 and the fans 122 , and the volume of air ( air for cooling wb ) at the back shelf 104 side close to the fans 122 is compared with the volume of air ( air for cooling wf ) at the front shelf 102 side remote from the fans 122 , the volume of air at the front shelf 102 side which is remote from the fans 122 becomes small ( wf & lt ; wb ) in this case , if the interval of the exhaust side ducts 116 at the upper portion of the front shelf 102 is narrower , it is possible to uniformize between the volume of air at the front shelf 102 side and that at the back shelf 104 side . accordingly , with the first embodiment , the exhaust side duct 116 is not merely narrowed , but the housing unit 132 serving as a separate unit is installed in the exhaust side duct 116 , thereby enhancing utilization efficiency of the space of the exhaust side duct 116 , and realizing uniformization between the volume of air at the front shelf 102 side and that at the back shelf 104 side . that is , as shown in fig1 , the housing unit 132 is installed in the exhaust side duct 116 , wherein a space of the upper portion side duct 116 b of the front shelf 102 is narrowed by provision of the housing unit 132 compared with the upper portion side duct 116 a of the back shelf 104 , and hence the volume of air at the front shelf 102 side and that at the back shelf 104 side are uniformized . the circuit unit to be cooled and so forth can be installed in the housing units 132 and utilized , and the fans 136 , 140 are installed in the housing units 132 to structure a separate exhaust mechanism , wherein the suction force of this exhaust mechanism , namely , the fans 136 , 140 can gain the volume of air at the front shelf 102 side through the upper portion side duct 116 b . when the fans 122 , 136 , 140 are rotated , the volume of air ( air for cooling wa ) by the fans 122 is made up of the volume of air ( air for cooling wb ) at the back shelf 104 side and a part of the volume of air ( air for cooling wf ) at the front shelf 102 side whereas the volume of air ( air for cooling wf ) at the front shelf 102 side is obtained by adding the volume of air ( air for cooling wb ) at the side of the housing units 132 side to the volume of air ( air for cooling wf ) flowing to the fans 122 side . with the cooling structure of the this embodiment , since the air adjusting plates 126 are installed , for example , as shown in fig1 , the volume of air wm of the air for cooling w at the air openings 128 having large diameter side increases compared with the volume of air wn of the air for cooling w at the air openings 130 having small diameter side , and the air velocity of the former also increases , and hence the air velocity and volume of air can be adjusted by the air openings 128 , 130 , thereby obtaining desired cooling effect . accordingly , optimum cooling can be effected with the air velocity and volume of air corresponding to the substrate unit 108 a having high heating value and the substrate unit 108 b having low heating value of the substrate units 108 . when the fan 140 of the housing units 132 installed in the exhaust side duct 116 is rotated in a direction to suck out air from the housing units 132 , the air for cooling wb is drawn from the exhaust side duct 116 into the housing units 132 , and passes through the housing units 132 , then it is exhausted to the outer air through the exhaust parts 138 , 142 . as a result , the substrate units , power supply unit , and so forth in the housing units 132 are cooled . in this case , the fan 136 is installed in the second intake part 134 side , the drawing of the air for cooling wb in the housing units 132 becomes excellent , thereby increasing the volume of air at the housing units 132 . this contributes to the increase of the amount of exhaust of the air for cooling w at the substrate housing parts 106 side . since the housing unit 132 is installed in the exhaust side duct 116 , the inner capacity of the exhaust side duct 116 lowers , however the suction capacity of the air for cooling w at the substrate housing parts 106 side is enhanced owing to the suction and drawing of air by the fans 136 , 140 installed in the housing unit 132 so that the lowering of the exhaust capacity and exhaust capacity of the exhaust side duct 116 side are supplemented , thereby reinforcing the exhaust capacity . as a result , the cooling inside the housing unit 132 reinforces the cooling effect of the substrate units 108 . in this case , even if the performance of the fans 122 lowers or stops , if the fans 136 , 140 in the housing unit 132 are rotated , the air for cooling w in the substrate housing part 106 can be exhausted from the second exhaust part 142 through the housing units 132 , thereby cooling the substrate units 108 . further , since the air adjusting plates 126 are installed , the volume of air and air velocity of the air for cooling w in the substrate housing parts 106 can be adjusted by the opening areas of the air openings 128 , 130 , and the flow path of air can be also adjusted by the positions of the openings . for example , if the number of the revolution of the motors 150 to 154 is controlled , the volume of entire air for cooling w at the substrate housing parts 106 side or the volume of air of the air for cooling wb at the housing unit 132 side can be increased or decreased or adjusted . although the first embodiment discloses the cooling structure provided with ( 1 ) the air adjusting plates 126 to adjust the air for cooling w , and also provided with ( 2 ) the housing units 132 capable of effecting forced - air - cooling independently at the exhaust side duct 116 of the housing 100 , the cooling structure of the electronic equipment of the invention may be structured by either of ( 1 ) or ( 2 ) or both the ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) as set forth in this embodiment . more in detail , the cooling structure of the electronic equipment of the invention can be established by the first structure mode wherein the air adjusting plates 126 are installed to adjust the air for cooling w ( namely , the housing units 132 are not installed in the first embodiment ), the second structure mode wherein the housing units 132 are installed in the exhaust side duct 116 ( namely , the air for cooling w is allowed to pass without providing the air adjusting plates 126 ), the third structure mode wherein the air for cooling w is adjusted by providing the air adjusting plates 126 and the housing units 132 capable of effecting forced - air - cooling are installed in the exhaust side duct 116 ( first embodiment ). according to the first embodiment , although the air adjusting plates 126 in which a plurality of large and small air openings 128 , 130 are regularly arranged are explained , the air openings 128 , 130 of the air adjusting plates 126 may be structured to adjust the air openings 128 , 130 , for example , as shown in fig1 a . fig1 a is a plan view showing an embodiment for adjusting the air openings 128 , 130 of the air adjusting plates 126 . the air openings 128 , 130 may be structured to be blocked , for example , by block plates 164 , 166 , as shown in hatched lines or may be formed of air openings 168 which are operable , if need be as shown by a broken line , or the air openings 130 may be changed to a large diameter air openings 128 by forming a cut 170 which can be punched out at the periphery of the small diameter air openings 130 . further , an adjustment fitter 174 having a small diameter air opening 172 may be detachably installed in the air openings 128 having a large diameter so that the air openings 128 may be changed to the air openings 172 having a small diameter of the adjustment fitter 174 , as shown in fig1 b , or for example , a block fitter 176 for closing the air opening 128 having a large diameter may be detachably installed as shown in fig1 c . still further , a similar block fitter may be detachably installed in the air openings having a small diameter so as to close the air openings 130 having small diameter . with such an arrangement , the air for cooling w having the volume of air corresponding to heating value can be allowed to flow to the substrate units 108 and so forth by a simple adjusting operation at the air adjusting plates 126 side . with the cooling structure of the electronic equipment as set forth above , since the air for cooling w is sucked out from the substrate housing parts 106 by providing one or a plurality of fans 122 in the first exhaust part 118 of the housing 100 , air velocity and the volume of air which are not biased or less biased can be obtained from the air for cooling w flowing to the substrate housing parts 106 irrespective of the positions of the substrate units 108 , the cooling space of the housing 100 in the direction of the height thereof can be reduced to the size of the exhaust side duct 116 and the intake side duct 112 corresponding to the outer configuration of the fans 122 , which enhances the downsizing and compactness of the housing 100 compared with the conventional cooling structure so that the ratio occupied by the substrate housing parts 106 in the housing 100 becomes large to enhance mounting efficiency of the substrate units 108 . in this case , although the number of mounting is restricted by concentrating the portion where the fans 122 are installed , it is possible to uniformize the volume of air and the distribution of air velocity , air adjustment by the air adjustment plates 126 , for example , by concentrating the volume of air at the substrate units 108 a of high heating ( fig1 ), thereby supplementing the lowering of the amount of entire air by controlling the necessary air velocity and the volume of air , which does not practically present any problem . further , the fans 136 at the intake part 134 side and the fans 140 at the exhaust part 138 side are separately installed in the housing units 132 serving as a subunit , wherein the air for cooling w which passes through the substrate units 108 of the substrate housing parts 106 is drawn by the rotation of the fans 136 , 140 , thereby supplementing the air velocity and the volume of air on the substrate units 108 at the upstream side , thereby reinforcing the cooling effect of the substrate units 108 . the units such as power supply unit and so forth other than the substrate unit 108 can be mounted on the housing units 132 installed on the exhaust side duct 116 , and the space of the exhaust side duct 116 can be efficiently utilized as a mounting space of the other substrate units and so forth , thereby improving the mounting efficiency of the substrate units and so forth . next , fig1 and 20 show an information processing equipment according to a second embodiment of the invention , wherein fig1 is a front view of the information processing equipment and fig2 is a rear view thereof . the information processing equipment is structured as a large server unit or a disk array unit , wherein a main enclosure 180 is installed on a lower stage of a main frame 178 and another enclosure 182 is installed on an upper stage of the main frame 178 . the housing 100 as shown in fig6 to 8 is installed in the main enclosure 180 , and a main unit 184 having the cooling structure as set forth above and a subunit 186 on the upper stage thereof are respectively detachably installed in the housing 100 . the main unit 184 corresponds to the substrate units 108 as set forth above , and structures a power supply and information processing part . a dc - dc converter and so forth are mounted on the subunit 186 . a hard disk unit and so forth are mounted on the other enclosure 182 . with the information processing equipment having such an arrangement , since the cooling structure of the electronic equipment of the invention is mounted on the main closure 180 side , the mounting efficiency and cooling capacity of the substrate units 108 are improved , thereby allowing the processing unit to be compact and improve a reliability thereof . as mentioned in detail above , although the most preferred embodiments of the invention has been described , the invention is not limited to the embodiments , but it is a matter of fact that the invention can be modified variously and varied by a person skilled in the art on the basis of the gist of the invention as disclosed in the claims and detail description of the invention , and such a modification and change are included in the scope of the invention . the entire disclosure of japanese patent application no . 2003 - 43105 including specification , claims , drawings and summary are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety .	7
referring to fig1 to fig1 , an embodiment of the present invention will be described . fig1 shows the configuration of an embodiment of a computer system . the system comprises a server 1 a , a server 1 b , a storage subsystem 2 a , and a storage subsystem 2 b . the servers and systems are interconnected over a network 3 . the server 1 b may be , as described later , a computer connected on the network 3 later . as far as the present system is concerned , the server 1 a and storage subsystem 2 a shall constitute a primary site , while the server 1 b and storage subsystem 2 b shall constitute a secondary site . the server 1 is a computer comprising a cpu 101 , a main memory 102 , a network interface 103 , a display 104 , a keyboard 105 , a cd - rom 106 , a controller 107 , a disk drive 108 , and a data interface 109 . the storage subsystem 2 is realized with storage devices in which data is stored , and it comprises ports 21 , a disk controller 22 , a control memory 23 , a processor 24 , a cache memory 25 , and disk drives 26 . incidentally , the disk drives 108 and 26 are logical storage devices . in reality , a plurality of physical storage devices may constitute one logical storage device . in this case , the plurality of physical storage devices may constitute a disk array . herein , the physical storage device refers to a hard disk drive or a physical storage device having a storage medium such as a digital versatile disk ( dvd ). a database management system program 4 , an application program 5 , a configuration definition file creation program 6 , and a volume mount program 18 are stored in the disk drive 108 included in the server 1 . these programs are installed from the cd - rom 106 into the disk drive 108 , then read into the main memory 102 , and run by the cpu 101 . incidentally , the programs need not be installed from the cd - rom 106 , but may be installed into the disk drive 108 over the network 3 on which the server 1 is connected . a pair definition table 7 used to manage the relationship of correspondence ( hereinafter , pair relationship ) between each of the disk drives 26 included in the primary site and each of the disk drives 26 included in the secondary site , a volume definition table 8 a used to manage one or more disk drives 26 ( one or more of disk drives 26 a to 26 c ) as one or more storage areas ( hereinafter volumes ), and a data transfer program 16 that is run by the processor 24 a when data stored in any of the disk drives 26 is transferred to the storage subsystem 2 b in the secondary site are stored in the control memory 23 a included in the storage subsystem 2 a . a configuration definition table 9 , indicating to what part of an os file system a volume is assigned ( hereinafter , mounted ), is stored in the disk drive 26 whose leading location corresponds to the leading position in the volume , or a predetermined location in a volume . hereinafter , the configuration definition table shall be stored at the leading location in the volume . the primary and secondary sites share the stored location . the secondary site receives information on the stored location from the primary site or a user . moreover , an environmental variable definition file 15 in which the name of a definition information file is registered is stored in the disk drive 26 realizing the volume . herein , setting information on the database management system program 4 or application program 5 that run on the server 1 which uses the volume is recorded in the definition information file . information on the stored location of a file in which information on an environmental variable relevant to the server 1 , such as , setting information on a program to be run in the server 1 is recorded , is registered in the environmental variable definition file 15 . according to the present embodiment , a file system in which the volume is mounted gives a predetermined name to the environmental variable definition file 15 . a value recorded in the environmental variable definition file 15 indicates a name inherent to the application program 5 or the like , and the name need not be a filename , but may be , for example , a work directory name . a dbms definition information file 10 , that is a definition information file relevant to the database management system program 4 , and an application definition information file 13 , that is a definition information file relevant to the application program 5 , are stored in the disk drives 26 . the files are assigned filenames that are registered in the environmental variable definition file 15 and stored in the disk drives 26 . the server 1 runs the configuration definition file creation program 6 so as to create the environmental variable definition file 15 and program definition information files . moreover , data 14 used within the database management system program 4 and application program 5 are stored in the disk drives 26 . furthermore , the database management system program 4 , application program 5 , and configuration definition file creation program 6 may be stored in the disk drives 26 included in the storage subsystem 2 a . in this case , when the server 1 uses the programs , the server 1 reads the programs from the storage subsystem 2 over the network 3 , and stores them in the disk drive 108 for use . a data reception program 17 , a pair definition table 7 , a volume definition table 8 b , and a definition check program 11 are stored in the control memory 23 b included in the storage subsystem 2 b . when the storage subsystem 2 b receives data sent from the storage subsystem 2 a via the port 21 d over the network 3 and stores the data in the disk drives 26 d to 26 f , the processor 24 b runs the data reception program 17 . the definition check program 11 judges whether data the storage subsystem 2 b has received from the storage subsystem 2 a is contained in the configuration definition table 9 . if the data is contained in the configuration definition table 9 , when the contents of a configuration definition are checked , the processor 24 b runs the definition check program 11 . copies of the configuration definition table 9 , environmental variable definition file 15 , dbms definition information 10 , application definition information 13 , and data that are stored in the disk drives 26 included in the storage subsystem 2 a are stored in the disk drives 26 d to 26 f . [ 0036 ] fig2 shows an example of the structure of the pair definition table 7 . the pair definition table 7 has : a group name field 201 in which names of groups each of which corresponds to a set of pair relationships are registered ; a pair name field 202 in which names assigned to pair relationships are registered ; a primary port name field 203 in which names assigned to the ports of the storage subsystem 2 a included in the primary site that have a pair relationship are registered ; a primary logical unit name field 204 in which names assigned to logical units in the storage subsystem 2 b included in the secondary site that have a pair relationship are registered ; a secondary port name field 205 in which names assigned to the ports of the storage subsystem 2 b included in the secondary site that have a pair relationship are registered ; a secondary logical unit name field 206 in which names assigned to logical units in the storage subsystem 2 b included in the secondary site that have a pair relationship are registered ; and a state field 207 in which the states of pair relationships are registered . the logical unit ( lu ) is a unit in which the storage areas formed with the disk drives 26 are managed . moreover , a volume is uniquely identified with a combination of the name of a port via which an lu is accessed and the name of the lu associated with the volume . hereinafter , a port name and an lu name will be used to express a volume as a volume ( port name , lu name ). according to the present embodiment , one lu is associated with one volume . alternatively , a plurality of lus may constitute one volume . in the example of fig2 a group g 1 having two pair relationships p 1 and p 2 is defined . a record 208 a indicates that a volume in the primary site having the pair relationship p 1 is a volume ( port 21 b , lu 0 ), a volume in the secondary site having the pair relationship p 1 is a volume ( port 21 d , lu 0 ), and the state of the pair relationship is active . herein , the active state signifies that copying data between the pair indicated with the record 208 , that is , making the data items in the primary and secondary sites consistent with each other , is under way . moreover , a record 208 b indicates that a volume in the primary site having the pair relationship p 2 is a volume ( port 21 , lu 1 ), a volume in the secondary site having the relationship p 2 is a volume ( port 21 d , lu 1 ), and the state of the relationship is active . [ 0039 ] fig3 shows an example of the structure of the volume definition table 8 . a user creates the volume definition table 8 using a volume definition program in advance . herein , the volume definition program is a program to be run in a management computer ( not shown ) connected on the network 3 . the user uses the management computer to transmit information on volumes , which should be included in the storage subsystem 2 , to the storage subsystem 2 . the storage subsystem 2 registers the received information in the volume definition table 8 . the volume definition table 8 has : a port name field 305 in which names of ports , based on which volumes are identified , are registered ; an lu name field 301 in which names of lus forming volumes are registered ; a drive name field 302 in which names of disk drives 26 realizing the volumes are registered ; and an emulation type field 303 in which pieces of information on the ways ( hereinafter , emulation types ) a computer employs a volume are registered . according to the present embodiment , for example , a volume definition table 8 a shown in the upper part of fig3 shall be stored in the control memory 23 a , and a volume definition table 8 b shown in the lower part of fig3 shall be stored in the control memory 23 b . in the volume definition table 8 a shown in fig3 two volumes are registered . a record 304 a indicates that a volume ( port 21 b , lu 0 ) is realized with the disk drive 26 a , and it is not categorized to any specific emulation type . records 304 b and 304 c indicate that a volume ( port 21 b , lu 1 ) is realized with the disk drives 26 b and 26 c and categorized to an emulation type of raid level 1 . on the other hand , two volumes are registered in the table 8 b . a record 304 d indicates that a volume ( port 21 d , lu 0 ) is realized with the disk drive 26 d and is not categorized to any specific emulation type . records 304 e and 304 f signify that a volume ( port 26 d , lu 1 ) is realized with the disk drives 26 e and 26 f and categorized to the emulation type of raid level 1 . [ 0043 ] fig4 shows an example of the structure of the configuration definition table 9 . in the case of the storage subsystem 2 a in the primary site , when the server 1 a runs the volume mount program 18 , the configuration definition table 9 is created . in the case of the storage subsystem 2 b in the secondary site , when the storage subsystem 2 b writes the configuration definition table 9 , which is received from the storage subsystem 2 a in the primary site , in a volume , the configuration definition table 9 is created . the configuration definition table 9 has : a mount destination field 401 in which information on a directory in which a volume is mounted is registered ; a storage capacity field 402 in which information on the storage capacity of the volume is registered ; and an emulation type field 403 in which information on an emulation type is registered . a table 9 a , as shown in the upper part of fig4 is an example of the configuration definition table 9 stored in a volume ( port 21 d , lu 0 ) ( realized with the disk device 26 a ) in the storage subsystem 2 a . the information that the mount destination of a volume ( port 21 d , lu 0 ) is a directory / ap / vol 1 , the storage capacity thereof is 100 mb , and the volume is not categorized to any specific emulation type is registered as a record 404 a . incidentally , the expression / ap / vol 1 of an access path in a file system shall be adopted as the expression of a file or a directory in the file system . a table 9 b , as shown in the lower part of fig4 is an example of the configuration definition table 9 stored in a volume ( port 26 d , lu 1 ) ( realized with the disk drives 26 a and 26 b ) in the storage subsystem 2 a . the information that the mount destination of a volume ( port 26 d , lu 1 ) is a directory / db / vol 1 , the storage capacity thereof is 200 mb , and the volume is categorized to an emulation type of raid level 1 is registered as a record 404 b . referring to fig1 the actions of the present system will be outlined below . to begin with , a user uses a management computer to specify values in the volume definition table 8 a in the storage subsystem 2 a in advance . thereafter , when the server 1 a is started up , the server 1 a mounts a volume , which is included in the storage subsystem 2 a , in a file system . at this time , the server 1 a creates the configuration definition table 9 that has configuration information indicating the relationship of the volume to the file system that is the mount destination , and it stores the configuration definition table 9 in the disk drive 26 realizing the volume . thereafter , the server 1 a creates the dbms definition information 10 that constitutes a definition information file to be used to run the database management system program 4 a , and the application definition information 13 that constitutes a definition information file to be used to run the application 5 a . the server 1 a then stores the created pieces of information in the volume . moreover , the server 1 a creates the environmental variable definition file 15 as a file in which information on the stored locations in the storage subsystem 2 a of environmental variables , such as those contained in the definition information files , is registered . the server 1 a stores the file 15 in the volume included in the storage subsystem 2 a . in order to configure the secondary site , a user connects the storage subsystem 2 b included in the secondary site on the network 3 and uses the management computer to create the volume definition table 8 b concerning the storage subsystem 2 b and to register values in the table . thereafter , the server 1 a directs the storage subsystem 2 a to transfer data items , which are stored in the disk drives 26 a to 26 c , to the storage subsystem 2 b . consequently , the configuration definition tables 9 , environmental variable definition file 15 , application definition information 13 , dbms definition information 10 , and data 14 stored in the disk drives 26 a to 26 c are stored in the storage subsystem 2 b in the secondary site . for the data transfer , the storage subsystem 2 b checks if the configuration definition table 9 is included in the transferred data items and if the configuration definition table 9 matches the situation of the associated volume included in the storage subsystem 2 b . if the configuration definition table 9 does not match the situation , the storage subsystem 2 b does not preserve the configuration definition table 9 in the disk drive 26 concerned . when the server 1 b is connected on the network 3 and started up , the server 1 b runs the configuration definition program 12 so as to recognize the volume included in the storage subsystem 2 b and mount the volume . at this time , the server 1 b reads the configuration definition table 9 a from the disk drive 26 so as to acquire a directory name that is the mount destination of the volume realized with the disk drive 26 . based on the acquired mount destination directory name , the volume is mounted . incidentally , the server 1 b references the pair definition table 7 so as to retrieve a group name , of which pair relationships are all suspended , as an object of the mount . thereafter , the server 1 b acquires the environmental variable definition file 15 from the mounted volume , and it checks the file 15 for the stored locations of various definition information files . the server 1 b then initiates the database management system program 4 b and application program 5 b . consequently , once the server 1 b reads the configuration information such as the configuration definition table 9 , the server 1 b can acquire setting information relevant to a file system serving as the mount destination of the volume and setting information relevant to an application that uses the volume . without the server 1 a , a volume can be mounted or an application can be set up . the detailed procedure of the foregoing actions will be described in conjunction with the drawings . [ 0055 ] fig8 illustrates a procedure 1000 for mounting a volume by running the volume mount program 18 in the cpu 101 . first , the server 1 acquires from a user the name of a directory in which a volume is mounted ( hereinafter a mount destination directory name ) and a device filename indicating the volume to be mounted . within an application program or a file system a user employs , a volume is recognized with a device filename , as will be described later . the server 1 references a volume - device file map that will be described later to retrieve information on a port and an lu , with which a predetermined volume is determined , on the basis of the device filename . using the information , the volume included in the storage subsystem 2 is designated ( step 1001 ). thereafter , the server 1 checks if the configuration definition table 9 is stored at the leading location in the volume designated with the device filename . specifically , the server 1 transmits information on the designated volume ( more particularly , the port name and lu name ), and it also transmits a command requesting the configuration definition table 9 to the storage subsystem 2 . the server 1 then receives the result of the transmission from the storage subsystem 2 . incidentally , the server 1 acquires the information concerning the stored location of the configuration definition table 9 ( the leading location in a volume according to the present embodiment ) from any other server 1 or by receiving a user &# 39 ; s entry . consequently , in response to the command requesting the configuration definition table 9 , the server 1 transmits the configuration definition table 9 together with the information on the stored location . however , the storage subsystem 2 may have the information on the stored location of the configuration definition table 9 . in this case , the server 1 merely transmits the command requesting the configuration definition table 9 to the storage subsystem 2 ( step 1005 ). if the configuration definition table 9 is not stored in the user - designated volume , the server 1 first references the volume definition table 8 to retrieve the storage capacity of the designated volume and the emulation type thereof from the size field 306 and emulation type field 303 , respectively . specifically , the server 1 designates the volume in the storage subsystem 2 , requests the storage subsystem 2 to transmit information on the storage capacity of the volume and the emulation type thereof , and receives the information ( step 1002 ). thereafter , the server 1 creates the configuration definition table 9 on the basis of the mount destination directory name of the volume , the storage capacity thereof , and the emulation type thereof , and it transmits the table to the storage subsystem 2 . the stored location of the configuration definition table 9 is the leading location in the designated volume . specifically , the server 1 transmits the information on the mount destination directory name , storage capacity , and emulation type to the storage subsystem 2 , and directs the storage subsystem 2 to write the information at the leading location in the designated volume . at this time , the server 1 creates the environmental variable definition file 15 relevant to the designated volume , and it directs the storage subsystem 2 to store the file in the designated volume ( step 1003 ). finally , the server 1 mounts the designated volume in a place determined with the mount destination directory name acquired at step 1001 or with the mount destination direction name designated by the server 1 ( step 1004 ). if it is judged at step 1005 that the configuration definition file 9 is present , the server 1 executes step 1004 described above . [ 0061 ] fig5 describes an example of a procedure to be achieved by running the data reception program 17 and definition check program 11 in the storage subsystem 2 b . the storage subsystem 2 b executes the procedure to check the contents of information sent from the storage subsystem 2 a . incidentally , every time data is transferred between the storage subsystems 2 , information on a port name in the primary site and information on an lu name and its location therein are appended to the data . the storage subsystem 2 b , having received the data , references the primary port field 203 and primary lu field 204 of the pair definition table 7 to retrieve a record 208 that contains the same port name and volume name as those contained in the received data . the storage subsystem 2 b then designates a volume , which is determined with the values that are specified in the secondary port name field 205 and secondary lu name field 206 and that are contained in the record 208 , as a volume in which the received data is stored . furthermore , the storage subsystem 2 b determines the stored location in the volume , in which the data is stored , according to the value of position information contained in the received data . incidentally , when a volume is realized with disk drives 26 that constitute a raid disk drive , the storage subsystem 2 determines uniquely at what location in whichever of the disk drives 26 data is recorded . the storage subsystem 2 b having received data first verifies whether the received data contains the configuration definition table 9 . specifically , if the configuration definition table 9 is stored at the leading location in a volume , the storage subsystem 2 b verifies whether the configuration definition table 9 is contained in the received data by checking whether the leading data in the volume has been sent from the storage subsystem 2 a . whether the leading data in the volume has been sent from the storage subsystem 2 a is judged from information on a location contained in transferred data . incidentally , the storage subsystem 2 b receives information on the stored location of the configuration definition table 9 from the primary site or a user in advance . specifically , the storage subsystem 2 b receives the information on the stored location transferred from the server 1 a in the primary site . otherwise , the storage subsystem 2 b receives the information on the stored location which a user registers at the time of registering a volume definition table using the management terminal ( step 601 ). if the received data contains the configuration definition table 9 , the storage subsystem 2 b checks if the storage capacity of a volume in which the transferred configuration definition table 9 is stored is larger than the storage capacity registered in the field 402 of the configuration definition table 9 . incidentally , the storage subsystem 2 b references the pair definition table 7 on the basis of the information on the volume ( port name and lu name ) that is transferred together with the configuration definition table 9 . thereafter , the storage subsystem 2 b references the volume definition table 8 b so as to retrieve the value specified in the size field 306 and contained in a record that contains the information on the volume ( step 602 ). assume that the storage capacity of the volume in which the configuration definition table 9 is stored is larger than the storage capacity registered in the field 402 . in this case , the storage subsystem 2 b checks if the value registered as the emulation type of the volume in the volume definition table 8 b agrees with the value registered in the emulation type field 403 of the transferred configuration definition table 9 ( step 603 ). if the values agree with each other , the transferred configuration definition table 9 is stored in the volume . if it is judged at step 601 that the configuration definition table 9 has not been transferred , the storage subsystem 2 stores the transferred data in the volume ( step 604 ). in contrast , it may be judged at step 602 that the storage capacity of the volume is smaller than the one registered in the field 402 , or it may be judged at step 603 that the emulation types are different from each other . in this case , the storage subsystem 2 b does not store the transferred data in the disk device 26 , but terminates the procedure . [ 0068 ] fig6 shows a configuration definition procedure that is executed in the storage subsystem 2 b by running the configuration definition program 12 in the server 1 b . the present procedure enables the server 1 b to run the application program 5 or the like using the volumes included in the storage subsystem 2 b . the present procedure is executed , for example , when the server 1 b is connected on the network 3 and started up , or when a user enters a volume mount command at the server 1 b . to begin with , the server 1 b acquires the information on all the ports and all the lus , which are included in the storage subsystem 2 b accessible to the server 1 b , from the storage subsystem 2 b . the items of information are associated with device files managed by a file system residing in the server 1 b . data representing the relationship of correspondence between each item of information and each device file , that is , a volume - device file map 1101 , as shown in fig9 is stored in the main memory 102 or one of the storage devices 108 ( step 704 ). thereafter , the server 1 b checks the state field 207 of the pair definition table 7 included in the storage subsystem 2 b to see if there is a group having pair relationships whose states are all suspended . incidentally , what is referred to as a suspended state is a state in which the contents of data items in volumes having a pair relationship to each other are not kept consistent with each other ( step 701 ). if there is a group having pair relationships whose states are all suspended , the server 1 b references the pair definition table 7 included in the storage subsystem 2 b to retrieve the values that are registered in the secondary port name field 205 and secondary lu name field 206 in relation to the group name ( step 702 ). thereafter , the server 1 b references the maps created at step 704 so as to retrieve device files associated with the volumes determined with the port names and lu names acquired at step 702 . on the other hand , the server 1 b reads the configuration definition table 9 from the leading location in each of the volumes associated with the device files . the server 1 b then retrieves information on the mount destination directory name of each of the volumes from the field 401 of the configuration definition table 9 ( step 703 ). thereafter , the server 1 b uses the retrieved device filenames and mount destination directory names as arguments to run the volume mount program 18 , and , thus , it mounts the volumes in the file system that is a mount destination ( step 1000 ). after mounting all the volumes that belong to the group having pair relationships , whose states are all suspended , is completed , the server 1 acquires the environmental variable definition file 15 from each of the mounted volumes , and it checks the values registered in the environmental variable definition files 15 ( step 705 ). thereafter , the server 1 b starts running the database management system program 4 b and application program 5 b . at the time running of the database management system program 4 b and application program 5 b is started , the server 1 b identifies the location of a definition information file on the basis of the information registered in each of the environmental variable definition files 15 acquired previously . the server 1 b then acquires the definition information files ( step 706 ). a description will be made of a case where the configuration information present in the primary site included in the system shown in fig1 ( according to the present embodiment , the configuration definition tables , environmental definition information files , and various program definition information files ) and data are transferred to the storage subsystem 2 b in the secondary site . herein , the pair definition table 7 shown in fig2 and the volume definition table 8 a shown in fig3 shall be present in the control memory 23 a included in the storage subsystem 2 a . moreover , the pair definition table 7 shown in fig2 and the volume definition table 8 b shown in fig3 shall be present in the control memory 23 b included in the storage subsystem 2 b . when the server 1 a connected on the network 3 is started up , the server 1 a acquires information on the volumes , which are included in the storage subsystem 2 a connected to the data interface 109 a , from the storage subsystem 2 a . the items of information are associated with device files and stored as the volume - device file map 1101 a . the volume - device file map 1101 a is stored in the main memory 102 included in the server 1 a . fig9 shows examples of the volume - device file maps 1101 . in the present case , a volume ( port 21 b , lu 0 ) is associated with a device file whose name is / dev / cltld 1 , and a volume ( port 21 b , lu 1 ) is associated with a device file whose name is / dev / cltld 2 . thereafter , the server 1 a receives mount destination directory names in which the volumes are mounted and device filenames associated with the mounted volumes from a user or an application . the server 1 a then runs the volume mount program 18 ( step 1000 ). [ 0077 ] fig1 shows an example of information which the server 1 a receives from a user as a mount destination directory - device file map 1201 . the server 1 a having received the mount destination directory - device file map 1201 judges from a record 1202 a that the volume associated with the device file / dev / cltld 1 is mounted in the directory / ap / vol 1 . the server 1 a also judges from a record 1202 b that the volume associated with the device file / dev / cltld 2 is mounted in the directory / db / vol 1 ( step 1001 ). thereafter , the server 1 a verifies whether the configuration definition table 9 is stored in each of the volumes designated with the device filenames . first , the server 1 a verifies whether the configuration definition table 9 is stored in the volume designated with / dev / cltld 1 . the server 1 a retrieves information on a port that determines the designated volume , or more particularly , the port name of port 21 b and the lu name of lu 0 , from the volume - device file map 1101 a . the server 1 a , having acquired the items of information , accesses the storage subsystem 2 a using the items of information . the server 1 a then judges whether the configuration definition table 9 is stored at the leading location in a disk drive 26 comparable to the leading location in the volume . in this case , the configuration definition table 9 has not yet been stored in the volume . the server 1 a therefore judges that the configuration definition table 9 is absent ( step 1005 ). thereafter , the server 1 a references the volume definition table 8 a to retrieve the emulation type and size of the volume to be mounted . in the present case , the server 1 a references the emulation type field 303 and size field 306 so as to retrieve values contained in a record 304 a that has the port name of port 21 b and lu name of lu 0 specified in the port name field 305 and lu name field 301 , respectively . consequently , the server 1 a acquires the information that the volume to be mounted is not categorized into any emulation type and has a storage capacity of 100 mb ( step 1002 ). thereafter , the server 1 a enters the acquired mount destination directory name (/ ap / vol 1 ), emulation type ( none ), and size ( 100 mb ) in the mount destination field 401 , emulation type field 403 , and storage capacity field 402 of the configuration definition table 9 a . thereafter , the server 1 a transmits the created configuration definition table 9 a to the storage subsystem 2 a , and it directs the storage subsystem 2 a to store the configuration definition table 9 a at the leading location in the volume to be mounted . in the present case , the value contained in the record 304 a and specified in the drive field 302 of the volume definition table 8 a shown in fig3 demonstrates that the disk drive 26 realizing the volume is the disk drive 26 a . consequently , the configuration definition table 9 a is disposed at the leading location in the disk drive 26 a ( step 1003 ). thereafter , the server 1 a mounts the volume ( port 21 b , lu 0 ) associated with the device file / dev / cltld 1 in a location designated with the acquired mount destination directory name ( step 1004 ). the server 1 a performs the same processing on a volume associated with a device filename contained in a record 1202 b . the server 1 a directs the storage subsystem 2 a to store the configuration definition table 9 b shown in fig4 at the leading location in volume ( port 21 b , lu 1 ), and then it mounts volume ( port 21 b , lu 1 ) in a place designated with / db / vol 1 . in the present case , the values contained in the records 304 b and 304 c and specified in the drive field 302 of the volume definition table 8 a shown in fig3 demonstrate that the volume is realized with the disk drives 26 b and 26 c . if a volume is realized with a plurality of disk drives 26 , whichever of the leading locations in the disk drives corresponds to the leading location of a volume is determined by the storage subsystem 2 a . in this case , the leading location in the disk drive 26 b corresponds to the leading location of the volume . therefore , the configuration definition table 9 b is stored at the leading location in the storage area of the disk drive 26 b . thereafter , the server 1 a transmits information on a stored location of environmental variables defined by the server 1 a , or , more particularly , a stored location of an application definition information file , to the storage subsystem 2 a . at this time , the server 1 a directs the storage subsystem 2 a to create an environmental variable definition file 15 having a predetermined filename in a mounted volume and to record the transmitted information in the file 15 . according to the present embodiment , the filename of the environmental variable definition file 15 shall be / ap / vol 1 / env . txt , and the stored location thereof shall be a location in the disk drive 26 a . according to the present embodiment , the information that a dbms configuration definition information file is stored as a file / db . vol 1 / db . conf and an ap configuration definition information file is stored as a file / ap / vol 1 / ap . conf is registered in the environmental variable definition file 15 ( step 501 ). thereafter , the server 1 a transmits the definition information files relevant to the database management system 4 a and application 5 a , respectively , to the locations registered in the environmental variable definition file 15 . in the present case , the definition information 10 on the database management system 4 a is stored as a file / db / vol 1 / db . conf , and the definition information 13 on the application program 5 a is stored as a file / ap / vol 1 / ap . conf . the volume mounted in / db / vol 1 is realized with the disk drives 26 b and 26 c . however , the dbms definition information 10 is stored in the disk drive 26 b . moreover , as the volume mounted in / ap / vol 1 is realized with the disk drive 26 a , the application definition information 13 is stored in the disk drive 26 a ( step 502 ). next , a description will be made of a procedure for transferring data , which is stored in the disk drives 26 a to 26 c included in the storage subsystem 2 a , to the disk drives 26 d to 26 f included in the storage subsystem 2 b over the network 3 . the data transfer is executed after the pair definition table 7 is created . the procedure is started at the time that a user uses the server 1 or the like to direct the storage subsystem 2 a to transfer data . the storage subsystem 2 a appends information on the ports and lus included therein and information on stored locations of data items to the data items stored in the disk drives 26 a to 26 c , respectively , and it transfers the resultant data items to the storage subsystem 2 b . after data transfer is completed , the data items stored in the disk drives 26 a to 26 c , respectively , may be updated . in this case , if the contents of data items in the storage subsystems 2 a and 2 b are kept consistent with each other , the storage subsystem 2 a transfers updated data alone to the storage subsystem 2 b . the storage subsystem 2 b having received data from the storage subsystem 2 a executes the procedure illustrated in fig5 . first , the storage subsystem 2 b judges whether the configuration definition table 9 has been transferred from the storage subsystem 2 a . specifically , the transferred data is checked to see if it is the data stored at the leading location in a volume . whether the transferred data is the data stored at the leading location in a volume is judged by checking to see if position information appended to the transferred data is 0 ( step 601 ). if the configuration definition table 9 a shown in fig4 is transferred , the storage subsystem 2 b runs the definition check program 11 so as to acquire the information on the port and lu included in the storage subsystem 2 a which is appended to the transferred data . in the present case , the information that the port name is port 21 b and the lu name is lu 0 is acquired . thereafter , the storage subsystem 2 b retrieves the record 208 a , which contains port 21 b and lu 0 as the values of the primary port name field 203 and primary lu name field 204 , from the pair definition table 7 stored in the control memory 23 b . the storage subsystem 2 b then acquires the values ( herein , port 21 d and lu 0 ) specified in the secondary port name field 205 and secondary lu name field 206 from the record 208 a . thereafter , the storage subsystem 2 b acquires the record 304 d that contains port 21 d and lu 0 as the values of the port name field 305 and lu name field 301 , respectively , of the volume definition table 8 b . the storage subsystem 2 b then compares the value of 100 mb , which is contained in the record 304 d and specified in the size field 306 , with the value of 100 mb that is contained in the record 404 a and specified in the storage capacity field 402 of the configuration definition table 9 ( step 602 ). since the values agree with each other , the storage subsystem 2 b checks to see if the value contained in the record 304 d and specified in the emulation type field 303 agrees with the value contained in the record 404 a and specified in the emulation type field 403 ( step 603 ). since the values agree with each other and signify that the volume is not categorized into any emulation type , the storage subsystem 2 b stores the transferred data in the volume ( port 2 d , lu 0 ). the stored location is represented by position information appended to data . the foregoing procedure is repeated for every data item to be transferred . consequently , the configuration definition tables 9 , environmental variable definition file 15 , application definition information 13 , dbms definition information 10 , and data 14 that are stored in the disk drives 26 a to 26 c included in the storage subsystem 2 a in the primary site are copied into the disk drives 26 d to 26 f included in the storage subsystem 2 b in the secondary site . moreover , after the data items are copied , if the data in any of the disk drives 26 a to 26 c in the primary site is updated , the change is reflected in the associated one of the disk drives 26 d to 26 f in the secondary site . next , a description will be made of an example of a procedure for connecting the port 21 d of the storage subsystem 2 b in the secondary site to the data interface 109 in the server 1 b over the network 3 , starting up the server 1 b , and determining the environment of the server 1 b . when the server 1 b is started up , the configuration definition program 12 is read into the main memory 102 b and run by the cpu 101 b . first , the server 1 b associates the ports and lus , which are included in the storage subsystem 2 b accessible to the server 1 b , with device files . in this example , the lus accessible via the port 21 d are the two lus lu 0 and lu 1 alone . device filenames determined by the file system residing in the server 1 b are associated with the lus . a created volume - device file map is the one 1101 b shown in fig9 . referring to fig9 a volume ( port 21 d , lu 0 ) is associated with / dev / cltld 1 , and a volume ( port 21 d , lu 1 ) is associated with / dev / cltld 2 . thereafter , the server 1 b references the state field 207 of the pair definition table 7 present in the control memory 23 b included in the storage subsystem 2 b to check the pair relationships of the volumes . specifically , the server 1 b checks to see if there is a group having pair relationships , whose states are all suspended , as specified in the field 207 represent the state . if the pair definition table 7 is as shown in fig2 the server 1 b judges that there is a record containing a value that is not “ suspended ,” and it repeats the processing of step 701 . if a fault occurs in the primary site , the pair relationships are all suspended . fig7 shows the pair definition table 7 signifying this state . in this example , records 208 a and 208 b demonstrate that all the pair relationships belonging to group g 1 are suspended . consequently , the server 1 b judges that the pair relationships belonging to group g 1 are all suspended . thereafter , the server 1 b retrieves from the pair definition table 7 the information on the volumes relevant to the group having pair relationships whose states are all suspended . in this case , the server 1 b acquires the information on two volumes , that is , a volume ( port 21 d , lu 0 ) and a volume ( port 21 d , lu 1 ) ( step 702 ). hereinafter , the server 1 b successively performs the processing of step 703 and step 100 on the volumes . first , the server 1 b performs the processing of step 703 on the volume ( port 21 d , lu 0 ). specifically , the server 1 b acquires a device filename associated with the volume ( port 21 d , lu 0 ) from the volume - device file map 1101 b . on the other hand , the server 1 b reads the configuration definition table 9 from the leading location in the volume ( port 21 d , lu 0 ). in this example , the volume ( port 21 d , lu 0 ) is realized with the disk device 26 d , as indicated in the volume definition table 8 b shown in fig3 . the server 1 b therefore acquires the configuration definition table 9 a from the disk drive 26 d . thereafter , the server 1 b references the mount destination field 401 of the acquired configuration definition table 9 a so as to acquire the mount destination directory name / ap / vol 1 in the file system of the volume ( port 21 d , lu 0 ) that is contained in the record 404 a . thereafter , the server 1 b uses the mount destination directory name / ap / vol 1 and the acquired device filename / dev / citld 1 as arguments to run the volume mount program 18 . the server 1 b then mounts a volume associated with the device file / dev / cltld 1 in the directory / ap / vol 1 . likewise , the volume ( port 21 d , lu 1 ) is mounted in / db / vol 1 . thereafter , the server 1 b acquires the environmental variable definition file 15 . in this example , the name of the environmental definition file is env . txt . the server 1 b therefore checks to see if the name env . txt is specified in the mounted volume . incidentally , the server 1 b acquires the environmental variable definition filename from the primary site or a user in advance . the manner of acquisition is identical to the manner of acquiring information on the stored location of the configuration definition information table . in this example , the name env . txt is subordinate to the name / ap / vol 1 . therefore , the server 1 b reads the name env . txt and holds it ( step 705 ). in the environmental variable definition file 15 , as mentioned previously , / db / vol 1 / db . conf is registered as the value of the dbms configuration definition filename , and / ap / vol 1 / ap . conf is registered as the value of the ap configuration definition filename . finally , the server 1 b executes the database management system 4 b . at this time , the server 1 b acquires the dbms definition information 10 on the basis of the value of the dbms configuration definition filename registered in the environmental variable definition file 15 , and then initiates the database management system 4 b . likewise , the server 1 b acquires the application definition information 13 on the application program 5 b on the basis of information registered in the environmental variable definition file 15 , and then it initiates the application program 5 . as described above , according to the present embodiment , if a fault occurs in the primary site , the port 21 d of the storage subsystem 2 b in the secondary site is connected to the data interface 109 b of the server 1 b over the network 3 . the server 1 b is then started up in order to determine an environment , and the database management system and application are initiated . according to the present invention , there is provided an inexpensive disaster recovery system whose secondary site may have the configuration thereof simplified .	6
in general , a cluster of computer can perform a plurality of tasks by executing multiple task instances on a cluster of computers in parallel ( e . g , task parallelism ). each task instance executes the same software code and can have similar workloads . each computer collects metric data ( i . e ., performance metrics ) associated with the task instances , e . g , the number of instructions and cycles per instruction (“ cpi ”) used by a task instance to perform a task and cache access and / or memory usage associated with the task instance , and provides the metric data to a metric data engine . the metric data can be monitored or collected as the task instances are performed ( e . g ., collected on - the - fly ) and can be provided to the metric data engine with low latency . the metric data can be provided to the metric data engine via a network connection or other connection . the metric data engine can store the metric data associated with each task instance in a database . for each task performed on a particular platform in the cluster , the metric data engine calculates statistical data based on the metric data for the various task instances that perform the task , e . g ., the mean cpi associated with the task and the standard deviation associated with the task . the metric data engine can use the statistical data associated with a task executed on a platform to determine if any of the task instances executed on the platform are performing poorly . for example , an outlier detector can identify task instances with a cpi greater than a threshold value based on the calculated statistical data . a report can be generated listing the task instances having the greatest deviation from the mean cpi of the platform . these poorly performing task instances can be terminated ( at least on the current platform or cluster ) and / or otherwise adjusted to improve overall performance . fig1 is a block diagram of an example environment 100 for managing task performance . the example environment 100 includes a cluster of computers 102 and a performance analysis engine 104 that includes a metric data engine 106 , a database 108 , an outlier detector 110 , and a report generator 112 . the cluster of computers 102 can include multiple computers and / or servers and can include various platform types . for example , cluster 102 can include five computers associated with a first platform type ( 2 ghz dual core processors and 6 mb level three (“ l3 ”) cache ), two computers associated with a second platform type ( 2 . 6 ghz processor and 8 mb l3 cache ) and three servers associated with a third platform type ( 2 . 2 ghz quad core processors and 6 mb l3 cache ). for ease of discussion , the term “ computer ” will be used to include servers and other types of computers . although fig1 illustrates only one cluster , additional clusters can be included in the environment 100 . the cluster 102 can perform a task that is instantiated in multiple task instances , which can be executed in parallel . for example , cluster 102 can execute a dictionary lookup that is searching for words that include a particular substring and is divided into twenty - six task instances ( one task instance for each letter of the alphabet ). the twenty - six task instances can be distributed across the computers in the cluster 102 and performed in parallel . each computer in the cluster 102 can perform multiple task instances associated with the same task . in addition , the cluster 102 can perform multiple tasks that are each instantiated as multiple parallel task instances . for example , each computer in the cluster 102 can perform dictionary lookup task instances and data modeling task instances . each computer in the cluster 102 can include one or more performance counters to measure metric data associated with the computer and the task instances executed on the computer . for example , each computer in the cluster 102 can include a cpu that includes a performance counter . in some implementations , a first performance counter can count the number of instructions performed and a second performance counter can count the cpu cycles used by the computer to execute a task instance . in some implementations , the performance counter can determine the memory usage associated with each task instance ( e . g ., the number of cache misses and the number of cache references , hereinafter referred to as “ cache data ”) and the amount of time or number of cycles each task instance waits for a memory access . the cache data can be used to calculate a cache hit / miss ratio and / or infer cache occupancy . the performance counter can continuously measure the metric data and provide the metric data associated with each task instance to the performance analysis engine 104 . the metric data can be monitored or collected on - the - fly and can be provided to the performance analysis engine 104 via a network connection or other data connection . in some implementations , the performance counter collects metric data and periodically provides the collected metric data to the performance analysis engine 104 . alternatively , the performance counter can store metric data in a memory , and the performance analysis engine 104 can periodically retrieve the metric data from the memory . the performance analysis engine 104 can include a metric data engine 106 , a database 108 , an outlier detector and a report generator 112 . the metric data engine 106 can receive metric data from the cluster 102 . for example , the metric data engine 106 can continuously receive the metric data from the cluster 102 or can periodically receive metric data from each computer in the cluster 102 . in some implementations , the metric data engine 106 receives the data from each computer every five minutes . although , in some implementations , the metric data engine 106 periodically receives the metric data from the cluster 102 , each computer in the cluster 102 can continuously collect the metric data . the metric data engine 106 can store the metric data received from each computer in the cluster 102 in the database 108 . the database 108 can be any appropriate type of database or other memory that can be accessed by the metric data engine 106 , the outlier detector 110 and / or the report generator 112 . in some implementations , the database 108 can store the metric data and organized by time interval associated with the metric data , task instance and the computer that provided the data . the metric data engine 106 can also associate information to uniquely identify a task instance with the metric data associated with the task instance . for example , the metric data engine 106 can store the task name , an index number associated with the task instance and the user that initiated the task corresponding to the task instance . the metric data engine 106 can use the metric data collected from the cluster 102 to determine statistical data for a particular task executed on a particular platform . for example , the metric data engine 106 can determine the mean cpi and the standard deviation associated with the cpi for dictionary lookup task instances executed on computers having a 2 ghz dual core processor with 4 mb l3 cache . in some implementations , the metric data engine 106 can also determine statistical data associated with the cache usage associated with a particular task executed on a particular platform . the statistical data can be stored in the database 108 and can be associated with an indicator or descriptor that describes the task , the platform type and the time at which the mean cpi was calculated . in some implementations , the metric data engine 106 can calculate other statistical data , such as the mean cpi and / or variance of the metric data . fig2 illustrates example entries 200 in the database 108 . each row includes the statistical data associated with a particular platform and a particular task . for example , row 202 lists the mean cpi and standard deviation associated with the dictionary lookup task performed on platform a . row 204 lists the metric data associated with the dictionary lookup task performed on platform b . in some implementations , the rows 202 and 204 can include other data such as the mean cache data and / or number of task instances associated with the task executed on the same platform . the outlier detector 110 can access the database 108 and analyze the metric data to identify tasks or task instances that are performing poorly . for example , the outlier detector 110 can access the database 108 and analyze metric data associated with a data modeling task performed on computers having a 2 . 5 ghz processor and 6 mb of l3 cache to determine if a task instance is performing poorly . in some implementations , the outlier detector 110 analyzes the cpi associated with a task instance as it is received from the cluster 102 and compares it to a threshold value . the threshold value can be a function of the statistical data , such as the mean cpi and standard deviation , associated with the task performed on the particular platform . for example , the threshold value can be equal to : it is noted that the values in the above equation ( e . g ., mean cpi of task and standard deviation of the task &# 39 ; s cpi ) are associated with a particular task and not with a particular task instance . the standard deviation scaling factor ( e . g ., 3 . 3 ) can be decreased or increased to alter the sensitivity for detecting outliers . for example , the scaling factor equal to 3 . 3 decreases the sensitivity for detecting outliers such that the probability that an outlier exists is approximately 1 in 1000 ( based on a normal distribution ). the scaling factor can be chosen based on chebyshev &# 39 ; s inequality , assuming the performance of tasks is a random variable . other threshold values can be used . for example , the threshold value can be a predetermined number , a ratio of the task instance &# 39 ; s cpi to the mean cpi or can be a value greater than a predetermined percentage than the mean cpi , such as 30 % greater than the mean cpi . in some implementations , the outlier detector 110 analyzes the cache data associated with a task instance and compares it to a threshold value based on the mean cache data associated with the task executed on the platform . if the outlier detector 110 determines that a task instance &# 39 ; s cpi is greater than the threshold value , the outlier detector 110 can generate a score associated with the task instance . the score can be an indication of how poorly the task instance is performing . various methods can be used to determine the score associated with the task instance . for example , the outlier detector 110 can generate a score using the task instance &# 39 ; s cpi , the mean cpi for the task on the platform , and the standard deviation of the task . in some implementations , the outlier detector 110 can determine the score of a task instance to be : in some implementations , a poorly performing task instance is associated with a higher score than a task instance that is not performing poorly . the outlier detector 110 can store the score and the metric data associated with the task instance in a file in the database 108 ( an “ outlier score file ”). for example , the outlier detector 110 can store the task instance &# 39 ; s cpi , the time stamp associated with the cpi and a score associated with the task instance . fig3 illustrates a portion of an example outlier score file 300 . the outlier score file 300 includes header information 302 and entries 304 associated with task instances having a cpi greater than the threshold value . the header 302 includes information such as the name of the computer that executed the task instance (“ host ”), information to uniquely identify the task instance (“ task ,” “ index ” and “ user ”), the mean cpi for the platform (“ mean cpi ”), the standard deviation associated with the task across the platform (“ std ”) and the threshold value (“ threshold cpi ”). in some implementations , the header information 302 is not stored in the outlier score file 300 . instead , the header information is maintained in a separate file that includes header information for each task instance performed on the platform . each entry 304 includes the time stamp associated with the task instance &# 39 ; s cpi measurement , the cpi measurement collected by the host , and the score generated by the outlier detector 110 . in some implementations , the entries 304 also include other metric data associated with the task instance , such as the cache data . each time the outlier detector 110 determines that the task instance &# 39 ; s cpi exceeds the threshold value , the outlier detector 110 can update the outlier score file 300 to include the new data sample and the score associated with the task instance . after receiving an instruction to generate a report , the report generator 112 can access the database 108 and analyze the outlier score files created by the outlier detector 110 . for each outlier score file , the report generator 112 can generate an overall score associated with the task instance . for example , the report generator 112 can determine the overall score associated with the task instance to be the sum of the scores included in the outlier score file such that poorly performing task instances are associated with overall scores greater than a task instance that is not poorly performing . other methods to calculate the overall score can be used . in some implementations , the report generator 112 can adjust the overall score by various factors such as the number of entries included in the outlier score file and the time intervals between consecutive entries in the outlier score file . the report generator 112 can compare the overall scores to identify the task instances that are the poorest performing tasks . for example , the report generator 112 can determine the three worst performing task instances by analyzing the overall scores associated with each outlier score file and identifying the three task instances with the three highest overall scores . the report generator 112 can generate a report that lists the worst performing task instances . for example , fig4 illustrates an example report 400 created by the report generator 112 . the report 400 lists the five worst performing task instances . for example , report 400 lists the dictionary task as the task instance with the worst performance ( i . e ., the task instance with the largest overall score ). for each task instance included in the report 400 , the report 400 can list the task instance &# 39 ; s overall score , the name of the computer performing the task instance , the mean cpi associated with the task executed on the platform , the standard deviation associated with the task executed on the platform , the task instance ′ most recent cpi , and data to uniquely identify the task instance . in some implementations , the report 400 can also include other metric data associated with the task instances , such as the cache data or time / cycles spent waiting for a memory access . the report generator 112 can provide the report to a user , such as a system administrator or a network administer . the user can analyze the report and take actions to improve the cluster &# 39 ; s performance , the platform &# 39 ; s performance , the computer &# 39 ; s performance or the task &# 39 ; s performance . for example , the user can relocate a task instance with the highest overall score and allow the task instance to be performed on a different computer or a different cluster . as another example , the user can analyze the report to determine which task instance has the greatest cache data and relocate that task instance . in some implementations , the user can identify the task instance ( s ) that are causing the performance problem and terminate or relocate these task instances . in some implementations , the performance analysis engine 104 can access the report generated by the report generator and automatically terminate the worst performing task instance . similarly , in some implementations , the performance analysis engine 104 can analyze the report and terminate the task instance having the greatest cpu or cache data . fig5 is an illustration of an example process 500 for managing task performance . at 502 , a plurality of task instances is executed on a cluster of computers . for example a task , such as a dictionary lookup or data modeling , can be divided into a plurality of task instances and executed in parallel on a cluster of computers 102 . the cluster of computers 102 can include computers associated with different platforms . as the cluster 102 performs the task instances , each computer collects metric data associated with each task instance . for example , each computer can record the cpi and cache access associated with each task instance executed by the computer . the metric data can be collected as the task instances are performed ( e . g ., collected on - the - fly ) and can be provided to the metric data engine with low latency . in some implementations , the metric data can be collected at predefined time periods , continuously collected or collected at other appropriate times . at 504 , the performance analysis engine 104 receives the metric data associated with each task instance performed on a platform . for example , the metric data engine 106 can receive the metric data associated with each task instance from a particular platform type in the cluster 102 . for example , each computer in the cluster 102 having a 2 ghz processor and a 6 mb l3 cache ( hereinafter referred to as “ platform a ”) and executing an instance of the dictionary lookup task can send metric data associated with dictionary lookup task instances to the metric data engine 106 . the metric data can include data such as the task instance &# 39 ; s cpi and the cache or cpu usage associated with the task instance . the metric data engine 106 can store the collected metric data , information identifying the task instance ( e . g ., the index number , the user and the task name ) and information identifying the computer performing each task instance ( e . g ., host name ) in the database 108 . at 506 , the metric data engine determines the statistical data associated with a task executed on a particular platform . for example , the metric data engine 106 can access the database 108 and analyze the metric data associated with each dictionary task instance performed on platform a and determine the mean cpi and standard deviation of the dictionary task . in some implementations , the metric data engine 106 can calculate other statistical data , such as the median cpi . the metric data engine 106 can store the calculated statistical data in the database and include information identifying platform a and the task instance associated with the statistical data . at 507 , the outlier detector analyzes the metric data associated with each task instance executed on platform a . in some implementations , the outlier detector 110 analyzes the most recently collected cpi associated with a task instance and compares it to a threshold value ( at 508 ). the threshold value can be a function of the statistical data associated with the task performed on the particular platform . for example , the threshold value can be equal to : if the task instance &# 39 ; s metric data is not greater than the threshold value , the process returns to 504 and additional metric data is collected from the cluster ( at 508 ). if the task instance &# 39 ; s metric data is greater than the threshold value , the outlier detector generates a score associated with the task instance ( 510 ). for example , the outlier detector 110 can generate a score using a function of the metric data associated with the task instance and the statistical data associated with platform a . in some implementations , the outlier detector 110 generates a score based on the task instance &# 39 ; s cpi , the mean cpi for the task on platform a , and the standard deviation of the task on platform a . for example , the outlier detector 110 can generate a score using the following formula : the outlier detector 110 can also store the score , the task instance &# 39 ; s metric data and the time stamp associated with the metric data in an outlier score file associated with the task instance . fig3 provides an example outlier score file . the outlier detector 110 can store the outlier score file in the database 108 . if a report is requested ( at 512 ), the process 500 continues and generates an overall score for each task instance ( at 514 ). for example , the report generator 112 can access the database 108 and analyze each outlier score file to generate an overall score for each task instance . in some implementations , the report generator 112 can generate a task instance &# 39 ; s overall score based on the sum of the scores included in the outlier score file . if a report is not requested , the process 500 returns to 504 and additional metric data is collected . the report generator 112 can rank the task instances based on the task instances &# 39 ; performance ( at 516 ). for example , the report generator 112 can rank the task instances based on the overall scores . in some implementations , the task instances with larger overall scores ( i . e ., poorly performing task instances ) are ranked higher than task instances with smaller overall scores . after the task instances are ranked , outliers can be identified ( at 517 ). for example , the report generator 112 can identify the task instance with the largest overall score as an outlier . in some implementations , the report generator 112 can identify a predetermined number of outliers . for example , the report generator 112 can identify the three task instances with the largest overall scores as the outliers . the report generator 112 then generates a report that includes the overall scores and the identified outliers ( at 518 ). the report is analyzed and a task instance can be relocated ( at 520 ). for example , the task instance can be executed on a different computer in the cluster or in a computer in a different cluster ( at 520 ). for example , the report can be provided to a user , such as a system administrator or network administrator . after reviewing the report , the user can relocate the task instance with the largest overall score or can otherwise adjust resources to improve the computer &# 39 ; s performance . in some implementations , the report can be reviewed by the performance analysis engine 104 , which can relocate the task instance with the largest overall score . in some implementations , the task instance with the largest cpu or cache access is relocated . embodiments of the subject matter and the operations described in this specification can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry , or in computer software , firmware , or hardware , including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents , or in combinations of one or more of them . embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented as one or more computer programs , i . e ., one or more modules of computer program instructions , encoded on computer storage medium for execution by , or to control the operation of , data processing apparatus . alternatively or in addition , the program instructions can be encoded on an artificially generated propagated signal , e . g ., a machine - generated electrical , optical , or electromagnetic signal , that is generated to encode information for transmission to suitable receiver apparatus for execution by a data processing apparatus . a computer storage medium can be , or be included in , a computer - readable storage device , a computer - readable storage substrate , a random or serial access memory array or device , or a combination of one or more of them . moreover , while a computer storage medium is not a propagated signal , a computer storage medium can be a source or destination of computer program instructions encoded in an artificially generated propagated signal . the computer storage medium can also be , or be included in , one or more separate physical components or media ( e . g ., multiple cds , disks , or other storage devices ). the operations described in this specification can be implemented as operations performed by a data processing apparatus on data stored on one or more computer - readable storage devices or received from other sources . the term “ data processing apparatus ” encompasses all kinds of apparatus , devices , and machines for processing data , including by way of example a programmable processor , a computer , a system on a chip , or multiple ones , or combinations , of the foregoing the apparatus can include special purpose logic circuitry , e . g ., an fpga ( field programmable gate array ) or an asic ( application specific integrated circuit ). the apparatus can also include , in addition to hardware , code that creates an execution environment for the computer program in question , e . g ., code that constitutes processor firmware , a protocol stack , a database management system , an operating system , a cross - platform runtime environment , a virtual machine , or a combination of one or more of them . the apparatus and execution environment can realize various different computing model infrastructures , such as web services , distributed computing and grid computing infrastructures . a computer program ( also known as a program , software , software application , script , or code ) can be written in any form of programming language , including compiled or interpreted languages , declarative or procedural languages , and it can be deployed in any form , including as a stand alone program or as a module , component , subroutine , object , or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment . a computer program may , but need not , correspond to a file in a file system . a program can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data ( e . g ., one or more scripts stored in a markup language document ), in a single file dedicated to the program in question , or in multiple coordinated files ( e . g ., files that store one or more modules , sub programs , or portions of code ). a computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers that are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network . the processes and logic flows described in this specification can be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform actions by operating on input data and generating output . the processes and logic flows can also be performed by , and apparatus can also be implemented as , special purpose logic circuitry , e . g ., an fpga ( field programmable gate array ) or an asic ( application specific integrated circuit ). processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include , by way of example , both general and special purpose microprocessors , and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer . generally , a processor will receive instructions and data from a read only memory or a random access memory or both . the essential elements of a computer are a processor for performing actions in accordance with instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data . generally , a computer will also include , or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to , or both , one or more mass storage devices for storing data , e . g ., magnetic , magneto optical disks , or optical disks . however , a computer need not have such devices . moreover , a computer can be embedded in another device , e . g ., a mobile telephone , a personal digital assistant ( pda ), a mobile audio or video player , a game console , a global positioning system ( gps ) receiver , or a portable storage device ( e . g ., a universal serial bus ( usb ) flash drive ), to name just a few . devices suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of non volatile memory , media and memory devices , including by way of example semiconductor memory devices , e . g ., eprom , eeprom , and flash memory devices ; magnetic disks , e . g ., internal hard disks or removable disks ; magneto optical disks ; and cd rom and dvd - rom disks . the processor and the memory can be supplemented by , or incorporated in , special purpose logic circuitry . to provide for interaction with a user , embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented on a computer having a display device , e . g ., a crt ( cathode ray tube ) or lcd ( liquid crystal display ) monitor , for displaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device , e . g ., a mouse or a trackball , by which the user can provide input to the computer . other kinds of devices can be used to provide for interaction with a user as well ; for example , feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback , e . g ., visual feedback , auditory feedback , or tactile feedback ; and input from the user can be received in any form , including acoustic , speech , or tactile input . in addition , a computer can interact with a user by sending documents to and receiving documents from a device that is used by the user ; for example , by sending web pages to a web browser on a user &# 39 ; s client device in response to requests received from the web browser . embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented in a computing system that includes a back end component , e . g ., as a data server , or that includes a middleware component , e . g ., an application server , or that includes a front end component , e . g ., a client computer having a graphical user interface or a web browser through which a user can interact with an implementation of the subject matter described in this specification , or any combination of one or more such back end , middleware , or front end components . the components of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication , e . g ., a communication network . examples of communication networks include a local area network (“ lan ”) and a wide area network (“ wan ”), an inter - network ( e . g ., the internet ), and peer - to - peer networks ( e . g ., ad hoc peer - to - peer networks ). the computing system can include clients and servers . a client and server are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a communication network . the relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client - server relationship to each other . in some embodiments , a server transmits data ( e . g ., an html page ) to a client device ( e . g ., for purposes of displaying data to and receiving user input from a user interacting with the client device ). data generated at the client device ( e . g ., a result of the user interaction ) can be received from the client device at the server . while this specification contains many specific implementation details , these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any inventions or of what may be claimed , but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments of particular inventions . certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment . conversely , various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination . moreover , although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such , one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination , and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination . similarly , while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order , this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order , or that all illustrated operations be performed , to achieve desirable results . in certain circumstances , multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous . moreover , the separation of various system components in the embodiments described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments , and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products . thus , particular embodiments of the subject matter have been described . other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims . for example , performance analysis engine can filter the metric data received from the cluster by removing potentially unreliable metric data ( e . g ., data representing low cpu usage or metric data that is extremely high or low ). for example the performance analysis engine can compare the metric data to predetermined parameters ( e . g ., cpu usage thresholds ) that indicate the metric data is potentially unreliable . as another example , the threshold value can be based on a weighted average or a piecewise linear function . in some cases , the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results . in addition , the processes depicted in the accompanying figures do not necessarily require the particular order shown , or sequential order , to achieve desirable results .	6
fig1 shows in diagrammatic form an on line blood processing system 10 that embodies features of the invention . according to the invention , the on line system 10 provides a finished , high quality platelet - rich blood product ( plt fin ), with a significantly reduced residual population of leukocytes and / or other enhanced physiological properties , suited for long term storage and transfusion . as used in this specification , the term “ on line blood separation process ” refers to a blood separation system or method that ( i ) establishes communication between a blood source ( typically , a human blood donor ) and an extracorporeal flow path ; ( ii ) draws a blood volume from the donor into the flow path ; and ( iii ) maintains communication with the circulatory system of the donor for at least a portion of the time that the blood volume undergoes separation within the extracorporeal flow path . as used in this specification , an “ on line blood separation process ” can separate the blood volume either in a continuous manner or in an interrupted manner . however , an “ on line blood separation process ” maintains communication between the flow path and the donor for at least a portion of the time the separation process occurs within the flow path , regardless of specific timing or sequencing of the separation process itself . as used in this specification , an “ on line blood separation process ” can include external or internal valves or clamps to interrupt flow within the path to or from the donor . however , in the context of this specification , such valves or claims do not break the communication between the blood donor and the flow path . instead , the valves or clamps control fluid flow within the path while maintaining communication between it and the blood donor . the on line system 10 draws whole blood ( wb ) from a donor through a phlebotomized tubing flow path 12 . wb contains , as its principal components , red blood cells , platelets , leukocytes , and plasma . the system 10 adds anticoagulant to the drawn wb and conveys anticoagulated wb into a centrifugal field 14 for processing . in the centrifugal field 14 , the system 10 ultimately separates anticoagulated wb into two components . the first component is a red blood cell concentration . it is desirable that the red blood cell concentration also carry with it a majority of the leukocyte population ( lk ) present in the wb . for this reason , the first component is referred to as rbc lk + . rbc lk + is returned to the donor during processing . this avoids depletion of the donor &# 39 ; s red blood cell and leukocyte populations while high volume yields of platelets are obtained . the second component comprises an unfinished platelet - rich plasma suspension plt un . plt un is considered “ unfinished ” because the platelet - rich plasma suspension still lacks the desired physiologic characteristics imposed by the end user ( typically a blood bank or hospital ) for long term storage and transfusion . centrifugal processing within the field 14 often cannot provide these desired characteristics . the specific physical makeup of the platelet - rich suspension comprising plt un can vary . the makeup will largely depend upon the efficiency of the centrifugal separation process in terms of the how many platelets are separated ( i . e ., the platelet yields ) and how much platelet - poor plasma product is withdrawn and not returned to the donor . as used in this specification , plt un is intended to encompass any suspension in which platelets are present in concentrations greater than in whole blood . plt un can comprise what is commonly referred to as platelet - rich plasma ( prp ) or platelet concentrate ( pc ), or suspensions of platelets and plasma lying in between . plt un can include , in addition to platelets , other components or ingredients , depending upon the choice of the end user . for example , plt un can include essentially only plasma as the platelet suspension media . alternatively or in addition to plasma , plt un can include a specially formulated platelet storage media to suspend the platelets . the structural details of the centrifugation field 14 can vary and are not essential to the invention . for example , the field 14 can comprise a centrifuge and multiple stage centrifugal processing chambers of the type shown in brown u . s . pat . no . 5 , 427 , 695 or brown u . s . pat . no . 5 , 370 , 802 , both of which are incorporated herein by reference . as fig2 shows in diagrammatic form , the multiple stage processing chambers that brown &# 39 ; 695 and &# 39 ; 802 embody separate wb into rbc and prp in a first stage separation chamber 16 . the special fluid flow dynamics that occur in the first stage chamber 16 shown in brown &# 39 ; 802 or &# 39 ; 695 keep a large majority of leukocytes out of prp and with the rbc in the first stage chamber 16 for return to the donor as rbc lk + . the special fluid flow dynamics occurring in the first stage chamber 16 in brown &# 39 ; 802 or brown &# 39 ; 695 also provide a high yield of platelets in the prp . in brown &# 39 ; 802 or &# 39 ; 695 , prp is transported from the first stage chamber 16 . a portion is recirculated back to the wb entering the first stage chamber 16 , and the rest is conveyed into a second stage chamber 18 . the prp is separated in the second stage chamber 18 into pc and platelet - poor plasma ( ppp ). pc retained in the second stage chamber 18 is later resuspended in a volume of ppp or ( optionally ) a suitable platelet storage medium for transfer from the second stage chamber as plt un . a portion of the ppp is returned to the donor , while another portion of ppp is retained for use as a recirculation or keep - open or rinse - back or resuspension media , or for storage for fractionation or transfusion . one reason why plt un can be considered “ unfinished ” in the context of the above described system is the presence of residual leukocytes in the platelet suspension . this residual population of leukocytes with the platelets , while small , still can be greater than the leukocyte population standards demanded by the end user . often , centrifugal processing alone often is not effective at isolating enough leukocytes from prp to meet these demands . unintended perturbations and secondary flows along the interface between rbc and plasma , where leukocytes reside , can sweep lighter leukocyte species away from rbc into the plasma . other desirable flow patterns that sweep heavier leukocytes species in the interface back into the rbc mass can also fail to develop to their fullest potential . the dynamic processes under which leukocytes are separated from platelets during centrifugation are complex and subject to variation from donor to donor . additional steps can be provided to augment the primary centrifugal separation process to thereby reduce the number of residual leukocytes present in plt un . for example , as disclosed in brown &# 39 ; 695 , a leukocyte filter 20 can be provided after the first stage chamber 16 to filter leukocytes from prp before entering the second stage chamber 18 for separation into pc and ppp . the filter 20 is preferably located outside the centrifugal field 14 , being connected by a rotating umbilicus arrangement 22 of conventional construction . alternatively , though , the filter 20 can be located within the centrifugal field 14 . alternatively , or in combination with such other ancillary leukocyte - reduction devices , plt un can be subject to particle bed separation effects within the centrifugal field 14 to separate leukocytes from the platelets . still , the degree of leukocyte reduction demanded by the user can exceed the capabilities of even these ancillary steps during the centrifugal separation process . for this reason ( see fig1 ), the system 10 includes an in line finishing device 24 located outside the centrifugal field 14 . a pump 26 conveys plt un under pressure from the centrifugal field 14 through the finishing device 24 . in fig1 the pump 26 is shown downstream of the centrifugal field 14 . alternatively , the pump 26 could be located upstream of the centrifugal field 14 , thereby supplying the requisite machine pressure to convey plt un from the centrifugal field 14 . the finishing device 24 serves to affect a desired alteration in the makeup or physiological of plt un that could not be effectively achieved in the centrifugal field 14 , such as , for example , a further incremental reduction in the leukocyte population . the in line finishing device 24 performs its function on line , while the donor remains connected in communication with the system 10 . the output of the finishing device 24 is a finished platelet - rich suspension ( plt fin ). plt fin is considered “ finished ” because the platelet - rich plasma suspension possesses the desired physiologic characteristics imposed by the end user for long term storage and transfusion . in the context of the illustrated embodiment , the platelet - rich suspension comprising plt fin possesses a more - reduced leukocyte population and / or additional physiological attributes not present in plt ini . as used in this specification , the term “ reduced ” or “ more - reduced ” does not denote that all the residual leukocytes have been removed . the term is intended to more broadly indicate only that the number of residual leukocytes have been incrementally reduced by the finishing device 24 , compared with the number before processing by the finishing device . the finishing device 24 can accomplish its function by centrifugation , absorption , columns , chemical , electrical , and electromagnetic means . in the illustrated and preferred embodiment , the finishing device 24 comprises a filter that employs a non - woven , fibrous filter media 28 . the composition of the filter media 28 can vary . the media 28 comprises fibers that contain nonionic hydrophillic groups and nitrogen - containing basic functional groups . fibers of this type are disclosed in nishimura et al u . s . pat . no . 4 , 936 , 998 , which is incorporated herein by reference . filter media containing these fibers are commercially sold by asahi medical company . filter media containing these fibers have demonstrated the capacity to remove leukocytes while holding down the loss of platelets . alternatively , the filter media 28 can comprise fibers that have been surface treated as disclosed in gsell et al u . s . pat . no . 5 , 258 , 127 to increase their ability to pass platelets while removing leukocytes . gsell et al . u . s . pat . no . 5 , 258 , 127 is also incorporated herein by reference . furthermore , because the pump 26 is used to convey plt ini through the finishing device 24 , the external machine pressure it creates can be used to overcome passive resistance of the finishing media 28 . therefore , the finishing media 28 can be densely packed within the finishing device 24 to achieve maximum efficiencies . the system 10 conveys plt fin to one or more containers 30 suitable for transfusion or long term storage . the container ( s ) 30 intended to store plt fin can be made of polyolefin material ( as disclosed in gajewski et al u . s . pat . no . 4 , 140 , 162 ) or a polyvinyl chloride material plasticized with tri - 2 - ethylhexyl trimellitate ( tehtm ). these materials , when compared to dehp - plasticized polyvinyl chloride materials , have greater gas permeability that is beneficial for platelet storage . the system 10 shown in fig1 can be readily incorporated into a continuous single or double needle on line blood processing systems . as used in this specification , the “ on line blood separation process ” differs from a multiple blood bag process . in a multiple blood bag process , the donor &# 39 ; s circulatory system does not remain in communication with the flow path where separation of the collected blood volume occurs . in a multiple blood bag system , after a given blood volume is collected in the primary bag , the donor &# 39 ; s circulatory system is disconnected from the primary bag before separation occurs within the bag . also , in a multiple blood bag system , the separation processes do not occur continuously . the first stage separation of red blood cells and plasma rich in platelets and the second stage separation of platelets from plasma occur at different points in time as separate , discontiguous steps . various features of the inventions are set forth in the following claims .	0
the terminal block illustrated in fig1 is conventionally composed of a housing 1 whose outside shape , outlined here , is shown more clearly in fig3 and 5 . said housing 1 has a conventional , roughly parallelepipedical , rectangular shape with two large side faces 10 , 10 &# 39 ; ( fig4 ) and four walls 11 , 11 &# 39 ; 12 , 12 &# 39 ;. the wall 11 , forms the bottom of the block 1 and supports fixing means 110 ( fig3 ). the wall 11 &# 39 ; forms the top of the block 1 and is normally accessible and visible when the block 1 is grouped together with other blocks on a support . the walls 12 and 12 &# 39 ; ( fig3 ) form the ends of the block and may also be accessible and visible when the block 1 is grouped together with other blocks as opposed to the side faces 10 and 10 &# 39 ; which are neither accessible nor visible . in accordance with the invention , the internal volume of the terminal block 1 is in the form of a groove such as the groove 13 which , in the example illustrated opens at the top 11 &# 39 ; of the block 1 and is disposed longitudinally at the bottom of the block . however , said configuration is not essential and it could be envisaged to provide such grooves which open out in one , two or three of the walls 11 &# 39 ;, 12 , 12 &# 39 ; of the housing or into any other walls forming any angle with said walls 11 , 11 &# 39 ;, 12 , 12 &# 39 ;. the groove 13 illustrated in fig1 is arranged so as to allow at least one pusher 2 to slide longitudinally . this can be done using any conventional means and in particular by providing grooves 20 , 20 &# 39 ; ( fig1 and 5 ) and guide rails 14 , 14 &# 39 ; moulded longitudinally inside the large side faces 10 , 10 &# 39 ;, ( fig4 ), it being understood that it could also be envisaged to dispose the rails and the grooves in an opposite configuration . a recess is formed at least at one end of a groove 13 to accommodate a connection part 3 of the type which has an insulation - stripping and block slot , in such a manner that said part 3 is held in its recess e . g . because of the matching of its shape with that of its recess . the connection part 3 is a metal part with two lips 30 , 30 &# 39 ; ( fig2 ) which are bevelled along their inlet sides to strip , block and connect as electric wire conductor core as shown in fig7 in a variant of the part 3 such as illustrated in fig1 . this conventionally makes it possible to cut the insulation and to engage the conductor core 40 of a wire 4 . the slot defined by the lips 30 and 30 &# 39 ; is preferably formed on a plane surface 31 of the connection part 3 and in the mid plane of said part so as to align it with the axis of the groove . preferably , the groove 13 , the pushing piece 12 and the connection part are symmetrical relative to the longitudinal mid plane of the groove when the terminal block is assembled as illustrated in fig4 and 5 , it being understood that one of the large side faces such as 10 &# 39 ; is added and fixed to the body of the terminal block 1 after the connection part and the pusher have been assembled . in the embodiment illustrated , the connection part 3 is in the form of a section of rectangular tube split longitudinally in its upper portion while its lower portion is extended by a metal strip 31a . in the above - mentioned variant , the groove 13 has two connection parts 3 situated at the ends of said groove and the metal strip 31a has a central bulge 32 which is formed by folding the strip to make it possible for an optional test pin or equivalent device to be screwed in . this also explains why there are two cheek pieces 16 and 16 &# 39 ; which separate the groove 13 into three portions , and two end portions being able to accommodate a pusher 2 while the central portion accommodates the above - mentioned device . the pusher 2 is designed to be operated from outside the block either by hand or by means of a tool which makes gripping easier . in the embodiment illustrated in fig2 said pusher comes flush with the top or wall 11 &# 39 ; of the terminal block and has a slot 21 in which a tool can be inserted as shown in fig1 . the pusher 2 is capable of moving in translation in the groove 13 and has a transversal rectilinear recess 22 on its surface facing the connection part 3 . said recess 22 is slightly wider than the thickness of the plane surface 31 so as to allow partial interpenetration of the pusher 2 into the part 3 when the pusher 2 is moved to its transversal movement end position , in the direction of said part 3 . the pusher 2 also has at least one bent bearing part 23 ( fig2 ) to position the wire which is to be connected ; said bearing part 23 is here situated on a projection 24 which projects from the front of the pusher 2 under the recess 22 so as to enter the connection part 3 under the slot defined by the lips 30 and 30 &# 39 ;, fig3 . said bearing part 23 is preferably symmetrical relative to the longitudinal mid plane of the groove when the pusher 2 is in place , and its longitudinal axis lies in said plane in such a manner that the wire 4 which it guides lies perpendicular to the plane surface 31 which is itself preferably perpendicular to the longitudinal mid plane of the groove . likewise the curved bearing part 23 continues at 23 &# 39 ; ( fig3 ) above the recess 22 up to a wire - guiding ring 25 situated in the axis of the curved bearing part so as to lead the wire both during connection and during any disconnection . lastly , from the large side faces 10 , 10 &# 39 ; preferably longitudinal ribs 15 , 15 &# 39 ; ( fig2 , 4 ) project outwardly above the plane surface 31 and parallel to the lips 30 , 30 &# 39 ; and being spaced slightly further apart than the lips so as to allow the insulation of the wire 4 to be therebetween inserted and held in place in the same way and at the same time as the conductor core 40 of said wire . lastly , the spacing between the curved bearing parts 23 , 23 &# 39 ; of the pusher 2 is chosen to be sufficiently wide to receive lips 30 , 30 &# 39 ;. connecting a wire 4 in accordance with the invention consists in inserting said wire in front of the pusher 2 into the guide ring 25 until its end reaches the strip 31 , while the pusher 2 is in its furthest position , then pushing the pusher 2 transversely into its position of partial interpenetration with the connection part 3 as shown in fig1 . the insulation of the wire is then cut at the level of the lips 30 , 30 &# 39 ; as shown in fig2 . this enables the core 40 of said wire to be connected to the connection part 3 and also to be jammed by the ribs 15 and 15 &# 39 ; to hold the wire in place in addition to the action of the lips on the core . it is also possible to easily remove the wire in case of need by means of the guide ring 25 which entrains the wire 4 when the pusher 2 is brought back to the retracted position . the variant illustrated in fig6 and 7 resumes the main features and operation of the terminal block illustrated in fig1 and 2 , except that the groove 13a here has only one pusher 2a which is capable of running along the entire length of the grooe and of being used for the two connection parts 3a placed at the ends of said groove . further , the pusher 2a now has no guide ring since said pusher must be removed from at least one of the parts after connection of a wire . in the above variant , the same reference numerals are used as in the previous variant , only the letter a being added to distinguish between the two variants . in a preferred variant of the invention , the connection part 3a is longer than the connection part 3 to allow two wires to be connected by the same part . it must be understood that such a part 3a may optionally be used in a terminal block in accordance with fig1 by replacing the pusher 3 by an assymmetrical pusher 3a . except for the fact that there is no guide ring , the pusher 3a differs from the pusher 3 in that it is symmetrical relative to its transversal mid plane and to its longitudinal mid plane whereas the pusher 3 is symmetrical only relative to its longitudinal plane . further , the projections 24a , 24 &# 39 ; a and the projections 24as and 24 &# 39 ; as which are symmetrical thereto are longer as a function of the amount by which the parts 3a and 3as are longer than to the symmetrical parts 3 ( fig1 ) and 3 . further , the part 3a is practically constituted by adding two aligned parts 3 which are then connected together by their base strip 31a so as to provide the possibility of connection for two wires whose diameters may be different by means of a single part . with this aim in view the lips 30a and 30 &# 39 ; a which form the slot ( fig8 ) are interrupted in their mid portion by an auxiliary slot which runs along three of the four surfaces of the part 3a , thus delimiting two connection units connected together by their base . it must also be understood here that the parts 3a and 3as may optionally be connected to conventional extra connection means without being connected together . in the embodiment , the lips 30 and 30 &# 39 ; at each of the inlets of the slots for connecting a part 3 has a rounded inlet . to allow the positioning of the conductor and keep the insulation in shape during the insertion thrust ; and to facilitate cutting the insulation by the pointed portion obtained at the connections between the slots and the rounded inlet portions . as previously , a first wire is inserted between the pusher 2a and the part 3a and the pusher is manipulated until the first wire is driven into the portion of slot nearest the wall 12 then the pusher is moved back and a second wire is inserted which is pushed into the portion of the slot which is the nearest and is still empty , then the same operation may be carried out with the same pusher 2a in the symmetrical connection part 3as , but on other wires .	7
the real - time , worldwide , wireless , golf competition network will be designed and authored in such a way as to be universally accepted , regardless of pda or other wireless device , or perhaps internet browser . one preferred embodiment is to utilize a database - driven , web - based internet portal , in order to “ gain access to ” and “ distribute information from ” the network . in this manner , network members will be able to maintain their own wireless / web service provider account , regardless of their geographical locale , and can utilize their own wireless device to access the network at anytime , anywhere . the network will consist of subscribing members who pay dues to access the products and services . existing network members will be able to log - in to the network ( see fig4 ). non - network member golfers , desirous of participating , will be able to create a player profile within the network to become a member ( see fig5 thru fig8 ). this profile will contain both player - specific biographical information ( see fig6 ) as well as player - specific billing information ( see fig7 ), and will have an alphanumeric unique - identifier tag assigned to the player &# 39 ; s information , for future log - in purposes to the network . the database containing all pertinent network member information will be securely treated for the highest possible privacy protection of the network members . each new member will be able to use their existing usga handicap index initially ( if they have one ), but as rounds are logged through the network , an internal network handicap index for each member will be continuously tabulated and used for network - specific recreational events and related purposes , solely within the network . ( this network handicap index is not officially sanctioned by either the usga or the royal and ancient golf club of st . andrews , and will not be considered substitutable as , corresponding with , working in tandem with , working in conjunction with , replacements of , or replacements for an individual golfer &# 39 ; s official usga handicap index , unless otherwise noted . official usga handicap indexing should be handled only through the membership of an official usga golf club or usga golf association ). as members participate in matches , this information will be used for the spotting of strokes . the spotting of strokes for each match will be calculated based upon each member &# 39 ; s differing handicap indexes and the respective course ratings and slope ratings for the associated tee boxes on the courses of play ( see fig1 thru fig1 for examples of calculations ). included in the player profile section , the member will be able to establish a favorites list . this list might include the names of friends , family members , or co - workers , regardless of geographical location . in fact , this feature is very desirable for those members who have friends , family members , or co - workers that used to be in his / her geographical area , but now have moved away . by utilizing the favorites feature , members can pre - arrange matches , in a sort of “ virtual outing ”. this way , golfers can still experience the thrill and excitement of competition with their “ regular foursome ”, even though the group is geographically displaced . expanded elements of this feature will also prove useful for corporations , charities , clubs , etc . who might want to organize and distribute their own private , mini - tournaments through the network . once the member has established a player profile , whenever the member decides to play a round of golf on the course of his / her choice , the member can dial - up the network via a wireless pda or other wireless device to log - in to the network ( see fig4 ). the member will then select from several “ match ” options ( see fig9 ). options may include , but are not limited to : option 1 : head - to - head play vs . other network member ( s ) in favorites list ( see fig1 ) the member can select from his / her favorites list , in advance of the desired tee time , and enter a challenge to prearrange a match . the network will contact all challenge recipients and coordinate response affirmations for the challenge and instruct the participants on the appropriate time frame in order for each participant to secure reservations on their golf course within the time frame . just prior to the member &# 39 ; s actual tee times , each participating member will log - in to the network via wireless device to be entered into the match ( matches will correlate within a pre - determined time window , due to the fact that not all golf courses set tee times alike ). if three or more members are involved in one particular match , the odds of securing an individual “ win ” for the round are increased , thus heightening the sense of competition and performance . option 2 : head - to - head play vs . other network member as an open challenge ( see fig1 ) this option links two members unknown to each other in a head - to - head experience . it is an exciting alternative because the open challenge notion brings with it the element of the unknown competitor . just prior to the member &# 39 ; s actual tee time , the member will log - in to the network in order to enter a network - wide open challenge . the network will search for another open challenge within a certain timeframe ( matches will correlate within a pre - determined time window , due to the fact that not all golf courses set tee times alike ). the network will assign and coordinate a head - to - head match between such two open challenges . option 3 : head - to - head play vs . pga / lpga / senior pro on current tour schedule ( see fig2 ) this option is also an exciting alternative because the member can choose to simulate the same experience , but take it to a higher level by being matched up with an actual professional &# 39 ; s round that falls within the same time frame . just prior to the member &# 39 ; s actual tee time , the member will log - in to the network in order to enter a challenge versus a pga / lpga / senior pro in real - time . the network will search a list of live pro rounds within a pre - determined time window . the network will assign and coordinate a head - to - head match between the member and the chosen professional . an exciting example of this feature would that a member could time his / her round to correlate with tiger woods or any other popular professional on the final day of a major championship event . option 4 : head - to - head play vs . pga / lpga / senior pro from “ classic round ” archives ( see fig3 ) this option allows an interesting alternative for the more nostalgic member to simulate the same experience , but take it to a different level by being matched up with an actual pga / lpga / senior pro round from an archive of “ classic rounds ”, i . e . tiger woods &# 39 ; 1998 record - breaking master &# 39 ; s championship final round at augusta national , or jack nicklaus &# 39 ; 1971 u . s . open championship final round at pebble beach , which featured his famous 1 - iron tee shot on the par 3 , 17 th hole . just prior to the member &# 39 ; s actual tee time , the member will log - in to the network in order to enter a challenge versus an actual pga / lpga / senior pro round from an archive of “ classic rounds ”. the network will list a selection of stored “ classic rounds ” for the member &# 39 ; s selection , and the network will assign and coordinate a head - to - head match between the member and the chosen “ classic round ”. once the member has established the type of match for the current round , the member will then be prompted to enter the course name and location for his / her current round ( see fig1 ). once the course is selected , the member will be prompted to select the set of tees they will be using on the current course for the current round ( see fig1 ). the network will let all members in the match know the identity of the opponent ( s ), including name , golf course name and location , handicap index and the adjusted stroke spotting for the current match ( see fig1 ). the network will contain a wagering module as an option for those members desiring to wager with other network members on any given match in which they are participating . in order for the wagering module to be effective in any given match , all members participating in the match must have the module active , as well as have an active pre - established wagering account with available funds in place . from the members only section of the network , each member will be able to establish a wagering account to hold monetary funds . this account can be tied to a credit card number or bank account for convenient , online transfer of funds . this section of the network will be securely treated for the highest possible privacy protection and security of unique member identities , personal information and funds . preset monetary fund levels can be designated for member alerts via email or wireless device to notify the member that they need to deposit additional funds . a statistical accrual of wagering performance will be tracked and can be viewed through the members only section of the network . this will have multiple charts and graphs , depending on the members &# 39 ; preferences , and will also be available for viewing . prior to the current round , players will be able to send inquiry messages pertaining to any wagering for the current round , and the acceptable wagering terms and conditions can be established . as the members play their respective , actual golf rounds , in real - time , they will be entering their own strokes ( and other golf round information ) on each hole and sending the updated score to the network via wireless device , in real - time ( see fig1 ). as play continues , the network will calculate a real - time score adjustment based upon the running tally of each player , and the aforementioned stroke - spotting calculations ( see fig1 ). an ongoing “ leader board ” style response from the network will keep members updated in real - time as to their respective positions in the match , thus simulating an actual tournament experience ( see fig1 ). other golf round metrics , such as fairways in regulation , greens in regulation , putts - per - hole , etc . will be tracked and included in separate statistical categories ( see fig1 ). at the conclusion of the match , each participant will see a win - tie - loss status for the match , as well as any additional metrics preferred by the member ( i . e . “ today &# 39 ; s round : win , fairways - in - regulation : 75 %, greens - in - regulation : 63 %, putts - per - hole : 1 . 85 ”). also available for view will be the member &# 39 ; s cumulative records and metrics ( i . e . “ win - loss - tie record to date : 30 - 1 - 5 , fairways - in - regulation to date : 58 %, greens - in - regulation to date : 48 %, putts - per - hole to date : 2 . 3 ”). upon conclusion of the match , each competitor will have the option to send a message of good sportsmanship the corresponding opponent . the network will run an on - going , season - long tournament that will consist of the statistical accrual of every member match , and track related metrics of every member during the tournament &# 39 ; s time frame . this tournament will be called the “ virtual tournament ”; inclusion of each round into the virtual tournament will be optional for network members . ( if a member chooses to exclude their match from the virtual tournament , it will have no effect on the functionality of the leader board for that match , or their overall , statistical accrual . it will only have an effect on their statistical accrual as it pertains to the virtual tournament .) at the conclusion of the virtual tournament season , top winners in each category can be awarded tournament winnings or prizes . categories can include , but are not limited to : one potential embodiment of winnings or prizes can include a network sponsored , all - expenses - paid opportunity to play in an actual pro - am tournament , with actual pga / lpga / senior professionals , through relationships between the network and the respective professional golf associations . an additional embodiment can include real - time television network broadcasting , wherein as players are playing in real - time versus pga / lpga / senior professionals , the live , real - time postings of such matches can be incorporated into television network broadcasts through strategic relationships with the various professional golf associations and their tournament broadcasters . this will be a highly useful marketing tool for additional member recruitment . an additional embodiment can include stand - alone , time - specific events or tournaments , wherein the network manages real - time , network - wide tournaments for a plurality of network members playing actual / physical rounds of golf on a plurality of golf courses . an example of this embodiment would be a network - wide “ holiday outing ”, coordinated within a specific time frame , possibly “ shot - gun start ” style , open to network members who desire to participate in real - time competition with a large plurality of other golfers ; thus the competition is increased to a larger number of participants and further heightens the competitive experience . other embodiments and uses of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein .	0
a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below , with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 and 2 are respectively a perspective view and a partially sectional top plan view , each diagrammatically showing a portion of a printing mechanism for a daisywheel printer constituting a preferred embodiment of the present invention . in fig1 and 2 , a sheet of paper 15 is partially wrapped around a platen 16 , and a carriage ( not shown ) is disposed for free movement along the breadthwise length of the platen 16 . a type wheel 12 , a motor 13 , an inked - ribbon cassette ( not shown ), and a hammer unit 30 are mounted on the carriage . the wheel 12 is of the &# 34 ; petal &# 34 ; type in which a plurality of spring fingers 12a having characters ( not shown ) on their end portions extend radially from the center hub . the motor 13 is arranged to cause the rotation of the wheel 12 such as to select a character to be printed . an inked ribbon 14 accommodated by a cassette ( not shown ) is disposed with a certain level of tension in the clearance between the paper 15 and the type wheel 12 . the hammer unit 30 serves as means for striking the inked ribbon 14 against the paper 15 with a selected character formed on the wheel 12 . the hammer unit 30 is assembled on a base plate 3 mounted on the carriage ( not shown ). the unit 30 has the following parts : a supporting frame 2 secured to the base plate 3 by means of screws 2c and having a pair of opposing supporting plates 2a , 2b , the supporting plates respectively being provided with holes which are axially aligned with each other ; a yoke 4 ( fig2 ) tightly fitted in the hole in the supporting plate 2a and having a central hole ; a bush 6 tightly fitted in the hole in the supporting plate 2b and having a central hole ; a bobbin 1a having both axial ends secured to the supporting plates 2a and 2b through the yoke 4 and the bush 6 , respectively , the bobbin 1a having an axial through bore of a substantial length ; a magnetic coil 1 formed on the bobbin 1a and serving as energizing means which will be explained later , the magnetic coil 1 being connected to a hammer drive circuit 28 which will also be mentioned later ; and a bush 5 fitted in a recess formed in the surface of the yoke 4 facing the wheel 12 . the mentioned members 4 , 5 , 6 and 7 and the bobbin 1a are assembled together in such a manner that their central holes and the bore form a continuous through hole which slidably receives the hammer 7 . as shown in fig2 the rearward end portion of the hammer 7 received in the central hole of the bush 6 has a large - diameter portion 7a made of magnetic material . a return spring 11 is axially fitted onto the portion of the hammer 7 defined between the magnetic portion 7a and the yoke 4 , the spring 11 urging the hammer 7 rearwardly , that is , away from a position where the hammer 7 strikes the wheel 12 and inked ribbon 14 against the paper 15 . a supporting shaft 8 is disposed at the location of the base plate 3 which is near the rearward end of the hammer 7 . a swivel plate 9 is rotatably supported by the shaft 8 and a coiled spring 10 fitted onto the shaft 8 urges the plate 9 counterclockwise as viewed in fig1 and 2 . the swivel plate 9 , as shown in fig2 has a stopper 9a on its free end portion , and the stopper 9a is adapted to abut the base edge of a recess 3a formed in the base plate 3 , thereby limiting the rotation of the plate 9 . a stopper 9b is secured to the generally central portion of the surface of the plate 9 facing the rearward end of the hammer 7 . the stopper 9b defines the initial position of the hammer 7 in contact relationship with the rearward end of the hammer 7 . the stoppers 9a and 9b are made of resilient material such as rubber having a low restitution coefficient and a good heat resistance . in this fashion , the swivel plate 9 , the stoppers 9a , 9b and the coiled spring 10 as a whole constitute means for stopping the hammer 7 in a stand - by position where the tip of the hammer 7 is kept separated from the type wheel 12 , the inked ribbon 14 , the paper 15 and the platen 16 . the operation of the illustrated embodiment will be described below , with reference to fig1 and 2 . for printing , the magnetic coil 1 is energized , the magnetic portion 7a being attracted toward the yoke 4 , thereby driving the hammer 7 toward the type wheel 12 . as a result , the hammer 7 strikes a selected one of the spring fingers 12a against the paper 15 via the inked ribbon 14 . after striking has been completed , the hammer 7 is restored to its initial position by virtue of a restitution force inherent in the platen 16 and the resilient force of the return spring 11 . in the initial position , although the rearward end of the hammer 7 collides against the stopper 9b , the impact produced by the collision is damped by the resiliency of the stopper 9b . simultanously , the swivel plate 9 is swivelled slightly clockwise as viewed in fig1 and 2 by the impact of the collision . this swivel motion also acts to reduce the impact . subsequently , the swivel plate 9 is urged to return to its original position by the force of the coiled spring 10 , and thus the stopper 9a collides against the base edge of the recess 3a in the base plate 3 . the impact generated by this collision is damped by the resiliency of the stopper 9a per se . however , as mentioned previously , even if the just - described damping method is adopted , it is difficult to prevent a remarkably large impact from being generated when the rearward end of the hammer 7 collides against the stopper 9b and thus a large impact noise is produced . to solve such problem , the illustrated embodiment is arranged in such a manner that the return motion of the hammer 7 is retarded by re - energizing the magnetic coil 1 while the hammer 7 is being returned to its initial position . specifically , the magnetic coil 1 also serves as brake means for applying a brake to the hammer 7 . fig3 is a graph showing the behaviour of the hammer 7 incorporated in the illustrated embodiment . in the graph , time t is represented by the central horizontal axis indicated by p 3 . variations in the levels of energizing signals a i and b i are plotted under and along the axis of time t as viewed in the graph . the signals a i and b i are output by a control system described later , and when they become active at a low level , they energize the magnetic coil 1 . above the axis of time t as viewed in the graph , positional variations within the range of behaviour of the tip of the hammer 7 are plotted with time t along the vertical axis . curves a and b represent the movements of the tip of the hammer 7 ( or tracks of the hammer tip ) responsive to the energizing signals a i and b i , respectively . the horizontal line p 1 indicates the position of the tip of the hammer 7 when it takes the initial position while the horizontal one - dot chain line p 2 indicates the position of the tip of the hammer 7 when it reaches the final strike position . the line p 3 ( or the axis of time t ) indicates the position of the surface of the platen 16 which is adjacent to the strike position p 2 . the space between the lines p 2 and p 3 is substantially equivalent to the total of the thicknesses of the inked ribbon 14 , the paper 15 and a character raised from the surface of the respective printing types of the type wheel 12 . the positional relationship between the lines p 1 , p 2 and p 3 is also illustrated in fig2 . the following description concerns the case where the tip of the hammer 7 is moved along the track shown by the curve a in response to the energizing signal output a i shown in fig3 . as shown , the signal a i energizes the magnetic coil 1 during time period t a1 , de - energizing it during time period t a2 , and thus re - energizing it during time period t a3 . during time period t al , the hammer 7 is accelerated in the direction in which it strikes the wheel 12 , and during the de - energization time period t a2 the tip of the hammer 7 reaches the line p 2 for the striking action . subsequently , the hammer 7 is returned toward its initial position p i by virtue of the restitution force of the platen 16 and the force of the return spring 11 . however , shortly before the tip reaches the initial position p 1 , the coil 1 is re - energized during time period t a3 . this re - energization again urges the hammer 7 in the direction opposite to that in which it is returned , so that the return motion of the hammer 7 is retarded . as a result , as shown by the curve a , the velocity with which the hammer 7 reaches its initial position p 1 and collides against the stopper 9b can be greatly lowered as compared with cases wherein the t a3 re - energization is not performed ( its track is shown by a dotted line ). therefore , the impact generated by the collision of the hammer 7 against the stopper 9b can be greatly reduced , thereby remarkably lowering the level of impact noise . as previously mentioned in the description of the prior art , the optimum level of impact applied by the hammer 7 against each printing type ( or character ) depends upon the surface area of each individual character to be brought into contact with the paper 15 . therefore , the time during which the magnetic coil 1 is energized for striking the wheel 12 ( or time t a1 described above ) is varied in proportion to the surface area of each character , thereby obtaining optimum levels of impact . this variation is accompanied by varitions in the aforementioned de - energization and re - energization times . fig4 is a graph of the relationship between a surface area s of each printing type ( or character ) and the energization time t 1 , de - energization time t 2 and re - energization time t 3 relating to the striking operations . in the graph , the symbol &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; represents the point of time just before the energization of the magnetic coil 1 . the symbol &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; is shown solely in fig4 . this point in time is omitted from fig3 for convenience . as the surface area s becomes larger , the energization time t 1 and de - energization time t 2 are made longer and shorter , respectively . in this case , the re - energization time t 3 is made slightly longer . the previous description of the relationship between the energization by the energizing signal a i and the time t concerns a surface area s a shown in fig4 . in cases where the surface area s is larger than the area s a , the energizing signal b i shown in fig3 for example , is supplied on the basis of the relationship between the times t 1 , t 2 and t 3 plotted in fig3 . the signal b i causes the tip of the hammer 7 to travel along the track shown by the curve b in fig3 . referring back to fig3 energization time t b1 becomes longer , that is , acceleration time becomes longer and since , as shown by the curve b , the hammer 7 is driven at a higher velocity than that of the signal a 1 , the hammer 7 can suitably strike a character having a larger surface area with an optimum level of impact . since a large reaction is produced in response to the large impact , the hammer 7 is accordingly urged to return at a higher velocity . however , re - energization time t b3 is set to become longer than the time period t a3 , whereby it is possible to satisfactorily brake the hammer 7 . the following description concerns the construction of a control system for controlling the printing operations described above . referring to fig5 the control system incorporated in the illustrated embodiment comprises : a cpu ( central processing unit ) 20 for controlling the entire printer mechanism ; a known rom ( read - only memory ) 22 ; and a known ram ( random access memory ) 27 . the control system controls the entire mechanism in accordance with a control program stored in the rom 22 . simultanously , the system effects printing in accordance with data from data block 21 on characters to be printed which is input by a key board or a host system ( not shown ). in order to select a character to be printed in correspondence with the character data from the data block 21 , the rom 22 stores : various items of information , such as a control program ; and a table 23 for determining the object position of a character to be printed . the table 23 includes an array of data on positions at which the type wheel 12 is caused to stop rotating in correspondence with each character to be printed . with reference to the rom 22 , the cpu 20 controls the motion of the motor 13 via a motor driver 29 , causing the type wheel 12 to rotate to a position where the hammer 7 strikes a character to be printed . also , the cpu 20 outputs an energizing signal hmr , and the hammer unit 30 is controllably driven by means of a hammer drive circuit 28 for energizing the magnetic coil 1 when the signal hmr takes a low level . in order that the cpu 20 may be caused to generate the energizing signal hmr in the manner shown in fig3 the rom 22 stores an energization time table 24 , a de - energization time table 25 and a re - energization time table 26 associated respectively with the energization time t 1 , the de - energization time t 2 , and the re - energization t 3 for the previously - described striking operations corresponding to each individual character to be printed . the values of a data array stored in each of the tables 24 , 25 and 26 are shown in fig4 . the ram 27 serves as memory means such as a line buffer capable of temporarily storing one line of the character data 21 at a time . although not shown in fig5 it is a matter of course that the cpu 20 is connected to other control systems for controlling printer mechanisms and various sensors required for printer control . the cpu 20 having the above - described construction controls the printing operations in accordance with the control procedures shown in fig6 . referring to fig6 in step s1 , the cpu 20 retrieves an item of the data from the data block 21 on an object character from the ram 27 or a keyboard ( not shown ). in step s2 , data on an object position where the wheel 12 is caused to stop in accordance with the character data from the data block 21 is obtained through data conversion in the table 23 stored in the rom 22 . subsequently , the required angle of rotation of the type wheel 12 is calculated from the thus - obtained data as well as data on the actual position of the type wheel 12 which is rotating . in step s3 , the motor 13 is driven in correspondence with the angle of rotation thus calculated , causing the wheel 12 to rotate accordingly and thereby locating an object character at the position where it is to be printed . in step s4 , in order to strike an object character in accordance with the character data 21 , the cpu 20 reads out data on the energization , de - energization and re - energization times t 1 , t 2 and t 3 respectively from the associated time tables 24 , 25 and 26 stored in the rom 22 . in step s5 , the cpu 20 delivers the energizing signal hmr corresponding to the thus - obtained data to the hammer drive circuit 28 . as shown in fig3 the circuit 28 energizes , de - energizes and re - energizes the magnetic coil 1 in response to the signal hmr , thereby effecting printing . subsequently , the process proceeds to the one - column feed of the carriage ( not shown ) and the inked ribbon 14 , or to other processing routines such as carriage return and line feed of the paper 15 , when required . after the required routines have been completed , the process returns to step s1 , and the above - described operations are repeated . during the printing operations explained above , the hammer 7 is returned to its initial position while its motion is being retarded . therefore , since the rearward end of the hammer 7 collides against the stopper 9b at a remarkably low velocity , the impact and noise produced by this collision is greatly reduced , thereby enabling the operation of the printing mechanism to be carried out with a low level of noise generation . even if the hammer 7 is driven at higher velocity than the prior art , low - noise printing can still be effected , whereby it is possible to achieve high - speed printing without much noise . the illustrated embodiment is arranged in such a manner that the re - energization time t 3 is varied in proportion to the surface area of each character to be printed . however , even if the time t 3 is fixed as a predetermined time interval , the present invention is effective in reducing the impact of the collision . it should be noted that the present invention can be effectively applied not only to daisywheel printers but also to all the impact - type recording apparatus mentioned previously in the field of this invention . in addition , the present invention can also be adapted for recording apparatus , such as wire or dot matrix printers , in which the recording means is made integral with the striking means . in addition to coil means , an electromechanical conversion element such as a piezoelectric element may be employed as energizing means for urging hammer means toward the wheel - striking position and braking it while it is being returned . moreover , the present invention can be applied to a system in which hammer means includes a plate spring having a wheel - striking portion , the spring being biased by a magnet , and the hammer means ( or plate spring ) being released from the biased state by energizing a coil . the level of the force generated by the energizing means may be varied by changing the level of voltage applied to the energizing means as well as the period during which electricity is supplied to such means . while the above provides a full and complete disclosure of the invention , various modifications , alternative constructions and equivalents may be employed without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention . therefore , the above description and illustrations should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention , which is defined solely by the appended claims .	1
referring now to fig4 to 13 , an embodiment of this invention will be described . suffixes a - c given to symbols indicate correspondences to elevators nos . 1 - 3 , respectively . in fig4 numeral 12 designates a car control unit ( only one unit is shown in the figure ) which is disposed for each car and which controls the corresponding car ; symbol ( 12a ) designates the outputs of the car control unit 12 which include car status signals indicating , e . g ., a car call , an in - car load , a car running direction , etc . numeral 13 designates a group - supervisory unit ; symbol 13a designates the outputs of the group - supervisory unit 13 include which data signals required for taking statistics , such as a hall call , assigned call and car status ; symbol 13b designates the outputs of the unit 13 , which include car status signals such as an assigned call and car status ; and 13c designates group supervision data such as an assigned call . numeral 14 designates an in - car load prediction unit ; symbol 14a designates a predictive in - car load signal . numeral 15 designates a statistics unit to be described later ; symbol 15a designates statistic data signals which correspond to an up - scanning getting - off proportion table taun ( where n denotes floors hereinafter ) as well as a down - scanning getting - off proportion table tadn illustrated in fig5 ( a ) and 5 ( b ), and an up - scanning getting - on person number table tbun as well as a down - scanning getting - off person number table tbdn illustrated in fig6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ). in fig7 symbol 5a designates a signal which becomes &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; ( high level ) when the up call of the fifth floor has been registered . symbols 16a - 16c designate fifth - floor up - call tentative - assignment evaluation value calculating circuits for elevators nos . 1 - 3 , respectively , and whose respective output evaluation value signals are hu5a - hu5c . numeral 17 indicates a comparator whose output which corresponds to the minimum one of its inputs , becomes &# 34 ; h &# 34 ;. shown at numeral 18 is a monostable element om whose output becomes &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; for a predetermined period of time when its input has become &# 34 ; h &# 34 ;. the group - supervisory unit 13 in fig7 further includes and gates 19a - 19c , a not gate ( i . e .-- an inverter ) 20 , and r / s flip - flops 21a - 21c ( hereinbelow , termed &# 34 ; memories &# 34 ;). symbols asu5a - asu5c denote the outputs of the memories 21a - 21c , which are assignment signals that become &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; when the elevators nos . 1 - 3 have been assigned to the up call of the fifth floor , respectively . in fig8 numeral 22 designates a signal which represents a fixed value ( the coefficient of conversion for putting a load value into an evaluation value ). symbols l5u1ua - l5u7ua ( some of which are not shown ) denote signals which represent predicted in - car loads at the responses of the elevator no . 1 to the up calls of the halls of the first - seventh floors under the assumption that the elevator no . 1 has been assigned to the up call of the fifth floor , respectively . similarly , symbols l5u2da - l5u8da ( some of which are not shown ) denote predicted in - car load signals at the responses to the down calls of the halls of the second - eighth floors , respectively . numerals 231 - 237 and 242 - 248 ( some of which are not shown ) designate multipliers each of which multiplies its two inputs . symbols t5u1ua - t5u7ua ( some of which are not shown ) denote signals representative of times in which the elevator no . 1 is anticipated to arrive at the up calls of the first - seventh floors under the assumption that the elevator no . 1 has been assigned to the up call of the fifth floor , respectively . similarly , symbols t5u2da - t5u8da ( some of which are not shown ) denote arrival anticipation time signals for the down calls of the second - eighth floors , respectively . symbols w1u - w7u ( some of which are not shown ) denote signals which represent the present waiting times of the up calls of the first - seventh floors ( which are zero when no call has been registered ), respectively . similarly , symbols w2d - w8d ( some of which are not shown ) denote waiting time signals for the down calls of the second - eighth floors , respectively . numerals 251 - 257 and 262 - 268 ( some of which are not shown ) designate adders each of which adds its three inputs . symbols asu1a - asu7a ( some of which are not shown ) denote assignment signals which become &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; when the elevator no . 1 has been assigned to the up calls of the first - seventh floors , respectively . similarly , symbols asd2a - asd8a ( some of which are not shown ) denote assignment signals for the down calls of the second - eighth floors , respectively . numerals 271 - 274 , 276 , 277 and 282 - 288 ( some of which are not shown ) designate gate circuits each of which delivers its input i when its input g has become &# 34 ; h &# 34 ;. shown at numeral 29 is an adder which adds all its inputs . in fig9 numeral 31 designates the central processing unit of a microcomputer ( hereinbelow , termed &# 34 ; cpu &# 34 ;). numeral 32 indicates a read only memory ( hereinbelow , termed &# 34 ; rom &# 34 ;) in which programs and fixed value data in fig1 - 13 are written , while numeral 33 denotes a random access memory ( hereinbelow , termed &# 34 ; ram &# 34 ;) which stores data in storage addresses . a converter 34 converts the car status signals 13b into the information of the electronic computer , and converts the calculated results of the electronic computer into the predictive in - car load signals 14a . a converter 35 converts the statistic data signals 15a into the information of the electronic computer . in fig1 , symbols 3a and 6a denote the up calls of the third and sixth floors assigned to the car 9 of the elevator no . 1 , symbol 5a denotes the up call of the fifth floor ( not assigned yet ), symbols 2b and 5b denotes the assigned down calls of the second and fifth floors , and symbols 1c and 4c denotes the car calls of the first and fourth floors to the car 9 , respectively . in fig1 , numerals 41 - 53 indicate operating steps based on a program for predictively calculating a load in the car 9 , under the assumption that the up call 5a of the fifth floor has been assigned to the elevator no . 1 ( hereinbelow , termed &# 34 ; tentative assignment &# 34 ;). in fig1 , symbols 43a - 43l indicate the substeps corresponding to each of the identical steps 43 , 47 and 51 . in fig1 , symbols 45a - 45l indicate the substeps corresponding to each of the identical steps 45 , 49 and 53 . first , the operations will be outlined with reference to fig4 . when the car status signals 12a have been produced from the car control unit 12 , the group - supervisory unit 13 tentatively assigns the car to hall calls , so as to send the car status signals 13b to the in - car load prediction unit 14 and to deliver the required statistics data 13a to the statistics unit 15 . the statistics unit 15 has been well known from , e . g ., u . s . pat . no . 4 , 411 , 238 to kuzunuki et al . it stores for each floor and in each direction the proportion ( getting - off proportion ) of passengers ( load ) who have gotten off the car in response to the car call , to passengers who are riding the car to the car call floors , on the basis of the required statistics data signals 13a for certain past days , and it stores them as the up - scanning getting - off proportion table taun and down - scanning getting - off proportion table tadn respectively shown in fig5 ( a ) and 5 ( b ). likewise , it stores for each floor and in each direction the number of people who have gotten on the car in response to the hall call and the number of hall calls , finds the number of people to get on the car / the numbers of hall calls and stores the number of people as the up - scanning getting - on person number table tbun and down - scanning getting - on person number table tbdn respectively shown in fig6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ). these are sent to the in - car load prediction unit 14 as the statistic data signals 15a . the prediction unit 14 calculates the predictive in - car loads from the inputs 13b and 15a , and supplies the outputs 14a to the group - supervisory unit 13 . thus , the group - supervisory unit 13 generates the group supervision data 13c , to realize an operation of good service which does not incur the passage of the car due to its full capacity of passengers . let it now be supposed that , as indicated in fig1 , the car 9 is descending at the sixth floor 6 , while it has been assigned to the up call 3a of the third floor , the up call 6a of the sixth floor , the down call 5b of the fifth floor and the down call 2b of the second floor and is awaiting the car calls 1c and 4c of the first and fourth floors . here , it is assumed that the up call 5a have been registered at the fifth floor . this information is loaded into the in - car load prediction unit 14 through the converter 34 as the car status signals 13b . on the other hand , the statistic data signals 15a from the statistics unit 15 are loaded through the converter 35 . then , the cpu 31 operates in accordance with the program stored in the rom 32 and exchanges signals with the ram 33 , to start the scanning calculations indicated in fig1 - 13 . first , in the step 41 , the direction of the car 9 is decided . since the car 9 is descending , the operating flow proceeds to the step 42 , in which a scanning start floor s is set at a car position floor ( the sixth floor at first ), a scanning end floor e is set at the first floor , an initial in - car load ( number of persons ) w o is set at the present number of persons in the car 9 , and an incremental in - car load w based on a hall call not having been responded to is set at zero . next , the operating flow proceeds to the step 43 comprising steps 43a - 43l , in the step 43a of which the floor n is set at the scanning start floor s as shown in fig1 . in the step 43b , whether or not the floor n is smaller than the scanning end floor e is decided . unless n & lt ; e , the operating flow proceeds to the step 43c , in which the initial in - car load w o till then and the incremental in - car load w are added into the n - th floor down hall predicted in - car load l5unda . in the step 43d , ( n - 1 ) is set to update the scanning floor n . the direction of the car 9 is decided in the step 43e , and the presence of a car call signal kcna is decided in the step 43f . in the absence of the car call at the scanning floor n , the operating flow proceeds to the step 43h , and in the presence of the same , the operating flow proceeds to the step 43g , in which w o - w o × tadn is calculated , namely , the initial in - car load w o is decreased in accordance with the down - scanning getting - off proportion table tadn . subsequently , in the step 43h , w - w × tadn is calculated , namely , the incremental in - car load w based on the hall call not having been responded to is decreased in accordance with the down - scanning getting - off proportion table tadn . in the step 43i , the presence of assigned or tentatively - assigned down call signals kasdna ( the down calls 5b and 2b of the fifth floor and second floor ) is decided . down to the first floor 1 , there are the down calls 2b and 5b already assigned , but there is no down call tentatively assigned . therefore , the operating flow returns to the step 43b , and the same steps are repeated . when the scanning has been performed down to the first floor 1 to establish n & lt ; 1 in the step 43b , this program ends . these steps form the scanning procedure 1 . a concrete calculation of the step 43c in the above scanning will be exemplified . assuming that the load of the car 9 be five persons in the initial condition , w o = 5 and w = 0 , and hence , l5u6da ← w o + w = 5 + 0 = 5 . at n = 5 , w ← w + tbd5 ( fig6 ( b ))= 0 + 3 = 3 has already been calculated in the step 43j , so that l5u5da ← w o + w = 5 + 3 = 8 . in addition , at n = 4 , w o ← w o - w o × tad4 ( fig5 ( b ))= 5 - 5 × 0 . 1 = 4 . 5 has already been calculated in the step 43g , and w ← w - w × tad4 = 3 - 3 × 0 . 1 = 2 . 7 has been calculated in the step 43h , so that l5u4da ← w o + w = 4 . 5 + 2 . 7 = 7 . 2 . subsequently , the operating flow proceeds to the step 44 , in which the scanning start floor s is set at the first floor , the scanning end floor e is set at the eighth floor , the initial in - car load w o is set at zero ( all the passengers get off the car down to the first floor 1 inclusive ), and the incremental in - car load w based on the hall call not having been responded to is set at zero . next , the operating flow proceeds to the step 45 , in which the steps 45a - 45e are carried out in the same manner as in the down scanning . since , in this case , the car 9 is in the down direction , the operating flow jumps to the step 45h , in which the decrease of the in - car load w based on the hall call not having been responded to is carried out . in the step 45i , the presence of assigned or tentatively - assigned up call signals kasuna ( the up calls 3a and 6a of the third and sixth floors and unassigned fifth floor up call 5a ) is decided . besides the already - assigned up calls 3a and 6a , there is the tentatively - assigned up call 5a at the fifth floor 5 , the operating flow proceeds to the step 45j , in which w + tbun is calculated , namely , the getting - on load based on the hall call not having been responded to is added in accordance with the up - scanning getting - on person number table tbun . unless , in the step 45k , the load in the car 9 is greater than the carrying capacity ( assumed to be 18 persons here ), the operating flow returns to the step 45b , and if the converse is true , the in - car load w is set at 18 - w o in the step 45l . thus , when n & gt ; 8 in the step 45b , this program ends . these steps form the scanning procedure 2 . subsequently , the operating flow proceeds to the step 46 , in which the scanning start floor s is set at the eighth floor , the scanning end floor e is set at the floor on this side of the car position floor by one floor ( 6 + 1 = 7 (- th floor )), the initial in - car load w o is set at zero , and the incremental in - car load w based on the hall call not having been responded to is set at zero . next , the operating flow proceeds to the step 47 , in which the down scanning is performed as stated above . when n & lt ; 7 in the step 43b , this program ends . these steps form the scanning procedure 3 . when the car 9 is in the up direction , the operating flow proceeds from the step 41 to the steps 48 - 53 . since these steps can be readily understood from the foregoing , they shall be omitted from the description . the predictive in - car load signals l5u1ua - l5u7ua and l5u2da - l5u8da of the elevator no . 1 thus calculated are outputted through the converter 34 . these signals are multiplied by the fixed value 22 by means of the multipliers 231 - 237 and 242 - 248 . on the other hand , the group - supervisory unit 13 calculates by the use of well - known circuitry the signals t5u1ua - t5u7ua and t5u2da - t5u8da of arrival anticipation times in which the elevator no . 1 is anticipated to arrive at the up calls of the first - seventh floors and the down calls of the second - eighth floors , and the signals w1u - w7u and w2d - w8d of the waiting times of the up calls of the first - seventh floors and the down calls of the second - eighth floors . these corresponding signals are respectively added by the adders 251 - 257 and 262 - 268 . the output of the adder 255 is supplied to the adder 29 . since the gate circuits 273 , 276 , 285 and 282 are enabled by the respective assignment signals asu3a , asu6a , asd5a and asd2a , the outputs of the adders 253 , 256 , 265 and 262 are also supplied to the adder 29 . the added value of these inputs becomes the evaluation value signal hu5a . likewise , the calculations are performed as to the elevators nos . 2 and 3 , and the respective evaluation value signals hu5b and hu5c are outputted . the comparator 17 selects the minimum one of the evaluation value signals hu5a - hu5c , and renders the corresponding output &# 34 ; h &# 34 ;. it is now supposed that the minimum evaluation value signal corresponds to that of elevator no . 1 . meanwhile , when the up call registration signal 5a of the fifth floor has become &# 34 ; h &# 34 ;, the output of the monostable element 18 becomes &# 34 ; h &# 34 ; for the predetermined period of time . therefore , the output of the and gate 19a becomes &# 34 ; h &# 34 ;, the memory 21a is set , and the up call assignment signal asu5a of the fifth floor for the elevator no . 1 becomes &# 34 ; h &# 34 ;. in this way , the in - car loads are properly predicted , they are combined into the evaluation value , and the evaluation value is allotted to the car . therefore , the frequence of the passage of the car due to the full capacity of passengers etc . lowers , and a favorable service is attained . when the car 9 has responded to the fifth floor , the up call signal 5a is released to become &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; ( low level ), and the output of the not gate 20 becomes &# 34 ; h &# 34 ;, so that the memory 21a is reset to render the assignment signal asu5a &# 34 ; l &# 34 ;. while the embodiment has been described on the assignment of the up call 5a of the fifth floor , the up calls and down calls of the other floors are quite similarly dealt with . the procedure of decreasing the initial in - car load , which consists of the steps 43e - 43g and the steps 45e - 45g , and may conform to a getting - off proportion table ( not shown ) separately set or may well resort to the destination floor percentage table 10 in the prior art . while the getting - off proportion tables taun and tadn have been explained as being obtained with the statistics unit 15 , it is also allowed to set tables as shown in fig5 ( a ) and 5 ( b ) by the use of fixed values suited to a building and to employ the tables for the calculations . as set forth above , according to this invention , the proportions of getting - off at respective floors are determined , incremental in - car passengers for hall calls not having been responded to are decreased in accordance with the floor getting - off proportions , and predicted in - car loads are calculated by the use of the decreased in - car passenger numbers . it is therefore possible to reduce calculating data and to shorten a calculating period of time .	1
referring now to drawings , various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail . it should be understood that the same reference numerals will be employed as those for indicating the circuit elements having the same functions in the respective embodiments . it should also be noted that potentials appeared at the respective terminals of an igbt 11 to an igbt 14 , and also potentials within gate circuits are defined , while an emitter potential of each to these igbts is used as a reference . in other words , it is so assumed that a collector potential of the igbt 11 corresponds to a collector - to - emitter voltage of the igbt 11 , whereas a collector potential of the igbt 12 corresponds to a collector - to - emitter voltage of the igbt 12 . it should also be noted that even when an igbt is replaced by another mos control semiconductor device such as an mosfet , a similar effect to that of the below - mentioned embodiment may be achieved . an arrangement of a semiconductor power converting apparatus according to this embodiment 1 of the present invention will now be described with reference to fig1 and fig4 . fig4 schematically shows a major unit of the semicondcutor power converting apparatus according to this embodiment 1 , and fig1 schematically represents a major unit of an arm 20 shown in fig4 . in the power converting apparatus of fig4 three sets of two series - connected arms 20 are connected in a parallel manner , and these arms 20 are connected to a dc voltage source 21 . each of neutral points of the paired arms is connected to a load 22 . a structure of an arm is given as follows : that is , in each arm , igbts are series - connected to each other , and a flywheel diode 2 is in an inverse - parallel connection with each of these series - connected igbts . also , a gate circuit 100 is connected to each of the igbts . while the present invention does not depend upon a total series - connection number of igbts , four sets of igbts ( namely , igbt 11 , igbt 12 , igbt 13 , and igbt 14 ) are series - connected to each other in the example of fig1 . the gate circuit 100 is connected to a gate and an emitter of each of the igbt 11 , the igbt 12 , the igbt 13 , and the igbt 14 . also , the diode 2 is in an inverse - parallel connection with each of the four igbts . the gate circuit 100 is formed by employing the below - mentioned circuit arrangement . a description will now be made by exemplifying such a gate circuit 100 connected to the igbt 11 . while a voltage source 131 is connected to the emitter of the igbt 11 , electric power required for driving a pulse generator 7 is supplied from this voltage source 131 to this pulse generator 7 . as shown in fig5 while the voltage source 131 is series - connected to another voltage source 132 , and also a center point between these voltage sources 131 and 132 is connected to the emitter of the igbt 11 , the electric power required for driving the pulse generator 7 may be supplied from both the voltage source 131 and the voltage source 132 . in this alternative case , a terminal of a high voltage side of the voltage source 131 is connected to a power supply line 13 p , and a terminal of a low voltage side of the voltage source 132 is connected to another power supply line 13 n . an output of the pulse generator 7 is connected to one input 1 of a comparator 750 . another input 2 of the comparator 750 is connected to a voltage dividing point at which a collector - to - emitter voltage of the igbt 11 is sub - divided by both a resistor 3 and a resistor 4 . this connection point of the input 2 of the comparator 750 need not be selected to the voltage dividing point , but may be connected to any point in which while the collector potential of this igbt 11 is increased , the potential of this connection point may be increased . the comparator 750 compares potentials of these two inputs thereof to output a higher potential . the output of the comparator 750 is connected to the gate of this igbt 11 , and the gate potential of the igbt 11 is controlled to the output potential of the comparator 750 . as shown in fig6 such an amplifying circuit as a buffer circuit 650 may be connected between the comparator 750 and the gate of the igbt 11 . in this alternative case , the output of the comparator 750 is connected to an input of the buffer circuit 650 , and an output of this buffer circuit 650 is connected to the gate of the igbt 11 . since the buffer circuit 540 is connected , the gate potential of the igbt 11 may be controlled in a high speed . next , operations of the power converting apparatus will now be explained . while electric power required for driving the pulse generator 7 is supplied from the voltage source 131 , a pulse signal which is controlled by way of either the pwm control or the pam control is outputted from the pulse generator 7 . normally , the pulse signal which is controlled by way of either the pwm control or the pam control is transmitted from another upper - graded circuit ( not shown ) to the pulse generators 7 of the respective gate circuits 100 of the igbt 11 through the igbt 14 , which are series - connected to each other . in response to the transmitted signals , the pulse generators 7 generate such pulse signals which are controlled by way of either the pwm control or the paw control . the generated pulse signal is supplied via the comparator 750 to the gate of the igbt 11 so as to turn on , or off this igbt 11 . in the present invention , such a potential obtained when the igbt 11 is turned on and then the gate potential thereof is brought into a steady state is defined as a steady on - gate voltage . since the igbt 11 , the igbt 12 , the igbt 13 , and the igbt 14 are switched at the same time , the arm 20 is turned on / off so as to produce an ac voltage , so that this ac voltage is applied to the load 22 . under normal condition , both an arm 20 ( n ) and another arm 20 ( p ) are alternately on / off - controlled , and the paired arms are not turned on at the same time . in other words , both the arm 20 ( p ) and the arm 20 ( n ) are not turned on at the same time . such a voltage produced by dividing the voltage of the dc voltage source 21 by a total series - connection number of the igbts employed in each of the arms corresponds to a steady voltage of an igbt under off connection . this voltage will be referred to as “ steady off voltage ” thereinafter in this specification . in this case , an attention is paid to such a time instant when a drive signal to the arm 20 ( p ) is brought into an on state and the arm 20 ( n ) is brought into an off state . when the arm 20 ( p ) is brought into the on state , a current flows through such a path from the dc voltage source 21 to the arm 20 ( p ) and the inductance load 22 . at this time , in the case that the arm 20 ( n ) is erroneously turned on , or shortcircuited due to some reason , a current will flow through such a path defined from the dc voltage source 21 via the arm 20 ( p ) and the arm 20 ( n ) to the dc voltage source 21 . since both the arm 20 ( p ) and the arm 20 ( n ) become low impedances at the same time , a large current may flow through this arm 20 . operations of the power converting apparatus will now be explained by exemplifying such a case that the arm 20 ( n ) is shortcircuited . in accordance with the present invention , when a value of a current is reached to a saturated current value of the igbt 11 having the lowest saturated voltage , this igbt 11 limits this current and then a collector potential of this igbt 11 is increased . since the collector potential of the igbt 11 is increased , the potential at the voltage dividing point 9 is increased . when the potential at the voltage dividing point 9 exceeds the potential of the pulse generator 7 , the comparator 750 outputs the potential of this voltage dividing point 9 so as to control the gate potential of the igbt 11 to the gate potential of the voltage dividing point . normally , both a resistance value of a voltage - dividing resistor 3 and a resistance value of a voltage - dividing resistor 4 are set in such a manner that when a collector potential of an igbt exceeds the steady off voltage , a potential of the voltage dividing point 9 may exceed a potential of the pulse generator 7 . when a collector potential of the igbt 11 exceeds the steady off voltage , the gate potential of the igbt 11 is increased , so that the saturated current value of this igbt 11 is increased . while the saturated current value is increased , such a current which passes through the arm 20 ( p ) is also increased . in the case that the current is increased and then is reached to a saturated current value of the igbt 12 whose saturated current value is the second lowest current value , the igbt 12 having the second lowest current value limits the current , so that the collector potential of this igbt 12 is increased . since the igbt 12 also shares the voltage of the dc voltage source , the increase of the collector potential of the igbt 11 is once relaxed . however , since both the igbt 11 and the igbt 12 limit the current , impedances thereof are increased , so that both the collector potential of the igbt 11 and the collector potential of the igbt 12 are increased . since the collector potential of the igbt 11 is further increased , the gate potential of this igbt 11 is increased . similar to the operation of the gate circuit 100 connected to both the igbt 11 and the operation of this igbt 11 , since the collector potential of the igbt 12 is increased , the gate potential of the igbt 12 is also increased , and thus , both the saturated current values of the igbt 11 and the igbt 12 are increased . the saturated current values of both the igbt 11 and the igbt 12 are increased , and also , the current flowing through the arm 20 ( p ) is similarly increased . when this flowing current is reached to a saturated current value of the igbt 13 , the igbt 13 subsequently limits the current , so that the corrector potential thereof is increased . on the other hand , the potential increases of both the igbt 11 and the igbt 12 are once relaxed . however , since the igbt 11 , the igbt 12 , and the igbt 13 may commonly limit the current , the impedances thereof are increased , so that the collector potentials of the igbt 11 , the igbt 12 , and the igbt 13 are further increased . while the collector potentials are increased , the gate potentials of the igbt 11 , the igbt 12 , and the igbt 13 are increased , and then , the current is reached to a saturated current value of the igbt 14 . since the voltage of the dc voltage source 21 can be shared by the four sets of igbts ( namely , igbt 11 , igbt 12 , igbt 13 , and igbt 14 ), the element destruction caused by the overvoltage can be prevented . as a result , such an effect of this embodiment 1 can be achieved . that is , even when the overcurrent may flow through the mos control semiconductors , these mos control semiconductors such as igbts can be protected from the overvoltage . as indicated in fig7 a semiconductor power converting apparatus according to an embodiment 2 of the present invention is arranged by that while the comparator 750 of the above - described embodiment 1 is constituted by connecting a pnp transistor 72 and an npn transistor 71 in a complementary manner , the npn transistor 71 is connected to a power supply line 13 pp having a higher potential than that of the power supply line 13 p for driving the pulse generator 7 . a collector of the pnp transistor 72 is connected to the voltage dividing point 9 , and a collector of the npn transistor 71 is connected to the power supply line 13 pp . the pulse generator 7 is driven by both the voltage source 131 and the voltage source 132 . when the igbt is set to an on state , the pulse generator 7 outputs the potential of the power supply line 13 p , whereas when the igbt is set to an off state , the pulse generator 7 outputs the potential of the power supply line 13 n . the potential of the power supply line 13 pp is higher than the potential of the power supply line 13 p by such a voltage difference of the voltage source 133 . while the igbt 11 is exemplified , a description will now be made of operations in which when the collector potential of the igbt is increased under the on state of this igbt , the gate potential is increased so as to increase the saturated current value . when the collector potential of the igbt 11 is increased , the potential of the voltage dividing point 9 is increased . since the on state of this igbt is supposed , the pulse generator 7 outputs the potential of the power supply line 13 p . the comparator 750 outputs the potential of the pulse generator 7 until the potential of the voltage dividing point 9 is reached to the output potential of the pulse generator 750 , namely , reached to the potential of the power supply line 13 p . when the potential of the voltage dividing point 9 becomes higher than the output potential of the pulse generator 7 , a current will flow from the collector of the pnp transistor 72 to the base thereof , and thus , a base potential of the npn transistor 71 becomes higher than a base potential of the pnp transistor 72 , so that this npn transistor 71 is brought into the on state . since the potential of the power supply line 13 pp to which the collector of the npn transistor 71 is connected is higher than a maximum output potential of the pulse generator 7 , the potential of the emitter of the npn transistor 71 , namely the output potential of the comparator 750 can be increased . as a consequence , also in this embodiment 2 , since the gate potential of the igbt 11 can be increased higher than the gate voltage under the steady on state and also the saturated current value of the igbt can be increased similar to the embodiment 1 , the igbt can be protected from the overvoltage in a manner similar to that of the embodiment 1 . it should also be noted that it is practically difficult to increase the gate potential of the igbt 11 higher than a summed voltage of the voltage source 131 and the voltage source 132 . as a consequence , the voltage of the voltage source 132 is set in such a manner that such a saturated current value when the gate voltage of the igbt 11 is equal to the summed voltage between the voltage source 131 and the voltage source 132 becomes higher than the saturated current value during the steady on gate voltage of the igbt 14 . in a semiconductor power converting apparatus of an embodiment 3 according to the present invention , as indicated in fig8 while a buffer circuit 650 is connected between the comparator 750 of the embodiment 3 and a gate of an igbt , this buffer circuit 650 is arranged by connecting an npn transistor 61 and a pnp transistor 62 in a complementary manner . the buffer circuit 650 transmits a potential of the comparator 750 to the gate of the igbt 11 . as a consequence , similar to the above - described embodiment 1 , since the gate potential of the igbt 11 is increased higher than the gate voltage of the steady on state in order to increase a saturated current value of the igbt also in this embodiment 3 , this igbt can be protected from the overvoltage in a similar manner to that of the above - described embodiment 1 . since the buffer circuit amplifies a current used to charge the gate of the igbt , the gate potential of the igbt can be quickly controlled to become the potential of the voltage dividing point 9 , and also the igbt can be more firmly protected from the overvoltage . as indicated in fig9 in a semiconductor power converting apparatus of an embodiment 4 according to the present invention , a diode 73 is in an inverse - parallel connection with the pnp transistor 72 of the embodiment 3 . when a potential of the voltage dividing pint 9 exceeds an output potential of the pulse generator 7 , the output of the voltage dividing point 9 is outputted via the diode 73 to the output of the comparator 750 , the output of the comparator 750 can be quickly controlled to become the potential of the voltage dividing point 9 . as a consequence , similar to the above - described embodiment 1 , since the gate potential of the igbt 11 is increased higher than the gate voltage of the steady on state in order to increase a saturated current value of the igbt also in this embodiment 4 shown in fig9 this igbt can be protected from the overvoltage in a similar manner to that of the above - described embodiment 1 . in accordance with this embodiment 4 , the output of the comparator 750 can be quickly controlled to become the potential of the voltage dividing point 9 , and thus , the igbt can be more firmly protected from the overvoltage . as indicated in fig1 , in a semiconductor power converting apparatus of an embodiment 5 according to the present invention , the input 1 of the comparator 750 is connected to the voltage dividing point 9 , and also the input 2 of the comparator 750 is connected to the output of the pulse generator 7 , in comparison with the power converting apparatus of the embodiment 4 in which the input 1 of the comparator 750 is connected to the output of the pulse generator 7 , and the input 2 of the comparator 750 is connected to the voltage dividing point 9 of the input 2 of the comparator 750 . since the comparator 750 outputs a higher potential selected from the potentials of the input 1 and the input 2 , a similar effect to that of the embodiment 4 may be achieved . as indicated in fig1 , a semiconductor power converting apparatus according to an embodiment 6 of the present invention is arranged in such a manner that while both the pnp transistor 72 and the npn transistor 71 are eliminated from the circuit arrangement of the comparator 750 of the embodiment 4 , the npn transistor 71 is connected to the power supply line 13 pp having the higher potential than that of the power supply line 13 p which drives the pulse generator 7 . the collector of the pnp transistor 62 is connected to the voltage dividing point 9 , and the collector of the npn transistor 61 is connected to the power supply line 13 pp having the higher potential than the output potential of the pulse generator 7 , while both the pnp transistor 62 and the npn transistor 61 constitute the buffer circuit 650 . the pulse generator 7 is driven by both the voltage source 131 and the voltage source 132 . when an igbt is set to an on state , the pulse generator 7 outputs the potential of the power supply line 13 p , whereas when the igbt is set to an off state , the pulse generator 7 outputs the potential of the power supply line 13 n . the potential of the power supply line 13 pp is higher than the potential of the power supply line 13 p by such a voltage difference of the voltage source 133 . while the igbt 11 is exemplified , a description will now be made of operations in which when the collector potential of the igbt is increased under the on state of this igbt , the gate potential is increased so as to increase the saturated current value . when the collector potential of the igbt 11 is increased , the potential of the voltage dividing point 9 is increased . since the on state of this igbt is supposed , the pulse generator 7 outputs the potential of the power supply line 13 p . the comparator 750 outputs the potential of the pulse generator 7 until the potential of the voltage dividing point 9 is reached to the output potential of the pulse generator 750 , namely , reached to the potential of the power supply line 13 p , since an anode potential of a diode 73 is lower than a cathode potential thereof , and thus , this diode 73 becomes a high impedance . when a potential of the voltage dividing point 9 is increased higher than the output potential of the pulse generator 7 , the diode 73 becomes a low impedance , so that the output of the comparator 750 can output the potential of the voltage dividing point 9 . since the collector of the npn transistor 61 is connected to the power supply line 13 pp having the higher potential than the output potential of the pulse generator 7 , the output potential of the pnp transistor 62 can be increased higher than a maximum output potential of the pulse generator 7 , and also the gate potential of the igbt 11 can be increased higher than the steady on gate voltage . as a consequence , also in this arrangement of the embodiment 6 shown in fig7 since the gate potential of the igbt 11 is increased higher than the gate voltage under the steady on state and also the saturated current value of the igbt is increased similar to the embodiment 4 , the igbt can be protected from the overvoltage in a manner similar to that of the embodiment 4 . as shown in fig1 , in a semiconductor power converting apparatus according to an embodiment 7 of the present invention , while both an output of the pulse generator 7 and a potential of the voltage dividing point 9 are inputted to an adder 850 , this adder 850 controls a gate potential of an igbt to become such a potential obtained by adding the potential of the voltage dividing point 9 to the potential of the pulse generator 7 . when the collector potential of the igbt 11 is increased , the potential of the voltage dividing point 9 is increased . since the gate of the igbt is controlled to become such a potential obtained by adding the potential of the pulse generator 7 to the potential at the voltage dividing point 9 , the gate potential of the igbt is also increased , so that the saturated current value of the igbt 11 can be increased . as a result , similar to the embodiment 1 , the igbt can be protected from the overvoltage also in this embodiment 7 . according to the above - described embodiments of the present invention , in order to protect the mos control semiconductor devices from the overvoltage , when the overcurrent flows through the mos control semiconductor devices , it is possible to avoid such an operation that the overvoltage is applied to such an mos control semiconductor having the minimum saturated current among the series - connected mos control semiconductor devices , while such a semiconductor element having an avalanche voltage equal to the high withstand voltage is not employed . it should be further understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing description has been made on embodiments of the invention and that various changes and modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims .	7
in the first embodiment , starting with fig1 there is shown an n + - doped ( 100 ) oriented silicon substrate 1 having a specific resistance of 0 . 02 ohms · cm . a first n - doped epitaxial layer 2 having a layer thickness of about 3 microns and a specific resistance of 0 . 05 ohms · cm is formed on the substrate 1 . a double layer 3 , 4 composed of sio 2 measuring about 50 nm , and silicon nitride measuring 140 nm is provided over the epitaxial layer 2 . the silicon nitride layer 4 is covered with a photoresist mask 32 over the later formed n - well region to keep it covered during the subsequent implantation . a highly doped , buried zone 6 is then produced in the surface regions which are to later constitute the p - well regions which are not covered by the photoresist layer 32 and the silicon nitride layer 4 . the buried zone 6 can be produced by a boron ion implantation illustrated at reference numeral 5 , and having a dosage of 1 × 10 14 cm - 2 and at an energy level of 25 kev . the connection to the p - well is then produced from this zone 6 by outward diffusion in the later steps of the process . the zone 6 leads to the reduction of the resistance of the p - well and to an increase in the collector - emitter breakdown voltage . after removal of the photoresist mask 32 , an sio 2 layer 7 up to 200 nm in thickness is generated in the p - well region by oxidation of the surface , thereby forming a structure edge 8 . fig3 shows the arrangement after the removal of the silicon nitride mask 4 and the oxide layer 3 , 7 . there is then deposited an n - - doped epitaxial layer 9 having a layer thickness on the order of 1 micron and having a specific resistance of 20 ohms · cm . this arrangement is illustrated in fig4 . fig5 illustrates the structure after the production of a further double layer 10 , 11 composed of a 50 nm thick sio 2 layer 10 and a 140 nm thick silicon nitride layer 11 . the silicon nitride layer 11 is structured with a photoresist mask 33 , thus producing a p - well 12 in the n - doped epitaxial layer 2 by boron ion implantation illustrated at reference numeral 13 having a dosage of 2 × 10 12 cm - 2 and at an energy level of 160 kev . as illustrated in fig6 a phosphorus ion implantation 14 at a dosage of 1 × 10 12 cm - 2 and an energy level of 180 kev is used to produce an n - well 15 , an sio 2 layer 16 having previously been produced over the p - well region by local thermal oxidation and the nitride mask 11 having been removed and a heat treating process having been carried out . fig7 illustrates the arrangement after the drive - in process for the two wells 12 and 15 which occurs at about 1000 ° c . from 2 to 3 hours . after the well drive - in , there is now a connection between the p - well 12 and the p + buried layer 6 which lies below it . the total oxide layer 10 , 16 is then removed and a double layer 17 , 18 composed of 50 nm thick sio 2 and 140 nm thick silicon nitride is generated as shown in fig8 . this step is in preparation for the local oxidation of silicon known as the locos process . the silicon nitride layer 18 is structured by standard phototechnique and etching . fig8 shows the arrangement during the ion implantation illustrated at reference numeral 19 of the field oxide regions of the n - channel transistors with boron ions , which occurs at a dosage of 1 × 10 13 cm - 2 and an energy level of 25 to 90 kev . the n - well region 15 is thereby covered with a photoresist mask 20 . there is , thus , produced a p + - doped region 25 which provides an adequately high threshold voltage of the n - channel field oxide transistors . after removal of the photoresist mask 20 and generation of the field oxide 21 by oxidation , using the nitride structures as oxidation masks , the oxide layer 17 shown in fig8 is reoxidized by an oxidation process following the removal of the nitride mask 18 . after etching off the oxide layer 17 , the gate oxide 22 is generated in a predetermined layer thickness as shown in fig9 . a surface - wide boron ion implantation illustrated at reference numeral 23 with a dosage leve of 5 × 10 11 cm - 2 at an energy level of 25 kev produces channel doping of the p - channel and n - channel transistors and serves the purpose of setting the threshold voltages of both transistor types . after this step , the process follows conventional technology , whereby one or more channel implantations are carried out depending on the gate oxide thickness and the gate material . these processes are known and may be found in the initially cited european patent application no . 0 135 163 . the doping profile achieved in the active region of the n - channel transistors of fig9 is qualitatively shown in fig1 . the concentration of boron , phosphorous , and antimony in the first epitaxial layer is shown on the ordinate axis and the penetration depth x in microns is shown on the abscissae . fig1 to 14 illustrate a second embodiment of the invention . this embodiment differs from the first described embodiment in that it begins with the generation of a p + layer 6 and an n + buried layer 28 . the well implantations 13 and 14 which are used in the first embodiment are replaced by an outward diffusion of the buried layers 6 , 28 , and , thus , a photolithography step is eliminated . in comparison to the first example , this alternative enables an increase in the well breakdown voltage and a reduction of the well / substrate capacitance . referring to fig1 , the process sequence for the start of the process is analogous to that shown in fig1 . the oxidation of the surface for masking the buried p - layer region 6 as shown in fig2 is carried out such that the oxide layer 7 is provided with a long tail 27 similar to a bird &# 39 ; s beak for separating the two buried layers 6 and 28 . after an etching of the nitride layer 4 , a phosphorous or arsenic ion implantation illustrated at reference numeral 29 is carried out at a dosage of 1 × 10 14 cm - 2 and an energy level of 40 kev to generate the buried n - doped layer 28 . fig1 illustrates the condition after etching the oxide layer 3 , 7 , 27 which serves as a masking , and the application of the second n - - doped epitaxial layer 9 having a thickness of about 1 micron and a specific resistance of 20 ohms · cm . an insulating sio 2 layer 30 is then applied over the entire surface in a layer thickness of about 50 nm . the common diffusion out from the two buried layers 6 and 28 now occurs at a temperature of about 1000 ° c . in a matter of 3 to 5 hours . referring next to fig1 , a double layer 17 , 18 composed of a 50 nm thick sio 2 layer and a 140 nm silicon nitride layer is now provided and is structured in preparation for the aforementioned locos process . this figure shows the arrangement after the ion implantation 19 of the regions of the n - channel field oxide transistors with boron ions at a dosage level of 1 × 10 13 cm - 2 and an energy level of 60 to 90 kev . as set forth with respect to fig8 the n - well region 15 is covered with a photoresist mask 20 . the p - doped region 25 is thus produced . after the removal of the photoresist mask 20 , a field oxide 21 is generated in the manner illustrated in fig9 . the removal of the nitride mask and the oxidation of the oxide layer 17 proceeds in an analogous manner as do all of the following process steps , as set forth with respect to fig9 with the exception of the channel implantation 31 . in this form of the invention , the channel implantation is carried out in two successive steps , the first being a deep boron ion implantation at a dosage of 5 to 10 × 10 11 cm - 2 and at an energy level of 60 to 120 kev . the second consists of a flat boron ion implantation at a dosage of 5 to 7 × 10 11 cm - 2 and an energy level of 25 kev . the doping of the p - channel transistors is undertaken in the same manner . the doping profile achieved in the active region of the n - channel transistors is qualitatively shown in fig1 . the doping profile achieved for the p - channel transistor is qualitatively shown in fig1 with the same designations applying as are in fig1 . it should be evident that various modifications can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention .	8
in the process of the present invention , a thermally - transferable ink is transferred from a carrier to a receptor at a temperature sufficient to soften the ink and intimately bond it to the receptor . while any temperature sufficient to achieve this result may be utilized , the temperature is preferably in the range of 75 ° c .- 110 ° c ., and most preferably in the range of 85 ° c .- 95 ° c . the essential steps of the process of the invention are set forth above . thus , a carrier bearing a dry layer of thermally - transferable ink ( hereinafter referred to as the &# 34 ; transfer sheet &# 34 ;) is placed on a desired receptor so that the ink contacts the receptor surface . carriers and techniques for applying the ink thereto will be described hereinafter . while it is not necessary to the process , it is frequently desirable to provide an image of the desired art work on the receptor prior to placing the transfer sheet on the receptor . a variety of techniques may be employed to do this . in one useful technique a reduced - size black and white photocopy of the sign face to be prepared is made . the photocopy is then utilized to make a projection transparency , which is then projected onto the desired receptor surface . the size of projected image can be readily adjusted so as to obtain the desired size of sign by techniques known to the art . the transfer sheet may be fastened to the receptor by a variety of techniques . however , simply taping the transfer sheet is sufficient . if , it is desired to provide a differently colored background , that is a color that is different than the color of the receptor , a transfer sheet of one color may be fastened to the portion of the receptor surface desired to be differently colored followed by removing ( e . g ., by cutting out ) the image areas from the transfer sheet . a second transfer sheet , having the color desired for the art work may then be fastened over the cut - out areas of the first transfer sheet . once the appropriately colored transfer sheets have been fastened to the receptor , the resulting intermediate structure is placed in a device , such as a vacuum frame , and adjusted so as to provide a wrinkle free surface . if necessary , this may be accomplished by placing the intermediate structure under tension . a particulary advantageous technique for providing a wrinkle - free surface is to turn on the vacuum pump of the vacuum frame with the intermediate on the vacuum bed thereof and with the top thereof up . if the intermediate does not cover the entire vacuum bed , sheets of substantially non - porous material may be placed over the uncovered portions . wrinkles in the intermediate may then be squeezed out or otherwise removed . the non - porous sheets may then be removed ( leaving the wrinkle - free intermediate ) and the top lowered . typically the intermediate is placed in the vacuum frame so that the receptor contacts the vacuum bed and the transfer sheeting contacts the top when the top is closed . the exact vacuum frame utilized in the process of the invention is not critical to the invention as a variety of commercially available vacuum frames are useful . preferably the vacuum bed of the frame has a smooth surface free from ridges , lumps , etc ., especially where the perforated vacuum bed meets the outer supports of the vacuum frame . additionally , the vacuum bed is preferably covered with a porous material such as muslin . the top of the vacuum frame contains an air bladder and , above the bladder , a lamp bank . the top is preferably hinged on one end and has locks on the other end . the hinges and locks are located so that a wide sheet of receptor can pass therebetween . a porous fabric , such as muslin , is preferably fastened to the surface of the bladder that contacts the transfer sheet . the lamp bank preferably comprises a plurality of lamps that , preferably , emit radiation in the infra red range . a temperature controller is also preferably included so as to regulate the heat input into the vacuum frame . once the wrinkles have been removed from the intermediate , the vacuum frame is closed and a vacuum created therein to evacuate substantially all of the air from the interface between the ink and the receptor and provide intimate contact between the receptor and the ink . it has been found that this may be accomplished by reducing the pressure in the frame to between about 0 . 1 to 0 . 25 atmosphere for from 2 to 5 minutes . preferably the pressure is reduced to at least about 0 . 2 atmosphere . the receptor surface and the ink are then heated to the predetermined transfer temperature . heating may be accomplished by a variety of techniques , although it has been found that a bank of 300 watt incandescent light bulbs that emit radiation in the infrared range is satisfactory . the intermediate , particularly receptor surface and ink , is heated to a temperature sufficient to soften the ink and intimately bond it to the receptor . the exact temperature is dependant upon the nature of the ink and the receptor employed . the temperature must , however , be below that at which the ink and receptor degrade . during heating , the ink and receptor surface fused together and form an intimate bond . preferably heating is carried on only for a time sufficient to accomplish this result . it has been found that , with the compositions of the invention , heating need only be at a temperature between about 75 ° to 110 ° c for from 2 to 10 minutes . evacuating substantially all of the air from the interface between the receptor surface and the ink causes a pressure differential between the interface and the exterior of the intermediate structure . the lack of air at the interface in combination with the pressure differential makes it possible to achieve the tenacious and intimate bonding of the ink to the receptor at low temperatures . preferably the pressure differential is at least about 0 . 75 atmosphere . the vacuum is then released and the receptor and ink are cooled . this may be done by passive means or by active means , for example by blowing air over the intermediate . once the intermediate has cooled to a temperature ( e . g ., a temperature of 65 ° c . or less ) sufficient to harden the ink and cause the adhesion of the ink to the receptor to be greater than the adhesion of the ink to the carrier , the carrier is stripped from the receptor . the resultant receptor then bears indicia that are firmly anchored thereto and that conform exactly to the surface thereof . in the event that the receptor is too large to fit entirely within the vacuum frame at one time , the above described process may be repeated in a step - wise manner until the entire sign face has been completed . during a step - wise process it is preferred that indicia ( e . g ., letters , numbers , etc .) to be transferred be located entirely within the frame during heating . a wide variety of receptors may be utilized in the process of the invention . they may be polymeric or non - polymeric , flexible or rigid , and thick or thin . moreover , the surface of the receptor may be smooth or irregular . receptors useful with the present invention include a variety of polymeric films including polyvinylchloride ( e . g ., panaflex ® film from national advertising company and scotchal ® film from 3m company ), acrylic films ( e . g ., plexiglass ® from rohm and haas ), cellulose acetate butyrate film , and urethane films . other resin films may also be employed as receptor materials . the receptor materials may be used as such or they may have their surface modified by , for example , priming , corona treatment , solvent wiping , etc . the novel compositions described herein comprise a defined thermoplastic resin , a flexibilizer for said resin , and , optionally , a colorant , an ultraviolet light absorber , a heat stabilizer , a surfactant , a flow aid , etc . they have a 20 % elongation temperature of no more than about 85 ° c . and preferably one in the range of 70 ° c . to 85 ° c . additionally , they have an elongation at break of at least 15 %. the 20 % elongation temperature is determined in the same manner as the ring and ball softening point described in astm e - 2842 - t except that the film thickness is 25 microns , the ball weight is 1 . 5 g , the ring width is 14 cm , and heating is done in air and commences at 60 ° c . and is raised at a uniform rate of 1 . 7 ° c . per minute . the 20 % elongation temperature is that temperature at which a film of the resin has elongated 120 % of its original dimension . elongation at break is measured according to astm d412 - 75 , method a , section 12 . 2 . test samples are 1 . 25 cm wide with a spacing of 1 . 25 cm . pulling speed is 10 cm per minute . the measurement of elongation at break is set forth at section 5 . 2 of the test method . the ink compositions may be readily prepared by , for example , dissolving the thermoplastic resin and flexibilizer together in a suitable screen - printing solvent , such as isophorone or cyclohexanone , followed by addition of the colorant and other ingredients . the colorant may be added directly if a dye is used . if a pigment is used , it is first preferably dispersed in a solvent , resin , or plasticizer that is compatible with the solvent used to dissolve the thermoplastic resin . known processing techniques may be employed in preparing the compositions . the thermoplastic resins useful in the novel compositions comprise from about 50 % to 95 % by dry weight of the composition , and preferably from about 65 % to 95 % by dry weight . they are selected from polyvinyl chloride and copolymers thereof . specific examples include , for example , polyvinyl chloride , polyvinyl chloride - polyvinyl acetate copolymers ( e . g ., bakelite ® vyhh available from union carbide company ). the flexibilizer employed in the novel compositions comprises from about 50 to 5 % by dry weight of the composition , and preferably from about 20 to 5 %. it flexibilizes the composition and is compatible with the vinyl polymer or copolymer . moreover , it imparts conformability and elasticity to the ink composition , and improves its film strength by improving the elongation characteristics of films of the ink . re = presentative classes of useful flexibilizers are selected from the group consisting of synthetic resins that are free from vinyl chloride units and that have a 20 % elongation temperature of less than about 85 ° c ., and plasticizers for polyvinyl chloride . specific examples of useful vinyl chloride - free resins include ethyl , methyl , and butyl methacrylate homopolymers , and copolymers of said homopolymers with methyl , ethyl , and butyl acrylate . such resins are available from rohm and haas as the acryloid ® series and from dupont as the lucite ® series . other useful vinyl - chloride - free resins are urethane polymers such as polyester - functional aromatic urethanes ( e . g ., the estane ® series from b . f . goodrich ), and polyester and polyether - functional aliphatic urethanes ( e . g ., respectively qi - 12 and pe - 192 from quin ). other useful thermoplastic resins include linear polyester resins ( e . g ., vitel ® pe - 222 from goodyear ), acrylonitrile - butadiene - styrene resins ( e . g ., cycolac ® wa 2021 from borg - warner ), polycaprolactam polymers ( e . g ., pcl - 700 union carbide , sucrose acetate isobutyrate , available as saib from eastman chemical , ethylene vinyl acetate resin , ethyl methacrylate , and butyl methacrylate resin . combinations of vinyl chloride - free thermoplastic resins may be utilized if desired . specific examples of classes of plasticizers useful in the compositions of the invention are alcohol phthalates ( e . g ., santicizer ® 711 , a mixture of alcohol phthalates containing from 7 to 11 carbons in the phthalate chain from monsanto ); polymeric polyesters ( e . g ., santicizer ® 429 , available from monsanto ); aromatic phthalates ( e . g ., santicizer ® 160 , butyl benzyl phthalate from monsanto ) and mixed lower alkyl benzyl phthalates ( santicizer ® 261 from monsanto ); epoxidized vegetable oils ( e . g ., epoxidized linseed oil , epoxidized soybean oil , epoxidized safflower oil ); and phosphoric acid derivatives ( e . g ., santicizer ® 141 , 2 - ethylhexyl - diphenyl phosphate from monsanto ), and tricresyl phosphate from monsanto . blends of flexibilizers e . g ., combinations of one or more resins with one or more plasticizers , may be employed if desired . colorants useful in the compositions of the invention comprise up to about 40 % by dry weight of the composition . preferably they comprise from about 1 % to 30 %. quantities of from about 1 % to 15 % are useful in providing light and pastel shades while quantities of from about 15 % to 30 % are useful in providing dark colors . the colorants may be selected from dyes or pigments , although pigments are preferred . the pigments may be provided in dry bulk form , or as a dispersion in a solvent , liquid or solid resin , plasticizer , or combinations thereof . a variety of other ingredients may be utilized in the compositions of the invention . thus , for example , ultraviolet light absorbers , heat stabilizers , surfactants to aid application of the composition to a carrier , and solvents may be employed . examples of materials useful for these purposes are known as will be understood as a result of this disclosure . as discussed above , the compositions useful in the present invention are prepared by dissolving the ingredients together in an appropriate solvent . the solution is then filtered and coated onto a suitable carrier . coating is preferably carried out by screen printing . other coating techniques , such as reverse roll , knife , and rotogravure , may be utilized if desired . the solvent is removed from the coated layer by , for example , impinging the coating with air at about 80 ° c . the thickness of the dry layer of thermally - transferable ink is not critical to the invention . however , it has been found that good results , in terms of transferred indicia quality , may be obtained if the layer has a thickness in the range of 5 to 50 microns . preferably the thickness is in the range of 8 to 25 microns . most preferably the thickness is about 25 microns . the carrier utilized in the transfer sheet may be any material that is dimensionally stable and exhibits high release characteristics . thus , the carrier must release from the thermally - transferable ink once it has been adhered to a receptor . the carrier usually is coated or impregnated with a suitable release material so as to facilitate this release . the carrier preferably is flexible and exhibits good hand , that is , it may be cut easily by die cutting or hand cutting techniques . sheeting materials that have suitable release characteristics are known . they include warren o - duplex , available from s . d . warren paper co . ; trans - eze ® 2000 and 3000 , and kimdura , all available from kimberly - clark ; polyethylene sheeting , and polypropylene sheeting . silicone or other treated paper may also be employed . the thermally - transferable ink may occur on the carrier in a variety of ways , including , for example , as a continuous layer of the ink or as one or more discrete indicium . the former type of transfer sheet may be used to provide large background areas or individually prepared indicium on sign faces . the latter type of transfer sheet may be used in applying pre - prepared indicium to a receptor . in the process of transferring thermally - transferable ink , especially to form sign faces , described herein it is preferable , though not necessary , to apply a clear ( i . e ., colorless and transparent ) layer over the indicium - bearing surface . the clear layer is most preferably thin ( i . e ., approximately 25 microns ) and clear layer acts as a barrier to the loss of flexibilizer ( especially plasticizer ). additionally , it reduces the ability of nutrients to come to the surface thereby reducing the growth of fungus . still further , it serves as a moisture barrier . furthermore , it can contain other additives such as ultraviolet light absorbers , antioxidants , fungistats , and so forth . the clear coat may be applied by the same techniques used to transfer the ink from the carrier to the receptor . like the ink , the clear coat is preferably provided on a material that exhibits high release characteristics . common processing techniques can be utilized to apply the clear coat to a release material . a useful clear coat comprises at least 95 % by weight of acrylic polymers such as polymethyl methacrylate , and copolymers of methyl methacrylate with ethyl and butyl methacrylate . the remaining 5 % by weight is made up of other additives such as those mentioned above . examples of these materials include the 3900 and 4000 series of scotchcal ® resins available from 3m company . known thermoplastic compositions may also be employed to provide the thermally - transferable ink in the process of the present invention . however , these materials must be combined with a flexibilizer if they are to have a combination of a 20 % elongation temperature less than about 85 ° c . and an elongation at break of at least 15 %. examples of such commercially available formulations include the 600 series inks from general formulations ( a division of general research incorporated ), the g . v . series inks from naz dar , the 9600 series inks from colonial inks , the &# 34 ; lov &# 34 ; series from advance screen printing co ., and the 8000 series vinyls from tibbetts & amp ; westerfield . the present invention is further described in the following examples wherein all percentages are by weight unless otherwise indicated . thermally transferable ink formulations were prepared from the following ingredients using the quantities indicated . ______________________________________ % ______________________________________polyvinyl chloride - polyvinyl acetate copolymer 18 ( bakelite ® vyhh from union carbide , 86 % vinyl chloride and 14 % vinyl acetate ) polymethyl methacrylate - ethyl methacrylate 4copolymer ( acryloid ® b82 from rohm and haas ) aliphatic urethane ( qi 12 from k . j . quin )* 4butyl benzyl phthalate ( santicizer ® 160 7from monsanto ) mixed alkyl benzyl phthalate ( santicizer ® 261 7from monsanto ) quinacridone red 102 , 2 - dihydroxy - 4 , 4 - dimethoxy benzophenone 0 . 1ba & amp ; cd stearate 0 . 25epoxidized linseed oil 0 . 5isophorone 25 . 1butyl cellosolve 7 . 75mixed aromatic solvents ( sc solvent 150 from 5 . 1central solvents and chemicals ) diacetone alcohol 7 . 1cyclohexanone 4 . 1______________________________________ * provided in solution , solvent evaporated and dry urethane added . the ink solution was prepared by mixing all ingredients together until they had dissolved and the pigment had dispersed . the pigment wast provided in a dispersion in cyclohexanone before addition . the solution was then applied to the release surface of a carrier of trans - eze ® 2000 and dried at 60 ? c . to remove the solvent . the thickness of the dried layer was 25 microns . the ink composition hasd a 20 % elongation temperature of 82 ° c . and an elongation at break of 110 %. the resulting dry transfer sheet was applied to the surface of a polyvinyl chloride sheet that was reinforced with thermoplastic fibers so that the thermally - transferable ink contacted the polyvinyl chloride sheet . the surface of the polyvinyl chloride sheet was three - dimensional . the resulting intermediate structure was placed in a vacuum frame and adjusted to remove all wrinkles . the frame was then closed and the pressure therein reduced to 0 . 2 atmosphere after which the temperature therein was raised to 88 ° c . this pressure and temperature were maintained for 2 minutes . the pressure was then increased to atmospheric pressure and the temperature in the vacuum frame was lowered to 50 ° c . the carrier was then stripped - from the receptor . the ink transferred completely from the carrier to the receptor . the carrier left no residue on the indicia . when the tape adhesion test was performed on the transferred ink , a classification number of 5 was obtained ( i . e ., no ink was removed from the receptor ). thermally - transferable ink formulations were prepared and coated onto trans - eze ® 2000 carrier as described in example 1 from the following formulations . all quantities are in %. ______________________________________ 2 3 4 5______________________________________bakelite ® vyhh 18 18 25 25acryloid ® b82 4 4 -- -- sucrose acetate isobutyrate 4 4 -- -- santicizer ® 711 ( mixture of 7 7 -- 6 . 25alcohol phthalates frommonsanto ) santicizer ® 261 ( aromatic 7 7 -- -- phthalate plasticizer frommonsanto ) phthalocyanine blue 8 -- -- -- rutile titanium dioxide 0 . 5 -- -- -- carbazole violet 1 . 5 -- -- -- quinacridone red -- 8 -- -- molybdate orange -- 2 -- -- 2 , 2 - dihydroxy - 4 , 4 - dimethoxy - 0 . 4 0 . 4 -- -- benzophenoneba & amp ; cd stearate 0 . 5 0 . 5 -- -- epoxidized soy bean oil 1 1 -- -- dimethoxy silicone ( sf - 96 0 . 1 0 . 1 -- -- from general electric ) isophorone 30 30 -- -- butyl cellosolve 8 8 -- -- mixed aromatic solvents ( sc 10 10 -- -- solvent from centralsolvents and chemicals ) cyclohexanone -- -- 75 68 . 75______________________________________ the ink compositions had respective 20 % elongation temperaturs of 71 ° c ., 71 ° c ., 85 ° c ., and 84 ° c . and elongations at break of 130 %, 130 %, 0 % and 95 %. the ink compositions of the resulting transfer sheets were transferred to a panaflex ® receptor as described in example 1 at various temperatures . the pressure was 0 . 2 atmosphre . it was found that a temperature of only 82 ° c . was sufficient to transfer the ink composition of example 2 . a classification number of 5 was obtained in the tape adhesion test . the ink compositions of examples 3 - 5 demonstrated the classification number when transferred at a temperature of about 88 ° c . when the composition of example 4 was transferred as described above to a seam , it was found that the tape adhesion classification number was less than 4 for that portion of the ink on the seam . this demonstrates that while many ink compositions may be transferred according to the process of the invention , those of the invention provide superior results .	3
a detailed description of the present invention will be further given below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments . referring to fig1 , a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle of the present invention is shown . a structure of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is divided into an oxygen poor zone , a transition zone , and an oxygen rich zone from a core to an outer surface of the particle depending on an increasing oxygen content , the oxygen poor zone being predominantly a nitride luminescent crystal or oxygen - containing solid solution thereof , the transition zone being predominantly a nitroxide material , the oxygen rich zone being predominantly an oxide material or oxynitride material ; the nitride luminescent crystal or oxygen - containing solid solution thereof has a chemical formula of m m - m1 a a1 b b1 o o1 n n1 : r m1 , the nitroxide material has a chemical formula of m m - m2 a a2 b b2 o o2 n n2 : r m2 , the oxide material or oxynitride material has a chemical formula of m m - m3 a a3 b b3 o o3 n r3 : r m3 ; in the chemical formulas , the m element is at least one of mg , ca , sr , ba , zn , li , na , k , y , and sc , the a element is at least one of b , al , ga , and in , the b element is at least one of c , si , ge , and sn , r is at least one of ce , pr , nd , sm , eu , gd , tb , dy , ho , er , tm , yb , and lu , wherein 0 . 5 ≦ m ≦ 1 . 5 , 0 . 001 ≦ m1 ≦ 0 . 2 , 0 . 5 ≦ a1 ≦ 1 . 5 , 0 . 5 ≦ b1 ≦ 1 . 5 , 0 ≦ o1 ≦ 0 . 5 , 2 . 5 ≦ n1 ≦ 3 . 5 , 0 ≦ m2 ≦ 0 . 2 , 0 . 5 ≦ a2 ≦ 1 . 5 , 0 . 5 ≦ b2 ≦ 1 . 5 , 0 . 1 ≦ o2 ≦ 4 , 0 . 1 ≦ n2 ≦ 3 , 0 ≦ m3 ≦ 0 . 2 , 0 . 5 ≦ a3 ≦ 1 . 5 , 0 . 5 ≦ b3 ≦ 1 . 5 , 3 ≦ o3 ≦ 5 , 0 ≦ n3 ≦ 0 . 5 . further preferred embodiments of a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle of the present invention include the following . the transition zone has a thickness ranging from 50 - 500 nm , the oxygen rich zone is at the outer side of the transition zone and has a thickness of no more than 50 nm , and the oxygen poor zone is from the inner side of the transition zone to the core of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle . the nitride luminescent crystal or oxygen - containing solid solution thereof in the oxygen poor zone has a content of no less than 90 %, the nitroxide material in the transition zone has a content of no less than 60 %, and the oxide material or oxynitride material in the oxygen rich zone has a content of no less than 50 %. the nitride luminescent crystal is at least one of ( sr x ca 1 - x - y1 ) alsin 3 : y1eu or an oxygen - containing solid solution thereof , the nitroxide material is ( sr x ca 1 - x - y1 ) alsin 3 - z1 o 1 . 5z1 : y1eu , and the oxide material or oxynitride material is ( sr x ca 1 - x - y1 ) alsio 4 . 5 - z2 n z2 : y1eu , wherein 0 ≦ x ≦ 0 . 99 , 0 . 001 ≦ y1 ≦ 0 . 2 , 0 & lt ; z1 & lt ; 3 , 0 & lt ; z2 & lt ; 0 . 5 . the oxygen poor zone further comprises a nitroxide luminescent crystal , the transition zone further comprises a nitride material , and the oxygen rich zone further comprises a nitroxide material . the material of the structure of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is a compound or a mixture . any of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particles of the present invention as described above is excited at an excitation wavelength ranging from 300 - 500 nm to emit red light having a peak wavelength at 600 - 670 nm . a nitrogen - containing illuminant according to the present invention comprises a mixture of any of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particles of the present invention as described above and other crystalline grains or non - crystalline particles , the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle being present in the mixture at a proportion of no less than 50 wt %. a method 1 for preparing a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle and preferred embodiments thereof according to the present invention comprises the following specific steps : step 1 : weighting desired starting materials at a stoichiometric ratio of cations in the composition of a chemical formula m m - m1 a a1 b b1 o o1 n n1 : r m1 , with a nitride , oxide or halide of m , a , b , and r as starting materials ; step 2 : uniformly mixing the starting materials weighted in the step 1 in a nitrogen atmosphere to form a mix ; step 3 : subjecting the mix obtained in the step 2 to high - temperature calcination in a calcination atmosphere , followed by low - temperature calcination at a reduced predetermined temperature in a nitrogen - oxygen mixture or air atmosphere , to give a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle semi - product ; wherein the high - temperature calcination has a temperature of 1400 - 2000 ° c . and a duration of 6 - 18 h ; the atmosphere of the high - temperature calcination is a nitrogen atmosphere , a nitrogen - argon mixture atmosphere , another inert gas atmosphere , a nitrogen - hydrogen mixture atmosphere , or another reducing gas atmosphere ; the pressure of the high - temperature calcination is 1 - 100 atm ; the low - temperature calcination has a temperature of 200 - 450 ° c . and a duration of 1 - 24 h ; the feeding rate of the nitrogen - oxygen mixture or air in the low - temperature calcination is 0 . 1 - 10 l / min ; and the volume percent of oxygen in the nitrogen - oxygen mixture atmosphere is no more than 20 %; and step 4 : subjecting the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle semi - product obtained in the step 3 to a post - treatment , to give a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product ; wherein the post - treatment includes grinding , screening , washing , drying , and the washing is performed to obtain the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product having a conductivity of less than 10 μs / cm . a method 2 for preparing a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle and preferred embodiments thereof according to the present invention comprises the following specific steps : step 1 : weighting desired starting materials at a stoichiometric ratio of cations in the composition of a chemical formula m m - m1 a a1 b b1 o o1 n n1 : r m1 , with a nitride , oxide or halide of m , a , b , and r as starting materials ; step 2 : uniformly mixing the starting materials weighted in the step 1 in a nitrogen atmosphere to form a mix ; step 3 : subjecting the mix obtained in the step 2 to high - temperature calcination in a calcination atmosphere , to give a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle semi - product ; wherein the high - temperature calcination has a temperature of 1400 - 2000 ° c . and a duration of 6 - 18 h ; the atmosphere of the high - temperature calcination is a nitrogen atmosphere , a nitrogen - argon mixture atmosphere , another inert gas atmosphere , a nitrogen - hydrogen mixture atmosphere , or another reducing gas atmosphere ; and the pressure of the high - temperature calcination is 1 - 100 atm ; step 4 : subjecting the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle semi - product obtained in the step 3 to a post - treatment ; wherein the post - treatment includes grinding , screening , washing , drying , and the washing is performed to obtain the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product having a conductivity of less than 10 μs / cm ; and step 5 : subjecting the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle obtained in the step 4 to low - temperature calcination in a nitrogen - oxygen mixture or air atmosphere , to give a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product ; wherein the low - temperature calcination has a temperature of 200 - 450 ° c . and a duration of 1 - 24 h ; and the volume percent of oxygen in the nitrogen - oxygen mixture atmosphere is no more than 20 %. a luminescent device according to the present invention at least comprises an led chip emitting uv light , violet light or blue light , and a fluorescent powder , wherein the fluorescent powder at least uses any of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particles of the present invention as described above . a luminescent device according to the present invention at least comprises an led chip emitting uv light , violet light or blue light , and a fluorescent powder , wherein the fluorescent powder at least uses the nitrogen - containing illuminant of the present invention as described above . further preferably , a luminescent device according to the present invention further comprises other types of fluorescent powders , so as to meet lighting requirements or applications in high - color - rendering white light leds in the backlight , by complementation of luminescent colors . specific examples and comparative examples of a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle and method for preparing a same according to the present invention are further disclosed below , wherein the examples means that a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product is obtained following a structure of a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle and method for preparing a same of the present invention , and the comparative examples means that a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product is obtained following a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle and method for preparing a same disclosed in the prior art . the average oxygen atom content and the average nitrogen atom content in the nitrogen - containing luminescent particles are obtained by an oxygen / nitrogen analyzer . 0 . 27 g of ca 3 n 2 , 9 . 954 g of sr 3 n 2 , 4 . 477 g of aln , 5 . 107 g of si 3 n 4 , and 0 . 192 g of eu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 3 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1700 ° c . under a nitrogen atmosphere for 12 h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 8 . 56 μs / cm , and after drying , the temperature was raised to 400 ° c . in an air atmosphere for calcination for 5 h , to give a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product . the emission spectrum is shown in fig2 , the excitation spectrum is shown in fig3 , and the x - ray diffraction pattern is shown in fig4 . the chemical composition of the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 05 sr 0 . 94 alsin 3 : 0 . 01eu , the chemical composition of the transition zone is ca 0 . 05 sr 0 . 94 alsio 1 . 5 n 2 : 0 . 01eu , with a thickness of 400 nm , and the chemical composition of the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 05 sr 0 . 94 alsio 4 . 5 : 0 . 01eu , with a thickness of 30 nm . 0 . 435 g of ca 3 n 2 , 9 . 712 g of sr 3 n 2 , 4 . 512 g of aln , 5 . 147 g of si 3 n 4 , and 0 . 194 g of eu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 3 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1700 ° c . under a nitrogen atmosphere for 12 h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 4 . 42 μs / cm , and after drying , the temperature was raised to 400 ° c . in an air atmosphere for calcination for 5 h , to give a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product . the emission spectrum is shown in fig2 , the excitation spectrum is shown in fig3 , and the x - ray diffraction pattern is shown in fig4 . the chemical composition of the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 08 sr 0 . 91 alsin 3 : 0 . 01eu , the chemical composition of the transition zone is ca 0 . 08 sr 0 . 91 alsio 1 . 8 n 1 . 8 : 0 . 01eu , with a thickness of 380 nm , and the chemical composition of the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 08 sr 0 . 91 alsi 0 . 7 o 3 . 9 : 0 . 01eu , with a thickness of 25 nm . 0 . 547 g of ca 3 n 2 , 9 . 549 g of sr 3 n 2 , 4 . 535 g of aln , 5 . 174 g of si 3 n 4 , and 0 . 195 g of eu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 3 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1700 ° c . under a nitrogen atmosphere for 12 h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 6 . 25 μs / cm , and after drying , the temperature was raised to 400 ° c . in an air atmosphere for calcination for 5 h , to give a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product . the emission spectrum is shown in fig2 , the excitation spectrum is shown in fig3 , and the x - ray diffraction pattern is shown in fig4 . the chemical composition of the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 1 sr 0 . 89 alsin 3 : 0 . 01eu , the chemical composition of the transition zone is ca 0 . 1 sr 0 . 89 alsio 1 . 5 n 2 : 0 . 01eu , with a thickness of 270 nm , and the chemical composition of the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 1 sr 0 . 89 alsio 4 . 5 : 0 . 01eu , with a thickness of 42 nm . 0 . 66 g of ca 3 n 2 , 9 . 383 g of sr 3 n 2 , 5 . 56 g of aln , 5 . 202 g of si 3 n 4 , and 0 . 196 g of eu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 3 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1700 ° c . under a nitrogen atmosphere for 12 h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 7 . 28 μs / cm , and after drying , the temperature was raised to 400 ° c . in an air atmosphere for calcination for 5 h , to give a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product . the emission spectrum is shown in fig2 , the excitation spectrum is shown in fig3 , the luminescent intensity is shown in table 1 and is higher than that in comparative example 1 , the x - ray diffraction pattern is shown in fig4 , and the sem picture is shown in fig5 . the chemical composition of the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 12 sr 0 . 87 alsin 3 : 0 . 01eu , the chemical composition of the transition zone is ca 0 . 12 sr 0 . 87 alsio 1 . 35 n 2 . 1 : 0 . 01eu , with a thickness of 360 nm , and the chemical composition of the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 12 sr 0 . 87 alsi 1 . 05 o 4 . 3 n 0 . 2 : 0 . 01eu , with a thickness of 48 nm . 0 . 66 g of ca 3 n 2 , 9 . 383 g of sr 3 n 2 , 5 . 56 g of aln , 5 . 202 g of si 3 n 4 , and 0 . 196 g of eu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 3 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1700 ° c . under a nitrogen atmosphere for 12 h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 5 . 12 μs / cm , and after drying , a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product was obtained . the emission spectrum is shown in fig2 , the excitation spectrum is shown in fig3 , the x - ray diffraction pattern is shown in fig4 , and the sem picture is shown in fig6 . the chemical composition of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 12 sr 0 . 87 alsin 3 : 0 . 01eu . the nitrogen - containing luminescent particles in the examples and the comparative example as described above were made into a luminescent device respectively , and the testing results show that the luminescent intensity and the aging properties of the comparative example 1 are lower than those of the examples 1 - 4 , as shown in table 1 . the aging conditions are : smd 2835 led lamp bead , chip size 10 × 30 mil , chip band 452 . 5 - 455 nm , current 150 ma , power 0 . 5 w , ambient conditions : normal temperature and moisture . 0 . 545 g of ca 3 n 2 , 9 . 412 g of sr 3 n 2 , 4 . 522 g of aln , 5 . 133 g of si 3 n 4 , and 0 . 388 g of eu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 2 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1800 ° c . under a nitrogen - argon mixture atmosphere for 10 h , and then the temperature was reduced to 350 ° c ., and the air atmosphere was fed at a rate of 5 l / min for calcination for 6 h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 5 . 33 μs / cm , and after drying , a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product was obtained . the chemical composition of the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 1 sr 0 . 88 alsi 0 . 995 o 0 . 02 n 2 . 98 : 0 . 02eu , the chemical composition of the transition zone is ca 0 . 1 sr 0 . 88 alsio 0 . 9 n 2 . 4 : 0 . 02eu , with a thickness of 450 nm , and the chemical composition of the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 1 sr 0 . 88 alsio 4 . 5 : 0 . 02eu , with a thickness of 24 nm . 0 . 447 g of ca 3 n 2 , 11 . 3 g of ba 3 n 2 , 3 . 706 g of aln , 4 . 229 g of si 3 n 4 , and 0 . 318 g of eu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 2 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1800 ° c . under a nitrogen - argon mixture atmosphere for 10 h , and then the temperature was reduced to 350 ° c ., and the air atmosphere was fed at a rate of 5 l / min for calcination for 6h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 6 . 89 μs / cm , and after drying , a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product was obtained . the chemical composition of the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 1 ba 0 . 88 alsin 3 : 0 . 02eu , the chemical composition of the transition zone is ca 0 . 1 ba 0 . 88 alsio 0 . 9 n 2 . 4 : 0 . 02eu , with a thickness of 200 nm , and the chemical composition of the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 1 ba 0 . 88 alsi 1 . 01 o 4 . 5 , with a thickness of 32 nm . 0 . 547 g of ca 3 n 2 , 9 . 442 g of sr 3 n 2 , 4 . 309 g of aln , 0 . 137 g of bn , 5 . 175 g of si 3 n 4 , and 0 . 389 g of eu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 2 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1800 ° c . under a nitrogen - argon mixture atmosphere for 10 h , and then the temperature was reduced to 350 ° c ., and the air atmosphere was fed at a rate of 5 l / min for calcination for 6h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 7 . 65 μs / cm , and after drying , a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product was obtained . the chemical composition of the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 1 sr 0 . 88 al 0 . 95 b 0 . 05 sin 3 : 0 . 02eu , the chemical composition of the transition zone is ca 0 . 1 sr 0 . 88 al 0 . 95 bi 0 . 05 sio 1 . 2 n 2 . 2 : 0 . 02eu , with a thickness of 360 nm , and the chemical composition of the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 2 sr 0 . 78 alsio 4 . 5 : 0 . 02eu , with a thickness of 50 nm . 0 . 538 g of ca 3 n 2 , 9 . 291 g of sr 3 n 2 , 4 . 24 g of aln , 0 . 456 g of gan , 5 . 092 g of si 3 n 4 , and 0 . 383 g of eu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 2 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1800 ° c . under a nitrogen - argon mixture atmosphere for 10 h , and then the temperature was reduced to 350 ° c ., and the air atmosphere was fed at a rate of 5 l / min for calcination for 6h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 7 . 65 μs / cm , and after drying , a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product was obtained . the chemical composition of the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 1 sr 0 . 88 al 0 . 95 ga 0 . 05 sin 3 : 0 . 02eu , the chemical composition of the transition zone is ca 0 . 1 sr 0 . 88 al 0 . 95 ga 0 . 05 sio 1 . 5 n 2 : 0 . 02eu , with a thickness of 310 nm , and the chemical composition of the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 1 sr 0 . 88 al 0 . 95 ga 0 . 05 si 0 . 76 o 4 , with a thickness of 50 nm . 0 . 556 g of ca 3 n 2 , 9 . 05 g of sr 3 n 2 , 0 . 131 g of li 3 n , 4 . 609 of aln , 5 . 259 g of si 3 n 4 , and 0 . 396 g of eu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 2 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1800 ° c . under a nitrogen - argon mixture atmosphere for 10 h , and then the temperature was reduced to 350 ° c ., and the air atmosphere was fed at a rate of 5 l / min for calcination for 6h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 9 . 12 s / cm , and after drying , a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product was obtained . the chemical composition of the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 1 sr 0 . 83 li 0 . 1 alsin 3 : 0 . 02eu , the chemical composition of the transition zone is ca 0 . 1 sr 0 . 83 li 0 . 1 alsi 0 . 7 o 1 . 2 n 1 . 8 : 0 . 02eu , with a thickness of 440 nm , and the chemical composition of the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 1 sr 0 . 83 li 0 . 1 alsi 0 . 7 o 3 . 88 , with a thickness of 25 nm . 0 . 544 g of ca 3 n 2 , 9 . 4 g of sr 3 n 2 , 4 . 516 g of aln , 5 . 152 g of si 3 n 4 , and 0 . 388 g of eu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 2 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1800 ° c . under a nitrogen - argon mixture atmosphere for 10 h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 5 . 77 μs / cm , to give a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product . the chemical composition of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 1 sr 0 . 88 alsin 3 : 0 . 02eu . the nitrogen - containing luminescent particles in the examples and the comparative example as described above were made into a luminescent device respectively , and the testing results show that the luminescent intensity and the aging properties of the comparative example 2 are lower than those of the examples 5 - 9 , as shown in table 2 . the aging conditions are : smd 2835 led lamp bead , chip size 10 × 30 mil , chip band 452 . 5 - 455 nm , current 150 ma , power 0 . 5 w , ambient conditions : normal temperature and moisture . 5 . 38 g of ca 3 n 2 , 5 . 25 g of aln , 5 . 989 g of si 3 n 4 , and 3 . 381 g of eu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 3 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1850 ° c . under a nitrogen - argon mixture atmosphere for 12 h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 4 . 18 μs / cm , and after drying , the temperature was raised to 300 ° c . in a nitrogen - oxygen mixture atmosphere ( in which the volume percent of oxygen is 10 %) for calcination for 8 h , to give a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product . the emission spectrum is shown in fig1 , and the thermal quenching spectrum is shown in fig8 . the chemical composition of the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 85 alsin 3 : 0 . 15eu , the chemical composition of the transition zone is ca 0 . 85 alsio 1 . 5 n 2 : 0 . 15eu , with a thickness of 230 nm , and the chemical composition of the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 85 alsio 4 . 5 : 0 . 15eu , with a thickness of 30 nm . 5 . 432 g of ca 3 n 2 , 5 . 301 g of aln , 6 . 047 g of si 3 n 4 , and 3 . 219 g of eun were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 3 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1850 ° c . under a nitrogen - argon mixture atmosphere for 12 h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 7 . 63 μs / cm , and after drying , the temperature was raised to 300 ° c . in a nitrogen - oxygen mixture atmosphere ( in which the volume percent of oxygen is 10 %) for calcination for 8 h , to give a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product . the emission spectrum is shown in fig1 , and the thermal quenching spectrum is shown in fig8 . the chemical composition of the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 85 alsin 3 : 0 . 15eu , the chemical composition of the transition zone is ca 0 . 85 alsi 0 . 75 on 2 : 0 . 15eu , with a thickness of 290 nm , and the chemical composition of the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 85 alsi 0 . 625 o 3 . 6 n 0 . 1 : 0 . 15eu , with a thickness of 25 nm . 5 . 215 g of ca 3 n 2 , 5 . 089 g of aln , 5 . 805 g of si 3 n 4 , and 3 . 891 g of euf 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 3 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1850 ° c . under a nitrogen - argon mixture atmosphere for 12 h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 5 . 44 μs / cm , and after drying , the temperature was raised to 300 ° c . in a nitrogen - oxygen mixture atmosphere ( in which the volume percent of oxygen is 10 %) for calcination for 8 h , to give a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product . the emission spectrum is shown in fig1 , and the thermal quenching spectrum is shown in fig8 . the chemical composition of the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 85 alsin 3 : 0 . 15eu , the chemical composition of the transition zone is ca 0 . 85 al 0 . 7 sio 0 . 9 n 2 . 1 : 0 . 15eu , with a thickness of 275 nm , and the chemical composition of the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 85 al 0 . 8 sio 4 . 2 : 0 . 15eu , with a thickness of 16 nm . 4 . 985 g of ca 3 n 2 , 4 . 865 g of aln , 5 . 55 g of si 3 n 4 , and 4 . 599 g of eucl 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 3 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1850 ° c . under a nitrogen - argon mixture atmosphere for 12 h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 6 . 16 μs / cm , and after drying , the temperature was raised to 300 ° c . in a nitrogen - oxygen mixture atmosphere ( in which the volume percent of oxygen is 10 %) for calcination for 8 h , to give a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product . the emission spectrum is shown in fig7 , and the thermal quenching spectrum is shown in fig8 . the chemical composition of the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 85 alsin 3 : 0 . 15eu , the chemical composition of the transition zone is ca 0 . 85 alsio 1 . 2 n 2 . 2 : 0 . 15eu , with a thickness of 365 nm , and the chemical composition of the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 85 alsio 4 . 5 : 0 . 15eu , with a thickness of 42 nm . 5 . 38 g of ca 3 n 2 , 5 . 25 g of aln , 5 . 989 g of si 3 n 4 , and 3 . 381 g of eu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 3 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1850 ° c . under a nitrogen - argon mixture atmosphere for 12 h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 6 . 35 μs / cm , and after drying , a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product was obtained . the emission spectrum is shown in fig7 , and the thermal quenching spectrum is shown in fig8 . the chemical composition of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 85 alsin 3 : 0 . 15eu . the nitrogen - containing luminescent particles in the examples and the comparative example as described above were made into a luminescent device respectively , and the testing results show that the luminescent intensity and the aging properties of the comparative example 3 are lower than those of the examples 10 - 13 , as shown in table 3 . the aging conditions are : smd 2835 led lamp bead , chip size 10 × 30 mil , chip band 452 . 5 - 455 nm , current 150 ma , power 0 . 5 w , ambient conditions : normal temperature and moisture . 7 . 191 g of ca 3 n 2 , 6 . 812 g of si 3 n 4 , 5 . 971 g of aln , and 0 . 026 g of eu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 1 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1820 ° c . under a nitrogen atmosphere for 8 h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 3 . 27 μs / cm , and after drying , the temperature was raised to 200 ° c . in a nitrogen - oxygen mixture atmosphere ( in which the volume percent of oxygen is 5 %) for calcination for 15 h , to give a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product . the chemical composition of the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 999 alsin 3 : 0 . 001eu , the chemical composition of the transition zone is ca 0 . 999 alsi 0 . 75 on 2 : 0 . 001eu , with a thickness of 330 nm , and the chemical composition of the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 999 alsi 0 . 75 o 4 : 0 . 001eu , with a thickness of 42 nm . 7 . 068 g of ca 3 n 2 , 6 . 756 g of si 3 n 4 , 5 . 922 g of aln , and 0 . 254 g of eu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 1 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1820 ° c . under a nitrogen atmosphere for 8 h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 5 . 61 μs / cm , and after drying , the temperature was raised to 200 ° c . in a nitrogen - oxygen mixture atmosphere ( in which the volume percent of oxygen is 5 %) for calcination for 15 h , to give a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product . the emission spectrum is shown in fig9 . the chemical composition of the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 99 alsin 3 : 0 . 01eu , the chemical composition of the transition zone is ca 0 . 99 alsio 1 . 2 n 2 . 2 : 0 . 01eu , with a thickness of 385 nm , and the chemical composition of the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 99 alsio 4 . 5 : 0 . 01eu , with a thickness of 32 nm . 6 . 543 g of ca 3 n 2 , 6 . 517 g of si 3 n 4 , 5 . 713 g of aln , and 1 . 226 g of eu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 1 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1820 ° c . under a nitrogen atmosphere for 8 h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 6 . 95 μs / cm , and after drying , the temperature was raised to 200 ° c . in a nitrogen - oxygen mixture atmosphere ( in which the volume percent of oxygen is 5 %) for calcination for 15 h , to give a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product . the emission spectrum is shown in fig9 . the chemical composition of the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 95 alsin 3 : 0 . 05eu , the chemical composition of the transition zone is ca 0 . 95 alsi 0 . 775 o 0 . 9 n 2 . 1 : 0 . 05eu , with a thickness of 360 nm , and the chemical composition of the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 95 alsi 0 . 725 o 3 . 9 , with a thickness of 27 nm . 5 . 937 g of ca 3 n 2 , 6 . 242 g of si 3 n 4 , 5 . 472 g of aln , and 2 . 349 g of eu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 1 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1820 ° c . under a nitrogen atmosphere for 8 h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 5 . 14 μs / cm , and after drying , the temperature was raised to 200 ° c . in a nitrogen - oxygen mixture atmosphere ( in which the volume percent of oxygen is 5 %) for calcination for 15 h , to give a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product . the emission spectrum is shown in fig9 . the chemical composition of the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 9 alsin 3 : 0 . 1eu , the chemical composition of the transition zone is ca 0 . 9 alsio 1 . 5 n 2 : 0 . 1eu , with a thickness of 440 nm , and the chemical composition of the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 9 alsio 4 . 5 : 0 . 1eu , with a thickness of 28 nm . 4 . 866 g of ca 3 n 2 , 5 . 756 g of si 3 n 4 , 5 . 045 g of aln , and 4 . 332 g of eu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 1 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1820 ° c . under a nitrogen atmosphere for 8 h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 8 . 22 μs / cm , and after drying , the temperature was raised to 200 ° c . in a nitrogen - oxygen mixture atmosphere ( in which the volume percent of oxygen is 5 %) for calcination for 15 h , to give a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product . the emission spectrum is shown in fig9 . the chemical composition of the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 8 alsin 3 : 0 . 2eu , the chemical composition of the transition zone is ca 0 . 8 alsi 0 . 725 o 1 . 1 n 1 . 9 : 0 . 2eu , with a thickness of 345 nm , and the chemical composition of the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 8 alsi 1 . 075 o 4 . 2 n 0 . 3 : 0 . 2eu , with a thickness of 40 nm . 4 . 866 g of ca 3 n 2 , 5 . 756 g of si 3 n 4 , 5 . 045 g of aln , and 4 . 332 g of eu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 1 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1820 ° c . under a nitrogen atmosphere for 8 h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 6 . 11 μs / cm , and after drying , a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product was obtained . the emission spectrum is shown in fig9 . the chemical composition of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 8 alsin 3 : 0 . 2eu . the nitrogen - containing luminescent particles in the examples and the comparative example as described above were made into a luminescent device respectively , and the testing results show that the luminescent intensity and the aging properties of the comparative example 4 are lower than those of the examples 14 - 18 , as shown in table 4 . the aging conditions are : smd 2835 led lamp bead , chip size 10 × 30 mil , chip band 452 . 5 - 455 nm , current 150 ma , power 0 . 5 w , ambient conditions : normal temperature and moisture . 0 . 803 g of ca 3 n 2 , 7 . 98 g of sr 3 n 2 , 4 . 439 g of aln , 5 . 064 g of si 3 n 4 , and 1 . 715 g of eu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 4 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1780 ° c . under a nitrogen - argon mixture atmosphere for 9 h , and then the temperature was reduced to 320 ° c ., and a nitrogen - oxygen mixture atmosphere ( in which the volume percent of oxygen is 7 %) was fed at a rate of 3 l / min for calcination for 8h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 5 . 18 μs / cm , and after drying , a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product was obtained . the thermal quenching spectrum is shown in fig1 . the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 15 sr 0 . 76 alsin 3 : 0 . 09eu , the transition zone is ca 0 . 15 sr 0 . 76 alsi 0 . 8 o 0 . 8 n 2 . 2 : 0 . 09eu , with a thickness of 220 nm , and the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 15 sr 0 . 76 alsi 0 . 825 o 4 n 0 . 1 : 0 . 09eu , with a thickness of 29 nm . 0 . 805 g of ca 3 n 2 , 8 . 002 g of sr 3 n 2 , 4 . 317 g of aln , 0 . 332 g of al 2 o 3 , 4 . 824 g of si 2 n 3 , and 1 . 72 g of eu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 4 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1780 ° c . under a nitrogen - argon mixture atmosphere for 9 h , and then the temperature was reduced to 320 ° c ., and a nitrogen - oxygen mixture atmosphere ( in which the volume percent of oxygen is 7 %) was fed at a rate of 3 l / min for calcination for 8h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 6 . 25 μs / cm , and after drying , a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product was obtained . the thermal quenching spectrum is shown in fig1 . the chemical composition of the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 15 sr 0 . 76 alsi 0 . 95 o 0 . 2 n 2 . 8 : 0 . 09eu , the chemical composition of the transition zone is ca 0 . 15 sr 0 . 76 alsi 0 . 85 o 0 . 6 n 2 . 4 : 0 . 09eu , with a thickness of 360 nm , and the chemical composition of the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 15 sr 0 . 76 alsi 0 . 81 o 4 n 0 . 08 : 0 . 09eu , with a thickness of 49 nm . 0 . 798 g of ca 3 n 2 , 7 . 932 g of sr 3 n 2 , 4 . 412 g of aln , 4 . 858 g of si 3 n 4 , 0 . 295 g of sio 2 , and 1 . 705 g of eu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 4 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1780 ° c . under a nitrogen - argon mixture atmosphere for 9 h , and then the temperature was reduced to 320 ° c ., and a nitrogen - oxygen mixture atmosphere ( in which the volume percent of oxygen is 7 %) was fed at a rate of 3 l / min for calcination for 8h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 5 . 26 μs / cm , and after drying , a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product was obtained . the thermal quenching spectrum is shown in fig1 . the chemical composition of the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 15 sr 0 . 76 alsi 0 . 975 o 0 . 1 n 2 . 9 : 0 . 09eu , the chemical composition of the transition zone is ca 0 . 15 sr 0 . 76 alsi 0 . 8 o 0 . 8 n 2 . 2 : 0 . 09eu , with a thickness of 340 nm , and the chemical composition of the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 15 sr 0 . 76 alsi 0 . 85 o 4 . 2 : 0 . 09eu , with a thickness of 29 nm . 0 . 803 g of ca 3 n 2 , 7 . 98 g of sr 3 n 2 , 4 . 439 g of aln , 5 . 064 g of si 3 n 4 , and 1 . 715 g of eu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 4 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1780 ° c . under a nitrogen - argon mixture atmosphere for 9 h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 6 . 87 μs / cm , and after drying , a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product was obtained . the thermal quenching spectrum is shown in fig1 . the chemical composition of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 15 sr 0 . 76 alsin 3 : 0 . 09eu . the nitrogen - containing luminescent particles in the examples and the comparative example as described above were made into a luminescent device respectively , and the testing results show that the luminescent intensity and the aging properties of the comparative example 5 are lower than those of the examples 19 - 21 , as shown in table 5 . the aging conditions are : smd 2835 led lamp bead , chip size 10 × 30 mil , chip band 452 . 5 - 455 nm , current 150 ma , power 0 . 5 w , ambient conditions : normal temperature and moisture . 7 . 025 g of ca 3 n 2 , 5 . 903 g of aln , 6 . 735 g of si 3 n 4 , 0 . 203 g of eu 2 o 3 , and 0 . 134 g of dy 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 3 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1880 ° c . under a nitrogen atmosphere for 12 h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 4 . 56 μs / cm , and after drying , the temperature was raised to 280 ° c . in a nitrogen - oxygen mixture atmosphere ( in which the volume percent of oxygen is 8 %) for calcination for 10 h , to give a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product . the chemical composition of the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 987 alsin 3 : 0 . 008eu , 0 . 005dy , the chemical composition of the transition zone is ca 0 . 987 alsi 0 . 8 o 0 . 8 n 2 . 2 : 0 . 008eu , 0 . 005dy , with a thickness of 390 nm , and the chemical composition of the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 987 alsi 0 . 8 o 4 . 1 : 0 . 008eu , 0 . 005dy , with a thickness of 28 nm . 7 . 032 g of ca 3 n 2 , 5 . 909 g of aln , 6 . 741 g of si 3 n 4 , 0 . 203 g of eu 2 o 3 , and 0 . 115 g of lu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 3 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1880 ° c . under a nitrogen atmosphere for 12 h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 5 . 66 μs / cm , and after drying , the temperature was raised to 280 ° c . in a nitrogen - oxygen mixture atmosphere ( in which the volume percent of oxygen is 8 %) for calcination for 10 h , to give a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product . the chemical composition of the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 988 alsin 3 : 0 . 008eu , 0 . 004lu , the chemical composition of the transition zone is ca 0 . 988 alsio 0 . 9 n 2 . 4 : 0 . 008eu , 0 . 004lu , with a thickness of 465 nm , and the chemical composition of the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 988 alsio 4 . 5 : 0 . 008eu , 0 . 004lu , with a thickness of 38 nm . 7 . 034 g of ca 3 n 2 , 5 . 911 g of aln , 6 . 743 g of si 3 n 4 , 0 . 203 g of eu 2 o 3 , and 0 . 109 g of ho 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 3 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1880 ° c . under a nitrogen atmosphere for 12 h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 3 . 87 μs / cm , and after drying , the temperature was raised to 280 ° c . in a nitrogen - oxygen mixture atmosphere ( in which the volume percent of oxygen is 8 %) for calcination for 10 h , to give a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product . the chemical composition of the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 988 alsin 3 : 0 . 008eu , 0 . 004ho , the chemical composition of the transition zone is ca 0 . 988 alsi 0 . 875 o 0 . 5 n 2 . 5 : 0 . 008eu , 0 . 004ho , with a thickness of 390 nm , and the chemical composition of the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 988 alsi 0 . 65 o 3 . 8 : 0 . 008eu , 0 . 004ho , with a thickness of 37 nm . 7 . 033 g of ca 3 n 2 , 5 . 91 g of aln , 6 . 743 g of si 3 n 4 , 0 . 203 g of eu 2 o 3 , and 0 . 111 g of ho 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 3 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1880 ° c . under a nitrogen atmosphere for 12 h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 4 . 89 μs / cm , and after drying , the temperature was raised to 280 ° c . in a nitrogen - oxygen mixture atmosphere ( in which the volume percent of oxygen is 8 %) for calcination for 10 h , to give a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product . the chemical composition of the oxygen poor zone of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 987 alsin 3 : 0 . 008eu , 0 . 005ce , the chemical composition of the transition zone is ca 0 . 987 alsio 1 . 2 n 2 . 2 : 0 . 008eu , 0 . 005ce , with a thickness of 350 nm , and the chemical composition of the oxygen rich zone is ca 0 . 987 alsio 4 . 5 : 0 . 008eu , 0 . 005ce , with a thickness of 15 nm . 7 . 095 g of ca 3 n 2 , 5 . 933 g of aln , 6 . 768 g of si 3 n 4 , and 0 . 204 g of eu 2 o 3 were weighted . these starting materials were thoroughly mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere for 3 h and charged into an mo crucible , which was rapidly transferred to a tubular furnace , and then the temperature was gradually raised to 1880 ° c . under a nitrogen atmosphere for 12 h ; the resulting nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was pulverized and sieved , the sieved nitrogen - containing luminescent particle was placed into deionized water and stirred for 30 min , then suction - filtered , and finally washed to a conductivity of 5 . 58 μs / cm , and after drying , a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle product was obtained . the chemical composition of the nitrogen - containing luminescent particle is ca 0 . 992 alsin 3 : 0 . 008eu . the nitrogen - containing luminescent particles in the examples and the comparative example as described above were made into a luminescent device respectively , and the testing results show that the luminescent intensity and the aging properties of the comparative example 6 are lower than those of the examples 22 - 25 , as shown in table 6 . the aging conditions are : smd 2835 led lamp bead , chip size 10 × 30 mil , chip band 452 . 5 - 455 nm , current 150 ma , power 0 . 5 w , ambient conditions : normal temperature and moisture . the contents not specifically described in the specific embodiments of the present invention are known in the art and may be implemented with reference to known techniques . the present invention has been verified via repeated tests , and satisfactory test results are achieved . the specific embodiments and examples above are provided to support the technical concepts of a nitrogen - containing luminescent particle and method for preparing a same , a nitrogen - containing illuminant , and a luminescent device of the present invention , and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention . any equivalent modification or variations made based on the present technical solution following the technical concepts of the present invention , all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention .	5
for the purpose of the present invention , the term “ stone ” means a natural stone used in construction or sculpture ( such as granite , marble , limestone , or sandstone ) as well as tile , cement , brick , stucco , and the like . the method of the present invention provides surprising benefits over the methods of the art . in the method of the present invention , a substantially amorphous fluoropolymer composition is employed as a coating agent for stone in order to provide high liquid moisture barrier , good moisture vapor permeability , and resistance to environmental pollutants . the non - fugitive , very low areal density coating formed on the stone surface is surprisingly effective over the materials of the art . furthermore , the substantially amorphous fluoropolymer of the present invention is readily soluble in a variety of solvents by virtue of its amorphous nature , and is thereby both readily applied in the form of an environmentally friendly solution and readily removed by conventional solvents should that be deemed necessary after application . further still , the highly desirable effects of the method of the present invention are achieved employing a substantially amorphous fluoropolymer in relatively small quantities in order to achieve the desired combination of water vapor permeability and liquid water resistance . the polymers suitable for use in the present invention are substantially amorphous , in contrast to most fluorinated polymers in common use which are known to be moderately to highly crystalline . one of skill in the art will appreciate that the degree of polymer crystallinity which can be tolerated in a given situation will depend upon the specific polymer structure , solvents , other adjuvants , application methods , requisites of the particular application , and substrate in a given practical embodiment of the invention . for the purpose of the present invention , amorphous polymers suitable for the practice of the invention may exhibit a melting endotherm having an associated heat of fusion no greater than 5 j / g , preferably no greater than 2 j / g , more preferably no greater than 1 j / g , at a temperature above about 20 ° c . more preferably the polymers employed for the practice of the invention will exhibit no melting endotherm above about 100 ° c . most preferably the polymers employed for the practice of the invention will exhibit no melting endotherm whatever . for the purpose of the present invention , the heat of fusion is determined by differential scanning calorimetry ( dsc ) at a heating rate of 10 ° c ./ min , according to astm d4591 - 97 . dsc is also the technique of choice for determining the glass transition temperature . glass transition temperatures of the polymer are preferably no higher than 30 ° c ., most preferably no higher than 20 ° c . glass transitions should be set by the methods herein described so that the polymer will not undergo repeated transitions while in place on the stone . the polymers suitable for use in the present invention may be made via a continuous polymerization process , for example according to the teachings of anolick et al ., u . s . pat . no . 5 , 663 , 255 . continuous polymerization reactors include continuous stirred tank reactors and pipeline ( tubular ) reactors , both of which are well - known in the art . the process is run at a pressure of about 41 to about 690 mpa , especially about 69 to about 103 mpa . at lower pressures the molecular weight of the polymers formed and the conversion of monomers to polymer both tend to decrease . solvents can be used in the reactor . so that a polymer solution may be made in a single step . when solvents are used it is preferred that they be essentially inert under process conditions . useful solvents include perfluorodimethylcyclobutane and perfluoro ( n - butyltetrahydrofuran ). a particularly useful solvent is co 2 . the polymer is soluble in the monomer ( s ) under the process conditions . therefore , one method of polymer isolation is to reduce the pressure below that required for solution of the polymer , and isolate the polymer from that , as by decantation , filtration or centrifugation . the apparatus for running the polymerization may be any suitable pressure apparatus in which the reactant and products streams may be added and removed at appropriate rates . thus the apparatus may be a stirred or unstirred autoclave , a pipeline type reactor , or other suitable apparatus . agitation is not necessary , but preferable , especially to obtain polymers with low polydispersity . the material of construction should be suitable for the process ingredients , and metals such as stainless steel are often suitable . the polymerization is carried out above about 200 ° c ., and most preferably from about 250 ° to about 400 ° c . the initiator is chosen so that it will generate active free radicals at the temperature at which the polymerization is carried out . such free radical sources , particularly those suitable for hydrocarbon vinyl monomers at much lower temperatures , are known to one of skill in the art , see for instance j . brandrup , et al ., ed ., polymer handbook , 3rd ed ., john wiley & amp ; sons , new york , 1989 , p . ii / 1 to ii / 65 . the preferred temperature for running the instant process depends on both the monomers and the initiator and is often a compromise between raising temperature to favor high productivities and high conversions and lowering temperature to minimize chain transfer and monomer degradation . for the copolymerization of hfp with tfe , for example , where chain transfer is not a problem , initiation by c 2 f 5 so 2 c 2 f 5 is a good choice on account of the very high productivities it affords at 400 ° c . for the polymerization of hfp / tfe / pmve , however , where pmve chain transfer is of prime concern , nf 3 which retains good efficiency at 250 ° c ., is an excellent choice for initiator . suitable free radical initiators include nf 3 , r f nf 2 , r f 2 nf , r f 3 n , r 1 n ═ nr 1 , r f oor f , perfluoropiperazine , and hindered perfluorocarbons of the formula c n f 2n + 2 wherein each r f is independently perfluoroalkyl , preferably containing 1 to 20 carbon atoms , hindered perfluoroalkenes of the formula c n f 2n , perfluoro ( dialkylsulfones ) of the formula r 1 so 2 r 1 , perfluoroalkyl iodides of the formula r 1 i , perfluoroalkylene diiodides of the formula iri where the two iodides are not vicinal or geminal , perfluoro ( dialkyldisulfides ) r 1 ssr 1 , and perfluoroalkyl compounds containing nitrogen - sulfur bonds of the formula r 12 nsr 1 , wherein each r 1 is independently saturated perfluorohydrocarbyl optionally containing one or more ether groups , isolated iodine , bromine or chlorine substituents , or perfluoroamino groups . by “ saturated perfluorohydrocarbyl ” is meant a univalent radical containing only carbon and fluorine and no unsaturated carbon — carbon bonds . the activity of any particular initiator molecule may be readily determined by minimal experimentation . preferred initiators are nf 3 r f 2 nf , r f nf 2 , perfluoropiperazine , perfluoro ( dialkylsulfones ), i . e ., r 1 so 2 r 1 , and hindered perfluorocarbons . nf 3 is an especially preferred initiator . if higher molecular weight polymers are desired , the initiator should preferably not have any groups present in its structure that cause any substantial chain transfer or termination during the polymerization . such groups usually include , for instance , organic bromides or iodides or carbon - hydrogen bonds . a useful range of initiator concentration has been found to be about 0 . 003 to about 0 . 5 g of initiator / kg monomer , preferably about 0 . 1 to about 0 . 3 g / kg . higher or lower amounts are also useful depending upon the initiator , the monomers , goal molecular weights , process equipment , and process conditions used , and can readily be determined by experimentation . the initiator may be added to the reactor as a solution in the monomer ( s ). various comonomers ( iii ) may be used in the polymerization process , and be incorporated into the polymer . perfluoro ( alkyl vinyl ethers ) and perfluorinated terminal alkenes , each optionally substitited with ether , cyano , halo ( other than fluorine ), sulfonyl halide , hydrogen or ester groups may be used . also unfluorinated or partially fluorinated olefins or vinyl ethers , optionally substituted as above , may also be used . useful comonomers include cf 2 ═ cfocf 2 cf ( cf 3 ) ocf 2 cf 2 so 2 f , ethylene , vinylidene fluoride , ch 2 ═ cho ( c ═ o ) cf 3 , methyl vinyl ether , cfcl ═ cf 2 , ch 2 ═ cfcf 3 , ch 2 ═ chcf 3 , ch 2 ═ chcf 2 cf 2 cf 2 cf 3 , ch 2 ═ chcf 2 cf 2 br , cf 2 ═ cfcf 2 cn , and cf 2 ═ cfcf 2 ocf 2 cf 2 so 2 f . any combination of ethylene , vinylidene fluoride , perfluoroalkylvinyl ethers , perfluorobutylethylene , alkylvinyl ethers and / or vinyl fluoride is preferred . the properties of the polymer will be affected not only by the overall composition of the polymer , but by the distribution of the various monomer units in the polymer . the instant process yields a polymer in which the monomer units are fairly uniformly distributed in the polymer , which gives polymer with consistent properties . one measure of polymer uniformity is randomness of the monomer units in the polymer . a measure of this is relative amounts of isolated repeat units , diads , triads etc . by diads and triads are meant instances in which two or three repeat units from the same monomer , respectively , occur in the polymer . many of the polymers made by the process described herein have relatively small amounts of triads of repeat unit ( i ), which is of course derived from hfp . thus , in such polymers , less than 20 mole percent of ( i ) is in the form of triads , and preferably less than about 15 % and more preferably less than about 10 %. as would be expected , in polymers with higher amounts of ( i ), there is a tendency towards higher triad content . the amount of triads in the polymer can be determined by 19 f nmr . polymers described herein often have a polydispersity of less than 5 , preferably less than 4 . repeat units ( iii ) help suppress crystallization and provides for a lower glass transition temperature . preferred monomers for repeat unit ( iii ) are vinyl fluoride , vinylidene fluoride , perfluoroalkylvinyl ethers , perfluorobutylethylene , alkylvinyl ethers and / or ethylene , with a mixture of at least two most preferred . since tfe is considerably more reactive in the polymerization than hfp , an excess of hfp is needed to achieve the desired polymer composition . typically this also means that at the end of the polymerization , much or all of the tfe will have polymerized , but there will be a considerable amount of unpolymerized hfp . typically the tfe will be about 1 to 15 mole percent of the total amount of monomer being fed to the process , with the hfp and other monomer ( s ) ( if present ) being the remainder . the average residence time is the average amount of time any of the material fed to the reactor actually spends in the reactor , and is a function of the volume of the reactor and the volumetric flow of the process ingredients through the reactor . a preferred residence time is about 20 sec to about 10 min , more preferably about 40 sec to about 2 min . when the process fluids are being added to the reactor , it is preferred if they are preheated just before they enter the reaction to a temperature somewhat less than that of the actual reactor temperature , about 20 ° c . to about 100 ° c . less . this allows one to maintain a uniform constant temperature in the reactor itself , and for the newly added materials to start the polymerization reaction immediately upon entry to the reactor . the polymer suitable for the practice of the present invention , as so produced , comprises at least about 10 mole percent , preferably about 30 to about 50 mole percent , of monomer units derived from hexafluoropropylene , — cf 2 — cf ( cf 3 )—. the polymer further comprises 0 - 50 mole percent , preferably 25 - 50 mole percent , of monomer units derived from tetrafluoroethylene , — cf 2 — cf 2 —. the polymer further comprises about 10 - 75 mole percent , preferably 10 - 25 mole percent of one or more monomer units ( iii ) selected from the group consisting of : wherein x is h or perfluoroalkoxy having 1 - 20 carbons , and r is h , alkyl , alkoxy , perfluoroalkyl , or f . preferably ( iii ) is a repeat unit derived from vinyl fluoride , vinylidene fluoride , alkyl , including fluoroalkyl , vinyl ethers , ( perfluorobutyl ) ethylene , or ethylene . most preferably , a combination of at least two of these is employed . one of skill in the art will appreciate that many compositions are encompassed within the range suitable for the practice of the present invention , and that , particularly at concentrations of hfp below 30 mol -%, not all such compositions will exhibit sufficient amorphous character to be suitable for the practice of the present invention , while others may have little practical value . however , since the repeat units ( iii ) tend to disrupt crystallinity and reduce glass transition temperature while the repeat units derived from tfe ( ii ) tend to increase crystallinity and increase glass transition temperature , the effects of the two groups of repeat units can be traded off against one another . since some of the repeat units ( iii ), such as vinylidene fluoride , vinyl fluoride , and ethylene , themselves form crystals at high concentrations , while others , such as perfluoroalkyl vinyl ethers or perfluorobutyl ethylene , tend to limit molecular weight , it is found to be particularly effective to employ two or more repeat units ( iii ) in combination , for a total concentration of 10 - 25 mol -%. for the purposes of the present invention , the polymer is preferably a low - viscosity liquid at the temperature of the stone surface to which it is applied in order to enhance the uniformity of coating and achieve good coating distribution in a matter of minutes to hours . the desired degree of liquidity is achieved when the glass transition temperature of the substantially amorphous polymer of the invention is below the temperature of application . additionally , the viscosity of the liquid polymer is determined in part by molecular weight , with lower molecular weight generally associated with lower viscosity . vinyl fluoride , methyl - vinyl ether , ethylene and similar comonomers each tend to limit the molecular weight of the finished polymer . thus , one way to tune the polymer viscosity to achieve the optimum for a particular application , is to manipulate the concentrations of those monomers in the polymer . on the other hand , when a solvent is employed during the application of the coating , low molecular weight and low glass transition temperature enhance the solubility of the polymer in the chosen solvent . in a preferred embodiment , the polymer suitable for the practice of the invention is a liquid , and may be applied to a stone surface directly , without dilution . however , it is preferred to first dissolve the polymer in a solvent to achieve the optimum control over uniformity and thickness of coating . coatings formed from the polymer of the invention are particularly useful because of the inherent properties of the polymer , such as lack of crystallinity ( polymer is transparent ), low surface energy ( and hence poor wetting by water or most organic liquids ) while exhibiting high surface coverage of stone , low dielectric constant , low index of refraction , low coefficient of friction , low adhesion to other materials , etc . in the practice of the present invention , one or more of the substantially amorphous fluoropolymers hereinabove described is applied by any convenient method to the surface of the stone which is to be protected from the effects of water and environmental pollutants . it is important that the coating provide a barrier to liquid water with minimal effect on the natural water vapor permeability of the stone . one way of achieving this is to provide a durable coating in as thin a layer as possible on the wall surface of each pore of the stone without actually filling or blocking the pore . this is achieved by using a material of the lowest possible surface tension . coating materials which exhibit a desirable combination of properties are characterized by pendant groups comprising perfluorinated functional groups in sufficient concentration that the surface presented to incident liquid water such as rainfall is characterized by a high density of the perfluorinated groups and a consequently very low surface tension . in the most preferred embodiment , the polymer suitable for the practice of the present invention comprises 30 - 50 mol -% of repeat units derived from hfp . the resulting low surface tension is the source of the thermodynamic driving force for complete wetting of the pores in stone as well as for the liquid water repellency of the coated stone . to reduce the kinetic barrier to complete pore wetting , the viscosity should be as low as possible . this represents a particularly desirable attribute of the method of the present invention because the substantially amorphous fluoropolymer employed in the method of the present invention readily forms low viscosity solutions in a number of convenient solvents . while in no way limiting the scope of the invention , it is estimated that the viscosity of the coating during application of the coating to the stone is preferably less than about 10 pa - s to achieve optimum coating performance . it will be obvious to one of skill in the art that while it is desirable to employ materials which afford low viscosity solutions , usually associated with low molecular weight or non - polymeric materials , the materials so employed cannot be of such low molecular weight that they evaporate from the stone surface . it is further preferred that polar groups should be present in the coating material to promote adhesion of the coating material to the stone surface and decrease the tendency of the coating material to continually penetrate to the interior of the stone and reducing surface efficacy in terms of liquid water repellency . esters , amides , — ch 2 cf 2 — and adjacent — chcf — moieties are examples of such adhesion - promoting polar groups . according to the method of the present invention , the substantially amorphous fluoropolymer can be dissolved in a solvent which acts as a volatile diluent in the spraying operation to afford fast penetration at the early stages of coating while providing a high degree of control over the viscosity , the uniformity of coating and the coating thickness . solvents suitable for the practice of the present invention include acetone , methyl - ethyl ketone , ethyl acetate , t - butyl acetate , hydrochlorofluorocarbons , perfluorocarbons . in the most preferred embodiment , the substantially amorphous fluoropolymer of the present invention is dissolved in supercritical co 2 according to the methods described in carbonell et al ., wo 99 / 19080 or in the alternative in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 923 , 720 ; 5 , 108 , 799 ; 5 , 290 , 603 ; and 5 , 290 , 604 . to achieve solubility in relatively low pressure carbon dioxide , which is desirable for on - site application of coatings , the combination of the molar ratio of hydrogen to fluorine attached to the polymer backbone , the “ h : f ratio ”, is about 0 . 3 to about 1 . 0 as described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 034 , 170 . if the polymer molecular weight is less than about 5000 da , a somewhat broader h : f ratio can be sustained . spray - coating of stone is preferably effected from co 2 solutions of 75 weight % or less polymer at 40 to 70 ° c ., 2000 to 4000 psi . to promote polymer absorption into the stone it might also be preferable to add up to about 40 weight % acetone , t - butyl acetate , oxol 100 ( 4 - chlorobenzotrifluoride ), or other such environmentally friendly diluents to the substantially amorphous fluoropolymer . it will be understood by one of skill in the art that numerous chemical compounds have been identified which may serve as the supercritical fluid for the substantially amorphous fluoropolymer coating composition of the invention . however , co 2 is by far the preferred compound because of the low cost , low toxicity , ready formation of a supercritical fluid , and low environmental impact . the substantially amorphous fluoropolymer component of the coating composition is generally present in amounts ranging from 1 to 80 weight percent , based upon the total weight of the coating composition . preferably , the substantially amorphous fluoropolymer component should be present in amounts ranging from about 15 to about 70 weight percent on the same basis . the supercritical fluid diluent should be present in such amounts that a liquid mixture is formed that possesses such a viscosity that it may be applied as a liquid spray . generally , this requires the mixture to have a viscosity of less than about 300 centipoise at spray temperature . preferably , the viscosity of the mixture of components ranges from about 5 centipoise to about 150 centipoise . most preferably , the viscosity of the mixture of components ranges from about 10 centipoise to about 50 centipoise . the supercritical carbon dioxide fluid is most preferably present in amounts ranging from about 30 to about 85 weight percent on the total compositional weight , thereby producing a mixture having viscosities from about 10 centipoise to about 50 centipoise at spray temperature . it is not necessary to form a preliminary solution or dispersion of the preferred substantially amorphous fluoropolymer composition in order to form a low - viscosity solution or dispersion suitable for mixing with the co 2 . it is however optional to add a third component to the coating composition of the invention , the third component comprising one or more organic solvents employed for the purpose of improving viscosity control during spraying and “ laydown ” of the coating material on the stone . the organic solvents suitable for the practice of the most preferred embodiment of the invention generally include any solvent or mixture of solvents that is miscible with co 2 , is a good solvent for the substantially amorphous fluoropolymer , and is fugitive at the temperature at which the coating is being applied to the stone , normally at temperatures of about 0 ° c . or above . preferably , the solvent is also environmentally friendly . suitable organic solvents include acetone , methyl - ethyl ketone , ethyl acetate , t - butyl acetate , hydrochlorofluorocarbons , and perfluorocarbons with acetone , methyl - ethyl ketone , ethyl acetate and t - butyl acetate preferred . the coating composition of the invention is sprayed onto a substrate to form a liquid coating thereon by passing the liquid mixture under pressure through an orifice into the environment of the substrate to form a liquid spray . spray orifices , spray tips , spray nozzles , and spray guns used for conventional airless and air - assisted airless spraying of coating formulations such as paints , lacquers , enamels , and varnishes , are suitable for spraying the coating composition of the present invention . the spray pressure used in the practice of the present invention is a function of the specific coating formulation . in the case of supercritical fluid solutions , the minimum spray pressure is at or slightly below the critical pressure of the supercritical fluid . generally the pressure will be below 5000 psi . preferably , the spray pressure is above the critical pressure of the supercritical fluid and below 3000 psi . if the supercritical fluid is supercritical carbon dioxide fluid , the preferred spray pressure is between 1070 psi and 3000 psi . the most preferred spray pressure is between 1200 psi and 2500 psi . the spray temperature used in the practice of the present invention is a function of the coating formulation . the minimum spray temperature is about 31 ° c . the maximum temperature is determined by the thermal stability of the components in the liquid mixture . the preferred spray temperature is between 35 ° c . and 90 ° c . the most preferred temperature is between 45 ° c . and 75 ° c . generally liquid mixtures with greater amounts of supercritical carbon dioxide fluid require higher spray temperatures . one of skill in the art will recognize that the method of the present process , while specifically directed to the protection of stone , may equally be employed to apply coatings to a variety of substrates . examples of suitable substrates include but are not limited to metal , wood , glass , plastic , paper , cloth , ceramic , masonry , stone , cement , asphalt , rubber , and composite materials . through the practice of the present invention , coatings may be applied to substrates in thicknesses of from about 0 . 5 to 100 micrometers . preferably , the coatings have thicknesses of from about 1 . 0 to about 15 micrometers , while most preferably , their thicknesses range from about 1 . 5 to about 10 micrometers . the method of the present invention provides a considerable benefit in that the substantially amorphous fluoropolymer coating may be readily removed using common solvents such as acetone , methyl - ethyl ketone , ethyl acetate or t - butyl acetate , if it should be deemed desirable at some point in time following the application thereof . the coatings on stone produced by the practice of the present invention are highly beneficial to the purpose of protecting the stone from environmental degradation . two key attributes which are indicative of susceptibility to weathering are water absorption , typically by capillary action through the porous stone structure , and water vapor permeation rate . it is highly desirable that the water absorption of normally highly absorbent stone be reduced by as large a factor as possible , while water vapor permeability , normally high as well , be maintained at a high level . the coated stone of the present invention provides high levels of water vapor permeability by virtue of the thin coatings which are found to be effective in providing the desired high resistance to water penetration . the method of the present invention and the properties of the coated stone compositions provided thereby are further illustrated in the following specific embodiments . in the following examples , a pressure cell as described in tuminello et al ., j . appl . polym . sci ., 56 , 495 ( 1995 ), was used to evaluate the solubility of the substantially amorphous fluoropolymer specimens below in co 2 . the total volume of the cell was about 3 . 0 ml . solid fluorinated material solute sufficient to make about a 17 volume percent solution was added to the cell first . a vacuum was applied for a few minutes and then liquid co 2 was added until the cell was filled at its vapor pressure , about 6 . 2 mpa ( 900 psi ). pressures could be increased to as high as 31 . 7 mpa ( 4600 psi ) by pushing a piston through a manifold loaded with co 2 . temperature was increased to as high as 100 ° c . with an electrical heating band around the pressure chamber . temperatures as low as about − 10 ° c . were achieved by removing the heating band and packing dry ice around the cell . cloud points were determined by visual observation through the sapphire windows provided on the cell . the cloud point was determined at constant temperature with decreasing pressure and is defined as that pressure at which the mixture became so opaque that it was no longer possible to see the stirring paddle inside the cell . cloud point data for each sample are listed below . in the following examples , the procedures followed in determining water absorption and permeability were essentially those described in italian standard test methods aa . vv , assorbimento di acqua per capillarità , raccomandazione normal 11 / 85 , cnr - icr , roma 1985 and 7 aa . vv , permeabilità al vapor d &# 39 ; acqua , raccomandazione normal 121 / 85 , cnr - icr , roma 1985 . two stone substrates were employed , each in the form of prism - shaped specimens 5 × 5 × 2 cm in size . they were : ( a ) marble — white carrara marble with grey veins , 99 % calcite , polygonal structure and fine grains . total porosity = 3 . 83 ± 0 . 2 %; saturation index = 7 . 4 ± 0 . 6 %. ( b ) biocalcarenite — lecce stone composed of foraminifera with calcareous shell , glauconite grains and very small fragments of quartz . the clasts are bound by a micritic calcitic cement with a low clay content . total porosity = 32 to 40 %; saturation index = 65 ± 5 . 0 %. in each example , the average of the results obtained on three separate prism shaped specimens was determined . five untreated stone specimens of each type were retained as controls . the stone specimens were maintained in a dessicator containing cacl 2 until a constant mass was reached using a lab balance of precision of ± 1 mg . the coating was applied to one face of each stone specimen by painting with a brush as uniformly as possible . this was done after removing the stone from the dessicator . coating thickness was determined by weighing before and after treatment . the painted stone specimens were then left at room temperature in ambient air for one week to evaporate the solvent and then placed in a dessicator along with the control specimens containing cacl 2 until constant mass was achieved . each stone specimen thus brought to constant mass , was removed in turn from the dessicator and placed in contact with a stack of filter paper ( 1 cm thick ; 9 cm diameter ) soaked in distilled water . the amount of water absorbed by capillarity was determined by weighing the sample after a fixed time ( marble — 60 min . ; biocalcarenite — 20 min .) protective efficacy ( ep %) was calculated by the following expression : e p   % = ( a un - a t ) a un · 100 where a un and a t are the amounts of water absorbed by the untreated and treated samples , respectively . in the ideal there would be no water absorption , or e p %= 100 . in the current state of the art , a very good level of efficacy is considered to be 80 to 90 %. each stone test specimen was mounted as a lid to a poly ( vinyl chloride ) test cell containing 10 ml of distilled water . the cell was equipped with neoprene gaskets to keep the sample in place while leaving an area of about 16 cm 2 through which water vapor could permeate . the cell was then placed in a thermostatic drybox maintained at a constant temperature of 25 . 0 ± 0 . 5 ° c ., and containing a sufficient amount of silica gel and calcium chloride to maintain constant relative humidity of 2 to 5 %. a balance was placed in the drybox to monitor weight changes in the cell without the need to open the drybox . the weight of each cell was monitored every 24 hours for several days . weight loss became constant after a few days . the permeability ( p ) of the surface of the stone to water vapor was calculated using : where m is the amount of water , in grams , lost in 24 hours and a is the evaporating area , in m 2 , of the system . the reduction in permeability ( r p %) due to the treatment is defined as : r p   % = ( p un - p t ) p un · 100 where p un and p t are the permeability of the untreated and treated samples , respectively . this procedure is described in more detail elsewhere . the best performance is to have permeability matching that of the untreated sample , or r p %= 0 . following the practice of example 1 of u . s . pat . no . 5 , 478 , 905 , the monomers along with a trace of nitrogen trifluoride were compressed to 103 mpa and bled through a tubular reactor maintained at 300 ° c . and 96 . 5 mpa . after a ˜ 1 minute residence time , a solution of polymer in supercritical monomer phase was withdrawn from the back end of the reactor . the solution thus withdrawn was reduced to atmospheric pressure and the polymeric residue collected and devolatilized . a 25 ml loop off the feed line to a 3 . 8 liter stirred autoclave was filled with 440 psig of nitrogen trifluoride . the 3 . 8 liter autoclave was then filled via the feed line with 60 g of tetrafluoroethylene , 2000 g of hexafluoropropylene , 20 grams of vinyl fluoride , and 20 g of ethylene , using a portion of the hexafluoropropylene to blow the nitrogen trifluoride into the autoclave . the liquid monomer phase was pumped off the bottom of the autoclave , pressurized to ˜ 103 mpa , and then recirculated back to the autoclave . after at least 10 minutes of such recirculation , monomer was bled off the recirculation loop at ˜ 10 to 12 grams / minute though a 225 ° c . preheated line to a 10 cc reactor maintained at ˜ 96 . 5 mpa and 300 ° c ., followed by collection at atmospheric pressure . flow rate through the reactor was ca . 10 - 12 g / min . over a period of 120 minutes about 1300 g of monomer were passed through the reactor . letting the reaction mixture back down to atmospheric pressure gave a yellow , foamy fluid that was allowed to first evaporate down overnight and then dried further overnight in a 150 ° c . vacuum oven . this gave 176 g of a highly viscous fluid having an inherent viscosity of 0 . 067 in cf 3 cfhcfhcf 2 cf 3 solvent at 25 ° c . the composition was found by nmr to be 12 . 7 mole % vinyl fluoride , 38 . 6 mole % hexafluoropropylene , 23 . 0 mole % ethylene , 25 . 7 mole % tetrafluoroethylene . the glass transition temperature was − 10 ° c . as determined by differential scanning calorimetry in the second heating at 10 ° c ./ min heating rate in nitrogen . co 2 solubility was determined according to the method hereinabove described , and the results are shown in table 1 . 1 g of the solid polymer prepared above was dissolved in 99 g of 1 , 1 , 2 - trichlorotrifluoroethane at room temperature . the resulting solution was applied to three stone specimens each of the white cararra marble ( example 1 ) and lecce stone ( example 2 ), as hereinabove described . the specimens were allowed to stand for 1 week , after which they were subject to the procedures of dessication , water absorption determination , and water vapor permeability according the methods hereinabove described . results are shown in table 2 . the test procedures of example 1 were followed employing fomblin ® yr , a perfluorinated polyether available from ausimont / montefluos , montedison / montefluos group , milano , italy . fomblin ® yr is the material currently preferred in commercial stone preservation applications . stone test specimens were prepared and tested as hereinabove described . only the biocalcarenite was tested . the amount of material applied was that followed in current commercial practice . results are in table 2 . following the method described in f . piacenti and m . camaiti , j . fluorine chem ., 69 ( 1994 ), 227 - 235 , the monofunctional acid fluoride precursor of a random perfluoropolyether of similar structure to the one in comparative example 1 was esterified and then condensed with hexamethylene diamine to form the diamide functionalized perfluoropolyether material with a mw of about 1800 da . this material is considered the state of the art for providing a combination of high water repellency and low water permeability , as described in f . piacenti , “ the conservation of monumental buildings : recent scientific developments ”, a lecture presented at the 2nd international congress on science and technology for the safeguard of cultural heritage in the mediterranean basin — paris — jul . 5 to 9 , 1999 . biocalcarenite specimens were coated with 48 g / m 2 of the perfluoropolyether diamide so prepared according to the methods of comparative example 1 . e p was 55 % as determined as hereinabove described .	8
referencing fig1 , a steam turbomachine system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment is indicated generally at 2 . steam turbomachine system 2 includes a high pressure ( hp ) steam turbine portion 4 operatively coupled to an intermediate pressure ( ip ) steam turbine portion 6 which , in turn , is operatively coupled to a low pressure ( lp ) steam turbine portion 8 . in the exemplary embodiment shown , lp steam turbine portion 8 includes an exhaust hood 11 . exhaust hood 11 includes a first exhaust hood section 12 joined to a second exhaust hood section 13 about lp steam turbine portion 8 . as each exhaust hood section 12 , 13 is substantially similar , a detailed description will follow with reference to first exhaust hood section 12 with an understanding that second exhaust hood section 13 includes corresponding structure . as best shown in fig2 - 3 , first exhaust hood section 12 includes a main body 14 defined by an upper shell portion 15 and a lower shell portion 16 that are coupled along a horizontal joint 18 . as shown , upper shell portion 15 includes a pressure relief opening 20 ( shown in an open configuration ) that leads to an interior housing 24 which encloses lp steam turbine portion 8 . pressure relief opening 20 is generally in a normally closed configuration that opens to alleviate a pressure that may build up within interior housing 24 . lp steam turbine portion 8 is positioned within interior housing 24 . in the exemplary embodiment shown , lp steam turbine portion 8 includes an inner casing 30 that houses a first steam turbine section 33 and a second steam turbine section 35 . first steam turbine section 33 includes a first bearing cone 38 that is supported within interior housing 24 by a first herzog plate 40 . first bearing cone 38 defines a first steam guide 41 having an outlet section 42 that allows steam to pass from first steam turbine section 33 into interior housing 24 . first outlet section 42 includes a first guide member 44 that directs steam from first steam guide 41 into inner casing 30 . similarly , second steam turbine section 35 includes a second bearing cone 47 that is supported within interior housing 24 by a second herzog plate 49 . second bearing cone 47 defines a second steam guide 50 having a second outlet section 51 that allows steam to pass from second steam turbine section 35 into interior housing 24 . second outlet section 51 includes a second guide member 53 that directs steam from second steam guide 50 into inner casing 30 . as further shown , exhaust hood 11 includes an inlet 58 that guides steam from ip turbine portion 6 into first and second steam turbine sections 33 and 35 of lp steam turbine portion 8 , and an outlet 61 that passes steam from interior housing 24 to a condenser ( not shown ). in accordance with the exemplary embodiment , exhaust hood 11 includes a butterfly plate 70 that guides steam from upper shell portion 15 toward outlet 61 . more specifically , steam exiting first and second outlet sections 42 and 51 above horizontal joint 18 must first flow upward within interior housing 24 . the steam turns 90 °, and flows toward butterfly plate 70 . butterfly plate 70 bends the steam another 90 ° toward outlet 61 . in order to reduce pressure losses associated with vortices created by the multiple bends in the steam flow , butterfly plate 70 includes a particular cross - sectional profile . in accordance with an exemplary embodiment , butterfly plate 70 includes a first end portion 73 that extends to a second end portion 75 through a middle portion 76 . a first section 80 is defined between first end portion 73 and middle portion 76 , and a second section 82 extends between middle portion 76 and second end portion 75 . as first and second sections 80 and 82 are substantially similar , reference will now be made to fig4 in describing first section 80 with an understanding that second section 82 is a mirror image thereof . first section 80 includes a complex curvilinear cross - sectional profile 82 having a first substantially linear segment 84 that leads to a first curvilinear segment 85 that in turn lead to a second substantially linear segment 88 . second substantially linear segment 88 leads to a second curvilinear segment 90 that extends through middle portion 76 . first curvilinear segment 85 includes a negative curvature while second curvilinear segment 90 includes a positive curvature . the terms “ negative ” and “ positive ” are simply used to describe that first curvilinear segment 85 includes a curvature that is the opposite of the curvature of second curvilinear segment 90 . the particular geometry of first section 80 can be described by the formula : y = 0 . 94 θ 6 − 1 . 86 θ 5 − 0 . 86 θ 4 + 2 . 9 θ 3 − 0 . 75 θ 2 + 0 . 5 θ + 0 . 6 where θ is the angle from top dead center ( tdc ) of exhaust hood 11 as shown in fig2 and 3 , measured in radian and 0 ≦ θ ≦ 1 . 3 . y is a non - dimensional distance from an outer end ( not separately labeled ) of first steam guide 41 with the constraint of 0 & lt ; y & lt ; 0 . 15 for middle portion 76 . the formula defines the particular points that define the shape of butterfly plate 70 . actual non - dimensional distance of complex curvilinear cross - sectional profile 82 may lie within ± 0 . 15 of y . spacing between middle portion 76 and the outer end ( not separately labeled ) of first steam guide 41 as well as the overall shape of butterfly plate 70 contribute to reducing vortices in the steam flow exiting from lp steam turbine portion 8 above horizontal joint 18 towards outlet 61 . reducing vortices in the steam flow leads to fewer pressure losses and enhanced exhaust hood recovery . at this point it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments provide a mechanism for guiding steam flow from an upper portion in an exhaust hood toward a condenser . the butterfly plate is sized and shaped so as to reduce the creation of vortices in the steam flow to avoid efficiency loses in the turbomachine system . while the invention has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments , it should be readily understood that the invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments . rather , the invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations , alterations , substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described , but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention . additionally , while various embodiments of the invention have been described , it is to be understood that aspects of the invention may include only some of the described embodiments . accordingly , the invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description , but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims .	5
hereafter , an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a diagram showing the concept of system virtualization according to this embodiment . as shown in fig1 , a virtualization system according to this embodiment includes processors ( processor cores ) 10 and a virtualization device 20 as hardware . sets of software ( os and application ) 100 are run by the processors 10 through the virtualization device 20 . that is , according to this embodiment , each os directly runs on the hardware without through a hypervisor or host os . the virtualization device 20 mainly controls memory accesses made by the processors 10 . that is , the virtualization device 20 provides different address spaces for the oss . under the control of the virtualization device 20 , the oss access the different address spaces while using the common physical memory . in this way , a virtual environment according to this embodiment is created . the configuration and functions of the virtualization device 20 will be described specifically later . fig2 is a diagram showing an example hardware configuration of the virtualization system according to this embodiment . in fig2 , the virtualization device 20 is connected to a first local bus 51 and a second local bus 52 . connected to the first local bus 51 are the processors 10 and an edram ( embedded dram ) 12 . also connected to the first local bus 51 is a peripheral device ( peripheral island node ) 13 and a chip interlink 14 . while the multiple ( unspecified number of ) processors 10 are shown in fig2 , systems according to this embodiment may include one or more processors 10 or may include a multi - core processor including multiple processor cores . connected to the second local bus 52 is a boot memory controller 31 and a system memory controller 32 . the boot memory controller 31 controls a read only memory ( rom ) serving as a boot memory 41 , while the system memory controller 32 controls a dynamic random access memory ( dram ) serving as a system memory 42 . also connected to the second local bus 52 is an edram 33 . since the system is configured as described above , the processors 10 and an external device ( not shown ) connected to the system through the peripheral device 13 and the chip interlink 14 access the boot memory 41 and the system memory 42 through the virtualization device 20 . as shown in fig2 , each processor 10 is connected to the first local bus 51 via a decoder 11 . when a processor 10 makes a memory access through the virtualization device 20 , a decoder 11 connected to the processor 10 sends to the virtualization device 20 unique information for identifying the processor 10 ( processor id or the like ) and information for identifying the process ( process id or the like ) as a control signal . according to this control signal , the virtualization device 20 identifies the processor 10 which is making the access . depending on the type of the processor 10 , the processor 10 itself may output information equivalent to a control signal . this eliminates the need to dispose the decoder 11 , since the virtualization device 20 is only required to identify the processor 10 and the process in accordance with the information outputted by the processor 10 . the hardware shown in fig2 may be formed on a single semiconductor chip . that is , the virtualization system according to this embodiment may be formed as an soc ( system on a chip ). alternatively , rather than as an soc , the virtualization system may be formed as a device having the individual components ( processors 10 , virtualization device 20 , and the like ) formed therein as different electronic circuits . fig3 is a diagram showing a virtualization technique using the virtualization device 20 according to this embodiment . as shown in fig3 , when a processor 10 makes a memory access , the virtualization device 20 receives an access instruction containing a logical address ( virtual address ) indicating the access destination and a control signal . if the access is intended to write data , the virtualization device 20 also receives data to be written to the memory ( boot memory 41 or system memory 42 ). the virtualization device 20 has multiple address translation tables corresponding to the oss installed on the system . using a table corresponding to an os identified by the received control signal , the virtualization device 20 translates an access destination logical address contained in the access instruction into a physical address . the virtualization device 20 ( address translation device ) then sends the address - translated access instruction to the boot memory controller 31 or system memory controller 32 . as for the received data , the virtualization device 20 sends it to the boot memory controller 31 or system memory controller 32 as it is . if the access is intended to read data , the virtualization device 20 returns data read from the memory to the processor 10 as it is . note that the virtualization device 20 may perform on the passing data a particular process having no effect on the access purpose . for example , in writing data to the memory , the virtualization device 20 may perform a process such as encryption or compression on the received data and then send the resulting data to the memory . on the other hand , when reading data from the memory , it may perform a process such as decryption or decompression on the read data and then send the resulting data to the processor 10 . fig4 is a diagram showing an example function configuration of the virtualization device 20 . as shown in fig4 , the virtualization device 20 includes multiple address tables 21 , a table selection unit 22 , an i / o table 23 , and an exclusive control unit 24 . the address tables 21 and the i / o table 23 are composed of , for example , programmable logic and a register and configured in accordance with the system configuration , including the types and number of the installed oss and the capacities of the boot memory 41 and the system memory 42 . the address tables 21 are tables for performing translation using hardware ( address translation units , translation units ) and translate a logical address specified as the access destination in an access instruction from a processor 10 into an physical address in the memory ( e . g ., the system memory 42 ). as described above , the multiple address tables 21 corresponding to the oss installed in the system are prepared . for example , three address tables 21 ( 21 a , 21 b , 21 c ) corresponding to three oss are shown in the diagram . settings for performing address translation related to access to the boot memory 41 and settings for performing address translation related to access to the system memory 42 are made in each address table 21 . in fig4 , for example , three boot areas ( memory areas ), a 1 , a 2 , and a 3 , corresponding to the multiple oss are set in the boot memory 41 . each area is storing a boot program for booting the corresponding os . for example , three memory spaces ( memory areas ), s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 , corresponding to the oss are set in the system memory 42 . each memory space is an area used when the corresponding os makes a memory access . accordingly , assuming that the boot area a 1 of the boot memory 41 and the memory space s 1 of the system memory 42 correspond to a particular os , os 1 , and that the address table 21 a is prepared for the os 1 , the address table 21 a is configured so that address translation of the boot area a 1 and the memory space s 1 is performed , as shown in fig4 . when an os makes a memory access , the table selection unit 22 selects an address table 21 corresponding to the os in accordance with a control signal received from a processor 10 or decoder 11 corresponding to the os . the access destination address in the memory access is translated in accordance with the address table 21 selected by the table selection unit 22 . the i / o table 23 manages an address assigned to the external device ( input / output device ). in this embodiment , mmio ( memory - mapped i / o ) is used for input / output to the external device . that is , the address assigned to the external device is placed in the same address space as that of the memory . since there is a need to manage the address assigned to the external device , the i / o table 23 is prepared . the number of addresses assigned to the external device may be one regardless of the os . for this reason , in this embodiment , the single i / o table 23 is prepared unlike the address tables 21 . when one of the oss is accessing the external device , the exclusive control unit 24 performs exclusive control so that the other oss do not access the external device . as described above , in this embodiment , each os uses the common i / o table 23 in order to access the external device . for this reason , exclusive control is performed so that multiple oss do not access the same external device in an overlapped manner . exclusive control related to input / output to the external device may be performed by a bus arbiter ( not shown ) disposed on the second local bus 52 . in this case , the virtualization device 20 does not need to include the exclusive control unit 24 . next , a specific implementation example according to this embodiment will be described . first , the specification of this implementation example will be described specifically . the following system is considered in this implementation example . four 32 - bit ( 4 - gigabyte ( gb ) memory space ) processors 10 a to 10 d are provided as processors 10 . the four - gb system memory 42 and the 756 - kilobyte ( kb ) boot memory 41 are provided as the memory . the boot memory controller 31 and the system memory controller 32 are addressed with 34 bits . the os 1 is run by processors 10 a and 10 b and uses the system memory 42 by 2 gb . the address table 21 a is prepared for the os 1 . the os 2 is run by a processor 10 c and uses the system memory 42 by 1 gb . the address table 21 b is prepared for the os 2 . the os 3 is run by a processor 10 d and uses the system memory 42 by 1 gb . the address table 21 c is prepared for the os 3 . fig5 shows the memory maps of the oss , the assignment of the memory spaces of the system memory 42 to the oss , and the assignment of the boot areas of the boot memory 41 to the oss in this implementation example . one cell represents a 256 - kb area in the shown memory map and memory assignment table . in the memory map of the os 1 of fig5 , the memory space of the system memory 42 is assigned to the addresses 0x0000 — 0000 to 0x7fff_ffff ; mmio is assigned to the addresses 0x8000 — 0000 to 0x8fff_ffff ; and the boot memory 41 is assigned to the addresses 0xf000 — 0000 to 0xffff_ffff . likewise , in the memory maps of the os 2 and os 3 , the memory space of the system memory 42 is assigned to the addresses 0x0000 — 0000 to 0x3fff_ffff ; mmio is assigned to the addresses 0x8000 — 0000 to 0x8fff_ffff ; and the boot memory 41 is assigned to the addresses 0xf000 — 0000 to 0xffff_ffff . in the assignment of the memory space of the system memory 42 , the memory space of the os 1 is assigned to the addresses 0x0000 — 0000 to 0x7fff_ffff ; the memory space of the os 2 is assigned to the addresses 0x8000 — 0000 to 0xbfff_ffff ; and the memory space of the os 3 is assigned to the addresses 0xc000 — 0000 to 0xffff_ffff . in the assignment of the boot area to the boot memory 41 , the boot area of the os 1 is assigned to the addresses 0x0000 — 0000 to 0x0fff_ffff ; the boot area of the os 2 is assigned to the addresses 0x1000 — 0000 to 0x1fff_ffff ; and the boot area of the os 3 is assigned to the addresses 0x2000 — 0000 to 0x2fff_ffff . fig6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the implementation example of the virtualization system according to this embodiment . in the implementation example shown in fig6 , a switch box 22 a and a multiplexer 22 b are disposed as the table selection unit 22 . the multiplexer 22 b receives address signals ( signals representing translated addresses ) outputted from the address tables 21 and outputs one of the signals . upon receipt of a control signal from a decoder 11 , the switch box 22 a controls the multiplexer 22 b so that the multiplexer 22 b outputs an address signal outputted from a address table 21 corresponding to a processor 10 specified in the control signal . in this implementation example , the processors 10 use an ip block control bus ( not shown ) in order to configure the switch box 22 a and the address tables 21 . further , in this implementation example , exclusive control related to input / output to the external device is performed by the bus arbiter disposed on the second local bus 52 . accordingly , the virtualization device 20 does not include the exclusive control unit 24 . in this implementation example , the processors 10 a and 10 b are configured as symmetric multiple processors ( smps ), run by the same os , the os 1 , and commonly use the address table 21 a for address translation . the processor 10 c is run by the os 2 and uses the address table 21 b for address translation . the processor 10 d is run by the os 3 and uses the address table 21 c for address translation . in the example shown in fig6 , the processors 10 a to 10 d are provided with decoders 11 a to 11 d , respectively . note that if the processors 10 a to 10 d themselves output a control signal , the decoders 11 a to 11 d are not needed . the boot memory 41 includes a boot area a 1 ( 0x1d000 — 0000 - 0x1dfff_ffff ) for the os 1 , a boot area a 2 ( 0x1e000 — 0000 - 0x1efff_ffff ) for the os 2 , and a boot area a 3 ( 0x1f000 — 0000 - 0x1ffff_ffff ) for the os 3 . in fig6 , the addresses of the boot areas a 1 , a 2 , and a 3 of the boot memory 41 are represented by 34 - bit system address space . the system memory 42 includes a memory space s 1 ( 0x0000 — 0000 - 0x7fff_ffff ) for the os 1 , a memory space s 2 ( 0x8000 — 0000 - 0xbfff_ffff ) for the os 2 , and a memory space s 3 ( 0xc000 — 0000 - 0xffff_ffff ) for the os 3 . fig6 shows the initial state of the system thus configured ( a state where settings for virtualization are not made for any of the switch box 22 a included in the table selection unit 22 and the address tables 21 a to 21 c ). in this initial state , the virtualization device 20 of this system is configured so that the processor 10 a accesses the corresponding boot area of the boot memory 41 , reads a boot program , and executes it . in fig6 , the switch box 22 a is configured to select the address table 21 a in accordance with a control signal from the decoder 11 a of the processor 10 a . ( see a broken line in the diagram ) addresses (“ rom add ” and “ rom mask ”) of the boot area a 1 of the boot memory 41 are set in the address table 21 a . no other settings are made : no other settings are made for the switch box 22 a ; addresses (“ sys add ” and “ sys mask ”) of the memory space s 1 of the system memory 42 are not set in the address table 21 a ; and no settings are made for the address table 21 bs and 21 c . when the reset of the processor 10 a is released by power - on or the like in this state , the switch box 22 a controls the multiplexer 22 b in accordance with a control signal from the decoder 11 a , thereby selecting the address table 21 a . according to the setting of the address table 21 a , the processor 10 a accesses the boot area a 1 of the boot memory 41 to execute a boot program . due to the execution of this boot program , settings are made for the switch box 22 a ; settings about the memory space s 1 corresponding to the processor 10 a of the system memory 42 are made for the address table 21 a ; and settings about other processors , 10 b and 10 c , are made . fig7 shows a state in which the above - mentioned settings are made in the implementation example of the virtualization system shown in fig6 . specifically , first , the switch box 22 a is configured to select the address table 21 a in accordance with a control signal from the decoder 11 a , select the address table 21 a in accordance with a control signal from the decoder 11 b , select the address table 21 b in accordance with a control signal from the decoder 11 c , and select the address table 21 c in accordance with a control signal from the decoder 11 d . ( see broken lines in the diagram .) further , based on the memory map of the os 1 shown in fig5 , the addresses 0x0000 — 0000 to 0x7fff_ffff of the memory space s 1 of the system memory 42 are set in the address table 21 a . for example , the start address (“ sys add ”) and mask data for setting the data range (“ sys mask ”) are set as shown in fig7 . the address can be translated by obtaining and of an address ( logical address ) contained in the access instruction outputted by the processor 10 a , and the start address and the mask data . further , addresses in the boot area a 2 of the boot memory 41 and addresses in the memory space s 2 of the system memory 42 are set in the address table 21 b for the os 2 . likewise , addresses in the boot area a 3 of the boot memory 41 and addresses in the memory space s 3 of the system memory 42 are set in the address table 21 c for the os 3 . due to the above - mentioned settings , the processor 10 a can use the system memory 42 . for example , by copying the boot program to the system memory 42 , the processor 10 a boots the os 1 . next , the reset of the processor 10 b is released . since the processors 10 a and 10 b are smps in this implementation example as described above , the processor 10 b uses the same address table , 21 a , as the processor 10 a does . next , the reset of the processor 10 c is released . the addresses in the boot area a 2 of the boot memory 41 and the addresses in the memory space s 2 of the system memory 42 have already been set in the address table 21 b for the os 2 run by the processor 10 c . accordingly , the processor 10 c routinely boots the os 2 . further , the reset of the processor 10 d is released . the addresses in the boot area a 3 of the boot memory 41 and the addresses in the memory space s 3 of the system memory 42 have already been set in the address table 21 c for the os 3 run by the processor 10 d . accordingly , the processor 10 d routinely boots the os 3 . in the above - mentioned example , the reset of the processor 10 a is first released and the settings are then made for the switch box 22 a and the address tables 21 a , 21 b , and 21 c , thereby starting the entire virtualization system . note that the processor that is first released from the reset can be previously determined using a hardware setting ( fig6 ) and is not limited to a particular processor , the processor 10 . further , the setting operation at start is not limited to the procedure of the above - mentioned implementation example , as long as each processor 10 can access the corresponding area of the memory ( boot memory 41 and system memory 42 ) and the oss run by the processors 10 can boot while using the system memory 42 . as described above , when an installed os makes an access , the virtualization device 20 according to this embodiment performs address translation ( logical address - to - physical address translation ) so that a memory area previously assigned to the os is used . accordingly , each os can run in a virtual environment provided by this embodiment without having to be designed or modified so as to be usable in a virtualization system . further , in this embodiment , the virtualization device 20 performs address translation when a memory access is made . this eliminates a need for a mechanism which creates a virtual environment using software such as a host os or hypervisor . thus , the loads imposed on the processors can be reduced . while this embodiment has been described , the technical scope is not limited to the above - mentioned embodiment . it is apparent from the appended claims that various changes and modifications made to the above - mentioned embodiment can fall within the technical scope of the invention .	6
referring to fig2 an engine 10 is shown coupled to an automatic shift manual ( asm ) transmission 18 . the asm transmission 18 is hydraulically actuated . the hydraulic fluid reservoir 1 is connected by hydraulic lines to an electrically - actuated hydraulic pump 2 and shift actuator 3 . shift actuator 3 is connected by hydraulic lines to clutch actuator 5 ( i . e ., a clutch ) and a pressure accumulator 4 . hydraulic pump 2 is coupled to transmission control unit ( tcu ) 20 via a pump relay 16 . tcu 20 receives input from clutch position sensor 6 , input shaft speed sensor 7 , two gear position sensors 8 , output shaft speed sensor 9 , pressure sensor 12 , driver interface 14 , and crank interrupt relay 115 . transmission control unit 20 is coupled to an engine control unit ( ecu ) 40 by a computer area network ( can ) connection , or other protocol capable of transferring data between the two control units , e . g ., hardwired or wireless . tcu 20 controls four solenoid valves 11 which direct high pressure fluid to move the shift lever rods ( not shown ) along the h pattern to change gears . referring now to fig2 a , driver interface 14 includes operator hand - operated shift paddles 206 and 208 and mode select buttons 202 . driver interface 14 is electronically coupled to tcu 20 , as shown in fig2 . shift paddles 206 and 208 are operated by the driver to indicate a desire for an upshift or a downshift , respectively . in one embodiment , one of mode buttons 202 is used by the operator to indicate as - asm or os - asm mode . the other mode button 202 is used to indicate a shift style desired by the operator : normal or aggressive . alternatively , mode buttons 202 is a combination of push buttons , toggle switches , rotary switches , or any other switch . also , shown in fig2 is an accelerator pedal 44 coupled to pedal position sensor 38 . the driver of the vehicle actuates accelerator pedal 44 to indicate the driver request for torque . a signal indicative of position of accelerator pedal 44 is communicated to ecu 40 by pedal position sensor 38 . also shown in fig2 is a vehicle speed sensor 60 which receives signals from a plate 62 coupled to an axle ( not shown ) of the vehicle . plate 62 has four teeth which cause a signal to be produced when they come into proximity with sensor 60 . by measuring the time in between pulses and knowing the wheel diameter , vehicle speed is determined . the vehicle speed sensing system shown in fig2 is by way of example . alternatively , other methods can be employed . referring now to fig2 a , in the os - asm , mode the shift paddles 206 , 208 are actuated to indicate both the type of shift , i . e ., up or down , and when a gear shift is desired . in a second operating mode , as - asm , the tcu 20 requests a shift based on operating condition and communicates that request with ecu 40 . alternatively , a request for a gearshift to an as - asm transmission could be provided by other modules within the vehicle . referring again to fig2 engine 10 has a lower end 34 , a cylinder head 22 , and a block 32 . within the block are cylinders 30 in which pistons 28 reciprocate . fuel injectors 24 and spark plugs 26 are disposed in cylinder head 22 . this fueling configuration is known as direct fuel injection . the present invention applies to other fuel delivery methods including , but not limited to , port fuel injection , in which the injectors are disposed in the intake ports outside the cylinders , carburetion , central fuel injection , in which injectors are disposed in the intake system upstream of where the intake splits to feed the cylinders , and combinations thereof . engine 10 is supplied air through intake 47 , which has throttle valve 45 , which can be rotated to adjust the flow of air into engine 10 . referring again to fig2 a , a portion of a dashboard 200 is shown . the steering wheel 204 is connected to a steering column ( not shown ), which comes through dashboard 200 . shift paddles 206 and 208 are depressed by the operator of the vehicle to indicate a desire for an upshift or a downshift , respectively . for example , depressing paddle 206 indicates a desire for an upshift from the current gear to one gear higher ; depressing paddle 206 twice indicates a desire for an upshift from the current gear to two gears higher . paddles 206 and 208 are shown in fig1 a attached to steering wheel 204 such that when steering wheel 204 is rotated , paddles 206 and 208 also rotate . alternatively , the paddles 204 , 206 can be attached to the steering column but adjacent to the outside rim of steering wheel 204 . in this configuration , the paddles do not rotate with steering wheel 204 . regardless of configuration , paddles 206 and 208 are electronically coupled to tcu 20 . buttons 202 are on dashboard 200 . by manipulating buttons 202 , the operator indicates type of operating mode , os - asm or as - asm . in one embodiment , the driver can also indicate driving style desired : normal or aggressive , which refers to control of the transmission , which is not part of the present invention and not discussed further . buttons 202 can be : toggle , rotating , push button , or other known types . referring now to fig2 b , a clutch , including plates 152 and 154 , and a two - speed transmission is shown . typically , manual transmissions have four to six gears . the gear set shown in fig2 b is merely an example and not intended to be limiting . clutch plate 152 is fixed to shaft 150 , which couples to the engine . thus , the clutch plate 152 rotates at engine rotational speed at all times . in fig2 b , clutch plates 152 and 154 are apart ; thus , the clutch is disengaged or open . in this situation , engine 10 is decoupled from the transmission . clutch plate 154 is fixed to gear 164 . gear 164 meshes with gear 166 , which is fixed to layshaft 162 . layshaft 162 also contains and is affixed to gears 168 and 170 . gears 168 and 170 mesh with gears 158 and 156 , respectively . shaft 172 is a spline shaft that is coupled to the driving wheels via a differential and driveshaft ( not shown ). shaft 172 is not attached to gears 156 and 158 . instead , gears 156 and 158 have bearings ( not shown ) in between shaft 172 and each of gears 156 and 158 to allow 156 and 158 to rotate independently of shaft 172 and each other . collar 160 is connected , through the splines , to shaft 172 , thus spinning with shaft 172 . the teeth on collar 160 , called dog teeth , can be fit into corresponding holes on the sides of gears 156 and 158 . in fig2 b , the collar is in a center position , decoupled from both gears 156 and 158 . thus , the transmission is in neutral . to select a gear , collar 160 is caused to move toward gear 1156 , a lower gear , or toward gear 158 , a higher gear . making a change from gear 156 to gear 158 is called an upshift and vice versa is a downshift . the lever , or other mechanism , by which collar 160 is caused to couple to a gear is not shown . referring to fig2 c , clutch plates 152 and 154 are shown in proximity to each other . by a force applied to force clutch plates 152 and 154 together , the two to rotate together due to friction . the position shown in fig2 c is an engaged , or closed , clutch . also shown in fig2 c is collar 160 with dog teeth coupled to gear 156 . in the configuration of fig2 c , shaft 150 , plates 152 and 154 , and gear 164 all rotate at engine speed . layshaft 162 , gears 166 , 168 , and 170 rotate at engine speed times the gear ratio between gears 164 and 166 . gear 158 rotates at the rotational rate of gear 168 times the gear ratio between gears 168 and 158 . however , gear 158 is not coupled to layshaft 172 and has no effect on driving speed . similarly , gear 156 rotates at the rotational rate of gear 170 times the gear ratio between gears 170 and 156 . because collar 160 is coupled to gear 156 via the dog teeth , collar 160 and gear 156 rotate at the same speed . collar 160 , being splined to shaft 172 , causes shaft 172 to rotate at this same speed , also . in this way , the rotational speed between shaft 150 and shaft 172 is based on gears 164 , 166 , 170 , and 158 . if collar 160 were , instead , coupled to gear 158 , the relative rotational speed of shafts 150 and 12 is based on gears 164 , 166 , 168 , and 158 . referring again to fig2 ecu 40 is provided to control engine 10 . ecu 40 has a microprocessor 50 , called a central processing unit ( cpu ), in communication with memory management unit ( mmu ) 48 . mmu 48 controls the movement of data among the various computer readable storage media and communicates data to and from cpu 50 . the computer readable storage media preferably include volatile and nonvolatile storage in read - only memory ( rom ) 58 , random - access memory ( ram ) 56 , and keep - alive memory ( kam ) 54 , for example . kam 54 may be used to store various operating variables while cpu 50 is powered down . the computer - readable storage media may be implemented using any of a number of known memory devices such as proms ( programmable read - only memory ), eproms ( electrically prom ), eeproms ( electrically erasable prom ), flash memory , or any other electric , magnetic , optical , or combination memory devices capable of storing data , some of which represent executable instructions , used by cpu 50 in controlling the engine or vehicle into which the engine is mounted . the computer - readable storage media may also include floppy disks , cd - roms , hard disks , and the like . cpu 50 communicates with various sensors and actuators via an input / output ( i / o ) interface 52 . example items actuated under control of cpu 50 , through i / o interface 52 , are fuel injection timing , fuel injection rate , fuel injection duration , throttle valve position , spark plug timing , exhaust gas recirculation valve position , and others . driver display 36 , which displays engine rpm , current gear and others to the operator , receives data via i / o interface 52 . sensors 42 communicating input through i / o interface 52 preferably include sensors indicating piston position , engine rotational speed , vehicle speed , coolant temperature , barometric pressure , exhaust gas recirculation valve position , intake manifold pressure , accelerator pedal position 38 , throttle valve position , air temperature , exhaust temperature , exhaust stoichlometry , exhaust component concentration , air flow , and others . some ecu 40 architectures do not contain mmu 48 . if no mmu 48 is employed , cpu 50 manages data and connects directly to rom 58 , ram 56 , and kam 54 . of course , the present invention could utilize more than one cpu 50 to provide engine control and ecu 40 may contain multiple rom 58 , ram 56 , and kam 54 coupled to mmu 48 or cpu 50 depending upon the particular application . in fig2 ecu 40 and tcu 20 are separate units . however , the functionality of the two could , be combined in a single control unit without departing from the spirit of the present invention . spark timing is used , in the present invention , to control engine torque during a vehicle launch . the relationship between engine torque and spark advance is shown in fig3 . for a given air flow rate , fuel delivery rate , and engine speed , the relationship between engine torque and spark advance is shown as curve 90 in fig3 . there is a spark advance timing 92 , known as minimum spark advance for best torque ( mbt ) by those skilled in the art , which provides the highest engine torque for the given operating condition . if spark timing is either advanced or retarded from mbt , engine torque reduces . the fuel efficiency ( not plotted in fig3 ) is at a maximum at mbt . thus , for fuel efficiency reasons it is desirable to operate the engine at mbt spark timing . continuing to refer to fig3 although mbt spark timing 92 provides the maximum fuel efficiency and maximum torque , it is a less desirable operating point from a control standpoint . because mbt spark advance 92 provides the maximum torque for the given operating condition , by adjusting spark advance alone , torque : can only be reduced . to control engine torque , it is desirable to have the capability to both increase and decrease engine torque . this can be accomplished by operating at a spark timing , which is retarded from mbt . ( although it appears that one could also choose to operate advanced of mbt , for exhaust emission reasons and others , it is more suitable to retard engine timing .) to determine the amount to retard the timing , a desired torque reserve is chosen . torque reserve can be determined as an absolute number or a percentage of torque at mbt spark timing . such a torque reserve is shown in fig3 . by intersecting the torque reserve with curve 90 , point 94 is found , which is the spark timing with torque reserve . when operating at point 94 , engine torque can be increased , by advancing spark timing toward mbt , and decreased , by retarding spark timing further from mbt . referring to fig4 a strategy according to the present invention is shown . in step 210 , the strategy is initiated when the vehicle is at rest . in step 212 , a determination is made whether a launch is requested . a launch is determined based on the operator depressing paddle 206 and based the position of accelerator pedal 44 , i . e ., the driver indicating a desire for the vehicle to accelerate . when the operator has depressed paddle 206 , the transmission waits until the operator depresses the accelerator pedal 44 before a clutch engagement is begun . a negative response from step 212 causes looping through 212 , until a positive response in step 212 , which causes control to pass to step 214 . in step 214 , it is determined what kind of launch type . the strategy of the present invention applies to light launches , such as might be encountered in a parking lot maneuver . a heavy launch is , for example , an acceleration from a red light . the determination of light or heavy launch is determined by at least one of : the pedal position , θ , and a time rate of change of pedal position , d θ / dt . if it is determined that a heavy launch is requested , control passes to step 216 in which an alternate strategy is used that is not part of the present invention . if the strategy is light , control passes to step 218 in which it is determined whether the rate of change in engine speed is positive or negative . if the engine speed is in control , engine speed remains at the desired speed . but , when engine speed is not in control , engine speed ramps up and down . because the base spark advance , sa b , is mbt , adjusting spark timing cannot be used to increase engine torque , only decrease engine torque . so , if the engine speed is ramping down , no measure is taken in the engine . instead , a measure is taken in the clutch . step 218 is looped repeatedly until the slope of a time rate of change of engine speed ( dne / dt ) is positive . at this point , control passes to step 220 in which a spark timing offset is determined . in step 222 , a new spark timing is computed as the base spark timing minus the spark timing offset computed in step 220 . control passes to step 224 in which it is determined whether the clutch is fully engaged . if so , the routine of the present invention is ended in step 226 . if not , control passes back to step 220 , in which a new offset spark timing is determined . thus , the method determines a new spark timing for the spark plugs as a function of the base spark timing and said offset spark timing . this new spark timing is sent by the ecu 40 to the spark plugs . the steps shown in fig4 depend on knowing the values of a number of engine parameters . referring now to fig4 a , the values of various engine parameters are determined based on signals from sensors : engine speed ( ne ), vehicle speed ( v ), engine speed divided by engine speed ( ne / v ), relative air charge ( ac_rel ), accelerator pedal position ( θ ), and engine coolant temperature ( ect ) are determined , as well as time derivatives : dne / dt and d θ / dt . time derivatives are known to be noisy signals ; thus , in step 232 , these are filtered . base spark timing ( sa b ) is determined in the ecu 40 based on such variables as ne , ac_rel , ect , and others . in the strategy of fig4 sa b is nominally the mbt spark advance . for fuel economy purposes , it is desirable to operate close to or at mbt spark advance . the relative air charge , ac_rel , is the amount of air trapped in the cylinder divided by the amount of air that could be trapped in the cylinder at standard conditions . in one embodiment , the amount of air trapped in the cylinder is based on the conditions in the engine intake , i . e ., intake pressure and temperature . in an alternative embodiment , the amount of air trapped in the cylinder is determined from a mass airflow sensor ( not shown in fig1 ). based on the mass air flowrate to the engine and the rate of intake strokes ( proportional to engine speed ), the mass inducted into the cylinder is computed . in either case , the trapped charge is normalized by the amount of air which could be inducted at standard pressure and temperature . referring now to fig4 a , in steps 230 and 232 , various engine parameters are determined , which are used in steps 212 , 214 , 218 , 220 , and 222 of fig4 . engine speed ( ne ), vehicle speed ( v ), engine speed divided by engine speed ( ne / v ), relative air charge ( ac_rel ), accelerator pedal position ( θ ), and engine coolant temperature ( ect ) are determined based on sensor signals . time derivatives are also found in step 230 : dne / dt and d θ / dt . time derivatives are known to be noisy signals ; thus , in step 232 , these are filtered . base spark timing ( sa b ) is determined in the ecu 40 based on such variables as ne , ac_rel , ect , and others . in this case , sa b is nominally the mbt spark advance . for fuel economy purposes , it is desirable to operate close to or at mbt spark advance . referring now to fig5 an alternate strategy is shown . as in the prior strategy shown in fig4 the strategy begins , here in step 240 , with the vehicle at rest and it is determined in step 242 whether a launch has been requested . again , a desire for launch is indicated by the operator by depressing paddle 206 and depressing the accelerator pedal 44 . if a launch is detected in step 242 , control passes to step 244 in which it is determined whether it is a heavy launch or a light launch . if it is a heavy launch , control passes to step 246 in which an alternate strategy , not part of the present invention , is used . if a light launch is detected , control passes to step 250 in which a spark timing offset , sa offset is computed . control passes to step 252 in which a new spark timing , sa new is found as the difference between sa b and sa offset . the new spark timing is commanded to the spark plugs . control passes to , step 254 in which it is determined whether the clutch is fully engaged . if a positive result , the routine is ended in step 256 . if a negative result from step 254 , control passes back to step 250 in which spark offset is determined again . in step 260 , the spark timing , sa b — tr , is determined ; whereas , in step 230 , of fig4 sa b is found . as mentioned above in regards to fig4 sa b is substantially the mbt spark timing . sa b — tr is a spark advance which is retarded from mbt , thereby capable of providing a torque reserve , as shown in fig3 . by operating the spark timing at sa b — tr , engine torque can be increased or decreased by advanced or retarding spark timing , respectively . thus , the method determines a desired amount of torque reserve and computes a predetermined amount of spark retardation to provide said desired amount of torque reserve . referring now to fig5 a , in steps 260 and 262 , value of engine parameters are determined , which are used in steps 242 , 244 , 250 , and 252 of fig5 . engine speed ( ne ), vehicle speed ( v ), engine speed divided by engine speed ( ne / v ), relative air charge ( ac_rel ), accelerator pedal position ( θ ), and engine coolant temperature ( ect ) are determined based on sensor signals . time derivatives are also found in step 250 : dne / dt and d θ / dt . time derivatives are known to be noisy signals ; thus , in step 252 , these are filtered . base spark timing ( sa b — tr ) is determined in the ecu 40 based on such variables as ne , ac_rel , ect , and others . in step 260 of fig5 a , the spark timing , sa b — tr is determined ; whereas , in step 230 , of fig4 a , sa b is found . as mentioned above in regards to fig4 a , sa b is substantially the mbt spark timing . sa b — tr is a spark advance which is retarded from mbt spark timing , thereby capable of providing a torque reserve , as shown in fig3 . by using a spark timing at sa b — tr in the strategy of fig5 engine torque can be increased or decreased by advanced or retarding spark timing , respectively , back to step 250 in which a new spark timing offset is computed . referring now to fig6 a launch according to the present invention is shown . at the left hand side , the clutch is fully open . shortly thereafter , the clutch is caused to close partially . by adjusting spark timing throughout the clutch engagement process , it can be seen that the clutch position and engine speed , although not perfectly constant , are much improved over the prior art ( fig1 ). as a consequence of the smooth clutch engagement , the vehicle does not buck . instead , engine speed smoothly increases as desired by the operator . while several modes for carrying out the invention have been described in detail , those familiar with the art to which this invention relates will recognize alternative designs and embodiments for practicing the invention . the above - described embodiments are intended to be illustrative of the invention , which may be modified within the scope of the following claims .	5
while the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below , it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts which can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts . these specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention , and do not delimit the scope of the invention . with reference to fig1 therein is shown a diagram of a cable installation 5 , in which the cable puller of the invention can be used . main service lines 9 run along telephone poles 7 which support the main lines 9 and provide a service access point to the end user . in this regard , it should be understood that other installation configurations may benefit from the present invention , such as ground installation and other wired services . from the main service lines 9 , a first cable 12 extends from a first support point 16 on a telephone pole 7 to a second support point 18 on building 6 . in this way , an end user within the building 6 achieves access to the services provided by access lines 9 . the type and variety of such services may be many and varied according to location and service offering . examples include electric , telephone and other utility type services as well as cable television , internet access and others . the present invention provides a way of installing additional access cables to the main service lines 9 to provide additional capacity for end users . in order to increase the capacity of cable service to building 6 , it is necessary to add a second cable 14 between first support 16 and second support 18 . with the present invention , an installation technician 8 places a cable puller 10 on the first cable 12 and pulls a second cable 14 into position alongside an existing first cable 12 . the installation technician 8 holds a transmitter 42 which is communicably linked by a radio signal 44 to a receiver 40 inside the cable puller 10 . alternatively , a control line could be used that couples the transmitter 42 to the cable puller 10 . the installation technician 8 transmits command signals from transmitter 42 to receiver 40 to control the motions of the cable puller 10 . as the cable puller 10 proceeds along the first cable 12 , it also sets tie wraps 38 at intervals along the first and second cables 12 and 14 , respectively . tie wraps 38 are left loose as the cable puller 10 proceeds up the first cable 12 toward the second support 18 . this is to allow the second cable 14 to slide through the tie wraps 38 as the cable puller 10 pulls the second cable 14 into position . when cable puller 10 reaches second support 18 , the second cable 14 is disconnected from the cable puller 10 and connected , according to the type of cable service desired . command signals 44 are sent by the installation technician 8 to the cable puller 10 causing the cable puller 10 to drive back along first cable 12 . as the cable puller 10 returns towards the first support 16 , the tie wraps 38 are tightened to secure the first and second cables 12 and 14 , respectively , together . fig2 is a diagram illustrating the preferred embodiment of the cable puller 10 , according to the present invention . the cable puller 10 is shown attached to the existing first cable 12 . the cable puller 10 has a body 20 with an opening which allows the existing first cable 12 to pass through the body 20 . the cable puller 10 also comprises a cable clamp 30 , which is used to hold a second cable 14 . second cable 14 is pulled into position along side of the existing first cable 12 by cable puller 10 in the direction of arrow 13 . in order for the cable puller 10 to move along the existing first cable 12 , a motor 22 is utilized . in one embodiment , motor 22 is an electric motor and may be sized for the proper operation , as can be appreciated by those skilled in the art . the motor 22 has a shaft 24 , which is used to translate the electrical energy into mechanical energy and assist in driving the cable puller 10 into position . a drive wheel 26 is attached to the shaft 24 . in operation , drive wheel 26 pushes against first cable 12 in order to propel the cable puller 10 along the first cable 12 and pull the second cable 14 into position . the attachment mechanism between the drive wheel 26 and the shaft 24 may include gears , belts and pulleys , or other means known to those skilled in the art . initially , the cable puller 10 has a pressure wheel 32 which helps hold the drive wheel 26 against the first cable 12 so that the cable puller 10 may have a more positive drive action along first cable 12 . cable puller 10 further includes drive wheels 34 which help to guide first cable 12 as it passes through cable pulley 10 . another feature of cable puller 10 is cable crimper 36 . cable crimper 36 places a tie wrap 38 around first cable 12 and loosely around second cable 14 as cable puller 10 proceeds from the first support 16 to the second support 18 . the tie wraps 38 are adapted to hold the second cable 14 in position . however , the tie wraps 38 are not tightened as cable puller 10 proceeds to pull second cable 14 into position . tie wraps 38 are left loose around the second cable 14 such that second cable 14 may slide through the tie wraps 38 as it is pulled into position by cable puller 10 . cable puller 10 is further adapted to have a signal receiver 40 which is adapted for receiving command signals 44 from a remotely located signal transmitter 42 ( shown in fig1 ). power is provided for both electrical motor 22 and signal receiver 40 by battery 46 . battery 46 provides not only the propulsion power but also the power to the receiver 40 which receives the command signals 44 from the remotely located transmitter 42 which is operated by an installation technician 8 . in fig3 a , the installation of a second cable 14 alongside an existing cable 12 is depicted . tie wraps 38 are loosely positioned around second cable 14 so that the second cable 14 may slide through the tie wraps 38 as cable puller 10 proceeds along first cable 12 , towards its destination in the direction of arrow 48 . in fig4 b , cable puller 10 has pulled the second cable 14 to a destination in the direction of arrow 49 and is returning along first cable 12 . as cable puller 10 proceeds along first cable 12 , the tie wraps are tightened around the first and second cables 12 and 14 , respectively . tightened tie wraps are denoted as 38 a . the end result is an installation consisting of two cables , 12 and 14 , which are attached to each other and available for delivering services to end users . fig4 is a flow diagram of a method for installing a second cable along an existing first cable , according to the invention . the method , denoted generally as 50 , involves using a remotely controlled cable puller 10 to pull a second cable 14 into place along side of an existing first cable 12 . the cable puller 10 consists of a motor 22 which drives the cable puller 10 , through a drive wheel 26 , along first cable 12 while pulling the second cable 14 into place . at step 52 , the cable puller 10 is attached onto the existing first cable 12 . next , at step 54 , second cable 14 is attached to cable clamp 30 on cable puller 10 so that the cable puller 10 can pull the second cable 14 as cable puller 10 travels along the first cable 12 . at step 56 , cable puller 10 drives along the first cable 12 and pulls the second cable 14 into position . for example , cable puller 10 pulls the second cable 14 from a first support 16 to a second support 18 . next , at step 58 , cable puller 10 places tie wraps 38 along the first and second cables 12 , 14 to loosely hold the first cable 12 and second cable 14 together . at step 60 , the second cable 14 is removed from cable puller 10 upon reaching the destination at the second support 18 . at step 62 , cable puller 10 is driven back along the first cable 12 to first support 16 . finally , at step 64 , the cable puller 10 tightens the tie wraps 38 so the tightened tie wraps 39 will hold the first and second cables 12 , 14 securely together . while the invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments , this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense . various modifications in 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 .	7
the present disclosure , through one or more of its various aspects , embodiments and / or specific features or sub - components , is intended to bring out one or more of the advantages that will be evident from the description . the present disclosure is described with frequent reference to television set - top boxes . it is understood , however , that a set - top box is merely an example of a specific embodiment of the present disclosure , which is directed broadly to networked interactive television within the scope of the disclosure . the terminology , examples , drawings and embodiments , therefore , are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure . some dvrs , satellite / cable receivers and other types of stbs include caller id display functionality that allow the phone number and name associated with an incoming phone call to display on the television screen . the next generation of stbs , however , will include storage and access capabilities for media beyond standard television content . storage and access features may also be available with game consoles connected to the television , particularly those consoles that provide online , multiplayer , capabilities over a network . in fact , the term stb is considered , for the purposes of this disclosure , to include such consoles . the media includes storage of and access to a user &# 39 ; s digital photo collection and address book . the storage may be local , i . e ., stored on the stb &# 39 ; s hard drive , or remote , i . e ., stored on a network resource such as a server . the present disclosure provides solutions for linking caller id display functionality with photo and / or address book or other database information elements , resulting in a richer stb caller id display experience . an advantage of the present disclosure is that the call recipient selects the information to associate with the caller . this is advantageous because it is the recipient that is in the best position to know which information , including which image or images , is most useful to the recipient in relation to the caller . for instance , were the caller to select an image of him or herself for caller id display , he or she might select an outdated , unrecognizable , image that does not , in fact , inform the recipient of who is calling . the recipient may not even be able to discern the gender or age of the caller . when , however , the recipient is able to select an image , for example , even household children who cannot read caller id information in a text display would be able to recognize the caller because the image would be an image that the child is most likely familiar with , since the image was selected by the family rather than by the caller . additionally , caller selected images may be inappropriate for viewing by all household members of the recipient , yet the recipient is unable to prescreen the image before it is displayed . this may be a particular problem when the caller id image is displayed on the family television screen during family television viewing . the present disclosure provides a solution to these and other problems of enhanced caller id , including an easy to use interface that allows the recipient to control what is displayed on their television screen . fig1 is a schematic drawing of a specific exemplary embodiment of an enhanced caller id solution of the present disclosure . television 110 is connected to set - top box or other device 120 which in turn is connected to a telecommunications network ( not shown ). person 130 is watching television 110 when an incoming phone call arrives . stb 120 alerts person 130 of the incoming call and displays caller id information 140 on television screen 115 . basic caller id information may be displayed from the standard caller id service to which person 130 subscribes through his or her telephone service provider . display 140 includes photo display inset 141 , caller id text information boxes 142 , 143 , 144 , and 145 . boxes 142 through 145 include , for example , caller first name ( 142 ) caller last name ( 143 ), caller phone number ( 144 ) and additional information ( 145 ) such as caller email address . edit function buttons 146 and 147 are also displayed and are managed used the set - top box remote ( not shown ) or manually using manual function control buttons ( not shown ) provided on the set - top box housing . any customized caller id information ( beyond basic information provided by the service provider ) is obtained from the set - top box , or other device , storage media using the caller id information from the service provider to map information pre - selected by person 130 and associated with the caller to display in enhanced display 140 . in the event that person 130 has not pre - selected information associated with the caller , person 130 may use edit functions accessed by button 146 to pull up a menu on screen 115 that allows person 130 to navigate through one or more databases accessible by storage media device 120 , such as a set - top box or game console , to add select information about the caller to the various fields 142 - 145 of display 140 . of course , it is understood that fields 142 - 145 are purely illustrative in content and number , and that embodiments of the present disclosure provide more or fewer information fields , and the amount of information contained in each field , to which person 130 may add as much or as little information about the caller as desired . certain embodiments provide for person 130 to add or delete fields , or change the amount of information in each field , as desired within the resolution and space constraints of screen 115 . button 147 provides , for example , a cancel function to clear the caller id display from the display screen . additionally , television 110 continues to display the programming being viewed prior to the incoming call by virtue of picture - in - picture capability , or other analogous technology , supported by stb 120 or television 110 for uninterrupted viewing during the phone call . fig2 is a schematic drawing of a detail of a caller id display of fig1 . display 140 provides text information fields that show , for example , the caller &# 39 ; s first name 142 , last name 143 , telephone number 144 , and additional information 145 , such as the name of the caller &# 39 ; s spouse . optionally selectable edit button 146 provides edit capability to edit the information , including but not limited to an image , to be displayed . button 146 opens a menu ( not shown ) to access additional information to include in display 140 . save functions ( not shown ) allow the call recipient to save edited information in storage media device 120 after editing the information and the menu is closed . optionally selectable cancel button 147 clears display 140 from the tv screen . fig3 is a schematic drawing of an exemplary image database for selecting an image for display in an exemplary embodiment of an enhanced caller id system of the present disclosure . database 130 provides a variety of images 320 that a user can select for display . images 320 may be provided from a variety of sources , such as an electronic address book , a digital camera , a camera phone , a hard drive , a floppy disk or cd - rom or other electronic storage medium , a pda ( including blackberry ™- type devices ), an email attachment , a network server , an online source , the world wide web , or any source for an electronic image within the constraints of space and resolution of the disclosure . database 310 is accessed by activating optionally selectable edit button 146 from display 140 and navigating through the accessible databases to bring up an image database . an image 330 is selected by a user and added to display 140 in field 141 by activating add button 340 . database display 310 is closed by activating cancel button 350 to exit without editing or without saving any edit . fig4 is a schematic drawing of a specific exemplary embodiment of an enhanced caller id solution of fig1 showing a call recipient - selected image associated with the caller in a display field of the disclosure . display field 141 contains image 330 , which was either pre - selected by the call recipient or was selected using the edit function of display 140 when display 140 was presented in connection with an incoming call from the caller . in addition to image or photo display , the present disclosure further provides embodiments that allow the user to display a wide variety of personal information about the caller . edit function 146 provides access to any data accessible through an electronic database and allows the call recipient to associate such data with the caller &# 39 ; s caller id for display on a caller id display screen . caller personal information , for the purposes of this disclosure includes , but is not limited to , the name of the caller &# 39 ; s spouse , the genders and names of the caller &# 39 ; s children , the caller &# 39 ; s email address , the caller &# 39 ; s business contact information , the caller &# 39 ; s residential or business address , the species and names of the caller &# 39 ; s pets , the caller &# 39 ; s website url , the caller &# 39 ; s relationship to the call recipient ( such as familial relationship , if any ), and the caller &# 39 ; s gender and marital status . in additional to television screen display , the present disclosure contemplates enhanced caller id display on a display screen of a communications terminal such as a cell phone , a personal digital assistant ( pda ) including blackberry ®- type devices , a personal computer , a voice over internet protocol ( voip ) terminal , an internet protocol television ( iptv ), and so forth . fig5 is a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the form of a computer system 600 within which a set of instructions , when executed , may cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein . in some embodiments , the machine operates as a standalone device . in some embodiments , the machine may be connected ( e . g ., using a network ) to other machines . in a networked deployment , the machine may operate in the capacity of a server or a client user machine in server - client user network environment , or as a peer machine in a peer - to - peer ( or distributed ) network environment . the machine may comprise a server computer , a client user computer , a personal computer ( pc ), a tablet pc , a set - top box ( stb ), a personal digital assistant ( pda ), a cellular telephone , a mobile device , a palmtop computer , a laptop computer , a desktop computer , a personal digital assistant , a communications device , a wireless telephone , a land - line telephone , a control system , a camera , a scanner , a facsimile machine , a printer , a pager , a personal trusted device , a web appliance , a network router , switch or bridge , or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions ( sequential or otherwise ) that specify actions to be taken by that machine . it will be understood that a device of the present disclosure includes broadly any electronic device that provides voice , video or data communication . further , while a single machine is illustrated , the term “ machine ” shall also be taken to include any collection of machines that individually or jointly execute a set ( or multiple sets ) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein . the computer system 500 may include a processor 502 ( e . g ., a central processing unit ( cpu ), a graphics processing unit ( gpu ), or both ), a main memory 504 and a static memory 506 , which communicate with each other via a bus 508 . the computer system 500 may further include a video display unit 510 ( e . g ., a liquid crystal display ( lcd ), a flat panel , a solid state display , or a cathode ray tube ( crt )). the computer system 500 may include an input device 512 ( e . g ., a keyboard ), a cursor control device 514 ( e . g ., a mouse ), a disk drive unit 516 , a signal generation device 518 ( e . g ., a speaker or remote control ) and a network interface device 520 . the disk drive unit 516 may include a machine - readable medium 622 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions ( e . g ., software 524 ) embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein , including those methods illustrated in herein above . the instructions 524 may also reside , completely or at least partially , within the main memory 504 , the static memory 506 , and / or within the processor 502 during execution thereof by the computer system 500 . the main memory 504 and the processor 502 also may constitute machine - readable media . dedicated hardware implementations including , but not limited to , application specific integrated circuits , programmable logic arrays and other hardware devices can likewise be constructed to implement the methods described herein . applications that may include the apparatus and systems of various embodiments broadly include a variety of electronic and computer systems . some embodiments implement functions in two or more specific interconnected hardware modules or devices with related control and data signals communicated between and through the modules , or as portions of an application - specific integrated circuit . thus , the example system is applicable to software , firmware , and hardware implementations . in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure , the methods described herein are intended for operation as software programs running on a computer processor . furthermore , software implementations can include , but not limited to , distributed processing or component / object distributed processing , parallel processing , or virtual machine processing can also be constructed to implement the methods described herein . the present disclosure contemplates a machine readable medium containing instructions 524 so that a device connected to a network environment 526 can send or receive voice , video or data , and to communicate over the network 526 using the instructions 524 . the instructions 524 may further be transmitted or received over a network 526 via the network interface device 520 . while the machine - readable medium 522 is shown in an example embodiment to be a single medium , the term “ machine - readable medium ” should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media ( e . g ., a centralized or distributed database , and / or associated caches and servers ) that store the one or more sets of instructions . the term “ machine - readable medium ” shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing , encoding or carrying a set of instructions for execution by the machine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of the present disclosure . the term “ machine - readable medium ” shall accordingly be taken to include , but not be limited to : solid - state memories such as a memory card or other package that houses one or more read - only ( non - volatile ) memories , random access memories , or other re - writable ( volatile ) memories ; and magneto - optical or optical medium such as a disk or tape . accordingly , the disclosure is considered to include any one or more of a machine - readable medium as listed herein and including art - recognized equivalents and successor media , in which the software implementations herein are stored . although the present specification describes components and functions implemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standards and protocols , the disclosure is not limited to such standards and protocols . each of the standards for internet and other packet switched network transmission ( e . g ., tcp / ip , udp / ip , html , http ) represent examples of the state of the art . such standards are periodically superseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentially the same functions . accordingly , replacement standards and protocols having the same functions are considered equivalents . the illustrations of embodiments described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments , and they are not intended to serve as a complete description of all the elements and features of apparatus and systems that might make use of the structures described herein . many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description . other embodiments may be utilized and derived therefrom , such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure . figures are merely representational and may not be drawn to scale . certain proportions thereof may be exaggerated , while others may be minimized . accordingly , the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense . such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred to herein , individually and / or collectively , by the term “ disclosure ” merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single disclosure or inventive concept if more than one is in fact disclosed . thus , although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein , it should be appreciated that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown . this disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments . combinations of the above embodiments , and other embodiments not specifically described herein , will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description . the abstract of the disclosure is provided to comply with 37 c . f . r . § 1 . 72 ( b ), requiring an abstract that will allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure . it is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims . in addition , in the foregoing detailed description , it can be seen that various features are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure . this method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim . rather , as the following claims reflect , inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment . thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description , with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment . in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure , the methods described herein are intended for operation as software programs running on a computer processor . dedicated hardware implementations including , but not limited to , application specific integrated circuits , programmable logic arrays and other hardware devices can likewise be constructed to implement the methods described herein . furthermore , alternative software implementations including , but not limited to , distributed processing or component / object distributed processing , parallel processing , or virtual machine processing can also be constructed to implement the methods described herein . it should also be noted that the software implementations of the present disclosure as described herein are optionally stored on a tangible storage medium , such as : a magnetic medium such as a disk or tape ; a magneto - optical or optical medium such as a disk ; or a solid state medium such as a memory card or other package that houses one or more read - only ( non - volatile ) memories , random access memories , or other re - writable ( volatile ) memories . the disclosure is considered to include a tangible storage medium as listed herein and including art - recognized equivalents and successor media , in which the software implementations herein are stored . accordingly , those skilled in the art will recognize that the present disclosure extends to machine - readable media (“ mrm ”) contain instructions for execution by a programmable machine such as a computer . mrm is broadly defined to include any kind of computer memory such as floppy disks , conventional hard disks , cd - roms , flash roms , nonvolatile rom , ram , storage media , solid state media , and magnetic media , together with processors to execute the instructions . the disclosure has been described with reference to several exemplary embodiments . it is understood , however , that the words that have been used are words of description and illustration , rather than words of limitation . changes may be made within the purview of the appended claims , as presently stated and as amended , without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure in all its aspects . although the disclosure has been described with reference to particular means , materials and embodiments , the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed ; rather , the disclosure extends to all functionally equivalent technologies , structures , methods and uses such as are within the scope of the appended claims .	7
with reference to the figures and in particular fig1 the device according to the invention comprises control module 1 containing a microprocessor and control keyboard 2 . as will be evident below , the microprocessor inside the control module continually monitors -- via one or more photoelectric cells 3 -- the internal luminosity of an environment lit by a plurality of fluorescent lamps 4 . arriving at the microprocessor are signals proportional to the external temperature via temperature sensor 5 , and the value of external ambient luminosity via another photoelectric cell 6 . electric power supply connection 7 is checked by network voltage transformer 8 and sensor 9 of input current . the microprocessor in control module 1 controls power module 10 , which may be bypassed using bypass switch 11 , as will be shown below . a detailed description of the control module follows with reference to fig2 . the control module comprises : microprocessor 20 with random access memory ( ram ) 21 , erasable programmable read only memory ( eprom ) 22 ( for the program ), input / output ( i / o ) digital ports 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , and multichannel analog - to - digital converter 27 ( a / d converter ). the microprocessor can be of the dispersed logic type or the single chip type . there is a sensor for measuring input voltage in the analog mode ( to the a / d converter ) or in the digital mode ( to a series of comparators ), depending on the models ; a sensor for measuring the ambient luminosity in the analog mode ( to the a / d converter ) or digital mode ( to a series of comparators ) depending on the models ; a sensor for ambient measurement in the analog mode ( to the a / d converter ) or in digital mode ( to a series of comparators ) depending on the models ; a sensor for measuring the internal temperature of the power module ( for control of overload ) via a threshold comparator ; a sensor for measuring the instantaneous current absorbed ; a real time clock circuit with backup battery 27 ; keyboard 28 and various buttons and switches 29 ; alphanumeric display and / or indicator lights shown in their entirety 30 ; memory 31 of the electrically alterable read only memory ( earom ) type ( which can be programmed by this device but can store data in the absence of external power supply ) or the equivalent for storing temporary settings ; serial interface 31 &# 39 ; with electrical protocol rs232 or rs422 ; and a control program ( firmware ) stored in the permanent memory . these elements , depending on the degree of sophistication needed , could be present in whole or in part , in analog or digital versions . a description of the power module follows with reference to fig3 and 4 . it serves as the interface between the electrical network and the load and can be built in three versions depending on the service and power needed : in the first and second cases , an autotransformer 40 of appropriate power is used with input at a nominal 220v and a series of intermediate outlets 41 to supply nominal voltages between the maximum supply voltage of the network and an appropriate lower value ( for example 40 %). load 42 is connected to the outlets via a series of remote breakers 43 ( fig4 ) or solid state relays 44 with zerocrossing sensors ( fig3 ). in the third case , not shown in detail , there is a completely electronic circuit which generates a voltage with a value equal to that required by the control module , without the use of selectors at the output . the waveform of the voltage at the output can be of a sinusoidal type or of the stepped variety , depending on the devices present in the load . in both cases the power module -- which can be housed in a separate container or in the same container as the control module -- will have bypass remote breaker 45 , 46 and a temperature sensor for overloads . the power module receives commands from the control module on photocoupled lines 46 , 47 to eliminate propagation of possible disturbances . the power module can have ( in all three possible configurations ) two auxiliary output units : one with the same principal voltage characteristics but with less power ( equal to about 1 / 10 ), and one completely electronic with phase choking . these outputs can be used to drive accessory devices and possibly emergency lights . this power module in the completely electronic version can have a battery storage area with related battery charger for direct control of emergency lighting . in this case , the circuit generates voltage at the output from the battery voltage . the software which runs on the aforementioned microprocessor has a series of functions , present in whole or in part , used alternatively or simultaneously : automatic day / evening / night operation . the system regulates the current in order to obtain three different levels of luminosity for the respective day , evening , or night operation . stabilizer function . the system regulates the current at the output , keeping it at the set value independently of the other parameters . maximum economy operation . the system regulates the current to the lowest level possible , acting on the voltage at the output , according to the ignition time , ambient light , and temperature . in particular , it ensures that voltage sufficient to trigger the lamps is provided for a certain period of time after ignition . after this period the voltage drops to the minimum possible for the type of lamp installed . the current sensor warns the system of the insertion of supplementary devices and triggers a repeat of the high - voltage / low - voltage cycle . regulation is done independently for every output channel installed . constant luminosity mode . the system regulates the voltage at the output in order to ensure the selected luminosity level . motor start - up function . it should be taken into account a priori that other devices of another type may be connected to the electrical line for the light , for example , computers or electric motors . in the case of computers , operation will not be a problem . in the case of motors , the system requires an additional function for re - driving the voltage to nominal value if the current sensor warns of an attempt at start - up . the value is then gradually reduced back to the lower value after a period of time which can be programmed . this function is available in all modes selected . programming and remote dialog . the system can be controlled , not only by local controls , but also by a centralized control system . it can also send it updated operational data . by - pass . following overloads , excessive internal temperature , or internal signalling of breakdown , the software activates the aforementioned remote breaker which bypasses the power module , connecting the lamps directly to the distribution . fig5 through 9 show the flow diagram of the main program and related dependent program modules . this is the basic starting point for the software of the ignition system . here , the default settings are defined and internal variables initialized . for example , the operating mode can be set automatically to stabilized constant voltage . here , the initial status of output devices ( solid state relay , display lamps , etc .) and input devices ( pushbuttons , keyboard and luminosity sensors , temperature , current , etc .) are defined . a diagnostic test of the proper functioning of the critical parts of the power circuit is activated ( in particular , it is checked whether there is voltage at the output of the power section ). if the case of proper functioning , the flow passes on to step 4 ); in case of anomaly , the program flow proceeds to step 8 ). in this procedure , the pulses from the keyboard are read and interpreted . that is , it manages the dialog with the operator , interprets the commands from him and changes the operating mode of the device . according to the operating mode selected , this procedure shows the related information on the display . if the operating mode set is f1 , that is , optimized management of the lighting level as a function of three time bands , flow control passes on to step 13 ); if the operating mode is different , control passes to step 7 ). if the operating mode set is f2 , that is , the function which ensures maximum possible energy savings , the flow control passes to step 19 ); if the operating mode is different , it passes to step 10 ). 8 ) activates by - pass of the power circuit if an anomaly in the power section is detected , this procedure bypasses it , connecting the load directly to the network voltage ( for example , via a remote breaker ). this procedure signals functional anomalies of the power circuit . this circuit is continually tested ( loop with step 3 of the flow chart ) and a diagnostic message remains on the display until the circuit is restored . if the operating mode set is f3 , that is , the function which keeps the luminous flux as constant as possible , control passes to step 11 ; if the operating mode is different ( f4 ), it passes to step 12 . this procedure accepts from the keyboard any modifications in the level of illumination of the entire lighting system . if no modification is requested , then the last value set or the default value will be retained and control will pass to step 24 . the operating mode is f4 , that is , stabilization of the voltage at the output . the procedure accepts from the keyboard any modifications in the level of voltage applied to the system . if no modification is requested , then the last value set or the default value will be retained and control will pass to step 34 . the procedure acquires the time from the internal clock ( real time clock ) in order to determine in which operating band the clock is operating . the 24 hours are subdivided into 3 user - programmable time bands . each band is associated with a level of lighting which the user can reprogram to adapt it to his own requirements . 14 ) checks whether the clock is in the daytime period ( 7 : 00 a . m .- 6 : 00 p . m . by default ) it is checked whether the time acquired from the rtc real time clock ! is in the first operating band . if the time read is between 7 in the morning and 6 in the evening , control passes to step 15 ). if the time read is not in the first band , control passes to step 16 ). the lighting level associated with the day band passes , via variable lp , to the procedure which keeps it constant for the entire period in which this band is valid ( step 24 ). 16 ) checks whether the clock is in the evening period ( 6 : 00 p . m .- 10 : 00 p . m .) it is checked whether the time acquired from the rtc real time clock ! is in the second operating band . if the time read is between 6 : 00 p . m . and 10 : 00 p . m . ( second default band ), control passes to step 17 ). if the time read is not in the second band , control passes to step 18 ). the lighting level associated with the evening band passes , via variable lp , to the procedure which keeps it constant for the entire period in which this band is valid ( step 24 ). the lighting level associated with the night band passes through variable lp to the procedure which keeps it constant for the entire period in which this band is valid ( step 24 ). when the system is first installed , the device must be supplied with data on the composition of the installed lights to be managed , that is , what types of lamps are installed ( fluorescent , electronic , mixed gas , etc .) and in what percentages . the type of technology used by the lamps is a parameter which greatly influences the possibility of optimizing power consumption . knowledge of the percentages of use of each type of lamp among all the light makes it possible to ultimately optimize consumption . these data are selected using the keyboard and are stored in the earom memory . the luminous output of any type of lamp increases with temperature . monitoring of this parameter makes it possible to reduce by several percentage points the power supply voltage whenever possible in order to lower consumption still further . in this phase , the analog value of the temperature sensor is read and compared to a table stored in the memory which supplies the increase or decrease of the value at the output . the sensor is read using the a / d converter , finding a weighted average on various consecutive readings to avoid the influence of possible disturbances . the natural light of controlled environments is another determining factor in lowering consumption . measurement by these sensors makes it possible to control the luminous flux emitted by lamps , while at the same time accounting for sources of external light , whether solar or artificial , in which case the value is obtained through a series of averaged readings taken on an a / d converter . knowledge of how long the system has been operating makes it possible to work at lower operating voltages and to save energy . the timer is managed using the real time clock as a reference and sets a table of modifications similar to preceding ones . all the parameters derived thus far are processed to define an optimum voltage value vp to be applied to the lamps . this value is then used as a pointer to a series of tables ( those which were established by reading the analog values discussed in preceding sections ). the value of the voltage at the output is therefore dynamically modified . flow control passes to step 4 ). the analog value of the current is read ( via the inductive sensor and the corresponding circuit which leads to another a / d channel ). the value read is compared with the one measured in the brief period preceding it to reveal any increases which indicate an attempt to start up a motor . it is checked whether there has been a major instantaneous absorption of current ( which could indicate a motor being started up ); if so , control passes to step 26 ). if consumption of current is constant on the average , control passes to step 29 ). reads the voltage at the output applied to the load via a decoupling and reduction circuit and a channel connected to the a / d . if the voltage at the output vu is less than the minimum voltage at which a 220 v motor can be started up , control passes to step 28 ) which regulates the voltage to the proper level ; if the voltage at the output vu is greater than or equal to the minimum start - up voltage , control passes to step 29 ). temporarily modifies the value vu to a level which will enable start - up of the motor . this level will then be changed back to the preceding value after an appropriate period of time . reads the circuit with the photoelectric cell to measure the average level of luminous flux present within the environments being monitored . the measurement read is compared to the set flux value . if the values are the same there is no need for intervention and control returns to the main cycle , step 3 ). if the values are different , control passes to step 31 ) for further analysis . if the value read is less than the one previously set it jumps to step 32 ) for correction ; if the value read is greater than the level set , it jumps to step 33 ). the method of successive approximations is used to increase the voltage to the load in order to keep luminosity as close as possible to the selected luminosity . control returns to the main cycle , step 3 ). the method of successive approximations is used to reduce the voltage to the load in order to keep luminosity as close as possible to the selected luminosity . control returns to the main cycle , step 3 ). if the values are the same , no intervention is required and control returns to the main cycle , step 3 ). if the values are different , control passes to step 41 ) for further analysis . if the value read is less than the one previously set , it jumps to step 42 ) for correction ; if the value read is greater than the level set , it jumps to step 43 ). the method of successive approximations is used to increase the voltage to the load in order to keep voltage as close as possible to the selected voltage . control returns to the main cycle , step 3 ). the method of successive approximations is used to decrease the voltage to the load in order to keep voltage as close as possible to the selected voltage . control returns to the main cycle , step 3 ). appendix : fig1 a - 10f show diagrams of power supply voltage / percentage of current absorbed with respect to the nominal voltage / percentage of luminosity with respect to the nominal for various light sources .	7
preferred embodiments of the invention are now described . it should be understood that the preferred embodiment using bernoulli wands are not limiting and other embodiments of this invention do not use bernoulli wands . headings are used herein for clarity only and without any intended limitation . the words “ significant ” and “ likely ” ( and similar words of degree ) are used here to mean within acceptable and expected limits , usually commercially - acceptable limits . for example , in the phrase “ significant wafer damage is unlikely in the process ”, the phrase “ significant wafer damage ” is taken to mean damage that limits or prevents intended , usually commercial , applications of the wafer . the phrase “ unlikely in the process ” is taken to mean that , although significant damage may occur , it occurs sufficiently rarely that commercial use of the process is not hindered or prevented . the ranges signified by these terms depend on commercial requirements ( or research requirements , or the like ) and can vary but in all cases are not to be construed , imposing requirements beyond what is currently achievable given a current state - of - the - art . it should be understood that this invention is not limited to commercial uses ; intended uses include research uses , special purpose uses , and so forth . preferred embodiments of the apparatus of this invention utilize bernoulli wands to transfer wafers according to transfer protocols to be described . known transfer protocols generally take into account only the possibility of mechanical damage due to thermal stresses and do not consider the possibility of surface damage due to decomposition or sublimation . this limitation arises because bernoulli wands have been primarily used to transfer elemental semiconductor wafers , e . g . silicon ( si ) wafers . such materials , of course , do not decompose , and also are not known to undergo significant sublimation at relevant process temperatures . however , transfer protocols for compound semiconductor materials preferably take into account , not only the possibility of mechanical damage , but also the possibility of chemical surface damage . at higher temperatures , many compound semiconductors can release volatile species from their surfaces either by decomposition or by congruent or non - congruent sublimation (“ surface changes ”). it is of the utmost importance to preserve semiconductor surface quality , and therefore to limit or prevent such destructive surface changes . in this invention , this is achieved by providing an ambient environment containing an adequate supply of one or more chemical species (“ active gases ”) that limit , prevent , or reverse the reactions leading to surface changes . gallium arsenide ( gaas ) and gallium nitride ( gan ) are two commercially important compound semiconductors known to undergo such surface changes . gaas begins to decompose / sublime at approximately 640 ° c ., and therefore above such temperature ranges , gaas should be in an ambient containing an active gas , e . g ., a gas comprising an active as compound ( e . g . arsine , ash 3 ). see , e . g ., u . s . pat . no . 5 , 659 , 188 . for gan , decomposition / sublimation begins at approximately 800 ° c ., and therefore , it also should be in an ambient containing an active gas , e . g ., a gas comprising an active n compound ( e . g . ammonia , nh 3 ). see , e . g ., mastro et al . 2004 , journal of crystal growth 274 , 38 . active compounds can be either active at room temperature or inactive at room temperature but inactive compounds can be converted into active species at relevant decomposition / sublimation temperatures . in other words , active species may be present in inactive gases only over certain temperature ranges , or only above certain temperature ranges , or the like . therefore , an active gas is preferably selected not only in view of the particular type of wafers to be transferred , but also in view of anticipated temperature ranges utilized during wafer transfer / residence . in the case of gan , ammonia ( nh 3 ) is commonly used during growth for the n source , since gan growth is usually performed at temperatures above 1000 ° c . and nh 3 is already 15 % decomposed by approximately 950 ° c . however , below about approximately 900 - 950 ° c ., nh 3 may be not sufficiently decomposed to be an adequate source of active n species , and alternative active gases that decompose into active n species at lower temperatures are preferred for such lower temperature ranges . for example , dimethylhydrazine ( dmhy ) begins to pyrolitically decompose at approximately 320 ° c . and is completely decomposed at 800 ° c ., and therefore can be a suitable active gas for temperature ranges below about 800 - 900 ° c . see takizawa et al ., 2007 , journal of electronic materials , 36 403 . also , hydrazine itself or compounds containing a pyrolitically - decomposable hydrazine moiety can also be suitable active gases at lower temperature ranges . in further embodiments , gases can be made active by means other than heat , e . g ., by producing plasmas that can be created in the flowing gases before entry into the transfer device , or in the transfer device itself , or in the vicinity of a substrate . plasmas can be conventionally formed by rf electromagnetic fields generated by coils and the like . in the case of gan , it should further be noted that , although often grown in a hetero - epitaxial manner on sapphire substrates ( m . p . greater than 2000 ° c .) which are stable at gan growth temperatures , it is also often grown in a homo - epitaxial manner on substrates with a gan surface ( e . g . gan freestanding or “ pseudo - substrates ”). homo - epitaxial growth on freestanding or pseudo - substrates is known to result in higher quality materials , but the gan substrate surface can be damaged during high temperature transfers . therefore , such compound substrates are preferably protected by an active - gas bernoulli wand ( or other embodiment ) of this invention to preserve substrate surface quality during transfer . preserving surface quality is important as surface imperfections on the substrate formed during loading can lead to imperfection in an epilayer grown thereon . the preferred active gas bernoulli wand embodiments of this invention , can accommodate low or high removal / replacement transfer temperatures , from as low as 250 ° c . up to as high as 900 ° c ., as required or tolerated by different substrates . turning now to apparatus of this invention , fig1 a and 1b illustrate schematically a plan view and an elevation view , respectively , of a preferred bernoulli - wand embodiment of apparatus of this invention . since apparatus of this invention will find its usual application as a component of equipment designed for chemical vapor deposition (“ cvd ”) processes , especially for commercial or high - volume equipment application of cvd processes , these figures illustrate a device of this invention in such an environment . considering first the environment of the illustrated transfer device of this invention , common features of exemplary cvd equipment include transfer chamber ( or load chamber ) 5 communicating to growth chamber 17 through isolation valve ( or load lock ) 7 . isolation valve 7 seals growth chamber 17 , for example , when a cvd process is in progress , and opens to allow transfer device 1 to move freely into and out of the growth chamber . the isolation valve can be operated automatically or manually . a transfer chamber can include substrate support 33 , which supports a substrate when within the transfer chamber , and robot arm 31 for moving the substrate transfer device 1 between the load chamber and the growth chamber . in other embodiments , transfer device 1 can be manually manipulated . other components within the transfer chamber specifically related to the transfer device of this invention and are described subsequently . active gases can be reactive and hazardous . thus portions of the equipment that can come into contract with the active gases are preferably of resistant materials , and locations where the active gases might be released are preferably equipped with abatement systems . in most embodiments of this invention , the transfer devices will release active gases into the growth chamber . most known growth chambers are made of sufficiently resistant materials and are associated with adequate abatement systems . in many embodiments of this invention , the transfer device will also release at least some active gases into the transfer chamber . if the transfer chamber is not already made of resistant materials with an abatement system , it is preferably upgraded or redesigned with such features to be able to safely handle planned active gases . a growth chamber 17 usually includes valved inlets 37 for fresh process gases and exhaust port 39 for spent process gases . during a cvd process , the substrates ( or substrate ) are supported by optional susceptor 9 which fits closely in an opening in shelf 11 . this planar arrangement serves to promote desirable flow of process gases across the susceptor and limits undesirable gas flow below the susceptor . components within the growth chamber , and the growth chamber itself , can be heated by a wide range of heating elements 41 ( above the susceptor ) and 41 ′ ( below the susceptor ). these elements can include resistive elements , lamps radiating ir , visible , and uv lights , rf coils , and the like . for example , where the heating elements include lamps , the growth chamber preferably comprises materials at least partially transparent to radiation emitted by the lamps , e . g ., quartz , and interior components preferably comprise materials at least partially radiation absorbent , e . g ., sic . the illustrated embodiment is based on the bernoulli effect , and possibly ( but not necessarily ) includes a known bernoulli wand device or a modification thereof . transfer device 1 comprises an elongated support which supports the device , one or more conduits for conducting one or more gases , and a plurality of ports 2 for releasing the gases in the vicinity of substrate 3 . conduits are not illustrated in fig1 a , but fig1 b illustrates a single conduit within the support leading to ports 2 . fig1 b also illustrates that substrate 3 is being supported beneath the transfer device , above substrate support 33 , and ready for transfer . the substrate is being suspended by the aerodynamic forces generated by gases flowing from ports 2 . the support couples to a manual or automatic device for moving transfer device 1 between load chamber 5 and growth chamber 17 . fig1 b illustrates the moving device as robot arm 31 . fig1 a illustrates in solid outline the transfer device and substrate in position in transfer chamber 5 as device 1 and wafer 3 , and also illustrates in dashed outline the transfer device and substrate in position in the growth chamber as transfer device 13 and wafer 15 . the transfer device can receive a single gas , e . g ., an active gas such as ash 3 or dmhy , from an external gas source ; or can receive two gases , e . g ., an active gas such as ash 3 or dmhy and an inactive gas such as ar , n 2 , from two external gas sources ; or can receive three or more gases , e . g ., an active gas and two inactive gases , from three or more external gas sources ; and so forth . accordingly , a system with a transfer device of this invention can include supplies for one or more active gases and zero or more inactive gases . the exemplary embodiment is illustrated as receiving two gases : a first gas is supplied through valved connection 23 ; and a second gas is supplied through valved connection 25 . if a transfer device comprises two or more conduits , the different gases can be coupled to the different conduits and carried to different pluralities of ports 2 . in case the transfer device comprises only a single conduit , multiple gases are mixed before or in the device . here , the different gases are to be coupled through component 21 that performs a plenum - like function in which mixing of the different gases occurs ( so that gases of similar composition flow from the different output ports ). the different coupling components illustrated in fig1 a and 1b , can assume a variety of lengths and shapes . preferably , but optionally , the temperature of gases flowing through a transfer device can be controlled independently of the temperature of the surroundings , e . g ., the temperature of the transfer chamber or the growth chamber . such temperature control provides additional flexibility for ensuring wafer integrity . for example , a sufficiently high temperature can be reached in a transfer device so that potentially gases can be made active , e . g ., nh 3 can be decomposed to active nitrogen species . also , such temperature control can permit at least partially controlling the temperature of a suspended wafer . thereby , a wafer can be removed at close to process temperature , and , within the transfer chamber , can be cooled at a rate selected to avoid physical damage while bathed in active gases to limit or prevent surface changes ( e . g ., decomposition or sublimation ). gases flowing through a transfer device can be heated using heating elements associated with the transfer device that include ( but are not limited to ) heating lamps ( with radiation emitted by either a filament or a solid state component ), rf fields generated by , e . g ., inductors , resistive heating elements and the like . fig1 a and 1b schematically and generically illustrate heating element 35 associated with transfer device 1 . this heating element 35 is illustrated as external to transfer device 1 and above the plane of the transfer device . for example , heating element 35 can be a lamp that directly heats the gases flowing in a transfer device or an inductor that indirectly heats the flowing gases by generating plasmas . in the case of lamps , part or all of the transfer device can comprise radiation absorbing materials , e . g ., sic . a heating element is illustrated in transfer chamber 5 , since in most cases gases flowing in a transfer device when the device is within growth chamber 17 are adequately heated by the ambient temperatures of the growth chamber . in other embodiments , heating elements associated with a transfer device can be physically linked to the device , e . g ., external but attached to the transfer device or partially , or fully enclosed within the transfer device , or the like . for example , heating filaments can be within or attached to a transfer device . current to heat the filaments can be supplied through external connections or induced by varying magnetic fields ( i . e ., the filaments act as transformed secondaries ). such elements are preferably configured to deliver most of their heat to the transfer device and avoid heating its environment . transfer devices can be fabricated of sufficiently resistant materials , e . g ., quartz , sin , bn , and the like , according to well known methods for machining , etching , bonding , and the like . the present invention further provides methods and protocols employing the transfer devices of this invention for transferring wafers into and out of growth chambers at higher temperatures , even up to near growth temperatures in certain embodiments . generally , substrates can be transferred between environments of different temperatures , either from a higher temperature environment to a lower temperature environment or from a lower temperature environment to a higher temperature environment . for example , substrates and wafers can be removed or replaced in a growth chamber ( reactor chamber ) at temperatures greater than about 600 ° c ., or greater than about 700 ° c ., or greater than about 850 ° c . or higher ( but less than growth temperatures ). with heated transfer devices , substrate and wafer temperatures can be ramped up and down in a transfer chamber ( generally , the lower temperature environment ) and not in the growth chamber ( generally , the high temperature environment ). thus , longer times consumed by temperature ramps of the higher - thermal - mass growth chamber can be replaced by shorter times for temperature ramps of the lower - thermal - mass transfer device . more preferably , temperature rams of the growth chamber can be avoided altogether . thereby , the growth chamber and the entire processing equipment can achieve higher wafer throughputs and higher system efficiencies . fig2 a and 2b illustrate exemplary , basic methods and protocols for placing a wafer ( or substrate ) into a higher - temperature growth chamber , or for removing a wafer ( or substrate ) from a higher - temperature growth chamber , respectively . for clarity but without limitation , these figures ( and fig3 ) illustrate transfers between growth and transfer chambers using preferred transfer devices using gas flow to generate aerodynamic forces that suspend wafers . it will be understood that similar methods are useful to transfer between growth chambers and other than transfer chambers using other embodiments of transfer devices of this invention that use other forces to control substrates . with reference to fig2 a , to transfer a wafer ( or substrate ) presently in a ( typically , lower temperature ) transfer chamber 101 , first , the outlet ports of the transfer device are positioned above a wafer and gas flows are started 103 in the transfer device in order to pick up and suspend the wafer under the outlet ports of the transfer device . optionally , but preferably , the temperature of the wafer is controlled ( typically , increased ) to temperature ranges sufficiently close to the ( typically , higher temperature ) growth - chamber temperature so that it can safely be moved into the growth chamber without likely damage due to thermal stress . the wafer temperature is controlled using heating elements associated with the transfer device which heat the transfer device and thereby heat the gases flowing within the device 105 . the active gas flow can begin during step 103 , or can begin during step 105 when the wafer temperature reaches a temperature near those at which surface changes occur . in any case , active gas flow begins before the transfer device is moved into the ( typically , higher temperature ) growth chamber . next , the transfer device with the suspended wafer is moved 107 into the growth chamber ( after opening the isolation valve ) and positioned so that the wafer is over the susceptor . gas flows are then stopped 109 so that the wafer is released onto a susceptor in the chamber . prior to stopping the gas flows , including the active gas flows , an equilibration time may optionally be preferable for the wafer to reach a temperature close to that of the susceptor ( and for the chemical environment of the growth chamber to reaches growth conditions that will not cause surface changes to higher temperature substrates or wafers ). finally , the transfer device is removed from the growth chamber 111 back into the transfer chamber ( and the isolation valve is closed ). the wafer or substrate is now in the growth chamber 113 ready for processing . with reference to fig2 b , the method and protocol of removing a wafer or substrate presently in a growth chamber 131 into a transfer chamber ( i . e ., from typically higher - temperature environment to a typically lower - temperature environment ) is , at least in initial steps , largely the reverse of the prior method and protocol . the transfer device is moved 133 from the transfer chamber into the growth chamber ( after opening the isolation valve ) and its outlet ports are positioned over the wafer ; next , flows of gases , including the active gases , are started 135 to pick up and suspend the wafer ; and next , the transfer device with the suspended wafer is removed 137 from the growth chamber ( and the isolation valve closed ). gas flows are continued 139 so that the higher - temperature wafer remains suspended out of physical contact with the lower - temperature transfer chamber components , and active gas ( optionally mixed with inert gas ) flows are also continued so that surface changes due to the higher - temperature wafer are limited or prevented . if the transfer device has associated heating elements , these heat the transfer device and the gases flowing within the device so that the temperature of the wafer remains near the growth - chamber temperature to prevent thermal shock and damage . further protocol steps depend on whether the wafer is to be shortly replaced in the growth chamber for further processing , or whether the wafer is to be retained in the transfer chamber ( e . g . processing is complete and the wafer is to be removed from the equipment ). in the first case , the transfer device and gas flows remain unchanged 153 and continue to be heated so that the wafer is maintained at near growth - chamber temperatures . the wafer can alternatively be heated to such lower temperatures so that , upon transfer back into the higher - temperature growth chamber , significant thermal damage is unlikely . the wafer can then be moved back into the growth chamber according to , e . g ., the process of fig2 a . in the second case , the gas flow temperatures and the wafer temperature are decreased . once the wafer temperature is below any sublimation ( congruent and non - congruent ) temperatures 145 and any decomposition temperatures , the active gas flow can optionally be stopped . the rate of temperature decrease is also controlled 147 so as not to thermally shock the wafer as this could result in cracking or even shattering of the wafer , especially if the substrate and growth material have significantly different thermal expansion coefficients . when the wafer temperature is sufficiently low , all gas flows can be stopped 149 and the wafer released onto a support in the transfer chamber . the wafer is now in the transfer chamber 151 at the typically lower transfer - chamber temperature . it can be appreciated that this invention permits wafers and substrates to be moved in and out of a growth chamber at higher temperatures ( to lower - temperature environments ) while maintaining surface quality and avoiding thermal damage . this invention is therefore particularly advantageous in processes during which a wafer is removed and replaced in the growth chamber multiple times . for example , during a long epitaxial growth process , a wafer may need to be removed from the growth chamber so that the growth chamber can be maintained ( e . g ., cleaned ), precursor sources recharged , and so forth . fig3 illustrates in more detail this advantageous application . with reference to fig3 , the illustrated multiple - transfer protocol and method begins with a wafer or substrate in a transfer chamber 171 of semiconductor processing equipment , perhaps having just been placed in the processing equipment . next , the wafer is transferred into the growth chamber 173 , preferably using a transfer device of this invention and preferably according to the protocol and method of fig2 a or similar . as explained , the present invention allows the wafer to be moved from the lower - temperature transfer chamber into the growth chamber when the chamber is near or at process temperatures ( up to maximum temperatures of about 850 - 1100 ° c .) without surface changes or thermal damages . next , the intended process 175 is performed on the wafer in the growth chamber . this will usually be epitaxial growth from gas - phase precursors of a material useful in semiconductor fabrication . several such processes are known in the art to which this invention is applicable . during processing , removal of the wafer from the growth chamber may be useful or necessary . such removal may be consequent to the demands of the process , e . g ., to prepare for a next process step ; state of the wafer , e . g ., to allow stabilization at the lower temperature ; and the state of the growth chamber and processing equipment generally , e . g ., to permit cleaning or other maintenance . accordingly , the decision whether or not to remove the wafer can be made 177 . if removal is not necessary or preferred , processing 175 can continue . if removal is necessary or preferred , then the wafer can be removed from the growth chamber 179 to the transfer chamber , preferably using a transfer device of this invention and according to the protocol and method of fig2 b or similar . the present invention allows the wafer to be moved into the lower - temperature transfer chamber when the growth chamber and wafer or substrate remains near or at process temperatures ( up to maximum temperatures of about 850 - 1100 ° c .) without surface changes or thermal damages . thereby , temperature ramp - down of the growth chamber can be limited or avoided . as described with respect to fig2 b , subsequent steps of the removal protocol depend on whether or not the wafer is soon to be replaced in the growth chamber . accordingly , the state of the wafer and process are ascertained and it is decided whether or not the processing of this wafer is complete 183 . if processing is complete , the transfer device equilibrates the wafer 185 to conditions in the transfer chamber by controllably lowering the temperature of the gas flows within the transfer device , and thus controllably lowering the temperature of the wafer , and also maintaining active gas flows as until the wafer temperature is sufficiently low in view of the ambient composition in the transfer chamber . if processing is not complete , the transfer device controllably controls gas flow temperatures so that the wafer 181 is maintained preferably near or at process temperature and continues flows of active gas in order to protect the surface of the wafer at these high temperatures . ( the wafer can alternatively be heated to such lower temperatures so that , upon transfer back into the higher - temperature growth chamber , significant thermal damage is unlikely .) when the process can be resumed , the wafer is transferred into the growth chamber 173 , preferably using a transfer device of this invention and according to the method and protocol of fig2 a or similar . processing 175 begins again , e . g ., when equipment maintenance or cleaning is complete . the preferred embodiments of the invention described above do not limit the scope of the invention , since these embodiments are illustrations of several preferred aspects of the invention . any equivalent embodiments are intended to be within the scope of this invention . indeed , various modifications of the invention in addition to those shown and described herein , such as alternate useful combinations of the elements described , will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the subsequent description . such modifications are also intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims . in the following ( and in the application as a whole ), headings and legends are used for clarity and convenience only . a number of references are cited herein , the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein , in their entirety , by reference for all purposes . further , none of the cited references , regardless of how characterized above , is admitted as prior to the invention of the subject matter claimed herein .	7
central to the preparation of suitable veneer covered substrates of the present invention is the use of fiber backed reconstituted wood veneers . typically , these veneers are made by rotary cutting a bland , lightly - colored timber such as obeche and koto from africa or oak from the united states . the defects are removed and the resulting sheets of veneer are vat - dyed to a desired color using heated anilinic dyes . unlike paint , the dyes go completely through the veneer providing color that cannot be sanded out . the dyed veneer sheets are then glued , one to another , into a large rectangular block , referred to as a &# 34 ; chopping block &# 34 ;. the order in which the veneer sheets are glued together and the color of glue used enables the formation of predetermined forms or patterns . using a combination various predetermined forms or patterns . using a combination of dyed veneer sheets , colored adhesives and forms , the desired patterns can consistently be reproduced time after time in large quantities . the chopping block of glued together dyed veneer sheets is then &# 34 ; end cut &# 34 ; or sliced against the normal cellular grain at a desired thickness , into new veneer sheets consisting of strips of glued together veneer . the end slicing of the chopping block against the grain destroys or limits the cellular integrity of the dyed veneer sheets making up the chopping block . the sheets sliced from the block are placed in a high temperature press with a non - oriented fiber backing sheet such as a polyester . the fiber backing sheet is heat pressed into the end cut veneer sheet providing a fiberveneer bond superior to that obtained with a glued on backing . the heat and pressure used in pressing the backing sheet into the end cut veneer sheet further crushes the wood cells from the end cut strips and develops the wood grain appearance of the reconstituted product . because of the pattern used when gluing the initial veneer sheets together can be repeated over and over , these reconstituted veneer sheets can be produced over and over having a consistent pattern . these sheets can also be spliced together to form a veneer roll of any desirable length having the same pattern . because the cellular integrity of the wood cells have been destroyed during the slicing and pressing procedures , the new veneer product has no &# 34 ; memory &# 34 ; and can conform or be oriented to any desired shape and remain in that shape . hence , there is no tendency of the veneer to delaminate , crack or break because one cell is pulling against another . however , the product is made of wood and has the genuine appearance of wood . attachment of the fiber backed reconstituted wood veneer to the substrate is not dependent upon prior art methods of heat and pressure and can be accomplished by means of state of the art pressure sensitive adhesives . typical pressure sensitive adhesives are those of the acrylic or rubber adhesive families and are available in tape or sheet form . a single adhesive layer may bond directly to the substrate and fiber backing of the veneer or a double adhesive with a layer on either side of a carrier such as a polyester or vinyl film or paper carrier may be used . in a double coated adhesive , the adhesive on one side of a carrier bonds to the substrate and the adhesive on the other side of the carrier bonds to the fiber backing of the veneer . if desired , the adhesives on opposing sides of the carrier may be different . the adhesives used provide excellent initial adhesion , high bond strengths to most surfaces , excellent high temperature , water and solvent resistance , ultra - violet light resistance and excellent shear holding power . in many adhesives , the bond strength increases substantially with natural aging . representative of adhesives which may be used are scotch brand specialty tapes manufactured by the industrial specialties division / 3m in the a10 to a70 acrylic adhesive family and r10 to r70 rubber adhesive family . the particular tape to use can be readily selected by one skilled in the art depending upon the substrate and fiber backing on the reconstituted wood veneer . such adhesive tapes , with or without a supporting carrier , are available in rolls protected by appropriate paper liners . as the tape unrolls one surface of the adhesive transfers from the liner to the surface of either the substrate or fiber backing of the veneer and adheres thereto . the opposing adhesive surface is then sequentially brought into contact with the substrate or veneer surface and lamination is completed by the application of pressure . generally , in a continuous operation , the adhesive will first adhere to the substrate surface followed by contact with the veneer and application of appropriate pressure . depending upon the rigidity of the substrate , it may be fed into lamination systems in pre - cut lengths or , if flexible enough , it may be fed continuously in rolls and cut in desired lengths . the adhesive tape , consisting of adhesive only or contained on a carrier , will generally be in roll form , and the fiber backed reconstituted wood veneer will generally be in roll form . while some modification may be required , lamination systems are available to apply appropriate pressure to the veneer , adhesive , substrate combination , depending upon the contour of the substrate . since the fiber backed reconstituted wood veneer has no memory and will readily conform to any reasonably configured substrate surface , one skilled in the art can readily adapt the lamination system to apply the adhesive and veneer to the substrate at the proper configuration and apply appropriate pressure to the veneer surface to insure proper lamination . in the case of window blind slats or louvers , double sided application of veneer to substrate may be made simultaneously . the acrylic and rubber adhesives , with or without a supporting carrier , provide excellent initial adhesion to most smooth surfaces . for surfaces which are not entirely smooth , thicker adhesives may be required . generally the adhesive thickness will vary from about 0 . 001 inch ( 0 . 025 mm ) to about 0 . 015 inch ( 0 . 38 mm ). however , if the substrate has a sufficiently uneven surface to require it , a foam tape carrier could be used having a thickness up to about 0 . 25 inch ( 6 . 35 mm ). in most cases , the adhesive for bonding the veneer to the substrate should be as thin as possible . there is shown in fig1 and 2 one complete and preferred embodiment of the invention . fig1 shows a perspective view of a structural element g in the form of a panel 10 which would be suitable as a vertical venetian blind slat . panel 10 consists of an aluminum substrate 11 having a fiber backed reconstituted wood veneer 12 and 13 adhering to the opposing surfaces thereof by means of adhesive tapes 14 and 15 consisting of polyvinyl films coated on both sides by acrylic pressure sensitive adhesives . the substrate is critical to the functionality of venetian blind slats or louvers , and therefore must be selected to possess the desired properties . it is essential that the substrate have the proper rigidity and also be lightweight , durable , strong , resilient , heat and water resistant , and above all , be capable of having a fiber backed wood veneer bonded thereto . in the venetian type blind industry , it is usual to have slats or louvers made of aluminum because of its availability , lightweight , strength and relatively low cost . these aluminum substrates have previously been either painted or covered with a fabric material . however , no one has successfully produced an aluminum substrate to which a reconstituted wood veneer had been laminated . in addition to aluminum , any metal that is suitable for use as a substrate having the requisite properties of strength , weight , flexibility and cost may be utilized . lightweight alloys utilizing berylium , titanium and other space age metals would be suitable replacements for aluminum . also , foamed polyvinyl chloride plastics or any other substrate which would be suitable as a blind slat or louver and to which the reconstituted wood can be laminated would also be suitable . as previously stated , the fiber backed veneer must not have a memory in order not to significantly alter or interfere with the desirable physical characteristics of the substrate and is preferably thin . however , without the veneer , the substrate per se would have little commercial value in the making of decorative venetian type blinds . accordingly , the veneer must be selected on the basis of its decorative function or appearance as well as its compatability with the substrate . by definition , a veneer is a thin ornamental or protective facing which is of superior value or appearance to its substrate . because of the superior appearance of hardwoods , it is highly desirable that the reconstituted wood veneers utilized in the present invention be made with a pattern which simulates hardwood such as oak , maple , walnut , mahogony , cherry , etc . such wood veneers are elegant in appearance and give the impression that the structural elements made therefrom are of solid wood . the relative size or thickness of the veneer in comparison to the substrate is not important as long as the structural laminated element is functional . what is critical is that the physical properties of the veneer do not interfere or take over the properties of the substrate . the veneer is for decorative purposes and the properties of the substrate dictate suitability of use . referring again to fig1 and 2 , although not drawn to scale , a venetian type blind panel vertically hung can be constructed with panels 10 being approximately 0 . 060 inch ( 1 . 5 mm ) thick and 3 inches wide and of any desired length , e . g . 84 inches . of the 0 . 060 inch thickness , the substrate 11 is about 0 . 016 inch ( 0 . 4 mm ), each fiber backed reconstituted wood veneer 12 and 13 is about 0 . 020 inch ( 0 . 5 mm ) thick and each adhesive 14 and 15 , consisting of polyamide film tape coated with acrylic adhesive , is about 0 . 002 inch ( 0 . 05 mm ) thick . the reconstituted wood veneer 12 and 13 does not prevent the substrate 11 of the panel from bending , flexing , twisting or otherwise being manipulated within the limits and in the manner of conventional blind slats or panels . moreover , the panel will not lose its configuration by warping , splitting , will not change in dimensions by shrinking or swelling and will not break upon impact as easily as wooden panels might . the panels remain resilient and will not become distorted in shape as homogeneous plastic or metal panels might unless severely bent . however , the patterned wood grain in each panel gives the appearance that it is made of solid , beautifully grained hardwood . as stated above , there is no strict mathematical ratio between veneer thickness and substrate thickness outside of which the invention will not function . rather , the ratio is a functional one being dependent upon the point at which the veneer starts to inhibit the structural performance of the substrate . therefore , if in fig1 and 2 , the substrate was a polyvinyl chloride foam , the thickness of substrate 11 would be more in the order of 0 . 16 inch ( 4 . 0 mm ). however , the veneer and adhesive thicknesses would remain the same and the laminate would have a cross section more on the scale as shown in fig1 and 2 . fig3 a - 3e show various other panel configurations which may be used in the present invention . in these embodiments , the adhesive layer is not shown with the same particularity as in fig2 . however , it would be illustrated the same if shown . fig3 a shoes a typical cross section of a horizontal venetian blind slat 10a comprising a contoured substrate 11a having adhered thereto fiber backed reconstituted wood veneers 12a and 13a . preferably , the substrate is a metal such as aluminum . similarly , fig3 b is a cross section of a door panel 10b made up of a flat substrate 11b and a single veneer 12b . substrate 11b may be of any suitable material for making door panels . for example , solid softwood such as pine would be suitable . hollow cores of wood , plastic or even light metal could also be used . fig3 c is a cross section of an irregular surfaced panel 10c such as might be utilized on a picture frame consisting of an irregularly surfaced substrate 11c containing single veneer 12c of fiber backed reconstituted wood . any other substrate having an irregular surface such as moldings used as baseboards , door or window frames , and the like are within the scope of this embodiment . such may be made of wood , simulated wood made from plastic , pressed wood , or other substrates to which a fiber backed reconstituted wood veneer can be appropriately attached . fig3 d shows a cross section of a cylinder 10d which might be used as the outer surface in the making of containers such as ice buckets , drinking cups or glasses , trash receptacles and the like made up from a circular substrate 11d containing a reconstituted wood outer veneer 12d and a plastic inner veneer 13d . fig3 e shows a panel 10e consisting of a corrugated substrate 11e containing veneers 12e and 13e which could be of reconstituted wood veneers having different wood patterns on either side and suitable for use as a divider for rooms or making cubicles . the uses to which the present invention may be put are limited only by the imagination . the embodiments used as venetian blind slats or louvers have currently been found to be the most practical and are preferred embodiments . however , the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the claims which follow .	1
a collapsible kennel for use with capped truck beds according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to fig1 through 11 c of the accompanying drawings . a collapsible kennel 100 according to a now preferred embodiment includes a center floor panel 110 having a generally rectangular configuration fixedly attached to a center front panel 130 and pivotally coupled to a pair of side floor panels 120 by a set of panel hinges 112 , each floor panel having generally rectangular configurations . a back support bracket 114 is fixedly attached to the center floor panel 110 opposite the center front panel 130 and rests on a back rail of a truck bed to help support the weight of the collapsible kennel 100 and its contents . the center floor panel 130 defines a horizontal axis relative to the floor panels 110 that are hingedly coupled thereto . more particularly , each floor panel 110 is separately movable between an extended use configuration planar with the center floor panel 130 and a folded storage configuration generally perpendicular relative to the center floor panel 130 ( fig4 b to 5 b ). a side support bracket 160 is positioned along an outer edge 123 of each side floor panel 120 and fixedly attached to each side floor panel 120 at a bottom face 122 thereof . an upper lip 161 of each side support bracket 160 can rest on a respective side rail of the truck bed to support the weight of the collapsible kennel 100 and its contents . a bottom lip 162 of each side support bracket 160 defines holes 167 . a clamp bolt 168 passes through each hole 167 , creating a c - clamp , and can secure the collapsible kennel 100 to a respective side rail of the truck bed . this is best seen in fig4 a , 4 b , and 6 c . each upper lip 161 has an opening 169 which acts as a convenient carrying handle when the collapsible kennel 100 is in a fully collapsed configuration , as shown in fig5 b . inside each side floor panel 120 is an interlocking support mechanism 126 that slides into cavities 116 in the center floor panel 110 by sliding a handle fastener 127 toward the center floor panel 110 . this is best shown in fig7 a and 7 b and , in effect , produces a single rigid floor panel for supporting the weight of the collapsible kennel 100 and its contents . the interlocking support mechanism 126 is preferably made of metal . the interlocking mechanism 126 and handle 127 is the preferred fastener although other slidable fasteners would work . the slidable handles 127 may also be referred to as first and second floor panel fasteners . the slidable fastener arrangement is useful for holding and releasing the floor panels 120 between the extended and storage configurations described above . for example , the slidable handles 127 may be slidably moved such that the prongs of the interlocking support mechanism 126 cooperatively engage the cavities 116 of the center floor panel 130 it is understood , of course , that the locking action of the floor fasteners described herein are only effective when the floor panels 120 are in the extended configurations , i . e . such that the cavities 116 are situated to receive the prongs . a divider base 150 is fixedly attached atop the center floor panel 110 and fixedly attached to a rear face 132 of the center front panel 130 , adding structural support to the collapsible kennel 100 . a divider insert 152 is removably attached to the divider base 150 the divider base 150 and insert 152 may be collectively referred to as a partition as they effectively divide the interior space of the kennel 100 into separate kennel spaces . a pair of side front panels 140 are pivotally coupled to the rear face 132 of the center front panel 130 by a set of panel hinges 133 . each side front panel 140 includes a generally rectangular configuration having a linear bottom surface 144 , a linear inner surface 145 , and linear top surface 146 , but with an outer top surface 147 being complementary to the shape of a truck cap and a truck bed &# 39 ; s side rail . the front panels 130 are pivotally movable on respective hinges 133 between open and closed configurations ( fig4 a and 4 b ). it is understood that the center front panel 130 defines a vertical axis about which the front panels 130 are designed to pivot . it should be appreciated that front and rear walls of the truck cap itself may provide the equivalent of the front panels 140 if the floor panels 120 are appropriately dimensioned and positioned in a truck bed . the side front panels 140 may be secured to the side floor panels 120 by two removable panel bolts 148 , as best seen in fig6 c . the panel bolts 148 may be referenced as first and second front panel fasteners that may be selectively extended through respective floor panels 120 into cooperative engagement with respective front panels 130 , whereby to releasably hold the front panels at closed configurations or to release them to open configurations . it is understood that the front panels and front panel fasteners are separately operable . each side front panel 140 defines a door opening 149 for animal ingress and egress . the preferred door to cover door opening 149 is a folding - gate 170 a , shown in fig1 a and 10 b . a pair of sliders 171 a on the folding - gate 170 a move along a track 172 a that is fixedly secured to the side front panel 140 . a spring 173 a attaches the sliders 171 a to make the folding - gate 170 a self - closing . the spring 173 a should be stiff enough to prevent a dog from opening the folding - gate 170 a with his paw or snout . an eyelet 174 a is fixedly attached to each folding - gate 170 a , and an eyelet 175 a is fixedly attached to each side front panel 140 directly above each eyelet 174 a . this is best seen in fig1 b . a cord or cable can then be secured to each eyelet 174 a , pass through each eyelet 175 a , and be pulled horizontally by a user to exert a vertical force and open each folding - gate 170 a . the door opening 149 may alternatively be covered by a wire grate door 170 b . the wire grate door 170 b is pivotally coupled to the side front panel 140 by a set of spring - loaded hinges 172 b . a conventional sliding bolt assembly 174 b is fixedly attached to the wire grate door 170 b , and a compatible bolt catch 175 b is fixedly attached to the side front panel 140 where the sliding bolt assembly 174 b and the bolt catch 175 b can connect . a cord or cable 178 can then be secured to the sliding bolt assembly 174 b and pass through an eyelet 177 b that is permanently mounted to the truck cap . eyelet 177 b provides the angle needed for the cord 178 to release the bolt in the sliding bolt assembly 174 b and pull the wire grate door 170 b open ( fig2 ). the combined widths of the center floor panel 110 , the two side floor panels 120 , and the two vertical walls 163 of side support brackets 160 are preferably slightly less than the distance between the truck bed &# 39 ; s side rails . when unfolded and assembled , the collapsible kennel 100 may be placed with the upper lips 161 of side support brackets 160 atop the truck bed &# 39 ; s side rails , leaving cargo space available in the truck bed . when positioned against the truck cab and secured by clamp bolts 168 , the collapsible kennel 100 would provide a floor and one wall of a kennel , the truck cab would provide a second wall , and the truck cap would provide the final two walls and ceiling . since truck beds come in various widths , various combinations may be needed to ensure a good fit with different trucks . multiple center floor panels 110 and center front panels 130 may be provided to allow the user to assemble the collapsible kennel 100 with the components that match the width of his truck bed . truck caps also come in different sizes , and while this will not be significant in most cases , some caps may leave enough of a gap for an animal to climb out of the kennel . in such cases , the side front panels 140 can be custom made or extra material can be added to cover the gap . a flexible frame may also be added that could slide up to meet the contours of the cap . in use , the collapsible kennel 100 may be collapsed as shown in fig4 a through 5 b . first , panel bolts 148 may be removed and side front panels 140 are folded in toward the divider base 150 ( fig4 a and 4 b ). next , clamp bolts 168 are loosened , and handles 127 are slid away from the center floor panel 110 to disengage the interlocking support mechanism 126 . the side floor panels 120 are then folded upwards toward the divider base 150 as shown in fig5 a and 5 b . fig5 b shows the collapsible kennel 100 fully collapsed into a one - piece package . a collapsible kennel 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig8 a through 9 b and includes a construction substantially similar to the construction previously described except as specifically noted below . more particularly , the collapsible kennel 200 according to this embodiment includes two floor panels 220 having generally rectangular configurations pivotally coupled along a bottom face 222 by a set of panel hinges ( not shown ). each floor panel 220 has a front lip 224 defining holes 229 . a divider 250 is pivotally coupled to one of the floor panels 220 by a divider hinge 251 at a top face 221 . a pair of front panels 240 are pivotally coupled together by a panel hinge 233 situated on a front face 241 of each of respective front panels 240 . the front panels 240 have a linear bottom surface 244 perpendicular to a linear inner surface 245 perpendicular to a linear top surface 246 . in the same manner described previously , the linear top surface 246 transitions into an outer surface 247 designed to approximate the shape of a truck cap . the front panels 240 have holes 248 that correspond to holes 229 when the front panels 240 are lined up with the floor panels 220 . panel bolts 249 selectively couple the front panels 240 with the floor panels 220 . a bracket 254 having a hole 256 is fixedly attached to a rear face 242 of one front panel 240 . the divider 250 has a hole 255 that corresponds to hole 256 of bracket 254 when the front panels 240 are combined with the floor panels 220 and the divider 250 is in a vertical position . divider bolt 258 fastens the divider 250 with the bracket 254 , maintaining the divider 250 in a vertical position . preferably , the combined widths of the two floor panels 220 are slightly more than the distance between the truck bed &# 39 ; s side rails . when unfolded and assembled , the collapsible kennel 200 may be placed atop the truck bed &# 39 ; s side rails , leaving cargo space available in the truck bed . when positioned against the truck cab , the collapsible kennel 200 would provide a floor and one wall of a kennel , the truck cab would provide a second wall , and the truck cap would provide the final two walls and ceiling . fig8 a through 9 b show the collapsible kennel 200 being collapsed . first , divider bolt 258 is removed and the divider 250 is folded to the connected floor panel 220 . next , panel bolts 249 are removed and the front panels 240 are separated from the floor panels 220 . the floor panels 220 are then folded , causing the bottom faces 222 to abut , and the front panels 240 are folded , causing the front faces 241 to abut . a collapsible kennel 300 according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig1 a through 11 c and includes a construction substantially similar to the construction first described above except as specifically noted below . more particularly , the collapsible kennel 300 according to this embodiment includes a center rear panel 380 pivotally coupled to a pair of side rear panels 390 by a set of panel hinges ( not shown ). the side rear panels 390 can include windows 399 . a bracket 394 with holes ( not shown ) fixedly attached to the bottom of outer surface 387 of the center rear panel 380 . bolts 398 pass through the bracket holes to create a c - clamp for attaching the rear enclosure 301 to the center floor panel 110 of the collapsible kennel 100 . the back support bracket 114 must be removed from the collapsible kennel 100 . when unfolded and assembled , the collapsible kennel 300 may be placed with the upper lips 161 of side support brackets 160 atop the truck bed &# 39 ; s side rails , leaving cargo space available in the truck bed . the collapsible kennel 300 may be positioned anywhere along the truck bed &# 39 ; s side rails and secured by clamp bolts 168 . the collapsible kennel 300 would provide a floor and two opposing walls of a kennel , and the truck cap would provide the final two walls and ceiling . the center rear panel 380 is preferably more narrow and shorter than center front panel 130 , and the side rear panels 390 is preferably more narrow and shorter than the side front panels 140 . this allows rear enclosure 301 to fold into the one - piece package of the collapsible kennel 100 when both the collapsible kennel 100 and the rear enclosure 301 are completely collapsed . it is understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described , it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable functional equivalents thereof .	1
[ 0020 ] fig1 is a block diagram of a kiosk system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention , and fig2 is a perspective view showing a kiosk of the kiosk system . referring to fig1 the kiosk system comprises a server system 100 and a plurality of kiosks 300 communicating with the server system 100 through the internet 500 . the server system 100 includes a database 120 and a server 400 . the database 120 stores a variety of data such as a text files , a video clips , and graphic files for public information , and a plurality of advertisement clips . the server 140 communicates with each kiosk 300 through the internet 500 . the server 140 also transmits the public information and the advertisement clips stored in the database 120 to the kiosk 300 in units of frames . the public information and the advertisement clips can be deleted and updated , and the update information can be displayed on the screen of the kiosk 300 according to a predetermined schedule , for example , in one time per day . [ 0022 ] fig3 is a view showing the data frame communicating between the server system 100 and kiosks 300 . referring to fig3 the data frame consists of frame start field 210 , frame code field 220 , destination address 230 , destination address field 240 , transmission time field 250 , frame length field 260 , data end field 270 , and a longitudinal redundancy check ( lrc ) field 280 . the frame start field 210 is 1 byte and indicates start point of the frame , and the frame code field 220 is 5 bytes and indicates a kind of the frame such as input , output , delete , update , and channel signals . the destination address field 230 is 8 bytes and indicates the address of the frame destination , and the transmission time field 240 is 12 bytes and indicates the transmission time of the frame . the frame length field 250 is 6 bytes and indicates the length of the data , and the data field 260 following the frame length field 250 has variable length according to the data to be transmitted . the frame end field 270 is 1 byte and indicates the end of the frame , and the lrc field 280 is 1 byte for detecting data transmission errors in the frame . referring to fig1 the kiosk 300 includes a touch screen 310 , a network interface unit 320 , a storage unit 330 , a public information monitor 340 , a first controller 350 , a television reception card 410 , an advertisement monitor 420 , and a second controller 430 . as shown in fig2 the kiosk 300 comprises a main body 460 having a shape of a rectangular column with a frontward projected lower portion . the kiosk 300 is provided with the public information monitor 340 and advertisement monitor 420 at respective upper and lower portions of a front wall thereof . the touch screen 310 is arranged at the upper surface of the projected lower portion of the main body 460 perpendicularly adjacent to the lower side of the advertisement monitor 420 . referring to fig1 again , the touch screen 310 displays a graphic user interface listing a plurality of selection items in order for the user to select an item by touching the item on the touch screen 310 under control of the first controller 350 . that is , the touch screen 310 displays information items such as travel schedules road maps , and etc . such that detail information on each item is displayed on the public information monitor 340 when the item is selected , and displays television broadcasting channel and sound volume buttons enabling the user to select a channel and to adjust sound volume of the motion graphic user interface displaying on the advertisement monitor 420 . if the channel or volume button is selected by the user , a selection signal is generated and transmitted to the first controller 350 so as to change channel or adjust sound volume . the network interface unit 320 includes a networking means like a modem for enabling the kiosk 300 so as to communicate with the server system 100 through the internet 500 the data received from the server system 100 are temporally stored in the storage unit 330 such as a ram or a hard disc under control of the first controller 350 . the public information monitor 340 is used for displaying the information retrieved from the storage unit 330 in response to the user &# 39 ; s item selection on the touch screen 310 under the control of the first controller 350 . the first controller 350 controls the touch screen 310 so as to display the various public information items and the channel and volume adjusting buttons on the touch screen 310 , receives the user input signal from the touch screen 310 , and performs an operation in response to the user input signal . further , the first controller 350 communicates with the server system 100 through the network interface unit 320 over the internet 500 . the first controller 350 further controls the public information monitor 340 to display various commercial advertisement and public information provided from the server system 100 . the television reception card 410 typically has a tuner ( not shown ) and a memory ( not shown ). the card 410 receives a broadcasting signal from a broadcast source such as a broadcast station through a transmission channel under the control of the second controller 430 . the received broadcasting signal is an analog signal such that the analog signal is converted into a digital signal for a personal computer ( pc ) by the television reception card 410 . the digital television signal is temporarily stored in the video memory 440 . the digital television signal stored in the video memory 440 is coordinated with advertisement signal from the storage unit 330 to be displayed on the advertisement monitor 420 under the control of a graphic controller 450 . the advertisement monitor 420 is used as a pc monitor for displaying the signal coordinated by the video memory 440 under the control of the graphic controller 450 . [ 0035 ] fig4 a to 4 d are views showing a divided screen for simultaneously displaying the broadcasting signal coordinated with the advertisement signal through a screen division process on the advertisement monitor 420 . as shown in fig4 a to 4 d , the graphic controller 450 controls such that the advertisement screen simultaneously displays two or more images on the screen divided into two or more frames through the screen division process , such that a main frame displays the digital television signal and the others displays advertisements . for example , in the advertisement monitor 420 of fig4 a , the screen with a resolution of 1280 * 1024 is divided into two frames with resolutions of 960 * 1024 and 320 * 1024 , respectively . referring to fig4 b , the screen with a resolution of 1280 * 1024 is divided into three frames with resolutions of 1280 * 256 , 1280 * 512 , and 1280 * 256 , respectively . referring to fig4 c , the screen with a resolution of 1280 * 1024 is divided into three frames with resolutions of 960 * 768 , 320 * 768 , and 1280 * 256 , respectively . referring to fig4 d , the screen divided into two frames with respective resolutions of 1280 * 768 and 1280 * 256 displays the television broadcasting signal on the upper frame and the advertisement signal on the lower frame at the same time . for dividing the screen of the advertisement monitor 420 , the graphic controller 450 controls the television reception card 410 such that the television reception card 410 adjusts horizontal and vertical resolutions of the digital television signal and advertisement signal from the storage unit 330 . the resolution - adjusted television and the advertisement signals are stored in the video memory 440 . thereby , the television broadcasting signal coordinated with the advertisement signal can be displayed on the monitor 420 as shown in fig4 d . in fig4 a to 4 d , the screen of the monitor 420 is divided into two or three frames as examples , however , the screen can be divided into more frames without affecting the functioning of this invention . [ 0037 ] fig5 is an exemplary view of a screen for illustrating how the advertisement signal is overlapped with the broadcasting image on the monitor 420 . referring to fig5 characters are displayed with the television broadcasting image displayed on a full screen or divided screen of the monitor 420 of fig4 and the advertisement image can be a specific character , a logo , or a mark . the overlapped advertisement image can be set so as to move along a predetermined path by drawing a shape of circle or zigzag on the television broadcasting image . such an overlapping technique , as is well known in the field , can be obtained by inserting video characters of the advertisement signal in any parts of the horizontal and vertical lines of the digital television signal which is stored in the video memory 440 , and varying x and y coordinates of the inserted horizontal and vertical lines according to the preset path . in this case , the overlapping technique is regarded to be progressed by one step from a conventional advertisement just displayed on a monitor . in the overlapped advertisement image , a predetermined character appears at any one side or at the center of the screen to display a desired advertisement image , and then disappears from the screen , during a watching of various broadcast channels by the user . thereby , the user experiences an enhanced advertising effect , and is not bored by the advertisement image . the second controller 430 , which can be realized as a microcomputer similarly to the first controller 350 , controls the television reception card 410 so as to change transmission channel to receive a broadcasting image of a desired broadcasting channel , and to adjust the volume level of the received broadcasting channel , in response to the channel and volume adjusting signal received from the first controller 350 . further , the second controller 430 controls the graphic controller 450 to coordinate the broadcasting image received through the television reception card 410 with the advertisement image or characters from the storage unit 330 in the video memory so as to display the coordinated image on the advertisement monitor 420 . the operation of the above - structured kiosk system will be described in detail in accompanying with fig6 a and 6 b hereinafter . [ 0040 ] fig6 a and 6 b are flowcharts illustrating the respective control processes of the first and second controllers 350 and 430 . referring to fig6 a and 6 b , the control operation performed in the state of receiving the public information and the advertising file according to the timing schedule preset by the server system 100 through the internet 500 is described . referring to fig6 a , the first controller 350 receives the user input signal generated by the touch screen 310 and determines whether the user input signal is related to the public information or the television broadcasting at step 510 . if it is determined that the user input signal is related to the public information , the first controller 350 retrieves in the storage unit 330 for retrieving requested information at step 520 and displays the retrieved public information on the public information monitor 340 at step 530 . on the other hand , if it is determined the user input signal is related to a television manipulation , for example , a channel and volume adjustment at step 510 , the first controller 350 transmits the user input signal to the second controller 430 at step 540 . referring to fig6 b , the second controller 430 initializes the television reception card 410 when the system is powered on at step 550 , and then determines whether or not the user input signal related to the television manipulation has been received from the first controller 350 at step 560 . if it is determined that the user input signal related to the television manipulation is not received , the second controller 430 controls such that the advertisement image from the server system 100 and the broadcasting image from the television reception card 410 through the previously selected ( or tuned ) channel are transmitted to the video memory 440 at step 570 . next , the broadcasting image and the advertisement image stored in the video memory 440 are coordinated together through the screen division process under the control of the graphic controller 450 at step 580 . consequently , the coordinated screen is displayed on the monitor 420 at step 600 . at step 560 , if the television manipulation signal such as channel and volume adjusting signal is received from the first controller 350 , the second controller 430 controls the television reception card 410 so as to change the channel or adjust the volume according to the user &# 39 ; s manipulation at step 590 . in this case , the broadcasting image received through the changed channel is coordinated with the advertisement signal at step 580 , and is displayed on the divided screen of the monitor 420 . as described above , the present invention provides a kiosk system for simultaneously centrally controlling a plurality of kiosks through the internet . the present invention is advantageous in that the kiosks with a plurality of monitors make it possible to display the public information on one monitor , and at the same time , display a television broadcasting image together with an advertisement image on another monitor . the kiosk system employing the coordinated displaying technique according to the present invention is advantageous in that it allows the user to concentrate on one monitor , thus maximizing an advertising effect through the user &# 39 ; s concentration on the monitor relative to the conventional kiosk system having two separate monitors as a television monitor and an advertisement monitor that disperses user &# 39 ; s attention . although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail hereinabove , it should be clearly understood that many variations and / or modifications of the basic inventive concepts herein taught which may appear to those skilled in the present art will still fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention , as defined in the appended claims .	7
fig1 shows an improved 30b cylinder 10 constructed in accordance with the present invention . the cylinder 10 is shown inside the bottom half of a protective shipping package or “ overpack ” 12 . the over pack 12 is shown supported in a cradle 13 and with its top half removed and its safety straps open . as is well understood in the art , during shipment to cylinder 10 is filled with up to 5 , 020 pounds of uranium hexafluoride and fully enclosed in the overpack , as shown in fig1 a . for the most part the improved 30b cylinder 10 of the present invention is entirely conventional and will be described in detail only in so far as it differs from the prior art conventional cylinder . the conventional 30b cylinder 10 is manufactured according to ansi n14 . 1 and asme boiler and pressure vessel code , section viii , division 1 . accordingly the conventional 30b cylinder is 81½ inches plus or minus ½ inch and has a diameter of 30 inches plus or minus ¼ inch . the conventional 30b cylinder has a volume of at least 26 cubic feet . it is preferred that the cylinder be manufactured according to ansi n14 . 1 - 2000 and therefore include the advantages described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 777 , 343 which stem from the elimination of a weld backing bar . however , the advantages of the present invention may also be obtained with cylinders manufactured to earlier versions of ansi n14 . 1 which required weld backing bars . the improved 30b cylinder 10 includes a valve which is protected by a valve protection cover assembly 14 ( fig1 and 2 ). this cover assembly , not found in conventional 30b cylinders , provides a second barrier to the egress of uranium hexafluoride or , more critically , the ingress of water . the valve protection cover assembly 14 fits within the chime 15 which extends from the domed end of the cylinder 10 . therefore the cylinder 10 fitted with the cover assembly 14 may be used with standard overpacks such as the overpack 12 shown in fig1 and 1a . the valve protection cover assembly 14 ( fig2 ) includes a cap 16 that is held in place by six bolts 18 . two of the bolts 18 are safety wired , and the wire is sealed to guarantee that the cap 16 has not been tampered with once it is bolted in place . additional bolts , up to all six , could be safety wired if desired . the valve protection cover assembly 14 , as shown in greater detail in fig4 includes a cap 16 and a base 20 . the base 20 is an annular disk that surrounds the valve 30 . the base 20 is a disk that is welded to the wall 22 of the cylinder 10 . its diameter and thickness are selected so as not to interfere with the standard industry plumbing used to connect with the valve 30 to fill or empty the cylinder 10 of uranium hexafluoride . the base 20 is welded to the wall 22 continuously around its outer and inner perimeters , and these welds are thoroughly inspected to guarantee their integrity . these welds therefore provide a reliable barrier to prevent any matter from passing under the base 20 and so passing from the outside of the cylinder 10 into the volume where the cap assembly surrounds the valve 30 or vice versa . the base 20 also includes six evenly spaced threaded bores ( not shown ) with which the bolts 18 cooperate to hold the cap 16 in place . an upper surface 24 of the base 20 includes two regions , an inner region 28 and an outer region 30 . the inner region 28 is annular and stands proud of the outer region by about { fraction ( 1 / 32 )} inches . the inner region 28 is machined flat and provides a working surface against which the cap 16 seals . the necessary surface flatness may be achieved by machining the base 20 either before or after welding the base 20 to the wall 22 . the cap 16 is a fabricated steel component which includes a dome 40 and a flange 42 . while cap 16 could be machined from a single piece of steel , it is preferred for economy and ease of manufacture to fabricate it from two pieces which are welded together as shown . this weld is thoroughly inspected to guarantee its integrity . the flange 42 mates with the base 20 . to this end the flange 42 includes a machined annular surface 44 which seats against the corresponding flat inner surface 28 of the base 20 . a pair of o - rings 46 and 48 fit in recesses 50 and 52 , respectively , which are formed in the annular surface 44 of the flange 42 . the recesses 50 and 52 are circular in plan view , but any endless shape could be used if desired . the recesses 50 and 52 may be formed with a slight undercut as shown in order to retain the o - rings 46 and 48 in place . when the annular surface 44 and the annular surface 28 are seated against each other , the o - rings 46 and 48 are compressed to form an effective seal . this seal is sufficiently complete to achieve a leak rate of less than 10 − 3 ref .- cm3 / sec , when tested according , for example , to the soap bubble test described in a . 5 . 7 of ansi n 14 . 5 - 1997 , leakage tests on packaging for shipment . under this test a “ reference cubic centimeter cubed per second ” is defined as a volume of one cubic centimeter of dry air per second at one atmosphere absolute pressure and 25 ° c . while conventional o - rings 46 and 48 are preferred for ease of manufacture , other resilient sealing elements including cast - in - place rubbers or resilient polymers such as urethane are also possible . in addition , any of the seals may be lubricated with a conventional lubricant to provide a better seal . such alternative materials and manufacturing techniques need only provide a sufficiently leak resistant seal to be satisfactory , and they are included within the meaning of the term “ resilient seal elements ” used in this application . the flange 42 includes an annular outer region 58 , recessed from the plane of annular surface 44 . the outer region 58 is aligned with the outer region 30 of the base 20 . the two outer regions 30 and 58 define a gap 60 between them when the cap 16 is in place on the base 20 . the flange 42 has six holes ( not shown ) through the outer region 58 for the bolts 18 . these holes align with corresponding threaded passages in the base 20 . when the cap 16 is put in place and the bolts 18 tightened to a predetermined torque , the outer region 58 of the flange 42 is stressed , assuring a predetermined , constant load on the o - rings 46 and 48 and the mating annular surfaces 24 and 44 . while forming the gap 60 is preferred because it allows the flange 42 to flex slightly , any design that allows a sufficiently tight seal between the base 20 and the cap 16 is acceptable . the valve protection cover assembly 14 includes a means for testing the integrity of the seal between the cap 16 and the base 20 . this test facility includes a test port 61 , which leads through internal passages 62 , 64 , and 66 to test channel 68 . the test channel 68 is a semicircular recess ( in vertical cross - section ) in the annular surface 44 of the flange 42 . the recess 68 extends in a complete circle spaced between the recesses 50 and 52 . the flange 42 includes a bore 70 ( fig1 and 4 ) diametrically opposite the test port 61 . this bore cooperates with a pin 72 which projects up from the outer region 28 of the base 20 . when the cylinder 10 is in its normal , horizontal position , the pin 72 is at the 12 o &# 39 ; clock position and helps the worker accurately position the cap and place the bolts 18 in their holes . once the cap 16 is in place and the bolts 18 tightened appropriately , the integrity of the seal around about may be tested . this is done by connecting the test port to a calibrated source of fluid under pressure or vacuum . the fluid reaches the test channel 68 , and if the joint is secure , the fluid can go no farther . if a leak occurs , then the test equipment shows a drop in pressure or vacuum , and the o - ring seals can be inspected and replaced or other repairs made as necessary . once the testing is complete , a plug 70 is used to seal off the test port . there are a variety of test procedures available , and these are set out in ansi n14 . 5 - 1977 . these tests assure leakage rate of less than 1 × 10 − 3 ref - cm 3 3 / sec . although the testing facility is shown as a port , passages , and channel machined in the flange 42 of the cap 16 , it is also possible to machine these elements into the base 20 . if this is done , the test channel is formed in the surface 28 of the base 20 so that it is located between the places where the o - rings contact the base 20 and is connected to a test port by suitable passages . similarly , the o - rings 46 and 48 could be mounted in grooves formed in the base . however , the construction shown in the figures is preferred because it is easier to maintain and because the o - rings 46 and 48 and the test channel 68 are less likely to be damaged when connecting conduits the valve 30 . while the bolts 18 are used to draw the cap 16 tight against the base 20 , other fastenings are possible . for example a threaded connection between the base could be used with the necessary o - ring seals and test port channel formed in a screw - on cap . alternatively , the base 20 could have external threats on its outer peripheral surface and a nut like that used in a plumber &# 39 ; s union could be used to pull the cap down against the base . fig5 is a schematic diagram of a test apparatus 78 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention . the apparatus is shown connected to the test port 61 in the flange with the valve cover assembly 14 fastened to the machined surface 44 on the cylinder 10 . the apparatus 78 can be used to prove a seal up to 1 × 10 − 5 ref . cm 3 / sec . the apparatus 78 includes an exhaust valve 80 , a reference volume 82 , a reference volume valve 84 , a vacuum pump valve 86 , a vacuum pump 88 , and a pressure sensor 90 which includes a pressure display 92 , all connected by various conduits and x fitting 96 to the test port 61 . the first step is to determine the volume enclosed by valve 84 , valve 86 , the conduits 94 , 102 and 103 and the volume between the seals 50 and 52 . this is termed the test volume , v test . to this end the reference volume 62 is filled with air at atmospheric pressure by closing the valve 84 and opening valve 80 . thereafter exhaust valve 80 is closed , and the atmospheric pressure , p atmo ., is recorded . next the vacuum pump valve 86 is opened if it is not already open , and the vacuum pump 88 is then turned on . this draws air and any other gas from the test port 61 , through conduit 94 , x fitting 96 , through conduit 103 , vacuum pump valve 86 and conduit 98 . it also evacuates the conduit 100 between the x fitting 96 and the reference volume valve 84 and from the conduit 102 that connects the x fitting with the pressure sensor 90 and from the internal regions of the pressure sensor . this vacuum is pulled until it reaches a sufficiently low pressure and maintains that low pressure . this initial process tests the o rings 46 and 48 for gross leakage and also causes them to outgas . the pressure to be maintained depends on the degree of leak resistance to be achieved . in the 30b cylinder shown in the drawings it is considered desirable to sustain a pressure of less than 10 millitorr since this will prove that the leak rate is at most 1 × 10 − 5 ref . cm 3 / sec . this may take several hours because of out gassing . other cylinders such as 48 inch cylinders may require a different level of acceptable leak rate . once the pressure has stabilized , for example , at less than 10 millitorr , the vacuum pump valve 86 is closed . if the rate of change of the pressure is more than a desired amount , the test should be stopped and the o rings 46 and 48 should be inspected and the source of the leak eliminated . if the desired low pressure is maintained at a sufficiently steady state , the pressure is noted as p test . in the 30b cylinder a leakage rate of less than 1 millitorr per second is applied . this number is derived from the acceptable leak rate . for the 30b cylinder 10 shown in the figures , the acceptable leak rate has been set at 1 × 10 − 5 ref . cm 3 / sec ., although it could be set at a different value if one wished to obtain a lesser or greater degree of seal . once the pressure in the test volume has stabilized at or below 10 millitorr , the apparatus 78 is ready to determine the volume v test . this is done by opening reference volume valve 84 . as the reference volume valve 84 is opened , the air in the reference volume 82 expands to fill the test volume , v test . this expansion is essentially adiabatic . the expansion of the air in the reference volume causes the pressure in the test volume to increase . the new pressure is recorded as p mix . the initial volume of the reference volume 82 and the conduits 104 , 105 , and 100 between the valve 80 and the valve 84 , v cal ., is known by measuring it in any convenient manner when the apparatus 78 is manufactured . the volume v test is given by boyle &# 39 ; s law : v ca   l . × ( p a   tm . - p mix ) ( p mix - p test ) = v test the next step is to calculate the minimum time interval , the pass test time , for a pressure change of 1 millitorr . this value depends of the test volume , v test , and the maximum acceptable leak rate . for the leak rate of 1 × 10 − 5 ref . cm3 / sec . where v test is measured in cubic centimeters , the following equation is used : the conversion factor ( 0 . 132 ) takes into account the various dimensions that must be converted from one set of units to another and the acceptable leak rate . with these preliminary calculations performed , the actual test for leak rate can be performed . the reference volume valve 84 is closed , and the vacuum pump valve 86 is opened . the vacuum pump is turned on until the pressure drops below 10 millitorr at which time the vacuum pump valve 86 is closed . once the pressure begins to rise , a timer is started to determine how long it takes for the pressure in v test to rise one millitorr . this time is compared to the test time in seconds determined in the preceding equation . if the actual time is greater than the pass test time , then the outgassing plus any leakage is less than the acceptable rate , and the valve protection cover has at most the acceptable leak rate , in which case the cylinder , for example cylinder 10 , is considered to have passed the test . once the cover has passed the test , the conduit 94 is disconnected from port 61 and the port is closed with a conventional plug ( not shown ). thus it is clear that the present invention provides a vessel 10 for the shipment of uranium hexafluoride that includes a cylindrical wall closed by pair of approximately hemispherical ends 22 welded to form a sealed container . a service valve 30 is located in one end . the valve 30 is covered by a removable , watertight valve protection cover assembly 14 . the vessel also includes a test port 61 by means of which the integrity of the valve protection cover assembly may be tested after the cylinder 10 has been filled with uranium hexafluoride or other nuclear material and the valve protection assembly 14 has been installed . the valve protection assembly 14 is shaped so that it fits within the envelope of the standard 30b cylinders , and so fits within the overpacks already approved by the nrc and owned by shippers of uranium hexafluoride . the vessel 10 made according to the present invention has a double barrier to prevent ingress of water or egress of uranium hexafluoride . the valve 30 , a first barrier , is enclosed by a cover assembly 14 which forms the second barrier . in effect , then , adding the second barrier will allow the improved 30b cylinders to be shipped in bulk with safety acceptable to the nrc , resulting in substantial savings to the industry . use of the vessel 10 in conjunction with the test apparatus 78 and method disclosed assures that the valve protection cover assembly 14 not only protects the valve 30 from mechanical damage , but also assures that a selected leak rate is not exceeded leak rate . the double barrier in conjunction with the method of testing the seals has resulted in a transportation index of 0 for 30b cylinders constructed and tested according to the present invention .	6
essentially the blood - taking device of the species being discussed here consists of a blood - sample or removal container 1 , a stopper 2 and a needle 3 . as a rule and as shown in the drawing , the blood - sample container 1 assumes the conventional test - tube shape and consists of a suitably vacuum - tight and advantageously transparent material such as glass or plastic . the inside of the blood - sample container 1 is evacuated . the open end of the blood - sample container is sealed by a stopper 2 made of an elastic and suitably vacuum - tight material which moreover is self - sealing , that is , it will reseal a piercing duct made by the needle when the needle has been withdrawn , at least with respect to liquids . the needle 3 tapers to a point at both ends , namely at the front end 4 facing the patient and also at the rear end 5 facing the stopper 2 . the needle 3 is pushed by the front end 4 into a patient &# 39 ; s vein . the rear end 5 is pushed through the stopper 2 into the inside of the blood - sample container 1 . thereupon the vacuum inside the blood - sample container 1 sucks the blood through the needle from the vein of the patient and fills the blood - sample container 1 . next the needle 3 is pulled out of the stopper 2 and the blood - sample container 1 sealed by the stopper 2 then can be moved into a lab where , following removal of the stopper 2 , the blood can be tested . as a rule , a holder 6 is provided at the needle 3 and is affixed by a transverse end wall and by a reinforced hub zone to the center part of the needle 3 , the holder overlapping in tubular manner the stopper 2 and the blood - sample container 1 . the holder 6 makes it easier to handle the needle when piercing the patient &# 39 ; s vein and , because of its tubular guiding enclosure of the stopper 2 , facilitates proper , centered piercing of the stopper 2 by the needle . to know whether the pushed needle 3 has hit a vein in the patient , the rear end 5 of the needle must be observed . if blood is issuing there , a vein was hit . if no blood issues , the needle must be withdrawn a little and piercing must be renewed . this blood , which serves only as an indicator , shall not reach the ambient but must be retained in the blood - taking device . therefore a chamber 7 must be provided allowing good observation of the blood which however shall remain enclosed . in the invention , this chamber 7 is located on the side of the stopper 2 which is away from the blood - sample container . seen in the direction of the needle 3 , the chamber is bounded by the stopper 2 and by a membrane 8 and further by a transparent protective sleeve 12 consisting laterally of a cylindrical tube wall 9 and enclosing in sealing manner the stopper 2 membrane 8 being mounted at the inner end of sleeve 12 . in this manner the chamber 7 is enclosed in sealing manner on all sides . from the side , the rear end 5 of the needle 3 and any blood issuing there can be observed through the tubular wall 9 when the needle is in the position shown in the figure . if blood is noticed issuing , then this indicates that the needle by its front end 4 is in a vein . thereupon the blood - sample container 1 can be moved farther toward the needle until the rear end 5 of this needle pierces the stopper 2 . in the embodiment shown , the tubular wall 9 not only connects the membrane 8 and the stopper 2 , but also projects beyond the stopper as far as the neck zone of the blood - sample container 1 . accordingly in this case the tubular wall 9 serves as the conventional protective sleeve 12 present anyway which shall prevent the lab worker from touching with his fingers the bloody underside of the stopper when pulling out same in the lab . in the embodiment shown , the stopper 2 is blocked by beads 10 on the inside of the tubular wall 9 . other suitable holding means for the stopper also may be provided . the tubular wall 9 is provided at its outside with snap - in beads 11 which , in the longitudinal position shown , engage snap - in channels on the inside of the holder 6 and in this manner form a detent which , when the stopper 2 is advancing toward the needle 3 , determines a position wherein the rear end 5 of the needle 3 is precisely located inside the chamber 7 . by somewhat increasing the advance - force , the detent function can be overcome and the stopper 2 can be advanced farther . in the embodiment shown , where a holder 6 tubularly enclosing the chamber 7 is present at the needle 3 , the blood must be observed through two walls 6 , 9 . care must therefore be taken that the wall materials be adequately transparent . the material of the membrane 8 shall allow satisfactory piercing by the needle and also be self - sealing , in the same manner as the stopper 2 , and as a rule therefore may be made of the same material . attention must furthermore be paid when making the membrane that excess pressure be avoided in the chamber . this can be achieved by making the membrane especially flexible , for instance in the form of a bellows , or by making it from a water - impermeable but air - permeable material , whereby there always shall be the same pressure in the chamber as in the ambient . moreover a tiny venting hole may be present in the tubular wall 9 . in a simplified embodiment , the chamber 7 also may be completely enclosed by the material of the stopper 2 , i . e ., it may be in the form of a cavity in the stopper ; this would simplify the design but may entail material problems because of the required transparency . in deviation from the above embodiment , the chamber 7 also may assume other geometries , for instance being a transparent , semi - spherical membrane bubble on the outside of the stopper 2 . but as a rule it is more advantageous to make it as in the shown embodiment , with the tubular wall 9 being the sidewall of separate , clearly transparent material . also there is the possibility to so design the chamber that it evinces a further partition relative to the stopper 2 , whereby manufacturing advantages may be achieved . fig2 , 5 and 6 show a preferred embodiment of the invention of which the basics are the same as in the simplified embodiment mode of fig1 . to the extent possible the same reference numerals are used , though each time raised by &# 34 ; 20 &# 34 ;. fig2 shows that the blood - sample container 21 corresponds to the conventional basic shape . the protective sleeve 32 however has been substantially modified , being made particularly to meet the requirements of injection molding . its tubular wall 29 comprises an inside flange 33 at the longitudinal center , this flange bearing a tube stub 34 pointing toward the blood - sample container 21 and receiving in conventional manner the stopper 22 , itself conventional , which is plugged and held onto it in reliable manner . peripheral , inner ribs 35 are present on the tubular wall 29 on the side of the inner flange 33 that is away from the blood - sample container 21 . ribs 35 hold the membrane 28 which is inserted flush and like a stopper into the end of the tubular wall 29 to come to rest against the inner ribs 35 which act as limit stops . the membrane 28 comprises a radially inside zone 38 with a relative thin wall and a radially outer zone 39 with a relatively thicker wall . as a result , the inner thinner zone 38 is easily pierced by the needle 3 on one hand , but on the other it is so well strengthened by the thicker outer zone 39 that it will yield only slightly when under pressure from the piercing needle 3 so that such piercing is reliably and rapidly assured . to balance the pressure inside the chamber 27 , the membrane 28 may be made of a gas - permeable material . preferably , however , venting is used in the form of a borehole 37 passing from the chamber 27 through the inner flange 33 . the material traversed by the borehole 37 must be hydrophobic . with a given surface tension of the blood and with given maximum forces pushing the blood through the borehole as may arise from pressure differentials and accelerations and which are not exceeded in professional treatment , blood cannot pass through the borehole below a certain borehole diameter for a particular surface tension . accordingly , the borehole 37 sets up communication between the chamber 27 and the annular region between the tubular wall 29 and the tube stub 34 receiving the stopper 22 . depending on the design of the stopper 22 , it may occur that when said stopper is put in place , it will be forced by an end face against the inner flange 33 and thereby shall seal the borehole 37 . in that case the due venting of chamber 27 would be prevented . to prevent such an occurrence , advantageously the inner flange 33 shall be somewhat thinner , by means of a recess , on the side facing the stopper 22 , in the region around the borehole 37 , as shown by the section of the inner flange 33 of fig2 . therefore , the stopper 22 cannot come to rest on the aperture of the borehole 37 in the vicinity of latter . accordingly venting will always be preserved . fig3 is a perspective of the blood - sample container 21 together with the fully mounted , assembled protective sleeve 32 affixed on the blood - sample container . also shown are the membrane 28 with its characteristic shape shown in fig2 the stopper 22 in the tube wall 29 and also the borehole 37 . this figure shows that the protective sleeve with the tube wall 29 is made of a transparent material allowing viewing the inside of the chamber 27 . fig3 moreover shows a holder 26 with a needle 23 and essentially corresponding to that of fig1 . the inner part of the needle 23 cannot be seen because it is covered by the conventional , closed rubber sheath 36 which is also pierced when the rear end of the needle 23 pierces the membrane 28 or the stopper 22 and which , after the needle has been withdrawn , resumes its initial shape and seals the needle with respect to the blood . fig5 shows the embodiment of fig3 in side view , the fully mounted blood - sample container 21 equipped with stopper 22 having been pierced so far by the needle 23 that the needle &# 39 ; s rear end 25 has fully entered the chamber 27 . an issuing blood drop is shown . again it is clearly shown how the rubber sheath 36 bunches together on the needle 23 when the needle pierces membrane 28 . fig6 shows the system of fig5 in the operational position , wherein the blood - sample container 21 has been moved as far as the stop on the needle 23 , so that the rear needle end 25 now is located inside the blood - sample container 21 whereby the blood therein , as shown , can be sucked by the vacuum . comparison of fig5 and 6 shows that essentially two advance positions of the blood - sample container 21 are required relative to the needle 23 or the holder 26 , the advance position of fig6 being automatically implemented by the natural stop at the base of the holder 26 , whereas the position of fig5 however must be set by the physician using his fingertip sense of touch and by his observation . this process can be facilitated by the stop means 11 of the embodiment of fig . 1 . said stop means however incurs the drawback it may be cumbersome at times and the application of force may lead to jitter and hence to pain in the patient . as regards the embodiment of fig4 which matches the design of fig3 in the other parts , an axially extending inside tang 31 is provided which projects radially inward from the inside of the cylinder wall of the holder 26 . a longitudinal channel 41 starting at the outside is present in the tube wall 29 of the protective sleeve 32 and can receive the inner tang 31 if the relative angular positions of the parts shown in fig4 is proper . thereupon the blood - sample container 21 can be advanced as far as the base of the holder 26 , that is until the operational position of fig6 has been reached . if on the other hand the two parts shown in fig4 are mutually rotationally apart , then the advance only can take place as far as the stop of the end face of the tube wall 29 , against the inner tang 31 : this is the position of fig5 . in this embodiment therefore the advance may be very easily achieved manually and , upon rotation , the advance may proceed in gentle manner . in case the inner diameters of the blood - sample container 21 and of the protective sleeve 32 are very small compared with the inside diameter of the holder 26 , flange - like broadening means may be provided on the outside of the tube wall 29 for guidance in the holder 26 . the channel 41 then may be present in said means . the sectionally shown protective sleeve 32 of fig2 is optimized for injection molding . as the expert understands at once , it may be injected into one mold consisting of two axially assembled cores . this is also the case for the arrangement of the axial borehole 37 which therefore can be removed from the mold in the core ejection direction . again the structure of the stop means shown in the embodiment of fig4 is optimized for injection molding . channel 41 is arranged longitudinally so that the channel can be removed in the ejection direction of the cores , that is axially , whereby the mold may be simple and economical . this also applies to the inside tang 31 at the holder 26 which is mounted axially and therefore assures in similar manner easy ejection and simple mold - shape .	0
elements that are similar or the same are marked with identical reference signs throughout the various figures . fig1 a and 1b depict a disc - shaped drainage element 1 with a randomly oriented interlacing or tangled braid 2 , encased by a two - piece filter mat 3 . the randomly oriented interlacing or tangled braid 2 is also disc - shaped and presents a first frontal area 20 , a second frontal area 22 , and at least one peripheral surface 24 . the filter mat 3 consists of two parts carried out with a first filter mat piece 4 and a second filter mat piece 5 . the first filter mat piece 4 covers the first frontal area 20 and shows a first filter mat end area 6 that protrudes beyond the first frontal area 20 . the second filter mat piece 5 covers the second frontal area 22 and shows a second filter mat end area 7 that protrudes beyond the second frontal area 22 . the outer end of the filter mat 3 comprises a first end area 6 and second end area 7 which overlap on the peripheral surface 24 and are sewn together with thread 8 . these respective end areas 6 , 7 can alternatively be glued or welded together as well , such that the first end area 6 and second end area 7 are oriented in the same direction ( as shown at 6 a and 7 a , respectively ). fig2 a and 2b depict an embodiment of the drainage element 1 with a rectangular - shaped randomly oriented interlacing or tangled braid 2 , encased by a one - piece filter mat 3 . the randomly oriented interlacing or tangled braid 2 presents an upper surface and an opposing bottom surface and four peripheral sides 24 a , 24 b , 24 c , 24 d with smaller surfaces ( as is also shown in fig3 a ). the filter mat 3 is put around the randomly oriented interlacing or tangled braid 2 in such a way so as to enclose the interlacing or tangled braid 2 . the filter mat 3 presents an outer end area that protrudes above three peripheral sides 24 b , 24 c , 24 d and is sewn . the filter mat 3 also has an surface 26 that is directly adjacent to the remaining peripheral side 24 a . components 9 and 10 of the end area 6 come to lie on top of each other at three peripheral sides and are there sewn together . these respective end areas 9 , 10 can alternatively be glued or welded together as well , such that the first end area 9 and second end area 10 are oriented in the same direction ( as shown at 9 a and 10 a , respectively ). fig3 a and 3b depict a second rectangular drainage element 1 with a rectangular randomly oriented interlacing or tangled braid 2 and a filter mat 3 . the filter mat 3 covers one side of the randomly oriented interlacing or tangled braid 2 and presents an overlapping end area that protrudes above the randomly oriented interlacing or tangled braid 2 . the randomly oriented interlacing or tangled braid 2 presents an upper surface and an opposing bottom surface and four peripheral sides 24 a , 24 b , 24 c , 24 d with smaller surfaces . as shown in fig3 a , one length 11 of the end area 6 is chosen in such a magnitude that a value of this length is greater than a value of a height 12 of the randomly oriented interlacing or tangled braid 2 ( shown in fig3 b ). fig4 depicts the disc - shaped drainage element 1 arranged in a round plant container 13 . a flower pot outlet 14 of the flower pot 13 is covered by using the drainage element 1 . so if the flowerpot 13 is filled up with flower soil , substrate and a plant , the drainage element 1 will retain or keep its original height and when watering the flower pot 13 the water will be able to drain off the drainage element 1 and out the flower pot outlet 14 . fig5 depicts the second rectangular drainage element 1 arranged in an oblong square flower pot 15 . the filter mat 3 is chosen in such a magnitude that it fits a side rim 17 of the randomly orientated interlacing at a first area 16 and comes to rest on a base 19 of the flower pot at a second area 18 in the operating state . the invention relates to a drainage element 1 for a plant container 13 . in accordance with the invention , the drainage element 1 presents a randomly oriented interlacing or tangled braid 2 and a filter mat 3 which surrounds the randomly oriented interlacing or tangled braid 2 or the drainage element 1 presents a randomly oriented interlacing or tangled braid 2 and a filter mat 3 and the filter mat 3 projects beyond the randomly orientated interlacing or tangled braid 2 in such a way that the randomly orientated interlacing or tangled braid 2 is covered by the filter mat 3 in the operating state . the foregoing description and drawings comprise illustrative embodiments of the present inventions . the foregoing embodiments and the methods described herein may vary based on the ability , experience , and preference of those skilled in the art . merely listing the steps of the method in a certain order does not constitute any limitation on the order of the steps of the method . the foregoing description and drawings merely explain and illustrate the invention , and the invention is not limited thereto , except insofar as the claims are so limited . those skilled in the art that have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention .	0
referring now in more detail to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views , fig1 - 3 disclose a temporary knee implant 10 as it would be inserted at the location of the knee joint , between the femur 12 and the tibia 13 . the three drawings show the anterior , medial and posterior views , respectively , of the position of the human body . the temporary knee implant is inserted in the medullary cavities 15 and 16 of the femur and tibia , respectively . as best shown in fig4 , the temporary knee implant 10 includes an elongated femur rod 18 and a similar elongated tibia rod 19 . the femur rod includes a femur stem 20 and the tibia rod includes its tibia stem 21 and both include connector collars 22 and 23 , respectively . the femur connector collar 22 is mounted to the distal end of the femur stem 20 , and the tibia connector collar 23 is connected to the proximal end of the tibia stem . the collars 22 and 23 are disk - shaped , but may be of other shapes that provide similar functions . as illustrated in fig5 , the femur connector collar 22 and the tibia connector collar 23 include complementary connectors formed by interfitting shapes for aligning the femur stem 20 and the tibia stem 21 . the interfitting shapes may include a tapered femur locking pin 24 that protrudes beyond the femur connector collar 23 , and a tibia socket 25 formed in the tibia connector collar 23 that is tapered and sized and shaped to receive the femur locking pin 24 . when the femur rod and tibia rod are to be connected together , the femur locking pin 24 is aligned with and moved into tibia socket 25 , as shown in fig5 . the dimensions and shapes of the femur locking pin and the tibia socket are such that the tibia connector collar 23 is likely to become closely spaced from the femur connector collar 22 . the femur and tibia connector collars 22 and 23 provide opposed bearing surfaces 31 and 32 for use by the surgeon when the femur and tibia rods are to be connected , as illustrated in fig5 . the femur and tibia rods 18 and 19 may be coated with an antibiotic of choice by the surgeon , as indicated at 29 and 30 of fig6 and 7 . the antibiotic coatings 29 and 30 are applied to the femur and tibia stems 20 and 21 , preferably with the coating being uniformly applied along the full length of the femur and tibia stems . the antibiotic coatings 29 and 30 may be applied to the femur and tibia rods before the rods are connected together , as illustrated in fig6 . it is anticipated that the surgeon will select the femur and tibia rods of proper dimensions to fit the medullary cavities of the femur and tibia , even with the possibility that one medullary cavity might be of greater or lesser breadth than the other . further , the femur and tibia rods are of smaller breadth than the anticipated breadth of the medullary cavities of the femur and tibia so that when an antibiotic coating 29 is applied , the antibiotic coating tends to fill the space within the medullary cavities not occupied by the stems 20 and 21 of the femur and tibia . this permits the antibiotic coating to substantially fill and contact the facing surfaces of the medullary cavities . the femur and tibia rods may have a treated surface that is adherent to polymethyl methacrylate (“ pmma ”) and other medications that tend to cling to the femur and tibia rods 18 and 19 . as shown in fig4 , the exterior surface of the femur and tibia stems 20 and 21 are formed with irregular surfaces for the purpose of helping to retain the antibiotic coating 29 of fig6 . the irregular surfaces may be in the form of surface grooves 30 and 31 for the femur and tibia rods . this tends to stabilize the antibiotic / pmma coating on the rods . when the surgeon inserts the femur and tibia rods 18 and 19 in the medullary cavities of the femur and tibia , the rods are inserted separately , not when they are joined together in the medullary cavities . once properly installed by moving the femur and tibia rods telescopically into the medullary cavities of the femur and tibia , the femur and tibia may be moved in alignment , causing the femur and tibia rods 18 and 19 to also become aligned , and the surgeon then can align the femur locking pin 24 with the tibia socket 25 , so that the surgeon can grasp the femur and tibia connector collars 22 and 23 with an instrument that urges the connector collars toward one another with the femur locking pin 24 entering the tibia socket 25 with a friction fit . this may also be performed manually . it will be noted that the femur stem 25 is tapered , with the tibia socket having a complementary taper so that when the two are telescopically joined , a friction fit is formed between the femur locking pin 24 and the tibia socket 25 . this is shown in the circled area of fig6 and in the detailed area of fig7 . once the femur rod is joined with the tibia rod 19 as shown in fig6 and 7 , the surgeon has the option to fill the space between the femur and tibia and around the connector collars 22 and 23 with antibiotic coating so that substantially the entire length of the temporary knee implant is coated with antibiotic coating . the pin and socket connection 24 , 25 maintains the femur rod and tibia rods in alignment with one another . this tends to freeze the femur and tibia of the leg of the patient in a fixed , extended position , tending to eliminate the bending of the leg so that a static connection is made . when the sepsis of the knee joint has been eradicated , usually several weeks after the static connection has been made between the femur and tibia of the patient , the surgeon can use an appropriate tool to enter in the space 27 between the connector collars 22 and 23 , and wedge or “ pry ” the femur and tibia connector collars apart . the femur lock pin 24 tends to withdraw axially from the tibia socket 25 . when the surgeon bends the femur with respect to the tibia , the disconnected femur rod and tibia rod are then free to be withdrawn axially from their respective medullary cavities 15 and 16 . the type of antibiotic to be used by the surgeon can be selected to meet the needs of the patient . the antibiotic can be applied to the femur and tibia rods at the site of the surgery , or can be applied by the manufacturer / supplier of the femur and tibia rods , as desired by the surgeon . while the surface of the femur and tibia rods is indicated as being formed by a series of indentations 30 and 31 at the exterior surfaces of the rods , other types of surface treatment may be used , such as but not limited to burling . the procedure includes : first , the infected prosthesis is removed by the surgeon and the knee is thoroughly washed and debrided using standard technique . the femur and tibia are then reamed and further lavaged . the appropriate diameter / length rods are then coated with the pmma / abx mixture or the prefabricated coated rods are brought into the field . once the coating has hardened , the rods are inserted separately into the femur and tibia with the knee flexed , and then the leg is extended until the tibia rod 19 is aligned with the femur rod 20 and the rods are locked centrally in alignment with each other . this will leave a space between the femur and the tibia that may be filled with a conventional pmma / abx spacer that may be created by the surgeon or staff in the or . some of the benefits of the procedure and apparatus are the patient cannot flex the knee , the rods are easily implanted and removed , and the customized antibiotics are directly applied to the infected area . while this disclosure concerns a knee implant and procedure , this invention also may be applied to other joints of the human body . although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in detail herein , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications of the disclosed embodiment may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims .	0
preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings . in the following description , well - known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail . a preamble sequence proposed in the present invention is applicable to bwa communication systems of which the standardization is being carried out and other communication systems using preamble sequences described above . the preamble sequence is characterized by its low papr and thus referred to as an mpp ( minimum papr preamble ) sequence . the present invention provides an mpp sequence generating apparatus and method in a bwa communication system . as preamble sequences of the present invention for time offset synchronization , frequency offset synchronization , and channel estimation , a short preamble or a long preamble , and an stc preamble will be described . fig2 is a block diagram of an mpp sequence generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig2 , the mpp sequence generating apparatus is comprised of an arm code generator 200 , a sub - carrier selector 201 , a frequency mask 202 , an ifft 203 , and a preamble assembler 204 . the arm code generator 200 is disclosed in korea patent application no . 2000 - 0071092 , filed in the u . s . patent and trademark office on nov . 21 , 2001 and assigned application ser . no . 09 / 990 , 557 , the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference , and its operation will be described referring to the patent application . fig4 is a block diagram of the arm code generator 200 . referring to fig4 , the arm code generator 200 generates a complex arm code of length 16 . a multiplier 410 receives a signal + 1 and − 1 or − 1 and + 1 in a sequence of alternating + 1s and − 1s from a signal generator 420 . regardless of whether + 1 or − 1 is first received , an arm code produced from the arm code generator 200 has the same characteristics . upon receipt of one of all binary combinations of two bits + 1 & amp ; + 1 , + 1 & amp ; − 1 , − 1 & amp ; + 1 , or − 1 & amp ; − 1 , the multiplier 410 multiplies the bits by the signal from the signal generator 420 . a first multiplexer ( mux 1 ) 400 multiplexes the input signal and the output of the multiplier 410 in time and outputs a 4 - bit sequence . a multiplier 412 multiplies the 4 - bit sequence by a 4 - bit signal received from a signal generator 422 and a second mux ( mux 2 ) 402 multiplexes the outputs of the first mux 400 and the multiplier 412 in time and outputs an 8 - bit sequence . a multiplier 414 multiplies the 8 - bit sequence output by the second max 402 by a 8 - bit signal received from a signal generator 424 , + 1 , − 1 , + 1 , − 1 , + 1 , − 1 , + 1 , − 1 or − 1 , + 1 , − 1 , + 1 , − 1 , + 1 , − 1 , + 1 . a third mux ( mux 3 ) 404 multiplexes the outputs of the second mux 402 and the multiplier 414 in time and outputs a 16 - bit sequence . the 16 - bit sequence becomes an i channel component . at the same time , a multiplier 416 multiplies the 16 - bit sequence by a 16 - bit signal received from a signal generator 426 , + 1 , − 1 , + 1 , − 1 , + 1 , − 1 , + 1 , − 1 , + 1 , − 1 , + 1 , − 1 , + 1 , − 1 , + 1 , − 1 or − 1 , + 1 , − 1 , + 1 , − 1 , + 1 , − 1 , + 1 , − 1 , + 1 , − 1 , + 1 , − 1 , + 1 , − 1 , + 1 and outputs the product as a q component . thus a complex arm code of length 16 is completely produced . to generate an arm code of length 64 , the arm code generator 200 is extended to have two additional muxes and two additional signal generators . in the same manner , three additional muxes and three signal generators are required to the arm code generator 200 to generate an arm code of 128 . that is , to generate an i component and a q component of an arm code of length 2 n , ( n − 1 ) stages are required . in the present invention , if an arm code sequence of length 16 is required , one of 16 arm code sequences listed below is selected using the arm code generator 200 . the 16 arm code sequences of length 16 are generated by outputting four kinds of signals from the first mux 400 for the input of + 1 & amp ; + 1 and + 1 & amp ; − 1 , eight kinds of signals from the second mux 402 , and 16 arm codes from the third mux 404 . the “ i ” in the following arm codes represents the imaginary or q component . if an arm code sequence of length 256 is required , one of 256 arm code sequences listed below is selected using the arm code generator 200 . as described before , the arm code generator 200 can generate arm code sequences of different lengths . when a controller ( not shown ) applies a control signal corresponding to an arm code of a desired length to the arm code generator 200 , the arm code generator 200 generates an arm code of the desired length and feeds it to the sub - carrier selector 201 . returning to fig2 , the sub - carrier selector 201 selects sub - carriers for three arm code sequences of length 16 , 256 , and 128 received from the arm code generator 200 according to a desired sequence of length 2 n , that is , the characteristic of an intended preamble . the frequency mask 202 inserts null data for a dc component and guard intervals in the selected sub - carriers according to an ifft mode in view of the nature of ofdm . if 53 sub - carriers are selected , the frequency mask 202 generates 64 sub - carriers by inserting 11 null data . if 201 sub - carriers are selected , the frequency mask 202 generates 256 sub - carriers by inserting 55 null data . the ifft 203 inverse - fast - fourier - transforms the output of the frequency mask 202 and outputs a time - domain signal . the preamble assembler 204 concatenates the time - domain signal , that is , a short preamble sequence and a long preamble sequence to thereby generate a downlink / uplink preamble or an stc preamble . now the operation of the sub - carrier selector 201 and the frequency mask 202 will be described referring to fig3 . the sub - carrier selector 201 and the frequency mask 202 are implemented separately as illustrated in fig2 . the sub - carrier selector 201 maps the samples of an arm code generated from the arm code generator 200 to ofdm sub - carriers . then the frequency mask 202 deletes samples or inserts null data at predetermined sub - carrier positions for a dc component and a guard interval in the ofdm sub - carriers . for clarity of description , the following description of the sub - carrier selector 201 and the frequency mask 202 is made with the appreciation that they operate integrally . fig3 schematically illustrates the operations of the sub - carrier selector 201 and the frequency mask 202 . it is assumed that a pattern a generator 304 , a pattern b generator 305 , and a pattern c generator 306 perform the operations of the sub - carrier selector 201 and the frequency mask 202 according to the lengths of arm codes ( i . e ., 16 , 256 , and 128 , respectively ), that is , select sub - carriers for the samples of the arm codes and mask frequencies . referring to fig3 , upon receipt of an arm code sequence of length 16 , the pattern a generator 304 selects sub - carriers for the samples of the arm code of length 16 among given 64 ofdm sub - carriers . that is , 16 sub - carriers are selected for the 16 samples of the arm code , a1 to a16 . then the pattern a generator 304 removes the sub - carriers of 4 samples , a13 to a16 from the 16 sub - carriers together with 7 sub - carriers related with the 4 sub - carriers , and inserts null data in the remaining 41 sub - carriers excluding the sub - carriers having the 12 samples . thus the arm code of length 16 is patterned into { 0 , 0 , a12 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a11 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a10 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a9 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a8 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a7 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 ( reference point ), 0 , 0 , 0 , a1 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a2 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a3 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a4 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a5 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a6 , 0 , 0 }. in the pattern the reference point 0 signifies a dc component in the time domain . the pattern a generator 304 inserts null data in the 4 sub - carriers of the deleted 4 samples and 7 sub - carriers intervening between the sub - carriers in order to define a guard interval with respect to the reference point 0 . briefly describing , the pattern a generator 304 generates pattern a for the input of an arm code of length 16 and then outputs pattern a to the ifft 203 pattern a : {[ 0 , 0 , a12 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a11 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a10 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a9 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a8 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a7 , 0 , 0 , 0 , ( reference point )] 0 ( dc ), 0 , 0 , 0 , a1 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a2 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a3 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a4 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a5 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a6 , 0 , 0 , 0 , . . . , 0 , 0 , 0 , a12 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a11 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a10 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a9 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a8 , 0 , 0 , 0 , a7 , 0 , 0 , 0 } upon receipt of an arm code sequence of length 256 , the pattern b generator 305 maps the 256 samples of the arm code to 256 given ofdm sub - carriers . that is , the 256 samples of the arm code , b1 to b256 are mapped to the 256 ofdm sub - carriers . then the pattern b generator 305 removes the sub - carriers of 56 samples , b201 to b256 among the 256 sub - carriers . thus the arm code of length 256 is patterned into pattern b . pattern b : { 0 ( dc ), b1 , b2 , b3 , b4 , b5 , . . . , b98 , b99 , b100 , 0 , . . . , 0 , b200 , b199 , b198 , . . . , b103 , b102 , b101 } upon receipt of an arm code sequence of length 128 , the pattern c generator 306 maps the 128 samples of the arm code to 128 given ofdm sub - carriers . that is , the 128 samples of the arm code , c1 to c128 are mapped to the 128 ofdm sub - carriers . then the pattern c generator 306 removes the sub - carriers of 26 samples , c103 to c128 among the 128 sub - carriers . null data is inserted in the remaining sub - carriers excluding the 102 sub - carriers . thus the arm code of length 128 is patterned into pattern c . pattern c : {[ c102 , 0 , c101 , 0 , c100 , 0 , . . . , c57 , 0 , c56 , 0 , c55 , 0 , c54 , 0 , c53 , c52 , 0 ( reference point ),] 0 ( dc ), c1 , c2 , 0 , c3 , 0 , c4 , 0 , c5 , . . . , 0 , c49 , 0 , c50 , 0 , c51 , 0 , . . . 0 , c102 , 0 , c101 , 0 , c100 , 0 , . . . , c57 , 0 , c56 , 0 , c55 , 0 , c54 , 0 , c53 , c52 , } or {[ 102 , c101 , 0c100 , 0 , c9 , 0 , . . . , c57 , 0 , c56 , 0 , c55 , 0 , c54 , 0 , c53 , 0 , c52 , 0 ( reference point ),] 0 ( dc ), c1 , 0 , c2 , 0 , c3 , 0 , c4 , 0 , c5 , . . . , 0 , c49 , 0 , c50 , c51 , 0 , . . . 0 , c102 , c101 , 0 , c100 , 0 , c9 , 0 , . . . , c57 , 0 , c56 , 0 , c55 , 0 , c54 , 0 , c53 , 0 , c52 } aside from the above two patterns , the pattern c generator 306 can generate an arm code sequence in pattern c : {[ c0 , c100 , 0 , c99 , 0 , . . . , c55 , 0 , c54 , 0 , c53 , 0 , c52 , 0 , c51 , 0 ( reference point ),] 0 ( dc ). c1 , 0 , c2 , 0 , c3 , 0 , c4 , 0 , c5 , . . . , 0 , c48 , 0 , c49 , 0 , c51 , 0 , 0 , . . . 0 , c0 , c100 , 0 , c99 , 0 , . . . , c55 , 0 , c54 , 0 , c53 , 0 , c52 , 0 , c51 ,} or {[ c100 , 0 , c99 , 0 , c98 , 0 , . . . , c55 , 0 , c54 , 0 , c53 , 0 , c52 , 0 c51 , 0 , 0 ( reference point ),] 0 ( dc ), 0 , c1 , 0 , c2 , 0 , c3 , 0 , c4 , 0 , c5 , . . . , 0 , c49 , 0 , 0 , . . . , 0 , c100 , 0 , c99 , 0 , c98 , 0 , . . . , c55 , 0 , c54 , 0 , c53 , 0 , c52 , 0 , c51 , 0 } the structures of a downlink transmission frame and an uplink transmission frame will be described with reference to fig9 . the downlink / uplink transmission frame is the same in structure to the conventional frame . the downlink transmission frame uses two preambles in concatenation , that is , a preamble 911 and a preamble 912 . the preamble 911 is a short preamble produced by repeating an arm code sequence of pattern a of length 16 eight times and then inverting the sign of the arm code sequence . that is , nine arm code sequences of pattern a and one sign - inverted arm code sequence occur in the short preamble 911 . the preamble 912 is a long preamble produced by repeating an arm code sequence of pattern b of length 256 once . that is , two arm code sequences of pattern b occur in the long preamble 912 . a cp ( cyclic prefix ) is a repetition of the last few bits of data following the cp to prevent multipath interference . the uplink transmission frame has a long preamble 913 of length 256 . the long preamble 913 is produced by repeating the arm code sequence of pattern b once . when a transmit diversity antenna is used , a data frame has an stc preamble 914 of length 256 . here , the downlink preamble is obtained by concatenating the short preamble 911 and the long preamble 912 . the short preamble 911 is obtained by inserting 11 nulls into a signal generated from the pattern a generator 304 , performing 65 - point ifft operation on the resulting sequence , repeating the ifft output eight times , and inverting the sign of the ifft output . the long preamble 912 is obtained by inserting 55 nulls into a signal generated from the pattern b generator 305 , performing 256 - point ifft operation on the resulting sequence , and repeating the ifft output once . generation of the short preamble sequence will be described with reference to fig6 . fig6 illustrates a short preamble sequence generation procedure in the mpp sequence generating apparatus illustrated in fig2 . referring to fig6 , the arm code generator 200 generates an arm code sequence of length 16 . the sub - carrier selector 201 selects 12 samples among the 16 samples of the arm code sequence and assigns them to 53 sub - carriers from #− 26 to # 26 by inserting nulls to the 12 samples in pattern a . the frequency mask 202 performs frequency - masking by inserting nulls to sub - carriers # 27 to # 37 input to the 64 - point ifft . fig1 illustrates a frequency mask generator according to another embodiment of the present invention . as illustrated , the frequency mask frequency - masks signals in the frequency domain to be applied to the input of the ifft 203 . the ifft 203 performs 64 - point ifft on the output of the frequency mask 202 and generates a preamble sequence 605 in the time domain in which the pattern a occurs four times . generation of the long preamble sequence will be described with reference to fig7 . fig7 illustrates a long preamble sequence generation procedure in the mpp sequence generating apparatus illustrated in fig2 . referring to fig7 , the arm code generator 200 generates an arm code sequence of length 256 . the sub - carrier selector 201 selects 200 samples among the 256 samples of the arm code sequence and assigns them to 201 sub - carriers from #− 100 to # 100 in pattern b . the frequency mask 202 performs frequency - masking by inserting nulls to sub - carriers # 101 to # 155 input to the 256 - point ifft . fig1 illustrates a frequency mask generator according to a third embodiment of the present invention . as illustrated , the frequency mask frequency - masks signals in the frequency domain to be applied to the input of the 256 - point ifft . the ifft 203 performs 256 - point ifft on the output of the frequency mask 202 and generates a preamble sequence 705 in the time domain in which the pattern b occurs twice . generation of an stc preamble sequence will be described with reference to fig8 . fig8 illustrates an stc preamble sequence generation procedure in the mpp sequence generating apparatus illustrated in fig2 . referring to fig8 , the arm code generator 200 generates an arm code sequence of length 128 . the sub - carrier selector 201 selects 102 samples among the 128 samples of the arm code sequence and assigns them to 201 sub - carriers from # 100 to # 100 in pattern c . the frequency mask 202 performs frequency - masking by inserting nulls to sub - carriers # 101 to # 155 input to the 256 - point ifft . the ifft 203 performs 256 - point ifft on the output of the frequency mask 202 and generates an stc preamble sequence 805 in the time domain . as described above , a bwa communication system selects a downlink / uplink preamble and an stc preamble having excellent papr and correlation characteristics . distortion of signal output during rf transmission caused by bad papr characteristics leads to decreased signal acquisition performance and makes synchronization acquisition difficult , thereby resulting in impossible communication . if the downlink / uplink preamble and the stc preamble indicating the presence or absence of data are not acquired , the data cannot be received . if frequency synchronization being a function offered by the preambles is not acquired , tens of bits to hundreds of bits mapped to one symbol are distorted and thus a whole data block is lost . these preambles use burst technology . in general , a sequence of s ( f ) is called an aperiodic sequence in relation to calculating its correlation . after ifft , a signal s ( t ) is good if it has a low papr and has a low cross correlation value . that is , if synchronization is not acquired , a sequence having a low auto - correlation value is good . if synchronization is acquired , a sequence having a high auto - correlation value is good . however , an aperiodic sequence having an excellent papr performance is not known in reality . therefore , the present invention proposes an arm code that is excellent as an aperiodic sequence for application to the downlink / uplink preamble and the stc preamble . even if the arm code is shortened , that is , part of the samples of the arm code are lost , its papr performance after ifft is not decreased and its auto - correlation value is high . therefore , a preamble sequence from the arm code is excellent in performance relative to an existing preamble used in the conventional bwa / wlan system . in accordance with the present invention , downlink / uplink and stc preamble sequences with a minimum papr are generated using arm codes in a bwa communication system . therefore , a synchronization acquisition probability is maximized and thus the overall system performance is improved . furthermore , preamble sequences of various lengths can be generated in a relatively simple hardware . while the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims .	7
in this invention , a major amount of beryllium will be used to encase / surround / encapsulate a minor amount of 252 cf , as shown in fig3 a discussed below . only 252 cf and be are used in the multiplier assembly of this invention . the multiplier assembly consists of 252 cf coated onto wire or foil and be . the preferred embodiment of the invention described herein utilizes all of the different types of radiation from the 252 cf so that they are efficiently transformed into neutrons . even though the 252 cf is a very strong neutron source , neutrons are only directly produced as a result of the 3 . 1 % of the decays that are spontaneous fission with an average of 3 . 77 neutrons emitted per fission . the current art 252 cf neutron sources render the remaining 96 . 9 % of the 252 cf radioactive energy as alpha particles useless by dissipating the energy of this energy as heat in the standard source design stainless steel sheath . the preferred embodiment does not use a source sheath , which is also an extremely effective shield for the alpha particle and fission product energy , but rather utilizes a bare wire , typically of palladium , onto which 252 cf has been deposited after separation from the various irradiation products from the reactor . instead of the wire being encapsulated in a shield , it is encapsulated in a simple beryllium multiplier assembly which then is directly illuminated with the alpha particles , fission products , prompt fission gammas and high energy neutrons that result from the decay of 252 cf . as a result , the neutron source strength of the bare 252 cf coated wire is multiplied by approximately a factor of eight to ten resulting in either a significantly stronger or longer lived source for the same amount of 252 cf or a ninefold reduction in the amount of 252 cf required for a constant source strength . calculations have shown that the typical 600 mbq reactor startup primary source with the current art unmultiplied source requires nearly 260 μg of 252 cf while the multiplied source requires only 29 μg . referring now to fig3 a , a primary source capsule 60 is shown including the driver source of 252 cf , shown as 68 coated onto a substrate wire 69 , and an encasing / surrounding / encapsulating beryllium segment 64 , to provide multiplier assembly 62 . this multiplier assembly 62 is better illustrated in fig3 b . the multiplier assembly 62 can have a wide variety of uses in nuclear power plants , oil well logging and elsewhere . here , the multiplier assembly 62 consisting of 252 cf shown as 68 , coated on a substrate / surface 69 , surrounded by be , shown as 64 , can be inserted or be contained / encased by a surrounding hollow tube / rod 70 . the ends of the primary source capsule can be sealed by top end plug 84 and bottom end plug 84 ′, with a positioning element , most simply a spring 78 holding the contained / encased multiplier assembly 62 in place near or next to the bottom end plug 84 ′. the void volume within the primary source capsules shown is as 86 , capable of capturing helium gas released directly by the 252 cf alpha decay as well as that generated by the beryllium decomposition reactions . while specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure . accordingly , the particular embodiments disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof .	8
the photosensitive composition according to the invention comprises as its photosensitive component a polyester composed of the dicarboxylic acid units of the general formula ( i ) and the glycol units of the general formulae ( ii ) and ( iii ). the dicarboxylic acid units of the general formula ( i ) are those derived from phenylenediacrylic acid , p - carboxycinnamic acid , bis ( p - carboxybenzal ) cyclohexanone , bis ( p - carboxybenzal ) cyclopentanone , p , p &# 39 ;- chalconedicarboxylic acid , bis ( p - carboxycinnamoyl ) benzene and the like . of these , the units derived from phenylenediacrylic acid are most preferable . the glycol units of the general formula ( ii ) are those derived from diethylene glycol , triethylene glycol , tetraethylene glycol , dipropylene glycol , tripropylene glycol and the like . the glycol units of the general formula ( iii ) are those derived from hydrogenated bisphenol f , hydrogenated bisphenol a and the like . the degree of hydrogenation is preferred to be higher and the glycol units of the general formula ( iii ) where ## str8 ## is a cyclohexane ring is most preferable . the ratio of the glycol units of the general formula ( ii ) to the total glycol units is generally in the range of 10 - 90 mole %, preferably 30 - 70 mole %. larger ratio will lower the chemical resistance , while smaller ratio will lower the sensitivity . the weight - average molecular weight of the photosensitive polyester is not critical but is generally in the range of 5000 - 50000 , preferably 9000 - 20000 , when applied as a printing plate . the photosensitive polyester of this type can be readily prepared by a known procedure , for example , by a procedure as described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 622 , 320 . that is , a dicarboxylic ester which makes the dicarboxylic acid units of the general formula ( i ) and a glycol mixture which makes the glycol units of the general formulae ( ii ) and ( iii ) are heated to dissolve , to which is added a titanium or germanium catalyst to effect the ester interchange , followed by reducing the pressure qradually and increasing the temperature to distil off an excess of the glycols thereby preparing a polyester . the reaction time is generally about 4 hours . in the final stage of the polymerization , the temperature is in the range of 230 °- 240 ° c . and the reduced pressure is about 3 mmhg . the photosensitive composition according to the invention is usually prepared by dissolving the photosensitive polymer in solvent . suitable solvents vary depending on the molecular weight and composition of the polymer and are usually taken from chlorine - containing compounds such as methylene chloride , chloroform , trichloroethane , trichloroethylene , chlorobenzene , carbon tetrachloride and the like ; alcohol solvents such as furfurly alcohol , tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol , benzyl alcohol and the like ; ether solvents such as dioxane , tetrahydrofuran and the like ; ethylene glycol monoalkyl ether and diethylene glycol monoalkyl ether solvents such as ethylene glycol monomethyl ether , ethylene glycol monoethyl ether , ethylene glycol monopropyl ether , ethylene glycol monobutyl ether , diethylene glycol monomethyl ether , diethylene glycol monoethyl ether , diethylene glycol monopropyl glycol , diethylene glycol monobutyl ether and the like ; ester solvents such as ethylene glycol ethyl ether acetate , diethylene glycol ethyl ether acetate , ethyl acetate and the like , nitrogen - containing compounds such as dimethylformamide , methylpyrrolidone , nitroethane , nitrobenzene and the like ; ketone solvents such as methyl ethyl ketone , methyl isobutyl ketone , cyclohexanone , methylcyclohexanone , 4 - methyl - 4 - methoxy - 2 - pentanone and the like ; and dimethylsulfoxide . the photosensitive composition according to the invention may further comprise various other components , if necessary , including , for example , a sensitizer or a pigment such as phthalocyanine or zinc oxide . any of the sensitizers usually employed in this field are usable including , for example , aromatic carbonyl compounds such as benzophenone derivatives , benzanthrone derivatives , naphothiazoline derivatives , quinones and the like , or aromatic nitro compounds . examples of the benzophenone derivatives are michler &# 39 ; s ketone , diethylaminoethylbenzophenone and the like ; examples of the benzanthrone derivatives are benzanthrone , 6 , 11 - dichlorobenzanthrone , 11 - chloro - 6 - hydroxybenzanthrone , 1 - carboethoxy - 2 - keto - 3 - methyl - 3 - aza - 1 , 9 - benzanthrone and the like ; examples of the quinones are 1 , 8 - dimethoxyanthraquinone , 1 , 8 - dichloroanthraquinone , 1 , 2 - benzanthraquinone and the like ; examples of the aromatic nitro compounds are mono or polynitro compounds such as 5 - nitroacenaphthene , 2 - nitrofluorene , 2 , 7 - dinitrofluorene , 1 - nitronaphthalene , 1 , 5 - dinitronaphthalene , and the like ; and examples of naphthothiazoline are 2 - dibenzoylmethylene - 3 - methylnaphthothiazoline , 2 - benzoylmethylene - 3 - methylnaphthothiazoline and the like . the photosensitive composition according to the invention is applicable by a usual manner onto a support such as a polymer film or a metal sheet such as a polyethylene terephthalate film , a printing zinc plate , a printing aluminium plate , a silicon wafer , a chromium plate or the like by any of known application techniques such as a dip coating , a rod coating , a spinner coating and a spray coating thereby obtaining a photosensitive sheet . any desired image can be formed on a photosensitive sheet by superposing an object to be copied on the sheet and exposing it to light or by irradiating the sheet with an electronic beam to write an image thereon , followed by developing the formed image . the photosensitive composition of the invention which has been described in detail hereinabove comprises the photosensitive polymer which shows very high sensitivity and excellent chemical resistance . accordingly , such photosensitive composition is usable to make a printing plate and the obtained printing plate is excellent in printing durability . the present invention will be further illustrated by way of the following examples , which should not be construed as limiting the invention thereto . 2 . 74 g ( 0 . 01 mole ) of phenylenediethylacrylate , 1 . 20 g ( 0 . 005 moles ) of hydrogenated bisphenol a ( produced by shin nippon physical and chemical ind . co ., ltd ., aromatic component content of below 0 . 2 %) and 1 . 13 g ( 0 . 007 moles ) of triethylene glycol were charged into a glass polymerization tube and dissolved on a bath of 150 ° c . two drops of isopropyl titanate was added as a catalyst , after which the bath temperature was raised up to 210 ° c . in about 2 hours while feeding argon gas into the polymerization tube thereby completely distilling off the resulting ethanol . then , the bath temperature was increased up to 235 ° c . under a reduced pressure of 3 mmhg in about 1 . 5 hours to effect the condensation reaction while distilling off an excess of the triethylene glycol . after cooling , the glass tube was broken to obtain 3 . 3 g of a transparent photosensitive polyester ( a ) having a weight - average molecular weight of 19000 ( hydrogenated bisphenol a / triethylene glycol ( molar ratio )= 1 ). the above process was repeated using 2 . 74 g of phenylenediethylacrylate and 2 . 90 g of hydrogenated bisphenol a thereby obtaining 3 . 5 g of a photosensitive polyester ( b ) having a weight - average molecular weight of 16000 . the respective photosensitive polyesters were used to prepare 4 % chlorobenzene solutions , to which was added 2 - dibenzoylmethylene - 3 - methyl - β - naphthothiazoline ( hereinlater abbreviated as dbt ) in an amount of 5 % based on the polyester to give photosensitive solutions . each solution was applied onto a quartz plate by means of a spinner . each photosensitive plate was exposed by the use of a high pressure mercury lamp ( 3 . 0 kw ) at distance , 75 cm , from the plate for 40 seconds and a reactivity of the unsaturated bonds in the polyester was measured by the use of an uv spectrum . as a result , it was found that the reactivity for the polyester ( a ) was 64 % and that for the polyester ( b ) was 23 %. then , to the cyclohexanone solution of 4 % photosensitive polyester ( a ) were added dbt in an amount of 5 % of the polyester and a phthalocyanine pigment in an amount of 20 % of the polyester to give a photosensitive solution . the solution was applied onto a sand - blasted al plate with use of a whirler . the thus obtained photosensitive plate was exposed through a step wedge with a step difference of 0 . 15 by the use of a 3 kw high pressure mercury lamp at a distance , 75 cm , from the plate for 20 seconds . this plate was developed with a γ - butyrolactone - phosphoric acid mixed solution . as a result , it was found that the photosensitive layer was insolubilized to an extent of 10 steps . further , to the chlorobenzene solution of 4 % photosensitive polyester ( a ) were added dbt in an amount of 5 % of the polyester and a phthalocyanine pigment in an amount of 20 % of the polyester to give a photosensitive solution . this solution was applied onto a sand - blasted al plate by means of a whirler . the resulting photosensitive plate was brought to intimate contact with a negative image and exposed by means of a 3 kw high pressure mercury lamp at a distance , 75 cm , from the plate for 30 seconds , followed by developing with a γ - butyrolactone - phosphoric acid mixed solution . the resulting image was subjected to a chemical resistance test using a petroleum solvent , revealing that no change was recognized in reflection density of the image before and after the test . 2 . 74 g ( 0 . 01 mole ) of phenylenediethylacrylate , 1 . 20 g ( 0 . 005 moles ) of hydrogenated bisphenol a and 0 . 75 g ( 0 . 007 moles ) of diethylene glycol were used to effect the condensation in the same manner as in example 1 to obtain a photosensitive polyester ( c ) having a weight - average molecular weight of 18000 ( hydrogenated bisphenol a / diethylene glycol ( molar ratio )= 1 ). this photosensitive polyester ( c ) was tested similarly to the case of example 1 and , as a result , similar results were obtained . 2 . 74 g ( 0 . 01 mole ) of phenylenediethylacrylate , 0 . 84 g ( 0 . 0035 mole ) of hydrogenated bisphenol a and 1 . 37 g ( 0 . 0085 mole ) of triethylene glycol were charged into a glass polymerization tube to effect the condensation reaction while distilling off an excess of the triethylene glycol in the same manner as in example 1 . as a result , 3 . 3 g of photosensitive polyester ( d ) having a weight average molecular weight of 16 , 000 ( hydrogenated bisphenol a / triethylene glycol ( mole ratio )= 3 . 5 / 6 . 5 ) was obtained . this photosensitive polymer ( d ) was tested similarly to the case of example 1 . as a result , it was found that the photosensitive layer was insolubilized to an extent of 10 steps and it was revealed that reflection density of the image was 93 % of that before the test .	6
the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention uses a tubular paint roller fabric that may be either a tubular knit base that is made of a low melt yarn having sliver pile fibers extending outwardly therefrom or a tubular knit base that is made of a low melt yarn having cut pile yarn segments extending outwardly therefrom . the former tubular paint roller fabric is discussed in detail in the above - incorporated by reference u . s . pat . no . 7 , 503 , 191 and is shown in fig1 and 2 herein , and the latter tubular paint roller fabric is discussed in detail in the above - incorporated by reference u . s . pat . no . 7 , 748 , 241 and is shown in fig3 and 4 herein . referring first to fig1 , a tubular sliver knit segment 30 that may be continuously knitted in an extended length is shown . the tubular sliver knit segment 30 consists of a knit backing or base material 32 having pile fibers 34 extending from the knit base material 32 on the outer surface of the tubular sliver knit segment 30 . the knit base material 32 is made from a low melt yarn that will be discussed below . it may be seen from a top edge 36 of the knit base material 32 that the tubular sliver knit segment 30 has an essentially circular cross section . the tubular sliver knit segment 30 may be knitted in as long a length as desired , notwithstanding that fig1 only shows a relatively short segment of the tubular sliver knit segment 30 . referring next to fig2 , a segment of the tubular sliver knit segment 30 is shown in schematic form from the outside thereof to illustrate the knit of the knit base material 32 , and the manner in which tufts of the pile fibers 34 are woven into the knit base material 32 . those skilled in the art will at once realize that while the tufts of the pile fibers 34 shown in fig2 include only a few fibers each for added clarity and understanding of the construction of the pile fabric 30 , tufts of the pile fibers 34 in the tubular sliver knit segment 30 will actually include sufficient pile fibers 34 to make a pile that is sufficiently dense for the intended use of the tubular sliver knit segment 30 in the manufacture of a paint roller cover . the foundation of the tubular sliver knit segment 30 is the knit base material 32 , which may be knit from a low melt yarn in a highly modified single jersey circular knitting process on a radically redesigned circular knitting machine . the knit base material 32 has a plurality of courses ( which are rows of loops of stitches which run across the knit fabric ), five of which are shown and designated by the reference numerals 40 , 42 , 44 , 46 , and 48 , and a plurality of wales ( which are vertical chains of loops in the longitudinal direction of the knit fabric ), three of which are shown and designated by the reference numerals 50 , 52 , and 54 . the respective courses 40 , 42 , 44 , 46 , and 48 are knitted sequentially from the lowest course number to the highest course number . by way of example , the construction of the portion of the tubular sliver knit segment 30 in the area of the course 46 and the wale 52 will be discussed herein . a loop 56 formed in a yarn segment 58 is located in this area , with a loop 60 formed in a yarn segment 62 being located in the course 44 below the loop 56 , and a loop 64 formed in a yarn segment 66 being located in the course 48 above the loop 56 . the loop 56 extends through the loop 60 from the outside to the inside of the tubular sliver knit segment 30 ( shown in fig2 ), and the loop 64 also extends through the loop 56 from the outside to the inside . a tuft of pile fibers 34 having a loop portion 68 and opposite end portions 70 and 72 is knitted into the knit base material 32 together with the loop 56 . the loop portion 68 of that particular tuft of pile fibers 34 is located adjacent the top of the loop 56 , and the opposite end portions 70 and 72 of that particular tuft of pile fibers 34 extend outwardly from the interior of the loop 56 , above the loop 60 and below the loop 64 . in a similar manner , each of the other tufts of the pile fibers 34 is knitted into the knit base material 32 with a different loop . referring now to fig3 , a tubular cut pile knit segment 80 that may be continuously knitted in an extended length is shown . the tubular cut pile knit segment 80 consists of a knit backing or base material 82 having cut pile segments 84 extending from the knit base material 82 on the outer surface of the tubular cut pile knit segment 80 . the knit base material 82 is made from a low melt yarn that will be discussed below . it may be seen from a top edge 86 of the knit base material 82 that the tubular cut pile knit segment 80 has an essentially circular cross section . the tubular cut pile knit segment 80 may be knitted in as long a length as desired , notwithstanding that fig3 only shows a relatively short segment of the tubular cut pile knit segment 80 . referring next to fig4 , a segment of the tubular cut pile knit segment 80 is shown in schematic form from the outside thereof to illustrate the knit of the knit base material 82 , and the manner in which the cut pile segments 84 are knitted into the knit base material 82 . the foundation of the tubular cut pile knit segment 80 is the knit base material 82 , which may be knit from a low melt yarn in a highly modified single jersey circular knitting process on a radically redesigned circular knitting machine . the knit base material 82 has a plurality of courses ( which are rows of loops of stitches which run across the knit fabric ), five of which are shown and designated by the reference numerals 90 , 92 , 94 , 96 , and 98 , and a plurality of wales ( which are vertical chains of loops in the longitudinal direction of the knit fabric ), three of which are shown and designated by the reference numerals 100 , 102 , and 104 . the respective courses 90 , 92 , 94 , 96 , and 98 are knitted sequentially from the lowest course number to the highest course number . by way of example , the construction of the portion of the tubular cut pile knit segment 80 in the area of the course 96 and the wale 102 will be discussed herein . a backing loop 106 formed in a backing yarn segment 108 is located in this area , with a backing loop 110 formed in a backing yarn segment 112 being located in the course 94 below the backing loop 106 , and a backing loop 114 formed in a backing yarn segment 116 being located in the course 98 above the backing loop 106 . the backing loop 106 extends through the backing loop 110 from the outside to the inside of the tubular cut pile knit segment 80 ( shown in fig4 ), and the backing loop 114 also extends through the backing loop 106 from the outside to the inside . it will at once be appreciated by those skilled in the art that this arrangement of backing loops in sequentially knitted courses is completely opposite to the way in which knit fabrics have been knitted on known circular knitting machines . a cut pile segment 84 having a pile loop portion 118 and opposite pile ends 120 and 122 is knitted into the knit base material 82 together with the backing loop 106 . the pile loop portion 118 of that particular cut pile segment 84 is located adjacent the top of the backing loop 106 , and the opposite pile ends 120 and 122 of that particular cut pile segment 84 extend outwardly from the interior of the backing loop 106 , above the backing loop 110 and below the backing loop 114 . in a similar manner , each of the other cut pile segments 84 is knitted into the knit base material 82 with a different backing loop . referring now to fig5 through 9 , a number of different bicomponent fibers are shown by way of example ( although numerous alternatives may be manufactured by yarn producers ), any of which could be used for the backing ( the yarn segments 58 , 62 , and 66 shown in fig2 ) of the tubular sliver knit segment 30 ( shown in fig1 ) or for the backing ( the yarn segments 108 , 112 , and 116 shown in fig4 ) of the tubular cut pile knit segment 80 ( shown in fig3 ). referring first to fig5 , a sheath - core bicomponent fiber 130 is illustrated which has a high melt component 132 located in the center of the sheath - core bicomponent fiber 130 and a low melt component 134 located on the outer portion of the sheath - core bicomponent fiber 130 which low melt component 134 surrounds the high melt component 132 . the segments of the low melt component 134 and the high melt component 132 are concentric . referring next to fig6 , a side - by - side bicomponent fiber 140 is illustrated which has one side ( a semicircular cross section ) made of a high melt component 142 and the other side ( a complementary semicircular cross section ) made of a low melt component 144 . referring now to fig7 , an eccentric sheath - core bicomponent fiber 150 is illustrated which has a high melt component 152 located in the center of the eccentric sheath - core bicomponent fiber 150 and a low melt component 154 located on the outer portion of the eccentric sheath - core bicomponent fiber 150 which low melt component 154 surrounds the high melt material 152 . by definition in an eccentric sheath - core relationship , the segments of the low melt component 154 and the high melt component 152 are not concentric . referring next to fig8 , a matrix - fibril bicomponent fiber 160 is illustrated which has four segments of high melt component 162 distributed in a matrix of low melt component 164 that entirely surrounds the segments of high melt component 162 . although four segments of high melt component 162 are shown in fig8 , more or fewer could be used . also , although the four segments of high melt component 162 are shown as being evenly distributed in the surrounding low melt component 164 , the segments of high melt component 162 could be distributed more randomly in the surrounding low melt component 164 as well . referring now to fig9 , a segmented pie bicomponent fiber 170 is illustrated which has eight pie - shaped segments that are evenly distributed around the circumference of the segmented pie bicomponent fiber 170 . the segments alternate between high components 172 and low melt components 174 . although four segments of high melt component 172 and four segments of low melt component 174 are shown in fig9 , more or fewer could be used . referring next to fig1 , a bicomponent yarn 180 is illustrated which is made up of four fibers , two of which are high melt fibers 182 and two of which are low melt fibers 184 . as is the case with any yarn , the high melt fibers 182 and the low melt fibers 184 are twisted together to form the segment of bicomponent yarn 180 . although two high melt fibers 182 and two low melt fibers 184 are shown in fig1 , more or fewer of each could be used . referring now to fig1 and 12 , a mandrel heating assembly 190 is illustrated in two cross sectional views . the mandrel heating assembly 190 of the exemplary embodiment has a mandrel 192 that is cylindrical and has an outer diameter of approximately one and three - eighths inches ( 35 millimeters ) or slightly less and has a coaxial cylindrical aperture 194 located therein that is approximately three - quarters of an inch ( 19 millimeters ) in diameter or slightly larger extending therethrough , which mandrel 192 may be made out of steel . a smaller aperture 196 that is approximately one - eighth of an inch ( 3 . 2 millimeters ) is diameter or slightly larger extends longitudinally through the mandrel 192 and is located in the mandrel 192 between the aperture 194 and the outer surface of the mandrel 192 . a cartridge heater 198 is located in the aperture 194 in the mandrel 192 . the cartridge heater 198 may be a watlow firerod part no . n24a23 - e12h cartridge heater from watlow electric manufacturing company of st . louis , mo . the cartridge heater 198 has a three - quarter inch ( 19 millimeter ) diameter and is twenty - four inches ( 610 millimeters ) long , has a 2750 watt rating , and has two heater leads 200 extending from one end thereof . a thermocouple 202 is located in the aperture 196 in the mandrel 192 . the thermocouple 202 may be an omega model no . jmqss - 125g - 6 thermocouple from omega engineering , inc . of stamford , conn . the thermocouple 202 has a has an one - eighth inch ( 3 . 2 millimeter ) diameter , is twenty - four inches ( 610 millimeters ) long , and has two thermocouple leads 204 extending from one end thereof . referring next to fig1 , a control circuit for operating the cartridge heater 198 based on temperature information received from the thermocouple 202 is illustrated . a eurotherm model no . 2216e general purpose pid ( proportional - integral - derivative ) temperature controller from eurotherm inc . of leesburg , va . has as an input the thermocouple leads 204 from the thermocouple 202 , and is connected through the heater leads 200 to operate the cartridge heater 198 at the desired temperature . referring next to fig1 , a tubular knitted pile fabric 220 ( which may be either the tubular sliver knit segment 30 or the tubular cut pile knit segment 80 ) having a first end 222 and a second end 224 is shown as it is about to be pulled onto the exterior surface of a hollow cylindrical aluminum heating tube 226 having a first end 228 and a second end 230 and a nonstick substance 232 on the outer surface thereof . the aluminum heating tube 226 has an outer diameter that is approximately the same as the inner diameter of a finished paint roller cover core ( paint roller cover cores typically have an inner diameter of approximately one and one - half inches ( 38 millimeters ), although alternative sizes such as inner diameters of one and three - quarters inches ( 44 millimeters ) and two inches ( 51 millimeters ) can be manufactured as well ). the aluminum heating tube 226 has an inner diameter of approximately one and three - eighths inches ( 35 millimeters ) or slightly greater and is sized to fit removably over the mandrel 192 of the mandrel heating assembly 190 ( shown in fig1 and 12 ). ( it should be noted that the inner diameter of the aluminum heating tube 226 is not critical , and indeed will vary according to the outer diameter of the mandrel 192 of the mandrel heating assembly 190 .) the outer surface of the aluminum heating tube 226 is coated with a low coefficient of friction material such as silicone or polytetrafluoroethylene ( ptfe , such as the material marketed by dupont under the trademark teflon ) to provide a non - stick substance 232 thereupon . the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 has an inner diameter that is approximately the same size as or slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the aluminum heating tube 226 . the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 may be sized to require that it be stretched slightly when it is placed onto the aluminum heating tube 226 in order to achieve the correct density and / or positioning . alternately , the tubular knitted pile fabric segment 220 could also be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the aluminum heating tube 226 and shrunk slightly ( through the subsequent application of heat which will be discussed below ) to closely conform to the aluminum heating tube 226 . the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 is of a length that corresponds to the desired length of a paint roller cover . for a nine inch ( 229 millimeters ) long paint roller cover , the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 will have to be sufficiently long such that following the application of heat the resulting paint roller cover will be of the desired length . experience has indicated that there may be shrinkage in length during the application of heat ( in one instance , the shrinkage in length was approximately eight percent . accordingly , if an eight percent shrinkage in length is anticipated , the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 will need to be approximately 9 . 8 inches ( 249 millimeters ) long . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 could alternately be sized for use in manufacturing a plurality of paint roller covers of any of several different lengths . for example , the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 could be approximately one hundred inches ( 2 . 54 meters ) long , which is a sufficient length to allow it to be used for the manufacture of seven nine inch ( 229 millimeter ) long paint roller covers . in this case , of course , the aluminum heating tube 226 and the mandrel heating assembly 190 ( shown in fig1 and 12 ) would have to be proportionately longer as well . in fig1 , the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 is shown with its second end 224 about to be pulled over the first end 228 of the aluminum heating tube 226 . fig1 shows the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 partly pulled onto the aluminum heating tube 226 , and fig1 shows the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 fully pulled onto the aluminum heating tube 226 , with the second end 224 of the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 located close adjacent to the second end 230 of the aluminum heating tube 226 . the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 fits easily on the outer diameter of the aluminum heating tube 226 , and is not stretched on the aluminum heating tube 226 . referring next to fig1 , the aluminum heating tube 226 with the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 located thereupon is about to be placed onto the mandrel heating assembly 190 . as mentioned above , the inside diameter of the aluminum heating tube 226 is sized to fit removably over the outer diameter of the mandrel 192 of the mandrel heating assembly 190 , but with a relatively close fit to allow heat from the mandrel heating assembly 190 to be transferred to and through the aluminum heating tube 226 . prior to placing 226 with the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 located thereupon over the mandrel heating assembly 190 , the mandrel heating assembly 190 is brought up to the desired temperature . typically , this will take less than one minute . the temperature of the mandrel heating assembly 190 is a function of which particular bicomponent material is used in the low melt yarn used for the backing of the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 . more specifically , the temperature used must be at or above the melting point of the low melt component used in the backing material , but below the melting point of the high melt component used in the backing material and preferably below the melting point of the material ( s ) used in the pile of the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 . the temperature of the mandrel heating assembly 190 accordingly varies according to the properties of the bicomponent material , and will typically be set between approximately 375 degrees fahrenheit ( 190 degrees celsius ) and approximately 435 degrees fahrenheit ( 224 degrees celsius ), although with some bicomponent materials the temperature may vary from as low as approximately 250 degrees fahrenheit ( 121 degrees celsius ) to as high as 600 degrees fahrenheit ( 316 degrees celsius ). in fig1 , the aluminum heating tube 226 with the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 located thereupon is shown with the second end 230 of the aluminum heating tube 226 about to be pulled over the mandrel heating assembly 190 . fig1 shows the aluminum heating tube 226 with the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 located thereupon fully pulled onto the mandrel heating assembly 190 , where it is heated and maintained for a period of time sufficient to activate the backing yarn . ( activating the backing yarn constitutes melting the low melt component of the bicomponent material of the backing yarn of the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 so that it will flow together to lock the backing yarn into an integral cylindrical core around the aluminum heating tube 226 .) this period of time can vary between approximately five seconds to approximately ninety seconds , with typical times for most bicomponent materials varying from approximately five seconds to approximately sixty seconds . during this activation process , the length of the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 may shrink somewhat , as mentioned above . clamps securing the fabric in place ( not shown herein ) can be utilized to minimizing or eliminate the fabric &# 39 ; s shrinking characteristics . following the activation process , the aluminum heating tube 226 with the now - activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 located thereupon is removed from the mandrel heating assembly 190 and allowed to cool , which typically takes only a few seconds . the activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 ( shown in fig1 ) may then be removed from the aluminum heating tube 226 . referring next to fig1 , the activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 is shown as having a first end 242 and a second end 244 , with a pile 248 extending outwardly from the activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 . the inside of the activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 is a cylindrical fused backing 246 . finishing the activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 will include the steps of combing the pile 248 of the activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 and shearing it to the desired length . finally , the ends 242 and 244 of the activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 may be finished and the edges of the activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 may be beveled , and any loose fibers may be vacuumed off . while the exemplary embodiment discussed above produces a nine inch ( 229 millimeter ) paint roller cover , the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 , the aluminum heating tube 226 , and the mandrel heating assembly 190 ( al shown in fig1 and 18 ) could alternately be sized for use in manufacturing a plurality of paint roller covers of any of several different lengths . for example , a substantially longer activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 could be produced and subsequently be cut into unfinished paint roller cover segments of any desired size . these unfinished paint roller cover segments would then be finished as described above . an alternate embodiment of the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention is shown in fig2 through 24 . referring first to fig2 , one or more layers of dry adhesive film 250 is wound around the aluminum heating tube 226 . the dry adhesive film 250 generally consists of a thin plastic film that is coated on one side ( the side that will be wound facing outwardly ) with a non - tacky adhesive , and may optionally have a pressure - sensitive adhesive on the opposite side to facilitate the installation of the dry adhesive film 250 onto the aluminum heating tube 226 . one dry adhesive film that may be used , for example , is stock no . 233 from lenderink technologies in belmont , mich . the thickness of the dry adhesive film 250 may vary from approximately 0 . 0005 inches ( 0 . 0127 millimeters ) thick to approximately 0 . 01 inches ( 0 . 254 millimeters ) thick . for example , from one to seven layers of 0 . 0012 inch ( 0 . 0305 millimeter ) thick dry adhesive film 250 , or from one to three layers of thicker dry adhesive film 250 ( 0 . 0024 inch ( 0 . 61 millimeter ) thick to 0 . 0072 inch ( 0 . 183 millimeter ) thick ) being used . the dry adhesive film 250 is cut when a sufficient length of the dry adhesive film 250 has been wound around the aluminum heating tube 226 to form a wrapped dry adhesive film 252 , as shown in fig2 . referring next to fig2 , the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 is shown with its second end 224 about to be pulled over the first end 228 of the aluminum heating tube 226 , and then onto the wrapped dry adhesive film 252 on the aluminum heating tube 226 . fig2 shows the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 fully pulled onto the wrapped dry adhesive film 252 on the aluminum heating tube 226 , with the aluminum heating tube 226 with the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 and the wrapped dry adhesive film 252 located thereupon about to be placed over the mandrel heating assembly 190 . fig2 shows the aluminum heating tube 226 with the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 and the wrapped dry adhesive film 252 located thereupon fully pulled onto the mandrel heating assembly 190 , where it is heated and maintained for a period of time sufficient to activate the wrapped dry adhesive film 252 and the backing yarn , with the wrapped dry adhesive film 252 and the low melt component of the bicomponent material of the backing yarn of the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 flowing together to form an integral cylindrical core around the mandrel 192 of the mandrel heating assembly 190 . following the activation process , the aluminum heating tube 226 with the now - fused together material is removed from the mandrel heating assembly 190 and allowed to cool . the resulting assembly may then be removed from the aluminum heating tube 226 and finished as described above . referring finally to fig2 , the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention is shown in a flow chart that includes a number of the variations discussed herein . the paint roller cover manufacturing operation starts in a manufacture tubular knitted pile fabric sleeve step 260 in which the tubular knitted pile fabric used in the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 ( shown in fig1 through 18 ) is manufactured . this is done in one of at least two different manners . a first manner of the manufacturing the tubular knitted pile fabric used in the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 ( shown in fig1 through 18 ) is represented in a manufacture tubular sliver knit fabric sleeve 260 a , which corresponds to manufacture of the tubular sliver knit segment 30 shown in fig1 and 2 . a second manner of the manufacturing the tubular knitted pile fabric used in the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 is represented in a manufacture tubular cut pile knit fabric sleeve 260 b , which corresponds to manufacture of the tubular cut pile knit segment 80 shown in fig3 and 4 . the process next moves to a cut tubular knitted pile fabric sleeve to length step 262 in which the tubular knitted pile fabric is cut to the desired length of the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 ( shown in fig1 through 18 ). as mentioned above , the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 will have to be sufficiently long such that following the application of heat the resulting paint roller cover will be of the desired length , taking account of shrinkage that may occur during the heating process . alternately , the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 could be sized for use in manufacturing a plurality of paint roller covers of any of several different lengths . for example , a substantially longer activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 ( shown in fig1 ) could be produced and subsequently be cut into unfinished paint roller cover segments of any desired size . optionally , an apply dry adhesive film to aluminum heating tube step 264 can then be used if it is desired to apply the wrapped dry adhesive film 252 ( shown in fig2 ) under the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 on the aluminum heating tube 226 . with or without the apply dry adhesive film to aluminum heating tube step 264 , the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 is placed onto the aluminum heating tube 226 in a place tubular knitted pile fabric sleeve on aluminum tube step 266 , as shown in fig1 through 16 ( without the wrapped dry adhesive film 252 ) or in fig2 ( with the wrapped dry adhesive film 252 ). the process next moves to a preheat mandrel to desired temperature step 268 , wherein the mandrel heating assembly 190 is heated to the desired temperature to activate the low melt component in the backing of the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 . the process then moves to a place aluminum heating tube with fabric sleeve onto mandrel step 270 , in which the aluminum heating tube 226 with the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 ( and , optionally , the wrapped dry adhesive film 252 ) located thereupon is placed onto the mandrel heating assembly 190 to initiate the heating process , as shown in fig1 . the aluminum heating tube 226 with the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 ( and , optionally , the wrapped dry adhesive film 252 ) located thereupon is heated on the mandrel heating assembly 190 for a predetermined time as shown in fig1 in a heat fabric sleeve on mandrel for a predetermined time step 272 . the process then moves to a remove aluminum tube with activated fabric sleeve from mandrel step 274 in which the aluminum heating tube 226 with the activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 ( shown in fig1 ) is removed from the mandrel heating assembly 190 and allowed to cool . at this point , the activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 has cooled and has an integral cylindrical fused backing 246 located on the inside thereof , as indicated in a fabric sleeve has formed integral core member step 276 . next , in an optional cut fabric - covered core member to desired lengths step 278 , the activated tubular knitted pile fabric 240 may be cut into a plurality of unfinished paint roller covers of any desired size . this step is , of course , not performed if the tubular knitted pile fabric 220 was cut to meet its finished size in the cut tubular knitted pile fabric sleeve to length step 262 . the unfinished paint roller covers may then have the fabric pile thereupon combed and sheared to a desired length in a comb and shear fabric pile step 280 . it should be noted that the comb and shear fabric pile step 280 may instead be performed before the cut fabric - covered core member to desired lengths step 278 . next , in a bevel edges of paint roller covers step 282 , the edges of the unfinished paint roller covers are beveled to finish them . finally , in a vacuum paint roller covers step 284 , loose fibers are vacuumed off the unfinished paint roller covers , finishing them into paint roller covers which may then be packaged and sold ( typically , vacuuming is accomplished throughout the brushing , shearing , and beveling steps rather than as a separate step ). it may therefore be appreciated from the above detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention that it teaches a method by which a paint roller cover may be manufactured from tubular knitted pile fabric . further , in practicing the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention , the tubular knitted pile fabric need not be stretched , and no wrinkles or other surface defects are introduced into the tubular knitted pile fabric during the manufacturing process . still further , the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention , which manufactures the tubular knitted pile fabric with the pile side out , does not require the tubular knitted pile fabric to be inverted during the manufacturing process . the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention results in an acceptable pile which extends from an acceptably rigid core which can be installed on and used with any conventional paint roller frame , or on a frame uniquely designed for the paint roller utilizing the new core design . the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention facilitates either the manufacture of a paint roller cover of a desired finished length , or the manufacture of an extended length segment from which segments of any desired size can be cut for finishing as paint roller covers , thereby facilitating the mass manufacture of paint roller covers . the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention can use either tubular sliver knitted pile fabric or tubular knitted yarn cut pile fabric as well as a number of different backing materials . the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention results in a construction which is both durable and long lasting , and yields a paint roller cover of superior quality . the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention also reduces the cost of manufacturing paint roller covers when compared to conventional methods of manufacturing paint roller covers by manufacturing paint rollers without using a core member , thereby affording it the broadest possible market . finally , all of the aforesaid advantages and aspirations of the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention are achieved without incurring any substantial relative disadvantage . although the foregoing description of the paint roller cover manufacturing method of the present invention has been shown and described with reference to particular embodiments and applications thereof , it has been presented for purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the particular embodiments and applications disclosed . it will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art that a number of changes , modifications , variations , or alterations to the invention as described herein may be made , none of which depart from the spirit or scope of the present invention . the particular embodiments and applications were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . all such changes , modifications , variations , and alterations should therefore be seen as being within the scope of the present invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly , legally , and equitably entitled .	1
the preferred embodiments disclose methods and systems to achieve a switched power supply supporting a battery charger and a system load , wherein a charge current is reduced when the switched power supply is close to enter current limit mode due to high system current . shown in fig4 is the typical context of applicability of the present invention . fig4 illustrates a power path of a power management unit supplying a battery operated system inclusive a battery charger and a battery . a synchronous dc - dc converter 41 is used to satisfy the current requirements of a battery operated system . it has to deliver the charge current i chg to charger 43 while at the same time feeding a system load 42 with a current i sys dependent upon the actual system activity . for this purposes the dc - dc converter 41 draws a current i in from a power source 40 , which must never exceed a predefined value i lim , which is externally settable . fig5 shows a simplified architecture of a synchronous dc - dc converter of the present invention . in normal operation , i . e . when the buck converter is not in current limit mode , the output of comparator 50 is always low , therefore the voltage / current feedback loop provided by amplifier 51 and pwm comparator 52 regulates via or - gate 58 the output duty - cycle in such a way that the output voltage v out tracks reference voltage v ref . in particular main switch 53 is turned - on via drive logic 56 at the beginning of each clock cycle . it is only turned off when the positive input of the pwm comparator 52 , which is proportional , using a factor g i , to the output current i l , exceeds the error voltage v error , which corresponds via a factor ge to the difference between v out and v ref . the current through coil 59 is sensed in the pmos pass device 53 , via a scaled matched pmos device whose source is connected to the power supply v in via a sense resistor ( this sense device is not shown in fig5 in order to avoid unnecessary complexity ). in this way a controllable fraction of the inductor current is converted in a voltage across the sense resistor . this voltage is then suitably amplified to obtain the desired current gain factor g i and fed into the positive input of comparator 52 . a current reference iref , which can be externally set , flows in the series connected pmos devices 540 and 541 , defining therefore at their drains two voltage reference vsw_ref and vsw 80 _ref , which are connected to the positive terminals of respectively comparator 50 and 500 . the pmos devices 540 and 541 are designed to be scaled version of the main switch 53 , in such a way that the voltage of on the drain of main switch transistor 53 will be less than the voltage on the drain of 540 ( vsw & lt ; vsw_ref ) when iin & gt ; m * iref , wherein m is the scaling ratio of the main switch 53 to the equivalent device composed by the series of 540 and 541 . the switching node vsw is connected to the negative input of the comparators 50 and 500 . given the forgoing , comparator 50 will toggle when iin & gt ; m * iref determining the turning off of the main switch 53 , independently of the voltage / current feedback loop described in the preceding paragraph . the comparator 50 will be reset in the next clock cycle even if this function is not shown in figure for simplicity . in this condition the power converter is said to be in current limit mode ( with all the disadvantages associated with it ) and the current limit is simply defined by the scaling ratio m and the reference current iref as ilim = m * iref . the second reference voltage vsw 80 _ref is tapped in the scaled series device composed by 540 and 541 in such a way that the voltage on the drain of main switch transistor 53 will be less than that on the drain 541 ( vsw & lt ; vsw 80 _ref ) when iin & gt ; k * ilim , where k is a percentage of the input current limit which is defined by specific transistors dimensions . transistor 57 is a switch corresponding to switch s 2 shown in fig1 . in a preferred embodiment the defined portion of the maximal allowable current limit is 80 %. therefore the variable is called v sw80 — ref . other percentages could be used as well , as long as the response time of the digital control described in the following is shorter than the time required from a given load to cover the difference between the input current limit ilim and its fraction k * ilim , i . e . as long as the digital control described in the following is able to reduce the charge current to 0 , before the system load can increase from k * ilim to ilim . in case the input current i in has reached the defined portion of the maximum allowable input current , e . g . 80 % of the current limit , the charging current i chg is reduced via digital control 501 and a charger 54 wherein the charge current is controlled by the digital control 501 . if the input current is below 80 % of the programmed current limit , the charge current is set to its default value . as soon as the input current reaches the 80 % limit , the charge current is decreased until eventually the input current falls again below the 80 % limit . at this point the controller starts ramping up the charge current again . in this way for any system load i sys , defining an input current iin below the programmed current limit , the buck converter runs in normal mode , i . e . not in current limit mode . fig6 illustrates the behaviour of the buck converter of the present invention operating e . g . with a maximum input current ilimit = 500 ma , a required system current for an electronic device isys = 300 ma , and a default charge current ichg = 200 ma . the system current 60 is switched on at time t . the peak input current 62 ( which is the same as the peak inductor current il ) is kept in steady state below 400 ma ( 80 % of ilimit ) and the charge current 61 is reduced accordingly . the buck runs always in normal mode , i . e . the output duty cycle at the node vsw in fig5 is determined by the voltage / feedback loop , the output current in the inductor is synchronous to the external clock and no sub - harmonics are present , hence the efficiency is maximized , together with the maximum deliverable current , while the interference with other system component , operating for example at audio frequencies , is minimized . fig2 illustrates simplified waveforms of the switch inductor output current of a synchronous buck converter operating in normal mode and in current limit mode . fig2 shows clock pulses clk , a peak current limit and a current i l through the inductor in current limit mode and the pulses of a current comparator which goes on if the current i l reaches the current limit . furthermore at the bottom of fig2 the current i l is shown in unlimited mode . in the unlimited mode the current i l is rising steadily with every clock cycle . fig3 illustrates simplified waveforms of the switch control signal and inductor output current of a synchronous buck converter . it shows a constant current i sys to a system load , as shown in fig4 , the inductor current i l in current limit mode , the switch control signal from the gate control , and the clock signal clk . fig3 illustrates that switch s 2 goes off if current i l reaches a limit , hence current i l goes down , and with the next clock cycle s 2 goes on and switch s 1 goes off and current i l rises again . furthermore fig6 shows the output voltage 63 of comparator 500 , illustrating a condition of entering the 80 % limit and hence reducing the charge current . on top of fig6 the output voltage v error 64 is shown which is the output voltage of amplifier 51 shown in fig5 and voltage v ramp 65 . vramp 65 corresponds to the positive input of comparator 52 namely to vramp = g i * i l where i l is the inductor current when the pmos pass device 53 is enabled . fig7 illustrates a flowchart of a method invented allowing switched power converters , providing charge power for batteries and at the same time deliver current to operate an electronic device , to stay out of current limit mode for the maximum possible range of system load requirements . a first step 70 describes the provision of a synchronous switched power converter , a means to measure the input current of the buck converter , or any other switched power converter , and means to control a charge current . the following step 71 describes sensing of the input current of the switched power converter . the following steps illustrate two parallel checks of steps 72 and step 73 . step 72 is a check if the actual input current of the switched power converter is higher than a defined maximum current limit . the actual input current is continuously sensed for this check . if this check is positive the process flow goes to step 74 wherein the input current is reduced via turning off the switched power converter high - side switch of the power converter and then the process flow goes back to step 72 . if the check of step 72 is negative , step 72 is immediately repeated again in the next clock cycle . step 73 is a check if the actual input current of the switched power converter is higher than 80 % of a defined maximum current limit . the actual input current is continuously sensed this limit of 80 % of the defined maximum . if this check is positive the process flow goes to step 75 wherein the charge current of one or more batteries is reduced and then the process flow goes back to step 73 . if the check of step 73 is negative , step 73 is immediately repeated again in the next clock cycle . it is obvious that any other suitable portion than 80 % could be used as well , as long as the time required to reduce the charge current to 0 is less than the minimum time it requires the system load to increase from this portion to the maximum . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	7
fig1 shows a refrigeration circuit 2 for circulating a refrigerant like co 2 in a predetermined flow direction . this refrigeration circuit 2 can be operated in a subcritical mode , i . e . “ winter mode ”, as well as in a supercritical mode , i . e . “ summer mode ”. the refrigeration circuit comprises in flow direction a compressor 4 , i . e . in the particular embodiment a set of individual compressors 6 , 8 , a heat - rejecting heat exchanger 10 , a control valve 12 which is associated to the outlet 14 of the heat - rejecting heat exchanger 10 and a control 16 for controlling the control valve 12 and possibly the complete refrigeration circuit 2 . the refrigeration circuit 2 further includes a receiver 18 and one or a plurality of refrigeration consumers 20 each comprising a consumer expansion device 22 as well as a consumer evaporator 24 . the refrigeration consumers 20 are so - called “ medium temperature ” consumers , which in case of a supermarket refrigeration system application are display cabinets for milk products , meat , vegetables , fruits , etc ., which require cooling temperatures above or around the freezing point . a “ low temperature ” refrigeration circuit 26 can alternatively or additionally be provided with low temperature refrigeration consumer ( s ) 28 , each comprising a low temperature expansion device 30 and a low temperature evaporator 32 . a set of low temperature loop compressors 34 raises the pressure of the refrigerant to the suction pressure of the multicompressor set 4 . a suction line 36 connects the medium temperature refrigeration consumers 20 with the set of compressors 4 . a high - pressure line 38 connects the output of the set of compressors 4 with the input of the heat - rejecting heat exchanger 10 , and a heat exchanger outlet line 40 connects the outlet of the heat exchanger 10 to the receiver 18 . a liquid line 42 connects the liquid portion of the receiver 18 with the refrigeration consumers 20 with a liquid branch line 44 connecting the low temperature refrigeration consumer 28 . a return line 46 connects the output of the low temperature compressor set 34 with the suction line 36 . a flash gas line 48 connects the gas portion of the receiver 18 via a flash gas expansion device 50 to the return line 46 and / or via flash gas return line 52 with compressor 8 in the compressor set 4 . in the refrigeration circuit 2 as shown in the present embodiment the control valve 12 serves as an intermediate expansion device for expanding the cooled high - pressure refrigerant to an intermediate pressure level within the receiver 18 . typically , in operation the discharged refrigerant in the high - pressure lines 38 is of relatively high pressure and high temperature . the high - pressure level in a typical co 2 refrigeration circuit can be up to 120 bar and is typically approximately between 40 and 100 bar and preferably above 75 bar in the summer mode and between 40 and 70 bar and preferably approximately 45 bar in the winter mode . the intermediate pressure level normally is independent from summer and winter mode and between approximately 30 and 40 bar and preferably 36 bar . also the pressure in the suction line 36 normally is independent from summer and winter mode and typically between 25 and 35 bar and preferably 28 bar . a control 16 receives input information through lines 54 and / or 56 . for example line 54 may provide temperature information of the refrigerant at the outlet 14 of the heat - rejecting heat exchanger 10 and the signal line 56 may provide pressure information . a further control line 58 provides control signals to the control valve 12 . the control signals may be the desired pressure level to be maintained by the control valve 12 , in case of a pressure regulating valve . alternatively , control signals indicate the opening condition of the control valve 12 , i . e . x % opening state with x % being between 0 % ( valve is closed ) and 100 % ( valve is fully open ). the control 16 calculates on the basis of the respective information , like temperature , characteristics of the refrigerant , etc ., the respective control pressure depending on the operational mode and provides the respective information to the control valve 12 so that the correct pressure level will be maintained in the heat exchanger outlet line 40 . fig2 shows a p - t - diagram for a co 2 refrigerant at the output 14 of the heat - rejecting heat exchanger and the control valve 12 , respectively . fig2 particularly shows with phantom line 60 the critical pressure at 73 . 8 bar of the co 2 refrigerant and with phantom line 62 the critical temperature of 31 . 1 ° c . thereof . the intersection of phantom lines 60 and 62 is generally referred to as the “ critical point ”. curves 64 , 66 , 68 , 70 , 72 , 74 , and 76 show the desired pressure of the refrigerant dependent on the temperature . particularly , curve 66 is the saturation pressure line of the co 2 refrigerant with curves 68 , 70 , 72 , 74 , and 76 are corresponding curves , but with a sub - cooling of 2 kelvin (= curve 68 ), 4 kelvin (= curve 70 ), 6 kelvin (= curve 72 ), 8 kelvin (= curve 74 ), and 10 kelvin (= curve 76 ) as compared to the saturation pressure curve 66 . curve 64 on the other hand indicates the theoretical pressure value in the supercritical state of the refrigerant for optimum cop ( coefficient of performance ), dependent on the temperature of the refrigerant . one may note that the curve 64 for the supercritical pressure is extrapolated from the supercritical region into the subcritical region to the left side , while curves 66 to 76 for the subcritical pressure are extrapolated towards the supercritical region . particularly the subcritical pressure curves 66 to 76 have no physical meaning beyond the critical point and particularly above the critical pressure . the situation is similar for the extrapolation of the supercritical pressure curve 64 into the subcritical region . as one can see , the curve 64 for the supercritical pressure and the curve 66 for the saturation pressure in the subcritical region do not intersect at the critical point or near the critical point . thus , if the control of the subcritical pressure is made on basis of curve 66 near the critical point and the control of the supercritical pressure is made based on curve 64 in the supercritical region near the critical point , there is a substantial pressure gap of nearly 10 bar so that if the temperature of the refrigerant varies around the critical temperature of 31 . 1 ° c ., the pressure will jump back and forth between the subcritical pressure and the supercritical pressure , resulting in a discontinuity of the control . while for other sub - cooling temperatures , for example for 2 kelvin sub - cooling or for 4 kelvin sub - cooling , the intersection between the subcritical pressure curves 70 , 72 and the supercritical pressure curve 64 moves towards the transition from the subcritical to the supercritical region , nevertheless such discontinuity exists . in order to solve this discontinuity control problem , a border region next to the transition between the subcritical and the supercritical regions will be defined in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the border region can be defined between particular temperature values . it is also possible to define the border region as a region between particular pressure values . the width of such border region depends on the particular curves , the refrigerant , the amount of sub - cooling , etc ., and may also depend on the particular method of determining the continuity pressure , i . e . interpolation , selection of the higher pressure value , etc . a typical width of the border region can be between 2 and 10 kelvin . particularly in the case of an intersection between the subcritical pressure curve and the supercritical pressure curve next to critical pressure , there is no need to actually define the limits of the border mode . in such a case it is possible to use the subcritical pressure curve in the temperature range below the intersection and the supercritical pressure curve when the temperature is above the intersection . for example , if the subcritical pressure curve 72 ( 4 kelvin sub - cooling ) and the supercritical pressure curve 64 are used for controlling the high - pressure at the outlet 14 of the heat - rejecting heat exchanger , the intersection between those curves will be slightly below the critical temperature , at approximately 30 . 7 ° c ., and the control of the control valve 12 will be performed based on the higher value for the subcritical pressure and the supercritical pressure , i . e . based on the subcritical pressure curve 72 for temperatures below 30 . 7 ° c . and on the basis of the supercritical pressure curve 64 for temperatures above such a value . as an alternative example , if the pressure regulation should be made on the basis of subcritical pressure curve 76 ( 10 kelvin sub - cooling ) in the subcritical area and the supercritical pressure curve 64 in the supercritical area , there is apparently no intersection between such curves as far as they are shown in fig2 . an intersection might be substantially above the critical temperature . in such a case the definition of the “ continuity pressure ” on the basis of the “ higher curve method ” might not be functional . an alternative interpolation method may be used instead . to this effect a border region might be defined between 28 and 33 ° c . for example , and an continuity pressure curve 78 can be established between the intersection points 80 and 82 of the curve 76 with the lower limit of the border region and intersection point 82 between curve 64 and the upper limit of the boarder region ( fig3 ). it is to be noted that in the example of fig3 the upper and lower border region limits are randomly selected . other border region limits can also be used . in the example as shown in fig3 the continuity pressure curve 78 is a straight line between intersection points 80 and 82 . thus , in accordance with the embodiments of the invention as presented here , a continuous regulation of the high - pressure of the refrigerant at the outlet of the heat - rejecting heat exchanger 10 can be achieved .	5
in the preferred embodiment , inductors of a lumped element delay line are continuously wound with enamel coated wire on a delay line bobbin 10 , shown in fig1 . the delay line bobbin 10 is constructed of a central core 12 upon which disks 14 are placed at selected locations . as shown in more detail in fig2 each disk 14 has a notch 16 . these notches 16 are aligned with each other so that they may receive the edge of a printed circuit board . inserting the edge of a printed circuit board into the notches 16 facilitates mechanical and electrical connection between the bobbins 10 and the printed circuit board on which the delay line &# 39 ; s capacitors are mounted . the delay line &# 39 ; s inductors are electrically connected to capacitors via wires that pass through the notches 16 and are soldered to printed circuit board conductor patterns located where the printed circuit board is inserted into the notches 16 . to enable a reliable electrical connection , the enamel insulation must be removed from the wire at the notches 16 . referring now to fig3 the delay line bobbin 10 is inserted into the jaws 18 of a rotating device 20 , such as a conventional motor . enamel coated wire 22 from a spool 24 is wound on the delay line bobbin 10 after passing through a conventional feedscrew 26 . the feedscrew 26 , an externally threaded rod mechanically coupled to the rotating device 20 , imparts a uniform feeding action on the wire 22 , causing it to wind with a controlled pitch onto the delay line bobbin 10 . the rotating device 20 and the feedscrew 26 are components of a winding machine 28 , which also includes a finger 30 for threading the wire 22 through the notches 16 . the finger 30 is discussed in more detail below . referring now to fig4 a solder reservoir 32 is located between the spool 24 and the winding machine 28 . the solder reservoir 32 contains heated solder 34 , and includes a solenoid 38 for selectively displacing the wire 22 into heated solder 34 . when the solenoid in unactuated , the wire 22 is positioned slightly above the heated solder 34 . the solder reservoir 32 also includes wire guide 40 for guiding the wire 22 from the solder reservoir 32 . a wire de - reeler 36 guides the wire from the spool 24 to the solder reservoir 32 . a cam 42 is positioned between the solder reservoir 32 and the winding machine 28 . as explained below , the cam 42 maintains the length of the wire 22 constant between the heated solder 34 and the bobbin 10 . the routing of the wire 22 is such that the wire 22 leaves the spool 24 , passes through the wire de - reeler 36 , through the solenoid 38 close to the heated solder 34 , through the wire guide 40 , across the cam 42 , and to the winding machine 28 . the wire de - reeler 36 keeps tension on the wire 22 as it is suspended between the spool 24 and the winding machine 28 . the tension on the wire 22 must be sufficient to keep the wire relatively straight as it is routed from the spool to the winding machine 28 but not so great as to damage the wire . additionally , the wire de - reeler 36 keeps the wire 22 from kinking as it leaves the spool 24 . as the delay line bobbin 10 rotates , wire is drawn from the spool 24 . when a portion of the wire 22 that will thread through a notch 16 passes over the solder reservoir 32 , the solenoid 38 is actuated forcing the wire 22 to enter the heated solder 34 in the solder reservoir 32 . the solenoid 38 has a moveable armature 44 that terminates in a hook 46 , through which the wire 22 passes . the wire 22 is suspended in a relatively straight line that runs from the hook 46 , close to the solder 34 , then to the wire guide 40 . when the solenoid 38 is actuated , the armature 44 moves downward , causing its hook 46 to contact the wire 22 and pull the wire into the solder 34 . the solder reservoir 32 is a wave soldering apparatus that induces the solder 34 to flow in a fixed &# 34 ; wave &# 34 ;. the solder 34 is typically heated to approximately 750 ° f ., which has been found sufficient to remove the enamel insulation from the wire 22 . when the wire 22 is forced into the solder 34 , the insulation is removed and the wire is tinned by the solder 34 . the length of the wire that is tinned can be adjusted by setting how far the solenoid 38 pulls the wire 22 into the solder 34 . in the preferred embodiment , the length of the tinned portion is somewhat longer then the width of the notches 16 to compensate for various factors , such as inaccuracies in the bobbin 10 and disks 14 , stretching of the wire 22 , and inaccuracies in the feedscrew 26 . with reference to fig3 and 4 , the function of the cam 42 is to maintain the length of wire 22 constant between the wire guide 40 and the bobbin 10 . it is important to maintain the length of wire 22 constant so that the solenoid 38 can be actuated at the proper time to place an area of the wire 22 in the heated solder 34 that will be positioned in a notch 16 when the wire 22 is subsequently wound on the bobbin 10 . with reference to fig3 it is apparent that the length of the wire 22 between the wire guide 40 and bobbin 10 will change as different portions of the bobbin 10 are wound . however , the cam 42 is mechanically coupled to the rotating device 20 so that it raises the wire 22 as the horizontal offset of the wire 22 between the wire guide 40 and finger 30 increases . as a result , the distance between the solder 34 and the notches 16 remains constant as the finger 30 moves horizontally . the actuation of the solenoid 38 is timed to occur during a &# 34 ; dwell window &# 34 ; in the winding sequence . the dwell window is a time period during which the rotation of the delay line bobbin 10 is slowed so that the finger 30 of the winding machine 28 can thread the wire 22 though a notch 16 . while the dwell window timing is not at all critical , it must last long enough for the finger 30 to thread the wire 22 and for the insulation on the wire 22 to be removed by the solder 34 . the finger 30 is a solenoid device having an armature 48 that terminates in a hook 50 through which the wire 22 passes . when actuated , the finger 30 pulls the armature inward , causing the hook 50 to contact the wire , threading it through the notch 16 . the finger 30 is mechanically coupled to the feedscrew 26 so that it travels along the delay line bobbin 10 as the winding progresses . operation of the finger 30 occurs when the winding on the delay line bobbin 10 approaches the disk 14 , and when the wire 22 is axially aligned with the notches 16 . many methods of synchronizing operation can be implemented . however , in the preferred embodiment , because of the fixed outer diameter of the delay line bobbin 10 , the constant winding pitch imparted by the feedscrew 26 , and the use of the wire length compensating cam 42 , the actuations of the finger 30 is a direct function of the rotation of the delay bobbin 10 . therefore , after a predetermined number of turns , the finger 30 is actuated . the above - described detailed description of the preferred embodiment has indicated numerous characteristics of the present invention . however , the detailed description is illustrative only . therefore , it is the intention of the inventor that his invention be protected to the full extent indicated by the appended claims .	7
fig1 is a schematic depiction of a magnetic resonance system 5 ( a magnetic resonance imaging or magnetic resonance tomography apparatus ). a basic field magnet 1 generates a temporally constant , strong magnetic field for polarization or alignment of nuclear spins in a volume segment of a subject o , for example of a heart of a patient that is to be examined . the patient is examined while lying on a table 23 in the magnetic resonance system 5 . the high homogeneity of the basic magnetic field that is required for the nuclear magnetic resonance measurement is defined in a typically spherical measurement volume m in which the parts of the human body that are to be examined are arranged . shim plates made of ferromagnetic material are attached at suitable points to assist the homogeneity requirements , and in particular to eliminate temporally invariable influences . temporally variable influences are eliminated by shim coils 2 . a cylindrical gradient field system 3 composed of three sub - windings is used in the basic field magnet 1 . each sub - winding is supplied with current by a corresponding amplifier to generate a linear ( also temporally variable ) gradient field in the respective direction of the cartesian coordinate system . the first sub - winding of the gradient field system 3 generates a gradient g x in the x - direction ; the second sub - winding generates a gradient g y in the y - direction ; and the third sub - winding generates a gradient g z in the z - direction . the amplifier comprises a digital / analog converter that is activated by a sequence controller 18 for accurately - timed generation of gradient pulses . located within the gradient field system 3 are one or more radio - frequency antennas 4 that convert the radio - frequency pulses emitted by a radio - frequency power amplifier into an alternating magnetic field for excitation of the nuclei and alignment of the nuclear spins of the subject o to be examined or of the region of the subject o that is to be examined . each radio - frequency antenna 4 has one or more rf transmission coils and one or more rf reception coils in the form of an annular ( advantageously linear or matrix - like ) arrangement of component coils . the alternating field emanating from the precessing nuclear spins — i . e . normally the nuclear spin echo signals caused by a pulse sequence made up of one or more radio - frequency pulses and one or more gradient pulses — is also converted by the rf reception coils of the respective radio - frequency antenna 4 into a voltage ( measurement signal ) that is supplied via an amplifier 7 to a radio - frequency reception channel 8 of a radio - frequency system 22 . the radio - frequency system 22 furthermore has a transmission channel 9 in which the radio - frequency pulses are generated for the excitation of the nuclear magnetic resonance . the respective radio - frequency pulses are digitally represented in the sequence controller 18 as a series of complex numbers based on a pulse sequence predetermined by the system computer 20 . this number sequence is supplied as a real part and imaginary part to a digital / analog converter in the radio - frequency system 22 via respective inputs 12 , and from said digital / analog converter to the transmission channel 9 . in the transmission channel 9 , the pulse sequences are modulated on a radio - frequency carrier signal whose base frequency corresponds to the center frequency . the switching from transmission operation to reception operation takes place via a transmission / reception diplexer 6 . the rf transmission coils of the radio - frequency antenna ( s ) 4 radiate ( s ) the radio - frequency pulses for excitation of the nuclear spins into the measurement volume m , and resulting echo signals are scanned via the rf reception coil ( s ). the acquired magnetic resonance signals are phase - sensitively demodulated to an intermediate frequency in a reception channel 8 ′ ( first demodulator ) of the radio - frequency system 22 and digitized in an analog / digital converter ( adc ). this signal is further demodulated to a frequency of 0 . the demodulation to a frequency of 0 and the separation into real part and imaginary part occurs in a second demodulator 8 after the digitization in the digital domain . an mr image or three - dimensional image data set is reconstructed by an image computer 17 from the measurement data acquired in such a manner . the administration of the measurement data , the image data and the control programs takes place via the system computer 20 . based on a specification with control programs , the sequence controller 18 monitors the generation of the respective desired pulse sequences and the corresponding scanning of k - space . in particular , the sequence controller 18 controls the accurately - timed switching of the gradients , the emission of the radio - frequency pulses with defined phase amplitude and the reception of the nuclear magnetic resonance signals . the time base for the radio - frequency system 22 and the sequence controller 18 is provided by a synthesizer 19 . the selection of corresponding control programs to generate an mr image ( which control programs are stored on a dvd 21 , for example ) and the presentation of the generated mr image take place via a terminal 13 which comprises a keyboard 15 , a mouse 16 and a monitor 14 . while the mr data are being acquired , the patient or the examination subject o is stimulated with the aid of a stimulation device 30 of the magnetic resonance system 5 , depending on a stimulation pattern , so that specific changes in the mr images that are reconstructed from the mr data follow this stimulation pattern . moreover , with reference character 10 fig1 shows a control device of the magnetic resonance system 5 for controlling the gradient field system 3 and the at least one rf antenna 4 , to receive the measurement signals acquired by the at least one reception coil element and to evaluate the measurement signals and create the mr data . a workflow according to the invention for the creation of mr images of the heart of an examination subject is presented in fig2 . in step s 1 , the examination subject is stimulated via optical or acoustic stimuli , for example , wherein these stimuli follow a predefined stimulation pattern . during this stimulation , mr data are acquired in step s 2 . in step s 3 , preliminary mr images are created based on these mr data . these preliminary mr images are analyzed in the next step s 4 in order to detect signal changes in the preliminary mr images that are caused by the bold effect . simultaneously with step s 4 , in step s 5 different signal changes are detected in the preliminary mr images . the signal changes differ from the different signal changes due to the dependency on the stimulation pattern . while the signal changes have a close correlation with the stimulation pattern , the different signal changes have only a slight correlation or no correlation with the stimulation pattern . in step s 6 , the different signal changes ( which represent interference within the preliminary mr images ) are removed from the preliminary mr images in order to generate as a result mr images with a high contrast / noise ratio . although modifications and changes may be suggested by those skilled in the art , it is the intention of the inventor to embody within the patent warranted hereon all changes and modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of his contribution to the art .	6
with reference now to the drawings , and in particular to fig1 - 4 thereof , a first embodiment of a new suspended bungee cord doll embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described . the suspended bungee cord doll 10 comprises a figurine 12 coupled to a resilient cord 14 . a suction cup 16 is coupled to a distal end of the resilient cord 14 and may be secured to any surface or object such as a rear view mirror 18 , as best illustrated in fig2 . the figurine 12 includes a main body 20 having a pair of arms 22 , a pair of legs 23 each terminating at a foot 24 , a neck 26 , and a head 28 arranged in such a manner so as to define a substantially human - shaped figure . the suspended bungee cord doll 10 may be attached to any object such as a mirror , a window , a refrigerator door , a ceiling fan , or the like . because of the elasticity of the resilient cord 14 , the suspended bungee cord doll 10 provides a random bouncing and moving of the figurine 12 upon a motion of either the figurine or the attaching suction cup 16 . the doll 10 provides an especially unique bouncing motion when attached to the rear view mirror 18 , as illustrated in fig2 of a vehicle which imparts random motions and vibrations to the suction cup 16 in a well understood manner . more specifically , it will be noted that the suspended bungee cord doll 10 comprises a figurine 12 including a main body 20 having connected thereto a pair of arms 22 , a pair of legs 23 each terminating at a foot 24 , a neck 26 , and a head 28 arranged in such a manner so as to define a substantially human - shaped figure . the figurine 12 is comprised of any substantially deformable material which allows the arms 22 , as well as the other appendages 23 - 28 forming a part of the figurine , to be positioned in any desired orientation . alternatively , the figurine 12 may be constructed of a resilient material which will permit deformation thereof , but which will return to its original shape . the figurine 12 may also include unillustrated wire members extending through the appendages 22 - 28 such that a deformation of the wire members will result in a new orientation of the figurine . a resilient cord 14 is wrapped around a lower portion of the legs 23 and extends therefrom to connect with a suction cup 16 that may be removably secured to any conceivable object , such as a rear view mirror 18 of an unillustrated vehicle , as best illustrated in fig2 . the resilient cord 14 is comprised of any substantially elastomeric material which allows a length thereof to be resiliently extended . alternatively , the resilient cord 14 may be a simple length of non - elongatable string or the like . the suction cup 16 attached to a distal end of the resilient cord 14 is of a conventional design and , therefore , will not be described in detail . fig3 illustrates an interior of the figurine 12 and it can be seen from this figure that the main body 20 includes an interior cavity 30 integrally formed therewithin . in addition , a journal 32 extends through one of the legs 23 to provide communication between the interior cavity 30 and an exterior of the figurine 12 , as best illustrated in fig3 . the journal 32 terminates just above the feet 24 and includes a grommet 34 through which the resilient cord 14 may enter the journal 32 , whereby excess cord may be stored within the interior cavity 30 and retained therein by the frictional engagement between the grommet and the cord . this arrangement allows the suspended bungee cord doll 10 to be provided with an extra amount of the resilient cord 14 within the figurine 12 such that a length of the cord may be adjusted to suspend the figurine at various heights relative to the attached object . in use , the suspended bungee cord doll 10 may be attached to any object such as a mirror , a window , a refrigerator door , a ceiling fan , or the like . because of the elasticity of the resilient cord 14 , the suspended bungee cord doll 10 provides a random bouncing and moving of the figurine 12 upon a motion of either the figurine or the attaching suction cup 16 . the doll 10 provides an especially unique bouncing motion when attached to the rear view mirror 18 of a vehicle which imparts random motions and vibrations to the suction cup 16 in a well understood manner . a second embodiment of the present invention as generally designated by the reference numeral 40 , which comprises substantially all of the features of the foregoing embodiment 10 and which further comprises a retracting assembly 42 will now be described . as best shown in fig5 - 6 , it can be shown that the retracting assembly 42 is positioned within the interior cavity 30 of the main body 20 of the figurine 12 and comprises a spool 44 rotatably supported upon an axle 46 which engages respectively opposed ends of the interior cavity 30 to rotatably support the spool therewithin . in addition , the axle 46 passes through an unlabeled aperture in both the main body 20 and the neck 26 where it is fixedly secured to an interior of the head 28 . the head 28 is rotatably coupled to the neck 26 such that a rotation of the head 28 will rotate the spool 44 within the interior cavity 30 . by this structure , the resilient cord 14 may be selectively retracted or dispensed from within the figurine 12 . fig6 illustrates the rotatable coupling between the head 28 and the neck 26 and it can be seen from this figure that the neck includes an annular projection 48 at a distal end thereof which may snap into and be rotatably captured by an annular groove 50 present within the head 28 . such coupling allows the components of the figurine 12 to be easily manufactured and assembled . comprising all of the features and structures of the previous embodiments 10 , 40 is a third embodiment which generally designated by the reference numeral 60 and may be viewed in fig7 - 8 . it can be shown that the third embodiment 60 further comprises a label assembly 62 which may be removably secured to the figurine 12 . the label assembly 62 is comprised of a waist strap 64 operable to encircle a portion of the main body 20 , and a shoulder strap 66 which may be diagonally positioned over the main body . both the waist strap 64 and the shoulder strap 66 can be secured to the figurine 12 through a well understood use of cooperating fabric fastening material 68 provided both on the straps 64 , 66 and the figurine 12 . the waist strap 64 and the shoulder strap 66 may be integrally connected together or , alternatively , they may be formed as independent straps . fig8 illustrates a portion of the waist strap 64 and it can be seen from this figure that the waist strap is formed of a substantially transparent rectangular tubing 70 having a tubing interior 72 into which a card 74 may be positioned . the card 74 may have indicia 76 printed thereon for subsequent display through its positioning within the waist strap 64 . similarly , the shoulder strap 66 is constructed from a rectangular tubing having a tubing interior into which an additional card 78 may be placed for subsequent display thereof . the straps 64 , 66 allow customized cards 74 , 78 to be displayed upon their placement therewithin , thereby customizing the figurine 12 to a particular user . as to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention , the same should be apparent from the above description . accordingly , no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided . with respect to the above description then , it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention , to include variations in size , materials , shape , form , function and manner of operation , assembly and use , are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art , and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention . therefore , the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention . further , since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described , and accordingly , all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to , falling within the scope of the invention .	0
in the following detailed description , reference is made to the accompanying drawings , which form a part hereof , and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced . it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or other changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention . the following detailed description , therefore , is not to be taken in a limiting sense , and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims . for software debugging in an embedded application a trace flow is useful to determine which kind of events had taken place before a particular software problem arose . in general , a trace unit enables reconstruction of a monitored program flow . for these purposes a trace unit records trace data which is information about the running embedded application without halting its execution and stores the trace data sequentially , i . e . information about executed instructions is stored in the sequence of their execution . a trace unit may record values of the instruction pointer ( program counter ) of a microprocessor core and / or may record data accessed and processed , respectively , by a processor and / or the data flow on processor busses . an instruction pointer ( program counter ) is a register in a computer processor core which indicates where the computer is in its instruction sequence . depending on the type of microprocessor , the instruction pointer comprises either the address of the instruction being executed or the address of the next address to be executed . in general , the instruction pointer is automatically incremented for each instruction cycle so that instructions are normally retrieved sequentially from memory . however , certain instructions , such as branches and subroutine calls and returns , interrupt the sequence by placing a new value in the instruction pointer . trigger events are generally used when carrying out traces , wherein a trigger event may be an access to a certain address or also a certain data value , for example . a trigger event may initiate a certain action , such as e . g . starting a debug monitoring or pausing operation of a processor core , or triggers may be used to control the trace flow itself . for instance , a trigger may be used to define a trace length providing a criterion for stopping the trace or may also be used to qualify a trace which means the trace is only activated if certain prerequisites are met , such as e . g . the instruction pointer is within a certain instruction sequence of a program . when tracing the instruction pointer , a trace unit continually receives so - called messages comprising compressed program flow information . provided that the program flow is linear , a respective message comprises the number of executed linear program steps . if there is a branch in the program flow , the message will indicate a branch and , if required , the ( relative ) destination address of the branch . accordingly , the trace unit will receive about 2 bits of data per instruction which , depending on the clock rate of the traced processor core , will amount to at least 100 mbyte of trace data per second , roughly estimated . for a trace of data accesses , compression is very limited . thus , the trace unit will receive about 7 bytes per access which , depending on the clock rate of the traced processor core , will amount to several hundreds of mbyte of trace data per second , roughly estimated . the present invention provides a way to reduce the die area taken up by trace units in systems having redundant components or resources , such as e . g . safety applications . a mainstream approach to improve reliability of systems , in particular systems on chip ( soc ), for safety applications is to provide redundant or replicated hardware resources , i . e . multiple identical instances of the same system or subsystem , for example two identical processor cores . the e . g . two identical processor cores may be operated in lock - step mode , i . e . the cores are operated in parallel , their outputs are compared , and differing outputs are interpreted as a hardware failure in which case the system is brought into a safe state . however , the redundant hardware , e . g . processor cores , could also be provided as a failover , i . e . in case of failure of the main hardware instance ( e . g . the first processor core ) the system switches to the associated redundant hardware instance ( e . g . the second processor core ). during a software test or debug phase it is acceptable to abandon the safety gain from the redundant instance , e . g . processor . therefore , the “ released ” redundant hardware resources can be utilized for the software test . this is particularly interesting and advantageous for memories ( e . g . ram , cache or scratch - pad ) assigned to the e . g . redundant processor core as these memories can be used as on - chip trace buffers . in general , the core memories are comparatively large and have a fast interface . in particular , ( redundant ) processor cores comprised in lock - step systems generally comprise debug interfaces which can be used to access and read out the core memory utilized as trace buffer . fig1 shows an exemplary schematic diagram of a system according to an embodiment of the invention . the system 10 comprises a first processor core or central processing unit ( cpu ) 20 ( hereinafter referred to as first cpu 20 ), a second processor core or central processing unit ( cpu ) 30 ( hereinafter referred to as second cpu 30 ), a comparison unit 40 , a trace unit 50 , debug interface pins 60 , a first switch 91 , and a second switch 92 . the first cpu 20 comprises a first memory 21 and a first debug interface 22 . the second cpu 30 which is a redundant or replicate processor core / cpu comprises a second memory 31 and a second debug interface 32 . the comparison unit 40 comprises a first comparator 51 , a second comparator 52 , and an and gate 53 . the first cpu 20 has a first output connected to the first switch 91 via connection 101 , and a second output connected to the second switch 92 via connection 102 . the debug interface 22 of the first cpu 20 is connected to the debug pins 60 via connection 121 . the second cpu 30 has a first output connected to the first comparator 51 of the comparison unit 40 via connection 103 and has a second output connected to the second comparator 52 of the comparison unit 40 via connection 104 , respectively . the second memory 31 of the second cpu 30 is connected to an output of the trace unit 50 via connection 111 . the debug interface 32 of the second cpu 30 is connected to the debug pins 60 via connection 122 . the first switch 91 is connected to the first output of the first cpu 20 , the first comparator 51 , and a first input of the trace unit 50 . the second switch 92 is connected to the second output of the first cpu 20 , the second comparator 52 and a second input of the trace unit 50 . the trace unit 50 has its inputs connected to the switches 91 and 92 and its output to the second memory 31 of the second cpu 30 . the comparator 51 has a first input connected to the first output the first cpu 20 via connection 101 , first switch 91 , and connection 106 , a second input connected to the first output the second cpu 30 via connection 103 , and an output connected to a first input of the and gate 53 . the second comparator 52 has a first input connected to the second output of the first cpu 20 via connection 102 , second switch 92 , and connection 108 , a second input connected to the second output of the second cpu via connection 104 , and an output connected to a second input of the and gate 53 . the and gate 53 has its first and second inputs connected to the outputs of the first and second comparators 51 and 52 , respectively , and its output connected to the output 80 of the system 10 . the debug pins 60 are connected to the first debug interface 22 of the first cpu 20 via connection 121 and to the second debug interface 32 of the second cpu 30 via connection 122 . the system 10 shown in fig1 is operable in two modes , a first so - called “ safety mode ” and a second so - called “ test mode ”. in the safety mode , operation of the system 10 is analog to a typical lock - step safety system . the first and second cpus are operated in parallel , i . e . both cpus execute the same set of operations at the same time in parallel . in the safety mode , the switches 91 and 92 are adjusted to connect the outputs of the first cpu 20 with the comparators 51 and 52 , respectively , of the comparison unit 40 . thus , the first comparator 51 may compare instruction pointer ( ip ) values received from the first cpu 20 with the instruction pointer ( ip ) values received from second cpu 30 and the second comparator 52 may compare data addresses and / or data values received from the first cpu 20 with the data addresses and / or data values received from second cpu 30 . if the comparators receive equal input values they may output a logic “ true ” ( e . g . “ 1 ”) and they may output a logic “ false ” ( e . g . “ 0 ”) if the values received at their inputs are unequal . then , the logic outputs of the comparators 51 and 52 are input in the and gate 53 which will only output a logic “ true ” if both inputs are “ true ”. otherwise , the and gate will output a logic “ false ”. in the latter case a hardware failure is detected as the first cpu 20 and the second cpu 30 do not output the same result though they should actually have executed the same operation . having detected a failure as described above , the system goes into a hardware fault handling mode . both cpus comprise a debug interface which allows controlling the respective cpu and reading and writing registers and memories within the cpu . in the safety configuration , both debug interfaces will act exactly in parallel to fulfill the lock - step condition . in the test mode , it is acceptable to abandon the safety gain from the ( redundant ) second cpu . then , only the first cpu 20 operates according to its intended use executing user application operations . the hardware fault detection functionality is disabled . thus , the hardware fault handling mode is disabled in general ( as hardware faults are not detected ), but may be triggered under explicit control of a hardware fault handling unit ( not shown in fig1 ). in the test mode , the first switch 91 is adjusted to connect the first output of the first cpu 20 with the first input of the trace unit 50 and the second switch 92 is adjusted to connect the second output of the first cpu 20 with the second input of the trace unit 50 . the trace unit 50 may receive instruction pointer ( ip ) values from the first cpu 20 at its first input and data addresses and / or data values from the first cpu 20 at its second input . for tracing the data flow of the first cpu , trigger events may be used , i . e . the trace unit 50 starts recording the instruction pointer values and data addresses and / or data values when a particular ( trigger ) event occurs . the trace unit 50 converts and / or compresses recorded trace information into ( compressed ) trace messages and transfers the trace messages to the second memory 31 of the second cpu 30 . as the ( redundant ) second cpu 30 is not used to detect hardware failures , the second memory 31 of the second cpu 30 can be used by the trace unit 50 as a fast on - chip trace buffer . thus , the embodiment of the invention shown in fig1 may eliminate the need for a dedicated memory for buffering trace data . the content of the second memory 31 , in this case , trace data or rather compressed trace messages , can be read out over the debug interface 32 of the second cpu 30 . for this , the debug interfaces of the first and second cpus 20 and 30 can be operated in different individual operation modes to allow for the first and second cpu to be operated independently from each other . a further advantage of abandoning a test of both the processor core and the replicated processor core in the lock - step mode is that debug hardware of the redundant core can be omitted , at least partially . this saves additional die area and eliminates the problem that accesses to both cores over the debug hardware need to be absolutely synchronous to allow for the two cores to be debugged in lock - step mode . the embodiment of the invention described above may be implemented in a system on a chip ( soc ). however , this implementation is optional and not mandatory . it is to be noted that , according to the invention , other redundant hardware components ( not only memories of redundant processor cores ) may be used for debugging , such as e . g . redundant interfaces , register flip - flops , comparators or other logic elements of redundant processor cores . fig2 shows a schematic simplified flowchart illustrating a method in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention . first , operation of the system in the debug mode is started in step 201 . for this , a first cpu is operated , in step 202 , according to its intended use and outputs of the first cpu are connected to a trace unit to forward instruction pointer and data signals of the first cpu to the trace unit in step 203 . in step 204 , the trace unit generates trace information based on the signals received from the first cpu and compresses the generated trace information in step 205 . then , in step 206 , the compressed trace information is stored in a memory of a second , replicated cpu and eventually read out from the memory over a debug interface of the second cpu in step 207 . although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein , it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a variety of alternate and / or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention . this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific embodiments discussed herein . therefore , it is intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof .	6
fig1 of the drawings shows an apparatus 11 of this invention for simultaneously pressure forming at one time a plurality of pastry crusts 12 and the like . it includes a multi - die hydraulic press 13 . this press is similar in construction to the hydraulic press shown in my u . s . pat . no . 3 , 669 , 605 , issued june 13 , 1972 . the disclosure of my patent is incorporated herein by reference . the hydraulic press 13 of this application differs essentially from the press shown in my &# 39 ; 605 patent by the substitution of multiple dies for the single die shown in my patent . the pie , tart and pastry crust press 13 is supported on a wheeled table 14 having lockable castor wheels 15 . mounted on the table are an in - feed platform 16 and an outflow platform 17 . an in - feed conveyor 19 supplies the in - feed platform 16 and an outflow conveyor 21 removes the formed crusts 12 from the outflow platform 17 . the in - feed platform 16 and outflow platform 17 support carrier trays 23 each filled with a predetermined quantity of dough 24 prior to movement into the press 13 and upon movement out of the press 13 . each carrier tray supports a plurality of rimmed pastry crust pans 25 which are conventionally made of thin aluminum foil , plastic , paper , etc . a base 27 for the hydraulic press 13 is supported at the center of the table 14 with a hydraulic reservoir 29 located beneath the press and a hydraulic cylinder 31 located in the reservoir in the manner described in my u . s . pat . no . 3 , 669 , 605 . a pair of die support posts 33 are located on opposite sides of the press and support an upper die plate 35 . an electric heater 37 is located on top of the upper die plate and it is controlled by appropriate equipment in the electrical housing 39 on top of the heater . an upper set of crust - forming dies 45 are attached to the lower side of the upper die plate 35 in a manner to be hereinafter described . each set of dies includes six convex dies 47 in this example . there is also a lower die plate 49 mounted on the die support posts 33 for vertical movement . a lower set of six dies 51 is mounted on the top of this plate and consists of individual concave dies 53 . a die lifter plate 57 supports the lower die plate 49 . also supported by the die lifter plate are a pair of die plate bars 59 which are fastened by screws 61 to the lower die plate 49 . a carrier tray 23 and lifter 63 is mounted above the lower set of dies 51 and is supported by four legs 65 which rest on a platform 67 mounted on the top of the hydraulic cylinder 31 . the legs 65 extend through openings 66 in the die plate bars 59 . the tray lifter 63 has upwardly - opening , u - shaped channels 69 ( fig4 and 5 ) on opposite sides thereof to support the carrier tray 23 in a manner to be hereinafter described . at the base of each u - shaped channel is a liner 71 made of an ultra - high density polyolefin material . a pivotally - hanging stop bar 73 is located at the entrance to each u - shaped channel 69 , shown in fig1 and 5 , to properly position the carrier trays 23 on the tray lifter 63 . the stop bar has a rounded top 75 facing the in - feed platform 16 and a flat face 77 facing the tray lifter 63 . as shown in fig4 and 5 , as a carrier tray 23 being slid from the in - feed platform 16 engages the rounded top 75 of the hanging stop bar , the stop bar is flipped upwardly as shown by the arrow in fig3 . once the carrier tray is on the tray lifter 63 , the operator moves it backwardly toward the in - feed platform 16 where it engages the flat face 77 of the pivotally hanging bar which has swung back by gravity into the solid line position in fig4 to engage and stop the tray in the proper position of alignment relative to the dies . a hydraulic control housing 79 is located on top of the base 27 of the press and the dual operating levers 80 are attached to the control housing in the manner described in my previously - mentioned u . s . pat . no . 3 , 669 , 605 . referring now to fig6 of the drawings which shows a typical upper and lower die 47 and 51 , respectively , of the press , a convex upper die 47 is attached to the upper die plate 35 by a collar 81 having an outwardly - extending , integral , annular flange 83 . positioned below the annular flange is a crust - confining ring 85 which has a central passage 87 and an annular die - receiving pocket 89 around the central passage 87 , which pocket receives the cylindrical base 91 of the convex die 47 . a shallow outer pocket 93 is also formed in the ring around the die to receive the truncated , convex portion 95 of the die . the flexible , resilient mounting of the crust - retaining ring 85 permits dough 24 to flow over the rim of the pan 25 and form a rim on the crust 12 . the pocket 93 of the ring may be formed with a crested upper surface to form a crested rim on the crust 12 . the die also has a stepped neck 97 which engages the annular flange 83 of the collar 81 and the upper die plate 35 and is held in position by a bolt 99 mounted on the upper die plate 35 . the bolt extends into an internally threaded blind hole 101 formed in the upper die plate 35 and the die 47 . radially - extending air passages 103 are formed in the crust ring 85 and extend from the pocket 89 outwardly . these passages prevent build - up of excess dough between the upper die 47 and the ring 85 by allowing the excess dough to extrude through these passages . an upwardly - opening , annular channel 107 is formed in the top of the crust ring 85 surrounding its central passage 87 and a wave spring 109 is positioned in this channel to engage the annular flange 83 of the collar 81 and to bias the ring 85 against the die 47 . the flexible , resilient mounting of the ring 85 using the wave spring 109 accommodates slight variations in the quantity of dough 24 placed in each crust pan 25 . the wave spring allows the ring to move upwardly to prevent a build up of pressure against any excess dough which may build up on the rim of the pan 25 . headed stripper pins 115 are mounted on the annular flange 83 of the collar 81 and extend through the ring 85 to enlarge the formed crust 12 or the rimmed pastry shell pans 25 . a leaf spring 117 is mounted on the collar 81 to bias each stripper pin in a downwardly direction . an air passage 121 extends from the blind hole 101 to a circular recess 123 formed in the bottom of the die 47 . a thin , circular steel membrane 125 is held in this recess by a screw 147 . the air passage and membrane provide distributed air flow to separate the finished crust 12 from the die 47 . also mounted on the upper die plate 35 are upper die stops 131 , each having a locator hole 133 , as shown most clearly in fig6 . corresponding lower die stops 135 are mounted on the movable die plate 49 , with each stop having a die locator pin 137 which cooperates with the locator hole 133 to align the upper and lower dies . as can be most clearly seen in fig2 and 3 of the drawings , the carrier tray 23 is formed from a sheet of aluminum and has a top planar support surface 151 in which there are formed circular openings 153 which receive the rimmed pastry shell pans 25 for supporting the pans . also formed in the planar support surface 151 are tray alignment openings 155 which receive the die locator pins 137 previously described to align the tray and its openings 153 with the upper and lower sets of dies . as shown most clearly in fig3 of the drawings , the tray includes integral side walls 157 and end walls 159 with the side walls extending a greater depth than the end walls . the shorter depth at the ends walls is to permit the end walls to pass over the u - shaped channels 69 of the tray lifter 63 , as shown in fig5 of the drawings . the in - feed and out - feed platforms 16 and 17 are identical in construction and include side walls 163 which extend above a top planar wall 165 , which receives and supports the downwardly projecting side walls 157 of carrier tray 23 , as shown most clearly in fig1 of the drawings .	0
[ 0027 ] fig1 shows a block diagram of a conventional lithographic system 10 . the lithographic system 10 includes a light source 12 which emits light 13 ( e . g ., ultraviolet light , visible light , infrared light ). the light passes through a mask formed on a reticle 14 , then through an opening in a reticle table 16 , and onto a semiconductor wafer 18 . a stepper controller 20 ( also known as an aligner ) controls the relative positioning of the light source 12 and reticle table 16 . typically , the light 13 serves to develop portions of photoresist applied to the semiconductor wafer 18 . the mask defines a pattern distinguishing which portions of the photoresist are developed and which are not developed . [ 0028 ] fig2 and 3 show a reticle 14 . the reticle includes a transparent plate 22 or “ blank ” covered with a patterned film 24 of opaque material ( i . e ., the photomask ). although the size may vary , an exemplary reticle 14 is 6 inches by 6 inches and 0 . 25 inches thick . conventional materials for the blank include soda lime , borosilicate glass or fused silica . the film of opaque material typically is a film of chrome less than 100 nm thick and covered with an anti - reflective coating such as chrome oxide . within an area 26 , the film 24 defines masks 28 for respective portions of the semiconductor wafer 18 . for example , in one embodiment illustrated , fifteen masks are shown . each mask 28 within the area 26 may be the same or different , so as to make the same or different integrated circuits . attached to the reticle is a pellicle frame 30 . in an exemplary embodiment , the pellicle frame 30 is adhered to the reticle 14 by double back tape . other adhesives structures may be used , however . the pellicle frame 30 encloses the area 26 of the reticle having the masks 28 . adhered to the pellicle frame 30 is a thin membrane , referred to as a pellicle membrane 32 ( fig3 ). the pellicle membrane seals the area 26 from the external environment . as described in the background section , it is desirable to avoid foreign particles on a photomask . when a reticle with masks 28 is formed , the surface is cleaned and qualified to assure that the mask is accurate and that no foreign particles are present . as part of such a qualification process , the pellicle membrane 32 is adhered to the pellicle frame 30 . the pellicle membrane 32 protects the masks 28 from foreign particles . the pellicle membrane is formed of a conventional material , such as cellulose acetate or nitrous cellulose . as shown in fig1 the reticle 14 rests on a reticle table 16 during the lithographic process . the lithographic processes often require that a given reticle 14 be replaced from the reticle table 16 with another reticle having a different mask pattern . this movement of reticles on and off the reticle table 16 can cause microscopic particles to adhere to the reticle 14 . further , reticles typically are stored in a carrying case . microscopic particles also may adhere to the reticle from rubbing along rails of the reticle carrying case . if there are any foreign particles on the reticle in the regions 33 ( see fig2 ) where the reticle 14 is supposed to contact the reticle table 16 , then the reticle may not be seated exactly . a portion of the reticle may be higher than another portion . this can result in bad registration of the light passing through a mask 28 onto a wafer , or in bad overlay from one mask to another mask . if such a problem is detected , the reticle is removed and cleaned . because the pellicle membrane 32 typically is very fragile , the pellicle membrane is destroyed during the course of cleaning the reticle . conventionally , the pellicle is removed and the entire surface of the reticle is cleaned . the pellicle frame and a pellicle membrane then are reapplied , and the structures 14 , 30 , 32 requalified for the desired lithographic operations . [ 0031 ] fig4 shows a cleaning system 40 , according to an embodiment of this invention . during cleaning , the pellicle membrane 32 and pellicle frame 30 are covered to avoid damage . a lid 42 encases the pellicle membrane 32 and pellicle frame 30 , sealing the pellicle from the external environment of the cleaning system . in one embodiment , an o - ring 44 defines the seal between the lid 42 and the reticle 14 adjacent to the pellicle frame 30 . the o - ring 44 or seal is formed from silicon or another material . during a cleaning operation , the reticle 14 is secured to a spin chuck 46 . the spin chuck 46 includes reticle supports 48 . the reticle 14 rests on the reticle supports 48 . an anchor plate 50 resides on top of the lid 42 . the anchor plate 50 is bolted to the spin chuck 46 , pressing the lid 42 to the reticle 14 to maintain the seal , and pressing the reticle to the reticle supports 48 . thus , the reticle 14 and lid 42 are sandwiched between the anchor plate 50 and spin chuck 46 . with the lid 42 and reticle 14 secure , a rotary drive 52 rotates the spin chuck 46 . in addition , a spray source 54 ejects a fluid to clean and rinse the reticle 14 . in one embodiment , de - ionized water or another fluid is ejected as a fan spray 57 to the upper surface of the anchor plate 50 , reticle 14 and spin chuck 46 assembly and as a rinse spray 59 to a lower surface of such assembly . then a fluid under pressure ( e . g ., 500 psi ) is ejected as a high pressure spray 56 onto at least the exposed portions of the reticle 14 to clean away any foreign particles on the reticle 14 . the fluid ejected from the fan spray 57 and rinse spray 59 is de - ionized water in one embodiment , although other liquid or gas fluids may be used . the fluid ejected from the high pressure spray 56 is ammonium hydroxide , de - ionized water and / or another liquid or gas fluid . in one method for cleaning the reticle , the spin chuck 46 rotates at 1500 revolutions per minute during the ejection of the fluids . the high pressure spray 56 then ceases , followed by cessation of the fan spray 57 and rinse spray 59 . the spin chuck 46 then increases the rotational rate ( e . g ., to 2000 rpm ) during a drying time period . the speeds of revolution , the pressure of the fluids emitted from sprays 56 , 57 and 59 and the time for spraying and drying the assembly may vary . the reticle 14 , being secured to the spin chuck 46 , rotates with the spin chuck 46 . rotation of the reticle 14 places different exposed portions of the reticle 14 in the path of the high pressure fluid spray 56 . in a preferred embodiment , the portion of the reticle 14 which is in contact with the reticle table 16 during a lithographic process is exposed during the cleaning process . specifically , such portion is not covered by the lid 42 . [ 0035 ] fig5 shows a spin chuck 46 according to an embodiment of this invention . the spin chuck 46 serves as a base to which the other components are secured . the base 46 , either with or without the reticle supports 48 , serves as a support for the reticle 14 ( e . g ., in one embodiment supports are integral to the base ). in one embodiment , the spin chuck 46 is of sufficient area that a portion of the spin chuck 46 is exposed when the reticle 14 is secured to the spin chuck . openings 58 occur in the exposed areas along opposite edges 60 , 62 of the reticle 14 . such openings receive pins 64 ( see fig8 ), which secure the anchor plate 50 to the spin chuck 46 . in various embodiments , the spin chuck 46 has different shapes ( e . g ., circular , square , rectangular , or other shape ). in the embodiment illustrated , the spin chuck is a ring 66 with spokes 68 extending from a central portion 70 . multiple reticle supports 48 are attached to the spin chuck 46 . in one embodiment , the reticle supports 48 are bolted to the spin chuck 46 . in another embodiment , the reticle supports 48 are integral to the rest of the spin chuck 46 . each reticle support has a distal surface or pin 72 upon which the reticle 14 rests during cleaning . the spin chuck 46 is rotated by the rotary drive 52 . [ 0037 ] fig6 and 7 show the lid 42 for covering the pellicle frame 30 and pellicle membrane 32 . the lid is generally planar , defining two faces 73 , 76 . one face 76 defines a generally planar exterior surface . the contour of the exterior surface 76 , however , need not be planar and may vary . the other face 73 defines a distal surface 80 and a recessed area 74 . the recessed area is delimited by an interior surface 82 and a wall 84 and a distal surface 80 . the wall 84 extends from the interior surface 82 to the distal surface 80 . when the lid 42 is applied over the pellicle onto the reticle 14 , the pellicle frame 30 and pellicle membrane 32 are enclosed within the recessed area 74 . accordingly , the height of the wall 84 relative to the interior surface 82 is greater than a height of the pellicle frame 30 . the lid 42 includes a seal along the distal surface 80 . in one embodiment , the seal is formed by a groove 86 and an o - ring 44 . in an exemplary embodiment , the groove is 0 . 07 inches wide with a depth of 0 . 04 inches . the distal surface 80 spans a width of 0 . 2 inches . such dimensions , however , vary for differing embodiments . the o - ring 44 seats within the groove 86 and extends along the entire circumference of the distal wall 80 so as to form a seal all the way around the pellicle frame 30 . in other embodiments , an alternative sealing device is used , such as a gasket . preferably , the seal and lid 42 are formed of material which does not readily chip . the advantage of such material is the avoidance of leaving foreign particles on the reticle 14 when the lid 42 is removed from the reticle 14 . when the lid 42 is applied to the reticle 14 , the pellicle frame 30 and pellicle membrane 32 are completely encased between the lid 42 and reticle 14 . when the lid 42 is pressed to the reticle 14 , the seal isolates the pellicle membrane 32 from the environment of the cleaning system 40 , and , in particular , from the ejected fluid . as the ejected fluid would break the pellicle membrane 32 , the lid 42 prevents the pellicle membrane 32 from being damaged during the cleaning process . [ 0038 ] fig8 shows the anchor plate 50 , which clamps the lid 42 to the reticle 14 and holds the reticle 14 to the spin chuck 46 . the anchor plate 50 includes a recessed area 90 bordered by two opposing walls 92 , 94 . in the embodiment illustrated , the recessed area 90 is not enclosed . the anchor plate 50 fits over the lid 42 with the lid 42 fitting between the walls 92 , 94 of the recessed area 90 . in one embodiment , the lid 42 is mounted to the anchor plate 50 with screws . the walls 92 , 94 fix the orientation of the lid 42 relative to the reticle 14 , so as to prevent movement , displacement or offset of the lid 42 by the ejected fluid during cleaning . the anchor plate 50 defines openings 96 which receive the pins 64 . the pins 64 pass through the openings 58 in the spin chuck 46 ( see fig5 ). in one embodiment , a respective screw 65 extends into a threaded opening of each pin 64 . the screw 65 pushes the anchor plate 50 toward the spin chuck 46 . in alternative embodiments , the pins are integral to either the anchor plate 50 or spin chuck 46 . in another embodiment , an alternative clamp ( e . g ., c - clamp ; nut and bolt ) is used to secure the anchor plate 50 to the spin chuck 46 . an advantage of the invention is that a reticle which does not accurately rest on a stepper table due to foreign particles is cleaned without removing or damaging the pellicle membrane . an effect of this advantage is that the reticle does not need to go through an extensive process of re - applying a pellicle frame and pellicle membrane and requalifying the reticle for use in a lithographic process . although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described , various alternatives , modifications and equivalents may be used . therefore , the foregoing description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention which is defined by the appended claims .	8
in fig3 - 6 identified above certain reference numerals have been applied corresponding to figures of said prior patent in which detailed description may be found . the replacement live belt of the present application , in order to avoid confusion with the earlier patent will be identified by reference numbers in the 100 series . with reference to fig1 and 2 showing the prior art construction of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 066 , 025 , the machine is arranged for manual placement of cloth pieces on a main conveyor belt 10 mounted on a suitable machine frame . means are provided to drive underlying and overlying narrow belt 28 for engaging the hem of material loaded on main conveyor belt 10 . both narrow belts 27 and 28 as well as main conveyor 10 are all driven at synchronous speed from left to right . a panel of material to be hemmed is manually laid on the conveyor 10 at the left hand end with the margin of the material to be hemmed overlying the edge of the conveyor by a suitable amount sufficient to form the complete hem . as the panel advances from left to right its leading edge is first engaged by the end of overlying narrow belt 28 which is located immediately above the marginal edge of track plate 42 on which the conveyor belt 10 is supported so that , as shown in fig6 the material panel 33 is driven from the underside by the main conveyor belt 10 and from the top by the narrow belt 28 along the marginal edge 41 of plate 42 . the leading edge of the material next engages curved guide 43 which leads the material to a folded under position preparatory to its engagement from underneath by the lower narrow belt 27 which is led to a lower clearance level 44 by idler rollers 45 to provide an open space for the material to be folded under by guide 43 . an upper fixed guide rail 46 and substantially spaced lower fixed guide rail 47 project along the edge of the conveyor throughout a section extending under an overlying bar 48 on which a series of gravity actuated rollers 49 are pivotally suspended through linkage arms 50 . the material 33 after being initially folded passes around the spacing guide rails 46 and 47 as shown in the &# 39 ; 025 patent and the lower surface of the material is engaged by the lower narrow guide belt 27 so that the spaced hem portions of the material are frictionally driven under effective control by the narrow lower belt 27 as well as the upper narrow belt 28 urged against the material by the series of weighted rollers 49 . with reference to fig3 - 6 illustrating the improvement of the present invention , the initial stage of folding effected by fixed curved guide 43 in applicant &# 39 ; s prior machine is now accomplished by a live belt assembly generally indicated as 100 . the belt per se 101 extends over pulleys 102a and 102b rotatably mounted at the ends of bar 103 adjustably mounted as to both angle and elevation on bracket 104 slotted at 105 for attachment bolt 106 . a motor driven belt 107 drives a variable speed transmission schematically shown at 108 to provide a variable speed drive for input pulley 102a so that the surface speed of belt 101 may be adjusted for optimum operation . from the foregoing description it will be understood when the leading edge of material to be hemmed extending under narrow belt 28 and over - hanging the marginal edge 41 of track plate 42 reaches the moving surface of belt 101 it will be progressively folded under as shown in fig5 and raised by the wiping surface of belt 101 as shown in fig6 to accommodate entry under fixed guide rail 47 and engagement by lower narrow belt 27 as required to complete the hem folding operation disclosed in the &# 39 ; 025 patent . instead of the over - hanging material dragging on the fixed curve guide 43 shown in fig1 and 2 which frictionally resists advance of the material , the active surface 101 of the moving belt serves to urge the material forward and upward as it folds the same to a position where the remaining folding operations may be more effectively and dependably performed . whereas the prior construction was employed for hems in the range of one to two inch width and encountered problems with stretch knit as well as slippery fabrics , the improvement of the present live belt accommodates hems ranging up to eight to ten inch width with no problems in hemming any material and with superior uniformity particularly at the lead end of the panel .	3
fig1 illustrates a principal cable 1 , usually a standard cable with 144 fibers , from which a portion of the fibers , e . g . 24 or 48 , are to be branched off . this branch can either be installed between two cable lengths of two to three kilometers each during the cable laying , or in shorter lengths to an already installed cable . in both of the cases cited first , the unbranched fibers are spliced , and 8 to 12 splices are stored in a cassette . the fibers to be branched off are spliced to the fibers of a branch channel 2 . the branch area is subsequently protected with a sleeve 3 . this sleeve 3 needs not to be reopened as a rule . for that reason a sleeve such as is known e . g . from ep 0 490 133 a can be used . in a case cited in third place , the principal cable 1 is bared , a predetermined length of the sheath is removed , the fibers to be branched off are bared and spliced by means of conventional splicing to the fibers of the branch cable 2 . as mentioned in the cases cited first , the branch area is subsequently protected with the sleeve 3 and buried . the branch cable 2 is a plastic conduit in which several bundles of individual small plastic tubes are stored . each plastic tube contains an uncut optical fiber . the branch cable 2 is inserted through the bottom part 4 a of a hooded sleeve 4 with a removable hood 4 b , and is sealed . all the openings in the bottom part 4 a are circular openings to prevent the problems which can occur when oval openings are sealed . the inside of the hooded sleeve 4 has a number of cassettes ( e . g ., see fig2 - 5 ), each of which is separately accessible . the hooded sleeve 4 is separated from the branch sleeve 3 in an underground container 5 , which is equipped with a removable but preferably lockable cover 5 a . one or more windings 2 a of the branch cable 2 are stored in the bottom of the underground container 5 so that the hooded sleeve 4 can be taken out of the container 5 for the purpose of an installation . the branch cable 2 and the hooded sleeve 4 form a unit which is prefabricated at the factory . for example if two new subscribers are being connected to the principal cable 1 or the network , the optical fibers of the subscriber cables 6 a and 6 b are connected to the corresponding optical fibers in the hooded sleeve 4 . several windings of the subscriber cables 6 a and 6 b are also stored as slack lengths 6 c in the bottom of the container 5 . since both the branch cable 2 , because of the missing central strength element and other tension relief elements , as well as the subscriber cables 6 a and 6 b because of their small diameter , are extremely flexible , the winding diameters of the slack lengths 6 c and 2 a are also very small . the result is an extremely low cost of the container 5 and its installation . for example , if two new subscribers are being connected to the network , the cover 5 a is taken off , the hooded sleeve 4 is removed , the sleeve 4 b is detached and the desired cassettes become accessible . the subscriber cables 6 a , 6 b can be attached to the desired fiber by means of known splicing techniques . the subscriber cables 6 a , 6 b which exit through the bottom 4 a are sealed with respect to the bottom 4 a . in the same way , the cable 2 is sealed with respect to the bottom opening 4 a . the sealing presents no difficulties since all the openings in the bottom 4 a are circular and the incoming and outgoing cables 2 , 6 a , 6 b are also circular . in a cable 1 for the cited purpose , the number of optical fibers is e . g . 144 , in some cases up to 192 . twelve each optical fibers are combined in a stranded element . one stranded element is e . g . a small plastic tube in which the 12 optical fibers are stored . one optical fiber and one cassette are provided in the hooded sleeve 4 for each optical fiber of the element to be branched off . in the hooded sleeve 4 , which is prefabricated at the factory , an optical fiber is encased in a small plastic tube with an outside diameter of e . g . 0 . 9 mm . lengths of about 15 m are detached from an element produced in this manner . about 2 . 5 m of the small plastic tube is removed from the center of such a length . the bared length of the optical fiber is stored in a cassette and the ends of the small plastic tube are attached to the inlet of the cassette . several , e . g . 2 × 12 , of such cassettes are prepared . the small plastic tubes protruding from the cassettes are formed into two bundles and different color tapes are wrapped around them . the two bundles are inserted into a corrugated plastic conduit which passes through an opening in the bottom part 4 b of the hooded sleeve 4 and is sealed . the cassettes are stacked and the hood 4 b is connected to the bottom part 4 a in a waterproof manner . the space between the bundles and the corrugated plastic conduit is sealed in the usual cable technology manner to prevent lengthwise water propagation . fig2 illustrates the branch cable 2 with its plastic conduit 7 , preferably a corrugated plastic conduit , and bundles 8 and 9 . each bundle 8 , 9 comprises several small plastic casings or tubes 10 , which are held together by a thread or a tape 11 . the threads or tapes 11 have different colors for the purpose of identifying the bundles 8 and 9 . each one of the individual small plastic tubes 10 is inserted and exits from a cassette 12 , i . e . each cassette 12 contains an optical fiber with a predetermined slack length . the cassettes 12 form a stack which is stored in the hooded sleeve 4 . each cassette 12 can be accessed separately so that a new connection can be established without interfering with other subscribers . fig3 illustrates a stack comprising a larger number of cassettes 12 . beyond that fig3 shows that the conductors 6 d of a subscriber cable 6 are connected to the optical fibers . fig4 illustrates a cassette 12 into which the small plastic tube 10 is inserted and from which it exits . the optical fiber 13 lies loosely inside the cassette 12 and touches its inner periphery . the slack length of the optical fiber 13 inside the cassette 12 is about 2 . 5 m . to produce the unit comprising the cassette 12 , the small plastic tube 10 and the optical fiber 13 , first a length of about 15 m of a small plastic tube 10 containing an optical fiber 13 is cut from a slack length at the factory . in the center of the 15 m length the small plastic tube 10 is removed from a length of 2 . 5 m and the bared optical fiber 13 is placed into the cassette 12 . the individual incoming and outgoing small plastic tubes 10 are then combined into bundles 8 and 9 at the factory and wrapped with the tapes or threads 11 and inserted into the corrugated plastic tube 7 . the space between the bundles 8 and 9 and the corrugated plastic tube 7 is sealed in accordance with cable technology to prevent lengthwise water propagation . the corrugated plastic tube 7 is then inserted into an opening in the bottom part 4 a of the hooded sleeve 4 where it is sealed . the hood 4 b is mounted after the cassettes 12 are stored in the not illustrated frame of the hooded sleeve 4 . in this way , the prefabricated sleeve with cassettes 12 , each of which contains an optical fiber 13 , is ready for use . fig5 illustrates a cassette 12 in which a conductor 6 d of a subscriber cable 6 with its optical fiber is spliced to the optical fiber 13 by means of a splice reinforcement tube 14 . fig6 illustrates an underground container with a sleeve housing stored therein . the underground container comprises an external housing 15 made of concrete e . g ., which is constructed of a tub - shaped bottom part 15 a and several segments 15 b and 15 c placed on the bottom part 15 a . a cover 16 made of cast iron e . g ., is placed on the segment 15 c . the incoming and outgoing cables 2 and 6 a , 6 b , preferably optical fiber cables , are inserted into the bottom part 15 a through unnumbered bores , and are secured with cable bolts 17 and 18 and sealed . the bottom part 4 a of the sleeve 4 has a shoulder 4 c with a bore 4 d provided therein . two holders 19 and 20 are attached to the inside wall of the container 15 at opposite sides and different heights . they are placed on and bolted to supports 21 . each of the holders 19 and 20 has a stem ( only stem 20 a is illustrated ). in the normal condition , the sleeve 4 rests on the holder 19 . to that end , the stem 19 passes through the bore 4 d . the sleeve 4 is secured with a rod 22 which has a bushing 22 a at its lower end , making a tightly fitting connection between the stem 19 a and the bushing 22 a , e . g . by bolting or by means of a bayonet fastener . the rod 22 has a hexagon 22 b at its upper end to facilitate the attachment or the removal of the connection . in the event installation work must be provided on the sleeve 4 , the connection between the rod 22 and the holder 19 is loosened by rotating the rod 22 , the sleeve 4 is taken out of the housing 15 by rotating the sleeve 4 counter to the direction of the windings 6 c . the rod 22 with its bushing 22 a is placed on the higher holder 20 where it is secured . the shoulder 4 c or the bore 4 d of the sleeve 4 is placed on the cylindrical end 22 c of the rod 22 where it is secured in a manner known per se . the sleeve 4 has a handle or a grip 4 e to facilitate its removal . by loosening the tension strap 4 f which connects and pressure - proofs the bottom part 4 a and the hood 4 b , the hood 4 b can be removed to make the cassettes 12 ( fig2 and 3 ) therein accessible . after the installation work is completed , the hood 4 b is placed on the bottom part 4 a and the tension strap 4 f is laid around it and tightened . after that the rod 22 is loosened from the holder 20 , the sleeve 4 is raised and lowered into the inside of the housing while it is rotated in the direction of the cable windings 6 c , and placed on the lower holder 19 . finally , the rod 22 is secured . at the end , the cover 16 is placed on the housing 15 . the preferred embodiment described above admirably achieves the objects of the invention . however , it will be appreciated that departures can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention which is limited only by the following claims .	7
exemplary embodiments are intended to cover all alternatives , modifications , and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the compositions , methods , and systems as described below . the modifiers “ about ” and / or “ substantially ” used in connection with any quantity or feature are intended to be inclusive of any stated values and as having a meaning dictated by the context ( for example , these modifiers are used to include at least the degree of error associated with any measurement or feature that may be considered reasonable and the particular context ). when used with a specific value , the use of the modifier “ about ” should also be considered as disclosing that specific value . reference is made to the drawings to accommodate understanding of filler compositions , methods , and systems in accordance with embodiments , particularly functionalized carbon black for use with variable data digital lithography printing system components such as imaging member filler . “ variable data lithography printing ,” or “ ink - based digital printing ,” or “ digital offset printing ” are terms that are used essentially interchangeably throughout this disclosure to connote lithographic printing of variable image data for producing images on individual image receiving media substrates in which the images are changeable with each subsequent rendering of the images on sequential substrates in the image forming process . “ variable data digital lithographic printing ” includes offset printing of ink images using lithographic ink in which the images are based on digital image data that may vary from image to image . ink - based digital printing uses a variable data lithography printing system , or digital offset printing system . a “ variable data digital lithography system ” is a system that is configured for lithographic printing using lithographic inks and based on digital image data , which may be variable from one image to the next . an imaging member surface , and particularly a reimageable surface of an imaging member as discussed above , generally has a tailored topology , a micro - roughened surface structured to retain a uniform layer of dampening fluid in non - image areas following imaging via an imaging device , as described above . hillocks and pits that constitute the micro - roughened surface enhance the static or dynamic surface energy forces that may attract the dampening fluid to the reimageable surface . this reduces the tendency of the dampening fluid to be forced away from the reimageable surface by roller nip action , for example . the imaging member plays multiple roles in the variable data digital lithography printing process . these roles may include : ( 1 ) wetting with a uniform layer of dampening fluid , ( 2 ) creation of a latent image through image wise patterning of the uniform layer of dampening fluid , ( 3 ) inking with an offset ink , and ( 4 ) enabling the ink to lift off and be transferred to an image receiving media substrate , while retaining surface adhesion of the patterned layer of dampening fluid . some desirable qualities for the reimageable surface of the imaging member , include high tensile strength to increase the useful service lifetime of the imaging member . the surface layer should also weakly adhere to the ink , yet be wettable with the ink , to promote both uniform inking of image areas and to promote subsequent transfer of the ink from the surface to the image receiving media substrate . finally , some solvents have such an affinity for the imaging member that they inevitably cause some swelling of the reimageable surface of the imaging member . wear can proceed indirectly under these swell conditions by causing the release of near infrared laser energy - absorbing particles at the imaging member surface , which then act as abrasive particles . desirably , the imaging member surface layer has a low tendency to be penetrated by solvent and a high tendency for retention of energy absorbing particles . an imaging member that meets these requirements may include a surface having fluorosilicone and an infrared - absorbing filler . the term “ fluorosilicone ” as used in this disclosure refers generally to polyorganosiloxanes having a backbone formed from silicon and oxygen atoms and sidechains containing carbon , hydrogen , and fluorine atoms . at least one fluorine atom is present in the sidechain . the sidechains can be linear , branched , cyclic , or aromatic . the fluorosilicone may also contain functional groups , such as amino groups , which permit additional crosslinking . when the crosslinking is complete , such groups become part of the backbone of the overall fluorosilicone . fluorosilicones are commercially available , as , for example , cf1 - 3510 from nusil . the infrared - absorbing filler may absorb energy from the infra - red portion of the electromagnetic spectrum ( having a wavelength of from about 750 nm to about 1000 nm ). this aids in efficient interaction of the energy radiated from the image wise patterning device ( i . e ., a laser ) and the dampening fluid . the infrared - absorbing filler may be carbon black , a metal oxide such as iron oxide ( feo ), carbon nanotubes , graphene , graphite , or carbon fibers . a filler particle in accordance with embodiments of this disclosure includes surface passivated carbon black particles . it is important that filler particles do not negatively impact surface interactions when used in , for example , the reimageable surface of an imaging member during printing operations where surface contamination may result in print defects or system or operation failure . adhesion sites , or sites of high surface energy , may be formed on a filler particle surface that causes such interactions . the impact of these interactions may be minimized or reduced by functionalizing the particles with passivating molecules . further , functionalized particles may allow for fine dispersion of the filler particles in a polymer matrix , which enhance physical interactions such as optical absorption . fine dispersion also enables improved compatibility in a polymer matrix which enhances mechanical properties . filler particles in accordance with embodiments may include carbon black particles that are surface passivated by way of poly ( pentafluorostyrene / maleimide - b - pentafluorostyrene ) or p ( pfs / mi - b - pfs ) block copolymer being adsorbed onto the surface of the carbon black particles . carbon black is known , and is known to be useful as a filler material in many uses including in imaging member surfaces . carbon black is generally produced by the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons , or by charring of other organic materials . carbon black is commercially available from one of several different sources . according to the disclosed schemes , the preparation of an nb - b - block copolymer is made by a living radical polymerization . styrenics have a tendency to complex with maleic or maleimide molecules and the polymerization yields a perfectly alternating styrenic / maleic type copolymer . in the living radical polymerization system , the styrenic / maleic monomers are consumed first . subsequently , in the presence of excess styrenic monomer , the polymer continues to grow resulting in a p ( pfs / mi - b - pfs ) block copolymer . this p ( pfs / mi - b - pfs ) block copolymer is then incorporated in a dispersion system and the maleimide moiety adsorbs onto the carbon black particles while the pfs tail gives dispersability in the fluorinated system . carbon black particles that are passivated by p ( pfs / mi - b - pfs ) polymers when adsorbed onto the surface result in a robust treatment that renders the carbon black particles . the composition of the surface functionalized carbon black particles is new . functionalized carbon black particles in accordance with embodiments are suitable for fine dispersion in solvent for subsequent processing . further , the carbon black particle composition in accordance with embodiments is suitable for dispersion in fluorinated polymers , and enables enhanced properties of carbon black and polymeric composites by enabling small particle size and fine dispersion . p ( pfs / mi - b - pfs ) functionalized particles are suitable for incorporation into fluorinated polymeric media . particles could be readily incorporated into polymers such as fluorosilicones , polyvinylfluoride , polytetrafluoroethylene , perfluoroalkoxyfluoropolymer ( pfa - teflon ), fkm polymer ( such as viton ), fluorinated ethylene - propylene ( fep ), or other fluoropolymers . the robustness of the surface treatment is advantageous for high temperature processing techniques such as melt mixing . incorporation of these particles into various media may be advantageous in printing and document processing applications including fusing , solid ink printing , and ink - based digital printing , for example . for example , filler compositions and particles of embodiments may be used to form a reimageable surface for an imaging member for an ink - based digital printing system . an imaging member for offset printing may include fluorosilicone comprising siloxane units . at least about 75 % of the siloxane units may be fluorinated . the imaging member may include a surface layer having a fluorosilicone and an infrared - absorbing filler composition rendered in accordance with embodiments . the fluorosilicone may include amino - functional groups , and the filler may be present in an amount of from 5 to 40 weight percent , or from 10 to 30 weight percent , or from 15 to 25 weight percent . the filler may be functionalized carbon black in accordance with filler compositions of embodiments . methods of manufacturing an imaging member surface layer may include depositing a surface layer composition upon a mold , and curing the surface layer at an elevated temperature . the curing may be conducted at a temperature of from about 135 ° c . to about 165 ° c . optionally , the surface layer composition may comprise a catalyst such as platinum . the cured surface layer may have a thickness of from 1 micron to 4 millimeters , or from 5 microns to 1 millimeter , or from 10 microns to 50 microns . the cured surface layer may be confined to a thickness of less than 50 microns , or less than 20 microns , or in an optimal configuration , less than 10 microns , for the purpose that the near infrared radiation will be confined to the narrow topcoat layer for maximum thermal absorption and temperature increase . a sharp increase in temperature is necessary for the evaporation of dampening fluid during imaging . a dampening fluid useful with an imaging member surface having the disclosed filler may include a fluid comprising a siloxane compound . the siloxane compound may be octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane ( d4 ). the imaging surface layer may display a surface roughness with an ra in a range of from 0 . 2 microns to 2 microns , or from 0 . 3 microns to 1 micron , or from 0 . 5 microns to 0 . 8 microns . the surface roughness may be spontaneously formed upon curing , or formed via a subtractive process from the surface , such as chemical etching , plasma etching , or surface roughening . aspects of the present disclosure may be further understood by referring to the following example . filler compositions comprising functionalized carbon black were produced that comprised hydrophobic carbon black particles passivated with p ( pfs / mi - b - pfs ). the carbon black particles had a diameter in a range of 50 nanometers to 1 micron , and enabled dispersion in fluorinated polymers , and fine dispersion in solvent . the example is illustrative only . p ( pfs / mi - b - pfs ) was prepared . pentafluorostyrene ( 24 . 2 g ), maleimide ( 1 . 33 g ) and 2 , 2 , 6 , 6 - tetramethyl - piperidine - 1 - oxyl ( tempo , 0 . 119 g , 0 . 00075 mol ) were added to a round bottom flask equipped with a reflux condenser , nitrogen inlet . this was then degassed with nitrogen gas for 10 minutes and then vazo 67 ( 0 . 095 g , 0 . 0005 mol ) was added . the solution was then heated , while under nitrogen gas , to a bath temperature of 138 ° c . after the bath temperature was attained , vazo 88 ( 0 . 015 g ) was added added at 30 , 60 , 120 , 180 and 260 minutes . the solution was heated for 7 hours and then cooled . after cooling , tetrahydrofuran ( thf ) was added ( 10 ml ) and then this solution was added to methanol ( 200 ml ) to afford a poly ( pentafluorostyrene / maleimide )- b - pentafluorostyrene - tempo terminated p ( pfs / mi - b - pfs ) polymer ( 8 . 5 g ). fig1 illustrates a graph 100 showing an incremental increase of mass average molecular mass ( mw ) for the polymer thereby graphically illustrating the living nature of the polymer . a passivated carbon black dispersion was prepared . 325 g stainless steel shot was added to an attritor . then , this p ( pfs / mi - b - pfs ) ( 6 g ) was added to this and stirred at ˜ 300 rpm . subsequently , trifluorotoluene ( tft , 44 g ) was added and stirred for 10 minutes . carbon black ( mogul e , 12 g ) was added to the stirred mixture , and the attritor was then stirred for 20 hours . the mixture was then sieved to give 43 . 8 g of carbon black functionalized dispersion with ppfs . solids analysis showed a carbon black content of 13 . 3 %. the particle size was 245 nm . fig2 shows a particle size distribution of the resultant passivated carbon black particles formed in accordance with disclosed embodiments . the graph shows a particle size distribution with a peak at 245 nanometers . the present disclosure has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments . modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description . it is intended that the present disclosure be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof .	2
components of the cryopumps 1 depicted in the drawing figures are the housing 2 with flange 4 surrounding the inlet opening 3 , as well as the two - stage refrigeration head 5 with its stages 6 and 7 accommodated in housing 2 . linked to the first stage 6 of the refrigerator 5 is the thermal radiation shield 8 which in turn carries the baffle 9 situated within the inlet area . the second stage 7 of the refrigeration head 5 is situated within the thermal radiation shield 8 and carries panel sections forming the second pump surface area 12 and the third pump surface area 13 . the two - stage refrigeration head 5 is part of a gifford - mcmahon refrigerator to which the compressor 14 for the working gas ( helium ) and the drive motor 15 for a valve system which is not shown , belong . designated as 16 is a backing pump connected to housing 2 . used for controlling the refrigerator is a control unit 17 which is linked to pressure gauges 21 , 22 as well as pressure and temperature sensors in housing 2 -- not detailed -- at the two stages 6 , 7 of the refrigeration head and / or the pumping surfaces 12 , 13 . these are employed to control the operation and the regeneration of the cryopump 1 . the cryopump 1 is connected to a vacuum chamber 25 , the pressure of which is monitored by gauge 21 , and in which a process giving rise to increased quantities of water vapour is performed . in order to dispense with additional refrigerating machines with condensation surfaces for water vapour , the cryopump 1 itself is equipped with additional pump surfaces 26 situated in the vicinity of the inlet 3 for the vacuum chamber 25 . preferably the inlet 3 is surrounded by an annular panel 27 made of thermally well conducting material ( copper , for example ) forming the additional pumping surfaces 4 , said panel being linked by means of one or several cold bridges 28 to the thermal radiation shield 8 or directly to the first stage 6 of the refrigeration head 5 . for the purpose of setting up an optimum operating temperature , the pump surfaces 26 are equipped with a temperature sensor 31 and a heater 32 , which are linked to the control unit 17 by connections which are only partly shown . in the design example according to drawing fig1 the cold bridges 28 consist of rods or metal strips 33 which are reversibly connected to , and in close thermal contact with the thermal radiation shield 8 through which the inlet opening 3 passes through and where said rods or strips carry the pump surfaces 26 or the annular panel 27 . in the design example according to drawing fig2 a separate high vacuum valve 35 is situated between the cryopump 1 with its flange 4 and the vacuum chamber 25 with its flange 30 . in order to be able to lead the cold bridges 28 from the inside of cryopump 1 into the vacuum chamber 25 the flanges of the valve 35 are equipped exterior the opening of valve 35 with thermal feedthroughs 36 . the inside diameter of the flange 4 of cryopump 1 and flange 30 of the vacuum chamber 25 is preferably selected as being so wide that the cold bridge ( u ) 28 in the vacuum chamber 25 or in the housing 2 of the cryopump 1 is situated at the level of said flanges . if the valve 35 has been integrated into the cryopump 1 then a solution of this kind is also expedient . in the design example according to drawing fig3 the rod or strip like cold bridges 28 or 33 are thermally directly linked to the first stage 6 of the refrigeration head 5 . both the flange 4 of the cryopump 1 and also the flange 30 of the vacuum chamber are equipped with thermal feedthroughs 36 . the term &# 34 ; thermal feedthrough &# 34 ; indicates such feedthroughs which thermally isolate the thermal bridge 28 against the flange 4 or 30 . as already mentioned , it is expedient that the refrigerating power applied to the additional pump surfaces 26 be switchable . a mechanical thermal switch 41 a s depicted , for example , in drawing fig3 left , may be employed for this purpose . the cold bridge 28 is interrupted at the location of the thermal switch 41 and has two overlapping sections 42 and 43 . at least section 43 is designed to be movable ( can be bent , flexed , swivelled or similar ) and is linked to the armature 44 of a solenoid drive 45 . the armature 44 is subjected to the effect of a spring 46 . armature 44 and spring 46 are situated in a tube - shaped housing stud 47 . the coil 48 surrounds this housing stud 47 . by actuating the solenoid drive 45 , the supply of cold to the additional pump surfaces 26 may be switched on or off . depending on whether the spring 46 is a tension or compression spring , switch 41 will be of the normally open or normally closed type . instead of the solenoid drive , a pneumatic drive may also be provided . presented in drawing fig4 is a further implementation for a thermal switch which is designed as a gas actuated thermal switch 61 . it comprises hollow space 62 with a cylindrical housing 63 , said hollow space being integrated in the cold bridge 28 . the face sides of the housing 63 consist of thermally well conducting material whereas its cylindrical section consists of a material conducting heat only poorly . the hollow space 62 is linked by means of a valve 64 to a gas reservoir vessel 65 . if the hollow space 62 is filled with gas , switch 61 is closed . in order to break the thermal contact , the contact gas is admitted into the reservoir vessel 65 after opening of valve 64 . this may be performed with the aid of an adsorbent accommodated within the reservoir vessel 65 , this adsorbent being cooled to the temperature of the first stage 6 of the refrigeration head 5 . with the aid of a heater which is not shown , the gas may then again be driven out of the reservoir vessel 65 . in the design examples according to drawing fig5 and 6 , the additional pump surfaces 26 are equipped with a heat exchanger 51 , through which cold gas flows during operation . this gas may be cold working gas ( helium ) from the first stage 6 of refrigeration head 5 . the cold bridges 28 are therefore designed as tubes 52 , 53 which link the heat exchanger 51 to the first stage 6 of the refrigeration head 5 . in order to be able to switch and / or control the supply of cold , the tubes 52 , 53 are equipped with valves 54 , 55 . the refrigerant return lines are not shown in detail . in the design example according to drawing fig5 the tube 52 is lead through flanges 4 , 30 . a schematically represented screwed joint 56 allows to separate the pump surfaces 26 situated in the vacuum chamber 25 from the remaining components of the cryopump 1 . the implementation according to drawing fig6 is equipped with a bypass 57 which bypasses the flanges 4 , 30 . this solution is expedient if -- as is the case for the cryopump 1 according to drawing fig2 -- a valve 35 is present . the bypass 57 consists of a connecting stud 58 at the housing 2 of the cryopump 1 and a connecting stud 59 at vacuum chamber 25 . these are releasably connected to each other with the aid of a flange connection 66 1 ). tube 53 with its screwed joint 67 is lead through the bypass 57 . the inside of the bypass 57 is under a vacuum so that the first stage 6 of the refrigeration head 5 may be linked without the risk of heat losses to the heat exchanger 51 . alternatively to the solution according to drawing fig6 foamed material insulation may be provided instead of the bypass 57 so that the valve -- insulated by the foamed material -- is freely accessible . in the case of this solution only two thin feedthroughs are needed for the helium line 52 or 53 .	8
referring first to fig1 a there is shown the component parts of the first embodiment of the present invention which make it possible to determine the position of a catheter during insertion , immediately after insertion , and at any future time when the guidewire has been removed and the catheter is in use . there are three basic components to the first embodiment of the present invention : transmitter / detector unit 2 which is common to each embodiment of the present invention , guidewire assembly 22 , and catheter assembly 30 . this system allows a technician to determine the position , both along the entire length and the tip , of percutaneous catheters , tubes , and placement guidewires or catheters that are part of an implantable access system within veins , arteries , or other internal areas of a patient . it is important to note that tubes ( such as enteral feeding tubes ) inserted into the body are physically very similar to catheters and need to be carefully positioned and that position monitorable since they too can become malpositioned . for purposes of this application any discussion of catheters also applies to tubes as a subset of catheters . generally , as will be described more fully below , transmitter / detector unit 2 includes a main housing having attached to the top side thereof an antenna 14 for transmitting an rf signal to be radiated to an antenna , or antennas , that are part of guidewire assembly 22 or catheter assembly 30 . transmitter / detector unit 2 also contains an internal rf alternating current ( ac ) generator with it &# 39 ; s rf signal being applied to antenna 14 . internal to the housing of transmitter / detector unit 2 there is also a signal strength monitoring circuit and an annunciating device that is coupled to the antennas of either the guidewire assembly 22 or the catheter assembly 30 via cable 16 and clip 18 for monitoring the signal strength and announcing it to the technician as antenna 14 is passed over the skin of the patient in an effort to locate guidewire assembly 22 or catheter assembly 30 . as is typically done in the placement of a catheter or a tube within a vein , artery or other internal area of a patient , a guidewire , that has a smaller outer diameter than the internal diameter of the catheter or tube to be placed within the patient , is initially inserted into the catheter or tube . this is done to provide added rigidity to the catheter during the insertion procedure since catheters are generally made of a very pliable material to permit them to follow the natural internal paths through veins , arteries and other paths . in the first embodiment of the present invention , that procedure is also followed . in the second embodiment the guidewire is inserted in the patient first and when it &# 39 ; s location has been determined to be correct the catheter is inserted by slipping it over the guidewire and when it is in the proper position the guidewire is withdrawn . it is also a common practice to insert some catheters without the aid of a guidewire . in that situation all of the monitoring functions that are split between the guidewire and the catheter in the above discussion are performed using the catheter alone to the extent possible . in any event , the actual location of the catheter will be monitorable upon insertion and at any time thereafter to confirm position of the catheter . the construction details of the first embodiment of guidewire assembly 22 and catheter assembly 30 of the present invention can be seen by referring to fig1 a , 1d and 2a , and fig1 a , 1e and 2b , respectively . as shown in the figures , guidewire assembly 22 includes a pliable shaft 23 of polyurethane or a similar material ( however , it would be possible to use a coiled stainless steel guidewire with the antennas being electrically insulated from the coil ), and a terminal section 48 . shaft 23 has a cross - sectional size and shape along it &# 39 ; s smallest dimension that can easily be accommodated by the interior bore of the catheter tube 34 , as well as having molded therewithin two internal fine wire antennas . a first antenna 28 is an unshielded wire that extends along substantially the full length of shaft 23 . since antenna 28 is unshielded it can pick - up radiation along it &# 39 ; s entire length when an rf signal is received thus making it possible to detect the position of guidewire assembly 22 along it &# 39 ; s entire length . when antenna 28 is receiving radiation it can be used in combination with transmitter / detector unit 2 as discussed below for determining the path and position of guidewire shaft 23 and the surrounding catheter tube 34 . the second antenna within shaft 23 includes a shielded wire 26 that extends from terminal section 48 to substantially the distal end of shaft 23 . at the distal end of shaft 23 , shielded wire 26 is connected to a conductive mass 24 . since wire 26 is shielded it only receives minimal radiation when exposed to it . however , since conductive mass 24 is not shielded or connected to the shield of wire 26 , it can conduct radiation that it is exposed to . since the combination of wire 26 and conductive mass 24 only receives radiation at the distal end of shaft 23 , it allows for the accurate determination of the placement of the end of shaft 23 , and therefore the end of tube 34 that surrounds it . when conductive mass 24 is receiving a radiated signal it can be used in combination with transmitter / detector unit 2 , as discussed below , for confirming the placement of the tip of guidewire shaft 23 . catheter / tube assembly 30 includes a pliable , thin walled elongated tubular section 34 typically of polyurethane , silastic , or a similar material , and a terminal section 42 . molded within the elongated tube section 34 is an unshielded fine wire antenna 32 that extends longitudinally along substantially the entire length thereof . since antenna 32 is unshielded it will receive radiation along it &# 39 ; s entire length when an rf signal in it &# 39 ; s vicinity . when antenna 32 is receiving a radiated signal it can be used in combination with transmitter / detector unit 2 as discussed below for determining the entire path and position of catheter tube 34 . it is intended that antenna 32 will be used in post catheter / tube insertion after guidewire 22 has been removed from the interior of tube 34 , however , it could also be used with guidewire 22 still in place thus making antenna 28 unnecessary . since the use of guidewire antenna 24 and catheter antenna 32 would require the movement of clip 18 , as will be seen when terminal sections 42 and 48 are discussed more completely below , it is more convenient to use the two antennas associated with guidewire 22 for the initial placement of catheter assembly 30 . it is important to note that catheters may also be constructed with both a full length antenna and a shielded wire and conductive tip pair as for the guidewire described above without departing from the scope of the present invention . referring now specifically to fig2 a , antenna 28 and the wire within shield 40 each typically have a diameter in the range of 0 . 006 inches ( 0 . 152 mm ), and conductive mass 24 at the distal end of shaft 23 is typically a disk of a conductive material with a diameter is in the range of 0 . 020 ( 0 . 508 mm ). while a fine wire is the preferred antenna implementation , a thin strip of conductive film or foil could alternatively be used with equal effect . connected to the proximate end of shaft 23 is terminal section 48 to provide a platform to which to connect clip 18 of transmitter / detector unit 2 to couple rf signals received by antennas 28 and 24 thereto . to interface with the jaws 20 of clip 18 , terminal section 48 has formed therein two opposing notches sized and shaped to receive the two opposing jaws 20 of clip 18 . in this illustrated view there is a first conductive pad 46 mounted in the notch on the top of terminal section 48 with first conductive pad 46 electrically interconnected to the proximate end of antenna 28 within shaft 23 . similarly , in the notch on the bottom of terminal section 48 there are second and third conductive pads 50 and 52 connected to shield 40 and wire 26 , respectively , at the proximate end of shaft 23 . a thin - film plastic insulator electrically isolates wire 26 from the conductive foil of shield 40 . similarly , referring now specifically to fig2 b antenna 32 typically has a diameter in the range of 0 . 002 inches ( 0 . 051 mm ), and it can be seen that the proximate end of catheter tube 34 is connected to terminal section 42 to provide a platform to which to connect clip 18 of transmitter / detector unit 2 to couple rf signals to antenna 32 . since in the preferred embodiment there is only one antenna in catheter assembly 30 only one conductive pad must be provided to interface with clip 18 . this is illustrated by conductive pad 44 mounted in the notch on the top of terminal section 42 . pad 44 is connected to the proximate end of antenna 32 within tube 34 . since terminal section 42 , as does terminal section 48 of guidewire assembly 22 , interfaces with jaws 20 of clip 18 even though catheter assembly 30 only has one conductive pad 44 , terminal section 42 must 5 also have two opposing notches sized and shaped to receive the two opposing jaws 20 of clip 18 . additionally , terminal section 42 must have a centrally located hole therethrough to permit the insertion of shaft section 23 of guidewire assembly 22 into the central bore of catheter tube section 34 prior to insertion of catheter assembly 34 into the patient . since shaft section 23 of guidewire assembly 22 is to be inserted into the internal bore of tube section 34 of catheter assembly 30 through terminal section 42 , the length of shaft section 23 must be at least as long as , and usually longer than , the combined length of tube section 34 and terminal section 42 so that the distal end of shaft section 23 at least aligns with , and typically protrudes from , the distal end of tube section 34 at the time of insertion of catheter assembly 30 into the patient . alternatively , the rf signal could be applied to antennas 24 , 28 and 32 instead of being radiated from antenna 14 and the same results would be achieved . however , for safety reasons it is probably more advantageous to apply the rf signal to antenna 14 and to detect the radiation with the implanted antennas as discussed above . antenna 14 ( see fig1 a ) is designed to transmit an ac magnetic field with the preferred form of antenna 14 being a coil in a &# 34 ; u &# 34 ;- shaped enclosure that extends outward from the body of transmitter / detector 2 . typically antenna 14 will radiate a signal in the range of one - half to one watt at a preferred frequency in the 100 kilohertz to 150 megahertz range with sections of antenna 14 being shielded and grounded to tailor and / or confine the transmitted rf field . in use , as shown in fig1 b , antenna 14 is positionable near the surface of the patient &# 39 ; s skin with the magnetic flux lines 36 projecting radially into the patient &# 39 ; s body . as antenna 14 is passed over the patient &# 39 ; s skin surface the rf field 36 is detected by either of the guidewire antennas 24 and 28 or catheter / tube antenna 32 , depending on whether clip 18 is connected to terminal section 48 or 44 . clip 18 and cable 16 are provided to couple any rf signals received by the antenna ( s ) to which it is connected to transmitter / detector 2 . any received rf signals are then processed to provide visual and audible signals as to the relative spatial proximity of the transmitter antenna 14 and antennas 24 , 28 or 32 . transmitter / detector 2 in the most usable configuration will take the form of a self - contained hand - held unit that contains rf transmitter and detector circuits , operator user interfaces , and a rechargeable power supply system and batteries . as stated above , antenna 14 in such a unit is mounted externally in a &# 34 ; u &# 34 ;- shaped fashion . this shape of antenna 14 thus emits a cylindrical field 36 , and also effectively lessens hazards posed by a single , rod type antenna . alternatively , antenna 14 could be a hand - held unit that is connected to a fixed - base transmitter / detector unit by an interconnecting cable . in use , as illustrated in fig1 b and 1c , antenna 14 of transmitter / detector 2 is passed over the surface of the patient &# 39 ; s skin and rf field 36 radiates into the tissue of the patient . as that radiation is received by the antennas in either guidewire shaft 23 or catheter tube 34 a signal is conducted to the detector circuit within transmitter / detector 2 by clip 18 and cable 16 . the detector circuit then in response to the received signal generates a visual and an audible indication which varies as does the characteristic signal response curve 38 as illustrated in fig1 c , with a peak audible or visual response that coincides with the sharp signal peak generated when antenna 14 is directly above guidewire assembly 22 or catheter / tube assembly 30 . when the peak is reached and then begins to drop again , transmitter / detector 2 can be moved back and forth to find the point at which the peak signal is discovered . by discovering the peak signal location the user knows that the guidewire or catheter is directly beneath that point on the surface of the patient &# 39 ; s skin . since antennas 24 , 28 or 32 are generally in the &# 34 ; near field &# 34 ; region of the signal transmitted from antenna 14 , the received signal strength varies approximately as the cube of the distances between the transmitting and receiving antennas . an additional crucial benefit is that the orientation of the catheter , tube , or guidewire segment at any point may be inferred by rotating antenna 14 longitudinally above the patient &# 39 ; s skin . the detected signal strength will be at a maximum when antenna 14 is aligned with the antenna mounted in the catheter , tube , or guidewire . in this way , transmitter / detector 2 provides not only the full length path determination , but individual segment orientation information of the guidewire or catheter as well . by performing this technique while monitoring the signal from guidewire antenna 28 or catheter antenna 32 , the actual location of the entire path of the guidewire or catheter can be determined . similarly , if this technique is performed while monitoring the signal received by guidewire antenna 24 the position on the surface of the skin beneath which the end of the guidewire is located can be determined . fig3 is a schematic illustration of a circuit that can be used for the transmitter and detector functions of transmitter / detector 2 with that circuit enclosed within a dotted - outline . included is a battery power source which is indicated as + v which may also include a recharger for the battery . the power from the battery is applied to the circuitry by closure of switch 4 which causes the illumination of led 6 to indicate that the power has been turned on . below the dotted - outline for transmitter / detector 2 , shown schematically are cable / clip combination 16 and 18 , catheter assembly 30 with included antenna 32 , and guidewire assembly 22 with included antenna 28 and shielded cable 26 with attached tip antenna 24 , and the possible connection between the various antennas and clip 18 shown in dotted lines . internal to transmitter / detector 2 is a switch 2 for selecting between the two antennas within guidewire assembly 22 for the detection of the received signal . in general , the circuit of transmitter / detector 2 can be considered to have two sections : the first section including an rf transmitter ; and the second section including detection circuitry and an amplifier for driving the indicators for operator use in determining the location of the guidewire or catheter . the first section is rf transmitter device 13 that can be any convenient low power transmitter that meets with fcc approval . for example , that transmitter could transmit on a frequency of 46 mhz at an input power of no more than 2 watts . such a transmitter is used in a sony model no . ntm - 1 transmitter , or similar circuit , which was found to be satisfactory . the second section receives the rf energy detected by one of antennas 32 , 28 , and 24 via cable / clip 16 / 18 and single - pole double throw ( spdt ) analog switch s2 . for the guidewire arrangement , s2 switches between the full - length and tip antennas for locating the transmitter antenna path and tip , respectively . for catheter / tube antenna 32 , s2 remains in the position shown , and for guidewire antennas 24 and 28 , s2 must be set to the position that corresponds to the antenna which the user wishes to monitor depending on what information the user is interested in . while not shown here , it may be appreciated that s2 can be automated with a digital switch to automatically switch between full - length and tip - finding modes of the guidewire assembly to provide real - time path and tip location determination . from s2 , the received rf signal passes through blocking capacitor c3 which serves as a high - pass filter to block dc signal amplification . the rf signal is detected by inductor l1 and sampled by diode d1 , which rectifies the ac of the rf signal to dc and feeds it to the negative input of op - amp u1 ( e . g . motorola type 1458 ). op - amp u1 then produces an output voltage that is proportional to the signal strength of the received rf signal . this voltage is then applied to the positive input of op - amp u2 ( e . g . fairchild type 741 wired in a non - inverting mode ) and a voltage to frequency converter chip 53 ( e . g . analog devices type ad537 ). converter chip 53 produces an audible frequency signal the frequency of which is proportional to the input voltage . the audible frequency signal from chip 53 is then applied to speaker 12 to enable the technician to hear the tone . for simplicity , the tone volume and frequency controls for varying same have been omitted from this circuit , however they are well known in the art . op - amp u2 has been included to process the signal from op - amp u1 to provide the visual display information of the received signal . the gain of op - amp u2 is set by resistors r4 and r5 , with resistor r5 being variable and used as gain control 10 . in the preferred embodiment of his circuit , the maximum gain setting is in the range of 25 which produces approximately a + 5 volts full - scale on the output terminal of op - amp u2 . this voltage is then applied to led driver chip 55 ( e . g . national semiconductor type 3914 dot / bar display driver ). chip 55 compares the output voltage from op - amp u2 to an internal reference voltage and proportionally illuminates a display of a plurality of devices , or one that is capable of indicating signal relative strength , for example by means of a plurality of leds or lcds or a bar graph , with the intensity of the display being directly proportional to the strength of the received signal . two signaling methods are provided for the operator : a linear led array 8 and an audible tone from speaker 12 . the linear led array 8 is moderated by variable gain control resister r5 to which knob 10 is affixed and displays the detected signal strength , and hence the relative proximity of transmitting antenna 14 to the receiving antennas 24 , 28 and 32 . as antenna 14 is brought closer to the receiving antennas being monitored , a varying number of leds in array 8 are illuminated in sequence in a bar graph fashion , and extinguish sequentially as antenna 14 passes away from the receiving antenna being monitored . similarly , speaker 12 emits a tone whose frequency varies as a function of the proximity of antenna 14 to the receiving antenna being monitored . as antenna 14 approaches the receiving antenna being monitored , the frequency of the tone increases , and as antenna 14 moves away from the receiving antenna being monitored the frequency of the tone decreases , both in proportion to the proximity of antenna 14 to the receiving antenna being monitored . once the guidewire / catheter combination is in the desired position , guidewire assembly 22 may simply be withdrawn from catheter assembly 30 by pulling on terminal section 48 of the guidewire assembly and then disposed of . to diagnostically monitor the post - insertion catheter or tube location , the operator merely connects the removable clip 18 to the exposed catheter terminal section 42 and sweeps antenna 14 over the patient as in the guidewire method . specifically the operator may start at catheter terminal section 42 and sweep outward along the expected catheter / tube path , or sweep specific areas of interest to ensure that the catheter or tube has not migrated from its intended position . this diagnostic method is advantageous because it is non - invasive and may be performed without unduly disturbing the catheter . the second embodiment guidewire and catheter 30 assemblies 22 &# 39 ; and 34 &# 39 ; are shown in detail in fig4 a , 4b , 5a and 5b . in each case they are substantially the same as their first embodiment equivalents except for the fact that catheter / tube assembly 34 &# 39 ; can be inserted over guidewire assembly 22 &# 39 ; after guidewire assembly 22 &# 39 ; has been placed in the desired tissue location . the differences between the two embodiments are strictly to permit that operation , otherwise the general features of each are the same . to enable that technique , terminal portion 48 of the first embodiment guidewire has been replaced with terminal portion 48 &# 39 ; and terminal portion 42 of the first embodiment catheter has been modified to terminal portion 42 &# 39 ; to accept a modified clip 18 &# 39 ; which has been modified to interface with modified guidewire terminal portion 48 &# 39 ;. since the modifications to the guidewire terminal portion are controlling of the other modifications , attention is first directed to fig5 a where the specific details of the second embodiment of guidewire assembly 22 &# 39 ; are shown . as can be seen by comparing fig2 a and 5a the only differences are in the configuration of terminal portion 48 &# 39 ;. as can be seen in fig5 a terminal portion 48 &# 39 ; is of the same diameter of shaft 23 with three concentric parallel conductive rings 46 &# 39 ;, 50 &# 39 ; and 52 &# 39 ; which in function correspond to contacts 46 , 10 and 52 in fig2 a . to mate with rings 46 &# 39 ;, 50 &# 39 ; and 12 &# 39 ; the conductive pads ( not shown ) within jaws 20 &# 39 ; of clip 18 &# 39 ; will have to be oriented to mate with them ( e . g . the contacts in jaws 20 &# 39 ; might be oriented such that rings 46 &# 39 ; and 52 &# 39 ; are mated with by the top jaw and ring 50 &# 39 ; mate with by the bottom jaw ). additionally , terminal portion 48 &# 39 ; must extend from the proximate end of modified catheter terminal portion 42 &# 39 ;, as shown in fig5 b , after catheter tube 34 &# 39 ; is slid over guidewire 22 &# 39 ; and thereby inserted into the tissue of the patient . this is necessary so that clip 18 &# 39 ; can be connected to terminal portion 48 &# 39 ; when both the catheter and the guidewire are in place . by comparing fig2 b and 5b it can be seen that only terminal portion 42 &# 39 ; has been modified to except the modified jaws 20 &# 39 ; of clip 18 &# 39 ; so that the same contact pad in top jaw 20 &# 39 ; mates with conductive pad or ring 44 &# 39 ; which is in the same location on terminal portion 42 &# 39 ; as is ring 46 &# 39 ; on modified guidewire terminal portion 48 &# 39 ;. to enable the technician to align the distal end ( s ) of said catheter / tube 30 &# 39 ; with the distal end of said guidewire 22 &# 39 ; when catheter / tube 30 &# 39 ; is inserted into the patient by sliding it over said guidewire 22 &# 39 ; ruled guide stripes 25 are molded into or printed onto the external surfaces at regular intervals to show the relative segment lengths of the inserted guidewire and catheter so that the detected end of guidewire 22 &# 39 ; will correspond to the end of catheter / tube 30 &# 39 ;. alternatively , a line 60 could be included near the proximate end of guidewire 22 &# 39 ; so that the length of guidewire 22 &# 39 ; from it &# 39 ; s distal end to line 60 is substantially the same as the combined length of catheter 34 &# 39 ; and terminal portion 42 &# 39 ;. in this configuration to align the distal ends of guidewire 22 &# 39 ; and catheter tube 34 &# 39 ; as catheter 30 &# 39 ; is insert over guidewire 22 &# 39 ;, the proximate end 62 of terminal portion 42 &# 39 ; of catheter / tube 30 &# 39 ; must be substantially aligned with line 60 near the proximate end of guidewire 22 &# 39 ;. the rest of the features of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment and function in the same way . referring now to fig6 a - 6d and 7a - 7c there is shown an implanted port and associated component parts which make it possible to determine the position of an implanted port and corresponding catheter during insertion , immediately after insertion , and at any future time the port / catheter is in use . fig6 a is an isometric external view of an implanted port assembly 64 of the present invention . port assembly 64 includes a port body 66 made of polyurethane , or a similar material , on which is mounted a domed cover 68 made of silicone rubber , or a similar material . domed cover 68 is provided to allow insertion of a needle , or similar device , to infuse liquids into port body 66 while also maintaining a seal to preclude bodily fluids from entering the port body 66 during infusion and after the infusion needle is withdrawn . attached to port body 66 is an external coupling 70 which is made of polyurethane , or similar material , for rigidly coupling a catheter 72 thereto . catheter 72 thus serves as a conduit to transfer infused fluids from port body 66 to selected locations within the body of the patient . mounted integral within the wall of port catheter 72 is a fine antenna wire 74 that runs substantively the full length of port catheter 72 with antenna 74 being of a design that is similar to the previously discussed antenna embodiments . referring next to fig6 b there is shown a cross - sectional view of an implanted port assembly 64 placed beneath a patient &# 39 ; s skin 76 . additional features of the port assembly of the present invention can be seen in this figure , including the internal cavity of port body 66 being in the shape of a round well , however , it can be in any convenient shape . at the bottom of the well is a layer of a fine conductive mesh 80 made of copper , stainless steel , or a similar material . above the layer of conductive mesh 80 is a sealant layer 78 of silicone rubber , or similar material , to prevent infused liquids from coming into contact with the layer of conductive mesh 80 . through the wall of port body 66 and external coupling 70 , conductive mesh layer 80 is electrically connected to catheter antenna wire 74 by a transfer wire 82 of shielded copper , or a similar material . next , in fig6 c there is shown a cross - sectional view of a port access needle 84 of the present invention . port access needle 84 includes a cylindrical conductive core 88 having a sharp - tipped distal end with core 88 made of stainless steel , or a similar material , housed within a non - conducting insulator sheath 86 made of teflon , or a similar material . the proximate end of insulator sheath 86 is capped by a button 92 with sheath 86 made of polyurethane , or a similar material , with button 92 being provided to aid the technician in the gripping and inserting of port access needle 84 into the well of port body 66 . electrically connected to conductive core 88 and extending outward through insulator sheath 86 , just below button 92 , is shielded signal cable 90 . the other end of cable 90 plugs into the transmitter / detector unit 2 in a similar fashion as the conductive clip assembly 18 and cable 16 as in fig1 a as discussed above . the view in fig6 d is similar to that of fig6 b with the addition of port access needle 84 inserted through the patient &# 39 ; s skin 76 and into port assembly 64 . this is done to determine the positioning of catheter 72 that is attached to implanted port assembly 64 in much the same way as discussed above for the first two embodiments of the present invention . on insertion , the tip of the port access needle 84 penetrates skin 76 , pierces domed cover 68 , passes through sealant layer 78 , and terminates within conductive mesh layer 80 . in this way , the detector circuit of transmitter / detector 2 is connected electrically connected to catheter antenna wire 74 , in sequence through signal cable 90 , conductive core 88 , conductive mesh 80 , and transfer wire 82 . hence , the detector of transmitter / detector unit 2 is free to receive rf energy from transmitter antenna 14 mounted on the transmitter / detector unit 2 in an identical manner as the previously discussed catheter and guidewire mounted antenna embodiments . the method for locating implanted port mounted catheters is identical to the method previously discussed for locating catheters , tubes , and placement guidewires . referring to fig7 a - 7c there is shown an infusion needle assembly 94 for use with implanted port assembly 64 , both of the present invention . as will be seen in the following discussion , the infusion needle assembly 94 makes it possible to simultaneously infuse liquids into the implanted port catheter assembly 64 / 72 and to determine the full length position of the implanted port mounted catheter 72 during insertion and at any time thereafter . referring first to fig7 a there is shown an isometric view of a port infusion needle assembly 94 of the present invention . the component parts of the assembly are needle 96 connected to the distal end of &# 34 ; l &# 34 ;- shaped fluid tube 98 which is mounted on the placement pad 100 in the central portion of tube 98 . placement pad 100 is optional , however , if it is utilized it can aid in the stabilization of infusion needle 96 when it is installed . between the central portion and the proximate end of fluid tube 98 there is a conductive ring 102 , and at the proximate end of tube 98 there is a tube receptacle 104 . as described more completely below , conductive ring 102 provides the interconnection site between transmitter / detector 2 and catheter antenna 74 via conductive clip 18 and cable 16 ( see fig1 a ). fig7 b is provided to show a longitudinal cross - sectional view of the infusion needle assembly 94 on the left side , and an enlarged inset of a cross - sectional view of needle 96 on the right side . it can be seen that needle 96 includes an electrically conductive core 106 made from stainless steel , or similar material , that , except for the distal tip , is coated on the exterior with a non - conductive sheath 110 of teflon , or similar material . in the center of conductive core 106 and extending longitudinally along about three - quarters of the length thereof toward the tip , there is a central cavity 114 that is disposed to be connected to the distal end of fluid tube 98 . additionally , central cavity 114 is in communication with a needle port 116 at the furthest distance from fluid tube 98 that extends outward through conductive core 106 and non - conductive sheath 110 to the side of needle 96 about one - quarter of the distance from the tip thereof . the interior of central cavity 114 and needle port 116 is coated on the interior with teflon , or similar material , 112 and seals with non - conductive sheath 110 on the exterior of needle 96 . thus , in this configuration , the outer surface of needle 96 is only electrically conductive at its tip at the distal end , in much the same manner as port access needle 84 described previously . to interconnect needle 96 with transmitter / detector 2 , conductive core 106 is electrically connected to conductive ring 102 via transfer wire 108 which is shielded copper , or similar material , that travels along the length of the exterior of fluid tube 98 and is connected to conductive core 106 interior to non - conductive sheath 110 . then in fig7 c there is shown infusion needle assembly 94 with needle 96 inserted through both the patient &# 39 ; s skin 76 and dome 68 extending into the interior well of implanted port assembly 64 . to stabilize infusion needle 96 , tube 98 can be taped in place on the skin of the patient , or , if placement pad 100 is used it is placed in contact with the patient &# 39 ; s skin and a piece of adhesive tape placed over it to prevent needle 96 from moving or becoming dislodged from implanted port assembly 64 . to infuse liquids into the patients &# 39 ; body once needle 96 is in place , the technician may attach an infusion syringe 118 or a drip line 120 to tube receptacle 104 introducing fluid into port assembly 64 via tube 98 and needle 96 . this occurs as the fluid travels through fluid tube 98 and central cavity 114 and exits needle 96 to the side through needle port 116 into the well of infusion port assembly 64 . the infused fluid then travels outward from the well of port body 66 , through external coupling 70 and then through catheter 72 to the desired location within the patients &# 39 ; body . the fluid flow 122 is shown illustratively in fig7 c by means of the arrows within the well of infusion port assembly 64 and from the end of catheter 72 . to determine the location of catheter 72 once infusion needle assembly 94 is in place , the technician places clip 18 onto conductive ring 102 , in much the same manner as for the catheter and guidewire contacts for the first and second embodiments described previously . the technician then sweeps the body with transmitter / detector unit 2 in a similar fashion to that described previously for the other embodiments of the present invention . in keeping with the theme of the present invention it should be obvious that the present invention includes the possibility of threading a wire down the internal cavity of an implanted catheter , some distance which maybe less than the full length of the catheter , and using that wire to either radiate or detect an rf signal to make it possible to locate the catheter position using the equipment and method of the present invention . therefore such a threaded wire is to be included in the definition of a guidewire as discussed above . when discussing the relative motion between the radiating and detecting antennas it should be understood that motion can be created be mechanical motion between the antennas or by making one of the antennas be an antenna array with the signal switched electrically through the array to make it appear that there is physical motion between the antennas , therefore this is included in the definition of providing relative motion between the antennas . additionally , the discussion above has generally referred to full length antennas or the detection of the end of the catheter or guidewire from a conductive mass at the distal end thereof . the same technology and equipment that has been modified slightly can be used to detect the position with an antenna that is less than the full length of the catheter or guidewire , or from conductive masses that are placed at selected locations along the catheter or guide - wire , e . g . at locations that are 1 / 4 , 1 / 2 , or 3 / 4 of the full length . these too should be considered to be part of the method and apparatus of the present invention and included in the definition of catheter and guidewire of the present invention . still further , the catheter and tube that were described above where of the type that have a central hole extending longitudinally therethrough , and there are some catheter and tube designs that have a blind end with exit ports through the side walls . the same techniques described above are also applicable to catheters and tubes of that design . finally , there may be a need to exchange a catheter once it has been installed since they sometimes become infected . to perform that exchange a guidewire that is at least a few centimeters longer than the catheter is inserted into the catheter that is to be withdrawn and they both are withdrawn leaving several centimeters of the guidewire in place following the removal of the catheter and then the new catheter is inserted over the guidewire and the combination inserted in the same way that the original catheter was inserted . in this situation , or in any insertion situation , it might be desirable to check the location of a portion of the catheter or guidewire before it is fully inserted . that operation is also part of the present invention and the claims are to be interpreted to cover that situation as well . thus since the invention disclosed herein may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or general characteristics thereof , some of which forms have been indicated , the embodiments described herein are to be considered in all respects illustrative and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is to be indicated by the broadest interpretation of the appended claims , rather than being limited to the embodiments shown and discussed in the foregoing description , and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended embraced therein .	8
with specific reference now to the drawings in detail , it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention only , and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention . in this regard , no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention , the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice . before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings . the invention is applicable to other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways . also , it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting . in the present example , a system embodying the invention will be described with reference to data extraction from sites in a particular knowledge domain , estate agent ( real estate ) data . however , the invention is applicable to extracting structured information relating to any other domain . throughout this description , we will refer to relational transducers . a relational transducer in this context refers to any computational element , however implemented , which is defined by particular input and output relations . relational transducers can be self - contained , in that they interact through a shared memory and have no knowledge of each other . because transducers are self - contained and are directed to a specific set of relations between inputs and outputs , the individual relational transducers can be relatively simple . advantageously , in the present example the relational transducers are generally written as datalog programs . relational transducers , arranged into a transducer network , form the basic components of the system described herein . the transducer network provides integration and communication between the transducers in a way that represents an ideal trade - off among the system &# 39 ; s primary integration goals : ( 1 ) isolation : transducers communicate through a transactional shared memory and have no other knowledge of each other ; ( 2 ) resumable : transducers can be executed repeatedly , possibly continuing previously suspended computation , e . g ., if new input data has become available . ( 3 ) complexity : transducers are generally datalog programs with controlled value invention , retaining datalog &# 39 ; s polynomial data complexity but with significant performance benefits . ( 4 ) data partitioning : the relations ( in the shared memory ) are strictly partitioned into fine - granular transducer scopes . the relational transducers are resumable : they can yield processing and may be called again on the same page , returning new facts . resumption is monotone , i . e ., additional calls to a transducer may produce additional output , but never retract previously derived facts . resumable transducers are further distinguished into state - and input - driven transducers . state - driven transducers may produce new facts even if called with the same input , but maintain state between calls . these are typically transducers that iterate over some collection , e . g ., all links on a page , and maintain the position in the iteration in their state relations . input - driven transducers may also be called multiple times , but may only produce new data , if additional input is provided . typically , these transducers are called only once or twice per page . resumable transducers are exhausted , if further calls yield no new data . relational transducers described herein are each one of three general types : ( 1 ) stateless phenomenological transducers encoding phenomenological patterns , such as record and attribute identification . these patterns are domain independent , but query the possibly domain - dependent phenomenological knowledge . these transducers are typically input - driven resumable . ( 2 ) stateful guarded finite state transducers ( gfsts ) encode finite state transducers where transitions are guarded by first - order formulas . all exploration decisions are delegated to such transducers , which are typically state - driven resumable . the transducers used for form filling are examples of such transducers . ( 3 ) external programs are required for certain tasks such as interaction with the browser . the corresponding components are designed , such that they can be formalised as relational transducers with an infinite background relation . these transducers are input - driven ( e . g ., for wrapper induction as discussed in the following example ). a system embodying the present invention , as illustrated in fig1 , provides a framework to enable the characterisation of a website , that is generating a wrapper which defines a record and attribute structure for the website . the wrapper effectively amounts to a program which specifies actions to navigate through the pages of a target website and to select elements identified as records . by means of appropriate selection the rules followed by the modules and relational transducers in the framework , the framework can be adapted to search websites in different domains . for example with suitable encoding of domain - specific knowledge , the system can be used to search websites relating to real estate , cars , or any other product , or indeed any other structured website with multiple records as may be desired . although the invention is particularly described with reference to sites encoded with html , it will be apparent that the system can be adapted to read structured sites encoded using any appropriate language or structures . a system embodying the invention is shown in outline in fig1 at 10 . the system 10 comprises an initialisation module 11 , an annotation module 12 , an action module 13 , an implementing module 14 , and a shared memory 15 . to provide for control of the network , a control module is generally shown at 16 . the control module 16 comprises a relational transducer as discussed above . the control transducer 16 is a state - driven resumable transducer for determining control flow and dependencies in the system . if there are multiple transducers which are ready to execute , the control flow is determined by priorities dynamically computed by the control transducer 16 and transducers are executed in order of their priority . the control instructions from the control transducer 16 are illustrated by lines 16 , 16 b , 16 c . the shared memory 15 is provided such that each of the modules is able to read from and write to the memory 15 as shown by arrow connections 15 a , 15 b , 15 c . the shared memory 15 holds a database of the rules used by the transducer network and provides the shared memory through which the transducers interact . when a decision is taken that the site exploration is complete , a wrapper 17 is generated as an output . with reference to fig2 , a more detailed illustration of the system of fig1 shown including a number of individual functional elements which provide each of the respective modules , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 and which may be appropriately implemented using relational transducers . the shared memory 15 and the links thereto are omitted for clarity . the control transducer is generally shown at 16 , and individual elements are shown at 16 ′, 16 ″ as examples of where the control transducer 16 serves to control the processing flow of the system 10 . within the initialisation module 11 , element 110 loads the next page of the website to be examined , whether the initial top - level site url , or a url for a subsequent page as described below . at element 111 , success of this operation is checked and if not , the page failure element is invoked . the loaded html document is parsed into a document object model (“ dom ”) to facilitate subsequent operations . in annotation module 12 , the received and parsed page is annotated using an annotator element 120 . advantageously , annotation element 120 uses a plurality of labelled and named entity recognisers (“ lner ” s ) to identify domain - specific datatypes and values within the page . using rules derived from the relevant domain knowledge , the lner serve to identify entities of interest , taking into account the html structure and css formatting , in addition to the text components of the page . the success of this step is checked at 121 and element 200 is invoked in the event of failure . as shown at 122 and 123 , a probing element may be invoked to assess the page structure if necessary . visual block identification module 124 identifies graphical and visual elements of the page , such as frames and images . on completion of the annotation and identification of the various components of the page , the page then is passed to page classification module 13 . in the end of this example , a plurality of modules 131 , 132 , 133 are shown which may be invoked by first control element 16 ′ of the control transducer 16 , to identify or interact with functional components of the page ( such as forms ) or information components of the page ( such as the results records of interest ). each of the analysis modules 131 , 132 , 133 has an associated guard 131 a , 132 a , 133 a which may implement guard rules for the respective analysis module , to indicate whether the respective module is ready or appropriate for execution . in this example , module 131 , referred to as opal , is selected when a form identified on the page and , and analyses the form to identify acceptable inputs and resultant behaviour . if result pages identified , one of modules 132 , 133 is run to identify regularities in the structure of a page , typically resulting from data - publishing templates . in this example module 132 , referred to as amber is realised as a phenomenological transducer that encodes domain - independent rules for detecting patterns on websites . these patterns are combined with template discovery , that is the detection of regularities in the structure of a page . amber &# 39 ; s transducer is input - driven resumable : it is called once per page in a sequence of result pages ( typically connected by pagination links ), each time refining the model of the template underlying the result pages . in addition , amber uses the concept of a pivot attribute . a pivot attribute , such as price , is a mandatory attributes of an easy to detect type . the system locates these pivot attributes to discard regular structures with irrelevant data or irregular noise in otherwise regular structures , such as advertisements interspersed among records . this increases the accuracy of record and attribute identification compared to existing template discovery approaches . in most product domains , price or product identifier are ideal pivot attributes . in domains with no regular attributes , presentational attributes such as images or details page links may be chosen as pivot attributes . textual analysis of the results from analysis modules 132 , 133 is then performed by text analysis module 134 . in module 14 as discussed in more detail below , actions for further navigation of the website are selected under the control of second control element 16 ″. the action selected may include filling an identified form as shown at 151 , or performing a crawler action as shown in 152 . fig3 shows an alternative view of the operation of module 14 , including the options of navigating to a further linked page , returning to a previous page , and identifying an iframe and extracting the contents . in the example of fig3 there are five possible action generators 151 . 152 . 153 , 154 , 155 . each of these has a different guard , querying the outcome of the analysis and the previous exploration . for example , the next link action generator requires the presence of a list of pagination links , as well as set of records ( indicating that this is a listings page ). typically only two or three of these have their guards and dependencies satisfied at this stage . priorities are used to determine which to run : for example , the crawler 152 is always last and iframes 155 have priority if they are covering a substantial portion of the page . in many cases , if one of the action generators fails ( e . g ., if it has already attempted to click on all “ next links ”) some of the other action generators are called next ( indicated by the red dashed arrows ). for example , if the next link action generator fails , the system either back - tracks to the previous page ( arrow 6 ), if it arrived on the current page through a form ; otherwise , it continues crawling relevant links ( arrow 7 ). back - tracking is essential to the exploration of sites , as their exploration often requires multiple alternative paths . when choosing a path for example by filling a form , the system cannot know yet whether that path will indeed lead to relevant data . back - tracking is dynamic and based on the transducer dependencies and guards : to back - track , the system goes back over the sequence of executed transducers until it reaches a point where either a transducer is resumable and not yet exhausted , or a prioritised choice of transducers exists with some transducers not yet executed . the control transducer also allows the specification of explicit back - tracking logic that overwrites the default case and is used , for example ., for back actions in the browser . in a further example , form filling is an example of a network of state driven resumable transducers that encode guarded finite state transducers and are called repeatedly to generate queries for a given form . the form is analysed by a phenomenological transducer . the form filling is domain aware , as it uses domain knowledge to generate fillings and to react to feedback from filling ( e . g ., error messages ). each time the control transducer is executed the network &# 39 ; s logical clock is advanced by one step . with reference to fig4 , the crawler action element 152 is shown broken down into a number of relational transducers 152 a to 152 f forming a sub - network of relational transducers .). this process is split into six transducers , including the browser interaction transducer 152 e that executes actions and the modification classifier 152 f that analyses how the browser &# 39 ; s content has changed due to an action . it returns classifications , such as “ new page ”, “ major page change ”, “ new form fields ”, “ new window ”, or “ alert ”. the other four transducers are guarded finite state transducer responsible for selecting fields to be filled ( 152 a ); selecting the assumed “ behavior ” for each field , e . g ., that a text field is to be treated as an autocomplete ( 152 b ); selecting the specific value for each field ( 152 c ); and iterating over all fields , feeding the browser interaction transducer with the filling for each field one by one ( 152 d ). these four transducers are all resumable and chained : if there are no more fields to be filled in the current iteration , the filling iteration yields control back to the value selection . the value selection may return the same sequence of fields with different values or , if there are no additional value combinations to try , may fail and yield control to the behaviour selection . depending on the classification of the modification , execution continues either with the field iteration ( typically if there is no change , arrow 1 ), with the field set selection ( if the state of form fields changes , arrow 2 ), or with the end of the filling phase , for example if a new page is reached ( arrow 3 ). in the event that the operation is successful , generator 160 stores the relevant information to be included in the wrapper . insert f here if the identified action is successfully performed at step 161 and is checked at step 162 the process repeats . the wrapper accumulates information about all identified result pages and the navigation paths leading to them and integrates that information into a coherent wrapper program . it is input driven resumable , called once per page , but accumulating the wrapper information over all the calls for one site . within a result page sequence , it combines the collected information into a coherent wrapper for the underlying template of these pages , that is likely applicable also to any other page in the sequence . accordingly , the system comprises a plurality of relational transducers which form a synchronised transducer network . the network is referred to as being synchronised as its control flow is determined by a central controller , itself a relational transducer . intuitively , a transducer network is a set of transducers with a transactional shared memory which serves as input and output for the transducers . the execution is controlled by the control transducer and a specific area in the memory is reserved for communication between controller and transducers . the network is self - adaptive , as the control flow is dynamically determined from transducer dependencies and their guard rules . rather than relying on one or a few statically defined control flows for exploring a page or site , this allows the network to form different control flows for the exploration of each individual site . dependency and guard rules , registered by the individual transducers with the control transducer , thus determine for each transducer separately if it can be executed at a given point . this determination is typically based on the already explored portion of the site or page . for example , a form analysis transducer has a dependency on the transducer that produces annotations for document object model (“ dom ”) elements and a guard rule that prevents it from running if there are no form elements on the page . it has the same priority as , e . g ., the record identification transducer , which has similar dependencies , but is guarded by requiring the presence of pivot attribute annotations . if both guards are satisfied , the transducers may be executed in parallel . transducers that yield an interaction with the browser cannot be executed in parallel , but must be sequentialised , as parallel access may break server state or javascript execution . therefore , for the selection and execution of actions , explicit priorities are used to sequentialise the actions and to prioritise actions with the highest estimated probability to lead to relevant data . in the above description , an embodiment is an example or implementation of the invention . the various appearances of “ one embodiment ”, “ an embodiment ” or “ some embodiments ” do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiments . although various features of the invention may be described in the context of a single embodiment , the features may also be provided separately or in any suitable combination . conversely , although the invention may be described herein in the context of separate embodiments for clarity , the invention may also be implemented in a single embodiment . furthermore , it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out or practiced in various ways and that the invention can be implemented in embodiments other than the ones outlined in the description above . meanings of technical and scientific terms used herein are to be commonly understood as by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs , unless otherwise defined .	6
in the illustrated embodiment , an electrically directly driving positioning device is composed of a bearing base cylinder a , an outer eccentric shaft rotor b , an inner eccentric shaft rotor c and an output shaft rotor d . as shown in fig3 the bearing base cylinder a has a construction in the form of a concentric cylinder whose center axis is a center axis p of a body of a positioning device . as shown in fig1 the bearing base cylinder a is provided on the upper end with a plate - like flange 2 for supporting an armature winding 5 mounted thereon and constituting an electrically rotating and driving mechanism portion . a flange 6 is positioned on the lower end of bearing base cylinder a for fixing the device body . in the intermediate portion of cylinder a cylindrical inner wall 8 is adapted to receive and support the outer eccentric shaft rotor b . the armature winding 5 is provided on an inner peripheral surface 4 of a cylindrical wall 3 of the plate - like flange 2 . mounting holes 7 are suitably bored in the flange 6 for fixing the device body . the outer eccentric shaft rotor b has a cylindrical outer wall 12 whose axis is a center axis p of the positioning device body shown in fig3 and a cylindrical inner wall 13 whose center axis q 1 is offset by 1 from the axis p . the rotor b is formed into an eccentric cylindrical shape having on the upper end thereof a plate - like flange 14 for forming an electrically rotating and driving mechanism portion . rotor b is disposed within the cylindrical inner wall of the bearing base cylinder a and rotatably supported on the bearing base cylinder a through a ball bearing 10 . on the outer peripheral wall 15 of the plate - like flange 14 a rotor permanent magnet 16 is provided which faces the armature winding 5 provided on the bearing base cylinder a . the rotor permanent magnet 16 and the armature winding 5 constitute an electrically rotating and driving mechanism portion for driving the outer eccentric shaft rotor b . in the inner peripheral surface of a cylindrical wall 17 of rotor b , an armature winding 18 is provided which constitutes an electrically rotating and driving mechanism portion of the inner eccentric shaft rotor c . the inner eccentric shaft rotor c is in the form of an eccentric cylinder having at its upper end a plate - like flange 22 for forming a electrically rotating and driving mechanism portion . rotor c has a cylindrical outer wall 20 whose center axis is an axis q 1 , and a cylindrical inner wall 21 whose center axis is an axis o 1 offset by l 2 from the axis q 1 , as shown in fig3 . rotor c is rotatably supported within the cylindrical inner wall 13 of the outer eccentric shaft rotor b through a thrust bearing 10 . on the outer peripheral wall of the plate - like flange 22 a rotor permanent magnet 24 is provided which faces the armature winding 18 provided on the outer eccentric rotor b . the rotor permanent magnet 24 and the armature winding 18 constitute an electrically rotating and driving mechanism portion of the inner eccentric rotor c . an armature winding 25 constituting an electrically rotating and driving mechanism portion of the output shaft rotor d is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the plate - like flange 22 . the output shaft rotor d has a construction of a concentric cylinder whose center axis is an axis o 1 , and on which a table is provided at an upper surface thereof for mounting thereon an article to be positioned by the device . a two - stage flange 27 also serves to support an electrically rotating and driving mechanism portion . rotor d is rotatably supported within the cylindrical inner wall 21 of the inner eccentric shaft rotor c through a thrust bearing 10 . on the outer peripheral wall of the flange 27 a rotor permanent magnet 29 is provided which faces an armature winding 25 provided on the inner eccentric shaft rotor c to constitute an electrically driving portion of the output shaft rotor d . the flange 27 is formed with a plurality of mounting holes 30 so that an article to be positioned thereon may be mounted directly or through a jig . the armature windings 5 , 18 and 25 are connected to independent controllers 30 , 31 and 32 , respectively , located below the bearing base cylinder a , and are independently driven and controlled by the said controllers . the bearing base cylinder a , the outer eccentric shaft rotor b and the inner eccentric shaft rotor c are formed in their axes with connection holes to facilitate connection between the armature windings 5 , 18 and 24 and the controllers 30 , 31 and 32 . rotational positions of the outer eccentric shaft rotor b , the inner eccentric shaft rotor c and the output shaft rotor d are detected with high accuracy by means of pulse encoders 36 , 37 and 38 , respectively , which form rotation positioning signal generators , provided on the bearing base cylinder a , the outer eccentric shaft rotor b and the inner eccentric shaft rotor c , respectively . output signals of the pulse encoders 36 , 37 and 38 are input to the controllers to control the rotation of each of the rotors . the electric , direct driving positioning device in the present embodiment is constructed as described above and in use , an article being positioned is fixed onto the upper surface of the flange 27 of the output shaft rotor d . positioning of an article at a predetermined position is carried out using the following procedure . a central arithmetic operating processor ( not shown ) arithmetically translates translational positions within the two - dimensional surface into the proper number of revolving pulses of the outer eccentric shaft rotor b and the inner eccentric rotor c , and further arithmetically translates the desired portion of an article being positioned into the proper number of revolving pusles of the output shaft rotor d . the pulse numbers are input to controllers 30 , 31 and 32 , and the armature windings 5 , 18 and 25 are actuated by corresponding output signals from the controllers 30 , 31 and 32 , thus constituting a motor between the rotor permanent magnets 16 , 24 and 29 and windings 5 , 18 and 25 respectively , so that each of the rotors is electrically directly rotated and driven . the rotational position of each rotor is detected by the respective pulse encoders 36 , 37 and 38 , and when a predetermined pulse number is reached , signals are output to the respective controllers to stop the rotation thereof . as shown in fig3 by rotation of the outer eccentric shaft rotor b and inner eccentric shaft c , the output shaft rotor d is positioned to a predetermined position in the range of the circle having the radius r + l 1 + l 2 whose center axis is point p , by synthesis of rotations of the eccentric shafts c and d , as previously described . since each of the rotors according to the present invention itself constitutes a motor and is electrically directly driven , the device has an extremely high resolving power . therefore , fine movement in units of 1 / 10 micron may be controlled . furthermore , since no gears or the like are used , there is no backlash and positioning of translational position and rotational position may be carried out with high accuracy . moreover , a high torque may be obtained because of the electric , direct driving . accordingly , the positioning device of the present invention is suitable for use in fields which call for superprecision positioning such as an industrial robot for assemblying heavy articles calling for high - torque and superprecision positioning , the laser beam focus - position control of a nuclear fusion device or a laser beam processing device calling for superfine movement , positioning used to arrange an integrated circuit , and the like . with regard to the above - described embodiment , a description has been made of the case where the economic shaft rotor comprises two inner eccentric shaft rotors and outer eccentric shaft rotor . it is to be noted that the eccentric shaft rotors are not limited to two , but a multiple - rotor device using three rotors , which are superposed , for example , may be employed . if the number of eccentric shaft rotors is increased , the translational position may be selected more finely . furthermore , while the electrically rotating and driving mechanism portion has been constituted by a permanent magnet and an armature winding , it is to be noted that an ultrasonic motor may be employed in which piezo - electric ceramics are arranged on the inner peripheral wall of the plate - like flange and each rotor is rotated by vibration of said piezo - electric ceramics . moreover , while a ball bearing has been employed , it is noted that a pneumatic bearing can also be employed . furthermore , for a rotation positioning signal generator , a resolver may be employed in place of a pulse encoder . while the positioning device of the present invention is not limited in its material , it is noted that if ceramics are used to form the device , it is possible to prevent the occurrence of fine dust resulting from rust and war , and therefore , the device of the invention is suitable for a positioning device which calls for high cleanliness such as connection processing of an integrated circuit . fig4 shows an example in which the device of the present invention is applied to a laser beam centering device such as a laser beam processor . as shown in fig4 a lens tube is slidably inserted into the output shaft rotor of the device according to the present invention , and a laser light source 41 or a mirror system 42 is secured to the flange portion of the output shaft rotor . thereby the focus position of the laser beam may select a suitable position within a three - dimensional surface by translational motion of the output shaft rotor d within the two - dimensional surface and sliding movement of the lens tube 40 in an axial direction of the output shaft rotor d , to render possible centering of the laser beam with superprecision . while in the above - described applied example , the laser light source or mirror system has been fixed to the output shaft rotor d , it is to be noted that suitable means may be employed wherein a part of the mirror system is fixed or a laser beam is directly guided from the laser light source into the lens tube by means of an optic fiber . fig5 shows an applied example in which a laser beam centering device 50 as shown in fig4 is applied to a laser nuclear fusion device 51 . in the illustrated example , the device of the present invention is applied to laser beam focus controlling of a laser beam irradiation device for projecting laser beams from three directions onto small pellets 52 falling within a nuclear fusion reactor . thereby , superprecision focus control of the laser beam becomes possible , and accurate projecting of laser beams from three directions onto small falling pellets 52 may be readily realized .	5
a tank truck according to the present invention shown in fig1 includes a vehicle chassis 1 on which a tank 2 is mounted . the tank 2 is preferably mounted with a possibility to tilt about the rear axle of the truck which is located at a right angle to the plane of the drawing . a suction hose 3 is provided for sucking the goods . the construction and operation of such tank trucks is generally known and a detailed description of them is believed to be unnecessary . on the top side of the tank 2 , a horizontal support platform 4 is provided . according to the first embodiment of the tank truck , the support platform 4 is formed as a disc . a reeling device 5 for the hose 3 is arranged tangentially on the disc - shaped platform 4 and is fixedly secured thereon . the use of such devices is likewise well known . the reeling device 5 is equipped with driven rollers or belts between which the reeled - in and drawn - out suction hose is arranged . preferably , an extendable boom 6 , which has thereby a variable length , is connected to the support platform 4 or the reeling device 5 . the boom 6 serves for bringing the free end of the suction hose to a location use . the longitudinal axis 7 of the tank 2 is shown in fig2 and 3 by a dash dot line . the disc - shaped support platform 4 is pivotable about a vertical axle 8 located in the center of the disc - shaped support platform 4 . the support platform 4 pivots about the axle 8 as indicated by arrow 9 . a rotatable or pivotable lead - in 11 of the hose 3 is arranged coaxially with the axle 8 , with the end of the hose 3 being secured on the side 12 of the lead - in 11 . the plane of the mouth of the hose 3 extends perpendicular to the plane of the support platform 4 . inside the structure that forms the lead - in 11 , there is located a closing cap ( not shown ), which is actuated by a cylinder unit 13 . the cylinder unit 13 extends radially with respect to the axle 8 and parallel to the plane of the platform 4 , and is diametrically arranged with respect to the connection of the hose 3 . the axial length of the cylinder unit 13 corresponds approximately to a half of the radius of the disc - shaped support platform 4 . the cylinder unit 13 supports at an end thereof remote from the lead - in 11 a roller 14 rotatable about a vertical axis . along the circumference of the support platform 4 , there are provided a plurality of rollers 15 rotatable about respective vertical axes . the length of the rollers 15 corresponds approximately to a half of the diameter of the hose 3 . a drive motor ( not shown ) is provided for pivoting the support platform 4 in a direction indicated by the arrow 9 . fig2 shows a plan view of the support platform with the suction hose 3 being reeled - in and lying along the rollers 15 . in order to be used , the suction hose has to be drawn - out . to this end , the reeling device 5 is activated , and the boom 6 is drawn out , to the right in fig2 in the direction of arrow 16 . with the actuation of the reeling device 5 , the hose 3 , which is stored on the support platform 4 , is drawn out , whereby the lead - in 11 , with the support platform 4 remaining stationary , rotates or pivots about the axle 8 . by the time the hose 3 is completely drawn out , the lead - in would be rotated by an angle of approximately 330 °. independently of the movement of the hose 3 , the lead - in 11 , and the boom 6 , the support platform itself can rotate about the axle 8 , so that the boom 6 with the respective end of the hose can circumscribe an angle of about 300 °, without changing the position of the portion of the hose 3 , which is stored on the platform 4 . when the hose is reeled - in , the portion of the hose located on the support platform 4 is supported in the radial direction by the roller 14 . as discussed above , the cylinder unit 13 extends parallel to the plane of the support platform 4 and radially to the mouth of the hose 3 supported in the lead - in 11 . if no adjusting or actuating element is required for the closing cap , instead of the cylinder unit 13 , a cantilever arm can be provided . the rollers 15 , which are arranged along the edge of the support platform 4 , facilitate displacement of the hose 3 . due to the fact that the hose 3 is supported during its displacement by the freely rotatable rollers 15 , no substantial forces are required for the hose movement . the axle 8 , about which both , the support platform 4 and the lead - in 11 , are rotated independently from each other , is located , in the vertical center plane of the tank 2 . fig4 and 5 show a rectangular support platform 4 which , in its normal position , extends in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle . in the embodiment of fig4 and 5 , the parts common with those shown in the embodiment of fig2 and 3 , are designated with the same reference numerals . in the embodiment of fig4 and 5 , the vertical axle 8 , about which both , the rectangular support platform 4 and the hose lead - in 11 , are rotated independently from each other , is located sidewise of the vertical longitudinal central plane of the tank 2 . the hose lead - in 11 and the ruling device 5 are provided on a smaller rear side 17 of the rectangular plane of the support platform 4 at opposite corners thereof . the operation of the lead - in 11 and the ruling device 5 of the embodiment of fig4 and 5 is similar to that of the respective devices of the embodiment of fig2 and 3 . the structure according to the invention insures that the hose portion , located on the support platform 4 , occupies always the same position independently of rotation of the boom 6 about the longitudinal axis 7 of the vehicle . though the present invention was shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments , various modification thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art and , therefore , it is not intended that the invention be limited by the described embodiments and details thereof , and departures may be made therefrom within the spirit and scope of the appended claims .	8
an exemplary multiple - antenna communication system 100 with quantized feedback is schematically shown in fig1 . a transmitter 110 , such as at a base station (“ nodeb ”), transmits from m transmitting antennas 111 . 1 - 111 . m over a fading channel 130 to n receiving antennas 121 . 1 - 121 . n coupled to a receiver 120 , such as at user equipment ( ue ). the system 100 may be , for example , an orthogonal frequency - division multiplexing ( ofdm ) system , in which each of a plurality of orthogonal sub - carriers is modulated with a conventional modulation scheme , such as quadrature amplitude modulation ( qam ), quadrature phase shift keying ( qpsk ), or the like . the system 100 also incorporates an exemplary multi - rank beamforming ( mrbf ) scheme with precoding in accordance with the present invention . the transmitter 110 controls the transmitting antenna outputs in accordance with a set of precoding parameters , or a precoding matrix , which is selected based on an estimate of the channel 130 made at the receiver 120 . at receiver 120 , a channel estimator 125 provides an estimate of the channel 130 to the receiver 120 . one or more parameters determined as a function of the channel estimate are also provided from the receiver 120 to the transmitter 110 via a feedback channel . in an exemplary embodiment , such fed - back parameters may include a channel quality indicator ( cqj ) and the index of a recommended precoding matrix that the transmitter 110 should use based on the channel conditions . the determination of this information and its use by the transmitter are described in greater detail below . for purposes of analysis , a flat fading channel model is assumed in which the channel remains constant for each block of transmission . for a multiple - antenna system with m transmit and n receive antennas the complex baseband channel model can be expressed as follows : where x is the m × 1 vector of the transmitted signals , y is the n × 1 vector of the received signals , h is an n × m matrix representing the channel , and z ˜ ( 0 , n 0 i ) is the noise vector at the receiver . fig2 shows a block diagram of a transmitter 200 which incorporates an exemplary precoding scheme in accordance with the present invention . a data stream d is first encoded by a forward error correction ( fec ) block 210 and then modulated by a modulator 220 to generate modulated symbols u . the symbols u are provided to a serial - to - parallel converter ( s / p ) 240 which generates k streams of symbols that are to be simultaneously transmitted during the current symbol transmission interval . k is also referred to herein as the beam - forming rank . at output stage 240 , the symbol streams u 1 , u 2 , . . . u k , are subjected to pre - coding in accordance with an m × k precoder matrix q , as follows : the precoder matrix q is chosen from a finite set of possible precoder matrices , q , referred to as the precoding codebook . an exemplary precoding codebook with a successive , or nested , structure is described in greater detail below . in the exemplary embodiment shown , the optimal precoder matrix is determined at the ue and an index representative thereof is fed - back to the nodeb transmitter 200 . a look - up block 250 uses the index to look - up the corresponding precoder matrix q and provides q to the output stage 240 which carries out the operation expressed by eq . 2 to drive the corresponding m antennas accordingly . in addition to the precoder matrix index , the ue also feeds back the cqi metric to the nobeb transmitter 200 . the cqi is used by a modulation and coding scheme ( mcs ) block 260 to determine an appropriate mcs corresponding to the value of the cqi that is fed back . the mcs information includes a coding rate for the fec encoder 210 and a modulation scheme selection for the modulator . exemplary coding rates may include , for example , 1 : 3 , 1 : 2 , 3 : 4 , 1 : 1 , etc ., and exemplary modulation schemes may include qpsk , 16 - qam , 64 - qam , etc . fig3 shows a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a receiver 300 for operation with the transmitter 200 of fig2 . the signals y received at the antennas of the receiver are provided to a detector 310 and a channel estimator 320 . in a preferred embodiment , the detector 310 comprises a linear minimum mean squared error ( lmmse ) detector , although other detectors may be used . the detector 310 generates a stream of soft outputs or log likelihood ratios which are provided to a fec decoder 330 which recovers the data stream d &# 39 ;. the channel estimator 320 provides an estimate of the channel to the detector 310 and to a precoder matrix and cqi block 340 . as described in greater detail below , the block 340 uses the channel estimate to determine the optimal precoder matrix to be used given the current channel conditions as well as a corresponding value for the cqi metric . the index of the precoder matrix thus determined and the cqi are fed - back to the transmitter , which uses that information as described above . the block 340 also provides the precoder matrix and the modulation scheme selection to the detector 310 and determines a coding rate to be used by the fec decoder 330 . the modulation and the coding rate correspond to the cqi , which is fed - back to the transmitter . the transmitter uses the cqi to determine the same coding rate for the fec encoder 210 and modulation scheme for the modulator 220 ( see fig2 ). as mentioned above , an exemplary embodiment of an mrbf communications system in accordance with the present invention uses a precoding codebook with a successive , or nested , structure , which will now be described . exemplary methods and apparatus for optimal cqi - metric - based precoder selection are also described below , as well as the corresponding signal to interference and noise ratio ( sinr ) computations and lmmse filters that take advantage of the proposed precoding structure to reduce computational complexity . in an exemplary embodiment , a precoding codebook for use with a transmitter having m antennas comprises the following sets of unit norm vectors : { v i 1 ∈ c m }, { v i 2 ∈ c m1 }, . . . , { v i m1 ∈ c 2 }, ( 3 ) where c n is the n - dimensional complex space and the first element of each vector is real . the corresponding m × m precoding matrices are formed using these vectors along with the unitary householder matrix , which is completely determined by the non - zero complex vector w . further , let hh ( 0 )= i . more specifically , the corresponding precoding matrices can be generated in accordance with the following expression : where e 1 n =[ 1 , 0 , . . . , 0 ] t ∈ c n . letting n 1 denote the size of the vector codebook { v i 1 ∈ c m }, n 2 denote the size of the vector codebook { v i 2 ∈ c m − 1 } and so on , the total number of m × m precoding matrices that can be generated is n 1 × n 2 . . . x n m − 1 . the rank - m precoding codebook can be any subset , i . e ., can include some or all of the m × m matrices out of these n 1 × n 2 . . . x n m − 1 possible m × m matrices . a precoding matrix for rank - k can be formed by selecting any k columns of the possible m columns of the precoding matrix generated in accordance with eq . 4 . an exemplary rank - 3 precoder matrix corresponding to the first three columns can be constructed from three vectors v i 1 ∈ c m , v j 2 ∈ c m − 1 , v k 3 ∈ c m − 2 as follows : the rank - k precoding codebook is a set of such m × k precoding matrices and the maximum possible size of the codebook is n 1 × n 2 . . . x n m − 1 . note that a rank - k precoding codebook of smaller size can be obtained by selecting only a few of the m × m matrices and then picking any k columns out of each m_x_m matrix ( the choice of the k column indices can also vary from one matrix to the other ). in an exemplary embodiment , only the set of vectors { v i 1 ∈ c m }, { v i 2 ∈ c m − 1 }, . . . ,{ v i m − 1 ∈ c 2 } along with a set of complex scalars ( described below ) need be stored at the ue , thereby considerably lowering memory requirements at the ue , as compared to a scheme employing unstructured matrix codebooks . at the base station , where memory requirements are typically not as stringent , the matrix representation of the codebook can be stored . moreover , it is not necessary for the ue to construct the matrix codewords to determine the optimal precoder matrix and the corresponding lmmse filter for a given channel realization . fig4 is a flow chart providing an overview of an exemplary method of selecting the optimal precoder matrix in accordance with the present invention . further details are set forth below . in an exemplary embodiment , the method shown is carried out at the ue , such as shown in fig3 . as shown in fig4 , an estimate of the channel is made at 410 , as described in greater detail below . at 420 , based on the channel estimate h , an effective sinr is computed for each possible precoder matrix , in each beamforming rank . at 430 , the computed effective sinrs are compared and for each rank , the precoder matrix with the greatest corresponding effective sinr is selected . at 440 , the transmission rates that are anticipated by using the precoder matrices selected at 430 are determined . at 450 , the anticipated transmission rates are compared , and the corresponding precoder matrix ( and thus its rank ) is selected for implementation . at 460 , the selected precoder matrix , or a representation thereof , such as an index , is provided to the transmitter and to the receiver for implementation . the selected precoding rank is implicitly identified with the selected precoder matrix . as mentioned above , in an exemplary embodiment , the precoder matrix selection takes place at the receiver ( e . g ., ue ) and a representation ( e . g ., index ) of the matrix selected is communicated to the transmitter ( e . g ., nodeb ) via a feed - back channel . it is also contemplated by the present invention , however , that this process may be carried out at the transmitter instead . the various aspects of the method of fig4 will now be described in greater detail . in computing sinr , the channel model estimate can be expressed as h =[ h 1 , h 2 , h 3 , . . . h m ], where m is the number of transmit antennas . for a precoded symbol stream p , where p = 1 , 2 , . . . , k , one can define : h ( p ) =[ h p , h p + 1 , . . . , h m ] ( 6 ) for a precoding matrix of rank k , denoted by a ( v i 1 1 , v i 2 2 , . . . , v i k k ), a matrix w i 1 , . . . , j k 1 , k can be defined as follows : w i 1 , . . . , i k 1 , k =[ s i 1 , . . . , i k 1 , k ]* s i 1 , . . . , i k 1 , k , ( 7 ) where s i 1 , . . . , i k 1 , k = ha ( v i 1 1 , v i 2 2 , . . . , v i k k ) can be expanded as follows : the sinr for the precoded stream p obtained with an lmmse detector is given by : where ρ = p / n 0 , p is the average power per stream and n 0 is the noise variance . the effective sinr for the rank - k precoding matrix a ( v i 1 1 , v i 2 2 , . . . , v i k k ) can be computed either as in the case of an ofdm system , a narrow band channel model as in eq . 1 , can be assumed for each sub - carrier . since the channel matrices are highly correlated among adjacent sub - carriers , the same precoder can be used in several consecutive sub - carriers . in this case , the sinrs and lmmse filters can be determined for the channel seen on each sub - carrier using the above expressions . moreover in this case , the effective sinr for the precoding matrix of rank k can be obtained using any one of the standard combining formulae . for instance , the effective sinr can be determined as : where sinr ; denotes the sinr computed for the stream p and subcarrier i using eq . 9 and where ω denotes the set of subcarriers using the same precoder . due to the nested structure of the codebook , the sinr computations and precoder selection are considerably simplified by avoiding redundant computations . an exemplary embodiment of a system with a transmitter having four antennas ( m = 4 ), will now be described . in this embodiment , there are 16 possible precoder matrices per rank and the following vector codebooks are used : { v i 1 ∈ c 4 } i = 1 4 , { v j 2 ∈ c 3 } j = 1 4 , [ 1 , 0 ] t ∈ c 2 . ( 12 ) in the case of a ue with two receive antennas ( n = 2 ), transmission can occur in rank - 1 or rank - 2 . the 16 possible precoder matrices for rank - 2 are obtained as : the 16 possible precoder matrices for rank - 1 are obtained as the second columns of all 16 possible matrices { a ( v i 1 , v j 2 )}, respectively . an exemplary cqi - metric based selection scheme will now be described . for simplicity , the receiver can be assumed to be an lmmse receiver and the channel can be assumed to obey a flat fading model . in an ofdm system where the same precoder is used over several consecutive sub - carriers ( referred to as a cluster ), the following steps ( with some straightforward modifications ) are performed once for each sub - carrier in the cluster . to reduce complexity , however , a few representative sub - carriers from the cluster can be selected and the following steps performed once for each representative sub - carrier . for a channel estimate matrix h =[ h 1 , h 2 , h 3 , h 4 ] of size 2 × 4 , the following matrices are determined : ha ( v i 1 , v j 2 )=[ hv i 1 , { tilde over ( h )} v j 2 − α i , j ( hv i 1 − h 1 )], ( 14 ) where { tilde over ( h )}=[ h 2 , h 3 , h 4 ] and the complex scalars { α i , j } i , j − 1 4 are channel - independent factors that are pre - computed and stored at the ue . the optimal rank - 1 precoding matrix can be determined as : arg max i , j ∥{ tilde over ( h )} v j 2 − α i , j ( hv i 1 − h 1 )∥ 2 . ( 15 ) where ρ = p / n 0 , p is the average power per stream and n 0 is the noise variance . note that in the ofdm case , the optimal precoder for a cluster is determined using the corresponding effective sinrs which are obtained using the combining formula described above . the mmse filters are then determined for the optimal precoder as described above . the effective sinrs for the precoders selected for rank - 1 and rank - 2 are determined as described above . a more detailed description for a 4 × 2 embodiment is found in the aforementioned u . s . provisional patent application no . 60 / 888 , 193 , which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . in a further exemplary embodiment , there are 32 possible precoder matrices per rank and the following vector codebooks are used used : { v i 1 ∈ c 4 } i = 1 8 , { v j 2 ∈ c 3 } j = 1 4 , [ 1 , 0 ] t ∈ c 2 . ( 18 ) due to the nested structure of the codebook , significant complexity savings can be achieved by avoiding the redundant computations otherwise involved . the savings in computational complexity ( e . g ., number of multiplications ) achieved by the present invention over other approaches , including other structured codebook approaches such as that described in “ codebook design for e - utra mimo pre - coding ,” document no . r1 - 062650 , tsg - ran wg1 meeting # 46bis , seoul , south korea , oct . 9 - 13 , 2006 , can be quantified . in the case of 16 possible precoder matrices , for rank - 2 , the exemplary codebook implementation of the present invention results in lx118 fewer multiplications , where l is the number of representative sub - carriers used for precoder selection . for rank - 1 , there are lx64 fewer multiplications with the exemplary precoder scheme of the present invention . in the case of 32 possible precoder matrices , for rank - 2 , the exemplary codebook implementation of the present invention results in lx280 fewer multiplications , and for rank - 1 , lx168 fewer multiplications . the savings over unstructured codebook schemes are even greater . the exemplary transmitter and receiver described above with reference to fig2 and 3 , respectively , can be readily extended for multi - codeword transmission . for q codeword transmission , where q can be at most m , the number of transmitting antennas , the p th codeword ( where 1 ≦ p ≦ q ) is transmitted using k p streams along k p columns of the furthermore , when the cqi for the p th codeword is below a threshold , k p = 0 , so that the p th codeword is not transmitted . for an m × k precoder matrix q of rank k , a mapping rule decides the split k →( k 1 , . . . , k q ) as well as the column indices of q that the k q streams of the p th codeword , where 1 ≦ p ≦ q , should be sent along . for a given precoder matrix , split and choice of column indices , the sinrs for each codeword can be computed using the formulae given above ( with simple modifications ). then , for a given precoder matrix , the optimal split and choice of column indices is the one which maximizes the anticipated transmission rate , which itself can be determined from the computed sinrs . finally , the optimal precoder matrix is the one which along with its optimal split and choice of column indices , yields the highest anticipated transmission rate . fig5 shows a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a q codeword transmitter 500 based on the architecture of the transmitter 200 shown in fig2 . as shown in fig5 , each of the q data streams is fec encoded and modulated independently . moreover , a cqi for each of the q data streams as well as mapping data are fed - back from the receiver . fig6 shows a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a q codeword linear receiver 600 based on the architecture of the receiver 300 shown in fig3 . the receiver 600 can operate with the transmitter 500 of fig5 . in this embodiment , the q codewords are demodulated and then fec decoded independently . fig7 shows a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a q codeword receiver 700 incorporating successive intereference cancellation ( sic ). in this embodiment , each of q − 1 recovered data streams , corresponding to codewords 1 through q − 1 , is re - encoded by a fec encoder 735 and re - modulated by a modulator 737 , and then fed - back to the detector 710 . the mapping information fed back from the receiver includes the split and the choice of column indices . the mapping rule can also be fixed , or varied slowly (“ semi - static ”). in this case , each m x k precoder matrix q is associated with one split ( k 1 , . . . , k q ) and one choice of column indices . with a fixed or semi - static mapping rule , the receiver need not feed - back mapping information to the transmitter because it can be inferred by the transmitter based on just the precoder matrix index that is fed - back . it is understood that the above - described embodiments are illustrative of only a few of the possible specific embodiments which can represent applications of the invention . numerous and varied other arrangements can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	7
in accordance with the present invention , it has been found that substantially pure , commercial - grade arsenic can be recovered from acidic aqueous solution , particularly a solution such as the acidic effluent of a gas washing operation . for example , in a preferred embodiment , the present invention comprises a process for recovering arsenic , in the form of a commercially salable arsenic trioxide product , from an acidic gas wash effluent produced in the pyrometallurgy of copper sulfide ores . generally , the present invention is suitable for use in recovering arsenic from any acidic aqueous solution containing from about 1 to about 20 g / l of arsenic and from about 25 to about 150 g / l of acid . the solution may also contain a wide variety of other impurities , for example , metals and / or halogens , without adverse effect on the process of the present invention . in a preferred embodiment , the raw material acid solution for the process of the present invention comprises the effluent from a gas wash tower operated in the conventional pyrometallurgy of copper sulfide . the effluent generally comprises from about 1 to about 20 g / l total arsenic , from about 25 to about 150 g / l sulfuric acid , from about 300 to about 3 , 000 mg / l copper , from about 100 to about 1 , 000 mg / l fluorine , and from about 100 to about 3 , 000 mg / l chlorides . further , it is important to note that if the arsenic - containing feed solution contains suspended solids , it is preferably filtered to produce a solution suitable for evaporization . referring now to fig1 , after filtering the arsenic - containing feed solution ( if necessary ), the process of the present invention generally comprises heating the solution to evaporate water and concentrate arsenic . preferably , the arsenic concentration of the acid solution is increased to an equilibrium concentration ( i . e ., saturation concentration ) by heating the solution in one or more evaporators in series . depending on the relative arsenic and acid concentrations in the feed solution , one skilled in the art can readily determine an appropriate saturation or equilibrium concentration for arsenic at a particular temperature . it is important to note that the saturation concentration should be determined at the temperature of crystallization rather than the solution temperature during evaporation . thus , in a preferred embodiment of the process of the present invention , wherein the acid concentration of the solution leaving the evaporators is to be cooled at a temperature ranging from about 100 ° to about 25 ° c ., the saturation concentration ( i . e ., the minimum concentration for crystallization ) of arsenic is between about 5 and about 20 g / l in a solution containing from about 200 to about 640 g / l of acid . the solution is evaporated and concentrated in one or more evaporators in series operating at a temperature ranging from about 70 ° c . to about 120 ° c . for example , in a preferred embodiment of the present invention as shown in fig2 and 2a , the process of the present invention comprises four evaporators in series , wherein the acid solution feed stream originally containing from about 20 to about 150 g / l of arsenic - containing acid is evaporated and concentrated to an acid concentration of from about 200 to about 640 g / l . the concentrated liquid mass exiting the last evaporator typically will have a temperature ranging from about 50 ° to about 70 ° c ., preferably about 60 ° c . the concentrated solution may be transferred to a thermally insulated storage tank to preserve the temperature of the solution prior to crystallization . alternatively , the concentrated solution may pass directly to a crystallization stage wherein the concentrated solution is cooled to a temperature of from about 0 ° to about 25 ° c ., more preferably from about 10 ° to about 20 ° c . to crystallize arsenic in the form of arsenic trioxide crystals . in a preferred embodiment , the concentrated solution is cooled in one or more crystallizers in series . preferably , the crystallizers are water - cooled wherein the concentrated solution is contacted with water having a temperature of from about 0 ° to about 25 ° c . the concentrated solution is cooled to produce a crude arsenic trioxide product comprising impure arsenic trioxide . for example , in a preferred embodiment wherein the aqueous acid solution comprises a gas wash effluent produced in the pyrometallurgy of copper sulfide ores , the impure arsenic trioxide crystals typically contain impurities such as cu , fe , ni , and ca salts . the crystallizer ( s ) preferably recover at least about 90 %, more preferably at least about 95 % of the arsenic present in the acidic feed solution . from the crystallizers , the crude arsenic trioxide product is washed and separated in a water - washed filter wherein the crystals are collected for further purification and the remaining liquids are further processed for the removal of any remaining trace amounts of arsenic . the collected crude arsenic product is purified to obtain a substantially pure , commercially salable arsenic trioxide product comprising at least about 97 % arsenic trioxide , preferably at least about 98 % arsenic trioxide , and more preferably at least about 99 % arsenic trioxide , most preferably from about 99 . 8 % to 99 . 9 % arsenic trioxide . in a first embodiment for purifying the crude arsenic trioxide product , the impure arsenic trioxide crystals are transferred to a sublimation oven wherein the crystals are heated to a temperature sufficient to sublime arsenic trioxide . arsenic trioxide sublimes from the crude arsenic trioxide solid product to form a purified gaseous product comprising arsenic trioxide and a sublimation solid residue . preferably , the temperature is sufficient to sublime arsenic trioxide from the impure arsenic trioxide crystals without removing a substantial amount of the metal salt impurities to the purified gaseous phase . the purified gas phase is removed from the sublimation oven and immediately cooled to form a purified solid product comprising arsenic trioxide crystals having an arsenic trioxide concentration of at least about 99 %, more preferably about 99 . 8 to about 99 . 9 %. the sublimation solid residue , which typically contains copper sulfides and calcium sulfate , is removed from the sublimation oven and returned to the smelting plant for the further recovery of copper . the purified gaseous product may be cooled by any means known in the art for forming arsenic trioxide crystals from a vapor . for example , in a preferred embodiment , the arsenic - containing vapor is contacted with water jets to cool the vapor and produce purified arsenic trioxide crystals . alternatively , the arsenic - containing vapor is contacted with a cold wall wherein the vapor is cooled to form the purified arsenic trioxide solid product . in an alternative embodiment for purifying the crude arsenic trioxide product , the impure arsenic trioxide crystals undergo alkaline lixiviation to remove impurities . the lixiviation process comprises contacting the impure crystals with an alkaline lixiviant such as an alkaline metal hydroxide to remove arsenic trioxide as a purified liquid phase from the crystals . the lixiviant is preferably selected to avoid transferring impurities to the liquid phase ( i . e ., substantially no impurities are lixiviated to the purified liquid phase ). the purified liquid phase is then separated from the solids and the solid residue is returned to the smelting plant for further recovery of copper . the purified liquid phase is contacted with an acid to adjust the ph to less than 10 , which also crystallizes arsenic trioxide . in a preferred embodiment , the purified liquid is crystallized with sulfuric acid , preferably a solution comprising 98 % sulfuric acid , to produce a purified arsenic trioxide product comprising at least about 99 % arsenic trioxide , and more preferably about 99 . 8 to about 99 . 9 % arsenic trioxide . the purified arsenic trioxide product can then be collected by means of a filter with the liquid phase being recycled to the lixiviation stage . in another embodiment of the present invention , liquids separated from the crude arsenic trioxide product , which typically contain from about 5 to about 7 g / l arsenic , can be further processed to remove arsenic and / or prepare additional recoverable products . for example , in one embodiment , the filtrate from the crystallization of the crude arsenic trioxide product is collected in a storage tank along with the condensed liquids from the upper part of the evaporator ( s ) to form a residual arsenic solution . the residual arsenic solution is then contacted with sodium sulfide to produce an arsenic polysulfide product ( e . g ., arsenic trisulfide ) which can be recovered from solution as a precipitate . the reactions corresponding to the generation and precipitation of arsenic polysulphides are as follows : generally , sodium sulfide should be introduced to the residual solution in an amount sufficient to provide a mass ratio of sodium sulfide to arsenic of about 1 : 4 to about 1 : 8 in the residual solution . preferably , an amount of sodium sulfide is introduced into the residual solution to provide a mass ratio of sodium sulfide to arsenic of about 1 : 6 in order to precipitate arsenic polysulfides from the residual arsenic solution . the predominant arsenic polysulfide species formed is arsenic trisulfide along with iron and copper sulfide byproducts . the precipitated arsenic polysulfides are recovered by filtration and the remaining liquid , having an arsenic content of less than about 5 ppm , can be transferred to a storage tank for reuse or disposal . referring now to fig2 and 2a , a preferred apparatus for practicing the process of the present invention is described as follows . a feed stream comprising an aqueous arsenic - containing acid solution is introduced into the process of the present invention via pipe 1 . in a preferred embodiment wherein the feed stream comprises the acidic effluent of a gas wash tower , the solution is first filtered in a dust filter 2 . the filtered feed stream is transferred to tank 3 before being sent to a first evaporator 5 . in a preferred embodiment , the evaporator 5 comprises a forced circulation type evaporator with a separate , external heat exchanger 6 . as shown in fig2 , a preferred apparatus of the invention comprises four evaporators in series each with a corresponding heat exchanger for concentrating the feed solution . in the evaporation stages , the solution , at a temperature of about 60 ° c . and having an acid concentration of up to about 640 g / l , shows incipient formation of arsenic trioxide crystals . the concentrated solution is then transferred to a storage tank 9 , which is thermally insulated to preserve the temperature of the solution and prevent premature crystallization of arsenic trioxide . from tank 9 , the concentrated solution is cooled in a first crystallizer 11 followed by a second crystallizer 13 , both of which are cooled with water to form a crude arsenic trioxide product . the mass of crystals exiting from crystallizer 13 as the crude arsenic trioxide product is transferred to filter 15 , and washed with water . the impure arsenic trioxide crystals then fall via conduit 17 to a conveyor belt 19 , and through a channel to dump carts 21 . the loaded dump carts 21 go to a sublimation oven 23 . in the sublimation oven , the crude arsenic trioxide product is heated to volatilize arsenic trioxide and form a purified gaseous product . the purified gaseous product passes from the sublimation oven to a venturi - type condenser 27 , wherein the purified gaseous product is cooled by means of a pressurized water jet to produce a solution pregnant with purified arsenic trioxide crystals , which is then further cooled in crystallizer 31 . when the sublimation of arsenic is completed , the dump carts 29 exiting the oven typically contain by - products such as copper sulfate and calcium sulfate , which are returned to the smelting plant for further processing . the solution pregnant with pure arsenic trioxide crystals is driven to filter 33 and washed with water to separate a substantially pure arsenic trioxide product having an arsenic trioxide concentration of about 99 . 8 % to about 99 . 9 %. conveyor belt 35 carries the purified product to drying oven 37 , and then to storage 39 and packing facility 41 , for sale and shipping . filtrate separated from the crude arsenic trioxide product at filter 15 , is collected in a storage tank 45 along with the collected condensed vapors from the upper part of the evaporators 5 to form a residual arsenic solution . the residual arsenic solution is then passed to the arsenic sulfide precipitation plant for the further recovery of arsenic . from the storage tank 45 , the residual arsenic solution is transferred to mixing tank 47 and contacted with sodium sulfide from reaction tank 51 . the sodium sulfide prepared in reaction tank 51 is the reaction product of sodium sulfhydrate and water . the reaction in mixing tank 47 forms a reaction mixture comprising arsenic polysulfide precipitates and hydrogen sulfide gas as a byproduct . the byproduct hydrogen sulfide gas is passed to a treatment tank 49 and contacted with sodium hydroxide to form water which may be recycled for use as a water source in reaction tank 51 . the remaining reaction mixture is transferred to filter 51 wherein an arsenic polysulfide solid product comprising arsenic trisulfide is collected on conveyor belt 53 for storage in hopper 55 . the remaining process liquids separated in filter 51 , which contain less than about 1 to about 5 ppm of arsenic , are transferred to holding tank 57 for further use or disposal . the following examples set forth one approach that may be used to carry out the process of the present invention . accordingly , the following should not be interpreted in a limiting sense . this example demonstrates the evaporation and concentration of an arsenic solution followed by crystallization and filtration to recover commercial grade arsenic . the experiment was begun by heating a solution ( 2000 cc ) containing copper ( 0 . 63 g / l ), iron ( 0 . 107 g / l ), arsenic ( 9 . 406 g / l ) and antimony ( 0 . 036 ). the solution was heated to reduce the volume to 250 cc . during the heating , samples of the solution were collected when the volume was reduced to 1000 cc . at 1000 cc , the solution had an arsenic concentration of 18 . 45 g / liter and 1 . 92 % of the of the original arsenic content had precipitated . when the volume was finally reduced to 250 cc , the solution had an arsenic concentration of 46 . 66 g / liter , and 50 . 65 % of the initial arsenic content precipitated or crystallized . by cooling the 250 cc solution to 10 ° c ., a further crystallization was obtained . filtration separated the crystals . the supernatant liquid amounted to 180 cc of solution , containing 8 . 575 g / liter arsenic . the mass balance indicated that 91 . 8 % of the initial content of arsenic precipitated or was recovered . the recovered arsenic crystals were collected and analyzed . the analysis indicated that the crystals were of commercial quality , containing 99 . 9 % arsenic , having 0 . 03 % copper , 0 . 04 % iron and 0 . 13 % antimony as impurities . this example demonstrates the recovery of arsenic from the gas - washing effluent of a sulfuric acid plant . the experiment was conducted by heating a solution ( 1 , 144 l ) obtained from a gas - washing tower of a sulfuric acid plant in sequential stages . the solution contained arsenic ( 11 . 602 g / l ) and sulfuric acid ( 49 . 9 g / l ). the solution was heated in sequential stages to a reduced volume of 96 . 5 liter . the solution was then cooled to 10 ° c ., which caused arsenic trioxide to crystallize . analysis of the crystals indicated that the crystals contained 97 . 5 % arsenic , which is commercial quality . analysis of the supernatant liquid indicated that the solution consisted of 13 . 07 g / l arsenic and 590 g / liter of sulfuric acid . the supernatant liquid was then treated with sodium sulfide to further recover arsenic . after the addition of sodium sulfide , the solution contained about 580 g / l sulfuric acid with less than 5 ppm arsenic . thus , the solution could be used as a weak acid in other processes . in view of the above , it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved . as various changes could be made in the above material and processes without departing from the scope of the invention , it is intended that all matter contained in the above description be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense .	8
referring now to fig1 there is shown a perspective view , partly cut away , of a color crt of the prior art employing an aperture mask and a rigid support frame . crt 1 has a glass envelope which is made up of funnel portion 10 and face panel portion 11 . located in the rear or neck of funnel portion 10 are three in - line electron guns 12 , 13 and 14 , which generate electron beams 15 , 16 and 17 . these beams are directed toward luminescent phosphor screen 18 , disposed on the inside of face panel 11 . screen 18 is composed of triplets of individual phosphor elements , one of which is shown , in the form of vertical stripes 19 , 20 and 21 . situated a short distance in front of screen 18 is aperture mask 22 , a thin sheet of metal with a very large number of apertures 23 located to direct the electron beams to the proper phosphor elements on the screen . mask 22 is supported by rigid frame 24 , which is in turn supported by support springs 26 , 28 and 30 ( fig2 ) attached at one end to the frame by welds 26 a , 28 a and 30 a . the other end of the springs are apertured , and engage metal studs 32 , 34 and 36 imbedded in the side wall or skirt of panel 11 . in this embodiment , which is typical of the prior art , there are three springs , two located near the x axis and one near the y axis of the tube . fig3 shows one embodiment of an improved support spring 28 of the invention which is a strip - shaped member having a base portion 38 , a main body portion 40 and an apertured portion 42 , having aperture 44 , adapted for engagement with a metal support stud in the skirt of the face panel . in accordance with the teachings of the invention , the spring has raised ribs 46 and 48 extending along the edges of the strip in the direction of longitudinal axis l . the spring is readily fabricated from a coil of spring material , by first stamping , using a die which forms the aperture and the ribs , then bending the spring at axis a to lift the main and apertured portions out of the plane of the base portion , and finally cutting the spring from the coil . when the base portion is welded to the frame , the remainder of the spring will extend away from the frame toward the panel skirt . after bending , the base and remaining portions of the spring lie in different planes , which planes intersect at an angle of 180 degrees minus the bend angle beta . in the embodiment shown , the ribs lie mainly in the body portion , but also extend partially into the base portion . in order to illustrate the advantages of this spring design , a series of stress plots were generated by algor modeling for a prior art spring and a spring according to the invention . fig4 is a stress plot of the prior art support spring fabricated from a composite spring material of invar ( 36 wt . percent ni , remainder fe ) and an alloy of 22 wt . percent ni , 3 wt . percent cr , remainder fe ; and having the following dimensions ( where “ active length ” is defined as the distance between the aperture and the bend ): and placed under a torsional load of about 80 pounds , applied at the aperture in a plane parallel to the tube &# 39 ; s “ z ” axis . this load is typical for a standard face drop test , in which a tube is subjected to a 35g , 12 m sec , ½ sine wave impact . as may be seen , the stress level in the area of the bend is 113 ksi , which is above the elastic limit of the spring material . fig5 is a stress plot of a spring of the invention , having the same overall dimensions and bend angle as the spring of fig4 and in addition having two strengthening ribs with the following dimensions : as can be seen , the high stresses have been reduced at the spring bend line . fig6 and 7 illustrate graphically data for maximum stresses at the spring bend line and the first weld ( weld nearest the bend ) at the spring base for various rib heights and widths for a load of 80 pounds applied at the spring aperture in the direction of the tube &# 39 ; s “ z ” axis . the invariant spring dimensions were as follows : fig6 plots the maximum stress at the bend versus rib width ranging from 0 . 100 to 0 . 200 inches , for three different rib heights : 0 . 015 inch ( curve 1 ); 0 . 025 inch ( curve 2 ); and 0 . 030 inch ( curve 3 ). as may be seen , stresses at the bend decrease with increasing rib width as well as rib height . however , as the height of the rib increases to a point equal to the thickness of the spring material , problems such as increased spring back ( tendency of the spring material to remember its original position ), cracking and tool life make dimensional control difficult , which affects spring quality . fig7 plots graphically the stress at the first weld ( weld closest to the bend ) in the base for the same rib heights and widths as in fig6 . stresses at the weld also decrease with increasing rib height . however , as rib width increases from 0 . 100 to 0 . 200 inches , stresses first increase slightly before they decrease . based on these curves and manufacturing concerns , a rib height of 0 . 025 inches and rib width of 0 . 150 inches appear to be optimal . this dimensional combination results in a maximum stress at the bend of about 76 ksi and at the first weld of about 135 ksi . for comparison , a model was developed for the prior art spring without ribs under the same 80 pound load , under which the maximum calculated stress at the bend and at the first weld were 113 and 145 ksi , respectively . the invention has been described in terms of a limited number of embodiments . other embodiments and variations of embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the above description , and are intended to be encompassed within the scope of the appended claims .	7
before explaining the disclosed embodiments of the present invention in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its applications to the details of the particular arrangements shown since the invention is capable of other embodiments . also , the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation . the following is a list of reference numerals used in the description and the drawings to identify components : 100 simulated body 200 simulated torso 205 chest simulated skin 210 lung 220 ribs 230 right decompression site 235 left decompression site 250 lung platform 252 lung balloon 255 lung servo motor 257 pivotal arm 300 partially amputated arm 310 led wound 315 leds 320 bone screws 330 brachial pulse 350 wounded arm 370 radial pulse 400 wounded leg 450 partially amputated leg 500 connectors 600 simulation electronic module 700 neck anatomy 703 blood packet stencil 705 blood packet 710 tubular neckband 720 neckband covering 800 sensory array 810 sensor fig1 shows a complete body layout of the simulator with snap in place upper and lower extremities that can be attached to a torso 200 to form a complete simulated body 100 . the simulated limbs include , in the example shown , a partially amputated left arm 300 and an injured right arm 350 ; a partially amputated right leg 400 and a wounded left leg 450 . each of the simulated limbs can be snapped into the torso 200 by universal joints / electrical connectors 500 for training use . connectors can include but not be limited to male / female connectors , threadable connectors , and the like . alternatively , each of the simulated limbs and the simulated torso can be detached to form individual simulators . each of the modular pieces shown in fig1 is used for completing tasks , torso 500 , arms 300 and 350 and legs 400 and 450 simulate the human anatomy in that there is an inner support structure simulating the skeletal or bone structure , an intermediate layer simulating muscle and fat covered with simulated outer skin . each modular piece is designed and constructed to pass the rigors of medical assessment and intervention following the military training curriculum . the skin can be made of sebs ( styrene - ethylene / butylene - styrene ) that gives a very realistic feel and resisted cutting and tearing with repeated contractions using a tourniquet . fig2 a is a front view of the torso shown in fig1 with the upper and lower extremities ( arms and legs ) detached from the torso . fig2 b is a side view of the torso of fig2 a showing the universal joints for attaching the limbs to the torso . as shown , the simulated arms preferably connect with the simulated torso at the shoulder joint 510 while the simulated right and left leg attached to the torso at the simulated hip joint 520 . fig2 c is a bottom view of the torso of fig2 a showing the simulation electronic module 600 with a touch screen interface 610 , power on / off switch 620 and charging port . the simulation electronic module can includes a computer processing device for executing a set of instructions stored in memory and interfaces in plural different input and output devices located throughout the simulated torso . as shown in fig2 a , the torso can include neck anatomy . fig3 a and 3 b show a tubular neckband 710 that can be coated to fill between the adjacent tubular bands to form simulated skin 715 on the neck . sections of one or more of the tubular bands 710 can be filled with simulated blood and the coating can be made of a durable material for added protection to prevent damage . fig4 a shows an example of a blood packet stencil used for producing blood packets . fig4 b shows the spacing between adjacent blood packets produced from the stencil and fig4 c shows an approximate volume of the blood packet for use with the tubular neckband , for example . referring to fig5 , the torso can include simulated lungs and can include simulated ribs 220 above one or both of the lungs 210 . in the example shown , the right side of the torso 200 can include ribs 220 separating the right lung 210 from the external simulated skin . for simulation purposes , the torso can include right and left needle chest decompression sites 230 and 235 , respectively . simulation of the lungs can include a two stage lung platform 250 as shown in fig6 . the two stage platform 250 located under the simulated torso skin 205 can include a balloon 252 that inflates when a student applies sufficient pneumatic pressure via a bag valve mask ( bvm ) or the like for cricothyrotomy procedures . a servo motor can be connected by a pivoting arm 257 to the lung platform can be used to raise and lower the lung assembly 250 to simulate normal breathing or asymmetrical breathing for tension pneumothorax procedures . the needle chest decompression sites can be separated from the lung balloon to prevent damage to the balloon . the lung balloons are encapsulated within the platform by the rib cage on top having a support layer underneath which protects the lung from punctures . a 1 . 5 ″ diameter recess will be in the optimum area for ncd which will house the sensor depicting the puncture and at what angle for future 3d modeling regarding internal anatomy . the lung balloons are custom shaped to accommodate this layout and still maintain the volume needed for insufflation . this simulator was designed to replicate both form and function regarding the human anatomy such that repeated uses could be performed in a timely manner at an economizing cost over using animal or cadaver tissues . the torso can also include the neck anatomy 700 . fig7 a , 7 b and 7 c show different simulated areas within the simulated neck anatomy 700 . fig7 a is a side view of the simulated torso showing the simulated neck anatomy collar including the bronchi branch , foam simulated neck muscles and trachea stabilizer . referring to fig7 a , the torso ( cric ) has many components that can make up the head , throat , neck , trachea , cartilages , bronchi branch and lungs . the simulated neck device can include sensors to monitor both head and bust positions to determine initial assessment and interaction during a test and sensors within nostrils or in the head to monitor any nasopharyngeal airway placement within the trial . the sensors can detect any movement or orientation with the simulator , and can include but are not limited to 3 - axis accelerometers and gyroscopes . these two types of sensors ( accelerometers and gyroscopes can work in tandem to keep the margin of error to a minimum . the novel neckband collar can have a plurality of segmented chambers side by side with one another that each can be filled with a red liquid such as food coloring and the like to simulate blood . students can slit into each of the chambers to simulate a cricothyrotomies , and the collar can be rotated about the neck for each student that is being trained . the fluid can be any type of fluid . for example , soapy water can be mixed with a red food coloring , since the soap is antibacterial . starting from the head down , the skull can be made from the same very rigid urethane the neck support and the rest of the torso support . the head skin can be sebs ( styrene - ethylene / butylene - styrene ) because it can be formed fitted to slip over the skull and kept in place by a silicone neckband that houses the simulated blood plackets . this neck band 715 shown in fig3 b can be made from layers of silicone tape that is sprayed with pigmented silicone to match the head and torso skin color . the neck anatomy can have a foam filler 725 for two reasons , the first is to replicate the neck muscles and the second , is to help align the trachea assembly . fig7 b is an exploded side view showing the active cricoids cartilage insert and fig7 c is an exploded view showing the tracheal soft tissue insert and membrane clip for the neck . the trachea assembly can be made up of four pieces ; the thyroid and cricoids cartilages 720 and 730 , trachea soft tissues 755 and a membrane holder or clip 760 . fig7 a shows the neck anatomy and its importance to provide landmarks such as the thyroid & amp ; cricoids cartilages to make the incision . an incision can be made on the neckband which will release a realistic volume of simulated blood for each trial and can be rotated easily for the next incision . a thin piece of plastic tape can be installed over the thyroid and sliding cricoids cartilage to act as the muscle & amp ; ligament tissues between them to be penetrated once the incision is made through the neckband . a tracheal hook or the like can be inserted into the incision to pull up on the sliding cricoids cartilage to provide room for installing an endotracheal tube or the like . there can be internal sensors placed in the bronchi branch that give feedback on endotracheal tube placement , which is critical for ventilation . there are sensors that can measure each lung volume during ventilation to determine bilateral symmetry proficiency . these types of sensors can include micro - touch switches because the inventors wanted to block the nasal passage as well . in future models these could have ir sensors to pick up any object within the nostril and have an actuator to block off a nostril or two . there can also be sensors that are used that monitor both head and bust positions to determine the initial assessment and interaction during the trial . there are sensors within the nostrils for any nasopharyngeal airway placement within the trial . these types of sensors can also include accelerometers and gyroscopes that were previously described . the thyroid can be formed from a thin walled rigid foam such as urethane , while the cricoids cartilage can be made from a thin pliable foam such as urethane allowing for movement . the membrane holder 760 can be formed from thin walled plastic tubing that fits nicely around the soft trachea tissues 755 made of silicone 20 that slides into the cartilages assembly 720 . the bronchi branch 740 can be made of the very rigid foam such as urethane and has plastic nipples screwed into it for lung fixtures . the lungs can be dipped latex that are held in place within the chest cavity by a dense foam that conforms to the inside of the support structure . experimentally , the trachea assembly went through many changes to find the right combination of materials that could be easily assembled for each new trial , retain its shape under warm conditions and replicate the anatomy in form and function . the thyroid started as thin walled plastic , but lost its shape over time and cracked . the material was changed to a pliable urethane , which made inserting the trachea soft tissue difficult . the preferred material from the experiments was rigid urethane that provided the durability needed for simulation usage . the cricoids cartilage that attaches to the thyroid was originally a thin wall plastic that failed . next , an aluminum strip was used , however , the aluminum strip cut through the air tube that is used for insufflation . rigid urethane used for the thyroid was tested , but the rigid urethane did not allow for the movement necessary when inserting the air tube . as a result of the experiments , the preferred material for the cricoids cartilage is a pliable urethane that can be adapted into a sliding slot . fig8 a shows an enlarged exterior front view of the sliding cricoids cartilage . fig8 b shows the active cricoids cartilage and tracheal soft tissue insert for the neck of fig8 a . fig8 c shows a cross - sectional view of the check and neck connections of fig8 a . the tracheal soft tissue insert can be inserted into the cartilage between the chin and the bronchi branch which is under the chest skin . a cross - sectional view of the sliding cricoids cartilage is shown in fig8 c and fig8 d shows an enlarged view of the sliding cartilage of fig8 c showing a pin for connecting the sliding cricoids cartilage 720 to the cartilage 730 to allow movement of the active cricoids cartilage 720 . from experimentation , the clasp on the neckbands have gone through a few changes such as ; thin molded plastic clips , wire clasp , hook and loop ( velcro ®) strips and metal spring clips . although the velcro ® worked best , alternative fasteners can be substituted . the neckband with simulated blood packets has gone through design considerations such as ; multiple thin tubes filled with the blood and sectioned off incrementally . another example used nano encapsulation bulbs , but that had dismal bleeding effects when sliced . referring back to fig1 which shows a complete body layout of the simulator with snap in place simulated limbs include , in the example shown , a partially amputated left arm 300 and an injured right arm 350 ; a partially amputated right leg 400 and a wounded left leg 450 . each of the simulated limbs can be snapped into the torso 200 by universal joints / electrical connectors 500 for training use . fig9 a is front view of the simulated partially amputated left arm 300 detached from the torso 200 shown in fig1 . the wound can be simulated with leds 315 to simulate blood loss from the wound . fig9 b shows an led 315 arrangement for the led wound 310 of fig9 a , where bone screws 320 can be used to attach the led arrangement to the wound location . fig9 a and 9 c show the universal joint for connecting the simulated left arm 300 to the simulated torso 200 of fig2 a - 2 c . in the preferred embodiment , the left arm can have a simulated brachial pulse 330 that can be measured , and the led lights can flash at different rates and different intensity levels to show blood loss . each of the left arm simulator 300 and right arm simulator 350 parts can function as a stand along simulator without the torso . fig9 c and 10 c show the touch screen interface to the simulation electronic module with on / off switch 620 and charge port 630 . a training scenario for the left arm simulator 300 can allow students to practice applying tourniquets to stop the bleeding from the simulated wound . when the tourniquet is not applied correctly , the led wound can be lit while , correction application of the tourniquets results in the leds having a lower intensity , be turned off or flash at a different rate to simulate a reduction in blood loss . electronically , the simulated left arm 300 can include sensors for sensing application of the tourniquets in various areas . when the tourniquet is properly positioned , the sensor ( s ) detects the application and the leds are extinguished . the types of sensors that can be used here include but are not limited to force sensors , such as one manufactured by flexiforce part # a201 . for the invention , a sensor array was built with 16 sensors in a row covering almost 12 inches with a single zif connector . fig1 a is a front view of the detached right arm 350 of fig1 with various wound locations 310 along the arm , and universal joint connection 500 for the torso 200 of fig2 a - 2 c . fig1 b is a front view of the detached right hand 355 from the right arm 350 of fig1 a , that can attach by a joint mechanism and / or male plug 360 and mating female socket , with the right hand 355 having at least one wound 310 location . fig1 c shows the touch screen 610 interface to an electronic simulation module for the right arm . fig1 d shows and an example of led arrangement for the leds 315 simulating the wound ( s ) 310 . each of the led arrangements can be used for the different arm wounds 310 and right hand wound 310 of fig1 a and 10 b and as previously described , have a variable intensity and flash rate where a lower intensity , turned off or flashing at a different rate can simulate a reduction in blood loss when a tourniquet is applied . the left and right arm simulator can each include an inner support structure that is formed of very rigid foam such as urethane that is baked in ovens for final curing to reduce shrinkage . in the preferred embodiment , the intermediate layer for the muscle and fat layer can be a clear silicone 40 and the skin can also be silicone 40 that is pigmented to desired skin color depending on ethnicity . similarly , the torso skin was changed from sebs to a pigmented silicone 40 due to the same compression scenario as the arms and legs . the simulated wound can be made of clear foam such as urethane painted with luminous paint for the led &# 39 ; s to glow through . the control bezel that frames the skin in the control area can also be a pigmented foam such as urethane . fig1 a is a front view of the detached left leg 450 of fig1 with led wound ( s ) 410 with a femoral pulse 470 and / or tibia pulse 475 measurement point . the touch screen interface 610 can be located where the top of the left leg 450 is attached to the torso 200 of fig2 a by a universal swivel joint 500 . the electronic simulation module interface can have an on / off switch 620 and charge . port 630 . fig1 b is a front view of the detached foot 455 wound for the left leg 450 of fig1 a . fig1 c shows an led 415 arrangement for the wounds 410 of fig1 a and 11 b . fig1 a is a front view of the detached right leg 400 of fig1 with led wounds 410 along the right leg 400 and at an amputated point . the part of the right leg 400 being attachable to the torso 200 can have a touch screen 610 interface with the right leg electronic simulation module , an on / off switch 620 and charge port 610 , and universal joint 500 to attach to the torso 200 . fig1 b shows an amputated end wound 410 with leds 415 simulating blood loss at the wound 410 , with a bone screw 420 to attach the amputated wound 410 portion to the right leg 400 . fig1 c shows an led 415 arrangement for other wounds 410 along the right leg of fig1 a . as shown , the right leg simulation can include a popliteal pulse location . fig1 d is a cross - sectional view of the structural layers of the right leg of fig1 a showing bone 475 in the center with muscle 470 as the next layer and skin 412 as the outer layer . the left 450 and right 400 leg simulator each include an inner support structure shown as the bone 475 in fig1 d that is formed of very rigid foam such as urethane that can be baked in ovens for final curing to reduce shrinkage . the intermediate layer for the muscle and fat layer 470 can be a clear silicone 40 and the skin 412 can also be silicone 40 that is pigmented to desired skin color depending on ethnicity . the simulated wound 410 is made of clear foam such as urethane painted with luminous paint for the led &# 39 ; s 415 to glow through . the led wound arrangements can be located along the sides of the right arm , the left arm , the right leg and the left leg , and have a column or columns to signal wounds . the led arrangements can also be located along any other wound locations on the right arm , the left arm , the right leg and the left leg . the leds can flash together or in sequence or in different rates or in different intensities or on any combination thereof . the leds can go off as blood flow is restricted by the tourniquet applications . fig1 shows a sensory array for the invention . the sensor array is significant because it consolidates a lot of material and circuitry into one simple unit for a more consistent coverage and easy installation in production . the connection between the sensor array and support electronics was dramatically reduced , which is very important when placing control systems within mannequin body parts . this sensor array allows for the pressure exerted on the skin and surrounding areas to be translated into a measurable force . the types of sensors used here can include force and pressure sensors , such as those manufactured by tescan . each of the simulated body parts , the torso 200 , left and right arms and right and left legs can include one or more sensory arrays 800 that include one or more rows of sensors 810 mounted on a semi rigid backplane shown in fig1 that interfaces with the simulation electronic module corresponding to the body part . for example , one or more arrays of sensors can be located along the left arm 300 to detect pressure applied by a tourniquet within the range of the sensor . based on the approximate distance of the tourniquet to the sensors , the simulation electronics can cause one or more of the leds in the simulated wound to flash at a different or illuminate with a different intensity to simulate the amount of blood loss from the simulated wound with the tourniquet applied . fig1 shows examples of different led arrangements for simulated wounds . for example , fig1 a shows the center led that starts the sequence of flashing and led illumination moves outward to depict movement within the simulated wound . the led flashing rate ( frequency of led on versus off ) can be controlled via the set - up menu to be synchronous with the pulse rate , for example , if the wound happened just after heavy exertion the pulse rate could be very rapid ( 120 bpm ) at first with major blood loss and then slows as the physiological model changes . as pressure from the tourniquet increases , the outermost led are dropped from the sequence until force is applied to staunch the simulated bleeding , then all of the leds are turned off . the led &# 39 ; s , pulse frequency and pulse intensity can be controlled independently via the set - up menu for evaluation . fig1 shows a flowchart of the electronic simulation module , pic 24 . as shown , the simulator includes a control processor and instruction to simulate different medical scenarios and respond to student input in response to the simulated injury scenario . each individual simulated body part can include a sensors for detecting student actions and output to simulate the status of the injury . each body part includes a processing device and simulation software , or microcode that runs on the arm , leg and torso devices . the simulation microcode provides for control and simulation of the device itself . the microcode responds to each sensor input in response to an output accordingly to the leds and pulse output . in addition , the simulation microcode provides a control protocol that can be used to communicate with the simulated body part . the types of sensors that can be used here include but are not limited to force and pressure sensors , positioning in 3d space , that can be in an analog or digital output that can be quantified in the pic by using lines of code that determine the parameters given . a complete program can then complied into a hex file which is then loaded onto the pic . this process is very useful in that updates can be added at any time . the computer control protocol supports querying capabilities of the devices , defining parameters of the current training scenario and output of current simulation state of the simulator . in addition , a number of commands are supported to configure aspects of the simulator ( such as but not limited to the bluetooth and wi - fi settings such as name , ssid , and the like ). an application programming interface ( api ) supports application development using the simulator microcode . the api is a higher level communication scheme with each device and encapsulates the protocol that exists within the microcode itself . the api supports multiple devices and includes auto - detection of the device . the api can connect to a leg , arm and / or torso and determine which device it is connected to . in addition , the api supports application development across many different computer devices including conventional desktop personal computers as well as mobile communication devices such as but not limited to smart phones , iphone ®, ipad ®, and android devices , and even computer tablets . advantages can include no stylus is required which could become lost , especially in the field , and these applications are much more popular than windows pda which is becoming obsolete . alternatively , the mobile applications can connect to the arm , leg and torso devices through either bluetooth or 802 . 11 “ wi - fi ” connections . third , the mobile “ app ” can actually drives the simulator itself . through the use of the api and microcode protocol , the mobile app allows the selection of the simulated environment . for example , for the tourniquet training application , it allows the selection of the body type , time to bleed out and location of the injury . this is then communicated to the simulator , which then simulates the scenario and reports back patient state . to support the device and microcode itself , a “ flash programmer ” was also developed to program the computer programmable integrated circuit ( pic ). somewhat different to other programmers , this programmer was used to program the external flash chip that is used within the devices that provides necessary data to the device &# 39 ; s operation . fig1 shows a schematic block diagram of the pic 24 . the pic24 is the core of each simulator to be programmed in such a way the end user needs no special skills to operate each simulator , but just interact with it for specific skills training . the usb box is to show a physical serial connection to the pic24 for updates or monitoring if needed . the bluetooth box is to show it has bluetooth radio connectivity to send and receive data wirelessly . the wi - fi box is to show it has a wi - fi radio to send and receive data wirelessly . sram box is for additional memory that can be used for programming and / or storage . the led box shows the pic controlling the simulator leds function and the pulse box shows the pic controlling the tactors for tactile stimulus as an output device . the pressure sensor box is representative of the sensor array that sends data to the sensor mux that parses this input to the pic on an individual basis . the imu box can be made up of an accelerometer and gyroscope data that is pasted to the sensor mux for 3d data processing . the sensor mux allows for consolidating 8 inputs unto one input line to the pic . the charge box represents the external charge port going to the battery , although , the charging function can become inductive in the future . the battery can be linked to the control head via the on / off switch , which powers the simulator and reports the status of charge . the lcd ( liquid crystal display ) box can be representative of the touch - screen display that graphically illustrates the information pertinent to the simulators operation . the control head can be representative of the human interface area where the on / off switch , charge port and touch screen display are located to translate these functions into intuitive operations . to support individualized training with or without the presence of an instructor , we also invented a training component that provides task specific education in a series of modules that correspond with the selected training task . the training component can support multimedia training including but not limited to text , audio , video and / or interactive quizzes . the training software can include a login by username and password with an administrative screen and records quiz scores in a database on a user specific basis . the database was designed to be queried by the training software to return competencies and deficiencies to create a framework for micro - adaptive deliberate training that alters the course structure to improve learning outcomes on a user by user basis . to support large training environments such as a classroom setting , the present invention can include an aggregating computer software application referred to as the “ hapmed hub .” the mobile device described earlier works well with a single training set - up ( whether a single device or a single body ) meant for a single trainee . in a classroom setting where there could be multiple devices all in one room , the mobile device can be inadequate . in this scenario the “ hub ” system can coordinate all of the devices within the room . it can control multiple devices at once and provide an overall summary of current conditions of each device . in addition , the simulator can support multiple mobile devices connecting to it as well . this latter aspect allows the concept of an instructor walking through the classroom . for example , he / she could “ connect ” to a given trainee &# 39 ; s station to see a current state of the simulation , and then disconnect and re - connect to a neighboring system . in addition , the “ hub ” can also notify the instructor to a trainee that may be performing poorly ( e . g . whose simulated patient may be perishing ). fundamentally , the aggregating control hub addresses technical problems that arise from a multi - device set - up such as a classroom or lab . fig1 a through 18 c show examples of screen shots displayed during simulation training using the handheld hapmed device . fig1 a shows a screen shot of the start screen on the hapmed and fig1 b is a screen shot of the initializing device list displayed on the hapmed screen . since the hapmed device remotely communicates with the simulated body , fig1 c shows a screen shot of the connecting screen . once the hapmed device is communicating with the simulated body or body part , a start set - up screen such as the screen shot shown in fig1 a is displayed on the hapmed display screen . fig1 b is an instructional screen shot instructing the student to put the head in the start position and fig1 c shows an example of a screen shot displaying the result screen that is populated as the user administers the necessary life saving steps such as checking each nostril , and showing the condition of each lung . the screen can also display whether or not the student inserted a tube and if the simulated patient was successfully resuscitated . after the simulation exercise is complete , the user can reset the simulation . another simulation example is shown in fig1 a - 18 c . in this example , the user first selects a wound location , a simulated body size , the time allowed before the simulated patient bleeds out and allows insertion of a time delay before the simulated medical emergency starts . in this example , the simulated injury is a leg injury . when the simulation starts , the display screen shows if a tourniquet has been used , how many tourniquets are used , if the bleeding has stopped and the status of the patient as shown in fig1 b . the screen can also show the patient &# 39 ; s blood pressure and the blood flow rate . when the simulation is complete , the user can select discussion to receive a discussion of the results or can reset the simulator . fig1 c shows a screen shot of the leg discussion screen on the hapmed . fig1 a - 18 c are shown various examples only , those experience in the art of simulation will clearly understand that alternative simulation scenarios that can be presented . the simulator can include travel cases for transporting and mobility so that the simulated body parts to remote location for training in the field . fig1 and 20 shows a case foam cutout for the left arm and right arm , respectively , with a pocket for the wireless control android to activate and control the left arm simulation , a pocket for a stand to support the left arm during training , and a pocket for tourniquets that can be used for training purposes . fig2 - 22 shows a case foam cutout for the left leg and right leg , respectively , with a pocket for the wireless control android ( or any type of smart phone ) to activate and control the simulated leg , a pocket for a stand to support the simulated leg , and pocket for tourniquets that can be used during training . fig2 shows a case foam cutout for the torso with a pocket for the wireless control android to activate and control the simulated torso , a pocket for simulation neckbands that can be used during training . while the invention has been described , disclosed , illustrated and shown in various terms of certain embodiments or modifications which it has presumed in practice , the scope of the invention is not intended to be , nor should it be deemed to be , limited thereby and such other modifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teachings herein are particularly reserved especially as they fall within the breadth and scope of the claims here appended .	6
“ deuterium ” as used herein alone or as part of another group , refers to a safe , non - radioactive relative of hydrogen . any hydrogen may be replaced with deuterium to modify / improve metabolic stability , resulting in better safety , tolerability and / or efficacy . “ alkyl ” as used herein alone or as part of another group , refers to a straight or branched chain hydrocarbon containing from 1 to 10 carbon atoms . representative examples of alkyl include , but are not limited to , methyl , ethyl , n - propyl , iso - propyl , n - butyl , sec - butyl , iso - butyl , tert - butyl , n - pentyl , isopentyl , neopentyl , n - hexyl , 3 - methylhexyl , 2 , 2 - dimethylpentyl , 2 , 3 - dimethylpentyl , n - heptyl , n - octyl , n - nonyl , n - decyl , and the like . “ lower alkyl ” as used herein , is a subset of alkyl , in some embodiments preferred , and refers to a straight or branched chain hydrocarbon group containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms . representative examples of lower alkyl include , but are not limited to , methyl , ethyl , n - propyl , iso - propyl , n - butyl , iso - butyl , tert - butyl , and the like . the term “ alkyl ” or “ loweralkyl ” is intended to include both substituted and unsubstituted alkyl or loweralkyl unless otherwise indicated and these groups may be substituted with groups selected from halo ( e . g ., haloalkyl ), alkyl , haloalkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , cycloalkyl , cycloalkylalkyl , aryl , arylalkyl , heterocyclo , heterocycloalkyl , hydroxyl , alkoxy ( thereby creating a polyalkoxy such as polyethylene glycol ), alkenyloxy , alkynyloxy , haloalkoxy , cycloalkoxy , cycloalkylalkyloxy , aryloxy , arylalkyloxy , heterocyclooxy , heterocyclolalkyloxy , mercapto , alkyl - s ( o ) m , haloalkyl - s ( o ) m , alkenyl - s ( o ) m , alkynyl - s ( o ) m , cycloalkyl - s ( o ) m , cycloalkylalkyl - s ( o ) m , aryl - s ( o ) m , arylalkyl - s ( o ) m , heterocyclo - s ( o ) m , heterocycloalkyl - s ( o ) m , amino , carboxy , alkylamino , alkenylamino , alkynylamino , haloalkylamino , cycloalkylamino , cycloalkylalkylamino , arylamino , arylalkylamino , heterocycloamino , heterocycloalkylamino , disubstituted - amino , acylamino , acyloxy , ester , amide , sulfonamide , urea , alkoxyacylamino , aminoacyloxy , nitro or cyano where m = 0 , 1 , 2 or 3 . “ alkenyl ” as used herein alone or as part of another group , refers to a straight or branched chain hydrocarbon containing from 1 to 10 carbon atoms ( or in loweralkenyl 1 to 4 carbon atoms ) which include 1 to 4 double bonds in the normal chain . representative examples of alkenyl include , but are not limited to , vinyl , 2 - propenyl , 3 - butenyl , 2 - butenyl , 4 - pentenyl , 3 - pentenyl , 2 - hexenyl , 3 - hexenyl , 2 , 4 - heptadiene , and the like . the term “ alkenyl ” or “ loweralkenyl ” is intended to include both substituted and unsubstituted alkenyl or loweralkenyl unless otherwise indicated and these groups may be substituted with groups as described in connection with alkyl and loweralkyl above . “ alkynyl ” as used herein alone or as part of another group , refers to a straight or branched chain hydrocarbon containing from 1 to 10 carbon atoms ( or in loweralkynyl 1 to 4 carbon atoms ) which include 1 triple bond in the normal chain . representative examples of alkynyl include , but are not limited to , 2 - propynyl , 3 - butynyl , 2 - butynyl , 4 - pentynyl , 3 - pentynyl , and the like . the term “ alkynyl ” or “ loweralkynyl ” is intended to include both substituted and unsubstituted alkynyl or loweralkynyl unless otherwise indicated and these groups may be substituted with the same groups as set forth in connection with alkyl and loweralkyl above . “ cycloalkyl ” as used herein alone or as part of another group , refers to a saturated or partially unsaturated cyclic hydrocarbon group containing from 3 , 4 or 5 to 6 , 7 or 8 carbons ( which carbons may be replaced in a heterocyclic group as discussed below ). representative examples of cycloalkyl include , cyclopropyl , cyclobutyl , cyclopentyl , cyclohexyl , cycloheptyl , and cyclooctyl . these rings may be optionally substituted with additional substituents as described herein such as halo or loweralkyl . the term “ cycloalkyl ” is generic and intended to include heterocyclic groups as discussed below unless specified otherwise . “ heterocyclic group ” or “ heterocyclo ” as used herein alone or as part of another group , refers to an aliphatic ( e . g ., fully or partially saturated heterocyclo ) or aromatic ( e . g ., heteroaryl ) monocyclic - or a bicyclic - ring system . monocyclic ring systems are exemplified by any 5 or 6 membered ring containing 1 , 2 , 3 , or 4 heteroatoms independently selected from oxygen , nitrogen and sulfur . the 5 membered ring has from 0 - 2 double bonds and the 6 membered ring has from 0 - 3 double bonds . representative examples of monocyclic ring systems include , but are not limited to , azetidine , azepine , aziridine , diazepine , 1 , 3 - dioxolane , dioxane , dithiane , furan , imidazole , imidazoline , imidazolidine , isothiazole , isothiazoline , isothiazolidine , isoxazole , isoxazoline , isoxazolidine , morpholine , oxadiazole , oxadiazoline , oxadiazolidine , oxazole , oxazoline , oxazolidine , piperazine , piperidine , pyran , pyrazine , pyrazole , pyrazoline , pyrazolidine , pyridine , pyrimidine , pyridazine , pyrrole , pyrroline , pyrrolidine , tetrahydrofuran , tetrahydrothiophene , tetrazine , tetrazole , thiadiazole , thiadiazoline , thiadiazolidine , thiazole , thiazoline , thiazolidine , thiophene , thiomorpholine , thiomorpholine sulfone , thiopyran , triazine , triazole , trithiane , and the like . bicyclic ring systems are exemplified by any of the above monocyclic ring systems fused to an aryl group as defined herein , a cycloalkyl group as defined herein , or another monocyclic ring system as defined herein . representative examples of bicyclic ring systems include but are not limited to , for example , benzimidazole , benzothiazole , benzothiadiazole , benzothiophene , benzoxadiazole , benzoxazole , benzofuran , benzopyran , benzothiopyran , benzodioxine , 1 , 3 - benzodioxole , cinnoline , indazole , indole , indoline , indolizine , naphthyridine , isobenzofuran , isobenzothiophene , isoindole , isoindoline , isoquinoline , phthalazine , purine , pyranopyridine , quinoline , quinolizine , quinoxaline , quinazoline , tetrahydroisoquinoline , tetrahydroquinoline , thiopyranopyridine , and the like . these rings include quaternized derivatives thereof and may be optionally substituted with groups selected from halo , alkyl , haloalkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , cycloalkyl , cycloalkylalkyl , aryl , arylalkyl , heterocyclo , heterocycloalkyl , hydroxyl , alkoxy , alkenyloxy , alkynyloxy , haloalkoxy , cycloalkoxy , cycloalkylalkyloxy , aryloxy , arylalkyloxy , heterocyclooxy , heterocyclolalkyloxy , mercapto , alkenyl - s ( o ) m , haloalkyl - s ( o ) m , alkenyl - s ( o ) m , alkynyl - s ( o ) m , cycloalkyl - s ( o ) m , cycloalkylalkyl - s ( o ) m , aryl - s ( o ) m , arylalkyl - s ( o ) m , heterocyclo - s ( o ) m , heterocycloalkyl - s ( o ) m , amino , alkylamino , alkenylamino , alkynylamino , haloalkylamino , cycloalkylamino , cycloalkylalkylamino , arylamino , arylalkylamino , heterocycloamino , heterocycloalkylamino , disubstituted - amino , acylamino , acyloxy , ester , amide , sulfonamide , urea , alkoxyacylamino , aminoacyloxy , nitro or cyano where m = 0 , 1 , 2 or 3 . “ aryl ” as used herein alone or as part of another group , refers to a monocyclic carbocyclic ring system or a bicyclic carbocyclic fused ring system having one or more aromatic rings . representative examples of aryl include , azulenyl , indanyl , indenyl , naphthyl , phenyl , tetrahydronaphthyl , and the like . the term “ aryl ” is intended to include both substituted and unsubstituted aryl unless otherwise indicated and these groups may be substituted with the same groups as set forth in connection with alkyl and loweralkyl above . “ arylalkyl ” as used herein alone or as part of another group , refers to an aryl group , as defined herein , appended to the parent molecular moiety through an alkyl group , as defined herein . representative examples of arylalkyl include , but are not limited to , benzyl , 2 - phenylethyl , 3 - phenylpropyl , 2 - naphth - 2 - ylethyl , and the like . “ heteroaryl ” as used herein is as described in connection with heterocyclo above . “ alkoxy ” as used herein alone or as part of another group , refers to an alkyl or loweralkyl group , as defined herein ( and thus including substituted versions such as polyalkoxy ), appended to the parent molecular moiety through an oxy group , — o —. representative examples of alkoxy include , but are not limited to , methoxy , ethoxy , propoxy , 2 - propoxy , butoxy , tert - butoxy , pentyloxy , hexyloxy and the like . “ halo ” as used herein refers to any suitable halogen , including — f , — cl , — br , and — i . “ azido ” as used herein refers to an — n 3 group . “ nitro ” as used herein refers to an — no 2 group . “ acyl ” as used herein alone or as part of another group refers to a — c ( o ) r radical , where r is any suitable substituent such as aryl , alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , cycloalkyl or other suitable substituent as described herein . “ alkylthio ” as used herein alone or as part of another group , refers to an alkyl group , as defined herein , appended to the parent molecular moiety through a thio moiety , as defined herein . representative examples of alkylthio include , but are not limited , methylthio , ethylthio , tert - butylthio , hexylthio , and the like . “ alkylamino ” as used herein alone or as part of another group means the radical — nhr , where r is an alkyl group . “ arylalkylamino ” as used herein alone or as part of another group means the radical — nhr , where r is an arylalkyl group . “ disubstituted - amino ” as used herein alone or as part of another group means the radical — nr a r b , where r a and r b are independently selected from the groups alkyl , haloalkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , cycloalkyl , cycloalkylalkyl , aryl , arylalkyl , heterocyclo , heterocycloalkyl . “ acylamino ” as used herein alone or as part of another group means the radical — nr a r b , where r a is an acyl group as defined herein and r b is selected from the groups hydrogen , alkyl , haloalkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , cycloalkyl , cycloalkylalkyl , aryl , arylalkyl , heterocyclo , heterocycloalkyl . “ acyloxy ” as used herein alone or as part of another group means the radical — or , where r is an acyl group as defined herein . “ ester ” as used herein alone or as part of another group refers to a — c ( o ) or radical , where r is any suitable substituent such as alkyl , cycloalkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl or aryl . “ amide ” as used herein alone or as part of another group refers to a — c ( o ) nr a r b radical , where r a and r b are any suitable substituent such as alkyl , cycloalkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl or aryl . “ sulfoxyl ” as used herein refers to a compound of the formula — s ( o ) r , where r is any suitable substituent such as alkyl , cycloalkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl or aryl . “ sulfonyl ” as used herein refers to a compound of the formula — s ( o )( o ) r , where r is any suitable substituent such as amino , alkyl , cycloalkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl or aryl . “ sulfonate ” as used herein refers to a compound of the formula — s ( o )( o ) or , where r is any suitable substituent such as alkyl , cycloalkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl or aryl . “ sulfonic acid ” as used herein refers to a compound of the formula — s ( o )( o ) oh . “ sulfonamide ” as used herein alone or as part of another group refers to a — s ( o ) 2 nr a r b radical , where r a and r b are any suitable substituent such as h , alkyl , cycloalkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl or aryl . “ urea ” as used herein alone or as part of another group refers to an n ( r c ) c ( o ) nr a r b radical , where r a , r b and r c are any suitable substituent such as h , alkyl , cycloalkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl or aryl . “ alkoxyacylamino ” as used herein alone or as part of another group refers to an — n ( r a ) c ( o ) or b radical , where r a , r b are any suitable substituent such as h , alkyl , cycloalkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl or aryl . “ aminoacyloxy ” as used herein alone or as part of another group refers to an — oc ( o ) nr a r b radical , where r a and r b are any suitable substituent such as h , alkyl , cycloalkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl or aryl . “ polar group ” as used herein refers to a group wherein the nuclei of the atoms covalently bound to each other to form the group do not share the electrons of the covalent bond ( s ) joining them equally ; that is the electron cloud is denser about one atom than another . this results in one end of the covalent bond ( s ) being relatively negative and the other end relatively positive ; i . e ., there is a negative pole and a positive pole . examples of polar groups include , without limitations , halo , hydroxy , alkoxy , carboxy , nitro , cyano , amino ( primary , secondary and tertiary ), amido , ureido , sulfonamido , sulfinyl , sulfhydryl , silyl , s - sulfonamido , n - sulfonamido , c - carboxy , o - carboxy , c - amido , n - amido , sulfonyl , n - tert - butoxycarbonyl ( or “ t - boc ”) groups , phosphono , morpholino , piperazinyl , tetrazolo , and the lo like . see , e . g ., u . s . pat . no . 6 , 878 , 733 , as well as alcohol , thiol , polyethylene glycol , polyol ( including sugar , aminosugar , uronic acid ), sulfonamide , carboxamide , hydrazide , n - hydroxycarboxamide , urea , metal chelates ( including macrocyclic ligand or crown ether metal chelates ). the polar group can be an ionic group . “ ionic group ” as used herein includes anionic and cationic groups , and includes groups ( sometimes referred to as “ ionogenic ” groups ) that are uncharged in one form but can be easily converted to ionic groups ( for example , by protonation or deprotonation in aqueous solution ). examples include but are not limited to carboxylate , sulfonate , phosphate , amine , n - oxide , and ammonium ( including quaternized heterocyclic amines such as imidazolium and pyridinium ) groups . see , e . g ., u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 478 , 863 ; 6 , 800 , 276 ; and 6 , 896 , 246 . additional examples include uronic acids , carboxylic acid , sulfonic acid , amine , and moieties such as guanidinium , phosphoric acid , phosphonic acid , phosphatidyl choline , phosphonium , borate , sulfate , etc . “ linking group ” as used herein are generally bivalent aromatic , aliphatic , or mixed aromatic and aliphatic groups . thus linking groups include linear or branched , substituted or unsubstituted aryl , alkyl , alkylaryl , or alkylarylalkyl linking groups , where the alkyl groups are saturated or unsaturated , and where the alkyl and aryl groups optionally containing independently selected heteroatoms such as 1 , 2 , 3 or 4 heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of n , o , and s . in some embodiments , linking groups containing from 2 to 20 carbon atoms are preferred . numerous examples of suitable linking groups are known , including but not limited to those described in , u . s . pat . nos . 8 , 247 , 572 ; 8 , 097 , 609 ; 6 , 624 , 317 ; 6 , 613 , 345 ; 6 , 596 , 935 ; and 6 , 420 , 377 , the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety . “ treat ” as used herein refers to any type of treatment that imparts a benefit to a patient afflicted with a disease , including improvement in the condition of the patient ( e . g ., in one or more symptoms ), delay in the progression of the disease , delay in onset of the disease , etc . “ pharmaceutically acceptable ” as used herein means that the compound or composition is suitable for administration to a subject to achieve the treatments described herein , without unduly deleterious side effects in light of the severity of the disease and necessity of the treatment . active compounds of the present invention may optionally be administered in conjunction with other compounds useful in the treatment of cancer . the other compounds may optionally be administered concurrently . as used herein , the word “ concurrently ” means sufficiently close in time to produce a combined effect ( that is , concurrently may be simultaneously , or it may be two or more events occurring within a short time period before or after each other ). the present invention is primarily concerned with the treatment of human subjects , but the invention may also be carried out on animal subjects , particularly mammalian subjects such as mice , rats , dogs , cats , livestock and horses for veterinary purposes , and for drug screening and drug development purposes . subjects may be of any age , including infant , juvenile , adolescent , adult , and geriatric subjects . as noted above , the present invention provides active compounds of formula i , ia , or ib : one of the dashed lines is a single bond ( between a ring carbon atom and a ring nitrogen atom ) and the other of the dashed lines is a double bond ( between two ring carbon atoms ); r 2 is — r 5 r 6 , where r 5 is a covalent bond or c1 to c3 alkyl and r 6 is cycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl or alkyl , and wherein r 6 is optionally substituted from one to two times with independently selected polar groups ; r 3 is — nr 7 r 8 , where r 7 and r 8 are each independently selected from h , alkyl , arylalkyl ; cycloalkylalkyl , heterocycloalkylalkyl , heteroaryalkyl , and alkoxyalkyl , each of which is optionally substituted one , two or three times with independently selected polar groups ; and in some embodiments of the foregoing , r 1 is phenyl or pyridyl , which phenyl or pyridyl is unsubstituted or substituted from 1 to 3 times with halo , amino , nitro , alkyl , alkoxyl , haloalkyl , cycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aryl , or heteroaryl . in some embodiments of the foregoing r 5 is — ch 2 —. in some embodiments of the foregoing , r 8 is c1 - c8 alkyl , c3 - c8 cycloalkyl , or c1 - c8 alkyl aryl . in some embodiments of the foregoing , r 6 is cyclohexyl . in some embodiments of the foregoing , r 6 is substituted once with amino . in some embodiments of the foregoing , r 7 is h . in some embodiments of the foregoing , r 8 is loweralkyl . in some embodiments of the foregoing , r 4 is h . particular examples of compounds of the present invention include but are not limited to those set forth in table 1 and example 2 below . active compounds may be provided as pharmaceutically acceptable prodrugs , which are those prodrugs of the active compounds of the present invention which are , within the scope of sound medical judgment , suitable for use in contact with the tissues of humans and lower animals without undue toxicity , irritation , allergic response and the like , commensurate with a reasonable risk / benefit ratio , and effective for their intended use , as well as the zwitterionic forms , where possible , of the compounds of the invention . the term “ prodrug ” refers to compounds that are rapidly transformed in vivo to yield the parent compound of the above formulae , for example , by hydrolysis in blood . a thorough discussion is provided in t . higuchi and v . stella , prodrugs as novel delivery systems , vol . 14 of the a . c . s . symposium series and in edward b . roche , ed ., bioreversible carriers in drug design , american pharmaceutical association and pergamon press , 1987 , both of which are incorporated by reference herein . see also u . s . pat . no . 6 , 680 , 299 examples include a prodrug that is metabolized in vivo by a subject to an active drug having an activity of active compounds as described herein , wherein the prodrug is an ester of an alcohol or carboxylic acid group , if such a group is present in the compound ; an acetal or ketal of an alcohol group , if such a group is present in the compound ; an n - mannich base or an imine of an amine group , if such a group is present in the compound ; or a schiff base , oxime , acetal , enol ester , oxazolidine , or thiazolidine of a carbonyl group , if such a group is present in the compound , such as described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 680 , 324 and u . s . pat . no . 6 , 680 , 322 . the active compounds disclosed herein can , as noted above , be provided in the form of their pharmaceutically acceptable salts . pharmaceutically acceptable salts are salts that retain the desired biological activity of the parent compound and do not impart undesired toxicological effects . examples of such salts are ( a ) acid addition salts formed with inorganic acids , for example hydrochloric acid , hydrobromic acid , sulfuric acid , phosphoric acid , nitric acid and the like ; and salts formed with organic acids such as , for example , acetic acid , oxalic acid , tartaric acid , succinic acid , maleic acid , fumaric acid , gluconic acid , citric acid , malic acid , ascorbic acid , benzoic acid , tannic acid , palmitic acid , alginic acid , polyglutamic acid , naphthalenesulfonic acid , methanesulfonic acid , p - toluenesulfonic acid , naphthalenedisulfonic acid , polygalacturonic acid , and the like ; ( b ) salts formed from elemental anions such as chlorine , bromine , and iodine , and ( c ) salts derived from bases , such as ammonium salts , alkali metal salts such as those of sodium and potassium , alkaline earth metal salts such as those of calcium and magnesium , and salts with organic bases such as dicyclohexylamine and n - methyl - d - glucamine . active compounds as described herein can be prepared in accordance with known procedures , or variations thereof that will be apparent to those skilled in the art . the active compounds described above may be formulated for administration in a pharmaceutical carrier in accordance with known techniques . see , e . g ., remington , the science and practice of pharmacy ( 9 th ed . 1995 ). in the manufacture of a pharmaceutical formulation according to the invention , the active compound ( including the physiologically acceptable salts thereof ) is typically admixed with , inter alia , an acceptable carrier . the carrier must , of course , be acceptable in the sense of being compatible with any other ingredients in the formulation and must not be deleterious to the patient . the carrier may be a solid or a liquid , or both , and is preferably formulated with the compound as a unit - dose formulation , for example , a tablet , which may contain from 0 . 01 or 0 . 5 % to 95 % or 99 % by weight of the active compound . one or more active compounds may be incorporated in the formulations of the invention , which may be prepared by any of the well known techniques of pharmacy comprising admixing the components , optionally including one or more accessory ingredients . the formulations of the invention include those suitable for oral , rectal , topical , buccal ( e . g ., sub - lingual ), vaginal , parenteral ( e . g ., subcutaneous , intramuscular , intradermal , or intravenous ), topical ( i . e ., both skin and mucosal surfaces , including airway surfaces ), transdermal administration , and intraventricular injection ( injection into a ventricle of the brain , e . g ., by an implanted catheter or omman reservoir , such as in the case of morbid obesity ) and although the most suitable route in any given case will depend on the nature and severity of the condition being treated and on the nature of the particular active compound which is being used . formulations suitable for oral administration may be presented in discrete units , such as capsules , cachets , lozenges , or tablets , each containing a predetermined amount of the active compound ; as a powder or granules ; as a solution or a suspension in an aqueous or non - aqueous liquid ; or as an oil - in - water or water - in - oil emulsion . such formulations may be prepared by any suitable method of pharmacy which includes the step of bringing into association the active compound and a suitable carrier ( which may contain one or more accessory ingredients as noted above ). in general , the formulations of the invention are prepared by uniformly and intimately admixing the active compound with a liquid or finely divided solid carrier , or both , and then , if necessary , shaping the resulting mixture . for example , a tablet may be prepared by compressing or molding a powder or granules containing the active compound , optionally with one or more accessory ingredients . compressed tablets may be prepared by compressing , in a suitable machine , the compound in a free - flowing form , such as a powder or granules optionally mixed with a binder , lubricant , inert diluent , and / or surface active / dispersing agent ( s ). molded tablets may be made by molding , in a suitable machine , the powdered compound moistened with an inert liquid binder . formulations suitable for buccal ( sub - lingual ) administration include lozenges comprising the active compound in a flavoured base , usually sucrose and acacia or tragacanth ; and pastilles comprising the compound in an inert base such as gelatin and glycerin or sucrose and acacia . formulations of the present invention suitable for parenteral administration comprise sterile aqueous and non - aqueous injection solutions of the active compound , which preparations are preferably isotonic with the blood of the intended recipient . these preparations may contain anti - oxidants , buffers , bacteriostats and solutes which render the formulation isotonic with the blood of the intended recipient . aqueous and non - aqueous sterile suspensions may include suspending agents and thickening agents . the formulations may be presented in unit \ dose or multi - dose containers , for example sealed ampoules and vials , and may be stored in a freeze - dried ( lyophilized ) condition requiring only the addition of the sterile liquid carrier , for example , saline or water - for - injection immediately prior to use . extemporaneous injection solutions and suspensions may be prepared from sterile powders , granules and tablets of the kind previously described . for example , in one aspect of the present invention , there is provided an injectable , stable , sterile composition comprising a compound of formula ( i ), or a salt thereof , in a unit dosage form in a sealed container . the compound or salt is provided in the form of a lyophilizate which is capable of being reconstituted with a suitable pharmaceutically acceptable carrier to form a liquid composition suitable for injection thereof into a subject . the unit dosage form typically comprises from about 10 mg to about 10 grams of the compound or salt . when the compound or salt is substantially water - insoluble , a sufficient amount of emulsifying agent which is physiologically acceptable may be employed in sufficient quantity to emulsify the compound or salt in an aqueous carrier . one such useful emulsifying agent is phosphatidyl choline . formulations suitable for rectal administration are preferably presented as unit dose suppositories . these may be prepared by admixing the active compound with one or more conventional solid carriers , for example , cocoa butter , and then shaping the resulting mixture . formulations suitable for topical application to the skin preferably take the form of an ointment , cream , lotion , paste , gel , spray , aerosol , or oil . carriers which may be used include petroleum jelly , lanoline , polyethylene glycols , alcohols , transdermal enhancers , and combinations of two or more thereof . formulations suitable for transdermal administration may be presented as discrete patches adapted to remain in intimate contact with the epidermis of the recipient for a prolonged period of time . formulations suitable for transdermal administration may also be delivered by iontophoresis ( see , for example , pharmaceutical research 3 ( 6 ): 318 ( 1986 )) and typically take the form of an optionally buffered aqueous solution of the active compound . suitable formulations comprise citrate or bis \ tris buffer ( ph 6 ) or ethanol / water and contain from 0 . 1 to 0 . 2m active ingredient . further , the present invention provides liposomal formulations of the compounds disclosed herein and salts thereof . the technology for forming liposomal suspensions is well known in the art . when the compound or salt thereof is an aqueous - soluble salt , using conventional liposome technology , the same may be incorporated into lipid vesicles . in such an instance , due to the water solubility of the compound or salt , the compound or salt will be substantially entrained within the hydrophilic center or core of the liposomes . the lipid layer employed may be of any conventional composition and may either contain cholesterol or may be cholesterol - free . when the compound or salt of interest is water - insoluble , again employing conventional liposome formation technology , the salt may be substantially entrained within the hydrophobic lipid bilayer which forms the structure of the liposome . in either instance , the liposomes which are produced may be reduced in size , as through the use of standard sonication and homogenization techniques . of course , the liposomal formulations containing the compounds disclosed herein or salts thereof , may be lyophilized to produce a lyophilizate which may be reconstituted with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier , such as water , to regenerate a liposomal suspension . other pharmaceutical compositions may be prepared from the water - insoluble compounds disclosed herein , or salts thereof , such as aqueous base emulsions . in such an instance , the composition will contain a sufficient amount of pharmaceutically acceptable emulsifying agent to emulsify the desired amount of the compound or salt thereof . particularly useful emulsifying agents include phosphatidyl cholines , and lecithin . in addition to compounds of formula ( i ) or their salts , the pharmaceutical compositions may contain other additives , such as ph - adjusting additives . in particular , useful ph - adjusting agents include acids , such as hydrochloric acid , bases or buffers , such as sodium lactate , sodium acetate , sodium phosphate , sodium citrate , sodium borate , or sodium gluconate . further , the compositions may contain microbial preservatives . useful microbial preservatives include methylparaben , propylparaben , and benzyl alcohol . the microbial preservative is typically employed when the formulation is placed in a vial designed for multidose use . of course , as indicated , the pharmaceutical compositions of the present invention may be lyophilized using techniques well known in the art . as noted above , the present invention provides pharmaceutical formulations comprising the active compounds ( including the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof ), in pharmaceutically acceptable carriers for oral , rectal , topical , buccal , parenteral , intramuscular , intradermal , or intravenous , and transdermal administration . the therapeutically effective dosage of any specific compound , the use of which is in the scope of present invention , will vary somewhat from compound to compound , and patient to patient , and will depend upon the condition of the patient and the route of delivery . as a general proposition , a dosage from about 0 . 1 to about 50 mg / kg will have therapeutic efficacy , with all weights being calculated based upon the weight of the active compound , including the cases where a salt is employed . toxicity concerns at the higher level may restrict intravenous dosages to a lower level such as up to about 10 mg / kg , with all weights being calculated based upon the weight of the active base , including the cases where a salt is employed . a dosage from about 10 mg / kg to about 50 mg / kg may be employed for oral administration . in some embodiments , a dosage from about 0 . 5 mg / kg to 5 mg / kg may be employed for intramuscular injection . in some embodiments , dosages are 1 μmol / kg to 50 μmol / kg , and more preferably 22 μmol / kg and 33 μmol / kg of the compound for intravenous or oral administration . the duration of the treatment can be once per day for a period of two to three weeks or until the condition is essentially controlled . as noted above , the active compounds described herein are useful for the treatment of cancer . example cancers that may be treated by the compounds and methods of the invention include , but are not limited to , myeloid leukemia , lymphoblastic leukemia , melanoma , breast , lung , colon , liver , gastric , kidney , ovarian , uterine , and brain cancer . the present invention is explained in greater detail in the following non - limiting examples . a 10 ml microwave tube was charged with 5 - bromo - 2 - chloro - 7h - pyrrolo [ 2 , 3 - d ] pyrimidine ( 0 . 23 g , 1 . 0 mmol ), tert - butyl trans - 4 -( iodomethyl ) cyclohexylcarbamate ( 0 . 51 g , 1 . 5 mmol ), k 2 co 3 ( 0 . 28 g , 2 . 0 mmol ), dmso ( 1 . 5 ml ) and thf ( 3 ml ). the mixture was heated at 150 ° c . for 100 min in microwave . after the reaction mixture was cooled to ambient temperature , n - butylamine ( 0 . 18 g , 2 . 5 mmol ) was added . the mixture was heated at 150 ° c . for 90 min in microwave . after cooling to ambient temperature , the reaction was poured into water and extracted with etoac ( 3 ×). the combined organic layer was dried ( na 2 so 4 ) and concentrated . the crude mixture was purified by isco to provide tert - butyl trans - 4 -(( 5 - bromo - 2 -( butylamino )- 7h - pyrrolo [ 2 , 3 - d ] pyrimidin - 7 - yl ) methyl ) cyclohexylcarbamate ( 0 . 35 g , 73 %) as a white solid . ms m / z 480 . 2 [ m + h ] + . a 10 ml microwave tube was charged with tert - butyl trans - 4 -(( 5 - bromo - 2 -( butylamino )- 7h - pyrrolo [ 2 , 3 - d ] pyrimidin - 7 - yl ) methyl ) cyclohexylcarbamate ( 0 . 096 g , 0 . 20 mmol ), 4 - fluorophenylboronic acid ( 0 . 042 g , 0 . 30 mmol ), potassium carbonate ( 0 . 055 g , 0 . 40 mmol ), tetrakis ( triphenylphosphine ) palladium ( 0 . 024 g , 0 . 020 mmol ), dioxane ( 2 ml ) and water ( 0 . 50 ml ). the reaction was heat at 120 ° c . for 10 min in microwave . the reaction was diluted with etoac and washed with water . the aqueous layer was extracted with etoac ( 3 ×). the combined organic layers were dried ( na 2 so 4 ), concentrated , and purified by isco to provide tert - butyl trans - 4 -(( 2 -( butylamino )- 5 -( 4 - fluorophenyl )- 7h - pyrrolo [ 2 , 3 - d ] pyrimidin - 7 - yl ) methyl ) cyclohexylcarbamate . this intermediate was dissolved in ch 2 cl 2 ( 2 ml ). trifluoroacetic acid ( 0 . 6 ml ) was added at ambient temperature . after stirring for 2 h , the solvent was evaporated . the residue was purified by preparative hplc to provide 7 -(( trans - 4 - aminocyclohexyl ) methyl )- n - butyl - 5 -( 4 - fluorophenyl )- 7h - pyrrolo [ 2 , 3 - d ] pyrimidin - 2 - amine ( unc1537a ) as a yellow solid ( tfa salt ) ( unc1537a ) ( 0 . 032 g , 41 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 76 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 67 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 67 - 7 . 61 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 21 ( t , j = 8 . 5 hz , 2h ), 4 . 10 ( d , j = 7 . 0 hz , 2h ), 3 . 54 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 3 . 16 - 3 . 01 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 07 ( d , j = 10 . 3 hz , 2h ), 2 . 04 - 1 . 92 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 85 ( d , j = 12 . 2 hz , 2h ), 1 . 76 - 1 . 65 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 54 - 1 . 44 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 44 - 1 . 34 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 34 - 1 . 20 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 01 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 396 . 3 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 73 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 59 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 56 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 7 . 16 - 7 . 07 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 09 ( d , j = 7 . 0 hz , 2h ), 3 . 92 - 3 . 83 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 54 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 3 . 28 - 3 . 21 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 14 - 3 . 02 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 07 ( d , j = 10 . 0 hz , 2h ), 2 . 03 - 1 . 92 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 84 ( d , j = 11 . 9 hz , 2h ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 65 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 55 - 1 . 44 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 44 - 1 . 34 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 34 - 1 . 21 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 01 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 463 . 3 [ m + 1 ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 74 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 60 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 58 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 13 ( d , j = 8 . 8 hz , 2h ), 4 . 09 ( d , j = 7 . 0 hz , 2h ), 3 . 54 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 3 . 51 - 3 . 44 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 43 - 3 . 37 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 13 - 3 . 02 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 07 ( d , j = 9 . 9 hz , 2h ), 2 . 03 - 1 . 94 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 84 ( d , j = 12 . 3 hz , 2h ), 1 . 76 - 1 . 65 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 54 - 1 . 44 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 44 - 1 . 34 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 34 - 1 . 20 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 01 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 462 . 3 [ m + 1 ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 90 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 98 - 7 . 85 ( m , 5h ), 4 . 14 ( d , j = 7 . 0 hz , 2h ), 4 . 08 - 3 . 72 ( bs , 2h ), 3 . 69 - 3 . 42 ( bs , 2h ), 3 . 56 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 3 . 31 - 3 . 15 ( bs , 2h ), 3 . 15 - 3 . 01 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 90 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 89 - 2 . 59 ( bs , 2h ), 2 . 08 ( d , j = 10 . 0 hz , 2h ), 2 . 04 - 1 . 94 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 85 ( d , j = 12 . 0 hz , 2h ), 1 . 77 - 1 . 66 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 55 - 1 . 45 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 45 - 1 . 35 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 35 - 1 . 21 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 02 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 540 . 3 [ m + 1 ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 86 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 98 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 2h ), 7 . 86 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 83 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 2h ), 4 . 12 ( d , j = 7 . 0 hz , 2h ), 3 . 54 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 3 . 16 - 3 . 01 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 08 ( d , j = 10 . 3 hz , 2h ), 2 . 04 - 1 . 93 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 85 ( d , j = 12 . 0 hz , 2h ), 1 . 77 - 1 . 65 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 55 - 1 . 44 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 43 - 1 . 34 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 34 - 1 . 20 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 01 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 457 . 3 [ m + 1 ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 92 ( s , 1h ), 7 , 98 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 83 ( t , j = 7 . 9 hz , 1h ), 7 . 68 - 7 . 65 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 64 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 12 ( d , j = 7 . 0 hz , 2h ), 3 . 76 - 3 . 65 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 55 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 3 . 20 - 3 . 11 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 11 - 3 . 02 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 07 ( d , j = 10 . 5 hz , 2h ), 2 . 04 - 1 . 94 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 86 ( d , j = 11 . 9 hz , 2h ), 1 . 76 - 1 . 65 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 55 - 1 . 44 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 44 - 1 . 35 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 34 - 1 . 21 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 01 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 545 . 3 [ m + 1 ] + . mer ic50 : ++++ means & lt ; 10 nm ; +++ means between 10 - 100 nm , ++ means between 100 nm - 1 μm ; + means between 1 - 30 μm ; − means inactive .) to a suspension of 5 - bromo - 2 - chloro - 7h - pyrrolo [ 2 , 3 - d ] pyrimidine ( 0 . 13 g , 0 . 50 mmol ) and cis - 4 -( tert - butyldimethylsilyloxy ) cyclohexanol ( 0 . 23 g , 1 . 0 mmol ) in toluene ( 8 ml ) was added ( cyanomethylene ) trimethylphosphorane ( cmmp ; prepared according to chem . pharm . bull . 2003 , 51 ( 4 ), 474 - 476 .) ( 6 . 3 ml , 0 . 16 m in thf , 1 . 0 mmol ). the resulting clear solution was refluxed for 16 h . the reaction mixture was washed with brine , and extracted with etoac ( 3 ×). the combined organic layer was dried ( na 2 so 4 ) and concentrated . the residue was purified on isco to provide the desired product ( 0 . 16 g , 72 %). 1h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 71 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 27 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 70 ( tt , j = 12 . 2 , 3 . 9 hz , 1h ), 3 . 69 ( tt , j = 10 . 5 , 4 . 2 hz , 1h ), 2 . 09 - 1 . 99 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 86 - 1 . 71 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 66 - 1 . 54 ( m , 3h ), 0 . 90 ( s , 9h ), 0 . 08 ( s , 6h ). ms m / z 444 . 2 [ m + h ] + . to a solution of 5 - bromo - 7 -( trans - 4 -( tert - butyldimethylsilyloxy ) cyclohexyl )- 2 - chloro - 7h - pyrrolo [ 2 , 3 - d ] pyrimidine ( 0 . 082 g , 0 . 18 mmol ) in isopropyl alcohol ( 2 . 0 ml ) was added n - butylamine ( 0 . 033 g , 0 . 45 mmol ) in a microwave tube . the resulting mixture was heated under microwave irradiation at 150 ° c . for 1 . 5 h . after the reaction cooled to room temperature , the solvent and excess amine was evaporated under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in thf and concentrated under vacuum ( 3 ×). then it was dissolved in thf ( 2 . 0 ml ) in a microwave tube . to this solution was added k 2 co 3 ( 0 . 050 g , 0 . 36 mmol ), pd ( pph 3 ) 4 ( 0 . 021 g , 0 . 018 mmol ), ( 4 - fluorophenyl ) boronic acid ( 0 . 038 g , 0 . 27 mmol ), and h 2 o ( 0 . 5 ml ). the resulting mixture was heated under microwave irradiation at 150 ° c . for 10 min . after cooled to room temperature , it was washed with brine and extracted with etoac ( 5 ×). the combined organic layer was dried ( na 2 so 4 ) and concentrated . the residue was filtered through a short column of silica gel to provide n - butyl - 7 -( trans - 4 -(( tert - butyldimethylsilyl ) oxy ) cyclohexyl )- 5 -( 4 - fluorophenyl )- 7h - pyrrolo [ 2 , 3 - d ] pyrimidin - 2 - amine which was used for next step without further purification . a solution of crude n - butyl - 7 -( trans - 4 -(( tert - butyldimethylsilyl ) oxy ) cyclohexyl )- 5 -( 4 - fluorophenyl )- 7h - pyrrolo [ 2 , 3 - d ] pyrimidin - 2 - amine in meoh ( 2 . 0 ml ) was added a concentrated hcl solution ( 3 drops , 37 % in water ). the resulting solution was stirred at room temperature overnight , then concentrated . the residue was purified by pre - hplc to provide the desired product ( unc1671a ) ( 0 . 025 g , 36 % over 3 steps ). 1h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 73 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 80 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 69 - 7 . 62 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 24 - 7 . 16 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 64 - 4 . 52 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 79 - 3 . 67 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 55 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 2 . 18 - 2 . 11 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 11 - 2 . 01 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 77 - 1 . 66 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 59 - 1 . 44 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 03 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 383 . 2 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 75 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 81 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 71 - 7 . 62 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 25 - 7 . 16 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 72 - 4 . 60 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 55 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 2 . 30 - 2 . 22 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 23 - 2 . 03 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 79 - 1 . 63 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 55 - 1 . 44 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 02 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 382 . 25 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 92 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 13 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 94 - 7 . 84 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 78 - 7 . 64 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 66 ( dq , j = 9 . 8 , 4 . 6 hz , 1h ), 3 . 75 - 3 . 68 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 56 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 3 . 35 - 3 . 26 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 19 - 3 . 12 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 31 - 2 . 10 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 84 - 1 . 60 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 57 - 1 . 40 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 02 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 531 . 30 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 89 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 07 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 97 - 7 . 89 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 85 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 2h ), 4 . 73 - 4 . 64 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 74 - 3 . 70 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 56 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 3 . 35 - 3 . 26 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 03 - 2 . 97 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 36 - 2 . 08 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 81 - 1 . 64 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 57 - 1 . 41 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 03 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 513 . 30 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 83 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 96 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 80 ( d , j = 8 . 3 hz , 2h ), 7 . 74 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 2h ), 4 . 66 - 4 . 56 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 53 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 91 - 3 . 58 ( m , 9h ), 3 . 55 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 3 . 02 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 19 - 2 . 11 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 11 - 1 . 99 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 78 - 1 . 66 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 58 - 1 . 41 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 02 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); 13 c nmr ( 101 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 154 . 6 , 151 . 1 , 138 . 7 , 134 . 0 , 132 . 1 , 127 . 2 , 127 . 0 , 116 . 7 , 110 . 0 , 109 . 9 , 68 . 5 , 53 . 9 , 50 . 0 , 40 . 9 , 33 . 7 , 30 . 6 , 29 . 5 , 19 . 6 , 12 . 7 ; ms m / z 477 . 35 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 85 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 02 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 94 - 7 . 84 ( m , 4h ), 4 . 65 - 4 . 55 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 98 ( dd , j = 11 . 5 , 3 . 9 hz , 2h ), 3 . 78 - 3 . 67 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 54 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 3 . 43 - 3 . 26 ( m , 5h ), 2 . 20 - 2 . 00 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 84 ( d , j = 10 . 7 hz , 2h ), 1 . 77 - 1 . 64 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 59 - 1 . 42 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 02 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 513 . 30 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 86 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 07 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 01 - 7 . 95 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 95 - 7 . 88 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 68 - 4 . 57 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 77 - 3 . 67 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 56 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 2 . 20 - 1 . 97 ( m , 8h ), 1 . 95 - 1 . 85 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 79 - 1 . 62 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 58 - 1 . 43 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 07 - 0 . 98 ( m , 3h ); ms m / z 497 . 30 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 85 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 04 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 92 - 7 . 86 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 86 - 7 . 80 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 66 - 4 . 57 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 77 - 3 . 68 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 56 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 3 . 06 - 2 . 94 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 19 - 1 . 98 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 78 - 1 . 68 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 68 - 1 . 60 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 59 - 1 . 38 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 03 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 512 . 30 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 76 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 87 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 63 - 7 . 55 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 48 - 7 . 42 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 32 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 65 - 4 . 52 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 76 - 3 . 66 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 55 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 2 . 19 - 1 . 98 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 66 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 59 - 1 . 44 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 02 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 401 . 20 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 85 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 04 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 93 - 7 . 85 ( m , 4h ), 4 . 67 - 4 . 52 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 78 - 3 . 64 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 55 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h ), 3 . 26 - 3 . 19 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 21 - 1 . 95 ( m , 10h ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 68 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 57 - 1 . 44 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 03 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 548 . 25 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 62 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 64 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 57 - 7 . 48 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 13 - 7 . 03 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 59 - 4 . 44 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 54 - 3 . 45 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 20 - 3 . 11 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 20 - 1 . 92 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 64 - 1 . 40 ( m , 4h ), 0 . 75 - 0 . 61 ( m , 1h ), 0 . 44 - 0 . 32 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 07 0 . 08 ( m , 2h ); ms m / z 394 . 25 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 75 ( d , j = 4 . 9 hz , 1h ), 7 . 77 ( d , j = 1 . 4 hz , 1h ), 7 . 70 - 7 . 59 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 26 - 7 . 14 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 70 - 4 . 61 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 48 ( t , j = 6 . 3 hz , 2h ), 3 . 69 - 3 . 54 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 29 - 2 . 10 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 94 - 1 . 63 ( m , 6h ); ms m / z 398 . 30 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 71 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 80 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 51 ( ddd , j = 11 . 7 , 7 . 6 , 2 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 41 - 7 . 35 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 32 - 7 . 24 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 61 - 4 . 52 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 46 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 3 . 26 - 3 . 18 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 22 - 2 . 14 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 13 - 1 . 98 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 68 - 1 . 54 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 46 - 1 . 34 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 93 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 400 . 30 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 81 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 95 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 83 - 7 . 77 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 69 - 7 . 63 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 66 - 4 . 57 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 41 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 05 ( d , j = 12 . 7 hz , 2h ), 3 . 84 - 3 . 69 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 55 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 3 . 44 - 3 . 36 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 28 - 3 . 18 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 18 - 2 . 11 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 11 - 2 . 01 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 77 - 1 . 68 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 57 - 1 . 44 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 03 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 464 . 30 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 81 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 95 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 82 - 7 . 76 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 75 - 7 . 69 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 65 - 4 . 57 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 48 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 77 - 3 . 69 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 66 - 3 . 50 ( m , 10h ), 2 . 20 - 2 . 03 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 77 - 1 . 67 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 58 - 1 . 45 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 03 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 463 . 30 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 87 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 09 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 00 - 7 . 92 ( m , 4h ), 4 . 66 - 4 . 58 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 22 ( t , j = 12 . 3hz , 4h ), 3 . 76 - 3 . 69 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 56 ( t , . j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 2 . 21 - 2 . 00 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 76 - 1 . 68 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 60 - 1 . 45 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 03 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 520 . 20 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd3od ) δ 8 . 83 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 96 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 80 ( d , j = 8 . 1 hz , 2h ), 7 . 70 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 2h ), 4 . 66 - 4 . 55 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 92 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 80 - 3 . 62 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 56 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h ), 3 . 24 - 2 . 97 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 26 - 1 . 94 ( m , 7h ), 1 . 78 - 1 . 65 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 59 - 1 . 44 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 32 ( t , j = 6 . 4 hz , 2h ), 1 . 03 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 490 . 30 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd3od ) δ 8 . 59 ( d , j = 1 . 4 hz , 1h ), 7 . 85 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 81 ( d , j = 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 7 . 57 - 7 . 52 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 54 - 4 . 42 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 94 - 3 . 68 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 69 - 3 . 53 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 54 - 3 . 48 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 46 - 3 . 29 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 14 - 3 . 00 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 77 ( s , 5h ), 2 . 08 - 1 . 86 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 49 ( dd , j = 14 . 3 , 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 1 . 46 - 1 . 33 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 73 - 0 . 63 ( m , 1h ), 0 . 41 - 0 . 34 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 02 ( dd , j = 4 . 8 , 1 . 2 hz , 2h ); ms m / z 557 . 30 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd3od ) δ 8 . 60 ( d , j = 1 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 85 ( d , j = 0 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 81 - 7 . 75 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 53 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 52 - 7 . 49 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 55 - 4 . 41 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 83 ( s , 1h ), 3 . 63 - 3 . 54 ( m , 5h ), 3 . 54 - 3 . 46 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 20 ( s , 1h ), 2 . 91 - 2 . 84 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 06 - 1 . 85 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 53 - 1 . 34 ( m , 4h ), 0 . 73 - 0 . 64 ( m , 1h ), 0 . 42 - 0 . 34 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 02 ( d , j = 4 . 9 hz , 2h ); ms m / z 544 . 30 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd3od ) δ 8 . 67 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 79 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 67 - 7 . 60 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 52 - 7 . 46 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 52 - 4 . 42 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 26 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 97 - 3 . 85 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 71 - 3 . 55 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 54 - 3 . 45 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 33 - 3 . 20 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 14 - 3 . 01 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 06 - 1 . 98 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 97 - 1 . 84 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 53 - 1 . 45 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 45 - 1 . 33 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 74 - 0 . 62 ( m , 1h ), 0 . 42 - 0 . 33 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 06 - 0 . 03 ( m , 2h ); ms m / z 476 . 30 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd3od ) δ 8 . 58 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 47 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 2h ), 7 . 28 - 7 . 21 ( m , 3h ), 4 . 48 - 4 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 66 - 3 . 53 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 47 - 3 . 37 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 53 - 2 . 29 ( m , 6h ), 2 . 19 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 06 - 1 . 97 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 96 - 1 . 81 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 50 - 1 . 34 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 23 - 1 . 09 ( m , 1h ), 0 . 90 - 0 . 63 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 42 - 0 . 34 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 06 - 0 . 03 ( m , 2h ); ms m / z 489 . 40 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd3od ) δ 8 . 80 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 93 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 81 - 7 . 74 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 62 ( d , j = 8 . 3 hz , 2h ), 4 . 68 - 4 . 56 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 40 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 11 - 3 . 95 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 83 - 3 . 68 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 68 - 3 . 54 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 50 - 3 . 35 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 29 - 3 . 16 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 20 - 1 . 99 ( m , 7h ), 1 . 88 - 1 . 76 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 74 - 1 . 63 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 60 - 1 . 45 ( m , 2h ); ms m / z 480 . 30 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd3od ) δ 8 . 77 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 88 ( d , j = 4 . 2 hz , 1h ), 7 . 71 ( d , j = 8 . 3 hz , 2h ), 7 . 56 ( d , j = 8 . 3 hz , 2h ), 4 . 65 - 4 . 56 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 16 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 79 - 3 . 67 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 67 - 3 . 62 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 62 - 3 . 55 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 50 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 29 - 3 . 24 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 93 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 26 - 1 . 91 ( m , 7h ), 1 . 86 - 1 . 73 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 73 - 1 . 63 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 60 - 1 . 46 ( m , 2h ); ms m / z 493 . 40 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 92 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 14 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 88 ( t , j = 6 . 6 hz , 1h ), 7 . 76 - 7 . 63 ( m , j = 10 . 8 hz , 2h ), 4 . 68 - 4 . 55 ( d , j = 10 . 7 hz , 1h ), 3 . 80 - 3 . 68 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 61 - 3 . 49 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 36 ( bs , 4h ), 3 . 09 ( bs , 4h ), 2 . 21 - 1 . 99 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 79 - 1 . 67 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 59 - 1 . 45 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 03 ( t , j = 7 . 3 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 613 . 3 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 91 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 14 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 90 ( t , j = 8 . 0 hz , 1h ), 7 . 77 - 7 . 68 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 66 ( tt , j = 12 . 0 , 3 . 7 hz , 1h ), 4 . 09 ( bs , 1h ), 3 . 57 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 3 . 40 ( q , j = 9 . 6 hz , 2h ), 3 . 34 - 3 . 31 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 03 - 2 . 92 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 42 - 2 . 26 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 01 ( d , j = 14 . 9 hz , 2h ), 1 . 91 - 1 . 67 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 49 ( dq , j = 14 . 5 , 7 . 3 hz , 2h ), 1 . 02 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 613 . 2 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 9 . 23 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 03 ( dd , j = 8 . 7 , 5 . 3 hz , 2h ), 7 . 30 ( t , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 4 . 27 ( d , j = 6 . 5 hz , 2h ), 3 . 86 - 3 . 51 ( m , 9h ), 3 . 46 - 3 . 35 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 27 ( d , j = 11 . 0 hz , 2h ), 2 . 14 ( bs , 1h ), 1 . 98 ( d , j = 12 . 8 hz , 2h ), 1 . 76 - 1 . 68 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 41 - 1 . 60 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 54 - 1 . 42 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 41 - 1 . 30 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 02 ( t , j = 7 . 3 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 514 . 3 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 91 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 10 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 95 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 2h ), 7 . 89 ( d , j = 8 . 5 hz , 2h ), 4 . 68 - 4 . 56 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 95 ( bs , 2h ), 3 . 79 - 3 . 68 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 66 - 3 . 50 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 30 - 3 . 14 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 90 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 83 ( bs , 2h ), 2 . 21 - 2 . 03 ( m , 6h ), 1 , 78 - 1 . 67 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 61 - 1 . 43 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 03 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 527 . 3 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 78 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 85 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 48 ( t , j = 2 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 45 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 28 ( t , j = 8 . 5 hz , 1h ), 4 . 64 - 4 . 53 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 94 - 3 . 87 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 78 - 3 . 68 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 55 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 3 . 27 - 3 . 21 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 19 - 2 . 10 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 10 - 2 . 02 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 77 - 1 . 67 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 58 - 1 . 44 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 03 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ). ; ms m / z 468 . 3 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 94 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 16 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 95 - 7 . 86 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 77 - 7 . 68 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 67 - 4 . 55 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 13 - 3 . 92 ( bs , 2h ), 3 . 78 - 3 . 68 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 68 - 3 . 49 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 30 - 3 . 19 ( bs , 2h ), 3 . 18 - 3 . 02 ( bs , 2h ), 2 . 93 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 21 - 2 . 01 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 78 - 1 . 66 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 60 - 1 . 43 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 03 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ). ; ms m / z 545 . 3 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 91 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 13 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 91 - 7 . 83 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 73 - 7 . 64 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 66 - 4 . 57 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 79 - 3 . 67 ( m , 5h ), 3 . 56 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 3 . 19 - 3 . 11 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 20 - 2 . 01 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 78 - 1 . 68 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 60 - 1 . 44 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 03 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ). ; ms m / z 532 . 2 [ m + h ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 63 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 88 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 71 ( d , j = 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 63 ( d , j = 8 hz , 2h ), 4 . 53 - 4 . 38 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 38 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 72 - 3 . 56 ( m , 8h ), 3 . 50 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 92 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 06 - 1 . 97 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 67 - 1 . 63 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 42 - 1 . 34 ( m , 5h ), 0 . 93 ( t , j = 8 hz , 3h ). ms m / z 491 . 0 [ m + h ] + . mer ic50 : ++++ means & lt ; 10 nm ; +++ means between 10 - 100 nm , ++ means between 100 nm - 1 μm ; + means between 1 - 30 μm ; − means inactive .) a suspension of 2 - chloro - 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidine ( 0 . 62 g , 4 mmol ) in 5 ml iproh was added nbunh 2 ( 2 . 5 ml , 25 . 3 mmol ) and followed by hcl ( 2 . 0 ml , 4 . 0 m in dioxanes , 8 mmol ). the resulting solution was heated at 170 ° c . for 1 h under microwave irradiation . the reaction was monitored by lc - ms . the reaction time should be extended whenever it is necessary . after evaporation of solvents , the crude product was washed with minimal amount of meoh . the solid was collected . and the meoh filtrate was purified by isco to provide the desired product ( 0 . 73 g , 96 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 42 ( d , j = 0 . 8 hz , 1h ), 7 . 53 ( d , j = 3 . 1 hz , 1h ), 6 . 27 ( dd , j = 3 . 0 , 0 . 8 hz , 1h ), 3 . 37 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 1 . 68 - 1 . 57 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 52 - 1 . 36 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 97 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 191 . 2 [ m + h ] + . a mixture of n - butyl - 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 2 - amine ( 0 . 73 g , 3 . 85 mmol ), cui ( 0 . 074 g , 0 . 39 mmol ), and k 3 po 4 ( 1 . 63 g , 7 . 7 mmol ) was added dmf ( 10 ml ), 4 - fluoroiodobenzene ( 0 . 54 ml , 4 . 62 mmol ), and n , n ′- dimethylcyclohexane - 1 , 2 - diamine ( 0 . 24 ml , 1 . 54 mmol ) under argon atmosphere . the mixture was heated at 110 ° c . for 16 h , then was filtered through a plug of celite at room temperature and washed with meoh . the filtrate was concentrated and purified by isco to provide desired product ( 1 . 079 g , 99 %). ms m / z 285 . 2 [ m + h ] + . a solution of n - butyl - 5 -( 4 - fluorophenyl )- 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 2 - amine ( 1 . 03 g , 3 . 61 mmol ) in dmf ( 10 ml ) was added nbs ( 0 . 71 g , 3 . 97 mmol ) at room temperature . the resulting solution was stirred for 1 h and diluted with etoac . the resulting solution was washed with a sat . aq . solution of nahco 3 , h 2 o and brine . the etoac layer was dried ( na 2 so 4 ), concentrated and purified by isco to provide the desired product ( 1 . 05 g , 80 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 46 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 68 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 52 - 7 . 42 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 32 - 7 . 21 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 44 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 1 . 68 - 1 . 54 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 49 - 1 . 36 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 95 ( t , j = 7 . 3 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 363 . 1 [ m + h ] + . a mixture of 7 - bromo - n - butyl - 5 -( 4 - fluorophenyl )- 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 2 - amine ( 0 . 11 g , 0 . 3 mmol ), tert - butyldimethyl ( 4 -( 4 , 4 , 5 , 5 - tetramethyl - 1 , 3 , 2 - dioxaborolan - 2 - yl ) cyclohex - 3 - enyloxy ) silane ( 0 . 15 g , 0 . 45 mmol ), potassium phosphonate ( 0 . 083 g , 0 . 60 mmol ), tetrakis ( triphenylphosphine ) palladium ( 0 . 035 g , 0 . 03 mmol ) in thf ( 4 ml ) and water ( 1 ml ) was stirred at room temperature for 1 min , then was heat at 150 ° c . for 1 h under microwave irradiation . the reaction mixture was diluted with etoac and washed with water . the aqueous layer was extracted with etoac ( 3 ×). the combined organic layer was dried ( na 2 so 4 ), concentrated , and purified by isco to provide the desired product ( 0 . 12 g , 83 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 48 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 41 - 7 . 34 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 32 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 20 ( t , j = 8 . 5 hz , 2h ), 7 . 17 - 7 . 12 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 97 ( t , j = 5 . 6 hz , 1h ), 4 . 09 - 3 . 95 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 49 ( dd , j = 13 . 3 , 6 . 5 hz , 2h ), 2 . 68 - 2 . 44 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 35 - 2 . 23 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 03 - 1 . 94 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 86 - 1 . 74 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 72 - 1 . 59 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 52 - 1 . 39 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 97 ( t , j = 7 . 3 hz , 3h ), 0 . 92 ( s , 9h ), 0 . 10 ( s , 6h ); ms m / z 495 . 3 [ m + h ] + . a solution of n - butyl - 7 -( 4 -( tert - butyldimethylsilyloxy ) cyclohex - 1 - enyl )- 5 -( 4 - fluorophenyl )- 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 2 - amine ( 0 . 12 g , 0 . 25 mmol ) in etoh ( 5 ml ) was added 2 drops of concentrated hcl solution . the resulting reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 16 h and concentrated to give the desired product use as such . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 59 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 23 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 66 - 7 . 58 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 31 ( m , 2h ), 6 . 88 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 05 - 3 . 93 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 54 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h ), 2 . 77 - 2 . 66 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 63 - 2 . 51 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 28 - 2 . 16 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 11 - 1 . 99 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 85 - 1 . 75 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 65 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 54 - 1 . 40 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 01 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 381 . 2 [ m + h ] + . a mixture of 4 -( 2 -( butylamino )- 5 -( 4 - fluorophenyl )- 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 7 - yl ) cyclohex - 3 - enol ( 0 . 095 g , 0 . 25 mmol ) and pd / c ( 0 . 01 g , 10 wt %) in 5 ml meoh was stirred under h 2 atmosphere for 3 h . after filter through a plug of celite , the filtrate was concentrated and purified by prep - hplc . the cis - 4 -( 2 -( butylamino )- 5 -( 4 - fluorophenyl )- 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 7 - yl ) cyclohexanol was obtained as the major product ( 0 . 040 g ). the trans - 4 -( 2 -( butylamino )- 5 -( 4 - fluorophenyl )- 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 7 - yl ) cyclohexanol was co - elute with 4 -( 2 -( butylamino )- 5 -( 4 - fluorophenyl )- 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 7 - yl ) cyclohexanol ( 0 . 035 g ). a solution of mixture of trans - 4 -( 2 -( butylamino )- 5 -( 4 - fluorophenyl )- 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 7 - yl ) cyclohexanol and 4 -( 2 -( butylamino )- 5 -( 4 - fluorophenyl )- 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 7 - yl ) cyclohexanol ( 0 . 035 g , 0 . 091 mmol ) in 5 ml meoh was added pd / c ( 0 . 004 g , 10 wt %). the mixture was stirred overnight under air . after filter through a plug of celite , the filtrate was concentrated and purified by isco to provide cis - 4 -( 2 -( butylamino )- 5 -( 4 - fluorophenyl )- 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 7 - yl ) cyclohexanol ( 0 . 010 g , 13 % over 3 steps ) and trans - 4 -( 2 -( butylamino )- 5 -( 4 - fluorophenyl )- 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 7 - yl ) cyclohexanol ( 0 . 012 g + 0 . 040 g , 52 % over 3 steps ). cis - isomer ( unc1861a ): 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 47 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 55 - 7 . 49 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 32 - 7 . 25 ( m , 2h ), 4 . 06 - 3 . 99 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 43 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 2 . 97 ( tt , j = 10 . 6 , 3 . 7 hz , 1h ), 2 . 06 - 1 . 96 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 93 - 1 . 82 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 79 - 1 . 68 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 68 - 1 . 59 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 49 - 1 . 39 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 97 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 383 . 3 [ m + h ] + . trans - isomer ( unc1860a ): 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 45 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 53 - 7 . 47 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 28 ( t , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2h ), 3 . 69 - 3 . 57 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 42 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 2 . 83 ( tt , j = 12 . 4 , 3 . 2 hz 1h ), 2 . 20 - 2 . 13 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 11 - 2 . 02 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 73 - 1 . 58 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 53 - 1 . 39 ( m , 4h ), 0 . 98 ( t , j = 7 . 4 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 383 . 3 [ m + h ] + . a solution of 2 - chloro - 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidine ( 1 . 54 g , 10 mmol ) in dmf ( 10 ml ) was added nbs ( 2 . 00 g , 11 mmol ) at room temperature . the resulting solution was stirred for 1 h and diluted with etoac . the resulting solution was washed with a sat . aq . solution of nahco 3 , h 2 o and brine . the etoac layer was dried ( na 2 so 4 ), concentrated and purified by isco to provide the desired product ( 1 . 75 g , 75 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 53 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 60 ( s , 1h ); ms m / z 234 . 0 [ m + h ] + . a suspension of nah ( 300 mg , 60 % in mineral oil , 7 . 5 mmol ) in thf ( 30 ml ) was added a solution of 7 - bromo - 2 - chloro - 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidine ( 1 . 16 g , 5 . 0 mmol ) in thf ( 20 ml ) dropwise at 0 ° c . after 20 min , a solution of trcl ( 1 . 674 g , 6 mmol ) in thf ( 10 ml ) was added dropwise . the reaction mixture was stirred for 6 hours , quenched with brine and extracted with etoac ( 3 ×). the combined organic layer was dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and concentrated . the residue was purified by isco to provide the desired product ( 2 . 38 g , & gt ; 99 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 7 . 63 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 57 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 37 - 7 . 32 ( m , 9h ), 7 . 14 - 7 . 11 ( m , 6h ). a solution of 7 - bromo - 2 - chloro - 5 - trityl - 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidine ( 2 . 00 g , 3 . 2 mmol ) in thf ( 20 ml ) was added a 2 . 5 n solution of buli in hexane ( 2 . 82 ml , 7 . 04 mmol ) at − 78 ° c . then 4 -(( tert - butyldimethylsilyl ) oxy ) cyclohexanone ( 1 . 2 ml ) was added after 15 min . the reaction was stirred at − 78 ° c . for 3 hour , quenched with brine and extracted with etoac ( 3 ×). the combined organic layer was dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and concentrated . the residue was purified by isco to provide the desired product ( 1 . 52 g , 76 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 , two isomers ) δ 7 . 64 - 7 . 56 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 44 - 7 . 41 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 35 - 7 . 31 ( m , 9h ), 7 . 16 - 7 . 10 ( m , 6h ), 3 . 73 - 3 . 68 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 55 - 2 . 51 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 42 - 2 . 30 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 28 - 2 . 19 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 07 - 1 . 94 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 91 - 1 . 82 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 76 - 1 . 62 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 82 ( s , 9h ), 0 . 01 ( s , 6h ). a solution of 4 -(( tert - butyldimethylsilyl ) oxy )- 1 -( 2 - chloro - 5 - trityl - 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 7 - yl ) cyclohex - anol ( 1 . 00 g , 1 . 6 mmol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 20 ml ) was added mscl ( 275 mg , 2 . 4 mmol ) followed by net 3 ( 808 mg , 8 mmol ). the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 6 hours , quenched with brine and extracted with etoac ( 3 ×). the combined organic layer was dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and concentrated . the residue was purified by isco to provide the desired product ( 485 mg , 50 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 56 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 34 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 25 - 7 . 21 ( m , 9h ), 7 . 08 - 7 . 05 ( m , 6h ), 6 . 89 ( s , 1h ), 3 . 90 - 3 . 86 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 49 - 2 . 43 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 37 - 2 . 28 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 19 - 2 . 13 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 85 - 1 . 82 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 68 - 1 . 62 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 82 ( s , 9h ), 0 . 00 ( s , 6h ). a solution of 7 -( 4 -(( tert - butyldimethylsilyl ) oxy ) cyclohex - 1 - en - 1 - yl )- 2 - chloro - 5 - trityl - 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyra - midine ( 485 mg , 0 . 8 mmol ) in dioxane ( 3 . 0 ml ) was added pd 2 ( dba ) 3 ( 73 mg , 0 . 08 mmol ). the reaction mixture was stirred until the solution became clear . then 2 - dicyclohexylphosphino - 2 ′, 4 ′, 6 ′- triisopropylbiphenyl ( 152 mg , 0 . 32 mmol ) was added followed by the addition of water ( 4 . 0 ml ) and potassium hydroxide ( 135 mg , 2 . 4 mmol ). the reaction mixture was heated under reflux for 12 hours under argon atmosphere , then cooled to room temperature . the reaction was diluted with etoac . the organic layer was dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and concentrated . the residue was purified by isco to provide the desired product ( 360 mg , 70 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 7 . 40 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 30 - 7 . 28 ( m , 9h ), 7 . 19 - 7 . 15 ( m , 7h ), 7 . 07 ( s , 1h ), 3 . 98 - 3 . 92 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 42 - 3 . 37 ( dd , j 1 = 12 hz , j 2 = 8 hz , 2h ), 2 . 55 - 2 . 47 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 42 - 2 . 32 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 28 - 2 . 21 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 93 - 1 . 86 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 70 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 69 - 1 . 58 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 46 - 1 . 37 ( m , 2h ), 0 . 89 ( t , j = 4 hz , 3h ), 0 . 82 ( s , 9h ), 0 . 00 ( s , 6h ). a solution of n - butyl - 7 -( 4 -(( tert - butyldimethylsilyl ) oxy ) cyclohex - 1 - en - 1 - yl )- 5 - trityl - 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrim - idin - 2 - amine ( 992 mg , 1 . 54 mmol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 20 ml ) was added trifluoroacetic acid ( 5 . 0 ml ). the reaction mixture was stirred for 4 hours and quenched by a saturated aq . solution of nahco 3 and diluted with etoac . the organic layer was dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and concentrated . the residue was dissolved in meoh ( 6 . 0 ml ) and pd / c ( 44 mg ) was added . the reaction mixture was then stirred under the hydrogen atmosphere for 12 hours and then filtered . the filtrate was concentrated to afford a brown residue . a solution of the residue in ch 2 cl 2 ( 10 ml ) was added a mixture of pcc ( 665 mg , 3 . 084 mmol ) and silica gel ( 668 mg ). after 30 min , the reaction was quenched with water and extracted with etoac ( 3 ×). the combined organic layer was dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and concentrated . the residue was purified by isco to provide the desired product 4 -( 2 -( butylamino )- 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 7 - yl ) cyclohexanone ( ms m / z 287 . 2 [ m + h ] + ). a solution of 4 -( 2 -( butylamino )- 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 7 - yl ) cyclohexanone in meoh ( 10 ml ) was added nabh 4 ( 67 mg , 1 . 71 mmol ) slowly at − 40 ° c . the reaction was quenched with water after 1 h and extracted with etoac ( 3 ×). the combined organic layer was dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and concentrated . the residue was purified by isco to provide the desired product which was used without further purification . ms m / z 289 . 2 [ m + h ] + . a solution of 4 -( 2 -( butylamino )- 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 7 - yl ) cyclohexanol ( 122 mg , 0 . 423 mmol ) and tbscl ( 77 mg , 0 . 51 mmol ) in thf ( 3 ml ) was added imidazole ( 44 mg , 0 . 636 mmol ). the reaction mixture was stirred for 6 hours , quenched with water and extracted with etoac ( 3 ×). the combined organic layer was dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and concentrated . the residue was purified by isco to provide the desired product n - butyl - 7 -( 4 -(( tert - butyldimethylsilyl ) oxy ) cyclohexyl )- 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 2 - amine ( 59 mg , 0 . 14653 mmol ). ms m / z 403 . 3 [ m + h ] + . a solution of n - butyl - 7 -( 4 -(( tert - butyldimethylsilyl ) oxy ) cyclohexyl )- 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 2 - amine ( 59 mg , 0 . 14653 mmol ) and 4 - iodobenzyl morpholine ( 67 mg , 0 . 22 mmol ) in nmp ( 1 ml ) was added cui ( 3 mg , 0 . 022 mmol ) and n , n ′- dimethylcyclohexane - 1 , 2 - diamine ( 2 mg , 0 . 044 mmol ). the reaction mixture was stirred under microwave irradiation at 195 ° c . for 30 min . then the reaction was diluted with etoac . the organic layer was dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered and concentrated . the residue was purified by isco to provide the desired product ( 85 mg , 99 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ) δ 8 . 48 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 36 ( d , j = 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 25 ( d , j = 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 17 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 86 ( s , 1h ), 3 . 71 - 3 . 52 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 44 - 3 . 38 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 32 - 3 . 17 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 81 - 2 . 71 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 45 - 2 . 33 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 15 - 2 . 04 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 96 - 1 . 83 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 61 - 1 . 29 ( m , 8h ), 0 . 94 - 0 . 75 ( m , 12h ), 0 . 00 ( s , 6h ). ms m / z 578 . 4 [ m + h ] + . a solution of n - butyl - 7 -( 4 -(( tert - butyldimethylsilyl ) oxy ) cyclohexyl )- 5 -( 4 -( morpholinomethyl ) phenyl )- 5h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 2 - amine ( 84 mg , 0 . 14653 mmol ) in meoh ( 3 . 0 ml ) was added 0 . 15 ml of concentrated hcl . the reaction mixture was stirred overnight and the solvent was removed . the residue was purified by isco to provide the desired product ( unc2221a ) ( 68 mg , 99 %). 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 69 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 13 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 74 ( d , j = 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 25 ( d , j = 8 hz , 2h ), 4 . 38 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 01 - 3 . 92 ( m , 2h ), 180 - 3 . 70 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 59 - 3 . 52 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 48 ( t , j = 8 hz , 2h ), 3 . 37 - 3 . 29 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 18 - 3 . 11 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 78 ( tt , j 1 = 12 hz , j 2 = 4 hz , 1h ), 2 . 02 ( t , j = 16 hz , 4h ), 1 . 68 - 1 . 57 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 43 - 1 . 13 ( m , 4h ), 0 . 91 ( t , j = 8 hz , 3h ). ms m / z 464 . 3 [ m + h ] + . table 3 describes compounds prepared following procedures described in example 4 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 79 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 21 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 89 ( d , j = 8 hz , 2h ), 7 . 71 ( d , j = 8 hz , 2h ), 5 . 47 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 61 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 74 - 3 . 71 ( m , 6h ), 3 . 67 - 3 . 63 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 58 - 3 . 54 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 33 ( s , 1h ), 3 . 01 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 86 ( t , j = 12 hz , 1h ), 2 . 65 ( s , 1h ), 2 . 13 - 2 . 06 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 70 - 1 . 67 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 47 - 1 . 45 ( m , 4h ), 0 . 98 ( t , j = 8 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 477 . 0 [ m + 1 ] + . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 80 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 31 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 74 ( d , j = 8 hz , 2h ), 8 . 02 ( d , j = 4 hz , 2h ), 7 . 86 ( d , j = 4 hz , 2h ), 4 . 38 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 78 - 3 . 72 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 71 - 3 . 68 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 63 - 3 . 59 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 08 ( t , j = 8 hz , 2h ), 2 . 95 - 2 . 87 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 20 - 2 . 05 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 74 - 1 . 69 ( m , 7h ), 1 . 52 - 1 . 50 ( m , 5h ), 1 . 04 ( t , j = 8 hz , 3h ); ms m / z 512 . 0 [ m + 1 ] + . mer ic50 : ++++ means & lt ; 10 nm ; +++ means between 10 - 100 nm , ++ means between 100 nm - 1 μm ; + means between 1 - 30 μm ; − means inactive .) a suspension of 5 - bromo - 2 - chloro - 7h - pyrrolo [ 2 , 3 - d ] pyrimidine ( 100 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), 2 -( 3 - bromopropyl ) isoindoline - 1 , 3 - dione ( 173 mg , 0 . 65 mmol ) and k 2 co 3 ( 119 mg , 0 . 86 mmol ) in a mixture of dmso and thf ( 8 . 0 ml , 1 : 3 , v / v ) was heated at 100 ° c . under microwave irradiation for 30 min . the mixture was diluted with ethyl acetate ( 35 ml ), washed with water ( 3 ×) and concentrated to provide the crude 2 -( 3 -( 5 - bromo - 2 - chloro - 7h - pyrrolo [ 2 , 3 - d ] pyrimidin - 7 - yl ) propyl ) isoindoline - 1 , 3 - dione ( ms m / z 420 . 05 [ m + h ] + ) which was used in next step without further purification . a solution of the crude 2 -( 3 -( 5 - bromo - 2 - chloro - 7h - pyrrolo [ 2 , 3 - d ] pyrimidin - 7 - yl ) propyl ) isoindoline - 1 , 3 - dione in a mixture of thf and water ( 10 ml , 3 : 2 , v / v ) was added 5 - aminopentanoic acid ( 172 . 3 mg , 1 . 47 mmol ). the resulting mixture was heated at 150 ° c . under microwave irradiation for 1 h . after the solvent was removed , the residue was dissolved in a mixture of ethanol and water ( 20 ml , 3 : 2 , v / v ) followed by the addition of hydrazine ( 1 . 5 ml ). then the reaction mixture was heat at 80 ° c . for overnight . the solvent was removed and the residue was purified on hplc to provide 5 -(( 7 -( 3 - aminopropyl )- 5 - bromo - 7h - pyrrolo [ 2 , 3 - d ] pyrimidin - 2 - yl ) amino ) pentanoic acid as an clear oil ( ms m / z 371 . 10 [ m + h ] + ). a solution of this clear oil in dmf / dcm ( 120 ml , 2 : 3 , v / v ) was added tbtu ( 115 mg ) and triethylamine ( 2 . 2 ml ). the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for overnight . solvent was removed and the residue ( ms m / z 353 . 10 [ m + h ] + ) was dissolved in dioxane ( 6 . 0 ml ) followed by the addition of 4 -( 4 - methylpiperazino ) methylphenylboronic acid pinacol ester ( 135 mg , 0 . 43 mmol ), pd ( pph 3 ) 4 ( 12 mg , 0 . 01 mmol ), k 2 co 3 ( 128 mg , 0 . 93 mmol ) and water ( 2 . 0 ml ). the resulting mixture was heated at 150 ° c . under microwave irradiation for 15 min , quenched with water ( 15 ml ), extracted with ethylacetate ( 4 ×), dried ( mgso 4 ) and concentrated . the residue was purified on hplc to give the desired product as a tfa salt . this salt was neutralized with a 7 n nh 3 solution in methanol and was purified on isco to provide the desired product ( unc2434a ) as a white solid . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ) δ 8 . 66 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 60 - 7 . 53 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 35 ( d , j = 8 . 2 hz , 2h ), 7 . 31 ( s , 1h ), 5 . 47 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 27 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h ), 3 . 54 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 47 - 3 . 40 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 19 - 3 . 13 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 57 - 2 . 46 ( m , 6h ), 2 . 42 - 2 . 38 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 27 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 96 - 1 . 89 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 80 - 1 . 71 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 71 - 1 . 61 ( m , 2h ); ms m / z 462 . 30 [ m + h ] + . the foregoing is illustrative of the present invention , and is not to be construed as limiting thereof . the invention is defined by the following claims , with equivalents of the claims to be included therein .	0
a system for linear and nonlinear control of a hydraulic press constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention is shown at 10 in fig1 . the system 10 has a pump 11 which is comprised of a housing 12 , a rotatable shaft 13 and a drive motor 14 . the pump 11 is supplied from a reservoir 15 by an inlet pipe 16 . the shaft 13 has mounted thereon a swash plate 17 which is normally biased at an angle by a spring 18 abutting a bearing plate 19 which is swivelably engaged with the swash plate 17 . a pair of cooperatively reciprocating pistons 20 and 21 are respectively attached to the swash plate 17 by ball - joints 20a and 21a . movement of the swash plate 17 thus moves the pistons 20 and 21 horizontally in their respective cylinders . a return line 23 flows back to the reservoir 15 . the pump 11 also contains a relief mechanism , operable as described below to control the output of the pump 11 . the relief mechanism consists of a cap 23 which covers a channel 24 which communicates with a chamber 26 . inside of the chamber 26 is a cylindrical spool 27 having an orifice 27a . the spool 27 is normally biased by a spring 28 to cover an outlet channel 29 . the outlet channel 29 communicates with a main outlet line 22 . a relief line 30 connects the chamber 26 to a directional valve 83 whose operation will be described below . the main outlet line 22 connects the pump 11 to an inlet port 31 of a relief valve 32 . the relief valve 32 consists of a housing 33 having a chamber 34 communicating with the inlet port 31 therein . inside the chamber 34 is a slidable spool 35 having an orifice 35a . a spring 36 normally biases the spool 35 to cover an outlet port 37 , which leads to a reservoir . an inlet channel 31a is connected to the inlet port 31 and leads to a side of the chamber 34 opposite the spring 36 . the relief valve 32 also contains an adjustment mechanism which consists of a chamber 34a and an adjustment screw 41 , and a spring 40 which normally biases a plug 39 so that all of the output from an output channel 38a flows to a main output 38 . this will act as an emergency relief valve . if line 38 is blocked in some manner , the pressure in channel 38a will overcome the force existing on the plug 39 by the action of the spring 40 . this will allow channel 38a to connect with channel 37a and outlet port 37 . the pressure drop through an orifice 35a will cause the spool 35 to shift as shown in fig1 to allow the inlet port 31 to connect with the outlet port 37 . as does the relief line 30 , the output 38 connects to a directional valve 83 , the operation of which will be described below . the pump outlet line 22 continues on to a sequencing valve 42 . the sequencing valve 42 consists of a housing 43 having a chamber 43a therein . the chamber 43a connects the pump outlet 22 to a sequencing valve outlet 51 , however , a cap 44 biased by a spring 45 normally blocks the connection . the bias of the spring 45 is adjustable by a screw 46 . the chamber 43a also is connected to a reservoir by a channel 47 . a reverse flow check valve also contained in housing 42 has a chamber 48 connecting outlet 51 to the pump outlet 22 . a plug 49 is normally biased by a spring 48 to block the connection . should the pressure in outlet 51 exceed the pump outlet pressure in line 22 this pressure differential will displace the plug 49 thereby allowing the two pressures to become equal . the sequencing valve outlet 51 flows to a directional valve 52 , movable by solenoids 53 . the solenoids 53 are operated by a control unit 63 , although connections are not shown . when the valve 52 is in the position shown in fig1 the sequencing valve outlet 51 connects through a passage 54 to an input 55 to a press cylinder 56 . the cylinder 56 contains a piston 57 movable by hydraulic pressure therein which has a shaft 58 connecting the piston 57 to a load 59 . the load 59 may be the movable portion of any one of a number of molding presses , such as a compression press , and an injection press , or a transfer press . it will be understood that the inventive concept disclosed herein is not limited to use with molding apparatus , but has application to any hydraulically operated piston . a cylinder outlet port 70 connects through a passage 71 in the directional valve 52 to a pipe 72 leading to a reservoir . the directional valve at 52 is shown in fig1 and 3 in a position for operation of the piston 57 in the direction of the arrow shown in fig2 . the directional valve 52 may be moved to a neutral position so that the input 55 and the output 70 are connected by an h - shaped passage 73 . during the return stroke of the piston 57 , the directional valve 52 is moved into position so that what was previously the input 55 now becomes an output and is connected to the pipe 72 by a passage 74 . the previous cylinder outlet 70 is utilzed as an input which receives hydraulic pressure from the sequencing valve outlet 51 through a passage 75 in the directional valve 52 . the cylinder 56 is equipped with a position sensor 61 and a pressure sensor 68 . the position sensor 61 has a member schematically shown at 60 which is co - movable with the piston rod 58 to move along a potentiometer 61a which is connected to a power supply at 62 . the output of the position sensor 61 is transmitted to the control unit 63 . the pressure sensor 68 has a passage 55a to allow the pressure in the cylinder input 55 to transfer to a cylinder 64 having a piston 65 . the piston 65 is normally biased by a spring 67 against incoming pressure , and has a movable member 66 connected to a potentiometer 68a . the potentiometer 68a is connected to a power supply at 69 and has an output connected to the control unit 63 . another relief valve 76 is also shown in fig1 connected to the control unit 63 . a signal from the control unit 63 actuates a solenoid coil 78 in a housing 77 to move a plunger 79 in a chamber 80 to open or block flow from an input 81 to an output 82 , which flows to a reservoir . the relief valve input 81 is connected to the directional valve 83 which has a passage 85 therein to connect the relief valve 32 output 38 to the relief valve 76 output 82 when the directional valve 83 is in the position shown in fig1 . in that position the directional valve 83 terminates the pump relief line 30 at 86 and at 87 terminates a passage 88 leading to the reservoir . the directional valve 83 is movable by a solenoid 84 connected to the control unit 63 to the position shown in fig3 thereby connecting the pump relief line 30 to the input 81 of the relief valve 76 and terminating the relief valve output 38 at 90 and again terminating a passage 88 at 91 . operation of the system is as follows . when the directional valve 83 is at the position shown in fig1 the pump relief line 30 is terminated at 86 creating an equal pressure on each side of the spool 27 so that it remains stationary , covering the channel 29 . the output of the pump 11 flows through the line 22 and through the relief valve 32 via the input 31 . with the directional valve 83 in the position shown in fig1 a direct line from the relief valve 32 to a reservoir is completed through the relief valve output 38 , the passage 85 , the input 81 to the second relief valve 76 and the output 82 thereof . the pressure differential due to flow through the orifice 35a is thus sufficient to move the spool 35 to overcome the bias of the spring 36 and the input 31 is connected to the outlet 37 of the relief valve 32 so that substantially the entire output of the pump 11 flows to a reservoir . the bias of the spring 45 is adjusted by the screw 46 so that the pressure at the sequencing valve 42 is insufficient to overcome the bias of the spring 45 and move the cap 44 . no pressure reaches the cylinder 56 , so that the piston 57 remains stationary . the next stage in the cycle of operation is shown in fig2 wherein the movement of the piston 57 is controlled by the control unit 63 and associated feedback loop governed by the position sensor 61 or the pressure sensor 68 . during this portion of the cycle of operation , the solenoid operated plunger 79 is selectively positioned in accordance with feedback commands from control unit 63 to restrict input to the relief valve 76 . this equalizes pressure on both sides of the spool 35 so that the spring 36 moves the spool 35 to cover all or part of the outlet 37 . this substantially increases the pressure from the pump output 22 which reaches the sequencing valve 42 . the pressure is now sufficient to overcome the bias of the spring 45 so that a flow results through the sequencing valve 42 , the sequencing valve output 51 , the passage 54 and the cylinder input 55 to reach the cylinder 56 . this pressure is also transferred to the pressure sensor through the channel 55a for monitoring . movement of the plunger 79 in accordance with feedback signals from the control 63 will thus increase or decrease the amount of flow reaching the cylinder 56 , and thus control the speed of movement of the piston 57 . after the material to be molded has been completely displaced in the mold , as indicated by the position sensor 61 or the pressure sensor 68 the control unit 63 activates the solenoid 84 to move the directional valve 83 to the position shown in fig3 . when this occurs , the relief line 30 from the pump 11 now communicates through the passage 89 , the input 81 to relief valve 76 and the output 82 therefrom to a reservoir . this results in a flow through the orifice 27a of the spool 27 in the pump 11 so that the spool 27 moves to overcome the bias of the spring 28 . this movement allows a portion of the pump output to be transmitted through the passage 29 , the chamber 26 and the passage 24 to move the cap 23 to an extended position , shown by movement to the left in fig3 . movement of the cap 23 swivelably moves the swash plate 17 to a vertical position as shown in fig3 . when the pump operates as shown in fig3 sufficient output flow is still provided to maintain the piston 57 in a desired position , however , the output is much less than occurred during that portion of the cycle controlling downward movement of the piston 57 , so that a substantial energy saving is achieved , since the horse power required is proportional to the product of flow times pressure . it will be apparent that although the control unit 63 may be programmed to move the directional valve 83 upon attainment of a preselected pressure or position reading received from the sensors 68 or 61 under worst - case conditions , such preselected value may never be achieved . the control unit may thus be provided with a timer which will automatically move the directional valve 83 after a designated period of time has elapsed without the selected pressure or position readings occurring . although various modifications and changes may be suggested by those skilled in the art , it is the intention of the inventor to embody within the patent warranted hereon all such changes and modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of his contribution to the art as set forth in the claims which follow .	8
fig1 shows a piezoelectric buzzer b comprising a terminal connected to ground g and a terminal a connected through a resistor r1 to a junction s . a switch s1 is connected between a supply terminal vcc and junction s , and a switch s2 is connected between the junction s and ground g . switches s1 and s2 are respectively controlled by outputs q and q * of a control circuit 10 . the control circuit 10 comprises an input receiving the buzzer excitation signal ck ( a rectangular signal with a 50 % duty cycle ) and a high impedance setting signal hiz provided by the output of a comparator 12 . the inverting input of comparator 12 receives a reference voltage vi and the non - inverting input receives the voltage vo present at the terminal a of the buzzer , divided by a resistive divider r2 and r3 . the voltage present on the non - inverting input of the comparator is equal to kvo , where k is the multiplying coefficient ( smaller than 1 ) of the divider r2 , r3 . the circuit of fig2 can operate according to two different modes which will be described with reference to fig2 and 3 . fig2 shows a set of waveforms illustrating a first operating mode of the circuit according to the invention shown in fig1 . waveform ( a ) illustrates the voltage vo across the buzzer b as a function of time t and the signals q and q * controlling the switches s1 and s2 . waveform ( b ) illustrates the variation of signal q as a function of time . a low state of signal q corresponds to the opening of switch s1 , and a high state corresponds to the closing of switch s1 . waveform ( c ) illustrates the variations of signal q * as a function of time . a low level of signal q * corresponds to the opening of switch s2 , and a high level corresponds to the closing of switch s2 . the excitation signal ck corresponds to the logic complement of signal q * and is not shown . initially , signal q is at a low level , and signal q * at a high level , switch s1 is open , and switch s2 is closed . the voltage vo across the buzzer is null . at a time t o , the excitation signal ck is provided to circuit 10 . signal q goes high , switch s1 is closed and switch s2 is opened . voltage vo abruptly increases , which corresponds to the loading of the capacitive component of buzzer b through resistor r1 . when , at a time t 1 , voltage vo reaches vi / k ( when the voltage on the non - inverting input of comparator 12 reaches the reference voltage vi ), comparator 12 switches to a state causing switch s1 to be opened by the control circuit 10 . switch s2 remains open . switch s1 will be maintained open until the next rising edge of signal ck . voltage vo stops increasing , exhibits a few oscillations around vi / k corresponding to the excitation of a second resonance peak of buzzer b , and slowly decreases , which corresponds to the discharging of the capacitance of buzzer b through the divider r2 , r3 . at a time t 2 , the excitation signal ck goes low , switch s2 is closed and abruptly discharges the buzzer capacitance through resistor r1 . voltage vo abruptly drops to zero and exhibits a few oscillations . at a time t &# 39 ; 0 , the cycle is resumed . . . . thus , the amplitude of signal vo can be adjusted by changing the reference voltage vi , which corresponds to an adjustment of the sound level of the buzzer . in dashed lines are shown the shapes of voltage vo and the corresponding signal q , for a reference voltage vi such as vi / k = vcc . this corresponds to the maximum sound level . one will note here the difference between this operating mode and a pulse width modulation ( pwm ) control . indeed , in the case of a pwm control , complementary signals q and q * are used , that is , there is at most a very short phase during which switches s1 and s2 are simultaneously open . on the contrary , according to the invention , switches s1 and s2 are simultaneously open between times t 1 and t 2 . fig3 shows waveforms illustrating another operating mode of the circuit according to the invention . waveforms ( a ), ( b ) and ( c ) illustrate the same waveforms as in fig2 . here , signal q is identical to the excitation signal ck . at an initial time , switch s1 is open , switch s2 is closed , and voltage vo is null . at a time t o , signal q ( or signal ck ) goes high and signal q * goes low . these states are maintained during the half - period of the square signal ck . voltage vo abruptly rises to the value of the supply voltage vcc , exhibits a few oscillations and stabilizes at vcc . at a time t 1 , the half - period of signal ck is reached , switch s1 is opened and switch s2 is closed . voltage vo abruptly decreases until a time t 2 when it reaches the value vi / k , and comparator 12 switches causing switch s2 to be opened . voltage vo stops its abrupt decrease , exhibits a few oscillations and progressively decreases , which corresponds to the discharge of the buzzer capacitance in the divider r2 , r3 . the cycle is resumed at a time t &# 39 ; 0 . in fig3 the dashed lines show the shapes of the voltage vo and the corresponding signal q *, for a reference voltage vi such that vi / k = 0 . these shapes correspond to the maximum sound level of the buzzer . the minimum sound level will be attained for vi / k = vcc where vo will be substantially equal to vcc . this operating mode allows a simpler manufacturing of the control circuit 10 . indeed , once voltage vo has reached vi / k , voltage vo remains lower than vi / k and therefore comparator 12 no longer switches back to its initial state for the remaining half - period of signal ck while maintaining switch s2 open ; whereas , in the former operating mode , the control circuit 10 had to be constructed in such a way that switch s1 is not closed again during the half - period of signal ck , because the comparator switched to its initial state practically as soon as value vi / k was reached . fig4 shows a simplified exemplary schematic diagram of the control circuit 10 enabling the operating mode of fig3 . switch s1 is a p - channel mos transistor , the source of which is connected to the voltage vcc , the drain of which is connected to the junction s and the gate of which is connected to the output of an nand gate 40 . switch s2 is an n - channel mos transistor , the source of which is connected to ground , the drain of which is connected to the junction s and the gate of which is connected to the output of an and gate 42 . a first input of the and gate 42 receives the signal hiz provided by the output of comparator 12 . the second input of the and gate 42 is connected to the output of a nor gate 44 . a first input of the nand gate 40 and of nor gate 44 receive the excitation signal ck . in a first step , the other components of the circuit , not yet described , will not be taken into account , and it will be assumed that the second input of the nand gate 40 is high and the second input of the nor gate 44 is low . thus , gates 40 and 44 act as inverters . when signal ck is high , the output of gate 40 is low and the mos transistor s1 is conductive . the output of gate 44 is also low , then , whatever the state of signal hiz , the output of gate 42 is low and the mos transistor s2 is blocked . when the signal ck is low , the output of gate 40 is high and transistor s1 is blocked . the output of gate 44 is high and the output of gate 42 is high only if signal hiz is high , which is the case when vo & gt ; vi / k . then , transistor s2 is conductive . if vo & lt ; vi / k , the output of gate 42 is low and transistor s2 is blocked . the circuit described above presents a drawback . at time t 1 , and possibly at time t &# 39 ; 0 ( fig3 ), switches s1 and s2 can be simultaneously closed for a very short time , due to slow switching speeds . since transistors s1 and s2 have to be designed to bear the relatively high excitation currents of the buzzer b , the current flowing through them during the time when they are simultaneously closed can be very high and may damage the transistors . the components of the control circuit according to the invention , as described below , overcome this drawback . a p - channel mos transistor m1 , of a smaller size than transistor s1 , is connected in parallel to the source and gate of transistor s1 . the drain of transistor m1 is connected to ground through a resistor r10 and connected to the second input of the nor gate 44 . an n - channel mos transistor m2 , of smaller size than transistor s2 , is connected in parallel to the source and gate of transistor s2 . the drain of transistor m2 is connected to the supply voltage vcc through a resistor r20 and to the second input of the nor gate 40 . with this configuration , the current in transistor m1 is proportional to the current in transistor s1 , and the current in transistor m2 is proportional to the current in transistor s2 . these currents are converted to voltages across resistors r10 and r20 . resistor r10 is selected so that the voltage across it is equal to the threshold voltage of gate 44 when the current in transistor s1 reaches a limit value . similarly , resistor r20 is selected so that the voltage across transistor m2 reaches the threshold voltage of gate 40 when the current in transistor s2 reaches the limit value . thus , when the current in transistor s1 exceeds the limit value , the voltage across resistor r10 corresponds to a logic high level and the output of gate 44 is then forced low , which causes transistor s2 to be blocked . similarly , if the current in transistor s2 exceeds the limit value , the voltage across resistor r20 is such that the drain / source voltage of transistor m2 corresponds to a logic low level , the output of gate 40 is thus forced high , which causes transistor s1 to be blocked . in fact , this limiting device operates in linear mode , which consequently causes the current in transistors s1 and s2 to be regulated to the limit value when both transistors are simultaneously conductive . the circuits according to the invention are particularly fast if they are achieved in bipolar mos ( bipmos ) technology . the invention has been described in connection with the excitation of a piezoelectric buzzer , but it can be applied to the excitation of any capacitive load . many variants and modifications of the invention will appear to those skilled in the art , especially as regards the various possibilities of achieving the control circuit 10 . although they have not been described above , those skilled in the art will note that many circuits are known for adjusting the reference voltage vi by actuation of the telephone keys .	7
by referring to fig1 of the drawings , it will be seen that a diagrammatic illustration of a rolling mill discloses superimposed work rolls 10 and 11 engaged on a pass line 12 and having backup rolls 13 and 14 as will be understood by those skilled in the art . means for driving the rolls is not illustrated . a coolant collection trough 15 is shown and four vertically spaced coolant control valve manifold assemblies 16 are shown positioned in spaced relation to the work rolls 10 and 11 and the backup rolls 13 and 14 . means for circulating a coolant fluid such as kerosene from the collecting trough 15 to the manifold assembly 16 is indicated by broken lines 17 . by referring to fig2 of the drawings , a perspective elevation of one of the coolant control valve manifold assemblies 16 may be seen and it is formed of an elongated housing 18 closed at its ends 19 and 20 and provided with end extensions 21 and 22 including mounting and adjustment plates 23 and 24 by which the housing 18 is supported adjacent a roll of a rolling mill as hereinbefore described in connection with fig1 of the drawings . inlet ports 25 , see fig5 comprise means for delivering a coolant , such as kerosene thereinto and a plurality of body members 26 are sealingly attached to an open side of the housing 18 and carry nozzle plates 27 , each of which carries one or more spray nozzles 28 through which coolant is selectively directed to the rolls of the rolling mill in desirable volume and spray pattern . a horizontal section through one of the elongated housings 18 and one of the pilot operated coolant control valve assemblies secured thereto is seen in fig5 of the drawings . by referring now to fig3 and 5 of the drawings , it will be seen that each of the plurality of pilot operated coolant control valves is mounted in apertures 29 in each of the body members 26 and that each of the coolant control valves comprises a cylindrical valve body 30 having several openings 32 circumferentially spaced therein . several annular seals , such as o - rings 33 are carried in annular grooves in the cylindrical valve body 30 which sealingly engage the apertures 29 in the body member 26 and a cross sectionally circular cavity 34 in each of a plurality of coil cartridge bodies 35 . by referring to fig5 in particular , it will be seen that each of the coil cartridge bodies 35 has several openings 36 therein which communicate with the cross sectionally circular cavity 34 therein and each of the bodies 35 is provided with an annular flange 37 on one end which registers in an annular cavity 38 in the body member 26 . annular seals such as o - rings 39 are positioned between the annular flanges 37 of the coil cartridge bodies 35 and the open side of the elongated housing 18 . referring again to fig3 and 5 of the drawings , it will be seen that a cylindrical valve element 40 having a closed conical end 41 is movably positioned in the cylindrical valve body 30 so as to be movable therein relative to the openings 32 in the area of reduced diameter 31 of the cylindrical valve body 30 . it will also be seen that the inner diameter of the cylindrical valve body 30 is increased in the area thereof in which the cylindrical valve element 40 is slidably mounted and that a portion of the closed conical end 41 of the valve element 40 is positioned in the enlarged inner area when the valve element 40 is in closed relation to the hollow interior of the cylindrical valve body 30 as best shown in fig5 of the drawings . a spring 42 is positioned within the cylindrical valve body 40 and engaged against the inner surface of the closed end 41 thereof and against a centrally apertured disc 43 which is secured in one end of the cylindrical valve body 30 . by again referring to fig5 of the drawings , it will be observed that a passageway 45 establishes communication between the inner end of the cross sectionally circular cavity 34 in the cartridge carrying body 35 and a pilot valve chamber 46 therein . a solenoid plunger 47 is movably disposed in a sleeve 48 which defines part of the pilot valve chamber 46 and which sleeve 48 is positioned within a solenoid coil 49 which is encapsulated by a suitable resin 50 which holds the solenoid coil 49 in an enlarged cavity 51 in the coil cartridge body 35 . the sleeve 48 has a collar 52 positioned on the end thereof opposite the pilot valve chamber 46 therein and a passageway 53 in the sleeve 48 communicates with the opening defined by the collar 52 which thereby establishes communication with the interior of the elongated housing 18 forming the manifold of the device . still referring to fig5 of the drawings , it will be seen that the plunger 47 has secondary valve elements comprising resilient seals in each of its opposite ends , one of which will engage and close the passageway 53 when the plunger 47 moves to the right responsive to energization of the coil 49 . the seal in the opposite end of the plunger 47 engages and closes an opening in a pilot valve seat 54 when the coil 49 is de - energized and a spring and fluid pressure of the coolant in the elongated housing 18 moves the plunger 47 to the left as illustrated in fig5 of the drawings . when this occurs , the fluid pressure extends through the pilot valve chamber 46 , the passageway 45 , and communicates with the interior of the cylindrical valve body 30 and the interior of the cylindrical valve element 40 therein and with the added urging of the spring 42 moves the conical end closure 41 of the valve element 40 into closed relation with the valve seat formed by the different inner diameters of the cylindrical valve body 30 thereby closing a fluid passageway 55 defined by the cylindrical valve body 30 and which passageway 55 communicates with an extension thereof in the nozzle plate 27 and the spray nozzle 28 engaged therein . it will thus be seen that the coolant fluid in the elongated housing 18 which has been flowing through the openings 36 in the coil cartridge bodies 35 and through the interior of the cylindrical valve body 30 and the fluid passageway 55 defined thereby is instantly stopped by the overbalancing of the urging of the spring 42 against the cylindrical valve element 40 by the fluid pressure of the coolant fluid in the elongated housing 18 which extends inwardly of the passageway 53 and through the pilot valve chamber 46 around the smaller diameter plunger 47 therein and through the passageway 45 and into the interior of the cylindrical valve body 30 . the opening of the fluid passageway comprising the openings 36 in the coil cartridge bodies 35 and the fluid passageway 55 in the cylindrical valve body 30 is equally rapid because , as best illustrated in fig6 of the drawings , energization of the solenoid coil 49 moves the plunger 47 to the right closing the inner end of the fluid passageway 53 and simultaneously moving away from the pilot valve seat 54 and the opening therein which communicates with a vent passageway 75 in the coil cartridge body 35 and which vent passageway 55 extends through the body member 26 and the nozzle plate 27 to atmosphere . thus fluid in the interior of the cylindrical valve body 30 and the interior of the cylindrical valve element 40 is vented to atmosphere by way of the pilot valve chamber 46 and the passageway 45 and the over - balancing of the spring 42 ends . the pressure of the coolant fluid in the elongated housing 18 can thus extend through the openings 36 into the cross sectionally circular cavity 34 and through the openings 32 where it will engage the conical closed end 41 of the valve element 40 and move the same to the right as seen in fig6 to full open position and against the urging of the spring 42 . the coolant fluid thus instantly flows through the openings 36 and 32 and into the passageway 55 defined by the cylindrical valve body 30 and through the spray nozzles 28 engaged in the extension thereof . the circuit for energizing the solenoid coil 49 is carried by conductors 57 and 58 positioned in the cavity 51 and extensions thereof and extend from the coil 49 to terminal pins 59 and 60 as seen in fig3 of the drawings and which pins 59 and 60 project from the base of the coil cartridge body 35 inwardly of the annular flange 37 thereon . the cavities 51 and the passageways in the coil cartridge bodies 35 through which conductors extend to the terminal pins 58 and 59 are filled with an epoxy resin used for encapsulating the conductors 57 and 58 and the solenoid coil 49 and as heretofore referred to and indicated in fig5 and 6 of the drawings by the reference numerals 50 . by referring to fig4 of the drawings , it will be seen that receptacles 61 and 62 are formed in the recessed area 38 of the body members 26 around the apertures 29 for the reception of the terminal pins 59 and 60 and by again referring to fig3 of the drawings , it will be seen that each of the coil cartridge bodies 35 and the base thereof has at least a pair of alignment pins 63 which project from the base of the coil cartridge body 35 in spaced relation to the terminal pins 59 and 60 and are arranged to register with matching sockets 64 in the recessed area 38 of the body member 26 as seen in fig4 of the drawings . this construction prevents rotation of the coil cartridge bodies 35 with respect to the body members 26 and insures satisfactory electrical contact between the terminal pins 59 and 60 and the receptacles 61 and 62 . by referring to fig7 of the drawings , it will be seen that the body member 26 is provided with two vertical bores 65 which extend upwardly therein from the bottom thereof and communicate with horizontal bores 66 in which the electrical receptacles 61 and 62 are positioned . conductors 67 and 68 extend from the receptacles 61 and 62 into the vertical bores 65 and downwardly therethrough to points inwardly of the lower end of the body member 26 and as illustrated in fig4 connect with an electrical connection plug 69 which is positioned in a cylindrical body 70 having exteriorly arranged threads for the reception and engagement of a matching electrical connection plug ( not shown ). the electrical connection plug 69 and its mounting are secured to the body member 26 by fasteners 71 . in completed assembly , the electrical connection plugs 69 in their cylindrical bodies extend from the back surfaces of the body members 26 and below the elongated horizontal housing 18 . a wiring harness ( not shown ) carrying a plurality of the matching electrical connection plugs enables electrical connection to be made from a control means ( not shown ) to each of the electrical connection plugs 69 on each of the body members 26 thus providing for the simultaneous control of the pilot operated coolant control valves through which the coolant is delivered to the rolls of the rolling mill . the body members of the device of the invention are preferably stainless steel and as hereinbefore described , it will be recognized that the actual coolant controlling valves are formed as readily replaceable poppet cartridges which can be readily removed and inspected and / or replaced if necessary by simply removing the nozzle plate 27 which is attached to the body member 26 by fastener 72 . the coil cartridge bodies 35 are similarly attached to the body member 26 by fasteners 73 . the solenoid coils being sealed and held in place by encapsulation in the epoxy resin are protected from damage which might otherwise occur from the coolant in which the coil cartridge bodies 35 are submerged . the solenoid coils 49 are designed to operate at 24 volts dc and draw a maximum of 0 . 30 amps . the plungers 47 and the coils 49 are so designed that the same are fully operational at 85 % of the indicated voltage and thus evidence small power requirements which substantially improve the device , both with respect to automatic and manual imput signals for operation . those skilled in the art of rolling mill reduction of metals will be familiar with the fact that the continuous direction of a suitable coolant such as kerosene as specified herein on the work and back up rolls of the rolling mill , in effect controls the temperature of the work rolls and thereby the thickness of the metal being rolled . a desirable coolant temperature easily maintained with the present system is between 90 ° f . and 160 ° f . with coolant pressure supplied the plurality of spray nozzles 28 at varying , desired pressures between 10 and 100 p . s . i . the nozzles 28 are preferably arranged for indexing at 15 ° from a transverse center line so as to insure complete coverage of the work and backup rolls of the rolling mill on which the device is used . a typical pilot operated coolant valve assembly as disclosed herein will operate successfully for several million cycles and consistently avoid leakage when in closed or non - operating status .	8
a clamping device is described herein that structurally supports or replaces a welded connection between connected pipes and , in particular , replaces the p 3 a weld that joins a short section of horizontal piping to the remainder of the horizontal piping in the core spray line . the clamping device is applicable to reactor plants with varying sized core spray lines . fig2 shows the clamp assembly 10 installed on the core spray line . fig3 and 4 are isometric views of the clamp assembly 10 . the clamp assembly 10 includes an upper clamp body 12 and a lower clamp body 14 , which interface with the core spray line . the clamp bodies 12 , are held in position on the horizontal pipe by at least one clamp bolt 16 , preferably two , which pass through holes formed in the horizontal pipe . a clamp bolt nut 18 is threaded on an end of each clamp bolt 16 . the outside diameter of the core spray line can vary within specified manufacturing tolerances . also , a curved pipe that has been formed will most likely be slightly oval in cross - section . as such , the radius of curvature machined into the upper and lower clamp bodies 12 , 14 is slightly smaller than the nominal radius of curvature of the piping . this ensures that the clamp bodies 12 , 14 will interface properly with the core spray line . the upper and lower clamp bodies 12 , 14 are preferably machined to interface with a curved pipe ( i . e . the machined surface follows or mimics the curvature of the pipe in the plane defined by the curved pipe ). the upper and lower clamp bodies 12 , 14 feature spherical seating surfaces 20 , which mate with spherical seating surfaces of the clamp bolt nut 18 and the clamp bolt 16 , respectively ( see fig5 and 6 ). in addition , the upper clamp body 12 incorporates a shaped ( non - circular , preferably square ) machined depression 22 , which interfaces with each clamp bolt nut 18 to prevent rotation of the clamp bolt nut 18 . both the upper and lower clamp bodies 12 , 14 include a trimmed section 26 on the side of the respective clamp body 12 , 14 to ensure clearance with the core spray t - box and provide future inspection visibility of the p 3 weld ( see fig3 and 4 ). additionally , both the upper and lower clamp bodies 12 , 14 include a machined groove 28 to ensure clearance with any possible p 3 a weld crown . the lower clamp body 14 houses a clamp bolt keeper 24 ( fig4 ), which resides in a machined depression 25 in the lower clamp body 14 . one clamp bolt keeper 24 is preferably provided for each clamp bolt 16 . the clamp bolt keeper 24 is held captive at three separate locations by interfacing features shared by the keeper 24 and the lower clamp body 14 . the function of the clamp bolt keeper 24 is to prevent rotation of the clamp bolt 16 and thus retain clamp bolt pre - load ( described in more detail below ). the clamp bolt nut 18 internal threads mate with external threads of the clamp bolt 16 . the nut 18 has a generally preferably square shape and a spherical seating surface , which interface with the upper clamp body 12 . a distal end of the clamp bolt 16 is machined to a diameter slightly smaller than the minor thread diameter of the clamp bolt nut 18 in order to facilitate remote installation of the clamp bolt nut 18 . in order to minimize core spray coolant leakage , the outside diameter of the clamp bolt nut 18 is slightly smaller than the machined hole in the core spray line . with reference to fig7 , a proximal end of the clamp bolt 16 incorporates a spherical seating surface 34 and ratchet teeth 36 , which interface with the lower clamp body 14 and teeth 38 of the clamp bolt keeper 24 , respectively . in addition , the clamp bolt 16 has a shoulder diameter slightly smaller than the machined hole in the core spray line ( see fig8 ) in order to minimize core spray coolant leakage . the clamp bolt keeper 24 is preferably shaped like a hairpin , which consists of essentially two cantilever beams joined at one end . there are retaining features at the free end of the first and second cantilever beams and also at the common end where both beams are joined together . in addition , the retaining feature at the end of the first cantilever beam also incorporates the teeth 38 that interface with the teeth 36 of the clamp bolt 16 and function to limit rotation of the clamp bolt 16 to the direction that increases bolt pre - load . installation of the clamp assembly 10 is performed by first machining holes 46 via edm ( electric discharge machining ) or the like in the piping segment as shown in fig8 . subsequently , the clamp bolt keepers 24 , lower clamp body 14 , and clamp bolts 16 are brought together as an assembly on the underneath side of the core spray line . distal ends of the clamp bolts 16 are inserted through the holes 46 provided in the underneath side of the piping and finally emerging from the holes 46 provided on the top side of the piping . the upper clamp body 12 and clamp bolt nuts 18 are then positioned over the distal end of the clamp bolts 16 . the clamp bolts 16 are rotated to engage the threads of the clamp bolt nuts 18 . the clamp bolts 16 are then tightened to a nominal pre - load . finally , the clamp bolts 18 are pre - loaded to their final specified values by following an approved torque sequence . the described clamp assembly supports or structurally replaces the p 3 a weld between a short section of horizontal piping to the remainder of the horizontal piping in the core spray line . the clamp assembly can be remotely installed and is applicable to reactor plants with varying sized core spray lines . while the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments , but on the contrary , is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims .	6
hereinafter , an embodiment in which the invention is embodied in an abnormality detection apparatus for an air / fuel ratio sensor provided in a motor vehicle engine will be described with reference to fig1 to fig8 . in an engine 1 shown in fig1 , an intake passageway 3 and an exhaust passageway 4 are connected to a combustion chamber 2 of each cylinder . the combustion chamber 2 of each cylinder is charged with a mixture made of air and fuel as air is taken into the combustion chamber 2 via the intake passageway 3 that is provided with a throttle valve 11 for adjusting the amount of intake air of the engine 1 and the fuel is supplied into the intake passageway 3 by injection from a fuel injection valve 5 . when the mixture burns on the basis of ignition by an ignition plug 6 of each cylinder , the combustion energy produced at that time moves a piston 7 back and forth , so that a crankshaft 8 that is the output shaft of the engine 1 is rotated . besides , the post - combustion mixture is sent out as exhaust gas into the exhaust passageway 4 . the motor vehicle in which the engine 1 is mounted as a prime mover is provided with an electronic control unit ( ecu ) 19 that executes various controls such as an operation control of the engine 1 , etc . this electronic control unit 19 includes a cpu that executes various computations and processes related to the various controls , a rom that stores programs and data needed for the controls , a ram that temporarily stores results of the computations performed by the cpu , and the like , input / output ports for inputting signals from and outputting signals to external devices , etc . various sensors and the like as mentioned below are connected to the input ports of the electronic control unit 19 . the various sensors include an accelerator pedal position sensor 21 that detects the amount of depression of an accelerator pedal 20 that is depressed by a driver of the motor vehicle ( accelerator pedal depression amount ), a throttle position sensor 22 that detects the degree of opening of the throttle valve 11 provided in the intake passageway 3 of the engine 1 ( throttle opening degree ), an air flow meter 23 that detects the amount of air ( intake air amount ) taken into the combustion chamber 2 of each cylinder through the intake passageway 3 , a crank position sensor 24 that outputs a signal that corresponds to the rotation of the crankshaft 8 , a water temperature sensor 25 that detects the cooling water temperature of the engine 1 , and an air / fuel ratio sensor 26 that is provided in the exhaust passageway 4 and outputs a signal commensurate with the oxygen concentration in exhaust gas of the engine 1 . besides , the drive circuits of various appliances , such as the fuel injection valves 5 , the ignition plugs 6 , the throttle valve 11 , etc ., are connected to the output ports of the electronic control unit 19 . the electronic control unit 19 outputs command signals to the drive circuits of the various appliances connected to the output ports , according to the state of operation of the engine 1 that is grasped by the detection signals input from the various sensors . in this manner , the electronic control unit 19 executes various controls such as an ignition timing control of the ignition plugs 6 , an opening degree control of the throttle valve 11 , a control of the fuel injection via the fuel injection valves 5 , etc . an example of the control of the fuel injection via the fuel injection valves 5 is a fuel injection amount control that includes air / fuel ratio feedback correction of the amount of fuel injection . the air / fuel ratio feedback correction of the fuel injection amount is realized by increasing or decreasing an air / fuel ratio feedback correction value fd for correcting the fuel injection amount on the basis of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 and the like so that the air / fuel ratio of the engine 1 becomes equal to a stoichiometric air / fuel ratio , and then by performing the correction with the air / fuel ratio feedback correction value fd . by controlling the air / fuel ratio of the engine 1 to the stoichiometric air / fuel ratio through the air / fuel ratio feedback correction , it becomes possible to maintain good performance of exhaust purification of exhaust purification catalysts provided in the exhaust passageway 4 of the engine 1 and therefore better the exhaust emission of the engine 1 . the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 becomes smaller the lower the oxygen concentration in exhaust gas becomes , as shown in fig2 . when the mixture is burned at the stoichiometric air / fuel ratio , the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 becomes , for example , “ 1 . 0 v ”, corresponding to the then oxygen concentration x in exhaust gas . therefore , the lower the oxygen concentration in exhaust gas becomes due to combustion of rich mixture ( rich combustion ), the smaller the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 becomes in the range below “ 1 . 0 v ”. besides , the higher the oxygen concentration in exhaust gas becomes due to combustion of lean mixture ( lean combustion ), the greater the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 becomes in the range above “ 1 . 0 v ”. then , as the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 becomes greater in the range above “ 1 . 0 ”, the air / fuel ratio feedback correction value fd is gradually increased so as to increase the amount of fuel injection of the engine 1 . besides , as the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 becomes smaller in the range below “ 1 . 0 ”, the air / fuel ratio feedback correction value fd is gradually reduced so as to reduce the amount of fuel injection of the engine 1 . by correcting the amount of fuel injection of the engine 1 in the increasing or decreasing direction on the basis of the air / fuel ratio feedback correction value fd that changes in the foregoing manner , the air / fuel ratio of the engine 1 is controlled to the stoichiometric air / fuel ratio . next , an abnormality detection process for determining the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 , such as degradation thereof or the like , which is performed via the electronic control unit 19 will be described with reference to the flowchart of fig3 , which shows an abnormality detection process routine for executing the abnormality detection process . this abnormality detection process routine is periodically executed by , for example , a time interrupt at every predetermined time , via the electronic control unit 19 . in this abnormality detection process routine , firstly , it is determined whether or not a diagnosis condition that is a prerequisite condition for executing the abnormality detection process has been satisfied ( s 101 ). the determination that the diagnosis condition has been satisfied is made upon satisfaction of the conditions that , for example , the cooling water temperature , the rotation speed , the load , the fluctuation of the air / fuel ratio , the amount of intake air ( intake air amount ), the fluctuation of the intake air amount , etc . of the engine 1 are all within regions that allow the abnormality detection process to be executed . incidentally , the engine rotation speed is found on the basis of a detection signal from the crank position sensor 24 . besides , the engine load is calculated from a parameter that corresponds to the intake air amount of the engine 1 , and the engine rotation speed . examples of the parameter corresponding to the intake air amount which is used herein include an actually measured value of the intake air amount of the engine 1 which is found on the basis of the detection signal from the air flow meter 23 , the degree of throttle opening detected by the throttle position sensor 22 , etc . if in step s 101 it is determined that the diagnosis condition has been satisfied , the active air / fuel ratio control for acquiring data for use for the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is executed ( s 102 ). in the active air / fuel ratio control , the amount of fuel injection of the engine 1 is periodically increased and decreased , for example , as shown in fig4 , and therefore the air / fuel ratio of the engine 1 is periodically fluctuated between a state in which the air / fuel ratio is richer than the stoichiometric air / fuel ratio and a state in which the air / fuel ratio is leaner than the stoichiometric air / fuel ratio . incidentally , the amount of change of the air / fuel ratio relative to the stoichiometric air / fuel ratio when the air / fuel ratio of the engine 1 is fluctuated by the active air / fuel ratio control is set at , for example , about 3 % of the stoichiometric air / fuel ratio to the rich side and the lean side from the stoichiometric air / fuel ratio . when the active air / fuel ratio control is performed , a process of finding a parameter that corresponds to the responsiveness of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 ( hereinafter , referred to as “ responsiveness parameter ”) on the basis of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 during the active air / fuel ratio control , and acquiring the parameter as data for use for abnormality detection is performed ( s 103 and s 104 in fig3 ). the responsiveness parameter used herein may be a maximum value θmax of the rate θ of change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 occurring when the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 changes between the rich peak and the lean peak . herein , the rate θ of change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is a value that represents change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 per unit time , and is calculated in the following manner . that is , the output vaf is taken at every predetermined time interval at during the period of the change between the rich peak and the lean peak , and at every one of such take - up , the rate θ of change is calculated using the following expression . hence , when the change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 from the rich peak to the lean peak is completed , the then maximum value θmax ( maximum value in a positive direction ) of the rate θ of change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 during the time from the rich peak to the lean peak is determined . then , the maximum value θmax of the rate θ of change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is acquired as data that corresponds to the responsiveness parameter for the time from the rich peak to the lean peak ( s 103 ). more specifically , the maximum value θmax of the rate θ of change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is stored into the ram of the electronic control unit 19 . the storage of the maximum value θmax in this manner is performed every time the change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 from the rich peak to the lean peak is completed during the active air / fuel ratio control . besides , when the change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 from the lean peak to the rich peak is completed , the maximum value θmax ( the maximum value in the negative direction ) of the rate θ of change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 during the time from the lean peak to the rich peak is determined . then , the maximum value θmax of the rate θ of change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 during the time from the lean peak to the rich peak is acquired as data that corresponds to the responsiveness parameter ( s 104 ). more specifically , the maximum value θmax of the rate θ of change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is stored into the ram of the electronic control unit 19 . this storage of the maximum value θmax is performed every time the change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 from the lean peak to the rich peak is completed during the active air / fuel ratio control . after data ( maximum value θmax ) is acquired in the foregoing manner , a first determination process ( s 105 ) for determining the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 occurring during the change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 from the rich state to the lean state . it is conceivable that in this first determination process , the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is performed , for example , in the following manner . specifically , the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is determined on the basis of comparison between an abnormality criterion value and the data obtained with regard to the change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 from the rich peak to the lean peak during the active air / fuel ratio control . furthermore , a second determination process ( s 106 ) for determining the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 occurring during the change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 from the lean state to the rich state is also performed . it is conceivable that in the second determination process , the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is performed , for example , in the following manner . that is , the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is determined on the basis of comparison between the abnormality criterion value and the data obtained with regard to the change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 from the lean peak to the rich peak during the active air / fuel ratio control . then , if the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 occurring during the change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 from the rich state to the lean state ends ( yes in s 107 ) and the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 occurring during the change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 from lean state to the rich state ends ( yes in s 108 ), the active air / fuel ratio control is stopped ( s 109 ). by the way , as stated above in conjunction with the related art , in recent years , the requirement for better exhaust emission of the engine 1 has become severer , and it is determined that an air / fuel ratio sensor 26 that does not meet the requirement is abnormal . concretely , it is conceivable that the abnormality criterion value used in the first determination process ( s 105 ) and the abnormality criterion value used in the second determination process ( s 106 ) are both shifted toward the side of normality , whereby it is more likely to be determined that the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 has abnormality . however , if the determination as the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is performed more severely so that it is more likely to be determined that the sensor 26 has abnormality as described above , the difference between the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 during normality thereof and the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 during abnormality thereof becomes small , so that the responsiveness parameters ( maximum values θmax ) found in steps 5103 and 5104 less clearly represent a difference made by the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 . in particular , during the small - amount - of - intake - air state of the engine 1 , the exhaust gas pressure of the engine 1 ( that corresponds to the amount of flow of exhaust gas ) declines , and the influence caused by abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 , such as degradation or the like , comes to less clearly appear in the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 , the foregoing tendency of the responsiveness parameters ( maximum values θmax ) representing less clearly the difference made by the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor becomes conspicuous . furthermore , when the motor vehicle is accelerating or decelerating during the small - amount - of - intake - air state of the engine 1 , the responsiveness parameters ( maximum values θmax ) greatly fluctuate due to the response delay of various appliances of the engine 1 , so that there is high possibility that the data acquired in steps s 103 and s 104 will each have a value that makes it hard to determine the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 . as described above , if the responsiveness parameters ( maximum values θmax ) found in steps s 103 and s 104 less clearly represent a difference made by the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 , there results a drawback that it becomes difficult to accurately perform the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 in the first determination process ( s 105 ) and the second determination process ( s 106 ). hereinafter , reasons for this will be explained in detail with reference to fig5 ad fig6 , and outlines of countermeasures for the foregoing drawback will be described with reference to fig5 and 6 . fig5 shows the distribution of the maximum values θmax acquired as data of the responsiveness parameter when the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 changes from the rich peak to the lean , peak . in the diagram of fig5 , a symbol “ ” indicates the data acquired when the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is normal , and a symbol “◯” indicates the data acquired when the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is normal but in an lower - limit permissible state in conjunction with abnormality , and a symbol “ δ ” indicates data acquired when the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is in an abnormal state due to degradation or the like of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 . a region ra 1 in which data indicated by “ ” are distributed is located above ( in the diagram ) a region ra 2 in which data indicated by “◯” are distributed , and the region ra 2 is located above ( in the diagram ) a region ra 3 in which data indicated by the “ δ ” are distributed . this data distribution results because if the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 has abnormality such as degradation or the like , the responsiveness of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 during the active air / fuel ratio control deteriorates as shown by a dashed two - dotted line in the time chart of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 shown in fig4 from a normal state ( shown by a solid line in the time chart ), and the influence thereof appears in the distribution of data in fig5 . besides , the regions ra 1 , ra 2 and ra 3 are displaced upward in the diagram to an extent that is greater the greater the intake air amount of the engine 1 . this is because as the amount of intake air of the engine 1 increases , the exhaust gas pressure of the engine 1 ( that corresponds to the amount of flow of exhaust gas ) rises , so that increased amounts of exhaust gas come to pass through the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 , whereby the responsiveness of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 relative to changes of the actual air / fuel ratio of the engine 1 is improved . if the abnormality criterion value used in the first determination process ( s 105 in fig3 ) is shifted toward the side of normality corresponding to the severe requirement regarding the exhaust emission of the engine 1 , the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 comes to be severely performed . in this case , since the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is regarded as being abnormal if the sensor does not meet the severe requirement regarding the exhaust emission , the region ra 2 and the region ra 3 become closer to each other in the vertical direction , so that the region ra 2 and the region ra 3 overlap with each other when the engine 1 is in the small - amount - of - intake - air state . the region ra 2 and the region ra 3 overlapping with each other in this manner means that in and around the overlapping area , the difference made by the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 has come to less clearly appear in the responsiveness parameter ( maximum value θmax ). this gives rise to a drawback that it is difficult to accurately perform the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 in the first determination process . as a countermeasure against this drawback , the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 in the first determination process of this embodiment is performed in the following manner , on the basis of the data ( maximum value θmax ) acquired every time the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 changes from the rich peak to the lean peak . that is , on the basis of the data ( maximum value θmax ) acquired every time the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 changes from the rich peak to the lean peak , a straight line that represents a tendency of change of the data relative to change in the intake air amount of the engine 1 is determined . then , on the basis of comparison between the gradient of the straight line and the abnormality criterion value , the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is determined . as shown in fig5 , the degrees of displacement of the regions ra 1 , ra 2 and ra 3 toward an upper side in the graph relative to increases in the intake air amount of the engine 1 , in other words , the degrees of the change of the responsiveness parameter ( maximum value θmax ) to a value that shows good responsiveness in association with increases in the intake air amount , tend to become considerably larger in the order of the region ra 3 , the region ra 2 and the region ra 1 . this is because when the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 has abnormality , the decline of the responsiveness of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 associated with the abnormality appears more greatly the larger the intake air amount is , and therefore the degree of the change of the responsiveness parameter to a value that shows good responsiveness in association with increase in the intake air amount ( in this case , the degree of change thereof in a positive direction ) becomes smaller . therefore , with regard to the degree of change of the responsiveness parameter to a value that shows good responsiveness in association with increase in the intake air amount , the difference made by the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 appears greatly . the degree of change of the responsiveness parameter to a value that shows good responsiveness in association with increase in the intake air amount is represented by the gradient of the foregoing straight line determined on the basis of the data ( maximum value θmax ) acquired every time the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 changes from the rich peak to the lean peak . incidentally , in fig5 , a solid line l 1 shows the straight line determined when the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is in a normal state , and a broken line l 2 shows the straight line determined when the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is normal but in a permissible lower - limit state in conjunction with abnormality , and a two - dot dashed line l 3 shows the straight line determined when the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is in an abnormal state such as a degraded state or the like . with regard to the gradients of the foregoing straight lines ( l 1 , l 2 , l 3 , etc . ), the difference made by the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 appears greatly . the difference made by the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 appearing greatly in the foregoing gradient means that when the abnormality criterion value is shifted toward the side of normality in order to severely perform the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 , a certain size of interval can be provided between the abnormality criterion value and the gradient of the straight line determined when the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is normal . therefore , even if , in the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 on the basis of comparison between the gradient of the straight line and the abnormality criterion value , the abnormality criterion value is shifted toward the side of normality so as to make the determination severer , that is , make it more likely to determine that the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 has abnormality , it is still possible to accurately perform the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 . fig6 is a diagram showing the distribution of the maximum values θmax that are acquired as data for the responsiveness parameter when the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 changes from the lean peak to the rich peak . incidentally , in this diagram of fig6 , a symbol “ ” indicates the data acquired when the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is normal , and a symbol “◯” indicates the data acquired when the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is normal but in an lower - limit permissible state in conjunction with abnormality , and a symbol “ δ ” indicates data acquired when the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is in an abnormal state of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 , as in fig5 . a region ra 4 in which data indicated by “ ” are distributed is located below ( in the diagram ) a region ra 5 in which data indicated by “◯” are distributed , and the region ra 5 is located below ( in the diagram ) a region ra 6 in which data indicated by the “ δ ” are distributed . this data distribution results because if the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 has abnormality such as degradation or the like , the responsiveness of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 during the active air / fuel ratio control deteriorates as shown by the dashed two - dotted line in the time chart of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 shown in fig4 from a normal state ( shown by the solid line in the time chart ), and the influence thereof appears in the distribution of data in fig6 . besides , the regions ra 4 , ra 5 and ra 6 are displaced downward in the diagram to an extent that is greater the greater the intake air amount of the engine 1 . this is because as the amount of intake air of the engine 1 increases , the exhaust gas pressure of the engine 1 ( that corresponds to the amount of flow of exhaust gas ) rises , so that increased amounts of exhaust gas come to pass through the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 , whereby the responsiveness of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 relative to changes of the actual air / fuel ratio of the engine 1 is improved . if the abnormality criterion value used in the second determination process ( s 106 in fig3 ) is shifted toward the side of normality corresponding to the severe requirement regarding the exhaust emission of the engine 1 , the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 comes to be severely performed . in this case , since the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is regarded as being abnormal if the sensor does not meet the severe requirement regarding the exhaust emission , the region ra 5 and the region ra 6 become closer to each other in the vertical direction , so that the region ra 5 and the region ra 6 overlap with each other when the engine 1 is in the small - amount - of - intake - air state . the region ra 5 and the region ra 6 overlapping with each other in this manner means that in and around the overlapping area , the difference made by the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 has come to less clearly appear in the responsiveness parameter ( maximum value θmax ). this gives rise to a drawback that it is difficult to accurately perform the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 in the second determination process . as a countermeasure against this drawback , the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 in the second determination process of this embodiment is performed in the following manner , on the basis of the data ( maximum value θmax ) acquired every time the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 changes from the lean peak to the rich peak . that is , on the basis of the data ( maximum value θmax ) acquired every time the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 changes from the lean peak to the rich peak , the straight line that represents the tendency of change of the data relative to change in the intake air amount of the engine 1 is determined . then , on the basis of comparison between the gradient of the straight line and the abnormality criterion value , the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is determined . as shown in fig6 , the degrees of displacement of the regions ra 4 , ra 5 and ra 6 toward a lower side in the graph relative to increases in the intake air amount of the engine 1 , that is , the degrees of the change of the responsiveness parameter ( maximum value θmax ) to a value that shows good responsiveness in association with increases in the intake air amount , tend to become considerably larger in the order of region rag , region ra 5 and the region ra 4 . this is because when the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 has abnormality , the decline of the responsiveness of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 associated with the abnormality appears more greatly the larger the intake air amount is , and therefore the degree of the change of the responsiveness parameter to a value that shows good responsiveness in association with increase in the intake air amount ( in this case , the degree of change thereof in the negative direction ) becomes smaller . therefore , with regard to the degree of change of the responsiveness parameter to a value that shows good responsiveness in association with increase in the intake air amount , the difference made by the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 appears greatly . the degree of change of the responsiveness parameter to a value that shows good responsiveness in association with increase in the intake air amount is represented by the gradient of the foregoing straight line determined on the basis of the data ( maximum value θmax ) acquired every time the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 changes from the lean peak to the rich peak . incidentally , in fig6 , a solid line l 4 shows the straight line determined when the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is in a normal state , and a broken line l 5 shows the straight line determined when the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is normal but in a permissible lower - limit state in conjunction with abnormality , and a two - dot dashed line l 6 shows the straight line determined when the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is in an abnormal state such as a degraded state or the like . with regard to the gradients of the foregoing straight lines ( l 4 , l 5 , l 6 , etc . ), the difference made by the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 appears greatly . the difference made by the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 appearing greatly in the foregoing gradient means that when the abnormality criterion value is shifted toward the side of normality in order to severely perform the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 , a certain size of interval can be provided between the abnormality criterion value and the gradient of the straight line determined when the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is normal . therefore , even if , in the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 on the basis of comparison between the gradient of the straight line and the abnormality criterion value , the abnormality criterion value is shifted toward the side of normality so as to make the determination severer , that is , make it more likely to determine that the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 has abnormality , it is still possible to accurately perform the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 . next , the execution procedure of the first determination process performed in step s 105 in the abnormality detection routine ( fig3 ) will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of fig7 showing a first determination process routine . this first determination process routine is executed every time the process proceeds to step s 105 in the abnormality detection routine . in the first determination process routine , it is firstly determined whether or not the change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 from the rich peak to the lean peak has been completed and the acquisition of data ( maximum value θmax ) regarding the change from the rich peak to the lean peak has been performed ( s 201 ). if an affirmative determination is made in this step , it is then determined whether or not the engine 1 is in the small - amount - of - intake - air state ( s 202 ), more specifically , whether or not the intake air amount is less than a predetermined value x 1 a . the affirmative determination being made in step s 202 means that the acquisition of the data was performed when the engine 1 was in the small - amount - of - intake - air region . in this case , the number n1a of acquisitions of data in the small - amount - of - intake - air region of the engine 1 is incremented by “ 1 ” ( s 203 ). besides , the determination as to whether or not the engine 1 is in the large - amount - of - intake - air state ( s 204 ), more specifically , whether or not the intake air amount is greater than or equal to a predetermined value x 1 b , is also performed . the affirmative determination being made in step s 204 means that the acquisition of data was performed when the engine 1 was in the large - amount - of - intake - air region . in this case , the number n1b of acquisitions of data in the large - amount - of - intake - air state of the engine 1 is incremented by “ 1 ” ( s 205 ). the numbers n1a and n1b of acquisitions represent the number of times the acquisition of data has been performed in the small - amount - of - intake - air region of the engine 1 , and the number of times the acquisition of data has been performed in the large - amount - of - intake - air region of the engine 1 , respectively . incidentally , the small - amount - of - intake - air region is a region in which the intake air amount is less than the predetermined value x 1 a in fig5 , and in which the intake air amount is smallest in the entire region of the intake air amount of the engine 1 . on the other hand , the large - amount - of - intake - air region is a region in which the intake air amount is greater than or equal to the predetermined value x 1 b in fig5 , and in which the intake air amount is largest in the entire region of the intake air amount of the engine 1 . the small - amount - of - intake - air region and the large - amount - of - intake - air region are apart from each other in the direction of change of the intake air amount of the engine 1 . specifically , the predetermined value x 1 a and the predetermined value x 1 b are apart from each other by a certain interval . when the numbers n1a and n1b of acquisitions each become greater than or equal to a first set number s ( e . g ., five ) ( yes in s 206 ), the straight line that represents the tendency of change of the data relative to change in the intake air amount of the engine 1 is determined on the basis of the data acquired every time the output vaf from the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 changes from the rich peak to the lean peak , and then the gradient α of the straight line is found ( s 207 ). specifically , the straight line connecting the minimum value in the positive direction among the data acquired in the small - amount - of - intake - air region and the maximum value in the positive direction among the data acquired in the large - amount - of - intake - air region is determined as a straight line that represents the tendency of change of the data relative to change in the intake air amount of the engine 1 . then , on the basis of the determined straight line , the gradient α of the straight line , that is , the change of the data relative to change in the intake air amount per unit amount of intake air , is found . after that , the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 based on comparison between the gradient α and an abnormality criterion value h1 is performed . specifically , if the gradient α is greater than or equal to the abnormality criterion value h1 ( yes in s 208 ), it is determined that the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 does not have abnormality during the change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 from the rich state to the lean state , but the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is normal ( s 209 ). besides , if the gradient α is less than abnormality criterion value h1 ( no in s 208 ), it is determined that the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 has abnormality during the change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 from the rich state to the lean state ( s 210 ). after it is determined that the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is normal or is abnormal ( s 209 or s 210 ), the numbers n1a and n1b of acquisitions are cleared to “ 0 ” ( s 211 ). incidentally , the abnormality criterion value h1 adopted herein is a value that is determined beforehand through experiments or the like so as to be an appropriate value in determining the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 . next , the execution procedure of the second determination process performed in step s 106 in the abnormality detection routine ( fig3 ) will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of fig8 showing a first determination process routine . the second determination process routine is executed every time the process proceeds to step s 106 in the abnormality detection routine . in the second determination process routine , it is firstly determined whether or not the change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 from the lean peak to the rich peak has been completed and the acquisition of data ( maximum value θmax ) regarding the change from the lean peak to the rich peak has been performed ( s 301 ). if an affirmative determination is made in this step , it is then determined whether or not the engine 1 is in the small - amount - of - intake - air state ( s 302 ), more specifically , whether or not the intake air amount is less than a predetermined value x 2 a . the affirmative determination being made in step s 302 means that the acquisition of the data was performed when the engine 1 was in the small - amount - of - intake - air region . in this case , the number n2a of acquisitions of data in the small - amount - of - intake - air region of the engine 1 is incremented by “ 1 ” ( s 303 ). besides , the determination as to whether or not the engine 1 is in the large - amount - of - intake - air state ( s 304 ), more specifically , whether or not the intake air amount is greater than or equal to a predetermined value x 2 b , is also performed . the affirmative determination being made in step s 304 means that the acquisition of data was performed when the engine 1 was in the large - amount - of - intake - air region . in this case , the number n2b of acquisitions of data in the large - amount - of - intake - air state of the engine 1 is incremented by “ 1 ” ( s 305 ). the numbers n2a and n2b of acquisitions represent the number of times the acquisition of data has been performed in the small - amount - of - intake - air region of the engine 1 , and the number of times the acquisition of data has been performed in the large - amount - of - intake - air region of the engine 1 , respectively . incidentally , the small - amount - of - intake - air region is a region in which the intake air amount is less than the predetermined value x 2 a in fig6 , and in which the intake air amount is smallest in the entire region of the intake air amount of the engine 1 . on the other hand , the large - amount - of - intake - air region is a region in which the intake air amount is greater than or equal to the predetermined value x 2 b in fig6 , and in which the intake air amount is smallest in the entire region of the intake air amount of the engine 1 . the small - amount - of - intake - air region and the large - amount - of - intake - air region are apart from each other in the direction of change of the intake air amount of the engine 1 . specifically , the predetermined value x 2 a and the predetermined value x 2 b are apart from each other by a certain interval . when the numbers n2a and n2b of acquisitions each become greater than or equal to the first set number s ( yes in s 306 ), the straight line that represents the tendency of change of the data relative to change in the intake air amount of the engine 1 is determined on the basis of the data acquired every time the output vaf from the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 changes from the lean peak to the rich peak , and then the gradient β of the straight line is found ( s 307 ). specifically , the straight line connecting the minimum value in the negative direction among the data acquired in the small - amount - of - intake - air region and the maximum value in the negative direction among the data acquired in the large - amount - of - intake - air region is determined as a straight line that represents the tendency of change of the data relative to change in the intake air amount of the engine 1 . then , on the basis of the determined straight line , the gradient β of the straight line , that is , the change of the data relative to change in the intake air amount per unit amount of intake air , is found . after that , the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 based on comparison between the gradient β and an abnormality criterion value 112 is performed . specifically , if the gradient β is less than the abnormality criterion value 112 ( yes in s 308 ), it is determined that the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 does not have abnormality during the change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 from the lean state to the rich state , but the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is normal ( s 309 ). besides , if the gradient β is greater than or equal to the abnormality criterion value h2 ( no in s 308 ), it is determined that the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 has abnormality during the change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 from the lean state to the rich state ( s 310 ). after it is determined that the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is normal or is abnormal ( s 309 or s 310 ), the numbers n 2 a and n 2 b of acquisitions are cleared to “ 0 ” ( s 311 ). incidentally , the abnormality criterion value h2 adopted herein is a value that is determined beforehand through experiments or the like so as to be an appropriate value in determining the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 . according to the embodiment described above in detail , the following effects are obtained . a first effect will be described . the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is performed in the following procedure . that is , the active air / fuel ratio control is performed . when the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 changes between the rich peak and the lean peak during the active air / fuel ratio control , a responsiveness parameter ( maximum value θmax ) that corresponds to the responsiveness of the change is found on the basis of the output vaf , and is acquired as data for use for abnormality detection . then , the straight line that represents the tendency of change of the responsiveness parameter relative to the change in the intake air amount of the engine 1 is determined on the basis of the data obtained by a plurality of acquisitions of data . then , the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is determined on the basis of comparison between the gradient α or β and the abnormality criterion value h1 or h1 , respectively . the foregoing responsiveness parameter changes to a value that represents good responsiveness in association with increase in the intake air amount of the engine 1 in both the case where the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 has abnormality and the case where the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 does not have abnormality ( is normal ). this is because as the intake air amount of the engine 1 increases , the exhaust gas pressure of the engine 1 ( that corresponds to the amount of flow of exhaust gas ) rises , so that increased amounts of exhaust gas come to pass through the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 . however , when the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 does not have abnormality ( is normal ), the degree of change of the responsiveness parameter to a value that shows good responsiveness in association with increase in the intake air amount tends to becomes considerably large , in comparison with when the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 has abnormality . this is because when the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 has abnormality , the decline of the responsiveness of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 associated with the abnormality appears more greatly the larger the intake air amount is , and therefore the degree of change of the responsiveness parameter to a value that shows good responsiveness in association with increase in the intake air amount becomes smaller . therefore , with regard to the degree of change of the responsiveness parameter to a value that shows good responsiveness in association with increase in the intake air amount , the difference made by the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 appears greatly . it is to be noted herein that the degree of change of the responsiveness parameter to a value that shows good responsiveness in association with increase in the intake air amount is represented by the gradient α or β of the straight line that is determined on the basis of the data obtained by the foregoing plurality of acquisitions of data . therefore , with regard to the gradients α and β of the straight lines , the difference made by the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 appears greatly . the difference made by the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 appearing greatly in the foregoing gradient α or β means that when the abnormality criterion value h1 or h2 is shifted toward the side of normality in order to severely perform the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 , a certain size of interval can be provided between the abnormality criterion value h1 or h2 and the gradient α or β of the straight line determined when the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is normal . therefore , even if , in the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 on the basis of comparison between the gradient α or β of the straight line and the abnormality criterion value h1 or h2 , the abnormality criterion value is shifted toward the side of normality so as to make the determination severer , that is , make it more likely to determine that the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 has abnormality , it is still possible to accurately perform the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 . next , a second effect will be described . the data is acquired in each of the small - amount - of - intake - air region and the large - amount - of - intake - air region of the engine 1 , and a straight line that represents the tendency of change of the responsiveness parameter relative to change in the intake air amount of the engine 1 is determined on the basis of the data acquired in the small - amount - of - intake - air region and the data acquired in the large - amount - of - intake - air region . in this manner , the foregoing straight line is determined on the basis of data acquired in a broad range of the intake air amount , including the data acquired in the small - amount - of - intake - air region and the data acquired in the large - amount - of - intake - air region . therefore , the straight line determined on the basis of the thus - acquired data precisely represents the tendency of change of the responsiveness parameter relative to change in the intake air amount of the engine 1 . therefore , it becomes possible to precisely determine that the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 has abnormality , through the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 based on comparison between the gradients α and β and the abnormality criterion values h1 and h2 , respectively . next , a third effect will be described . the foregoing large - amount - of - intake - air region is determined in a region where the intake air amount of the engine 1 is largest in the entire region of the intake air amount , while the small - amount - of - intake - air region is determined in a region where the intake air amount of the engine 1 is smallest in the entire region of the intake air amount . furthermore , the large - amount - of - intake - air region and the small - amount - of - intake - air region are determined so as to be located farthest apart from each other in the entire region of the intake air amount of the engine 1 . therefore , the data acquired in the large - amount - of - intake - air region and the small - amount - of - intake - air region are the data acquired in the broadest range of the intake air amount in the entire region of the intake air amount of the engine 1 . therefore , the straight line determined on the basis of the data acquired in the large - amount - of - intake - air region and the data acquired in the small - amount - of - intake - air region more precisely represents the tendency of change of the responsiveness parameter relative to change in the intake air amount of the engine 1 . therefore , through the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 based on comparison between the gradients α and β of the straight lines and the abnormality criterion values h1 and h2 , respectively , it becomes possible to more precisely determine that the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 has abnormality . next , a fourth effect will be described . the acquisition of data is performed a plurality of times in each of the large - amount - of - intake - air region and the small - amount - of - intake - air region of the engine 1 . then , a straight line connecting the maximum value of the data acquired in the large - amount - of - intake - air region and the minimum value of the data acquired in the small - amount - of - intake - air region is determined as the straight line that represents the tendency of change of the responsiveness parameter relative to change in the intake air amount of the engine 1 . it is to be noted herein that the variation among the data acquired in the large - amount - of - intake - air region in the direction of magnitude of the data , and the variation among the data acquired in the small - amount - of - intake - air region in the direction of magnitude thereof tend to become large when the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 does not have abnormality ( is normal ), and become small when the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 has abnormality . this is because during the normal state of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 , the responsiveness parameter found on the basis of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 fluctuates due to the influence of an external disturbance of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 that is caused by a transitional operation of the engine or the like , whereas during the abnormal state of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 , the responsiveness parameter is always a value that is poor in responsiveness , regardless of the influence of an external disturbance of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor . as can be understood from what has been described above , the gradient α or β of the straight line connecting the maximum value of the data acquired in the large - amount - of - intake - air region and the minimum value of the data acquired in the small - amount - of - intake - air region tend to become larger when the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is normal than when the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is abnormal . therefore , the influence caused by the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 greatly occurs in the gradient α , β of the straight line , so that it becomes possible to facilitate the determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 based on comparison between the gradients α and β and the abnormality criterion values h1 and h2 , respectively . next , a fifth effect will be described . through the first determination process , the straight line that represents the tendency of change of the responsiveness parameter relative to change in the intake air amount of the engine 1 is determined on the basis of the data acquired when the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 changes from the rich peak to the lean peak . then , on the basis of comparison between the gradient α of the straight line and the abnormality criterion value h1 , the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 during the change of the output vaf of the sensor 26 from the rich state to the lean state is determined . besides , through the second determination process , the straight line that represents the tendency of change of the responsiveness parameter relative to change in the intake air amount of the engine 1 is determined on the basis of the data acquired when the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 changes from the lean peak to the rich peak . then , on the basis of comparison between the gradient β of the straight line and the abnormality criterion value h2 , the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 during the change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 from the lean state to the rich state is determined . therefore , regardless of whether there occurs an abnormality during the change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 from the rich state to the lean state or an abnormality during the change of the output vaf from the lean state to the rich state , it is possible to precisely determine that the abnormality is present . besides , in the case where only one of the foregoing two kinds of abnormalities has occurred , it is inevitable that when the air / fuel ratio of the engine 1 is controlled to the stoichiometric air / fuel ratio through an air / fuel ratio feedback correction based on the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 , the center of the fluctuations of the air / fuel ratio of the engine 1 associated with that control deviates from the stoichiometric air / fuel ratio . as a result , it sometimes happens that good performance of exhaust gas purification of the exhaust purification catalyst provided in the exhaust passageway 4 of the engine 1 cannot be maintained and therefore the exhaust gas emission of the engine 1 deteriorates . however , in the embodiment , since it can be determined that abnormality has occurred even in the case where only one of the two kinds of abnormalities has occurred as described above , it is possible to restrain the foregoing deterioration of the exhaust gas emission by coping with the abnormality on the basis of the determination of the occurrence of the abnormality . incidentally , the foregoing embodiments may also be modified , for example , in the following manners . in the foregoing embodiments , the determination as to the presence / absence of an abnormality that occurs during the change of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 from the rich state to the lean state and the determination as to the presence / absence of an abnormality that occurs during the change of the output vaf from the lean state to the rich state are performed separately from each other . however , it is not altogether necessary to adopt this manner of determination as to the presence / absence of abnormality . for example , the absolute value of the amount of change of the output vaf per unit time during the active air / fuel ratio control may be acquired as data of the responsiveness parameter , and the straight line that represents the tendency of change of the responsiveness parameter relative to change in the intake air amount of the engine 1 may be determined on the basis of the acquired data , and the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 may be determined by using the gradient of the straight line . in this case , the presence / absence of abnormality of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 is determined regardless of the direction of change of the output vaf of the sensor 26 . besides , the value of the set number s does not need to be five , but may be changed as appropriate , for example , to two , three , four , or six or more . a locus length σs between the rich peak and the lean peak of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 may also be used as a responsiveness parameter that is found during the active air / fuel ratio control . incidentally , the locus length σs is an integrated value of the changes of the output vaf of the air / fuel ratio sensor 26 at every predetermined time between the rich peak and the lean peak of the output vaf of the sensor 26 . as for the responsiveness parameter , the use of the maximum value θmax of the rate θ of change as in the foregoing embodiments is more preferable than the use of the locus length σs . this is because , compared with the locus length σs , the maximum value θmax of the rate θ of change is less subject to the influence caused by the external disturbance , such as change in the accelerator pedal depression amount , or the like . therefore , because the maximum value θmax is used as data for determining the straight line that represents the tendency of change of the responsiveness parameter relative to change in the intake air amount of the engine 1 , it becomes easier to obtain a proper straight line without receiving influence of the external disturbance . besides , the small - amount - of - intake - air region and the large - amount - of - intake - air region do not necessarily need to be apart from each other in the direction of change in the intake air amount of the engine 1 , but the small - amount - of - intake - air region and the large - amount - of - intake - air region may also be adjacent to each other . in this case , the predetermined value x 1 a and the predetermined value x 1 b are equal to each other , and the predetermined value x 2 a and the predetermined value x 2 b are also equal to each other . besides , the small - amount - of - intake - air region does not necessarily need to be a region in which the intake air amount is smallest in the entire region of the intake air amount of the engine 1 , but may also be a region that is closer to the large intake air amount . while the invention has been described with reference to example embodiments thereof , it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the example embodiments or constructions . to the contrary , the invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements . in addition , while the various elements of the example embodiments are shown in various combinations and configurations , which are exemplary , other combinations and configurations , including more , less or only a single element , are also within the spirit and scope of the invention .	5
hereinafter reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below . while the invention will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments , it will be understood that present description is not intended to limit the invention to those exemplary embodiments . on the contrary , the invention is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments , but also various alternatives , modifications , equivalents and other embodiments , which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . hereinafter , a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 and 2 . fig1 is a schematic system view showing a compatible system of digital rights management in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig1 , the compatible system of digital rights management in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a first apparatus 10 , a user server 20 for storing a first authentication document of the first apparatus 10 , a second apparatus 30 for selecting one of different contents and reproducing the same , and a provider server 40 comprising a contents storage server 44 and a object management server 42 . here , the first apparatus 10 may be operated in connection with another external apparatus to reproduce the contents . that is , the first apparatus 10 is an apparatus which is connected to the second apparatus 30 to reproduce the contents that are reproduced in the second apparatus 30 , and which is not directly connected to the provider server 40 and a network 50 . the user server 20 stores the first authentication document transmitted from the first apparatus 10 , and when the first authentication document of the first apparatus 10 is requested by the provider server 40 via a virtual safe channel formed between the provider server 40 and the user server 20 upon receipt of a contents request signal to the provider server 40 from the second apparatus 30 which is operating in connection with the first apparatus 10 , the user server 20 transmits the first authentication document to the provider server 40 . the second apparatus 30 transmits the contents request signal and a second authentication document to the provider server 40 via the network 50 . in other words , if the second apparatus 30 operates in connection with the first apparatus 10 , it transmits the contents request signal containing information on the first apparatus 10 and information on the contents selected from the second apparatus to the provider server 40 via the network 50 . here , the second apparatus 30 is at least one of a mobile communication terminal , a navigation device , and a video player that connect the provider server 40 via the network 50 , and works together with the first apparatus 10 . after receiving the contents request signal and the second authentication document , the provider server 40 forms a virtual safe channel with the user server 20 based on the contents request signal transmitted from the second apparatus 30 . that is , the provider server 40 verifies the user server 20 having the first authentication document of the first apparatus 10 by determining whether the user server 20 is reliable based on the information on the first apparatus 10 contained in the contents request signal . at this time , the provider server 40 performs a pki ( public key infrastructure )- based mutual authentication with the user server 20 , thereby ensuring the mutual reliability between the servers 20 and 40 . after verification , the provider server 40 makes a request to the user server 30 for transmitting the first authentication document stored in the first apparatus 10 via a virtual safe channel formed between the provider server 40 and the user server 20 transmits the first authentication document to the provider server 40 . the provider server 40 includes an object management server 42 for generating the first and second licenses through the received first authentication documents from the user server 30 and the second authentication documents and transmitting them to the second apparatus 30 ; and a contents storage server 44 for transmitting the contents to the second apparatus 30 via network 50 . the object management sever 42 transmits the first and second licenses encrypted with encryption keys contained in the first and second authentication documents , respectively , to the second apparatus 30 . finally , the second apparatus 30 receives first and second licenses containing the contents and the copyright to the contents from the provider server 40 via the network 50 . then , the second apparatus 30 transmits the contents to be reproduced in the first apparatus 10 and the first license to the first apparatus 10 . the first and second apparatuses 10 and 30 encodes the contents by respective encoding keys contained in the first and second authentication documents , in order to reproduce the contents , and then reproduce the same contents through the respective first and second licenses . the first and second apparatuses 10 and 30 may be connected to a usb cable or a data transmission cable as may be selected by a person of ordinary skill in the art based on the teachings herein . here , the encryption of the contents is performed under des , sha , rc4 , mac , seed , etc . that are generally used by a person of ordinary skill in the art based on the teachings herein , and the encryption algorithms are not limited thereto . fig2 is a sequence view showing a method for operating a compatible system of digital rights management in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig2 , in the method for operating a compatible system of digital rights management in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , when a first apparatus 10 and a second apparatus 30 are connected via usb cable or a data transmission cable , information on the first apparatus 10 is transmitted to the second apparatus ( s 100 ). when the second apparatus 30 selects contents ( s 102 ), a contents request signal containing information on the first apparatus 10 and information on the contents are transmitted to a provider server 40 via the network 50 ( s 104 ). in other words , after the second apparatus 30 is connected to the first apparatus 10 , the second apparatus 30 selects the contents for reproducing the contents in the first apparatus 10 and transmits a contents request signal to the provider server 40 through the network 50 . once the contents request signal of the second apparatus 30 is transmitted to the provider server 40 from the second apparatus 30 , the provider server 40 verifies the user server 20 based on the information on the first apparatus 10 contained in the contents request signal ( s 106 ), requests the user server 20 for authentication to form a mutual virtual safe channel ( s 108 ), and the user server 20 responses to the request for the authentication transmitted from the provider server 40 ( s 110 ). in other words , the provider server 40 verifies the user server 20 having the first authentication document of the first apparatus 10 stored therein based on the information on the first apparatus 10 contained in the contents request signal . at this time , the provider server 40 performs a separate pki ( public key infrastructure )- based mutual authentication with the user server 20 in order to form a virtual safe channel with the user server 20 , thereby ensuring the mutual reliability between the servers 40 and 20 . here , the procedure of authentication of the provider server 40 and the user server 20 for the formation of a virtual safe channel will be described below in detail as an exemplary embodiment . the provider server 40 transmits an authentication request signal hello to the user server 20 in order to authenticate a rights object server , i . e ., the object management server 42 between them . here , the authentication request signal hello represents general information for description , and its format employs a general password verification algorithm as may be selected by a person of ordinary skill in the art based on the teachings herein . that is , the authentication request signal hello has to contain at least one individual information for the safety and reliability of the provider server 40 and the user server 20 , and the user server 20 verifies the provider server 40 based on the at least one individual information contained in the authentication request signal hello transmitted from the provider server 40 , and transmits an authentication verification signal hello to the provider server 40 . in this way , once authentication verification is completed , the provider server 40 and the user server 30 transmit an ri intrinsic value of the rights object server 42 to execute the authentication of the rights object server 42 between them . accordingly , when the authentication of the rights object server 42 is completed , the virtual safe channel is formed . after the virtual safe channel with the user server 20 is formed , the provider server 40 requests for the first authentication document ( s 112 ) stored in the user server 20 and receives the first authentication document from the user server 20 ( s 114 ). in other words , when the mutual authentication is completed and the virtual safe channel is formed at the stage of s 108 and s 110 , the provider server 40 requests the user server 20 for the first authentication document of the first apparatus 10 . then , the user server 20 transmits to the provider server 40 the stored first authentication document according to the provider server 40 &# 39 ; s request for the first authentication document at the stage of s 112 and s 114 . once the first authentication document is transmitted to the provider server 40 , each of the contents is encrypted based on the encryption keys contained in the respective first and second authentication documents ( s 116 ), and the first and second licenses are generated by the object management server 42 of the provider server 40 ( s 118 ). in other words , the object management server 42 of the provider server 40 encrypts each of the contents to be reproduced in the first and second apparatuses 10 and 30 by the respective encryption keys contained in the first and second authentication documents . here , each of the contents to be transmitted to the first and second apparatuses 10 and 30 and reproduced is differently encrypted by their respective digital rights management . further , the object management server 42 of the provider server 40 encrypts and generates the first and second licenses containing information on the contents by the encryption keys contained in the first and second authentication documents . the first and second licenses may include the contents and the copyright to the contents . the first and second apparatuses 10 and 30 that encode the first and second licenses stores their encryption keys differently in the first and second authentication documents , and the encryption keys are not compatible . the provider server 40 transmits the first and second licenses and the contents to the second apparatus ( s 120 ), and then the second apparatus 30 transmits the first license and the contents to the first apparatus 10 ( s 122 ). the first and second apparatuses 10 and 30 enables to reproduce the same contents by using the first and second licenses respectively , even though each apparatus employs different digital rights management system , and thus increases the compatibility of the contents between different drm apparatus . the compatible system of digital rights management has the advantage of reproducing contents by another apparatus desired even under a different digital rights management system by working together with the audio system of a car and a mobile communication terminal , receiving a license from the provider server providing mp3 music to the mobile communication terminal and reproducing the same mp3 music . although the present invention has been described in detail with respect to the preferred embodiment of the invention , it should be understood that a person having an ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can make various modifications and changes to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention defined by the appended claims . therefore , further modifications to the embodiment of the invention will fall within the scope of the invention . the compatible system of digital rights management and the method for operating the same in accordance with the present invention has the effect of making contents efficiently compatible without exposing the interface between different digital rights management systems by transmitting first and second licenses for first and second apparatuses to the second apparatus connectable to a network , the first and second apparatuses being applicable to different digital rights management systems so that the first and second apparatuses can substantially use the same contents .	6
fig1 shows a side view of a generic catheter assembly ( 100 ) made using the inventions described herein . in general , the assembly employs a catheter body ( 102 ) which has a distal end ( 104 ) and a proximal end ( 106 ). the catheter may be of the design noted above in referring to engelson ( u . s . pat . no . 4 , 739 , 768 ), although it is not critical that such catheter body design be used in this invention . other catheter bodies are also suitable in various circumstances . whatever the catheter design , however , there must exist at least one lumen passing between distal end ( 104 ) and proximal end ( 106 ). passing through the lumen of catheter body ( 102 ) are a collection of components . in particular , detachable coil ( 108 ) emanates from distal end ( 104 ) as the coil is deployed . a pusher ( 110 ) may be used to push the detachable coil ( 106 ) from the distal end ( 104 ) of the catheter body ( 102 ). when used , core wire ( 112 ) extends from the catheter body &# 39 ; s distal end ( 106 ) through pusher ( 110 ) and into the center of detachable coil ( 108 ). in this configuration , the circuit for electrolytically detaching a desired portion of detachable coil ( 108 ) passes through a conductive path found in the pusher ( 110 ) and the core wire ( 112 ). a small gap desirably is found between the detachable coil ( 102 ) and the electrode found on the distal region of the core wire ( 112 ). the power supply ( 114 ) is found in fig1 . in general , we have found that tapered core wires ( 112 ) are especially suitable for this inventive procedure and device in that they tend to lessen the friction of the core wire against the various interior parts of the catheter assembly ( 100 ). the core wire ( 112 ) will typically be covered with an insulating material ( as will be discussed in more detail below ) with an insulating material such as polyfluorocarbons ( e . g ., teflon ), polyurethane , polyethylene , polypropylene , or other suitable polymeric material . the electrode , which will also be discussed in more detail below , is not covered with the electrical insulator and is of a material that should not dissolve in the blood upon imposition of the voltage . indeed , the core wire ( 112 ) should , in the region of its distal section , at least , be of a metal which is more noble than that found in the detachable coil ( 108 ). the core wire ( 112 ) is typically 10 - 50 mils . in diameter and is of stainless steel or the like . we have found that gold plating the distal tip provides significant resistance to electrolytic disposition . the core wire ( 112 ) and , indeed , the entire catheter assembly ( 100 ), is typically between 50 and 300 cm . in length . obviously , the length of the catheter assembly ( 100 ) is chosen based upon the use to which the device is to be placed . fig2 shows one variation of the invention in which the core wire ( 116 ) is immobile with respect to the distal end ( 104 ) of the catheter body . as was noted above , core wire ( 116 ) is coated with an insulator up to the region of the distal electrode ( 118 ). distal electrode ( 118 ) is , of course , left uncoated so to allow an electrical path to form through the liquid surrounding it to the detachable coil ( 108 ). the pusher ( 110 ) is also depicted in fig1 . this variation of the device operates in the following fashion . the pusher ( 110 ) pushes the detachable coil ( 108 ) through the catheter body ( 104 ) until the desired length of detachable coil ( 104 ) has emanated through the distal end of the catheter lumen . the immobile core wire ( 116 ) does not move with respect to catheter body ( 104 ). this variation permits the attending physician to understand that the length of the detachable coil ( 108 ) which extends beyond the tip of the catheter is the length of detachable coil ( 108 ) which will be left at the selected vasoocclusive site . it should be apparent that the electrode ( 118 ) found at the tip of immobile core wire ( 116 ) should , at once , be both open to the fluid in the vasculature so to allow the electrolysis to take place but also not be allowed to contact the interior of coil ( 108 ) lest a direct short take place . a shroud or protector is desirably placed over the electrode ( 118 ). the core wire ( 116 ) itself is insulated proximally of the electrode ( 118 ). preferably such inherently slippery polymers as polyfluorocarbons ( such as ptfe , fep ), polysulfones or the like are desirable as such coatings . fig3 shows another variation of the invention . as was the case with fig2 the distal end ( 104 ) of the catheter body is shown as is pusher ( 110 ). in this instance , the detachable coil ( 108 ) may be electrolytically severed outside of the catheter body distal tip ( 104 ). this is accomplished by use of a movable core wire ( 120 ) by &# 34 ; movable &# 34 ; we mean that it may be axially moved within the inner lumen of coil ( 108 ) and with respect to the distal tip of ( 104 ) of catheter body . this variation clearly allows the attending physician to trim the length of detachable coil ( 108 ) at some determinable point outside of the catheter . this may be desirable , for instance , when occluding an aneurysm . in this way , the distal tip of ( 104 ) of the catheter body is positioned near the opening of the aneurysm , the proper length of detachable coil ( 108 ) is then placed through the mouth of the aneurysm into the sac , and the electrode ( 122 ) on core wire ( 120 ) is then inserted just into the aneurysm so that during electrolytic dissolution of a small section of the coil , the dissolution takes place within the aneurysm sac beyond the aneurysm neck . this prevents any small sections of coil remaining out in the artery to form other non - desired emboli . fig4 shows another variation of the inventive device in which no core wire is used . as was the case with the variations shown in fig2 and 3 , the device employs a pusher ( 110 ) and a detachable coil ( 108 ). however , in lieu of the electrode found interior to the detachable coil ( 108 ) found in fig2 and 3 , the electrode ( 124 ) in this variation is found on the interior of catheter distal section ( 126 ). this configuration has many of the same benefits as does the variation shown in fig2 in that the attending physician is cognizant of the amount of coil to be left at the desired occluded site because that amount of coil equals that amount seen emanating from the distal tip ( 126 ) of the catheter body . the catheter body in this variation has included within its wall ( or otherwise provided for ), a conductor which extends from the proximal end of the catheter ( 106 ) ( in fig1 ) to the electrode ( 124 ). it should be apparent that pusher ( 110 ) completes the circuit through the detachable coil ( 108 ) either by inclusion of a conductive wire in the wall of the pusher ( 110 ) or by a discrete wire passing through the lumen of the pusher . in the variations shown in fig2 and 3 , it is more desirable to place the conductor in the wall of the pusher since in that way , the movement of core wire ( 116 ) ( in fig2 ) and core wire ( 120 ) ( in fig3 ) is not impeded . in the variation shown in fig4 the conductor associated with the proximal end of detachable coil ( 108 ) may either be placed within the wall of pusher ( 110 ) or through the lumen found in the midsection . indeed , in certain short catheter assemblies ( 100 ) ( in fig1 ) may be completely metallic . it is within purview of this invention that other means of conducting electricity to the proximal end of the detachable coil ( 108 ) are reasonable , but such does not form the core idea of this invention . as was the case in the variation found in fig3 the electrode ( 122 ) should be provided with a protector or shroud to allow the contact of the metallic electrode ( 122 ) with blood but not to allow the electrode to contact the interior of coil ( 108 ). also as was the case with immobile core wire ( 116 ), the core wire ( 120 ) is insulated proximally of the metallic tip ( 122 ) preferably with a lubricious polymer . the detachable coil ( 108 ) shown in each of the drawings above is shown to be a coil . indeed , it may be a coil or it may be some other vasoocclusive form such as a braid or a combination of braids and coils . a coil is desired because it more readily severs electrolytically at a single point . electrolytic dissolution of multi - fibered braid is complicated by the presence of multiple electrolysis points . the diameter of the wire used in such braid is typically much smaller than would be used in a coil but , again , the dissolution process is inherently more complicated . additionally , it is within the purview of this invention to cover the vasoocclusive device or connect the vasoocclusive device with fibrous materials . the fibrous materials may be materials which cause the vasoocclusive better to form a thrombus . fibrous materials such as dacron and the like are acceptable . fibrous adjuvants such as found in u . s . patent application no . 07 / 965 , 973 , to phelps et al ., or in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 226 , 911 to chee et al . entitled &# 34 ; vasoocclusion coil with attached fibrous elements &# 34 ; the entirety of which are incorporated by reference , are acceptable . fig5 and 6 show a typical layout involving the inventive device as was generally described in the figures above but particularly with regard to fig3 . in fig5 a core wire ( 120 ) having an electrode ( 118 ) at its distal section is coated with an insulation material such as teflon throughout its length except at the electrode ( 118 ). this core wire ( 120 ) is placed within pusher ( 110 ). as was noted above , the core wire ( 120 ) is typically of a diameter of approximately 10 - 30 mils ., although such size is not critical . in the embodiment shown in fig5 the core wire ( 120 ) is tapered to its distal end . the vasoocclusive coil ( 104 ) is pushed from the catheter into the aneurysm sac ( 130 ) through aneurysm neck ( 132 ). preferably , detachable vasoocclusive device ( 108 ) when a coil , forms a secondary loop after it leaves the end of the catheter . the most distal end ( 134 ) of detachable coil ( 108 ) may also have an end plug or tip of some type simply to prevent punctures of the aneurysm as it is introduced into the aneurysm sac . as noted , the detachable coil ( 108 ) may be prebiased to form a cylinder or a conical envelope . the coil may be heat treated or crimped or otherwise physically treated to form a random shape after it is ejected from the catheter . it is desirable that a significant volume of the aneurysm be filled with the vasoocclusive device . consequently , it is desirable that the device be quite flexible so to allow its conformance to the inner wall of the aneurysm without puncture . in any event , once the coil is properly placed within the aneurysm and the attending physician positions the electrode ( 118 )&# 39 ; so to trim a proper amount of the detachable coil ( 108 ) into the aneurysm , a modest voltage is then applied to the device . in particular , a positive electric current of approximately 0 . 1 to 2 milliamps at 0 . 1 to 5 . 0 volts is applied to core wire ( 120 ) so to form a thrombus within aneurysm sac ( 130 ). the negative pole of power supply ( 114 ) is attached to the conductor passing through or along the pusher ( 110 ). after the thrombus ( 140 ) has been formed ( as shown in fig6 ) and the aneurysm occluded , the core wire ( 120 ) with its electrode ( 118 ) is withdrawn as is the distal portion of the catheter ( 104 ). this removal typically takes place within three to ten minutes , leaving aneurysm sac ( 132 ) occluded as is shown in fig6 . the process is typically practiced under fluoroscopic control with local anesthesia . a transfemoral catheter ( of which ( 104 ) is the distal section ) is utilized to treat a cerebral aneurysm . in much heavier patients , the catheter may be introduced into the carotid artery . many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention . therefore it must be understood that the concept of electrolytically determining the length of a vasoocclusive device such as described herein is the concept of this invention and may be provided for in a variety of shapes . the illustrated embodiments have been used only for the purposes of clarity and should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined by the following claims .	0
reference should be made at this time to fig1 , and 3 which illustrate perspective , plan view and longitudinal section drawings of an instant tennis game 10 according to the present invention . the game 10 comprises a partial court 12 less than 3 / 4 normal length and about 1 / 2 normal width for a tennis court . the court 12 may be approximately 70 feet long and 30 feet wide . a tennis net 14 is disposed about 20 feet from one end 16 of the court 12 . the game 10 is enclosed by a fence 18 . the fence 18 should be of normal height near the net 14 , but may be of less than normal height near the end 20 which is farthest from the net , since the purpose of the fence is to stop balls hit wildly . while the player may well hit the balls fairly high , it is very unlikely that the machine will hit balls toward the side 20 which will require a high fence . since some players will hit balls at the most amazing angles from the point of contact , the fence 18 in fig1 is illustrated as being of normal height all around the court 12 . a backboard 22 slanted so as to cause the tennis balls hit thereto to fall downward is placed near the end 16 . the backboard 22 may be acoustically responsive and may simulate a background similar to that of a normal tennis court . this inclined backboard 22 or backstop 22 may allow a scoring mechanism to record and display the player &# 39 ; s accuracy . this would be done by urging the player to hit for certain parts of the backstop 22 and keeping track of the number of times the player hits the selected segment ( not illustrated ) by means known to the prior art such as a pressure sensitive plate coupled electronically to an electronic counter and display . a ball delivery machine 24 , also referred to as a ball hurling machine 24 , hurls ball through a slot 26 by barrel means 28 . in order to simulate service , the ball machine 24 may be moved to either side 30 , 30 prime , of the backstop 22 . while fig1 and 2 illustrate lines 32 similar to those found on a tennis court , for the simulation of service , the center line would have to be moved toward one side or another . it would , of course , be very easy to draw multiple lines 32 , having different colors for the simulation of different playing experiences . the surface 34 of the court 12 is crowned , and is higher along the center line 40 , gradually sloping downward to side gutters 36 . the side gutters 36 join near the short end of the court 16 to form a ball return conduit 38 . the degree of crowning is such that tennis balls falling on the surface 34 roll to the nearest gutter 36 . each gutter slopes downward from the end 20 toward the end 16 at an angle of about 3 - 3 / 4 %. gravity causes the tennis balls to roll down the gutters 36 to the ball return conduit 38 . when the balls reach the lowest point in the ball return conduit 38 , air pressure means lifts them back to the ball machine 24 for return to the player . fig4 and 5 illustrate selected transverse sections of the court 12 . reference should be made at this time to fig6 which is a vertical section through the ball delivery machine 24 . fig6 may best be understood by viewing it in conjunction with fig7 a plan detail of the ball delivery machine 24 barrel elevation joint , with fig8 a vertical section detail of the ball spin control mechanism with fig9 a horizontal section detail of the barrel traverse joint , and with fig1 a vertical oblique section detail of the timing mechanism . tennis balls return via the gutters 36 to the conduit 38 . the balls form a line behind a ball delivery timing rotor 46 . the rotor 46 is set at a pre - determined rotation rate which determines the intervals between delivery of balls from the machine . the rotor 46 releases another tennis ball each one - third of a revolution . the rotor 46 continues to turn and picks up the next ball which is to be subsequently released . momentum imparted by the rotor 46 and gravity cause the ball to roll to the elbow 76 joining the return conduit 38 to the riser 44 . the velocity of the rotor is controlled by the timer 42 . the rotor is powered by the drive motor 48 . the rotor triggers the riser jets solenoid valve switch 50 subsequent to release of the ball . the switch 50 triggers the release of a blast of air of approximately 1 . 5 seconds in duration . the air is released through the air release hoses 99 beneath the rotor 46 and through the two additional air release hoses 99 which exit into the riser 44 . the air pressure from the hoses 99 forces the ball to rise up the riser 44 around the top elbow 54 into the exit barrel 28 from the ball machine . reference should be made at this time to fig1 , a single line circuit diagram for electrical power , control signals and compressed air . the ball trips a main propellant valve trigger 81 which throws a main propellant valve microswitch 82 . the switch 82 causes a main propellant valve 83 to permit the release of a sufficient blast of air through main propellant air line 99 prime to accelerate the ball so that it goes to the pre - selected point on the court . as the ball exits the barrel 28 , it may be given a preselected spin to simulate any of the shots of tennis . the elevation of the barrel 28 is controlled by a barrel elevation control 52 which is illustrated in detail in fig7 . a joint cover 56 couples the barrel 28 to the top elbow 54 . a polynoid 58 controls the barrel according to instructions received from the user of the machine . trunion arms jointed by shoulder bolts control the barrel through its vertical travel . the polynoid 58 is a linear motor which pushes or pulls the forward part of the barrel 28 up or down . pre - determined elevations of the barrel 28 and ball velocity permit precise control over the landing point and the angle of travel of the ball . the spin control mechanism 60 is best illustrated in fig8 . two spin control solenoids 62 are capable of generating spin in both directions . the depth of penetration of the solenoids 62 into the barrel 28 and the rotational velocity of spinning both control the amount of spin put on the ball . various combinations of spin from two perpendicular axes permit simulation of all possible types of spin which a tennis player can impart , whether the tennis player is left - handed or right - handed . a wheel 70 is spun by a motor 68 coupled to a motor mount 66 and a bell crank 64 . small dc motors which have very nearly instant start up capability are utilized to provide the power for spinning the balls . fig9 illustrates a traverse joint and actuator 72 which traverses the barrel from left to right in order to determine whether the ball is to be propelled at the player or to the player &# 39 ; s backhand or forehand . the traverse joint 72 rotates the upper elbow 54 in relation to the fixed position riser 44 . power for the rotation is supplied by a barrel traverse polynoid 88 . the traverse joint and actuator comprises a pair of torque arms hooked to a very simple slip joint . a linear motor pushes or pulls and thereby causes the barrel to go to either right or left . the timing mechanism 42 is best illustrated in fig1 . the motor 48 is a single direction rotation 110 volt instrument gear head motor or the equivalent . for most purposes , the motor turns the rotor at 4 or 5 rpm at the output shaft . there are three lobes on the rotor 46 so that three balls are released at equal intervals during every rotation of the motor . at 5 rpm rotational speed , 15 balls per minute would be released from the machine . the rotor 46 acts as a cam as it turns . as each lobe comes around past the microswitch 50 , it activates the microswitch 50 to trigger the blast of air moving the ball into position for delivery by a second blast of air . as best illustrated in fig1 , an air compressor 96 keeps a compressed air reservoir tank 97 filled to standards which are set by a pressure regulator 98 . the pressure regulator 98 may be manually controlled . air from the compressed air reservoir tank 97 flows to air lines 99 from which the air is dispensed to propel the ball . a low voltage dc transformer 95 or the equivalent such as a 110 vac source provides power for the machine 24 . a control panel and scoring read - out 92 provides two functions . it permits the player to set in a request for serve , spin , velocity , interval , direction , etc . in addition , it indicates how well the player is doing with his or her returns . various cards can be inserted into the control panel 92 to cause the machine 24 to deliver a pre - selected series of shots . in the alternative , a mini computer 93 can generate random numbers or can generate shots according to a program which can be set in by card , disc , tape , or other well - known means . a ball delivery light 79 can be set to warn the player a pre - selected period of time before each shot . a riser jet distribution manifold routes air to the selected line 99 , 99 prime , from the air tank 97 . a particular example of the invention has been described herein . other examples within the scope of the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art . the present invention is limited only by the following claims .	0
the disclosed subject matter provides , among other things , a controllable pulse parameter transcranial magnetic stimulation ( ctms ) system that induces approximately rectangular electric field pulses in an organ of a body , such as a human brain for example . the amplitude , pulse width , and degree of bidirectionality of the induced electric field pulses are adjustable over a continuous range of values . the degree of bidirectionality is defined as the ratio of the positive phase amplitude to the negative phase amplitude of the induced electric field pulse . by adjusting the degree of bidirectionality , the induced electric field pulse can be varied from bipolar ( i . e ., equal amplitudes of the positive and negative phases ) to predominantly unipolar ( i . e ., a large amplitude of one phase for one polarity and a small amplitude of the other phase for the opposite polarity ). in some embodiments , the ctms system disclosed herein switches a stimulating coil between positive - voltage and negative - voltage energy storage capacitors or capacitor banks using high - power semiconductor devices . controlling the pulse parameters facilitates enhancement of tms as a probe of brain function and as a potential therapeutic intervention . independent control over the pulse parameters ( e . g ., pulse width , pulse amplitude , degree of bidirectionality ) facilitates defining dose - response relationships for neuronal populations and producing clinical and physiological effects . for example , dose - response relationships for specific neuronal populations can be defined , and selected clinical and physiological effects can be enhanced . moreover , the ctms system disclosed herein also enables high - frequency (≧ 1 hz ) repetitive tms ( rtms ) with predominantly unipolar induced electric fields . referring to fig1 , in one embodiment , an illustrative component diagram of a controllable pulse parameter transcranial magnetic stimulation system 100 is shown . the ctms system 100 includes a power electronics housing 120 , a positioning arm 130 , a stimulating coil l , and a digital data processing device , such as control computer electronics 110 . the control computer electronics 110 includes a control computer electronics housing 102 with a digital data processing device and a storage device ( e . g ., a hard disk ), a keyboard 104 , a monitor 106 , and a mouse 105 ( or trackball ), and / or other data entry devices . the power electronics circuitry in housing 120 includes ctms system power electronics that supply current to the stimulating coil l , which can be positioned and held proximate to a patient &# 39 ; s head by the positioning arm 130 . the power electronics circuitry in the power electronics housing 120 is controlled by the control computer electronics 110 . an operator , operating the control computer electronics 110 , controls the power electronics in power electronics housing 120 to produce one or more adjustable current pulses that are passed through the stimulating coil l held by positioning arm 130 . during a medical treatment , the stimulating coil l is positioned proximate to a patient &# 39 ; s head . the adjustable current pulses that are passed through the stimulating coil l result in the stimulating coil l generating adjustable magnetic field pulses , which induce adjustable electric field pulses which , in turn , induce adjustable current pulses in the patient &# 39 ; s brain . referring to fig2 a and 2b , illustrative block diagrams of embodiments of the power electronics circuitry in housing 120 and the control computer electronics in housing 102 are respectively shown . the power electronics housing 120 houses electronics used to drive the stimulating coil l . the electronics in the housing 120 include a charger 210 , a first capacitor c 1 , a second capacitor c 2 , a first capacitor discharger 215 , a second capacitor discharger 216 , a first semiconductor switch q 1 , a second semiconductor switch q 2 , a first snubber circuit 222 , a second snubber circuit 223 , a third snubber circuit 224 , a fourth snubber circuit 225 , a fifth snubber circuit 226 , a first gate drive 220 , and a second gate drive 221 . the control computer housing 102 houses a typical central processing unit ( cpu ) ( not shown ), and various standard printed circuit board slots ( not shown ). inserted into one of the slots is a controller board 205 that provides control signals used to control the ctms system 100 , and is discussed in further detail below . in one embodiment , capacitor c 1 and capacitor c 2 are single capacitors . in another embodiment , capacitor c 1 and capacitor c 2 each represent a separate bank of capacitors . the capacitors in each separate bank are connected in parallel and / or in series with each other . referring to fig3 a , an illustrative schematic diagram of the controllable pulse parameter transcranial magnetic stimulation circuit for driving the stimulation coil l is shown . as previously described in connection with the block diagram of fig2 a and 2b , the controllable pulse parameter transcranial magnetic stimulation circuit for driving the stimulation coil l includes energy storage capacitor ( or bank of capacitors ) c 1 , energy storage capacitor ( or bank of capacitors ) c 2 , controllable semiconductor switch q 1 , controllable semiconductor switch q 2 , the first and second gate drives 220 , 221 , and charger 210 . the circuit of fig3 a additionally includes a diode d 1 connected in anti - parallel with the controllable semiconductor switch q 1 , and a diode d 2 connected in anti - parallel with the controllable semiconductor switch q 2 . referring again to fig2 a , 2 b , and 3 a , in one embodiment , an operator controls the ctms system using the control computer electronics 110 . the operator selects ctms system operation with monophasic or biphasic magnetic pulses and a desired set of induced electric field pulse parameters such as pulse amplitude ( a ), width of positive pulse phase ( pw + ), width of initial negative pulse phase ( pw − can be chosen for the biphasic pulse only ), ratio of negative to positive capacitor voltage ( m ), which determines the degree of bidirectionality , and the frequency of pulse repetition ( f train ) via a graphical user interface ( discussed below ) executing on the control computer 102 . the selected values are stored in the control computer 102 . the controller board 205 is in communication with and controls the charger 210 , the first gate drive 220 , the second gate drive 221 , and capacitor discharger 215 ( which includes resistor 340 and normally closed relay 342 ) and capacitor discharger 216 ( which includes resistor 344 and normally closed relay 346 ) via connections 273 , 275 , 276 , 277 , and 278 , respectively . the controller board 205 is also in communication with , and receives data from , the energy storage capacitors c 1 and c 2 , and the stimulating coil l via connections 272 , 271 , 274 , respectively . the charger 210 charges the energy storage capacitor c 1 to a positive voltage v c1 ( set by the operator ), and the energy storage capacitor c 2 is charged to a negative voltage − v c2 ( set by the operator ). the charger transfers energy from a power line to the capacitors , and transfers energy between the two capacitors . the positive and negative capacitor voltages are independently selectable . voltage v c1 is set based on the pulse amplitude ( a ) selected by the operator , and voltage v c2 is set equal to m * v c1 , where m is the ratio of negative to positive capacitor voltage selected by the operator . the stimulating coil l is connected to capacitors c 1 and c 2 via the semiconductor switches q 1 and q 2 , and diodes d 1 and d 2 , respectively . the controller board 205 also supplies separate sets of timing pulses with adjustable widths ( set by the operator ) to the first and second gate drives 220 , 221 . the first and second gate drives 220 , 221 each use the timing pulses to produce separate sets of voltage pulses with adjustable widths . in fig3 a , each semiconductor switch q 1 and q 2 includes a gate terminal 305 and 310 , respectively . the gate terminals 305 and 310 are driven ( i . e ., clocked ) by the voltage pulses supplied by the gate drives 220 and 221 . the voltage pulses from controller board 205 are used to switch the semiconductor switches q 1 and q 2 to an on state or an off state . anti - parallel connected diodes d 1 and d 2 transfer energy from the stimulating coil l back to capacitors c 1 and c 2 , respectively . the semiconductor switch q 1 connects coil l to energy storage capacitor c 1 for an interval of time equal to the pulse width of the voltage pulses received at the gate terminal 305 from the first gate drive 220 , which causes the coil current i l to increase during this interval of time . when semiconductor switch q 1 is turned off , the coil current commutates to capacitor c 2 through diode d 2 , and the coil current starts to decrease until it reaches zero . thus , turning switch q 1 on and off results in an approximately triangular positive coil current pulse , which induces an approximately triangular positive monophasic magnetic field pulse . this is discussed in further detail with respect to fig4 a . likewise , the semiconductor switch q 2 connects coil l to energy storage capacitor c 2 for an interval of time equal to the pulse width of the voltage pulses received at the gate terminal 310 from the second gate drive 221 , which causes the coil current i l to decrease ( i . e ., become more negative ) during this interval of time . when semiconductor switch q 2 is turned off , the coil current commutates to capacitor c 1 through diode d 1 , and the coil current starts to increase ( i . e ., become more positive ) until it reaches zero . thus , turning switch q 2 on and off results in an approximately triangular negative coil current pulse , which produces an approximately triangular negative monophasic magnetic field pulse . this is discussed in further detail with respect to fig4 b . if an adjustable negative monophasic magnetic field pulse and an adjustable positive monophasic magnetic field pulse are both generated subsequently , an adjustable biphasic magnetic pulse is produced . the approximately triangular magnetic field pulses with adjustable widths induce approximately rectangular electric field pulses in an organ of a body . the approximately rectangular electric field pulses , in turn , induce approximately rectangular , adjustable - pulse - parameter current pulses in an organ of a body , such as a human brain , for example . the controller board 205 provides timing signals with microsecond resolution to control the semiconductor switches . the ctms system uses timing of the turn - on and turn - off transitions of the control signals for both semiconductor switches q 1 and q 2 to provide accurate pulse waveform control . in one embodiment , the controller board 205 is a pci card from national instruments ( austin , tex .) with additional interface electronics that provides sub - microsecond timing signals . additional interface electronics includes signal conditioning and isolation circuits such as optocouplers , fiber optic links , isolation transformers , attenuators , amplifiers , and filters , as required to connect the controller board 205 to the power electronics in the power electronics housing 120 . the pci card ( controller board 205 ) resides in the control computer housing 102 that provides a gui for interfacing and configuring the controller board 205 . the control computer housing 102 also houses a mass storage device , such as a hard disk ( not shown ) for storing data . the gui is implemented in labview software ( available from national instruments corp .). the operator inputs various pulse parameters , which are discussed in detail below . the controller board software computes the corresponding capacitor voltages ( v c1 , v c2 ) and switch timing . the controller board 205 then sends the capacitor voltage commands to the charger 210 , capacitor dischargers 215 , 216 , and the switch timing signals to the gate drives 220 , 221 . the controller board 205 also samples v c1 , v c2 ) and i l , ( via connections 271 , 272 , 274 ) to monitor circuit operation , and inhibits or prevents coil currents from exceeding specifications . typically , the controllable semiconductor switches q 1 and q 2 should be able to withstand the peak coil current and the peak voltages appearing across their terminals at the peak pulse repetition frequency . the switches q 1 and q 2 should also have turn - on and turn - off times of no more than a few microseconds . the maximum voltage of the semiconductor switches q 1 and q 2 is ideally v c1 + v c2 . however , during current commutation between the two energy storage capacitors c 1 and c 2 , the switch voltage can overshoot this value due to stray inductance and the finite turn - off and turn - on times of the semiconductor switches q 1 and q 2 , and diodes d 1 and d 2 . to address this issue , semiconductor devices with fast switching times should be used . in one embodiment , insulated gate bipolar transistors ( igbts — shown in fig3 b and available from powerex of youngwood , pa .) are used for the switches q 1 and q 2 . in another embodiment , gate - turn - off thyristors ( gtos ), such as integrated gate - commutated thyristors ( igcts ) ( shown in fig3 c ) are used for switches q 1 and q 2 . both of these devices can sustain pulse currents of thousands of amperes at voltages of a few kilovolts while turning on and off in a few microseconds . since these devices can turn off while the coil current is not zero , they are used with the snubber circuits 222 , 223 , 224 , 225 , 226 ( discussed in detail below ) which absorb the energy of the commutation transients , thus inhibiting and / or preventing voltage overshoots that exceed the voltage ratings of the semiconductor switches , and energy dissipation in the semiconductor switches , which occurs during switching . unlike the silicon - controlled rectifiers ( scrs ) used in conventional stimulators , igbts can be both turned on and off from the gate terminal . there are existing igbt modules with peak voltage / surge current ratings of 3300 volts / 12000 amperes , 4500 volts / 6000 amperes , 4500 volts / 9000 amperes , and 6500 volts / 6000 amperes , and switching times of about one microsecond , which can be used to implement a ctms system . these igbt modules have an integrated ultra - fast reverse diode between the emitter and the collector ( e . g ., d 1 and d 2 in fig3 ), which clamps the igbt reverse voltage , and provides a free - wheeling path for the coil current i l . igcts behave like efficient scrs when turning on and during conduction , and behave like igbts when turning off . the turn - on time for an igct is approximately 1 μs , but the turn - off time can be as long as 10 μs . igcts with integrated reverse diodes ( e . g ., d 1 and d 2 ) and gate drives ( e . g ., gate drive 220 , 221 ) are available with ratings of 4500 volts and 17000 amperes surge current , providing for robustness of the design . in the ctms system , the stimulating coil l is forced to commutate between the two energy storage capacitors c 1 and c 2 when the coil current is at its peak . managing the forced commutation transient is a challenging aspect of implementing the ctms system . the finite turn - off and turn - on times of the semiconductor switches q 1 and q 2 , and the stray inductance in the capacitor banks c 1 and c 2 , the switches q 1 and q 2 , the diodes d 1 and d 2 , and the wiring between them , can result in voltage overshoots that exceed the voltage ratings of the semiconductor switches , and switching power loss and heating in the semiconductor switches . the stray inductances are reduced and / or minimized by installing the semiconductor switches q 1 and q 2 , the diodes d 1 and d 2 , and the capacitor banks c 1 and c 2 as close together as allowed by the physical dimensions of the components , and interconnecting them with wires or bus bars arranged to minimize the area of the current loop . still , stray inductance cannot be completely eliminated . for example , a typical capacitor bank series inductance of 150 nh with 7 ka current stores magnetic energy sufficient to produce a 27 kv spike on an igbt switch with 10 nf collector capacitance , which would exceed the voltage rating of a 4500 v igbt by 22500 v , resulting in potential damage to the igbt . therefore , the snubber circuits 222 , 223 , 224 , 225 , 226 are used to slow down the transients , ameliorate power dissipation in the semiconductor switches q 1 and q 2 , and provide paths for stray inductances to discharge in order to suppress the voltage overshoots . in one embodiment , as shown in fig3 a , the snubber circuits 222 , 223 each include a capacitor 312 , 318 in series with a diode 314 , 320 and resistor 316 , 322 , which are in parallel with each other . snubber circuits 222 , 223 each also include capacitors 326 , 330 . this configuration allows the stimulating coil current to flow through the snubber capacitor 312 , 318 when the corresponding semiconductor switch q 1 , q 2 is turning off , thus inhibiting and / or preventing voltage overshoots . the snubber capacitor 312 , 318 should be large enough to hold the peak switch voltage below its rated limit . if the snubber capacitor 312 , 318 is too large , switching losses are increased . snubber circuit 224 includes capacitor 324 , snubber circuit 225 includes capacitor 328 , and snubber circuit 226 includes capacitor 332 and resistor 334 . snubber circuits 222 and 223 ( see fig2 a , 3 a ) can include the circuit embodiments shown in fig3 d , 3 e and / or 3 f . snubber circuits 224 , 225 , and 226 ( see fig2 a ) can include the circuit embodiments shown in fig3 d and / or 3 e . approaches for sizing of snubber components will be readily understood by those of ordinary skill in the art , and include , but are not limited to , approaches discussed in manufacturer application notes . the gate drives 220 , 221 serve to drive ( clock ) the semiconductor switches q 1 and q 2 to an on state or an off state . as previously discussed , the gate drives 220 , 221 receive timing signals from the controller board 205 , and apply gate voltages to the gates 305 , 310 . some high - power switches , such a igcts , are manufactured with an integrated gate drive unit . igbts require a separate external gate drive . for high - power igbts , 10 - 20 μc is delivered to the gate to raise the gate - emitter voltage to 15 - 20 volts to turn on the device . to switch the gate in about 1 μs , igbt gate drives need an output impedance of a few ohms , and provide peak currents of a few amperes . igbt gate drives are available commercially . in some implementations , the gate drives 220 , 221 incorporate short - circuit protection which prevents the switch from turning on if a short circuit is detected between the collector and emitter terminals ( in igbts ) or the anode and cathode terminals ( in gtos and igcts ), which improves the fault tolerance and safety of the ctms system . the pulse width control parameters , pw + and pw − are limited by the discharge of c 1 and c 2 , respectively . to enable pulse width control over a significant range ( e . g ., up to hundreds of microseconds ) and to produce approximately rectangular induced electric field pulses , the energy storage capacitors c 1 and c 2 , in most embodiments disclosed herein , have capacitances in the range of 300 to 800 μf , and 1000 to 3000 μf , respectively . these capacitance values can be accomplished with single pulse capacitors or with banks of parallel and / or series connected pulse capacitors . suitable capacitor technologies for implementation of c 1 and c 2 use oil , polypropylene , and / or polyester dielectrics . for example , in one embodiment , c 1 is implemented using two parallel 185 μf , 3 kv oil - filled pulse capacitors ( e . g ., general atomics model 39504 ), and c 2 is implemented using two parallel 750 μf , 1 kv oil - filled pulse capacitors ( e . g ., general atomics model 310dm475 ). the maximum c 1 voltage v c1 is 2 , 800 v , and the minimum ( maximum negative ) c 2 voltage v c2 is 900 v . whereas in conventional tms systems the voltage on the energy storage capacitor is reversed during the pulse , in the disclosed ctms system the voltages on the capacitors c 1 and c 2 are never reversed , i . e ., always v c1 ≧ 0 and − v c2 ≦ 0 . capacitor voltage reversal decreases the capacitor life expectancy by as much as ten times . therefore , the energy - storage capacitors c 1 and c 2 of the disclosed ctms system have a longer life expectancy since no capacitor voltage reversal occurs . the capacitor charger 210 for the ctms system supplies energy to both the capacitors c 1 and c 2 at two independently controlled dc voltages , v c1 and v c2 , respectively . the capacitor charger 210 also transfers energy from capacitor c 2 to capacitor c 1 to recover energy accumulated on capacitor c 2 after a monophasic positive current pulse in coil l , corresponding to a positive monophasic magnetic field pulse . the capacitor charger 210 also transfers energy from capacitor c 1 to capacitor c 2 to recover energy accumulated on capacitor c 1 after a monophasic negative current pulse in coil l , corresponding to a negative monophasic magnetic field pulse . in one embodiment , a charging unit such as the magstim super charger ( available from the magstim corp ., whitland , uk ) is used to charge the positive capacitor c 1 . a bidirectional inverting dc / dc power supply is used to transfer energy between capacitor c 1 and capacitor c 2 so that v c2 is maintained at a set level . capacitor dischargers 215 , 216 , which constitute a resistor and a normally closed relay connected in series , are included and activated when the energy stored in capacitors c 1 and c 2 has to be reduced , such as when the pulse amplitude setting a is decreased by the operator , or when the energy stored in capacitors c 1 and c 2 has to be completely dissipated , such as when the ctms system is shutdown , power is lost , or a system fault is detected by the controller . a stimulating coil l known in the art is used with the ctms system . both air core and ferromagnetic core coils can be used with the ctms system . a coil connector compatible with magstim 200 coils is used to connect the stimulating coil l to the ctms circuitry . in one embodiment , a magstim 16 . 4 μh 70 mm double stimulating coil ( commonly referred to in the art as a figure - of - 8 ) is used . due to the rate of change and peak strength of the magnetic field required to achieve transcranial cortical stimulation , tms systems operate at very high capacitor voltages ( up to 3 kv ) and peak coil currents ( up to 10 ka ). in one embodiment , the ctms system employs maximum positive and negative capacitor voltages of 2800 volts and − 900 volts , respectively , and a peak coil current of 7 ka . the currents , voltages , and pulse widths applied to the energy storage capacitors c 1 and c 2 , stimulating coil l , coil cable and connector , and internal wiring in the ctms system typically do not exceed the currents , voltages , and pulse widths in conventional tms systems . the ctms system power consumption in rtms operation typically does not exceed that of existing tms systems , since commensurate pulse energies and pulse train frequencies are used . further , given the higher electrical efficiency of triangular magnetic pulses , the peak values of the pulse parameters could be reduced in comparison with available stimulators . thus , existing solutions for these system components can be used in the ctms system . an analysis of the ctms circuit shown in fig3 a will now be presented in connection with fig4 a , 4 b . for this analysis , it is assumed that storage capacitors c 1 and c 2 are large . specifically , it is assumed that the following conditions are met : t rise & lt ;& lt ; π / 2 ( inductance of coil l capacitance of capacitor c 1 ) 1 / 2 and t fall & lt ;& lt ; π / 2 ( inductance of coil l capacitance of capacitor c 2 ) 1 / 2 , where t rise and t fall are the rise and fall times of the magnetic field generated by the stimulating coil l . further , in this analysis , the component parasitics and losses in the circuit are ignored . under these conditions , the ctms system induces approximately rectangular current pulses in the targeted body organ . referring to fig4 a and 4b , in one embodiment , under the conditions specified above , graphs of positive and negative monophasic magnetic field pulses generated using the controllable pulse parameter transcranial magnetic stimulation circuit are shown . for this illustration , the ratio of the voltage across the capacitor c 1 to the voltage across the capacitor c 2 ( v c1 : v c2 ) is assumed to be 5 : 1 . fig4 a depicts the generation of a positive magnetic field pulse 405 , which is proportional to the current in the coil l . when switch q 1 is switched to an on state 410 , the resulting current ( i l ) in the stimulating coil l increases at a rate of di l / dt = v c1 /( inductance of coil l ), as shown by waveform 416 in plot 415 . since capacitor c 1 is very large , v c1 stays approximately constant . after rise time t rise , which is set by the operator by choosing when to turn q 1 on and off , switch q 1 is switched to an off state forcing the current i l in the stimulating coil l to commutate to capacitor c 2 via the diode d 2 . while diode d 2 is on , switch q 2 can be either on or off ( referred to as a “ don &# 39 ; t care state ” of the switch , and indicated with “ x ” symbols in the switch state waveforms ). since a negative voltage − v c2 is now applied across the stimulating coil l , the stimulating coil current i l starts to decrease at a rate of − v c2 /( inductance of coil l ) as shown by waveform 417 in plot 415 . the coil current i l decays to zero in fall time t fall , where trail : t rise = v c1 : v c2 . under ideal conditions , all the energy transferred from capacitor c 1 to the stimulating coil l , which is equal to ( inductance of coil l )* i lpk 2 / 2 , is returned to capacitor c 2 , where i lpk is the peak current in the coil l . of course , as will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art , losses will arise under ordinary ( i . e ., non - ideal ) conditions , resulting in somewhat less than this amount of energy being transferred . this energy can be transferred back to capacitor c 1 and reused in a subsequent pulse , which makes this strategy effective for repetitive tms ( rtms ). fig4 b depicts the generation of a negative magnetic field pulse , which is proportional to the current in the coil l as previously described . when switch q 2 is switched to an on state 425 , the resulting current ( i l ) in the stimulating coil l decreases at a rate of di l / dt =− v c2 /( inductance of coil l ), as shown by waveform 429 in plot 430 . after rise time t rise , which is chosen by the operator , switch q 2 is switched to an off state forcing the current i l in the stimulating coil l to commutate to capacitor c 1 via the diode d 1 . while diode d 1 is on , switch q 1 can be either on or off ( referred to as a “ don &# 39 ; t care state ” of the switch , and indicated with “ x ” symbols in the switch state waveforms ). since a positive voltage v c1 is now applied across the stimulating coil l , the stimulating coil current i l starts to increase at a rate of v c1 /( inductance of coil l ) as shown by waveform 428 in plot 430 . when the ctms system is operated in monophasic magnetic pulse mode , as shown in fig5 a , the energy exchange between the storage capacitors c 1 and c 2 is implemented using charger circuit 210 to transfer energy from capacitor c 2 to c 1 , or from capacitor c 1 to c 2 between pulses . when the ctms system is operated in biphasic magnetic pulse mode , as shown in fig5 b , the energy exchange between the storage capacitors c 1 and c 2 is implemented by having a negative magnetic pulse precede a positive magnetic pulse . the energy from the storage capacitor c 1 at the beginning of the pulse is returned to the storage capacitor c 1 by the end of the pulse . the capability to operate in both monophasic and biphasic magnetic pulse modes enables optimization of the pulse type for specific research and clinical applications of the ctms system . referring to fig5 a , in one embodiment , illustrative monophasic waveforms of a magnetic field pulse ( b ) 505 , an electric field ( e ) 510 , and a neuronal membrane voltage ( v m ) 515 , induced in the brain by the controllable pulse parameter transcranial magnetic stimulation system are shown . as previously described , during a medical treatment , the stimulating coil l is positioned proximate to a patient &# 39 ; s head . adjustable current pulses are passed through the stimulating coil l and cause the stimulating coil l to generate adjustable magnetic field pulses . the adjustable magnetic field pulses induce adjustable electric field pulses which , in turn , induce adjustable current pulses in the patient &# 39 ; s brain . the induced adjustable current pulses in the patient &# 39 ; s brain result in voltage change on the neuronal membrane that can be measured . the waveforms shown in fig5 a are produced by the current i l ( plot 405 ) in the stimulating coil l shown in fig4 a . as previously described , the magnetic field b ( plot 505 ) is proportional to the current i l in the stimulating coil l , and thus also has a triangular shape . the induced electric field e ( plot 510 ) is proportional to the magnetic field rate of change ( db / dt ), and correspondingly has a rectangular shape , rather than the cosine shape of existing tms systems . different rising and falling slopes of the magnetic field b ( plot 505 ) result in different magnitudes of the positive and negative phases of the induced electric field e ( plot 510 ), respectively . as previously described , the rate of change of the coil current ( di l / dt ) and , therefore , the rate of change of the magnetic field ( db / dt ) is proportional to the voltage across the coil l . the voltage across the coil l is equal to the voltage of the capacitor to which the coil is connected . therefore , the ratio of peak positive to negative electric field e is v c1 : v c2 . this is true in general , even when the circuit non - idealities are considered . since the induced electric field pulse has a rectangular shape , and due to the neuronal membrane capacitance , the neuronal membrane voltage ( v m ) follows a decaying exponential curve characterized by the membrane time constant , as shown by plot 515 . if the neuronal membrane is depolarized ( i . e ., made more positive ) by more than approximately 15 mv relative to its resting potential (− 60 to − 70 mv ), the neuron is likely to produce an action potential ( i . e ., to fire ). referring to fig5 b , in one embodiment , illustrative waveforms of a biphasic magnetic field ( b ) 520 , and the associated electric field ( e ) 525 and neuronal membrane voltage ( v m ) 530 induced in the brain by the controllable pulse parameter transcranial magnetic stimulation system are shown . although the magnetic field b of plot 520 is biphasic with symmetric positive and negative phases , the induced electric field ( plot 525 ) has a large positive amplitude and a comparatively small negative amplitude , since the rate of change of the rising magnetic field is much larger than the rate of change of the falling magnetic field . as a result ( plot 530 ), the depolarization amplitude ( as the neuronal membrane is made more positive ) is larger than the hyperpolarization amplitude ( as the neuronal membrane is made more negative ). this example demonstrates how the ctms system can produce predominantly unipolar electric field pulses and neuronal membrane voltage changes with biphasic magnetic pulses . in contrast , conventional sinusoidal biphasic magnetic pulses induce electric fields and neuronal membrane voltage changes that are bipolar ( i . e ., have approximately equal amplitudes of the positive and negative phases of the electric pulse ). biphasic magnetic pulses are more electrically efficient and produce less coil heating than monophasic magnetic pulses . further , tms biphasic magnetic pulses can be used inside a magnetic resonance imaging ( mri ) scanner , since the torque on the wire loops of the stimulating coil l in the strong magnetic field of the scanner averages to approximately zero . in contrast , monophasic pulses cannot be used in an mri scanner , since the average toque on the coil loops is non - zero , resulting in high mechanical stress in the coil that can damage the coil . referring to fig6 , in one embodiment , an illustrative waveform depicting user - adjustable pulse parameters is shown . the user - adjustable parameters include : induced positive electric field amplitude ( a ) 602 ( which corresponds to the intensity setting on conventional tms systems ), the pulse width of the positive phase ( pw + ) 608 , the induced negative electric field amplitude ( m * a =( v c2 / v c1 )* a ) 604 , which is specified through m , the ratio of negative to positive capacitor voltage , and the frequency of the pulse repetition ( f train ). for biphasic operation , the duration of an initial negative electric field phase ( pw ) 606 can also be specified ( pw − = pw + / 2m for symmetric negative side lobes of the pulse ). referring to fig7 , in one embodiment , illustrative waveforms of approximately rectangular , predominantly unipolar current pulses with adjustable pulse width are shown . control over the pulse width ( pw + ) of the induced electric field pulse is accomplished by controlling the on and off timing of the semiconductor switches q 1 and q 2 . referring to fig8 , in one embodiment , illustrative waveforms depicting user - adjustable degree of bidirectionality of approximately rectangular electric field pulses are shown . control over the degree of bidirectionality is accomplished by adjustment of the voltages of energy storage capacitors c 1 and c 2 relative to each other . fig9 shows an illustrative waveform of rtms with a predominantly unipolar induced electric field . computer simulations of a representative implementation of the ctms system ( fig1 ) indicate that the ctms pulses can induce membrane depolarization and hyperpolarization equal to that of commercial monophasic stimulators at only 16 - 18 % of the power dissipation . this results in a reduction of power supply demands , heating , noise , and component size , and enables the ctms system to produce high - frequency rtms with predominately unipolar induced electric fields . the ctms system described in the disclosed subject matter was simulated and compared to existing tms systems . a schematic of the ctms simulation circuit is shown in fig1 . further , a set of pulse performance metrics , i . e . performance figures , used to evaluate the efficiency of ctms pulses compared to conventional pulse configurations of commercial tms systems is shown in fig1 . the values were derived from computer simulations using psim circuit simulation software ( available from powersim inc .) and the simulation circuit shown in fig1 . realistic component values are used . as previously described , snubber circuits 1001 and 1002 are added across the semiconductor devices q 1 and q 2 , snubber capacitors c 1 a and c 1 b are added across the capacitor bank c 1 , and snubber capacitors c 2 a and c 2 b are added across capacitor bank c 2 to handle transient energy . waveforms showing the coil current i ( l ), peak induced electric field ( e ), and estimated neuronal membrane voltage change ( dv_m ) corresponding to the ctms configuration shown in fig1 are shown in fig1 a , 12 b , and 12 c , respectively . to allow a valid comparison of the pulse shape efficiency , all configurations use a model of magstim “ figure - of - 8 ”, air - core coil ( l = 16 . 4 μh ), parasitic series resistance and inductance of 25 mω and 0 . 6 μh , and neuronal membrane time constant τ m = 150 μs . the actual neuronetics 2100 and medtronic magpro x100 systems use different coils than the magstim figure - of - 8 used in the comparison . therefore , for the calculations for these systems , the capacitance was adjusted to match their typical pulse periods of approximately 200 and 270 μs , respectively , for the given 16 . 4 ph coil , because the objective is to compare the waveform efficiency rather than the actual commercial systems and coils . to account for the higher efficiency of ferromagnetic ( iron ) core coils , standard with the neuronetics 2100 machine , the total energy loss per pulse and the load integral ( proportional to coil heating ) are recalculated for an iron core coil , as indicated in fig1 . the iron core proportionally increases the efficiency of all pulse configurations , and can be used with the ctms system to improve efficiency . four representative ctms pulse configurations are simulated ( see columns ctms 1 - ctms 4 of fig1 ). for biphasic ctms pulses ( ctms 2 - ctms 4 ), the duration of the initial negative phase was set to pw − = pw + / 2m . the amplitude of the commercial device ( magstim , magpro , neuronetics ) pulses is adjusted to produce equal neuronal membrane depolarization of δv m = 18 mv , which is 20 % above the assumed neuronal firing threshold of 15 mv depolarization . the amplitude and pulse width of the ctms pulse configuration are also adjusted to produce identical neuronal membrane depolarization of δv m = 18 mv . fig1 shows that the ctms system can produce predominantly unipolar neuronal membrane potential change with both monophasic ( ctms 1 ) and biphasic ( ctms 2 - ctms 4 ) magnetic field pulses . for example , the ctms 2 pulse configuration yields a membrane hyperpolarization / depolarization ratio of 0 . 27 , which is comparable to that of the magstim 200 and magpro x100 ( monophasic mode ), while dissipating only 16 % and 18 % of the energy , respectively . the energy dissipation per pulse was calculated using the following equation : where ci refers to all capacitors in the stimulator power electronics , and where capacitor ci has voltage v ci . further , coil heating ( proportional to the load integral i l 2 dt ) with the ctms 2 pulse is only 32 % and 36 % that of the magstim 200 and magpro x100 , respectively ctms is able to achieve a total energy dissipation δw c comparable to efficient biphasic systems , such as the neuronetics 2100 , with 8 - 59 % less coil heating ( load integral ) while adding the previously unavailable functionalities of control over the induced electric field pulse width , degree of bidirectionality , approximately rectangular shape , and predominantly unipolar electric field pulses . it should be noted that for very brief , high - intensity rectangular pulses ( ctms 4 ), the coil heating decreases dramatically , while the total energy dissipation increases slightly . this is due to energy loss in the ctms snubber circuits , which is proportional to the square of the capacitor voltage . however , since it is easier to cool the snubber circuits , which are inside the power electronics enclosure , than the coil , the reduced coil heating of brief , rectangular , high - voltage pulses can be advantageous in high - power applications such as magnetic seizure therapy ( mst ) where coil heating is currently the bottleneck for pulse train duration . finally , in this model we have not accounted for ferromagnetic core losses , which could be higher for briefer pulses . when monophasic magnetic field pulses are generated , energy is transferred from capacitor c 1 to c 2 , and has to be transferred back to c 1 by the power supply before the subsequent pulse in repetitive tms ( rtms ) operation . however , if a biphasic magnetic pulse is used to produce a predominantly unipolar electric field pulse , as shown in fig5 and fig1 a - c , energy is transferred from c 2 to c 1 and then back from c 1 to c 2 during the pulse . thus , there is no need for rebalancing a large amount of energy between the capacitors before the subsequent pulse , except for “ topping off ” the capacitors to compensate for the energy dissipated in losses during the pulse , as is the case in conventional biphasic tms systems . with both monophasic and biphasic ctms magnetic field pulses , the energy returning from the coil after each pulse is recycled , unlike that in conventional monophasic converters , which is dissipated in a resistor . however , compared to ctms biphasic magnetic field pulses , monophasic magnetic field pulses require higher power capability of the ctms power supply circuit that moves charge between the two capacitors . thus , the ctms system is particularly well suited to generate high - frequency trains of predominantly unipolar electric field pulses . using the results in fig1 , the unipolar rtms power dissipation and coil heating of ctms can be compared to that of conventional monophasic stimulators . the ctms 2 configuration is 5 - 6 times more efficient and has about three times less coil heating than the magstim 200 and magpro x100 while producing the same neuronal depolarization and comparable hyperpolarization / depolarization ratio . for a pulse train frequency of 10 hz , the magstim 200 , magpro x100 , and ctms 2 pulse configurations described in fig1 dissipate 1600 , 1420 , and 260 w , respectively , while the coil dissipation , assuming coil resistance of 10 mω , is 248 , 222 , and 80 w , respectively . if an iron - core coil is used , ctms energy dissipation and coil heating can be further reduced to about 65 and 20 w , respectively . therefore , with its substantially lower power dissipation and coil heating , the ctms system can enable rtms with predominantly unipolar electric field pulses . recent research has indicated that rtms with predominantly unipolar electric field pulses may have a stronger modulating effect on brain function , and , therefore , could be a more effective therapeutic intervention . referring to fig1 a and 13b , in an alternative embodiment , illustrative block diagrams of power electronics and a control computer system 102 a for a controllable pulse parameter transcranial magnetic stimulation ( ctms ) system are shown . the ctms system includes a ctms circuit 1320 for driving a stimulating coil l . the ctms circuit 1320 includes energy storage capacitor ( or bank of capacitors ) c 1 , controllable semiconductor switch q 1 , a gate drive 1302 , charger 1310 , capacitor discharger 1322 , diode d 1 , and resistor r 1 . the ctms system further includes a digital data processing device , such as control computer system 102 a , which includes a controller board 1305 . this particular embodiment enables adjustment of the amplitude and the pulse width of the induced electric field over a continuous range of values , and the induced electric field pulses have an approximately rectangular shape . the semiconductor switch q 1 is implemented with an igbt , which unlike an scr , can be turned off from a gate terminal 1304 . further , the diode d 1 and the energy dissipation resistor r 1 are connected across the tms coil l , to provide a discharge path for the coil current when q 1 is turned off . the energy storage capacitor c 1 is larger than those used in conventional tms stimulators to provide a wider range of pulse width control and approximately rectangular induced electric field pulses . similar to the ctms circuit described in connection with fig2 a , 2 b , and 3 a , the ctms circuit 1320 shown in fig1 a is controlled by the controller board 1305 shown in fig1 b , which resides in the control computer 102 a . through the controller board 1305 , the operator specifies the voltage of capacitor c 1 , which determines the amplitude of the induced electric field . the operator also specifies the on time and the off time of switch q 1 , which determine the pulse timing and the pulse width ( pw + ). referring to fig1 , in another embodiment , a schematic diagram of the ctms circuit is shown . stray inductance in the critical high - current paths of the circuit can cause power loss and voltage spikes during turn - off of switch q 1 , which can cause component damage , as previously discussed . therefore , the wiring and component locations in the ctms circuit are arranged to reduce and / or minimize the stray inductance . however , stray inductances cannot be completely eliminated . therefore , the ctms circuit includes a number of snubber components . the snubber components assist the coil current commutation between the switch q 1 and the diode d 1 and inhibits and / or prevents voltage overshoots and energy dissipation in the semiconductor switch q 1 . a snubber capacitor or combination of capacitors c 5 is mounted between the collector terminal of switch q 1 and the anode terminal of diode d 1 to prevent the collector voltage from spiking during switch q 1 turn - off as a result of parasitic inductance of the capacitor bank c 1 and the connecting wires . a capacitor c 3 is mounted between the collector and emitter terminals of the switch q 1 to suppress high - voltage spikes across the terminals of switch q 1 . a snubber circuit 1402 , which includes diode d 2 , capacitor c 4 , and resistor r 2 , transiently absorbs the current flowing through the coil l when q 1 is turned off . this supports the current commutation to diode d 1 and resistor r 1 , as previously discussed . the energy storage bank of capacitors c 1 comprises six 118 μf . ( average measured value ) oil - filled pulse capacitors . the bank of capacitors c 1 is charged by a magstim booster module plus ( the magstim co ., whitland , uk ) and a magstim capacitor voltage control circuit . the semiconductor switch q 1 is a 4500 volt / 600 amp ( direct current rating ) igbt module from powerex , inc . ( youngwood , pa .). the igbt ( switch q 1 ) is controlled with a high - voltage optically - isolated gate drive 1302 by applied power systems , inc . ( hicksville , n . y .). the controller board 1305 sends triggering pulses to the gate drive 1302 . as previously described , the pulse width is set by the operator . the diode d 1 is implemented with two series - connected , fast 1800 volt / 102 amp ( direct current rating ) diodes by semikron gmbh ( nuremberg , germany ). the snubber capacitors c 3 - c 5 are high - voltage , high - current polypropylene film and paper film / foil capacitors . the snubber diode d 2 includes three series - connected fast - recovery 1200 volt / 60 amp ( direct current rating ) diodes from international rectifier ( el segundo , calif .). the stimulating coil l is a custom - made magstim 5 . 5 cm mean diameter round coil with an inductance of 16 μh . the ctms circuit of fig1 was tested with capacitor voltages of up to 1650 volts , and peak coil currents of up to 7 ka . the peak intensity ( i . e . amplitude of the electric field ) of the ctms system is equal to that of commercial magstim rapid stimulators . unlike conventional stimulators , however , the ctms system of the disclosed subject matter allows pulse width control with a range between 5 μs and 160 μs . the electric field induced by the ctms system was estimated with a single - turn 5 cm diameter search coil placed two centimeters from the face of the ctms coil l . the search coil was connected to a digitizing oscilloscope as well as to a first - order low - pass filter with 150 μs time constant , which outputs a scaled estimate of the neuronal membrane voltage waveform . referring to fig1 a - c , illustrative waveforms of measured capacitor c 5 voltage ( fig1 a ), search coil voltage v s ( proportional to the induced electric field , fig1 b ), and the estimated shape of the neuronal membrane voltage ( vf ) ( fig1 c ), which is determined by filtering the search coil voltage v s through a low - pass filter , are shown . the waveforms show six different pulse widths ( i . e ., 20 , 40 , 60 , 80 , 100 , and 120 μs ). it can be seen in fig1 b that the induced pulses , which are proportional to the electric field , have approximately rectangular shape , especially for brief pulses ( e . g ., 20 μs pulse ). as expected , overshoot and high - frequency ringing are present on the capacitor c 5 voltage ( fig1 a ) and search coil voltage ( proportional to the electric field , fig1 b ) during switch q 1 turn - off , due to stray inductance . however , these transients are suppressed to a safe level by the snubber circuits . in particular , the capacitor voltage overshoot does not exceed 7 % of the initial capacitor voltage , and the voltage across the switch q 1 never exceeds approximately twice the initial capacitor voltage , and is thus well below the 4 , 500 v rating of the igbt ( q 1 ). these results indicate the feasibility of high coil current commutation through appropriate choice of semiconductor switches , switch gating , snubber design , and minimization of stray inductance . the above described ctms implementation can be used to compare the intrinsic efficiency of rectangular unipolar electric field pulses versus conventional unipolar cosine pulses . in order to emulate conventional monophasic magnetic field pulses , the ctms implementation was reconfigured to use a smaller capacitor and switch q 1 was kept on until the coil current decayed to zero . the comparison of rectangular pulses used the same initial capacitor voltage , and the ctms pulse width was adjusted to achieve the same estimated neuronal depolarization . the energy dissipation per pulse was calculated using the formula : where ci refers to all capacitors in the stimulator power electronics , and where capacitor ci has voltage v ci . compared to conventional monophasic magnetic field pulses with rise times of 72 and 101 μs , the corresponding rectangular pulses dissipated 20 and 28 % less energy , respectively . the ctms circuit of fig1 does not recycle pulse energy ( pulse energy is dissipated in resistor r 1 in fig1 ), so this gain in efficiency comes solely from the rectangular pulse shape . with energy recycling , which is implemented in the circuit in fig2 and fig3 , efficiency will be even higher , as discussed above . the ctms system disclosed herein enables an operator to adjust various pulse shape parameters ( previously described in detail ) of an electric field pulse induced in the brain of a patient . the values of these pulse shape parameters can be chosen based on which medical application is being implemented and / or a patient &# 39 ; s physiological characteristics . further , the capability to control pulse parameters enables a medical professional to study the contribution of pulse characteristics to observed physiological effects of an induced electric field pulse . additionally , the ctms systems disclosed herein ( see fig2 and 3 ) produce approximately rectangular induced electric field pulses , which are more energy efficient for neuronal stimulation than sinusoidal pulses produced by existing tms systems , as previously described . moreover , the ctms systems depicted in fig2 and 3 also enable an operator to vary the degree of bidirectionality of the induced pulse over a continuous range from a predominantly unipolar to a bipolar electric field pulse . in view of the effects of the tms pulse characteristics on physiological responses , and the capability of ctms systems disclosed herein to control the pulse parameters , the ctms systems disclosed herein have the potential for enabling diverse clinical and research applications . for example , the ctms systems can be used to determine strength - duration curves ( i . e ., the induced electric field pulse amplitude vs . the pulse width that produces threshold neuronal stimulation ). strength - duration curves can be used to estimate a neuronal membrane time constant , and can therefore be a useful tool for diagnosing and studying neurological disease . strength - duration curves can also be used to optimize stimulation paradigms for different cortical regions , and activate selectively different neuronal types possessing different membrane time constants and responsivity to pulse shape characteristics . thus , the capability to adjust the pulse shape in the ctms system could enable optimization of the stimulus parameters for various applications . tms with briefer , high - amplitude pulses requires less energy delivered to the stimulating coil , thereby increasing efficiency and decreasing heating . thus , tms and rtms with brief ( e . g ., 20 - 50 μs ) rectangular pulses are more energy efficient . recent studies indicate that rtms with predominately unipolar induced electric fields can yield more potent modulation of neuronal excitability compared to standard bidirectional rtms . see for example : m . sommer , n . lang , f . tergau , and w . paulus , “ neuronal tissue polarization induced by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation ” neuroreport , vol . 13 , no . 6 , pp . 809 - 11 , 2002 ; a . antal , t . z . kincses , m . a . nitsche , o . bartfai , i . demmer , m . sommer , and w . paulus , “ pulse configuration - dependent effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on visual perception ,” neuroreport , vol . 13 , no . 17 , pp . 2229 - 33 , 2002 ; t . tings , n . lang , f . tergau , w . paulus , and m . sommer , “ orientation - specific fast rtms maximizes corticospinal inhibition and facilitation ,” exp brain res , vol . 164 , no . 3 , pp . 323 - 33 , 2005 ; n . arai , s . okabe , t . furubayashi , y . terao , k . yuasa , and y . ugawa , “ comparison between short train , monophasic and biphasic repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation ( rtms ) of the human motor cortex ,” clin neurophysiol , vol . 116 , no . 3 , pp . 605 - 13 , 2005 ; and j . l . taylor and c . k . loo , “ stimulus waveform influences the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation ,” j affect disord , vol . 97 , pp . 271 - 276 , 2007 . the ctms system circuit ( see fig2 and 3 ) is intrinsically energy efficient since the coil transfers charge between two energy - storage capacitors , rather than dissipating it in a resistor , like the conventional monophasic tms topology does . further , the ctms system ( see fig2 and 3 ) can induce predominately unipolar electric fields with biphasic magnetic pulses having fast rise time and slow fall times , which require substantially less energy delivered to the coil . thus , such ctms enables high - frequency unidirectional rtms , yielding potentially stronger neuromodulation effects that can be used for therapeutic purposes in neurological and psychiatric illness . variations , modifications , and other implementations of what is described herein may occur to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed subject matter . further , the various features of the embodiments described herein also can be combined , rearranged , or separated without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed subject matter as defined by the following claims .	0
fig8 shows the pore size distributions for diamond preforms made from a diamond powder with an average particle size of 1 . 5 μm with three different initial contents of phenolic resin . d2pr05 shows the pore distribution at 5 mass % resin , d2pr10 at 10 mass % and d2pr20 at 20 mass %. compacts according to the present invention are typically fine - grained diamond - sic compacts ( where the average diamond grain size is typically less than 10 μm ) produced through infiltration of a diamond preform by molten silicon - containing materials . these compacts are unique in that they are free of detectable elemental or free silicon in the final binder microstructure . further , the diamond in these compacts shows no significant plastic deformation . the compacts of the invention further have a high relative diamond density . compacts of the invention comprise a mass of diamond particles distributed in a binder or binding phase . these diamond particles will typically be uniformly distributed throughout the binder phase . in order to achieve a suitable structure , it has been found necessary for the diamond particles to be present in an amount of more than 20 , more preferably 30 , and most preferably 40 volume %; but less than 75 , more preferably less than 70 volume % in the body . the diamond particles may be of natural or synthetic origin . diamond particles used in a preferred embodiment of this invention have an average grain size less than 10 μm , more preferably less than 7 μm and most preferably less than 5 μm . however , it is observed that many of the advantages of this invention can also be realised where the diamond grain size is coarser than in the preferred embodiment . the diamond particles may have a monomodal , bimodal or multimodal size distribution . the binder or bonding phase is dominated by a silicon - based chemistry , however , there is less than 2 % volume of detectable free or elemental silicon or silicides present in the binder system of the final compact and most preferably there is no detectable free or elemental silicon present in the binder system of the final compact . typically the method used to detect free silicon is xrd ( x - ray diffraction ). the binder typically comprises microcrystalline sic , although other silicon - based chemistries may also occur . the silicon - based source for the infiltrant may be elemental silicon or a suitable silicon alloy — if elemental silicon , it may be in powder or monolithic form . the compacts of the invention are manufactured using temperatures that ensure that the infiltrant is molten , for example in excess of the melting point of silicon ( at approximately 1420 ° c . ); and extremely mild pressures less than 1 kbar . hence the manufacture process is characterised in that it occurs in the thermodynamic region where diamond is metastable . these conditions will be maintained for a time sufficient to produce the abrasive body . preforms for the compacts according to this invention are generated by initially coating the diamond feed diamond powder with a suitable organic binder . in one embodiment of this invention phenolic resin is used as the organic binder , although it will be appreciated that other suitable binders may be used . appropriate levels for the initial coating are between 5 and 20 mass %, more preferably about 10 mass %. the coated powder is then formed into a green compact by cold compaction . the pore size and pore diameters are controlled either by varying the compaction pressure on the non - pyrolysed resin - diamond preform , or by varying the amount of resin used the green compact is then heat - treated to pyrolyse the organic coating on the diamond powder compact under an inert atmosphere ( at temperature conditions where graphitisation of the diamond will not occur ). the green compacts generated by this method retain sufficient structural integrity to be handled easily and assembled into the infiltration assembly for subsequent heat - treatment . the preform is then infiltrated with molten silicon or a silicon - containing alloy . the preform is placed into a suitable reaction container in proximity to a silicon source , with an appropriate separating mechanism being interposed between the diamond preform and silicon source to space the diamond preform and silicon source from each other . the container is heated to a temperature in excess of the melting point of the silicon ( approximately 1420 ° c .) or the silicon alloy ; until the diamond preform and silicon source are isothermal , and the silicon source is molten . gentle pressure ( approximately 20 mpa ) is then applied in order to bring the preform and melt into physical contact with one another and hence initiate infiltration . sufficient time is allowed for effective infiltration to occur and then the container is optionally cooled . the infiltrated compact is then removed from the container and processed appropriately to achieve a suitable final product . the introduction of a suitable pyrolysed carbon layer onto the surface of the diamond powder is preferable . without being limited by theory , it is assumed that the increased reactivity of the amorphous carbon generated by the pyrolysis may allow rapid initial sic phase nucleation on the diamond / carbon surfaces during initial infiltration . counter - intuitively , this rapid nucleation process appears to result in the formation of a controlled thin sic layer that effectively acts as a pseudo - barrier to the subsequent diffusion of reactant species . hence subsequent sic growth can be somewhat slowed and the potential runaway sic formation which results in pore blockage in fine - grained structures controlled . as previously discussed , the carbon source in a similar low / no pressure process ( such as that disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 447 , 852 and associated applications ) arises from graphitic layers generated in situ from deliberate graphitisation of the diamond powder . this graphite layer , whilst more soluble and reactive than the diamond itself is substantially less reactive than the amorphous carbon layer of this invention . hence the slower sic formation in the initial stages does not effectively mask the diamond surface and prevent runaway sic formation , leading to an increased probability of pore blockage resulting in ineffective infiltration . also , the introduction of sacrificial non - diamond carbon supplies the molten silicon with a non - diamond reactant , thus sparing the valuable diamond phase from conversion into the softer sic one . furthermore , and very importantly , the introduction of a non - diamond carbon layer on the diamond particles results in an increase of the pore size of the pyrolised diamond preform , as shown in figure b , thus providing the infiltrating silicon with an easier passage . in the green compact , most of the carbon - supplying resin occupies the pores of the diamond preform during initial compaction . therefore , the resulting non - diamond carbon that is generated after pyrolysis is located in the diamond preform pores , thus allowing for the diamond volume fraction to remain relatively high while still supplying the advancing molten silicon front with a carbon reactant . appropriate selection of the organic binder , required additive levels and suitable pyrolysis cycle requires an understanding of the yield and distribution of the amorphous carbon layer that is generated . whilst the preferred organic agent of this invention is phenolic resin , it is anticipated that the use of other similar organic materials would be self - evident to those skilled in the art such as paraffin , polysaccharides acrylates etc . the organic binder is additionally useful in that it allows the generation of a pressed green compact that has some strength i . e . can be freely handled and machined . the organic binder of the preferred embodiment is typically introduced into the diamond powder mix in dissolved form in a suitable organic solvent such as acetone . alternative solution methods such as spraying , or gaseous techniques such as the in situ decomposition of a natural gas on the diamond surface would equally be obvious to those skilled in the art . unfortunately , the engineered increased reactivity of the coated fine diamond was observed to result in a premature reaction in the contact region between the preform surface and the silicon infiltrant , whilst the latter was still in the solid state during the heating cycle . this reaction was seen as highly undesirable because the early generation of sic in this region would easily block the very fine pore structure of a fine - grained diamond preform , resulting itself in incomplete infiltration . this phenomenon was further exacerbated by the increased viscosity of the infiltrant during the early stages of infiltration before it was fully molten . any drop in temperature from the infiltrant source to the diamond preform was also found to be extremely disadvantageous , as cooling of the infiltrant within the preform had a similar disruptive effect . the identified problem was therefore to prevent a premature reaction at the interface between the diamond preform and silicon source whilst it was still in the solid state ; and to ensure that the diamond preform and molten silicon source were isothermal before they were brought in contact . any separation mechanism additionally required the facility to be triggered remotely in situ during the sintering cycle . a set of sic , sic - based ceramic foam or graphite felt spacers ( stilts ) was designed to fit into the interface region between the silicon source and diamond preform . the dimensions of these spacers were chosen such that they did not create a physical barrier per se between the two parts , but interposed a space between them . hence and by way of example , in the case of an 18 mm diameter preform , three sic spacers of approximately 2 mm × 2 mm × 3 mm were used to separate the preform and silicon source . these spacers functioned as effective stilts , maintaining separation between the two parts until , once the silicon source was molten ; the application of external pressure forced them down into the molten silicon source and allowed contact . the “ stilt ” spacers must be of such a material that they remain solid during the course of the reaction and are chemically inert with respect to the infiltration reaction . in addition to the above the “ stilts ” can also be silicon - infiltrated silicon carbide or recrystalised silicon . the combined effect of the pyrolytic carbon layer in increasing reactivity , coupled with a pore maintenance ; and the physical separation of the infiltrant and preform until infiltration conditions are optimal , allows diamond - sic compacts with various unique characteristics , namely : the elimination of free silicon in the binder phase the effective infiltration of finer - grained diamond preforms increased diamond density over that achieved with known low pressure infiltration routes due to the use of a non - diamond source for at least a part of the sic formation . essentially , when the diamond content in a compact is high , the likelihood and content of elemental si being present in the finished article is greatly reduced for the following reasons : where the diamond content is high , and especially where the grains are fine , higher pressures are typically required in order to compact the material sufficiently and drive infiltration . higher pressures may have the benefit of driving the diffusion of si and c and promoting the reaction to form sic ; where the diamond content is high , the pores may typically be relatively smaller , resulting in smaller isolated volumes of unreacted , free si . the present invention teaches low or no si even where the diamond concentration is relatively low and / or the diamond is relatively fine . a preform containing diamond powder ( average grain size of 1 . 5 μm ) coated with a pyrolytic carbon layer was prepared . an amount of phenolic resin to give 10 mass % in the diamond mix , was dissolved in acetone at a concentration of approximately 34 . 3 g / l . this solution was then mixed with the diamond powder and heated in a water bath to 70 - 80 ° c ., whilst stirring , to evaporate off the acetone . the resulting agglomerated powder was crushed and screened using a − 325 mesh screen . sem micrographs of the coated grit showed that the resin was homogeneously distributed on the diamond surfaces , both before and after pyrolysis a green compact was then formed by cold compaction of the screened powder at ca . 60 mpa . this green compact was then heat - treated at 120 ° c . in air for 18 hours , in order to cure the resin . the resin coating on the diamond was then pyrolysed by heat treatment under argon . the heating upramp cycle was in two parts : initially up to 450 ° c . at 2 ° c ./ min ; followed by heating to 750 ° c . at 10 ° c ./ min . the preform was then held at 750 ° c . for 1 hour . after cooling , the porosity of the preform was determined to be approximately 30 %. from the weight loss it was evident that about half the mass of the resin had volatilised and left the compact . the preform was then infiltrated with molten silicon under very mild pressure . a silicon infiltrant source body 5 was placed inside an hbn - coated graphite pot 2 such as that shown in fig7 . three sic separating spacers 4 ( of dimension such that they served a “ stilt ” function as previously discussed ) were placed on top of this source 5 . the diamond preform 3 was then placed in the pot 2 . an hbn - coated graphite piston 1 was then inserted into the pot 2 . the pot 2 was heated to 1500 ° c . at a rate of 50 ° c ./ min . once the temperature inside the container reasonably exceeded the melting point of silicon (± 1420 ° c . ), a pressure of 20 mpa was applied to the piston 1 . this brought the preform 3 and molten infiltrant 5 into contact , commencing the infiltration process . the temperature was held at 1500 ° c . for approximately 30 minutes before cooling . ( pressure was continued even during the cooling cycle until the temperature reached 1300 ° c .) the infiltrated sample was recovered from the pot and investigated . microstructural analysis showed that the compact was well infiltrated to a depth of at least 2 . 5 mm . the infiltrated volume was observed to be completely free of pores , with a high concentration of diamond . xrd analysis showed only diamond and sic , with no residual unreacted elemental or free silicon present in the compact . the diamond content of the compact was estimated to be approximately 40 volume %, with the remainder being sic phase . further diamond compacts was prepared according to the method of example 1 , save that the diamond average grain size and phenolic resin content were altered as shown in table a . as is evident from table a , excess quantities of phenolic resin are undesirable in that they cause a similar pore - blocking effect to that observed without any resin being present . in this case , optimal levels of resin addition at approximately 10 mass % were observed to maximise the infiltration process and reduce the presence of undesirable free silicon . the contents of the paper ‘ the low - pressure infiltration of diamond by silicon to form diamond - silicon carbide composites ’ as authored by sigalas , herrmann and mlungwane is incorporated herein by reference . for the avoidance of doubt , the paper is set out below : the infiltration of fine - grained diamond preforms by molten silicon is limited by the blocking of the pores as a result of the volume increase during the reaction of diamond with sic . therefore in the present paper the infiltration of preforms made with diamond powders with different grain sizes was investigated . the preforms were prepared using phenolic resin as a binder . with increasing resin content the pore size increases , but the pore volume decreases . as a result the infiltration depth increases strongly for medium resin content . for the fine - grained ˜ 1 . 5 μm diamond preforms , a maximum infiltration depth of 2 . 5 mm is obtained at 10 % resin , whereas at 5 % resin only 1 . 25 mm could be infiltrated . diamond is the hardest material known to man . because of this , it finds extensive industrial application where ultra - hard material properties are needed . due to its high hardness , it is difficult to make diamond tools of different shapes and sizes purely from cutting and shaping diamond . this has led to the development of diamond composite materials which consist of small diamond grains either sintered together through a liquid phase sintering process , or held together in a matrix by a binder phase material . the former process gives rise to the class of polycrystalline diamond materials ( pcd ), while the latter results in a number of composite materials , of which the foremost is that of sic - diamond composites . the introduction of the second phase improves the formability and the fracture toughness of such diamond - based materials 1 . metallic phases such as cobalt are present in pcd and are commonly used as liquid phase sintering aids in the production of that material . these metals however were found to catalyze the graphitization of diamond thus limiting the application temperatures of these pcd materials to below 1000 ° c . 1 . silicon carbide has been found to be exceptionally good as a diamond binder phase . because of the structural similarities between diamond and silicon carbide , a strong bond forms between them 2 resulting in a material with a very strong adhesion between the diamond grains and the sic matrix . silicon carbide does not react with diamond and the composite material can be used at temperatures above 1000 ° c . application temperature is limited by the melting temperature of silicon if some unreacted silicon is present in the final product . sic is commonly formed in situ from a reaction between diamond and / or amorphous carbon or graphite with silicon . the silicon can be introduced into the diamond in different ways , either by infiltrating molten silicon into a diamond preform or by reaction sintering silicon powder and diamond powder 3 , 4 , 5 . the main production route of these composites includes the use of high - pressure and high - temperature in order to achieve sintering within the regions of diamond stability [ 6 ]. use of high pressures however restricts the range of applications of these materials due to high cost of production and the limited range of possible sizes and shapes of the products made . some attempts 5 have been made to produce this composite material under conditions of low pressure ( i . e . in the diamond metastable region ). hot isostatic pressing ( hip ) method was employed at a maximum pressure applied of 20 mpa . a product more than 90 % dense was obtained . it is of great importance to note that for the reaction sintering route , if the reaction proceeds under low pressure conditions , voids are produced within the body because of the volume reduction occurring during the reaction 7 . the advantage of infiltration as stated by j . qian at al 2 , is that the liquid phase keeps filling the pores in the diamond skeleton and hence a more dense material is produced . infiltration can also be successfully performed at low pressures giving a dense product . infiltration on the other hand has been successful under low pressure conditions only for large grained diamond preforms ( 7 - 63 μm grain size ) 3 , 4 . it should be noted that in these materials a wide grain size distribution was used . even under high pressure ( 7 . 7 gpa , 1400 - 2000 ° c . ), e . a . ekimov et al . 8 could infiltrate diamond powder with primary grain size of ˜ 10 nm but secondary particle ( agglomerate ) size of ˜ 1 μm only up to an infiltration depth of 2 mm . therefore the aim of this study is to investigate the infiltration of diamond by silicon using minimal pressure , and to analyze the limitations accompanying the infiltration of small diamond grain size preforms . preforms were produced using three different diamond powders , labelled d2 , d9 and d17 ( element six ( pty ) ltd ). the characteristics of these powders are given in table 1 . the composition of the diamond preforms was modified by the addition of phenolic resin ( plyophen 602n ; fa . prp resin ). this component was necessary for the formation of the preform during pressing . it acts as a lubricant and a binder . resin concentrations of 5 , 10 and 20 wt % were investigated . the composition and names of the samples are given in table 2 . for the preparation of the preforms phenolic resin was dissolved in acetone ( 34 . 3 g / l ) and mixed with the diamond powder . this suspension was stirred continuously while kept in a water bath at 70 - 80 ° c . to evaporate off the acetone . the resulting powder is agglomerated , the degree of agglomeration increasing with increasing resin content and decreasing diamond particle size . the agglomerated powder is crushed and screened using a − 325 mesh screen . the screened powder is pressed into a green compact of 18 mm diameter and 5 mm height under 60 mpa of pressure for about 5 seconds . the green compacts were heat treated at 120 ° c . for 18 hours to cure the resin in air . they were then weighed and the resin pyrolysed under argon by heating at a rate of 2 ° c ./ min up to 450 ° c . followed by 10 ° c ./ min up to 750 ° c . where a dwelling time of 60 minutes was undergone . cooling to room temperature was carried out at a rate of 10 ° c ./ min . the preforms &# 39 ; green density and porosity were determined after pyrolysis . the green densities were calculated from the mass and volumes of the preforms while the porosity and the pore size distributions were determined using a mercury porosimeter ( quantachrome poremaster - 60 ). raman spectra were acquired with a jobin - yvon t64000 raman spectrometer operating in a single spectrograph mode with an 1800 lines / mm grating . these measurements were performed in order to determine the uniformity of the resin coating . for each sample a line 1000 micron in length and consisting of 100 points was mapped in the central region of the sample using a motorized xy stage . an excess amount of silicon powder ( 1 - 20 μm goodfellow ) was cold pressed into an 18 mm diameter tablet . this tablet is then placed in an hbn - coated graphite pot ( fig1 ). the diamond preform is placed on top of this si tablet . three sic pieces of 2 × 2 × 3 mm size are used to separate these two tablets so that no reaction in the solid state , during heating up , can take place . an hbn - coated graphite piston covers the pot . the set - up was heated up at 50 ° c ./ min to 1500 ° c . at which temperature it dwelled for 30 minutes . cooling was achieved at a rate of 20 ° c ./ min . pressure ( 20 mpa ) is applied onto the piston after the temperature exceeds that at which silicon melts (± 1420 ° c .) to bring the preform and the melt into contact so that infiltration can commence . it is then released when the temperature reaches 1300 ° c . during cooling . the products of the infiltration were cross - sectioned . the cross sections were polished using resin bonded diamond wheels with 1 μm diamond at 3000 rpm before characterization with sem and xrd . the phase composition of the infiltrated materials was determined by quantitative image analysis using image tool3 . sem micrographs of two of the diamond powders used and the powders mixed with the resin are shown in fig2 . it can be inferred that the resin coated the diamond homogeneously both before and after pyrolysis . this was confirmed also by the raman spectroscopy measurements . fig3 indicates that both the materials produced from d2 and d9 which initially had 20 % resin have thicker graphitic carbon layers than their 5 % counterparts . the main graphitic carbon g - band gave fairly constant peak intensity in all samples for all the mapped points , indicating fairly uniform coverage by the resin . the pore size distribution determined by hg - porosimetry is given in fig4 a and fig4 b for the preforms prepared from diamond powder d2 and d9 . in table 2 the green densities and mean pore channel diameter are given . an increase in the resin content increases the average pore diameter while decreasing the pore volume . the decrease of the pore volume is more pronounced for the smaller diamond grain sizes . nevertheless the overall green density is nearly constant . the results of the infiltration experiments for the different preforms are given in table 2 . the micrographs in fig5 a , fig5 b , fig5 c , and fig5 d show the cross sections of infiltrated samples . the infiltration depth for the different materials is clearly visible . increasing the amount of the resin in the preforms up to 10 wt % improves the infiltration of the green compacts for the materials produced from the low grain sizes diamonds , e . g . for the material d2pr05 with 5 % resin the infiltration depth was only 1250 μm and increases up to 2500 μm for the material with 10 wt % resin ( d2pr10 ). the sem micrographs of the polished sections in fig6 a , fig6 b , fig6 c , and fig6 d clearly indicate that the infiltrated areas are completely free of pores and with a high concentration of diamond . this could be confirmed by xrd . the black phase is diamond , the white ( where present ) is free silicon and the grey phase is sic . while in the coarse grained product the presence of free silicon is obvious ( the white phase ), this is not detectable for the materials with the medium and fine diamond powders , where one can only see the black diamond phase and the grey sic phase . the amount of diamond determined by image analysis could be slightly overestimated . as was shown previously 9 diamond is well wetted by liquid silicon at temperatures higher than 1450 ° c . therefore a pressureless infiltration would be possible . the infiltration is hindered by the formation of sic surface layers on the diamond , which can block the pore channels and reduce the infiltration depth . additionally the silicon will react with the added phenolic resign . the investigations of the reaction of liquid silicon with cvd - diamonds , glassy carbon and graphite has shown 9 - 11 , that the reaction in all cases results in a very fast formation of protective sic - layers with similar thickness . the reaction is faster for less crystalline carbon sources . in the infiltrated samples no residual non diamond carbon was observed . this indicates that the resin converts preferentially into sic . the fast reaction of the carbon with liquid silicon results in blocking of the pore channels and is also the reason why infiltration experiments so far were successful only with preforms made of diamonds having large pore sizes 3 - 4 . the reaction of silicon with diamond or other carbon sources is further enhanced by the strong exothermic character of the interaction of silicon with carbon . this results in a pronounced heat up of the system 10 and an acceleration of the reaction resulting in premature blocking of the pores . the pyrolysed resin in the sample strongly changes the microstructure of preforms . it increases the pore channel diameter , e . g . by a factor of 1 . 5 times for d2pr samples and by a factor of 3 for the samples with the medium grain size ( d9 ). unfortunately at the constant pressure used for the preparation of the preforms the pore volume decreases with increasing resin content , i . e . pores between the diamond particles are filled by the pyrolysed resin . the reduction of the pore volume is more pronounced for the low grain size diamond composites ( nearly 70 %) whereas the change for the samples made with d9 powder it is only 38 %. this reduction can be reduced by decreasing the pressure during compaction of the preform . small amounts of resin ( 5 wt %) are needed to make the pressing of the diamond powder possible . without the presence of resin no pressed samples could be prepared . the resin coats the diamond particles ( fig2 ). this coating plastically deforms during pressing and glues the diamond particles together . with increasing resin content the resin will begin to fill the pores of the preform , during the pressing process , starting with the smaller ones . therefore only the larger pores will remain and the overall porosity will be reduced . if the diamond particles had a constant packing density in the green body and the resin fills only the pores then the green density had to be increased with increasing resin content . in the investigated samples the density reduces slightly with the increasing resin content . this indicates that the distance between the diamond particles increases with increasing resin content . to some extend the pore structure in the high resin content materials can be related also to the structure of the granulates prior to the pressing of the preform . however no inhomogeneity of the diamond , si and sic distribution was found after infiltration ( fig6 a , fig6 b , fig6 c , and fig6 d ). this changed pore structure with increasing resin content will influence infiltration in the following ways : the increase of the pore channel radius will improve the infiltration . therefore for preforms with up to 10 wt % resin content a strong increase in the infiltration depth was observed . the reduction of the overall porosity by deposition of the resin between the diamond particles will reduce the infiltration depth due to the possibility of blocking the pores . the volume increase during the reaction of diamond with liquid silicon is much larger than for the amorphous carbon or graphite with silicon . therefore the reaction of the resin with liquid silicon will result in the blocking of the pores to a lesser extend . this will reduce the influence of the reduction in porosity . it was shown , that carbon preforms with overall densities less than 0 . 9 g / cm 3 can be fully converted into sic 12 . therefore the resin themselves with a density of less than 1 g / cm 3 can be converted completely . therefore the medium resin content improves the infiltration and only high resin content decrease the infiltration due to the lower porosity . therefore the reduction of the porosity has only a decisive influence on the infiltration at higher resin content ( 20 %). the study of the interaction of diamond with molten silicon has shown that after the onset of the interaction , a sic layer of 5 - 10 μm thickness is formed very quickly on the surface of the diamond particles . the thickness of the layer is controlled by the density of the nuclei formed . if the amount of nuclei is large the thickness of the layer directly formed would be lower [ 9 ] and infiltration would be possible to a higher infiltration depth . a similar effect could be caused by the faster reaction of the pyrolysed resin , which would help improve the infiltration additionally . for the material d22pr5 after 30 min infiltration the thickness of the sic - layers formed on the diamonds can be estimated to be in the range of 2 - 5 μm . ( fig6 a ). this value is less than what was observed in model experiment with cvd - diamond plates 9 . the resin has the additional effect that a smaller amount of diamond is converted to sic . therefore high amounts of diamond were observed in our samples after infiltration . the large grained products contain some free silicon due to their large pores in the preforms . the si , which remains after formation of the dense sic layer around the diamond , reacts only very slowly because this reaction is controlled by the diffusion through the sic - layer 9 , 11 . the medium and fine grained products have no detectable free silicon in them which is in agreement with this explanation . the investigation of the infiltration of diamond preforms produced from mixtures of phenolic resin and diamond of different grain sizes from 1 . 5 - 17 μm can be summarized as follows : 1 ) the addition of the resin allows a simple shaping of preforms . 2 ) increasing the amount of resin causes pronounced increases of the pore channel diameter and reduces the amount of porosity at similar green densities , because the resin fills partially the space in between the skeleton formed by the diamond particles . 3 ) despite the fact that the overall porosity is reduced by adding the resin , the infiltration depth increases by a factor of two for the d2pr10 in comparison to the d2pr05 . similar effects were found for the samples with coarser grain size ( d9pr10 ). 4 ) for a larger resin content the infiltration depth decreases again strongly due to the much lower pore volume 1 tomlinson p . n ., pipkin n . j ., lammer a . and burnand r . p . indust . high performance drilling - syndax 3 shows versatility . diamond rev ., 6 ( 1985 ) 299 . 2 qian j ., voronin g ., zerda t . w ., he d . and zhao y . high - pressure , high - temperature sintering of diamond - sic composites by ball - milled diamond - si mixtures . j . mater . res ., 17 ( 8 ) ( 2002 ) 2153 . 3 gordeev s . k , danchukova l . v ., ekstroem t ., zhukov s . g . method of manufacturing a diamond - silicon carbide composite and a composite produced by this method . ca2301775 , 1999 . 4 gordeev s . k ., zhukov s . g ., danchukova l . v ., ekstrom t . method of manufacturing a diamond - silicon carbide - silicon composite and a composite produced by this method . ep1253123 , 2002 . 5 shimono m . and kume s ., hip - sintered composites of c ( diamond )/ sic . j . am . ceram . soc ., 87 ( 4 ) ( 2004 ) 752 . 6 hall h . t ., a synthetic carbonado . science i , 169 ( 39 ) ( 1970 ) 865 . 7 hillig w . b ., making ceramic composites by melt infiltration . american ceramic society bulletin , 73 ( 4 ) ( 1994 ) 56 . 8 ekimov e . a ., gavriliuk a . g ., palosz b ., gierlotka s ., dluzewski p ., tatianin e , kluev y ., naletov a . m . and presz a . high - pressure , high - temperature synthesis of sic - diamond nanocrystalline ceramics , app . phys . lett ., 77 ( 2000 ) 954 . 9 mlungwane k ., sigalas i ., herrmann m . and rodriguez m ., the wetting behaviour and reaction kinetics in diamond0silicon carbide system . submitted for publication in diamond and related materials 10 sangsuwan p ., tewari s . n . gatica j . e ., singh r . n ., and dickerson r . reactive infiltration of silicon melt through microporous amorphous carbon preforms , metallurgical and materials transactions b , 30b ( 1999 ) 933 . 11 zhou h ., singh r n . kinetics model for the growth of silicon carbide by the reaction of liquid silicon with carbon . journal of the american ceramic society 78 ( 9 ) ( 1995 ), 2456 - 2462 12 siegel s ., petasch u ., boden g ., biogene keramik - eine alternative ?, keramische zeitschrift , ( 2004 ), 4 234 - 238	2
description will be made hereinafter with reference to embodiments concerning two types of two - wheeled motor vehicles for example . embodiment 1 of this invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the drawings . fig1 is a side view of a scooter according to embodiment 1 . fig2 is a plan view of the scooter according to embodiment 1 . fig3 is a schematic view showing emission patterns of electromagnetic waves in a plan view of the scooter of embodiment 1 . the scooter which corresponds to the “ two - wheeled motor vehicle ” in this invention includes a main frame 3 having a head tube 1 , a seat frame 5 , a seat 7 , side covers 9 , a grab bar 11 , a taillight unit 13 , a rear fender 15 , a drive train 17 , a rear wheel 19 , a front fork 21 , a front wheel 23 , a front cover 25 , a headlight 27 and a steering handle 29 . the main frame 3 acts as a framework of the scooter . the seat frame 5 extends rearward from the main frame 3 , and supports the seat 7 for seating the rider and a passenger seat 7 a for seating a passenger . the taillight unit 13 is attached to the rear of the seat frame 5 . the side covers 9 are attached to cover side and rear portions of the seat frame 5 , and cover front and lower portions of the taillight unit 13 . this taillight unit 13 has a taillight indicating a braking situation and turn signals in an integrated manner . the grab bar 11 is gripped by a passenger or is used when a load is carried . the drive train 17 is mounted rearward of the main frame 3 . the drive train 17 includes an engine , a suspension and so on . the rear wheel 19 is attached rearward of the drive train 17 . the rear fender 15 is spaced from the rear wheel 19 to cover an upper portion and an area obliquely upward thereof . the rear fender 15 is formed of resin , for example . a license plate 30 is attached in a tilted posture to the rear of the rear fender 15 and below the taillight unit 13 . the steering handle 29 is tunably attached to an upper portion of the head tube 1 . the front fork 21 is attached below the head tube 1 , and is interlocked with turning of the steering handle 29 . the front wheel 23 is rotatably attached to a lower portion of the front fork 21 . the front cover 25 is attached to the front of the head tube 1 through a stay 31 extending from the main frame 3 . the headlight 27 is provided on the front cover 25 . a front antenna 33 is mounted in the front cover 25 . the front antenna 33 has nondirectional characteristics with an emission pattern and reception sensitivity of electromagnetic waves uniform all around a horizontal plane . this front antenna 33 is erected on an anchor 35 extending toward a front center from the stay 31 serving to attach the front cover 25 . the front antenna 33 is located substantially at the middle transversely of the vehicle when seen in plan view , and is located above and rearward of the headlight 27 when seen from a side . a rear antenna 37 is mounted inward of the side covers 9 . the rear antenna 37 has directional characteristics with an emission pattern and reception sensitivity of electromagnetic waves biased to one direction . specifically , this rear antenna 37 has directionality with the transmit and receive sensitivity directed rearward of the vehicle . the rear antenna 37 , which is located inward of the side covers 9 , is attached to a lower surface of the taillight unit 13 by an anchor 39 . the anchor 39 presents an inverted l - shape when seen from a side , with an upper surface thereof fixed to the lower surface of the taillight unit 13 , and the rear antenna 37 is attached to a rear side thereof . the rear antenna 37 is attached to the anchor 39 to assume an upright posture . the rear antenna 37 is located substantially at the middle transversely of the vehicle when seen in plan view , and is located below the taillight unit 13 and above the license plate 30 when seen from a side . therefore , since no metal parts that would obstruct the emission of electromagnetic waves are arranged rearward of the rear antenna 37 , rearwardly directed emission of electromagnetic waves is free from obstruction . the scooter including the nondirectional front antenna 33 and the rear antenna 37 having rearward directionality as described above forms emission patterns of electromagnetic waves as shown in two - dot chain lines in fig3 . when the electromagnetic emission patterns of the front antenna 33 and rear antenna 37 are combined , the resulting shape connects a forward circle and a rearward ellipse shown in the dashed line in fig3 . according to this embodiment , the front antenna 33 mainly performs road - to - vehicle communication with roadside units and vehicle - to - vehicle communication with preceding vehicles and oncoming vehicles at times of passing each other . it is therefore possible to perform communications effectively by employing a nondirectional antenna which has wide - angle transmit - receive characteristics . on the other hand , vehicle - to - vehicle communication with rearward vehicles by means of the rear antenna 37 needs a long communication distance compared with the road - to - vehicle communication and vehicle - to - vehicle communication with oncoming vehicles at times of passing each other . in this invention , the rear antenna 37 has the directionality that enables a long communication distance compared with nondirectionality , and has the directionality rearward of the vehicle . it is therefore possible to also perform communications effectively with rearward vehicles . since the front antenna 33 is disposed in front of the seat 7 and the rear antenna 37 behind the seat 7 , the electromagnetic waves can be inhibited from being attenuated by the bodies of the rider and the passenger . the rear antenna having the rearward directionality can inhibit bad influences of the interference with the electromagnetic waves of the front antenna . as a result , the road - to - vehicle communication and the vehicle - to - vehicle communication with forward vehicles ( preceding vehicles and oncoming vehicles ) can be performed effectively , and at the same time the vehicle - to - vehicle communication with rearward vehicles can also be performed effectively . there are the grab bar and a load carrier above the taillight unit 13 , and when a load is placed thereon , the rear antenna 37 may be blocked by the load , which may exert a bad influence on the emission of electromagnetic waves . in this embodiment , however , since the rear antenna 37 is located below the taillight unit 13 , the rear antenna 37 is not blocked by the load , and no bad influence is exerted on the emission of electromagnetic waves . therefore , communication is not obstructed by the influence of the load . by containing the rear antenna 37 inward of the side covers 9 formed of resin , a fine appearance can be maintained without a had influence on the emission of the electromagnetic waves . since the rear antenna 37 is attached above the license plate 30 , the license plate 30 can be prevented from exerting a bad influence on the emission of electromagnetic waves from the rear antenna 37 . the front antenna 33 can be attached relatively easily by attaching the front antenna 33 through the anchor 35 to the stay 31 which fixes the front cover 25 . in the above description , the anchor 39 which fixes the rear antenna 37 is attached to the lower surface of the taillight unit 13 . alternatively , the anchor 39 may be attached to the seat frame 5 . next , embodiment 2 of this invention will be described with reference to the drawings . fig4 is an enlarged side view of a portion of a scooter according to embodiment 2 . components identical to those of foregoing embodiment 1 are shown with the same signs , and will not particularly be described . this applies to each of the embodiments described subsequently . the rear antenna 37 is disposed outward of the side covers 9 . specifically , the rear antenna 37 is attached by an anchor 41 having an inverted l - shape . the anchor 41 is fixed at an upper surface thereof to a lower surface of the taillight unit 13 , and has the rear antenna 37 attached to a vertical surface thereof . the anchor 41 is attached such that its vertical surface to which the rear antenna 37 is attached protrudes rearward from the taillight unit 13 . however , the rear antenna 37 is located above the license plate 30 and below the taillight unit 13 as seen from a side . according to this embodiment , besides the same effects as those of the foregoing embodiment 1 , the rear antenna 37 can be fixed stably since it is attached through the anchor 41 to the lower surface of the taillight unit 13 located inward of the side covers 9 . the rear antenna 37 , since it is disposed outward of the side covers 9 , can assure a high degree of freedom of arrangement . therefore , not only assuring a high degree of freedom of scooter design , this allows the rear antenna 37 to be installed afterward as an add - on . in the above description , the anchor 41 which fixes the rear antenna 37 is attached to the lower surface of the taillight unit 13 . alternatively , the anchor 41 may be attached to the seat frame 5 . next , embodiment 3 of this invention will be described with reference to the drawings . fig5 is an enlarged side view of a portion of a scooter according to embodiment 3 . the rear antenna 37 is attached to a rear slope 43 of the rear fender 15 by an anchor 45 . the anchor 45 has a base seating surface 47 attached to the rear slope 43 of the rear fender 15 , and an antenna seating surface 49 to which the rear antenna 37 is attached . the anchor 45 is formed such that , as seen from a side , an angle between the base seating surface 47 and antenna seating surface 49 causes the rear antenna 37 attached to the antenna seating surface 49 to be in an upright posture . a reinforcing member 53 is disposed on a front slope 51 which corresponds to an opposite side of the rear slope 43 of the rear fender 15 . the reinforcing member 53 is formed of sheet metal having higher rigidity than the rear fender 15 formed of resin . the rear fender 15 is placed between the reinforcing member 53 and the anchor 45 , and the anchor 45 is supported stably . the reinforcing member 53 may have an upper end thereof extending upward to be fastened together with the rear fender 15 to the vehicle body . according to this embodiment , besides the same effects as those of the foregoing embodiment 1 , while being able to avoid interference with other components , a high degree of freedom can be afforded to an attaching method compared with a case of attachment to other portions . by providing the reinforcing member 53 along the front slope 51 , the support for the rear antenna 37 can be strengthened . further , the angle between the base seating surface 47 and antenna seating surface 49 of the anchor 45 is set to place the rear antenna 37 in an upright posture . the rear antenna 37 can therefore be attached in a posture well suited for vehicle - to - vehicle communication with rearward vehicles . next , embodiment 4 of this invention will be described with reference to the drawings . fig6 is an enlarged side view of a portion of a scooter according to embodiment 4 . the rear antenna 37 is attached to the fender 15 as in foregoing embodiment 3 . the rear fender 15 in this embodiment has , formed integrally with the rear slope 43 , an attaching portion 55 for attaching the rear antenna 37 . this attaching portion 55 has a recess 57 formed for attaching the rear antenna 37 . the recess 57 receives a back surface opposite to the electromagnetic waves emitting plane of the rear antenna 37 , and a bottom surface of the rear antennas 37 , and holds the rear antenna 37 in an upright posture . according to this embodiment , besides the same effects as those of the foregoing embodiment 1 , since the rear fender 15 and attaching portion 55 are formed integrally , the rear antenna 37 can be attached rigidly to the rear fender 15 . further , the number of parts for attachment can be reduced , thereby to keep the cost low . next , embodiment 5 of this invention will be described with reference to the drawings . fig7 is an enlarged side view of a portion of a scooter according to embodiment 5 . fig8 shows a license plate mounting bracket , in which ( a ) is a side view , and ( b ) is a front view . the rear antenna 37 is attached to the rear fender 15 through a license plate mounting bracket 59 which is formed of resin . the license plate mounting bracket 59 has a license plate attaching portion 61 and a rear antenna attaching portion 63 integrated together . the license plate attaching portion 61 has supporting projections 65 formed thereon which support an upper part and a lower part of the license plate 30 . the license plate 30 , in a state of being inserted inward of the upper and lower supporting projections 65 from a side ( in a depth direction of the plane of fig8 ( a ), and a sidewise direction in fig8 ( b )), is fixed to the license plate attaching portion 61 with screws 66 . the rear antenna attaching portion 63 is formed to project from an upper middle position of the license plate attaching portion 61 , and has a recess 67 formed therein for attaching the rear antenna 37 . the rear antenna attaching portion 63 is formed to have an upper part thereof assuming a position tilting slightly downward and rearward of the vehicle ( rightward in fig8 ( a ) and to the near side with respect to the plane of fig8 ( b )) when the license plate attaching portion 61 is in an upright posture . with the license plate mounting bracket 59 , since the license plate attaching portion 61 is attached in a forwardly tilted posture to the rear fender 15 , the rear antenna attaching portion 63 tilting rearward assumes an upright posture . in this embodiment , the rear antenna 37 can be attached easily since the license plate 30 is attached to the license plate attaching portion 61 of the license plate mounting bracket 59 , and the rear antenna 37 is attached to the rear antenna attaching portion 63 . the rear antenna 37 can therefore be attached efficiently . an angle between the license plate attaching portion 59 and rear antenna attaching portion 63 of the license plate mounting bracket 59 is set to place the rear antenna 37 in an upright posture . the rear antenna 37 can therefore be attached in a posture well suited for vehicle - to - vehicle communication with rearward vehicles . a mounting position of the rear antenna 37 in each of embodiments 1 - 5 described hereinbefore is , preferably , in a region rg 1 ( the hatched region ) shown in fig9 . specifically , it is preferable to position the rear antenna 37 in a rearward region rg 1 marked by a vertical line l 1 drawn from the rear end of the seat frame 5 and an extended line l 2 along the rear slope 43 of the rear fender 15 . what is still more desirable is a part of region rg 1 below the taillight unit 13 . with the rear antenna 37 positioned in the region rg 1 , stable communication can be performed since bad influences of the other components can be prevented while preventing the bad influence of a load placed on the grab bar 11 . next , embodiment 6 of this invention will be described with reference to the drawings . fig1 is a side view of a two - wheeled motor vehicle according to embodiment 6 . foregoing embodiments 1 - 5 have been described taking a scooter as an example of two - wheeled motor vehicles , but this embodiment will be described taking what is called a naked type two - wheeled motor vehicle as the example of the two - wheeled motor vehicles . the naked type refers to a two - wheeled motor vehicle with an uncovered engine and frame . this naked type two - wheeled motor vehicle has an attachment form similar to foregoing embodiment 3 . specifically , a directional rear antenna 37 is attached to a lower portion of a rear slope 43 of a rear fender 15 through an anchor 69 . the anchor 69 is formed to have such a shape that the antenna 37 assumes an upright posture when attached to the rear fender 15 . a nondirectional front antenna 33 is erected at the other end of an anchor 73 having one end thereof attached to a lower bracket 71 of a front fork 21 . the anchor 73 places the front antenna 33 in front of and below a headlight 27 . with the front antenna 33 attached to the lower bracket 71 through the anchor 73 in this way , the front antenna 33 can be attached easily as in embodiment 1 , even if this is the naked type motor vehicle without the front cover 25 . lighting by the headlight 27 is not obstructed , and in addition , forward emission of the electromagnetic waves from the front antenna 33 is not obstructed by the headlight 27 . also the case of the front antenna 33 and rear antenna 37 being attached as described above can obtain emission patterns of electromagnetic waves similar to those in foregoing embodiment 1 ( fig3 ). therefore , effects similar to those in foregoing embodiment 1 are produced . also with the naked type two - wheeled motor vehicle , the rear antenna 37 may be attached in the modes of foregoing embodiments 3 , 4 and 5 . as in foregoing embodiment 2 , the rear antenna 37 may be disposed outward of the side covers 9 . a mounting position of the rear antenna 37 in embodiment 6 described above , preferably , is in a region rg 2 ( the hatched region ) shown in fig1 . that is , a preferred mounting position of the rear antenna 37 is in a rearward region rg 2 marked by a vertical line l 1 drawn from the rear end of the seat frame 5 and an extended line l 2 along the rear slope 43 of the rear fender 15 . what is still more desirable is a part of region rg 2 below the taillight unit 13 . the rear antenna 37 is therefore not limited to the above - described mounting position in fig1 , but may be disposed in any appropriate position within the region rg 2 . although the front antenna 33 is attached to the lower bracket 71 through the anchor 73 in foregoing embodiment 6 , the anchor 73 may be attached to an upper portion of an inner tube 75 ( upper tube ) of the front fork 21 , for example . this invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments , but may be modified as follows : ( 1 ) in embodiments 1 - 6 described above , two - wheeled motor vehicles are exemplified by the scooter type and the naked type . however , this invention is not limited to these types of two - wheeled motor vehicles , but is applicable also to other types of two - wheeled motor vehicles . ( 2 ) in embodiments 1 - 6 described above , the front antenna 33 and rear antenna 37 are attached using various types of anchors and mounting brackets . this invention does not provide these anchors or mounting brackets as indispensable . what is necessary is to provide the nondirectional front antenna 33 in a position forward of the seat 7 , and the directional rear antenna 37 in a position rearward of the seat 7 . ( 3 ) in embodiments 1 - 6 described above , the front antenna 33 and the rear antenna 37 are arranged in substantially middle positions transversely of the vehicle . however , this invention may have the front antenna 33 and rear antenna 37 in positions shifted right or left from the middle transversely of the vehicle . for example , the front antenna 33 may be attached to a side surface of the front cover 25 , and the rear antenna 37 may be attached to a side surface of a side cover 9 .	7
as discussed herein , implementations of an enhanced implantable system and method include use of one or more pseudoelastic and / or superelastic materials ( referred to herein as “ p / s elastic ”) such as p / s elastic metal alloys , such as nitinol , and / or p / s elastic polymers to provide at least a portion of the associated support structure for the implantable antenna . in implementations , the support structure has the general shape of the associated antenna either by one or more portions as integrated support structures being directly incorporated into the antenna structure typically as a tubular support structure and / or portions serving as a backbone support structure with a shape similar to the supported antenna components such as including inductive ( h - field ) and e - field antenna implementations discussed herein . use of p / s elastic material in the antenna support structure provides greater implantation adaptability and accommodation for the enhanced implantable antenna compared with conventional approaches . the p / s elastic materials used can have elastic response over large strains . for instance , when mechanically loaded , p / s elastic materials can deform reversibly even under strains , of up to approximately 6 % to 10 % so that the antenna structure will return to a desired shape after undergoing large strain levels . this large reversible elastic deformation capability provides relatively high flexibility to accommodate minimally invasive insertion into the body , and other implantation scenarios . furthermore , pseudoelastic materials exhibit a stress plateau at larger strains , which is desirable for accommodating motion within the body and for minimizing the stress on tissues . fig1 through 6 illustrate various cross sectional views of antenna implementations that can be used with the implant versions shown in fig7 through 11 . a first implementation 100 of the enhanced implantable antenna system incorporating tubular support is sectionally shown in fig1 to include a coaxial set 102 of an electrically conductive core 104 filling a tubular support structure 106 , which is further encased by an external electrical insulator 108 . versions of the coaxial set 102 that use a drawn filled tube ( dft ) wire of p / s elastic material , such as nitinol , for the tubular support structure 106 can serve both a support role and an antenna role for the enhanced implantable antenna system . given the various biological environments ( such as in and around vicinities of the heart ) of the enhanced implantable antenna system , the p / s elastic material used for the tubular support structure 106 and other support structures discussed herein has long fatigue life ( such as 1 , 000 , 000 cycles , 10 , 000 , 0001 cycles , 100 , 000 , 000 cycles , and / or 400 , 000 , 000 cycles for temperature ranges such as of at least between 33 degrees celsius to 43 degrees celsius or such as of at least between 0 degrees celsius to 100 degrees celsius )) to exist in areas such as inside of the heart . some versions of the enhanced implantable antenna system also use p / s elastic materials with high elasticity : some having an elastic strain level of approximately 3 % or more and others having an elastic strain level of approximately 6 % or more for temperature ranges such as of at least between 33 degrees celsius to 43 degrees celsius or such as of at least between 0 degrees celsius to 100 degrees celsius to provide flexibility to be collapsed or compressed to allow for temporary enclosure by delivery mechanisms , such as a catheter , a cannula , or other mechanical tubular structure of a delivery mechanism before being released to expand into an uncompressed state to be located in a vascular structure , other endoluminal tubular structure or biological tubular structure . since nitinol is superelastic , it can be strained up to an elastic limit of about 6 % without permanent deformation . some p / s elastic materials , such as nitinol , have an additional advantage in that they have shape memory properties , and can be “ shape - set ” to a desired geometry . in the case of nitinol , the shape setting process requires holding the wireform in a desired geometry while undergoing a heat treatment at a temperature of approximately 500 degrees celsius . due to the high shape - setting temperature , a nitinol or nitinol dft antenna member requires shape setting prior to applying polymeric electrical insulation such as could be used for the external insulator 108 . several different insulation techniques are possible , including vapor deposition ( e . g ., parylene ), dip or spray coating ( various polymers , either in the melt phase or prior to cross - linking ), casting , injection molding , or by swelling a polymeric extrusion and sliding the shape - set wires into position . the latter technique is most easily accomplished using a silicone extrusion , which can be swelled in a liquid such as pentane , hexane , heptane , xylene , or a low molecular weight alcohol . the presence of the solvent in the silicone makes it particularly lubricious , allowing insertion of the wires with minimal force . like other p / s elastic materials , nitinol and nitinol dft wires include another advantageous aspect . nitinol has two crystalline states : martensite at low temperatures and austenite at higher temperatures . the transition temperature may be tailored by adjusting the metallurgical composition and processing that the material undergoes during manufacturing , to produce transition temperatures at , above , or below room temperature . in medical applications , the transition temperature can thus be set between room temperature (˜ 20 ° c .) and body temperature ( 37 ° c . ), so that a device transitions from its martensitic phase to its austenitic phase as it is introduced into the body . only the austenitic phase is superelastic , whereas the martensitic phase is quite plastic . in some implementations , p / s elastic material , such as nitinol , can be processed as follows : shape - set the subject member , such as the coaxial set 102 and / or the tubular support structure 106 , to the desired shape at approximately 500 ° c . cool the subject member to transition it into its martensitic phase straighten ( or otherwise shape ) the subject member to facilitate application of the insulating material , such as the external insulator 108 apply insulating material , such as the external insulator 108 to the subject member implant final assembly steps can be completed with the subject member in either phase as required by other considerations . a second implementation 110 of the enhanced implantable antenna system is sectionally shown in fig2 to include two of the coaxial sets 102 of the conductive core 104 and the tubular support structure 106 both encased in an external insulator 112 . a third implementation 114 of the enhanced implantable antenna system is sectionally shown in fig3 to include four of the coaxial sets 102 of the conductive core 104 and the tubular support structure 106 all encased in an external insulator 116 . any quantity of the coaxial set 102 can be put together in this fashion . a fourth implementation 120 of the enhanced implantable antenna system is sectionally shown in fig4 to include three of the coaxial sets 102 of the conductive core 104 and the tubular support structure 106 and insulated conductors 122 having an elongated conductive member 124 encased by an insulator 126 . the three coaxial sets 102 and the four insulated conductors 122 are further encased in an insulator 127 . the three coaxial sets 102 and the four insulated conductors 122 are shown in a symmetrical configuration , but other symmetrical or asymmetrical configurations can also be implemented in various other numbers of the coaxial sets and of the insulated conductors . whereas other implementations can be made , given the implementation depicted in fig4 , one to three of the coaxial sets 102 and one to four of the insulated conductors 122 may be connected electrically in series or parallel to form an antenna configuration . each of the elongated conductive members 124 in some implementations are solid conductors as the conductive core 104 as shown in fig4 a . in other implementations , the elongated conductive members 124 are each a bundle of stranded conductors 124 b such as shown in fig4 b . each of the stranded conductors 124 b can be solid core conductors such as smaller diameter versions of the conductive core 104 as shown in fig4 c or can be smaller diameter versions of the coaxial set 102 as shown in fig4 d or another type of drawn filled tube ( dft ) wire or drawn brazed strand ( dbs ) wire with a conductive core . to maintain superelastic properties of the stranded wire , one or more of the strands would be chosen to contain nitinol , either in solid , dft , or other form . in other implementations , each of the elongated conductive members 124 can be versions of the coaxial set 102 as shown in fig4 e . in alternative implementations , as shown in fig4 f , each of the elongated conductive members 124 can be from a drawn brazed strand ( dbs ) 128 with strands 128 a made from a fatigue - resistant alloy , and braze 128 b and center core 128 c made from a conductive material such as silver or other highly conductive material . further implementations include the elongated conductive member 124 as a coaxial set 129 , as shown in fig4 g , with a tubular support structure 129 a ( such as a dft ) made from material other than the p / s elastic material ( such as mp35n or other fatigue resistant alloy ). the tubular structure 128 a of the coaxial set 128 can be filled with the conductive core 104 . other implementations of the stranded conductor 124 b can be made with versions of the coaxial set 129 as shown in fig4 h . since nitinol and mp35n are far more resistive than either silver or copper , in some implementations with portions of the tubular support structure 106 being made from nitinol or the tubular support structure 129 a made from mp35n and the conductive core 104 being made from a metal such as silver or copper , most of the electrical current will flow through the conductive core rather than the tubular support structure . although highly fatigue - resistant composite wires such as mp35n dft and dbs , when filled with a highly conductive metal such as silver , exhibit excellent electrical conductivity , they do not exhibit the superelastic properties or the shape memory properties of nitinol . nitinol dft , mp35n dft , and dbs composite wires are commercially available with core cross - sections ranging from about 15 % to 41 % of the total area . even with a 15 % cross - section dedicated for the conductive core 104 , with many of the constructions , a majority of electrical current would flow through a low resistivity conductive core , such as made from silver , copper , or gold . in some applications , a material for the conductive core 104 is chosen due to its enhanced radiopaque properties which result from the atomic number and mass density of the core metal . for example , gold offers higher radiopacity than silver or copper , while retaining relatively low resistivity . a fifth implementation 130 of the enhanced implantable antenna system is sectionally shown in fig5 as having a backbone support structure 132 including a p / s elastic core 134 , encased in a sleeve 136 . in some implementations the p / s elastic core 134 is made from shape - set nitinol and the sleeve 136 is made from a polymer such as ptfe , fep , pfa , etfe , pvdf , peek , ldpe , hdpe , polyurethane , silicone , or blends or alloys of these materials . the fifth implementation 130 further includes three of the insulated conductors 122 all of which are encased along with the backbone support structure 132 in an electrical insulator 140 . each of the three insulated conductors 122 each occupy a corner position of a triangular configuration of the insulator 140 in one implementation as shown in fig5 , and has a circular sectional shape of the insulator 140 in another implementation as shown in fig5 a . in some implementations the backbone support structure 132 is used solely for structural support to provide shape enhancement whereas in other implementations , in addition to structural support , the backbone support structure also provides antenna functionality . in both fig5 and 5a , the insulated conductors 122 are drawn as ellipses to illustrate that they can be helically wound around the backbone support structure 132 . the form of the helix can range from zero to a plurality of turns per unit length , as required for a specific application . a sixth implementation 150 of the enhanced implantable antenna system is sectionally shown in fig6 as having the backbone support structure 132 surrounded by eight of the insulated conductors 122 and all encased in an insulator 152 . fig7 - 11 show representative versions of implants that incorporate the enhanced implantable antenna system including the implementations depicted above . in fig1 - 3 and 7 - 11 , the implantable antenna system may be used for inbound power delivery to the implant , inbound signal communication to the implant , and / or outbound signal communication to an external system . in fig7 - 9 , implants with versions of the implantable antenna system with inductive loop antennas are shown , which can have one or multiple turns of any one of the implementations described above . a first implant version 160 is shown in fig7 to include an inductive h - field loop antenna 162 coupled with an electronic enclosure 164 on a first side 166 and a second side 168 of the electronic enclosure . the first implant version 160 is shown in fig7 as being in an uncompressed state having a measurement of zu along a first dimension and is shown in fig7 a as being in a compressed state having a measurement of zc along the first dimension to be fitted into a delivery tubular structure 169 having an interior 169 a with an internal diameter , d . in some implementations , the ratio between zu and zc is at least 3 : 1 and in other implementations at least 5 : 1 . the loop antenna 162 includes one or more electrical conductors and one or more mechanical elements such as found in the depicted implementations described above or with other implementations using aspects of the enhanced implantable antenna system . a second implant version 170 is shown in fig8 to include two of the inductive ( h - field ) loop antennas 162 both coupled to an electronic enclosure 172 on a first side 174 and a second side 176 . the second implant version 170 is shown in fig8 as being in an uncompressed state having a measurement of zu along a first dimension and is shown in fig8 a as being in a compressed state having a measurement of zc along the first dimension to be fitted into a delivery tubular structure 179 having an interior 179 a with an internal diameter , d . in some implementations , the ratio between zu and zc is at least 3 : 1 and in other implementations at least 5 : 1 . the two loop antennas 162 provide additional area for transmitting or receiving magnetic field signals , and they provide an alternate mechanical shape for anchoring the device in an anatomic location . having two of the loop antennas 162 to the second implant version 170 for inbound power , inbound communications , or outbound communications provide added power and / or signal strength for inbound power or communication and added signal strength and / or field shaping for outbound communication . these loop antennas need not reside in the same plane . a third implant version 180 is shown in fig9 to include a first inductive ( h - field ) loop antenna 182 ( having a first portion 182 a and a second portion 182 b ) and a second inductive ( h - field ) loop antenna 184 having a first portion 184 a and a second portion 184 b ) both coupled to a first electronic enclosure 186 ( having a first side 186 a and a second side 186 b ) and a second electronic enclosure 188 ( having a first side 188 a and a second side 188 b ). the third implant version 180 is shown in fig9 as being in an uncompressed state having a measurement of zu along a first dimension and is shown in fig9 a as being in a compressed state having a measurement of zc along the first dimension to be fitted into a delivery tubular structure 189 having an interior 189 a with an internal diameter , d . in some implementations , the ratio between zu and zc is at least 3 : 1 and in other implementations at least 5 : 1 . the first portion 182 a of the first loop antenna 182 and the first portion 184 a of the second loop antenna 184 both extend between the first side 186 a of the first electronic enclosure 186 and the first side 188 a of the second electronic enclosure 188 . the second portion 182 b of the first loop antenna 182 and the second portion 184 b of the second loop antenna 184 both extend between the second side 186 b of the first electronic enclosure 186 and the second side 188 b of the second electronic enclosure 188 . the third implant version 180 has advantages associated with two loop antennas similar to the second implant version 170 and provides an alternative shape for anchoring in an anatomic location . the third implant version 180 also has the additional space for electronic components associated with a second electronic enclosure , namely , the second electronic enclosure 188 spaced apart from the first electronic enclosure 186 . a fourth implant version 200 as shown in fig1 has an electrical e - field antenna 202 coupled to an electronic enclosure 204 . the e - field antenna 202 has an elongated member 206 coupled to the electronic enclosure 204 and extending therefrom . coupled with the elongated member 206 as also included with the e - field antenna 202 , is a helical coil section 208 , which can be threaded into tissue to provide a mechanical anchor for the fourth implant version 200 . the fourth implant version 200 is shown in fig1 as being in an uncompressed state with the helical coil section 208 having a measurement of zu along a first dimension and is shown in fig1 a as being in a compressed state with the helical coil section having a measurement of zc along the first dimension to be fitted into the delivery tubular structure 209 having an interior 209 a with an internal diameter , d . in some implementations , the ratio between zu and zc is at least 3 : 1 and in other implementations at least 5 : 1 . the electronic enclosure 204 of the fourth implant version 200 can be either in electrical or capacitive contact with surrounding tissue and would act as a local electrical ground reference . given this arrangement , an e - field could be produced ( for outbound signaling ) or sensed ( for inbound power delivery or signaling ) between the electronic enclosure 204 and the e - field antenna 202 . a fifth implant version 210 as shown in fig1 has a first electrical e - field antenna 202 and a second electrical e - field antenna 204 both coupled to either end of an electronic enclosure 206 . the first e - field antenna 202 and the second e - field antenna 204 are both configured as straight sections which can be inserted into soft tissue to provide a mechanical anchor . in the fifth implant version 210 , the electronic enclosure 206 can be insulated from adjacent areas of tissue having received implantation of the fifth implant version . an e - field could be produced ( for outbound signaling ) or sensed ( for inbound power delivery or signaling ) between the first e - field antenna 202 and the second e - field antenna 204 as a dipole antenna . fig1 a shows the fifth implant being inserted into a tubular structure 219 . from the foregoing it will be appreciated that , although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration , various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , the invention is not limited except as by the appended aspects . 1 . for implantation through a tubular structure into a biological structure , a system comprising : an antenna electrically coupled to the electronic device , at least a portion of the antenna being helical , the helical portion of the antenna having a uncompressed state with a measurement , zu , along a first dimension and a compressed state with a measurement , zc , along the first dimension . 2 . the system of aspect 1 wherein the helical antenna portion includes : an electrically conductive structure coupled with the p / s elastic structure ; and 3 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 2 wherein the p / s elastic structure is a p / s elastic tubular structure . 4 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 3 wherein the electrically conductive structure fills the p / s elastic tubular structure . 5 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 3 wherein the p / s elastic structure is a drawn filled tube . 6 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 5 wherein the electrically conductive structure serves as filling material for the p / s elastic structure as the drawn filled tube . 7 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 2 wherein the p / s elastic structure is made from a material that is pseudoelastic in a temperature range of at least 33 degrees celsius to 43 degrees celsius . 8 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 7 wherein the p / s elastic structure is made from a material that is pseudoelastic in a temperature range of at least 0 degrees celsius to 100 degrees celsius . 9 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 2 wherein the p / s elastic structure is made from a material that is superelastic in a temperature range of at least 33 degrees celsius to 43 degrees celsius . 10 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 9 wherein the p / s elastic structure is made from a material that is superelastic in a temperature range of at least 0 degrees celsius to 100 degrees celsius . 11 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 2 wherein the p / s elastic structure is made from a nickel - titanium alloy . 12 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 11 wherein the p / s elastic structure is made from nitinol . 13 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 12 wherein the electrically conductive has a higher electrical conductivity than nitinol . 14 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 2 wherein the p / s elastic structure is made from a metal . 15 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 2 wherein the p / s elastic structure is made from a polymer . 16 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 2 wherein the electrically conductive structure is of at least one of the following materials : silver , copper , gold , aluminum , iridium , brass , nickel , platinum . 17 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 2 wherein the p / s elastic structure is in an austenitic phase in at least a temperature range between 33 degrees celsius and 43 degrees celsius . 18 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 2 wherein the p / s elastic structure is shaped set with shape memory properties to maintain a desired shape in a temperature range of at least between 33 degrees celsius and 43 degrees celsius . 19 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 2 wherein the p / s elastic structure has an elastic strain range of at least 3 % in a temperature range of at least between 33 degrees celsius and 43 degrees celsius . 20 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 19 wherein the p / s elastic structure has an elastic strain range of at least 6 % in a temperature range of at least between 33 degrees celsius and 43 degrees celsius . 21 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 19 wherein the p / s elastic structure has an elastic strain range of at least 3 % in a temperature range of at least between 0 degrees celsius and 100 degrees celsius . 22 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 19 wherein the p / s elastic structure has an elastic strain range of at least 6 % in a temperature range of at least between 0 degrees celsius and 100 degrees celsius . 23 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 1 wherein the ratio of zu to zc is at least 3 : 1 . 24 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 23 wherein the ratio of zu to zc is at least 5 : 1 . 25 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 1 wherein the measurement of zc is an internal diameter of a catheter . 26 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 1 wherein the measurement of zc is an internal diameter of a cannula . 27 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 26 wherein the helical antenna portion has a fatigue life of at least 1 , 000 , 000 cycles in a temperature range of at least between 33 degrees celsius and 43 degrees celsius . 28 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 27 wherein the helical antenna portion has a fatigue life of at least 10 , 000 , 000 cycles in a temperature range of at least between 33 degrees celsius and 43 degrees celsius . 29 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 28 wherein the helical antenna portion has a fatigue life of at least 100 , 000 , 000 cycles in a temperature range of at least between 33 degrees celsius and 43 degrees celsius . 30 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 29 wherein the helical antenna portion has a fatigue life of at least 400 , 000 , 000 cycles in a temperature range of at least between 33 degrees celsius and 43 degrees celsius . 31 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 26 wherein the helical antenna portion is shaped as a loop in a temperature range of at least between 33 degrees celsius to 43 degrees celsius . 32 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 1 wherein the helical antenna portion is configured to receive electric fields for the electronic device . 33 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 1 wherein the helical antenna portion is configured to transmit electric fields for the electronic device . 34 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 33 wherein the biological structure is a blood vessel and the helical antenna portion is shaped and sized to be received by the blood vessel . 35 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 33 wherein the p / s elastic structure extends along a central axis of the helical antenna portion . 36 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 35 wherein electrically conductive structure extends along the central axis of the helical antenna portion . 37 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 36 wherein the electrically conductive structure fills the p / s elastic structure along the central axis of the helical antenna portion . 38 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 35 wherein the electrically conductive structure spirals around the p / s elastic structure . 39 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 33 wherein the electrically conductive structure extends along the central axis of the helical antenna portion and the p / s elastic structure extends along another axis parallel with the central axis . 40 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 33 wherein the electrically conductive structure is of a solid construction . 41 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 33 wherein the electrically conductive structure is of a stranded construction . 42 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 33 wherein the p / s elastic structure is of a solid construction . 43 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 33 wherein the p / s elastic structure is of a stranded construction . 44 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 33 wherein the p / s elastic structure is of a drawn brazed strand construction . 45 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 33 wherein the p / s elastic structure is configured to be electrically coupled to an electronic device . 46 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 33 wherein the electrically conductive structure is configured to be electrically coupled to an electronic device . 47 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 46 wherein the p / s elastic structure is configured to be electrically insulated rather than being electrically coupled to the electronic device . 48 . for implantation through a tubular structure into a biological structure , an antenna configured to electrically couple to an electronic device , at least a portion of the antenna being helical , the helical portion of the antenna having a uncompressed state with a measurement , zu , along a first dimension and a compressed state with a measurement , zc , along the first dimension , the helical antenna portion including : an electrically conductive structure coupled with the p / s elastic structure ; and an electrical insulator coupled with at least one of the p / s elastic structures . 49 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 48 further including a plurality of electrically conductive structures wherein each of the plurality of p / s elastic structures is tubular , each of the electrically conductive structures filling a different one of the p / s elastic structures . 50 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 49 further including a plurality of electrical insulators , each electrical insulator of the plurality covering a different one of the plurality of the p / s elastic structures and the electrical insulator coupled with the plurality of the p / s elastic structures through the electrical insulator . 51 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 48 wherein each of the plurality of p / s elastic structures is coupled to the electrical insulator , further including a plurality of electrically conductive structures coupled to the p / s elastic structures through the electrical insulator . 52 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 51 further including a plurality of electrical insulators each covering a different one of the plurality of the electrically conductive structures . 53 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 48 wherein the electrically conductive structure is configured for electrical coupling with an electronic device . 54 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 53 wherein the electrically conductive structure is electrically isolated from the plurality of p / s elastic structures . 55 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 54 wherein the electrically conductive structure is electrically isolated from the plurality of p / s elastic structures through the electrical insulator . 56 . for implantation through a tubular structure into a biological structure , an antenna configured to electrically couple to an electronic device , at least a portion of the antenna being helical , the helical portion of the antenna having a uncompressed state with a measurement , zu , along a first dimension and a compressed state with a measurement , zc , along the first dimension , the helical antenna portion including : a plurality of electrically conductive structures coupled with the p / s elastic structure ; and 57 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 56 , further including a plurality of p / s elastic structures wherein one of the plurality of electrically conductive structures is coupled to the p / s elastic structure and the others of the plurality of electrically conductive structures are each directly coupled to a different one of the plurality of p / s elastic structures . 58 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 57 , further including a plurality of electrical insulators , each electrical insulator of the plurality covering a different one of the plurality of the electrically conductive structures . 59 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 56 further including a plurality of p / s elastic structures coupled to the electrically conductive structures through the electrical insulator . 60 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 56 further including a plurality of electrical insulators each covering a different one of the plurality of the electrically conductive structures . 61 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 56 wherein each of the electrically conductive structures are configured for electrical coupling with an electronic device . 62 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 56 wherein each of the electrically conductive structures are electrically isolated from the plurality of p / s elastic structures . 63 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 56 wherein each of the electrically conductive structures are electrically isolated from the plurality of p / s elastic structures through the electrical insulator . 64 . the helical antenna portion of aspect 56 wherein each of the electrically conductive structures spiral around the p / s elastic structure .	0
reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the disclosed invention , one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . fig1 illustrates a solar concentrator system of the type known in the art . in fig1 , the solar concentrator system ( 100 ) comprises a protective front panel ( 110 ) through which solar radiation ( 105 ) enters the system , a primary mirror ( 120 ) a secondary mirror ( 130 ), a non - imaging concentrator ( 144 ) and a primary solar photocell ( 142 ). the primary mirror reflects incoming light to a secondary mirror , which then reflects the light to a non - imaging concentrator . the non - imaging concentrator ( 144 ) delivers the light to a solar photocell ( 142 ). it can be seen that solar radiation ( 106 ) striking the rear surface of the primary mirror ( 135 ) is prevented from reaching the photocell ( 142 ). the present invention provides for electrical power to be generated locally using a solar energy system that is comprised of a major solar energy system and a minor solar energy system . in one embodiment of this invention , the minor solar energy system may be comprised of a photocell ( 260 ) interposed between the mechanical attachment surface of the secondary mirror ( 230 ) and the protective front panel ( 210 ) as shown in fig2 . the photocell may be crystalline or amorphous . the photocell may be a single junction , e . g ., c - si , cigs , cdte , a - si , polysi , mc - si or it may be a multi - junction e . g ., sige , mc - si , a - si triple junction , mc - si , a - si tandem . the material used to attach the photocell to the front panel should be at least translucent , preferably transparent . the secondary mirror may be attached to the underside of the flat photocell by , for example , adhesive or mechanical methods . the photocell may be able to convert direct irradiation ( 280 ) and scattered irradiation ( 290 ) into useable electrical energy . one aspect of this invention is that energy recovered from the area obscured by the secondary mirror of the major solar energy system may increase the amount of electricity generated from an area , and would also enable the development of two element reflecting solar energy collectors with secondary mirrors of greater area . an alternative embodiment of this invention shown in fig3 provides for a minor solar energy system comprised of a dual mirror concentrating system located between a portion of the secondary mirror of the major solar energy system ( 390 ) and a protective front panel ( 310 ). in this embodiment , the minor solar energy system comprises a minor primary mirror ( 380 ), located on the concave back side of the secondary mirror of the major solar energy system ( 390 ), a minor secondary mirror ( 360 ) affixed to the front panel , ( 380 ) and optionally , a photocell ( 330 ) located approximately at the vertex of the minor primary mirror ( 380 ). the photocell of the minor solar energy system may be a multi - junction cell . the photocell of the minor solar energy system may be mounted to collect solar radiation at a focus point near the center of second primary mirror of the secondary solar energy system . in one embodiment , the primary mirror of the minor solar energy system may comprise two oppositely oriented mirrored layers , wherein the convex , front ( 390 ) layer is the secondary mirror of the major solar energy system and the concave back ( 380 ) layer is the primary mirror of the minor solar energy system . in still another embodiment , the solar energy system of this invention may further comprise a non - imaging rod ( not shown ) to collect solar radiation from the secondary mirror of the minor solar energy system . in another embodiment of this invention , a two element optical system located above the secondary mirror of the primary solar energy system may be a solid optical element . the solid optical element may be a monolithic molded optic , made of glass or other transparent material . the optical system may be aplanatic and the primary and secondary reflectors may the first and second surface of the solid optical element respectively the secondary mirror of the major solar energy system and the primary mirror of the minor solar energy system may be formed from a single substrate . in one embodiment of this invention the shape of the two mirrors may be independently optimized to function as required . the shape of the minor primary mirror ( 390 ) may be substantially parabolic to concentrate solar radiation onto the minor secondary mirror ( 360 ). the shape of the major secondary mirror ( 380 ) may be substantially hyperbolic in order to collect a maximum amount of radiation reflected from the major primary mirror ( not shown ) and direct it towards the major photocell ( not shown ). in one embodiment the substrate may be made by injection molding , resulting in deep meniscus lens . in this way the concave surface of the substrate may be made substantially parabolic and the convex surface may be made substantially hyperbolic . after injection molding , the convex front and concave back surfaces may each be coated to form a mirror surface . one embodiment for the method for making a solar energy system comprises placing a liquid optical coating into a mold that conforms to the shape of the first secondary mirror and is substantially hyperboloid , then inserting a substrate into the mold that conforms to the shape of the second concave primary mirror and is substantially parabolic . the liquid optical coating may then be polymerized . a mirror surface may then be applied to the convex surface of the optical coating . the surface of the substrate may be may be optionally mirrored on the convex front side prior to insertion into the liquid optical coating or the concave back side at any time in the manufacturing process in another embodiment , the two mirror layers may be formed from a single substrate by a polymerization process ( fig4 a - 4d ). in fig4 a of this process , a mold ( 420 ) may be created into the desired shape , such as a substantially hyperbolic shape , next in the step shown in fig4 b , a liquid monomer ( 430 ) may be added to the mold . a curved transparent substrate ( 410 ) may be created into the desired shape , such as a substantially parabolic shape . the transparent substrate may be coated to have a mirrored surface before or after the application of a liquid monomer . a mirror surface may be applied to the concave ( 415 ) or convex ( 416 ) side of the transparent substrate ( 410 ). the transparent substrate may be placed in the mold comprising the liquid monomer ( 430 ). polymerization of the liquid monomer , such as by heat or irradiation ( fig4 c ), results in a hardened surface comprising the shape of the mold onto the convex side of the transparent substrate . the hardened surface ( fig4 d , 440 ) may then be separately treated with a mirror surface by a process consistent with the hardened surface process limits . a block diagram of this process is shown below in fig7 . in one embodiment of this invention the optical system of the minor solar energy system may be housed in the area bounded by the secondary mirror of the major solar energy system and the protective front panel . this is seen in fig5 a . the irradiance ( 530 ) collected by the minor solar energy system may be passed through an optical port ( 590 ) to the major solar energy system onto the photocell ( 580 ) of the major solar energy system . the optical port ( 590 ) may be an aperture in the vertex of the secondary mirror ( 550 ) of the major solar energy device . one aspect of optical porting is that the use of a second photocell and transportation of electrical energy with wiring is avoided . the optical port would preferably occupy a substantially unirradiated region on the secondary mirror of the major solar energy system . in one embodiment of this invention , a relay mirror may be used to conduct the irradiation collected by the minor solar energy system to the photocell of the major solar energy system . the relay mirror may be either monolithic or assembled . in this embodiment of this invention , solar energy received by the minor solar energy system may be focused onto the photocell of the major solar energy system . in one embodiment the invention , a cut out in the secondary mirror of the major solar energy system would permit light received by a minor energy system to be directed to the photocell of the major solar energy system . this approach need not impact the performance of the major solar energy system as the projection onto the secondary mirror of the area cutout out of the primary mirror to house the major photocell defines an unused region of the secondary mirror . under ideal tracking conditions , the unused central region may be about 6 mm in diameter . allowing for tracking errors of up to about 1 . 75 degrees , the region always free of optical irradiance may reduced to about 3 . 0 mm for some embodiment of this invention . in another embodiment of this invention shown in fig5 b , the back surface ( 555 ) of the secondary mirror ( 550 ) of the major solar energy system may serve to concentrate solar energy to a photocell ( 560 ) without any modification to the shape of the secondary mirror ( 550 ) of the major solar energy system one aspect of this embodiment is that the back surface of the secondary mirror of the major solar energy system may concentrate the solar energy about 50 - fold . this solar energy ( 530 ) may be directed onto a photocell ( 560 ) affixed to the front cover panel ( 540 ). the photocell may be for example a c - si concentrator cell . in one embodiment of this invention , the photocell may convert direct solar energy received at the back surface ( 562 ) of the secondary mirror as well as direct ( 520 ) and indirect ( 510 ) solar energy from the sun received at the front side ( 561 ) of the photocell . in one embodiment of this invention , the attachment of the secondary mirror may be transparent for this use . in one embodiment electrical energy from the minor solar energy system may be brought to the electrical system of the major solar energy system by the use of additional wiring as shown in fig6 a and 6b . this wiring ( 615 ) may present a small cross - section on the protective front panel ( 610 ) under typical tracking conditions . the wiring may be above , below or imbedded in the protective front panel . high aspect ratio wiring fashioned from highly conductive metals may be used in this application . the aspect of the wiring may be made as a wedge to result in shallow reflected angles still within the acceptance angle of the main optical system . in another embodiment , transparent conductors , for example indium tin oxide ( ito ), may be fashioned on the cover glass and used to conduct electricity from the minor solar energy system to the main electrical wiring system of the major solar energy device . electrical energy generated from the minor solar energy system may be derived from . solar radiation that is obscured by the secondary mirror of major solar energy system may be combined electrically to the major electrical system via an electrical network . in one embodiment ( fig6 b ) the electrical network ( 615 and 618 ) used to conduct electricity generated by the minor solar energy system may be parallel to the electrical network used to conduct electricity generated by the major solar energy system ( 616 and 619 ). in another embodiment the electrical network may be connected at each photovoltaic cell ( pvc ) unit as shown in fig6 a ( 615 , 616 and 617 ), or alternatively , a group of two or more major photovoltaic cells may be connected to a group of separately connected minor photovoltaic cells . although embodiments of the invention have been discussed primarily with respect to specific embodiments thereof , other variations are possible . for example , while the invention has been described with respect to solar energy collectors , the invention may applied to the recovery of solar radiation for the purposes of illumination , solar thermal collection etc . . . . steps can be added to , taken from or modified from the steps in this specification without deviating from the scope of the invention . in general , any flowcharts presented are only intended to indicate one possible sequence of basic operations to achieve a function , and many variations are possible . while the specification has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments of the invention , it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art , upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing , may readily conceive of alterations to , variations of , and equivalents to these embodiments . these and other modifications and variations to the present invention may be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art , without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention , which is more particularly set forth in the appended claims . furthermore , those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the foregoing description is by way of example only , and is not intended to limit the invention . thus , it is intended that the present subject matter covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents .	7
fig7 and show two bracket assemblies mounted on a mobile stand to hold a circular sawing machine . the stand , referenced by 200 , comprises a long beam 201 , and four legs 202 that support the beam 201 above the floor . the beam 201 is formed of two parallel round rods 201 a . the two bracket assemblies , referenced by 100 , are mounted on the top side of the beam 201 to hold a circular sawing machine 300 , as shown in fig8 . referring to fig3 - 5 , the bracket assembly 100 is comprised of a bracket body 10 , a carrying handle 18 , a front clamp 20 , an adjustment device 30 , a rear clamp 40 , a locking control device 50 , and three pivot pins 61 - 63 . the bracket body 10 comprises a horizontal top wall 12 and two vertical sidewalls 14 . the horizontal top wall 12 has two longitudinal slots 121 and 122 through which screws 16 are inserted and threaded into the base 301 of the circular sawing machine 300 to affix the circular sawing machine 300 to the bracket body 10 ( see fig8 ). the vertical sidewalls 14 each have a bottom opening 141 deviated from the middle part for receiving the two round rods 201 a ( see fig5 ), and a plurality of through holes , namely , the first through hole 142 , the second through hole 143 , the third through hole 144 and the fourth through hole 145 . the carrying handle 18 is fixedly fastened to one vertical sidewall 14 at an outer side and remote from the bottom opening 141 . the front clamp 20 is an arched block , having a through hole 21 , a front stop face 22 , two protruding spring strips 23 , and a backboard 24 . during installation , the front clamp 20 is set in between the two vertical sidewalls 14 , and then one pivot pin 61 is inserted through the two second through holes 142 of the bracket body 10 and the through hole 21 of the front clamp 20 to pivotally secure the front clamp 20 to the bracket body 10 . at this time , the front stop face 22 faces the bottom openings 141 and the two protruding spring strips 23 are stopped against the bottom surface of the horizontal top wall 12 . when fastening the bracket body 10 to the beam 201 , the front stop face 22 of the front clamp 20 is forced into contact with the surface of one round rod 201 a . the adjustment device 30 is installed in the bracket body 10 and located between one end of the bracket body 10 and the front clamp 20 . the adjustment device 30 comprises a locating plate 31 , a stop block 32 , a movable member 33 , and a nut 34 . the locating plate 31 is fixedly connected between the two vertical sidewalls 14 , having a through hole 311 . the stop block 32 is set between the backboard 24 and the front stop face 22 of the front clamp 20 . the movable member 33 comprises a threaded shank 331 and a head 332 . the threaded shank 331 is inserted in proper order through the nut 34 , a through hole 311 of the locating plate 31 and the backboard 24 and then fastened to the stop block 32 . therefore , when loosened the locknut 34 , the movable member 33 can be moved forwards or backwards relative to the locating plate 31 to bias the front clamp 20 forwards or backwards . after adjustment , the locknut 34 is fastened tight again to lock the front clamp 20 . the rear clamp 40 is an arched clamping plate having a through hole 41 , a rear stop face 42 , a guide face 43 , and two protruding spring strips 44 . during installation , the rear clamp 40 is set in between the two vertical sidewalls 14 , and then one pivot pin 62 is inserted through the two second through holes 143 of the bracket body 10 and the through hole 41 of the rear clamp 40 to pivotally secure the rear clamp 40 to the bracket body 10 . at this time , the rear stop face 42 faces the bottom openings 141 opposite to the front stop face 22 of the front clamp 20 ; the guide face 43 is disposed opposite to the rear stop face 42 ; and the two protruding spring strips 44 are stopped against the bottom surface of the horizontal top wall 12 of the bracket body 10 . when fastening the bracket body 10 to the beam 201 , the rear stop face 42 is kept in contact with the other round rod 201 a . further , in order to keep the circular sawing machine 300 in balance , the rear stop face 42 extends over the bottom side of the respective round rod 210 a , i . e ., much contact area is provided between the rear stop face 42 and the respective round rod 201 a . the locking control device 50 is installed in the racket body 10 closer to the rear clamp 40 . the locking control device 50 comprises an eccentric member 51 , a follower 52 , a back cover 53 , and a locating pin 54 . the eccentric member 51 comprises an axle hole 511 , a contacting portion 512 , and an operating handle 513 outwardly extending from a middle part of the contacting portion 512 . the follower 52 comprises two coupling rings 521 and a push face 522 . the coupling rings 521 are disposed at two sides relative to the operating handle 513 , each having a center through hole 521 a that receives the contacting portion 512 , and a front surface 521 b that forms a part of the push face 522 . the push face 522 is an arched face matching the arched guide face 43 of the rear clamp 40 . during installation , the pivot pin 63 is inserted through the two third through holes 144 of the bracket body 10 and the axle hole 511 of the eccentric member 51 to pivotally secure the eccentric member 51 to the bracket body 10 , allowing the follower 52 to be synchronously moved with the eccentric member 51 . the back cover 53 is covered on the two vertical sidewalls 14 of the bracket body 10 , having a mounting hole 531 . the locating pin 54 is inserted through the mounting hole 531 of the back cover 53 and the two fourth through holes 145 of the bracket body 10 to affix the back cover 53 to the two sidewalls 14 of the bracket body 10 . the back cover 53 reinforces the structural strength of the bracket body 10 . the locating pin 54 is adapted to support the operating handle 513 when the operating handle 513 is pressed downwards . the structural features of the bracket assembly 100 have been well described above . fig5 shows the bracket body 10 attached to the two round rods 201 a , the operating handle 513 kept in the released position , and the follower 52 giving no pressure to the rear clamp 40 . at this time , the front stop face 22 of the front clamp 20 and the rear stop face 42 of the rear clamp 40 are respectively kept in slight contact with the periphery of the two round rods 201 a , therefore the user can move the bracket body 10 along the two round rods 201 a to the desired location or even remove the bracket body 10 from the two round rods 201 a . referring to fig6 , the eccentric member 51 is turnable about the pivot pin 63 . when the user pressed the operating handle 513 downwards to rotate the eccentric member 51 , the follower 52 is driven by the eccentric member 51 to force the push face 522 against the guide face 43 of the rear clamp 40 . at this time , the bracket body 10 is held down on the two round rods 201 a by the front clamp 20 and the rear clamp 40 and the eccentric member 51 , assuring high safety of work . fig7 shows two bracket assemblies 100 fastened to the beam 201 of the work table 200 . fig8 and 9 show a circular sawing machine 300 supported on the two bracket assemblies 100 . fig1 is a schematic drawing showing removal of the circular sawing machine 300 . because the circular sawing machine 300 is heavier on the rear side , the invention has the operating handle 18 set opposite to the locking device 50 for easy operation , and the bracket body 10 will be instantly separated from the beam 201 when lifting the circular sawing machine 300 .	1
the principles of the present invention and their advantages are best understood by referring to the illustrated embodiment depicted in fig1 - 2 . referring now to fig1 of the drawings , reference numeral 100 illustrates a typical wireless communications network in which the present invention operates . from the user &# 39 ; s perspective , communication , voice or data , occurs between a first user on a mobile station ( ms ) 110 and a second user 112 . for data communications , the second user 112 is generally connected via the internet 114 . while the present invention is particularly useful for data transfers of this kind , other methods of connectivity and types of transfers are not to be excluded . the present invention is useful for any type of transfer with a radio frequency ( rf ) signal , where the rate of transfer is variable . access from the internet 114 to the wireless network 116 is through a packet data serving node ( pdsn ) 118 . the pdsn 118 provides a switching mechanism for high - speed data packets . connectivity from the pdsn 118 to the wireless network is through a base station controller ( bsc ) 120 . the bsc 120 , among other things , controls and manages associated base transceiver stations ( btss ) 122 , 124 , and 126 . the ms 110 communicates to the btss 122 , 124 , and 126 via code division multiple access ( cdma ) technology over rf links 130 , 132 , and 134 . wireless communications and cdma technology is well known in the art and will not be described in further detail , except insofar as necessary to describe the present invention . moreover , each ms 110 may communicate simultaneously with multiple btss 122 and 124 , as illustrated by the active cells 140 and 142 . btss 122 and 124 actively communicating with the ms 110 are known as the active set . depending on the bts design , it is possible that each cell served by a particular bts can be further sectorized . therefore , one bts can serve multiple sectors in the same cell . this is known as sectorization to those skilled in the art . hence , it is also possible that an active cell 142 may be in communication with an ms 110 in multiple sectors within cell 142 , as indicated by the rf links 132 and 134 . within this framework , the second user 112 initiates a typical data transfer . the data transfer request is passed through the internet 114 and the pdsn 118 to the bsc 120 . upon receiving the data transfer request , the bsc 118 determines , through an inquiry to the bts 124 whether the bts 124 is capable of handling the request . if the bts 124 is capable of handling the request , the bsc 120 allows the transfer to continue to the ms 110 . otherwise , the bsc 120 holds the request in a queue for transmission at a later time , or , optionally , transmits the data at a lower data transfer rate that would require less power . the above transfer is further illustrated in the data flow diagram of fig2 . the initial step 320 involves the arrival of a call request at the bsc 312 . at this point the bsc 312 initializes the fch channel by allocating a channel for communication between the bts 314 and the ms 316 . the setup of the fch is well known in the art and will not be discussed in further detail . after the fch is initialized , a data transmission request arrives . the data transmission request may require the allocation of an sch to the ms 316 for a variable rate data transfer , as indicated in step 322 . the allocation of an sch depends on whether the outcome of steps 324 , 326 , 328 , and 330 indicate that the bts has sufficient power . in step 324 , the bsc 312 estimates the power required for the data burst . the power required for the transmission of the sch is calculated as follows : p sch = p fch + 10 log 10 ( r sch / r fch )+ reduced active set correction ( n fch , n sch )+ fer correction ( fer sch , fer fch ) each of the terms in the above calculation will be described in detail in the following paragraphs . p fch is a baseline value for the power required to communicate with the ms at a given transfer rate . when applying cdma is - 2000 standards , the average power of the fch is used as an estimate of the value to be assigned this term . the 10 log 10 ( r sch / r fch ) reflects that the power required is approximately proportional to the data transfer rate . accordingly , in the present case , r sch / r fch is the ratio of the desired data rate of the sch ( r sch ) to the desired data rate of the fch ( r fch ). the remainder of the term , 10 log 10 , converts the ratio to decibels ( db ). the reduced active set correction term reflects that , in general , required power for a channel increases as the size of its active set decreases . an ms can receive data simultaneously from multiple btss or sectors , creating a set of communication links or legs commonly referred to as an active set of communication links . if one of the legs of the active set fails , the ms is capable of receiving data on any of the remaining legs in the active set . this concept is commonly known as diversity gain by those skilled in the art . in is - 2000 , the sch active set can be a subset of the fch active set . this was enabled to limit cost of high speed channel hardware resources at the btss , and to reduce interference to other users . therefore , when an sch link is established with fewer legs than the fch to the same user , the data transfer is more error - prone if a leg fails and there must be a correction factor to account for the increase in required power . the preferred fer correction slope is calculated such that a ratio of the frame error rate of the sch to the frame error rate of the fch of 2 will yield a decrease in the required power of 1 db . as a result , the fer correction slope is (− 3 . 3 ). empirical tests indicate that these values create preferable results , however , different slopes may be used to obtain better results in various circumstances . the preferred log 10 ( fer sch / fer fch ) is the ratio of the forward frame error rate of the supplemental channel to the forward frame error rate of the fundamental channel , converted to decibels . an enhancement of the estimated p sch is the addition of a code correction term that accounts for differences of error correction methods designed into the rf standard . for the case of is - 2000 , error correction , known as channel coding , may use either turbo codes or convolutional codes . the code correction term is zero when convolutional codes are used . when turbo codes are used , however , the power requirements are less than that required when convolutional codes are used as the data rate increases , i . e . the relationship between the required power and the data transfer rate is non - linear . table 2 indicates the approximate values that are preferred for the turbo code corrections for radio configurations rc3 and rc4 . a further enhancement of the estimated p sch is the addition of a power control correction term , which is a correction factor related to the superior quality of power control of the sch over the fch . the data rate of the sch is known by the ms , whereas the fch data rate may change , without notification , from frame to frame . this means that the ms may use all sch data bits in the estimation of received signal - to - noise ratio , whereas on the fch , the ms may use only the punctured power control bits , which are always sent at the same power level , regardless of the fch data rate . this results in more accurate power control of the sch than that of the fch , and as a result of the superior power control , the sch does not require as much power as the fch . based on empirical data , the value is found to be approximately (− 1 . 0 ) db . in step 326 the bsc sends the initial power requirements to the bts to determine if the bts has available power for the requested data transfer . the bts determines , in step 328 , whether power is available by comparing the available power , with the initial power requirements . if the initial power requirement exceeds the available power , in step 330 the bsc can either terminate the request and notify the sender of the result , or retry the transfer at a lower transfer rate . lower transfer rates require less power ; therefore , if there was insufficient power at a higher transfer rate , there may be power sufficient for a transfer at a lower rate . as a result , the bsc may allocate an sch for a lower data transfer rate if the power is insufficient for a higher data transfer rate , thereby completing the data transfer at a lower rate . after the bsc calculates the initial p sch estimate , the bsc , in step 332 , calculates the initial e b / n 0 , which is used to initialize the outer power control loop illustrated in steps 338 and 340 . e b / n 0 represents the strength of the signal required to overcome the noise required to allow the ms to receive the signal without causing unacceptable interference with other users . the preferred e b / n 0 is the level the ms receives the data at a given acceptable frame error rate ( fer ). to maintain effective and efficient communications , it is important to initialize e b / n 0 near an acceptable error rate . if the value is too high , the signal will be too strong , power will be wasted , and interference will likely be caused with other users . if the value is too low , the ms will experience an unacceptable delay in the transmission , as the error rate will be below the acceptable level . the initial sch target e b / n 0 is calculated as an offset ( δe b / n 0 ) to the value maintained by the ms for the fch . under the present invention , δe b / n 0 is calculated : δ e b / n 0 = reduced active set correction ( n fch , n sch )+ fer correction ( fer sch , fer fch ) as with the estimated p sch , a code correction term and a power control correction term may be used to further enhance the above δe b / n 0 calculation . the purpose and value for the individual terms are described above . after the bsc calculates the δe b / n 0 , the value is sent to the bts in step 334 . the bts in turn sends the value to the ms and begins the data transfer at the calculated initial power setting . in step 336 , the ms receives the value and the data and begins executing an inner power control loop , preferably at 400 hz ( 400 power control commands per second ), as illustrated in steps 338 and 340 , shown for the sake of completeness . the inner power control loop is commonly known in the industry and will not be discussed in further detail . it is understood that the present invention can take many forms and embodiments . accordingly , several variations may be made in the foregoing without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention . for example , the code correction and the power control correction terms may be ignored without negating the usefulness of the above equations . the terms , though , have been found to be useful in fine - tuning the initial power requirements and the initial δe b / n 0 , in simulations . having thus described the present invention by reference to certain of its preferred embodiments , it is noted that the embodiments disclosed are illustrative rather than limiting in nature and that a wide range of variations , modifications , changes , and substitutions are contemplated in the foregoing disclosure and , in some instances , some features of the present invention may be employed without a corresponding use of the other features . many such variations and modifications may be considered obvious and desirable by those skilled in the art based upon a review of the foregoing description of preferred embodiments . accordingly , it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention .	7

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