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a coated pigment that has polymers that are dispersants and film forming reagents attached to the pigment , a coating system that includes the coated pigment , and a method for producing the coating system are described . the concepts of the coating system described herein will be described with respect to a paint or ink system . however , in appropriate circumstances , it is to be realized that the concepts can be applied to other types of systems as well . resins and pigments are usually key components in coating systems such as paint / ink systems . the term “ resins ” herein means polymers that are commonly added in the art as dispersing , film forming and / or adhesive agents to coating formulations such as inks and paints . resins can be , for example , alkyd , polyester , polyamide , polyimide , silicone , phenolic , urea , melamine , epoxy , polyurethane , polyolefines , polyvinyl , and polyacrylic resins . the term “ pigments ” herein means transparent , metallic , white or colored , mineral or organic particles of any form , which are insoluble in a liquid medium and are suitable for use in ink and paint compositions . resins , as film forming reagents , are responsible for the mechanical properties of a coating system and adhesion of the film formed by the coating system to the substrates . the pigments provide hiding power and impart aesthetics to the coating . the inventors have found that by attaching polymers that are dispersants and film forming agents to pigments , a coating system that includes such a coated pigment does not require any additional components other than a solvent to disperse the pigments and form a film that has good adhesion to the substrate . in one embodiment , the disclosed coating system is a resin - less system . the term “ resin - less ” means that besides the polymers or polymer networks that are grafted on the surface of the pigments , no additional dispersants and / or resins are required in the final paint / ink formulation for formation of the coating film . the term “ additional dispersants and / or resins ” herein means polymers that are separate from the polymer chains that are attached to the surface of the pigment , and are commonly added in the art as dispersing , film forming and / or adhesive agents to coating formulations such as inks and paints . the additional resins , for example , can be alkyd , polyester , polyamide , polyimide , silicone , phenolic , urea , melamine , epoxy , polyurethane , polyolefines , polyvinyl , and polyacrylic resins . examples of the additional dispersants can be found in organic coatings : science and technology , third edition ( new york : john wiley & amp ; sons , 2007 ), pages 440 and 446 , which is incorporated herein by reference . in one example , the disclosed coating system includes the disclosed coated pigments and a solvent or a solvent mixture . the term “ solvent or a solvent mixture ” herein means a liquid that carries the components of the final coating so they can be applied to a substrate and then is removed by evaporation , treating , etc . in one example , the disclosed coating system includes the coated pigments and the solvent or the solvent mixture only . in one implementation , the polymers are added in an amount sufficient to form a film and adhere the film to a substrate when the coating system is applied onto the substrate . the substrate to which the coating system is applied can be any substrate to which paints or inks are applied , including , but not limited to , plastic , metal , etc . in another embodiment , the disclosed coating system includes coated pigments that are encapsulated with smooth and robust polymer coating of controlled thickness . to obtain stable coated pigment dispersions , the polymer chains or networks are adhered to the surface of the pigment under process conditions . the polymer encapsulation can be stabilized through chemical bonds between polymer chains / networks and the pigments . in one implementation , the polymer encapsulation is composed of polymer chains , where the polymer chains have one end covalently bonded or strongly adsorbed to the surface of a pigment . one example of the disclosed coated pigment will now be described . with reference to fig1 , a coated pigment 10 includes a pigment 12 having a surface 12 a . the surface 12 a is coated with a coating 14 that has multiple layers 14 a , 14 b . in the illustrated embodiment shown in fig1 , the coating 14 includes two layers 14 a , 14 b , but in appropriate circumstances , the coating 14 can have one layer or more than two layers . each of the layers 14 a , 14 b includes polymer chains 16 . the composition of the polymer chains 16 in each of the layers may be the same or different . the polymer chains 16 are strongly attached to the surface 12 a of the pigment 12 . the term “ attached ” means that the polymer chains 16 are chemically or physically adhered to the surface 12 a of the pigment 12 . the coating 14 can also include inter - chain cross - links 18 that link the polymer chains 16 . the pigment can be , but is not limited to , metal oxides , metal oxide encapsulated materials , silica , borosilica , silica coated materials , mica , glass , iron or aluminum . in one example , the coated pigment 10 utilized includes a pigment having a thickness in a range from 0 . 5 nm to 500 μm . in another example , the thickness of the pigment is in a range from 20 nm to 100 μm . in yet another example , the thickness of the pigment is in a range from 50 nm to 1 μm . in yet another example , the size of the pigment is in a range from 100 nm to 5000 μm . in yet another example , the size of the pigment is in a range from 500 nm to 100 μm . in yet another example , the size of the pigment is in a range from 1 μm to 50 μm . the strong interactions between the polymer chains 16 and the surface 12 a of the pigment 12 provide robustness and stability of the coating . the term “ robustness and stability of the coating ” herein means the survivability of coated pigments under circulation test , chemical resistance and other process conditions . moreover , uneven coating on the pigments surface will disrupt orientation of the pigments and result in poor aesthetic performance . on the other hand , the surfaces of the disclosed coated pigment 10 are smooth so as to allow maximal contact among a plurality of coated pigments 10 and good film formation . in general , the disclosed coating system includes a plurality of the coated pigments 10 and there are several steps involved in the manufacture of the disclosed coating system . first , pigments are encapsulated with polymers . in one example , the polymer encapsulated pigments can be easily dispersed in solvents . the polymer encapsulated pigments are kept in wet form and stored , for example , as concentrated pastes or slurry . additional solvent can be added at any time to achieve desired coated pigment concentration prior to the application of the coating system . when the coating system is applied onto a substrate , the solvent evaporates so as to form a film . in one example , the thickness of the film that is formed on the substrate is between 1 and 10 μm . in another example , the thickness of the film that is formed on the substrate is between 2 . 5 and 3 μm . in yet another example , the thickness of the film that is formed on the substrate is 2 . 5 μm . good adhesion between the film and the substrate is achieved by physical or chemical interactions between the polymers included in the coated pigments and the substrate . while the entanglement among polymer chains grafted from different coated pigments can result in good film mechanical properties , the polymer chains can be further modified with functional groups and allow the formation of cross - linked networks on the pigments . in one embodiment , surface - initiated polymerization is used to fabricate a thick polymer coating on the pigment . in this process , initiator moieties , which are defined as functional groups that can initiate polymerization of polymerizable monomers , are first immobilized on the surfaces of the pigments . then , with subsequent polymerization , thick polymer chains can be grown from the surfaces of the pigment . the coating thickness can be readily controlled simply by varying the reaction time . in addition , other factors including , but not limited to , monomer concentration , polymerization time , solvent , and catalyst can be used to control the thickness of the coating as well . the average polymer coating thickness , which can be measured by direct observation via transmission electron microscopy , ranges from a few nanometers to more than 100 nm . two factors , grafting density and average molecular weight of polymer chains , also determine coating thickness . the molecular weight of the polymer chains can be adjusted by tuning the polymerization conditions such as polymerization time , monomer concentration , solvent , reaction temperature , and catalysts . varying the grafting density can be achieved by controlling the initiator area density on the surfaces of the platelets . using controlled / living radical polymerization , such as atom transfer radical polymerization ( u . s . pat . no . 5 , 763 , 548 ), nitroxide mediated polymerization ( u . s . pat . no . 6 , 353 , 107 ), and reversible addition — fragmentation chain transfer polymerization ( u . s . pat . no . 7 , 205 , 362 ), polymer chains can be grown at similar rates from surfaces , thereby leading to a coating with a uniform structure on the surface of the substrates . moreover , by eliminating unbounded initiators in solution , most polymer chains formed are anchored to platelet surfaces . as a result , there are minimal amounts of unbounded polymer chains in solution . the polymerization mixture retains low viscosity throughout the reaction process with or without the addition of solvent . simple purification procedures can readily separate polymer encapsulated platelets from the other components in the reaction solution . in one example , a coupling reagent that includes an initiator is used to functionalize pigment surfaces with initiator moieties . the initiator has a chemical structure x — r — y , where x denotes a surface active group , y denotes an initiator moiety , and r denotes a spacer . the initiator moieties are anchored to the pigment upon the reaction between surface active groups and functional groups that are present on surfaces of the pigments . in another example , an initiator can be immobilized on pigment surfaces through a multiple step process . in one instance , the multiple step process is a two - step process . in this instance , a surface active molecule , x - r1 - a , is first applied to the surface of a pigment . while functional group x immobilizes the molecules to the surfaces , functional group a allows further chemical reactions on pigment surfaces and leads to the initiator moiety , y , to be on the surfaces of the pigment . the surface active group x can be , but is not limited to , mono -, di -, and tri - alkoxylsilanes , mono -, di - and tri - halosilanes , carboxylic acid , phosphonic acid and other chemical groups that have strong affinity to metal , metal oxide or silica surfaces . in case of trialkoxysilane and trihalosilane , the intermolecular condensation among organosilane molecules leads to the formation of high density robust coating of such molecules . in some instances , the selection of x is dependent upon the type of pigment utilized . for example , silanes are used to modify the surface of silica , alumina , and glass , while molecules with carboxylic acid are used to functionalize surfaces of iron oxide . the initiator moiety y can be any functional group that initiates controlled radical polymerization . the initiator moiety y can be , but is not limited to , an activated halogen atom , alkoxyamine , dithioester , dithiocarbamates , trithiocarbonates and xanthates , organic peroxides , and azo compounds . a variety of polymerization methods , such as radical polymerization , controlled radical polymerization , anionic polymerization , and cationic polymerization , have been used to grow polymer encapsulation from surfaces . in one implementation , controlled radical polymerizations are used to grow polymer chains with controlled structures from surfaces . in one example of the coated pigment , the polymeric chains can include homopolymers , random copolymers , gradient copolymers , block polymers , grafted copolymers , star copolymers or any combination thereof . in one implementation , the polymer chains include cross - links to form a polymer network coating on the pigment . in one example , after the initiator is immobilized on the surface of the platelet , the platelet is purified via filtration to remove any unbounded coupling reagents before proceeding to the polymerization reaction . in another example where the existence of free coupling reagent in solution does not significantly increase the solution viscosity or adversely alter other process conditions in the following polymerization , the reaction solution is used directly without further purification . the initiator - immobilized platelets then are dispersed in a monomer solution . the monomer solution can include one type of monomer or mixtures of different types of monomers . examples of monomers that can be used include , but is not limited to , styrenes , ( meth ) acrylates , ( meth ) acrylamides , ( meth ) acrylic acids , acrylonitrile , vinylpyridines , maleimides , vinyl acetate , vinyl chloride , vinylidene chloride and isoprene . following dispersion of the initiator immobilized platelets into the monomer solution , polymerization from surfaces lead to the formation of polymer chains that are attached to the platelet . because of its small size , initiator molecules can be immobilized on the surface of the platelet with high area density . therefore , this approach allows the synthesis of polymer coatings with high grafting density . as polymerization from the surface of the platelet follows the same mechanism as solution polymerization , monomers that can be polymerized in solution polymerization can be directly adopted into the disclosed method . living or controlled radical polymerization , such as atom transfer radical polymerization , nitroxide mediated polymerization , and reversible addition — fragmentation chain transfer polymerization , allows synthesis of polymers with controlled molecular weight , polydispersity , and architectures from many different types of monomers . by using living polymerization , the disclosed method allows the thickness of the coating to be controlled from a few nanometers up to hundreds of nanometers and further allows the structure of polymer coating on platelets to be controlled . transmission electron microscopy is used to directly observe the coating thickness and uniformity on particle or platelet surfaces . in this instance , the average and standard deviation of coating thickness can be calculated from transmission electron microscope pictures from more than 10 different coated platelets at a magnification between × 20 , 000 and × 100 , 000 . as shown in fig4 , the standard deviation of the coating thickness on the platelets varies less than 15 % of the average coating thickness , where the scale bar is 100 nm . the living nature of the controlled radial polymerization used in the disclosed method also enables the synthesis of a multilayered coating on the platelet . in one example , a second monomer or a second set of monomers can be added to the reaction flask after a predetermined reaction time . in another example , after the end of the first polymerization , the platelets can be separated from the reaction mixtures , purified , and then subjected to a second polymerization with a second monomer or second set of monomers . in both cases , a second layer of coating can be formed with a composition that is different from that of the first layer . in the latter approach , the method allows the synthesis of a second layer with a completely different composition . the above steps can be repeated any number of times and in any different combinations to provide a multilayered coating . the encapsulation can be composed of chains or networks of polymer or copolymers of a variety of monomers . examples of monomers that can be used in the disclosed method include , but are not limited to , acrylonitrile , styrene , divinylbenzene , 4 - methylstyrene , 3 - methylstyrene , 2 - methylstyrene , 4 - vinylanisole , 4 - fluorostyrene , 2 - fluorostyrene , 3 - fluorostyrene , 4 - chloromethylstyrene , 4 -( tert - butyl ) styrene , 3 - chlorostyrene , methyl methacrylate , methyl acrylate , ethyl methacrylate , ethyl acrylate , n - propyl acrylate , n - propyl methacrylate , iso - propyl methacrylate , iso - propyl acrylate , n - butyl acrylate , n - butyl methacrylate , sec - butyl acrylate , sec - butyl methacrylate , tert - butyl acrylate , tert - butyl methacrylate , tert - amyl methacrylate , n - hexyl acrylate , n - octyl methacrylate , 2 - ethylhexyl acrylate , n - decyl methacrylate , iso - decyl acrylate , iso - decyl methacrylate , undecyl methacrylate , n - dodecyl acrylate , n - dodecyl methacrylate , 1 - hexadecyl methacrylate , stearyl acrylate , stearyl methacrylate , cyclohexyl acrylate , cyclohexyl methacrylate , 3 , 3 , 5 - trimethylcyclohexyl methacrylate , benzyl acrylate , benzyl methacrylate , pentabromophenyl acrylate , pentabromophenyl methacrylate , pentafluorophenyl acrylate , pentafluorophenyl methacrylate , phenyl acrylate , phenyl methacrylate , 1 , 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexafluoroisopropyl acrylate , 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - heptadecafluorodecyl acrylate , 1h , 1h , 2h , 2h - heptadecafluorodecyl methacrylate , 1h , 1h , 3h - hexafluorobutyl acrylate , 1h , 1h , 3h - hexafluorobutyl methacrylate , 1h , 1h , 3h - tetrafluoropropyl methacrylate , 1h , 1h , 5h - octafluoropentyl acrylate , 1h , 1h , 5h - octafluoropentyl methacrylate , 1h , 1h , 7h - dodecafluoroheptyl methacrylate , 1h , 1h - heptafluorobutyl acrylate , 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoroethyl acrylate , 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoroethyl methacrylate , hexafluoro - iso - propyl methacrylate , pentafluorophenyl acrylate , pentafluorophenyl methacrylate , methacrylamide , acrylamides , 4 - vinyl pyridine , n , n - dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate , n , n - diethylaminoethyl methacrylate , glycidyl methacrylate , 2 - hydroxyethyl acrylate , and 2 - hydroxyethyl methacrylate , glycidyl acrylate , 4 - vinylaniline , 3 - vinylaniline , n - iso - propylacrylamide , n , n - diethylacrylamide , n , n - dimethylacrylamide , poly ( ethylene glycol ) methacrylate , poly ( ethylene glycol ) acrylate , poly ( ethylene glycol ) methyl ether methacrylate , poly ( ethylene glycol ) ethyl ether methacrylate , poly ( ethylene glycol ) methyl ether acrylate , 1 , 10 - decanediol dimethacrylate , 1 , 3 - butanediol dimethacrylate , 1 , 4 - butanediol diacrylate , 1 , 4 - butanediol dimethacrylate , 1 , 4 - diacryloylpiperazine , 1 , 4 - phenylene diacrylate , 1 , 5 - pentanediol dimethacrylate , 1 , 6 - hexanediol diacrylate , 1 , 6 - hexanediol dimethacrylate , 1 , 9 - nonanediol dimethacrylate , 2 , 2 - bis ( 4 - methacryloxyphenyl ) propane , 2 , 2 - bis [ 4 -( 2 - acryloxyethoxy ) phenyl ] propane , 2 , 2 - bis [ 4 -( 2 - hydroxy - 3 - methacryloxypropoxy ) phenyl ] propane , 2 , 2 - dimethylpropanediol dimethacrylate , diethylene glycol diacrylate , diethylene glycol dimethacrylate , dipropylene glycol dimethacrylate , ethylene glycol diacrylate , ethylene glycol dimethacrylate , ethylene glycol dimethacrylate , ethylene glycol dimethacrylate , n , n ′ ethylene bisacrylamide , n , n ′- methylenebisacrylamide , n , n ′- hexamethylenebisacrylamide , n , n - diallylacrylamide , tetraethylene glycol dimethacrylate , trans - 1 , 4 - cyclohexanediol dimethacrylate , triethylene glycol diacrylate , triethylene glycol dimethacrylate , triethylene glycol dimethacrylate , 1 , 1 , 1 - trimethylolpropane triacrylate , 1 , 1 , 1 - trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate , dipentaerythritol pentaacrylate , pentaerythritol tetraacrylate , pentaerythritol triacrylate , poly ( ethylene glycol ) diacrylate , and poly ( ethylene glycol ) dimethacrylate . in one instance , the thickness of the polymer encapsulation defines the amount of the polymer loading on the pigment and affects the pigment - to - binder ( p / b ) ratio of the final coating . in one example , the disclosed coating system has a high p / b ratio . since the pigments are evenly encapsulated in the polymers , the disclosed coating system can be prepared with a much higher p / b ratio than that of conventional paint / ink systems . in this instance , the coating system can be prepared with a p / b ratio of up to 10 , as compared to conventional paints / inks , which have p / b ratios that are typically less than 1 . for example , for paints made from silberline sparkle silver premium ® 695 , which is an aluminum pigment of average particle size of 12 μm , conventional paints / inks have typical p / b ratios of less than 1 , whereas the disclosed coating system can be prepared with a p / b ratio of 5 or higher . furthermore , to ensure proper film formation and good adhesion of the coating , the polymer chains in the encapsulation should be of reasonable length and have certain flexibility so that the rearrangement of polymer chains will provide enough physical entanglement and / or expose enough chemical reaction sites to the pigments or the polymer chains from other coated pigment encapsulations . the term “ flexibility ” herein means that the polymer chains of the polymer coating can readily rearrange their configuration such that the polymer chains can follow the surfaces of other coated pigments and thereby increase the contact areas between the coating surfaces . in another instance , the polymer chains are attached to the surface of the substrates so as to provide robustness and stability of the coating . the term “ robustness and stability ” herein means the survivability of the coated substrates under circulation test , repeated solvent wash and typical reaction conditions . in these instances , the polymer chains have the flexibility to maximize their contact with color pigments and greatly enhance the adhesion between the color pigments and the surfaces of the coated substrates . in one embodiment of the disclosed coating system , the coating system includes a plurality of the coated pigments 10 and a solvent or solvent mixture only . a coating system of this embodiment can be prepared simply by dispersing the plurality of coated pigments 10 in a solvent or a solvent mixture . the amount of the coated pigments in the coating system can be from 10 % to 70 %, and the amount of the solvent in the coating system can range from 25 % to 85 %. in one example , the solvent or solvent mixture utilized is a good solvent of the polymer segments on surfaces of the encapsulation and as such , prevents the collapse of polymer chains and pigment particles from agglomeration . the solvent or solvent mixture used in the disclosed colored system can be water , lower alcohols , hydrocarbons , ethers , esters , ketones , glycol ethers , pyrrolidones , sulfoxides , and mixtures thereof . examples of a solvent that can be used include butanol , ethyl acetate , butyl acetate , xylene , toluene , propylene glycol monomethyl ether , propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate , n - methylpyrrolidone and methyl ethyl ketone . in yet another embodiment , the plurality of coated pigments 10 can be dispersed in systems conventionally used in the art of paints and inks to achieve optimal adhesion and / or reduce the amount of external resin required in the formulation . in this embodiment , the composition of the polymer encapsulation can be adjusted to enhance the dispersion of the pigments , promote adhesion between the pigments and the rest of the coating , and / or provide barrier function to protect pigments . without being bound to theory , the mechanical properties of the coating film can originate from the physical entanglement of the polymer chains of different coated pigments 10 . in one occurrence , the film integrity is further strengthened by introducing reactive sites on the encapsulation 14 and the formation of cross - linked networks after the application of coated system to a substrate . similarly , the adhesion between the coating film and the coated pigment can be of chemical or physical origin . the reduction of binder in the final coating also affects the aesthetics of the final coating products . in another occurrence , increased coated pigment loading in the coating system can lead to chroma or opacity enhancement of the final coating . for effect pigments , it is known that excessive resin in paint / ink will disrupt orientation of pigment . in one example , since the coating system can be formed with a high p / b ratio and the coated pigments are evenly embedded in the polymer encapsulation , the final orientation of the coated pigments , and therefore the aesthetics of the coating , can be greatly improved as compared to conventional methods . the polymer encapsulation also can be designed to provide the coated pigments with superior stability in the coating systems and in the film that has been formed on a substrate . for example , al pigments are susceptible to the attack of water , which can degrade al and generate hydrogen gas that can impose hazards during shipping and storage . in one example , incorporation of a hydrophobic coating on an aluminum pigment can effectively retard the penetration of water to the surface of al flakes and thereby enhance the stability of the disclosed coating system . for the same reason , the final coating system can have better water resistance as compared to a conventional coating system made from pigments without polymer encapsulation . further , conventional paints / inks typically require certain viscosity criteria that need to be met prior to application . for example , in ink applications , the amount of pigment loading is limited by the viscosity of the ink mixtures . excessive pigment loadings often result in increased viscosity and reduced printability . in resin - less inks , due to the high pigment to binder ratio , significant amount of pigments can be dispersed in the solvent without significantly increasing the ink viscosity . in one example , the disclosed coating system does not require a viscosity criteria . in one instance , the coating system can be applied in low viscosity . in this instance , since the coating system includes a lower percentage of resin as compared to conventional paints / inks , the disclosed coating system can solidify in a much shorter period of time when applied onto a substrate as compared to that of conventional paints / inks . another advantage is that since the resin - less paints / inks contain relatively small amounts of resin as compared to conventional coating systems , the resin - less coating can be dried in a much shorter period of time than conventional coating systems . yet another advantage is that because no external resin or no dispersant is required in the disclosed coating system , the disclosed system allows great ease during the formulation process . for instance , the coated pigments 10 can be stored in a slurry form . bulk solvents can be added immediately prior to the application of the coating system . the resin less system can be applied using standard coating / printing methods . application methods for the resin - less paint include , but are not limited to , spray and dip coating . application methods for the resin - less ink include , but are not limited to , gravure , flexo and offset printing . in one embodiment of an article , the article includes a coating the contains the disclosed coating system . 480 g aluminum paste ( silberline sparkle silver ® premium 695 , 75 . 28 % nonvolatile ), 1200 ml toluene , and 3 ml 3 -( trimethoxysilylpropyl )- 2 - bromo - 2 - methylpropionate were added to a 2 l reaction flask equipped with a mechanic stirrer and a condenser . the reaction mixture was heated up and was kept under reflux for 24 hours . once the reaction time was complete , the mixture was cooled down to room temperature . the flakes were vacuum filtered . two washes of toluene were applied . 32 . 3 g initiator modified al paste ( containing 20 g of nonvolatile ), 0 . 423 g cubr , 200 ml styrene , and 190 ml pm acetate were added to a 500 ml reaction flask equipped with a mechanical stirrer and a heating mantle : the solution was degassed with nitrogen and heated to 80 ° c . under constant stirring . in a separated flask , pentamethyldiethylenetriamine ( pmdeta ) was degassed with nitrogen for 30 min . then 0 . 83 ml of degassed pmdeta was transferred to the reaction flask with a nitrogen purged syringe . after 4 hours of polymerization , the reaction was stopped . the pigments were purified with centrifugation . thermal gravimetric analysis confirmed polymer composed 15 . 86 % of the dried pigments . the pigments were stored as wet paste in pm acetate . resin - less paint of pigment made in example 1 was prepared by diluting wet paste with pm acetate . the final paint has pigment weight concentration of 10 . 1 %. paint was siphon sprayed onto the plastic panel of polystyrene , poly ( methyl methacrylate ) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene ( abs ). the sprayed panel was further dried in oven . 4 . 8 kg aluminum paste ( silberline sparkle silver ® premium 695 , 75 . 68 % nonvolatile ), 12 l pm acetate , and 16 ml 3 -( trimethoxysilylpropyl )- 2 - bromo - 2 - methylpropionate were added to a 20 l reaction flask equipped with a mechanic stirrer and a condenser . the reaction mixture was heated up and was kept under reflux for 6 hours . once the reaction time was complete , the mixture was cooled down to room temperature . the flakes were vacuum filtered . two washes of pm acetate were applied . 61 . 6 g initiator modified al paste ( containing 40 g of nonvolatile ), 0 . 106 g cubr , 200 ml methyl methacrylate , and 180 ml pm acetate were added to a 500 ml reaction flask equipped with a mechanical stirrer and a heating mantle : the solution was degassed with argon and heated to 80 ° c . under constant stirring . in a separated flask , pentamethyldiethylenetriamine ( pmdeta ) was degassed with argon for 30 min . then 0 . 16 ml of degassed pmdeta was transferred to the reaction flask with a argon purged syringe . after 4 hours of polymerization , the reaction was stopped . the pigments were purified with centrifugation . thermal gravimetric analysis confirmed polymer composed 20 . 19 % of the dried pigments . the pigments were stored as wet paste in pm acetate . resin - less paint of pigment made in example 3 was prepared by diluting the wet paste with pm acetate . the final paint has pigment weight concentration of 5 . 8 %. paint was siphon sprayed onto the plastic panel of poly ( methyl methacrylate ) and abs . the sprayed panel was further dried in oven . the resin - less paint prepared in accordance with example 4 was applied onto ( a ) poly ( methyl methacrylate ), ( b ) acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and ( c ) polystyrene panels . the coatings were formed via siphon spray of the resin - less paints . the results are shown in fig2 . cross - hatch adhesion test of the coating in example 4 was conducted in accordance with astm d3359 standards . the results are shown in fig3 . as shown in fig3 , the coating prepared with the disclosed method can provide good performance in a standard cross - hatch adhesion test . the resin - less paint coated poly ( methyl methacrylate ) panel in example 5 was analyzed with scanning electron microscopy . the results are shown in fig4 . fig4 shows superior orientation of the pigments , which allows superior aesthetics of the coating . while the disclosed coated pigments and methods have been described in conjunction with a preferred embodiment , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that other objects and refinements of the disclosed coated pigments and methods may be made within the purview and scope of the disclosure . the disclosure , in its various aspects and disclosed forms , is well adapted to the attainment of the stated objects and advantages of others . the disclosed details are not to be taken as limitations on the claims .
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it should be noted from the outset that while the present invention finds particular utility in part sizing systems , the bar graph display control circuitry feature of this invention is applicable to many types of uses . for example , it can be employed in any system in which visual representations of two or more sensing devices are desired to be displayed . hence , one advantage of this invention , being the ability to provide a plurality of visual representations on one display , can be advantageously utilized in a wide variety of applications . the part sizing system of the preferred embodiment is shown in fig1 . a base 10 secures a plurality of plunger type probes 12 and 14 for measuring the part under test . in this example , only two probes are shown . however , it should be realized that any combination of probes can be utilized depending upon the loading constraints of the excitation circuitry or , alternatively , only one probe can be used . probes 12 and 14 are variable reluctance transducers which provide a variable output signal representative of the displacement caused by the part interposed therebetween . the outputs from probes 12 and 14 are coupled to electronic circuitry contained in display unit 16 . display unit 16 includes a housing 18 which holds two adjacent bar graph displays 20 and 22 , along with a plurality of range selector indicators 311 - 314 , measuring unit indicators 315 , 316 , and a limit indicator 26 on the front panel thereof . bar graph displays 20 and 22 , in this embodiment , are commercially available displays such as the 100 element dual linear bar graph display sold by the burroughs corporation under the trademark self - scan . bar graph display 20 is utilized to illustrate the size of the part measured by probes 12 and 14 , whereas bar graph 22 is utilized to display both the upper and lower tolerance limits . as can be seen in fig1 both the upper and lower limits are visually superimposed upon the same bar graph display , with the lower limit 28 having a greater illumination intensity than the upper limit 30 . this is accomplished electronically by the circuitry that will now be discussed . referring now to fig2 there is shown a block diagram of the major components of the electronic circuitry of the present invention . probe excitation circuitry 107 provides an ac signal over lines 154 , 156 to the respective windings 102 , 104 surrounding probes 12 and 14 . as mentioned above probes 12 and 14 are known variable reluctance transducers . briefly , they operate on the principle that movement of the probe , which is made of a ferromagnetic material such as ferrite , induces a corresponding voltage change relative to the outer terminals of a center tapped winding which surrounds the probe . the probe output signals are coupled to a signal conditioning and demodulator circuit 109 . in this example , the excitation signal over lines 154 and 156 are applied directly to the windings 104 of probe 14 . excitation signal supply lines 154 , 156 are also coupled to windings 102 of probe 12 by lines 151 and 153 through a double pole , double throw switch 105 . if wipers 34 of switch 105 contact poles 106a , the excitation signal applied to probe 12 is of the same polarity that is supplied to probe 14 . consequently , the output signals from probes 12 and 14 will be summed together by circuit 109 . on the other hand , if wipers 34 of switch 105 contact poles 106b , the excitation signal to probe 12 will be of an opposite polarity . consequently , signals between probe 12 and 14 will be subtracted by conditioning and demodulator circuitry 109 . for purposes of this invention , the probe output signal will be deemed to be of a positive sense when caused by mechanical retraction of the probe element . as noted above , the probe can be conditioned to provide an output signal of a negative sense by reversing the polarity of the excitation signal via switch 105 . a shielded cable having lines 151 , 152 and 153 therein couple the signal from probe 12 to circuitry 109 . similarly , another shielded cable having lines 154 , 155 and 156 couple probe 14 signals to circuitry 109 . the cable shields 105 , 107 are grounded via line 157 . line 158 supplies a synchronization signal from the demodulator portion of circuitry 109 , which is utilized by the excitation circuitry 107 as will later be discussed . circuitry 109 provides an output signal which is representative of the signals from probes 12 and 14 measuring the part under test . line 160 provides an externally available output signal which is proportional to the probe position . line 161 is coupled to a limit selection circuitry 120 . circuitry 120 compares the input signal with electronic representations of the upper and lower tolerance limits . if the input signal does not fall between the upper and lower limits , a signal is supplied to an indicator such as lamp 26 shown in fig1 . in addition , the output line 180 can be coupled to a relay located in the machinery which is making the parts being tested . in such manner the machinery such as a stamping device , can be automatically stopped in the event that the parts being made are not within the tolerance limits . circuitry 120 also supplies signals over lines 173 and 174 which represent the selected lower and upper tolerance limits , respectively . lines 173 and 174 are coupled , along with line 162 from circuitry 109 , to analog - digital ( a / d ) convertor and display control circuitry 130 . circuitry 130 converts the analog signals of probe signal 162 , lower limit signal 173 , and upper limit signal 174 into digital signals which are compatible with the bar graph display . the output lines 167 - 172 from circuitry 130 are coupled to display driver circuitry 140 which drives the bar graph displays 20 and 22 . line 167 provides a signal which is utilized to control the anode of bar graph display 20 . lines 168 - 170 provide a three phase scanning input for the cathodes of both bar graph displays 20 and 22 . line 171 provides a reset signal to reinitialize the scan of the cathodes . line 172 provides a signal which controls the anode of bar graph display 22 . the details of the probe excitation circuitry 107 are shown most clearly in fig3 . the primary winding of a grounded center tapped transformer t1 and capacitor c23 combine to form an lc resonant circuit oscillator in which transistor q6 provides an active element operated in class c for efficient operation . capacitors c25 and c26 , along with resistors r60 and r61 provide a small amount of negative feedback to transistor q6 to provide a stable operation as is known in the art . resistor r59 coupled to source + v1 provides a small amount of dc bias to insure initial oscillation of the circuit . thus , an ac signal is induced in the secondary winding of transformer t1 and provides the probe excitation signal over lines 154 , 156 . according to a feature of this invention this signal is also monitored to insure that the excitation signal remains constant to thereby insure accurate readings . the excitation signal is coupled to and is amplified by operational amplifier 205 . the synchronization signal 158 and transistor q9 combine to form a shunt chopper to half - wave rectify the output signal of amplifier 205 . this signal is then filtered by capacitor c29 to provide a dc signal of a level corresponding to the amplitude of the amplified excitation signal . this dc signal is coupled to one input of error amplifier 206 . a fixed reference voltage derived from source v2 is coupled to the other input of amplifier 206 . the output of amplifier 206 is thus an error signal representative of the difference between the two signals , if any . potentiometer p4 is utilized to initially adjust the biasing voltage vcc to transistor q5 thereby determining the amplitude of the oscillations of the lc resonant circuit . during subsequent operation of the circuitry , if there is an error signal generated by amplifier 206 , it is fed back to a controllable dc power supply comprised of transistor q5 . accordingly , any subsequent deviation of the excitation signal to the probes is immediately detected and automatically compensated by feeding back a signal to the power supply which , in turn , controls the amplitude of the oscillator . such deviations can be caused by a change in temperature , load , component parameters , etc . it is a feature of this invention that the secondary winding of transformer t1 is bifilar wound . as is known in the art , a bifilar wound transformer is made by folding a conductor exactly in half and winding it around the core . hence , the outputs on outer terminals 154 , 156 have exactly the same amplitude with respect to grounded center tap line 157 but are 180 ° out of phase . referring to fig4 the probe output signals ( over lines 151 , 153 for probe 12 , and over lines 154 , 156 for probe 14 ) are coupled to the signal conditioning and demodulator circuit 109 . zero adjust potentiometers p2 , p3 are utilized to initially zero the system . when a part is being measured the probe signals are either summed together or subtracted at junction 36 depending on the position of switch 105 as discussed above . comparator 301 compares this signal with reference ground over line 157 . the position of switch sw2 determines the range selection for the part sizing system . hence , wiper 38 connects the appropriate feedback resistor r11 - r15 to amplifier 301 . similarly , wiper 40 of switch sw2 couples an appropriate indicator 310 - 314 to a source of potential v1 so that it will illuminate on the front panel of display unit 16 . thus , at node 42 there appears an ac signal proportional to the probe displacement due to the measured part which has been amplified by the gain factor depending upon the range selection . this signal is further conditioned according to a feature of this invention by selecting , via switch sw3 , either of two summing resistors r16 or r17 which provides for either an english or metric scaling factor , selectively , to be applied to the probe signal . wiper 44 of switch sw3 therefor thus connects either resistor r16 or r17 to the input of amplifier 302 . as is known in the art , the gain factor of such operational amplifiers is determined by the ratio between the input resistor and the feedback resistor . potentiometer p5 provides the ability to initially adjust the gain of amplifier 302 to correspond to either an english or metric representation depending upon the value chosen for r16 or r17 . wiper 46 of switch sw3 activates either led 315 or 316 providing a visual indication of the selection of english or metric measuring systems on display 16 . the thus conditioned ac signal is then coupled to a demodulator circuit 50 which is a balanced , synchronous demodulator with amplifier 303 operating in a differential dc amplifier mode . demodulator 50 forms no part of this invention and thus can be performed by a variety of demodulators known in the art . n - channel jfet transistors q7 and q8 act as two phase shunt choppers needed for demodulation . transistors q7 and q8 are driven by square waves which are 180 ° out of phase . these signals are synchronous with the probe excitation voltage due to the action of amplifier 203 and amplifier 204 . amplifier 203 is a differential comparator across the excitation voltage ( from lines 154 and 156 ) and amplifier 204 is a comparator which inverts the signal from amplifier 203 . the synchronous half wave signals produced by transistors q7 and q8 are filtered and differentially amplified by differential amplifier 303 . thus , the output of amplifier 303 is a dc signal proportional to the probe output signal as conditioned by the range selection and measuring unit selection circuits described above . amplifier 304 is a dc amplifier used to provide an externally available output on line 160 which is proportional to probe position . this output may be level shifted or amplified as desired , by the use of appropriate associated components , as is known in the art . amplifier 305 is another dc amplifier whose purpose is to condition the probe signal prior to the analog to digital conversion by circuitry 130 . it should be noted that for ease of description , the term probe signal as used herein will mean any signal derived by the probes due to the part being measured and may include the range selection and measuring unit selection conditioning of the signal as described above . for the circuitry 130 utilized in this example , it is necessary to restrict the range of the probe signal from 0 volts to 2 . 5 volts . diodes d - 3 and d - 4 shown in fig6 accomplish this function . line 162 is thus coupled to circuitry 130 , whereas line 161 is coupled to the input of limit selection circuitry shown in fig5 . referring then to fig5 the dc probe signal on line 161 is applied to limit selection circuitry 120 to determine if the tolerance limits have been exceeded . circuitry 120 consists of a window comparator utilizing comparators 401 and 402 . the input from line 161 is applied to the respective inputs of amplifiers 401 and 402 . an electronic representation of the lower tolerance limit is provided by the setting of potentiometer p8 and is accessible on the back of display unit 16 . the lower tolerance signal is applied to the other input of amplifier 402 and is applied to circuitry 130 over line 173 . similarly , the upper tolerance limit is set by utilizing potentiometer p7 which signal is coupled to other input of amplifier 401 , as well as to circuitry 130 over line 174 . if the probe signal on line 161 is either above or below the upper and lower tolerance limit , respectively , amplifier 401 or 402 will supply a signal of such magnitude and polarity as to turn on transistor q4 . the output line 180 from transistor q4 can be coupled to a solid state relay which may be used to operate as a 110 - 220 vac switch to external circuitry . hence , if the probe signal exceeds the tolerance limits , the machinery producing such parts being measured can be automatically turned off . line 180 &# 39 ; provides a signal which can be coupled to external circuitry requiring an opposite logic convention than supplied over line 180 . additionally , if the probe signal exceeds the tolerance limits , indicator 26 of fig1 is illuminated by a signal over line 180 to advise the operator that the part being measured exceeds tolerance . turning now to fig6 and 7 , the analog - digital convertor and logic circuitry 130 and display driver control circuitry 140 will be described . block 501 represents known circuitry for converting the analog input signals to digital signals necessary to operate the bar graph display 607 . block 501 can be , for example , the bar graph display logic circuit distributed by signetics corporation under model ne580 . line 162 which carries the probe signal is coupled to the ch1 input . this signal is converted by circuit 50 to a digital pulse whose width is a function of the level of the input signal . in this example the dc level of the probe signal 162 is converted to a pulse of a width depending upon the level of the probe signal and is supplied as an output ( o / p1 ) over line 166 which is coupled to flip - flop 510 . flip - flop 510 is utilized to provide an output over line 167 having the same pulse width as the signal on line 166 , but in a properly timed fashion necessary for the particular bar graph utilized . the signal on line 167 is coupled to a darlington pair 70 which is utilized to drive the channel one ( ch1 ) anode of display 607 . the signal driving the channel one anode controls the height of the bar graph display 20 of this invention . gates 502 - 506 , and flip - flops 510 , 511 are utilized as known in the art to make the signals emanating from circuitry 501 compatible with the particular bar graph display utilized and therefore forms no part of this invention . lines 168 , 169 and 170 are coupled through interface 603 to the φ1 , φ2 and φ3 inputs of display 607 , respectively . as is known in the art , this supplies the necessary three phase signal to operate the cathode of both bar graph display 20 and 22 required for proper operation . a reset ( rst ) signal is provided over line 171 to display 607 to re - initialize the scanning of the cathodes of both bar graph displays 20 and 22 . hence , it can be seen that the probe signal is converted to a digital signal , which in turn , is applied to the channel 1 anode thereby controlling the height of bar graph display 20 as a function of the probe input signal . on the other hand , it is a feature of this invention that bar graph display 22 provides visual indications of both the upper and lower tolerance limits . this is accomplished by applying the upper and lower tolerance limit signals 173 and 174 to inputs z 0 and z 1 of multiplexer 82 . multiplexer 82 can be any of known devices whose output switches between one or more inputs . in this embodiment , it is an mc14053 , analog multiplexer distributed by motorola semiconductors . in this invention , the output 163 of multiplexer 82 is coupled to the channel 2 ( ch2 ) input of circuitry 501 . accordingly , whatever input is applied to ch2 is correspondingly utilized to drive the anode of bar graph display 22 in the same manner as utilized for bar graph 20 . however , in this invention not only are two different inputs applied to ch2 but they are applied for different lengths of time . this is accomplished by coupling a counter network 80 between the reset ( rst ) pulse of circuit 501 and the enabling input c of multiplexer 82 . the c input of multiplexer 82 initiates the switching between the two inputs 173 and 174 . the counter circuit 80 consists of two interconnected j - k flip - flops which provide a divide by three circuit . accordingly , counter circuit 80 provides an output pulse of one state ( e . g . logical one ) to the c input of multiplexer 80 only after receiving three reset pulses , whereas it provides a signal of an opposite state ( e . g . logical zero ) at other times . when the c input of multiplexer 82 receives a signal of logical one , multiplexer 82 couples the upper tolerance limit signal 174 to its output z . on the other hand lower tolerance limit signal 173 is coupled to the z output when the signal is a logical zero . thus it can be seen that this arrangement alternately presents voltages to the ch2 anode input of display 607 corresponding to the lower and upper tolerance limits in a 3 / 1 timed ratio in this example . the particular ratio can be changed if desired as long as the upper limit signal 174 is supplied often enough to prevent flicker . in this example lines 630a , 630b represent the necessary connections for a 3 / 1 ratio , whereas dotted lines 620a , 620b show an alternative connection for providing a 2 / 1 ratio . by alternately coupling the two limits to display 22 for different lengths of time , this gives the appearance of a bright section 28 on bar graph display 22 corresponding to the lower tolerance limit , followed by a dimmer section 30 on the same display 22 , the height of which corresponds to the upper limit . ( see fig1 ). as noted at the outset , while this invention has been described in connection with a part sizing system , it can find utility in a wide variety of applications . therefore , while this invention has been described in connection with particular examples thereof , no limitation is intended thereby except as defined in the appended claims .
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to achieve the outstanding results of the instant invention , at least one organo - titanate compound and at least one organo - zirconate compound must be used . these compounds may be represented by the following formulas : ## equ1 ## where m = ti or zr ; a 1 =( ro ) a , wherein r is an unsubstituted or ether - substituted alkyl , alkenyl , or aralkyl group having less than 20 carbon atoms ; a 2 =-- o ( cr 1 r 2 ) b ( co ) c o --, wherein r 1 and r 2 are independently selected from hydrogen and unsubstituted or ether - substituted alkyl , alkenyl , aralkyl , aryl or alkaryl having less than 20 carbon atoms , b is 1 or 2 and c is 0 or 1 ; ## equ2 ## wherein r 4 and r 5 are independently selected from unsubstituted or ether - substituted alkyl , alkenyl , aralkyl , aryl or alkaryl having less than 20 carbon atoms per molecule ; r 6 , r 7 and r 8 are the same as r 4 and r 5 except that one and only one of r 6 , r 7 and r 8 is hydrogen ; and l is a diester phosphite having less than 40 carbon atoms or an unsaturated tertiary amine or derivative thereof having less than 20 carbon atoms ; and b 2 is -- op ( o )( or 3 ) op ( o )( or 3 ) o -- wherein r 3 is as defined for r 4 and r 5 above . table a______________________________________code compound structural formula______________________________________aa ) titanium iv ethane - ( ch . sub . 2 o ). sub . 2 ti [ op ( o )( oh ) op ( o )-- diolato , bis ( dioctyl ) ( oc . sub . 8 h . sub . 17 ). sub . 2 ]. sub . 2 . 2 ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 nc . sub . 2 h . sub . 4 oc -- diphosphato - o ( o ) c ( ch . sub . 3 )═ ch . sub . 2adduct with 2 molesn , n &# 39 ;- dimethyl - aminoethyl ( 2 - methyl ) propenoateab ) titanium iv bis bis [( ch . sub . 2 ═ chch . sub . 2 o ). sub . 2 ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ) cc h . sub . 2 o ]. sub . 2 ( 2 , 2 - propenolato - ti [ op ( o )( oc . sub . 8 h . sub . 17 ) op ( o )-- methyl ) butanolato ( oc . sub . 8 h . sub . 17 ) o ] cyclo ( dioctyl ) diphosphato - o , oac ) zirconium iv bis [( ch . sub . 2 ═ chch . sub . 2 och . sub . 2 ). sub . 2 ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 ) cch . sub . 2 -- bis ( 2 , 2 - propenolato - o ] zr [ op ( o )( oc . sub . 8 h . sub . 17 ) op ( o )-- methyl ) butanolato ( oc . sub . 8 h . sub . 17 ) o ] cyclo ( dioctyl ) diphosphato - o , o . ad ) titanium iv oxo [ och . sub . 2 c ( o ) o ] ti [ op ( o )( or . sup . 6 ) op -- ethylenediolato , bis ( o )( or . sup . 7 )( or . sup . 8 )]. 2p ( h )( o )--( butyl , methyl ) di ( oc . sub . 8 h . sub . 17 ). sub . 2 wherein r . sup . 6 , r . sup . 7 , phosphato - o adduct and r . sup . 8 are one each ofwith 2 moles of hydrogen , methyl and butyldioctyl hydrogen ligands [( h ), ( ch . sub . 3 ) andphosphite ( c . sub . 4 h . sub . 9 )] af ) zirconium iv ( 2 , 2 - ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 c ( ch . sub . 2 o ). sub . 2 zr [ op ( o )-- dimethyl ) propane - ( or . sup . 6 ) op ( o )( or . sup . 7 )( or . sup . 8 )]. sub . 2 . diolato , bis ( dioctyl ) 2 ( ch . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 n ( ch . sub . 2 ). sub . 3 nhc ( o ) c ( ch . sub . 3 ) diphosphato - o ═ ch . sub . 2 wherein two of r . sup . 6 , r . sup . 7adduct with 2 moles and r . sup . 8 are octyl and one isof n , n dimethyl - hydrogen [ 2 ( c . sub . 8 h . sub . 17 ) and oneamino - propyl ( 2 - ( h )] methyl ) propenoamideag ) titanium iv bis [( ch . sub . 2 ═ chch . sub . 2 och . sub . 2 ). sub . 2 ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 )--( 2 , 2 - propenolato - cch . sub . 2 o ] ti [ op ( o )( oc . sub . 8 h . sub . 17 )]. sub . 3methyl ) butanolato , tris ( dioctyl ) phosphato - oah ) titanium iv bis ( 2 , 2 - [( ch . sub . 2 ═ chch . sub . 2 och . sub . 2 ). sub . 2 ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 5 )-- propenolatomethyl ) cch . sub . 2 o ] ti [ op ( o )( or . sup . 6 ) op ( o )-- butanolato , tris ( or . sup . 7 )( or . sup . 8 )]. sub . 3 . 3hp ( o )( oc . sub . 2 h . sub . 4 o --( dioctyl ) diphos - c . sub . 6 h . sub . 5 ). sub . 2 wherein two of r . sup . 6 , r . sup . 7phato - o adduct with and r . sup . 8 are octyl and one is3 moles of di 2 - hydrogenphenoxyethyl , hydrogen phosphiteaj ) zirconium iv bis 5 - [ c . sub . 6 h . sub . 5 o ( c . sub . 2 h . sub . 4 o ). sub . 2 ]. sub . 2 zr [ op ( o )-- phenoxy - 3 -( oxy ) ( oc . sub . 6 h . sub . 5 ). sub . 2 ]. sub . 2pentanolato , bis ( diphenyl ) phosphato - o______________________________________ the preparation of the above organo - metallic compoudns can be readily accomplished by those skille din the art . reference is made to u . s . pat . no . 4 , 277 , 415 for the preparation of the above adducts of pyrophosphato - titanates and amines and to u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 087 , 402 , 4 , 122 , 062 and 4 , 634 , 785 for the preparation of organo - titanate diester pyrophosphates and diester phosphates . the disclosure of these patents is incorporated by reference herein . it will be understood that the preparation of the organo - zirconates is analogous to the preparation of the organo - titanates . in the additive concentrate the ratio of the organo - titanates to the organo - zirconates will broadly be in the range from 10 : 1 to 1 : 10 , preferably from 5 : 1to 1 : 5 . to incorporate the concentrate into the ink , the organo - metallic mixture is dissolved or dispersed in resin or resin precursor . in such instances , the organo - metallic compounds would in total comprise from about 1 to 30 %, preferably 5 to 10 %, in the vehicle . if desired , driers and other additives may be added to the concentrate . based on metal , from 0 . 5 to 20 %, preferably from 2 to 15 %, of drier is present . rather than using the additive package , the ink may be formulated directly . in either case , the finished ink may contain the conventional constituents , namely , pigments , resin / vehicles , solvents / diluents , and additives . generally , the pigments which may be used include ci pigment yellows 12 and 13 , ci pigment red 57 : 1 , ci pigment blue 15 : 3 , and ci pigment black 7 ( usually toned with ci pigment blue 18 ). other yellows which may be used include ci pigment yellow 17 and , for limited application , the hansa yellows . oranges useful in the practice of the invention are ci pigment orange 13 and 34 . other reds include the ci pigment reds 2 , 4 , 48 . 2 , 53 . 1 , and 81 . other blues include ci pigment blues 1 , 15 , and 15 . 1 and , to a limited extent , ci pigment blue 27 ( iron blue ). violets useful in lithography are ci pigment violet 1 ( pmta rhodamine ) and ci pigment violets 3 and 23 . greens include ci pigment greens 1 , 2 , and 7 and for white ci pigment white 6 ( rutile grades ) and as an extender ci pigment white 18 . the resin / vehicles conventionally used as litho - ink vehicles have application in the instant invention . the class of oleoresinous ( hard resin and drying oil alkyds ) systems used to produce quick set , heat set , and oxidation drying inks are the most common . other oxidative systems based on epoxy , vinyl esters and unsaturated polyesters and polyurethane resins may be used . these require the use of drier to accelerate the oxidation . alkyd vehicles are preferred . in addition , acrylate systems using radiation or thermal cures can be employed . non - oxidative drying systems including thermoplastic inks , e . g ., acrylates and saturated polyurethanes and polyesters , though less common , may also be enhanced by applying the teaching of the invention . the resins dry by solvent evaporation and do not use driers . examples of solvents / diluents which may be used in the instant invention for litho printing are those having a very weak solvent power such as high boiling petroleum fractions . small proportions of stronger solvents which may have alcohol or ester functionalities such as tridecanol may be used as cosolvents . as noted previously , it is an object of the instant invention to reduce or eliminate these solvents . with respect to additives , these may include driers , waxes , antioxidants , anti - setoff compounds , litho additives and rheology modifiers . driers are generally regarded as the most important of the additives in litho ink . the oxygen - induced polymerization of drying oils and drying oil - modified alkyds is accelerated by the incorporation of these compounds . at the present time , cobalt and manganese are the principal metals in use and are used in the form of soaps of long chain carboxylic acids . because these materials are solid and used in small quantities , they are normally added in the form of relatively dilute solutions in hydrocarbon solvents for ease of handling . in addition , cross - linking accelerators such as trimethylol - propane triacrylate and / or dilute triallyl trimelitate may be employed in amounts up to 7 wt % based on ink solids . conventional waxes may be added to the ink to produce good surface slip for inline handling and scratch resistance and rub resistance to meet end use requirements . the major types of waxes used are polyethylene and polytetrafluoroethylene . these may be used alone or in combination . antioxidants are generally employed to lengthen the skinning time to give overnight stability on the inking rolls . the main types of antioxidants are oximes , as for example methylethyl ketoxime , phenolic - types such as butylated hydroxy - toluene and quinones such as hydroquinone . naturally , the amount of antioxidant and the type selected must be carefully balanced so as to avoid slowing the drying of the ink upon application to the substrate . in addition to the foregoing , any of the other conventional litho additives and rheology modifiers may be added to the ink or the additive concentrate of the instant invention . examples of the former are soluble salts of tartaric acid and ethylene diamine tetra - acetic acid and examples of the latter are aluminum gellants . these assist the formulator in achieving the exact balance of viscosity , yield value , thixotropy and tack that is desired . in addition , various clays such as mountmorillonite clays , fumed silica , polyamides and aluminum chelates and micronized hydrocarbon resins are useful . a particularly useful additive concentrate of the invention includes from 5 to 10 % of each of the organo - metallic compounds , and 2 to 15 %, based on metal , of the drier or driers in a resin or resin precursor . manganese is not essential and to a certain extent is undesirable , since it discolors pvc - type film and degrades cellulose . generally speaking , in the ink formulation the resin vehicle comprises from 10 to 50 %, preferably from 20 to 50 %. the organo - metallic compounds each comprise from 0 . 1 to 3 % and most preferably from 0 . 5 to 1 %. unless a clear ink is desired , in which instance no pigment is used , up to 80 % of pigment may be used . generally from 15 to 40 % pigment is used in lithography . diluents or solvents may be present in the ink or the additive concentrate , but these are not necessary . in conventional lithography , up to 40 % may be present ; conventionally from 10 to 20 % is used . the elimination and reduction of solvents is a marked advantage of the inks of the instant invention . without solvents , solid levels can be enhanced , better coating can be achieved , and adhesion can be improved . naturally , better drying times and higher press speeds are also achievable . as noted above , solvents are an environmental hazard , because of both their volatility and their appearance in discharge streams . still another advantage of the instant invention is that the inks can be used over a broad range of atmospheric conditions . for example , it has been noted that , even at humidity as high as 95 %, these inks have the ability to wet the substrate and properly dry . it is a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention to develop an ink which is completely free of fatty acids . fatty acids are often introduced into the system , since these serve as solvent for the metal soap driers . driers which may also be used include metal carboxylic acids of cobalt , lead , manganese , tin and the rare earth metals . the elimination of the fatty acids accelerates drying , improves adhesion , and permits the use of lower molecular weight resin vehicles . for example , whereas the conventional alkyd solvent diluents have a viscosity of from 100 to 40 , 000 centipoise , typically 5 , 000 , in the practice of the invention alkyds having a viscosity of from 2500 to 10 , 000 centipoise , preferably about 4000 centipoise , may be advantageously used . the inks prepared in accordance with the instant invention can be used on substantially all types of substrates and therefore markedly broaden the application of lithography . in addition to the porous substrates such as paper and board , packaging films such as regenerated cellulose , nitrocellulose , coated films , polyolefin films such as polyethylene and polypropylene , polyvinylchloride films , nylon , polyester , aluminum foil , and metallized substrates may be satisfactorily printed . in order to more clearly describe the instant invention , attention is directed to the following examples : a series of additive concentrates were prepared for addition to a conventional commercial blue ink to demonstrate adhesion , drying time and rub resistance . the composition of the ink is as follow : ______________________________________parts by wt______________________________________14 modified alkyd resin ( ecovar p . d . q . q . s . gell ) 14 chinawood gloss varnish54 phthalo blue pigment concentrate2 polyethylene ( 11 ) glycol ( diethylene pe - 11 ) 1 surfactant ( diafluron pf - 1 ) 1 6 % cobalt naphthanate drier ( linall p . i . ) 1 manganese versalate . 40 barytes ( bartyl f - 2 ) 1 tridecyl alcohol11 . 60 medium boiling solvent f . p . 50 ° c . ( magiesol # 52 oil ) ______________________________________ other additives were also prepared to serve as controls . the compositions are shown in the following table . the organo - metallic compounds , designated aa to aj , are described in table a above . table i______________________________________ components , parts by weight 1 2 3 4 5 6______________________________________additiveconcentratea aa / 1 ab / 1 ac / 1 mc / 6 md / 2b aa / 2 ac / 1 ah / 2 mc / 5 md / 1c ad / 1 af / 2 ag / 1 mc / 7 md / 1 mb / 2d ac / 2 ad / 1 ag / 1 mc / 8 md / 1e ac / 1 ad / 2 af / 3 mc / 4f ac / 1 ad / 2 ag / 1 me / 2 md / 1g ab / 1 ac / 1 ah / 1 me / 4 md / 1 mb / 4h ab / 1 ah / 1 aj / 1 me / 4 md / 1 mb / 2j ab / 1 af / 3 mc / 5 md / 1k ab / 1 af / 3 me / 5n ac / 3 ag / 2 mc / 2 md / 1 mb / 1p aa / 4 ac / 1 md / 4q aa / 2 ad / 1 aj / 1 mk / 4 mg / 2r aa / 3 aj / 1 mf / 5controlsa mf / 2 mg / 1b mg / 1 -- c mf / 1d mc / 12 md / 1f mc / 5 md / 1 mb / 3 ma / 1g mc / 3 md / 1 mb / 2______________________________________ ma ) no . 3 alkyd resin mb ) hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene ( arco poly bd45ht ) mc ) 12 wt % cobalt naphthenate md ) 6 wt % manganese naphthenate me ) divinyl benzene mf ) cumylphenyl acetate ( kenrich ) mg ) biphenylphenyl ether ( dow ) mk ) diallyl phthalate three percent by weight of each of the above concentrates were added to the alkyd ink and , using conventional lithographic processing , were applied to a series of substrates the printing pres used was a standard single color a . b . dick model 360 copier , using a standard offset spray powder attachment . no extra or special adjustments were used . this press includes an integrated dampening system using 10 % isopropyl alcohol in the dampening solution . in all test cases the alcohol was omitted . the press operates on the offset principle ; i . e ., the ink is carried from the ink fountain by means of a series of inking rollers to a presensitized printing plate which is mounted on an impression cylinder . the ink is deposited as a thin film onto the ink - receptive portion of the printing plate . the impression cylinder revolves and deposits the inked image onto a second cylinder covered with a rubber blanket . the rubber blanket cylinder revolves and deposits the inked image onto the substrate . to produce a clear printed image , the printing plate must reject ink receptivity in the non - image area . this is accomplished by applying a thin film of water to the non - image area of the printing plate by means of a series of rollers which carry the water to the plate in unison with the ink . table ii______________________________________additive dry to wetting tape rubconcentrate touch - mr angle test resistance______________________________________clear rigid pvc sheet ( extruded & amp ; tin stabilized ) none & gt ; 24 & gt ; 45 f & lt ; 10control d 22 & gt ; 45 f & lt ; 10a 3 & lt ; 20 p & gt ; 50b 4 & lt ; 20 p & gt ; 100c 6 & lt ; 20 p & gt ; 50d 8 & lt ; 30 p & gt ; 50clear acrylic sheet ( polymethylmethacrylate homopolymer ) none & gt ; 24 & gt ; 30 f & lt ; 10control d 21 & gt ; 30 f & lt ; 20a 3 & lt ; 20 p & gt ; 50b 4 & lt ; 20 p & gt ; 70e 5 & lt ; 20 p & gt ; 50f 7 & lt ; 20 p & gt ; 60white polyester sheet ( 2 wt % rutile tio . sub . 2 modifiedpolyethylene terephthalate ) none & gt ; 24 & gt ; 45 f & lt ; 10control c 22 & gt ; 45 f & lt ; 20b 4 & lt ; 20 p & gt ; 50e 6 & lt ; 30 p & gt ; 50g 7 & lt ; 20 p & gt ; 50aluminum foil ( no . 1 mill finish ) none & gt ; 24 & gt ; 45 f & lt ; 10control d & gt ; 24 & gt ; 45 f & lt ; 10a 3 & lt ; 30 p & gt ; 30c 7 & lt ; 30 p & gt ; 50e 6 & lt ; 30 p & gt ; 30chrome coated paper stocknone 21 & gt ; 45 f & lt ; 30control d 17 & gt ; 30 m & lt ; 30c 4 & lt ; 20 p & gt ; 50d 6 & lt ; 20 p & gt ; 50g 4 & lt ; 20 p & gt ; 50______________________________________ a ) 50 % relative humidity , 75 ° f . tape test ( astm d3359 ). p = pass ; f = fail ; m = marginal b ) two printed surfaces rubbed to illegibility after drying for 48 hours . the utility of selected additive concentrates of the instant invention for the improvement of adhesion , drying rate , wetting ability and abrasion resistance of alkyd lithographic ink on a variety of non - porous substrates is clearly demonstrated by the above data . this example describes the enhanced utility of the additiv concentrates of the instant invention when added to alkyd - based lithographic inks prior to pigment grind . a 100 % solids 30 wt % diarylide yellow ink was prepared by three times milling of the pigment in a solution of 7 wt % of the indicated additive concentrate in a no . 5 , 100 % solids china oil - based alkyd to produce an ink having a viscosity of 40 , 000 to 55 , 000 cps . to formulate the ink without the additive concentrate or with a control , it was necessary to use 25 wt % of a no . 3 china alkyd in order to produce an acceptable viscosity ink . these inks were used in standard lithographic processing and the results are given in table iii : table iii______________________________________additivecon - hegman dry to tape rub re - uv / corrcentrate grind touch , hrs . test sistance resist . ______________________________________clear polystyreneb 7 8 p & gt ; 20 & gt ; 200d 7 7 p & gt ; 30 & gt ; 200e 7 7 m & gt ; 50 & gt ; 200g 7 6 p & gt ; 50 & gt ; 300h 6 4 p & gt ; 50 & gt ; 500k 7 4 p & gt ; 50 & gt ; 500n 7 5 p & gt ; 60 & gt ; 500none 4 & gt ; 24 f & lt ; 10 & lt ; 100control a 5 & gt ; 24 f & lt ; 20 & lt ; 200control f 5 & gt ; 24 f & lt ; 20 & lt ; 200aluminized mylara 6 7 p & gt ; 20 & gt ; 500e 7 7 p & gt ; 50 & gt ; 500h 6 4 p & gt ; 50 & gt ; 500k 7 4 p & gt ; 50 & gt ; 500n 7 4 p & gt ; 70 & gt ; 500p 7 2 p & gt ; 70 & gt ; 500none 4 & gt ; 24 f & gt ; 20 & lt ; 200control d 5 & gt ; 24 f & gt ; 20 & lt ; 200control f 5 & gt ; 24 f & lt ; 30 & lt ; 200control g 6 22 m & lt ; 30 & lt ; 300______________________________________ a ) see footnote table ii b ) see footnote table ii c ) quv cabinet at 100 ° f . the above data clearly show the benefits of the additive concentrates of the instant invention with respect to dry time , adhesion and corrosion resistance when added prior to pigment grind to the lithographic alkyd ink . this example teaches the utility of the selected additive concentrates of the instant invention in conjunction with polyester ink lithography . a commercial black polyester lithographic ink was modified by addition of ( unless otherwise indicated ) 1 part of selected additive concentrates to 9 parts ink and applied to lo mil 80 durometer flexible polyvinyl chloride and / or to 12 mil corona treated high density polyethylene sheet stocks . the results are given in table iv : table iv______________________________________additive dry to tape rubconcentrate touch , hrs . test resistance______________________________________flexible pvcnone 10 f & lt ; 20control a / 2 10 f & lt ; 30control b / 2 11 m & lt ; 30a / z 7 p & gt ; 50b / z 6 p & gt ; 50c / z 7 p & gt ; 40q / z 5 p & gt ; 50r / z 4 p & gt ; 100r / 0 . 5 5 p & gt ; 70r / 0 . 2 6 p & gt ; 50high density polyethylenenone 10 f & gt ; 10control a / z 11 m & gt ; 20control b / z 11 f & gt ; 20a / z 8 p & gt ; 30a / 0 . 5 7 p & gt ; 20q / z 5 p & gt ; 50q / 0 . 5 6 p & gt ; 30______________________________________ a ) where indicated , parts by weight per 100 parts of ink . the data given in table iv clearly show that the additive concentrates of the instant invention may be employed even at low levels to significantly improve the lithography of non - porous surfaces . this example teaches the utility of the additive concentrates of the instant invention in the production of high solids ( low volatiles ) lithographic acrylic ink . red acrylic inks were prepared by three times roll milling 25 wt % on acrylic solids of rubine red in a solution of 30 wt % acrylic resin ( rohm & amp ; haas b66 ) in xylene ( containing the indicated wt % of the selected additive concentrate on acrylic solids ), followed by dilution to 50 , 000 ± 500 cps brookfield viscosity with incremental xylene . by lithographic application , the inks were applied to prismatic foil and galvanized steel sheetstocks . the results of these runs are in table v : table v______________________________________additive % xylene dry topkg / hegman in fin - touch , tape rubpha grind ished ink hrs . test resistance______________________________________prismatic foilnone 5 77 7 f & lt ; 30control a / z 6 73 8 f & lt ; 50control b / z 6 74 8 m & lt ; 50a / 2 6 67 5 p & lt ; 90a / 0 . 5 6 68 5 p & lt ; 90b / 2 6 65 5 p & lt ; 70b / 0 . 5 6 65 5 p & gt ; 70b / 0 . 1 6 65 5 p & gt ; 70r / 2 7 + 64 4 p & gt ; 100r / 0 . 5 7 + 65 4 p & gt ; 100galvanized steelnone 7 f & lt ; 30control b 8 f & lt ; 50r / 2 4 p & gt ; 100r / 0 . 5 4 p & gt ; 100r / 0 . 1 4 p & gt ; 80______________________________________ the data in table v clearly demonstrate that the introduction of selected additive concentrates of the instant invention may be employed to significantly reduce solvent emissions , enhance pigment grind , improve adhesion and reduce abrasion resistance in acrylic lithographic ink applications .
| 2 |
the various embodiments of the invention described below relate to diesel engines having cylinders equipped with a fuel injector controlled by a central unit ( microprocessor ). this unit comprises means , pursuant to the invention , for performing a series of activations of various duration for each injector and for modifying the activation periods controlled at this injector with an offset ( δt ) determined between the minimum measured activation period and the minimum predetermined activation period . furthermore , in these embodiments the measurement of the minimum activation period of an injector is performed by detecting the variations of a parameter of the combustion chamber that is modified by an injection of fuel , this chamber comprising means for transmitting these detections to the unit . in a first embodiment , the physical parameter detected is the pressure in the combustion chambers . for this purpose , each chamber has a detector measuring its internal pressure and transmitting such measurements to the central unit , the latter having means for receiving these measurements and determining the measured minimum activation period . in this first embodiment , as in all the embodiments described below , the series of activations commanded at injectors to detect their offset are distinct from activations commanding the injection of fuel , called main injection , which supplies the torque of the engine . more precisely , these activations correspond to fuel injections known as pilot injections , which make it possible to create optimum conditions of temperature and pressure in the combustion chambers for the main injection that follows . these two injections — the pilot and the main — are represented in the diagram of fig5 where the axis 52 of the ordinates corresponds to the pressure measured in bars in a combustion chamber of a cylinder and the axis 50 of the abscissas corresponds to the angle of the crankshaft of this cylinder , that is , the course of the cycle of four events ( injection , compression , combustion , and expansion and exhaust ) of combustion occurring in this cylinder . the angle 0 corresponds to the position of the piston at the top dead center ( tdc ), the negative angles correspond to the stages of injection and compression , and the positive angles correspond to the stages of combustion , expansion and exhaust . the measurement of pressure in the chamber fed by the injector tested is performed for various increasing activation periods of d 1 , d 2 , d 3 and d 4 at a constant fuel injection pressure such as 200 , 400 , 600 , 800 , 1200 or 1600 bars . a curve d i indicating the pressure measured in the cylinder as the combustion cycle advances is then obtained , at a given fuel pressure at injection , for each injector activation period d i . it is then observed that the length of period d i is such that no pilot injection is performed , whereas the periods d 2 ( curve d 2 ), d 3 ( curve d 3 ) and d 4 ( curve d 4 ) give rise to a pilot injection characterized by a pressure rise 56 due to the pilot injection , while a second pressure increase 58 is brought about by the main injection . by commanding a series of pilot injections of different activation period in each cycle , a control unit can set the minimum activation period for an injector by verifying the presence of a pressure increase 56 for this period , which then corresponds to the minimum activation period measured for this injector . the unit determines the offset δt of this injector , that is to say , the separation between the predetermined minimum activation period and the measured minimum activation period , and then correctly controls the injector while further affecting ( after these actions ) the activation period commanded at this injector with an offset δt . each curve of fig5 is obtained by a plurality of tests performed while the engine is running at a set speed and load , the amount of fuel injected at the period of the main injection being also constant . it can be difficult to measure the pressure increase 56 due to the pilot injection , particularly since the latter is close to the tdc which generates a pressure increase greater than the pressure increase 56 proper to the pilot injection . in this case the measurements may be insufficiently precise . this is why , in a second embodiment of the invention , measurements of heat released in a combustion chamber are used as the physical parameter permitting the determination of an offset of an injector . such heat releases can be determined , for example , from the pressure measurements performed above . the detection of fuel injections , and hence the determination of the measured minimum activation period is then performed with greater precision , as described below . the heat release δq produced in a combustion chamber at the period of a fuel injection gives rise to a variation of the pressure in the chamber . in fact , by considering the first principle of thermodynamics applied to the system made up of the gaseous mixture of air and fuel injected into the cylinder , it is possible to write : where du is the internal variation of energy of the fuel , and δq and δw are the heat and the work received by this mixture . since the mixture is considered as a perfect gas , it is also possible to write : where n is the number of moles of the mixture and cv is its heat capacity , dt is its temperature variation and p , v and t are , respectively , its pressure , its volume and its temperature , r being a constant equal to 8 . 314 . the elemental work δw of the mixture in extension being equal to − pdv , the relationship ( 1 ) becomes : for a perfect gas we have the relation cv / r = 1 /( γ − 1 ), with γ polytropic coefficient , γ ≈ 1 . 34 , which permits obtaining , beginning from ( 1 ter ): δq breaks down to δq = δq combustion + δq wall , wherein δq combustion represents the heat received by the mixture at the period of the combustion , and δq wall the heat lost to the wall . initially , the term δq wall is ignored . the relationship between the release of heat and the advancement of the working cycle of the cylinder is represented in fig6 which determines the heat release δq ( ordinate axis 62 ) evaluated in joules per degree of crankshaft in a combustion chamber as a function of the advancement of the combustion cycle in the cylinder ( axis 60 of the abscissas ), measured in crankshaft degrees . this fig6 was obtained by applying the above formula ( 4 ) to pressure measurements obtained as shown in fig5 , the volume v and the variation dv of the gaseous mixture being obtained from the volume of the chamber and its variation . in this fig6 , various curves ( d ′ 1 , d ′ 2 , d ′ 3 , and d ′ 4 representing the heat releases evaluated as a function of different activation periods ( d ′ 1 , d ′ 2 , d ′ 3 and d ′ 4 , respectively ) of the injector tested at constant pressure of the fuel injection into the chamber , such as 200 , 400 , 800 , 1200 or 1600 bars . it is then observed that a heat release indicating a pilot injection is detected more easily than an increase of pressure such as described above ( zone 56 of fig5 ), particularly because at the top dead center after the pilot injection , no heat release occurs . it is also found that , for the duration d ′ 1 of the activation corresponding to the curve d ′ 1 , no pilot injection was made . hence , the detection of the minimum activation period by means of the calculated heat releases is more precise , as is shown in fig7 which represents heat release measurements ( ordinate axis 72 ) in joules per crankshaft degree , in relation to various activation periods measured in microseconds ( axis 74 of abscissas ) for four injectors tested i 1 ( curve d i1 ), i 2 ( curve d i2 ), i 3 ( curve d i3 ) and i 4 ( curve d i4 ). a measure of heat release is obtained , for an injector i j and for a given activation period d j , by integrating the surface 56 ′ of fig6 obtained with the injector i j and the activation period d j . it is thus found that the heat release passes from zero value to a positive value when the pilot injection has actually taken place in the cylinder , around 265 microseconds , such a variation being easier to detect than a variation in the growth of a parameter , as done in the first embodiment . moreover , the tests performed to measure heat show very little scatter in the results obtained , as well as great strength for the various pressures at which these tests are performed . in fig8 there is shown a diagram of the operations performed by a unit 80 correcting the injection commands issued on connection with four injectors according to the invention . for this purpose , this unit 80 is programmed for the engine speed r and the torque c of the engine so as to detect ( block 82 ) whether the engine is running at an operating point at which a determination of the injection offset is to be performed , this point being defined by conditions of torque c and speed r as well as by the pressure p of the fuel upon injection , this pressure p being set by the terms of torque c and the engine speed r . if this is the case , the unit 80 performs a determination ( block 84 ) which sets the start of the fuel injection at predetermined values . in this example , these starting moments are set , for the main injection , at plus fifteen degrees , and for the pilot injection at minus fifteen crankshaft degrees . the main injection moment is set beforehand at the moment of the pilot injection so as to assure maintenance of the torque put out by the engine and so as not to interfere with the running of the vehicle when the measurement is taken . after an engine stabilization period of about 100 cycles , the engine speed r , the torque c and the amount k of fuel injected at the main injection are recorded in the memory of the unit 80 . then , for each injector i that is considered in the engine , the unit 80 performs a series of operations 86 evaluating the offset of the injector i in the conditions previously stored of the engine speed r , torque c and amount of fuel injected k . thus the series of operations 86 can be performed four periods , once for each injector i , so as to determine an offset δt i ( p ) for each injector i at the fuel injection pressure p . each series of operations 86 includes five sequences 90 of evaluation of the offset δt i ( p ) of the injector in question . when a sequence 90 of evaluations is started for an injector ( block 88 ) the following operations are performed : a first operation ( block 92 ) determines a heat release threshold s dq ( used as described further on ) by evaluating the mean heat release measured a little before the pilot fuel injection is performed , then by adding to this mean value dq m a constant amount such that a heat release greater than the threshold s dq is detectable in relation to the average release dq m . in this example , four cycles of measurements are used in computing the average heat release dq m and the constant amount added is 0 . 15 j / deg . in a second operation ( block 94 ), the unit 80 sets a short initial activation period , corresponding for example to the injection of 0 . 01 milligram of fuel , to initiate the series of different activation periods and the determination ( block 96 ) of the offset δt i ( p ) affecting the injector i , as described further on with the aid of fig9 . then , since the offset δt i ( p ) has been measured , its value is stored in memory ( block 98 ) in association with the injection pressure p used , in order to linearize the measurements on a pressure domain , as described further on with the aid of fig1 and 11 . the determination of the offset δt i ( p ) shown in fig9 uses an automatic computation to determine the shortest activation period resulting in a pilot injection of fuel into the cylinder , i . e ., a release of heat . to this effect , the various activation periods commanded by unit 80 are considered as composed of a fixed portion δt f and a variable portion x o . the determination of the minimum activation period , or of the minimum activation period of an injector , therefore consists in searching for a minimum value of x o , called x om , such that , after an activation period equal to δt f + x om the heat release measured in the combustion chamber will be greater than s dq . such a search can be carried out by various processes . in this example , a dichotomy is used to reduce an interval defined by initial variables x max and x min defined in an operation initiating the dichotomy ( block 108 ) such that , for an activation period δt f + x max , equal to a release of heat due to a pilot injection will be detected , and that , for an activation period equal to δt f + x min , this pilot injection will not be detected , while the variable x o is then set at x max + x min / 2 . then the computer 80 performs heat release measurements ( block 96 ) for an activation period equal to δt f + x o , as described by means of fig6 , i . e ., by integrating the release 56 ′ measured for an activation period of δt f + x o . in other words , in an operation 96 the average heat release dq m ( δt f + x o ) is measured for the period [ α min ; α max ] or α min and α max corresponding to crankshaft angles before and after the crankshaft angle where the pilot injection , if any , occurs . comparing ( block 112 ) this average release dq m ( δt f + x o ) with the release threshold s dq previously calculated on this same interval [ α min ; α max ], one determines whether the release dq m ( δt f + x o ) measured is above the threshold s dq , in which case it can be deduced that x min is closer to x om than x max . in this case the variable x min is held at its initial value and the variable x max takes on the value of the variable x o , the value of this last variable x o being the average ( x min + x max )/ 2 of these new terminals ( x min ; x max ( block 114 ). inversely , if the release dq m ( δt f + x o ) is less than the threshold s dq , it can be concluded that x max is closer to x om than x min . in this case , the variable x max is held at its initial value , the variable x min takes the value of the variable x o , the value of this latter value x o being calculated from the new terminals ( x min ; x max ) ( block 116 ). a convergence test ( operation 118 ) makes it possible to determine whether the period [ x min ; x max ] satisfies a given convergence criterion indicating the desired accuracy in the calculation of the minimum activation period ( δt f + x o ). if this convergence criterion is satisfied , that is to say , if the interval [ x min ; x max ] is less than a given period of time , the unit 80 determines the final value of x o as being equal to x om , that is to say , such that the measured minimum activation period is δt f + x om under the given conditions ( pressure and engine speed ) ( block 120 ). if not , since the period [ x min ; x max ] is too great , the average heat release in the next period is calculated ( block 96 ) as well as the test 112 on this new value and the operations ( blocks 114 and 116 ) already described . saving this result ( block 98 of fig8 ) permits obtaining the five values calculated for each given set of conditions of pressure and engine speed . these operating conditions are chosen so as to cover the entire working range of the engine . to this effect , considering that this range covers from 200 to 1600 bars ( fig1 ) a linearization of the measured offsets is performed on the pressure ranges covering 200 bars of variation , such as a range from 400 to 600 bars . then , when the engine is running at a pressure p within such a range of linearization , the value of the offset considered for this pressure p corresponds to the value determined by this linearization ( fig1 ). in another embodiment of the invention , the injection lag of an injector is detected by measuring the ionic current created by a combustion of fuel . for this purpose an ionic current detector is integrated into the chamber , for example by means of a preheating plug located in the cylinder , this preheating plug acting as an electrode transmitting a current when ions issuing from a combustion are situated in its vicinity . in another embodiment , the injector is used as an electrode . fig1 represents such an electric current ( axis of ordinates 122 ) expressed in volts for the various activation periods of the injectors tested . in this fig1 the maximum ionic current relating to four injectors i ′ 1 , i ′ 2 , i ′ 3 and i ′ 4 are represented . these activation periods are expressed in microseconds ( axis of the abscissas 120 ). it is then observed that a lengthening of the activation periods gives rise to an increase in the ionic current measured . however , due to its local nature , the ionic current measurement results in more disperse measurements than those relating to pressure or a release of heat . this is why , as shown in fig1 for an injector i i , it is possible to make several ionic current measurements for one and the same activation period and to consider the average & lt ; i i & gt ; of these activation currents as the measurement associated with this period so as to determine the minimum activation period 125 generating a pilot injection . another embodiment of the invention uses the detection of the ionic current generated by the main injection to detect the occurrence of a pilot injection . because , when a pilot injection takes place prior to the main injection , the main amount of the fuel will burn considerably sooner than it will when it arrives in a cooler combustion chamber . in this fig1 , the instant in which the main injection is detected is shown , this instant being defined by crankshaft degrees ( axis of ordinates 128 ) in the combustion chamber for different activation periods ( axis of abscissas 130 ) signaled to injectors i 5 , i 6 , i 7 and i 8 for pilot injections . note first of all that the distribution of the measurements taken in this embodiment is different from the distribution of the current measurements performed in the embodiment previously described . in fact , the measurements shown in fig1 relate to the measured instant of the main fuel injection detected by measuring an ionic current . so , in the absence of a pilot injection ( activation period between 50 and 175 microseconds ), the main injection is detected for crankshaft angles comprised mostly between eight and six degrees . inversely , in the presence of pilot injection ( activation period between 200 and 400 microseconds ), the main injection begins more quickly to stabilize at five crankshaft degrees . secondly , it is noted also that the variation of the measured value ( crankshaft degrees ) is greater , and therefore more easily detectable in this embodiment than the ionic current variation in the embodiment previously described . in fact , the ionic current created by the main injection is greater than the ionic current created by a pilot injection and is easier to measure . in a manner similar to the embodiment previously described , multiple measurements relating to an injector i i ( fig1 ) can be used so as to obtain a mean measurement & lt ; i i & gt ; used to determine the threshold 133 indicating the minimum activation period generating a pilot injection . however , the crankshaft degree measurements also have an extended distribution and the minimum injection period wherein the lessening of the ionic current begins may not be determined with sufficient precision . this is why in one embodiment a combination of the detection of the two phenomena described above is used , that is , the detection of an ionic current due to a pilot injection , and the influence of this injection on the main injection , to obtain a fine and linear detection of the instant of injection as represented in fig1 . in this fig1 there is shown the ionic current measurement ( axis of ordinates 136 ) performed in a cylinder for different activation periods d 4 ( curve d 4 ), d 5 ( curve d 5 and d 6 ( curve d 6 ) of its injector . the current measurements being represented as the cycle advances in crankshaft degrees ( axis of abscissas 138 ), it is noted that , in the presence of a pilot injection ( curves d 5 and d 6 ), the main injection is faster and starts around 3 crankshaft degrees , whereas in the absence of pilot injection ( curve d 4 ) the main injection is not detected until around eight crankshaft degrees . otherwise the pilot injection ( curves d 5 and d 6 ) is detected around minus eight crankshaft degrees . in one embodiment of the invention , the measurement of the offsets and the memory entries resulting therefrom are performed periodically , for example every 1000 kilometers traveled by the vehicle . in a variant of the invention , the measurements and memory entries are performed when the vehicle is serviced .
| 5 |
a way to reduce switching losses at low temperatures is to parallel two switches , one switch maintained at a low temperature to absorb the conduction losses , while maintaining the other switch at a higher temperature for absorbing the switching losses . this parallel combination leads to high efficiency and is the basis of this invention . the higher temperature switch can be a mosfet or other solid state switch ( ie , igbt , igct , etc .). the conduction losses are absorbed by the more efficient cooled mosfet switch , which has a lower on - state resistance . it should be understood that the higher temperature may equal , exceed , or be less than room temperature , although advantage of operating one of the two parallel switches at room temperature is apparent in that equipment and operational requirements are simplified . embodiments are described and illustrated herein with the “ higher temperature ” at room temperature ( 300 k ) although , as stated above , the higher temperature can equal , be less than , or exceed room temperature . the embodiments are described and illustrated generally as operating with the “ low temperature ” at a cryogenic level ( 77 k ). however , the only limitation on the “ low temperature ” is that it is lower than the “ higher temperature ”. the hybrid switch 10 of fig2 includes two mosfets , 12 , 14 , in parallel , one 12 for switching and one 14 for conduction . a control unit 40 sets the mosfets respectively in a conducting or non - conducting state . this parallel combination 10 of a switching module and a separate conduction module is referred to herein as a hymos topology , short for “ hybrid mosfet .” there are several different variations on and embodiments of the hymos topology , and these embodiments need not always involve mosfets as the active modules . in this particular case of fig2 , the switching mosfet 12 is operated at high temperatures ( 300 k or above ) whereas the conduction mosfet 14 is operated at a low temperature ( 77 k nominal ) provided by a refrigeration unit 42 . the mosfets in all of these diagrams are shown with diodes 16 that are integral to their structure . in fig3 , a cooled mosfet 14 ( 77 k ) is generically connected in parallel with other types of room temperature switching modules 18 , that is , other than mosfets . these can be , for example , igbts , igcts , transistors , etc . diodes may also be used as switches 18 . fig4 illustrates an equivalent hybrid mos circuit . in this case the hybrid mosfet equivalent circuit is a diode 18 ′ in parallel with a cold mosfet 14 . here the switching losses are absorbed by the diode 18 ′ at 300 k and the cooled mosfet 14 is turned on later to reduce or eliminate the diode conduction losses . the circuit described in fig2 can also operate as a diode . in this case the switch is actively opened when reverse biased . for thyristor type ( or other bipolar ) modules 18 ″, two cooled mosfets 14 with intrinsic diodes 16 connected anti - parallel are shown in fig5 . the mosfet pair can stand off bipolar voltages without conducting . for high voltage operation ( beyond the voltage breakdown of a single module ), many cooled mosfets 14 may be connected in series to increase the voltage breakdown level . for added current , the cooled mosfets 14 may be paralleled . in fig6 , a series parallel arrangement is shown which gives added voltage and current capability beyond the specifications of a single module . divider networks ( not shown ) may be necessary to insure the even distribution of voltage across the mosfets 14 . a high voltage switching module 18 such as , for example , another string of mosfets , an igbt , igct , or diode is put in parallel at room temperature to absorb the switching losses . the main advantage of this configuration is the low conduction loss . a secondary advantage is the fact that the cooled series mosfet switch is protected during switching . sometimes transients can cause series mosfet circuits to become unbalanced , leading to an over - voltage situation across a single module . a high voltage , high current bipolar switch is illustrated in fig7 . the bipolar switch in fig7 uses a group of low temperature ( 77 k ) series - parallel mosfets 14 with opposing diodes 16 . this topology is based on fig5 , but has added voltage and current capability . fig8 provides a practical example of the hybrid mosfet switching module 20 in accordance with the invention in a circuit 22 including an inductor 24 , diode 26 and load 28 . a timing diagram is shown in fig9 . the switch 20 operates as follows : 1 ) assume the inductor 24 is carrying a current i o which is flowing through a perfect diode , so that , i o = i d . the switches q 1 and q 2 are initially opened . the initial voltage across the switch is v o . 2 ) the switch is activated in the on or closed state by applying voltage to g 1 which causes the current to transfer from the diode into the 300 k switch q 1 . when the current is completely transferred to q 1 we have i 1 = i 0 . once the voltage across the switch is stabilized to the on - state of v ( 1 , on ), g 2 is turned on . because q 2 has a lower on - state voltage than q 1 , the current transfers from q 1 to q 2 , at which time i 2 = i 0 . since the v ( 2 , on ) is much less than v ( 1 , on ), the conduction losses are dramatically lowered . 3 ) the switch is opened in the following way . g 1 is turned on again to prepare q 1 to conduct . g 2 is turned off after q 1 is on . the current smoothly transfers from q 2 to q 1 . after the current is completely transferred to q 1 , q 1 is opened by turning off g 1 . the room temperature switch q 1 takes all the turn - off losses and q 2 remains off in this process . in this manner , the switching losses are isolated from the conduction switch q 2 . the concept of having a hybrid switch , containing separate switch modules dedicated to switching while other switch modules are dedicated to conduction during the on time , is a circuit topology herein named switch - conduction switch ( scons ). there are two subgroups of the scons topology : hyper - con and hyper - switch . the term “ hyper - con ” is an abbreviation for “ hyper - conducting module ”, and the hymos topology falls under this category . this is merely a matter of terminology , and both the hyper - con and hymos topologies have been described earlier in this application . a hymos circuit is simply a hyper - con circuit utilizing mosfets as the conduction components 14 . the following portion of the application describes a second type of module 30 , 50 called a hyper - switch , which is basically a reverse hyper - con . these modules are illustrated respectively in fig1 and 11 . both modules use two groups of switch modules in tandem . one switch module provides the turn - on and turn - off losses while the other module provides the conduction losses during the “ on ” time of the switch . the “ on ” time losses are mainly conduction losses . in the hyper - con ( fig1 ), conduction losses are absorbed by modules 14 ′ operating at low temperatures , whereas the switching losses are absorbed at higher temperatures , typically , but not limited to , room temperature by modules 18 . the hyper - con concept takes advantage of the reduction of on - state voltage drop in many cryo - cooled semiconductor components , especially mosfets . in the hyper - switch 30 ( fig1 ), the opposite is true . the conduction losses are absorbed typically at room temperature by module 32 and the switching losses are taken at lower temperatures by module 34 . the hyper - switch concept takes advantage of the reduction in switching times exhibited by many semiconductor power components at low temperatures . as in the case of hyper - cons , hyper - switches can use mosfets or non - mosfets , such as igbts , igcts , diodes , or thyristors . for high voltage or high current applications , one or both of the switching and conduction modules can be realized using chains of series - or parallel - connected components . mosfets and igbts have very high speeds at low temperatures . mosfets are so fast that the speeds may not be practical in large - scale series / parallel arrays . in high - voltage , high current applications , if the series - parallel connections of mosfets prove cumbersome , or where the number of mosfet chips or modules becomes exorbitant due to the need for such connections , it may be more beneficial to take advantage of only the improved switching speeds in igbts , igcts , diodes , or thyristors at low temperatures . the hyper - switch conduction components may be chosen from the group of non - mosfet semiconductors listed above , or they may be mosfets depending on the application . while few components can challenge the cryo - mosfet in either switching speed or reduced conduction losses , a hyper - switch containing all or some non - mosfets may prove a more cost - effective and less complex alternative because fewer components are required . in particular , the need for complex series - parallel connections could be eliminated . the scons topology , having a hybrid switch containing separate switch modules dedicated to switching and others dedicated to conduction , is a general concept applicable to any circuitry at any operating temperature . the switching modules are dedicated to absorbing the turn on and turn off losses . this performance can be enhanced by temperature ( hyper - switch ) and / or by careful selection of layouts and parts . for high speed switching this means the package layout is rf - like in nature , with minimum inductance on leads and attention paid to reduce ringing in the circuitry . on the other hand , the conduction portion of the switch is optimized to absorb and reduce conduction losses . these losses can be minimized by lowering the temperature ( hyper - con ) and / or by paralleling many components and reducing the on - state voltage . this may require a layout which is not optimized for switching , containing a large number of arrays and long leads . the merging of these two modules leads to very efficient switching . another benefit of the scons topology is that lower voltage components such as mosfets can be used for conduction , while higher voltage non - mosfets can be used for switching . this allows large arrays of mosfets or similar components to be put in parallel , driven at a reasonable speed while high voltage and higher power switches take the turn - on and turn - off switching loads . there are many instances where it may not be necessary to use temperature enhancement for only one of the modules as embodied by the hyper - con or hyper - switch . a scons switch can be built at any temperature or combination of temperatures using the best parts and layouts available for those temperatures . in summary , a first solid state module or group of series - and / or parallel - connected modules is placed in parallel with a second solid state module or group of series - and / or parallel - connected modules . one or both of these modules or groups of modules can be housed inside a cryogenic container ( not shown ) for cooling . this temperature inside this cryogenic container can be controlled via a flow of a liquid cryogen , such as liquid nitrogen , liquid helium , or any other cold liquid . it can also be controlled by one or more external refrigerators , or by a flow of one or more cold , gaseous refrigerants . when only one of these modules or groups of modules is cooled , the other module or group of modules can be placed outside of the cryogenic container , and the parallel connection between the first and second modules or groups of modules can be achieved via electrical feed - throughs , that is , wires that pass through the walls of the cryogenic container . both parallel branches need not be solid state construction although at least one branch should be to achieve the high benefits of this invention . one branch may even be of mechanical construction . a control circuit is connected to the gates of both the first and the second module or group of modules to selectively place the modules in a conducting or non - conducting state . this control circuit may or may not be cooled , and therefore may or may not be housed inside the cryogenic container . superconducting wires , connectors , cables , thin films , etc ., can and should be used wherever possible . for example , the parallel connections within the first and / or second module or group of modules can be made using superconducting thin films , provided either the first and / or second module or group of modules is cooled . heat sinks ( not shown ) can be added to either the first or second module or group of modules , and wherever else they are necessary to absorb and distribute the heat loads generated in the modules .
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as summarized above , this invention discloses that dry ice blasting provides a highly effective method for cleaning and eliminating noxious colonies of mold and other microbes , from homes and other buildings . this method involves pumping small hardened particles of dry ice ( solidified carbon dioxide , or co 2 ), roughly the size of rice grains , through a hose with a nozzle that can be directed at any surface that needs to be cleaned . all of the necessary equipment and methods have previously been developed , for uses that are entirely different from the new use disclosed herein . in particular , an entirely suitable dry ice blasting system is already commercially available , from the cryokinetics division of the l . a . w . group , inc ., in wichita , kans . ( www . cryokinetics . com ). suitable models that are sold by cryokinetics include the delta v - 1 . this type of system was initially developed for cleaning soot and smoke off of wooden and similar surfaces in a building that has suffered a fire . in addition to removing layers of soot and smoke from such surfaces , dry ice blasting can also remove the weakened surface layers of charred wood , without significantly damaging or weakening any underlying layers of wood that remain solid and strong . therefore , dry ice blasting has become a preferred method of cleaning out the interiors of buildings that have suffered fires . accordingly , the procedures and equipment that were developed for those types of cleaning operations , after a fire , can be readily adapted to microbial remediation operations . before a dry ice blasting operation can commence , sheets of plastic are emplaced across any windows , doors , or other room openings , using strong and wide adhesive tape , to seal off the room except for a single point of egress ( entry and exit ). a large fan is placed at the egress location , in a manner that will allow it to suction carbon dioxide and airborne microbes out of the room . this fan preferably should draw air through a “ hepa ” exhaust system ( this acronym stands for high efficiency particulate air filter ). that filter will trap any microbes and other particulates that have become airborne during the blasting operation , and it will be positioned in the room and / or provided with an outlet duct so that the carbon dioxide , air , and other gases that pass through the filter will be emitted to the outside atmosphere . the fan should be powerful enough to create a vacuum in the room which will generally be in the range of about 20 inches of water (“ inches of water ” refers to the vertical gap that will occur in a u - shaped tube filled with water , if one end of the u - shaped tube is open to the outside atmosphere , while the other end of the tube is subjected to the vacuum ). this will cause the atmosphere in the room to be continuously suctioned , and passed through the hepa filter . after the plastic sheeting enclosure ( often referred to as a “ tent ”) and the fan - and - filter system are in place and ready , the hidden areas where the microbes are actively growing should be exposed , to the greatest extent practicable . in most building remediations , this typically will require paneling , dry - wall , sheet - rock , ceiling panels , and other similar materials to be removed from any walls , floors , or ceiling areas that are infested , or that enclose undesirably high moisture levels . this removal operation will expose any studs , beams , joists , casings , and other internal structures and supports , as well as any electrical wiring , plumbing , heating or air conditioning ducts , and other building components that normally are hidden by the paneling , dry wall , etc . after this operation has been completed , the room is usually suctioned out for a period of time ( such as overnight ), to remove any dust that was generated during that preparatory work . when the blasting operation is ready to begin , an air compressor that can generate at least about 100 pounds per square inch of pressure is positioned outside the room that will be cleaned . these types of air compressors are commercially available ; typically , they use diesel or gasoline engines , and are mounted on a wheeled dolly or hand - truck that is small enough to be lifted to any floor in an office building , by a standard elevator . when a home is being remediated , this compressor is usually positioned outside the building , so that the engine exhaust will remain outside the building . a pneumatic hose ( which can be as long as desired ) is coupled at one end to the air compressor , and at the other end to the dry ice blasting unit . the dry ice blasting unit usually should be placed in the room being cleaned , or relatively close to the room , so that the dry ice particles will not have to travel long distances in a hose before they are emitted from the blasting nozzle . when the dry ice blasting machine is turned on , the only control on the machine that the operator will need to adjust , in most situations , will be the flow rate ( also called speed rate ) of the dry ice . this can be expressed in pounds per minute , and a typical flow rate that works well for most types of cleaning uses is in the range of about 3 lb / min . after a proper flow rate has been established , the operator uses heavy insulated gloves to hold and point the nozzle , by means of a moderately long tube , pole , or other handle - type device , which usually will also be insulated . the two main parameters that the operator will control , while actually cleaning the surfaces that need to be cleaned , will be ( 1 ) the distance of the nozzle tip from the surface being cleaned , and ( 2 ) the speed at which the operator moves the nozzle , over or across the surface being cleaned . the type of motion that is required and preferred is directly comparable to using a high - pressure water sprayer , to power - wash a deck or other outdoor surface . proper use of a high - pressure nozzle of this type is not difficult to learn , and anyone who does it for several minutes will soon realize that two offsetting factors need to be balanced against each other . better and more thorough cleaning can be achieved by holding the nozzle stationary , and close to the surface being cleaned ; however , if the nozzle is held too close to a single spot for too long , then the water jet ( during outdoor power - washing ) or dry ice blasting ( during smoke or mold remediation , inside a room ) will begin to erode and damage the wood or other material that is being cleaned . by using continuing visual inspection of the area that is being cleaned , a trained operator can quickly learn to develop and sustain a reasonable combination of motion and distance that can achieve the desired results without damaging the underlying wood or other surfaces . during a dry ice blasting process , gaseous carbon dioxide will be generated in fairly large quantities , when the dry ice particles sublimate and vaporize ( this happens immediately , when the particles impact against a solid surface ). this gaseous co 2 will carry airborne microbes that were dislodged by the blasting operation . when it is drawn through the hepa filter by the exhaust fan in the room , the microbes will be collected on the filter , and the gaseous co 2 will pass through the filter and be vented to the outside atmosphere . this type of operation usually requires workers to wear breathing equipment while in a room that is being cleaned by a blasting operation , to prevent the inhalation of microbes . typically , a full - face respirator is used , and it should be equipped with an organic and hepa cartridge ; these are available commercially , from companies such as msa ( www . msanet . com ). workers should also have an oxygen analyzer available , to ensure that the oxygen supply in a room does not fall below safe levels when displaced by carbon dioxide ; however , since the seals that are typically made by plastic sheeting and adhesive tape in a normal building are not truly air - tight , oxygen depletion is usually not a substantial danger . those skilled in the art are either already familiar with , or can quickly learn , the preferred procedures for carrying out this type of microbial remediation . all of the procedures , equipment , and supplies that are necessary or preferred for carrying out this type of microbial remediation are already known , and can be readily adapted from similar procedures that use dry ice blasting for other purposes , such as cleaning up fire and smoke damage , after a fire in a building . however , it should be noted and understood that , to the best of the inventor &# 39 ; s knowledge and belief : ( i ) dry ice blasting has not previously been used , to remove colonies of mold and other noxious microbes from inside buildings ; and , ( ii ) dry ice blasting appears to provide a nearly ideal means for microbial remediation inside homes or other buildings , and can clean a non - polished surface ( such as wood ) more thoroughly and effectively than any other known method of treatment . it leaves behind no residue , and when the blasting operation has been completed , the cleaned surfaces can be sprayed or otherwise treated , if desired , with any suitable type of disinfectant or other antimicrobial compound , to prevent or retard the subsequent growth of any new colonies . thus , there has been shown and described a new and useful means for using dry ice blasting to remove colonies of mold or other noxious microbes from inside buildings or other structures . although this invention has been exemplified for purposes of illustration and description by reference to certain specific embodiments , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications , alterations , and equivalents of the illustrated examples are possible . any such changes which derive directly from the teachings herein , and which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention , are deemed to be covered by this invention .
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for the purposes of promoting and understanding the invention and principles disclosed herein , reference is now made to the preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings , and specific language is used to describe the same . it is nevertheless understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended . such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated devices and such further applications of the principles disclosed as illustrated herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which this disclosure relates . fig5 is an illustration of a room 100 decorated with the decorating system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention . the room 100 as shown includes a back wall 60 and a floor 62 as a possible embodiment of a room . furniture 61 is placed in the room , such as a desk and a chair . other decorative elements , such as frames 57 and a white board 2 , can be attached to the walls . fig5 shows a room 100 where horizontal strips of paint or wallpaper 53 , 55 of two different colors are placed on the wall 60 . small frames 57 are shown above the decorative wall covering . while a room is shown at fig5 , what is contemplated is the use of the decorating system 1 on any surface area , any area , any object having an external surface that may be enhanced using the decorative system , such as for example business areas , cafeterias , schools , hospitals , social services , day cares , etc . in addition , the decorating system 1 can also be used on any surface of any element , such as furniture , vehicles , clothing , and the like . for example , children may purchase known design elements to held decorate a school locker , a lunch box , a bedroom , etc . the room decorating system 1 includes a plurality of foam elements shown as 50 , 51 , 52 , 54 , 58 , and 59 in fig5 . as shown in fig7 and 11 , each element 52 is generally nonplanar , having a first flat side 400 shown in fig7 resting against the wall 60 , and in opposition to the first flat side 400 a second nonplanar side 401 having an outward shape such as the rounded shape of a flower for displaying a design element such as a flower . returning to fig5 , a first foam element 50 can represent a sun , and smaller colored dots 51 can be used to simulate rays of sunshine directed at other foam elements 52 , 54 representing sunflowers and their leaves . in fig5 , a template was used and smaller - scale , flower - shaped foam elements 59 can be placed on the furniture 61 . a foam element 58 representing a small butterfly is also placed on the frame 57 to further enhance the overall decor of the room . finally , other foam elements in the shape of letters can be placed on the wall 60 or as shown , the letters can be painted directly onto the wall 60 . in the example shown in fig5 , the study room in enhanced to improve the atmosphere that can result from a computer screen and the absence of natural light . the use of an exterior scene can enhance the decor of a surface area . while opaque foam elements 58 are shown , what is contemplated is the use of any element 58 of foam or many of any other material , with a semi - opaque , transparent , semi - transparent , luminescent , or any other surface property for the aesthetic enhancement created by the element 58 . the term foam element is to be construed as any element made with any material , having any surface finish , designed to create a 3d effect on the design element to which the element 58 is placed . fig6 is a side view taken along cut line 6 - 6 as shown in fig5 to better illustrate the three - dimension features of the different design elements within the decorating system 1 . in fig6 , the side view illustrates the depth of the letters 56 , the small butterfly 58 attached to the frame 57 , and the top sunflower 52 placed over a portion of the wall covering 53 . in the close - up of fig7 , a layer of adhesive 70 is placed on the wall 60 or as shown on the wall covering 53 . in fig1 , a layer of peel - off paper 207 is placed over the double - sided adhesive layer 70 to protect the foam element 52 . what is contemplated is the use of an adhesive 70 of sufficient grip for the foam element 52 to be glued on a surface , such as the wall 60 , the wall covering layer 53 , or a piece of furniture 61 . the double - sided adhesive layer 70 has a first side 500 in contact with the first flat side 400 of the foam element 50 , 51 , 52 , 54 , 58 , and 59 , and a second side 501 in contact with a manual peel - off layer 207 for manual removal from the double - sided adhesive layer as shown in fig1 by the arrow . the second side of the adhesive layer 501 is adapted to be mounted on a first surface to be decorated in a room once the peel - off layer 207 is removed . one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that different adhesive technologies can be used to adhere different foam elements to different surfaces to prevent them from peeling off or from damaging the wall surface if and when they are ultimately removed . the use of permanent and impermanent adhesives is also contemplated . fig8 and 9 show a room before and after it is decorated using the decorating system 1 . in fig8 , the surface area includes walls 100 , furniture such as a bed 103 , and wall protectors 102 , a desk and a dresser . in fig9 , the decorated wall 101 is decorated using a design template to place strips of wall surfacing layers 53 such as paint or motif wallpaper above the bed area between other portions 55 of the wall 101 . in this example , a series of nonplanar butterflies of different sizes 58 , 59 are placed on the furniture and wall , and other foam elements such as a heart and letters 50 are placed on the board 102 . to transform a room or any other surface area as shown in fig8 into a room or surface area decorated using the decorating system 1 , a first of the plurality of foam elements is adapted to be mounted on a first surface to be decorated in the area , and a second foam element of the plurality of foam elements is adapted to be mounted on a second surface to be decorated in the area , and wherein said foam elements are arranged in a spatial arrangement within the room based on a decorative template . for example , in fig9 , the large butterfly 58 may be mounted on the wall next to the window and the heart 50 can then be mounted on the wall 101 as a second surface . other foam elements , such as the small butterflies 59 and the letters illustrating the name kendall , are also decorative elements made of foam elements . the foam elements include an outward shape in the form of a three - dimensional rendering of the design element . for example , fig7 shows how a flower can have a rounded internal portion and rounded petals . fig6 shows how letters 56 may be made using a square design element of uniform thickness . a wall surfacing layer having a first color placed in the room can be color coordinated with the design element of one of the foam elements . many different shapes and design elements can be used with the decorating system 1 , for example small vehicles , fairy tale elements , sporting elements , floral elements , sports elements , glitzy elements , neonatal elements , sea related elements , safari related elements , fantasy characters , pirate scene elements , seasonal elements , holiday specific elements . what is also contemplated is the use of licensed elements from known characters , movies , or entertainment sources . fig1 shows a display 200 utilizing a plurality of sealed pouches 205 , each for holding at least one of the plurality of foam elements 52 , 54 , and 50 . other holder devices 204 , such as racks , can be made to hold other pouches or boxes 206 ( as shown ) with the foam elements . other holder devices shown on the lower level of the display 200 hold foam elements in the shape of letters for writing names or other words on the walls of surface elements . what is also contemplated is a method of enhancing a surface area using a decorating system 1 where a user first selects and acquires a plurality of sealed pouches 205 as shown in fig1 for a surface to be enhanced . once returned in the vicinity of the surface area to be decorated , the sealed pouches are opened , the foam elements are removed from the pouches , and the protective peel - off sheet is removed from the opposite side of the foam elements before the elements are ultimately placed upon a first surface in the surface area to be enhanced . what is also contemplated is the use of either a physical store , such as a craft store or a craft section within a larger sales space , or an online store operating through a website or a web reseller . as part of this method , a user can further select and acquire a wall surfacing layer and place the wall surfacing layer on at least a surface in the area to be enhanced and where the different foam elements can be placed on walls , ceilings , floors , furniture or any other surface where decorative elements can be attached . in yet another embodiment , the method of marketing a room decorating system 1 includes a plurality of foam elements on display at a location and then to provide guidance and decorative ideas , such as through the use of an attached catalog 202 with a plurality of templates 203 as shown in fig1 , for using different foam elements within a surface area to be enhanced . in yet another embodiment , if an online store is used to market and sell the pouches containing decorative foam elements , the decoration templates can be provided to the user in the form of an electronic file shown to the user using an internet website before the user is conducted through an online purchasing process . in another contemplated embodiment , the display 200 is a physical store , the templates are provided via a television broadcast , such as a description of the product in a design television show , and the purchase by the user is conducted at the physical location of the store . finally , a small tv monitor equipped with a device to play in loop a television show or other advertising clip for the display of sample design templates can be placed at the physical store in proximity to the display 200 . while a handful of methods of providing templates along with the room enhancement system are disclosed , what is contemplated is any known advertising and marketing method used in tandem with the sale of a packaged system made of a plurality of different elements to be coordinated along with a room or surface area enhancement using templates . persons of ordinary skill in the art appreciate that although the teachings of the disclosure have been illustrated in connection with certain embodiments , there is no intent to limit the invention to such embodiments . on the contrary , the intention of this application is to cover all modifications and embodiments falling fairly within the scope of the teachings of the disclosure .
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as shown in the process depicted in fig1 of the drawings , raw naphtha in line 10 is passed along with recycle wash oil from line 12 by means of line 14 to heat exchanger 16 wherein the naphtha - wash oil admixture is heated to a temperature in the range of from about 250 ° to about 350 ° f . ( 121 ° to about 177 ° c . ), preferably from about 300 ° to about 350 ° f . ( 149 ° to about 177 ° c .). the temperature is selected so as to minimize fouling in heat exchanger 16 , since at higher temperatures polymer is formed and fouls the heat exchanger surface excessively . any raw naphtha fraction can be treated by the process of the present invention . however , the present process is particularly suitable for treating naphtha fractions produced in a coal liquefaction process , since such fractions contain polymer precursor impurities not normally susceptible to removal by conventional saturation techniques , such as catalytic hydrogenation using a palladium catalyst . as used in the present application , the term &# 34 ; naphtha &# 34 ; comprises a hydrocarbon fraction boiling in the range c 5 - 400 ° f . ( c 5 - 204 ° c . ), but not necessarily throughout the entire range . for example , a preferred boiling range is c 5 - 380 ° f . ( 193 ° c .) with c 5 - 350 ° f . ( 177 ° c .) being even more preferred . likewise , the naphtha may have a higher initial boiling point , for example , 150 ° f . ( 66 ° c .) or 200 ° f . ( 93 ° c .). a &# 34 ; raw naphtha fraction &# 34 ; is a naphtha fraction containing polymer forming impurities . as used in the present application the expression &# 34 ; wash oil &# 34 ; includes a hydrocarbon fraction boiling in the range of between about 400 ° to about 800 ° f . ( 204 ° to about 427 ° c . ), preferably from about 500 ° to about 800 ° f . ( 260 ° to about 427 ° c . ), especially from about 550 ° to about 750 ° f . ( 288 ° to about 399 ° c .). an especially preferred wash oil is a distillate fraction boiling within the aforesaid ranges obtained in a coal liquefaction process , e . g ., a middle distillate fraction . the heated naphtha - wash oil mixture is passed by means of line 18 to soak tank 20 wherein the mixture is held for a residence time sufficient to permit polymer formation , since reactive polymer - forming material will react in soak tank 20 , which is preferably an insulated vessel which will maintain the temperature of the naphtha - wash oil mixture without significant heat loss . a suitable residence time for the mixture in the soak tank is , for example , from about 5 to about 30 minutes , preferably from about 10 to about 20 minutes . the mixture is then passed by means of line 22 to vaporizer 24 , which is provided with conventional vapor - liquid contact means 26 to permit some amount of fractionation in a stagewise manner . the vapor - liquid contact means may consist of any form of conventional packing or fractionation tray design which does not provide significant flow restrictions in the vaporizer 24 so that it does not become plugged by a small amount of polymer deposits . meanwhile , recycle hydrogen in line 28 is passed through fired heater 30 to heat the recycle hydrogen to a temperature in the range of from about 500 ° to about 1200 ° f . ( 260 ° to about 649 ° c . ), preferably from about 800 ° to about 1000 ° f . ( 427 ° to about 538 ° c . ), and the heated hydrogen is passed through line 32 into a lower portion of vaporizer 24 wherein it is passed upwardly and thus in a direction countercurrent to the generally downward flow of the naphtha - wash oil mixture which is introduced into the upper part of column 24 . in this manner , the heated hydrogen strips and vaporizes the naphtha from the naphtha - wash oil mixture , while a portion of the polymer precursors and polymerized material soluble in the wash oil are absorbed in the wash oil . any remaining polymer precursor material passes out of vaporizer 24 with the naphtha , but will not form a polymer deposit in downstream equipment . any suitable conditions can be utilized in vaporizer 24 which can be operated , for example , at a temperature in the range of from about 400 ° to about 700 ° f . ( 204 ° to about 371 ° c . ), preferably from about 450 ° to about 650 ° f . ( 232 ° to about 343 ° c . ), while under a total pressure of from about 300 to about 2500 psig ( 21 to about 175 kg / cm 2 ), preferably from about 1200 to about 1800 psig ( 84 to about 126 kg / cm 2 ). the amount of naphtha vaporized in column 24 is controlled by varying the temperature and rate of hydrogen fed to obtain maximum separation of the naphtha from the wash oil so that the maximum naphtha is carried over without excessive wash oil . for example , the naphtha in the overhead may contain from about 0 to about 20 volume percent wash oil , preferably no more than from about 5 to about 10 volume percent wash oil . the non - vaporized liquid , which is predominantly wash oil with lesser amounts of polymerized material is discharged from vaporizer 24 through line 36 . a portion of this material is withdrawn for disposal by line 38 , while the remainder is passed for recycle by means of line 40 and pump 42 through line 44 . makeup wash oil is introduced into line 44 as necessary from line 46 , which contains wash oil separated from the hydrotreated product in line 47 and fresh wash oil from line 49 , and is passed by means of lines 48 and 45 to heat exchanger 50 wherein the recycle wash oil can be brought up to desired temperature and then introduced by means of line 52 into vaporizer column 24 . preferably , at least a portion of the recycle wash oil in line 48 is passed by means of line 12 for admixture with raw naphtha in line 10 and passed to line 14 and heat exchanger 16 so that the naphtha - recycle wash oil mixture can be preheated together as previously described . all of the recycle wash oil in line 48 can be passed directly to line 12 for admixture with the raw naphtha . alternatively , all or a portion of the recycle wash oil in line 48 can be passed via line 45 , heater 50 and line 52 to the vaporizer . regardless of whether recycle wash oil is passed through one or both of lines 12 and 52 , the total wash oil rate in line 48 is from about 2 to about 50 volume percent of the raw naphtha rate in line 10 , and is preferably from about 5 to about 20 volume percent thereof . the hydrogen stream 28 can comprise from about 60 to about 100 percent hydrogen on a molar basis , preferably from about 75 to about 100 mol percent hydrogen . the hydrogen in line 32 is introduced into vaporizer 24 at a rate of from about 2 , 000 to about 10 , 000 standard cubic feet of hydrogen per barrel of naphtha , preferably from about 3 , 000 to about 5 , 000 s . c . f ./ bbl . a purified , vaporized hydrogen - naphtha mixture is withdrawn from vaporizer 24 by means of line 34 and passed to heat exchanger 54 to heat the mixture to a temperature of from about 500 ° to about 700 ° f . ( 260 ° to about 371 ° c . ), preferably from about 600 ° to about 650 ° f . ( 316 ° to about 343 ° c .). the heated mixture is then passed by means of line 56 to furnace 58 to further raise the temperature of the mixture and can be therein heated from about 600 ° to about 800 ° f . ( 316 ° to about 427 ° c . ), preferably from about 650 ° to about 750 ° f . ( 343 ° to about 399 ° c .) furnace 58 is optional and need not be employed if the mixture is already within the desired temperature range . the heated vaporous mixture of hydrogen and naphtha is then passed by means of line 60 to hydrotreater - reactor 62 for removal of sulfur , nitrogen , olefinic and oxygen impurities . in reactor 62 the naphtha - hydrogen mixture is subjected to a temperature in the range of from about 500 ° to about 800 ° f . ( 260 ° to about 538 ° c . ), preferably from about 650 ° to about 750 ° f . ( 343 ° to about 399 ° c .) under the same pressure conditions utilized in connection with vaporizer 24 . the charge stock is passed through the reactor at a liquid hourly space velocity of from about 0 . 2 to 3 . 0 , preferably from about 0 . 8 to about 1 . 5 based upon the vaporized naphtha rate fed to reactor 62 . reactor 62 is preferably provided with multiple catalyst beds 64 and 66 with hydrogen quench being injected by means of line 80 to control exothermic heat of reaction . any suitable naphtha hydrotreating catalyst can be utilized in reactor 62 including group vi and group viii metals on a support such as nickel - cobalt - molybdenum , nickel - molybdenum , cobalt - molybdenum , or the like , supported on alumina . such catalysts are well known to this art and are described for example in u . s . pat . no . re . 29 , 315 to carlson et al as well as in u . s . pat . nos . 2 , 880 , 171 and 3 , 383 , 301 , the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference . a nickel - molybdenum on alumina catalyst is preferred . hydrotreated naphtha is withdrawn from reactor 62 by means of line 72 and passed through heat exchanger 54 and line 74 to vapor - liquid separation system 76 which is composed of multiple fractionation means . recycle hydrogen is withdrawn from vapor - liquid separation system 76 by means of line 78 , and a portion of the recycle hydrogen is passed by means of line 80 to be used as quench in reactor 62 . the remaining recycle hydrogen is passed by means of line 82 as recycle hydrogen for addition to line 28 and joins any makeup hydrogen added by means of line 84 for passage to vaporizer 24 as a stripping medium . the hydrotreated naphtha is withdrawn from vapor - liquid separation system 76 by means of line 86 and is passed as reformer feedstock to a catalytic reformer system ( not shown ) for conversion of the naphtha to high octane gasoline and aromatics . the naphtha in line 86 preferably has a maximum astm end point of 400 ° f . which is consistent with reformer feedstock requirements , for example , less than : ( 1 ) 0 . 5 volume percent olefins ; ( 2 ) 0 . 5 ppm sulfur ; ( 3 ) 0 . 2 ppm nitrogen and ( 4 ) 5 ppm oxygen . a separated wash oil fraction is withdrawn from separation system 76 by means of line 88 , and at least a portion of the recovered wash oil is recycled by means of line 47 for use in the vaporizer 24 , while another portion thereof can be withdrawn from the system by means of line 90 . vaporizer 24 and hydrotreater 62 are preferably utilized under the same total pressure except for any slight pressure drop in the connecting lines . referring now to fig2 a preferred coal liquefaction process is shown , which process is a suitable source of the raw naphtha utilized in the process of fig1 . as seen in fig2 dried and pulverized raw coal is passed through line 110 to slurry mixing tank 112 wherein it is mixed with recycle slurry containing recycle normally solid dissolved coal , recycle mineral residue and recycle distillate solvent boiling , for example , in the range of between about 350 ° f . ( 177 ° c .) to about 900 ° f . ( 482 ° c .) flowing in line 114 . the expression &# 34 ; normally solid dissolved coal &# 34 ; refers to 900 ° f .+ ( 482 ° c .+) dissolved coal which is normally solid at room temperature and free of mineral matter . the feed slurry contains , for example , from about 20 to 35 weight percent coal , and is withdrawn by means of line 116 and is pumped by means of reciprocating pump 118 and admixed with recycle hydrogen entering through line 120 and with make - up hydrogen entering through line 121 prior to passage through preheater tube 123 , which is disposed in furnace 122 . the slurry is heated in furnace 122 to a temperature sufficiently high to initiate the exothermic reactions of the process . the temperature of the reactants at the outlet of the preheater is , for example , from about 700 ° f . ( 371 ° c .) to 760 ° f . ( 404 ° c .). at this temperature the coal is essentially all dissolved in the solvent , and the exothermic hydrogenation and hydrocracking reactions are beginning . whereas the temperature gradually increases along the length of the preheater tube , the back mixed reaction is at a generally uniform temperature throughout and the heat generated by the hydrocracking reactions in the reactor raises the temperature of the reactants , for example , to the range of from about 820 ° f . ( 438 ° c .) to about 870 ° f . ( 466 ° c .). hydrogen quench passing through line 128 is injected into the reactor at various points to control the reaction temperature . the temperature conditions in the reactor can include , for example , a temperature in the range of from about 430 ° to about 470 ° c . ( 806 ° to 878 ° f . ), preferably from about 445 ° to about 465 ° c . ( 833 ° to 871 ° f .). the slurry undergoing reaction is subjected to a total slurry residence time of from about 1 . 2 to about 2 hours , preferably from about 1 . 4 to about 1 . 7 hours , which includes the nominal residence time at reaction conditions within the preheater and reaction zones . the hydrogen partial pressure is at least about 1000 psig ( 70 kg / cm 2 ) and up to 4000 psi ( 280 kg / cm 2 ), preferably between about 1500 to about 2500 psig ( 105 and 175 kg / cm 2 ), with between about 2000 to about 2500 psi ( 140 and 175 kg / cm 2 ) being especially preferred . hydrogen partial pressure is defined as the product of the total pressure and the mol fraction of hydrogen in the feed gas . the hydrogen feed rate is between about 1 . 0 and about 10 . 0 , preferably between about 2 . 0 and about 6 . 0 weight percent based upon the weight of the slurry fed . the slurry undergoing reaction is subjected to three - phase , highly backmixed , continuous flow conditions in reactor 126 . in other words , the reaction zone is operated with thorough backmixing conditions as opposed to plug flow conditions , which do not include significant backmixing . the preheater tube 123 is also a prereactor and it is operated as a heated , plug - flow reactor using a nominal slurry residence time of about 2 to 15 minutes , preferably about 2 minutes . the reaction effluent passes through line 129 to vapor - liquid separator system 130 . vapor - liquid separation system 130 , consisting of a series of heat exchangers and vapor - liquid separators , separates the reactor effluent into a noncondensed gas stream 132 , a condensed light liquid distillate in line 134 and a product slurry in line 156 . the condensed light liquid distillate from the separators passes through line 134 to atmospheric fractionator 136 . the non - condensed gas in line 132 comprises unreacted hydrogen , methane and other light hydrocarbons , along with h 2 s and co 2 , and is passed to acid gas removal unit 138 for removal of h 2 s and co 2 . the hydrogen sulfide recovered is converted to elemental sulfur which is removed from the process through line 140 . a portion of the purified gas is passed through line 142 for further processing in cryogenic unit 144 for removal of much of the methane and ethane as pipeline gas which passes through line 146 and for the removal of propane and butane as lpg which passes through line 148 . the purified hydrogen in line 150 is blended with the remaining gas from the acid gas treating step in line 152 and comprises the recycle hydrogen for the process . the liquid slurry from vapor - liquid separators 130 passes through line 156 and comprises liquid solvent , normally solid dissolved coal and catalytic mineral residue . stream 156 is split into two major streams , 158 and 160 , which have the same composition as line 156 . in fractionator 136 the slurry product from line 160 is distilled at atmospheric pressure to remove an overhead naphtha stream through line 162 , a middle distillate stream through line 164 and a bottoms stream through line 166 . the bottoms stream in line 166 passes to vacuum distillation tower 168 . the temperature of the feed to the fractionation system is normally maintained at a sufficiently high level that no additional preheating is needed other than for startup operations . a blend of the fuel oil from the atmospheric tower in line 164 and the heavy distillate recovered from the vacuum tower through line 170 makes up fuel oil product of the process and is recovered through line 172 . the stream in line 172 comprises 380 °- 900 ° f . ( 193 °- 482 ° c .) distillate liquid and a portion thereof can be recycled to the feed slurry mixing tank 112 through line 173 to regulate the solids concentration in the feed slurry . recycle stream 173 imparts flexibility to the process by allowing variability in the ratio of solvent to total recycle slurry which is recycled , so that this ratio is not fixed for the process by the ratio prevailing in line 158 . it also can improve the pumpability of the slurry . the portion of stream 172 that is not recycled through line 173 represents the net yield of distillate liquid from the process . the bottoms from vacuum tower 168 , consisting of all the normally solid dissolved coal , undissolved organic matter and mineral matter of the process , but essentially without any distillate liquid or hydrocarbon gases is discharged by means of line 176 , and may be processed as desired . for example , such stream may be passed to a partial oxidation gasifier ( not shown ) to produce hydrogen for the process . raw naphtha stream 162 is a preferred naphtha feed stream for treatment by the process of the present invention and represents the net yield naphtha from the coal liquefaction process depicted in fig2 . the naphtha stream 162 is thus utilized as raw naphtha feed to process line 10 of fig1 and is treated as described in the process of fig1 . a test was conducted to demonstrate the use of the present invention for removing polymer precursors from a naphtha fraction . the naphtha and wash oil used in the test had the following inspection . t , 0130 a mixture of naphtha and wash oil wherein the wash oil constituted 20 % by volume of the mixture was pumped to a feed preheater wherein it was heated to a temperature of 350 ° f . and then passed to a feed heat soaker for a period of 20 minutes residence time to induce polymer formation . the heated feed was then passed to the top of a vaporizor while a hydrogen stream was heated in a preheater to a temperature of 800 °- 970 ° f . and passed into the bottom of the vaporizor . the vaporizor was packed with stainless steel mesh to provide a good contact surface , and the hot hydrogen countercurrently contacted the liquid feed admixture of naphtha and wash oil therein . the hydrogen and naphtha - wash oil mixture are subjected to a temperature of approximately 560 ° f . in the vaporizer . vapor is withdrawn overhead from the vaporizor and comprises a mixture of hot hydrogen and naphtha vapors , while the vaporizor bottoms are collected . the vaporizor overhead vapor was passed directly to a preheater where the naphtha - hydrogen admixture were preheated to a temperature of 650 ° f . the mixture was then passed to a reactor containing a hydrotreating catalyst and subjected to an average reactor temperature of 700 ° f . under a reactor pressure of 1440 psig , which substantially corresponds to the pressure in the vaporizor . the reactor effluent was passed through a cooler and separator to take off hydrogen - rich gas , and the hydrotreated naphtha product passed to a separator to remove water and then to a stabilizer column pressured to 40 psig to remove light gases and any remaining hydrogen sulfide or ammonia . the stabilized product was then collected and measured . the vaporizor was disassembled and inspected for any blockage due to deposits and none were observed . during this experiment no plugging was observed in the preheater nor in the reactor . at the end of the experiment the preheater and reactor were examined and no deposits were found . this example is presented for comparative purposes . a test was conducted to hydrotreat a naphtha which had a composition similar to the naphtha of the previous example , but without utilizing the vaporizer of the present invention . in this case a preheater was used to heat the naphtha - hydrogen charge to reaction temperature prior to entering the catalyst bed . the naphtha - hydrogen mixture was passed directly to the preheater in which the temperature of the mixture was raised to 620 ° f . and passed directly to the catalyst bed . it was observed that after several days of operation the preheater became plugged with polymeric coke so as to completely stop the flow of the naphtha - hydrogen mixture into the preheater . the reactor and preheater were disassembled and inspected . the preheater was plugged with coke deposits .
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as used herein , the term “ notch protein ,” and related terms and phrases , relate generally to any member of the notch family of cell surface receptors present in metazoa . mammals possess four different notch receptors , referred to as notch1 , notch2 , notch3 , and notch4 . an example of an amino acid sequence of human notch1 is disclosed in genbank acc . no . aag33848 . 1 ( gi : 11275980 ), and is reproduced below in table 1 . as used herein the terms “ peptide ” and “ polypeptide ” and related terms designate any and all compositions in which a given amino acid residue is linked to a neighboring amino acid residue via a peptide bond . as used herein the term “ peptide ” is synonymous with “ polypeptide ”. in this usage the length of the polypeptide is not limited to a specified minimum number of amino acid residues . a polypeptide may be composed of only naturally occurring amino acid residues , or it may include modified , synthetic , or derivatized amino acid residues as well . as used herein , the term “ gamma - secretase ” or “ γ - secretase ” refers to any in vivo , ex vivo or in vitro substance containing gamma - secretase activity . thus , by way of non - limiting example , γ - secretase may be obtained from , or be found in , a live organism ( including a human , or a laboratory or veterinary animal such as a mouse , rat , or primate ) or a sample therefrom ( such as a tissue or body fluid , or extract thereof ), a cell ( such as a primary cell or cell line , or extract thereof ), extracellular medium or matrix or milieu , or isolated protein . sources of γ - secretase are not limited to naturally occurring gamma - secretase , but may also include engineered and / or synthesized gamma - secretase . a gamma - secretase refers to an enzyme ( s ) with the ability to cleave at the gamma - secretase site of a gamma - secretase substrate known to have a gamma - secretase cleavage site , e . g ., a notch protein and other gamma - secretase substrates described herein , such as a notch substrate . as used herein , gamma - secretase includes all recombinant forms , mutations , and other variants of gamma - secretase so long as these maintain a functional capability to catalyze the cleavage of molecules or substrates bearing gamma - secretase cleavage sites . in one embodiment , such a gamma - secretase cleavage site is an s3 site . the identity of notch s3 cleavage sites are known in the art . as used herein , the term “ gamma - secretase substrate ” refers to any naturally occurring or synthetic sequence of amino acids ( e . g ., polypeptides and proteins ) including a gamma - secretase cleavage site . gamma - secretase substrates are know in the art , and non - limiting examples of gamma - secretase substrates include notch proteins , app , neuregulin - 1 , alpha - protocadherin , scnb2 , tie - 1 , beta - app like protein 1 , beta - app like protein 2 , nectin - 3 , nectin - 4 , alcadein alpha , alcadein gamma , aplp1 , aplp2 , apoer2 , cd43 , cd44 , csf1r , cxcl16 , cx3cl1 , dcc , deltal , e - cadherin , ephrinb1 , ephrinb2 , ephb2 , erbb4 , ghr , hla - a2 , igf1r , ifn - alpha - r2 , il - 1r2 , ir , ire1 - alpha , jagged2 , l1 , lrp , lpr1b , lrp2 , lrp6 , n - cadherin , nectin1 - alpha , notch , notch1 , notch2 , notch3 , notch4 , nradd , p75 - ntr , pkhd1 , pcdh - alpha - 4 , pcdh - gamma - c3 , ptp - kappa , ptp - g , ptp - lar , s or cs1b , sorla , sortilin , syndecan3 , tyrosinase , tyrp1 , tyrp2 , vegf - r1 , vgsc - beta - 2 , and vldlr . another gamma - secretase substrate is a notch substrate . as used herein , the term “ notch substrate ” refers to any notch polypeptide that has fewer amino acids than a full length natural notch cell surface receptor , includes a gamma - secretase cleavage site , and is cleaved by a gamma - secretase under suitable conditions . in some embodiments , the notch substrate is cleaved at an s3 site . in some embodiments , a notch substrate further includes at least one amino acid modification . such a modification may include at least one amino acid substitution , deletion , insertion , or addition . examples of notch substrates are shown in table 2 . other notch substrates include fragments of notch substrates disclosed in table 2 . a fragment includes a gamma - secreates cleavage site and can be cleaved by a gamma - secretase under suitable conditions . a fragment may include a deletion of amino acids at the n - terminal end , the c - terminal end , or both . the total number of amino acids deleted may be at least 1 , at least 2 , at least 3 , at least 4 , at least 5 , at least 6 , at least 10 , at least 12 , at least 20 , at least 30 , at least 40 , at least 42 , and so on . the total number of amino acids may be deleted from the n - terminal end , the c - terminal end , or the combination of both . other examples of notch substrates include amino acid sequence having structural similarity to a reference notch substrate or fragment thereof . for example , polypeptides having structural similarity to a reference notch substrate include naturally - occurring allelic variants of a notch sequence that may exist in the population . a notch substrate that is structurally similar to the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide described herein has a gamma - secretase cleavage site , and is cleaved by a gamma - secretase under suitable conditions . in one embodiment , a gamma - secretase cleavage site is an s2 cleavage site , and in another embodiment a gamma - secretase cleavage site is an s3 cleavage site . methods for testing whether a polypeptide is cleaved by a gamma - secretase under suitable conditions are described below . structural similarity of two polypeptides can be determined by aligning the residues of the two polypeptides ( for example , a candidate polypeptide and any appropriate reference polypeptide described herein , such as amino acids 1732 - 1812 of seq id no : 1 or a fragment thereof ) to optimize the number of identical amino acids along the lengths of their sequences ; gaps in either or both sequences are permitted in making the alignment in order to optimize the number of identical amino acids , although the amino acids in each sequence must nonetheless remain in their proper order . a reference polypeptide may be a polypeptide described herein . a candidate polypeptide is the polypeptide being compared to the reference polypeptide . a candidate polypeptide may be isolated , for example , from a cell , or can be produced using recombinant techniques , or chemically or enzymatically synthesized . unless modified as otherwise described herein , a pair - wise comparison analysis of amino acid sequences can be carried out using parameters for polypeptide sequence comparison include the algorithm of needleman and wunsch ( 1970 , j . mol . biol . 48 : 443 - 453 ), the comparison matrix blossum62 from hentikoff and hentikoff ( 1992 , proc . natl . acad . sci . usa , 89 : 10915 - 10919 ), with gap penalty 12 and gap length penalty 4 . a program useful with these parameters is publicly available as the “ gap ” program from genetics computer group , madison wis . the aforementioned parameters are the default parameters for peptide comparisons ( along with no penalty for end gaps ). in the comparison of two amino acid sequences , structural similarity may be referred to by percent “ identity ” or may be referred to by percent “ similarity .” “ identity ” refers to the presence of identical amino acids . “ similarity ” refers to the presence of not only identical amino acids but also the presence of conservative substitutions . a conservative substitution for an amino acid in a polypeptide described herein may be selected from other members of the class to which the amino acid belongs . for example , it is known in the art of protein biochemistry that an amino acid belonging to a grouping of amino acids having a particular size or characteristic ( such as charge , hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity ) can be substituted for another amino acid without altering the activity of a protein , particularly in regions of the protein that are not directly associated with biological activity . for example , nonpolar ( hydrophobic ) amino acids include alanine , leucine , isoleucine , valine , proline , phenylalanine , tryptophan , and tyrosine . polar neutral amino acids include glycine , serine , threonine , cysteine , tyrosine , asparagine and glutamine . the positively charged ( basic ) amino acids include arginine , lysine and histidine . the negatively charged ( acidic ) amino acids include aspartic acid and glutamic acid . conservative substitutions include , for example , lys for arg and vice versa to maintain a positive charge ; glu for asp and vice versa to maintain a negative charge ; ser for thr so that a free — oh is maintained ; and gln for asn to maintain a free — nh 2 . thus , as used herein , a candidate polypeptide useful in the methods described herein includes those with at least 50 %, at least 55 %, at least 60 %, at least 65 %, at least 70 %, at least 75 %, at least 80 %, at least 85 %, at least 86 %, at least 87 %, at least 88 %, at least 89 %, at least 90 %, at least 91 %, at least 92 %, at least 93 %, at least 94 %, at least 95 %, at least 96 %, at least 97 %, at least 98 %, or at least 99 % amino acid sequence similarity to a reference amino acid sequence or fragment thereof . alternatively , as used herein , a candidate polypeptide useful in the methods described herein includes those with at least 50 %, at least 55 %, at least 60 %, at least 65 %, at least 70 %, at least 75 %, at least 80 %, at least 85 %, at least 86 %, at least 87 %, at least 88 %, at least 89 %, at least 90 %, at least 91 %, at least 92 %, at least 93 %, at least 94 %, at least 95 %, at least 96 %, at least 97 %, at least 98 %, or at least 99 % amino acid sequence identity to the reference amino acid sequence or fragment thereof . also included in the present invention are polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides disclosed herein . as used herein , the term “ polynucleotide ” refers to a polymeric form of nucleotides of any length , either ribonucleotides , deoxynucleotides , peptide nucleic acids , or a combination thereof , and includes both single - stranded molecules and double - stranded duplexes . a polynucleotide can be obtained directly from a natural source , or can be prepared with the aid of recombinant , enzymatic , or chemical techniques . an example of a polynucleotides encoding seq id no : 1 ( a notch1 polypeptide ) is genbank accession number af308602 . 1 , and the skilled person can readily identify portions of the polynucleotide that encode the notch substrates disclosed in table 2 . it should be understood that a polynucleotide encoding one of the notch substrates disclosed in table 2 is not limited to the appropriate portion of the nucleotide sequence disclosed genbank accession number af308602 . 1 , but also includes the class of polynucleotides encoding a notch substrate as a result of the degeneracy of the genetic code . for example , the naturally occurring nucleotide sequence disclosed genbank accession number af308602 . 1 is but one member of the class of nucleotide sequences encoding a notch1 polypeptide having the amino acid sequence seq id no : 1 . the class of nucleotide sequences encoding a selected polypeptide sequence is large but finite , and the nucleotide sequence of each member of the class may be readily determined by one skilled in the art by reference to the standard genetic code , wherein different nucleotide triplets ( codons ) are known to encode the same amino acid . as used herein , the term “ isolated ,” as it refers to a polypeptide refers to any polypeptide that has been removed or separated from any source , e . g ., from a cell that naturally expresses the protein , polypeptide or fragment thereof or that has been engineered to express the protein , polypeptide or fragment thereof . polypeptides that are produced by recombinant , enzymatic , or chemical techniques are considered to be isolated and purified by definition , since they were never present in a natural environment . the term “ contacting ” refers to bringing into association , either directly or indirectly , two or more substances or compositions . contacting may occur in vivo , ex vivo or in vitro . commonly contacting a first composition with a second composition brings about a transformation in the first composition , the second composition , or both compositions . conditions that “ allow ” an event to occur or conditions that are “ suitable ” for an event to occur , or “ suitable ” conditions are conditions that do not prevent such events from occurring . thus , these conditions permit , enhance , facilitate , and / or are conducive to the event . such conditions , known in the art and described herein , may depend upon , for example , the nature of a polypeptide sequence , temperature , and buffer conditions . these conditions may also depend on what event is desired . as used herein , the term “ consists essentially ,” with respect to a notch substrate of the invention , indicates that the sequence may be modified by n - terminal and / or c - terminal additions or deletions that do not cause a substantial decrease in the ability of the gamma - secretase substrate to be cleaved compared to the reference sequence . as used herein , the term “ transfection ” refers to any of the methods known in the art for introducing dna into a cell including , but not limited to , the methods of calcium phosphate or calcium chloride mediated transfection , electroporation , and infection with a retroviral vector . as used herein , the terms “ fusion protein ,” “ chimeric protein ,” and related terms and phrases , refer to a protein or polypeptide engineered to contain at least two polypeptide regions or domains , each having recognizable structure , function , or similar attribute , and , optionally , a linking peptide to operatively link the two polypeptides into one continuous polypeptide . the at least two polypeptide regions in a fusion protein are derived from different sources , and therefore a fusion protein includes two polypeptide regions not normally joined together in nature . as used herein , the terms “ linking sequence ” and “ linker peptide ” refer to one or more amino acid residues joined in peptide bonds that serve to join two polypeptide regions of differing origins in a fusion protein via a peptide bond between the linking sequence and each of the polypeptide regions . as used herein , the terms “ tag ,” “ probe ” and “ label ” refer interchangeably to a moiety bound to a target substance that permits easy detection or assay of the target . a tag , probe or label may include a particular amino acid sequence defining a polypeptide tag , probe or label , or it may include a non - proteinaceous moiety that may be readily detected by a laboratory assay . a given composition or substance , e . g ., a polypeptide , may bear one , or more than one , tag , probe or label at the same time . examples of tags include maltose binding protein , avitag , the flag epitope , biotin , digoxigenin , glutathione dehydrogenase , horse radish peroxidase , and so forth . additionally a tag , probe or label may include an antibody that specifically binds to a target substance , or to a second antibody . an antibody tag , probe or label may itself further bear a detectable moiety as a tag , probe or label , such as a fluorescent moiety , including a fluorescent moiety that may serve as a fluorescence donor or a fluorescence energy acceptor , or a moiety that responds in a chemiluminescence assay . as used herein , the term “ gamma - secretase assay ” refers to any assay which may be used to measure the activity of gamma - secretase toward a gamma - secretase substrate . as used herein , the terms “ increase ,” “ increases ,” “ increased ” and “ decrease ,” “ decreases ,” and “ decreased ” in the context of the activity of gamma - secretase refer , in some embodiments , to an increase , or a decrease , respectively : ( i ) of 0 . 5 %, 1 %. 1 . 5 %, 2 %, 5 %, 10 %, 20 %, 30 %, 40 %, 50 % or more ; or ( ii ) an increase of 1 . 5 , 2 , 3 , 4 , or 5 fold or more . as used herein , the terms “ change ,” “ changed ,” “ modulate ,” or “ modulated ,” in the context of the activity of gamma - secretase refer , in some embodiments , to : ( i ) a positive or a negative change of 0 . 5 %, 1 %. 1 . 5 %, 2 %, 5 %, 10 %, 20 %, 30 %, 40 %, 50 % or more ; or ( ii ) a positive or a negative change of 1 . 5 , 2 , 3 , 4 , or 5 fold or more . as used herein , the term “ compound ” and similar terms ( such as “ substance ” and “ agent ”) refers to any compound being tested for its ability to modulate gamma - secretase activity . as used herein , a compound and similar terms include , but are not limited to , peptides , peptidomimetics , amino acids , amino acid analogs , polynucleotides , polynucleotide analogs , nucleotides , nucleotide analogs , other organic and inorganic compounds ( e . g ., including heteroorganic and organometallic compounds ). a compound may have a molecular weight of less than 10 , 000 da , or less than 5 , 000 da , or less than 1 , 000 da , or less than 500 da , or less than 100 da . as used herein , the term “ gamma - secretase inhibitor ” refers to any molecule , compound , and / or substance capable of reducing and / or eliminating the activity of gamma - secretase . as used herein , the term “ small molecule ” and analogous terms include , but are not limited to , peptides , peptidomimetics , amino acids , amino acid analogs , polynucleotides , polynucleotide analogs , nucleotides , nucleotide analogs , other organic and inorganic compounds ( e . g ., including heteroorganic and organometallic compounds ) and forms thereof having a molecular weight of less than 10 , 000 da , or less than 5 , 000 da , or less than 1 , 000 da , or less than 500 da , or less than 100 da . as used herein , the term “ candidate ,” when referring to a compound relates to a test compound whose potential activity with respect to a certain property is undergoing assay . thus the ability of the candidate compound to manifest the property has been unknown or uncharacterized prior to the assay , and becomes apparent upon carrying the assay out . a property of interest in the present disclosure is the ability to modulate gamma - secretase activity . as used herein , the term “ therapeutic agent ” refers to any compound that is used for the purpose of treating and / or managing a disease or disorder . in one embodiment , an therapeutic agent is a gamma - secretase modulator . examples of therapeutic agents include , but are not limited to , proteins , compounds , immunoglobulins ( e . g ., multi - specific igs , single chain igs , ig fragments , polyclonal antibodies and their fragments , monoclonal antibodies and their fragments ), peptides ( e . g ., peptide receptors , selectins ), binding proteins , biologics , chemospecific agents , chemotoxic agents ( e . g ., anti - cancer agents ), proliferation - based therapy , radiation , chemotherapy , anti - angiogenic agents , and drugs . as used herein , the term “ separating ” and similar terms and phrases , when applied to a cell , connote resolving various fractions that may occur in the cell from one another . frequently a cell is disrupted to disperse its contents into a suspending solvent prior to resolving its fractions . disruption may be accomplished , for example , by homogenization , extrusion through a high shear device such as a french press , sonication , and so on . the resulting cell - free suspension may then be resolved into fractions as above . in general , as used herein , “ separating ” includes any disruption of the cell . as used herein , the term “ host cell ” includes a particular subject cell transformed or transfected with a polynucleotide and the progeny or potential progeny of such a cell . progeny of such a cell may not be identical to the parent cell transfected with the polynucleotide due to mutations or environmental influences that may occur in succeeding generations or integration of the polynucleotide into the host cell genome . as used herein , the term “ isolated ,” as it refers to a gamma - secretase inhibitor , means the physical state of a gamma - secretase inhibitor after being separated and / or purified from precursors and other substances found in a synthetic process ( e . g ., from a reaction mixture ) or natural source or combination thereof according to a process or processes described herein or which are well known to the skilled artisan ( e . g ., chromatography , recrystallization and the like ) in sufficient purity to be capable of characterization by standard analytical techniques described herein or well known to the skilled artisan . in a specific embodiment , the gamma - secretase inhibitor is at least 60 % pure , at least 65 % pure , at least 70 % pure , at least 75 % pure , at least 80 % pure , at least 85 % pure , at least 90 % pure or at least 99 % pure as assessed by techniques known to one of skill in the art . concentrations , amounts , cell counts , percentages and other numerical values may be presented herein in a range format . it is to be understood that such range format is used merely for convenience and brevity and should be interpreted flexibly to include not only the numerical values explicitly disclosed as the limits of the range but also to include all the individual numerical values or sub - ranges encompassed within that range as if each numerical value and sub - range were explicitly disclosed . the term “ and / or ” means one or all of the listed elements or a combination of any two or more of the listed elements . the terms “ comprises ” and variations thereof do not have a limiting meaning where these terms appear in the description and claims . unless otherwise specified , “ a ,” “ an ,” “ the ,” and “ at least one ” are used interchangeably and mean one or more than one . the term “ antibody ” as used herein refers to immunoglobulin molecules and immunologically active portions of immunoglobulin ( ig ) molecules , i . e ., molecules that contain an antigen binding site that specifically binds ( immunoreacts with ) an antigen . such antibodies include , but are not limited to , polyclonal , monoclonal , chimeric , single chain , f ab , f ab ′ and f ( ab ′) 2 fragments , and an f ab expression library . in general , antibody molecules obtained from humans relates to any of the classes igg , igm , iga , ige and igd , which differ from one another by the nature of the heavy chain present in the molecule . certain classes have subclasses as well , such as igg 1 , igg 2 , and others . furthermore , in humans , the light chain may be a kappa chain or a lambda chain . reference herein to antibodies includes a reference to all such classes , subclasses and types of human antibody species . any antibody disclosed herein binds “ immunospecifically ” to its cognate antigen . by immunospecific binding is meant that an antibody raised by challenging a host with a particular immunogen binds to a molecule such as an antigen that includes the immunogenic moiety with a high affinity , and binds with only a weak affinity or not at all to non - immunogen - containing molecules . as used in this definition , high affinity means having a dissociation constant less than 1 × 10 − 6 m , and weak affinity means having a dissociation constant higher than 1 × 10 − 6 m . a notch substrate described herein or a fragment thereof may be used as an immunogen to generate antibodies that immunospecifically bind the antigen , using standard techniques for polyclonal and monoclonal antibody preparation . the full - length protein maybe used or , alternatively , the invention provides antigenic peptide fragments of the antigen for use as immunogens . an antigenic peptide fragment includes at least 6 amino acid residues of the amino acid sequence of the full length protein , and encompasses an epitope thereof such that an antibody raised against the peptide forms a specific immune complex with the full length protein or with any fragment that contains the epitope . in one embodiment the antigenic peptide includes at least 9 amino acid residues , at least 10 amino acid residues , or at least 15 amino acid residues , or at least 20 amino acid residues , or at least 30 amino acid residues . in one embodiment , epitopes encompassed by the antigenic peptide are regions of the protein that are located on its surface ; commonly these are hydrophilic regions . in certain embodiments of the invention , at least one epitope encompassed by the antigenic peptide is a region of a notch protein or fragment thereof that is located on the surface of the protein , e . g ., a hydrophilic region . a hydrophobicity analysis of the protein sequence will indicate which regions of the polypeptide are particularly hydrophilic and , therefore , are likely to encode surface residues useful for targeting antibody production . as a means for targeting antibody production , hydropathy plots showing regions of hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity may be generated by any method well known in the art , including , for example , the kyte doolittle or the hopp woods methods , either with or without fourier transformation . see , e . g ., hopp and woods , 1981 , proc . nat . acad . sci . usa 78 : 3824 - 3828 ; kyte and doolittle 1982 , j . mol . biol . 157 : 105 - 142 . antibodies that are specific for one or more domains within an antigenic protein , or derivatives , fragments , analogs or homologs thereof , are also provided herein . a protein of the present invention or a thereof may be used as an immunogen in the generation of antibodies that immunospecifically bind immunogen . in one embodiment , the polypeptide used as an immunogen is at least 6 consecutive amino acids chosen from vllsrkrrr ( seq id no : 2 ). in one embodiment the immunogen is vllsrkrrr ( seq id no : 2 ), and in another embodiment the immunogen is a polypeptide that includes vllsrkrrr ( seq id no : 2 ). for instance , the immunogen may include vllsrkrrr ( seq id no : 2 ) and other amino acids that are naturally flank this sequence in wild type notch polypeptides . in one embodiment , the immunogen may include vllsrkrrr ( seq id no : 2 ) and other non - native amino acids , and / or other molecules . for instance , the immunogen may include vllsrkrrr . ( seq id no : 2 ) and a carrier such as , but not limited to , keyhole limpet hemocyanin . in one embodiment antibody binds to an epitope that is exposed , and able to interact with an antiboy , after cleavage by a gamma - secretase at an s2 or s3 site . various procedures known within the art may be used for the production of polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies directed against a protein of the invention , or against derivatives , fragments , analogs homologs or orthologs thereof ( see , for example , antibodies : a laboratory manual , harlow e , and lane d , 1988 , cold spring harbor laboratory press , cold spring harbor , n . y .). some of these antibodies are discussed below . for the production of polyclonal antibodies , various suitable host animals ( e . g ., rabbit , goat , mouse or other mammal ) may be immunized by one or more injections with the native protein , a synthetic variant thereof , or a derivative of the foregoing . an appropriate immunogenic preparation may contain , for example , the naturally occurring immunogenic protein , a chemically synthesized polypeptide representing the immunogenic protein , or a recombinantly expressed immunogenic protein . furthermore , the protein may be conjugated to a second protein known to be immunogenic in the mammal being immunized . examples of such immunogenic proteins include but are not limited to keyhole limpet hemocyanin , serum albumin , bovine thyroglobulin , and soybean trypsin inhibitor . the preparation may further include an adjuvant . various adjuvants used to increase the immunological response include , but are not limited to , freund &# 39 ; s ( complete and incomplete ), mineral gels ( e . g ., aluminum hydroxide ), surface active substances ( e . g ., lysolecithin , pluronic polyols , polyanions , peptides , oil emulsions , dinitrophenol , etc . ), adjuvants usable in humans such as bacille calmette - guerin and corynebacterium parvum , or similar immunostimulatory agents . additional examples of adjuvants which may be employed include mpl - tdm adjuvant ( monophosphoryl lipid a , synthetic trehalose dicorynomycolate ). the polyclonal antibody molecules directed against the immunogenic protein may be isolated from the mammal ( e . g ., from the blood ) and further purified by known techniques , such as affinity chromatography using protein a or protein g , which provide primarily the igg fraction of immune serum . subsequently , or alternatively , the specific antigen which is the target of the immunoglobulin sought , or an epitope thereof , may be immobilized on a column to purify the immune specific antibody by immunoaffinity chromatography . purification of immunoglobulins is discussed , for example , by d . wilkinson ( the scientist , published by the scientist , inc ., philadelphia pa ., vol . 14 , no . 8 ( apr . 17 , 2000 ), pp . 25 - 28 ). the term “ monoclonal antibody ” ( mab ) or “ monoclonal antibody composition ,” as used herein , refers to a population of antibody molecules that contain only one molecular species of antibody molecule consisting of a unique light chain gene product and a unique heavy chain gene product . in particular , the complementarity determining regions ( cdrs ) of the monoclonal antibody are identical in all the molecules of the population . mabs thus contain an antigen binding site capable of immunoreacting with a particular epitope of the antigen characterized by a unique binding affinity for it . monoclonal antibodies can be prepared using hybridoma methods , such as those described by kohler and milstein , nature , 256 : 495 ( 1975 ). in a hybridoma method , a mouse , hamster , or other appropriate host animal , is typically immunized with an immunizing agent to elicit lymphocytes that produce or are capable of producing antibodies that will specifically bind to the immunizing agent . alternatively , the lymphocytes may be immunized in vitro . the immunizing agent will typically include the protein antigen , a fragment thereof or a fusion protein thereof . generally , either peripheral blood lymphocytes are used if cells of human origin are desired , or spleen cells or lymph node cells are used if non - human mammalian sources are desired . the lymphocytes are then fused with an immortalized cell line using a suitable fusing agent , such as polyethylene glycol , to form a hybridoma cell ( goding , monoclonal antibodies : principles and practice , academic press , ( 1986 ) pp . 59 - 103 ). immortalized cell lines are usually transformed mammalian cells , particularly myeloma cells of rodent , bovine and human origin . usually , rat or mouse myeloma cell lines are employed . the hybridoma cells may be cultured in a suitable culture medium that preferably contains one or more substances that inhibit the growth or survival of the unfused , immortalized cells . for example , if the parental cells lack the enzyme hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase ( hgprt or hprt ), the culture medium for the hybridomas typically will include hypoxanthine , aminopterin , and thymidine (“ hat medium ”), which substances prevent the growth of hgprt - deficient cells . preferred immortalized cell lines are those that fuse efficiently , support stable high level expression of antibody by the selected antibody - producing cells , and are sensitive to a medium such as hat medium . more preferred immortalized cell lines are murine myeloma lines , which may be obtained , for instance , from the salk institute cell distribution center , san diego , calif . and the american type culture collection , manassas , va . human myeloma and mouse - human heteromyeloma cell lines also have been described for the production of human monoclonal antibodies ( kozbor : j . jmmunol ., 133 : 3001 ( 1984 ); brodeur et al . : monoclonal antibody production techniques and applications , marcel dekker , inc ., new york , ( 1987 ) pp . 51 - 63 ). the culture medium in which the hybridoma cells are cultured may then be assayed for the presence of monoclonal antibodies directed against the antigen . preferably , the binding specificity of monoclonal antibodies produced by the hybridoma cells is determined by immunoprecipitation or by an in vitro binding assay , such as radioimmunoassay ( ria ) or enzyme - linked immunoabsorbent assay ( elisa ). such techniques and assays are known in the art . the binding affinity of the monoclonal antibody can , for example , be determined by the scatchard analysis of munson and pollard , anal . biochem ., 107 : 220 ( 1980 ). it is an objective , especially important in therapeutic applications of monoclonal antibodies , to identify antibodies having a high degree of specificity and a high binding affinity for the target antigen . after the desired hybridoma cells are identified , the clones may be subcloned by limiting dilution procedures and grown by standard methods . suitable culture media for this purpose include , for example , dulbecco &# 39 ; s modified eagle &# 39 ; s medium and rpmi - 1640 medium . alternatively , the hybridoma cells may be grown in vivo as ascites in a mammal . the monoclonal antibodies secreted by the subclones may be isolated or purified from the culture medium or ascites fluid by conventional immunoglobulin purification procedures such as , for example , protein a - sepharose , hydroxylapatite chromatography , gel electrophoresis , dialysis , or affinity chromatography . the monoclonal antibodies may also be made by recombinant dna methods , such as those described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 816 , 567 . dna encoding the monoclonal antibodies of the invention may be readily isolated and sequenced using conventional procedures ( e . g ., by using oligonucleotide probes that are capable of binding specifically to genes encoding the heavy and light chains of murine antibodies ). the hybridoma cells of the invention serve as a preferred source of such dna . once isolated , the dna may be placed into expression vectors , which are then transfected into host cells such as simian cos cells , chinese hamster ovary ( cho ) cells , or myeloma cells that do not otherwise produce immunoglobulin protein , to obtain the synthesis of monoclonal antibodies in the recombinant host cells . the dna also may be modified , for example , by substituting the coding sequence for human heavy and light chain constant domains in place of the homologous murine sequences ( u . s . pat . no . 4 , 816 , 567 ; morrison ( 1994 ) nature 368 , 812 - 13 ) or by covalently joining to the immunoglobulin coding sequence all or part of the coding sequence for a non - immunoglobulin polypeptide . such a non - immunoglobulin polypeptide may be substituted for the constant domains of an antibody of the invention , or may be substituted for the variable domains of one antigen - combining site of an antibody of the invention to create a chimeric bivalent antibody . according to the invention , techniques may be adapted for the production of single - chain antibodies specific to an antigenic protein of the invention ( see e . g ., u . s . pat . no . 4 , 946 , 778 ). in addition , methods may be adapted for the construction of fab expression libraries ( see e . g ., huse , et al ., 1989 science 246 : 1275 - 1281 ) to allow rapid and effective identification of monoclonal f ab fragments with the desired specificity for a protein or derivatives , fragments , analogs or homologs thereof . antibody fragments that contain the idiotypes to a protein antigen may be produced by techniques known in the art including , but not limited to : ( i ) an f ( ab ′) 2 fragment produced by pepsin digestion of an antibody molecule ; ( ii ) an f ab fragment generated by reducing the disulfide bridges of an f ( ab ′) 2 fragment ; ( iii ) an f ab fragment generated by the treatment of the antibody molecule with papain and a reducing agent and ( iv ) f , fragments . the notch substrates provided herein may be prepared by standard recombinant dna techniques or by protein synthetic techniques , e . g ., by use of a peptide synthesizer . for example , a polynucleotide encoding a notch substrate of the invention may be synthesized by conventional techniques including automated dna synthesizers . alternatively , pcr amplification of gene fragments may be carried out using anchor primers which give rise to complementary overhangs between two consecutive gene fragments which may subsequently be annealed and reamplified to generate a chimeric gene sequence ( see , e . g ., current protocols in molecular biology , ausubel et al ., eds ., john wiley & amp ; sons , 1992 ). the nucleotide sequences encoding notch substrates may be obtained from any information available to those of skill in the art ( e . g ., from genbank , the literature , or by routine cloning ). the nucleotide sequence coding for a notch substrate may be modified , if desired , using approaches known to those of skill in the art , e . g ., site - directed mutagenesis , and inserted into an appropriate expression vector , e . g ., a vector which contains the necessary elements for the transcription and translation of the inserted protein - coding sequence . in some instances , a sequence encoding a notch polypeptide may be truncated in order to remove a specific domain , such as the targeting domain . the techniques for modifying or truncating dna are well known to those of skill in the art of molecular biology . a variety of host - vector systems may be utilized in the present invention to express the protein - coding sequence . these include , but are not limited to , mammalian cell systems infected with virus ( e . g ., vaccinia virus , adenovirus , etc . ); insect cell systems infected with virus ( e . g ., baculovirus ); microorganisms such as yeast ( e . g . pichia ) containing yeast vectors ; or bacteria ( such as e . coli ) transformed with bacteriophage , dna , plasmid dna , or cosmid dna . the expression elements of vectors vary in their strengths and specificities . depending on the host - vector system utilized , any one of a number of suitable transcription and translation elements may be used . another aspect of the disclosure pertains to vectors , preferably expression vectors , containing a polynucleotide encoding a notch substrate . as used herein , the term “ vector ” refers to a polynucleotide capable of transporting another polynucleotide to which it has been linked . one type of vector is a “ plasmid ,” which refers to a circular double stranded dna loop into which additional dna segments can be ligated . another type of vector is a viral vector , wherein additional dna segments can be ligated into the viral genome . certain vectors are capable of autonomous replication in a host cell into which they are introduced ( e . g ., bacterial vectors having a bacterial origin of replication and episomal mammalian vectors ). other vectors ( e . g ., non - episomal mammalian vectors ) are integrated into the genome of a host cell upon introduction into the host cell , and thereby are replicated along with the host genome . moreover , certain vectors are capable of directing the expression of genes to which they are operatively linked . such vectors are referred to herein as “ expression vectors ”. in general , expression vectors of utility in recombinant dna techniques are often in the form of plasmids . in the present specification , “ plasmid ” and “ vector ” can be used interchangeably as the plasmid is the most commonly used form of vector . however , the invention is intended to include such other forms of expression vectors , such as viral vectors ( e . g ., replication defective retroviruses , adenoviruses and adeno - associated viruses ), which serve equivalent functions . the recombinant expression vectors of the invention include a polynucleotide of the invention in a form suitable for expression of the polynucleotide in a host cell , which means that the recombinant expression vectors include one or more regulatory sequences , selected on the basis of the host cells to be used for expression , that is operatively linked to the polynucleotide sequence to be expressed . within a recombinant expression vector , “ operably linked ” is intended to mean that the nucleotide sequence of interest is linked to the regulatory sequence ( s ) in a manner that allows for expression of the nucleotide sequence ( e . g ., in an in vitro transcription / translation system or in a host cell when the vector is introduced into the host cell ). the term “ regulatory sequence ” is intended to include promoters , enhancers and other expression control elements ( e . g ., polyadenylation signals ). such regulatory sequences are described , for example , in goeddel ( 1990 ) g ene e xpression t echnology : m ethods in e nzymology 185 , academic press , san diego , calif . regulatory sequences include those that direct constitutive expression of a nucleotide sequence in many types of host cell and those that direct expression of the nucleotide sequence only in certain host cells ( e . g ., tissue - specific regulatory sequences ). it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the design of the expression vector can depend on such factors as the choice of the host cell to be transformed , the level of expression of protein desired , etc . the expression vectors of the invention may be introduced into host cells to thereby produce polypeptides such as a notch substrate . examples of plasmid vectors that encode a notch substrate and that is suitably labeled for use in various assay methods disclosed herein include , but are not limited to , those illustrated in fig1 a ( piad16 - mbp - n - 1 - avi ) and 2 ( piad16 with n1 - sb1 insert ). the expression of a notch substrate of the invention may be controlled by a promoter or enhancer element . promoters which may be used to control expression of a notch substrate include , but are not limited to , the sv40 early promoter region ( bemoist and chambon , 1981 , nature 290 : 304 - 310 ), the promoter contained in the 3 ′ long terminal repeat of rous sarcoma virus ( yamamoto , et al ., 1980 , cell 22 : 787 - 797 ), the herpes thymidine kinase promoter ( wagner et al ., 1981 , proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 78 : 1441 - 1445 ), the regulatory sequences of the rnetallothionein gene ( brinster et al ., 1982 , nature 296 : 39 - 42 ), the tetracycline ( tet ) promoter ( gossen et al ., 1995 , proc . nat . acad . sci . u . s . a . 89 : 5547 - 5551 ); prokaryotic expression vectors such as the β - lactamase promoter ( viiia - kamaroff , et al ., 1978 , proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 75 : 3727 - 3731 ), or the tac promoter ( deboer , et al ., 1983 , proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 80 : 21 - 25 ; see also “ useful proteins from recombinant bacteria ,” in scientific american , 1980 , 242 : 74 - 94 ); plant expression vectors including the nopaline synthetase promoter region ( herrera - estrella et al ., nature 303 : 209 - 213 ) or the cauliflower mosaic virus 35s rna promoter ( gardner , et al ., 1981 , nucl . acids res . 9 : 2871 ), and the promoter of the photosynthetic enzyme ribulose biphosphate carboxylase ( herrera - estrella et al ., 1984 , nature 310 : 115 - 120 ); promoter elements from yeast or other fungi such as the gal 4 promoter , the adc ( alcohol dehydrogenase ) promoter , pgk ( phosphoglycerol kinase ) promoter , alkaline phosphatase promoter , and the following animal transcriptional control regions , which exhibit tissue specificity and have been utilized in transgenic animals : elastase i gene control region which is active in pancreatic acinar cells ( swift et al ., 1984 , cell 38 : 639 - 646 ; omitz et al ., 1986 , cold spring harbor symp . quant . biol . 50 : 399 - 409 ; macdonald , 1987 , hepatology 7 : 425 - 515 ); insulin gene control region which is active in pancreatic beta cells ( hanahan , 1985 , nature 315 : 115 - 122 ), immunoglobulin gene control region which is active in lymphoid cells ( grosschedl et al ., 1984 , cell 38 : 647 - 658 ; adames et al ., 1985 , nature 318 : 533 - 538 ; alexander et al ., 1987 , mol . cell . biol . 7 : 1436 - 1444 ), mouse mammary tumor virus control region which is active in testicular , breast , lymphoid and mast cells ( leder et al ., 1986 , cell 45 : 485 - 495 ), albumin gene control region which is active in liver ( pinkert et al ., 1987 , genes and devel . 1 : 268 - 276 ), alpha - fetoprotein gene control region which is active in liver ( krumlauf et al ., 1985 , mol . cell . biol . 5 : 1639 - 1648 ; hammer et al ., 1987 , science 235 : 53 - 58 ); alpha 1 - antitrypsin gene control region which is active in the liver ( kelsey et al ., 1987 , genes and devel . 1 : 161 - 171 ), beta - globin gene control region which is active in myeloid cells ( mogram et al ., 1985 , nature 315 : 338 - 340 ; kollias et al ., 1986 , cell 46 : 89 - 94 ; myelin basic protein gene control region which is active in oligodendrocyte cells in the brain ( readhead et al ., 1987 , cell 48 : 703 - 712 ); myosin light chain - 2 gene control region which is active in skeletal muscle ( sani , 1985 , nature 314 : 283 - 286 ); neuronal - specific enolase ( nse ) which is active in neuronal cells ( morelli et al ., 1999 , gen . virol . 80 : 571 - 83 ); brain - derived neurotrophic factor ( bdnf ) gene control region which is active in neuronal cells ( tabuchi et al ., 1998 , biochem . biophysic . res . com . 253 : 818 - 823 ); glial fibrillary acidic protein ( gfap ) promoter which is active in astrocytes ( gomes et al ., 1999 , braz . j . med . biol . res . 32 ( 5 ): 619 - 631 ; morelli et al ., 1999 , gen . virol . 80 : 571 - 83 ) and gonadotropic releasing hormone gene control region which is active in the hypothalamus ( mason et al ., 1986 , science 234 : 1372 - 1378 ). in one embodiment , the expression of a notch substrate of the invention is regulated by a constitutive promoter . in another embodiment , the expression is regulated by an inducible promoter . in another embodiment , the expression is regulated by a tissue - specific promoter . the recombinant expression vectors of the invention may be designed for expression of the notch substrate in prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells . for example , the notch substrate may be expressed in bacterial cells such as e . coli , insect cells ( using baculovirus expression vectors ) yeast cells or mammalian cells . suitable host cells are discussed further in goeddel ( goeddel ( 1990 ) g ene e xpression t echnology : m ethods in e nzymology 185 , academic press , san diego , calif .). alternatively , the recombinant expression vector may be transcribed and translated in vitro , for example using t7 promoter regulatory sequences and t7 polymerase . in a specific embodiment , a vector is used that includes a promoter operably linked to a notch substrate encoding polynucleotide , one or more origins of replication and , optionally , one or more selectable markers ( e . g ., an antibiotic resistance gene ). expression of proteins in prokaryotes is most often carried out in k coli with vectors containing constitutive or inducible promoters directing the expression of either fusion or non - fusion proteins . fusion vectors add a number of amino acids to a protein encoded therein , usually to the amino terminus of the recombinant protein . such fusion vectors typically serve three purposes : ( 1 ) to increase expression of recombinant protein , ( 2 ) to increase the solubility of the recombinant protein , and / or ( 3 ) to aid in the purification of the recombinant protein by acting as a ligand in affinity purification . often , in fusion expression vectors , a proteolytic cleavage site is introduced at the junction of the fusion moiety and the recombinant protein to enable separation of the recombinant protein from the fusion moiety subsequent to purification of the fusion protein . such enzymes , and their cognate recognition sequences , include but are not limited to factor xa , thrombin and enterokinase . common fusion expression vectors include pgex ( pharmacia biotech inc ; smith and johnson ( 1988 ) gene 67 : 31 - 40 ), pmal ( new england biolabs , beverly , mass .) and prit5 ( pharmacia , piscataway , n . j .) that fuse glutathione s - transferase ( gst ), maltose e binding protein , or protein a , respectively , to the target recombinant protein . examples of suitable inducible non - fusion e . coli expression vectors include ptrc ( amrann et al ., ( 1988 ) gene 69 : 301 - 315 ) and pet 11d ( studier et al . ( 1990 ) g ene e xpression t echnology : m ethods in e nzymology 185 , academic press , san diego , calif . 60 - 89 ). one strategy to maximize recombinant protein expression in e . coli is to express the protein in a host bacteria with an impaired capacity to proteolytically cleave the recombinant protein . see , gottesman ( 1990 ) g ene e xpression t echnology : m ethods in e nzymology 185 , academic press , san diego , calif . 119 - 128 . another strategy is to alter the nucleic acid sequence of the polynucleotide to be inserted into an expression vector so that the individual codons for each amino acid are those preferentially utilized in e . coli ( wada et al ., ( 1992 ) nucleic acids res . 20 : 2111 - 2118 ). such alteration of nucleic acid sequences of the invention may be carried out by standard dna synthesis techniques . in another embodiment , the notch expression vector is a yeast expression vector . examples of vectors for expression in yeast s . cerivisae include pyepsec1 ( baldari , et al ., ( 1987 ) embo j 6 : 229 - 234 ), pmfa ( kurjan and herskowitz , ( 1982 ) cell 30 : 933 - 943 ), pjry88 ( schultz et al ., ( 1987 ) gene 54 : 113 - 123 ), pyes2 ( invitrogen corporation , san diego , calif . ), and picz ( invitrogen corp , san diego , calif .). alternatively , the notch substrate may be expressed in insect cells using baculovirus expression vectors . baculovirus vectors available for expression of proteins in cultured insect cells ( e . g ., sf9 cells ) include the pac series ( smith et al . ( 1983 ) mol cell biol 3 : 2156 - 2165 ) and the pvl series ( lucklow and summers ( 1989 ) virology 170 : 31 - 39 ). in yet another embodiment , a polynucleotide of the invention is expressed in mammalian cells using a mammalian expression vector . examples of mammalian expression vectors include pcdm8 ( seed ( 1987 ) nature 329 : 840 ) and pmt2pc ( kaufman et al . ( 1987 ) embo j . 6 : 187 - 195 ). when used in mammalian cells , the expression vector &# 39 ; s control functions are often provided by viral regulatory elements . for example , commonly used promoters are derived from polyoma , adenovirus 2 , cytomegalovirus and simian virus 40 . for other suitable expression systems for both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells . see , e . g ., chapters 16 and 17 of sambrook et al ., m olecular c loning : a l aboratory m anual . 2nd ed ., cold spring harbor laboratory , cold spring harbor laboratory press , cold spring harbor , n . y ., 1989 . in another embodiment , the recombinant mammalian expression vector is capable of directing expression of the polynucleotide preferentially in a particular cell type ( e . g ., tissue - specific regulatory elements are used to express the polynucleotide ). tissue - specific regulatory elements are known in the art . non - limiting examples of suitable tissue - specific promoters include the albumin promoter ( liver - specific ; pinkert et al . ( 1987 ) genes dev 1 : 268 - 277 ), lymphoid - specific promoters ( calame and eaton ( 1988 ) adv immunol 43 : 235 - 275 ), in particular promoters of t cell receptors ( winoto and baltimore ( 1989 ) embo j 8 : 729 - 733 ) and immunoglobulins ( banerji et al . ( 1983 ) cell 33 : 729 - 740 ; queen and baltimore ( 1983 ) cell 33 : 741 - 748 ), neuron - specific promoters ( e . g ., the neurofilament promoter ; byrne and ruddle ( 1989 ) proc . natl . acad . sci . usa 86 : 5473 - 5477 ), pancreas - specific promoters ( edlund et al . ( 1985 ) science 230 : 912 - 916 ), and mammary gland - specific promoters ( e . g ., milk whey promoter ; u . s . pat . no . 4 , 873 , 316 and european application publication no . 264 , 166 ). developmentally - regulated promoters are also encompassed , e . g ., the murine hox promoters ( kessel and gruss ( 1990 ) science 249 : 374 - 379 ) and the α - fetoprotein promoter ( campes and tilghman ( 1989 ) genes dev 3 : 537 - 546 ). another aspect of the invention pertains to host cells into which a recombinant expression vector of the invention has been introduced . the terms “ host cell ” and “ recombinant host cell ” are used interchangeably herein . it is understood that such terms refer not only to the particular subject cell but also to the progeny or potential progeny of such a cell . because certain modifications may occur in succeeding generations due to either mutation or environmental influences , such progeny may not , in fact , be identical to the parent cell , but are still included within the scope of the term as used herein . a host cell may be any prokaryotic or eukaryotic cell . for example , a notch substrate may be expressed in bacterial cells such as e . coli , insect cells , yeast or mammalian cells ( such as chinese hamster ovary cells ( cho ) or cos cells ). other suitable host cells are known to those skilled in the art . vector dna may be introduced into prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells via conventional transformation or transfection techniques . as used herein , the terms “ transformation ” and “ transfection ” are intended to refer to a variety of art - recognized techniques for introducing foreign polynucleotides ( e . g ., dna ) into a host cell , including calcium phosphate or calcium chloride co - precipitation , deae - dextran - mediated transfection , lipofection , or electroporation . suitable methods for transforming or transfecting host cells may be found in sambrook , et al . ( 2001 ), ausubel et al . ( 2002 ), and other laboratory manuals . for stable transfection of mammalian cells , it is known that , depending upon the expression vector and transfection technique used , only a small fraction of cells may integrate the foreign dna into their genome . in order to identify and select these integrants , a gene that encodes a selectable marker ( e . g ., resistance to antibiotics ) is generally introduced into the host cells along with the gene of interest . various selectable markers include those that confer resistance to drugs , such as g418 , hygromycin and methotrexate . a polynucleotide encoding a selectable marker may be introduced into a host cell on the same vector as that encoding the notch substrate or may be introduced on a separate vector . cells stably transfected with the introduced polynucleotide may be identified by drug selection ( e . g ., cells that have incorporated the selectable marker gene will survive , while the other cells die ). a host cell of the invention , such as a prokaryotic or eukaryotic host cell in culture , may be used to produce ( e . g ., express ) the notch substrate . accordingly , the invention further provides methods for producing the notch substrate using the host cells of the invention . in one embodiment , the method includes culturing the host cell of invention ( into which a recombinant expression vector encoding the notch substrate has been introduced ) in a suitable medium such that the notch substrate is produced in addition , a host cell strain may be chosen which modulates the expression of the inserted sequences , or modifies and processes the gene product in the specific fashion desired . expression from certain promoters may be elevated in the presence of certain inducers ; thus , expression of the genetically engineered gamma - secretase substrates may be controlled . furthermore , different host cells have characteristic and specific mechanisms for the translational and post - translational processing and modification ( e . g ., glycosylation , phosphorylation ) of proteins . appropriate cell lines or host systems may be chosen to ensure the desired modification and processing of the foreign protein expressed . for example , expression in a bacterial system will produce an unglycosylated product and expression in yeast will produce a glycosylated product . eukaryotic host cells which possess the cellular machinery for proper processing of the primary transcript , glycosylation , and phosphorylation of the gene product may be used . such mammalian host cells include , but are not limited to , cho , vero , bhk , hela , cos , mdck , 293 , 3t3 , wi38 , nso , and in particular , neuronal cell lines such as , for example , sk - n - as , sk - n - fi , sk - n - dz human neuroblastomas ( sugimoto et al ., 1984 , j . natl . cancer inst . 73 : 51 - 57 ), sk - n - sh human neuroblastoma ( biochim . biophys . acta , 1982 , 704 : 450 - 460 ), daoy human cerebellar medulloblastoma ( he et al ., 1992 , cancer res . 52 : 1144 - 1148 ) dbtrg - 05mg glioblastoma cells ( kruse et al ., 1992 , in vitro cell . dev . biol . 28a : 609 - 614 ), lmr - 32 human neuroblastoma ( cancer res ., 1970 , 30 : 2110 - 2118 ), 1321n1 human astrocytoma ( proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 1977 , 74 : 4816 ), mog - g - ccm human astrocytoma ( br . j . cancer 1984 , 49 : 269 ), u87mg human glioblastoma - astrocytoma ( acta pathol . microbiol . scand . 1968 , 74 : 465 - 486 ), a172 human glioblastoma ( olopade et al ., 1992 , cancer res . 52 : 2523 - 2529 ), c6 rat glioma cells ( benda et al ., 1968 , science 161 : 370 - 371 ), neuro - 2a mouse neuroblastoma ( proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 1970 , 65 : 129 - 136 ), nb41a3 mouse neuroblastoma ( proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 1962 , 48 : 1184 - 1190 ), scp sheep choroid plexus ( bolin et al ., 1994 , j . virol . methods 48 : 211 - 221 ), g355 - 5 , pg - 4 cat normal astrocyte ( haapala et al ., 1985 , j . virol . 53 : 827 - 833 ), mpf ferret brain ( trowbridge et al ., 1982 , in vitro 18 : 952 - 960 ), and normal cell lines such as , for example , ctx tna2 rat normal cortex brain ( radany et al ., 1992 , proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 89 : 6467 - 6471 ) such as , for example , crl7030 and hs578bst . furthermore , different vector / host expression systems may effect processing reactions to different extents . for long - term , high - yield production of gamma - secretase substrates , such as a notch substrate , stable expression is preferred . for example , cell lines which stably express the gamma - secretase substrate of the invention may be engineered . rather than using expression vectors which contain viral origins of replication , host cells may be transformed with dna controlled by appropriate expression control elements ( e . g ., promoter , enhancer , sequences , transcription terminators , polyadenylation sites , etc . ), and a selectable marker . following the introduction of the foreign dna , engineered cells may be allowed to grow for 1 - 2 days in an enriched medium , and then are switched to a selective medium . the selectable marker in the recombinant plasmid confers resistance to the selection and allows cells to stably integrate the plasmid into their chromosomes and grow to form foci which in turn may be cloned and expanded into cell lines . this method may advantageously be used to engineer cell lines which express a gamma - secretase substrate of the invention . a number of selection systems may be used , including but not limited to the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase ( wigler , et al ., 1977 , cell 11 : 223 ), hypoxanthine - guanine phosphoribosyltransferase ( szybalska & amp ; szybalski , 1962 , proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 48 : 2026 ), and adenine phosphoribosyltransferase ( lowy , et al ., 1980 , cell 22 : 817 ) genes may be employed in tk −, hgprt − or aprt − cells , respectively . also , antimetabolite resistance may be used as the basis of selection for dhfr , which confers resistance to methotrexate ( wigler , et al ., 1980 , proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 77 : 3567 ; o &# 39 ; hare , et al ., 1981 , proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 78 : 1527 ); gpt , which confers resist - once to mycophenolic acid ( mulligan & amp ; berg , 1981 , proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 78 : 2072 ); neo , which confers resistance to the aminoglycoside g - 418 ( colberre - garapin , et al ., 1981 , j . mol . biol . 150 : 1 ); and hygro , which confers resistance to hygromycin ( santerre , et al ., 1984 , gene 30 : 147 ). once a gamma - secretase substrate of the invention has been produced by recombinant expression or by chemical synthesis , it may be purified by any method known in the art for purification of a protein , for example , by chromatography ( e . g ., ion exchange , affinity , particularly by affinity for the specific antigen after protein a , and sizing column chromatography ), centrifugation , differential solubility , or by any other standard technique for the purification of proteins . generally an analyte , such as a product of cleavage of a notch substrate by gamma - secretase , may be detected in many ways . detecting may include any one or more processes that result in the ability to observe the presence and / or the amount of a proteolytic cleavage reaction . physical , chemical or biological methods may be used to detect and quantify a product . physical methods include , by way of nonlimiting example , surface plasmon resonance ( spr ) detection , using spr to detect a labeled product to an immobilized probe , or having a probe in a chromatographic medium and detecting binding of a bound product molecule in the chromatographic medium . physical methods further include a gel electrophoresis or capillary electrophoresis format in which product molecules are resolved from other molecules , and the resolved products are detected . chemical methods include hybridization methods and formation of specific binding pairs generally in which a product molecule binds to a probe . biological methods include causing a bound target molecule to exert a biological effect on a cell , and detecting the effect . the present invention discloses examples of biological effects which may be used as a biological assay . in many embodiments , a product or member of a specific binding pair may be labeled as described herein to assist in detection and quantitation . an advantageous way of accomplishing detection is to use a labeled form of a cleavage product molecule , such as a notch substrate , and to detect the bound label . a label may be a radioisotopic label , such as 125 i , 35 s , 32 p , 14 c , or 3 h , for example , that is detectable by its radioactivity . alternatively , a label may be selected such that it may be detected using a spectroscopic method , for example . in one instance , a label may be a chromophore , absorbing incident ultraviolet , visible , infrared , microwave or similar electromagnetic radiation . a preferred label is one detectable by luminescence . generally , luminescence refers to the emission of electromagnetic radiation from a substance or a chemical . the radiation may occur in any region of the electromagnetic spectrum ; i . e ., the frequency of the emitted radiation may be anywhere in the spectrum . commonly luminescence occurs in the ultraviolet , visible , or infrared spectral regions . luminescence includes fluorescence , phosphorescence , and chemiluminescence . thus a label that fluoresces , or that phosphoresces , or that induces a chemiluminscent reaction , may be employed . nonlimiting examples of suitable fluorescent labels , or fluorochromes , include a eu label , a fluorescein label , a rhodamine label , a phycoerythrin label , a phycocyanin label , cy - 3 , cy - 5 , an allophycocyanin label , an o - phthalaldehyde label , and a fluorescamine label . luminescent labels afford detection with high sensitivity . a label may furthermore be a magnetic resonance label , such as a stable free radical label detectable by electron paramagnetic resonance , or a nuclear label , detectable by nuclear magnetic resonance . a label may still further be a ligand in a specific ligand - receptor pair ; the presence of the ligand is then detected by the secondary binding of an additional ligand - specific receptor , which commonly is itself labeled for detection . nonlimiting examples of such ligand - receptor pairs include biotin and streptavidin or avidin , a hapten such as digoxigenin or antigen and its specific antibody , and so forth . detecting , quantitating , including labeling , methods are known generally to workers of skill in fields related to the present invention , including , by way of nonlimiting example , workers of skill in spectroscopy , nucleic acid chemistry , biochemistry , molecular biology and cell biology . quantitating assesses the quantity , mass , or concentration of a notch substrate cleavage product , or fragment thereof , that results from the action of a gamma - secreatase . quantitation includes determining the amount of change in a physical , chemical , or biological property as described herein . for example , the intensity of a signal originating from a label may be used to assess the quantity of the cleaved polypeptide bound to the probe . any equivalent process yielding a way of detecting the presence and / or the quantity , mass , or concentration of a peptide cleavage product is envisioned to be within the scope of the present invention . in one embodiment , a method for identifying a product of the gamma - secretase catalyzed cleavage of a notch substrate is an electrochemiluminescence (“ ecl ”) assay ( see li , et al ., 2000 , proc . natl . acad . sci . usa 97 : 6138 - 6143 ; and yin , et al ., 2007 , j . biol . chem . 282 : 23639 - 23644 ). in an ecl assay an analyte to be detected is labeled with a chemiluminescent moiety whose chemiluminescence is redox dependent . a commonly used chemiluminescent moiety is a ru + 2 complex which becomes chemiluminescent , and hence detectable with high sensitivity , upon oxidation to ru + 3 . alternative electrochemiluminescent ( ecl ) probes equivalent to ru + 2 complexes are contemplated for use herein . as implemented in various examples provided herein , an antibody specific for an intended epitope such as one revealed in a gamma - secretase proteolysis product , such as a cleaved notch substrate , is conjugated to a ru + 2 complex . the moiety so conjugated may be termed “ ruthenylated ” herein . as applied herein an ecl assay includes : ( a ) contacting a notch substrate or a fragment thereof with a composition containing gamma - secretase ; ( b ) incubating the notch substrate with the gamma - secretase containing composition under suitable conditions for a time period sufficient for gamma - secretase activity to take place ; ( c ) adding a ruthenylated antibody that specifically binds a cleavage product but not the notch substrate or fragment thereof ; and ( d ) detecting a product bound to the product - specific ruthenylated antibody using ecl . ecl techniques are known in the art and described in , e . g ., yang , et al ., 1994 , bio / technology 12 : 193 - 194 ; and khorkova , et al ., 1998 , j . neurosci . methods 82 : 159 - 166 in a specific embodiment , the source of gamma - secretase is a cell or cell membrane , e . g ., a hela cell or other mammalian cell or a constituent membrane thereof , and the incubation of step ( b ) takes place in the presence of a detergent , e . g ., chapso , at a concentration optimized for the assay . in another specific embodiment , the anti - product antibody is one that binds a newly revealed peptide terminus that is created after gamma - secretase mediated cleavage of the notch substrate , such as an antibody raised using the polypetpide vllsrkrrr ( seq id no : 2 ). an example of such an antibody is the sm320 antibody described herein . other antibodies raised against analogous neoepitopes newly revealed upon proteolytic cleavage of a notch substrate or a variant thereof are also useful for detecting the activity of γ - secretase on the substrate . in another specific embodiment , a notch substrate of the invention or fragment thereof includes a modification to at least one amino acid , including a conservative amino acid substitution , that preserves the modified substrate as a susceptible to the action of γ - secretase . in another embodiment , an assay method for detecting and quantifying the gamma - secretase catalyzed proteolysis of a notch substrate is a homogeneous time resolved fluorescence ( htrf ) assay . htrf combines a ) homogeneous fluorescence detection phase ( e . g . carried out in liquid solution ) with b ) time resolution of signal detection and c ) assessment of the distance separating an excitation donor and a fluorescence emitter to eliminate background fluorescence and provide both high sensitivity and high specificity of detection . a long - lived fluorophore , commonly a complex of a rare earth metal ion , such as a cryptate complex of the ion , permits detection to be delayed by time resolution until interfering background fluorescence will already have decayed . fluorescence resonance energy transfer between specific fluorescence donor and fluorescence acceptor further enhance specificity by restricting ultimate detection of fluorescence to instances of , for example , complex formation between them . as implemented in this disclosure , an htrf assay includes : ( a ) contacting a notch substrate of the invention or a fragment thereof with a source of gamma - secretase , wherein the notch substrate includes a detectable tag or label ; ( b ) incubating the notch substrate of the invention with a composition containing , or suspected of containing , gamma - secretase for a time period sufficient for gamma - secretase activity to take place thereby providing a product bearing the detectable tag or label ; ( c ) adding an htrf detection mixture that includes ( i ) a first reagent , such as an antibody , that recognizes a gamma - secretase - cleaved peptide resulting from notch cleavage but does not recognize uncleaved gamma - secretase substrates and ( ii ) a rare earth metal - labeled second antibody that binds the first antibody , and ( iii ) a fluorophore - conjugated reagent that binds to the detectable tag or label ; ( d ) incubating the htrf detection mixture with the product mixture ; and ( e ) measuring the presence and / or amount of the notch cleavage product or fragment thereof using , generally , fluorescence resonance energy transfer (“ fret ”), or more particularly , homogeneous time resolved fluorescence ( htrf ), by exciting the rare earth metal and detecting fluorescence from the fluorophore of the conjugated reagent . a cognate assay may be performed on a negative control in which either the enzyme or the notch substrate is omitted . in a specific embodiment , a source of gamma - secretase is a cell or cell membrane , e . g ., a hela cell or other mammalian cell , or a constituent membrane thereof , and the incubation of step ( b ) takes place in the presence of a detergent , e . g ., chapso , at a concentration optimized for the assay . in a specific embodiment , the antibody that recognizes gamma - secretase - cleaved peptides resulting from cleavage of the notch substrate or fragment thereof but does recognize uncleaved gamma - secretase substrates is the sm320 antibody . in another embodiment , a method for assaying for the proteolytic cleavage of a notch substrate of the invention by gamma - secretase is a cell - based assay . such an assay may include : ( a ) transfecting cells containing , or suspected of containing , gamma - secretase activity with a plasmid containing the nucleotide sequence encoding a notch substrate of the invention ; ( b ) incubating the cells for a time period sufficient for the expression of the notch substrate , and sufficient for gamma - secretase activity on the notch substrate to occur ; and ( c ) detecting a cleaved notch substrate secreted by the cells , or included in a homogenate prepared from the cells , or in a mounted preparation of the cells on a surface . detection of secreted product , or of product contained in a homogenate , may be carried out in various embodiments , for example , by western analysis ( sds - page and immunoblotting using a product - specific antibody ), or by ecl , htrf , chemiluminescence - coupled fret ( see examples ). detection of product peptides in situ may be carried out by immunohistochemical analysis using an antibody specific for a product of the cleavage reaction . in various embodiments the antibody specific for a product of the cleavage reaction is the novel sm320 antibody disclosed herein . in certain embodiments , more generally , an antibody useful for detection in a cell - based assay specifically binds either the c - terminus or the n - terminus of the product peptide that is exposed after gamma - secretase mediated cleavage of the notch substrate , such as disclosed herein . in a specific embodiment , the cells contain endogenous gamma - secretase . in another specific embodiment , the cells are hek293 cells or other mammalian cell . in another embodiment , the level of product peptide resulting from the action of γ - secretase on a notch substrate of the invention or a fragment thereof is measured by mass spectrometry / surface enhanced laser desorption / ionization time - of - flight analysis ( seldi - tof ). in one embodiment , a method for the identification and / or validation of a gamma - secretase modulator may be an ecl assay , wherein said method includes : ( a ) contacting a candidate compound which is a potential modulator of gamma - secretase activity with a notch substrate of the invention and a composition containing gamma - secretase to provide a candidate assay mixture , ( b ) incubating the candidate assay mixture for a time period sufficient for gamma - secretase activity to take place ; ( c ) adding ruthenylated antibody that specifically binds a cleavage product resulting from the action of the gamma - secretase ; and ( d ) detecting the γ - secretase product by the product - specific ruthenylated antibody using ecl . using this assay , a candidate compound is identified or validated as a gamma - secretase modulator if the activity of gamma - secretase toward a notch substrate is altered either positively or negatively relative to the activity of gamma - secretase toward the notch substrate in the absence of the candidate modulator . in a specific embodiment , the source of gamma - secretase activity is a cell membrane , e . g ., a cell membrane from a hela cell or other mammalian cell , and the incubation of step ( b ) takes place in the presence of a detergent , e . g ., chapso ( 0 . 25 %). in another specific embodiment , the antibody binds either the c - terminus or the n - terminus of the notch substrate of the invention or fragment thereof that is exposed after gamma - secretase mediated cleavage of the substrate , such as the novel sm320 antibody disclosed herein . in another embodiment , an assay method for the identification and / or validation of a gamma - secretase modulator for proteolytic cleavage of a notch substrate or fragment thereof by gamma - secretase uses htrf . this method includes steps of : ( a ) contacting a candidate compound that is a potential gamma - secretase modulator with a notch substrate and a composition containing gamma - secretase activity to provide a candidate assay mixture ; wherein the notch substrate includes a detectable tag or label ; ( b ) incubating the candidate assay mixture under suitable conditions for a time period sufficient for gamma - secretase activity to take place ; ( c ) adding an htrf detection mixture that includes ( i ) a first antibody that recognizes a gamma - secretase - cleaved peptide resulting from cleavage of the notch substrate but does not recognize uncleaved notch substrate , ( ii ) a rare earth metal - labeled second antibody that binds the first antibody , and ( iii ) a fluorophore - conjugated reagent that binds to the detectable tag or label ; ( d ) incubating said htrf detection mixture with the candidate assay mixture ; and ( e ) measuring the cleavage of the notch substrate of the invention or variant thereof by gamma - secretase using , generally , fluorescence resonance energy transfer (“ fret ”), or more particularly , homogeneous time resolved fluorescence ( htrf ), by exciting the rare earth metal and detecting fluorescence from the fluorophore of the conjugated reagent . a candidate compound is identified or validated as a gamma - secretase modulator if the activity of gamma - secretase toward notch substrate is modulated either positively or negatively relative to the activity of gamma - secretase toward the notch substrate in the absence of the candidate gamma - secretase modulator . in a specific embodiment , a source of gamma - secretase is a cell or cell membrane , e . g ., a hela cell or other mammalian cell or a constituent membrane thereof , and the incubation of step ( b ) takes place in the presence of a detergent , e . g ., chapso , at a concentration optimized for the assay . in a specific embodiment , the antibody that recognizes gamma - secretase - cleaved notch substrate resulting from cleavage of the notch substrate but does not recognize uncleaved notch substrates is the novel sm320 antibody disclosed herein . in another aspect , an assay method for the identification or validation of a gamma - secretase modulator includes a cell - based assay . this method includes : ( a ) transfecting cells that harbor gamma - secretase activity with a plasmid containing the nucleotide sequence encoding a notch substrate ; ( b ) adding a candidate modulator of gamma - secretase activity to provide a candidate assay mixture ; ( c ) incubating said candidate assay mixture for a time period sufficient for gamma - secretase activity to occur ; and ( d ) detecting a cleaved notch substrate product secreted by the cells , or included in a homogenate prepared from the cells , or in a mounted preparation of the cells on a surface . detection of secreted product , or of product contained in a homogenate , may be carried out in various embodiments , for example , by western analysis ( sds - page and immunoblotting using a product - specific antibody ), or by ecl , htrf , chemiluminescence - coupled fret ( see examples ). detection of product peptides in situ may be carried out by immunohistochemical analysis using an antibody specific for a product of the cleavage reaction . in various embodiments the antibody specific for a product of the cleavage reaction is the novel sm320 antibody disclosed herein . in certain embodiments , more generally , an antibody useful for detection in a cell - based assay specifically binds a gamma - secretase - cleaved peptide resulting from cleavage of the notch substrate but does not recognize uncleaved notch substrate . as a result of this assay a modulator of gamma - secretase activity is identified or validated if the activity of gamma - secretase toward the notch substrate is modulated either positively or negatively relative to the activity of gamma - secretase toward the notch substrate in the absence of the candidate modulator . in a specific embodiment , a source of gamma - secretase is a cell or cell membrane , e . g ., a hela cell , hek293 cell , or other mammalian cell or a constituent membrane thereof , and the incubation of step ( b ) takes place in the presence of a detergent , e . g ., chapso , at a concentration optimized for the assay . in another specific embodiment , an antibody that binds either the c - terminus or the n - terminus of the notch substrate that is exposed after gamma - secretase mediated cleavage of the substrate , such as the novel sm320 antibody disclosed herein , is added to the cell conditioned media ( containing secreted notch - derived product ) and the level of the notch product peptide secreted by the cells is measured by ecl . in another embodiment , the amount of a notch product peptide secreted by the cells or contained in a cell homogenate obtained from the candidate assay mixture is measured by western blot , using an antibody that specifically binds the notch product peptide . in a specific embodiment , the antibody binds either the c - terminus or the n - terminus of the notch substrate of the invention or variant thereof that is exposed after gamma - secretase mediated cleavage of the substrate , such as the novel sm320 antibody disclosed herein in another embodiment , the amount of a notch product peptide secreted by the cells or contained in a cell homogenate obtained from the candidate assay mixture is measured by mass spectrometry / surface enhanced laser desorption / ionization time - of - flight analysis ( seldi - tof ). assays for gamma - secretase activity , using labeled or detectable notch substrates , are identified herein . as described herein , and disclosed in several examples herein , these assays are adaptable for application in high throughput screens of candidate chemical compounds in a quest for modulators of gamma - secretase activity . in many embodiments such assays are implemented in multiwell plates , including 96 - well , 384 - well , and 1536 - well plates . candidate compounds are provided for these screens from extended chemical libraries . preparation of chemical libraries are widely known in the field . combinatorial approaches to introducing framework components as well as peripheral substituents have been developed , including techniques for tagging each synthesis so that intermediates and products are identified throughout the course of the synthesis . other libraries are prepared from a broad range naturally occurring substances , and still others from assemblages of pharmaceutical agents already known to possess therapeutic effects or therapeutic potential for a broad range of medical indications . nonlimiting examples of preparation and uses of chemical libraries , including combinatorial chemical libraries , include u . s . pat . no . 7 , 083 , 812 , entitled “ chemical library preparation method from natural product ”; u . s . pat . no . 6 , 936 , 477 , entitled “ complex combinatorial chemical libraries encoded with tags ”; u . s . patent application publication 20090005256 , entitled “ analysis of encoded chemical libraries ”; u . s . pat . no . 6 , 800 , 444 , entitled “ complex chemical libraries ”; international publication wo / 2006 / 102542 , entitled “ diverse chemical libraries bound to small particles with paramagnetic properties ”; u . s . pat . no . 6 , 625 , 546 , directed to the direct identification of a chemical compound structure following solid phase synthesis of a chemical compound library ; u . s . pat . no . 6 , 625 , 546 , directed to methods for using structural identification technology to increase the productivity of solid phase synthesis strategies ; and “ designed chemical libraries for hit / lead optimization ,” cooper t and andrews - cramer , k , innovations in pharmaceutical technology , june 2000 , pp . 46 - 53 . the neoepitope peptide vllsrkrrrc corresponding to the new n - terminal sequence generated when γ - secretase cleaves human notch1 at the s3 site ( 24 ; residues 1755 - 1763 ) was synthesized with an automated solid phase peptide synthesizer ( proteintech ) using fmoc chemistry . the peptides were cleaved from the resin with reagent r ( 90 % tfa , 5 % thioanisole , 3 % edt , 2 % anisole ) for two hours and then precipitated with cold ethyl ether . precipitated peptides were lyophilized and confirmed with hplc and lc / ms ( agilent ). production of antibody sm320 specific for detecting γ - secretase activity on notch the neoepitope vllsrkrrrc , which serves as a peptide antigen to detect the notch cleavage product , was conjugated to maleimide functionalized keyhole limpet hemocyanin ( klh ) according to the manufacturer &# 39 ; s instructions ( pierce chemical co ., rockford , ill .). the klh - conjugated antigen was sent to covance inc . for rabbit vaccination . once serum was collected , two volumes of 60 mm sodium acetate buffer ( ph 4 . 0 ) was added to the serum . caprylic acid was added to the serum and the resulting mixture was stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . the mixture was then centrifuged at 5000 g for 10 minutes and the supernatant was dialyzed into phosphate buffered saline ( pbs ). dialzyed supernatant that contains predominantly igg immunoglobulin was passed through a column of resin ( pierce ) derivatized with immobilized vllsrkrrrc antigen to capture the anti - notch peptide antibody . after initial characterization of two sera , sm320 and sm321 , neoepitope antibodies were purified by affinity chromatography with peptide immobilized resin . sm320 was used for this study . the purified antibody , named sm320 , was stored at − 80 ° c . a recombinant synthetic substrate based on human notch 1 called n1 - sb1 was constructed as diagrammed in fig1 a . first , a fragment of human notch1 ( residues 1733 - 1812 ) was subcloned into the pacs vector that contains an avitag . avitag , a specific 15 residue peptide sequence ( glndifeaq k iewhe ( seq id no : 3 ); avidity , llc ; u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 723 , 584 , 5 , 874 , 239 & amp ; 5 , 932 , 433 ) may be biotinylated with biotin ligase on the underlined k . this notch1 - avitag construct was further subcloned into the piad16 vector that contains a chimeric maltose binding protein ( mbp )- thrombin target sequence to provide a mbp - thrombin site - notch fragment - avitag construct . the mbp facilitates protein purification . the resulting mbp - n1 - sb1 plasmid ( fig2 - 4 ) was co - transformed into the bl21 ( de3 ) e . coli strain with the pacyc184 plasmid ( bira ) that encodes biotin ligase . iptg ( 0 . 1 mm ) and 50 μm of biotin were added to the cell culture to induce protein synthesis and biotinylation of the avitag sequence . cells were centrifuged at 8000 g for 30 minutes and the pelleted cells were lysed by passage through a french press ( spectronics instruments ). the cell homogenate was centrifuged at 17 , 000 g for 30 minutes . the supernatant was affinity purified on an amylose resin column using the aktaprimer chromatographic system ( amersham bioscience ). the expression of mbp - tagged n1 - sb1 was identified with sds - page and the mass was confirmed with lc / ms . mbp was removed from n1 - sb1 with thrombin , as demonstrated by sds - page and lc / ms ( fig1 , panels b and c ). the p2 substituted n1 - sb1 substrates were generated with strategene site - directed mutagenesis kit , expressed and purified as described for wild - type n1 - sb1 . app recombinant substrate , sb4 , was produced as described previously ( tian et al ., 2010 , nat struct mol . biol ., 17 : 151 - 158 ). cell - based notch cleavage assay with western using elisa detection with sm320 antibody . hek293 cells were seeded in a 24 - well plate and transfected with either truncated notch1 - δe construct ( n1 - δe ) ( gift from dr . raphael kopan , washington university school of medicine , st . louis , mo . ; ( see supplemental fig1 a of van tetering et al ., 2009 , j . biol . chem ., 284 : 31018 - 31027 , for a diagram of n1 - δe )) including cmyc ( 24 ), or empty pcdna3 . 1 (−) ( invitrogen ), using fugene 6 transfection reagents ( roche ). n1 - ae includes the replete intracellular sequence , the transmembrane domain , and a truncated extracellular portion lacking lnr and the egf repeat sequences ( see supplemental fig1 a of van tetering et al ., 2009 , j . biol . chem ., 284 : 31018 - 31027 ). dmso carrier or 1 μm compound e were added to the transfected cells , at a final dmso concentration of 1 % ( v / v ). after 48 hours of treatment , the cells were washed with pbs and lysed with 1 × ripa buffer ( 50 mm tris , ph 8 . 0 , 150 mm nacl , 0 . 1 % ( wt / vol ) sds , 1 % ( vol / vol ) nonidet p - 40 , and 0 . 5 % ( wt / vol ) deoxycholic acid ). cell lysates were centrifuged at 13 , 000 × g at 4 ° c . the cleared supernatant was collected and resolved by sds - page . the proteins were transferred to pvdf membrane ( millipore ) using a semi - dry transfer emit ( bio - rad ) and analyzed by western blot with anti - myc antibody ( prepared at memorial sloan - kettering cancer center ) and sm320 antibody . hek293 cells were seeded in a 4 - well chamber slide ( lab - tek ) and transfected with n1 - δe as in the preceding paragraph , using fugene 6 transfection reagents ( roche applied science , mannheim , germany ). transfected cells were then treated with either dmso at a 1 % final concentration or 1 μm compound e . after 48 hours of treatment , the cells were washed with pbs , fixed with cold methanol and permeabilized with 0 . 25 % tween - 20 . sm320 and anti - myc antibodies were added to detect nicd and full length n1 - δe , respectively . alexa fluor - 488 ( invitrogen , san diego , calif .) conjugated anti - rabbit and alexa fluor - 594 ( invitrogen ) conjugated anti - mouse antibodies were used as corresponding secondary antibodies . 4 ′, 6 - diamidino - 2 - phenylindole ( dapi ) was used to stain cell nuclei . finally , fluorescent images were captured with a leica tcs sp2 aobs laser scanning confocal microscope ( memorial sloan - kettering cancer center molecular cytology core facility ). alternatively , rek 293 cells overexpressing n1 - δe were treated with dmso or compound e , and were then collected through centrifugation and embedded in paraffin . the cell pellets were sliced and mounted on glass slides . the immunodetection of nicd was performed at the molecular cytology core facility of memorial sloan kettering cancer center using discovery xt processor ( ventana medical systems ). the cell sections were blocked for 30 minutes in 10 % normal goat serum in 0 . 2 % bsa / pbs , followed by incubation for 5 h with 0 . 5 μg / ml of sm320 and incubation for 60 min with biotinylated goat anti - rabbit igg ( vector labs , cat #: pk6101 ; 1 : 200 dilution ). the detection was performed with dab - map kit ( ventana medical systems ). the slides were scanned and digitized using the mirax scanner ( carl zeiss microsystems ). hela membrane fraction was isolated from hela - s3 cells ( national cell culture center ). the cell pellet was resuspended in buffer a ( 50 mm mes , 150 mm kcl , 5 mm cacl 2 , 5 mm mgcl 2 ) and lysed by passage through a french press . n2a cells ( murine neuroblastoma cells ) over - expressing wild - type ps1 , or mutants m146l or e280a , were obtained from dr . sangram sisodia ( university of chicago , chicago , ill .). these cells were maintained in 50 % dulbecco &# 39 ; s modified eagle &# 39 ; s medium high glucose , 50 % opti - mem reduced serum media , and 10 % fetal calf serum . cultured cells were pelleted by centrifugation and resuspended in hypotonic buffer ( 40 mm tris , ph 7 . 4 , 10 mm nacl , 1 mm edta , and 0 . 5 mm dtt ) for 20 minutes before being lysed with a dounce homogenizer . nuclear debris from the hela and n2a cells were pelleted at 3000 rpm for 30 minutes . the resulting supernatants were ultracentrifuged at 100 , 000 × g for 1 hour . the pellet that contained total cell membrane was resuspended in buffer a . mouse brains overexpressing knock - in wild type or m146v ps1 ( gift from dr . hui zheng , amylin pharmaceuticals , san diego , calif .) were homogenized with dounce homogenizer . the cell lysate was centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 30 minutes . the supernatants were ultracentrifuged at 100 , 000 × g for 1 hour . protein concentration was determined with the dc protein assay kit according to the manufacturer &# 39 ; s instructions ( bio - rad , hercules , calif .). an in vitro γ - secretase assay using a novel recombinant app - derived substrate ( termed “ sb4 ”) is disclosed in co - pending application u . s . ser . no . 12 / 776 , 141 . in the present assay based on a notch - derived substrate , n1 - sb1 was incubated with the cell membrane fraction , prepared as described above , in the presence of 0 . 25 % chapso and 1 × pipes buffer ( 50 mm pipes , ph 7 . 0 , 150 mm kcl , 5 mm cacl 2 , 5 mm mgcl 2 . the reaction was incubated at 37 ° c . for 2 hours . the perkin elmer alphascreen ™ detection system was employed to assay for notch cleavage . alphascreen ( perkinelmer life and analytical sciences , shelton , conn .) is a bead based non - radioactive amplified luminescent proximity homogeneous assay ( alpha ). when a biological interaction brings the beads together , a cascade of chemical reactions acts to produce a greatly amplified signal . specifically , upon laser excitation , a photosensitizer in the “ donor ” bead converts ambient ( triplet ) oxygen to the more reactive singlet state . the singlet state oxygen molecules diffuse into the solvent , and may react with a thioxene derivative in the acceptor bead if nearby , generating chemiluminescence at 370 nm that further activates fluorophores contained in the same bead . the fluorophores subsequently emit light at 520 - 620 nm . in the absence of a specific biological interaction , the singlet state oxygen molecules produced by the donor bead go undetected without the close proximity of the acceptor bead . as a result no fluorescence signal at 520 - 620 nm is produced . in the present system , antibody sm320 , protein a - conjugated acceptor beads , and streptavidin - conjugated donor beads ( perkinelmer ) were added to the reaction at a final concentration of 0 . 2 μg / ml , 2 . 5 μg / ml and 5 μg / ml , respectively ( diagrammed in fig5 a ). the reaction was incubated in the dark at room - temperature for 4 hours . the alpha signal was detected using the envision plate reader ( perkin elmer ). the reactions were excited at 680 nm and signal was detected at 615 nm . total cell membrane was pre - incubated in the presence of dmso or 1 μm l458 in pipes buffer containing 0 . 25 % chapso at 37 ° c . for 30 minutes . then , photolabeling probes ( jc8 , l646 or gy4 ) ( li et al ., 2000 , nature , 405 : 689 - 694 , chun et al ., 2004 , j org . chem ., 69 : 7344 - 7347 , yang et al ., 2009 , bioorg med chem . lett ., 19 : 922 - 925 ) at 10 nm were added and incubated for an additional 1 hour at 37 ° c . the reaction mixtures were irradiated at 350 nm for 45 minutes and solubilize with ripa buffer . biotinylated proteins in the soluble fraction were captured by streptavidin resin ( pierce ) overnight at 4 ° c . bound proteins were eluted by boiling with sds sample buffer and analyzed by western blotting with anti - ps1 ntf antibodies . the sm320 polyclonal antibody directed against the notch cleavage product epitope ( vllsrkrrrc ) was generated as described in experimental methods and its specificity determined . the sm320 antibody was purified by conjugating the epitope peptide to an affinity column and capturing the specific antibody , as described . hek 293 cells were transiently transfected with truncated notch1 - ae construct including cmyc ( n1 - δe ), a substrate of γ - secretase that is independent of ligand activation , as described in experimental methods . transfected cells were treated with either dmso vehicle or compound e , a potent γ - secretase inhibitor . cell lysates were analyzed by performing sds - page and immunoblotting the result with anti - myc and sm320 antibody ( fig6 a ). the expression of the myc - tagged n1 - δe protein was confirmed with anti - myc antibody . n1 - δe was detected only in cells transfected with this construct ( fig6 a , upper panel , lanes 1 and 2 ) but not in the mock transfected cells ( fig6 a , upper panel , lane 3 ). more importantly , sm320 detected a specific band that co - migrates with cleaved notch intracellular domain ( nicd ) in n1 - ae transfected cells ( fig6 a , lower panel , lane 1 ), but not in the compound e - treated cells in which γ - secretase activity is expected to be blocked ( fig6 a , lower panel , lane 2 ). this western blot analysis confirms that sm320 specifically detects γ - secretase cleaved product , but not the uncleaved substrate . sm320 was further characterized using immunostaining analysis . the transfected cells were fixed and permeabilized . following this , n1 - δe and nicd were immunostained with sm320 and anti - myc antibodies , respectively . using confocal microscopy , it was shown that n1 - δe protein , as detected by anti - myc antibody , is expressed in cells transfected with the construct ( fig6 b , panel 2 ). sm320 was able to detect nicd only in cells treated with dmso vehicle ( fig6 b , panel 3 ) but not in cells treated with compound e ( fig6 b , panel 5 ). moreover , the nicd staining co - localized with dapi staining and thus confirming the translocation of nicd into the nucleus upon γ - secretase cleavage ( fig6 b , panel 4 ). taken together , the western blot and immunostaining analyses established the specificity of antibody sm320 in detecting γ - secretase cleaved notch product . development of a biotinylated recombinant notch1 substrate and an in vitro γ - secretase assay it has been previously demonstrated that biotinylated recombinant app substrates are suitable for the development of robust γ - secretase assays ( 21 - 23 ; co - pending application u . s . ser . no . 12 / 776 , 141 ). in order to develop a similar elisa - like assay based on notch , an avitag and a maltose binding protein ( mbp )- thrombin cleavage site tag were appended to a notch1 protein fragment ( residues 1733 - 1812 ) coding sequence ( see experimental procedures ). the product is designated mbp - n1 - sb1 ( fig1 a ). e . coli cells were co - transformed with this plasmid as well as the pacyc184 plasmid , which encodes biotin ligase , in the presence of biotin . expression of biotin ligase during induction catalyzes the attachment of biotin to the avitag . the mbp tag was removed from n1 - sb1 by thrombin cleavage and the product was analyzed by sds - page and lc - ms . the apparent molecular weight of n1 - sb1 in sds - page was larger than the expected 12 kda ( fig1 b ). however , lc - ms showed two species of n1 - sb1 : a minor peak at 12017 . 5 da and a major peak at 12246 . 5 da ( fig1 c ), which match the calculated molecular mass of n1 - sb1 in a non - biotinylated form ( 12017 . 7 ) and biotinylated form ( 12245 . 7 ). since there is very little non - biotinylated n1 - sb1 (& lt ; 5 %), this suggests a high efficiency of biotin ligation during induction . hela membrane was incubated with n1 - sb1 substrate in the presence of 0 . 25 % chapso . the γ - secretase cleavage product ( cn1 - sb1 ) was detected by the perkinelmer proximity assay ( alpha ) using the sm320 antibody , protein a - conjugated acceptor - beads ( which bind sm320 ) and streptavidin - conjugated donor - beads ( which bind biotin ) ( fig5 a ). cn1 - sb1 levels in dmso - treated assay was 10 - fold higher than in the presence of the inhibitor l - 685 , 458 ( l458 ; structure shown below )- treated assay . the ic 50 values of l458 and compound e in inhibiting n1 - sb1 cleavage were also determined the values are 0 . 7 nm and 1 nm , respectively ( fig5 b ). finally , we have used this assay to demonstrate that the apparent km of n1 - sb1 cleavage by γ - secretase is 0 . 15 ± 0 . 03 μm and the vmax is 38 unit / μg / min ( in arbitrary units ; fig5 c ). the above data shows that this in vitro γ - secretase assay is both specific and sensitive , and can be used to assay for γ - secretase cleavage of notch1 . the effects of ps1 fad mutations on notch cleavage were determined using the new γ - secretase assay described in example 2 . the activities of two ps1 fad mutations — ps1 m146l and e280a were compared against wild - type ps1 ( wt ), which has been previously studied ( 25 ). total membrane was isolated from n2a cells that stably express wt , m146l , or e280a mutants . n1 - sb1 was incubated with these membranes and the resulting cn1 - sb1 was detected with sm320 . a significant reduction was observed in n1 - sb1 cleavage by both ps1 fad mutants compared to the wild - type ps1 . the m146l and e280a mutants had 40 % and 14 % activity remaining , respectively , compared to the activity of the wild type ( fig7 a ). to compare the effects of these two ps1 fad mutants on app cleavage , similar experiments were carried out using the app substrate sb4 ( 25 ) ( see co - pending application u . s . ser . no . 12 / 776 , 141 ). it was found that m146l and wild - type ps1 have similar activity against sb4 cleavage as determined by the production of a1340 from sb4 ( fig7 b ). however , ps1 bearing the e280a mutation has 12 % activity in the cleavage of sb4 remaining ( fig7 b ). these data suggest that these two ps1 mutations affect the activity of γ - secretase differentially for notch or aβ40 cleavage . the e280a ps1 mutant has a significant loss of function with respect to both notch1 and aβ40 cleavages while the m146l ps1 mutant has reduced activity against notch but not aβ40 cleavage . mouse brain specimens were obtained that either expressed knock - in wild type ps1 or the m146v ps1 mutation ( 25 , 26 ). total membrane from these mouse brains was isolated , and the membrane was incubated with n1 - sb1 . the cn1 - sb1 cleavage product was detected with the new in - vitro γ - secretase assay of example 2 . it was shown that the m146v ps1 mutant in mouse brain has less activity against notch cleavage compare to wild - type ps1 , whereas this mutation has no effect on sb4 cleavage . ( fig7 c and 7d ). next , the effect of these ps1 mutations on the kinetics of γ - secretase activity for notch1 cleavage was assessed . the data show that the km values for n1 - sb1 cleavage by ps1 wild - type , m146l , and e280a fad mutants are 70 , 49 , and 50 nm , respectively ( fig8 a ). the vmax values found for ps1 wild - type , m146l , and e280a fad mutations are 293 , 163 and 49 u / μg / min , respectively . further , n1 - sb1 was titrated in the presence of membrane fractions isolated from ps1 wt and m146v mouse brain . the km values of the brain membrane data is consistent with the cell - line data . the km values of wt and m146v ps1 are 60 and 48 nm , respectively ; while the vmax is 52 and 40 u / μg / min , respectively ( fig8 b ). these data suggest that m146l , m146v and e280a ps1 mutations reduce the vmax of ps1 against notch1 cleavage compared to wt ps1 . further , effects of the fad mutations on the potencies of γ - secretase inhibitors l458 and compound e were investigated . it was found that compound e inhibited wild - type ps1 , m146l ps1 and e280a ps1 with similar ic50 &# 39 ; s of 0 . 78 nm , 0 . 76 nm and 0 . 71 nm , respectively ( fig8 c ); while the ic50 &# 39 ; s of l458 inhibition are 0 . 50 nm , 0 . 45 nm , and 0 . 46 nm for wild - type ps1 , m146l ps1 and e280a ps1 , respectively ( fig8 d ). these data suggest that fad mutations do not alter the potency of γ - secretase inhibitors . development of a 384 - and 1536 well format alpha - based γ - secretase assay the 384 - well plate assay was optimized by titrating the amount of the sm320 antibody . it was shown that 0 . 1 ug / ml of sm320 yielded the highest signal ( fig9 a ). next , the concentrations of protein a conjugated acceptor beads and streptavidin conjugated donor beads were titrated . although it was found that streptavidin donor beads at 10 ug / ml has higher signal than 5 ug / ml , there is no significant improvement in the signal to noise ratio ( fig9 b ). it was also shown that 1 . 25 ug / ml of protein a acceptor beads yielded optimum signal to noise ratio although higher signal can be obtained when higher bead concentrations are used ( fig9 c ). by using 0 . 1 ug / ml of sm320 , 5 ug / ml of streptavidin donor beads and 1 . 25 ug / ml of protein a acceptor beads in the final 384 - well assay conditions , a 25 - fold signal to noise ratio was obtained ( fig9 d ). based on the 384 - well assay format described above , to the assay was miniaturized to a 1536 - well format for automated high - throughput drug screening . concentrations of sm320 , protein a conjugated acceptor beads and streptavidin conjugated donor beads were titrated to minimize reagent usage . it was found that 0 . 05 ug / ml sm320 , 0 . 5 ug / ml protein a conjugated acceptor beads and 2 . 5 ug / ml streptavidin conjugated donor beads yielded optimal 7 - fold signal to noise ratio ( fig9 d ). the assay was validated by comparing the high and low control signals from full 1536 - well plates . the high controls contained 1 % final dmso concentration ( v / v ), while the low controls contains 250 nm of compound e also at 1 % final dmso concentration ( v / v ). the results are in table 3 . activity - based probes have been widely used to identify and profile various classes of enzymes . l - 685 , 458 ( l458 ), an aspartyl protease transition state mimic that interacts with the active site of γ - secretase ( fig1 a ), has been a valuable tool to study γ - secretase . therefore , we have generated various potent photoactivatable probes through “ photophore walking ”, in which the photoactivatable benzophenone is separately incorporated into different postions along the peptidomimetic core structure of l458 . these positions are also known as the p or p ′ positions according to schecter and berger nomenclature . we intented to apply these l458 - based probes to sense the subsite ( s and s ′) conformational change within the active site of γ - secretase caused by ps1 fad mutations . the rationale of this strategy is that the efficiency of photolabeling by these photoactivatable probes depends on the orientation of the probes and their proximity to residues within the active site . conformational changes resulting from ps1 mutations within the active site alter the orientation or distance of contact regions with the probes and could lead to different crosslinking efficiencies . l646 , gy4 and jc8 , which photolabel the s2 , s1 , and s1 ′ subsites within the active site of ps1 , respectively , were used for this study ( fig1 b ). membranes isolated from n2a cells stably expressing wild - type ( wt ), m146l , or e280a ps1 were photolabeled with jc8 , gy4 or l646 in the presence of 0 . 25 % chapso . the labeling was determined to be specific because incubating the probes in the presence of excess l458 completely prevented labeling . after itv irradiation , biotinylated proteins were isolated with streptavidin beads and analyzed by western blotting with anti - ps 1 ntf antibodies . first , we showed that jc8 , gy4 and l646 all photolabeled wt , m146l , and e280a ps1 ntf ( fig1 c ). to eliminate the effect of various amounts of γ - secretase existing in different cell lines , we normalized each probe with jc8 labeling in the same cell lines . l646 labeled m146l and e280a ps1 ntf with ˜ 80 % less intensity than jc8 ; while l646 was photoinserted into wt ps1 with the same efficiency as jc8 ( fig1 d ). this result strongly indicates that the reduced labeling of ps1 mutants by l646 is not due to decreased expression of γ - secretase in the different stable cell lines , but due to conformational changes within the s2 subsites of m146l and e280a ps1 . finally , we showed that gy4 labeled wt , m146l and e280a ps1 ntf with similar efficiencies ( fig1 c and 10 d ). to further investigate the effect of ps1 mutations on the active site in an in vivo setting , we performed the same study using m146v and wt ps1 knock - in mouse brains . the m146v ps1 knock - in mice have been well characterized for memory formation and aβ production . membrane isolated from the m146v and wt ps1 knock - in mouse brain was labeled with photoprobes jc8 and l646 . similarly , we found that jc8 and l646 labeled wt ps1 with similar intensities ( fig1 e and 10 f ). however , l646 labeled m146v ps1 with 84 % less efficiency than jc8 ( fig1 e and 10 f ). this data also showed that m146v ps1 leads to a similar conformation change at the s2 subsite . taken together , these studies indicate that ps1 fad mutations directly influence the shape of the active site within the ps1 γ - secretase complex . however , it is still unclear how this change in the s2 subsite of the gamma - secretase active site affects the interaction and catalysis of substrates such as app and notch1 . finally , we probed the s2 subsite of the γ - secretase active site with mutated p2 notch1 substrates . the rationale of this study was to investigate whether larger p2 notch substrate residues can enhance the activity of ps1 fad mutants . we generated a series of p2 site mutations corresponding to human notch1 residue 1752 ( cys ) that interacts with the s2 subsite within the gamma - secretase active site ( fig1 a ). we substituted cys with either ala , val , or met using site - directed mutagenesis ( fig1 b ). after these substrates were purified , we determined the rate of γ - secretase cleavage from each cell membrane against four substrates ( fig1 c ). first , the c1752a substrate had significantly reduced reactivity for all three forms of γ - secretase ( 20 - 30 % remaining ) compared with wt substrate . secondly , c1752v substrate had considerably increased reactivity for m146l ps1 γ - secretase ( 141 . 3 ± 17 . 9 % 0 ( middle panel ) and had no effect on wt ( left panel ) and e280a ps1 ( right panel ). thirdly , c1752m substrate had no effect on wt ( left panel ), but had significantly enhanced activity for m146l ( 166 . 4 ± 6 . 1 %) ( middle panel ) and e280a ( 185 . 5 ± 7 . 4 %) ps1 ( right panel ). similarly , we showed that c1752m substrate also had no effect on wt ps1 ( left panel ), but had enhanced activity for m146v knock - in ps1 ( 127 . 4 ± 3 . 7 %) ( right panel ) ( fig1 d ). taken together , these data demonstrate that n1 - sb1 with a met residue at the p2 position is a better substrate for both ps1 mutants , suggesting that met fits the altered s2 subsites of ps1 mutants better than cys . on the other hand , n1 - sb1 with a val at the p2 position is a better substrate for m146l ps1 but not for wt ps1 and e280a ps1 , suggesting that the s2 subsite of m146l ps1 is distinguishable from the s2 subsite of e280a ps1 . these results indicate that the different ps1 mutations , such as m146l and e280a ps1 , can lead to s2 subsite variation , and cause different effects on γ - secretase processing of app and notch1 . the data presented here demonstrate that the psi mutants , m146l and e280a , directly affect γ - secretase activity , which leads to a reduction in the rate of notch1 cleavage . however , m146l ps1 has no effect on aβ40 production and e280a ps1 has reduced aβ40 production . these studies indicate that ps1 mutations could lead to different effects on app and notch1 cleavage . our in vitro assay offers a unique way to characterize the effects of ps1 mutations on notch1 and app cleavage , as well as providing a way to address whether ps1 could contribute to ad through altering the processing of app and notch1 . furthermore , our notch1 substrate p2 residue mutagenesis studies demonstrated that both ps1 mutations , m146l and e280a , lead to similar and yet distinguishable s2 subsite alteration . although both ps1 mutations prefer met p2 residue over cys , m146l and e280a exhibited different activities for val at the p2 position . moreover , a smaller residue at the p2 position of notch1 substrate dramatically reduced its reactivity with γ - secretase . taken together , these multiple photoaffinity labeling and substrate complement studies indicate that both m146l and e280a mutations lead to a deeper and distinct s2 subsite . this conformational change in the active site could be a plausible mechanism on how ps1 mutations affect •- secretase activity for aβ40 and aβ42 production . it has been shown through a sequential cleavage mechanism that aβ40 and aβ42 peptides are generated from aβ49 and aβ48 peptides , respectively ( fig1 a ). the p2 residues for aβ40 and aβ49 cleavages are val and thr , respectively ( fig1 b ), which are relatively smaller residues , while the p2 residues for both aβ42 and aβ48 are ile , a larger residue ( fig1 b ). a deeper s2 subsite would favor aβ48 cleavage , leading to an increase in aβ42 . concurrently , these changes can affect aβ49 and aβ40 cleavages ( fig1 a ). it has been reported that ps1 fad mutations reduce a1349 production while concomitantly increasing aβ48 levels , which supports our s2 subsite alteration model ( fig1 a ). 1 . chan , y . m ., and jan , y . n . 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( 2009 ) j . biol . chemistry , 284 , 31018 - 31027 . 25 . placanica l , zhu l , li y - m ( 2009 ) plos one 4 ( 4 ): e5088 ; doi : 10 . 1371 / journal . pone . 0005088 . 26 . wang , r , wang , b , he , w and zheng , h ( 2006 ) j . biol . chem . 281 , 15330 - 15336 . 27 . placania , l ., et al ., ( 2009 ) j biol chem 284 , 2967 - 77 . 28 . cravatt , b . f ., wright , a . t . & amp ; kozarich , j . w . activity - based protein profiling : from enzyme chemistry to proteomic chemistry . annu rev biochem 77 , 383 - 414 ( 2008 ). 30 . shelton , c . c . et al , proc natl acad sci usa 106 , 20228 - 33 ( 2009 ). 31 . schechter , i . & amp ; berger , a . biochem biophys res commun 27 , 157 - 62 ( 1967 ). 32 . wang , r ., dineley , k . t ., sweatt , j . d . & amp ; zheng , h . neuroscience 126 , 305 - 12 ( 2004 ). 33 . wang , r ., wang , b ., he , w . & amp ; zheng , h . j biol chem 281 , 15330 - 6 ( 2006 ). 37 . sato , t . et al . j biol chem 278 , 24294 - 301 ( 2003 ). the complete disclosure of all patents , patent applications , and publications , and electronically available material ( including , for instance , nucleotide sequence submissions in , e . g ., genbank and refseq , and amino acid sequence submissions in , e . g ., swissprot , pir , prf , pdb , and translations from annotated coding regions in genbank and refseq ) cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety . supplementary materials referenced in publications ( such as supplementary tables , supplementary figures , supplementary materials and methods , and / or supplementary experimental data ) are likewise incorporated by reference in their entirety . in the event that any inconsistency exists between the disclosure of the present application and the disclosure ( s ) of any document incorporated herein by reference , the disclosure of the present application shall govern . the foregoing detailed description and examples have been given for clarity of understanding only . no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom . the invention is not limited to the exact details shown and described , for variations obvious to one skilled in the art will be included within the invention defined by the claims . unless otherwise indicated , all numbers expressing quantities of components , molecular weights , and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “ about .” accordingly , unless otherwise indicated to the contrary , the numerical parameters set forth in the specification and claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the present invention . at the very least , and not as an attempt to limit the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims , each numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques . notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the invention are approximations , the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible . all numerical values , however , inherently contain a range necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements . all headings are for the convenience of the reader and should not be used to limit the meaning of the text that follows the heading , unless so specified .
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as outlined above , the present invention provides convenient processes for the preparation of crystalline vorinostat form i which avoid the problems associated with prior art processes . these processes use mild conditions and temperatures , thus minimizing the occurrence of polymorphic interconversion and producing form i with very high polymorphic purity and stability , which avoids the problems associated with the prior art form i . preferred embodiments of the processes according to the present invention are described below . preferred processes for the preparation of crystalline vorinostat form i can use , as starting material , any prior art form of vorinostat , including crystalline forms i to v of vorinostat disclosed in us 2004 / 0122101 and wo 2006 / 127319 , or the novel crystalline form vi of vorinostat as reported in a co - pending application by the present inventors ( indian patent application in 2057 / kol / 2008 and the international patent application claiming priority therefrom ). a particularly preferred embodiment of the process according to the first aspect of the present invention comprises dissolving vorinostat in an organic solvent at about 60 ° c ., pouring the clear solution formed into water , cooling the mixture and filtering the crystalline vorinostat form i formed . preferably , the organic solvent , in the process according to the first aspect of the present invention , is selected from methanol , ethanol , n , n - dimethylformamide , isopropanol , 1 - butanol , 2 - butanol , tert - butanol and mixtures thereof . a particularly preferred embodiment of the process according to the second aspect of the present invention comprises dissolving vorinostat in water by heating at about 60 ° c . for about 1 hour . the clear solution is allowed to cool to about 25 ° c . before isolating the crystalline vorinostat form i from the mixture by filtration . a particularly preferred embodiment of the process according to the third aspect of the present invention comprises dissolving vorinostat in a first organic solvent at about 60 ° c ., and then pouring the clear solution formed into a second organic solvent , followed by cooling the mixture to about 25 ° c . and filtering the crystalline vorinostat form i formed . preferably , the first organic solvent , in the process according to the third aspect of the present invention , is selected from methanol , ethanol , n , n - dimethylformamide and mixtures thereof . preferably , the second organic solvent , in the process according to the third aspect of the present invention , is selected from acetone , methyl ethyl ketone , methyl isobutyl ketone , diethyl ketone , acetonitrile , propionitrile , ethyl acetate , methyl acetate and mixtures thereof . preferably , the crystalline vorinostat form i , obtained by the processes according to the first , second and third aspects of the present invention , is dried until the moisture content falls below about 1 %, preferably to below about 0 . 5 %. the major advantages of this invention are milder and reproducible experimental conditions of the processes of the present invention to obtain the polymorph and the polymorphic purity and stability of the crystalline form i obtained . the pharmaceutical composition according to the sixth aspect of the present invention can be a solution or a suspension , but is preferably a solid oral dosage form . preferred oral dosage forms in accordance with the invention include tablets , capsules and the like which , optionally , may be coated if desired . tablets can be prepared by conventional techniques , including direct compression , wet granulation and dry granulation . capsules are generally formed from a gelatine material and can include a conventionally prepared granulate of excipients in accordance with the invention . the pharmaceutical composition according to the present invention typically comprises one or more conventional pharmaceutically acceptable excipient ( s ) selected from the group comprising a filler , a binder , a disintegrant , a lubricant and optionally further comprises at least one excipient selected from colouring agents , adsorbents , surfactants , film - formers and plasticizers . if the solid pharmaceutical formulation is in the form of coated tablets , the coating may be prepared from at least one film - former such as hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose , hydroxypropyl cellulose or methacrylate polymers which optionally may contain at least one plasticizer such as polyethylene glycols , dibutyl sebacate , triethyl citrate , and other pharmaceutical auxiliary substances conventional for film coatings , such as pigments and fillers . preferably , the pharmaceutical compositions according to the sixth aspect of the invention are for use in the treatment of cancer , preferably in the treatment of skin cancer , and more preferably in the treatment of cutaneous t - cell lymphoma ( ctcl ). preferably , the pharmaceutical compositions according to the present invention are in unit dosage form comprising vorinostat in an amount of from 1 mg to 500 mg , such that the amount of vorinostat administered is from 0 . 1 mg to 100 mg per kg per day . the details of the invention , its objects and advantages are illustrated below in greater detail by non - limiting examples . vorinostat ( 10 g ) was charged to a reaction flask containing amide ( 50 ml ) ( organic solvent ). the resulting suspension was heated at 60 ° c . for one hour under stirring . the resulting clear solution was poured into water ( 250 ml ) at 20 - 25 ° c . white solid precipitated out . the solid product was filtered and dried at 60 ° c . under vacuum until a constant weight was obtained . vorinostat ( 10 g ) was charged to a reaction flask containing alcohol ( 50 ml ) ( organic solvent ). the resulting suspension was heated at 60 ° c . for one hour under stirring . the resulting clear solution was poured into water ( 50 ml ) at 20 - 25 ° c . white solid precipitated out . the solid product was filtered and dried at 60 ° c . under vacuum until a constant weight was obtained . vorinostat ( 10 g ) was charged to a reaction flask containing methanol ( 50 ml ) ( organic solvent ). the suspension was heated at 60 ° c . for one hour under stirring . the resulting clear solution was poured into water ( 50 - 300 ml , typically 50 ml when the organic solvent is an alcohol , typically 250 ml when the organic solvent is an amide ). the reaction mixture was cooled to 25 ° c . and filtered . the solid product obtained was dried at 60 ° c . under vacuum until a constant weight was obtained . the above procedure in example 3 was repeated using different organic solvents to obtain vorinostat form i , namely : vorinostat ( 10 g ) was charged to a reaction flask containing water ( 50 ml ). the resulting mixture was heated for one hour at 60 ° c . to obtain a clear solution . the reaction mixture was cooled to 25 ° c . and it was filtered . the solid product was dried at 60 ° c . under vacuum until a constant weight was obtained . vorinostat ( 10 g ) was charged to a reaction flask containing n , n - dimethylformamide ( 50 ml ) ( organic solvent i ). the resulting suspension was heated at 60 ° c . for one hour under stirring . the resulting clear solution was poured into acetone ( 50 ml ) ( organic solvent ii ). the reaction mixture was cooled to 25 ° c . and it was filtered . the solid product was dried at 60 ° c . under vacuum until a constant weight was obtained . the above procedure in example 5 was repeated using different solvents to obtain vorinostat form i , namely : organic solvent ii : acetone , methyl ethyl ketone , methyl isobutyl ketone , diethyl ketone , acetonitrile , propionitrile , ethyl acetate , methyl acetate . each organic solvent i listed above was used with each organic solvent ii listed above to prepare vorinostat form i . in all of examples 1 to 5 , 1 h - nmr indicated formation of vorinostat . xrpd and dsc analysis data confirmed that the products obtained were crystalline form i of vorinostat , in accordance with the data disclosed in us 2004 / 0122101 and wo 2006 / 127319 . the samples of crystalline vorinostat form i prepared in the above examples were found to be substantially pure polymorphically with no levels of other forms detected (& gt ; 99 . 7 % polymorphically pure ), as measured by xrpd and dsc . the samples of crystalline vorinostat form i prepared were also found to be very stable polymorphically with no conversion over time to other polymorphs , when kept at a temperature of 40 ° c .± 2 ° c . and a relative humidity of 75 %± 5 % for 6 months . it will be understood that the present invention has been described above by way of example only . the examples are not intended to limit the scope of the invention . various modifications and embodiments can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention , which is defined by the following claims only .
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fig1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a control circuit 100 . the control circuit 100 is used in a server . the server includes a power supply unit ( psu ) 1 , a first device 2 , a second device 3 , and a third device 5 . the psu 1 provides power to the devices 2 - 5 . the control circuit 100 can be used to boot the devices 2 - 5 in an orderly manner . the control circuit 100 includes a first switch circuit 10 , a second switch circuit 12 , a third switch circuit 15 , a first delay circuit 16 , and a second delay circuit 18 . in the embodiment , the first device 2 is a fan , the second device 3 is a hard disk drive , and the third device 5 is a video card with a peripheral component interconnect express ( pcie ) interface , but the disclosure is not limited thereto . the first switch circuit 10 is connected between the psu 1 and the first device 2 , and receives a power good signal pwrgd_ps and a first voltage p 12 v from the psu 1 , and the first voltage p 12 v is transmitted to the first device 2 after receiving the power good signal pwrgd_ps . the first delay circuit 16 is connected between the psu 1 and the second switch circuit 12 and receives the power good signal pwrgd_ps , and a first delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly is output to the second switch circuit 12 . the second switch circuit 12 is connected between the psu 1 and the second device 3 and receives the first voltage p 12 v from the psu 1 , and outputting the first voltage p 12 v to the second device 3 after receiving the first delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly . the second delay circuit 18 is connected between the first delay circuit 16 and the third switch circuit 15 , and receives the first delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly , and outputs a second delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly 1 to the third switch circuit 15 . the third switch circuit 15 is connected between the psu 1 and the third device 5 and receives the first voltage p 12 v from the psu 1 , and the first voltage p 12 v is output to the third device 5 after receiving the second delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly 1 . in fig2 , the first switch circuit 10 includes two electronic switches q 1 and q 2 , three resistors r 1 - r 3 , and four capacitors c 1 - c 4 . a first end of the electronic switch q 1 is connected to the psu 1 through the resistor r 1 , and receives the power good signal pwrgd_ps . the first end of the electronic switch q 1 is further grounded through the capacitor c 1 . a second end of the electronic switch q 1 is connected to a first power terminal p 12 v of the psu 1 through the resistor r 2 , and receives the first voltage p 12 v . a third end of the electronic switch q 1 is grounded . a first end of the electronic switch q 2 is connected to the second end of the electronic switch q 1 through the resistor r 3 , and is connected to the first power terminal p 12 v of the psu 1 through the capacitor c 3 . a second end of the electronic switch q 2 is connected to the first power terminal p 12 v of the psu 1 , and receives the first voltage p 12 v , and is grounded through the capacitor c 2 . a third end of the electronic switch q 2 is connected to the first device 2 and is grounded through the capacitor c 4 . the capacitors c 1 - c 4 filter noise from the first switch circuit 10 . in fig3 , the first delay circuit 16 includes a first delay chip u 1 , six resistors r 10 - r 15 , and three capacitors c 13 - c 15 . a reset pin reset of the first delay chip u 1 is connected to the second switch circuit 12 through the resistor r 10 , and outputs the first delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly to the second switch circuit 12 . the reset pin reset of the first delay chip u 1 is also connected to a second power terminal p 3 v 3 of the psu 1 through the resistor r 13 , and is grounded through the resistor r 13 and the capacitor c 13 in series . a ground pin gnd of the first delay chip u 1 is grounded . a manual reset pin mr of the first delay chip u 1 is connected to the psu 1 through the resistor r 11 , and receives the power good signal pwrgd_ps . the manual reset pin mr of the first delay chip u 1 is also connected to the second power terminal p 3 v 3 of the psu 1 through the resistor r 12 , and receives a second voltage p 3 v 3 . a set pin ct of the first delay chip u 1 is grounded through the capacitor c 14 . a sense pin sense of the first delay chip u 1 is grounded through the capacitor c 15 . the second power terminal p 3 v 3 of the psu 1 is grounded through the resistors r 14 and r 15 in series . a node between the resistors r 14 and r 15 is connected to the sense pin sense of the first delay chip u 1 . the second switch circuit 12 includes two electronic switches q 3 and q 4 , three resistors r 4 - r 6 , and four capacitors c 5 - c 8 . a first end of the electronic switch q 3 is connected to the first delay circuit 16 through the resistor r 4 and receives the first delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly . the first end of the electronic switch q 3 is also grounded through the capacitor c 5 . a second end of the electronic switch q 3 is connected to the first power terminal p 12 v of the psu 1 through the resistor r 5 , and receives the first voltage p 12 v . a third end of the electronic switch q 3 is grounded . a first end of the electronic switch q 4 is connected to the second end of the electronic switch q 3 through the resistor r 6 , and is connected to the first power terminal p 12 v of the psu 1 through the capacitor c 7 . a second end of the electronic switch q 4 is connected to the first power terminal p 12 v of the psu 1 , and receives the first voltage p 12 v , and is grounded through the capacitor c 6 . a third end of the electronic switch q 4 is connected to the second device 3 and is grounded through the capacitor c 8 . the capacitors c 5 - c 8 filter noise from the second switch circuit 12 . in fig4 , the second delay circuit 18 includes a second delay chip u 2 , six resistors r 16 - r 21 , and three capacitors c 16 - c 18 . a reset pin reset of the second delay chip u 2 is connected to the third switch circuit 15 through the resistor r 16 , and outputs the second delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly 1 to the third switch circuit 15 . the reset pin reset of the second delay chip u 2 is also connected to the second power terminal p 3 v 3 of the psu 1 through the resistor r 19 , and is grounded through the resistor r 19 and the capacitor c 16 in series . a ground pin gnd of the second delay chip u 2 is grounded . a manual reset pin mr of the second delay chip u 2 is connected to the first delay circuit 16 through the resistor r 17 , and receives the first delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly . the manual reset pin mr of the second delay chip u 2 is also connected to the second power terminal p 3 v 3 of the psu 1 through the resistor r 18 , and receives the second voltage p 3 v 3 . a set pin ct of the second delay chip u 2 is grounded through the capacitor c 17 . a sense pin sense of the second delay chip u 2 is grounded through the capacitor c 18 . the second power terminal p 3 v 3 of the psu 1 is grounded through the resistors r 20 and r 21 in series . a node between the resistors r 20 and r 21 is connected to the sense pin sense of the second delay chip u 2 . the third switch circuit 15 includes two electronic switches q 5 and q 6 , three resistors r 7 - r 9 , and four capacitors c 9 - c 12 . a first end of the electronic switch q 5 is connected to the second delay circuit 18 through the resistor r 7 , and receives the second delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly 1 . the first end of the electronic switch q 5 is also grounded through the capacitor c 9 . a second end of the electronic switch q 5 is connected to the first power terminal p 12 v of the psu 1 through the resistor r 8 , and receives the first voltage p 12 v . a third end of the electronic switch q 5 is grounded . a first end of the electronic switch q 6 is connected to the second end of the electronic switch q 5 through the resistor r 9 , and is connected to the first power terminal p 12 v of the psu 1 through the capacitor c 11 . a second end of the electronic switch q 6 is connected to the first power terminal p 12 v of the psu 1 , and receives the first voltage p 12 v , and is grounded through the capacitor c 10 . a third end of the electronic switch q 6 is connected to the third device 5 , and is grounded through the capacitor c 12 . the capacitors c 9 - c 12 filter noise from the third switch circuit 15 . in use , the psu 1 outputs the power good signal pwrgd_ps to the first switch circuit 10 and the first delay circuit 16 . when the first switch circuit 10 receives the power good signal pwrgd_ps , the electronic switches q 1 and q 2 are turned on . therefore , the first voltage p 12 v of the psu 1 is outputted to the first device 2 for booting the first device 2 . when the first delay circuit 16 receives the power good signal pwrgd p_s , the reset pin reset of the first delay chip u 1 outputs the first delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly to the second switch circuit 12 and the second delay circuit 18 after a first delay time set beforehand in the first delay chip u 1 . when the second switch circuit 12 receives the first delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly , the electronic switches q 3 and q 4 are turned on . therefore , the first voltage p 12 v of the psu 1 is outputted to the second device 3 for booting the second device 3 . when the second delay circuit 18 receives the first delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly , the reset pin reset of the second delay chip u 2 outputs the second delay signal pwrgd_ps_dly 1 to the third switch circuit 15 after a second delay time set beforehand in the second delay chip u 2 . the electronic switches q 5 and q 6 are turned on . the first voltage p 12 v of the psu 1 is outputted to the third device 5 for booting the third device 5 . in the embodiment , the electronic switches q 1 - q 6 are metal oxide semiconductor field - effect transistors ( mosfets ). the electronic switches q 1 , q 3 , and q 5 are n - channel mosfets . the electronic switches q 2 , q 4 , and q 6 are p - channel mosfets . the first , second , and third ends of each electronic switch respectively correspond to a gate , a drain , and a source of each mosfet . while the disclosure has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited thereto . on the contrary , it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements as would be apparent to those skilled in the art . therefore , the range of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements .
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the present invention is directed to methods of treating symptoms , pathologies or diseases characterized by reduced levels of dopamine in a patients brain , including neurological or movement disorders such as restless leg syndrome , parkinson &# 39 ; s disease and secondary parkinsonism , huntingdon &# 39 ; s disease , shy - drager syndrome and conditions resulting from brain injury including carbon monoxide or manganese intoxication . the present invention is directed to a pharmaceutical dosage form having an immediate release component and a controlled release component . the immediate release component comprises carbidopa alone or a ratio of carbidopa to levodopa from about 1 : 1 to about 1 : 50 such that the in vitro dissolution rate of the immediate release component , according to measurements under the usp paddle method of 50 rpm in 900 ml aqueous buffer at ph 4 at 37 ° c ., is from about 10 % to about 99 % active agent released after 15 minutes and from about 75 % to about 99 % active agent released after 1 hour . benzeraside as an alternate peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor , and may be substituted in appropriate doses in all subsequent details of the carbidopa discussions . the controlled release component comprises a ratio of levodopa to carbidopa of from about 1 : 2 to about 1 : 50 such that the in vitro dissolution rate of the controlled release component , according to measurements under the usp paddle method of 50 rpm in 900 ml aqueous buffer at ph 4 at 37 ° c ., is about 10 % to about 60 % levodopa released after 1 hour ; from about 25 % to about 80 % levodopa released after 2 hours ; and , from about 40 % to about 95 % levodopa released after 6 ours . additionally , the formulations of the present invention are chosen such that the initial peak plasma level of levodopa obtained in vivo occurs between 0 . 1 and 6 hours after administration of the dosage form . the ratio of immediate release to controlled release levodopa in dosage forms according to the present invention is from about 3 to about 0 . 1 . the skilled artisan will appreciate that this ratio can range anywhere within these endpoints depending on the goal of therapy and such well known factors such as patient weight , stage of disease , etc . the skilled artisan will appreciate that the ratios of 1 , 0 . 875 , 0 . 538 , 0 . 5 and 0 . 33 , which are used in dosage forms according to the present invention , are representative of specific ratios , but not limiting of the possible ratios which may be employed in carbidopa / levodopa dosage forms . for purposes of the present invention the term “ controlled release ” refers to a pharmaceutical dosage form which releases one or more active pharmaceutical agents over a prolonged period of time , in this case over a period of more than 1 hour . controlled release ( cr ) components can also be referred to as sustained release ( sr ), prolonged release ( pr ), or extended release ( er ). when used in association with the dissolution profiles discussed herein , the term “ controlled release ” refers to that portion of a dosage form made according to the present invention which delivers active agent over a period of time greater than 1 hour . “ immediate release ” refers to a dosage form which releases active agent substantially immediately upon contact with gastric juices and will result in substantially complete dissolution within about 1 hour . immediate release ( ir ) components can also be referred to as instant release . when used in association with the dissolution profiles discussed herein , the term “ immediate release ” refers to that portion of a dosage form made according to the present invention which delivers active agent over a period of time less than 1 hour . initial peak plasma level refers to the first rise in blood plasma level of active agent and may be followed by one or more additional peaks , one of which may be c max . the usp paddle method refers to the paddle and basket method as described in united states pharmacopoeia , edition xxii ( 1990 ). as used herein , the term patient means any mammal including humans . the active agents for use in dosage forms according to the present invention include levodopa and carbidopa their salts , derivatives and pro - drugs . the terms “ levodopa ” and “ carbidopa ” are meant to embrace these chemical compounds themselves , pro - drugs thereof , n - oxides thereof , the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof , derivatives thereof , and the solvates thereof , e . g . hydrates , where the context so permits . similarly , reference to intermediates , whether or not they themselves are claimed , is meant to embrace their salts , and solvates , where the context so permits . the term “ derivative ” means a chemically modified compound wherein the modification is considered routine by the ordinary skilled chemist , such as an ester or an amide of an acid , protecting groups , such as a benzyl group for an alcohol or thiol , and tert - butoxycarbonyl group for an amine . the term “ effective amount ” means an amount of a compound / composition according to the present invention effective in producing the desired therapeutic effect . the term “ analogue ” means a compound which comprises a chemically modified form of a specific compound or class thereof , and which maintains the pharmaceutical and / or pharmacological activities characteristic of said compound or class . as used herein , “ pharmaceutically acceptable salts ” refer to derivatives of the disclosed compounds wherein the parent compound is modified by making acid or base salts thereof . examples of pharmaceutically acceptable salts include , but are not limited to , mineral or organic acid salts of basic residues such as amines ; alkali or organic salts of acidic residues such as carboxylic acids ; and the like . the pharmaceutically acceptable salts include the conventional non - toxic salts or the quarternary ammonium salts of the parent compound formed , for example , from non - toxic inorganic or organic acids . for example , such conventional non - toxic salts include those derived from inorganic acids such as hydrochloric , hydrobromic , sulfuric , sulfamic , phosphoric , nitric and the like ; and the salts prepared from organic acids such as acetic , propionic , succinic , glycolic , stearic , lactic , malic , tartaric , citric , ascorbic , pamoic , maleic , hydroxymaleic , phenylacetic , glutamic , benzoic , salicylic , sulfanilic , 2 - acetoxybenzoic , fumaric , toluensulfonic , methanesulfonic , ethane dislfonic , oxalic , isethionic , and the like . the phrase “ pharmaceutically acceptable ” is employed herein to refer to those compounds , materials , compositions ; and / or dosage forms which are , within the scope of sound medical judgment , suitable for use in contact with the tissues of human beings and animals without excessive toxicity , irritation , allergic response , or other problem or complication commensurate with a reasonable benefit / risk ratio . the term “ about ” when used in connection with percentages means ± 1 %. the term “ pro - drugs ”, as the term is used herein , is intended to include any covalently bonded carriers which release an active parent drug of the present invention in vivo when such pro - drug is administered to a mammalian subject . since pro - drugs are known to enhance numerous desirable qualities of pharmaceuticals ( i . e ., solubility , bioavailability , manufacturing , etc .) the compounds of the present invention may be delivered in pro - drug form . thus , the present invention is intended to cover pro - drugs of the presently claimed compounds , methods of delivering the same , and compositions containing the same . one example of a pro - drug for levodopa is 3 - hydroxy - l - tyrosine ethyl ester . in the formulations of the present invention , 3 - hydroxy - l - tyrosine ethyl ester can be used in combination with levodopa or as a replacement for levodopa in any of the formulations . generally , an appropriate pro - drug for levodopa can be used in combination with levodopa or as a replacement for levodopa in any of the levodopa / carbidopa formulations of the present invention . similarly , an appropriate pro - drug for carbidopa can be used in combination with levodopa or as a replacement for carbidopa in any of the levodopa / carbidopa formulations of the present invention . pro - drugs of the present invention are prepared by modifying functional groups present in the compound in such a way that the modifications are cleaved , either in routine manipulation or in vivo , to the parent compound . the transformation in vivo may be , for example , as the result of some metabolic process , such as chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis of a carboxylic , phosphoric or sulphate ester , or reduction or oxidation of a susceptible functionality . pro - drugs within the scope of the present include compounds wherein a hydroxy , amino , or sulfhydryl group is bonded to any group that , when the pro - drug of the present invention is administered to a mammalian subject , it cleaves to form a free hydroxyl , free amino , or free sulfydryl group respectively . functional groups which may be rapidly transformed , by metabolic cleavage , in vivo form a class of groups reactive with the carboxyl group of the compounds of this invention . they include , but are not limited to such groups as alkanoyl ( such as acetyl , propionyl , butyryl , and the like ), unsubstituted and substituted aroyl ( such as benzoyl and substituted benzoyl ), alkoxycarbonyl ( such as ethoxycarbonyl ), trialkysilyl ( such as trimethyl - and triethysilyl ), monoesters formed with dicarboxylic acids ( such as succinyl ), and the like . because of the ease with which metabolically cleavable groups of the compounds useful according to this invention are cleaved in vivo , the compounds bearing such groups act as pro - drugs . the compounds bearing the metabolically cleavable groups have the advantage that they may exhibit improved bioavailability as a result of enhanced solubility and / or rate of absorption conferred upon the parent compound by virtue of the presence of the metabolically cleavable group . a thorough discussion of pro - drugs is provided in the following : design of pro - drugs , h . bundgaard , ed ., elsevier , 1985 ; methods in enzymology , k . widder et al ., ed ., academic press , 42 , p . 309 - 396 , 1985 ; a textbook of drug design and development , krogsgaard - larsen and h . bundgaard , ed ., chapter5 ; “ design and applications of pro - drugs ” p . 113 - 191 , 1991 ; advanced drug delivery reviews , h . bundgard , 8 , p . 1 - 38 , 1992 ; journal of pharmaceutical sciences , 77 , p . 285 , 1988 ; chem . pharm . bull ., n . nakeya et al ., 32 , p . 692 , 1984 ; pro - drugs as novel delivery systems , t . higuchi and v . stella , vol . 14 of the a . c . s . symposium series , and bioreversible carriers in drug design , edward b . roche , ed ., american pharmaceutical association and pergamon press , 1987 , each of which is incorporated herein by reference . total daily dosages of the compounds useful according to this invention administered to a host in single or divided doses are generally in amounts of from about 0 . 01 mg / kg to about 100 mg / kg body weight daily , and preferably from about 0 . 05 mg / kg to about 50 mg / kg body weight daily . both the levodopa and carbidopa doses fall within this mg / kg / day dosage range . the relative amounts of carbidopa and levodopa can vary from about 1 : 1 to about 1 : 50 in dosage forms according to the present invention . other dosage ratios useful according to the present invention include 1 : 10 , 5 : 26 , 1 : 5 , 1 : 4 , 5 : 16 , 1 : 3 , 5 : 14 , 1 : 2 , 2 : 3 , 3 : 4 , 5 : 6 ) of carbidopa to levodopa . the skilled artisan will appreciate that daily dosages having an amount of active agent sufficient to treat parkinson &# 39 ; s disease will generally contain from about 25 mg to about 4 , 000 mg of levodopa in combination with from about 5 mg to about 600 mg of carbidopa . dosage forms according to the present invention may also contain from about 25 or preferably 100 mg to about preferably 300 or 600 mg of levodopa in combination with from about 12 . 5 or preferably 50 mg to about preferably 75 or 200 mg of carbidopa . preferred dosage forms contain 25 , 37 . 5 , 50 , 70 , 75 , 80 , 100 , 125 , 130 , 150 , 200 , 250 , 300 , 400 , or 600 mg of levodopa and 12 . 5 , 25 , 37 . 5 , 50 , 75 , 100 , 112 . 5 , 125 or 150 mg of carbidopa . preferred dosage forms include all possible combinations of these amounts of levodopa and carbidopa . dosage unit compositions may also contain amounts of levodopa and carbidopa in percentages of these dosages as may be used to make up the daily dose . it will be understood , however , that the specific dose level for any particular patient will depend upon a variety of factors including body weight , general health , gender , diet , time and route of administration , rates of absorption and excretion , combination with other drugs , and the severity of the particular disease being treated . actual dosage levels of active ingredient in the compositions of the present invention may be varied so as to obtain an amount of active ingredient that is effective to obtain a desired therapeutic response for a particular composition and method of administration . the selected dosage level , therefore , depends upon the desired therapeutic effect , on the route of administration , on the desired duration of treatment , and other factors . the dosage forms of the present invention are designed to administer active agent according to the combination of two release profiles . the first profile is an immediate release burst of carbidopa , another decarboxylase inhibitor such as benserazide , or a combination of active ingredients such as a decarboxylase inhibitors and levodopa to provide early relief from symptoms via quick onset of effective blood plasma levels of active agent . such early release is such that the in vitro dissolution rate of the immediate release component , according to measurements under the usp paddle method of 50 rpm in 900 ml aqueous buffer at ph 4 at 37 ° c . are from about 10 % to about 99 % levodopa released after 15 minutes and from about 75 % to about 99 % levodopa released after 1 hour . the second profile is a controlled release profile in which the combination of active ingredients is released slowly over time to provide a plasma level effective to alleviate the symptoms of parkinson &# 39 ; s disease over a prolonged period . this controlled release profile may be over a period of 3 , 4 , 6 , 8 , 12 , or 24 hours . furthermore , the controlled release profile of the present invention is such that the in vitro dissolution rate of the controlled release component , according to measurements under the usp paddle method of 50 rpm in 900 ml aqueous buffer at ph 4 at 37 ° c ., are from about 10 % to about 60 % levodopa released after 1 hour ; from about 25 % to about 80 % released after 2 hours ; from about 30 % to about 85 % levodopa released after 4 hours and from about 40 % to about 99 % levodopa released after about 6 hours , and chosen such that the peak plasma level of levodopa obtained in vivo occurs between 0 . 1 and 6 hours after administration of the dosage form . the active ingredients of the present invention may be mixed with pharmaceutically acceptable carriers , diluents , adjuvants , excipients , or vehicles , such as preserving agents , fillers , polymers , disintegrating agents , glidants , wetting agents , emulsifying agents , suspending agents , sweetening agents , flavoring agents , perfuming agents , lubricating agents , acidifying agents , and dispensing agents , depending on the nature of the mode of administration and dosage forms . such ingredients , including pharmaceutically acceptable carriers and excipients that may be used to formulate oral dosage forms , are described in the handbook of pharmaceutical excipients , american pharmaceutical association ( 1986 ), incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . examples of , pharmaceutically acceptable carriers include water , ethanol , polyols , vegetable oils , fats , waxes polymers , including gel forming and non - gel forming polymers , and suitable mixtures thereof . examples of excipients include starch , pregelatinized starch , avicel , lactose , milk sugar , sodium citrate , calcium carbonate , dicalcium phosphate , and lake blend . examples of disintegrating agents include starch , alginic acids , and certain complex silicates . examples of lubricants include magnesium stearate , sodium lauryl sulphate , talc , as well as high molecular weight polyethylene glycols . the artisan of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many different excipients can be used in formulations according to the present invention and the list provided herein is not exhaustive . dosage forms can be made according to well known methods in the art . some preferred methods are described below . the term matrix , as used herein , is given its well known meaning in the pharmaceutical arts , that is a solid material having an active agent incorporated therein . upon exposure to a dissolution media , channels are formed in the solid material so that the active agent can escape . dosage forms according to one embodiment of the present invention may be in the form of coated or uncoated matrices . a coating , for example may contain immediate release carbidopa alone , or in the alternative , a combination of levodopa and carbidopa , and the matrix itself can contain the controlled release combination of levodopa and carbidopa . the skilled artisan will appreciate that the matrix material can be chosen from a wide variety of materials which can provide the desired dissolution profiles . materials can include , for example , one or more gel forming polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol , cellulose ethers including , for example , hydroxy propyl alkyl , celluloses such as hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose , hydroxy alkyl celluloses such as hydroxy propyl cellulose , natural or synthetic gums such as guar gum , xanthum gum , and alginates , as well as , ethyl cellulose , polyvinyl pyrrolidone , fats , waxes , polycarboxylic acids or esters such as the carbopol ® series of polymers , methacrylic acid copolymers , and methacrylate polymers . methods of making matrix dosages are well known in the art and any known method of making such dosages which yields the desired immediate release and controlled release dissolution profiles can be used . one such method involves the mixture of the levodopa and carbidopa combination with a solid polymeric material and one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients which are then blended and compressed in controlled release tablet cores . such tablet cores can be used for further processing as bi - layer tablets , press coated tablets , or film coated tablets . a coating containing the immediate release carbidopa or carbidopa and levodopa in combination can be added to the outside of the controlled release tablet cores to produce a final dosage form . such a coating can be prepared by mixing carbidopa alone , or a combination of levodopa and carbidopa , with polyvinylpyrrolidone ( pvp ) 29 / 32 or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose ( hpmc ) and water / isopropyl alcohol and triethyl acetate . such an immediate release coating can be spray coated onto the tablet cores . the immediate release coating may also be applied using a press - coating process with a blend consisting of 80 % by weight levodopa and carbidopa and 20 % by weight of lactose and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose type 2910 . press coating techniques are known in the art and are described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 372 , 254 to ting et al ., incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . in addition , the formulation of respective release components can occur by appropriate granulation methods as is well known in the art . in wet granulation , solutions of the binding agent ( polymer ) are added with stirring to the mixed powders . the powder mass is wetted with the binding solution until the mass has the consistency of damp snow or brown sugar . the wet granulated material is forced through a sieving device . moist material from the milling step is dried by placing it in a temperature controlled container . after drying , the granulated material is reduced in particle size by passing it through a sieving device . lubricant is added , and the final blend is then compressed into a matrix dosage form . in fluid - bed granulation , particles of inert material and / or active agent are suspended in a vertical column with a rising air stream . while the particles are suspended , a common granulating material in solution is sprayed into the column . there is a gradual particle buildup under a controlled set of conditions resulting in tablet granulation . following drying and the addition of lubricant , the granulated material is ready for compression . in dry - granulation , the active agent , binder , diluent , and lubricant are blended and compressed into tablets . the compressed large tablets are comminuted through the desirable mesh screen by sieving equipment . additional lubricant is added to the granulated material and blended gently . the material is then compressed into tablets . the immediate release / controlled release dosage forms of the present invention can also take the form of pharmaceutical particles . the dosage forms can include immediate release particles in combination with controlled release particles in a ratio sufficient to deliver the desired dosages of active agents . the controlled release particles can be produced by coating the immediate release particles . the particles can be produced according to any of a number of well known methods for making particles . the immediate release particles comprise the active agent combination and a disintegrant . suitable disintegrants include , for example , starch , low - substitution hydroxypropyl cellulose , croscarmellose sodium , calcium carboxymethyl cellulose , hydroxypropyl starch , and microcrystalline cellulose . in addition to the above - mentioned ingredients , a controlled release matrix may also contain suitable quantities of other materials , for example , diluents , lubricants , binders , granulating aids , colorants , flavorants , and glidants that are conventional in the pharmaceutical arts . the quantities of these additional materials are sufficient to provide the desired effect to the desired formulation . a controlled release matrix incorporating particles may also contain suitable quantities of these other materials such as diluents , lubricants , binders , granulating aids , colorants , flavorants , and glidants that are conventional in the pharmaceutical arts in amounts up to about 75 % by weight of the particulate , if desired . particles can assume any standard structure known in the pharmaceutical arts . such structures include , for example , matrix particles , non - pareil cores having a drug layer and active or inactive cores having multiple layers thereon . a controlled release coating can be added to any of these structures to create a controlled release particle . the term particle as used herein means a granule having a diameter of between about 0 . 01 mm and about 5 . 0 mm , preferably between about 0 . 1 mm and about 2 . 5 mm , and more preferably between about 0 . 5 mm and about 2 mm . the skilled artisan will appreciate that particles according to the present invention can be any geometrical shape within this size range and so long as the mean for a statistical distribution of particles falls within the particle sizes enumerated above , they will be considered to fall within the contemplated scope of the present invention . the release of the therapeutically active agent from the controlled release formulation of the present invention can be further influenced , i . e ., adjusted to a desired rate , by the addition of one or more release - modifying agents . the release - modifying agent may be organic or inorganic and include materials that can be dissolved , extracted , or leached from the coating in the environment of use . the pore - formers may comprise one or more hydrophilic materials such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose . the release - modifying agent may also comprise a semi - permeable polymer . in certain preferred embodiments , the release - modifying agent is selected from hydroxypropyl methyclcellulose , lactose , metal stearates , and mixtures thereof . in one preferred embodiment , oral dosage forms are prepared to include an effective amount of particles as described above within a capsule . for example , melt - extruded particles may be placed in a gelatin capsule in an amount sufficient to provide an effective controlled release dose when ingested and contacted by gastric fluid . in another preferred embodiment , a suitable amount of the particles are compressed into an oral tablet using conventional tableting equipment using standard techniques . techniques and compositions for making tablets ( compressed and molded ), capsules ( hard and soft gelatin ), and pills are also described in remington &# 39 ; s pharmaceutical sciences , arthur osol , editor , pp . 1553 - 1593 ( 1980 ), incorporated herein by reference . the particles can be made by mixing the relevant ingredients and granulating the mixture . the resulting particles are dried and screened , and the particles having the desired size are used for drug formulation . the controlled release particles of the present invention slowly release the combination of levodopa and carbidopa when ingested and exposed to gastric fluids , and then to intestinal fluids . the controlled release profile of the formulations of the invention can be altered , for example , by increasing or decreasing the thickness of the retardant coating , i . e ., by varying the amount of overcoating . the resultant solid controlled release particles may thereafter be placed in a gelatin capsule in an amount sufficient to provide an effective controlled release dose when ingested and contacted by an environmental fluid , e . g ., gastric fluid , intestinal fluid or dissolution media . the particles may be overcoated with an aqueous dispersion of a hydrophobic or hydrophilic material to modify the release profile . the aqueous dispersion of hydrophobic material preferably further includes an effective amount of plasticizer , e . g . triethyl citrate . preformulated aqueous dispersions of ethylcellulose , such as aquacoat ® or surelease ®, may be used . if surelease ® is used , it is not necessary to separately add a plasticizer . the hydrophobic material may be selected from the group consisting of alkylcellulose , acrylic and methacrylic acid polymers and copolymers , shellac , zein , hydrogenated castor oil , hydrogenated vegetable oil , or mixtures thereof . in certain preferred embodiments , the hydrophobic material is a pharmaceutically acceptable acrylic polymer , including but not limited to acrylic acid and methacrylic acid copolymers , methyl methacrylate , methyl methacrylate copolymers , ethoxyethyl methacrylates , cyanoethyl methacrylate , aminoalkyl methacrylate copolymer , poly ( acrylic acid ), poly ( methacrylic acid ), methacrylicacid alkylamine copolymer , poly ( methyl methacrylate ), poly ( methacrylic acid anhydride ), polymethacrylate , polyacrylamide , poly ( methacrylic acid anhydride ), and glycidyl methacrylate copolymers . in alternate embodiments , the hydrophobic material is selected from materials such as one or more hydroxyalkyl celluloses such as hydroxypropyl methycellulose . the hydroxyalkyl cellulose is preferably a hydroxy ( c 1 to c 6 ) alkyl cellulose , such as hydroxypropylcellulose , hydroxypropylmethylcellulose , or preferably hydroxyethylcellulose . the amount of the hydroxyalkyl cellulose in the present oral dosage form is determined , inter alia , by the precise rate of active agents desired and may vary from about 1 % to about 80 %. in embodiments of the present invention where the coating comprises an aqueous dispersion of a hydrophobic polymer , the inclusion of an effective amount of a plasticizer in the aqueous dispersion of hydrophobic polymer can further improve the physical properties of the film . for example , because ethylcellulose has a relatively high glass transition temperature and does not form flexible films under normal coating conditions , it is necessary to plasticize the ethylcellulose before using it as a coating material . generally , the amount of plasticizer included in a coating solution is based on the concentration of the film - former , e . g ., most often from about 1 percent to about 50 percent by weight of the film - former . concentration of the plasticizer , however , is preferably determined after careful experimentation with the particular coating solution and method of application . examples of suitable plasticizers for ethylcellulose include water - insoluble plasticizers such as dibutyl sebacate , diethyl phthalate , triethyl citrate , tributyl citrate , and triacetin , although other water - insoluble plasticizers ( such as acetylated monoglycerides , phthalate esters , castor oil , etc .) may be used . triethyl citrate is an especially preferred plasticizer for the aqueous dispersions of ethyl cellulose of the present invention . examples of suitable plasticizers for the acrylic polymers of the present invention include , but are not limited to , citric acid esters such as triethyl citrate nf xvi , tributyl citrate , dibutyl phthalate , and possibly 1 , 2 - propylene glycol . other plasticizers which have proved to be suitable for enhancing the elasticity of the films formed from acrylic films such as eudragit ® rl / rs lacquer solutions include polyethylene glycols , propylene glycol , diethyl phthalate , castor oil , and triacetin . triethyl citrate is an especially preferred plasticizer for aqueous dispersions of ethyl cellulose . it has further been found that addition of a small amount of talc reduces the tendency of the aqueous dispersion to stick during processing and acts a polishing agent . one commercially available aqueous dispersion of ethylcellulose is aquacoat ® which is prepared by dissolving the ethylcellulose in a water - immiscible organic solvent and then emulsifying the ethylcellulose in water in the presence of a surfactant and a stabilizer . after homogenization to generate submicron droplets , the organic solvent is evaporated under vacuum to form a pseudolatex . the plasticizer is not incorporated into the pseudolatex during the manufacturing phase . thus , prior to using the pseudolatex as a coating , the aquacoat ® is mixed with a suitable plasticizer . another aqueous dispersion of ethylcellulose is commercially available as surelease ® ( colorcon , inc ., west point , pa ., u . s . a .). this product is prepared by incorporating plasticizer into the dispersion during the manufacturing process . a hot melt of a polymer , plasticizer ( dibutyl sebacate ), and stabilizer ( oleic acid ) is prepared as a homogeneous mixture which is then diluted with an alkaline solution to obtain an aqueous dispersion which can be applied directly onto substrates . in one preferred embodiment , the acrylic coating is an acrylic resin lacquer used in the form of an aqueous dispersion , such as that which is commercially available from rohm pharma under the trade name eudragit ®. in additional preferred embodiments , the acrylic coating comprises a mixture of two acrylic resin lacquers commercially available from rohm pharma under the trade names eudragit ® rl 30 d and eudragit ® rs 30 d . eudragit ® rl 30 d and eudragit ® rs 30 are copolymers of acrylic and methacrylic esters with a low content of quaternary ammonium groups , the molar ratio of ammonium groups to the remaining neutral ( meth ) acrylic esters being 1 : 20 in eudragit ® rl 30 and 1 : 40 in eudragit ® rs 30 d . the mean molecular weight is about 150 , 000 daltons . the code designations rl ( high permeability ) and rs ( low permeability ) refer to the permeability properties of these agents . eudragit ® rl / rs mixtures are insoluble in water and in digestive fluids , however , coatings formed from them are swellable and permeable in aqueous solutions and digestive fluids . the eudragit ® rl / rs dispersions may be mixed together in any desired ratio in order to ultimately obtain a controlled - release formulation having a desirable dissolution profile . desirable controlled - release formulations may be obtained , for instance , from a retardant coating derived from one of a variety of coating combinations , such as 100 % eudragit ® rl ; 50 % eudragit ® rl and 50 % eudragit ® rs ; or 10 % eudragit ® rl and eudragit ® 90 % rs . of course , one skilled in the art will recognize that other acrylic polymers may also be used , for example , eudragit ® l . in addition to modifying the dissolution profile by altering the relative amounts of different acrylic resin lacquers , the dissolution profile of the ultimate product may also be modified , for example , by increasing or decreasing the thickness of the retardant coating . in preferred embodiments of the present invention , the stabilized product is obtained by subjecting the coated substrate to oven curing at a temperature above the tg of the plasticized acrylic polymer for the required time period , the optimum values for temperature and time for the particular formulation being determined experimentally . in certain embodiments of the present invention , the stabilized product is obtained via an oven curing conducted at a temperature of about 45 ° c . for a time period from about 1 to about 48 hours . it is also contemplated that certain products coated with the controlled - release coating of the present invention may require a curing time longer than 24 to 48 hours , e . g ., from about 48 to about 60 hours or more . the coating solutions preferably contain , in addition to the film - former , plasticizer , and solvent system ( i . e ., water ), a colorant to provide elegance and product distinction . color may be added to the solution of the therapeutically active agent instead of , or in addition to the aqueous dispersion of hydrophobic material . for example , color may be added to aquacoat ® via the use of alcohol or propylene glycol based color dispersions , milled aluminum lakes and opacifiers such as titanium dioxide by adding color with shear to the water soluble polymer solution and then using low shear to the plasticized aquacoat ®. alternatively , any suitable method of providing color to the formulations of the present invention may be used . suitable ingredients for providing color to the formulation when an aqueous dispersion of an acrylic polymer is used include titanium dioxide and color pigments , such as iron oxide pigments . the incorporation of pigments , may , however , increase the retardant effect of the coating . spheroids or beads coated with the therapeutically active agents can be prepared , for example , by dissolving the therapeutically active agents in water and then spraying the solution onto a substrate , for example , non pareil 18 / 20 beads , using a wuster insert . optionally , additional ingredients are also added prior to coating the beads in order to assist the binding of the active agents to the beads , and / or to color the solution , etc . for example , a product which includes hydroxypropyl methycellulose with or without colorant ( e . g ., opadry ®, commercially available from coloron , inc .) may be added to the solution and the solution mixed ( e . g ., for about 1 hour ) prior to application onto the beads . the resultant coated substrate , beads in this example , may then be optionally overcoated with a barrier agent to separate the therapeutically active agent from the hydrophobic controlled release coating . an example of a suitable barrier agent is one which comprises hydroxypropylmethylcellulose . however , any film - former known in the art may be used . it is preferred that the barrier agent does not affect the dissolution rate of the final product . immediate release particles according to the present invention may be coated with a controlled release coating in order to change the release rate to obtain the dissolution rates according to the present invention . in another embodiment of the present invention , the carbidopa and levodopa combination is administered via a press coated pulsatile drug delivery system suitable for oral administration with a controlled release component , which contains a compressed blend of an active agent and one or more polymers , substantially enveloped by an immediate release component , which contains a compressed blend of the active agent and hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymers . the immediate - release component preferably comprises a compressed blend of active agent and one or more polymers with disintegration characteristics such that the polymers disintegrate rapidly upon exposure to the aqueous medium . the controlled - release component preferably comprises a combination of hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymers . in this embodiment , once administered , the hydrophilic polymer dissolves away to weaken the structure of the controlled - release component , and the hydrophobic polymer retards the water penetration and helps to maintain the shape of the drug delivery system . in accordance with the present invention , the term “ polymer ” includes single or multiple polymeric substances , which can swell , gel , degrade or erode on contact with an aqueous environment ( e . g ., water ). examples include alginic acid , carboxymethylcellulose calcium , carboxymethylcellulose sodium , colloidal silicon dioxide , croscarmellose sodium , crospovidone , guar gum , magnesium aluminum silicate , methylcellulose , microcrystalline cellulose , polacrilin potassium , powdered cellulose , pregelatinized starch , sodium alginate , sodium starch glycolate , starch , ethylcellulose , gelatin , hydroxyethyl cellulose , hydroxypropyl cellulose , hydroxypropyl methylcellulose , polymethacrylates , povidone , pregelatinized starch , shellac , and zein , and combinations thereof . the term “ hydrophilic polymers ” as used herein includes one or more of carboxymethylcellulose , natural gums such as guar gum or gum acacia , gum tragacanth , or gum xanthan , hydroxyethyl cellulose , hydroxypropyl cellulose , hydroxypropyl methylcellulose , methylcellulose , and povidone , of which hydroxypropyl methylcellulose is further preferred . the term “ hydrophilic polymers ” can also include sodium carboxymethycellulose , hydroxymethyl cellulose , polyethelene oxide , hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose , carboxypolymethylene , polyethelene glycol , alginic acid , gelatin , polyvinyl alcohol , polyvinylpyrrolidones , polyacrylamides , polymethacrylamides , polyphosphazines , polyoxazolidines , poly ( hydroxyalkylcarboxylic acids ), an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal , carageenate alginates , ammonium alginate , sodium alganate , or mixtures thereof . the hydrophobic polymer of the drug delivery system can be any hydrophobic polymer which will achieve the goals of the present invention including , but not limited to , one or more polymers selected from carbomer , carnauba wax , ethylcellulose , glyceryl palmitostearate , hydrogenated castor oil , hydrogenated vegetable oil type 1 , microcrystalline wax , polacrilin potassium , polymethacrylates , or stearic acid , of which hydrogenated vegetable oil type 1 is preferred . hydrophobic polymers can include , for example , a pharmaceutically acceptable acrylic polymer , including , but not limited to , acrylic acid and methacrylic acid copolymers , methyl methacrylate copolymers , ethoxyethyl methacrylates , cyanoethyl methacrylate , aminoalkyl methacrylate copolymer , poly ( acrylic acid ), poly ( methacrylic acid ), methacrylic acid alkylamide copolymer , poly ( methyl methacrylate ), poly ( methyl methacrylate ) copolymer , polyacrylamide , aminoalkyl methacrylate copolymer , poly ( methacrylic acid anhydride ), and glycidyl methacrylate copolymers . additionally , the acrylic polymers may be cationic , anionic , or non - ionic polymers and may be acrylates , methacrylates , formed of methacrylic acid or methacrylic acid esters . the polymers may also be ph dependent . the present invention also provides a method for preparing a press coated , pulsatile drug delivery system suitable for oral administration . this method includes the steps of combining an effective amount of an active agent , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , and a polymer to form an immediate - release component ; combining an effective amount of an active agent , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , and a combination of hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymers to form an controlled - release component ; and press coating the controlled - release component to substantially envelop the immediate - release component . a preferred embodiment further includes the steps of combining an effective amount of an active agent , or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , and a polymer to form an immediate - release component , and press coating the immediate - release component to substantially envelop the controlled - release component . in another preferred embodiment , the combining steps can be done by blending , wet granulation , fluid - bed granulation , or dry granulation according to methods recognized in the art . the term “ substantially envelop ” is intended to define the total or near - total enclosure of a component . such an enclosure includes , preferably , at least 80 % enclosure , more preferably at least 90 % enclosure , and most preferably at least 99 % enclosure . the following examples describe and illustrate the processes and products of the present invention . these examples are intended to be merely illustrative of the present invention , and not limiting thereof in either scope or spirit . those skilled in the art will readily understand that variations of the materials , conditions , and processes described in these examples can be used . all references cited herein are incorporated by reference . the method described below was employed to obtain a press coated , pulsatile drug delivery system , the composition of which is set forth in tables 1 and 2 . appropriate weights of levodopa and carbidopa ( weights shown in tables 1 and 2 ) are intimately mixed for use in preparing immediate release and controlled release components of the formulations of the present invention . the active agents are first mixed with silicon dioxide in a patterson - kelley v - blender for 10 minutes . then microcrystalline cellulose and crosscarmellulose sodium are added and blended for 10 more minutes . finally , magnesium stearate is added to the blender and mixed for another 10 minutes . the powder blend is then compressed using a manesty dry - cota with a 0 . 2031 inch diameter , round , flat - face punch and die set . the hardness of the tablets is maintained at 4 ± 2 kp . the active agents are first mixed with silicon dioxide in a patterson - kelley v - blender for 10 minutes . then hydroxypropyl methylcellulose 2208 and microcrystalline cellulose are added and blended for 10 more minutes . finally , hydrogenated vegetable oil and magnesium stearate are added to the blender and mixed for another 10 minutes . the core tablets are press - coated using the manesty dry - cota with 0 . 3600 ″ in diameter , round , shallow concave punch and die set . the hardness of the tablets is maintained at 12 ± 4 kp . the method of manufacture for the controlled - release tablets is the same as described in example 1 . the application of the immediate - release component was done by charging the controlled - release tablets into a perforated pan coater or a fluidized particle coater and coating the tablet cores with a solution consisting of levodopa and carbidopa 80 % w / lactose and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose type 2910 . [ 0087 ] table 2 excipient range quantity / tablet example # 1 rt - 010 ( press coated w / o ir coating ) percent range immediate - release component levodopa / carbidopa 4 : 1 ratio 50 . 0 mg 62 . 5 % 80 % w / lactose croscarmellose sodium 1 . 6 mg 2 . 0 % 0 . 5 - 10 . 0 % microcrystalline cellulose 26 . 8 mg 33 . 5 % 18 . 0 - 36 . 0 % colloidal silicon dioxide 0 . 8 mg 1 . 0 % 0 . 5 - 2 . 0 % magnesium stearate 0 . 8 mg 1 . 0 % 0 . 5 - 2 . 0 % total : 80 . 0 mg controlled - release component levodopa / carbidopa 4 : 1 ratio 37 . 5 mg 17 . 0 % 80 % w / lactose hydroxypropyl methylcellulose 61 . 6 mg 28 . 0 % 15 . 0 - 40 . 0 % type 2208 microcrystalline cellulose 70 . 3 mg 32 . 0 % 8 . 0 - 57 . 0 % hydrogenated vegetable oil 46 . 2 mg 21 . 0 % 10 . 0 - 30 . 0 % type 1 colloidal silicon dioxide 2 . 2 mg 1 . 0 % 0 . 5 - 2 . 0 % magnesium stearate 2 . 2 mg 1 . 0 % 0 . 5 - 2 . 0 % total : 220 . 0 mg example 3 employs the ingredients and amounts listed in tables 3a , 3b , and 3c below for the formulations px00502 , px03002 , and px03102 , respectively . for each batch , whether 502 , 3002 or 3102 , the follows procedure is used : all ingredients , except magnesium stearate are weighed and mixed thoroughly . the mixed ingredients are added to a high shear granulator and mixed for 5 minutes , with an impeller speed of 5 and a chopper speed of 4 . deionized water is employed as the granulating agent . granules so made are dried in an oven overnight and then screened through a # 20 mesh ( us standard ). oversize granules are milled , screened with the process repeated until all particles can be screened through a # 20 mesh . the magnesium stearate is added to the screened particles and mixed thoroughly . the resulting mixture can then be used for different types of dosage forms as set out in examples 4 and 5 . table 3a per tablet amount px00502 ( w / w ) % in mg carbidopa 18 53 . 8 levodopa 67 200 . 1 klucel 12 . 9 38 . 5 lake blend 0 . 3 0 . 9 mg stearate 1 . 8 5 . 4 total 100 298 . 7 [ 0091 ] table 3b per tablet amount px03002 ( w / w ) % in mg carbidopa 11 . 3 27 levodopa 41 . 9 100 avicel 33 . 2 79 . 2 starch 11 . 1 26 . 5 acdisol 0 . 8 1 . 9 mg stearate 1 . 7 3 . 8 total 100 238 . 4 [ 0092 ] table 3c per tablet amount px03102 ( w / w ) % in mg carbidopa 9 . 3 26 . 9 levodopa 34 . 6 100 . 1 avicel 27 . 4 79 . 3 starch 27 . 4 79 . 3 mg stearate 1 . 3 3 . 8 total 100 289 . 4 [ 0093 ] fig1 shows the dissolution profiles of profiles of carbidopa / levodopa immediate release ( ir ) 25 / 100 mg formulations px03002 and px03102 . as discussed above , all dissolution profiles were carried out by the standard usp paddle method of 50 rpm in 900 ml aqueous buffer at ph 4 at 37 ° c . [ 0094 ] fig2 shows the dissolution profile of a carbidopa / levodopa controlled release ( cr ) 50 / 200 mg formulation px00502 . [ 0095 ] fig3 shows the dissolution profiles of carbidopa / levodopa 75 / 300 mg formulations px03602 and px04002 . note that controlled release ( or prolonged release ( pr )) tablets px03602 comprise the combination of px0502 ( cr ) and px03102 , and pr tablets px04002 comprise the combination of px0502 ( cr ) and px03002 . the lot 3102 particles produced in example 3 are segregated into two equal portions of 125 grams each . one portion is coated in a fluidized pan with a mixture of 24 . 25 g of pvp 29 / 32 , 1000 g of deionized water and isopropyl alcohol ( 15 %), and 0 . 75 g of triethyl acetate . the particles are dried and thoroughly mixed with the uncoated particles . the particle mixture is then loaded into immediate release gelatin capsules . particles produced according to lots 3002 and 502 of example 3 are loaded into the two separate hoppers of a dual layer tablet punch . the punch is actuated and two - layer tablets are produced . the dissolution summaries for carbidopa / levodopa immediate release ( ir ) 25 / 100 mg formulations px00102 , px02001 , and brand k5370 are shown in tables 4 , 5 , and 6 , respectively . all data was obtained according to measurements under the usp paddle method of 50 rpm in 900 ml at ph 1 . 2 ( 0 . 1 n hcl ) at 37 ° c . fig4 is a graph of the dissolution profiles of carbidopa / levodopa immediate release ( ir ) 25 / 100 mg formulations px00102 , px02001 , and brand k5370 . the dissolution summaries for carbidopa / levodopa controlled release ( cr ) 50 / 200 mg formulations px00302 , px00502 , and brand 01023 are shown in tables 7 , 8 , and 9 , respectively . all data was obtained according to measurements under the usp paddle method of 50 rpm in 900 ml at ph 1 . 2 ( 0 . 1 n hcl ) at 37 c . fig5 is a graph of the dissolution of carbidopa / levodopa controlled release ( cr ) 50 / 200 mg formulations px00302 , px00502 , and brand 01023 . the dissolution summaries for carbidopa / levodopa formulations px03602 ( controlled release , 75 / 300 mg ), px04002 ( controlled release , 75 / 300 mg ), brand k5370 ( immediate release , 25 / 100 mg ), and brand 01023 ( controlled release , 50 / 200 mg ) are shown in tables 10 , 11 , 12 , and 13 , respectively . all data was obtained according to measurements under the usp paddle method of 50 rpm in 900 ml at ph 1 . 2 ( 0 . 1 n hcl ) at 37 c . fig6 is a graph of the dissolution profiles of carbidopa / levodopa formulations px03602 ( controlled release , 75 / 300 mg ), px04002 ( controlled release , 75 / 300 mg ), brand k5370 ( immediate release , 25 / 100 mg ), and brand 01023 ( controlled release , 50 / 200 mg ). as note in example 3 , controlled release ( or prolonged release ( pr )) tablets px03602 comprise the combination of px0502 ( cr ) and px03102 , and pr tablets px04002 comprise the combination of px0502 ( cr ) and px03002 . levodopa / carbidopa ir tablets , 100 / 25 mg levodopa dissolution summary ( n = 6 ) sgf / 37 ° c ./ 50 rpm / paddle [ 0102 ] table 4 lot px00102 - 100 t = 0 ( ref : f1386 , p . 62 - 67 ) % dissolved range time ( min ) v1 v2 v3 v4 v5 v6 v7 v8 v9 v10 v11 v12 min max mean sd 5 88 82 90 83 89 89 85 87 85 85 68 79 68 90 84 6 . 03 10 96 90 95 91 95 99 94 96 95 99 89 96 89 99 95 3 . 18 15 98 92 96 93 97 100 96 97 99 101 91 100 91 101 97 3 . 2 [ 0103 ] table 5 lot px02001 - 100 t = 0 ( ref : f1386 , p . 62 - 67 ) % dissolved range time ( min ) v1 v2 v3 v4 v5 v6 v7 v8 v9 v10 v11 v12 min max mean sd 5 87 96 83 95 80 97 87 89 84 82 90 88 80 97 88 5 . 57 10 98 98 97 101 92 100 98 98 98 93 98 100 92 101 98 2 . 64 15 100 99 100 103 97 101 100 100 101 97 100 101 97 103 100 1 . 68 [ 0104 ] table 6 brand ( sinemet , exp . 02 / 05 ) lot k5370 , t = 0 ( ref : f1351 , p . 78 - 82 ) % dissolved range time ( min ) v1 v2 v3 v4 v5 v6 v7 v8 v9 v10 v11 v12 min max mean sd 5 92 89 97 97 93 97 94 95 92 99 93 102 89 102 95 3 . 62 10 99 95 100 100 99 102 101 99 99 101 101 104 95 104 100 2 . 05 15 100 97 101 101 100 103 102 100 101 101 101 104 97 104 101 1 . 69 levodopa / carbidopa cr tablets , 200 / 50 mg levodopa dissolution summary ( n = 6 ) sgf / 37 ° c ./ 50 rpm / paddle [ 0105 ] table 7 px00302 - 100a , t = 0 ( ref : f1351 , p . 87 - 94 ) % dissolved range time ( min ) v1 v2 v3 v4 v5 v6 v7 v8 v9 v10 v11 v12 min max mean sd 30 26 26 28 26 25 25 24 26 26 26 26 26 24 28 26 1 . 07 60 40 39 41 39 37 39 36 38 39 39 39 39 36 41 39 1 . 21 120 58 62 74 63 56 66 56 57 70 65 58 65 56 74 62 5 . 87 180 83 90 101 92 75 97 82 87 98 78 93 100 75 101 90 8 . 82 [ 0106 ] table 8 px00502 - 100a , t = 0 ( ref : f1351 , p . 87 - 94 ) % dissolved range time ( min ) v1 v2 v3 v4 v5 v6 v7 v8 v9 v10 v11 v12 min max mean sd 30 23 24 24 26 25 24 24 25 25 25 24 24 23 26 24 0 . 82 60 40 43 43 44 45 42 43 44 43 44 42 42 40 45 43 1 . 40 120 67 71 70 72 75 68 70 73 71 72 69 69 67 75 71 2 . 17 180 84 88 88 88 91 84 90 93 89 88 86 88 84 93 88 2 . 46 [ 0107 ] table 9 brand 01023 , t = 0 ( ref : f1351 , p . 83 - 86 ) % dissolved range time ( min ) v1 v2 v3 v4 v5 v6 v7 v8 v9 v10 v11 v12 min max mean sd 30 37 47 42 42 42 34 42 41 30 41 37 34 30 47 39 4 . 81 60 64 79 71 71 74 59 75 69 53 71 66 60 53 79 68 7 . 69 120 92 101 99 99 99 93 102 98 84 97 97 93 84 102 96 4 . 86 180 101 103 103 102 102 105 103 101 103 100 102 104 100 105 102 1 . 55 [ 0108 ] table 10 ( pr , 75 / 300 mg ) px03602 - 100 , ( ref : pp444 , p . 81 - 87 ) range time ( min ) v1 v2 v3 v4 v5 v6 v7 v8 v9 v10 v11 v12 min max mean sd 5 34 . 6 39 . 9 35 . 3 33 . 2 38 . 0 37 . 6 42 . 2 32 . 1 28 . 6 33 . 6 38 . 3 33 . 6 29 42 36 3 . 8 10 39 . 1 45 . 0 38 . 9 36 . 9 41 . 3 41 . 4 47 . 7 36 . 7 33 . 3 37 . 5 42 . 4 39 . 0 33 48 40 3 . 9 15 42 . 0 49 . 0 41 . 2 39 . 2 43 . 5 44 . 7 51 . 5 40 . 1 36 . 7 40 . 1 45 . 3 42 . 8 37 52 43 4 . 2 30 48 . 8 59 . 0 45 . 9 44 . 4 48 . 4 51 . 3 60 . 2 47 . 8 42 . 6 46 . 7 52 . 5 51 . 5 43 60 50 5 . 4 60 55 . 5 75 . 9 52 . 6 51 . 9 55 . 6 61 . 8 72 . 0 59 . 4 51 . 2 56 . 7 63 . 2 64 . 7 51 76 60 7 . 9 120 65 . 8 98 . 9 61 . 9 62 . 4 65 . 5 72 . 3 82 . 5 74 . 7 63 . 3 70 . 6 76 . 9 81 . 5 62 99 73 10 . 9 180 73 . 7 102 . 2 68 . 2 69 . 1 72 . 1 80 . 1 88 . 2 83 . 6 70 . 7 79 . 5 86 . 9 91 . 0 68 102 80 10 . 4 [ 0109 ] table 11 ( pr , 75 / 300 mg ) px04002 - 100 , ( ref : tv490 , p . 54 - 64 ) range time ( min ) v1 v2 v3 v4 v5 v6 v7 v8 v9 v10 v11 v12 min max mean sd 5 35 . 1 34 . 0 27 . 3 29 . 2 30 . 4 24 . 0 33 . 7 33 . 5 36 . 3 33 . 8 36 . 3 35 . 6 24 36 35 1 . 3 10 40 . 6 38 . 5 32 . 0 33 . 8 37 . 4 29 . 5 39 . 8 38 . 5 42 . 4 41 . 8 40 . 8 41 . 7 30 42 41 1 . 5 15 44 . 2 41 . 4 35 . 1 36 . 8 42 . 2 32 . 8 43 . 9 41 . 9 46 . 6 46 . 9 44 . 4 46 . 1 33 47 45 1 . 9 30 52 . 3 47 . 3 41 . 4 43 . 2 52 . 5 39 . 2 52 . 6 49 . 5 56 . 0 57 . 7 53 . 0 55 . 3 39 58 54 2 . 9 60 64 . 7 56 . 1 51 . 0 52 . 7 66 . 8 48 . 7 64 . 9 61 . 2 70 . 6 75 . 0 66 . 9 69 . 8 49 75 68 4 . 8 120 79 . 3 68 . 8 64 . 4 71 . 4 84 . 6 63 . 1 80 . 4 78 . 2 89 . 9 92 . 0 84 . 9 88 . 0 63 92 86 5 . 4 180 87 . 1 77 . 5 73 . 2 75 . 4 93 . 5 72 . 0 89 . 0 88 . 8 96 . 3 96 . 2 93 . 9 94 . 1 72 96 93 3 . 4 [ 0110 ] table 12 ( ir 25 / 100 mg ) brand lot k5370 ( ref : bt476 , p . 83 - 91 & amp ; bt497 , p . 29 - 35 ) % dissolved range time v1 v2 v3 v4 v5 v6 v7 v8 v9 v10 v11 v12 min max mean sd 5 min 100 . 8 95 . 9 94 . 6 99 . 1 96 . 5 97 . 1 97 . 6 93 . 0 99 . 2 100 . 8 93 . 7 98 . 8 93 101 97 2 . 6 10 min 101 . 7 99 . 3 100 . 3 102 . 6 100 . 9 100 . 9 99 . 7 98 . 3 101 . 9 103 . 4 98 . 3 100 . 5 98 103 101 1 . 6 15 min 101 . 6 100 . 7 100 . 7 103 . 1 101 . 8 101 . 3 100 . 7 100 . 7 102 . 0 103 . 6 99 . 6 100 . 7 100 104 101 1 . 1 [ 0111 ] table 13 ( sr 50 / 200 mg ) brand lot 01023 ( ref : pp496 , p . 22 - 29 ) range time ( min ) v1 v2 v3 v4 v5 v6 v7 v8 v9 v10 v11 v12 min max mean sd 30 45 . 9 41 . 2 36 . 5 39 . 0 36 . 3 35 . 7 40 . 5 36 . 7 36 . 5 42 . 5 30 . 3 30 . 5 30 46 38 4 . 6 60 77 . 2 72 . 0 62 . 3 65 . 9 61 . 5 60 . 6 69 . 7 61 . 9 62 . 0 74 . 7 53 . 4 54 . 3 53 77 65 7 . 5 120 98 . 9 98 . 9 91 . 7 94 . 1 89 . 1 88 . 8 95 . 7 90 . 2 89 . 8 103 . 9 85 . 7 85 . 4 85 104 93 5 . 7 180 101 . 3 103 . 1 101 . 4 100 . 8 99 . 2 98 . 1 99 . 2 99 . 7 99 . 4 104 . 6 101 . 3 99 . 1 98 105 101 1 . 9
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in a first embodiment of the present invention , shown in fig1 , the pantyhose combination garment 10 comprises a panty section 11 and at least one stocking leg member or hose portion 12 . the panty section 11 and the hose member 12 in this embodiment each may have reciprocally aligned and interlocking components that form the fastening means 13 to removably attach the hose portion 12 to the panty section 11 . the hose portion 12 of the present invention can be of any style , material or method of manufacture . for example , hose made of stretch nylon , spandex , silk , material sold under the brand name lycra ®, cotton and blends thereof are well known . hose styles include sheer , opaque , colored and / or fishnet , lace , etc ., with or without seems . manufacture of the hose portion 12 of the present invention may be accomplished by means well known in the art , including knitting the hose portion as a tube of fabric , optionally with an elastic band , with knitted - in welts , footies or the like . the panty section 11 may be of any material , independent of the hose material , such as stretchable or conventional cottons , silks , and / or blended material . the panty section 11 of the present embodiment may have a stretchable elastic material 14 optionally located at the waste band 15 , that is of a comfortable width and of sufficient strength to maintain the panty section 11 firmly in place while providing support for the hose 12 , thereby preventing the hose 12 from bunching or sliding down the wearer &# 39 ; s leg . elastic or other support materials optionally may be present at other locations throughout the panty portion , including , but not limited to , at the leg openings 16 . the methods for manufacturing the panty portion 11 may be the same methods for manufacturing any panty or pantyhose panty section , all of which are methods well known in the art . the fastening means 13 provided on the hose 12 and the panty section 11 comprise means for removably attaching the hose 12 to the panty section 11 , which supports the hose 12 and prevents the hose 12 from slipping or bunching on the wearer &# 39 ; s leg . in one embodiment , the fastening means may comprise snap means or button means located at appropriate intervals around the circumference near leg opening 16 of the panty section 11 and at approximately the same intervals around the circumference near the thigh or top portion 17 of the hose , the upper boundary of which is approximately shown for one hose member by the dotted line a in fig1 . it is not critical to exactly match the intervals between the attachment components on each garment member ; it is only critical that enough attachment components align to conveniently and comfortably attach the hose 12 to panty section 11 . as few as two sets of reciprocal snaps or buttons and buttonholes may be provided in alignment to adequately secure the hose 12 to the panty section 11 . attachment means 13 may be provided in any configuration on the panty section and on the hose portion as long as the attachment components on each are in aligned , reciprocal relation to one another . for example , as shown in fig1 , one of the two reciprocal interlocking components of the snaps is attached to the panty section on the inside circumference near the panty portion &# 39 ; s leg opening 16 . the reciprocal snap component is affixed at corresponding intervals around the outside circumference on the top portion 17 of the hose . in this manner , the leg opening 16 extends over the top portion of the hose 17 , such that the material of panty section 11 smoothes over any contours created by attachment means 13 . in all embodiments , either reciprocal fastening component may be affixed to any combination garment member in a way that renders both components available to conveniently and easily connect to the facing reciprocal fastening component on the other garment member . other embodiments of the present invention may employ buttons or hooks as fastening means . for example , in embodiments that use hooks , the hooks may comprise any small , metal or plastic , wire - like hook , of the type already known for use in fastening garment members and which are capable of supporting the hose . the hook may latch onto or into a stitched or embroidered or otherwise reinforced or un - reinforced receiving portion , for example , an eyelet . fastening means comprising buttons and buttonholes also are well known for use on garments . as few as two sets of buttons or hooks can be sufficient to support the hose sections . as in previous embodiments , the buttons or hooks may be located on either the interior or exterior surface of either the panty section or hose portion . another embodiment of the present invention employs clips as fastening means . in this embodiment , either the hose portion or the panty section is provided with a clip means for removably fastening the two garment members together and thereby supporting the hose via the panty section , obviating the need for belts and / or garters . the clip may be any type of clip , for example , an alligator clips , owl clips , bulldog clips , suspender clips and the like . as shown in fig2 , the clip 20 may be permanently affixed at one end 21 to one garment member and removably affixed to the other garment member at its other end 22 via a friction or clamping mechanism . in another embodiment , exemplified in fig3 , a double - sided clip 30 may be used whereby the clip can be removably affixed to either and / or both garment portions , interchangeably via friction or clamping mechanisms 31 , 32 , located at both ends . in a further embodiment , not shown , the clip means may comprise any two reciprocal , interlocking components , such as those used as skirt hooks , eye clips , bra clips , swimsuit clips , slide clips , spring clips , or the like . in yet another embodiment , as shown in fig4 , the fastening means uses a hook and loop fastener or touch fastener , for example , the type sold under the brand name velcro ®. in this embodiment , the fastening means may comprise small reciprocal sections or pads 40 , 41 of the touch fastener disposed near the top region 17 of the hose portion 12 and near the leg - opening 16 of the panty section 11 . fig4 further exemplifies an embodiment where a cover or slat 52 is used to conceal contours of the pads 40 , 41 . fig4 shows the upper part 17 of the hose 11 pulled up over the leg opening 16 , shown underneath hose 11 by dotted line a . touch fastener pads 40 are shown on upper portion 17 of hose 12 . slat cover 52 supporting touch fastener pads 41 is shown in an open configuration on the left side . fig4 also shows slat cover 52 closed , on the right side , covering the upper part 17 of the hose 12 , the upper boundary of which is shown underneath slat 52 by the dotted line b . it can be appreciated that in other embodiments without slats , the fastening means may be affixed at locations slightly recessed from the edges of the garment members as another way to provide a smooth fabric covering over the fastening means , thereby concealing any contours created by the fastening means under tightly or snugly fitting exterior garments . the fastening means also may comprise a band ( not shown ) of the reciprocal hook and loop fastener provided around the circumference near the top of the hose and a reciprocal band around the circumference near the leg opening of the panty section . as in all previous embodiments , the two interlocking fastening components of the fastening means may be arranged in any facing , reciprocal configuration with either component affixed to either garment member . in other embodiment , either of the touch fastener components may be transferable between individual panty sections and / or between hose portions , such that one touch fastener component may be affixed to virtually any underwear , panty , undergarment that can serve as the supporting panty section of the present invention and such that the other touch fastener component may be affixed to virtually any hose portion to be supported . in such embodiments , the touch fasteners may comprise a small pin and backing , for example , so that the touch fastener may be pinned to various garment members . as can be appreciated by the foregoing description of preferred embodiments , the intended scope of the claims includes virtually any fastening means to removably affix the leg portion to the panty section to provide simple and convenient supporting means for the leg . it can also be appreciated that in various embodiments it will be beneficial to optionally provide the garment combination members with reinforcing stitching and / or welts at or around the fastening points to provide added durability to the garment with fastening means . it may also be beneficial to optionally incorporate reinforcing elastic or other tensioning means at optional locations , such as the leg - opening region of the panty section or the top area of the leg portion in order to help sustain the lift required for supporting the leg portion . within all the embodiments of the present invention , it is contemplated that the panty section and the leg portion may be manufactured separately or together . the method of manufacture of the leg portion and panty follows any of the conventional garment and textile manufacturing processes for panties and hose and which are well known to one of ordinary skill in the art . also within the intended scope of the claims are combination pantyhose or long john garments manufactured in the conventional manner of prior art pantyhose and long johns , and then subsequently modified by cutting the leg portions from the panty section and providing fastening means on each garment member so that the panty portion and the leg may be removably attached . it can be understood from the foregoing that the combination garment components of the present invention may be made available to purchasers in any combination of leg members and panty sections , for instance , panties and legs together or separately , single leg portions , pairs of leg portions , multiple pairs of leg portions , single panties , multiple panties and any combinations thereof . many variations of the present invention will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art in light of the above - detailed description . all such obvious modifications are within the full intended scope of the appended claims . all of the above - referenced patents , patent applications and publications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety .
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the ensuing description provides preferred exemplary embodiment ( s ) only , and is not intended to limit the scope , applicability or configuration of the invention . rather , the ensuing description of the preferred exemplary embodiment ( s ) will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention . it being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims . referring initially to fig1 a , a block diagram of an embodiment of a terrestrial broadcast system 100 - 1 is shown that distributes protected dtv . this embodiment shows only two content broadcasters 104 and four digital receivers , but it is to be understood that other embodiments could have tens of content broadcasters 104 and hundreds of thousands of digital receivers 126 or more . for example , a city having a population of a million could expect twenty content broadcasters 104 and a million digital receivers . content broadcasters 104 transmit programming by way of terrestrial antennas 124 in digital format . digital receivers 126 at the user locations each receive this signal with an antenna 136 and decode it for presenting on a television or other display . in this embodiment , each content broadcaster 104 can provision digital receivers 126 to be able to decode the content broadcast . in this embodiment , all digital receivers 126 that can receive the signal from the broadcaster 104 is allowed to decode that signal unless permission has been revoked . the content broadcaster in this embodiment maintains a local receiver database 116 of digital receivers 126 allowed to decode the content . cryptographic techniques are used in this embodiment to prevent revoked receivers 126 from viewing the content . this embodiment uses both local and central receiver databases 116 , 108 to track provisioned receivers 126 . the local database 116 lists the receivers 126 allowed to receive the next revocation management message ( rmm ). an rmm is very similar to an entitlement management message ( emm ), which delivers authorization data and associated keys . though an rmm delivers this same information , its purpose also includes the delivery of revocation information if required . thus one important purpose is deauthorization , rather than authorization , and its name reflects this . each provisioned receiver 126 communicates a unique serial number , a unit key and a certificate for storage in the local receiver database 116 . the unique serial number is used to track the digital receiver 126 . the certificate is recursively generated to authenticate the receiver 126 back to a root authority . for example , the unique serial number for the unit could be encrypted by a chain of trust such that checking of the certificate assures the receiver 126 is authentic . the unit key is used to individually encrypt the rmm sent to each of the provisioned receivers 126 . the rmm has an expiration date and a category key used to decrypt revocation control messages ( rcm ). each program or channel includes a rcm that has a content key to decrypt the program or channel . some embodiments have a rcm for each program and others have a rcm for each channel . only the digital receivers 126 that have a current rmm to decrypt the rcm can get the content key . de - provisioning or revocation occurs when the rmm changes and certain receivers 126 do not receive the new category key . it should be noted that there could be a number of category keys , where one or more content broadcasters share a particular category key . in this embodiment , the unit key is unique and distinct to a single receiver and is a public key using an asymmetric algorithm , such as rsa . the category and content keys are private keys using a symmetric algorithm , such as 128 - bit aes , but other embodiments could use different algorithms and key lengths . the central receiver database 108 has information gathered from a number of local receiver databases 116 . entries in the local and central receiver databases 116 , 108 are reconciled by the content broadcaster 104 through a wide area network ( wan ) 120 . once a receiver 126 is provisioned , the central receiver database 108 is informed and the data on the receiver 126 is forwarded . this information can be forwarded to other content broadcasters 104 - 2 in the designated marketing area ( dma ) of the first content broadcaster 104 - 1 who originally received the provisioning . content providers 104 in neighboring dmas that overlap the first dma would also be informed . all of their local databases 116 would be updated and rmms would be sent . whenever a digital receiver 126 moved from a dma , the local receiver databases 116 would be updated to remove the relevant entry . some embodiments have two - way communication with the digital receivers 126 such that polling could be performed to determine when a digital receiver 126 had moved or gone out of service . in systems where the communication is one - way and the receiver 126 cannot automatically send information to the content broadcasters 104 , the moved receivers 126 could be determined by querying the central receiver database 108 to find units that have provisioned at another dma . for digital receivers 126 that are mobile , such as those in autos , they could be provisioned nationwide by making a note in the central receiver database 108 and propagating the entry to all local receiver databases 116 . alternatively , the user could provision once in each dma . the provisioning transport 112 provides a mechanism for new digital receivers 126 to be provisioned . this could be performed at the store that sold the digital receiver or at the user location . some embodiments could provide temporary keys to allow viewing some terrestrial content before provisioning is required when the rmm key expires . two - way communication between the digital receiver 126 and content broadcaster enables provisioning in an automated and / or manual fashion . there are many possibilities for doing receiver 126 provisioning . in one embodiment , the store clerk performs the provisioning before the customer leaves the store . address information from the user could be used to determine the relevant dma for that address . the unique identifier , unit key and certificate could be communicated by an electronic connection , for example , a network connection . in some embodiments , only a unique identifier is communicated and the content broadcaster 104 queries a database for the receiver &# 39 ; s unit key . the unit key could also serve as the unique identifier to reduce the information needed , though its secure handling might necessitate significant protections . another possibility is to use an electronic connection to the content broadcaster 104 as the provisioning transport 112 to communicate information on the digital receiver 126 . this connection could be through a cable modem , dsl modem , ethernet , wireless networking , cellular phone network , phone modem , satellite link , or other datalink . a port on the digital receiver 126 could be connected through a network to allow providing provisioning information to the content broadcaster . this connection could be only during provisioning or a persistent connection to allow polling , rmm and rcm delivery , etc . the retailer could perform the connection at the retail location before the user took home the receiver 126 . in another embodiment , the content broadcaster 104 has a list of the unit keys for all or most digital receivers 126 . the list may be in the central receiver database 108 , for example . the user could telephone in , e - mail or mail his or her unique serial number for the digital receiver 126 . the unique serial number would be used to retrieve the unit key for the digital receiver 126 for storage in the local receiver database 116 . alternatively , the user could in some embodiments read - off the characters that make up the unit key which could serve as the unique serial number also or that could also be read - off to a customer representative on the telephone if that proves practical . this embodiment has digital receivers 126 that fall into two general categories , namely , transcoders 128 and digital tuners 132 . the transcoder 128 takes the protected dtv signal , unscrambles it and recodes it for a format compatible to the display device . in many cases , the recoded format is a baseband signal , a ntsc signal , or an unprotected dtv signal . for example , the transcoder 128 could receive the protected dtv signal , unscramble it , and output it remodulated as an unprotected dtv signal . the tuner in the display decodes and presents the unprotected dtv signal for the user . transcoders 128 are particularly useful when an original population of receivers was deployed without decryption capability , thus requiring a nearby device ( i . e ., a transcoder 128 ) to adapt an encrypted broadcast dtv signal to the unencrypted format they can process . some embodiments of this invention could be used in a hybrid digital broadcast system where some content is protected and some is not . the digital receiver 126 would be used for the content that is protected , while a conventional receiver would be used for content that is not encrypted . the user could view the unprotected content with the conventional receiver , but would require a digital receiver 126 to view the protected content . revocation of the right to use the digital receiver 126 would not affect the user &# 39 ; s ability to view the unprotected content . the digital tuner 132 could be integral or separate from the display . in this embodiment , the digital tuner 132 is integral with the display such that the program is protected until it reaches the television . the digital tuner receives the protected dtv signal and unscrambles it . unscrambling includes decryption with a key available to provisioned digital receivers 126 . with reference to fig1 b , a block diagram of another embodiment of the terrestrial broadcast system 100 - 2 is shown that provisions digital receivers 126 centrally . in this embodiment , the digital receivers 126 are provisioned centrally by adding the unit key , certificate and unique serial number to the central receiver database 108 . based upon location information , the entry is propagated to the local receiver databases within likely transmission range of the digital receiver 126 . referring to fig1 c , a block diagram of yet another embodiment of the terrestrial broadcast system 100 - 3 that allows for sibling content broadcasters 104 to share provisioning information without the need for a central receiver database 108 . the digital receivers 126 provision with a first content broadcaster 104 - 1 . the entry added to the first local receiver database 116 - 1 is propagated to another local receiver database 116 - 2 . contact to geographically remote local receiver databases 116 could be performed periodically to determine those digital receivers 126 that have moved . in this embodiment , there are a number of content broadcasters 104 that share the first local receiver database 116 - 1 . these content broadcasters 104 could share the same rmm or use a number of rmms . with reference to fig1 d , a block diagram of still another embodiment of the terrestrial broadcast system 100 - 4 is shown that provisions centrally without maintaining any local receiver databases 116 . in this embodiment , the provisioning is done to update the central receiver database 108 . each entry in the central receiver database 108 can be geographically filtered by the content broadcasters 104 . when determining the rmms to send , the content broadcaster 104 queries the central receiver database 108 for the list of provisioned digital receivers 126 within probable broadcast range . referring next to fig1 e , a block diagram of yet another embodiment of the terrestrial broadcast system 100 - 5 is shown that shares a local receiver database 116 with many content broadcasters 104 . in this embodiment , all the content broadcasters 104 use a local receiver database 116 . all users who provision a digital receiver would contact a single entity for provisioning and that provisioning information is accessible to all content broadcasters 104 . some content broadcasters 104 directly connect with the receiver database 116 and others connect over a wan 120 . the content broadcasters 104 can use any number of category keys . with reference to fig2 a , a protocol flow diagram of an embodiment of provisioning and key distribution process 200 - 1 is shown that uses central provisioning . the depicted portion of the flow begins in step 202 where the first transcoder 128 - 1 sends provisioning information to the central receiver database 108 by way of the provisioning transport 112 . the certificate in the provisioning information could be validated to confirm authentication of the first transcoder 128 - 1 . in steps 206 - 1 and 206 - 2 , the provisioning information is sent to the first and second content broadcasters 104 - 1 , 104 - 2 who are determined to be in likely broadcast range of the first transcoder 128 - 1 . additionally , the category key ( s ) could be delivered by the central receiver database 108 or the content broadcasters 104 could derive their own category key ( s ). in this embodiment , the first and second content broadcasters 104 use different category keys . in steps 210 - 1 and 210 - 2 , the unit key is taken from the provisioning information by each of the first and second content broadcasters 104 - 1 , 104 - 2 . an rmm is created by each content broadcaster 104 . the rmm includes the category key for the content broadcaster 104 and is encrypted using the unit key for the transcoder 128 - 1 . in this embodiment , the unit key is a public key and the category key is a private aes 128 - bit key . the first rmm is sent from the second content broadcaster 104 - 2 in step 212 and the second rmm is sent from the first content broadcaster 104 - 1 in step 216 . in step 220 , the rmm is decrypted by the transcoder 128 - 1 using the private version of the unit key to reveal the category key for the second content provider 104 - 2 . in step 224 , a first rcm is received along with a first program from the second content provider 104 - 2 . using the category key , the first rcm is decoded to reveal a first content key for the first program . decrypting the program with the first content key allows producing an unprotected dtv signal for the display to process . the rmm for the first content provider 104 - 1 is received in step 216 and decoded to reveal another category key in step 228 . in step 232 , a second rcm and a second program are received from the first content provider 104 - 1 for transcoding with a second content key decoded from the second rcm . in this embodiment there is a rcm for each program , but other embodiments are not so limited . for example , the rcm could designate a content broadcaster ( s ) 104 and a time frame . all programs from that content broadcaster 104 during that time frame would use the content key in the rcm . for example , the rcm could be valid for two hours , a day , a week , a month , a year , etc . a program may be protected by a first content key and then roll - over to the next content key during the program . referring to fig2 b , a protocol flow diagram of another embodiment of provisioning and key distribution process 200 - 2 is shown that allows sibling content broadcasters to share provisioning information . also , the first and second content broadcasters 104 - 1 , 104 - 2 in this embodiment use the same category key and share a local receiver database 116 . the transcoder 128 - 1 provisions with the first content broadcaster 104 - 1 in step 204 to add the provisioning information to the local receiver database 116 . in step 216 , the rmm is encrypted using the public unit key of the transcoder 128 - 1 . the category key is retrieved from the rmm in step 220 . rcms and programs from both content broadcasters 104 are decoded in steps 224 and 232 . the rcms are unique to their respective program in this embodiment , but some embodiments could have the same rcm for more than one program . this embodiment uses a single rmm for two content broadcasters 104 , but a single rmm could provide a category key for any number of content broadcasters 104 and their rcms . for example , one embodiment could include twenty content broadcasters 104 that use a single rmm . another embodiment could use three rmms to cover the same twenty content broadcasters . in yet another embodiment , twenty content broadcasters 104 could have fifty content services and use fifty rmms such that there was one for each content service . any permutation of rmms and content services is possible in various embodiments . with reference to fig2 c , a protocol flow diagram 200 - 3 of yet another embodiment of provisioning and key distribution process is shown that sends content keys for a number of content broadcasters 104 . this embodiment does not use a category key or rmm to deliver it . the rcm is uniquely encrypted for each receiver 126 with the unit key for that unit and sent from each content broadcaster in steps 240 and 248 . using the unit key , either symmetric or asymmetric decryption could be performed to derive the content key from the rcm in steps 244 or 252 . in step 246 , a first program is received from the second content broadcaster 104 - 1 for decryption with the first content key . the content key could be valid for a single program or a time period , for example , a number of hours , a day , a week , a year , etc . in some embodiments , multiple content services are provided to the user by a content broadcaster 104 . in other words , a given content broadcaster 104 may have one or more content services . from the user &# 39 ; s perspective , a content service is a channel of video or audio programming or an on - demand video service . in the various embodiments , there may be any number of category or any number of content keys associated with a content broadcaster 104 . for example , a content broadcaster 104 may offer thee services , but have only two different key schemes . two of the services could have only a rcm for each service and not use an rmm , while another service could use both a rmm and rcm to enable the user to play the content service . referring next to fig2 d , a protocol flow diagram 200 - 4 of still another embodiment of provisioning and key distribution process is shown that sends content keys for use with a number of content broadcasters 104 . this embodiment does not use a rmm message , but uniquely encrypts the rcm message using the unit key for each receiver 126 . the content key revealed from the rcm in step 264 is used to decrypt a first program from a second content broadcaster 104 - 2 in step 272 and decrypt a second program from a first content broadcaster 104 - 1 in step 276 . there are many variations on the number of content keys for a given implementation . the embodiment of fig2 c uses a content key for each content broadcaster 104 . some embodiments could have a number of content keys for the various services of a content broadcaster 104 . with the embodiment of fig2 d , a content key is used for all content broadcasters 104 , but other embodiments could use a content key for less than all content broadcasters 104 . for example , there might be four content keys used among twenty content broadcasters . for embodiments that don &# 39 ; t use a rmm , revocation of the right to use received program is performed by not sending a new rcm that is uniquely encrypted for the receiver 126 . once the old content key expires , a new rcm is not provided such that the right to use the content expires with the old content key . the embodiments of fig2 c and 2d do not use a rmm , but other embodiments could instead not have a rcm . the rmm is uniquely encrypted for the user and protects a category key . in this embodiment , that category key is used to decrypt programs from one or more content broadcasters 104 or services . changing the category key without sending a rmm to a unit would revoke the right for that unit to use the content service ( s ) using the new category key . with reference to fig3 a flow diagram of an embodiment of a process 300 for management of digital receivers 126 in the terrestrial broadcast system 100 is shown . by changing the category key without providing some digital receivers 126 the new rmm , those digital receivers 126 can have their provisioning effectively revoked . this is a much more effective method than traditional distribution of certificate revocation lists ( crls ), which can be blocked . the depicted portion of the process begins in step 304 where provisioning information is received from digital receivers 126 . the local receiver database 116 is updated and the provisioning information is forwarded to other sibling local receiver databases 116 and any central receiver database 108 in step 308 . a determination is made in step 312 regarding those digital receivers 126 to deprovision because of revocation or a move away from the content broadcaster 104 . revocation could be performed when the user of a digital receiver 126 is adjudicated as a pirate or if unauthorized modifications to the digital receiver are detected , for example . the central receiver database 108 and sibling local receiver databases 116 can be used to determine which receivers 126 have moved or been revoked . the revoked and moved receivers are removed from the local receiver database in step 316 . only those entries remaining in the local receiver database 116 receive rmms . in step 320 , it is determined if the rmm will soon expire . where the rmm is still valid and not expiring soon , processing loops back to step 304 . this embodiment sends the new rmm out three times before switching over to a new rcm that utilizes a different category key . it can take considerable time to send the rmm uniquely encrypted with a unit key for each digital receiver 126 . the digital receiver may be given two category keys in a rmm such that the following rmm is also available when the preceding rmm expires . in step 324 , the rmm with a switch - over time is broadcast to each digital receiver 126 in the local database 116 . step 324 could be performed in a loop on a given data channel such that the content broadcaster 104 continually cycles through the entries in the local database 116 to provide rmms ; some embodiments could have multiple channels for distributing rmms . where two - way communication is available between the content broadcaster 104 and the digital receiver 126 , the rmm could be sent a single time if receipt were acknowledged . the switch - over time supercedes any expiration date for the old rmm . it may be necessary to switch - over to a new category key before it expires if the category key has been compromised . for example , a first rmm may expire in one year . six months into that year , a second rmm could be distributed with a switch - over date of the following month . this will , in - effect , expire the first rmm in the seventh rather than the twelfth month . in some cases , a digital receiver 126 could have missed some rmms and not be able to decode protected dtv without the current category key . a query could be made either automatically or manually to the content broadcaster 104 to quickly broadcast the rmm for that receiver 126 . with two - way communication the rmm could be singlecasted back to the receiver 126 . in step 328 , rcms are encrypted with the old category key until the switch - over time or expiration date . once the old rmm and associated category key expires , the programs sent after that time use the new rmm &# 39 ; s category key to encode their rcms in step 332 . since the moved and revoked receivers 126 are not in the local database 116 , they will not receive the new rmm and category key . any programs sent after step 328 only utilize the new category key , and will be undecipherable to the moved and revoked receivers 126 . referring to fig4 a flow diagram of an embodiment of a process 400 for managing cryptographic functions with the digital receiver 126 is shown . the depicted portion of the process 400 begins in step 404 where the digital receiver 126 provisions in the dma by sending provisioning information . in this embodiment , the provisioning information includes a unit key , unique serial number and certificate . some embodiments could use a unit key or unique serial number and forgo authentication with a certificate . a rmm is received in step 408 from a digital data stream . the data stream could be on a special content channel , a control / data channel , or some other data channel . the rmm is decrypted in step 412 using the private unit key resident in the digital receiver 126 . a header on the rmm indicates the unique serial number of the digital receiver 126 . decryption of the rmm reveals the currently valid category key . information in the rmm indicates what channels and / or pids correspond to the category key . there could be any number of category keys for the various channels and / or pids . to tune in a protected channel , the carrier signal is decoded for that channel . the program is identified with a pid in the decoded data stream . an rcm is received from the data stream for that program in step 416 . the rcm is decrypted with the current category key to reveal the content key . in step 424 , the content key is used to decrypt the program , which is displayed in step 428 . where it is determined the program was not unscrambled properly because of a bad rmm and category key , processing loops back to step 404 for reprovisioning . if the rmm is not invalid after watching the program , processing loops back to step 416 to watch additional programs . if the rmm expires or switches over during viewing of the program , processing loops back to step 408 to receive a new rmm and valid category key . in many cases , the rmm for the next time period is already available such that acquisition is unnecessary . other embodiments could be constantly watching a rmm channel to receive any rmm addressed to a specific receiver 126 . a number of variations and modifications of the invention can also be used . for example , instead of assigning a unit key to each digital receiver 126 during manufacture , this key could be assigned during the provisioning process . various embodiments could distribute rmm and rcm in any number of ways such as broadcast , multicast , singlecast , etc . while the principles of the invention have been described above in connection with specific apparatuses and methods , it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as limitation on the scope of the invention .
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it should be noted that throughout the following detailed description , signal names are given such as eos . 0 . or tary1 . the number at the end of the signal name is used to designate the logic level of the signal when it is active . for example , the end of search signal eos . 0 . is active when the level of the signal is low while tary1 is active when the level of the signal is high . this scheme of using the number at the end of the signal name to designate its active state is used throughout the following discussion . referring first to fig1 which is a block diagram of a system including the present invention , a system of the type illustrated in fig1 is described in greater detail in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 314 , 335 which is incorporated herein by reference . the system in fig1 has a dynamic semiconductor memory 10 which consists of , in the preferred embodiment , a plurality of 64 kbyte dynamic rams wired in a conventional manner such as in a perkin - elmer model 3250 computer . the memory of that computer typically may have a capacity of between 1 and 16 million bytes where each byte is 8 data bits long plus parity bits . the memory is configured so that a full word consisting of 4 bytes is read each time a location is read or written . data read from the memory 10 passes through a conventional data checker and correction unit 12 . in the event that the unit 12 detects that the data read from the memory 10 is in error , the unit 12 corrects the data and restores the corrected data over the line 14 to the location read from memory 10 . the correct data , when no error is detected , or the corrected data , when an error is detected and corrected , is placed onto the data bus 16 which couples to all the other elements of the computer system coupled thereto . the unit making the request , however , is the only unit which will capture the data on the bus 16 . the exact technique used by the data check and correct circuit 12 for detecting and correcting errors in the data from the memory 10 is not critical to the present invention . indeed , the prior art includes numerous methods and apparatus for detecting and correcting errors detected in digital computer systems and the like . the system according to the present invention , however , utilizes an error checker and corrector 12 which , during every memory read operation , detects and corrects all correctable errors detected thereby and restores the corrected data to the memory 10 . the corrected data is also placed on the data bus 16 . in addition , the system causes an error indication to be stored in an error log in a conventional manner to identify the location at which the error was detected . the error indication in the error log can thereafter be reviewed and corrective maintenance performed , if deemed necessary . the circuitry and method for the error logging is not a part of the present invention and may be performed by numerous circuits such as those used in the perkin - elmer model 3250 computer . the system according to the present invention includes circuitry to first determine the locations present in the attached dynamic semiconductor memory and then to periodically access , at a slow rate , each present memory location . as each memory location is read , the memory data checker and corrector 12 then checks and corrects any accessed location where a correctable error is detected . the failing location is listed in the error log . by periodically accessing each location in memory , soft errors can be detected and corrected before they become double or uncorrectable . the circuitry for determining the memory locations present in the system and thereafter periodically reading data from all present system memory locations is illustrated in the block diagram of fig2 . during the power up sequence , the power supply produces a system clear signal designated sclr . 0 .. this signal is produced after the power supply has reached its nominal level and the system is operational . the rising edge or trailing edge of the signal sclr . 0 . is received at the set input to flip flop 50 which latches the system clear ( sclr . 0 .) signal and produces a start signal at its output designated strt . 0 .. the strt . 0 . signal is utilized to start the circuit of fig2 in its search to identify all present addresses for the memory system coupled thereto . the start signal ( strt . 0 .) couples to and triggers the normal request mode timer 52 which comprises a single shot or similar circuit for producing a request pulse at its output . the request pulse produced thereby is coupled to an or gate 54 , the output of which couples to the clock input of both the request latch 56 and the enable increment latch 58 . at this time , the data input to latch 56 is high so it is set thereby driving rqst1 high and rqst . 0 . low . meanwhile , the data input to latch 58 is low so its state remains unchanged . the output of the latch 56 labelled rqst . 0 . couples to the reset input of the flip flop 50 . accordingly , the request signal on line rqst . 0 . operates to reset flip flop 50 . the rqst1 and rqst . 0 . signals couple to the memory address bus handshaking and control logic 60 and are responsible for that circuit initiating a request for service on the memory bus on line marl . 0 .. the arbiter as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 314 , 335 eventually responds thereto with a memory access granted signal on line magl . 0 . causing the memory checker to drive line ae1 low . at the same time that sclr . 0 . is setting the flip flop 50 , it is also input to the memory address bus counter 62 which is reset thereby to zero . the output of the counter 62 couples to the memory address bus drivers 64 which couple to the address bus 67 . the all zero address from the counter 62 is gated onto the bus 67 when the deactivate address enable ( dae . 0 .) signal becomes active . a command code and transmit identifier is generated by the generator 66 . the command code set up by the generator 66 is for a quad ( 4 ) word read and the identifier which identifies the requesting unit . this information is placed onto the input of drivers 64 to the memory address bus lines 67 . the deactivate address enable signal ( dae1 ) goes high on receipt of the memory access granted signal ( magl . 0 .) and couples to a delay line 68 . the dae1 signal is delayed by the delay line 68 and becomes tary1 which is inverted by a driver 71 to become ary . 0 .. ary . 0 . is a strobe signal to the memory to indicate the address on the address bus 66 is valid . at the same time , dae1 goes active , the inverse thereof dae . 0 . also goes active and gates the mab drivers 64 to place the command code , the transmit identifier and the address onto the memory address bus 67 . on receiving ary . 0 . and the address on the memory address bus 67 , the memory produces a signal ar . 0 . which acknowledges that the address has been received by the memory . thereafter , the data on the memory data bus 70 , positions 32 to 38 , and the data on the nonpresent memory line 72 are strobed by the read data ready line ( rdry . 0 .) when it is received from the memory . the data on lines 32 to 38 are decoded by a decoder 74 to set flip - flop 76 when the decoded combination of data on the lines 32 to 38 indicates that the read data and the non - present memory line data is for use by the circuitry of fig2 . tary . 0 . presets non present memory latch 78 active ( npml1 = 1 ) for the case where no memory responds . the setting of flip - flop 76 ( enwt . 0 .) then causes the state of npm1 to be latched . flip - flop 78 will be set ( npml1 = 1 , npml . 0 .= 0 ) for the case where no memory exists . the setting of the flip flop 76 also produces an enable write signal enwt . 0 . which is applied to the or gate 80 to produce a write enable signal wpls1 to the and gate 82 . the write signal wpls1 plus the end of search signal eos . 0 . not being enabled cause the and gate 82 to produce a signal at its output which is coupled to the write enable we input of the memory status map memory 84 . the write enable signal causes the memory 84 to store the data on the din lines at an address defined by the 6 highest order address bit positions from the memory address bus counter 62 . as such , the data stored in the memory status map 84 indicates whether or not each block of 256 kbytes is present or not . the size of 256 kbytes is chosen by the fact that the present system memory is made up of 256 kbyte pluggable modules . if a smaller ( larger sizes would still work ) sized pluggable module were used , the number of address bits to the memory status map 84 must be adjusted accordingly so that a present or missing indication can be stored for each pluggable memory module that can be installed on the system . the write enable signal wpls1 couples to a response timer 86 which comprises a delay line having a plurality of output taps therefrom whose signal is the same as the write enable signal wpls1 only delayed in time . the longest delayed output of the response timer 86 is designated trig . 0 . which is used to trigger the top of memory search mode request timer 88 . the request timer 88 comprises a single - shot for producing a pulse at its output which is coupled via the or gate 54 to the clock input of the request latch 56 and the enable latch 58 . this request latch 56 is set and the enable latch 58 is not set each time the search mode request timer 88 is activated by the signal trig . 0 .. accordingly , a further request is generated to the memory address bus handshaking and control logic 60 thereby causing another memory address location to be fetched from an address specified by the memory address bus counter 62 . since the response timer 86 produced an increment address signal incradr1 prior to the time it produced the trigger signal trig . 0 ., the increment address signal incradr1 was applied to the memory address counter 62 causing it to be incremented by 1 . accordingly , the output of the counter 62 is one quad word greater than it was the previous time that the request latch 56 was set . the top of memory search continues with the status of the nonpresent memory line ( npm . 0 .) being stored in the memory status map 84 a plurality of times for each block of 262 , 144 memory locations ( referred to as 256k ). when the high order memory address byte changes from a one to a zero , the state of the line mabt . 0 .. 0 .. 0 . changes from a zero to a one causing the end of search latch 90 to be set . this causes the end of search signal eos . 0 . to go low , thereby blocking and gate 82 and disabling the top of memory search mode request timer 88 . accordingly , the memory status map 84 can no longer be written because the write enable line we is no longer enabled and the top of memory search mode is terminated because the top of memory search request timer 88 is disabled . it also conditions and gate 91 so that the enable latch 58 is set according to the level of line read . 0 .. during normal run mode , latch 90 is set and the line eos1 is high . the ending of the search for present memory locations sets the end of search latch 90 thereby initiating the normal run mode where each present location of memory is fetched periodically . the eosl line from the end of search latch 90 couples to the timer 52 to enable it . the timer 52 has timing capacitors 53 coupled thereto where value is selected so it will gate the request latch 56 and the enable latch 58 at a rate which will not adversely affect the ability of other system elements to read or write to memory but at a sufficiently high rate so that it is unlikely that double bit errors in infrequently used memory locations will occur . in the preferred embodiment illustrated in fig3 a , 4 , 4a , 5 and 5a , the request timer 52 is set so that it will access memory at a rate so that each of the 16 million possible locations can be fetched once every 11 / 2 hours . the interference caused by the circuitry of fig3 - 5a to memory operation is very small and in the order of about 0 . 003 % of the memory address bus bandwidth and about 0 . 009 % of the memory data bus bandwidth . this allows the effect of the periodically fetching and correcting , if necessary , the data stored at all memory locations to be unnoticed by the remaining elements of the system . once the largest possible address in memory has been addressed during search mode , the signal incradr1 increments the address counter 62 coupled to the memory address bus ( mab ) 67 causing the high order bit position ( mab . 0 .. 0 .. 0 .) to change state . when this occurs , the line mabt . 0 .. 0 .. 0 . goes from a low to a high level thereby setting the end of search latch 90 . this causes the normal run mode timer 52 to be enabled and the top of memory search mode timer 88 to be disabled . the end of search latch 90 being set also causes the memory status map 84 to be gated so that the location addressed by the adr lines is read . the memory status and error decode circuit 85 decodes the memory output to determine if the addressed location in main memory is present in the system . it will be recalled that each location of the map 82 is filled with data during the top of memory search mode indicating whether the addressed location is present in the system . when the addressed location is present , the level of read1 is high and read . 0 . is low . however , when the location is not present read1 is low and read . 0 . is high . sometime after the status map 84 is addressed , the delay line 86 puts out a trigger pulse trig . 0 . which goes low . this causes the normal run mode timer 52 output to produce a positive pulse on line nrm1 which is inverted by the nor gate 54 . the trailing edge of this pulse at the nor gate 54 output ( the rising portion ) clocks the request latch 56 and the enable latch 58 . this initiates a request to fetch the data at the location specified by the mab counter 62 if it is present as indicated by the line read1 . a memory access request is issued in the manner described earlier . if the location is not present , the read1 line is low and the request latch 56 is not set . however , since the read . 0 . signal is high when a location is not present and the eos1 line is high , the and gate 90 output , which couples to the d input of latch 58 , causes the latch 58 to be set . read1 being low prevents latch 56 from being set . the setting of latch 58 causes the enable increment signal eninc . 0 . to go low . the enable increment signal eninc . 0 . is coupled by the or gate 80 to the response timer delay line 86 . the outputs of the delay line 86 causes the memory address counter 62 to be incremented to the next address , as well as later causing the trigger signal trig . 0 . to be issued again thereby initiating a request to read the next memory location . the circuit continues to periodically attempt to read all possible memory locations and to actually initiate a read to each location indicated by the data in the memory status map 84 to be present . as each location is read , the error checker and corrector checks the read data and , if an error is detected , it is thereafter corrected and the corrected data restored to memory . while the above description has been made with reference to the preferred embodiment as illustrated in the drawings , those of skill in the art will realize that the illustrated embodiment is merely illustrative of one approach for implementing the present invention . those of skill in the art will readily recognize that the illustrated circuits may be replaced by other similar circuits so as to implement the described functions . these and other changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .
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the torsional vibration damper , certain parts of which are shown in fig1 and 2 , constitutes a split flywheel 1 including a first or primary component or mass 2 and a second or secondary component or mass 3 . the component 2 is affixed to and can receive torque from the rotary output element ( such as a crankshaft or a camshaft ) of a prime mover ( e . g ., an internal combustion engine ) in the power train of a motor vehicle , and the component 3 can transmit torque to the clutch plate or clutch disc of a friction clutch serving for the transmission of torque to the input shaft of a gearbox in the power train of the motor vehicle . reference may be had , for example , to commonly owned u . s . pat . no . 5 , 042 , 632 ( granted aug . 27 , 1991 , to johann jäckel for “ vibration damping apparatus ”) the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference . the components 2 and 3 are rotatable relative to each other about a common axis x by way of an antifriction ball bearing 4 . the latter is installed radially outwardly of an annular array of bores or holes 5 for screws , bolts , or other suitable fasteners ( not shown ) that serve to secure the primary component 2 to the rotary output element of the prime mover . a means 6 for yieldably opposing angular movements of the components 2 , 3 relative to each other about the common axis x includes two deformable energy storing elements 7 , 8 , each of which constitutes an arcuate coil spring having identical or substantially identical convolutions and extending along an arc of a little less than ( i . e ., close to ) 90 °. for the sake of brevity , the energy storing elements 7 , 8 will also be referred to herein as springs or coil springs ; however , it will be appreciated that other suitable resiliently deformable energy storing elements can be utilized with equal or similar advantage . the springs 7 , 8 are disposed diametrically opposite each other , and their centers of curvature are located on or close to the axis x . the components 2 and 3 are respectively provided with abutments 14 , 15 , and 16 for the coil springs 7 and 8 . the abutment 16 is disposed between the abutments 14 , 15 ( as seen in the direction of the axis x ) and is provided on a flange - like torque transmitting support 20 that is affixed to the component 3 by means of bolts , rivets , screws , weldments , and / or other suitable fasteners ( not shown ). the support 20 serves to transmit torque between the springs 7 , 8 and the secondary component 3 . in accordance with a feature of the present invention , the structure of fig1 and 2 further includes means for coupling the coil springs 7 , 8 to each other for controlled entrainment of one of the springs in response to deformation of the other spring . in the structure of fig1 and 2 , the coupling means includes two coupling elements 22 and 26 that , respectively , include at least substantially circular disc - shaped carrier elements 23 , 27 . each of those carrier elements is provided with two at least substantially - radially - extending entraining members 24 , 25 ( on 23 ) and 28 , 29 ( on 27 ). [ 0037 ] fig1 shows that the entraining members 24 , 25 of the coupling element 22 are disposed at diametrically opposite points or ends of the coil springs 7 and 8 , between pairs of neighboring convolutions of the springs 8 , 7 , respectively . entraining member 24 is adjacent the abutment 16 and entraining member 25 is adjacent that end portion of the spring 7 that is located diametrically opposite the member 24 . the entraining member 28 of the carrier element 27 is located adjacent the abutment 16 on the opposite side from entraining member 24 , and entraining member 29 is located diametrically opposite entraining member 28 and is adjacent entraining member 25 . as can be seen in fig2 the coupling elements 22 , 26 are adjacent and on opposite sides of the flange - like torque - transmitting support 20 , which is disposed between the components 2 , 3 and is secured to the component 3 . those coupling elements are centered by rivets 30 , or by analogous fasteners , that are located radially inwardly of the coil springs 7 , 8 and radially outwardly of the antifriction bearing 4 . experiments that were carried out with the improved torsional vibration damper 6 indicated that the generation of undesirable noise is reduced to a fraction of the noise that is generated by conventional dampers . in the conventional dampers the deformable energy storing elements ( such as the arcuate coil springs 7 and 8 ) are not coupled to each other in a manner already described with reference to the embodiment of fig1 and 2 , and / or in a manner to be described hereinafter with reference to the embodiments shown in fig3 to 12 , and / or in a manner analogous to those actually described in this specification and actually shown in fig1 through 12 . the generation of noise is attributable to unbalance that , in turn , is believed to be attributable to non - uniform dissipation of energy by the various energy storing elements of conventional torsional vibration dampers while a conventional split flywheel is in actual use . by resorting to the coupling means of the present invention , one ensures a controlled entrainment of one of the energy storing elements 7 , 8 in response to deformation of the other energy storing element or elements , i . e ., a predicable ( such as more uniform ) dissipation of energy by the other energy storing element ( s ). the coupling means in the arrangement of fig1 and 2 exhibits the additional advantage that it is simple , inexpensive , and compact , all features that are highly desirable in the power train of a motor vehicle . thus , the novel coupling means employs at least one first entraining member ( such as 25 ) that is associated with the first spring 7 , and at least one second entraining member ( such as 24 ) that is associated with the second spring 8 . as already described hereinbefore , and as shown in fig1 the entraining members ( such as 24 and 25 ) preferably are or can be located at least substantially diametrically opposite each other . more specifically , the entraining members preferably engage the diametrically opposite end portions of the various energy storing elements . gradual or constant or uniform dissipation of energy by the energy storing elements — which is achieved as a result of the provision of the novel coupling means — ensures the elimination or pronounced reduction of unbalance . an important advantage of the preferably circular , disc - shaped carrier elements 23 and 27 is that they allow for convenient installation of the improved coupling arrangement in existing types of torsional vibration dampers . in addition , such carrier elements are simple and inexpensive , they occupy a minimum of space , and they can be made of one piece with the respective entraining members 24 , 25 and 28 , 29 . that simplifies the conversion of a standard split - flywheel - damper combination into the improved combination , i . e ., the incorporation of the novel coupling means into the torsional vibration damper , whereby the energy storing elements are coupled to each other in accordance with the present invention . the above - mentioned flange - like torque - transmitting support 20 constitutes an additional important and highly advantageous feature of the improved torsional vibration damper 6 . the carrier elements 23 and 27 are rotatable relative to the support 20 and the latter is turnable relative to and is in frictional engagement with the carrier elements 23 , 27 and is coupled to the energy storing coil springs 7 and 8 . those parts of the additional embodiments shown in fig3 through 12 that are identical with or plainly analogous to the parts of the torsional vibration damper 6 and split flywheel 1 shown in fig1 and 2 are denoted by similar reference characters and will be described again only to the extent necessary for a complete understanding of the additional embodiments . the torsional vibration damper that embodies the structure of fig3 includes a split flywheel 1 with primary and secondary components or masses 2 , 3 , and a damper 6 with arcuate deformable energy storing elements 7 , 8 in the form of coil springs each extending along an arc of nearly 180 °. the coupling elements 32 , 36 replace the coupling elements 22 , 26 and are centered at the radially outermost portion of the flange - like torque - transmitting support 20 . to that end , the coupling elements 32 , 36 include at least substantially - radially - extending centering portions or lugs 39 that are adjacent the peripheral surface of the support 20 . the coupling elements 32 , 36 further respectively include substantially circular ( ring - shaped ) carrier elements 33 , 37 , each provided with two entraining members that are functional equivalents of the above - discussed entraining members 24 , 25 and 28 , 29 . the structure of fig3 can be modified by replacing the centering lugs 39 with centering elements that are located radially inwardly of the respective coupling elements 32 , 36 , or that are provided on the support 20 and engage and center the radially inner or outer portions of the coupling elements 32 , 36 or their carrier elements 33 , 37 . as already mentioned hereinabove , the support 20 is affixed to one of the components 2 and 3 , in this embodiment component 3 . if the radially inner portions of the coupling elements 32 , 36 are centered on the support 20 , the centering means can include rivets , or the like , that are affixed to the support 20 . the illustrated centering lugs 39 can be replaced by or utilized jointly with suitable clips . centering is desirable and advantageous because it ensures proper guidance of the coupling elements and their carrier elements during turning of the masses 2 , 3 and springs 7 , 8 relative to each other . such centering is desirable in all embodiments of the present invention . an advantage of utilizing coil springs 7 , 8 of the type shown in fig1 to 3 ( i . e ., wherein the diameters of all convolutions are at least substantially identical ) is that they can be standard , mass - produced coil springs . [ 0047 ] fig4 and 5 illustrate a split flywheel 1 wherein the damper 6 includes two arcuate coil springs 7 , 8 each having a plurality of identical or practically identical convolutions as well as two larger - diameter convolutions . the larger - diameter convolutions 40 b , 41 a of the spring 7 are adjacent its two ends and each such convolution is flanked by two smaller - diameter convolutions . analogously , the larger - diameter convolutions 40 a , 41 b of the coil spring 8 are adjacent the ends of this spring and each such convolution is flanked by two smaller - diameter convolutions . the larger - diameter convolution 40 a of the coil spring 8 has a radially innermost portion that extends between two radially outwardly projecting entraining portions 44 a , 44 b of a coupling element 42 . more specifically , the entraining portions 44 a , 44 b form part of a substantially circular , ring - shaped carrier element 43 of the coupling element 42 . the carrier element 43 is further provided with additional entraining portions 45 a , 45 b that are located at least substantially diametrically opposite the entraining portions 44 a , 44 b and flank the larger - diameter convolution 40 b of the coil spring 7 . the larger - diameter convolution 41 a of the coil spring 7 is flanked by the entraining portions 48 a , 48 b of a carrier element 47 , which further includes entraining portions 49 a , 49 b flanking the larger - diameter convolution 41 b of the coil spring 8 . the split flywheel 1 of fig6 and 7 differs from the split flywheel of fig4 and 5 in that the larger - diameter convolutions 40 b , 41 a shown in fig4 are replaced with smaller - diameter convolutions ( one is shown in fig6 as convolution 51 ) and in that the larger - diameter convolutions 40 a , 41 b of fig4 are replaced with smaller - diameter convolutions ( one is shown in fig6 as convolution 50 ). the pairs of entraining portions 48 a , 48 b and 45 a , 45 b of fig4 are replaced with single projections 58 ( one of which is shown in fig6 ), and the pairs of entraining projections 44 a , 44 b and 49 a , 49 b are replaced by single projections 54 ( one of which is shown in fig6 ). [ 0051 ] fig7 shows a coupling element 52 that connects one end portion of the coil spring 8 to the diametrically opposite end of the coil spring 7 . the other end portion of the coil spring 8 is connected with the diametrically opposite end of the coil spring 7 by a coupling element 56 . the coupling elements 52 , 56 , respectively , include substantially circular , disc - shaped carrier elements 53 , 57 that are installed at opposite sides of the flange - like carrier 20 . the widths of the entraining portions 54 , 58 and of the other entraining portions ( not shown ) in the embodiment of fig6 and 7 need not exceed the diameter of the wire of which the coil springs 7 , 8 are made . that arrangement is desirable and advantageous because the adjacent pairs of larger - diameter convolutions that flank the smaller - diameter convolutions 50 , 51 can then come into actual abutment with the smaller - diameter convolutions when the respective coil springs 8 , 7 are fully compressed , and without clamping the entraining portions 54 , 58 between them . referring to fig8 and 9 , there is shown a split flywheel 1 that includes a circular array defined by two pairs of compression coil springs 61 , 62 and 63 , 64 , each of which individual springs extends along an arc of somewhat less than 90 °. an abutment 16 is provided between the ends of each pair of neighboring coil springs 61 , 62 ; 62 , 63 ; 63 , 64 ; and 64 , 61 . coupling elements 66 are installed between the neighboring end portions of the coil springs 61 , 62 and 63 , 64 . fig1 to 12 illustrate the details of one of the coupling elements 66 that are utilized in the structure of fig8 and 9 . that coupling element includes an essentially circular , disc - shaped carrier element 70 , the radially inner portion of which is provided with four receptacles or sockets 71 , 72 , 73 , and 74 that form part of a means for centering and for securing the coupling element 66 to the flange - like carrier 20 . each of the receptacles or sockets 71 to 74 includes an inwardly - extending protuberance or lug that is slightly offset relative to the remaining annular body part of the carrier element 70 ( as seen in the axial direction ). the thus - obtained clearance or space serves to receive the outer marginal portion of the carrier 20 . [ 0055 ] fig1 shows that the structure of fig8 and 9 further includes two entraining elements 76 , 86 that are secured to the carrier element 70 at least substantially diametrically opposite each other . those entraining elements respectively include arcuate fastener sections 77 , 87 having radially - outwardly - extending , preferably centrally - located projections or stubs 78 , 88 . the arcuate sections 77 , 87 are affixed to the adjacent portions of the carrier element 70 . fig1 shows that the sections 77 , 87 are spot welded ( as at 80 , 90 ) to the adjacent portions of the carrier element 70 , namely between the receptacles 71 , 74 and 72 , 73 , respectively . the carrier element 70 and / or the entraining elements 76 , 86 can be made of a suitable metallic sheet material , e . g ., of sheet steel . it has been ascertained that , if the carrier element 70 and the entraining elements 76 , 86 are made as separate component parts that are thereupon welded , riveted , and / or otherwise reliably secured to each other , the torsional vibration damper including such parts can be produced at a lower cost than a damper that employs one - piece structures embodying the parts 70 , 76 , 86 shown in fig1 to 12 . it goes without saying that the corresponding portions of the previously described structures ( including those shown in fig1 to 7 ) can also employ parts that are made of a suitable metallic sheet material . furthermore , certain features of the embodiment of fig1 - 2 can be incorporated into the embodiment of fig3 fig4 - 5 , fig6 - 7 , and / or fig8 - 12 . the same applies for the embodiment of fig3 of fig4 - 5 , of fig6 - 7 and of fig8 - 12 . without further analysis , the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can , by applying current knowledge , readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that , from the standpoint of prior art , fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of the above - described contribution to the art of torsional vibration dampers for use in the power trains of motor vehicles and the like . therefore , such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the appended claims .
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fig1 is a cross - sectional , conceptual representation of a dvd - menu screen 10 that is presented on a monitor surface 12 according to one embodiment of the present invention . the menu screen is made up of three composite layers 14 - 18 that each have a different function . the first layer of the menu screen is the display layer 14 , which can include either a still picture ( not shown ) or a moving - picture , video stream ( not shown ), and accompanying audio . the menu screen 10 also includes a picture - mask layer 16 , which includes a black - and - white , or up to four color , background image ( not shown ). the background image is defined by eight bits of data made up of four bits of data for color , and four bits of data for contrast . conceptually , the picture - mask layer overlays the display layer 14 , and thus , can block out images ( not shown ) in the display layer that lie below the picture - mask layer . also , it is possible to cycle the picture - mask layer with different background images ( not shown ) so as present the illusion of animation in the picture - mask layer . the picture - mask layer includes sub - regions ( not shown ), or sub - pictures ( not shown ), that can be used to cover or hide portion of the display layer , e . g ., simulated thumbnail representations ( not shown ) that are included in the display layer . the menu screen 10 also includes a highlight layer 18 that is used to define areas of the menu screen , in the display layer 14 and / or the picture - mask layer 16 , that have been selected or activated by the user , or by default . for example , portions of the highlight layer can be used to display an illuminated border ( not shown ) that surrounds selected images in the display layer and / or the picture - mask layer . referring to fig2 , one embodiment of the present invention presents a display image 20 , e . g ., a title menu , that appears to be comprised of a still - image background 22 , a list of titles 24 , and one or more selectable , thumbnail representations of video - streams 26 , associated with each title . however , the thumbnail representations are an illusion achieved by using a single video stream that is included in the display layer 14 of the title menu . while the thumbnail representations are depicted as squares in fig2 , the thumbnail representations can be any shape . the single video stream presents a largely unchanging , background image that , because it does not , or largely does not , change , appears to be a still image despite being part of a stream of dvd - video images . the single video stream 20 also includes what appear to be smaller sub - streams 26 of different video images , but these smaller sub - streams are actually part of the single video stream included in the display layer 14 . referring additionally to fig3 , the sub - streams are covered , or masked , by mask images 28 included in the picture - mask layer 16 that overlap one or more of the sub - stream images in the display layer . while the mask images are depicted as squares in fig3 , the mask images can be any shape . thus , video images included in the sub - streams are playing below the masked images , but are not visible to the user , i . e ., the viewer , as shown in fig4 . using an interface device ( not shown ), e . g ., a mouse or arrow keys included on the dvd player &# 39 ; s remote control , the user can move between , highlight , and / or select one of the sub - stream images 26 by selecting a mask image 28 . referring additionally to fig5 and 6 , when a specific mask image is selected , the video sub - stream image underlying that mask image is unmasked , thus , revealing the sub - stream image playing in the display layer 14 . this gives the illusion that there is more than one sub - stream video image playing simultaneously in the picture - mask layer 16 , which is impossible under the current dvd specifications . in reality , there is only one video image 20 in the display layer , and one or more eight - bit data streams that define mask images in the picture - mask layer . as shown in fig5 and 6 , the illusion that the user is selecting among thumbnail representations of video - image sub - streams 26 that animate in response to user selection can be enhanced by allowing only one of the simulated thumbnail sub - streams to be visible to the user at a time . this is achieved by using mask image sub - pictures 28 in the picture - mask layer 16 to cover all but one of the image sub - streams at any given time . the image sub - streams are covered and uncovered as the user selects among the mask images . referring additionally to fig7 , in another embodiment , a moving , dvd - video stream 30 displays what appear to be a selectable thumbnail representation 32 of another video stream at various points during the display of the video stream , not just in the menu screen 20 , to provide the user with the option of “ jumping ” or “ branching ” to different video streams . again , this is an illusion achieved by displaying what appears to be smaller , sub - stream , video images in the overall video stream itself . in fact , the sub - stream images are included in the single video stream that is included in the display layer 14 . referring additionally to fig8 , sub - pictures 34 in the picture - mask layer 16 can be used to highlight the sub - stream images , or cover the sub - stream images when they are not to be displayed to the user . in another embodiment , the user can choose between watching the video stream 30 with thumbnail representations 32 of sub - stream video images ( see fig7 ), or the video stream 36 without the thumbnail representations ( see fig9 ). when the user chooses the video stream without thumbnail images , the user sees the normal , unaltered video stream . when the user chooses the video stream with thumbnail representations , the user either sees an entirely different video stream that incorporates the simulated thumbnail representations , or the user sees the normal video stream with specific subsections of the video stream substituted with alternate video streams that are used to simulate the thumbnail representations . as previously mentioned , one limitation associated with the simulated multi - stream branching video described above is the difficulty of concurrently using subtitles , or captions , while presenting the above simulated thumbnail video images . this difficulty comes from the fact that , according to the dvd specification , only one sub - picture stream , included in the picture - mask layer 16 , can be displayed simultaneously with the video stream 30 , included in the display layer 14 . accordingly , this limitation prevents the simultaneous and separate display of both the video stream and two eight - bit mask layers , one eight - bit mask layer for the mask image ( s ) 32 and the other eight - bit mask layer for the subtitle 38 ( see fig1 ). this means that the sub - picture stream in the picture - mask layer must either show both subtitles and the video sub - stream ( s ), i . e ., the sub - picture stream includes both subtitles and the video sub - stream ( s ), the sub - picture stream includes only the subtitles and does not include the video sub - stream ( s ), or the sub - picture stream includes only the video sub - stream ( s ) and does not include subtitles at all . thus , there is no mode of operation that allows the subtitles to be turned on or off independent from the appearance of the video sub - stream ( s ). for example , referring to fig7 , during the playing of a dvd ( not shown ), a sub - stream image 32 could appear on the screen that , when selected , using a mouse or the dvd player &# 39 ; s remote control , by the user , would stop the dvd image . the user would then view a supplemental feature ( not shown ) relating to what the user was watching when the sub - stream image was selected . when the supplemental feature is completed , the user then is returned to where the user left off in the dvd image 30 . this uses a feature in the dvd specification called “ non - seamless branching ,” and the sub - stream image appears on the screen courtesy of an eight - bit layer in the picture - mask layer 16 . referring additionally to fig1 , the problem is that this feature cannot be used with two or more sub - stream images , e . g ., a sub - stream image 32 and a subtitle 38 , or caption . embodiments of the present invention work around the above limitation by using what is referred to as “ seamless branching .” in these embodiments , the dvd ( not shown ) includes two versions of the portion of the video image 30 in which the sub - stream image 32 , or similar feature , e . g ., subtitle 38 , is to appear . one version of the video image just includes the video image without the sub - stream image , as shown in fig9 . referring additionally to fig7 , the second version includes the video image and the sub - stream image as part of the video image , i . e ., the sub - stream image is part of the video stream . so , although the sub - stream image appears on the screen as if it is an eight - bit mask image included in the picture - mask layer 16 , the apparent sub - stream image is actually part of the video stream included in the display layer 14 . so , when the user selects the version of the video image that includes the apparent sub - stream image , the user is selecting another version of the dvd image , and not the same video image with an added eight - bit mask layer for the sub - stream image , e . g ., a subtitle . referring additionally to fig1 , this embodiment allows for the addition of subtitles that are included in the picture - mask layer , separate from the addition of another sub - stream image in the display layer . in one embodiment , the above limitation regarding the addition of subtitles 38 to a dvd image 36 is overcome by the user being allowed to switch between two different eight - bit sub - picture streams 26 and 38 for a single video stream . in this embodiment , one eight - bit sub - picture stream includes only simulated video sub - stream selection highlights 32 ( see fig7 ), the other sub - picture stream has simulated video sub - stream selection highlights and subtitles 38 ( see fig1 ). when the user toggles between turning the subtitles on or off , the dvd ( not shown ) switches between the two different sub - picture streams . referring additionally to fig1 , in another embodiment , the above limitation regarding the addition of subtitles 38 to a dvd image 30 , 36 is overcome by selecting among multiple overlapping buttons 40 ( one shown ) in a single sub - picture stream . the dvd specifications provide for the display of buttons in the picture - mask layer 16 . in this embodiment , the subtitles are themselves buttons that when unselected are specified to be completely transparent . the button subtitles are only made visible when the subtitles are turned on . when so selected , the pixels comprising the subtitles are changed from a color bit corresponding to “ transparent ” to a color bit corresponding to a visible color , such as white . this embodiment allows for the concurrent display of a simulated video sub - stream ( s ) 32 in the display layer 14 and button subtitles while retaining the ability to turn the subtitles on and off by the user . advantageously , the present invention differs from the prior art in that the user views a video image 20 , 30 that includes a selectable , non - static , sub - stream video image 26 , 32 . these sub - stream video images can be incorporated into menu screens 20 or into other moving - video images 30 . thus , the present invention advantageously enables the simulation of multiple , concurrent video streams in support of dvd - video user interfaces , for example , the title menu and user - initiated video - branching , while remaining compliant with the dvd - video specifications . the foregoing detailed description of the present invention is provided for purposes of illustration , and it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the particular embodiments disclosed . the embodiments can provide different capabilities and benefits , depending on the configuration used to implement the key features of the invention . accordingly , the scope of the invention is defined only by the following claims .
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reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts . [ 0026 ] fig2 is a block diagram showing the circuit of a charge pump according to one preferred embodiment of this invention . as shown in fig2 the charge pump includes two control signal generation units 202 and 204 , two output voltage generation units 206 and 208 and two capacitors 230 and 232 . the control signal generation unit 202 receives an input voltage v in from a voltage source ( not shown ), a ground voltage and an inverted clocking signal ck ′ from a signal source ( not shown ), and generates a first control signal . the control signal generation unit 204 receives the input voltage v in , a ground voltage and a clocking signal ck from a signal source ( not shown ), and generates a second control signal . the clocking signal ck and the inverted clocking signal ck ′ have a phase inversion relationship . in this embodiment , voltage level of the first control signal from the control signal generation unit 202 is determined by the inverted clocking signal ck ′. in other words , the inverted clocking signal ck ′ at a low potential may prompt the control signal generation unit 202 to produce a high or a low first control signal according to the circuit design . conversely , the inverted clocking signal ck ′ at a high potential may also prompt the control signal generation unit 202 to produce a high or a low first control signal . in a similar way , the relationship between the control signal generation unit 204 and the second control signal closely matches the relationship between the control signal generation unit 202 and the first control signal . the output voltage generation unit 206 receives the voltage v in and the first control signal and outputs via an output terminal 220 . the output voltage generation unit 208 receives the voltage v in and the second control signal and outputs via an output terminal 222 . for the output voltage generation unit 206 , whether the input voltage v in is connected to the first output terminal 220 by an internal circuit depends on the voltage level of the first control signal . for example , if the first control signal is at a high potential , the circuit between the input voltage v in and the first output terminal 220 is connected . on the other hand , if the first control signal is at a low potential , circuit connection between the input voltage v in and the first output terminal 220 is cut . similarly , for the output voltage generation unit 208 , if the second control signal is at a high potential , the circuit between the input voltage v in and the second output terminal 222 is connected . on the contrary , if the second control signal is at a low potential , circuit connection between the input voltage v in and the second output terminal 222 is cut . obviously , contrary or different response to the control signal for the output voltage generation units 206 and 208 is also possible . the charge pump circuit in fig2 further includes two capacitors 230 and 232 . one end of the capacitor 230 receives the clocking signal ck while the other end of the capacitor 230 couples electrically to the first output terminal 220 . meanwhile , the first output voltage is output from the output terminal v out1 . similarly , one end of the capacitor 232 receives the inverted clocking signal ck ′ while the other end of the capacitor 232 couples electrically with the second output terminal 222 . the second output voltage is output from the output terminal v out2 . [ 0030 ] fig3 is a block diagram showing the circuit of a voltage doubler according to one preferred embodiment of this invention . in fig3 the charge pump structure and operating method is similar the one shown in fig2 and hence detailed description is omitted . in general , the largest voltage from the output terminals v out1 and v out2 is roughly twice that of the input voltage v in . hence , voltage doubling is obtained if the output voltage switching unit 340 picks up the one having the highest voltage to be the output voltage at the output terminal v 0 among the output terminals v out1 and v out2 . in the following , circuit elements inside a charge pump and an output voltage switching unit are further disclosed . note that the circuit elements and structure in the subsequent embodiment is just one among many possible arrangements and hence should by no means restrict the scope of this invention . [ 0032 ] fig4 is an actual circuit diagram of a charge pump according to another preferred embodiment of this invention . as shown in fig4 the charge pump includes p - type metal oxide semiconductor ( pmos ) transistors 402 , 404 , 406 and 408 , n - type metal oxide semiconductor ( nmos ) transistors 412 , 414 , 416 and 418 and capacitors 430 and 440 . in addition , the charge pump receives an input voltage v in from a voltage source ( not shown ) and a clocking signal ck and an inverted signal ck ′ from a signal source ( not shown ). one capacitor terminal ( or the first terminal of the first capacitor ) of the capacitor 430 ( or the first capacitor ) receives the clocking signal ck . the other capacitor terminal ( or the second terminal of the first capacitor ) of the capacitor 430 connects with an output terminal v out1 for outputting the first output voltage . one capacitor terminal ( or the first capacitor terminal of the second capacitor ) receives the inverted clocking signal ck ′. the other capacitor terminal ( or the second capacitor terminal of the second capacitor ) of the capacitor 440 ( or the second capacitor ) connects with another output terminal v out2 for outputting the second output voltage . one source / drain terminal ( or the first source / drain terminal of the first pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 402 ( or the first pmos transistor ) is electrically connected to the capacitor 430 and the substrate ( or the substrate of the first pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 402 . the other source / drain terminal ( or the second source / drain terminal of the first pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 402 is electrically connected to a voltage source for receiving an input voltage v in . similarly , one source / drain terminal ( or the first source / drain terminal of the second pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 404 ( or the second pmos transistor ) is electrically connected to the capacitor 430 and the substrate ( or the substrate of the second pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 404 . the other source / drain terminal ( or the second source / drain terminal of the second pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 404 is electrically connected to the gate ( or the gate of the first pmos transistor ) or the pmos transistor 402 . furthermore , the gate ( or the gate of the second pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 404 is electrically connected to the voltage source for receiving the input voltage v in . one source / drain terminal ( or the first source / drain terminal of the third pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 406 ( or the third pmos transistor ) is electrically connected to the capacitor 440 and the substrate ( or the substrate of the third pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 406 . the other source / drain terminal ( or the second source / drain terminal of the third pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 406 is electrically connected to the voltage source for receiving an input voltage v in . similarly , one source / drain terminal ( or the first source / drain terminal of the fourth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 408 ( or the fourth pmos transistor ) is electrically connected to the capacitor 430 and the substrate ( or the substrate of the fourth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 408 . the other source / drain terminal ( or the second source / drain terminal of the fourth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 408 is electrically connected to gate ( or the gate of the third pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 406 . furthermore , the gate ( or the gate of the fourth transistor ) of the pmos transistor 408 is electrically connected to the voltage source for receiving the input voltage v in . the gate ( or the gate of the first nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 412 ( or the first nmos transistor ) is electrically connected to the voltage source for receiving the input voltage v in . one source / drain terminal ( or the second source / drain terminal of the first nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 412 is electrically connected to the gate of the pmos transistor 402 . the substrate ( or the substrate of the first nmos transistor ) is connected to a ground . one source / drain terminal ( or the first source / drain terminal of the second nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 414 ( or the second nmos transistor ) and the substrate ( or the substrate of the second nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 414 are connected to a ground . the other source / drain terminal ( or the second source / drain terminal of the second nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 414 is electrically connected to a source / drain terminal ( or the first source / drain terninal of the first nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 412 . the gate ( or the gate of the second nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 414 receives the inverted clocking signal ck ′. the gate ( or the gate of the third nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 416 ( or the third nmos transistor ) is electrically connected to the voltage source for receiving the input voltage v in . a source / drain terminal ( or the second source / drain terminal of the third nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 416 is electrically connected to the gate of the pmos transistor 406 . the substrate ( or the substrate of the third nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 416 is electrically connected to a ground . a source / drain terminal ( or the first source / drain terminal of the fourth nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 418 ( or the fourth nmos transistor ) and the substrate ( the substrate of the fourth nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 418 are electrically connected to a ground . the other source / drain terminal ( or the second source / drain terminal of the fourth nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 418 is electrically connected to the source / drain terminal ( or the first source / drain terminal of the third nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 416 . furthermore , the gate ( or the gate of the fourth nmos transistor ) of the nmos transistor 418 receives the clocking signal ck . to explain the operation of the charge pump according to this invention , assume the first and the second output voltage is at 0v initially . in addition , assume the fluctuation range of the clocking signal ck and the inverted clocking signal ck ′ is between 0 to v in volts and that the initial voltage value of the clocking signal ck is 0 and the initial voltage value of the inverted clocking signal ck ′ is at v in . at the very beginning , because the voltage value of the inverted clocking signal ck ′ is at v in , the nmos transistor 414 conducts and hence the source / drain terminal of the nmos transistor 414 and the source / drain terminal of the nmos transistor 412 are at 0v . since the gate terminal of the nmos transistor 412 receives the input voltage v in , the nmos transistor 412 conducts and hence the source / drain terminal of the nmos transistor 412 , the source / drain terminal of the pmos transistor 404 and the gate terminal of the pmos transistor 402 are at 0v . because the gate terminal of the pmos transistor 404 is at v in while the source / drain is at 0v , the pmos transistor 404 is non - conductive . on the contrary , because the source / drain terminal of the pmos transistor 402 receives the input voltage v in while the gate is at 0v , the pmos transistor 402 conducts and hence the input voltage starts to charge up the capacitor 430 . since the clocking signal ck is at a 0v , voltage difference between the terminals of the capacitor 430 approaches v in if sufficient time is given . in other words , the first output voltage from the output terminal v out1 approaches the input voltage v in . conversely , because the clocking signal ck is at 0v , the nmos transistor 418 is non - conductive . since the gate terminal of the nmos transistor 416 receives the input voltage v in , the nmos transistor 416 conducts and hence the voltage value at the source / drain terminal of the nmos transistor 416 , the source / drain terminal of the pmos transistor 406 and the gate of the pmos transistor 406 approach v in . since the voltage value at the gate terminal of the pmos transistor 408 is v in , the pmos transistor 408 is non - conductive . similarly , because the input voltage v in received by the source / drain terminal of the pmos transistor 406 is close to the voltage received by the gate terminal , the pmos transistor 402 is non - conductive . therefore , the second output voltage from the output terminal v out2 is roughly identical to the inverted clocking signal ck ′. in other words , the second output voltage from the output terminal v out2 approaches v in . when the clocking signal ck reverses , that is , the voltage value of the clocking signal ck becomes v in while the voltage value of the inverted clocking signal ck ′ becomes 0 , both the pmos transistor 402 and the pmos transistor 404 are non - conductive according to the aforementioned derivation at the output terminal v out2 . hence , due to the transient maintenance of existing voltage differential between the terminals of the capacitor 430 , the first output voltage at the output terminal v out1 is pushed up to v in + v in , that is , 2 * v in , transiently . furthermore , because both the pmos transistors 402 and 404 are non - conductive , the 2 * v in voltage at the output terminal v out1 can be maintained . on the other hand , when the voltage value of the inverted clocking signal ck ′ is 0 , voltage differential between the two terminals of the capacitor 440 is maintained transiently . hence , voltage at the capacitor terminal will drop to 0v simultaneously . however , because the pmos transistors 406 and 408 will conduct , the input voltage v in will continue to charge up the output terminal v out2 until the voltage at the output terminal v out2 almost reaches v in if sufficient time is allowed . thereafter , as the clocking signal ck reverses , the pmos transistor 402 and 404 will be conductive again . thus , voltage at the output terminal v out1 is maintained at v in . on the other hand , because the pmos transistors 406 and 408 are non - conductive , voltage at the output terminal v out2 is maintained at v in . under the condition that the capacitor terminal 440 b receives a voltage v in from the inverted clocking signal ck ′, the second output voltage from the output terminal v out2 is 2 * v in . henceforth , the first output voltage and the second output voltage from the output terminals v out1 and v out2 will fluctuate cyclically between v in and 2 * v in . yet , the gate - substrate interface inside the pmos transistors 402 , 404 , 406 and 408 only has to withstand a voltage differential of v in instead of a voltage differential of 2 * v in in a conventional circuit . [ 0043 ] fig5 is an actual circuit diagram of a voltage doubler according to another preferred embodiment of this invention . as shown in fig5 the charge pump 52 is structurally similar to the one in fig4 and hence detailed description of its operation is not repeated here . the charge pump 52 has output terminals similar to the first output terminal v out1 and the second output terminal v out2 as shown in fig4 and numbered in fig5 as 550 and 552 , respectively . in the same way , when the voltage of the clocking signal and the inverted clocking signal oscillates between 0 ˜ v in , voltage at the first output terminal v out1 and the second output terminal v out2 oscillates at a voltage between v in ˜ 2 * v in . in the following , operation of the circuit outside the charge pump 52 is explained in detail . aside from the charge pump 52 , the circuit in fig5 further includes four pmos transistors 562 , 564 , 566 and 568 , a substrate capacitor 570 and an output capacitor 580 . one source / drain terminal ( or the first source / drain terminal of the fifth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 562 ( or the fifth pmos transistor ) is electrically connected to the aforementioned second output terminal v out2 of the charge pump 52 . the other source / drain terminal ( or the second source / drain terminal of the fifth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 562 is electrically connected to the substrate ( or the substrate of the fifth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 562 . the gate ( or the gate of the fifth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 562 is electrically connected to the aforementioned first output voltage terminal v out1 of the charge pump 52 . one source / drain terminal ( or the first source / drain terminal of the sixth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 564 ( or the sixth pmos transistor ) is electrically connected to the first output terminal v out1 . the other source / drain terminal ( or the second source / drain terminal of the sixth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 564 is electrically connected to the substrate ( or the substrate of the sixth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 564 . the gate ( or the gate of the sixth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 564 is electrically connected to the second output terminal v out2 . in addition , one source / drain terminal ( or the first source / drain terminal of the seventh pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 566 ( or the seventh pmos transistor ) is electrically connected to the second output terminal v out2 . the other source / drain terminal ( or the second source / drain terminal of the seventh pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 566 is electrically connected to a final output terminal 590 for outputting a final output voltage v 0 . the substrate ( or the substrate of the seventh pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 566 is electrically connected to the substrate and source / drain terminal of the pmos transistor 562 . the gate ( or the gate of the seventh pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 566 is electrically connected to the second output voltage terminal v out2 . one source / drain terminal ( or the first source / drain terminal of the eighth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 568 ( or the eighth pmos transistor ) is electrically connected to the first output voltage terminal v out1 . the other source / drain terminal ( or the second source / drain terminal of the eighth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 586 is electrically connected to the final output terminal 590 . the substrate ( or the substrate of the eighth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 568 is electrically connected to the substrate of the pmos transistor 564 . the gate ( or the gate of the eighth pmos transistor ) of the pmos transistor 568 is electrically connected to the first output voltage terminal v out1 . finally , one end of the substrate capacitor 570 is electrically connected to a ground while the other end of the substrate capacitor 570 is electrically connected to the substrates of the pmos transistors 562 , 564 , 566 and 568 . one end of the output capacitor 580 is electrically connected to a ground while the other end is electrically connected to the output terminal 590 . assume the first output voltage v out1 is at v in and the second output voltage v out2 is at 2 * v in after oscillation in the first output voltage v out1 , and the second output voltage v out2 is stabilized . under these conditions , the pmos transistors 562 and 566 are conductive while the pmos transistors 564 and 568 are non - conductive so that the second output voltage v out2 ( at a voltage 2 * v in ) charges up the output capacitor 580 . when the second output voltage v out2 becomes v in , the pmos transistors 562 and 566 are non - conductive while the pmos transistor 564 and 568 are conductive so that the first output voltage v out1 ( at a voltage 2 * v in ) charges up the output capacitor 580 . accordingly , if sufficient waiting time is allowed , the final output voltage v 0 at the output terminal 590 will stabilize at a value double that of the input voltage , that is , 2 * v in . although mos transistors are used in the circuit of this invention , similar devices such as metal - oxide - semiconductor field effect transistor ( mosfet ), enhanced metal - oxide - semiconductor field effect transistor ( enhanced mosfet ) or complementary metal - oxide - semiconductor ( cmos ) are also applicable . in summary , the voltage difference at the gate - substrate , gate - drain and gate - source interface inside the charge pump of this invention is smaller than the conventional circuit . in particular , peak voltage difference between the gate - substrate is only half the value in the conventional circuit . consequently , a low pressure cmos fabrication process can be used to fabricate mos devices having a voltage push - up capacity identical to the conventional technique but with a longer working life . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention . in view of the foregoing , it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents .
| 7 |
in its most effective presentation , the entire apparatus according to this invention will be in full view . as shown in fig1 a system 10 includes a mixer 11 , a source 12 of a first ingredient , an indicator 13 , and a valve 14 from the mixer . the mixer contains all of the ingredients of the drink in a slushy state . opening valve 14 will draw the drink into a container for presentation to the customer . source 12 will ordinarily be a bottle of the first ingredient , for example a tequila or a vodka , open with its neck downward in condition for withdrawal and admission of air to permit its exit . such ingredients , which may or may not be alcoholic , are for convenience called “ liquors ” herein . a source 20 of second ingredients is separately plumbed to the mixer . such second ingredients can include concentrates and water , for example . when the first and second ingredients are combined and properly constituted , the outflow from valve 14 will be the desired drink , usually in a slushy or icy condition . source 20 can be located anywhere . it is of no interest to the customer , and in large systems may be many yards away from the mixer . as best shown in fig1 a shelf 21 supports the mixer , and another shelf 22 supports bottle 12 of the first ingredient . instead of on a shelf , it can be a wall - mounted unit . the consideration is that the bottle will be in full view , and that there will be a visible response when the liquor is withdrawn from it . this bottle , in full view , will bear a visible label stating the specific ingredient it contains . this will be recognized as the source of the intended product , and what one can expect when the drink is purchased . indicator 13 remains dormant except while the specific drink is being dispensed . it is intended to be energized during the time the drink is dispensed . the presently preferred embodiment is a bright lamp , dark when not activated , and shining brightly on the container or label when it is . however , this or a supplementary source of light may be provided to light up the bottle at all times to attract the customer &# 39 ; s attention , while providing additional attraction when actuated . conduit 36 draws first ingredient from bottle 12 . it is withdrawn by a pump 38 , preferably a roller pump which dispenses closely controlled volumes per revolution . conduit 37 draws second ingredient from container 20 . it is withdrawn by a similar pump 39 . these conduits join at a t joint 40 and combine in a conduit 41 that discharges into mixer 11 . instead , they could separately enter the mixer . it will be noted that the customer does not drink the specific “ slug ” of first ingredient that was admitted , because the mixer already contained a larger amount of properly - constituted drink . the indicator does , however , reflect the admission of the proper amount of ingredients to maintain in the mixer a properly constituted reservoir of the drink . the customer will remain satisfied , because the system starts with a legitimate ingredient , and consistently replaces it as it is withdrawn . more particularly as to the mixer , the disclosure in the gorski et al patent is incorporated herein in its entirety for its showing of a system to provide a properly - proportioned reservoir of a drink , preferable in an icy situation . as to this invention it includes a reservoir with a chilling and recirculating mechanism ( not shown ). the mixing chamber receives the first and second ingredients and keeps them in condition for dispensing from valve 14 . the details of the chilling and circulating apparatus are of no importance to this invention . a circuit 45 is shown with a switch 46 as part of the valve 14 . when the valve is open , this switch will complete the circuit and turn on the lamp . in addition , switch 46 also actuates pumps 38 and 39 which will admit to the mixer an amount of the liquor and concentrate which will precisely constitute the amount of the ingredients withdrawn . switch 46 is linked to valve 14 selectively interconnects leads 47 , 48 . one of the leads includes a current source 49 such as a battery . lead 47 connects to one side of pumps 38 and 39 , and also to one side of indicator 13 , such as lamp . the other electrical sides of these items are connected to lead 48 . closing switch 46 will operate the pumps and actuate the indicator . at the same time , product is flowing from the mixer . here it may be commented that instead of mixing concentrate and water in container 20 , they could be separately supplied to the t 40 . however , in most systems the concentrates and water will be pre - mixed in a larger container . the choice is optional . the circuitry of fig2 does involve providing electrical current ( even of very low voltage ) to the valve structure . should this be objectionable , instead of a directly - coupled switch , as shown in fig3 a probe 50 disposed at a liquid rest level 50 a in the mixer is connected to lead 47 . an electrode 51 is mounted in the mixer , and connected to lead 48 . when valve 14 is opened , the liquid level 50 a in the mixer drops below the probe , and the circuit is opened ( or closed when relays are used ). this will actuate the pumps and indicator until the level in the mixer is restored . when it is restored , the circuit will be completed and the pumps and indicator stopped . it will be recognized that the probe is merely one example of a level - sensor . floats and other types could be substituted , and circuit modifications can also be made , all within the scope of the invention . fig4 illustrates that the concentrate , water and liquor can be pre - mixed in an intermediate container 55 , to which all ingredients can be fed with the outputs of pumps 38 and 39 , and withdrawing the completed ( but not slushy ) drink through a pump 60 ( actuated along with the other pumps ). this provides a local “ reservoir ” of drink if for some reason a closer mixed source for the mixer is desired . while the circuitry of fig3 is decoupled from valve 14 , experience with such circuitry has proved that the response is suitably close for all intended purposes . the indication will occur substantially contemporaneously . the operation of this system is straight forward . the mixer is first primed with a quantity of all ingredients of the intended mixed drink . in operation it serves continually to mix and recycle it . while it is being recycled it is passed through chilling coils ( not shown ) and thereby kept in a desired slushy or icy condition . when a drink is withdrawn , it is simultaneously replaced in the mixer . this invention adds to the above ways to advertise the availability of a kind of first ingredient such as a particular brand of vodka or tequila . the evident presence of the bottle provides a guarantee that it is the source . if desired , an outside obvious length of transparent tubing 36 or other plumbing maybe placed between the neck of the inverted bottle and the inlet of the mixer where the flow can be seen . also , bubbles will rise in the bottle . lamp 13 may be a still or moving lamp , or a strobe lamp as preferred . this assures the customer that he is obtaining a drink which comprises this particular ingredient . this invention thereby makes available to a busy house such as a casino or club , a source of ready - to - serve complicated drinks , and to the customer it advertises the availability of intended ingredients and reassurance that he is receiving them . this invention is not to be limited by the embodiments shown in the drawings and described in the description , which are given by way of example and not of limitation , but only in accordance with the scope of the appended claims .
| 1 |
in a preferred embodiment , the new invention can be used to inject a sealant into a cow teat . in this embodiment , the syringe tip is generally short and blunt . in other embodiments , the syringe tip could be long and sharp ( i . e ., needle ). the invention principle works in either case . for convenience , a cow teat embodiment will be described , but for those knowledgeable in the art other applications using the retractor principle are also feasible . in another preferred embodiment , this invention helps to ensure the teat skin is in good condition , maintain skin moisture and natural elasticity and helps the teat to restrict the development of hyperkeratosis . using a high quality teat disinfectant ( or even antibiotic in some cases ), carefully applied , helps to reduce hyperkeratosis . a standard syringe barrel is employed with an open tip on distal end and finger grips near proximal end . a typical syringe plunger is employed that fits within the barrel with a piston on one end and a thumb surface on the other . compared to prior art syringes containing only barrel and plunger , in new invention a syringe retractor is used . the retractor is connected to the syringes plunger at its proximal end . the retractor is generally coaxial with the syringe barrel and larger in diameter . when the user advances the plunger , the retractor advances as well . it is adjacent but slideable with regard to the syringe barrel . the plunger and retractor could be manufactured as one assembly and , as is apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art , the plunger and retractor can be made of biodegradable plastic for ease of use or alternatively one use before being disposed . as illustrated in fig5 , the three elements ( barrel , plunger , and retractor ) and the target surface are shown schematically . 2 . the plunger and retractor are advanced relative to the barrel until the retractor makes contact with surface . during this movement , the plunger and retractor generally advance towards the surface while the barrel remains generally stationary relative to the surface . 3 . when retractor advancement is stopped by the surface , the plunger can be further advanced relative to barrel by retracting the barrel away from the surface . while the invention has been described with reference to certain exemplary embodiments thereof , those skilled in the art may make various modifications to the described embodiments of the invention without departing from the scope of the invention . the terms and descriptions used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and not meant as limitations . in particular , although the present invention has been described by way of examples , a variety of compositions and processes would practice the inventive concepts described herein . although the invention has been described and disclosed in various terms and certain embodiments , 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 . those skilled in the art will recognize that these and other variations are possible within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims and their equivalents .
| 0 |
a conventional regular hexagonal cell layout , of a cellular radiotelephone system , is shown in schematic form in fig1 . depicting the geographical service area in terms of a hexagonal grid sets a geometric pattern that allows frequencies to be assigned in a patterned disposition that allows the reuse of these frequencies in a controlled repeatable regular assignment model . the cell areas each have specific channel sets assigned to them . each channel set comprises a plurality of individual transmit and receive radio channels for use within the cell area . in this model , shown in fig1 cells marked &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; are co - user cells and all use the same channel set . the same is true for co - user cells marked &# 34 ; b &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; c &# 34 ;, etc ., each of which have their own assigned channel set . each cell is radiated by an antenna system associated with a base station ( bs ), that includes the radio transceivers and which are in turn connected to the public switched telephone network ( pstn ) via trunk lines or suitable equivalent . antennas 101 are either omni - directional or directional . directional antennas 102 are used to sectorize cells into smaller angular wedge type serving areas . a typical cellular system is shown in the block diagram of fig2 . a plurality of mobile switching centers ( msc ), 202 and 203 , are shown connecting the mobile radiotelephone system to the public switched telephone network 201 ( pstn ). the switching of the mscs interconnects a plurality of base stations ( bs ) 210 each providing service to a cell coverage area . each coverage area is shown as having irregular boundaries typical of an actual system . each bs has radio transmit / receive equipment and radiating antennas to serve mobile radiotelephones 250 within its cell coverage area . an operations and management center ( omc ) 220 is coupled to the mscs 202 and 203 to control their system operation and their associated bss 210 . omc 220 is a central control station which includes data processing equipment and input for accepting data input from data storage and real time control . this data processing arrangement may be utilized in implementing channel assignments in combination with remotely tunable radio transceivers located at the bss . an illustrative embodiment of data processing equipment included in the omc for controlling the assignment and tuning of radio transceivers at the bss is shown in block schematic form in the fig3 . a general purpose computer 310 has a stored program included in its memory 311 . this program includes instructions for performing the non - regular assignment of radio channels to a cellular system as disclosed in further detail below . initial input data is supplied through the input circuit 312 to the computer 310 . inputs include the available cells . the available radio frequencies , the channel bandwidth , and filter characteristics are also input into the computer 310 . further inputs include parameters describing the statistical behavior of interference between users and base stations in different cells , and the statistical distribution of the serving signal in each cell . these parameters may be estimated from signal strength measurements . the inputs may also include system constraints necessary for the desired channel assignment . traffic usage patterns are supplied as an input . traffic may be measured in real time . in this illustrative embodiment of the invention , the assignment process is performed in the computer 310 according to the instructions contained in memory 311 . the resulting non - regular assignment is output via the output 313 to the msc 315 and is in turn forwarded to the bss 321 . the individual tunable radios 322 included in the bss are tuned to the proper frequencies in accord with the assignment of radio channels determined by the assignment process . added output leads permit graphical and data printouts at the omc . during borrowing , each cell will exhaust its allotted channels first before requesting an additional borrowed channel . if , however , it needs additional channels , it may borrow unused additional channels not assigned to itself , provided that system and interference constraints are not violated . because of borrowing , an idle channel may not be usable in its assigned cell if it has been borrowed by a nearby cell . therefore , the interference and other system constraints must be checked even when a cell uses its allotted channels . if imposed , an additional constraint that would need to be checked during borrowing is the requirement that a portion of the channels allotted to a cell must be reserved for use by that cell . this portion of reserved channels , which may change in real time , may depend on the number of busy channels plus the number of channel requests denied in the cell , or various other system performance measures . when a cell reserves a channel , the cell must be treated as a current user of the channel when checking compliance with interference and other system constraints before using this channel elsewhere . a borrowed channel is released by the using cell as soon as one of the cell &# 39 ; s allotted channels becomes available ( due to a call termination or a hand - off ). if channel rearrangement is not desirable at this point , the borrowed channel is released upon termination or hand - off of the call it serves . to state a simple example of the above general assignment problem algebraically , the following notation is utilized . let ## equ1 ## the unknown quantities of the problem are : ## equ2 ## the channel assignment can be expressed as a mathematical programming problem of the form : maximize g ## equ3 ## where m is a large positive number . the constraints in ( 1 ) allocate channels to logical cells in proportion to the cells &# 39 ; requirements . in constraint ( 2 ) the total number of assigned channels is limited to the number of channels available . constraint ( 3 ) ensures that the ratio of signal strength to interference is above the desired threshold value with confidence level 1 - α . constraint ( 3 ) may be written to include neighbor - channel interference . this constraint may be repeated for different confidence levels 1 - α and the corresponding threshold values t . the above formulation of the channel assignment problem can accommodate additional constraints that would reflect a user &# 39 ; s special needs . examples of such constraints are discussed herein below in a discussion of the solution procedure for the basic formulation . the above problem is a large scale nonlinear mixed - integer stochastic mathematical program . if , for example , a cellular grid has 210 logical cells ( 70 cell sites , with 3 logical faces per cell site ), and 200 channel sets are considered , there would be 42 , 211 constraints and 42 , 200 integer variables ( excluding slack variables ), of which 42 , 000 would be binary . this problem is decomposed into two computationally tractable parts using generalized linear programming . the original problem is decomposed into two smaller problems which are solved one after the other in an iterative sequence , exchanging their respective solutions , until the optimal solution is reached . following established convention , the two problems are called the master program and the subprogram . the master program consists of all but the stochastic constraints in ( 3 ), which make up the subprogram constraints . the algebraic formulation of the master program and subprogram are expressed as follows . the following expressions define the master program of block 420 subsequently discussed with respect to fig4 : ## equ4 ## where x kj are constants satisfying the interference conditions . these values are supplied by the subprogram described below . the subprogram contains the constraints assuring that the ratio of signal strength to interference is above a desired threshold value . its objective coefficients are the simplex multipliers corresponding to constraints ( 4 ) of the master program . the subprogram has the following form : ## equ5 ## where λ j is the simplex multiplier corresponding to the j th constraint in ( 4 ). the collection of channel sets included in the master program is comprised of all the solutions of the subprogram . the k th solution of the subprogram provides values for the binary variables x kj . a channel set is defined in terms of the co - user cells it serves . the collection of channel sets grows with every new solution of the subprogram , and this growth helps improve the master program solution . growth in the collection of channel sets stops when the optimal solution is reached . the overall structure of the assignment process comprising the master program and subprogram is shown in the fig4 . the solution procedure , as shown in the flow process in fig4 involves four major functions . these are : channel assignment initialization ( block 410 ), a master program solution ( block 420 ), channel set augmentation , and subprogram solution ( closely related blocks 430 and 440 ). in the first function , block 410 , which is the initialization of the channel assignment , a feasible channel assignment is obtained before we proceed with the optimization . if the model is applied to an existing grid , the present channel assignment can serve as the initial channel assignment , provided it satisfies all system constraints . if it violates any of the constraints , it is modified by the initial channel assignment algorithm , as described below , to meet all constraints . once an initial feasible channel assignment has been obtained , the remaining three functions are executed in an iterative sequence . first comes the solution of the master program in block 420 , whose solution furnishes the system values of g , n k , τ , and λ j . τ is a simplex multiplier corresponding to constraint ( 5 ) and λ j is a simplex multiplier corresponding to the jth constraint in ( 4 ). this information is used by the channel set augmentation algorithm in block 430 which invokes the subprogram solution algorithm in block 440 several times in order to generate new channel sets . the channel group augmentation algorithm is an optional heuristic process that enhances solution of the problem . it revises the values of n k and λ j , which are used in the next solution of the subprogram . the subprogram solution furnishes the values of ν and x kj . once a specified number of channel sets has been generated , optimality is checked as prescribed in decision block 450 . if the solution is optimal as determined in decision block 450 , the algorithm terminates and the assignments are provided in block 460 . otherwise , the cycle repeats again with the solution of the restricted master program in block 420 . the following condition indicates optimality : let k - 1 be the current cycle , and let x kj be the optimal solution of the new subprogram . let τ be the simplex multiplier corresponding to constraint ( 5 ) of the relaxed master program . if ## equ6 ## then the current solution is optimal for the relaxed master program . the solution procedure described herein is finite as the number of different channel sets is finite , and each solution of the subprogram contributes a new channel set to the master program . that the channel set entering the master program at each cycle is new is based on the following observation . the simplex multipliers of the relaxed master program at cycle k - 1 satisfy the conditions : ( 5 ) ## equ7 ## if the new subprogram solution x kj is added to the master program , it cannot meet the condition in ( 7 ), for that would lead to the termination of the process . since it violates the requirement in ( 7 ) it cannot be identical to any of the k - 1 solutions encountered previously , by condition ( 8 ). hence , x kj represents a new channel set . given that the number of cells in a grid is finite , the number of distinct cell groupings that represent different channel sets is also finite . hence , the solution procedure is finite . the solution procedure must start with a feasible channel assignment , that is a channel assignment that covers all cells and meets the channel availability constraint and co - channel interference constraints . for an existing cellular grid , the channel assignment in place may serve as the initial channel assignment , provided it is feasible . if the existing channel assignment is not feasible ( infeasibility would arise typically from the violation of the interference constraints ), or if there is no existing channel assignment , it is necessary to generate an initial feasible channel assignment . the method for deriving an initial channel assignment is based on a variation of the channel group augmentation algorithm . in the most general case , as shown in fig5 the existing channel assignment violates the interference constraints . in this case , channel assignment initialization consists of two phases . in phase i we modify ( block 507 ) the channel sets in the existing channel assignment , one at a time by changing values for n k and λ j . if a channel set violates the interference constraint ( decision block 502 ), cells are removed ( block 504 ) until it satisfies the interference constraint . if the interference constraint is met by an existing channel set , the algorithm will assign as many additional cells as possible ( block 505 ), provided that the interference constraint is satisfied . if the resulting channel sets cannot cover all cells , the second phase is implemented . in phase ii additional channel sets are generated until all cells are covered ( block 506 ). both phases employ the channel set augmentation algorithm . they differ in terms of the initial values used for λ j . in phase i , λ j equals 1 for all cells j covered by the existing channel set , and zero for the remaining cells . in phase ii , λ j is computed by the equation ( 10 ) disclosed herein below . the master program is a linear program involving the integer variables n k , which assume values ranging from 0 to n -- the number of available frequencies , a number which is normally between 300 and 400 . various techniques may be used to obtain an integer solution . given the magnitude of the integer variables , one can obtain near - optimal solutions to this mixed - integer linear program by solving the relaxed linear program without the integer requirements as per block 601 in fig6 . for the purposes of channel assignment , integer solutions must be provided . the algorithm yielding an integer solution to the master program shown in fig6 uses the fact that the optimal channel assignment will use all of the n available channels . given an optimal solution to the relaxed problem ( the linear program without the integer requirements ), the algorithm starts by making the channel set sizes equal to the integers closest to the relaxed solution ( block 601 ). it terminates if the integer set sizes add up to n ( blocks 605 , 607 , 609 ). if not , it increases ( or decreases ) by 1 the sizes of the channel sets with the greatest positive ( or negative ) deviation from the optimal non - integer value ( blocks 611 , 615 ). the steps of the algorithm are shown in the fig6 and are described below in detail . the term n k denotes the channel set sizes in the optimal solution , and by n k their closest integers . the procedure for obtaining an integer solution to the master program is outlined in fig5 as follows : ______________________________________step 1 set n . sub . k equal to the integer to n . sub . k . ( block 603 ) step 2 1 # str1 ## if d = 0 , terminate ( block 607 ). otherwise go to step 3 . step 3 if d & lt ; 0 , go to step 5 . otherwise go to step 4 . ( block 607 ) step 4 find d channel sets with the largest difference δ . sub . k = n . sub . k - n . sub . k decrease the size of each of the d channel sets by 1 . terminate . ( blocks 611 , 613 ) step 5 find | d | channel sets with the largest difference δ . sub . k = n . sub . k - n . sub . k . increase the size of each of the | d | channel sets by 1 . terminate . ( blocks 615 , 617 ) ______________________________________ it is easy to verify that , given a non - negative solution to the relaxed linear program , the resulting integer solution will also be non - negative . once the complexity caused by the integer constraints has been removed , the solution of the master program becomes straightforward . standard linear programming software can be used . by linear programming standards , the relaxed master program is a relatively small linear program , having a number of constraints equal to one plus the number of logical cells in the grid , and number of variables equal to one plus the number of channel groups . it is expected that a large grid would have no more than 500 logical cells . seven hundred and fifty channel sets would more than exceed the number needed to yield an optimal solution . the number of cycles of the master program may be reduced by generating lists of channel sets with the channel group augmentation heuristic . one of the factors contributing to the computational effort in mathematical programming decomposition is the repeated solution of the master program . since the optimal channel assignment is derived from the last master program solution , and all previous master programs serve only to generate a list of desirable candidate channel sets , generating a larger number of candidates at each cycle would tend to reduce the number of master program solutions while still yielding an optimal solution . therefore , between any two consecutive solutions of the master program , the method used generates several new channel sets . the number to be generated is specified by the user . the criterion used in generating new channel sets is that they must have the potential to improve the master program objective value . the first channel set generated after the solution of the k th master program has this potential since it has a negative reduced cost by condition ( 7 ). in order to obtain heuristically additional channel sets with a negative reduced cost , the simplex multiplier λ j is needed . typically , λ j is supplied by the solution of the master program . since our aim is to generate more than one channel set between consecutive solutions of the master program , it is necessary to revise the λ j values before each subprogram solution without re - solving the master program . the revision of λ j is based on properties that would hold if the master program were solved . they are derived from the following complementary slackness conditions defined by equation ( 9 ): ## equ8 ## a consequence of the above conditions is that the simplex multiplier λ j , which is required to be non - negative , will be positive only if the corresponding primal constraint in equation ( 1 ) is binding or , equivalently , whenever the capacity ratio of cell j equals the grid capacity factor . we refer to such a cell as a binding cell . the condition of equation ( 9 ) is employed to update the λ j values of binding cells as follows . a new channel set k , derived from the last subprogram solution , will receive in the next iteration a portion of the available channels . this implies that if set k covers cell j , cell j will typically not be binding in the next iteration . by equation ( 9 ), the corresponding simplex multiplier λ j would become zero . hence , the following revision rule is used : ## equ9 ## this revision causes channel sets generated by subsequent solutions of the subprogram to favor binding cells that were not covered by the last channel set , as they will have positive λ j values . the above revision rules deal with the binding cells as they become non - binding . rules are needed also for the cells that are not binding in the master program solution but , as new channel sets are added , may become binding . such cells should be covered by subsequent channel sets . with λ j assigned zero value by equation ( 9 ), however , they do not have a chance , unless λ j is updated . an alternative way is to communicate to the subprogram the binding status of a cell by handing over the new channel set sizes n k . the subprogram considers the binding status of a cell together with simplex multiplier λ j values in deriving a new channel set . there are several ways to revise n k . in this implementation of the algorithm we assume that the new channel set k will receive one k th of the available channels , while the size of the existing k - 1 channel sets will be adjusted accordingly . that is , ## equ10 ## if the existing channel sets had size n &# 39 ; k , their new sizes will be ## equ11 ## the algorithm for generating f new channel sets is shown in flow form in fig7 . ______________________________________step 1 set λ . sub . j and n . sub . k equal to the values obtained by solving the master program . ( block 701 ) step 2 repeat steps 3 through 6 , f times . ( blocks 702 , 713 ) step 3 solve the subprogram to obtain x . sub . kj . ( block 704 ) step 4 revise λ . sub . j by equation ( 10 ). ( block 705 ) step 5 compute n . sub . k by equation ( 11 ) ( block 709 ), and revise n . sub . k for k = 1 , . . ., k - 1 by equation ( 12 ). ( block 711 ) step 6 increment k . ( block 711 ) ______________________________________ given the difficulty of pursuing a globally optimal solution method , we have devised an efficient heuristic algorithm for the solution of the subprogram . it constructs a solution by selecting among the cells in the grid those that will maximize the subprogram objective value without violating the interference constraints of equation ( 6 ). such a set is constructed by adding one cell at a time , giving priority to the cells with the greatest λ j value . a cell can be added to the set if it does not interfere with the cells already in the set . for cells with equal λ j values the order in which cells are considered is important because the inclusion of one cell might preempt , through the interference it generates , more cells than another . preference is given to cells with low pre - emptive potential . the pre - emptive potential would change at each step , as new cells are added to the set . therefore , the criterion function used for including a cell in the solution is updated after the addition of each cell . the algorithm logic can be described as follows . at each step , the cells are partitioned into three subsets . the set c , which consists of the cells included in the solution ( i . e ., x j = 1 ); the set c , which consists of the cells excluded from the solution ( i . e ., x j = 0 ); and the set u , which consists of the cells whose fate has yet not been determined . at the start of the algorithm , u contains all the cells , and c and c are empty . at each step a member of u is placed in c . its inclusion in the solution may pre - empt other members of u from inclusion . the preempted members of u are moved to c . the algorithm terminates when u becomes empty . among cells with equal λ j values , the cell to be moved from u to c is chosen based on its potential to block other members of u from entering c . there are several ways to measure this potential . in the implementation described in this paper we define the pre - emptive potential function p j as the inverse of the &# 34 ; slack &# 34 ; a j in the interference constraint in equation ( 6 ), which measures the margin for additional contributions to the interference experienced in cell j . ## equ12 ## the solution of the subprogram may be expanded to include cells with zero λ j . this is necessary in order to deal with the non - binding cells that become binding as more channel sets are generated . in some instances , the inclusion of the largest possible number of cells in the solution of the subprogram may be desirable for the increased system planning flexibility it affords . hence , cells may be chosen in order of descending value of the following criterion function f j : ## equ13 ## where k is the last channel set generated , and ε is a very small positive number . given a sufficiently small value for ε , the cells with positive λ j values will be given priority . the remaining cells will be considered only when all cells with positive λ j have been considered . among cells with positive and equal λ j values , the choice of a cell to be included in set c is based on the pre - emptive potential p j since , according to condition ( 9 ), the capacity ratio in the second term of ( 14 ) is the same for all such cells -- it equals the grid capacity factor . for cells with zero λ j values , the capacity ratio dominates the choice of a cell to be included into c . the algorithm for the solution of the subprogram is shown in flow process form in fig8 . ______________________________________step 1 place all cells in set u , and make sets c and c empty . ( block 801 ) step 2 for each member j of u , compute f . sub . j by equation ( 14 ). ( block 803 ) step 3 select j * to be the member of u with the greatest f . sub . j value . ( block 805 ) remove j * from u . ( block 806 ) step 4 compute a . sub . j for each member j of c assuming that j * ( block 807 ) is also in c . step 5 if a . sub . j & lt ; 0 for any j in c , place j * in c and go to step 8 . ( block 809 ) otherwise , place j * in c ( block 811 ) and go to step 6 . step 6 for each member j of u compute a . sub . j . ( block 813 ) step 7 remove from u any of its members j with a . sub . j & lt ; 0 and place them in c . ( block 815 ) step 8 if u is empty , terminate . ( block 817 ) otherwise , go to step______________________________________ 2 . the calculation of the pre - emptive potential p j in the solution of the subprogram , discussed above , involves the interference constraint slack a j , which measures the margin for additional contributions to the interference experienced in cell j . the slack will vary with the composition of c , the collection of cells covered by the channel set . to compute the slack a j we convert the probability statement of equation ( 6 ) into an equivalent deterministic constraint for each cell j in u , the collection of undetermined cells . the constraint in equation ( 6 ) can be written as follows : ## equ14 ## to write the above as an equivalent deterministic inequality , we need to know the probability distribution of the signal - to - interference ratio . let y be the value of this ratio , expressed in decibels . that is , ## equ15 ## following other treatments , we assume that y is normally distributed . let μ y and σ y 2 be the mean and variance of y , respectively , and let r be the signal - to - interference ratio threshold value t expressed in decibels . equation ( 15 ) can be written as follows : ## equ16 ## where z is a normal random variable . the equivalent deterministic constraint is the following : where z . sub . α is the α - quantile of a normal random variable . a j is the slack variable of the above inequality . therefore , the values of μ y and σ y depend on the composition of set c . they are computed using the assumption that the signals of all antenna faces , when expressed in decibels , are independent normally distributed random variables and that the cumulative interference experienced in cell j is also normally distributed , when expressed in decibels 9 !. let where ## equ17 ## if μ l the mean of the cumulative interfence l in cell j , expressed in decibels σ l 2 the variance of lμ p the mean of the power signal p in cell j , is expressed in decibels as σ p 2 the variance of p then , the mean and variance of y are given by : μ p , σ p 2 , and cov ( p , l ) may be calculated from analytical models , or estimated based on empirical data , which may accumulate during the operation of the system . μ l and σ l 2 , which vary with the composition of the set c , are computed in each step of the subprogram solution algorithm by a power - summing procedure . the statistical parameters employed in the power - summing computation may be calculated from analytical models , or estimated based on empirical data that may accumulate during the operation of the system . the process in which unused channels of one cell are borrowed by a cell needing added capacity is illustrated by the flowchart of fig9 . the process begins at terminal 901 and in block 903 the instructions call for a periodic measurement of traffic distribution . the instructions of the block 905 replicate the above described computation for computing channel assignment or any other method for computing channel assignments . the occurrence of a channel request on one of the cells as shown in block 907 may find that cell fully subscribed . the decision block 909 determines if there is an available channel from those already assigned to the cell . if there is one , it is assigned to the channel request provided the interference and other system constraints are satisfied . then , the flow proceeds to block 911 whose instructions assign the call to the free channel and the assignment process ends in terminal 919 . if all channels assigned to the cell are busy within the cell , or borrowed by other cells , the flow proceeds to block 913 , which determines if there is a free channel , not assigned to the cell , that would meet a all interference , system , and reservation requirements if assigned to the channel request . if there is one , the flow proceeds to block 915 , whose instructions assign the call to the free channel and the assignment process ends in terminal 919 . when a channel becomes available a process , illustrated in fig1 , controls the disposal of the borrowed channel . the process begins in start terminal 951 and in block 953 which recognizes the termination or handoff of a call . the instructions of decision block 955 inquire if the released channel is a borrowed channel . if it is , the flow terminates in the end terminal 961 . if it is not , the decision block 957 inquires if there is another call in the cell using a borrowed channel . the flow ends in the absence of such a call . if a borrowed channel is being used , the call on that channel is transferred to the released channel as shown in block 959 . the flow process terminates in the end terminal 961 . the interference constraint checked in channel use and reservation decisions is similar to the interference constraint in equation ( 6 ), and its equivalent constraints ( 15 ) and ( 18 ), but with the following differences . the set c is the replaced by the set c &# 39 ; consisting of the cells actually using the channel when compliance is checked . the confidence level 1 - α is replaced by 1 - α &# 39 ;, which would be typically higher . for example , α could be 0 . 50 while α &# 39 ; would be 0 . 10 . finally the probability distribution may be conditional on the observed signal strengths of the interfering and serving signals if their values are available . that is , if the observed serving signal strength of a call requesting a channel in cell j is s j &# 39 ;, and the interfering signal strengths are i ij &# 39 ; for i ε c &# 39 ;, then the following interference constraint is checked before using the channel in cell j : ## equ18 ## otherwise , the same ( marginal ) probability distribution would be used as in constraints ( 6 ), ( 15 ), and ( 18 ), but with α &# 39 ; and c &# 39 ;. c &# 39 ; will include any cells that may have reserved the channel in question for their own use . a channel assignment is recomputed when the observed offered loads are significantly higher in some cells so as to cause blocking rates in excess of the target values , based on which the channel assignment was computed . a record of the number of blocked and successful calls ( or channel requests ) is retained for a time interval , thus obtaining an estimate of the load offered to the cell . if the observed offered load is outside a statistically significant range of the offered load used to compute the channel assignments , the channel assignment optimization is invoked to compute a new channel assignment . otherwise , the present assignment is maintained . channel reservation helps the system approach the optimal channel assignment . a simple example of determining the number of reserved channels in real time would be to make this number reflect the deviation between anticipated and realized offered loads . if there is no change in anticipated offered loads since the last channel assignment calculation , the number of reserved channels plus the number of busy channels owned by a cell would be less than the number of channels assigned to the cell .
| 7 |
in the embodiment of fig1 the cross - section of an optical cable is shown , which comprises a buffer tube 1 , containing a number of optical fibers 2 , surrounded by a sheath 3 . typically the optical fibers 2 are loosely housed within the buffer tube 1 , so that substantially no mechanical coupling is between fibers and buffer tube , thereby preventing a load applied to the buffer tube from being transmitted to the fibers . preferably , the buffer tube 1 is made of a thermoplastic polymer such as polybutylene terephthalate ( pbt ). the sheath 3 can be advantageously made of polyethylene , preferably high density polyethylene ( hdpe ). two diametrically opposed strength members 4 are embedded in the sheath 3 . in the embodiment of fig1 , each of strength members 4 can be made in the form of a strand of metallic wires ( e . g . brass plated steel wires ). alternatively , if a dielectric cable is desired , the strength members 4 can be dielectric , such as rods of glass or aramid fibers reinforced resin , as shown in fig3 with reference 4 a . the cable shown in fig1 is a “ central loose tube cable ”, intended for use as a drop cable , for example as final link connecting a main optical line of an optical network to a customer &# 39 ; s premise . this kind of cable can be installed either as an aerial or underground cable . typically , with a cable having outer sheath diameter of about 6 mm and a buffer tube of outer diameter of about 2 . 2 mm , a minimum sheath thickness of about 1 . 0 mm over the strength members is preferred , particularly in case metallic strength members are used , both for the mechanical resistance of the sheath and to ensure electric insulation when the cable is used as an aerial cable , in order to prevent electric voltage from arcing across to the metallic strength members when the cable comes into contact with live aerial electricity conductors . in such case , it is important to ensure a sheath thickness between the metallic strength members and the closest contact point that the electricity conductor can get thick enough to prevent electrical arching . in the example , the nominal cable sheath thickness , across the plane “ f ” of the metallic strength members 4 is about 1 . 9 mm . different sizes and thickness can be used in other embodiments , for example when higher or smaller number of fibers is required in the buffer tube , or in case higher or lower tensile loads are to be faced , etc . additional protecting elements can also be used , in case further protection is required . in any event , in order to maximize the tensile performance of the cable it is important that all the cable components ( except the fibers , when the cable is made with the so - called “ loose design ”) work as one and that there is no relative slippage between the central buffer tube , the strength members and the cable sheath . when the cable reaches the user &# 39 ; s premise , the sheath and the strength members are no more required and the buffer tube is sufficient for providing the required protection to the optical fibers for the last length of connection . accordingly , the cable sheath and the strength members embedded therein must be removed . in order to remove the cable sheath from around the buffer tube , two longitudinal cuts are typically made along the cable sheath , in an area between the strength members in order to ensure that the cuts go through to the outside of the central loose tube . the cutting process is schematically shown in fig4 , 5 . at the required distance from the cable end , after a convenient mark has been made on the cable sheath , the cable is circumferentially cut down to the strength members 4 , with a blade 5 , or a suitable circumferential cutter . subsequently , a cutting tool , preferably a suitably designed stripper 6 ( not shown in detail and schematically exemplified in the drawing by a couple of diametrically opposite cutter blades ) is slipped onto the cable sheath 3 ensuring that the blades or stripper cutters 6 are at 90 ° to the wire strength members , up to the circumferential cut , then the blades or the stripper 6 are pulled along the cable sheath 3 towards the cable end , obtaining two longitudinal cuts along the sheath 3 for its whole thickness . finally , as shown in fig5 , the two halves of the cable sheath 3 are separated until the circumferential cut , exposing the buffer tube 1 containing the optical fibres 2 . thereafter the two halves of the cable sheath 3 , together with the steel wires of the strength members 4 are carefully cut away , leaving the buffer tube 1 ready for assembly into a joint or termination point . as the longitudinal cut operation may either cause a damage to the buffer tube 1 or be difficult because of the depth of the sheath 3 to be cut , in order to facilitate the operation a non - bonding separation element 7 ( or , preferably , a couple of diametrically opposed non - bonding separation elements 7 ) is provided between the buffer tube 1 and the sheath 3 , laying in an axial plane “ e ” ( see fig1 ) these separation elements 7 reduce the radial thickness of the cable sheath 3 in correspondence with the longitudinal cut line b and thereby reduce the resistance to the stripper blades 6 . in addition , a possible error in the cut depth does not cause the blades 6 to contact and damage the buffer tube 1 , but only a portion of the thickness of the separation elements 7 . preferably , the height h 2 of the separation elements 7 ( in the radial direction ) from the outer surface of the buffer tube 1 is of from 20 to 80 % of the sheath thickness , such as to leave a solid portion h 1 of sheath 3 ( see fig1 ) of about 80 to 20 % of the sheath thickness h , depending on the cable size and intended use , in order to both maintain a sufficient strength of the sheath and facilitate the longitudinal cutting operation . the width of the separation elements 7 is preferably such that allows a sufficient tolerance in the angular alignment of the plane “ e ” of the longitudinal cutting blades . such plane should theoretically be at 90 ° with the plane containing the axes of the strength members 4 , but in case of manual operation a certain amount of angular displacement can be accepted . in practice , the width of the separation elements 7 is preferably such to correspond to an angle w of from 30 to 120 °, ( symmetrically arranged with respect to the plane “ e ”) in order not to excessively reduce the contact surface between the buffer tube 1 and the sheath 3 and not to interfere with the strength members 4 . the separation elements 7 are “ non - bonding ”, being made of a material which does not stick or adhere to the cable sheath , so that the sheath can be easily detached from the separation elements 7 . if required , a non - sticking agent can be applied over the surface of the separation elements 7 . alternatively , non - bonding separation elements 7 can be made of a material having a low tear resistance such not to cause resistance when the cut sheath is removed from the buffer tube 1 , thereby causing no bonding between the sheath 3 and the buffer tube 1 . preferably , separation elements 7 are made of non - metallic material , such as aramid ( aromatic polyamide ) or glass yarns ( preferably not impregnated with a polymerized resin ). preferably , the material of separation elements 7 has a higher melting point than that of the cable sheath material , so that it is not damaged or altered during the extrusion process of the sheath 3 nor is subject to a bonding to the sheath because of its partial melting or softening during extrusion . in case the separation elements 7 are made of a material having a significant tensile strength , they may contribute to the increase in the tensile force that the cable can be subjected to ( or allow a corresponding reduction in the size of the strength members ). the reduction in radial thickness of the sheath at the cutting point ensures a decrease in the force required to pull the cable stripper along the cable ; if the reduction in radial thickness of the sheath was to be made on the outside of the cable resulting in an oval cable then : the cable would be subject to an increased chance of ‘ galloping ’ ( low frequency , high amplitude ) when subjected to a crosswind , it would be difficult to design a tension clamp with which to fix the cable to the pole , the electrical performance of the cable would be reduced ; the introduction of non - bonding material such as aramid / glass yarns into the cable can result in an increase in the tensile strength of the cable ; the use of a non - bonding material such as aramid / glass yarns ensures that the cable sheath does not stick thereto and ease the removal of the sheath ; because some of the cable sheath is still in contact with the buffer tube there is no ‘ slip layer ’ between the two thus maintaining the tensile / optical performance of the cable . as shown in the embodiment of fig2 , the identification of the proper plane for performing the longitudinal cut of the sheath 3 can be facilitated by a couple of longitudinal grooves 8 , aligned in a plane “ g ” at 90 ° with the plane “ f ” containing the strength members 4 , i . e . in the plane “ e ” ( of fig1 ) where the separation elements 7 are arranged . in case the separation elements 7 and the grooves 8 cannot lay in the same plane ( either for technical reasons or because of manufacturing tolerances ), the groove containing plane “ g ′” can be arranged at an angle α with the plane “ e ” smaller than ½ of the angle “ w ” covered by the separation elements 7 . the grooves 8 can be made during the manufacture of the cable sheath 3 . preferably , the depth of the grooves may be approximately 0 . 5 mm . however , deeper or shallower grooves may be used , depending on the specific cable design and size . the grooves 8 have the benefit of properly identifying the position where the longitudinal cuts have to be made in order to strip the cable sheath 3 . also , they contribute to reduce the radial thickness of the cable sheath 3 , thus making easier to pull the longitudinal stripper 6 along the cable . the manufacturing process involves laying the cable elements together and extruding the cable sheath around them . within the extruder cross - head , where the sheath material is formed around the cable elements , is an extrusion die . by designing the die to the shape of the cable longitudinal grooves will be formed into the cable sheath .
| 6 |
in magneto - optic recording of information on a moving medium having magneto - optic materials previously deposited on it , a basic system requires elements to emit intense light , to polarize this emitted light preferentially , to guide the polarized light to and from the magneto - optic surface while placing the emitted and returned beam or beams of light in the desired locations and a method of analyzing the returned light for information content . fig1 schematically shows the entire construction of a magneto - optical recording and reading apparatus using the basic system of this invention . an integrated optical head 100 is provided to emit light toward a moving medium 102 ( e . g ., on a disk ) via an optical system 104 and to receive light reflected from the medium 102 via the optical system 104 . an implementation of such an optical device is presented in the fig2 . this optical device relies on the majority of the functions being fabricated on one or more substrates of integrated optical circuits . the figure shows the implementation of all functions except laser and detector devices on one integrated circuit . however , it would be possible to separate the various or several circuits if advantages were present in doing so . for instance , it may be desirable to have all the lasers on one circuit and the other components on another circuit , permitting fabrication of devices of similar technologies on one chip . referring to fig2 four laser sources 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 are shown disposed on a surface adjacent to that of a substrate 10 . light from laser source 11 is used for reading information from the medium . light from laser sources 12 and 13 is used for tracking and focusing of tracks ( e . g ., grooves ) of the medium . light from laser source 14 is used to write information onto the disk . it is not necessary for all four lasers to be of the same emitted wavelength . in fact , it may be advantageous for laser sources 12 and 13 to be of one wavelength and laser sources 11 and 14 to be of a different wavelength . considering first the light from laser source 11 , it is directed to an area 20 through a waveguide 22 formed on the substrate 10 by a known method . the area 20 consists of a waveguide polarizer or a first polarizing controller having two electrodes 24 and 26 attached to a periodic structure . electrodes 24 and 26 are driven by voltages - v1 and + v1 . the periodicity of the periodic structure is proportional to the wavelength of the laser light from the laser source 11 . the two electrodes are connected to opposite voltage polarities , the magnitude of which is determined by the length of the electrodes in the direction of the propagation of the laser light and the degree of polarization desired . several previous references have used this method of polarization . an alternate method of polarization uses waveguides that are considered &# 34 ; leaky &# 34 ; to one direction of polarization in a sense that of the two orthogonal polarization components , one is made to diffuse into the area around the waveguides while the other polarization component is confined and propagates with a much lower relative loss to the end of the waveguide . either of these two or other polarizing methods can be used here . at point a , the light from the laser source 11 could be randomly polarized , and at point b , the light is polarized to a high degree along one direction of polarization . light at point b is sent along waveguide sections to the point c where it is emitted from the substrate 10 . waveguide section b - c - d has a branching waveguide 28 ( see fig3 ) and is designed to be polarization preserving in that light originating at b is propagated to point c with the same polarization vector and light arriving at point c from a source external to the substrate 10 is propagated to point d maintaining a polarization vector identical to that arriving at point c . light is returned to point c by reflection from the magneto - optic material . on arriving at c , the light is guided to point d . different magneto - optic materials rotate the polarization vector of the incident light by different amounts . irrespective of the amount of polarization rotation , the proposed method can be used to detect the presence of polarization rotation . an area 30 consists of a waveguide polarization rotator or a second polarizing controller having two electrodes 32 and 34 attached to a periodic structure . electrodes 32 and 34 are driven by voltages - v5 and + v5 . light arriving at the area 30 , passes through the waveguide polarization rotator . the operation of this polarization rotator is similar to that given for the polarizer of area 20 mentioned above . however , the purpose of this particular polarization rotator is to rotate the incoming light polarization by a fixed amount . unless symmetrical differential detection is applied , the rotation angle may be another value , but not 45 degrees . to simplify the explanation , all other detection methods except symmetrical differential detection will not be discussed here . the length of the electrodes 32 and 34 and the voltages - v5 and + v5 are set accordingly to obtain this polarization amount . for the two information states present on the magnetic media , designated &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; states , which are the result of the magnetic orientation of the magneto - optical material , light arriving at point e has a polarization vector of 44 degrees ( light negatively rotated by media , &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; state ) or 46 degrees ( light positively rotated by media , &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; state ). to simplify the explanation , the rotation angle of polarization vector by media is assumed to be 1 degree here . as an alternate method to using polarizing controllers , fig4 illustrates an embodiment where the laser source 111 is attached to the input waveguide 22 at an angle of 45 degrees . such a construction eliminates the need for the first polarizing controller 20 shown in fig2 . it is necessary when using such a scheme that the laser source 111 be constructed to yield essentially all output along a particular angle of polarization , a technique that can be achieved since most diode lasers emit polarized light . if the polarization angle of the laser light is other than strictly te or tm modes , then the laser is attached to the waveguide such that the resultant output is at 45 degrees . note that when using this method , the second polarizing controller 30 shown in fig2 could be entirely eliminated . whichever method is used from the above two , the light arriving at point e needs to have its polarization vector oriented at either 44 or 46 degrees , dependent on the state of the magnetic domain being read on the magneto - optic media . next , the actual methods of detecting the state of information present on the magneto - optical media are presented . for this method , the sections of waveguides e - f and e - g are polarization selecting waveguides 36 . this kind of waveguide can be obtained by making a mode splitter with metal cladding on one of the waveguides . these sections split the light at e into two paths , each of which preferentially guides one of the two orthogonal polarization components of light designated as the te and tm modes . light arriving at point f contains only the te component of light at point e and light arriving at point g contains only the tm component of light at point e . of course , the te and tm modes could be reversed in location . fig5 shows an example of the mode splitter 40 . a waveguide 42 corresponds to part of the section of waveguide d - e - g and has an effective index relative to the guided mode which is equal to that of a waveline guide 41 . one end section of the waveguide 41 is disposed in close proximity to the waveguide 42 , and the power of light propagated in the waveguide 42 is able to transmit to the waveguide 41 in a ratio of 100 %. then , when a metal cladding 44 is provided on the end section of the waveguide 41 , the effective index of the guided tm mode changes remarkably . consequently the coupling in the tm mode disappears and only the te component transmits to the waveguide 41 . the light at points f and g will have substantially the same magnitude if the input light beam is polarized at 45 degrees . this is because the overall polarization vector of light will be equally split among the two polarizing waveguides . for the &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; state of information , the light arriving at point e will be rotated 44 or 46 degrees , respectively . light will be split into unequal amplitudes along paths e - f and e - g , resulting in unequal amplitudes at points f and g . detectors 51 and 52 are of identical construction and sense the amplitude of light incident upon them . light is coupled to these detectors by substrate guiding or by radiation . information content is detected by comparing the relative amplitudes of signals from the detectors 51 and 52 . adjustments by external components connected to these detectors can be made to account for the differences in relative amplitude of the two detectors when sensing light of equal amplitude , a condition that could arise from construction differences . detectors 51 and 52 could be electrically biased if necessary to achieve the speed of detection necessary for information discrimination at high speeds . for tracking and focusing the grooves of a magneto - optic medium on a rotating disk , a method of illumination and detection of reflected light is required . this is accomplished by two identical laser - waveguide - detector combinations 12 , 62 , 64 , 53 , 54 and 13 , 66 , 68 , 55 , 56 . light is emitted by a laser source 12 and guided to a splitter at point h . light branches into two separate waveguides 62 and 64 . from here light is emitted at two points j1 and j2 located at the edge of the substrate 10 . it is sent to the moving medium 102 to be incident on it . similarly , light is emitted by a laser source 13 and guided to a splitter at point h &# 39 ;. light branches into two separate wave guides 66 and 68 . from here light is emitted at two points j3 and j4 located at the edge of the substrate 10 . it is sent to the moving medium 102 to be incident on it . light reflected from the medium and received at points j1 and j2 is guided to points k1 and l1 and then to k2 and l2 and detectors 53 and 54 , respectively . as shown , points j1 and j2 are spaced along a direction in which light is entered from outside of the substrate , as well as along a perpendicular direction . light reflected from the medium and received at points j3 and j4 is guided to points k1 &# 39 ; and l1 &# 39 ; and then to k2 &# 39 ; and l2 &# 39 ; and detectors 55 and 56 , respectively . as shown , points j3 and j4 are spaced along a direction in which light is entered from outside of the substrate , as well as along a perpendicular direction . detectors 53 and 56 are used for focus detection and detectors 54 and 55 are used for tracking detection . each detector measures the amplitude of the light detected . the spot size of the light emitted from points j1 , j2 , j3 , and j4 is identical . the offset in distance from j1 to j4 is used to derive a focus error signal and to drive an appropriate mechanism for correction . as is evident from the reading system using three light . spots described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 876 , 842 , all emitting ends of the waveguides are not necessarily aligned on the same plane . thus , for tracking , the two emitting ends j2 and j3 for emitting tracking detection light from laser sources 12 and 13 are preferably offset by predetermined amounts relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the thickness of the substrate . in this embodiment , at least one substrate ( not shown ) is provided at the right side of the substrate 10 for supporting the elements 11 - 14 and 51 - 56 . this substrate is provided with means for optically connecting each of the elements to the corresponding waveguide of the substrate 10 . the laser - waveguide - detector combinations 12 , 62 , 64 , 53 , 54 and 13 , 66 , 68 , 55 , 56 are used to track grooves and to focus on areas of the surface of the medium so as to allow reading and writing information in the correct areas of a disk . not shown in the drawings are the method of moving the device containing the integrated optical elements in response to the tracking error signal received at the tracking detectors and the method of moving the device to focus the light beams onto the magneto - optic media . another embodiment of the optical device is shown in fig6 . laser sources 211 - 214 and detectors 251 - 256 are disposed on a substrate 210 . the laser source 211 is powered via electrodes connected to a current source designated by the voltage v2 . the laser sources 212 and 213 are respectively powered by the voltage sources v3 and v4 , and the source 214 is powered by voltage source v6 . light from the laser source 211 is to be used for reading information from the medium light from 212 and 213 is used for tracking and focusing , respectively , and light from 214 is for writing information onto the medium . each of waveguides and electrodes is fabricated using semiconductor manufacturing technology , and each of the laser sources and detectors is fixed on the substrate at the end portion of the corresponding waveguide . other construction and operation of this embodiment are similar to the embodiment in fig2 .
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fig1 shows a rule - based storage clearance system . the system comprises video sources 101 , a logic unit 110 , a rule database 120 , a storage device 130 , and a user interface 140 . user interface 140 may be a software application stored on computer readable medium such as device 150 . sources 101 may be video cameras for recording a video clip . in one embodiment , sources 101 comprise closed - circuit television ( cctv ) cameras . the cctv cameras may be digital devices that may or may not have their own storage units . a digital cctv camera may be coupled to a computer ( not shown ) so as to temporarily store the recorded footage before transmitting to the storage server . the computer would be network - capable to transfer video footage to a storage server . alternatively , the cctv camera may be an ip camera having its own network capability . cameras 101 monitor a secure area , the secure area being defined by the range of the video camera . the secure area may be any physical area to be monitored , such as a room , enclosure , building , or complex of buildings . consequently , cameras 101 may be distributed in multiple secure areas . cameras 101 continuously or periodically monitor a secure area , and generate video footage . the video footage may further be divided into video clips , the video clips being tagged with information such as time and date or recording , location , source camera , and so on . the video footage and / or video clips are transmitted to a logic unit 110 that resides within a storage system or server . the storage system or server may be within the vicinity of cameras 101 , for instance , in or around the secure area . alternatively , the storage system or server may be part of a central monitoring station , and therefore in a remote location . in either case , if cameras 101 and the storage server are network - capable devices , they may communicate over a local , wide , cellular , or any equivalent network . the video footage may be streamed directly to the storage system , which identifies video clips from the video footage based on the tag or metadata information such as time / date , etc . alternatively , the video clips themselves may be tagged and separated before being transferred to the storage server . logic unit 110 within the storage server serves the purpose of assigning a priority to the video clip based on a plurality of adjustable surveillance parameters . the surveillance parameters include source parameters , media parameters , user parameters , and other parameters , and are individually assigned a weight . the source parameters adjust priority of the video clip based on characteristics of the video camera that recorded the video clip , media parameters adjust priority of the video clip based on the content of the video clip , and user parameters adjust priority of the video clip based on user - defined rules . if the video clip satisfies a certain combination of parameters , then the priority of the video clip is defined based on the combined weight of the parameters that apply . the parameters are described in more detail in fig2 . the logic unit 110 further comprises a deletion / archival algorithm , stored on a computer readable medium . this algorithm periodically reviews the priority of each video clip , and erases a low priority video clip that has been stored for a certain time , or that has exceeded its allocation of storage space . the time and space are determined by the priority of the video clip , and may be static values , or dynamically adjusting values . for instance , a video clip having a relatively lower priority may simply have a lower storage time relative to a higher priority video clip . thus , higher priority video clips are stored for longer than lower priority video clips . in another embodiment , the deletion / archival algorithm allocates a percentage of storage space for each video clip based on the priority of the video clip , and uses factors such as the age , quality , and other user - adjustable parameters to determine when to delete the video clip . in one embodiment , the time and / or space are dynamically adjusted for a video clip based on the priority of the video clip relative to the priorities of a plurality of subsequent or pre - existing video clips on the storage unit . for instance , the time may be set to a fixed value depending on the plurality of adjustable surveillance parameters for the video clip . alternatively , the time is dynamically adjusted based on the priority of the video clip relative to the priorities of a plurality of video clips . the video clip is deleted or archived when the time expires . the surveillance system further comprises an archive unit for storing the archived video clip . the archive may reside on a remote server in communication with the logic unit and storage units . the system further includes rule database 120 that contains a record for each video clip , as well as parameters assigned to the video clip . the user - adjustable parameters are recorded in the rule database , as are the user - defined rules and conditions described below . further , storage unit 130 is used to store the video clips . in addition , there may be a remote archive storage unit for archiving old video clips . the surveillance system further comprises a user interface 140 stored on a computer readable medium , and accessible via a computer 150 in communication with the video cameras , logic unit , and storage unit . a user is provided with a plurality of adjustable parameters that determine how the storage is to be managed . via the user interface , the weight for each of these parameters can be adjusted and take effect in real - time . the user interface may be physically coupled to and proximate to the logic unit 110 and databases 120 , 130 , or may be accessed from a remote location , such as a control panel or a central monitoring station . fig2 shows an exemplary user interface for adjusting surveillance parameters , according to an embodiment of the present invention . a user interface 200 provides a plurality of configuration options 210 such as “ source , transfer , storage , and miscellaneous .” a user selects “ storage management ” and is presented with sub - options 220 . these allow the user to tweak the effect of various static and dynamic parameters on the recycling / archiving process and are grouped into categories . for instance , the user may be presented with the following options 220 for storage management : “ source parameters , clip parameters , user parameters , individual parameters ” and so on . in “ source parameters ” 230 , the user can set up dynamic storage management by adjusting the weights of the various parameters related to the source of the video clip , such as the location of the camera ( s ) and / or the control panel controlling the camera ( s ). for instance , the user may specify a priority weight for a particular source camera . this could further lead into allocating storage space or time period per source based on the priority of the source . in a museum , a camera monitoring a valuable piece in an exhibit room would have a higher weight than the camera monitoring the restrooms . similarly , in “ media parameters ,” the user can adjust storage management rules based on factors related to the actual content of the footage . a motion - sensing camera may be given higher weight or may be allowed to remain on the storage unit for a longer time than a normal camera . alternatively , two motion - sensing cameras are given the same weight until one of them actually senses a motion , in which case the other camera takes a lower priority weight and that footage may be deleted earlier . video clips of a higher quality or resolution may be allocated more or less space , depending on the user &# 39 ; s preference . erasing high - quality video clips and retaining low - quality video clips would maximize the storage space available for many clips . the age of the video clip is another factor that could be taken into account . if the priority of the video clip affects not the time period for storage , but a space allocation , then older clips could be allocated smaller amounts of space , until they are deleted to make room for new younger clips . other media - related parameters will be evident to one of ordinary skill in the art . in “ user parameters ,” the user can define storage management rules based on attributes or “ bookmarks ” that a user has placed on the footage . these may include priority bookmarks , instructions , etc . that may not be related to source or media attributes but are still effective when it comes to determining whether or not to delete / archive the footage . for instance , footage may be tagged at the source as being low - priority on a day off or when the museum is closed . footage may be tagged for late deletion or being exempt from archiving if a user has reason to believe the footage may be useful at a later date . similarly , the user can define events associated with one or more video clips . for instance , the user could set up a rule to monitor the “ status ” of the video clip , or how often the video clip has been accessed or edited . a video clip that is regularly accessed may be part of an investigation , and is thus afforded higher priority . correlation can be defined in a similar way : if two or more clips undergo similar operations such as being tagged or bookmarked for archival or extended storage , similarly correlated video clips can be allocated the same priority . this option allows the user to define how a clip is related to other clips , other sources , or external events , and thus adjust storage management based on these relations . for instance , the low - priority holiday “ bookmark ” above can be automated by correlating a source with a calendar of events at that source . the museum cameras all go into low - priority mode on pre - designated holidays at that museum . similarly , multiple cameras that would otherwise be unrelated can be correlated based on an event or feature that the cameras have in common . a plurality of cameras along a city street can be switched into high - priority mode ( thus remaining stored for a longer time , or being allocated more storage space ) during an event such as a parade . this would dynamically group together video clips having similar attributes , and assign them the same priority . individual parameters 260 provide a means to adjust all the parameters for an individual video clip or user - defined group of video clips . once a clip is selected , the user is presented with options to adjust the overall priority of the clip , and to define and adjust priority for events and correlation parameters linked to the video clip . further , the user can select whether or not to archive the clip instead of or prior to deletion . in another exemplary embodiment , the present invention is a method for managing memory in a surveillance system , the method comprising assigning a priority to a video clip recorded by a video camera , and storing the video clip for a time proportional to the priority of the video clip . fig3 shows the method , according to this exemplary embodiment . a source , such as the cctv camera in fig1 , records video footage of a secure area ( step 301 ). as described herein , the video footage may further comprise video clips based on time of day or the type of secure area covered . the method further comprises providing a plurality of adjustable surveillance parameters for the video clip ( step 303 ), wherein adjusting of one of said plurality of adjustable surveillance parameters further modifies the priority of the video clip ( step 305 ). the plurality of adjustable surveillance parameters comprises any combination of source parameters , media parameters , user parameters , and event / correlation parameters , all of which are stored in a rule database ( step 307 ). the source parameters adjust priority of the video clip based on characteristics of the video camera that recorded the video clip , media parameters adjust priority of the video clip based on the content of the video clip , and user parameters adjust priority of the video clip based on user - defined rules . a user interface on a computer in communication with the video camera and any logic units and storage units includes the ability to define the user parameters in step 303 and to adjust the plurality of adjustable parameters . based on the priority of the video clip , a lifetime or time period is assigned to the video clip ( step 309 ). the time may be a fixed value depending on the plurality of adjustable surveillance parameters for the video clip , or may be dynamically adjusted based on the priority of the video clip relative to the priorities of a plurality of video clips . the video clip is stored ( step 311 ), and the time period is taken into account by the logic unit during scheduled maintenance . for instance , the logic unit periodically undergoes a recycling mechanism ( step 313 ), whereby any video clip that has exceeded its lifetime , or the time period , is erased or archived ( step 315 ), depending on the rules in the rule database . if the time period has not expired , the video clip remains on the storage unit ( reverting back to step 311 ). the video clip is deleted or archived when the time expires . thus , the present invention provides a user with the ability to configure storage rules dynamically , on the fly , and to influence the recycling logic and archiving logic of the storage system at any time . this provides flexibility and control to the configuration process , helping users to manage the storage space dynamically , and preventing waste of space . while preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described using specific terms , such description is for illustrative purposes only , and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims .
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in the following detailed description , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the present invention . however , those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without these specific details , that the present invention is not limited to the depicted embodiments , and that the present invention may be practiced in a variety of alternative embodiments . in other instances , well known methods , procedures , and components have not been described in detail . further , various operations may be described as multiple discrete steps performed in a manner that is helpful for understanding embodiments of the present invention . however , the order of description should not be construed as to imply that these operations need be performed in the order they are presented , or that they are even order dependent . moreover , repeated usage of the phrase “ in an embodiment ” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment , although it may . lastly , the terms “ comprising ,” “ including ,” “ having ,” and the like , as used in the present application , are intended to be synonymous unless otherwise indicated . electrical generators use a prime mover and a generator to produce electrical power . synchronous generators operate at a speed that is locked to the grid frequency ( e . g . 60 hz ). if a grid load increases , the synchronous generator increases the amount of fuel burned by the prime mover to increase the mechanical power output by the prime mover . the increase in mechanical power results in an increase in the electrical power output by the generator . however , the speed of the synchronous generator continues to correspond to the grid frequency . often when a critical event occurs on a grid , such as when a number of generators fail , the electrical load on the remaining generators increases . the increase in the load may result in the lowering of the grid frequency . since the synchronous generator speed corresponds to the grid frequency , the generator speed will be reduced to output the lower grid frequency . asynchronous generators are not limited in speed by the frequency of the gird . if a load increases , and the frequency of the grid decreases , the speed of the generator may be increased . to increase the speed of the generator , the prime mover of the generator must accelerate the generator . the energy used to accelerate the generator results in a drop in the total power output by the generator during the acceleration . since the drop in frequency may be a result of a critical event on the gird ( i . e . the grid needs additional power from online generators ), the drop in total power output by the generator during acceleration is undesirable , and may contribute negatively to the critical event . fig1 includes a number of operating characteristics of examples of generators during an example of a critical grid event . the left column of graphs labeled “( a ) conventional generator ” illustrates an example of a response of a synchronous generator to a reduction of a grid frequency . the center column of graphs labeled “( b ) basic vfg ” illustrates an example of a response of a variable frequency generator ( vfg ) also called an asynchronous generator powered by a gas turbine engine prime mover . the right column titled “( c ) vfg with stabilizing ” includes graphs of a response of an exemplary embodiment of a vfg with grid stabilizing . referring to column ( a ), at a time 0 sec , the frequency of the synchronous generator is 1 pu . the speed of the generator is also 1 pu . the turbine power and total power output by the generator are 100 mw . slip represents the difference between the generator speed and the frequency of the electrical output . at approximately time 1 sec , the grid frequency ( not shown ) drops . the drop in the grid frequency may result after a critical event such as the failure of other generators that power the grid . the drop in grid frequency , results in the reduction in the frequency of the generator . since the generator is a synchronous generator , the speed of the generator is also reduced to match the grid . as the speed of the generator is reduced , inertial energy in the generator is converted into electrical power , the conversion results in a momentary increase in the total electrical power sent to the grid to approximately 120 mw and a decrease in the mechanical power output by the turbine . the increase in total power sent to the grid occurs until approximately time 3 sec . the momentary increase in total power to the grid due to the slowing of the generator is desirable because the increase may result lowering the effect of the critical event on the grid . at approximately time 3 sec , the generator frequency and speed reaches a lower new grid frequency of 0 . 95 pu , the speed of the generator remains constant 0 . 95 pu . since the speed of the synchronous generator must correspond to the grid frequency , the power output by the prime mover is limited by operating ratings of the prime mover . the total power output of the turbine remains below 100 mw . using a variable speed gas turbine as the prime mover of a generator allows the power output of the turbine to increase as the speed of the turbine increases . fig1 includes a center column of graphs labeled “( b ) basic vfg ” illustrates an example of the response of a variable frequency generator ( vfg ) also called an asynchronous generator powered by a gas turbine engine prime mover . referring to column ( b ) of fig1 , at a time 0 sec , the frequency of the asynchronous generator is 1 pu . the speed of the generator is approximately 0 . 97 pu . the turbine power and total power are 100 mw . the slip is constant at 0 . 03 pu . at approximately time 1 sec , the grid frequency ( not shown ) drops . responsive to the drop in grid frequency , the turbine speed increases to deliver more power to the grid . as the speed of the turbine increases , more fuel may be burned by the turbine thereby increasing the turbine power . the increase in speed and turbine power requires more mechanical energy to be delivered to the generator to overcome the inertia of the generator and accelerate the generator speed . the increase in mechanical energy delivered to the generator results in a momentary loss of total power output by the generator . the loss of total power output during the acceleration of the generator is illustrated in the graph titled “ total power ( mw )” in column ( b ). once the speed of the generator reaches 1 pu at approximately time 10 sec , the acceleration of the generator stops , and the speed remains constant . the resultant power from the turbine and the total power of the electrical generator remain constant above 100 mw . though the resultant total power output by the generator after the drop in grid frequency is greater than 100 mw , the momentary loss of total power output at the beginning of the drop in frequency is undesirable because the grid may need more power immediately following a drop in grid frequency to maintain the stability of the grid . fig2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a variable speed electrical generation system 100 including a gas turbine engine ( engine ) 102 linked to an asynchronous generator 104 that outputs power to an electrical grid . a controller 106 is communicatively linked to gas turbine engine 102 and the asynchronous generator 104 . the asynchronous generator 104 may also include an exciter ( not shown ) that may also be controlled by the controller 106 . the operation of an exemplary embodiment of the variable speed electrical generation system ( system ) 100 uses the controller 106 to control the operation of the engine 102 and the asynchronous generator 104 . the operation of the system 100 during an example of a drop in the grid frequency ( grid event ) is illustrated in fig1 in the right column titled “( c ) vfg with stabilizing .” referring to column ( c ) of fig1 , at a time 0 sec . the frequency of the asynchronous generator 104 is 1 pu . the speed of the asynchronous generator 104 is approximately 0 . 97 pu . the turbine power of the engine and total power output by the engine are 100 mw . the slip is constant at 0 . 03 pu . at approximately time 1 sec , the grid frequency ( not shown ) drops . responsive to the drop in grid frequency , the controller 106 directs the engine 102 and the asynchronous generator 104 to reduce speed . the reduction in speed results in a momentary increase in the total power output by the asynchronous generator 104 due to the conversion of inertial energy in the asynchronous generator 104 into electrical energy . in the illustrated embodiment , the total power increases to approximately 120 mw at time 1 sec and is reduced to approximately 95 mw at time 2 sec . at time 2 sec , the controller 106 increases the speed of the engine 102 and the asynchronous generator 104 . at time 12 sec , the speed of the asynchronous generator 104 is 1 . 00 pu and remains constant , and resultant turbine power and total power remain above 100 mw . fig3 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a control function that may be used to control the system 100 when the grid frequency suddenly drops . the function includes a filter 301 having a time constant , a gain k1 in block 303 , and a gain k2 in block 305 . the speed and frequencies in the function are in per unit of nominal where they each equal unity when the system 100 is running in sync with the grid and the grid is at the nominal frequency . in operation , a frequency feedback signal from the grid is filtered by the filter 301 . a filter time constant determines the duration of the temporary generator speed decrease in response to a sudden drop in the grid frequency . the filter 301 outputs a frequency filtered signal . the frequency filtered signal is subtracted from the frequency feedback signal resulting in a difference in frequency signal ( dfreq ). the dfreq signal is multiplied by the gain k2 in block 305 . the gain k2 determines how much the generator speed decreases temporarily in response to the sudden drop in the grid frequency . a reference speed signal is the desired speed of the generator when the grid is at nominal frequency and is in a steady state . the frequency filtered signal is subtracted from the reference speed signal and multiplied by the gain k1 in block 303 . the gain k1 determines how much speed increases in proportion to a drop in the grid frequency . the output of the gain k1 and gain k2 blocks 303 and 305 are added to result in a speed command signal that may be sent to the controller 106 ( in fig1 ). the operation of the system 100 incorporates the beneficial features of momentarily increasing the total power output by the asynchronous generator 104 responsive to a drop in grid frequency , and increasing the total power output once the speed of the engine 102 and asynchronous generator 104 are increased . the momentary increase in total power may contribute to grid stability by increasing the power on the grid at a critical time - during a drop in frequency . the system 100 further contributes to grid stability by operating at a higher speed and delivering more power to the grid once the frequency of the grid becomes constant . this written description uses examples to disclose the invention , including the best mode , and also to practice the invention , including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods . the patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims , and may include other examples . such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims , or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims .
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referring to fig1 , there is shown a typical prior art testing system . the testing system includes an integrated circuit 1 having a plurality of cores 3 therein , each core having a tap 5 . each tap 5 is coupled to tlm 9 via an associated bus 7 . the tlm is coupled external of the integrated circuit to a tester 11 . the tlm 9 acts in the manner of a switch to select one of the taps 5 via one of the associated busses 7 to be connected to the tester . the tester 11 is coupled to the tlm 9 in accordance with the standard 1149 . 1 test interface to provide required test inputs to and outputs from a selected tap 5 via an associated bus 7 . while not shown , the tester also provides power and ground to power up the integrated circuit during testing . the taps 5 of each core 3 serve as the core &# 39 ; s test interface to the tlm 9 . when the tlm 9 forms a connection between the tester 11 and one of the core 3 taps 5 , the connected tap 5 is controlled by the tester 11 to serially communicate instruction and test data and to execute test operations . referring to fig2 , there is shown schematically and in more detail how multiple taps 1 - 4 can be connected to a tlm . tap 0 resides within the tlm . the tlm comprises first and second interfaces . the first interface is connected to the 1149 . 1 tdi , tck , tms , trst , tdo signals on the integrated circuits test pins . the second interface is connected to the 1149 . 1 tdi 1 - 4 , tms 1 - 4 , tdo 1 - 4 , tck 1 - 4 signals to each tap 1 - 4 . during test , the tdi , tdo , tms , and tck test pins will be connected to one of the taps 1 - 4 , via the tlm , to enable the tester 11 of fig1 to communicate with the tap . in this example , tap 1 is the tap connected to the test pins following power up of the integrated circuit or following activation of the trst signal . tap 1 serves as the integrated circuit &# 39 ; s tap and regulates the jtag boundary scan test operations of the integrated circuit . tap switching occurs by a tester , connected to the integrated circuit &# 39 ; s test pins , performing an augmented 1149 . 1 instruction scan operation through tap 1 and the tlm . following the augmented 1149 . 1 instruction scan operation , the tlm only is selected for scanning by an 1149 . 1 data scan operation to load a new tap connection configuration . following the 1149 . 1 data scan operation to the tlm , the new tap connection occurs and the tester accesses the new tap , say tap 2 , via the test pins . referring now to fig3 a and 3 b , the basic tlm concept of the present invention is seen depending upon augmenting all instruction scan operations by one or more bits using an augmentation instruction register within the tlm . in fig3 a and 3 b , tap 0 represents the tap within the tlm , tap 1 represent the integrated circuit tap , and taps 2 - 4 represent taps in cores . this simplified view of how taps are associated with the tlm &# 39 ; s augmentation instruction register illustrates ; ( 1 ) how 1149 . 1 data scan operations shift data through the selected tap &# 39 ; s data register to be passed to the integrated circuits tdo pin via the tlm , and ( 2 ) how 1149 . 1 instruction scan operations shift data through the selected tap &# 39 ; s instruction register and tlm &# 39 ; s augmentation instruction register prior to passing on the integrated circuits tdo pin . the difference between the embodiments of fig3 a and 3 b is that each tap in fig3 a has its own tlm augmentation instruction register , whereas , in fig3 b , a single tlm augmentation instruction register is shared by all taps . from inspection of fig3 a and 3 b , the concept of augmenting only instructions scan operations with an additional bit or bits is clearly seen . it is important to note that the arrangement of the taps and tlm in fig3 a and 3 b could be reversed to where 1149 . 1 data and instruction scan operations transmit through the tlm before transmitting though the taps without departing from the instruction augmentation concept set forth in the present invention . referring to fig4 , there is shown the tlm structure which is composed of a tap state machine 402 , a tlm decode 404 , a link shift register 406 , a link update register 408 , an augmentation instruction shift register ( aisr ) 410 , tlm instruction or data scan multiplexer 412 , tlm instruction or data scan multiplexer 414 , tdo 1 - 5 multiplexer 416 , and an optional tap tdi link configuration circuit 418 . tck 422 , tms 424 , tdi 426 , tdo 428 , and trst 438 signals are connected to test pins of the integrated circuit . tap state machine 402 is connected to the output of gate 430 for a receiving reset input . gate 430 has inputs for receiving a power up reset signal 437 from a power up reset circuit within the integrated circuit and a trst signal 438 from a test pin of the integrated circuit . tap state machine 402 also receives the tck 422 and tms 424 signals . tap state machine 402 outputs tap state signals 436 to the tlm decode 404 , a reset signal 440 to tlm decode 404 , link shift register 406 , and link update register 408 , and a tms gating signal 442 to gates 420 . tlm decode 404 receives the tap state signals 436 , control signal 433 from the aisr 410 , enable signals 434 from link update register 408 , and the reset signal 440 . tlm decode 404 outputs an ir - sel signal 448 to multiplexers 412 and 414 , a capture control signal 444 to aisr 410 , tdo - sel signal 446 to multiplexer 416 , update signal 450 to link update register 408 , and shift enable signals 452 to link shift register 406 . aisr 410 receives serial data output 456 from multiplexer 416 , capture , shift , update , and reset bus signals 444 from tlm decode 404 , and a parallel , fixed 1 and 0 signal input 454 . the aisr 410 outputs a serial data signal 458 to multiplexer 414 and an enable signal 433 to the tlm decode 404 . the aisr 410 responds to bus 444 to perform capture , shift , and update operations during all 1149 . 1 scan operations . link shift register 406 inputs tdi 426 , reset signal 440 , and shift enable signals 452 . link shift register 406 outputs data signal 460 to multiplexer 412 . update register 408 is coupled to receive data from link shift register 406 and inputs reset signal 440 , and update signal 450 . update register 408 outputs enable signals 434 to tlm decode 404 and optional configuration signals 462 to optional link configuration circuit 418 . multiplexer 412 receives data signal 460 from link shift register 406 and tdi signal 426 . multiplexer 412 outputs data 432 to multiplexer 416 . multiplexer 414 receives data signal 456 from multiplexer 416 and data signal 458 from aisr 410 . multiplexer 414 outputs data to tdo 428 . multiplexer 416 receives the taps tdo 1 - 4 outputs 430 and data output 432 from multiplexer 412 . multiplexer 416 outputs data 456 to multiplexer 414 . optional link configuration circuit 418 inputs tdi 426 , configuration control signals 462 , and tap tdo signals 430 . link configuration circuit 418 outputs tap tdi 1 - 4 signals 464 . the circuit 418 serves to programmably connect , in response to control signals 462 , tdi 426 to one of the tdi 1 - 4 tap inputs . to simplify the following description , it will be assumed that tdi 426 will be connected to all tdi 1 - 4 tap inputs . the whetsel paper and application ser . no . 08 / 918 , 872 describe use of tdi linking circuits like that of circuit 418 . the operational description of the fig2 and fig4 tlm circuits is best understood by initializing the tlm using a reset input from gate 430 . in response to the reset input , the tap state machine 402 is reset . when reset , tap state machine 402 outputs a reset signal 440 to reset the tlm decode 404 , link shift register 406 , link update register 408 , and all taps 1 - 4 connected to the tlm as shown in fig2 . the reset signal 440 also resets the aisr 410 via bus 444 to a code that is input to tlm decode 404 via signal 433 . following reset , link update register 408 outputs enable signals 434 to tlm decode 404 and enable tap 1 of fig2 to be the only tap , external of the tlm , enabled and connected to the test pins of the integrated circuit , via the tlm . the tlm &# 39 ; s tap state machine 402 ( tap 0 of fig2 ) is also enabled and connected to the test pins so that it can track the state of the test pins to know what 1149 . 1 operation is being performed . during an 1149 . 1 data scan operation , tap 1 receives control from tms 1 and tck 1 from the tlm to input data from tdi 426 and shift the data through a data register ( tap 1 &# 39 ; s bypass register ) to tap 1 &# 39 ; s tdo 1 output 430 . the tdo 1 output 430 passes through tlm multiplexers 416 and 414 to be output on tdo 428 . during this 1149 . 1 data scan operation , no data is input to the link shift register 406 from tdi 426 since the tlm decode 404 is disabled by the aisr 410 reset code input 433 from responding to tap state machine 402 control bus 436 to output shift enable signals 452 to the link shift register 406 . during an 1149 . 1 instruction scan operation , tap 1 receives control from tms 1 and tck 1 from the tlm to input data from tdi 426 and shift the data through its instruction register to tap 1 &# 39 ; s tdo 1 output 430 . the tdo 1 output 430 passes through multiplexers 416 to be input to aisr 410 , is shifted through aisr 410 to be output on tdo 428 , via multiplexer 414 . during this 1149 . 1 instruction scan operation the need to add bits to the 1149 . 1 instruction scan frame is seen from the fact that the aisr 410 lies in series with the tap 1 instruction register . with a two bit shift register aisr 410 , as shown in this example , two bits will be added or augmented to the length of the instruction scan frame to allow shifting a two bit code into the aisr 410 during instruction scan operations . prior art 1149 . 1 instruction or data scan operations comprise the steps of capturing data into an instruction or data register , shifting data through an instruction or data register , and updating data from an instruction or data registers . during the above mentioned instruction scan operation , the aisr 410 captures a two bit 10 input 454 code , then performs the shift and update steps . this two bit 10 input code enables the aisr to output a leading 1 then 0 bit during the shift step to be compatible with what conventional 1149 . 1 instructions register must output to comply with the 1149 . 1 standard . thus the two bit 10 input code is provided for compatibility with 1149 . 1 . if 1149 . 1 did not have this initial 1 then 0 bit shift out requirement , the asir 410 could be implemented as a single bit shift register . the two bits shifted into the aisr 410 during the above mentioned 1149 . 1 instruction scan operation must provide at least two codes , a tap scan code and a tlm scan code . the tap scan code operates to enable scan operations through the currently selected tap from tdi 426 to tdo 428 , and disable scan operations through the tlm &# 39 ; s link update register from tdi 426 to tdo 428 . the tlm scan code operates to enable scan operations through the tlm &# 39 ; s link shift register from tdi 426 to tdo 428 and disable scan operations through the currently selected tap from tdi 426 to tdo 428 . during reset , the aisr 410 is reset to the tap scan code and the link update register 408 is reset to connect tap 1 to the test pins . the reset condition of aisr 410 and link update register 408 are input to tlm decode 404 via busses 433 and 434 , respectively , for decoding . if , following the above mentioned 1149 . 1 instruction scan operation , the aisr 410 was loaded with a tap scan code , no change would occur in the tlm or in the current selection of tap 1 being the tap connected to the integrated circuits test pins . if a tap scan code was loaded , the above described 1149 . 1 data and instruction scan access operations of tap 1 could be repeated . however , if the aisr 410 was loaded with a tlm scan code during the above mentioned 1149 . 1 instruction scan operation , the following tlm changes would occur . first , scan access to the currently selected tap 1 would be disabled by the tck 1 - 4 and tms 1 - 4 outputs of gates 470 and 420 , respectively , being gated low by tcken 468 and tmsen 1 - 4 signals 466 from the tlm decode 404 . second , scan access to the link shift register 406 and link update register 408 would be enabled by the shift enable signals 452 and update signal 450 from tlm decode 404 . these changes in the tlm would occur in response to the instruction register update step which occurs at the end of the above mentioned 1149 . 1 instruction scan operation . assuming a tlm scan code were loaded into the aisr 410 , a subsequent 1149 . 1 data register scan operation would cause the tap state machine 402 to output control 436 to cause control 452 to enable data on tdi 426 to be shifted through link shift register 406 to tdo 428 , via multiplexers 412 , 416 , and 414 . following this data shift operation , update control on bus 436 from tap state machine 402 will cause control 450 from tlm decode 404 to update data shifted into the link shift register 406 into the link update register 408 . following the update operation , the enable outputs 434 from the link update register are input to the tlm decode 404 to bring about a new desired tap connection arrangement to the integrated circuits test pins . also , in response to the update operation the aisr is reset via bus 444 to contain the tap scan code to enable the new tap connection arrangement to be immediately available for 1149 . 1 instruction and data scan operations , via the test pins . if , while the aisr 410 contained the above mentioned tlm scan code , an 1149 . 1 instruction scan operation were performed instead of an 1149 . 1 data register scan operation , data on tdi 426 would pass through multiplexers 412 and 416 to be shifted through the aisr 410 and output to tdo 428 , via multiplexer 414 . in this case the current tlm configuration would be maintained , since the link shift and update registers do not receive data register scan control on the shift enable 452 and update 450 control signals to shift and update data from tdi 426 and tdo 428 . since the aisr 410 is included in the tdi 426 and tdo 428 path through the tlm during instruction scans , it can be loaded with either a tlm or tap scan code . if a tap scan code is loaded into the aisr 410 , the current tap configuration is again available for 1149 . 1 scan access , via the integrated circuits test pins . during instruction scan operations with the aisr containing a tlm scan code , the taps 1 - 4 are disabled and do not respond to the instruction scan operation , as mentioned above for data register scan operations with the aisr 410 containing the tlm scan code . if desired an instruction register may be implemented in the tlm in place of directly wiring tdi 426 to input 1 of multiplexer 412 . if implemented , the instruction register &# 39 ; s input is connected to the node where tdi 426 inputs to the linking shift register 406 and the instruction register &# 39 ; s output is connected to input 1 of multiplexer 412 , i . e . the instruction register will be in parallel with the linking shift register 406 . providing an instruction register in the tlm enables it to have instruction capabilities that may provide useful expanded tlm capabilities . it is important to note that other aisr codes may be defined for use by the tlm of the present invention . for example , a tlm scan code - a may be defined to modify the behavior of the tlm to where 1149 . 1 instruction scan operations , occurring while the aisr contains the tlm scan code - a , shifts instruction data through the currently selected tap instead of through the tlm as described above . in response to a tlm scan code - a , the tlm decode 404 would be configured to respond to 1149 . 1 instruction scan control outputs on bus 436 of tap state machine 402 to enable the appropriate tck 1 - 4 and tms 1 - 4 signals to perform the instruction scan operation on the currently selected tap . during the instruction scan operation , the link shift and update registers 406 and 408 are disabled by the tlm decode 404 . this mode of accessing the currently selected tap during 1149 . 1 instruction scan operations occurring when the tlm is selected for 1149 . 1 data scan operations is consistent with the way the tlm of the whetsel paper and patent application ser . no . 08 / 918 , 872 behaves . thus behavioral consistency is achieved between the two tlm types using a tlm scan code - a . when the tlm is updated with a new tap connection configuration , following the above mentioned data register scan operation , the newly selected tap , say tap 2 , is available for 1149 . 1 scan access via the test pins . the previously selected tap 1 is disabled from 1149 . 1 scan access . control input 446 to multiplexer 416 from tlm decode 404 will be set by the enable bus 434 output from link update register 408 to connect the tdo output of the newly selected tap , for example tdo 2 will be selected for tap 2 , tdo 3 for tap 3 , and tdo 4 for tap 4 . the above process of augmenting instruction scans to a currently selected tap to include a tlm scan code to be loaded into the aisr 410 can be repeated whenever a new tap connection to the test pins is required to meet a test or emulation access need . it is important to note that only 1149 . 1 instruction scan frames need to be augmented to include the aisr code , and not 1149 . 1 data scan frames . therefore , the present invention does not require modification of test data scan frames ( tdl ), which facilitates reuse of the test data scan frames . the basic function of the tlm of the present invention to control and access embedded taps within integrated circuits is very similar to the tlm described in the whetsel paper and patent application ser . no . 08 / 918 , 872 . the novelty introduced by the tlm of the present invention lies in its use of an aisr 410 and the augmentation of instruction scan frames to include the aisr 410 codes . the tlm of the whetsel paper and patent application ser . no . 08 / 918 , 872 used additional tap communication signals , referred to as select and enable signals , to achieve control and access of embedded taps . the tlm of fig4 does not require use of these additional tap signals . thus the tlm of fig4 may be used with standard , non - modified 1149 . 1 taps . the tlm of the present invention provides a process for changing tap connections comprising the steps of ; ( 1 ) performing an 1149 . 1 instruction scan operation augmented with a code for accessing the tlm , ( 2 ) performing an 1149 . 1 data scan operation to load the tlm with a new tap connection configuration , and ( 3 ) performing 1149 . 1 instruction and data scan operations on the new tap connection . though the invention has been described with reference to a specific preferred embodiment thereof , many variations and modifications will immediately become apparent to those skilled in the art . it is therefore the intention that the appended claims be interpreted as broadly as possible in view of the prior art to include all such variations and modifications .
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as used herein , the terms “ substantially flat ”, “ essentially flat ” and “ substantially pure ” are meant and intended to have the following meanings : “ substantially flat ” refers to sheet material in accordance with the present invention wherein a joint between two adjoining strips of material has a thickness that is not greater than 80 % of the combined thicknesses of the adjoining / overlapping / abutting strips ; “ essentially flat ” refers to sheet material in accordance with the present invention wherein a joint between two adjoining strips is essentially the same thickness as that of the strips being joined with little if any thickness difference therebetween ; and “ substantially pure ” refers to uhmwpe that contains no foreign materials or substances that negatively affect the properties of the uhmwpe except as artifacts of the uhmwpe production process such as catalysts , etc . as used in this application , the term “ high modulus ” refers to materials having a modulus greater than 1 , 000 grams per denier ( gpd ). the starting material uhmwpe wide sheets of the present invention are those fabricated as described in aforementioned u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 787 , 094 ( hereinafter the &# 39 ; 094 application ) which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety from strips of uhmwpe prepared in accordance with the methods described in the following u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 951 , 685 ; 4 , 879076 ; 5 , 091 , 133 ; 5 , 106 , 555 ; 5 , 106 , 558 ; and 5 , 578 , 373 the teachings of which are all incorporated herein by reference in their entireties . particularly preferred as the starting materials are the uhmwpe materials prepared as described in u . s . patent application ser . nos . 11 / 880 , 520 , 12 / 080 , 197 and 12 / 287 , 799 and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 200 , 129 . such materials comprise highly oriented uhmwpe of high purity . according to the process described in the aforementioned &# 39 ; 094 application , wide uhmwpe sheet is produced by a process that comprises calendering an array of overlapping or abutting strips of indeterminate length prepared as described in the recited prior art at a temperature below the melting point of the uhmwpe , generally in a range of between about 120 ° c . and about 155 ° c . ( depending upon the tension applied to the strips during bonding as described below ) at a pressure above about 300 pounds per lineal inch ( pli ) and under a tension of between about 0 . 3 grams / denier and about 5 grams / denier . the calendering apparatus and detailed description of the method for the production of these wide sheets are depicted and described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 787 , 260 ( the &# 39 ; 260 application hereinafter ) which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . referring now to accompanying fig5 - 7 , a first embodiment of the wide uhmwpe sheet of the present invention 300 comprises a series of parallel and overlapped tapes or strips 302 of indeterminate length . as used herein , in relation to this first preferred embodiment , the term “ joint ” is meant to define and refer to the overlapped areas / volumes 304 depicted n fig6 . as depicted in fig5 , 6 , 10 and 11 , the molecules in two abutting or overlapping strips or tapes 302 a and 302 b are schematically depicted as triangles and circles to permit differentiation in the discussion that follows . as depicted in fig5 , 6 and 7 , a first preferred embodiment of the wide sheet 300 of the wide sheet useful in the successful practice of the present invention is produced by overlaying an array of tapes or strips 302 a , 302 b etc . of whatever width in parallel longitudinal relationship and then subjecting them to the processing conditions in the apparatus described herein . as shown in fig5 , in one embodiment , each of overlaying strips or tapes 302 a and 302 b is 0 . 0025 inches in thickness and the molecules ( schematically represented as triangles and circles ) are in each of separate strips or tapes 302 a and 302 b . as shown in fig6 , once the overlapping structure has been subjected to the process conditions described herein , the total thickness of the joint 304 is about 0 . 0032 inches , a total reduction of more than about 35 % and the molecules have been intermingled , in this case most probably entangled to provide a joint 304 that exhibits a higher strength than the parent material as well as a higher modulus . the thicknesses of strips or tapes 302 a and 302 b just mentioned are used for demonstration purposes only , it being clearly contemplated that thicker or thinner strips 302 a and 320 b could be equally well used to for the uhmwpe wide sheet described herein . more particularly , strips having thicknesses between about 0 . 0010 inches and 0 . 01 inches , for example , could be equally well used to form the wide sheet of the present invention assuming the availability of suitable calendaring equipment . strips in the range of between about 0 . 0015 and about 0 . 007 inches in thickness are specifically preferred for use in the successful practice of the present invention . it should be noted that such thickness reduction in joint area 304 and the intermingling of the molecules of each of the parent strips or tapes 302 a and 302 b can only be accomplished with the application of the pressures described herein . subjection of the overlapping structure to lower pressures , as described in the prior art , does not achieve the thickness reduction and molecular commingling of the present invention or the strength and modulus increases resulting therefrom . the attainment of these enhancements and their presence clearly and unequivocally distinguish the wide sheet described herein from those of the prior art . fig1 and 11 depict cross - sectional views representing an alternative preferred embodiment of the uhmwpe wide sheet useful in the successful practice of the present invention as shown in fig1 , according to this embodiment , two strips 302 a and 302 b of uhmwpe are butted together . the processing of this butted configuration under the processing conditions described herein and in the apparatus described in the &# 39 ; 094 application results in the structure shown in fig1 wherein each of strips 302 a and 302 b has undergone a degree of “ side extrusion ”, i . e . the longitudinal edges of each of the strips has been blended with the longitudinal edge of the abutting strip to form a joint area / volume 304 defined by the merger of the molecules of each of the member strips depicted as circles and triangles for differentiation purposes in these two figures . this product wide sheet is fabricated by laying up an array of longitudinally abutting strips of uhmwpe and subjecting the array thus formed to the processing conditions described herein in an apparatus similar to that described in the &# 39 ; 094 application with the exception that instead of overlaying neighboring strips of uhmwpe the strips are butted against each other prior to processing . under these conditions , the abutting strips undergo side extrusion forcing the neighboring edges into each other to provide the structure depicted in fig1 . as can be envisioned and as depicted in fig1 , this wide sheet comprises an essentially flat sheet with little or no thickness difference in joint area / volume 304 . referring now to fig1 - 3 , the apparatus utilized in accordance with the present invention to obtain the wide ballistic sheet useful in the present invention comprises seven discrete zones 10 - 70 as depicted in fig1 . zone 10 is the feedstock payoff zone , zone 20 comprises a tension control zone that helps develop tension ( other means are of course possible such as the inclusion of additional rollers ), zone 30 is the initial and final alignment guide zone , zone 40 is a motor driven roll stand that imparts pulling energy to draw material through apparatus 1 , zone 50 comprises the calender rolls that apply heat and pressure to bond the strips 01 of overlapped material , zone 60 comprises a motor driven roll stand that pulls the overlapped material from the calender and feeds it to the take up stand or zone 70 . individual rolls of material 01 and 01 ′ ( shown as element 302 in fig5 , 6 and 7 ) are mounted on shafts 12 and 12 ′ to support them for unrolling and to place them in staggered relationship . the material on each of individual rolls 1 has an edge 3 and the edges 03 on staggered rolls 01 and 01 ′ are oriented so as to overlap slightly as shown in the accompanying figures . a resistance mechanism 14 is applied to rolls 1 to control their rate of unwinding . as material 302 exits feedstock payoff zone 10 it is passed through a series of bars 20 ( best seen in fig1 ) that serve to control tension as material 302 is pulled through the line by subsequent operations . as will be explained more fully below , tension control is very important to the successful practice of this method . upon exiting zone 20 material 302 enters zone 30 which comprises two sets of offset rolls 31 and 31 ′ that include flanges 32 and 32 ′ mounted upon adjustable shafts 33 and 33 ′ that serve to direct the flow of material 302 into subsequent zone 40 and control the amount of overlap of material 302 as it enters this subsequent zone . zone 40 comprises a series of vertically offset rolls 40 and 40 ′ that pull material 302 from feedstock rolls 01 and through zones 20 and 30 . a motor 42 is provided to drive rolls 41 and 41 ′. zone 50 comprises a final set of guide rolls 31 including flanges 32 mounted on a shaft 33 which serve to provide final guidance of overlapped material 302 into calender zone 50 . the overlapped materials at this point in the process and in accordance with this embodiment are shown generally in fig4 . as shown in this figure three input strips 1 of widths w 1 , w 2 and w 3 are overlapped a distance wt . wt may vary widely from a small fraction of an inch upwards to an inch or two . the amount of overlap is not particularly significant and does not materially affect the process or the product produced thereby . within calender zone 50 are located calender rolls 51 and 51 ′ that supply the requisite pressure to overlapped material 302 as specified elsewhere herein and exiting zone 50 is wide ballistic sheet 300 comprising overlapped and intimately bound sections of material 302 as shown in fig5 . as depicted in fig3 , a lift bar 55 driven by cylinder 54 is provided to lift top roll 51 to permit threading of overlapped material 302 between calender rolls 51 and 51 ′. after exiting zone 50 wide ballistic sheet 300 enters zone 60 which comprises an offset set of pull rolls 61 which serve to draw material through apparatus 100 under tension as described elsewhere herein . a motor 62 is provided to drive rolls 60 . in zone 70 wide ballistic sheet 300 is taken up and rerolled onto a shaft 71 driven by motor 72 . referring now to fig4 , it can be seen that as material 01 enters the various guide rolls described hereinabove and more specifically guide rolls 31 proximate calender rolls 51 and 51 ′, each has a specific width w 1 , w 2 or w 3 which are preferably all the same but could be different , and overlap as shown in fig4 and also shown in greater detail in fig7 . the processing conditions described herein , temperatures below the melting point of the uhmwpe strips , tensions in the range of from about 0 . 3 and about 5 grams / denier and pressures above about 300 pli , define an operating window whose parameters of temperature and tension are intimately interrelated . as is well known in the art of producing uhmwpe , as tension on a fiber or strip of uhmwpe the “ melting point ” i . e . the temperature at which the onset of melt can be detected , increases as tension increases on a fiber or strip . thus while at a tension of 0 . 3 grams / denier a temperature of about 120 ° c . may be below the melt point of the uhmwpe strips , at a tension of 5 grams / denier a temperature of 154 ° c . may still be just below the melt point of the uhmwpe strips . thus , this interrelationship of tension and temperature must be carefully considered and maintained in order to obtain the enhanced products of the present invention . the pressure element of the processing conditions , is largely independent of the tension and temperature relationship just described . according to various preferred embodiments of the processing conditions of the present invention , temperatures in the range of from about 125 ° c . and 150 ° c . and tensions in the range of from about 0 . 4 and about 4 . 5 grams / denier are specifically preferred . the speed at which the process can be operated successfully is dependent solely upon the rate at which heat can be imparted to the uhmwpe strips . as long as the strips can be brought to the proper temperature prior to introduction into the calender rolls , the process will be effective . such more rapid heating could be through the use of a preheating oven , the use of larger calender rolls , multiple sets of calender rolls , the use of multiple calenders , etc . uhmwpe wide sheet produced in accordance with the process described herein exhibit a remarkable degree of transparency , in excess of 30 %, while those of the prior art prepared as described below exhibited the opacity of the parent strip materials . this is undoubtedly due to either the fact that at low temperatures the process of the prior art does not produce well consolidated or intimately commingled structures , thus , exhibiting the transparency of the parent material , while at higher temperatures melting occurs , as discussed in greater detail below , leading to the presence of voids in the melted areas that serve to diffuse light and result in increased opacity . the adhesives tested included polyethylene - po4401 ( a1 ), polyethylene - po4605 ( b1 ), polyethylene - do184b ( c1 ), polyurethane - do187h ( d1 ), and polyethylene - do188q ( e1 ), which are all available from spunfab , ltd . of cayahoga falls , ohio ; kraton d1161p ( f1 ), which is available from kraton polymers u . s ., llc of houston , tex . ; macromelt 6900 ( g1 ), which is available from henkel adhesives of elgin , ill . ; and noveon - estane 5703 ( h1 ), which is available from lubrizol advanced materials , inc . of cleveland , ohio as well as material prepared in accordance with the practices described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 881 , 863 . adhesives a1 through e1 were applied to the tensylon tape by the laminator / fuser 20 depicted in fig1 of u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 881 , 863 . adhesives f1 through h1 , which were dispersed in solvents , were coated on a release film and then transferred to one side of the uhmwpe tape . the adhesive - coated unidirectional non - fibrous , high modulus , ultra high molecular weight polyethylene tape , commonly termed “ unitape ” and consisting of eight strips of uhmwpe tape fused at their edges , was then cut into 12 - inch by 12 - inch sheets . fig1 and 11 depict two sheets 460 and 462 of adhesive - coated unitape consisting of strips of uhmwpe tape 464 fused at joint areas 466 . the joint areas 466 are depicted for clarity in describing the direction of orientation of the uhmwpe tape in fig1 , it should be understood that the uhmwpe tape strips 464 are rendered substantially transparent when bonded as described herein therefore making the joint areas 466 appear homogenous with the sheet . the bonding of non - fibrous , high modulus , ultra high molecular weight polyethylene tape is described in detail in u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 787 , 094 , filed on apr . 13 , 2007 , which has been incorporated herein by reference . the top sheet 460 of adhesive - coated unitape is oriented at 90 ° with respect to the bottom sheet 462 . an adhesive layer 468 , shown as a transparent layer of adhesive in fig1 and 11 , is bonded to each sheet 460 and 462 in the manner described above . as the adhesive is thermoplastic , the two sheets 460 and 462 of adhesive - coated unitape are pressed together with heat and pressure which causes the two sheets to bond together into a cross - plied sheet of non - fibrous , high modulus , ultra high molecular weight polyethylene uhmwpe with the bonded sheets cross - plied in the 0 ° and 90 ° direction . to form a ballistic - resistant panel , cross - plied sheets of adhesive - coated non - fibrous , high modulus , ultra high molecular weight polyethylene were stacked until a stack of cross - plied non - fibrous , high modulus , ultra high molecular weight polyethylene of approximately 2 . 0 psf ( pounds per square foot ) was obtained . several of the nominal 2 . 0 psf stacks were pressed at a pressure of 150 psi . the press cycle included 30 minutes at a temperature of 210 ° f . and cooling under full pressure to below 120 ° f . before release thereby forming ballistic - resistant panels of nominally 2 . 0 psf areal density . the ballistic - resistant panels were then tested for ballistic resistance . projectiles of 0 . 30 caliber fsp ( fragment simulated projectile ) per mil - p - 46593a were fired at the 2 . 0 psf test panels to obtain ballistics properties of the panels bonded with adhesive . the velocities in fps ( feet per second ) at which 50 % of the projectiles failed to penetrate the target ( v 50 ) were determined per mil - std - 662f . data for the resultant ballistic - resistant panels formed at 150 psi are shown in table 2 . as the invention has been described , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the same may be varied in many ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . any and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims .
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various embodiments are now described with reference to the drawings , wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout . in the following description , for purposes of explanation , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of one or more embodiments . it may be evident , however , that such embodiment ( s ) may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , well - known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate describing one or more embodiments . in the following paragraphs , the present invention will be described in detail by way of example with reference to the attached drawings . throughout this description , the preferred embodiment and examples shown should be considered as exemplars , rather than as limitations on the present invention . as used herein , the “ present invention ” refers to any one of the embodiments of the invention described herein , and any equivalents . furthermore , reference to various feature ( s ) of the “ present invention ” throughout this document does not mean that all claimed embodiments or methods must include the referenced feature ( s ). referring to fig1 , a tool holding grip assist device 100 , according to one embodiment is illustrated . fig1 shows the underside of the tool holding grip assist 100 . the tool holding grip assist 100 shown in fig1 includes a wristband 102 having closure means . for example , in fig1 , a strap 114 is attached to one end and a buckle 112 attached to the opposite end . the strap 114 and buckle 112 can be used to close the wristband 102 conventionally . straps 104 and 106 are attached to wristband 102 with hinges 116 a and 116 b . hinges 116 a and 116 b allow the up and down movement of the wearer &# 39 ; s wrist to occur naturally without constriction or hindrance . straps 104 and 106 may be of a length suitable for an individual user . strap 104 has ring 108 attached at the free end of strap 104 , opposite hinge 116 a . ring 108 is worn on the annular finger as illustrated in fig3 . ring 108 assists in allowing flap 104 to move with the finger , especially when not in a locked position . strap 106 has one segment of a two segment closure attached to the end opposite hinge 116 b . the two segment closure may be fabric hook and loop closure fabric , or any other suitable two segment closure system . the two segment closure element 110 mates with the other segment of the closure system 202 , which is attached to the other side of the tool holding grip assist . fig2 illustrates the top view of the tool holding grip assist 100 . the top view of strap 104 has a segment 202 of a two segment closure system at the end of strap 104 . similarly , strap 106 also has a segment 204 of a two segment closure system located at or near the end of strap 106 . these segments of the two segment closure system may be rectangular or round as illustrated in fig2 , however , other shapes may be used . an additional segment 206 of a two segment closure system is placed on wristband 102 in line with segment 204 . the placement of the segments of the two segment closure system may be adjusted to suit the size of the user &# 39 ; s hand . fig3 illustrates use of the tool holding grip assist . the user puts on the wristband 102 and fastens strap 114 and buckle 112 . ring 108 is fitted over the annular or ring finger . strap 106 rests on the underside of the user &# 39 ; s wrist . segment 204 is closed with segment 206 to keep the strap 106 away from the palm , while strap 104 crosses the back of the user &# 39 ; s hand . segment 202 attached to strap 104 is closed with segment 110 on strap 106 , as shown in fig4 . once the grip on the tool has been formed the wearer has a secure hold on the tool . the wearer may even relax the grip of his or her muscles and the tool holding grip assist will retain the hold within the tool holding grip assist 100 . the wearer may break the grip established by the tool holding grip assist by grasping the strap 106 and separating segment 202 from segment 110 on strap 104 . fig4 illustrates a further embodiment in use , with the tool holding grip assist holding a pistol . the illustration depicts the tool holding grip assist with the flaps in the closed position . the two segment closure system holds the two flaps together . the thumb and index fingers are free to operate the pistol . the hinges where the straps attach to the wristband allow the wrist to move up and down as needed . an additional segment of the two segment closure system may be provided on the wristband . this segment allows the strap on the underside of the hand to be secured out of the way when the user is not holding a tool . while various embodiments of the present invention have been described above , it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only , and not of limitation . likewise , the various diagrams may depict an example architectural or other configuration for the invention , which is done to aid in understanding the features and functionality that may be included in the invention . the invention is not restricted to the illustrated example architectures or configurations , but the desired features may be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations . indeed , it will be apparent to one of skill in the art how alternative functional , logical or physical partitioning and configurations may be implemented to implement the desired features of the present invention . also , a multitude of different constituent module names other than those depicted herein may be applied to the various partitions . additionally , with regard to flow diagrams , operational descriptions and method claims , the order in which the steps are presented herein shall not mandate that various embodiments be implemented to perform the recited functionality in the same order unless the context dictates otherwise . although the invention is described above in terms of various exemplary embodiments and implementations , it should be understood that the various features , aspects and functionality described in one or more of the individual embodiments are not limited in their applicability to the particular embodiment with which they are described , but instead may be applied , alone or in various combinations , to one or more of the other embodiments of the invention , whether or not such embodiments are described and whether or not such features are presented as being a part of a described embodiment . thus the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above - described exemplary embodiments . terms and phrases used in this document , and variations thereof , unless otherwise expressly stated , should be construed as open ended as opposed to limiting . as examples of the foregoing : the term “ including ” should be read as meaning “ including , without limitation ” or the like ; the term “ example ” is used to provide exemplary instances of the item in discussion , not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof ; the terms “ a ” or “ an ” should be read as meaning “ at least one ,” “ one or more ” or the like ; and adjectives such as “ conventional ,” “ traditional ,” “ normal ,” “ standard ,” “ known ” and terms of similar meaning should not be construed as limiting the item described to a given time period or to an item available as of a given time , but instead should be read to encompass conventional , traditional , normal , or standard technologies that may be available or known now or at any time in the future . likewise , where this document refers to technologies that would be apparent or known to one of ordinary skill in the art , such technologies encompass those apparent or known to the skilled artisan now or at any time in the future . a group of items linked with the conjunction “ and ” should not be read as requiring that each and every one of those items be present in the grouping , but rather should be read as “ and / or ” unless expressly stated otherwise . similarly , a group of items linked with the conjunction “ or ” should not be read as requiring mutual exclusivity among that group , but rather should also be read as “ and / or ” unless expressly stated otherwise . furthermore , although items , elements or components of the invention may be described or claimed in the singular , the plural is contemplated to be within the scope thereof unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated . the presence of broadening words and phrases such as “ one or more ,” “ at least ,” “ but not limited to ” or other like phrases in some instances shall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or required in instances where such broadening phrases may be absent . the use of the term “ module ” does not imply that the components or functionality described or claimed as part of the module are all configured in a common package . indeed , any or all of the various components of a module , whether control logic or other components , may be combined in a single package or separately maintained and may further be distributed across multiple locations . additionally , the various embodiments set forth herein are described in terms of exemplary block diagrams , flow charts and other illustrations . as will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading this document , the illustrated embodiments and their various alternatives may be implemented without confinement to the illustrated examples . for example , block diagrams and their accompanying description should not be construed as mandating a particular architecture or configuration . the previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention . various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art , and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . thus , the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein .
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in fig1 there is illustrated a remote center compliance system in which a robot support arm , not shown except for an adapter or interface assembly 1 , is compliantly connected to an operator device interfce plate 11 . the operator device , shown largely in outline , is a gripper assembly comprised by motor 12 , drive shaft 13 , gearbox 14 , rack and pinion drive 15 and movable jaws 16 . internal details of the gripper assembly are illustrated in fig3 and 4 but are not relevant to an explanation of the compliance system as such . in fact , the interface plate 11 forms the lower portion of the housing of motor 12 and supports the motor shaft 13 in bearings , as illustrated . the plate 11 serves to mount the entire gripper assembly on the robot interface assembly 1 . this assembly consists of a central plate 2 surrounded by a fixed ring 3 . bolts 4 are provided to connect the plate 2 to the robot arm ( not shown ). the two interfaces 1 and 11 are connected by three spring metal bellows 20 of cylindrical form . the bellows , one of which is illustrated in more detail in fig5 and 6 , are bolted at each end to the ring 3 and plate 11 respectively . they are set at an angle to the vertical axis of the system and are directed towards a remote center of compliance c , as shown in fig1 . when bolted to ring 3 and plate 11 , the bellows 20 are gas - tight , except for two bores 50 in their lower end as shown in fig5 and 6 . these bores register with two further bores ( not visible ) in plate 11 to allow communication with an annular duct 22 formed by the lower surface of interface plate 11 and an upturned flange 23 surrounding the housing of gearbox 14 . duct 22 leads to a connector 24 which connects it to hose 25 . as shown schematically in fig1 the hose 25 may be connected by way of a two - way switch valve 26 to either a vacuum pump 27 or to a control valve 28 for controlling the pressure from a pressure line 29 . when the robot and gripper assembly 1 perform an operation which requires compliance , the switch valve 26 connects the line 25 to the pressure line 29 via control valve 28 . if the valve is set to a pressure above ambient , the bellows 20 become pressurised and expand . the geometrical arrangement of the bellows is such as to define a remote center of compliance c , fig1 . in the unpressurised ambient state of the bellows , both the rotational compliance ( arrow 30 ) and lateral compliance ( arrow 31 ) are maximised and are essentially determined by the spring properties of the metal of which the bellows are constructed . in the illustrated arrangement , in which the bellows are constructed of phosphor - bronze , the maximum compliance is ± 1 . 0 mm laterally and ± 2 . 0 degress rotationally . the base stiffnesses ( lateral and rotational ) at ambient pressure are determined by the material and design of the bellows . by increasing the pressure in the bellows these stiffnesses can be increased . in the system illustrated , stiffness can be varied by approximately 25 % in response to pressures of around 50 psi . clearly , intermediate pressures will produce intermediate values of stiffness . it has also been found that the ratio of lateral to rotational stiffness is altered under pressure , the rotational stiffness increasing faster than the lateral stiffness . this is particularly useful for different types of assembly task , for example , where the point of contact of parts to be fitted is not at the center of compliance . when moving the arm between locations , e . g . from a parts store to an assembly station , it is desirable to remove compliance , particularly in a clean - room environment . this may be achieved by connecting the bellows to vacuum pump 27 via switch valve 26 . the bellows contract and cause a motor cap plate 35 to lock against the underside of ring 3 of the robot arm interface . locking is assisted by providing the two parts with interfitting tapered surfaces 36 and 37 . in some applications it may be desirable to remove compliance altogether from the system both for movement and for operation of the gripper . for this purpose , three countersunk bolt holes are provided in the ring 3 , one of which is shown at 38 in fig4 . corresponding tapped bores 39 in plate 35 permit the gripper assembly and robot support arm interface assembly 1 to be bolted firmly together thus preventing any relative movement . the structure of the bellows 20 is shown in detail in fig5 and 6 . the outer material of the bellows is a phosphor bronze tub 52 formed into a corrugated shape . the tube is closed at its upper end by an annular brass plug 53 having a threaded bore for receiving a mounting bolt 55 . at its opposite end , the tube is formed in a cap around a similar arrangement of ring and insert around bolt 51 , but additionally including bores 50 as explained above . the detailed construction and operation of the gripper mechanism as illustrated in fig2 and 4 is not strictly relevant to the operation of the compliance system for attaching the gripper , but will now be briefly described , for completeness . the gripper assembly is driven by motor 12 which is a vane type of motor driven by a high pressure air source , not shown . high pressure air entering the motor at connector 60 is directed onto a series of eight vanes 61 which run in an eccentric housing . the vanes 61 have limited radial freedom of movement within slots 62 formed in an upper portion of motor shaft 13 . the output shaft 13 is connected to the input of the gearbox 14 which is a two - stage epicyclic gearbox having a speed reduction of 36 : 1 . the output shaft 63 of the gear box carries a pinion 64 engaged with the teeth of two parallel spaced racks 65 on either side of the pinion . only one rack 65 is visible in fig4 . each rack is mounted for linear movement as part of a movable carriage 66 , which is also connected to a respective gripper jaw 16 . thus the jaws 16 can be moved towards and away from each other by operation of the motor 12 . the grip force applied as jaws 16 approach and grip a part can be controlled by control of air pressure and speed of movement can be reduced by restricting the exhaust from outlet connector 67 . if air pressure is lost , grip can be maintained on lightweight parts because the combination of the high gear box ratio and the vane motor is sufficient to resist movement of the jaws . finally , closed loop positioning control may be effected by employing a potentiometer 68 connected to one of the racks .
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throughout this description , the preferred embodiment and examples shown should be considered as exemplars , rather than limitations on the present invention . fig4 is a simplified block diagram of the preferred embodiment of the present invention . in fig4 a central processing unit ( cpu ) 1 is coupled to two array control units ( controllers ) 3 , 4 by a bus 2 . while only one cpu 1 is used in the preferred embodiment , it is possible to use more than one cpu connected to the bus 2 . each controller 3 , 4 is coupled to the other controller and to a plurality of storage units 40 - 51 by i / o channels 5 ( e . g ., scsi buses ). each i / o channel 5 is capable of supporting a plurality of storage units 40 - 51 . additional storage units ( not shown ) may be present and are represented by broken lines extending between the storage units 40 - 45 and 46 - 51 . each controller 3 , 4 preferably includes a separately programmable , multi - tasking processor ( for example , the mips r3000 risc processor , made by mips corporation of sunnyvale , calif .) which can act independently of the cpu 1 to control the storage units . typical physical storage units which can be used in the present invention , such as magnetic or optical disk drives , comprise a set of one or more rotating disks each having at least one read / write transducer head per surface . in such units , data storage areas known as tracks are concentrically arranged on the disk surfaces . a disk storage unit may have , for example , 500 to 2000 tracks per disk surface . each track is divided into numbered sectors that are commonly 512 bytes in size ( although other sizes may be used ). sectors are the smallest unit of storage area that can be accessed by the storage unit ( data bits within a sector may be individually altered , but only by reading an entire sector , modifying selected bits , and writing the entire sector back into place ). a disk storage unit may have 8 to 50 sectors per track , and groups of tracks may differ in the numbers of sectors per track on the same disk storage unit ( e . g ., smaller circumference inner tracks may have fewer sectors per track , while larger circumference outer tracks may have more sectors per track ). access to a sector ultimately requires identification of a sector by its axial displacement along a set of rotating disks , radial displacement on a disk , and circumferential displacement around a disk . two common schemes are used for such identification . one scheme identifies a sector by a surface or head number ( axial displacement ), a track number ( radial displacement ), and a sector number ( circumferential displacement ). the second scheme treats all of the tracks with the same radius on all disks as a &# 34 ; cylinder &# 34 ;, with tracks being subsets of a cylinder rather than of a surface . in this scheme , a sector is identified by a cylinder number ( radial displacement ), a track number ( axial displacement ), and a sector number ( circumferential displacement ). it is possible for a higher level storage controller ( or even the cpu ) to keep track of the location of data on a storage unit by tracking all involved sectors . this is commonly done with magnetic disk drives following the well - known st - 506 interface standard used in personal computers . storage units addressed in this manner are known as sector - addressable . however , it is inconvenient in modern computer systems for a high - level storage controller to keep track of sector addresses by either of the addressing schemes described above . therefore , as is known in the art , the preferred embodiment of the invention uses an alternative form of storage unit addressing that maps the sectors of a storage unit to a more tractable form . mapping in the preferred embodiment of the present invention is accomplished by treating one or more sectors as a block and addressing each storage unit by block numbers . a block on the storage units used in the preferred embodiment of the inventive system can vary from 512 bytes up to 4096 bytes , but may be of any size . the storage units being used must support the specified block size . such units are known as block - addressable . for example , with storage units having a small computer system interface (&# 34 ; scsi &# 34 ;), each storage unit is considered to be a contiguous set of blocks . an access request to such a unit simply specifies identification numbers of those blocks that are to be accessed . alternatively , the access request specifies the identification number of a starting block and the quantity of subsequent logically contiguous blocks to be accessed . thereafter , when using disk drives as storage units , the scsi controller for the unit translates each block number either to a cylinder , track , and sector number format , or to a head , track , and sector number format . this translation is transparent to the requesting device . it should be understood that the inventive concept can be applied to sector - addressable storage units . however , the preferred embodiment of the invention uses block - addressable storage units . the present invention creates a logical structure to map a plurality of block - addressable storage units , thereby defining a basic storage unit array architecture . the basic storage unit array architecture formed by the logical structuring the present invention establishes logical storage units , comprising a plurality of non - overlapping groups of data blocks on physical storage units ( although a logical storage unit cannot span multiple , physical storage units ). in the present invention , the logical storage units are then assigned to logical volumes . an example of such assignment is set forth in the copending application entitled &# 34 ; logical partitioning of a redundant array &# 34 ;, ser . no . 07 / 61 2 , 220 , assigned to the assignee of the present invention . the teachings of the stallmo application are hereby incorporated by reference . in the present invention , the logical volumes are then assigned to one of two logical arrays . by way of example , 12 physical storage units are shown in fig4 each divided into at least two logical storage units , a and b . the logical storage units a , b , may be assigned to one or more logical volumes , as desired . importantly , the separate groups of logical storage units a , b , are assigned to corresponding &# 34 ; logical arrays &# 34 ;, a0 and a1 . in the preferred embodiment , each controller 3 , 4 , is assigned primary responsibility for the transfer of data into and out of one , and only one , of the two logical arrays a0 and a1 and may not access the other logical array unless the controller assigned to that logical array has failed . when a controller fails , the data stored in the logical storage units assigned to the failed controller will be available to the cpu1 after control of the logical array assigned to the failed controller is assumed by the remaining controller . in an alternative embodiment , more than one cpu is present . each cpu is assigned to a discrete controller and logical array . each cpu may access only that controller and logical array which is assigned that cpu , in order to prevent multiple cpus from accessing the same redundant group . fig5 is a diagram of the data storage allocation with a typical logical storage unit of the preferred embodiment of the present invention . at the top ( lower order addresses ) of the addressable data storage area available within the storage unit are diagnostic sections 11a , 11b , each corresponding to a logical array a0 or a1 , and used for diagnostic testing . following are reserved areas 12a , 12b , each containing configuration structures , error logs , software load areas , host scratch pads and diagnostic test areas , and each corresponding to a logical array a0 or a1 . a user area 14 follows the two reserved areas 12a , 12b and is several orders of magnitude larger than the other sections of the addressable space . the user area 14 is flexibly divided by the user into distinct subsections 14a , 14b , each corresponding to a logical array a0 or a1 . the user area subsections 14a , 14b need not be of equal sizes . because only two logical arrays are present in the preferred embodiment , the user area 14 , as well as the diagnostic sections 11 and reserved area 12 are each shown as divided into two subsections . however , it should be noted that the user area 14 , the diagnostic area 11 , and the reserved area 12 may be divided into as many distinct subsections as there are logical arrays . corresponding subsections ( a or b ) of the user area 14 , diagnostic section 11 , and the reserved area 12 comprise a logical storage unit ( lsu ). a description of the logical configuration of the storage unit array is sent to the controllers 3 , 4 , by the cpu 1 . the logical configuration indicates which lsus are in each redundancy group , which redundancy groups make up each logical volume , and which logical volumes are in each logical array . the user is responsible for insuring that the logical configurations sent to each controller 3 , 4 , are identical and that the blocks of data assigned to each logical array a0 , a1 do not overlap . each controller 3 , 4 , is responsible for insuring that each logical array a0 , a1 assigned is valid . for a logical array to be valid , no lsu may be assigned to any other logical array . furthermore , each redundancy group must consist of lsus which are assigned to the same logical array . also , each redundancy group assigned to a logical volume must be assigned to the same logical array . the logical configuration is recorded in a configuration section of the reserved area 12a , 12b of each logical array . in alternative embodiments in which more than one cpu is being used , each cpu will define the logical configuration for the controller ( s ) that is associated with that cpu . upon assigning each lsu to a particular logical array a0 , a1 , only the controller that is responsible for the logical array associated with an lsu will be granted access to the lsu . for example , in fig4 each physical storage unit 40 - 51 is divided into two lsus a , b . each &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; lsu is assigned to logical array a0 . each &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; lsu is assigned to logical array a1 . therefore , only the controller assigned to logical array a0 is permitted to access the &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; lsus , and only the controller assigned to logical array a1 is permitted to access the &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; lsus . cpu commands to a logical array a0 , a1 must be sent to the controller 3 , 4 , assigned to that logical array . for example , a &# 34 ; logical array &# 34 ; field in each command may be set to indicate the logical array of interest . commands for a logical array that are sent to a controller not assigned to that logical array will cause an error message to be returned to the cpu . by creating two sets of lsus , each set comprising a logical array , and limiting the access of each of the controllers 3 , 4 , to the logical array exclusively assigned to that controller , it is possible for each controller 3 , 4 to access data independently of the other controller without concern that the other controller will access a block of data in the same redundancy group . spare physical storage units remain unassigned to a logical array until they are required for replacement of a failed physical storage unit . upon being brought into service , a spare physical storage unit is assigned to the logical array of the physical storage unit which is being replaced . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , there are several functions that each controller 3 , 4 must be capable of performing . these include : reading data from and storing data into the lsus of the logical array assigned to the controller ; rebuilding data that is stored in a failed storage unit to a spare physical storage unit ; installing a new physical storage unit ; performing physical storage unit operations ( such as synchronizing the spindles of each of the physical storage units , formatting storage units , and performing diagnostic operations ); assuming control of the other logical array upon the failure of the other controller ; and , starting from an initial application of power , determining which logical array the controller is to control . because some of these functions ( such as rebuild operations ) require that a single controller be primarily responsible , all global functions ( i . e ., those functions which are common to both logical arrays ) are performed by logical array a0 . the choice of logical array a0 is arbitrary . since the function is assigned to logical array a0 , the controller assigned to logical array a0 is responsible for such global functions . in the event that the controller responsible for logical array a0 fails , the responsibility for the global functions will be transferred to the controller that remains functional along with responsibility for other logical array a0 functions . in normal operations , a controller can only write to the user data area 14a , 14b within the logical array to which the controller is assigned . therefore , each controller 3 , 4 has responsibility for rebuilding those areas of the physical storage unit that are part of the logical array to which the controller is assigned . the controller assigned logical array a0 will be responsible for initiating rebuild operations and formatting a replacement physical storage unit when necessary . the logical structure of the entire array is stored in the reserved area of each logical storage unit . therefore the reserved area 12 of a replacement storage unit must be rebuilt before determination can be made regarding responsibility for each block within the user area 14 . the controllers 3 , 4 must communicate with each other to determine whether to continue to the next phase of the rebuild . for example , if a physical storage unit is to be rebuilt , the first controller 3 will rebuild the reserved area 12a associated with the logical array a0 assigned to the first controller 3 . in addition , the first controller 3 will request that second controller 4 begin rebuilding a reserved area 12b associated with the logical array a1 assigned to the second controller 4 . the first controller 3 must receive a communication from the second controller 4 that the second controller 4 has completed rebuilding its reserved area 12b before the first controller 3 can initiate rebuilding of the user area 14 . once the reserved areas are rebuilt , the first controller 3 will initiate the rebuilding of the user area 14a associated with the logical array a0 assigned to the first controller 3 . concurrently , the second controller 4 will receive a command from the first controller 3 to begin rebuilding the user area 14b associated with the logical array a1 assigned to the second controller 4 . the second controller 4 must communicate to the first controller 3 whether the rebuild of the user area 14b was successfully completed . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , the controllers 3 , 4 communicate directly to one another over the channel 5 that couples the controllers 3 , 4 to the storage unit being rebuilt . activating a spare physical storage unit and installing a new physical storage unit into the array will be handled in similar fashion . physical storage unit operations ( such as formatting , mode selections , and background diagnostics ) are initiated by the controller assigned to logical array a0 . communications between the two controllers 3 , 4 allows the controller not assigned to logical array a0 to determine both the status of such operations and the status of the associated storage unit as necessary . in the above discussion , the logical storage units are always uniquely assigned to the logical array and each logical array is uniquely assigned to a controller during normal operations . functions such as diagnostic tests and spindle synchronization , are uniquely assigned to logical array a0 . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , control of a logical array a0 , a1 may be passed from one controller to the other automatically or manually . in automatic mode , one controller may automatically assume control of the other controllers logical array upon a failure of the other controller . when control is assumed automatically , control also is returned automatically ( without intervention of the cpu 1 ) upon repair of the failed controller . in manual mode , control is transferred under command of the cpu 1 . selection of manual or automatic mode is made by the system user . fig6 is a simplified block diagram of the controllers 3 , 4 . the processor in each controller maintains a message management module 600 , a primary event management module 601 , a secondary event management module 602 , and a switch management module 603 . each message management module 600 is responsible for receiving synchronous messages from another controller . each primary event management module controls the flow of data into and out of the logical array corresponding to that array controller . each secondary event management module controls the flow of data into and out of the logical array corresponding to the other controller upon a failure of the other controller . each switch management module is responsible for determining when the secondary event management module will become active in controlling the other logical array . when both controllers 3 , 4 are operational , the primary event management module 601 will be fully active in each of the two controllers 3 , 4 . the secondary event management module 602 in each controller 3 , 4 remains dormant until the switch management module 603 activates it . the switch management module determines when a controller has failed by monitoring messages sent at regular intervals from the other controller . if a message is not received by a controller from the other controller within a specified amount of time , a timer in the switch management module 603 will &# 34 ; time out ,&# 34 ; thereby indicating the delinquent controller is not operating properly . each time a message is received , the timer is reset . in automatic mode , the switch management module 603 activates the secondary event management module 602 whenever the timer expires . in manual mode , a message indicating that the delinquent controller is late is sent from the switch management module 603 to the message management module 600 . the message management module transmits the message to the cpu 1 . the cpu 1 will subsequently return a command to fully activate the secondary event management module 602 . the secondary event management module 602 in each controller is identical to the primary event management module 601 operating in the other controller . upon being activated by the switch management module 603 , the secondary event management module 602 is directed to the reserved area 12 within an lsu assigned to the failed controller . the reserved area 12a , 12b corresponding to the failed controller contains logical structure information and status that allows the secondary event management module 602 to determine whether any operations were in progress when the failed controller ceased functioning properly . the system configuration is read from the appropriate reserved area 12 . the system configuration allows the secondary event management module 602 to determine which lsus and physical storage units were assigned to the failed controller . the system configuration also provides all the information necessary for the secondary event management module 602 to begin operating at the point that the failed controller ceased operating properly . each controller 3 , 4 makes entries to an event log in the corresponding reserved area 12a , 12b of each lsu within the logical array assigned to that controller . the event logs provide historical information for later diagnosic operations . once the secondary event management controller 602 of the functional controller has accessed the system configuration in the reserved area 12 associated with the logical array that was formerly controlled by the dilinquent controller , the secondary event management module 602 will &# 34 ; time share &# 34 ; the resources of the functional controller with the primary event management module 601 . thus , the primary event management module 601 will continue to control the operation of the logical array ( for example a0 ) assigned to the functional controller , while the secondary event management module 602 will control the operations of the logical array a1 in place of the primary event management module 601 of the failed controller . &# 34 ; collisions &# 34 ; will not occur because neither event management module 601 , 602 can access the lsus assigned to the other event management module 602 , 601 . upon initialization , each controller 3 , 4 must determine whether the other controller has control over both logical arrays . in the preferred embodiment , this is done by a direct inquiry sent to the controller from the controller being initialized . when power is applied to both controllers 3 , 4 concurrently , each will send a &# 34 ; status &# 34 ; message to the other indicating that the sender is operating . the status message is repeated at regular intervals . this prevents the timer in each switch management module 603 in each controller from timing out . once a controller receives an initial status message from the other controller , the receiving controller sends a query asking the other controller whether the other controller has control of both logical arrays a0 , a1 . when power is applied to both controllers 3 , 4 concurrently the answer will be &# 34 ; no &# 34 ;. after receiving a negative response , the receiving controller will read the logical structure stored in the reserved areas 12 associated with the logical array to which the controller is primarily assigned and begin to exercise control over the logical array to which the controller is assigned . in the preferred embodiment , the controller would determine to which logical array it is assigned by reading a hardware address containing that information . if a first controller is controlling both logical arrays the second controller must , after being initialized , regain control of the logical array to which the second controller is assigned . this is done by sending a message from the second controller to the first controller indicating the control of the logical array assigned to the second controller should be returned to the second controller . after receiving the message from the second controller , the first controller ceases controlling the logical array not assigned to the first controller , and replies with a message indicating that the second controller should read the system configuration from the reserved area 12 of the logical array assigned to the second controller . once the configuration is known by the second controller , the second controller assumes control of the logical array to which it was assigned by restarting any operations that may have been in progress ( the information that is required to restart any operations previously started was stored in the reserved area of the lsus by the other controller as the operation was being performed ). it should be clear from the above description that the novel aspects of the invention are the use of a plurality of logical arrays which include a plurality of logical storage units and the use of a plurality of controllers which , under normal conditions , are each dedicated to a single logical array and which are capable upon a failure of any other controller of assuming control of the logical array of which the failed controller had control . it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , multiple cpus may be used . in such embodiments of the present invention , each cpu may be assigned a controller and logical array . however , this is not necessary so long as provisions are made for multiple processors accessing memory . further , the preferred embodiment describes two logical arrays . multiple logical arrays will be understood to be within the spirit and scope of the invention . also , an embodiment is possible and within the scope of the invention in which a switch module disconnects a failed array controller from each of the channels to prevent disturbances to the channels . accordingly , it will be understood that the invention is not to be limited by the specific illustrated embodiment , but only by the scope of the appended claims .
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the present invention overcomes all the disadvantages mentioned above by providing a method and apparatus for refilling a container with fluids having a short shelf life . the main components of the preferred embodiment are a container 1 and a vending machine 3 . fig1 shows the container 1 having a label 2 which is made of durable material , is easy to handle , capable of maintaining a certain temperature , should not exhibit carryover flavors and has readable means in order to acquire information or / and identify the container . the container 1 is configured to interact with the vending machine 3 in such way that a smoother cleaning and refilling process is provided . fig2 a - 2 c shows the preferred embodiment of the container 1 comprising readable means 1 ′- 1 ″, an opening 1 b , lateral grooves 1 d and bottom grooves 1 c . the readable means 1 ′, 1 ″, are embedded in the container 1 structure in such way that it is protected from the environment . the container 1 readable means , such as a chip 1 ′ or barcode 1 ″, allows the apparatus to obtain usable information from a database . the readable information can be implemented through wireless rfid , wired connection by contact with the container &# 39 ; s surface , infrared or optical communication with an electronic device inside the container , or barcode reading . the information obtained from readable means 1 ′, 1 ″ or electronic identification includes , but is not limited to , consumer information , bottle information , production information , last fluid inside the container , etc . the container can be of several sizes , shapes and materials including , but not limited to plastic or any other material or combination of material that fulfills the limitations presented above . as shown in fig2 a and fig2 c , the bottle has an rfid chip 1 ′ as a readable mean placed at the bottom , protected by enclosing it inside the plastic or material substrate of the container 1 . fig2 b shows an alternative for the readable means such as a barcode 1 ″ placed inside the container 1 protecting said barcode 2 b from scratches ; however , it can be placed in any other part as long as it remains protected . as mentioned before , the container 1 ′ is provided with lateral grooves 1 d and bottom grooves 1 c used as engaging means for the vending machine in order to rotate or manage the movement of the container during the process . the vending machine 3 , as show in fig3 a - 3 b , is used to clean and refill the container 1 and comprises at least an opening 3 d to the inner chamber 4 , display 3 a , information access mechanism 3 b and / or a pay mechanism 3 c . the vending machine 3 may contain inside of it the short life fluid or be connected to a fluids storage system f having a short shelf life . also the vending machine 3 is provided with a container detection mechanism , cleaning , labeling and a refilling systems controlled by a computer . the container 1 with one or more sealable openings 1 d is positioned inside the vending machine 3 through the opening 3 d inside the chamber 4 for cleaning labeling and refilling . after the container 1 is positioned and the chamber door is closed , the process starts with a signal . in the instant case the starting signal is generated by a button outside the chamber located at the information access mechanism 3 b . mainly the cleaning and refilling process is as follows : container is positioned and engaged inside the vending machine &# 39 ; s chamber . access and acquire user information through the readable means and / or data base . container label is removed verify damages in the container exchange of information with user clean container branding / labeling refill container seal container edit and store information regarding user , product and others the chamber 4 , as shown in fig3 b , is divided in three main sections a , b and c , wherein certain steps are performed as part of the cleaning and refilling process . as mentioned above , first the container is positioned inside the chamber at section a in such way that protrusions 3 e engage bottom grooves 1 c and lock the container in position while controlling the rotation of the container 1 . the vending machine opening 3 d is closed and the start button is pressed in order to begin the cleaning and refilling process . at this point the container cap has been removed manually . the information at the readable means 1 ′, 1 ″ is accessed by means of a reader such as a rfid reader 5 , as shown in fig4 , in order to identify the customer and acquire information from a database . the information obtained such as user personal information , fluid contained , credit card information and other is edited , used or stored for future reference . the information selected by customer is used , but not limited , to edit previous information , make a payment and refill the container with the new fluid . the customer exchanges information with the database using the information access mechanism 3 b in such way that the container is customized to identify the person / consumer and provide a quick menu for this customer based on the customer preferences . also since the container 1 needs to be customized the user may then have to confirm or submit a pin ( personal identification number ) or password which is related to the container for future refilling . in order to have customer information available for future refilling or any other uses or features , when the container is customized for the first time , information is requested from the user in order to provide the database with usable data such as payment method and preferences , including a submission of a pin or password . every time the container 1 is inserted in the machine &# 39 ; s chamber 4 the machine will ask for the identity by personal identification number (“ pin ”) or some other means . in other words , a user profile can be created , which resides in the database located outside the machine 3 and is pulled up by placing the container in the machine , and can be used or altered after placing the pin or password . it has to be understood that removing the label is necessary since the label needs to be updated in order to provide visible information for the customer such as the expiration date of the new fluid usually marked at the new label . the label can be removed and attached manually to the container 1 , for example , using labels made of pvc film or any other material which sticks to the container surfaces without any adhesive and removed without leaving behind any residue . the new label provided by the vending machine 3 after the payment and selection of the fluid is performed will display information such as but not limit to the brand , expiration date and nutrition facts . another option is a vending machine 3 with a label detaching process which after the fluid selection and payment is performed removes the old label from the container &# 39 ; s outer surface as shown in fig5 a - 5 c . cutting means 7 are used to remove the label , such as a razor or blade 7 a . during the label detaching process a label remover 8 extends toward the container in order to contact the label at the container &# 39 ; s surface . the cutting means 7 also extends towards the container but more specifically towards the lateral grooves 1 d . the label is cut at the lateral grooves 1 d area avoiding damages at the container 1 from the cutting process . the tension created by the label remover 8 makes the cutting process easier . after the cutting is performed the container is rotated clockwise until the area pierced by the razor 7 a reaches the label remover 8 . subsequently , the label remover 8 starts removing the label , for example , by suction while the container rotates in a counterclockwise direction . next the label remover pulls back and the label detaching process is completed . before the container is refilled and to avoid the new fluid being spilled a container &# 39 ; s damage inspection is performed . a light emitter 10 a is inserted through the container opening 1 b and a receiver 10 b is positioned outside in order to receive the signal from the emitter and discern if the container is damaged . the receiver 10 b may be static while the container rotates or the receiver may rotate while the container is static . as mentioned before the rotational motion of the container is controlled by protrusion 3 e . if the container 1 is damaged the vending machine will finalize the process and an alert the customer . it has to be understood that in case the customer let the container with the cap on , the light emitter will remain outside the container and therefore the receiver 10 b will recognize the container as damage . after the damage inspection is completed the container moves to the b stage wherein the cleaning process begins . in the instant case the cleaning process is performed by turning the container upside down . fig7 a - 7 b show the use of two locking arms 11 in order to turn the container 1 upside down . each arm extends parallel to the container , and comprises a vertical extension 11 b , a rotational portion 11 c and locking extension 11 a . the locking extension 11 a engages the lateral groove 1 d and controls the upside down movement of the container 1 . as shown in fig7 a - 7 b , the vertical extensions 11 b move vertically and horizontally in order to engage and control the container &# 39 ; s movement . after the container is flipped upside down a pipe is inserted through the containers opening 1 b . a cleaning agent , such as vapor , hot water , soap or any other cleaning agent is applied to the containers inner walls through the pipe 12 . a vacuum 9 connected at the container &# 39 ; s opening 1 b removes all the residues after applying the cleaning agent . subsequently , as shown in fig9 , the container is turned to its original position and checked for contamination using a light emitter 10 a device and a receiver 10 b . if the receiver detects contamination the vending machine repeats the cleaning process for several times until the container is clean or a pre - determined number of tries is reached . if the number of tries is reached the vending machine 3 will finalize the process and alert the customer . the container may also have a material which may be altered to show graphics on the bottle , specifically brand names . the said material will be able to be cleared and altered in circumstances where the liquid used to refill is different from the previous liquid , or a new graphic or information is wanted or needed on the container . the container moves to the next and final stage c wherein the container is labeled and refilled with the new fluid . fig1 a - 10 b show the labeling process comprising a label provider 14 and a roller 15 . the label provider 14 moves towards the container and applies the label of the product selected by the customer . the roller 15 also extends towards the container 1 and assists in the labeling of the container . after the labeling is completed the refilling process starts . fig1 shows a pipe 16 inserted through the container &# 39 ; s opening 1 b and the new fluid l is served . the pipe 16 may be provided with level sensors . next , as shown in fig1 , the container is closed , the information associated with the readable means 1 ′, 1 ″ is edited and stored and the customer is charged providing a reusable container with a new label and fluid . the vending machine will exhibit the product with a new label displaying information regarding the fluid and the new fluid ready for the customer . while the invention has been described as having a preferred design , it is understood that many changes , modifications , variations and other uses and applications of the subject invention will , however , become apparent to those skilled in the art without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention after considering this specification together with the accompanying drawings . accordingly , all such changes , modifications , variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by this invention as defined in the following claims and their legal equivalents . in the claims , means - plus - function clauses , if any , are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures . all of the patents , patent applications , and publications recited herein , and in the declaration attached hereto , if any , are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in their entirety herein . all , or substantially all , the components disclosed in such patents may be used in the embodiments of the present invention , as well as equivalents thereof . the details in the patents , patent applications , and publications incorporated by reference herein may be considered to be incorporable at applicant &# 39 ; s option , into the claims during prosecution as further limitations in the claims to patentable distinguish any amended claims from any applied prior art .
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the invention provides for methods for making battery electrode and systems , apparatuses for making battery electrodes and devices arising there from . preferred embodiments of the invention provides for methods , systems , and apparatuses for making electrodes for use in lithium - ion batteries . the invention provides for , in one aspect , for a coating system that sprays a suspension of battery electrode materials onto a substrate , preferably a metal foil substrate . the preferred embodiments of the invention differ from the prior art in at least one fundamental way . these embodiments build up an electrode matrix in numerous layers rather than by one relatively thick slurry coating . the problem with the latter includes , but is not limited to differential sedimentation of electrode materials ( particle ) during the drying process that creates an electrode having an inhomogeneous composition with respect to the thickness dimension of the coated electrode . currently , there is a trend towards using smaller and smaller sized active material particles in battery electrodes for lithium - ion cells . not wishing to be bound by theory , the inventors believe that as the particle size lessens , the tendency for the particles to aggregate and sediment out of the wet curing electrode made by slurry coating will result in losing the benefits of the smaller sized particles , for example , but not limited to , higher surface area to mass ratio and better ion diffusion rates . moreover , it is believed that differential sedimentation causes inefficient distribution of conductive materials and active materials within the electrode matrix thus causing some parts of the electrode matrix to have lower conductivity than others while yet other parts of the electrode matrix have different amounts and characteristics of active material particles . to address these problems , and others , applicants have invented a system that provides for a higher level of intra - electrode homogeneity when compared to standard slurry coating methods using one - step doctor blade or slot die type application of the electrode coating to the substrate foil current collector . by applying thin layers by spray and rapidly drying each layer , a plurality of layers of electrode material are built up to form an electrode matrix having a high degree of homogeneity with respect to spatial particle distribution and minimized homo - particle aggregation . turning now to fig1 a , an exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown . spray / dry system 1000 operates by traversing substrate 1010 from spraying region 1015 to drying region 1018 . spraying region 1015 and drying region 1018 are separated from each other and external of spray / dry system 1000 by several partitions 1040 . sprayer 1050 is supported inside spraying region 1015 and aimed towards surface 1020 of substrate 1010 . adjacent spraying region 1015 is drying region 1018 having therein dryer 1080 in fluid communication with dryer manifold 1090 and dryer jets 1100 . substrate 1010 is introduced into spray system 1000 by way of support stage 1030 that passes under partitions 1040 with substrate 1010 thereupon . once in spray region 1015 , a coating is applied to surface 1020 of substrate 1010 by sprayer 1050 . sprayer 1050 comprises spray tip 1060 from which spray mist 1070 emanates therefrom and travels towards surface 1020 to form a layer of electrode material . depicted in fig1 b , substrate 1020 traverses into dryer region 1018 , hot air or gas 1120 of dryer flow 1130 is passed through dryer 1080 and dryer manifold 1090 out towards surface 1020 of substrate 1010 . after impinging upon surface 1010 , the hot air or gas 1120 is deflected upward and is scavenged from dryer region 1018 through exhaust 1150 as exhaust flow 1055 . after substrate 1010 surface 1020 is sufficiently dried , substrate 1010 is traversed out of dryer region 1080 upon support stage 1030 onward to potentially further spray / dry steps or onto some other processing . in highly preferred embodiments , the invention provides for a continuous coating system that relies on roll - to - roll type material handling similar to that of newspaper printing presses . fig2 depicts a roll - to - roll spray / dry embodiment of the invention wherein spray system 1000 is equipped with unwinder 1160 and rewinder 1190 where supported thereon are unwind roll 1170 and rewind roll 1200 loaded with continuous substrate 1210 that is in the form of a long ribbon - like material that arrives at sprayer system 1000 wound upon unwind roll 1070 and wherein continuous substrate 1210 traverses spray system 1000 ultimately terminating on rewind roll 1200 wherein continuous substrate 1210 is wound thereupon during a coating run . when finished , rewind roll 1200 should have wound thereabouts continuous substrate 1210 with surface 1020 coated with electrode material . the continuous process generally has both spray 1050 and dryer 1080 active simultaneously or near simultaneously . in highly preferred embodiments , the invention provides for a continuous coating system similar to that depicted in fig2 , except that a plurality of spray systems 1000 are arranged serially between unwinder 1160 and rewinder 1190 to form spray line 1001 . fig3 depicts a roll - to - roll multiple spray / dry region embodiment of the invention . each spraying region 1015 and drying region 1018 is arranged in alternating fashion to permit multiple layers to be applied to surface 1020 of continuous substrate 1210 . the rate for which continuous substrate 1210 is fed through spray line 1001 is preferably set to a speed wherein a substantial amount of solvent is removed from the coating prior to each subsequent coating cycle . this is believed to help minimize segregation of particles within the electrode coating during the drying process . in certain embodiments , a preceding layer is allowed to dry to a point that sedimentation is substantially halted even though some amount of solvent may still be present within the preceding layer prior to applying a subsequent layer of electrode material . fig4 depicts a roll - to - roll multiple spray / dry / cool embodiment of the invention . in some embodiments , it may be desirable to reduce the temperature of surface 1020 prior to spraying on an additional layer of electrode material . this is to ensure that the freshly sprayed material has some period of time in liquid form to self level . if dried prematurely due to surface 1020 being too hot from a preceding drying step , cooling region 1019 may be further incorporated into the spray line 1001 depicted in fig3 . here , spraying region 1015 is followed by drying region 1018 , and then by chilling region 1019 wherein the temperature of surface 1020 is lowered to a desired level to facilitate spraying in a subsequent spraying region 1015 . fig5 depicts a roll - to - roll multiple heat / spray / dry embodiment of the invention . in some embodiments , it may be desirable to reduce the temperature of surface 1020 prior to spraying on an additional layer of electrode material . this is to ensure that the freshly sprayed material has some period of time in liquid form to self level . if dried prematurely due to surface 1020 being too hot from a preceding drying step , heating region 1021 may be further incorporated into the spray line 1001 depicted in fig3 . here , spraying region 1015 is preceded by heating region 1021 , and then by drying region 1018 wherein the temperature of surface 1020 is raised to a desired level . in certain embodiments , sprayer 1050 is controlled in a pulsatile manner to control flow rates without altering spray patterns . fig6 depicts a typical pulse wave signal used to control a pulse - width modulated spray head embodiment of the invention . pulse train 1220 comprises a series of voltage pulses organized in pulse trains 1240 , pulse train intervals 1290 , and pulse profiles 1250 . within a pulse train 1240 are pulses 1280 having a time dimension width between the leading edge of pulse 1280 and the trailing edge of pulse 1280 , a pulse interval 1260 having a time dimension width between the trailing edge of a preceding pulse 1280 and the leading edge of a immediately subsequent pulse 1280 , and frequency 1270 having a time dimension width between the leading edge of two consecutive pulses 1280 . each pulse 1280 has amplitude 1230 which can represent voltage amplitude or current flow . as depicted in fig7 a , in preferred embodiments , spray system 1000 comprises a pulse - width modulated (“ pwm ) sprayer 1300 to precisely regulate coating flow rates while maintaining a consistent spray pattern 1445 . pulse - width modulated sprayer 1300 comprises : spray head 1310 that includes , but is not limited to , valve body 1340 having associated therewith : solenoid actuator 1350 housing coil 1360 and a portion of plunger 1370 ; spray nozzle 1320 with spray guides 1330 . coil 1360 is in electrical communication through leads 1380 with pulse generator 1390 that produces electrical pulses that actuate solenoid actuator 1350 to move plunger 1370 into and out of valve body 1340 thus permitting and restricting the flow of coating suspension through spray head 1310 and forming spray pattern 1445 . tank 1400 is in fluid communication with spray head 1310 through delivery tube 1420 . coating suspension , not shown , can be pumped to spray head 1310 using any pumping system . fig7 a depicts a gas pressure pumping system wherein tank 1400 is placed under gas pressure from a pressurized gas source through pressurized gas tube 1410 to act as a gas spring to force the coating suspension in tank 1400 through delivery tube 1420 to spray head 1310 . in fig7 a , plunger 1370 is shown in the actuated position where a portion of plunger 1370 is urged into valve body 1340 to stop the flow of coating suspension through spray head 1310 . fig7 b depicts plunger 1370 in a refracted position that permits flow of coating suspension through spray head 1310 and spray nozzle 1320 to emit spray 1440 forming spray pattern 1445 to coat a substrate , not shown . in certain embodiments , tank 1400 may further include a device for mixing a suspension contained therein . in preferred embodiments , the mixer employs sonication and / or ultrasonication . in some embodiments , the mixer may include an impeller and / or mixing paddle . fig8 depicts an ultrasonic multi - orifice spray head employed in a preferred embodiment of the invention . ultrasonic spray head 1500 comprises , in preferred embodiments , spray body 1510 preferably has an internal flow control valve therein , not shown . attached to spray body 1510 is piezo element 1520 to which nozzle array 1530 is attached thereto . nozzle array 1530 is in fluid communication with spray body 1510 such that when coating suspension is pumped into spray body 1510 , and the valve , if any , is open , coating suspension can flow to nozzle array 1530 to be emitted through a plurality of ports 1540 . piezo element 1520 is energized by a power source to cause piezo element 1540 to experience the reverse piezo electricity effect achieving a volumetric displacement along an axis perpendicular to nozzle array 1530 . the result is that nozzle array 1530 is moved back and forth along the axis perpendicular to piezo element 1540 . in preferred embodiments , piezo element 1520 is energized and de - energized by the power source at frequencies between 10 , 000 hz and 100 , 000 hz . by varying the frequency applied to piezo element 1520 , different drop sizes may be achieved for a given viscosity and pressure of the coating suspension . in preferred embodiments , strain - thinning coating suspensions are used to provide low viscosity under pressure and high viscosity once deposited upon a substrate . in some embodiments , the valve body is instead simply a body to permit flow of fluid and to support other parts of the spray head . in some embodiments , the piezo element is located inside the valve body with a tube for transporting coating suspension to a nozzle and the element , in conjunction with the tube , act to pump and control the flow of coating suspension towards the nozzle or nozzles . fig9 depicts a flow - chart showing the logic flow of a proportional - integral - derivative controller ( pid controller ) feedback - loop operated spray deposition system of a preferred embodiment of the invention . the pid controller initially sets the first 75 percent of the spray regions to apply 75 percent of the final density specified for the coating . to establish a baseline for the substrate &# 39 ; s density , the substrate &# 39 ; s density is measured prior to spray coating . then , after the substrate has passed through 75 percent of the spray regions , a second ( interim ) density measurement is made . from the second density measurement , the first density measurement is subtracted to determine the density of the coating thus far applied . the substrate is then coated at the pre - set flow rate to achieve the specified density . if the density of the coating thus far is too low , the flow rate of the final 25 percent of the spray regions is increased to provide for a final density according to specification . also , the initial spray flow rate is increased to yield a coating density of 75 percent of specification at the second density measurement for subsequent substrate ( s ) coating . if the density of the coating at the second density measurement is too high , the flow rate for the final 25 percent of the spray regions is decreased to provide for a final density according to specification . also , the initial flow fate is decreased to yield a coating density of 75 percent of specification at the second density measurement for subsequent substrate ( s ) coating . variations of this system may , in some embodiments , further include including moisture detection to monitor drying rates in the drying regions to ensure that the coating is at the specified dryness prior to subsequent sprayings or final drying . drying rates may , in some embodiments , may be altered by increasing temperature , air flow , or both in the drying regions . images of coated electrodes are depicted in fig1 a through 10c , wherein fig1 a depicts an electrode material loading of 2 . 5 mg / cm 2 , 10 b is loaded at 5 . 0 mg / cm 2 , and 10 c is loaded at 10 mg / cm 2 . the coating is evenly distributed as evidenced by the consistent darkness across each electrode surface . fig1 a through 11d depict scanning electron micrograph ( sem ) images at 100 ×, 1 , 000 ×, 10 , 000 ×, and 100 , 000 × magnification of an anode made using a preferred method of the invention . of interest is fig1 d where carbon nanotubes 1800 can be seen among graphite particles having an average diameter of about 150 μm . turning to fig1 , an exemplary charge & amp ; discharge curves are depicted for an anode produced using a preferred embodiment of the invention . the dashed line represents the 1 st discharge of the half - cell . the solid line represents the 1 st charge of the half - cell . the anode comprised graphite as the active material and carbon nanotubes for conductive particles . the binder styrene - butadiene rubber ( sbr ) was also included in the coating suspension . according to the graph , the anode had a capacity of about 270mah / g . anode capacity profiles we conducted on two replicate anodes as depicted in fig1 a and 13b . here , the half - cell data shows the anodes to be resistant to significant fade over about 100 cycles a voltage time curve is presented in fig1 wherein the graph depicts approximately equal charge and discharge times suggesting that irreversible loss is relatively minimal . when compared to a commercially available graphite based anode , an anode produced by the preferred method of the invention yields an electrode with a higher power capacity by a margin of about 2 × to 5 × over the commercially available anode . fig1 depicts a current v . charge graph wherein the lines represented by the circles and triangles are data derived from an anode produced using the preferred method of the invention . the line represented with squares was derived from a commercially available graphite anode . a capacity v . current graph for two replicate anodes is depicted in fig1 . charge over a wide - range of current rates was well maintained . a capacity v . half - cycle data is presented in fig1 for two replicate anodes . images of coated electrodes made using a preferred method of the invention are depicted in fig1 a and 18b , wherein fig1 a depicts an electrode material loading of 2 . 5 mg / cm 2 , 18 b is loaded at 15 mg / cm 2 , and 10 b is loaded at 30 mg / cm 2 . the coating is evenly distributed as evidenced by the consistent darkness across each electrode surface . a 10 , 000 × sem of a cathode made using a preferred method of the invention in fig1 . the cathode comprised lifepo 4 , carbon nanotubes , and sbr binder . charge and discharge data for a cathode made using a preferred method of the invention is depicted in fig2 . of interest is that the time distances between the peak and valley of each cycle are approximately equal indicating good levels of reversible charge capacity . fig2 represents the same data in a different format to better illustrate the charge time / discharge time differential , again indicating good reversible charge capacity . fade was studied for a cathode made by a preferred method of the invention . replicate cathodes were tested and the results depicted in fig2 a and 22b , the latter showing minimal fade over 80 cycles . fig2 and 24 depict power curves for sample electrodes produced using a preferred method of the invention , the latter figure showing a commercially available electrode for comparison . while the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments , it should be understood by those skilled in the art that obvious changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention . in addition , many modifications may be made to adapt the methods and devices of the present invention to particular situations , materials , compositions of matter , processes , process step or steps , to the objective , spirit and scope of the present invention . all such modifications are intended to be within the scope of the claims appended hereto . basic spray / dry method was tested using an airbrush filled with a suspension containing : spraying was performed manually with a back and forth motion of the spray head parallel to the surface of the substrate . approximately 40 passes were made to load the surface to a desired amount . circles were cut from each type of electrode ( cathode / anode ) in a size to fit into a pouch . a porous polymer sheet was placed between the electrodes as they were layered into the pouch . electrolyte ( lipf 6 ) was added prior to vacuum sealing the pouch to form a pouch cell . the following protocol was followed to test cells made with the electrodes of the invention : a ) measure open circuit voltage ( ocv ) ( 10 sec ) b ) apply 1 sec current pulse ( 0 . 5 ma for coin cells , 5 - 10 ma for pouch cells ) c ) measure voltage drop between ocv and the first 10 msec of applied pulse d ) impedance testing : a few special cells , especially large pouch cells : e ) measure impedance from 1000 khz to 0 . 01 hz a ) resistance test b ) initial capacity test in constant current mode ( 3 cycles , starting with discharge cycle , each cycle running at 25 ma / g and then lowering to 12 . 5 ma / g until voltage limit is reached — designated “ 25 + 12 . 5 ma / g ”) ( a ) for graphite ½ - cells , voltage limits are 0 . 01v and 1 . 5v ( b ) for silicon ½ - cells , voltage limits 0 . 07v to 1 . 0v i ) power test * up to 10 ma total current ii ) followed by power test up to 20 ma , if charge withdrawn at 10 ma step is ≧ 70 % total capacity iii ) followed by power test up to 30 ma , if charge withdrawn at 10 ma step is ≧ 80 % total capacity d ) fade testing : capacity test in constant current mode ( 100 cycles at “ 25 + 12 . 5 ma / g ”, with a resistance and a power test every 25 cycles ) a ) discharge down to lower voltage limit at “ 25 + 12 . 5 ” ma / g b ) charge at highest current until upper voltage limit c ) rest 5 minutes d ) charge at half the previous current e ) rest 5 minutes f ) etc ., until the current is at or below 25 ma / g a ) resistance test b ) initial capacity test in constant current mode ( 3 cycles , starting with charge cycle , each cycle running at 12 . 5 ma / g and then lowering to 6 . 25 ma / g until voltage limit is reached — designated “ 12 . 5 + 6 . 25 ma / g ”) i ) for lifepo4 ½ - cells , voltage limits are 4 . 1v and 2 . 0v ii ) for other cathode chemistries , voltage limits may be a few 0 . 1 &# 39 ; s of volts higher c ) resistance test d ) power test * up to 10 ma total current i ) followed by power test up to 20 ma , if charge withdrawn at 10 ma step is ≧ 70 % total capacity ii ) followed by power test up to 30 ma , if charge withdrawn at 10 ma step is ≧ 80 % total capacity e ) fade testing : capacity test in constant current mode ( 100 cycles at “ 12 . 5 + 6 . 25 ma / g ”, with a resistance and a power test every 25 cycles ) a ) charge up to upper voltage limit at “ 12 . 5 + 6 . 25 ma / g ” b ) discharge at highest current until lower voltage limit c ) rest 5 minutes d ) discharge at half the previous current e ) rest 5 minutes f ) etc ., until the current is at or below 12 . 5 ma / g a ) resistance test b ) initial capacity test in constant current mode ( 3 cycles , starting with discharge cycle , each cycle running at either “ 25 + 12 . 5 ma / g ” ( anode weight ) or “ 12 . 5 + 6 . 25 ma / g ” ( cathode weight ), whichever is smaller ) i ) for graphite anode and lifepo4 cathode full cells , voltage limits are 2 . 0 and 4 . 1 v ii ) for cells with other cathodes , voltage limits may be a few 0 . 1v higher c ) resistance test d ) power test * up to 10 ma total current i ) followed by power test up to 20 ma , if charge withdrawn at 10 ma step is ≧ 70 % total capacity ii ) followed by power test up to 30 ma , if charge withdrawn at 10 ma step is ≧ 80 % total capacity e ) fade testing : capacity test in constant current mode ( 100 cycles at “ 25 + 12 . 5 ma / g ” ( anode ) or “ 12 . 5 + 6 . 25 ma / g ” ( cathode ), whichever is smaller , with a resistance and a power test every 25 cycles ) a ) manufacturer : neware technology limited b ) models ( for different current ranges ): i ) bts - 5v10a ( 8ch ) 10 ma limit ii ) bts - 5v100a ( 8ch ) 100 ma limit iii ) bts - 5v200a ( 8ch ) 200 ma limit
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referring to fig1 a , a semiconductor chip 1 has an electrode pad 2 of aluminium which has repellency against molten metal . titanium , chromium or alloys of aluminum , chromium or titanium are other suitable materials for electrode pad 2 . the first soldering metal bump 3 made of the first metal component is formed on the electrode pad 2 , while a circuit board 6 has an electrode pad 5 of copper which has adhesive tendency to molten metal . the second soldering metal bump 4 made of the second metal component is formed on the electrode pad 5 . these metal components are capable to compose an eutectic alloy having a specific compound ratio , and that a melting temperature of the first metal component is higher than a contact temperature of the second metal component . the contact temperature is a process temperature to form an alloy between two metal components . referring to fig1 b , a connection part made of an eutectic alloy consisting of the first metal component and the second metal component is formed between the first soldering metal bump and the second soldering metal bump by heating the both soldering metal bumps at a temperature lower than the melting temperature of the first metal component to maintain the first soldering metal bump in a solid phase at an interface with the aluminium electrode and then cooling down to solidify both of the bumps before the eutectic reaction reaches the aluminium electrode pad 2 , in order to prevent the aluminium electrode pad from repelling the first soldering metal bump . referring to fig2 a , a semiconductor chip 1 has an electrode pad 2 of aluminium has repellency against molten metal . the first soldering metal bump 3a is formed on the electrode pad 2 in a trapezoidal shape by deposition technique using a mask having an opening with the same pattern as the first electrode pad , while a circuit board 6 has an electrode pad 5 of copper has adhesive tendency to molten metal . the second soldering metal bump 4a is formed on the electrode pad 5 . a melting temperature of the first soldering metal bump is higher than that of the second soldering metal bump . referring to fig2 b , electric connection between the electrode pad 2 and the electrode pad 5 is made by heating the both soldering metal bumps in contact to each other at a temperature lower than the melting temperature of the first metal bump to melt the second soldering metal bump 4a without melting the first soldering metal bump 3a and then cooling down to solidify the second soldering metal bump . the soldering metal is not limited to an eutectic alloy in this embodiment . preferred mixing ratios for the first and second soldering metal bumps are pb - 5 % ( wt ) sn and pb - 65 % ( wt ) sn in weight , respectively . the melting temperatures of the first and second metal bumps are 315 ° c . for pb - 5 % ( wt ) sn and 185 ° c . for pb - 65 % ( wt ) sn , respectively . in this particular example , a preferred processing temperature to melt the second soldering metal bump is 200 - 230 ° c . since the first soldering metal bump is not melted in this process , the trapezoidal shape on the electrode pad 2 is maintained after the electric connection is accomplished . the electric connection implemented in the first and second embodiments described above does not have disconnection failure due to repellency of molten soldering metal by the electrode surface in the fabrication process . that reduces electric resistance and increases mechanical strength of the connection . referring to fig3 an electrode 2a on a semiconductor chip 1 and an electrode 5 on a circuit board 6 are connected to each other by solid - liquid soldering metal 8 . the surfaces of both electrodes have adhesive tendency to molten soldering metal . the solid - liquid soldering metal 8 consists of a solid phase component 10 and a liquid phase component 9 at an operating temperature . the operating temperature is a temperature of an integrated electronic device when the device is active in a normal condition . the eutectic reaction will take place in the solid - liquid soldering metal , where the solid and liquid phases are in thermal equilibrium to each other at a solid - liquid interface . for instance , at a sufficiently low temperature when the integrated circuit device is not operated , the solid - liquid soldering metal is solely composed of a solid phase matrix , and as temperature elevates by device operation , a liquid phase component grows in the solid phase matrix . at further higher temperature , a solid phase component 10 is dispersed in a liquid phase matrix 9 as illustrated in fig3 . this mechanism releases the soldering metal from a thermal stress , which prevents from disconnection between the electrodes . such a process is more particularly described with reference to fig4 a - 4e , where a semiconductor chip 11 has an array of electrodes 12a - 12f on the surface . fig4 a shows that a metal mask 31 having windows was aligned to the semiconductor chip 11 so as to expose each of aluminium electrodes 12a - 12f on the semiconductor chip within each of the windows . as shown in fig4 b , the first bumps of 100 μm thick indium ( in ) layer 13a - 13f were deposited on the aluminium electrodes through the windows pressing the mask 31 against the surface of the semiconductor chip 11 . as shown in fig4 c , the in - bumps 13a - 13f were exposed by removing the metal mask 31 on which in layer 13 was deposited . fig4 d shows that the second bumps of 100 μm thick tin ( sn ) layer 14a - 14f were formed on copper electrodes 15a - 15f of a circuit board 16 by depositing tin through a metal mask . the first and second bumps were aligned to each other as shown in fig4 d , then kept contact to each other and heated at a connection temperature which was lower than a melting temperature of indium 156 . 6 ° c . and higher than an eutectic temperature of in - sn alloy 117 ° c ., such as 130 ° c ., the connection temperature is a processing temperature at which the first and second metal components make an alloy at an interface which provides an electric and mechanical connection , so that a connection part made of an eutectic alloy 17 was formed between the first and second bumps as in fig4 e . since the connection temperature was sufficiently lower than the melting temperature of indium in this process , a molten metal was so localized to the connection part 17 that the aluminium electrode maintained a wide contact area with the first bump , which resulted in low contact resistance free from the repellency problem . some of the preferred combinations of metals for the first and second bumps , and the connection temperature are shown in table 1 . referring to fig5 a - 5e , both first electrode pads 19a - 19f on a semiconductor chip 11 and the second electrode pads 15a - 15f on a ceramic circuit board 16 have an adhesive tendency to molten metal . each of the first electrode pads 19a - 19f was coated by about 0 . 3 μm thick film of gold , silver , or nickel . subsequently , about 30 μm high soldering metal bumps 18a - 18f consisting of indium ( in ) and 20 % ( wt ) bismuth ( bi ), namely in - 20 % ( wt ) bi , were formed on the first electrode pads 19a - 19f by depositing the soldering metals through a mask 31 as shown in fig5 a - 5c , similarly to fig4 a - 4c . as shown in fig5 d - 5e , the semiconductor chip 11 was firmly mounted on the ceramic circuit board 16 by melting at a temperature of about 300 ° c . and then solidifying the soldering metal bumps into each connection part 18 which connected each of the first electrode pads 19a - 19f with each of the second electrode pads 15a - 15f . the connection part 18 shown in fig5 e made of in - 20 % ( wt ) bi soldering metal which was deviated in composition ratio by 14 % ( wt ) on indium side from the in -- bi eutectic alloy having a composition ratio of in : bi = 66 : 34 in weight . since the eutectic temperature was 72 ° c ., the in - 20 % ( wt ) bi soldering metal consisted of a solid phase component and a liquid phase component above the eutectic temperature . therefore , a liquid phase component coexsisted with a solid phase component in the connection part 18 between 75 ° c .- 85 ° c . in the overall operating temperature range from 5 ° c . to 85 ° c . of the semiconductor chip . the mechanism that a liquid phase component increases with temperature releases a thermal stress in the connection part 18 caused by a difference in thermal coefficient between the semiconductor chip and the circuit board , and furthermore prevents metal fatigue that would be accumulated in the connection part 18 due to thermal hysteresis . comparative study of experiments shows that no crack failure was observed in an integrated electronic device according to this embodiment after more than 100 cycles of thermal hysteresis in the operating temperature range from 5 ° c . to 85 ° c ., while a crack was observed in a solid soldering metal of a prior art after 50 cycles of the same thermal hysteresis in avarage . the foregoing connection part having solid - liquid phase coexistence in an operating temperature range can be implemented by a soldering metal alloy of various mixing ratios . a soldering metal alloy of the first type is essentially made of an eutectic alloy but has an additional minor component that is harmless for the soldering metal alloy to have the liquid phase component at an operating temperature of the integrated electronic device . the additional minor component gives the eutectic alloy phase separation in an upper part of the operating temperature range , such as an in - bi eutectic alloy with a minor component of 2 - 3 % ( wt ) pb or ge . a soldering metal of the second type is a soldering metal alloy which consists of the same metal components as those of an eutectic alloy and that the mixing ratio is slightly deviated from that of the eutectic alloy . some of the eutectic alloys are a tertiary or four - element alloy such as sn -- bi -- in soldering metal based on an eutectic alloy of sn : bi : in = 16 . 5 : 32 . 5 : 51 ( wt %) with an eutectic temperature of 60 ° c ., sn -- pb -- bi -- in soldering metal based on an eutectic alloy of sn : pb : bi : in = 19 : 17 : 53 . 5 : 10 . 5 ( wt %) with an eutectic temperature of 60 ° c ., and sn -- pb -- bi -- in soldering metal based on an eutectic alloy of sn : pb : bi : cd = 13 . 3 : 26 . 7 : 50 : 10 ( wt %) with an eutectic temperature of 50 ° c . referring to fig6 a - 6f , processing steps for fabrication of an integrated electronic device having electric connection made of in -- ga liquid metal between a semiconductor chip and a circuit board are described . ga - rosin mixture was prepared before fabrication of the liquid in -- ga electric connection , for which ga was mixed with a flux vehicle at mixing ratio of 9 to 1 in weight . after the ga mixed flux vehicle was heated at 40 ° c . to melt ga in it , it was stirred until fine ga droplets of about 20 - 30 μm diameter were dispersed homogeneously in the flux vehicle . the flux vehicle was monobutylcarbithol including 60 % rosin , 2 % thichener , 0 . 5 % activator ( hydrochloric diethylamine ). the semiconductor chip 21 shown up - side down in fig6 a , has an array of electrodes 22a - 22f on a surface of the semiconductor chip . the first metal mask 31 made of covar was pressed tightly to the surface of the semiconductor chip so that an exposed area of the surface was masked . a 10 μm thick indium ( in ) film 23 was deposited on the entire surface of the semiconductor chip by evaporation technique . as shown in fig6 b , an array of in - coated electrodes was obtained by removing the first metal mask 31 . as shown in fig6 c , a 200 - 300 μm thick ga - rosin mixture 24 was selectively squeezed into each of windows of the second metal mask 32 having a thickness of 200 - 300 μm by a squeezer just as used in a printing technique . after removing the second metal mask 32 left a bump of ga - rosin mixture 24 on the in - film 23 , the semiconductor chip was heated at 200 ° c . so that ga in the ga - rosin mixture 24 and the underlayered in - film 23 were united to each other by eutectic reaction and vaporizing organic components as shown in fig6 d . 100 μm high in - ga liquid connections 27a - 27f made of an eutectic alloy between ga and in were formed on each of the array of the electrodes 22a - 22f shown in fig6 e . the eutectic reaction proceeded at the interface indicated by a dotted line 23 between in and ga , which prevented the electrodes from repelling the liquid connection . as shown in fig6 f , the semiconductor chip 21 having an array of the liquid connections 27a - 27f was mounted on a circuit board 26 having an array of electrodes 25a - 25f by flipping the semiconductor chip 21 so that the liquid connection of the semiconductor chip and the electrode on the circuit board was aligned to each other with a certain height by maintaining a certain distance between the semiconductor chip and the circuit board by a spacer 28 . the appropriate height of the liquid connection was 100 μm . in the foregoing embodiment , the surface of the electrode has such a good adhesive tendency to a liquid connection that the entire surface of the electrode is covered with the liquid metal , which eventually reduces the electric resistance of the connection . indium of the eutectic alloy is replaceable by tin ( sn ), silver ( ag ), or zinc ( zn ).
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as required , detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein ; however , it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples of the invention , which can be embodied in various forms . therefore , specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting , but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure . further , the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting ; but rather , to provide an understandable description of the invention . the terms “ a ” or “ an ”, as used herein , are defined as one or more than one . the term plurality , as used herein , is defined as two or more than two . the term another , as used herein , is defined as at least a second or more . the terms including and / or having , as used herein , are defined as comprising ( i . e ., open language ). the term coupled , as used herein , is defined as connected , although not necessarily directly , and not necessarily mechanically . the term “ wireless device ” is intended to broadly cover many different types of devices that can wirelessly receive signals , and optionally can wirelessly transmit signals , and may also operate in a wireless communication system . for example , and not for any limitation , a wireless communication device can include any one or a combination of the following : a two - way radio , a cellular telephone , a mobile phone , a smartphone , a two - way pager , a wireless messaging device , a laptop / computer , a personal digital assistant , and other similar devices . according to one embodiment of the present invention , as shown in fig1 , a general operating environment 100 for implementing one or more embodiments of the present invention is illustrated . in particular , fig1 shows a plurality of wireless devices 102 , 104 within a structure 106 such as an office building , shopping center , hospital , hotel , stadium , cruise ship , hurricane shelter , tornado shelter , or any other type of structure . it should be noted that although fig1 shows a structure 106 , the various embodiments of the present invention are also applicable to open environments as well . for example , the present invention is also applicable to environments such as ( but not limited to ) outdoor shopping centers , amusement parks , city parks , or any other open environment . each wireless device 102 , 104 includes an emergency alert manager 108 , 114 , a transceiver 110 , 116 , and a user interface 112 , 118 . each of these components is discussed in greater detail below . the environment 100 also includes one or more emergency alerting devices (“ ead ”) 120 that can be communicatively coupled to the wireless devices 102 , 104 during emergency situations . the example of fig1 shows the ead 120 being located within the structure 106 , however this is not required . the ead 120 can be a stand - alone unit or integrated within one or more emergency systems / components of the structure 106 . for example , the ead 120 can be mechanically coupled to an emergency exit , smoke detector , heat detector , air quality detector , emergency lighting system , or any other emergency system / component within the structure 108 . the ead 120 includes an emergency monitor 122 , a device monitor 124 , routing information 126 , a signal / message generator 128 , and a transceiver 130 . each of these components is discussed in greater detail below . although only one ead 120 is shown within fig1 , it should be noted that multiple eads 120 can be situated throughout the structure 106 . for example , each emergency exit within a building or each floor of a building can include one or more eads 120 . during times of an emergency such as a fire , hurricane , tornado , blackout , national emergency , or any other type of emergency or critical situation , the ead 120 provides an emergency beacon 121 to a wireless device 102 , 104 . this emergency beacon 121 can include critical information such as emergency exit / evacuation routing information to the wireless devices 102 , 104 . the emergency monitor 122 monitors for and detects when an emergency situation is occurring . for example , the ead 120 can be communicatively coupled to the national eas system and receives a notification when an emergency such as ( but not limited to ) a tornado , hurricane , or national emergency is occurring or is going to occur . alternatively , the ead 120 can be communicatively coupled to a local emergency system instead of or in addition to the national eas . for example , an office building can include a fire alarm system , biological warning system , tornado or hurricane warning system , or other similar warning systems . the ead 120 , in this embodiment , can receive a signal form one of these local systems . a signal 121 , for example , can be generated when a fire is detected ; when an emergency door is opened , when emergency lighting is activated ; when a fire alarm is activated ; or by other similar means . once the emergency monitor 122 receives a signal indicating an emergency situation , the device monitor 124 identifies the wireless devices 102 , 104 within the vicinity of the ead 122 via the transceiver 130 . for example , the device monitor 124 , via the transceiver 130 , detects wireless signals emitted from the wireless devices 012 , 104 from their transceivers 110 , 116 and stores the unique identifier of the wireless device in memory . the transceiver 130 , 110 of the ead 120 and a wireless device 102 can utilize various technologies such as bluetooth , wifi , zigbee , or any other short range radio technology . it should be noted that the present invention is not limited to short range technologies . the ead systems 120 can be situated among each other so that as a wireless device 102 , 104 becomes out of range of one ead another ead detects the device . for example , consider a first ead ( east ead ) that is situated at a first emergency exit or stairwell located at an east wing of a floor . as the wireless device 102 moves further west away from the east emergency exit or stairwell the wireless device 102 becomes out of range of the east ead . however , another ead ( west ead ) situated at a second emergency exit or stairwell located at the west wing of the floor detects and communicates with the wireless device 102 the ead 120 within range of a wireless device 102 determines a routing strategy for the wireless device 102 using its internal routing information 126 . the internal routing information 126 comprises a plurality of routing plans that can be used by the ead 120 for directing a wireless device 102 to an emergency exit . for example , the device monitor 124 can determine a current location of the wireless device 102 or whether the device 102 is moving closer to or away from the ead 120 using a variety of positioning methods . for example , the ead 120 can utilize gps technology or monitor signal strength ( where a decreasing signal indicates the device is moving away from the ead 120 and an increasing signal indicates the device is moving towards the ead 120 ). the present invention is not limited to a particular method for determining the current position or direction of a wireless device . once the routing plan is determined ( such as head east ; turn left in 20 feet ; continue your current direction ) the ead 120 can output this information to the wireless device 102 . the message can include routing information such as head east ; turn left in 20 feet ; continue your current direction ; information regarding the emergency ; current location information with respect to the nearest emergency exit ; emergency safety tips ; or other similar information . the message type can be ( but is not limited to ) a text message , a multimedia message , an email , an automated message , or any other similar messaging types . the messages include text , pictures , voice prompts , and other visual and audio indicators . the ead 120 can utilize its own communication system or any other network communicatively coupled to ead 120 for sending out the message . for example , the ead 120 can out the routing message to a wireless device 120 using the emergency signal / beacon 121 generated by the signal / message generator 128 . in other words , the ead 120 and the wireless device 102 can communicate directly with each other utilizing their internal technologies such as bluetooth , wifi , zigbee , or any other rf technology . alternatively , the ead 120 can be communicatively coupled to various access networks such as a circuit switched or packet data network ; a local area network ; or a public switched telephone network and utilize these networks to send the routing message or even the emergency signal / beacon . the wireless device 102 detects the emergency signal / beacon 121 and the based on the signal 121 the emergency alert manager 108 within the device 102 determines that an emergency condition exists . if the signal 121 includes routing information or is accompanied by routing information the emergency alert manager 108 displays the routing information to the user via the user interface 112 . the user is then able to follow the routing directions to the nearest or safest exit . for example , fig2 shows one example of the user interface 112 of the wireless device 102 displaying routing information received from the ead 120 . in particular , fig2 shows information 202 such as the current location with respect to the nearest or safest exit . fig2 also shows that the information can change as the user moves . for example , a first routing prompt 204 tells the user to keep moving straight or in the current direction . as the user moves , a second prompt 206 tells the user to turn right . it should be noted that the device monitor 124 , routing information 126 , and message generator 128 within the ead 120 are optional . for example , the ead 120 , in one embodiment , only generates the emergency signal 121 that is detected by the wireless device 102 , as discussed above . in this embodiment , the wireless device 102 periodically checks if an emergency signal 121 from an ead 120 is detected . the ead 120 generates the emergency signal 121 when it detects an emergency condition as discussed above . the emergency signal 121 , in one embodiment , includes a direction indicator that the wireless device 102 saves for a later comparison as the device 102 moves about its location . as the user moves , the emergency alert manager 108 acquires another direction indictor from the emergency signal 121 . the emergency alert manager 108 compares this new direction indictor the original direction indicator to determine if the user has moved away from or closer to the ead 120 . if the user has moved away from the ead 120 , the emergency alert manager 108 notifies the user that he / she is traveling in the wrong direction . if the user has moved closer to the ead 120 , the emergency alert manager 108 notifies the user that he / she is traveling in the correct direction . for example , fig3 shows the user interface 112 of the wireless device 102 displaying routing notifications to the user as the user moves about a location . in particular , fig3 shows a first prompt 302 that notifies the user that he / she is moving in the wrong direction with respect to the nearest or safest exit . fig3 also shows a second prompt 304 that notifies the user when he / she is moving in the correct direction with respect to the nearest or safest exit . the user can use these prompts to locate the direction with respect to the nearest or safest exit . as can be seen , the various embodiments of the present invention are advantageous because a user is able to locate an emergency exit or follow an evacuation plan using his / her wireless device during times of an emergency . the relevant routing information can be displayed to a use via his / her wireless device . process for directing a user of a wireless device to an exit during an emergency situation fig4 is an operational flow diagram illustrating a process of directing a user of a user to an exit during an emergency situation via the user &# 39 ; s wireless device . the operational flow diagram of fig4 begins at step 402 and flows directly to step 404 . the ead 120 , at step 404 , detects an emergency condition as discussed above . for example , the ead 120 can receive a signal from the national eas system , a local emergency monitoring system , or an emergency notification device such as ( but not limited to ) a siren , emergency lights . the ead 120 , at step 406 , identifies any wireless devices 102 , 104 in its vicinity . a routing plan , at step 408 , for each of the identified wireless devices 102 , 104 is generated . the ead 120 , at step 410 , then generates an emergency signal 121 that includes the routing information or can generate an additional message to accompany the emergency signal 121 . the routing information , at step 412 , is then transmitted to the wireless device ( s ) 102 , 104 . the control flow then exits at step 414 . it should be noted that steps 406 - 412 are optional . for example , the ead 120 can generate an emergency signal 121 once an emergency condition is detected . this emergency signal 121 is then used by the wireless device 102 , 104 to locate the nearest or safest exit as discussed above . process for prompting a user of a wireless device for locating an exit during an emergency situation fig5 is an operational flow diagram illustrating a process of prompting a user for locating an exit during an emergency situation . the operational flow diagram of fig5 begins at step 502 and flows directly to step 504 . the wireless device 102 , at step 504 , determines that a timer has expired for identifying any emergency signals 121 and the wireless device 102 “ wakes up ”. the wireless device 102 , at step 506 , determines if any emergency signals 121 are active . if the result of this determination is negative , the wireless device 102 , at step 508 , goes back to “ sleep ”. the control flow returns to step 504 . if the result of this determination is positive , the wireless device 102 , at step 510 , analyzes the signal 121 signal and saves a direction indicator within the signal 121 . the wireless device 102 can optionally extract information within the beacon and display it to the user via the user interface 112 . this information can be routing information as discussed above . the user begins to move about the location and the wireless device 102 , at step 512 , acquires another direction indicator form the emergency signal 121 . the wireless device 102 , at step 514 , compares the original direction indicator to the newly acquired direction indicator to determine if the newer indicator is closer or farther away from the original indicator . if the wireless device 102 , determines that it is moving further away from the ead 120 generating the signal 121 , the wireless device 102 , at step 516 , notifies the user via the user interface 112 that he / she is moving in the wrong direction . the original indicator is replaced with the newly acquired indicator . the control flows back to step 512 . if the wireless device 102 , determines that the wireless device is moving closer to the ead 120 generating the beacon , the wireless device 102 , at step 518 notifies the user via the user interface 112 that he / she is moving in the correct direction . the original indicator is replaced with the newly acquired indicator . the control flow then returns to step 512 . fig6 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed view of the wireless device 102 according to one embodiment of the present invention . it is assumed that the reader is familiar with wireless communication devices . to simplify the present description , only that portion of a wireless communication device that is relevant to the present invention is discussed . the wireless device 102 operates under the control of a device controller / processor 602 , that controls the sending and receiving of wireless communication signals . in receive mode , the device controller 602 electrically couples an antenna 604 through a transmit / receive switch 606 to a receiver 608 . the receiver 608 decodes the received signals and provides those decoded signals to the device controller 602 . in transmit mode , the device controller 602 electrically couples the antenna 604 , through the transmit / receive switch 606 , to a transmitter 610 . the wireless device 102 can also include an additional transceiver 110 as discussed above . however , the receiver 608 / transmitter 610 can also provide the functionality of the transceiver 110 discussed above . the wireless device 102 also includes volatile memory 112 and non - volatile storage memory 614 . either of these memories 112 , 114 can include the emergency alert manager 108 and the software components of user interface 112 . each of these components has been discussed above in greater detail . fig7 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed view of an information processing system 700 such as the ead 120 system 116 discussed above . the information processing system 700 includes a computer 732 . the computer 732 has a processor 734 that is connected to a main memory 736 , a transceiver 730 , a mass storage interface 738 , and network adapter hardware 740 . a system bus 742 interconnects these system components . the mass storage interface 738 is used to connect mass storage devices , such as a data storage device to the information processing system 700 . the main memory 736 , in one embodiment , includes an emergency monitor 722 , a device monitor 724 , routing information 726 , and a signal / message generator 728 , which have discussed above in greater detail . the network adapter hardware 740 is used to provide an interface to a network ( not shown ). various embodiments of the present invention can be adapted to work with any data communications connections including present day analog and / or digital techniques or via a future networking mechanism . although specific embodiments of the invention have been disclosed , those having ordinary skill in the art will understand that changes can be made to the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . the scope of the invention is not to be restricted , therefore , to the specific embodiments , and it is intended that the appended claims cover any and all such applications , modifications , and embodiments within the scope of the present invention .
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the present invention is illustrated in a general sense in fig2 where a stress free , multilayer structure is shown . a substrate 10 is provided , preferably of silicon having a ( 100 ) orientation , but recognizing that any crystalline material or orientation intended for use in a dielectrically isolated product can benefit from this invention . typically , this substrate 10 will be approximately 500 μm thick . a dielectrically passivating layer 30 is provided on the substrate . in the preferred practice of the invention , the substrate is silicon , thus , a silicon dioxide passivating layer 30 can be formed by thermal oxidation at a temperature range of 1000 °- 1200 ° c . in a preferred process , the dielectrically passivating layer will be between about 1 and 3 micrometers thick . a transition layer 23 , preferably of doped silica glass having a low softening temperature , is provided on said dielectrically passivating layer and a polycrystalline layer 60 preferably of silicon is deposited on the transition layer 23 at a temperature above the softening temperature of the transition layer 23 . it is desired that the transition layer have a softening temperature substantially lower than the deposition temperature of the subsequently applied poly - crystalline silicon layer 60 to permit densification during the deposition process without creating stress between the transition layer 23 and the densifying polycrystalline layer 60 . an example of a structure which is subject to the stresses caused by application of a polysilicon layer on a silicon substrate is illustrated in fig3 wherein an intermediate step in the formation of dielectrically isolated islands is shown . a silicon substrate 10 having grooves 40 is shown with a dielectrically passivating layer 20 covering the substrate , including the grooves 40 to provide a complete dielectric coating over the substrate . the region 45 in the substrate which is between the grooves 40 40 will eventually become the dielectrically isolated islands . next , a transition layer 23 of highly doped silica glass is provided , preferably by chemical vapor deposition . a suitable doped glass comprises phospho - silica glass containing approximately 10 % phosphorous . this glass can be deposited by chemical vapor deposition at a temperature range of 300 °- 500 ° c . a layer of between about 500 and 10 , 000 angstroms is formed in approximately 10 minutes and will provide a suitable transition layer . directly on this layer , a polysilicon layer 60 is deposited by chemical vapor deposition at a temperature above 1100 ° c . at this temperature the transition layer is softened thus allowing for crystal formation and growth in the polysilicon layer without creating any substantial interlayer stress at the interface with the transition layer . during the crystal formation in the polysilicon , there is densification of the polycrystalline material resulting in shrinkage of the polycrystalline layer . previously , when the polysilicon was applied directly to the dielectrically passivating layer , this densification created substantial interlayer stress and resulted in bending or warping of the final wafer . upon coating of the polysilicon layer , the transition layer hardens and a stress free interface remains . referring now to fig4 a - 4 g the preferred manner of forming dielectrically isolated islands in a di wafer is described . as shown in fig4 a , a silicon wafer 10 preferably having a ( 100 ) orientation is selected and an oxide 20 is grown by thermal oxidation , preferably to a thickness of about 2 micrometers . typically , the silicon wafer will have a thickness of about 500 micrometers . fig4 b illustrates the structure formed as described above and further shows apertures 30 where the oxide has been removed . the apertures 30 are formed by a photolithographic process followed by a conventional wet etch . as shown in fig4 c , grooves 40 are formed in the silicon wafer at the locations of apertures 30 . in this manner , it is possible to obtain uniform groove depth . following groove formation the remaining oxide 20 is stripped and as shown in fig4 d , the substrate 10 has a plurality of grooves 40 which define regions 45 in the substrate betwen the grooves and above the depth of the grooves as shown by dashed line 41 . fig4 e shows the n + layer 42 formed along the entire exposed surface of substrate and the oxide layer 21 which is grown by thermal oxidation along the entire substrate surface , including the surface of grooves 40 . preferably the n + layer is formed by diffusion and will form a buried layer . the oxide layer 21 is a dielectric passivating layer . acceptable alternative to the use of silicon oxide as the dielectric passivating layer include silicon nitride and aluminum oxide , but any other dielectric material could be used . a transition layer 23 of highly doped silica glass is deposited by chemical vapor deposition on the dielectric passivating layer 21 as shown in fig4 f . the transition layer may contain any dopant which substantially reduces the melting temperature of silica glass without causing excessive migration or diffusion of dopants into the substrate . acceptable alternatives to the previously described phospho - silica glass include boro - silica and arseno - silica glass . in each case , it is the reduced melting temperature imparted to the glass which renders these dopants desirable . then , at a temperature above the softening temperature of the transition layer 23 , a layer 60 of polycrystalline silicon is deposited by chemical vapor deposition . the polysilicon layer 60 is deposited at a temperature of between about 1100 ° c . and 1250 ° c . at this temperature , the transition layer 23 of phospho - silica glass , containing approximately 10 % phosphorous , is in a pseudo - liquid state . this permits unrestricted densification of the polysilicon without the creation of any substantial stress between the silicon wafer 10 and the polysilicon layer 60 . the polysilicon layer 60 may preferably be formed with a thickness of about 500 micrometers and the transition layer is optionally between about 0 . 05 micrometers and 1 micrometer thick . the structure so formed is then inverted for subsequent processing as shown in fig4 g . the surface is ground and polished along dashed line 41 to expose the &# 34 ; bottoms &# 34 ; of the grooves 40 . as shown , it is typically easier to slightly exceed the depth necessary to reach the line 41 and this insures that the dielectric material of each groove is exposed . it is at this step that the prior bending and warping of di wafers presented the most severe problem . if the wafer is sufficiently non - planar due to interlayer stresses , the grinding and polishing steps would not consistently result in the exposure of every groove . thus , rather than forming isolated islands 70 as shown in fig4 g , non - isolated regions 75 result as shown in fig5 . every attempt is made to reduce the variations from planarity prior to the grinding and polishing step , thus , it has been found that some slight variations can be overcome by securing the wafers to a vacuum chuck during the grinding and polishing steps . in some instance , the dopant contained in the transition layer may not be sufficiently masked from the silicon islands by the 2 micrometer thick dielectrically passivating layer . particularly , this may occur when the dopant is phosphorous and the dielectrically passivating layer is silicon dioxide . the masking properties of the oxide will be particularly suspect during high temperature processing . to avoid any detrimental effects of dopant diffusion during high temperature processing , an additional mask layers for instance of silicon nitride , may be deposited on the dielectric layer to mask against diffusion at the dopants contained in the transition layer .
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hereinbelow will be described an embodiment of this invention with reference to drawings . fig7 is a general block diagram of the television receiver of the invention and is also used in the description of the prior art . fig1 is a block diagram of this invention showing a caption information processing unit shown in fig7 . a transmitted composite video signal including a caption information ( character information ) is received by an antenna 1 . the received composite video signal is converted to have an intermediate frequency by the tuner 2 . the composite video signal having the intermediate frequency is amplified by an intermediate frequency amplifier which further includes a video signal detection circuit for detecting the composite video signal . the detected composite video signal is supplied to a video signal processing circuit 4 and to the caption information processing circuit 8a . the video signal processing circuit 4 effects the y / c separation , color reproduction , and matrix processings . an output of the video signal processing circuit 4 is supplied to a well - known display size conversion circuit 5 . the display size conversion circuit 5 effects a display size conversion in accordance with a mode signal 31 . when the size mode signal 31 indicates non - conversion , that is , the received video signal is for an oblong crt 7 having an aspect ratio of 16 : 9 , the display size conversion circuit 5 outputs the video signal from the video signal processing circuit 4 without conversion . when the size mode signal 31 indicates the another mode , that is , the received video signal is for a standard crt ( not shown ) having an aspect ratio of 4 : 3 , the display size conversion circuit 5 converts the video signal into another video signal which is suitable for reproduction of the video signal on the oblong crt 7 having the aspect ratio of 16 : 9 as shown in fig5 b , 5c , and 5d . that is , the video image is displayed on the oblong crt 7 in a regular mode where there are non - displayed areas at both sides of the crt 7 , in a cinema mode where there are omitted areas at top and bottom portions , or in a full mode where all picture image displayed but the aspect ratio is unnatural . this processing is carried out using a digital compression technique of the video signal in the time base . an output of the display size conversion circuit 5 is sent to the rgb drive circuit 6 included a display portion 7a . the caption signal processing circuit 8a separates the caption information from the detected video signal and outputs character color data signals r , g , and b indicative of color of characters to be displayed and a switching signal ys indicative of switching between the video signal from the display size conversion circuit 5 and the character color data signals which are produced in accordance with the caption information . the character color data signals r , g , and b and the switching signal ys are sent to the rgb drive circuit 6 in accordance with a caption information on / off signal 32 and the size mode signal 31 . when the caption information on / off signal 32 indicates the non - conversion , the rgb drive circuit 6 outputs rgb drive signals produced from the video signal from the display size conversion circuit 5 to the crt 7 because the switching signal ys remains indicative of outputting only video signal . when the caption information on / off signal 32 indicates on of displaying , the rgb drive circuit 6 outputs rgb drive signals with the character color data signals r , g , and b superimposed in response to the switching signal ys to the crt 7 . a synchronizing circuit 9 separates horizontal and vertical signals from an output signal of the video signal processing circuit 4 and sends the horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals to a horizontal and vertical scanning circuit 10 . the horizontal and vertical scanning circuit 10 has oscillators for producing a horizontal scanning signal of 15 . 75 khz and a vertical scanning signal of 60 hz in response to the horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals from the synchronizing circuit 9 respectively . when the horizontal synchronizing and vertical synchronizing signals are absent , each oscillators performing self - oscillation at a frequency determined by constants of circuit elements thereof when no signal is inputted . a horizontal and vertical deflection circuit 10 supplies horizontal and vertical deflection drive signals to a deflection unit 7b of the crt 7 in response to the horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals from the synchronizing circuit 9 . the horizontal and vertical deflection circuit 10 also performs the displaying size conversion in the cinema mode by over - scanning in response to the size mode signal 31 . the horizontal and vertical deflection circuit 10 also supplies flyback pulses of the vertical synchronizing signals to the caption information processing circuit 8a . the caption information processing circuit 8a determines timing for positioning the caption information , ( i . e ., characters and marks on the image plane of the crt 7 ) in response to the horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals from the horizontal and vertical deflection circuit 10 . as shown in fig1 the caption information processing circuit 8a comprises a front end unit 11 , a decoding unit 12 , and a display control unit 13 . the front end unit 11 receives the composite video signal from the intermediate frequency amplifier 3 and extracts the caption signal multiplexed in the composite video signal at 21st and 284th lines to send the caption signal to the decoding unit 12 . the decoding unit 12 decodes the caption signal and supplies display data to the display control unit 13 when the displaying of the caption information is commanded by a caption information on / off signal 32 . the display control unit 13 supplies r , g , and b character color signals indicative of color of the characters superimposed in the reproduced video image to the rgb drive circuit 6 with color of characters and timing of these signal determined in accordance with the received caption information , the horizontal and vertical signals supplied from the horizontal and vertical deflection circuit 10 , and an oscillation signal produced by an oscillation circuit 13b to the rgb drive circuit 6 . the display control unit 13 also supplies a switching signal ys indicative of timing of switching between the r , g , and b drive signals and the r , g , and b character color signals to the rgb drive circuit 6 with timing of the switching signal ys determined in accordance with the received caption information ; the horizontal and vertical signals supplied from the horizontal and vertical deflection circuit 10 ; and the oscillation signal . more specifically , the decoding unit 12 comprises a character decoding circuit 12a for decoding the caption signal sent from the front end unit 11 to obtain information of characters to be superimposed on the picture plane of the crt 7 in response to the caption information on / off signal 32 and a position data decoding circuit 12b for decoding the caption signal to obtain positional information of characters to be superimposed ; a memory 21 for storing a set of positional data , for displaying the characters , relating to the size modes , namely , vertical start data , horizontal start data , vertical size data , and horizontal size data , and a position and size control circuit 22 for modifying the data read from the memory 21 in accordance with a size mode signal 31 . the character decoding circuit 12a decodes the caption information to obtain decoded information of characters to be superimposed on the reproduced video image . the decoded information of characters is sent to a v ram ( random access memory for storing video data ) 13c . the position data decoding circuit 12b decodes the caption signal to obtain positional information of a character within a display region of character information and sends the positional information to a display control circuit 13a of the display control unit 13 . the memory 21 stores vertical start position data , horizontal start position data , size data indicative of vertical and horizontal sizes of a section for displaying one character to produce the display region as shown in fig6 a and 63 . fig6 a is an illustration for showing a relation between the size of a crt 7 and a region for displaying the caption information , namely , a character display region 35 which is represented by the hatched portion . fig6 a is also used in the description of the prior art . in fig6 a , a denotes a height of the crt ; b denotes a width of the crt 7 ; c denotes a height of the character display region 35 ; d denotes a width of the character display region 35 ; e denotes a vertical end position ; and f denotes a horizontal end position . these sizes a to f are predetermined for the oblong crt 7 . fig1 is an illustration of this invention for showing the vertical and horizontal start position data and vertical and horizontal size data . the vertical start position data vposi indicates a vertical distance between top lift corner of the crt 7 and the character display region 35 . the horizontal start position data hposi indicates a horizontal distance between top left corner of the crt 7 and the character display region 35 . the vertical size data vsize indicates a vertical size of one section included in the character display region 35 , each section indicative of an area on which one character is to be displayed . the horizontal size data hsize indicates a horizontal size of one section . more specifically , the memory 21 stores values set to counters included in the display control circuit 13a . that is , the memory 21 stores a value &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; for vposi ; a value &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; for hposi ; a value &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; for vsize ; and a value &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; for hsize . fig6 b is an illustration for showing a map of displayed characters within the character display region 35 and is also used in the description of the prior art . the character display region 35 includes 34 rows and 15 columns wherein the first and 34th columns are not used for displaying and one character is displayed on one section defined by one row and one column . the memory 21 supplies the vertical and horizontal start position data and vertical and horizontal size data to the position and size control circuit 22 . the position and size control circuit 22 modifies the vertical and horizontal start position data and vertical and horizontal size data from the memory 21 in accordance with the mode of the reproduction of the video signal , namely , the size mode signal 31 to display characters of the caption information at suitable positions respectively . the display control unit 13 comprises the display control circuit 13a ; an oscillation circuit 13b ; a v ram 13c ; a character rom 13d ; an attribute control circuit 13f ; and an output control circuit 13e . the v ram 13c stores character data obtained by decoding the caption information and supplies an address signal to the character rom 13d as a character address data . the character rom 13d supplies character font data to the output control circuit 13e in response to a timing signal from the display control circuit 13a . the output control circuit 13e supplies r , g , and b character color signals and the switching signal ys to the rgb drive circuit 6 in response to an output of the oscillation circuit 13d . the display control circuit 13a supplies the timing signal for displaying the character font data from the character rom 13d at the commanded position with a suitable size . that is , the display control circuit 13a produces the timing signal using the horizontal synchronizing signal hsync to determine timing of the vertical displaying of the character and using the clock signal 37 outputted from the oscillation circuit 13b to determine timing of displaying of the characters in the horizontal direction . the oscillation circuit 13d is controlled to output the clock signal 37 in response to the vertical synchronizing signal vsync . fig1 also shows a timing relation between the vertical synchronizing signal vsync , horizontal synchronizing signal hsync , and the clock signal 37 produced by the oscillation circuit 13b . fig1 is partial a block diagram of this invention for showing the display control circuit 13a shown in fig1 . the display control circuit 13a comprises a horizontal start position counter circuit 51 ; a horizontal size counter circuit 52 ; a vertical start position counter circuit 53 ; a vertical counter circuit 54 ; and a timing signal generation circuit 55 . the vertical start position counter 53 counts pulses of horizontal synchronizing signal hsync after reception of the vertical synchronizing signal vsync supplied to a reset input ( r ) thereof . the position and size control circuit 22 sets the vertical start potion vposi , for example &# 34 ; a &# 34 ;, to the vertical start position counter circuit 53 and the count value is reset by the vertical synchronizing signal , so that when the vertical start position counter circuit 53 counts pulses of the horizontal synchronizing signal corresponding to vposi , the vertical start position counter circuit 53 provides a vertical start timing from the top left corner of the picture plane . the vertical start timing starts counting of the horizontal synchronizing signal by the vertical size counter circuit 54 and horizontal start position counter circuit through and gates 56 and 57 respectively . the horizontal start position counter circuit 51 counts the clock signal 37 in response to the vertical start timing and provides a horizontal start timing because the horizontal start position hposi , for example &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; is set to this counter circuit 51 through a data set input thereof . this counter circuit 51 is reset by the horizontal synchronizing signal hsync . therefore , the horizontal start position counter 51 provides a horizontal start timing signal . the horizontal start timing signal starts the horizontal size counter circuit 52 through an and gate 58 . the horizontal size counter circuit 52 counts the clock signal 37 in response to the horizontal start timing and provides a timing signal indicative of horizontal position of characters because the value of the horizontal size hsize , for example &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; is set to this counter circuit 52 through a data set input thereof . this counter circuit 51 is reset by the horizontal synchronizing signal hsync . therefore , the horizontal size counter circuit 52 provide timing of each of columns c1 to c34 at each of rows r1 to r15 . the vertical size counter circuit 54 counts the horizontal synchronizing signal hsync in response to the vertical start timing and provides a timing signal indicative of vertical position of characters because the value of the horizontal size hsize , for example &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; is set to this counter circuit 54 through a data set input thereof . this counter circuit 54 is reset by the vertical synchronizing signal vsync . therefore , the vertical size counter circuit 54 provides timing of each start at rows r1 to r15 . the vertical size counter circuit 54 outputs a row signal indicative of which row is displayed now and the horizontal size counter circuit 52 outputs a column signal indicative of which column is displayed now . the timing signal generation circuit 55 outputs the timing signal to the v ram 13c in response to the clock signal 37 when the column signal and the row signal agree with the position data sent from the position data decoding circuit 12b . that is , the timing signal generation circuit 55 includes a comparing circuit ( not shown ) for comparing the column signal and row signal with the position data and a gate circuit ( not shown ) for outputting the timing signal when the column signal and the row signal agree with the position data . fig5 b to 5d are illustrations for showing respective displaying modes wherein a circle represented by a video signal for the standard type crt having the aspect ratio of 4 : 3 is displayed on the oblong crt 7 and are used in the description of the invention . fig5 a is an illustration for showing a picture plane of a prior art television where a circle represented by the video signal for the standard type get having the aspect ratio of 4 : 3 is displayed . if this video signal is displayed on the television receiver having the oblong crt 7 with the aspect ratio of 16 : 9 without a compression processing , the circle is displayed in an oval ( hereinafter , this mode is referred to as a full mode ) as shown in fig5 d . then , a compression processing for compressing the video signal in the horizontal direction is carried out to make the oval close to the circle as shown in fig5 b ( hereinafter this mode is referred to as a regular mode ). in this mode , though there are non - displayed areas , i . e ., black areas at both side of the crt 7 , the circle is correctly reproduced . in other words , a frame 70 of picture plane of the video signal to be reproduced on the get having the aspect ratio of 4 : 3 is provided within a frame 71 of the crt 7 . fig5 c shows a condition that the video signal is displayed with the aspect ratio of the displayed image unchanged by over - scanning of the horizontal and vertical deflection circuit 10 in response to the size mode signal 31 . that is , the video image is enlarged in the vertical direction compared with the full mode as shown in fig5 d ( this mode is referred to as a cinema mode ). the user cannot watch the areas within the chain lines in fig5 c . however , this cinema mode provides the most strong appeal to the user . therefore , this cinema mode is suitable for reproducing a cinema . in this mode about 80 % of the original video image is reproduced . in other words , about 380 horizontal scanning lines are reproduced though the original video image includes about 480 horizontal scanning lines . in the full mode as shown in fig5 d , the position and size control circuit 22 outputs the vertical and horizontal start position data vposi = a and hposi = b as they are and the vertical and horizontal size data vsize = c and hsize = d to the display control circuit 13a . in the cinema mode as shown in fig5 c , the vertical start position and size data are modified . fig1 a is an illustration for showing an image plane of the crt 7 in the cinema mode as shown in fig5 c . a frame denoted by a solid line indicates the picture plane of the crt 7 with the aspect ration of 16 : 9 and an outer frame denoted by a chain line denotes an imaginary picture plane of a video signal for the standard crt having the aspect ratio of 4 : 3 wherein the video signal is time - expanded to enlarge the original picture plane to produce the imaginary image plane with an aspect ratio of 16 : 12 . an inner frame denoted with a chain line indicates the original image plane of the standard crt . in fig1 a , a ratio between a vertical size of the imaginary enlarged picture plane 36 and that of the picture plane of the crt 7 is given : therefore , in order to display the character information fully on the crt 7 , the vertical size of a section is compressed , i . e ., the vertical size of the character region 35 is 3 / 4 times that of the imaginary picture plane 36 . timing of the vertical start position vposi is delayed for an interval given : more specifically , the vertical size of 3 / 4 - compression is obtained by counting 3 / 4 times the value c , namely , 3 / 4c , of pulses of the horizontal synchronizing signal hsync . the delaying the start timing is obtained by increasing the value a which is given by : the counting is started from the position s as shown in fig1 a because in the cinema mode the horizontal and vertical deflection circuit 10 perform over scanning . therefore , the position and size control circuit 22 modifies the vertical start position data vposi and vertical size data vsize such that vposi =( 9 / 8 ) a and vsize =( 3 / 4 ) c in the cinema mode and outputs the result to the display control circuit 13a . the display control circuit 13a includes vertical counters . the value ( 9 / 8 ) a is set to a vertical start position counter 53 which counts the horizontal synchronizing signal hsync to provide a start timing of the vertical size counter 54 and the horizontal start position counter 51 . the value 3 / 4c is set to the vertical size counter 54 which counts pulses of the horizontal synchronizing signal to provide the row signal . the horizontal start position and horizontal size data are outputted and set to the horizontal start counter 51 and horizontal size counters 52 from the position and size control circuit 22 as they are . as mentioned above , all caption information multiplexed in the video signal for the standard television having a crt with the aspect ratio of 4 : 3 is suitably displayed on the oblong crt having the aspect ratio of 16 : 9 in the cinema mode . however , in this condition , the vertical positions of characters slightly deviates from those on the standard type television with the aspect ratio of 4 : 3 and the vertical size of each character is slightly small . therefore , it is better to compensate the shape of each character by reduction of horizontal size by increasing a frequency of the clock signal 37 . fig1 b is an illustration for showing the picture plane in the regular mode . fig1 c is an illustration for showing a relation between the picture plane of the crt 7 and the character display region 85 in the regular mode . in the regular mode , the video signal for the standard type television having a crt with the aspect ratio of 4 : 3 is fully displayed on the oblong crt 7 and the caption information can be also displayed on the oblong crt 7 . however , as shown in fig1 c , the caption information is displayed with a horizontal size of the frame of the character display region enlarged at a ratio of 16 / 12 = 4 / 3 with respect to the picture plane of the video signal in the regular mode . that is , the left and right sides of the character display region ranges over the non - displayed areas 39a and 39b . therefore , the aspect ratio of the frame of the character display region 35 should be restored to the original aspect ratio of 4 : 3 . that is , the horizontal size is 3 / 4 - compressed and the horizontal start position or the horizontal start timing is delayed by the width of the left non - display region 39a . namely , the horizontal start timing is delayed by : in order to 3 / 4 - compression , data to be set to the horizontal size counter 52 is obtained by multiplication of &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; by 3 / 4 . the delaying of the horizontal start timing is obtained by data to be set to the horizontal start position counter 51 is obtained by multiplication of &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; by ( 1 + 1 / 8 )= 9 / 8 . the position and size control circuit 22 modifies the data &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; ( read from the memory 21 ) to be set to the horizontal start position counter 51 such that hposi =( 9 / 8 ) b and the data &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; ( read from the memory 21 ) to be set to the horizontal size counter 52 such that hsize =( 3 / 4 ) d . the data for determining the vertical start position vposi and the vertical size vsize are outputted as they are . therefore , the characters displayed in accordance with the caption information ranges within the display region of the video signal in the regular mode and the aspect ratio of a character is corrected because the aspect ratio is restored to the original aspect ratio . fig2 shows a flow chart of this embodiment of this invention . the decoding unit 12 includes a microprocessor ( not shown ) and executes a stored program as shown in the flow chart shown in fig2 . processing starts at step 201 . in the following step 202 , a flag indicative of displaying / non - displaying of the caption information ( dsp . flg ) is reset . in the following step 203 , a decision is made as to whether or not the size mode signal is inputted and which mode is commanded . if the regular mode is commanded , processing proceeds to step 204 . in step 204 , data of vposi ( a ), hposi ( b ), vsize ( c ), and hsize ( d ) are read from the memory 21 and data of hposi is multiplied by ( 9 / 8 ), namely , hposi =( 9 / 8 ) b is obtained . similarly , data of hsize is multiplied by ( 3 / 4 ), namely , hposi =( 3 / 4 ) d is obtained . these data are sent to the display control circuit 13a . if the cinema mode is commanded in the step 203 , processing proceeds to step 205 . in step 205 , data of vposi ( a ), hposi ( b ), vsize ( c ), and hsize ( d ) are read from the memory 21 and data of vposi is multiplied by ( 9 / 8 ), namely , vposi =( 9 / 8 ) a is obtained . similarly , data of vsize is multiplied by ( 3 / 4 ), namely , hposi =( 3 / 4 ) c is obtained . these data are sent to the display control circuit 13a . if the full mode is commanded , processing proceeds to step 206 . in step 206 , data of vposi ( a ), hposi ( b ), vsize ( c ), and hsize ( d ) are read from the memory 21 and these data are sent to the display control circuit 13a without modification . then , processing proceeds to step 207 . in step 203 , if the size mode signal is absent , processing directly proceeds to step 207 . after processing in the step 204 and 205 , processing proceeds to step 207 also . in step 207 , a decision is made to as whether or not the caption information on / off signal is present . in the absence of the caption information on / off signal , processing returns to step 203 . in the presence of the caption information on / off signal , processing proceeds to step 208 . in step 208 , a decision is made as to whether or not the displaying / non - displaying flag of the caption information ( dsp . flg ) has been set . if the displaying / non - displaying flag has been set to 0 , the flag is set to 1 . in the following step 210 , the displaying of the caption information is started . that is , the character decoding circuit 12 starts outputting the decoded caption information . if the displaying / non - displaying flag has been set to 1 , the flag is set to 0 . in the following step 212 , the displaying of the caption information is stopped . that is , the character decoding circuit 12 stops the outputting of the decoded caption information . fig3 is a partial block diagram of the second embodiment of this invention . in the first embodiment , changing of the vertical or horizontal start position and vertical or horizontal size is performed by modification of the data set to the counters included in the display control circuit 13 . in contrast , in the second embodiment , a frequency of the input signal of the vertical start position and size counters 53 and 54 and horizontal start position and size counters 51 and 52 in the display control circuit 13 is changed . that is , the horizontal synchronizing signal hsync is 4 / 3 - frequency multiplier and a frequency of a clock 40 of a oscillation circuit 13f is varied in accordance with the size mode signal from the standard frequency f1 . a switching circuit 45 is provided to supply the horizontal synchronizing signal to the display control circuit 13a directly or through the 4 / 3 - frequency multiplier 41 in accordance with a switching control signal 42 . therefore , the position and size control circuit 22 does not modifies the data read from the memory 21 in accordance with the size mode signal 31 basically . in addition , the decoding unit 12f outputs the switching control signal 42 and frequency control signal 43 and its other functions are the same as the decoding unit 12e of the first embodiment . in the full mode , all caption information can be displayed without compression or enlargement . therefore , the horizontal synchronizing signal is supplied to the display control circuit 13 directly through the switching circuit 45 . the decoding unit 12f outputs the switching control signal 42 to cause the switching circuit 45 to transfer the horizontal signal directly , that is , the switching circuit 45 is moved to the off position . the decoding unit 12f supplies a frequency control signal 43 to the variable oscillator 13f . in this mode , the decoding unit 12f causes the variable oscillator 13f to oscillate at the standard frequency f1 , that is , the frequency for displaying the character information on the oblong crt 7 with the aspect ratio of 16 : 9 with video signal for the oblong crt 7 having the aspect ratio of 16 : 9 . the decoding unit 12f reads data of vposi = a , vsize = c , hposi = b , and hsize = d are set to respective counters in the display control circuit 13a . in the cinema mode , the vertical size of the character display region 35 should be 3 / 4 - compressed vertically . in the first embodiment , data set to the vertical start position counter circuit 53 and vertical size counter circuit 54 are modified . however , in the second embodiment , the data set to these counter circuits are unchanged basically but the frequency of the horizontal synchronizing signal is 4 / 3 - frequency multiplied . this compresses the vertical size of the display region 25 also . the decoding circuit 12f outputs the switching control signal 42 to cause the switching circuit 45 to supply the 4 / 3 - frequency - multiplexed horizontal synchronizing signal to the display control circuit 13a . the frequency of the variable oscillation circuit 13f is set to the standard frequency f1 . preferably , because in the condition mentioned above , the shape of a character is oblong , the frequency of the variable oscillation circuit 13f is slightly increased to compensate the shape of the character . in this cinema mode , the data set to the respective counters in the display control circuit 13a are vposi ( 7 / 6 ) a , vsize = c , hposi = b , and hsize = d . here , the reason why the vposi is not ( 9 / 8 ) a which is used in the first embodiment , is that the frequency of the horizontal synchronizing signal is obtained by 4 / 3 - frequency - multiplying the horizontal synchronizing signal hsync , so that the data set to the vertical start counter circuit 53 is compensated to match the 4 / 3 - frequency - multiplied frequency . that is , vposi is given by : in the regular mode , the horizontal size of the character display region 35 should be 3 / 4 - compressed . the horizontal size of the character display region is determined by the count of the pulses of clock signal 40 of the oscillation circuit 13f . therefore , the horizontal size of the character display region 35 can be compressed by 4 / 3 - frequency multiplying the frequency of the oscillation circuit 13f similarly when the data set to the horizontal size counter is unchanged . it is unnecessary to change the vertical size of the character display region , so that the switching circuit 45 is switched to the off position , that is , the horizontal synchronize signal is supplied to the display control circuit 13a directly . in the regular mode , the data set to the counters in the display control circuit 13 are vposi = a , vsize = c , hposi =( 7 / 6 ) b , and hsize = d . here , the reason why the hposi is not ( 9 / 8 ) b which is used in the first embodiment , is that the frequency of the clock signal 40 is obtained by 4 / 3 - frequency - multiplying the standard frequency f1 , so that the data set to the horizontal start position counter 51 is compensated to match the frequency of the oscillation circuit 13f . that is , hposi is given by : fig4 shows a flow chart of the second embodiment of this invention . processing start at step 301 . in the following step 302 , a flag indicative of displaying / non - displaying of the caption information ( dsp . flg ) is reset . in the following step 303 , the position and size control circuit 22 in the decoding unit 12f reads data of vposi = a , hposi = b , vsize = c , and hsize = d are read from the memory 21 and set them to the vertical start position and size counters 53 and 54 and horizontal start position and size counters 51 and 52 of the display control circuit 13 respectively . in the following step 304 , a decision is made as to whether or not the size mode signal is present and which mode is commanded . if the regular mode is commanded , processing proceeds to step 305 . in step 305 , the decoding unit outputs the frequency control signal 43 to cause the oscillation circuit 13f to change the frequency of its output to a frequency 4 / 3 times the standard frequency f1 ; modifies the data set to the horizontal start counter to hposi =( 7 / 6 ) b and sets the modified data to the horizontal start position counter 51 ; and outputs the switching control signal 42 to switch the switching circuit 45 to off position . in step 304 , if the cinema mode is commanded , processing proceeds to step 306 . in step 306 , the decoding unit 12f outputs the frequency control signal 43 to cause the oscillation circuit 13f to set the frequency of its output to the standard frequency f1 ; modifies the data set to the vertical start counter circuit 53 to vposi =( 7 6 ) a and sets the modified data to the horizontal start position counter circuit 51 ; and outputs the switching control signal 42 to switch the switching circuit 45 to on position . in step 304 , if the full mode is commanded , processing proceeds to step 807 . in step 307 , the decoding unit 12f outputs the frequency control signal 43 to cause the oscillation circuit 13f to change the frequency of its output to the standard frequency f1 and outputs the switching control signal 42 to switch the switching circuit 45 to the off position . then processing proceeds to step 308 . in step 304 , if the size mode signal is absent , processing directly proceeds to step 308 . after processing of steps 305 and 306 , processing proceeds to step 308 also . in step 308 , a decision is made to as whether the caption information on / off signal is present . in the absence of the caption information on / off signal , processing returns to step 304 . in the presence of the caption information on / off signal , processing proceeds to step 309 . in step 309 , a decision is made as to whether or not the displaying / non - displaying flag of the caption information ( dsp . flg ) has been set . if the displaying / non - displaying flag has been set to 0 , the flag is set to 1 in step 310 . in the following step 311 , the displaying of the caption information is started . that is , the character decoding circuit 12 starts outputting the decoded caption information . if the displaying / non - displaying flag has been set to 1 , the flag is set to 0 in step 312 . in the following step 313 , the displaying of the caption information is stopped . that is , the character decoding circuit 12a stops the outputting of the decoded caption information . in the second embodiment , the switching circuit 45 and the 4 / 3 - frequency multiplier 41 are used . however , a variable n / m - frequency multiplier ( not shown ) capable of changing the multiplying ratio in accordance with a control signal ( not shown ) supplied from the decoding unit 12f can be used and thus , the switching circuit 45 can be omitted . moreover , in the first and second embodiments , both horizontal and vertical start positions and character sizes are changed . however , it is effective that only horizontal start position and character size are controlled . for example , such controlling is effective to the regular mode . further , it is also effective that only vertical start position and vertical character size are controlled . for example , such controlling is effective to the cinema mode . for example , in a television receiver wherein only vertical start position and size are controlled in the cinema mode . in the regular mode , the caption information of characters can be displayed on the crt 7 at a regular aspect ratio by feeding the output of the caption information processing circuit 8a to the display size converting circuit 5 though a picture quality of characters will decrease . in the embodiments mentioned above , the video signal for the standard type of televisions having the aspect ratio of 4 : 3 is reproduced on the oblong crt 7 at some aspect ratios . however , this invention is applicable to the combining of video signals for various aspect picture planes and character information picture plane .
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referring first to fig1 a perspective view is shown of a trade show and presentation modular display structure 10 , made up of various individual panel sections 12 , 14 , and 16 which are joined together to build a display structure having a desired size and configuration . the panels 12 , 14 , and 16 can be conveniently manufactured into a variety of sizes and shapes , such as rectangular sections , and can be used for displaying material in different ways . in fig1 for example , the panels 12 and 14 can be used for displaying material which need not be backlit . the panels 16 are for use where backlighting of graphics placed on a front face is desired . fig2 and 3 are perspective view of a single backlit panel section 16 . each panel section 16 has side rails 18 , a top rail 20 and a bottom rail 22 which are joined together to define a framework 24 with an opening 26 between the rails . the opening 26 is filed with a panel of material 28 . in the case of panels which are to be backlit , the material 28 is transparent or translucent , such as thermoplastic plastic materials , e . g . plexiglas ®, upon which text , graphics and / or artwork to be illuminated are placed . referring to fig4 a , a rear perspective view of the backlighting light fixture 30 is shown . it utilizes a sheet of resilient and flexible material to form a reflector and lamp support portion 32 . fig4 b is a cross - sectional view of the reflector and lamp support portion 32 in its unbowed state . the material is preferably opaque and reflects light well . the inventors have had good success in using 2 mm thick sheets of white expanded polyvinyl chloride , sold under the trade name sintra . sintra is lightweight yet strong , fire rated , easy to clean and maintain , readily cuttable to size , resilient and flexible , yet when heated will maintain any desired contours and bends . the reflector and lamp support portion 32 has side edges 34 and top and bottom edges , 36 and 38 , respectively , and an inside surface 40 and an outside surface 42 ( see fig7 .) at least one light source 44 is detachably yet securely positioned against the inside surface 40 of the reflector and lamp support portion 32 . the inventors find that fluorescent lamps , such as the general electric brand &# 34 ; bright stick &# 34 ; strip 33 watt fluorescent lamp , which has a single fluorescent lamp with an electronic ballast , all in a low profile strip package , can be detachably attached to the inside surface 40 of the reflector portion 32 , and provide good , even lighting . this detachable attachment feature can be readily provided by affixing first detachable attachment means 46 to the inside surface 40 of the reflector and lamp support portion 32 . a second complementary detachably detachment means 48 is affixed to portions the back of the light source 44 , as is best shown in fig5 . in the preferred embodiment , patches of complementary hook and loop material 46 and 48 , such as velcro ®, are used to provide this detachable attachment feature . however , alternate means can be used to provide the detachable attachability . preferably , at least one aperture 50 is formed through the reflector and lamp support portion 32 for passage of electrical power cords 52 of the light source 44 . referring to fig4 a , 4b , and 6 - 9 , a first embodiment of the reflector and lamp support portion 32 is shown . in this embodiment , the sides 34 of the reflector and lamp support portion 32 are bent rearwardly at an angle to form lip regions 54 . the angle of the bend is preferably set such that when the reflector and lamp support portion 32 , normally a flat sheet ( see fig4 b ), is bowed rearwardly away from its two sides 34 , the lip regions 54 will be oriented generally parallel to the plane of the panel of material 28 , and will be slidable received in channels 56 in the side rails 18 of the framework 24 . the resiliency of the sheet of material of the reflector and lamp support portion 32 naturally biases it back to its original , unbent and flat state . by bowing the reflector and lamp support portion 32 of the backlighting light fixture 32 rearwardly , and sliding the two lip regions 54 of the into channels 56 in the two side rails 18 of the framework 24 , and allowing the reflector and lamp support portion 32 to spring back slightly , the backlighting light fixture 32 will be securely retained in contact with the framework 24 , and will be positioned behind the image bearing panel 28 . removing the backlighting light fixture 32 is easily accomplished by pushing the sides 34 of the reflector and lamp support portion 32 inwardly . referring to fig6 , and 11 , the reflector and lamp support portion 32 preferably has notched corners 58 to clear internal corners 60 of the assembled frame sections 24 . the notched corners 58 permit the reflector and lamp support portion 32 to be sized such that its top and bottom edges 36 and 38 , respectively , are lined up with the top of the top rail section 20 and the bottom of the rail section 22 . this alignment gives the assembled panels 16 greater stability when standing , since the bottom edge 38 of the reflector and lamp support portion 32 will sit on the floor support surface . it also contributes to the stability of stacked panels , as is shown in fig1 . the notches 58 prevent the backlighting light fixture 32 from sliding up or down relative to the framework 24 . in lieu of sliding the lip regions 54 into a channel 56 of a side rail 18 , the lip region 54 can alternately be engaged behind the panel of material 28 with clips , or other means ( not shown .) referring now to fig8 with the backlighting light fixture 32 attached to the framework 24 , the light sources 44 will be spaced a distance &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; away from the image bearing panel 28 . in versions wherein the panels 16 are 30 inches wide , using a reflector and lamp support portion 32 which is about 34 inches wide in its unbowed state will bow sufficiently such that the light source &# 39 ; s 44 spacing away from the rear surface of the image bearing panel 28 &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; is about six inches . this spacing is far enough such that two spaced apart fluorescent bulbs 44 will disperse their light evenly through the image bearing panel 28 . by using a slightly wider reflector and lamp support portion 32 , the spacing &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; can be increased , if desired . referring now to fig1 - 12 , a second embodiment of the backlighting light fixture 70 is shown . in this embodiment , rather than utilizing a single sheet of material to form a reflector and lamp support portion , two reflector and lamp support sections 74 and 76 are joined together along a vertical line by a splice joiner member 78 . the splice joiner member 78 has a back wall 80 , front walls 82 , and a divider 84 , defining two channels 86 into which vertical inside edge regions 88 of the reflector and lamp support sections 74 and 76 are placed . the advantage of this second embodiment 70 of the backlighting light fixture is that since the two reflector and lamp support sections 74 and 76 are narrower than the width of the framework 24 of the panel 16 to which it attaches , the two reflector and lamp support sections 74 and 76 can be placed in a box exactly sized for the panel sections 16 in a lay flat position without any bending . other features of backlighting light fixture 70 are the same as the first embodiment . referring to fig1 , an alternate engagement means to detachably engage the backlighting light fixtures 30 and 70 to the panels 16 is shown . in this system , an adapter member 90 is provided . the adapter member 90 has a portion 92 which is adapted to engage with the channel 56 of the side rails 18 , and a slot channel 94 which is oriented at an angle adapted to receive unbent side edges 96 of a bowed reflector and lamp support portion 98 . with this alternate engagement means , the spring force of the bowed backlighting light fixture &# 39 ; s reflector and lamp support portion 98 prevents its unbent side edges 96 from slipping out of the channel 94 of the adapter member 90 , and also aids in preventing the adapter member 90 from inadvertently coming out of the channel 56 of the side rail 18 . the adapter member 90 can be rolled into the channel 56 , and preferably has a edge 100 which pushes the image bearing panel 28 forwardly , to help prevent the panel 28 from shaking or shifting in the framework 24 . since the backlighting light fixtures 30 and 70 are arcuate when installed , they can be utilized in display structures where complete edge - to - edge backlighting is desired . for example , the backlighting light fixtures 30 and 70 can be used in assembling column structures where adjacent panels , oriented 90 degrees apart , are to be backlit . using prior art rectangular box - shaped backlighting light fixtures , it is not possible to achieve edge - to - edge lighting of the outside corners of panels assembled into columns . referring to fig1 , an optional arcuate top cap 102 which can be detachably placed on top of backlighting light fixtures 30 or 70 , to block any incident light from escaping out of its open top . the top cap 104 can be detachably retained above the top edge 36 of the reflector and lamp support portions ( see fig4 a ), by straps 104 with patches of hook / or loop material 106 , with corresponding hook and loop material 108 placed on the back side 42 of the reflector and lamp support portion 30 ( see fig2 .) alternately , clips 110 which have channels 112 and 114 offset at 90 degrees and sized to slideably receive the edge 116 of the top cap 102 and the top edge 36 of the reflector and lamp support portions 32 or 70 . for flush mounting , the top cap 102 can also be sized to fit just inside the reflector and lamp support portion 32 , just under its top edge 36 , with appropriate clip means ( not shown ). the backlighting light fixtures 30 and 70 of the invention have been described for use in an environment of vertical panels . the backlighting light fixtures 30 and 70 of the invention are also adapted for use in backlighting of horizontal surfaces , such as horizontal display stands with light translucent tops , such as , photographic light tables , and the like . for these purposes , the light fixtures will be mounted horizontally under a light translucent top . however , in other respects , the backlighting light fixture can be utilized as above - described . the advantages of the invention over the prior art systems are many . the total weight of the backlighting light fixture of the invention , including two 25 inch long , 33 watt ge &# 34 ; bright stick &# 34 ; fluorescent lamps , and their cords , weight less than five pounds , which compares favorably with prior art systems which weigh 15 pounds and more . this far lighter weight makes shipping and handling of the backlighting light fixture easier and less expensive . the installation of the backlighting light fixture of the invention can be made quickly and easily , without tools . replacing burnt out light bulbs is also easier . the backlighting light fixture of the invention is far more compact to ship since its lights can be detached from the reflector and lamp support portion and the panels and lights will fit into a shipping container occupying much room . the cost of manufacturing the backlighting light fixture is also far less than prior art backlighting light fixtures since it is so simple in design , and can be made so quickly . the drawings and the foregoing description are not intended to represent the only form of the invention in regard to the details of this construction and manner of operation . the terms &# 34 ; horizontal &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; vertical &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; top &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; bottom &# 34 ;, and &# 34 ; sides &# 34 ; are not meant to be limitations herein , as the invention will function with the backlighting light fixture being bowed from top to bottom , and being oriented horizontally . in fact , it will be evident to one skilled in the art that modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . although specific terms have been employed , they are intended in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for the purpose of limitation , the scope of the invention being delineated in the following the claims which follow .
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reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts . fig3 and fig4 illustrate diagrams of dual scan methods of passive matrix display panels according to the present invention , respectively . each of the display panels shown in fig3 and fig4 has a passive matrix structure of 120 ( column lines / data lines )* 160 ( row lines / scan lines ). each of the display panels of fig3 and fig4 carries out a dual scan on each eighty lines of upper and lower halves of scan lines . referring to fig3 , a display panel having one hundred sixty scan lines is divided into an upper half and a lower half . namely , the upper half includes 1 st to 80 th scan lines and the lower half includes 81 st to 160 th scan lines . a scan line driving sequence of the above - constituted display panel according to the present invention is described as follows . referring to fig3 , a sequential scan is carried out on the scan lines ( 1 st to 80 th scan lines ) of the upper half and the scan lines ( 81 st to 160 th scan lines ) of the lower half to be symmetrical on a central axis of the panel . namely , the scan is carried out so that the scan lines of the upper half and the other scan lines of the lower half are symmetrical to each other in a direction from outside to center of the panel . the scan is sequentially carried out on the scan lines of the upper half from the 1 st to 80 th scan lines while the other scan is sequentially carried out on the scan lines of the lower half from the 160 th to 81 st scan lines of the lower half . hence , the scans are simultaneously carried out on the scan lines of the upper and lower halves for 1 frame time . more specifically , in a 1 st scan time , the 1 st scan line of the upper half and the 160 th scan line of the lower half are simultaneously scanned . subsequently , in a 2nd scan time , the 2nd scan line of the upper half and the 159 th scan line of the lower half are simultaneously scanned . next , in a 3 rd scan time , the 3 rd scan line of the upper half and the 158 th scan line of the lower half are simultaneously scanned . in the above - explained sequence manner , the respective scan lines are consecutively scanned . in a 78 th scan time , the 78 th scan line of the upper half and the 83 rd scan line of the lower half are simultaneously scanned . and , in a 79 th scan time , the 80 th scan line of the upper half and the 81 st scan line of the lower half are simultaneously scanned . finally , in an 80 th scan time , the 80 th scan line of the upper half and the 81 st scan line of the lower half are simultaneously scanned to finish the scan for one frame . and , in the subsequent frame , the scan is carried out in the above - explained same manner to make a corresponding pixel emit light . using such a scan sequence can eliminate the instant light generated from a center of the panel . on the other hand , fig4 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig4 , a display panel having one hundred sixty scan lines is divided into an upper half and a lower half . namely , the upper half includes 1 st to 80 th scan lines and the lower half includes 81 st to 160 th scan lines . the scan lines ( 1 st to 80 th scan lines ) of the upper half and the scan lines ( 81 st to 160 th scan lines ) of the lower half are sequentially scanned to be symmetrical to each other on a central axis of the panel . namely , the scan is carried out so that the scan lines of the upper half and the other scan lines of the lower half are symmetrical to each other in a direction from center to outside of the panel . the scan is sequentially carried out on the scan lines of the upper half from the 80 th to 1 st scan lines while the other scan is sequentially carried out on the scan lines of the lower half from the 81 st to 160 th scan lines of the lower half . hence , the scans are simultaneously carried out on the scan lines of the upper and lower halves for 1 frame time . more specifically , in a 1 st scan time , the 80 th scan line of the upper half and the 81 st scan line of the lower half are simultaneously scanned . subsequently , in a 2 nd scan time , the 79 th scan line of the upper half and the 82 nd scan line of the lower half are simultaneously scanned . next , in a 3 rd scan time , the 78 th scan line of the upper half and the 83 rd scan line of the lower half are simultaneously scanned . in the above - explained sequence manner , the respective scan lines are consecutively scanned . in a 78 th scan time , the 3 rd scan line of the upper half and the 158 th scan line of the lower half are simultaneously scanned . and , in a 79 th scan time , the 2 nd scan line of the upper half and the 159 th scan line of the lower half are simultaneously scanned . finally , in an 80 th scan time , the 1 st scan line of the upper half and the 160 th scan line of the lower half are simultaneously scanned to finish the scan for one frame . and , in the subsequent frame , the scan is carried out in the above - explained same manner to make a corresponding pixel emit light . using such a scan sequence can eliminate the instant light generated from a center of the panel . accordingly , the dual scan method of the passive matrix display panel according to the present invention enables to eliminate the strong light generated instantly from the central part of the display panel by scanning the panel symmetrically on the central axis of the display panel . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention . thus , it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents .
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it has now been discovered that the association of phaseolus vulgaris extract with a standardised phaseolamin content and alpinia officinarum extract with a standardised 3 - methylethergalangin content is particularly effective for the prevention and treatment of obesity and type ii diabetes . this invention consequently relates to compositions containing phaseolus vulgaris extract with a standardised phaseolamin content and alpinia officinarum extract with a standardised 3 - methylethergalangin content for the prevention and treatment of obesity and type ii diabetes . more particularly , the compositions according to the invention contain phaseolamin and 3 - methylethergalangin in the ratio of 1 : 5 . the compositions to which this invention relates are in gastroprotected form , to prevent the breakdown of phaseolamin on contact with the gastric juices and to guarantee the stability of 3 - methylethergalangin even at a ph of 1 . according to a preferred aspect , the compositions according to the invention will contain alpinia officinarum extract in ethyl acetate , with a standardised 3 - methylethergalangin content . according to a preferred aspect , the compositions according to the invention will contain indena phaseolamin standardised from 5 to 18 % ( with a phytohaemagglutinin content of between 0 . 01 and 0 . 06 %). this phaseolamin will be gastroprotected according to the process described in italian patent application no . mi2004a000313 . the phaseolamin content of the compositions according to the invention will range between approx . 0 . 1 and approx . 1000 mg , preferably between 2 and 10 mg . the 3 - methylgalangin content of the compositions according to the invention will range between approx . 0 . 1 and approx . 500 mg , preferably between 1 and 100 mg . the compositions according to the invention cause a reduction in the blood glucose peak and the postprandial lipid peak greater than that generated by the sum of the effects obtained after separate administration of the individual constituents of the association , apparently due to synergy between the individual constituents . the compositions according to the invention will preferably be taken a few minutes before meals , to ensure that the product arrives when pancreatic secretion has begun and just before emptying of the stomach , with arrival of the food at the same level . this administration will reduce the absorption of free sugar , lipids and triglycerides , with a consequent calorie reduction and a reduced risk of obesity and diabetes . the compositions according to the invention could be formulated suitably for oral administration , and will be prepared according to conventional methods well known in pharmaceutical technology , such as those described in remington &# 39 ; s pharmaceutical handbook , mack publishing co ., n . y ., usa , using excipients , diluents , fillers and anti - caking agents acceptable for their final use . examples of formulations according to the invention are set out below .
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the present invention will now be described with regard to several preferred embodiments with the initial embodiment utilizing three adsorption beds and the second embodiment utilizing four adsorption beds . a process cycle chart for the three bed option is outlined in table 1 . a process cycle chart for the four bed option is outlined in table 2 . table 1__________________________________________________________________________three bed o . sub . 2 vsabed # __________________________________________________________________________a | a | dp1 | dp2 | des | pu | prp / aarp | frp | b | pu | prp / aarp | frp | a | dp1 | dp2 | des | c | dp2 | des | pu | prp / aarp | frp | a | dp1 | __________________________________________________________________________ a -- adsorption ( feed ) dp1 -- first cocurrent depressurization to provide product dp2 -- second cocurrent depressurization to provide purge des -- countercurrent evacuation pu -- countercurrent vacuum purge prp -- product repressurization aarp -- ambient air repressurization frp -- feed repressurization a . flowing the feed gas stream , consisting of atmospheric air at a pressure of 15 - 30 psia and temperature of ˜ 0 °- 150 ° f . through a bed packed with one or more adsorbents capable of selectively adsorbing water , carbon dioxide , and nitrogen from air . b . withdrawing an effluent stream consisting of o 2 product at feed pressure . part of this stream is immediately used as repressurization gas for bed on step 6 and the remainder constitutes oxygen product . c . continuing steps 1 ( a ) and 1 ( b ) for a predetermined cycle time or until the concentration of nitrogen impurity in the effluent stream reaches a preset limit . the bed is now called &# 34 ; spent &# 34 ; because it has exhausted its capacity for removing nitrogen from feed gas . a . discontinuing the feed flow through the spent bed and transferring the feed to another vsa bed . b . reducing the pressure in the spent vsa bed from the adsorption pressure level to some &# 34 ; intermediate &# 34 ; level ( 12 - 25 psia ) by leaving the product end of this bed connected to the product header . c . discontinuing the above step after a predetermined cycle time or when the pressure in the spent vsa bed has reached the predetermined intermediate pressure level . a . further reducing the pressure in the spent vsa bed from &# 34 ; intermediate level &# 34 ; to some &# 34 ; lower level &# 34 ; ( 7 - 20 psia ) by connecting the product end of this bed with the product end of the vsa bed on step 5 of its cycle . b . discontinuing the above step after a predetermined cycle time or when the pressure in the spent vsa bed has reached the predetermined &# 34 ; lower level .&# 34 ; a . further reducing the pressure in the spent bed from lower level to the &# 34 ; lowest &# 34 ; level ( 1 . 0 - 10 . 0 psia ) by connecting the feed end of the spent vsa bed to a vacuum pump . b . continuing the above step for a predetermined cycle time or until the pressure in the vsa bed has reached the predetermined lowest pressure level . b . connecting the product end of this bed with another vsa bed on step 3 of its cycle . c . continuing the above steps for a predetermined cycle time or until pressure in this bed has reached a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level ( 2 - 12 psia ) and pressure in the vsa bed on step 3 has reached the lower pressure level . a . connecting the product end of the regenerated bed with the product end of the bed on step 1 of its cycle . b . continuing the above step until pressure in the regenerated bed is close to or equal to ambient pressure . or c . connecting the product end of the regenerated bed with the product end of the bed on step 1 of its cycle and opening the feed end of the regenerated bed to ambient air . d . continuing the above step until pressure in the regenerated bed is close to or equal to ambient pressure . b . connecting the feed end of the partially repressurized bed to the feed blower . c . continuing the above step until the pressure in the bed is equal to the predetermined adsorption pressure . the bed is now ready to undergo a new cycle starting from step 1 ( a ). flow schematic and hardware will be somewhat different for each of the process options of the present invention . fig1 depicts a schematic for the first preferred embodiment with three adsorbers . table 3 outlines the corresponding valve sequence for a typical cycle time . detailed process description of the cycle at typical operating conditions for the process option described in fig1 and tables 1 and 3 is given below : ambient air compressed to feed pressure ( 21 psia ) by a feed blower enters through manifold 100 and open valve 1 into first bed a , which has been already pressurized to adsorption pressure . the bed is packed with adsorbent ( s ) selective for the removal of water , carbon dioxide , and nitrogen from air . oxygen product is withdrawn via open valve 11 and manifold 104 . feed flow is switched to bed b via open valve 4 after a predetermined time or as soon as nitrogen concentration in the effluent from bed a reaches a preset limit . pressure in bed a is reduced by continuing to withdraw product gas via open valve 11 and manifold 104 until bed b reaches adsorption pressure . valve 11 is then closed and valve 13 opens to provide continuous product withdrawal . pressure in bed a is further reduced by opening valve 10 and providing purge gas to bed c via manifold 105 and open valve 14 . bed c is being evacuated via open valve 8 and manifold 102 . valves 10 , 14 , and 8 are kept open for a predetermined time or until pressure in bed a reaches ˜ 14 . 5 psia . valve 10 is now closed and bed a is evacuated via open valve 2 and manifold 102 . valves 12 and 10 are opened at the end of the provide product ( dp1 ) step in bed b and upon reaching of evacuation level pressure ˜ 4 psia in bed a . valves 2 , 10 , and 12 are kept open for a predetermined time or until pressure in bed b reaches 14 . 5 psia to vacuum purge bed a through manifold 105 . valves 2 and 12 are then closed and valves 3 and 14 are opened for simultaneous ambient feed air and product repressurization through manifolds 103 , which is a source of ambient air , and 105 , respectively . valves 3 , 10 , and 14 are kept open until pressure in bed a reaches ˜ 14 . 5 psia . at this time , valves 3 , 10 , and 14 are closed and valve 1 is opened . bed a is now pressurized up to adsorption pressure ˜ 21 psia with high pressure feed air in manifold 100 . valve 11 is then opened to remove product oxygen through manifold 104 . bed a is now ready to start a new cycle . each bed goes through a similar sequence of operation . table 3__________________________________________________________________________valve sequence : 3 bed o . sub . 2 vsa valve # time ( sec ) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15__________________________________________________________________________ 0 - 10 o o o o o10 - 20 o o o o o o20 - 30 o o o30 - 40 o o o o o40 - 50 o o o o o o50 - 60 o o o60 - 70 o o o o o70 - 80 o o o o o o80 - 90 o o o__________________________________________________________________________ o = open , otherwise closed table 4 outlines valve sequence for the second preferred embodiment with 4 adsorbers . valve numbers refer to fig2 and the cycle is outlined in table 2 . fig2 depicts a schematic for the second preferred embodiment with four adsorbers . table 4 outlines the corresponding valve sequence for a typical cycle time . detailed process description of the cycle at typical operating conditions for the process option described in fig2 and tables 2 and 4 is given below : ambient air compressed to feed pressure ( 21 psia ) by a feed blower enters through manifold 200 and open valve 21 into first bed a 1 , which has been already pressurized to adsorption pressure . the bed is packed with adsorbent ( s ) selective for the removal of water , carbon dioxide , and nitrogen from air . oxygen product is withdrawn via open valve 23 and manifold 204 . feed flow is switched to bed c 1 via open valve 29 after a predetermined time or as soon as nitrogen concentration in the effluent from bed a 1 reaches a preset limit . pressure in bed a 1 is reduced by continuing to withdraw product gas via open valve 23 and manifold 204 until bed c 1 reaches adsorption pressure . valve 23 is then closed and valve 31 opens to provide continuous product withdrawal . pressure in bed a 1 is further reduced by opening valve 28 and providing purge gas to bed b 1 via manifold 205 . bed b 1 is being evacuated via open valve 25 and manifold 202 . valves 28 and 25 are kept open for a predetermined time or until pressure in bed a . sub . 1 reaches ˜ 14 . 5 psia . valve 25 and 28 are now closed and bed a 1 is evacuated via open valve 22 and manifold 202 . valve 28 is opened at the end of the provide product ( dp1 ) step in bed b 1 and upon reaching of evacuation level pressure ˜ 4 psi a in bed a 1 . valves 28 and 22 are kept open for a predetermined time or until pressure in bed b 1 reaches 14 . 5 psia to vacuum purge bed a 1 through manifold 205 . valve 25 and 28 are then closed and valves 27 and 23 are opened for simultaneous ambient feed air and product repressurization through manifolds 203 , which is a source of ambient air , and 204 , respectively . valves 27 and 23 are kept open until pressure in bed a 1 reaches ˜ 14 . 5 psia . at this time , valves 27 and 23 are closed and valve 21 is opened . bed a 1 is now pressurized up to adsorption pressure ˜ 21 psia with high pressure feed air in manifold 200 . valve 23 is then opened to remove product oxygen through manifold 204 . bed a 1 is now ready to start a new cycle . each bed a 1 , b 1 , c 1 and d 1 goes through a similar sequence of operation using manifolds 200 , 202 , 203 , 204 , 205 , 302 , 303 and 305 , respectively . table 4__________________________________________________________________________valve sequence : 4 bed o . sub . 2 vsavalve # time ( sec ) 21 22 23 * 24 25 26 * 27 28 29 30 31 * 32 33 34 * 35 36 37 38__________________________________________________________________________0 - 8 o o o o o 8 - 17 o o o o * o o17 - 22 o o o o22 - 30 o o o o o30 - 39 o o * o o o o39 - 44 o o o o44 - 52 o o o o o52 - 61 o o o o o * o61 - 66 o o o o66 - 74 o o o o o74 - 83 o * o o o o o83 - 88 o o o o__________________________________________________________________________ * valves with positioners o valves open , otherwise closed the first preferred embodiment was tested in a 40 ton per day o 2 vsa plant containing three 12 &# 39 ; diameter by 8 &# 39 ; t / t adsorber vessels . these vessels were packed with two types of adsorbent . zeolite nax to remove water and carbon dioxide was packed towards the feed end of the adsorbers and a n 2 / o 2 selective cax type zeolitic material was packed toward the product end . oxygen product purity of 92 % was achieved . table 5 below compares the performance of the first preferred embodiment with a comparison process in which the cocurrent depressurization - provide product step is not employed and repressurization is carried out with product gas in order to maintain continuous product flow . it will be observed that the first preferred embodiment of the present invention requires approximately 10 % less air blower power to achieve the same adsorbent productivity : table 5______________________________________ application s . n . present 08 / 037 , 070 invention______________________________________oxygen production , tpd 42 42feed blower power , kw 260 210vacuum blower power , kw 250 250total power , kw 510 460______________________________________ use of the cocurrent depressurization - provide product step improves efficiency in several ways . high purity oxygen , which is still present in the void space of the adsorber at the end of the adsorption step , is recovered as product . the low mass flow rates present during the cocurrent depressurization - provide product step decrease the length of the mass transfer zone and allow additional high purity product to be extracted from the adsorber . in the cycle of application ser . no . 08 / 037 , 070 where cocurrent product and product repressurization streams are withdrawn from the outlet of the adsorber throughout the adsorption step , mass flow rates remain high for the entire step , and this enhanced recovery is not possible . a second advantage of the present invention is that the cocurrent depressurization - provide product step allows the air blower to be direct coupled to another adsorber during the latter half of the repressurization step without disrupting the continuous flow of product gas . direct coupling the feed blower to the bed undergoing repressurization lowers the average discharge pressure and power consumption of the feed blower during that step . a third advantage of the present invention is the absence of any steps which approach upward fluidization velocities . this allows the cycle to be run faster than prior art cycles thereby giving high adsorbent productivity without the need for expensive bed hold - down devices . the second preferred embodiment is ideally suited for large o 2 vsa plants greater than 85 tons per day capacity . to produce more than 85 tons per day , two or more vacuum systems are required because of limitations in the size of the positive displacement blowers which are used for o 2 vsa service . it is common practice to build two half - size plants for requirements greater than 85 tons per day . table 6 below simulates the performance of the second preferred embodiment with a comparison process employing two vacuum trains in which the provide product step is not employed and operation of the four adsorbers is not integrated . it will be observed that the second preferred embodiment requires less power to obtain the same adsorbent productivity . since product gas is produced continuously , there is no need for a large product surge tank either . table 6______________________________________ present application sn in - 08 / 191 , 401 vention______________________________________oxygen production , tpd 110 110number of adsorbers 4 4number of vacuum systems 2 2number of feed blowers 1 or 2 1product surge tank volume , ft . sup . 3 10 , 000 0oxygen recovery , % 47 52adsorbent productivity , tpd oxygen 1 . 37 1 . 42 tonadsorbentair blower power , kw 288 276vacuum blower , kw 794 750total power , kw 1082 1026______________________________________ the present invention has been set forth with regard to several preferred embodiments , but the full scope of the present invention should be ascertained from the following claims .
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the cyclization stage ( c ) of the present process achieves the important objective of providing an improved cyclization reaction . the overall process yields cyclopropylamine having a purity of & gt ; 98 % in yields of about 70 %, based on butyrolactone . in stage ( c ), the cyclopropanecarboxylic acid esters are obtained in a yield of about 90 %, based on the chlorobutyric acid ester . stage ( a ) is conducted , for example , by reacting butyrolactone with dry hydrogen chloride in a manner known per se at a temperature which expediently does not exceed 135 - 140 ° c . under a pressure of up to 25 bar and as a rule without a catalyst , in an initially highly exothermic reaction . in stage ( b ), chlorobutyric acid is expediently esterified as the crude product , which contains γ -( γ - chlorobutyryl ) butyric acid as a by - product , with a primary or secondary alcohol having 4 - 8 carbon atoms . in contrast to the esters of lower alcohols , these esters are easy to prepare . preferred esterifying alcohols include primary alkanols , for example , 1 - butanol , 1 - pentanol and 1 - hexanol . secondary alkanols such as 2 - butanol , 2 - or 3 - pentanol and 2 - or 3 - hexanol are also particularly suitable . processes of esterification using primary or secondary alcohols are well - known . the reaction is conducted , e . g . at temperatures from 120 - 140 ° c . without a catalyst . stages ( a ) and ( b ) can also be combined by introducing hydrogen chloride and the alcohol simultaneously into the butyrolactone which has been initially introduced into the reaction vessel . stage ( c ) is an essential part of the overall process . in this stage , the chlorobutyric acid ester from stage ( b ) is cyclized . an alkali metal alcoholate , advantageously a sodium alcoholate , of an alcohol , expediently an alkanol having 1 - 3 carbon atoms , is used for the reaction . the preferred alkali metal alcoholate is sodium methylate , which is readily accessible in industrial quantities . the alkali metal alcoholate is expediently used as a solution in the corresponding alcohol , and expediently employed in amounts of 1 - 1 . 5 equivalents per equivalent of chlorobutyric acid ester . the cyclization can be effected without addition of an additional inert solvent by initially introducing the alcohol / alcoholate solution into the reaction vessel at a temperature which is advantageously 80 - 150 ° c . if desired or necessary , some or all of the alcohol used as solvent for the alcoholate is removed by distillation and the crude chlorobutyric acid ester is metered in while stirring . alcohol employed as the solvent and formed by transesterification from the carboxylic ester function can also be removed by distillation during the reaction . the reaction product is a mixture of cyclopropanecarboxylic acid esters which contain the original carboxylic ester function and a carboxylic ester function which has an alcohol component , is formed by transesterification and originates from the solvent , used as the alcohol , for the alcoholate . the mixture can be used in the subsequent stage without further work - up . in stage ( d ), the cyclopropanecarboxylic acid ester mixture of stage ( c ) is converted into cyclopropanecarboxylic acid amide . the reaction of this stage can be effected by one of the processes described in the prior art . for example , in one procedure , the ester mixture is reacted with ammonia at a temperature of 40 - 120 ° c ., preferably 60 - 80 ° c ., under a pressure of 1 . 0 - 5 . 0 bar . the reaction proceeds astonishingly smoothly , although the educt is an ester mixture . the overall process also does not differ in principle from the corresponding processs of the prior art with respect to stage ( e ). thus , a suspension or a solution of the crude cyclopropanecarboxylic acid amide in water , with or without prior removal of residual organic solvents , can be subjected to hofmann degradation . the hypohalite , preferably sodium hypochlorite , is advantageously employed in amounts of 1 . 0 - 1 . 5 equivalents , in particular 1 . 0 - 1 . 2 equivalents , and the base , preferably sodium hydroxide , is advantageously employed in amounts of 1 . 5 - 2 . 5 equivalents , in particular 1 . 8 - 2 . 2 equivalents , in each case based on the carboxamide function , and the reaction is in general conducted at temperatures from 40 - 150 ° c ., in particular from 60 - 80 ° c . having now generally described the invention , a further understanding can be obtained by reference to certain specific examples which are provided herein for purpose of illustration only and are not intended to be limiting unless otherwise specified . stages ( a ) and ( b ): 86 . 1 g ( 1 . 0 mol .) of butyrolactone are heated to a temperature of 135 ° c ., while stirring . 80 . 0 g ( 1 . 07 mol .) of n - butanol and an excess of gaseous hydrogen chloride are metered in over a period of 4 . 5 hours , a temperature of 130 - 135 ° c . being maintained . during the reaction , 124 . 0 g of distillate are removed . the reaction mixture is then freed of excess n - butanol at about 70 ° c . under a pressure of 60 mbar . a residue of 211 . 2 g remains . stage ( c ): methanol is removed from 225 . 0 g ( 1 . 25 mol .) of 30 % strength by weight methanolic sodium methylate solution by distillation up to a bottom temperature of 100 ° c . the crude chlorobutyric acid butyl ester from stages ( a ) and ( b ) is then metered in over a period of 1 . 5 hours . during this operation , a temperature of 97 - 100 ° c . is maintained in the reaction mixture , while a mixture of methanol and n - butanol is removed by distillation continuously . when the metering has ended , the mixture is kept at a bottom temperature of about 100 ° c . for a further 2 hours . stage ( d ): the reaction mixture of stage ( c ) is cooled to 60 ° c . and reacted with an excess of gaseous ammonia under normal pressure . the reaction time is about 10 hours . after cooling to room temperature , the reaction mixture is rendered neutral with 80 . 0 g of 20 % strength by weight hydrochloric acid . solvent residues are removed by distillation over a column having a bottom temperature of up to 120 ° c . the mixture is allowed to cool and water is added in an amount such that a homogeneous solution ( 659 . 4 g ) forms . according to hplc analysis , the cyclopropanecarboxylic acid amide is present in a yield of 70 %, based on the butyrolactone . stage ( e ): 160 . 0 g ( 2 . 0 mol .) of 50 % strength by weight sodium hydroxide solution are added at 0 ° c . to the solution from stage ( d ) and the mixture is heated to about 15 ° c . 1010 . 9 g ( 1 . 0 mol .) of 7 . 3 % strength by weight aqueous sodium hypochlorite solution are then added at this temperature and the mixture is stirred at this temperature for 20 minutes . thereafter , the mixture is heated at 60 ° c . for 5 minutes . the cyclopropylamine is obtained as an aqueous solution by distillation over a column ( 163 g ). a cyclopropylamine yield of 66 %, based on the butyrolactone , is determined by gc analysis and an acid / base titration . stages ( a ) and ( b ): 86 . 1 g ( 1 . 0 mol .) of butyrolactone are heated to a temperature of 135 ° c ., while stirring . 120 . 0 g ( 1 . 6 mol .) of n - butanol and an excess of gaseous hydrogen chloride are metered in over a period of 3 hours , a reaction temperature of 134 - 138 ° c . being maintained . during the reaction , 124 g of distillate are removed . the reaction mixture is then freed of excess n - butanol at about 70 ° c . under a pressure of 60 mbar . a residue of 218 . 3 g remains . stage ( c ): methanol is removed from 225 . 0 g ( 1 . 25 mol .) of 30 % strength by weight methanolic sodium methylate solution by distillation at a bottom temperature of up to 100 ° c . the crude chlorobutyric acid butyl ester from stages ( a ) and ( b ) is then metered in over a period of 1 . 5 hours . during this operation , a temperature of 97 - 100 ° c . is maintained in the reaction mixture , while a mixture of methanol and n - butanol is removed by distillation continuously . when the metering has ended , the mixture is kept at a bottom temperature of about 100 ° c . for a further 2 hours . stage ( d ): the reaction mixture of stage ( c ) is cooled to 60 ° c . and reacted with an excess of gaseous ammonia under normal pressure . the reaction time is about 5 hours . after cooling to room temperature , the reaction mixture is rendered neutral with 20 % strength by weight hydrochloric acid . solvent residues are removed by distillation over a column at a bottom temperature of up to 120 ° c . the mixture is allowed to cool and water is added in an amount such that a homogeneous solution ( 622 . 4 g ) forms . according to hplc analysis , the cyclopropanecarboxylic acid amide is present in a yield of 73 %, based on the butyrolactone . stage ( e ): 160 . 0 g ( 2 . 0 mol .) of 50 % strength by weight sodium hydroxide solution are added at 0 ° c . to the solution from stage ( d ) and the mixture is heated to about 15 ° c . 1010 . 9 g ( 1 . 0 mol .) of 7 . 3 % strength by weight aqueous sodium hypochlorite solution are then added to the stage ( d ) solution at this temperature and the mixture is stirred at this temperature for 20 minutes . thereafter , the solution is heated at 60 ° c . for 5 minutes . the cyclopropylamine is obtained as an aqueous solution by distillation over a column ( 177 . 0 g ). a cyclopropylamine yield of 69 %, based on the butyrolactone , is determined by gc analysis and an acid / base titration . the disclosure of priority german application no . 198 30 633 . 4 filed jul . 9 , 1998 is hereby incorporated by reference into the present application . obviously , numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . it is , therefore , to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims , the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein .
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the realization , function and merits of the invention will be more apparent from the following descriptions to the embodiments with reference to the drawings . the technical solutions employed in the present disclosure will be set forth hereunder in greater details by referencing to particular embodiments accompanied by the drawings . these embodiments should be construed to serve the purpose of illustrating the invention only , rather than limiting the scope of the invention . reference is now made to fig1 and 2 , which respectively show a water jet device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure , and breakdown of a water jet device according to another embodiment . a water jet device is provided , which comprises : a base container 10 , a drive unit 11 , a fans 12 driven by the drive unit 11 . the drive unit 11 is mounted externally to the bottom of the base container 10 , while the fans 12 are mounted internally to the bottom of the base container 10 . a cover plate 13 is disposed on the base container 10 to engage therewith . the cover plate 13 comprises via holes 14 thereon and coordinates with the base container 10 to form a chamber 15 to contain liquids . on the side of the cover plate 13 away from the base container 10 are formed protrusions 16 vertical to the cover plate . a first via hole 17 is formed to penetrate each of the protrusions 16 . in this embodiment , the base container 10 is made of a transparent material . the chamber 15 formed by the base container 10 contains a cylindrical spacer plate , which divides the chamber 15 into an inner chamber and an outer chamber . the inner chamber is designed to accommodate the fans 12 and liquids , which are preferably water according to this embodiment of the invention . of course , it would be understood that other liquids , such as oil , may also be used . a number of water jet holes are formed on the spacer plate to guide water from the inner chamber to the outer chamber when the fans 12 are rotating . the exterior walls of the outer chamber extend upward from the bottom of the chamber 15 in an inclined pathway , which reduce the resistance exerted on the upflowing water and save spaces as well . the cover plate 13 fits perfectly with the opening of the chamber 15 on the bottom to form an airtight room , which facilitates retaining pressure in the chamber . the protrusions 16 formed on the cover plate 13 serve as nozzles disposed on the very front of the outer chamber . the drive unit 11 , which is externally mounted to the bottom of the base container 11 , is pivoted to the fans 12 situated within the base container . the drive unit is preferably a motor according to this embodiment . the fans 12 may be sized and shaped according to circumstances . when electrified , the motor rotates the fans 12 to drive water from the inner chamber to the outer chamber , where water climbs along the inclined exterior walls to be ejected from the first via holes 17 of the protrusions 16 . the exterior walls are designed such that they not only have an inclined profile to reduce resistance on the flowing water and make it easier for the water to be ejected , thereby reducing the motor power and saving resources , but also expand the area of protrusions 16 to the most degree , so that the smaller motor could provide water supply to the protrusions 16 with larger area . in addition , the water jet holes 14 facilitate the ejected water returning to the chamber 15 , thereby recycling water resources . a water jet device is provided in the present disclosure , which comprises : a base container 10 , a drive unit 11 , fans 12 driven by the drive unit 11 . the drive unit 11 is mounted externally to the bottom of the base container 10 , while the fans 12 are mounted internally to the bottom of the base container 10 . a cover plate 13 is disposed on the base container 10 to engage therewith . the cover plate 13 comprises via holes 14 thereon , and coordinates with the base container 10 to form a chamber 15 to contain liquids . on the side of the cover plate 13 away from the base container 10 are formed protrusions 16 vertical to the cover plate 13 . a first via hole 17 is formed to penetrate each of the protrusions 16 . the present disclosure provides a water jet device capable of recycling used water , and avoiding water leak , which is therefore safe in use and possesses practical applicability . the drive unit 11 referred to hereinabove comprises a body 11 a and a first fixing plate 11 b driven by the body 11 a , the first fixing plate 11 b having a first magnetic body 18 mounted thereon . a fixing pole 13 a is internally formed on the bottom of the base container 10 , to which fans 12 are mounted . a second magnetic body 19 is disposed on the fans 12 . the body 11 a referred to in this embodiment is preferably a motor , which may be secured to the bottom of the base container 10 via a motor shell 11 c . the first fixing plate 11 b is pivoted to a rotation shaft of the motor . mounted on the first fixing plate 11 b are a number of first magnetic bodies 18 , which may be a magnet , and preferably a permanent magnet . on one side of the fans 12 is provided with a second fixing board , with a second magnetic body 19 being disposed thereon . the second magnetic body 19 may be more easily assembled via the second fixing board . when electrified , the motor rotates the first fixing plate 11 busing the rotation shaft . as a result of the varied magnetic forces of the rotating first fixing plate 11 b , the second magnetic body 19 on the fans 12 starts to rotate , and in turn , causes the second fixing plate to rotate with the fans 12 . the thrust and pressure generated by the rotating fans 12 drive water from the inner chamber to the outer chamber where the water is ejected from the nozzle . the faster the motor rotates , the faster the fans rotate . consequently , the chamber 15 will retain a higher pressure , and thus water will be rejected higher upward . further , the first magnetic body 18 and the second magnetic body 19 are disposed to be aligned with each other . if the first magnetic body on the fans 12 is not aligned with the second magnetic body in the drive unit 11 , the magnetic forces are likely to confuse each other , which prevent the fans 12 from rotating . also externally disposed on the bottom of the base container 10 are light emitting components 20 , which are aligned with the first holes 17 on the protrusions 16 . in this embodiment , the light emitting component 20 is a colored led lamp . each led lamp is aligned with a via hole penetrating the protrusion 16 . when the led lamps are on , colored beams of light are projected from the first via holes 17 , which , together with the water jet , create a water dance in the background of colorful lights . this significantly increases the entertainment effect of the fountain . the aforesaid device further comprises a first housing 21 , which coordinates with the base container 10 to form an airtight room . preferably , the first housing 21 is buckled together with the base container 10 . in this embodiment , the first housing 21 is designed to be the body of a sealed transparent bottle , such that the ejected water will not scatter around and may be recycled for further use to avoid waste of resources . moreover , this design enables the device to be disposed indoors , making it more useful in practical use . furthermore , the end of the first housing 21 is detachable such that liquids may be easily introduced into the base container 10 . a baffle 22 is disposed between the first housing 21 and the base container 10 , with second via holes 23 being arranged thereon . the second via holes 23 fit with the protrusions , and penetrate the baffle 22 . the baffle 22 is disposed to prevent the light emitted by the light emitting component 20 from scattering to the first housing 21 and compromising the water - light show . a space is provided between the protrusions 16 and the second via holes 23 , such that the water in the first housing 21 may return to the base container 10 . a protective sheet 24 is retained between the baffle 22 and the cover plate 13 . on both sides of the protective sheet 24 are arranged support legs 25 . the upper support leg 25 is used for supporting the baffle 22 , while the lower support leg 25 keeps contact with the cover plate 13 . the relative position between the baffle 22 and the cover plate 13 is fixed by the protective sheet 24 . in this embodiment , the protective sheet 24 is preferably shaped like a triangle . of course , the other shapes may also be applied to the protective sheet . in the present embodiment , the baffle 22 and the cover plate 13 are provided with the protective sheet 24 disposed therebetween . owing to the protective sheet 24 , the pressurized gas generated within the chamber 15 while the fans 12 are rotating do not rush into the first housing 21 through the water jet holes 14 . consequently , it is possible to maintain a proper level of pressure within the chamber 15 , and the returning water can pass through the holes 14 , and meanwhile reduce resistance on the returning water flow . reference is now made to fig1 , 3 , 4 and 5 . fig1 is a perspective view of a water jet device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure ; fig2 is a perspective exploded view of a water jet device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure ; fig3 is a perspective exploded view of a water dance speaker according to one embodiment of the present disclosure ; fig4 is a partial perspective exploded view of fig3 ; and fig5 is an overall view of the water dance speaker according to the present disclosure . also provided in the present disclosure is a water dance speaker , which comprises a water jet device , and a second housing 26 for accommodating the water jet device . in a preferred embodiment , the second housing 26 is divided into two parts connected mutually via clamping structure or buckle configuration . and , a plurality of accommodating holes for accommodating the operation buttons ( not shown ) are arranged in the connection interface thereof . of course , the structure of the second housing 26 is not limited to the form of two - part , integral structure or other forms of multi - part may be applied . the second housing 26 comprises a power source interface and a sound hole of a speaker 27 . opposite the sound hole , the speaker 27 is disposed fixedly in the second housing 26 the water jet device is as set forth hereinbefore , so details are omitted . the power source interface may be a usb interface whereby it may be powered by a computer via a data line . of course , the interface may be a dc interface , and powered via a dc transformer . alternatively , a rechargeable battery component may be provided such that the water dance speaker is powered by battery . in particular , the second housing 26 comprises a control circuit module 28 for controlling operations of the water jet device and the speaker 27 . the control circuit module 28 has a power input end connected with the power source interface . according to this embodiment , the control circuit module 28 comprises an audio receiving unit , which controls , upon receiving an external audio signal , operations of the drive unit 11 in the water jet device and the operations of the light emitting component 20 . this audio receiving unit may be a voice - controlled component or a bluetooth component . the control circuit module 28 may further comprise an audio reading unit for reading and outputting audio data recorded in a memory card , such as an sm card , tf card , and u disk . consequently , the water - light dance show may be activated by simply reading a card or inserting a u disk . the voice - controlled component may receive external sounds and , based on the volume of the received sounds , output corresponding control signals to control the drive unit . as a result , the speaker can create water dance effect varied to the melody of an external music or the rhythm of an external sound without connecting to an external sound source , or inserting a card or a u disk . moreover , the control circuit module 28 may control the light emitting module 20 to flicker based on the melody of an external music or the rhythm of an external sound , and thus create , together with the ejected water , a harmonized and enjoyable water - light show . of course , the control circuit module 28 may determine , according to circumstances , to simply put on a water show or a light show , or both in an alternating manner . furthermore , it is possible to enjoy music and the water show over a bluetooth connection to an external device . a power on / off button or a volume adjusting button may be configured to control the volume of the water dance to enhance the practical use of the speaker . by using the water jet device proposed above , the water dance speaker in the present disclosure reduces waste in resources , and prevents water leak , improving the security in use . besides , the present invention varies the height of the water jet and the light beams emitted from the light emitting module 21 with the rhythm of a music , thereby producing a water dance show in varying and flickering lights . this makes the show more enjoyable and pleasant to the eyes , thus making the present invention more practical in use . illustrated above are the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure , which should not be considered limitative to the scope of the invention . therefore , any equivalent substitutions or variations to the structures or processes disclosed in the specification and the drawing of the present disclosure , or a direct or indirect application of the invention to the other technical fields should be considered as part of the present disclosure .
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fig1 shows a dual line form of the invention as described in the parent application for binaural processing . the speech signal from the band pass filter 1 is applied to symmetrical variable delay lines vdl1 and vdl2 controlled by waveform generator 2 . the output of vdl1 is applied as an input to gates 3 and 5 . the output of vdl 2 is applied as an input to gates 4 and 6 . the delay lines vdl 1 and vdl 2 are controlled for linear variation of delay with delay function having its rapid return transition at the mid - point of the linear delay portion of the other waveform . as described in applicant &# 39 ; s co - pending application , the frequency conversion of the delay storage lines vdl 1 and vdl 2 can be accomplished with various devices . one such device is the analog shift register controlled either with a variable clock rate periodically varied between predetermined values or by using alternate and different write and read clock rates to periodically store the incoming signal and extract the frequency converted output signal , respectively . the gates 3 and 6 are controlled by gating waveforms b 1 and b 1 shown in fig2 ( a ). gate 3 passes signal during b 1 and is blocked during b 1 . gate 6 is blocked during b 1 and passes signal during b 1 . amplifier 7 combines the outputs of gates 3 and 6 and applies the combined signal to an audio reproducer 108 . the gates 4 and 5 are controlled by the gating waveforms b 2 and b 2 shown in fig2 ( b ). gate 4 passes signal during b 2 and is blocked during b 2 . gate 5 is blocked during b 2 and passes signal during b 2 . amplifier 9 combines the outputs of gates 4 and 5 and applies the combined signal to an audio reproducer 10 . the system of fig1 operates to reproduce the entire original signal ( for compression ratio equal to two ) since each delay line processes the portion which is the discard for the other line . for compression ratios greater than two some message discard occurs and for ratios less than two the overlap or message duplication increases in the output . by listening binaurally , however , the intelligibility is enhanced since the overall discard is eliminated ( or greatly reduced for the higher compression ratios ) and the overlap or repeat of message portions is not detrimental to word detection by the listener . a binaural system without supplemental gap filling ( as distinguished from the system just described ) would be achieved by removing gates 5 and 6 in fig1 . the lines vdl 1 and vdl 2 would supply the processed signal in alternation to the respective output transducers 108 and 110 for binaural output in a system otherwise generally similar to that shown in fig9 of the herein referenced co - pending application . referring now to fig3 a dual delay line system employing analog shift registers having separate read and write clock rates will be described . as shown in fig3 an input line 21 receives a sound input signal from any source such as a tape recorder driven at a speed different than the recording speed or some other signal source supplying a sound signal message which it is desired to convert as to frequency components and also change its time duration from zero to some longer or shorter time than the normal period during which the sound message was originated . the signal on line 21 is controlled for application to an analog shift register asr 1 by passing through a gate g23 and is also controlled for application to an analog shift register asr 2 by passing through a gate g - 24 . the outputs of the analog shift registers asr 1 and asr 2 are combined on an output line 22 by passing from the output of asr 1 through a gate g - 25 and from the output of asr 2 through a gate g - 26 . the analog shift registers asr 1 and asr 2 are multi - stage registers adapted for passing the signal input thereto stage - by - stage to the output with the transfers occurring at clock rate determined by the clock pulse rate applied at clock terminals 27 and 28 , respectively . the number of stages in the arrangement of the analog shift registers to transfer analog signal samples therethrough are all in accordance with the description given in applicant &# 39 ; s co - pending application . in particular , a write pulse rate generator s 1 supplies an adjustable write pulse repetition rate through g - gate 31 to clock input 27 and through g - gate 32 to clock input terminal 28 . a read pulse rate generator s 2 supplies a relatively fixed read clock pulse rate through g - gate 33 to terminal 27 and through g - gate 34 to terminal 28 . the gates g and g are supplied by a gating pulse generator s 3 which may have an adjustable period and produces substantially symmetrical squarewave output for both the g and g gating functions . the write pulse rate generated by the generator s 1 is variable as indicated and will generally be set in relation to a variable speed control device 35 which controls the rate at which the tape recording or other sound signal source reproduces the sound message signal at a time rate different than that of the original speech utterance . thus , if the speech control 35 is set to play a tape recorder at twice the normal speed , the write clock pulse of generator s 1 can be set at twice the clock rate of generator s 2 , thereby providing write - in at a clock rate which is twice the rate at which the information will be read - out as the generators s 1 and s 2 are alternately applied to control the shift registers . if desired , a feedback control can be applied at 36 to modify the clock rate of generator s 1 in accordance with an error signal to compensate for wow and flutter characteristics of a turntable or other periodic variation in the signal source which it is desired to eliminate . the frequency of squarewave generator s 3 can be adjusted by control 37 and generally its period t will be given by the relation t equal 1 / f 3 equal to or less than the delay of the delay line ## equ1 ## in the case of an analog shift register , where p represents the number of transfer phases [ normally and minimally two ], and n is the total number of stages . for this purpose the frequency control 37 of s 3 may be tied to the manual control for s 1 during the expansion mode of operation . in addition , trimming controls 38 and 39 may be provided and interconnected for the generators s 2 and s 3 if desired . operation of the system of fig3 will now be described with reference to the waveforms of fig4 ( a ) and ( b ). the general principles of operation set forth in applicant &# 39 ; s parent application are applicable here and the compression ratio c that is obtained will be equal to the ratio f 1 / f 2 where f 1 and f 2 are the frequencies of the squarewaves generated by generators s 1 and s 2 , respectively . obviously , for expansion , c is the fractional quantity and corresponds to the expansion factor e mentioned in the parent application . input signals arriving on line 21 are gated through gate 23 to load asr 1 during the g - gate portion shown in fig4 ( a ) and the stages of asr 1 are filled at a rate determined by the clock squarewave on line 27 which is derived from generator s 1 through g - gate 31 . during this period there is no output from asr 1 but to assure the absence of spurious or noise signals on the output , g - gate 25 blocks signals from the output of asr 1 to output line 22 . during the g - gate the generator s 2 supplies clock pulses on line 28 to shift register asr 2 and the g - gate 26 passes signals from the output of asr 2 to output line 22 . when the squarewave generator s 3 changes state the g - gates are conditioned to pass signal and the g - gates are conditioned to block signal passage . thus , during the g intervals indicated in fig4 ( b ), signals on input line 21 are loaded through gate 24 into asr 2 at the clock rate of generator s 1 applied through g - gate 32 on line 28 and the signals stored in register asr 1 are outputted through g - gate 25 to output line 22 at the rate of generator s 2 applied through g - gate 33 to line 27 . thus , on alternate half cycles of g and g depicted in fig4 the input signal is alternately stored in asr 1 and asr 2 and while storage is taking place in one of the registers , the storage signal in the other register is outputted to the output line 22 . the rates at which these take place are determined by the repetition rate of generators s 1 and s 2 , respectively , and as previously described , for different frequencies of these generators either compression or expansion of the signal wave on line 21 can be obtained at the output line 22 . thus , in accordance with the present invention a further form of signal storage delay for frequency transformation is provided using analog shift registers operated at different input and output clock rates . this arrangement permits processing of analog signals on line 21 including complex speech waves and the like without the necessity for digitizing the input signal or otherwise conditioning it for the delay and frequency transformation processing . a further advantage of operating the analog shaft registers at different input and output clock rates as opposed to operating them as variable delay lines , is the elimination of the need for an inverse frequency control function generator such as the unit 115 disclosed in fig1 of the referenced co - pending application of applicant . in the present application of the analog shift register shown in fig3 the clock rates are fixed but different for the input and output control to the analog shift registers and the ratio of the clock rates directly determines the compression ratio ( or expansion ratio ) which is applied to the signal which passes therethrough . modifications of the present invention will be apparent in light of the present disclosure , especially when taken into view of applicant &# 39 ; s parent application . in particular , the two frequency write and read control of an analog shift register can be applied to a single storage delay line system such as that shown in fig7 of applicant &# 39 ; s parent application . other modifications can also be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims .
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the present invention provides for an optimum speed rotor whose rpm can be varied to multiple and even infinite settings depending on the helicopter flight conditions for optimum flight performance . the optimum speed rotor system of the present invention when incorporated on a helicopter allows for a substantial improvement in range , altitude and airspeed with less fuel consumption and noise levels . for descriptive purposes the optimum speed rotor system of the present invention is referred to herein as optimum speed rotor or osr . the osr can be driven by any powerplant such as a reciprocating engine or a turbine engine . the present invention allows for reduced rotor rpm at reduced forward speeds and / or at reduced rotor lift achieving an increase in rotor blade lift coefficient and higher blade lift to drag ratio and thus , higher aerodynamic efficiency , lower required power , fuel consumption and noise level . the present invention osr is able to accomplish this while being fully loaded , i . e ., while producing lift without the aid of a fixed wing . because the lift coefficient of a rotor blade varies along the blade length as well as with the blade angular position , it is common to evaluate the lift characteristics of a rotor blade by ascertaining its loading . blade loading ( c t / σ ) is a parameter which is a function of the rotor blade average lift coefficient ( c l ) and is defined by the equation : ## equ2 ## where t = rotor thrust , s = rotor disc area , v t rotor tip speed t is approximated at t = nw where n is the vertical maneuver factor and w is the helicopter weight . the solidity factor , σ , is the ratio of weighted total blade area to the rotor disc area . ## equ3 ## the term &# 34 ; blade loading &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; rotor blade loading &# 34 ; as used herein refers to c t / σ . the useful limit of blade loading for any helicopter rotor system can be derived experimentally , i . e ., through flight testing . the usefull limit blade loading for a typical rotor system is given in fig3 by curve 14 as function of the helicopter advance ratio m , i . e ., the ratio of helicopter forward speed to the rotor tip rotational tip speed v t . as can be seen from fig3 at advance ratios greater than 0 . 4 , there is a sharp decline of blade loading limit . thus , to avoid the sharp reduction of rotor lift limit , at a maximum forward speed a certain minimum rotor rpm has to be maintained to avoid increasing the advance ratio beyond 0 . 4 - 0 . 5 . an optimum range 16 of blade loading can also be derived through flight test for a specific helicopter rotor system as a function of advance ratio as shown in fig3 . for a given advance ratio , the optimum blade loading range is defined by the blade loadings required to optimize the various flight performance parameters such as endurance , range , and climb rate . the osr of the present invention allows for the adjustment to the rotor rpm to maintain a blade loading within the optimum range . by operating below 100 % of rpm , the power required to drive the rotor at the decreased rpm is also decreased . the adjustment to rotor rpm and power can be accomplished manually or automatically as for example by computer . in a manual osr system , for best endurance , the pilot will manually adjust the rotor rpm and engine power to minimize fuel consumption ( either directly measured or by observing an indication of engine power ). for best cruise range , the pilot will adjust rpm and airspeed for maximizing the miles traveled per unit of fuel . in climb at a given power setting , the pilot will adjust the rotor rpm and airspeed for maximizing the climb rate . an automated osr will operate the same way . information such as fuel consumptions and miles traveled per unit of fuel consumed will be monitored by the computer . the pilot will select the flight performance parameter that needs to be optimized , e . g ., range , endurance , rate of climb , etc . and the computer will adjust the rotor rpm , power and airspeed settings accordingly for maximizing the selected performance . alternatively , the optimum blade loading range as a function of advance ratio is predetermined from flight testing and stored on the computer which in turn will adjust the rotor rpm and power settings so as to maintain the blade loading within the predetermined range for any pilot controlled airspeed and rate of climb . applicant discovered that he can overcome the structural dynamics problems associated with significant changes of rotor rpm by building a rotor system consisting of blades 18 having reduced mass and increased stiffness ( fig4 a , 4b , 4c and 7b ). the applicant was able to design a blade having a continuously decreasing flap , lag and torsion stiffness from the root 20 to the tip 22 of the blade and having continuously decreasing mass from the root to the tip of the blade . the flap 24 , lag 26 and torsional 28 directions are depicted in fig4 b , 4c and 4d , respectively . these blades when mounted on a rotor hub will allow for significant changes in rotor rpm without being subject to the structural dynamics problems of conventional blades . an exemplary embodiment of such a blade is shown in fig4 a , 4b and 4c which is made of a carbon - epoxy advanced composite material . in order to be able to operate over a wide rpm range , the osr is designed specifically to be able to operate close to or on rotor excitation frequencies . the osr is capable of operating a long time under fill rotor lift load at or near such frequencies . to achieve such unique capability , the osr rotor blades are designed to be very stiff and lightweight . by increasing the stiffness of the blades in flap in relation to the feathering axis 30 ( fig4 a ), the blade is better able to operate at or near the rotor excitation frequencies . lag stiffness tends to be less sensitive to the excitation frequencies but if kept at a ratio to flap stiffness of on average greater than 2 it helps reduce oscillatory lag loads and helicopter vibration levels . the osr rotor blades should be substantially stiffer and lighter than conventional rotor blades . as a general rule , applicant discovered that to achieve operation at a wide range of angular velocities , the osr blades require a flap stiffness and a blade weight as follows : ______________________________________flap stiffness : ei . sub . flap ≧ 25 d . sup . 4 at 10 % of rotor radius measured from the center of rotor rotation ei . sub . flap ≧ 10 d . sup . 4 at 30 % of rotor radius measured from the center of rotor rotationtotal blade weight : w ≦ 0 . 0015d . sup . 3______________________________________ where d is the rotor diameter and is measured in feet , w is pounds , and ei is in lbs - in 2 . the exemplary osr blade of the present invention shown in fig4 a , 4b and 4c has a length 32 including the shank 33 of about 17 . 84 feet , a maximum width 34 of about 18 inches and a minimum width 36 at its tip of about 9 inches ( fig4 a ). the blade has a shank length 40 of about 14 inches and a shank diameter 42 of about 3 . 75 inches . the exemplary blade has the dimensions ( in . ), stiffness ( lbs - in 2 ) and weights per unit length ( lbs / in .) depicted in table of fig5 a . as can be seen from fig5 a , the exemplary blade has a continuously reducing flap and lag stiffness from the hub center to the blade tip . the blade cross - sections at the blade 20 % station 5c - 5c , and the 70 % station 5d - 5d , are depicted in fig5 c and 5d , respectively . the 20 % and 70 % stations are at 20 % and 70 % of the rotor radius , respectively , as measured from the center of rotor rotation . the cross - section of the blade shank is depicted in fig5 b . the blade is constructed of a carbonepoxy spar / shank and a carbon epoxy leading edge . the trailing edge is a lightweight section made of thin carbon - epoxy top and bottom skins and a fill - depth honeycomb core . in the exemplary osr blades , adequate torsional stiffness was easily achieved . in stiffer osr blades the use of a hub flexbeams provide for a flap and lag effective spring inboard of the feathering axis 30 to reduce the load and vibration levels typical of rigid rotor blades . but , the spring rate of such flexbeams is not &# 34 ; tuned &# 34 ; to avoid natural frequency / rpm &# 34 ; crossings &# 34 ; i . e ., the rotor excitation frequencies . the blades can be mounted in any type or rotor hub such as hingeless , teetering or articulated , to form the rotor system . however , in a preferred embodiment , the blades are mounted in a hingeless rotor system . a hingeless rotor is well known in the art . it consists of sleeves 59 for mounting the blades 18 the sleeves are fixed relative to the hub mast 61 when mounted on a hingeless rotor hub 60 , the blades can not pivot in the flap and lag directions relative to the hub ( fig6 ). the preferred embodiment hingeless rotor is made of steel . the rotor hub structure is chosen to have a hub stiffness in flap and lag matched to the blade corresponding stiffness at the blade root . the bearing system 62 incorporated for blade pitch changes about the feathering axis is also required to resist moments that are substantially greater than those for an articulated rotor system . fig7 a and 7b present two tables , respectively , comparing dimensions and design parameters of the exemplary osr blade incorporated in a hingeless rotor to a conventional blade of an articulated rotor system . fig7 c depicts a scaled comparison between the osr blade 18 the conventional blade 70 being compared in the tables of fig7 a and 7b . the compared conventional blade 70 has a length 72 of about 13 . 17 feet , a constant width 74 of about 6 . 75 inches and a shank length 76 of about 19 inches . as can be seen from fig7 a , the osr blades are 85 fold stiffer at about 10 % radius than the conventional articulated rotor blades which are hinged at the root in the flap direction ( up - down ) and lag direction ( forward - aft in the plane of the rotor ). the conventional blades must be heavy enough in order to achieve adequate centrifugal forces to avoid excessive upward bending (&# 34 ; coning angle &# 34 ;). in spite of its 85 fold increase in stiffness the osr blades weight per blade surface area is less than half that of the conventional blade . this increase in stiffness and reduction in weight per blade surface area is achieved on the osr blades by 3 . 5 fold increase in maximum blade thickness using tapered planform , large root chord and thick root airfoils and use of high stiffness / weight carbon - epoxy materials . the stiff light weight osr blades do not require weights at their tips as do conventional blades . a rotor system of the present invention can operate from 0 to 100 % rpm under full lift load without reducing the rotor structural integrity . moreover , the vibration levels produced by the rotor of the present invention are within acceptable levels as related to crew fatigue , passenger comfort and payload performance . the rotor systems of the present invention are able to avoid the structural stability , loads and vibration problems associated with the operation of the rotor over a wide range of rpm . the exemplary embodiment osr blades mounted on a hingeless rotor forminig an exemplary osr were analyzed , optimized and its performance verified using 9 integrated dynamics analysis tools for computational fluid dynamics , structures , structural dynamics and control dynamics . the most important of these tools is camrad ii ( originated by wayne johnson and available analytical methods inc , redmond , wash .) which was used extensively for evaluating rotor stability , loads , vibrations , performance and control , including higher harmonic control . all performance and structural dynamic data presented are results of camrad ii runs with non - uniform inflow . in the extensive camrad ii analysis , the exemplary osr exhibited no rotor dynamics instability anywhere in the design rpm range . the camrad ii analysis revealed that the exemplary osr can reduce its angular velocity to as low as 150 rpm ( tip mach number of 0 . 25 ) or at any other interim rpm to optimize lift / drag ratio , reduce power and achieve longer endurance and range or achieve higher altitude and forward speed for the same power level . it is expected that the rotor rpm of an osr can be lowered to as much as 40 % of the maximum rotor design rpm while providing the required lift for a helicopter at its minimum weight . fig8 - 10 depict power requirements when operating the osr of the exemplary embodiment consisting of 3 blades and a hingeless hub , using a low drag unmanned helicopter fuselage , at various rpm values for improved efficiency ( curve 50 ) and when operating the same rotor at a constant angular velocity of 380 rpm ( curve 52 ), at a helicopter weight of 1400 lbs , 2600 lbs , and 4000 lbs , respectively at sea level . fig8 - 10 were created from data obtained from the camrad ii analyses . the advantage of osr is dramatic at the lower speeds and light weight range ( loiter at the end of fuel and with light payload ). the reduction of 60 %- 70 % in power required at 1400 lbs . at 40 - 80 knots ( fig8 ) provide an equal impact on fuel consumption . the reduction in tip mach number ( about 40 %- 50 %) of the advancing blade may provide 10 - 15 dba reduction rotor noise levels . the 15 knot increases in speed at constant power of 270 hp and the 50 knot increase at a constant power of 120 hp are dramatic and indicative of the level of inefficiency of conventional constant rpm rotors especially for a low weight helicopter loitering at low speed . fig9 shows the performance gains at an average weight of 2600 lbs . as can be seen form fig8 the 45 % reduction in required power and fuel consumption at a loiter speed of about 60 knots will provide an 82 % increase in maximum endurance for the same total fuel capacity . similarly , the 38 % reduction in power required at 80 knots should provide a 61 % increase in maximum range . fig1 shows that even at an overload weight of 4000 lbs . the reduction in power of about 25 % required at 65 - 80 knots and the increase in speed at a constant power level are substantial . a similar power required analysis conducted for hover out of ground effect ( oge ) indicated that osr offers 23 % increase in take - off weight with constant engine power ( may provide double the payload weight in most helicopters ) and 30 % reduction in tip speed ( may reduce noise level 8 dba ). the reduction in power required offers 7 , 000 feet increase in hover oge ceiling out of ground effect with the same engine . in an alternate embodiment , instead of operating at a wide range of rpm , the osr can be made to operated at 2 or more angular velocities . with such an osr , the benefits in efficiency will be substantial but not as great as the benefits achieved by using an osr that operates over a wide range of rpm .
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the present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising the amine salts of structural formula i above , or a pharmaceutically acceptable solvate thereof , in association with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable carriers . the compositions in accordance with the invention are suitably in unit dosage forms such as tablets , pills , capsules , powders , granules , sterile solutions or suspensions , metered aerosol or liquid sprays , drops , ampoules , auto - injector devices or suppositories . the compositions are intended for oral , parenteral , intranasal , sublingual , or rectal administration , or for administration by inhalation or insufflation . formulation of the compositions according to the invention can conveniently be effected by methods known from the art , for example , as described in remington &# 39 ; s pharmaceutical sciences , 17 th ed ., 1995 . the dosage regimen is selected in accordance with a variety of factors including type , species , age , weight , sex and medical condition of the patient ; the severity of the condition to be treated ; the route of administration ; and the renal and hepatic function of the patient . an ordinarily skilled physician , veterinarian , or clinician can readily determine and prescribe the effective amount of the drug required to prevent , counter or arrest the progress of the condition . oral dosages of the present invention , when used for the indicated effects , will range between about 0 . 01 mg per kg of body weight per day ( mg / kg / day ) to about 100 mg / kg / day , preferably 0 . 01 to 10 mg / kg / day , and most preferably 0 . 1 to 5 . 0 mg / kg / day . for oral administration , the compositions are preferably provided in the form of tablets containing 0 . 01 , 0 . 05 , 0 . 1 , 0 . 5 , 1 . 0 , 2 . 5 , 5 . 0 , 10 . 0 , 15 . 0 , 25 . 0 , 50 . 0 , 100 and 500 milligrams of the active ingredient for the symptomatic adjustment of the dosage to the patient to be treated . a medicament typically contains from about 0 . 01 mg to about 500 mg of the active ingredient , preferably , from about 1 mg to about 100 mg of active ingredient . intravenously , the most preferred doses will range from about 0 . 1 to about 10 mg / kg / minute during a constant rate infusion . advantageously , the salt of the present invention may be administered in a single daily dose , or the total daily dosage may be administered in divided doses of two , three or four times daily . furthermore , the salt of the present invention can be administered in intranasal form via topical use of suitable intranasal vehicles , or via transdermal routes , using those forms of transdermal skin patches well known to those of ordinary skill in the art . to be administered in the form of a transdermal delivery system , the dosage administration will , of course , be continuous rather than intermittent throughout the dosage regimen . in the methods of the present invention , the salts herein described in detail can form the active ingredient , and are typically administered in admixture with suitable pharmaceutical diluents , excipients or carriers ( collectively referred to herein as ‘ carrier ’ materials ) suitably selected with respect to the intended form of administration , that is , oral tablets , capsules , elixirs , syrups and the like , and consistent with conventional pharmaceutical practices . for instance , for oral administration in the form of a tablet or capsule , the active drug component can be combined with an oral , non - toxic , pharmaceutically acceptable , inert carrier such as lactose , starch , sucrose , glucose , methyl cellulose , magnesium stearate , dicalcium phosphate , calcium sulfate , mannitol , sorbitol and the like ; for oral administration in liquid form , the oral drug component can be combined with any oral , non - toxic , pharmaceutically acceptable inert carrier such as ethanol , glycerol , water and the like . moreover , when desired or necessary , suitable binders , lubricants , disintegrating agents and coloring agents can also be incorporated into the mixture . suitable binders include starch , gelatin , natural sugars such as glucose or beta - lactose , corn sweeteners , natural and synthetic gums such as acacia , tragacanth or sodium alginate , carboxymethylcellulose , polyethylene glycol , waxes and the like . lubricants used in these dosage forms include sodium oleate , sodium stearate , magnesium stearate , sodium benzoate , sodium acetate , sodium chloride and the like . disintegrators include , without limitation , starch , methyl cellulose , agar , bentonite , xanthan gum and the like . according to a further aspect , the present invention provides a process for the preparation of the amine salts of formula i , which process comprises reacting 3 -( 2 - methyl - pyrimidin - 5 - yl )- 9 -( 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 - tetrahydro -[ 1 , 8 ]- naphthyridin - 2 - yl )- nonanoic acid of structural formula iv below : with approximately one molar equivalent of the appropriate r 1 r 2 nh amine in a suitable organic solvent . the process is carried out generally at about 0 ° c . to 100 ° c ., and preferably at about 20 ° to 40 ° c . generally , the organic solvent is a linear or branched c 1 - c 4 alkanol , such as methanol , ethanol , or isopropanol , a linear or branched c 1 - 4 alkyl acetate , such as ethyl acetate or isopropyl acetate , diethyl ether , toluene , or acetonitrile , or aqueous organic solvent . in one embodiment , the organic solvent is a c 1 - 4 alkanol or aqueous c 1 - 4 alkanol . crystallization is then effected by adding a solvent , such as ethyl acetate , and optional seeding with crystals of the authentic amine salt , but the latter is not essential . the amine salts are then isolated and purified by conventional procedures , such as by filtration and drying . the starting compound of structural formula iv can be prepared by the procedures detailed in schemes 1 - 2 and example 1 below . in a still further aspect , the present invention provides a method for the treatment and / or prevention of clinical conditions for which an integrin α v β3 receptor antagonist is indicated , which method comprises administering to a patient in need of such prevention or treatment a prophylactically or therapeutically effective amount of the salt of structural formula i as defined above or a pharmaceutically acceptable solvate thereof . the present invention also provides the use of a salt of structural formula i as defined above or pharmaceutically acceptable solvate thereof for the manufacture of a medicament for the prevention and / or treatment of clinical conditions for which an antagonist of the integrin αvβ3 receptor is indicated . another aspect of the present invention provides compounds 2 - 6a and 2 - 6b in the form of a zwitterion trihydrate . the following non - limiting examples are intended to illustrate the present invention and should not be construed as being limitations on the scope or spirit of the instant invention . all x - ray patterns were obtained on a siemens d5000 x - ray diffractometer , using cu kα radiation . all dsc thermograms were taken on a ta 2920 differential scanning calorimeter with a heating rate of 10 ° c ./ minute under nitrogen . the carbon - 13 cpmas nuclear magnetic resonance ( nmr ) spectra were collected with a 200 mhz varian inova solid - state nmr spectrometer ; a contact time of 1 . 5 seconds and a pulse delay of 5 seconds were used for all samples . the ft - infrared spectra were obtained using a perkin elmer ft - ir spectrum one spectrometer ; spectra were collected at 4 cm − 1 resolution . to a solution of bromoacetic acid 1 - 1 ( 12 g , 86 . 4 mmol ) in dmf ( 44 ml ) at 90 ° c . was added phosphorous oxychloride ( 24 ml , 260 mmol ) over 5 h and then heated to 110 ° c . after stirring at 110 ° c . for 2 . 5 h , the mixture was cooled to 45 ° c . and quenched into cold isopropanol ( 44 ml ) at 2 ° c . and diluted with isopropyl acetate ( 44 ml ) and then treated with water ( 6 . 2 ml ), which was added over 45 minutes at 2 ° c ., to form the dichloride vinamidinium salt 1 - 2 . after stirring for 1 h , the deposited solid was collected and washed with isopropyl acetate ( 2 × 14 ml ) and acetonitrile ( 2 × 14 ml ) to afford 1 - 2 ( 12 . 0 g , 54 %) as a pale yellow crystal . to a slurried mixture of dichloride vinamidinium salt 1 - 2 ( 10 . 1 g , 39 . 9 mmole ) and acetamidine hydrochloride 1 - 3 ( 4 . 2 g , 44 . 4 mmol ) in acetonitrile ( 48 ml ) at 22 ° c . was added 50 % sodium hydroxide ( 4 . 9 g , 61 . 1 mmol ) over 1 . 5 h and stirred at room temperature for 1 . 5 h . the reaction mixture was filtered and washed with acetonitrile ( 10 ml ), and the combined filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure and solvent switched to heptane . the resulting mixture of crude 1 - 4 in heptane ( 25 ml ) was extracted with methyl t - butyl ether ( mtbe ) ( 4 × 20 ml ) at 40 ° c . the combined mtbe extracts were filtered through a pad of silica gel and concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was recrystallized from heptane to give aldehyde 1 - 4 ( 2 . 15 g , 44 %) as pale yellow solid ; m . p . 78 - 79 ° c . [ 0062 ] 1 h nmr ( 400 . 25 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 10 . 09 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 03 ( s , 2h ), 2 . 79 ( s , 3h ) ppm . [ 0063 ] 13 c nmr ( 100 . 64 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 189 . 0 , 173 . 2 , 158 . 2 , 126 . 3 , 26 . 7 ppm . a stirred suspension of anhydrous powdered k 2 co 3 ( 6 . 21 g , 45 mmol ), ketophosphonate 2 - 1 ( for preparation of 2 - 1 , see u . s . pat . no . 6 , 048 , 861 ) ( 7 . 66 g , 22 . 5 mmol ), and 2 - methyl - pyrimidine - 5 - carboxaldehyde 1 - 4 ( 2 . 5 g , 20 . 5 mmol ) in thf ( 250 ml ) was heated at reflux for 4 h . after cooling to room temperature , the mixture was diluted with etoac ( 500 ml ) and washed with water ( 100 ml ) and brine ( 100 ml ). the organic solution was dried over mgso 4 , filtered and concentrated . the residue was purified by flash chromatography ( sio 2 ; 10 % etoh / ch 2 cl 2 ) to give 5 . 66 g ( 85 %) of the enone adduct 2 - 2 as a tan solid . 1 h nmr ( 400 . 13 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 8 . 77 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 42 ( d , j = 16 . 3 hz , 1h ), 7 . 04 ( d , j = 7 . 3 hz , 1h ), 6 . 80 ( d , j = 16 . 3 hz , 1h ), 6 . 34 ( d , j = 7 . 3 hz , 1h ) 4 . 80 ( br s , 1h ), 3 . 38 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 76 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 70 - 2 . 65 ( om , 4h ), 2 . 57 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 88 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 74 - 1 . 70 ( om , 4h ) ppm . [ 0066 ] 13 c nmr ( 100 . 61 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 199 . 5 , 169 . 4 , 158 . 0 , 156 . 0 , 155 . 9 , 136 . 8 , 135 . 1 , 128 . 4 , 125 . 5 , 113 . 4 , 111 . 5 , 41 . 8 , 41 . 4 , 37 . 7 , 29 . 5 , 26 . 5 , 26 . 2 , 24 . 0 , 21 . 6 ppm . enone 2 - 2 ( 7 . 13 g , 22 . 0 mmol ) was dissolved in meoh ( 200 ml ) and cooled to 0 ° c . solid nabh 4 ( 1 . 00 g , 1 . 2 eq ) was added in 3 portions . after 15 minutes of stirring , the reaction was quenched with 10 % aqueous citric acid , and 1n hcl was added to adjust the ph to about 3 . the mixture was stirred for 20 min ., and then 1n naoh was added to adjust the ph to about 9 . methanol was removed in vacuo and the residue was extracted with chcl 3 ( 3 × 100 ml ). the combined organic extracts were dried over mgso 4 , filtered , and concentrated . the residue was purified by flash chromatography ( sio 2 ; 80 : 10 : 10 chcl 3 / meoh / etoac ) to give 6 . 10 g ( 85 %) of the racemic allylic alcohol 2 - 3 as a pale yellow solid . the racemic mixture was resolved by chiral preparative hplc ( 10 × 50 cm chiralpak ad column , 80 / 20 etoh / hexanes + 0 . 1 % diethylamine ; 6 . 1 g injection @ 300 ml / min ) to give 2 . 72 gm ( 38 %) of the first eluting enantiomer 2 - 3a ( r t = 40 to 51 min ; & gt ; 98 % enantiomeric excess ) and 2 . 1 g ( 34 %) of the second eluting enantiomer 2 - 3b ( r t = 51 to 62 min ). to a stirred solution of allylic alcohol 2 - 3a ( 4 . 7 g , 13 . 9 mmol ) in triethyl orthoacetate ( 88 ml ) was added a solution of propionic acid ( 5 . 34 ml of a 0 . 15 m soln in ( eto ) 3 cme ; 0 . 80 mmol ). the solution was heated to reflux ( 145 ° c .) for 2 hours . the solution was then cooled to room temperature and the reaction treated with 1n hcl / brine ( 25 ml ). after stirring for 10 min , the mixture was neutralized and extracted with etoac ( 3 × 100 ml ) and the combined organic extracts dried over mgso 4 , filtered and concentrated . the residue was purified by flash chromatography ( sio 2 ; 80 : 10 : 10 chcl 3 / etoac / meoh ) to give 4 . 6 g ( 82 %) of 2 - 4a as a brown oil . [ 0071 ] 1 h nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 8 . 52 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 04 ( d , j = 7 . 3 hz , 1h ), 6 . 34 ( d , j = 7 . 3 hz , 1h ), 5 . 53 ( m , 2h ), 5 . 05 ( br s , 1h ), 4 . 07 ( q , j = 7 . 0 hz , 2h ), 3 . 81 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 49 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 69 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 58 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 05 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 90 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 63 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 41 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 18 ( t , j = 7 . 0 hz , 3h ) ppm . unsaturated ester 2 - 4a ( 12 . 3 g , 30 . 1 mmol ) was dissolved in ethanol ( 300 ml ) and the solution purged with argon gas for 20 min . 10 % palladium - on - carbon ( 3 . 2 g ) was added . a balloon of hydrogen gas was affixed to the partially evacuated flask . the heterogeneous reaction was stirred for 3 . 5 h . the reaction mixture was then filtered through celite , and the filtrate concentrated . the residue was purified by flash chromatography ( sio 2 ; 80 : 10 : 10 chcl 3 / meoh / etoac ) to give 10 . 2 g ( 83 %) of ester 2 - 5a as a colorless oil . [ 0074 ] 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 8 . 43 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 04 ( d , j = 7 . 2 hz , 1h ), 6 . 27 ( d , j = 7 . 2 hz , 1h ), 4 . 01 ( q , j = 7 . 1 hz , 2h ), 3 . 37 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 01 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 64 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 68 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 48 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 87 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 59 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 24 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 12 ( t , j = 7 . 1 hz , 3h ) ppm . to a stirred solution of ester 2 - 5a ( 10 . 2 g , 24 . 8 mmol ) in meoh / thf ( 50 ml / 150 ml ) was added 1n naoh ( 75 ml , 75 mmol ). the reaction was stirred for 16 h at room temperature and then neutralized with 1n hcl ( 75 ml ). the solvent was removed in vacuo . the residue was purified by flash chromatography ( sio 2 ; 80 : 10 : 10 chcl 3 / meoh / etoac ) to give a viscous foam which was redissolved in a minimal volume of water to produce a white gummy paste . stirring and scratching with a metal spatula produced a white crystalline solid . the precipitate was collected by filtration to give 8 . 0 g ( 84 %) of the zwitterion 2 - 6a . [ 0077 ] 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cd 3 od ): δ 8 . 54 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 36 ( d , j = 7 . 2 hz , 1h ), 6 . 43 ( d , j = 7 . 2 hz , 1h ), 3 . 39 ( t , j = 8 . 0 hz , 2h ), 3 . 27 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 12 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 72 ( t , j = 6 . 0 hz , 2h ), 2 . 58 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 87 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 76 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 61 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 41 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 29 ( m , 5h ) ppm . the x - ray powder diffraction pattern of the crystalline zwitterion trihydrate is illustrated in fig3 . it has characteristic diffraction peaks corresponding to d - spacings of 9 . 69 , 8 . 04 , 7 . 60 , 6 . 80 , 5 . 39 , 4 . 51 , 4 . 47 , 4 . 44 , 4 . 35 , 4 . 32 , 4 . 29 , 4 . 11 , 4 . 02 , and 3 . 86 angstroms . the crystalline zwitterion trihydrate was also characterized by solid - state carbon - 13 nmr spectroscopy . fig6 illustrates the carbon - 13 cpmas nmr spectrum of the crystalline zwitterion trihydrate which exhibits signals with chemical shift values at 179 . 5 , 166 . 4 , 159 . 7 , 155 . 4 , 150 . 5 , 140 . 9 , 136 . 8 , 116 . 6 , 110 . 8 , 46 . 0 , 39 . 7 , 37 . 2 , 35 . 5 , 33 . 4 , 29 . 8 , 27 . 4 , 25 . 1 , 24 . 1 , and 20 . 7 ppm . the differential scanning calorimeter ( dsc ) curve of the crystalline zwitterion trihydrate is illustrated in fig9 . the dsc curve exhibits a broad dehydration endothermic peak centered around 68 ° c . ( extrapolated onset temperature of about 50 ° c .). the small endothermic peak ( peak temperature at about 87 ° c .) on the shoulder of the dehydration endotherm is likely attributed to degradation of the salt . the ft infrared spectrum of the crystalline zwitterion trihydrate is illustrated in fig1 , which exhibits significant absorption bands at 1671 , 1624 , 1559 , 1450 , 1409 , 1322 , 1288 , 1016 , 752 , and 733 cm − 1 . the content of water as obtained with karl - fischer titration was 12 . 5 wt % ( the theory for a trihydrate is 12 . 4 wt %). the product from step f ( 2 - 6a ) ( 8 . 73 g , 20 . 0 mmol ), tris ( hydroxymethyl ) aminomethane ( 2 . 42 g , 20 . 0 mmol ), and methanol ( 100 ml ) were added to a 500 ml flask . the mixture was warmed to 30 ° c . to obtain complete solution . ethyl acetate ( 100 ml ) was added and the mixture seeded with crystals of the authentic “ tris ” salt ( 2 mg ). the slurry was aged 30 minutes and then concentrated at constant volume ( 25 - 30 ° c ., 100 mmhg ) by adding ethyl acetate ( total of 100 ml ). the resultant slurry was cooled to 20 ° c ., aged for one hour , and filtered . the product 2 - 7a was washed with ethyl acetate ( 50 ml ) and dried in vacuo at 20 ° c . the x - ray powder diffraction pattern of the crystalline tris ( hydroxymethyl ) aminomethane (“ tris ”) salt [ r 1 ═ h ; r 2 ═ c ( ch 2 oh ) 3 ] is illustrated in fig1 . it has characteristic diffraction peaks corresponding to d - spacings of 16 . 07 , 8 . 52 , 5 . 70 , 5 . 35 , 4 . 51 , 4 . 28 , 4 . 01 , 3 . 81 , 3 . 56 , 3 . 41 , and 3 . 21 angstroms . the crystalline “ tris ” salt was also characterized by solid - state nmr spectroscopy . fig4 illustrates the carbon - 13 cpmas nmr spectrum of the crystalline salt which exhibits signals with chemical shift values at 179 . 0 , 178 . 5 , 166 . 9 , 161 . 2 , 158 . 5 , 157 . 1 , 156 . 1 , 137 . 6 , 135 . 8 , 114 . 0 , 111 . 4 , 109 . 5 , 62 . 0 , 58 . 0 , 57 . 0 , 49 . 8 , 47 . 4 , 40 . 5 , 37 . 4 , 32 . 9 , 29 . 1 , 26 . 8 , 26 . 0 , and 19 . 9 ppm . the differential scanning calorimeter ( dsc ) curve of the crystalline anhydrous “ tris ” salt is illustrated in fig7 . the dsc curve exhibits a melting / decomposition endotherm with a peak temperature of about 160 ° c . ( extrapolated onset temperature of about 155 ° c .). the ft infrared spectrum of the crystalline anhydrous “ tris ” salt is illustrated in fig1 , which exhibits significant absorption bands at 3347 , 1597 , 1586 , 1519 , 1452 , 1392 , 1062 , and 1031 cm − 1 . the content of water as obtained with karl - fischer titration was about 0 . 3 wt %. the enantiomeric “ tris ” salt 2 - 7b was prepared from 2 - 3b as described for 2 - 7a . compound 2 - 6a ( 1 . 0 g , 2 . 29 mmol ), 2 - amino - 2 - methyl - 1 - propanol ( 2 . 29 mmol ), and methanol ( 2 ml ) were added to a 25 ml flask . the mixture was warmed to 30 ° c . to obtain complete solution . ethyl acetate ( 20 ml ) was added and the mixture stirred at 20 ° c . to obtain a slurry . the slurry was aged 60 minutes and filtered . the product was washed with ethyl acetate ( 5 ml ) and dried in vacuo at 20 ° c . the x - ray powder diffraction pattern of the crystalline 2 - amino - 2 - methyl - 1 - propanol salt [ r 1 ═ h ; r 2 ═ c ( ch 3 ) 2 ch 2 oh ] is illustrated in fig2 . it has characteristic diffraction peaks corresponding to d - spacings of 11 . 17 , 9 . 51 , 8 . 92 , 7 . 44 , 5 . 92 , 5 . 38 , 4 . 84 , 4 . 46 , 4 . 24 , and 4 . 13 angstroms . the crystalline 2 - amino - 2 - methyl - 1 - propanol salt was also characterized by solid - state nmr spectroscopy . fig5 illustrates the carbon - 13 cpmas nmr spectrum of the crystalline salt , which exhibits signals with chemical shift values at 178 . 7 , 165 . 9 , 159 . 3 , 158 . 2 , 157 . 2 , 138 . 1 , 136 . 1 , 112 . 8 , 111 . 6 , 110 . 3 , 67 . 6 , 53 . 7 , 44 . 1 , 41 . 2 , 40 . 5 , 40 . 1 , 38 . 7 , 37 . 6 , 33 . 6 , 32 . 1 , 30 . 7 , 29 . 9 , 27 . 0 , 25 . 4 , 24 . 5 , 22 . 9 , 20 . 8 , and 19 . 9 ppm . the differential scanning calorimeter ( dsc ) curve of the crystalline anhydrous 2 - amino - 2 - methyl - 1 - propanol salt is illustrated in fig8 . the dsc curve exhibits a melting / decomposition endotherm with a peak temperature of about 133 ° c . ( extrapolated onset temperature of about 126 ° c .). a small reversible endothermic peak with a peak temperature of 107 ° c . is also observed . the ft infrared spectrum of the crystalline anhydrous 2 - amino - 2 - methyl - 1 - propanol salt is illustrated in fig1 , which exhibits significant absorption bands at 3252 , 1537 , 1454 , 1394 , 1320 , 1064 , 802 , and 751 cm − 1 . the content of water as obtained with karl - fischer titration was about 0 . 3 wt %. the enantiomeric 2 - amino - 2 - methyl - 1 - propanol salt 3 - 7b was prepared from 2 - 3b as described for 2 - 7a . the amine salts of formula formula i can be formulated into a tablet by a direct compression process . a 100 mg potency tablet is composed of 100 mg of the active ingredient , 276 mg mannitol , 20 mg of croscarmellose sodium , and 4 mg of magnesium stearate . the active ingredient , microcrystalline cellulose , and croscarmellose are first blended , and the mixture is then lubricated with magnesium stearate and pressed into tablets . an intravenous ( i . v .) aqueous formulation is prepared by dissolving an amine salt of structural formula i in ethanol ( 10 %)/ water ( 90 %). for a formulation with a concentration of 5 mg / ml , 5 mg of the active ingredient is dissolved in one ml ethanol ( 10 %)/ water ( 90 %) solution .
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referring first to fig1 a front view of a motherboard test machine is illustrated . as shown in fig1 a carrier 107 and a shingle 109 — are disposed over a function test box 101 of the test machine and are movable up and down . the presser bar members or press sticks 111 underneath the shingle 109 can fix the motherboard to be tested 113 while the shingle 109 moves downward to a fixed or held position . the carrier 107 is capable of carrying the motherboard to be tested 113 and has guide holes ( not shown in the figs .) located opposite to the pins on the bottom surface of the motherboard to be tested 103 . a probe load board 103 on the function test box 101 has probes 105 located opposite to the guide holes on the carrier 107 . while the carrier moves downward , the probes 105 are inserted into the guide holes of the carrier 107 exactly and are coupled to the pins of the motherboard to be tested 113 . before testing , the computer components , such as the peripheral equipment , apparatus , and an interface card ( not shown in the figs . ), are assembled in the function test box 101 beforehand . the function test box 101 then couples the pins of those components to the probes 105 on the probe load board 103 . please refer to fig2 for the plug - in location of the cpu . a perspective view of the test machine shown in fig1 is illustrated in fig2 . as shown in fig2 a cpu adapter 200 on the bottom surface of the probe load board 103 is capable of coupling a cpu 205 and the motherboard to be tested 113 . please also refer to fig3 . a front view of the structure of a cpu adapter of a motherboard test machine according to a preferred embodiment of this invention shown in fig2 is illustrated in fig3 . the cpu adapter 200 includes a connection board 201 , a number of probe - receptacles 301 and a number of probes wherein the connection board 201 includes a socket 203 for connecting to the cpu 205 . the probe - receptacles 301 are on the connection board 201 and the probes insert within them . the probes 303 are capable of connecting to the pins of the bottom surface of the motherboard to be tested 113 and are coupled to the probe - receptacles 301 and the connection board 201 . the cpu adapter 200 further includes a mounting board 305 for fixing the probe - receptacles wherein the probe - receptacles 301 can pierce though the mounting board 305 . by this way , the probes 303 can be coupled to the pins of the motherboard to be tested 113 precisely . since the cpu 205 is coupled to the pins of the motherboard to be tested 113 , it might cause the signals to diminish and the timing to become disordered , and make the system malfunction . thus , the circuit design on the connection board 201 is used for improving the above - mentioned defects . the connection board 201 further includes an electrolytic capacitor 207 and a clock widen circuit 209 . the electrolytic capacitor is provided for enhancing the signals of the cpu 205 . and the connection board 201 widens the clock signal of the cpu 205 by using the clock widen circuit . hence , the signals of the cpu 205 can keep the signals and timing regular . moreover , considering that the cpu adapter in fig3 occupies more space than the cpu adapter in fig4 . a front view of the structure of a cpu adapter of a motherboard test machine according to another preferred embodiment of this invention shown in fig2 is illustrated in fig4 . the cpu adapter 200 includes a connecting board 201 , a number of probe - receptacles 401 , a number of probes , a socket 203 , and a mounting board 405 . the circuit design and the connecting correlation thereof are as mentioned above except that the location of the probes 403 is directly opposite to that of the pins of the cpu 205 for the sake of saving the space . in order to prevent the probe - receptacles 401 from conflicting with the pins of cpu 205 , the cpu adapter 200 further includes a connection board 407 and a number of probes 409 . the connection board 407 for connecting with the probe - receptacles 401 is coupled to the connection board 201 by the probes . the location of the probes 409 should avoid conflict with the pins of the socket 203 . referring to fig5 a front view of a motherboard to be tested disposed in the fixed position for testing shown in fig1 is illustrated . after the motherboard to be tested 113 is placed in position , the shingle 109 and carrier 107 move downward and arrive the fixed position for testing . the probes 105 of the cpu adapter 200 move into the guide holes of the carrier 107 exactly and connect to the corresponding pins on the bottom surface of the motherboard to be tested 113 . thereafter , the test machine proceeds to test the circuitry . after finishing the test , the shingle 109 and the carrier 107 are uplifted and another motherboard to be tested is substituted in the next test . in accordance with the above - mentioned preferred embodiment of the invention , the adapter may be used not only for a cpu but also for any other high - frequency components , such as graphic cards , ram , and so on . the advantages of the cpu adapter of the motherboard test machine according to the disclosed embodiment are as follows : first , it shortens the test time and raises the producing rate : the cpu is plugged in the connection board of the cpu adapter in the function test box beforehand . instead of insertion and removal of the cpu by manpower , the pcb to be tested is put in the function test box and the circuit testing proceeds . second , it decreases the cost of testing : the connecting pins of the cpu used to get bent and even snap due to the worker negligence and frequent insertion and removal of the computer components . the damage to the component increases the cost of testing . by way of using probes to connect the computer components according to this invention , it can lower the hazard of damaging the computer component and further decrease the component consumption rate and the cost of testing . third , it decreases the demand for test tools , such as cpus . it requires one cpu for one test machine instead of plugging one cpu in each motherboard to be tested . therefore , it decreases the amount of test tools for usage . while the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment . to the contrary , it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements and procedures , and the scope of the appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements and procedures .
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1 . by reference to step i of the figure , air bearing slider 1 which is of a known type such as illustrated in ibm journal of research and development , vol . 18 , no . 6 , pp . 493 - 496 , november 1974 , is prepared and pre - machined so that the air bearing surfaces 2 require further only a final polish . preparation of sliders 1 in step i is accomplished by known techniques which are not a part of the present invention . overall slider dimensions are machined to within final specifications . surface 3 is the trailing edge of said slider when ultimately operational in a computer magnetic recording disc memory , and said surface 3 is the plane to which the thin film magnetic transducer elements must be affixed . 2 . a plurality of prepared sliders from step 1 are next ganged together by suitable mechanical constraint 4 as shown in step ii of the figure . said mechanical constraint 4 prevents relative motion between the sliders . 3 . the plurality of sliders locked together by said mechanical constraint 4 are coated with a filler material 6 so that all spaces 5 among and between sliders 1 are filled as shown in step iii . as capillary action will usually not draw the filler material completely into all spaces , pressure or vacuum suction is typically employed . suitable filler materials are polyimide and photopolymers . 4 . said filler material in step iii is hardened by exposure to heat or other techniques depending upon the chemistry of the filler employed . 5 . the surface 3 of all of the sliders held together by mechanical constraint 4 are lapped and / or polished to a surface finish of 1 to 2 microinches arithmetic average as shown in step iv . 6 . thin film transducer elements 7 are applied to all sliders 1 on surface 3 as prepared by process step v by well - known techniques as discussed in the description of the prior art above . 7 . mechanical constraint 4 is removed as indicated in step vi . 8 . filler material 6 is dissolved away to permit separation of individual air bearing sliders as shown in step vii . 9 . air bearing sliders are final polished upon air bearing surfaces 2 and are ready for final assembly as shown in step viii . as an alternative embodiment in process step iv hereinabove , surface 3 of each slider may be coated with a layer of material to function as a base foundation for the thin film transducer elements 7 . said base foundation could be composed of sio 2 , al 2 o 3 , si 3 n 4 , or many other materials that possess non - magnetic , non - conductive properties . said base foundation layer would be used to enhance adhesion and / or thermal expansion compatibility between the transducer element 7 and slider surface 3 . as a further alternative embodiment , a plurality of thin film transducer elements may be applied to each air bearing slider 1 .
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fig1 illustrates exemplary communication network architecture 100 . communication network architecture 100 comprises a mobile network 105 , a communication management system 110 and a private network 115 . communication management system 110 generally manages communications between the mobile network 105 and the private network 115 . a network should be generally understood as a group of associated devices ( e . g ., computing devices ) that are coupled to one another via a communications facility . for example , mobile network 105 is illustrative of an exemplary group of mobile computing devices such as mobile phones , smart phones , pdas , tablet pcs and wi - fi equipped laptops . private network 115 is illustrative of an enterprise server and various workstation clients such as that found in any number of corporate entities and businesses . private network 115 may also be embodied as a single computer ( e . g ., a home computer ) coupled to a series of other computing devices via an internet connection as provided by an isp . mobile network 105 , communication management system 110 and private network 115 may also be reflective of a network in that they reflect a variety , of computing devices coupled to one another via a variety of communications channels ( e . g ., mobile telephone base stations , the internet and so forth ). in that regard , networks should be interpreted as being inclusive rather than exclusive . private network 115 may be separated from the communication management system 110 , mobile network 105 and any other networks by a firewall 120 . firewall 120 is traditionally a set of software applications located at a network gateway server ( not shown ) to protect the resources of the private network 115 ( e . g ., corporate or private data ) from unauthorized users and / or malicious data entities ( e . g ., viruses and spy - ware ) that might exist outside the private network 115 . firewall 120 may also be a security policy used with the aforementioned software application . firewall 120 , in the case of a personal computer ( pc ) 130 , may be software directly implemented on the pc 130 . the mobile network 105 comprises a variety of mobile devices that may communicate over the internet through , for example , a wireless or landline mobile network . a variety of mobile networks and communications channels for enabling internet access are well known in the art . private network 115 may be any enterprise network , individual user network , or local computer system that maintains data for one or more users . in an exemplary embodiment , the private network 115 may comprise an enterprise server 125 configured to be accessed by multiple pcs 130 . in one example , the enterprise server 125 may be a microsoft ® exchange ® server and the pcs 130 may access data such as electronic mail ( e - mail ) on the enterprise server 125 through a client software application ( not shown ) such as microsoft ® outlook ®. the enterprise server 125 can store e - mail mailboxes , contact lists , calendars , tasks , notes , or any other type of local data or electronic documents ( e . g ., word processing documents , powerpoint ® presentations , excel spreadsheets ). pcs 130 are coupled to the enterprise server 125 over a local area network ( lan ) 135 , which is coupled to a wide area network ( wan ) 140 such as the internet . in some embodiments , pcs 130 may operate independently of enterprise server 125 ( e . g ., a home personal computer or a business enterprise without an enterprise server 125 ). pc 130 may comprise or be coupled to memory ( not shown ) to store e - mail mailboxes , contact lists , calendars , tasks , notes , or any other type of local data or electronic document that might otherwise be stored on enterprise server 125 . in these embodiments , a personal client application ( not shown ) may also provide for communication with a management server 145 or a personal client server ( pcs ) ( not shown ) coupled to the management server 145 . this latter configuration would be functionality similar to an enterprise client ( not shown ) at the enterprise server 125 configured to allow communication with the management server 145 . the particularities of a given communications architecture implementation are left to the requirements of a user , their particular network and available communications hardware and software . in that regard , the present disclosure &# 39 ; s reference to a pcs should not be interpreted as an operational necessity but an alternative embodiment of the present invention . communication management system 110 comprises at least one management server 145 configured to manage transactions between mobile devices in the mobile network 105 and the private network 115 . a user database 150 , which may be coupled to or directly integrated with management server 145 , comprises configuration information for different users . for example , the user database 150 may comprise login data for users in the private network 115 and / or mobile network 105 . communication management system 110 may further comprise one or more smart device servers ( sds ) ( not shown ) and / or one or more of the aforementioned pcs ( not shown ) in addition to any other specially configured equipment that might be necessary to enable communications between the mobile network 105 and private network 115 in addition to communications within the communication management system 110 . optional sds ( not shown ), for example , manages communications with particular smart mobile devices 190 ( e . g ., smart phones like the treo 600 ) whereas an optional pcs ( not shown ) may manage communications with personal clients ( not shown ) that may reside on pc 130 . mobile devices in the mobile network 105 may comprise cellular phones 170 comprising wireless application protocol ( wap ) interfaces configured to communicate with management server 145 through a wap gateway 195 . other mobile devices may include tablet pcs , pdas and internet kiosks 180 or any smart mobile device 190 operating as a communication start / endpoint . communication channels 160 are any communication pathways that allow the aforementioned mobile devices to communicate between the mobile network 105 with the internet and / or any other communications network . for example , communications channel 160 may be a landline , a cellular channel , an 802 . 11x wireless channel , satellite channels , or any combination of the above . in an independent pc configuration , the personal client application ( not shown ) installed on the pc 130 establishes a data connection between the pc 130 and management server 145 over the appropriate networks ( e . g ., lan 135 and wan 140 ) as well as any necessary intermediate hardware or software applications that might further be necessary such as an optional pcs ( not shown ). the data connection between the pc 130 and management server 145 , in one embodiment , is initiated by the personal client as an outbound connection , which is then authenticated by the management server 145 . for example , the personal client on pc 130 may present authentication information to the management server 145 , which the management server 145 may attempt to reconcile with information in the user database 150 . a similar connection process may occur in the context of an enterprise server 125 with an enterprise client and a related data connection . if the management server 145 authenticates the personal client or enterprise client , the data connection is established through firewall 120 ( if applicable ) to establish access with the communication management system 110 , which , in some embodiments , is outside the private network 115 . management server 145 , after having established the data connection may provide connection sharing information or other communication configuration parameters as might be related to an associated mobile device in the mobile network 105 . management server 145 and the related client at the enterprise server 125 or pc 130 may then enter a quiescent mode until a transaction ( e . g ., the arrival of data at the server 125 or pc 130 ) that requires the transfer of data between the private network 115 and mobile network 105 ( e . g ., pushing of e - mail ). in some embodiments , if the data connection is inadvertently terminated , the client at the enterprise server 125 or pc 130 will automatically reestablish a data connection with the management server 145 . the data connection may be maintained even when there is no exchange of data between the management server 145 and mobile network 105 and an associated mobile device . in one embodiment , the data connection is a transmission control protocol / internet protocol ( tcp / ip ) connection although any connection protocol may be used that provides connectivity between the private network 115 and communication management system 110 . alternative embodiments may utilize a proxy server and / or a secure socket layer ( ssl ) for the purposes of maintaining the security of information transmitted between the private network 115 and communication management system 110 . after establishing the data connection , a mobile data connection may be established between any of the mobile devices in the mobile network 105 and the management server 145 . the mobile data connection may , in some embodiments , be established prior to and / or maintained notwithstanding the presence of a data connection between the private network 115 and communication management system 110 . for example , a mobile device in mobile network 105 may seek to establish and maintain a connection as soon as a communication channel 160 is available that facilitates establishing that connection . the mobile data connection may further be subject to polling ( e . g ., accessing the communication management system 110 on a regularly scheduled basis ), manual synchronization and / or the generation of or request for data at the mobile device . the mobile connection , in some embodiments , may also be initiated by the communication management system as a result of the arrival of data at the enterprise server 125 or pc 130 that needs to be delivered to the mobile device via the communication management system 110 and appropriate communication channel 160 ( e . g ., arrival of e - mail to be pushed to the mobile device ). after the mobile connection is established , the mobile device 170 may access e - mail and other data ( e . g ., pim data ) at the enterprise server 125 or pc 130 via , for example , an enterprise client or personal client , respectively . as noted , in some embodiments , the use of an optional sds ( not shown ) to establish connectivity between the communication management system 110 and a smart device 190 may be required as may an optional pcs ( not shown ) for establishing connectivity between communication management system 110 and pc 130 . mobile device connection , as noted , may be initiated by a mobile device in the mobile network 105 . for example , a mobile user &# 39 ; s username and password for accessing the communication management system 110 may be established in user database 150 when the user enrolls with the communication management system 110 . the user would subsequently be required to provide this information when the mobile device attempts to automatically or manually accesses the communication management system 110 . a username / password combination is not necessarily required to access the management system 110 as other security credentials may be utilized to establish access . for example , an authentication token may be established on the mobile device following the device &# 39 ; s providing of the proper security credentials ( e . g ., a user name and password ). that authentication token may be recognized by the communication management system 110 with regard to establishing future access so that the re - entry of a username and password is not required for subsequent access . the authentication token may be permanent or set to expire after a certain period of time or a certain number of uses . certificate mapping ( using ssl certificates ), host - ip access control ( white - listing and black - listing certain ip addresses or networks ) and device location may also be used to establish access to the communication management system 110 . in the latter example , the position of a device may be established by access to a particular base station ( in the case of a cellular device ) or a gps - transceiver may identify the position of the device . if the device is out of a specified region , the communication management system 110 may deny access ( e . g ., a user designates denial of access if their mobile device is taken overseas or out - of - state as that location suggests it has been stolen ). security credentials may also be provided through a combination of various mobile identifiers , for example , mobile identification numbers ( min ), international mobile subscriber identity ( imsi ) and electronic serial number ( esn ). additional layers of security may be provided through the use of a secure hash algorithm or a virtual private network ( vpn ). notwithstanding the particular access methodology , the credentials are ultimately verified by the management server 145 or some related software / hardware ( e . g ., optional sds ( not shown )) and possibly with further regard to user information stored in the user database 150 . similar authentication methodologies may be utilized for establishing a data connection between the communication management system 110 and a computing device in the private network 115 . once connectivity is established by the mobile device , the user may access e - mail , files or pim data residing at the enterprise server 125 , pc 130 or in the communication management system 110 at the management server 145 . such access includes information as may be ‘ published ’ by a user of communication management system 110 . management server 145 may be configured to reformat and render local data from the private network 115 according to the particularities of the user &# 39 ; s mobile device in addition to functioning as a routing engine for data transactions between the mobile devices of the mobile network 105 and the private network 115 . fig2 is an illustration of a data aggregation and management system 200 comprising an exemplary dynamic data aggregation server 210 , an exemplary client device 220 and various sources of pim and other types of data including an enterprise server 230 and a pc 240 . various intermediate operations and services 250 are also shown . the intermediate operations and services 250 may be directly integrated as a part of data aggregation server 210 , may stand alone as a third - party service accessible by data aggregation server 210 and / or device 220 or be remotely coupled to the data aggregation server 210 ( e . g ., physically separate from the physical architecture of the data aggregation server 210 ); for example , a switch or customer service center . pc 240 may be a desktop pc coupled to the data aggregations server 210 by way of client connection software like seven personal edition available from seven networks , inc . of redwood city , calif . this client connection software may provide a secure link to data stored at the pc 240 such as e - mail , personal contacts , documents or other pim data . a client device 220 such as a smart phone or other mobile device may access this data via the data aggregation server 210 and / or a communications management system like that described in fig1 and any variety of communication networks ( e . g ., wireless ). pc 240 and its client connection software may be configured with certain features such as end - to - end encryption to ensure secure transmission of personal data or notification functionalities to inform a user that new content ( e . g ., e - mail ) has arrived at the pc 240 and should be forwarded to client device 220 via , for example , a push operation through the data aggregation server 210 and / or a communications management system . enterprise server 230 may be a corporate enterprise server configured to manage e - mail , data and various applications . enterprise server 230 ( and pc 240 ) may utilize a firewall ( not shown ) like that described in fig1 . although a firewall is described , a firewall is not necessary for the operation and interaction of the enterprise server 230 ( or pc 240 ) with data aggregation server 210 and / or client device 220 . enterprise server 230 is coupled to the data aggregation server 210 via appropriate client server software , which , like the client software of pc 240 , intermediately couples the enterprise server 230 to client device 220 via a data connection to the data aggregation server 210 and / or a communications management system like that described in fig1 . an example of such software is seven server edition available from the aforementioned seven networks , inc . additional software installed at the enterprise server 230 may provide various users ( e . g ., clients or workstations ) the ability to interact with the enterprise server 230 and have access to application data ( e . g ., email ), pim data or other types of information . data aggregation server 210 comprises the various modules necessary to aggregate and manage pim and other types of data . data aggregation server 210 may be directly integrated with the management server ( 145 ) of fig1 or otherwise coupled to the communication management system ( 110 ) described in fig1 . data aggregation server 210 is optionally coupled to the enterprise server 230 and / or pc 240 via network 260 . network 260 further enables communications access to additional sources of pim and other types of data . access to an enterprise server 230 or pc 240 by the data aggregation server 210 is not required for the operation of the data aggregation server 210 . the data aggregation server 210 may operate independently of an enterprise server 230 and pc 240 so long as certain information required by the data aggregation server 210 and an associated client device 220 is otherwise available ( e . g ., pim data such as calendar and / or contact data ). coupling the data aggregation server 210 to pc 240 and / or enterprise server 230 provides additional or enhanced functionality that might otherwise be unavailable absent such a coupling . similarly , the e - mail redirection and data access functionality offered by connection software at pc 240 and enterprise server 230 may also operate independent of the data aggregation server 210 . in an embodiment of the present invention , data aggregation server 210 and pc 240 and / or enterprise server 230 may operate in parallel without ever being ‘ aware ’ of the operation of the other . another embodiment of the present invention , however , may integrate certain features of data aggregation server 210 with enterprise server 230 and / or pc 240 to provide for the aforementioned enhanced functionality . in an embodiment of the present invention , data aggregation server 210 may be operating on and / or integrated into with a service provider network ( e . g ., cingular wireless for wireless networking or sbc communications , inc . for telecommunications such as digital subscriber lines ( dsl )). through integration or operational contact with a service provider &# 39 ; s network , instant access to a community of millions of subscribers ( i . e ., the service provider &# 39 ; s customers ) is provided . this integration may also allow for access to additional features such as news , media content , maps and directions as well as e - mail , short messaging service ( sms ) and any other value - added features as made available by the service provider . the service provider &# 39 ; s network and the data aggregation server 210 may operate independently of or in conjunction with enterprise server architecture 230 and / or pc 240 . as noted above , the data aggregation server 210 may also be integrated with the communication management system ( 110 ) and / or management server ( 145 ) of fig1 . in that regard , data aggregation server 210 may be a part of the management server ( 145 ), which may be an operational part of the communications management system ( 110 ) of fig1 . that communication management system ( 110 ) may be a part of the aforementioned service provider network . data aggregation server 210 may comprise various access controls , gateways and operational modules , which are described in detail in co - pending u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 217 , 203 . intermediate operations and services 250 may comprise any variety of operations and services deemed necessary and / or desirable by a service provider . in fig2 , an sms gateway 270 , ip / sip gateway 280 and billing and transaction service 290 are illustrated . the inclusion of these particular operations and services is not to suggest their presence is a prerequisite for practice of the presently claimed invention . sms gateway 270 may comprise a software and / or hardware utility enabling users to send and receive sms messages on a gsm or pcs digital cellular network . sms gateway 270 may support a number of ip interfaces such as pop3 and smtp for integration with an e - mail environment as well as http / xml interfaces and snmp traps for notification of events . sms gateway 270 may further support local programming interfaces such as object linking and embedding ( ole ), dynamic data exchange ( dde ) and command line interface ( cli ). sms gateway 270 may be further coupled to an smsc ( not shown ). a push gateway may be functionally integrated with sms gateway 270 and may further operate proxy applications such as a wap gateway 195 for the translation of wap requests into http requests . an ip / sip gateway 280 may operate in conjunction with an sip stack located in device 220 to integrate the pstn , which uses the signaling system 7 protocol to offload pstn data onto a wireless or broadband network . billing and transaction service 290 may be configured and / or utilized for calculating the minutes a user is on a network and / or the amount of bandwidth the user has consumed and how this usage pertains to a service plan and / or billing cycle . other features that may be utilized by the user of device 220 and subject to a service fee may be calculated by billing and transaction service 290 such as sms , roaming and 411 . device 220 , in an embodiment of the present invention , is a mobile device such as a cellular telephone configured to allow access to the data aggregation server 210 as well as various types of data at enterprise server 230 and / or pc 240 . device 220 may operate through intermediate operations and services 250 in order to access the data management server 210 . client device 220 may comprise various authentication controls and operational modules that interact with certain modules in the data aggregation server 210 , the intermediate operations and service 250 as well as an enterprise server 230 and / or pc 240 . fig3 is an exemplary device 300 allowing for interaction with and manipulation of dynamically aggregated personal and professional contact information and other types of information and data . device 300 may be any variety of exemplary portable devices as may be implemented in mobile network 105 such as a mobile phone , smartphone , pda , tablet pc , wi - fi equipped laptop and so forth . device 300 may correspond to device 220 relative the data aggregation server 210 as illustrated in fig2 . device 300 comprises various modules ( e . g ., synchronization module 305 , logic module 310 , etc .). the present device 300 is exemplary ; additional or differing embodiments of the present invention may lack certain modules ( e . g ., location module 345 ) and / or may comprise additional modules such as an enhanced user interface framework as described in commonly owned and co - pending u . s . patent application ser . nos . 11 / 123 , 540 ; 11 / 227 , 013 ; 11 / 227 , 272 ; and ser . no . 11 / 227 , 323 , which are incorporated herein by reference . synchronization module 305 comprises or is otherwise coupled to the software , routines , hardware and / or driver devices necessary for updating or backing up data on one device with a second device . the most common instance of synchronization occurs between a mobile device ( e . g ., a pda or a smartphone ) and a desktop computer running a desktop connector or coupled to a server hosting synchronization software . while synchronization may be the result of a physical coupling of the mobile device to the desktop computer ( e . g ., through a desktop cradle and cable ), the pervasiveness of wireless technology ( e . g ., cdma2000 , 1 × rtt , foma , gsm / gprs , umts , i - mode , mopera , edge , wcdma , bluetooth and wi - fi ) and related devices as well as improvements in encryption technology ( e . g ., aes 128 -, 192 - and 256 - bit keys ) now allow for synchronization to occur wirelessly while a user of the mobile device is away from their office . physical presence of the synchronizing device with the synchronized device is no longer required . various improvements in ‘ push ’ and ‘ pull ’ technology further allow for more than mere ‘ backing up ’ of data through a synchronization operation but also to receive and retrieve data in real - time . for example , seven server edition provides end - users with real - time access to corporate and personal data such as microsoft exchange , lotus domino , imap4 and pop3 email ; calendar ; corporate directories ; personal contacts ; and documents . logic module 310 comprises or is otherwise coupled to the software , routines , hardware and / or driver devices necessary for data manipulation and control functions . in the case of hardware , logic module 310 is comprised of circuits that perform an operation . in the case of software , logic module 310 is the sequence of instructions in a program ; logic module 310 may be comprised of hardware and software , only software or only hardware . further , the hardware of logic module 310 may implement the software of logic module 310 . certain software in the logic module 310 may be implemented by other modules or hardware components of device 300 . encryption module 315 and decryption module 325 are responsible for the encryption and decryption , respectively , of data exchanged between , for example , device 300 and communication management system 110 and / or data aggregation server 210 . encryption module 315 and decryption module 325 may , in some embodiments of the present invention , operate in conjunction with other modules such as authentication module 355 to allow for encryption of authentication information related to network and service access . in other embodiments , encryption and decryption modules 315 / 325 may be a single module . in still other embodiments of the present invention , the encryption and decryption modules 315 / 325 may be utilized for the purposes of exchanging data and information directly between mobile devices , for example , between bluetooth enabled mobile devices utilizing the jsr - 82 api , which is incorporated herein by reference . an example of an encryption algorithm that may be utilized by encryption and decryption module 315 and 325 , respectively , is the 128 - bit advanced encryption standard ( aes ), which is based on federal information processing standard ( fips ) 197 . the disclosure of the pips 197 is incorporated herein by reference . another encryption methodology within the scope of the present invention , specifically encryption / decryption modules 315 / 315 , is the diffie - hellman ( dh ) secret - key negotiation ( sometimes referred to as the diffie - hellman - merkle key exchange ). the algorithm for dh secret - key negotiation is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 200 , 770 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . dh secret - key negotiation is a cryptographic protocol that allows two parties to agree on a secret key for use over an insecure communications channel ; the key can then be used to encrypt subsequent communications using a symmetric key cipher . in an embodiment of the present invention , various data types are exchanged between the device 300 and , for example , communication management system 110 , which may include dynamically aggregated pim and other types of data as aggregated by , for example , dynamic aggregation server 210 . such data , when being transmitted from device 300 , may be encrypted by encryption module 315 using 128 - bit aes or dh secret - key negotiation . similar methodologies and algorithms may be used to decrypt received information by device 300 and decryption module 325 . in some embodiments of the present invention , encryption / decryption modules 315 / 325 may further prevent the storage or write - to - disk ( e . g ., proxy caching ) of transmitted / received data to further improve security whereby no one but authorized users can read or access data . additional embodiments of the prevent invention may provide for the encryption module 315 to obliterate data stored on the device 300 or lock - down ′ the device 300 should a user of device 300 report device 300 stolen or initiate an obliteration or lock - down command from communication system 110 , server 125 , or pc 130 . establishing end - to - end encryption may comprise the submission of security credentials upon initial registration of a device 300 with communication management system 110 . these credentials may be used to later authenticate the user and provide access to appropriate data and resources at the communication management system 110 . in an embodiment of the invention , these security credentials are not stored outside of the system 110 architecture in order to further improve security . in one embodiment of the present invention , and as referenced in the context of fig1 , during the registration process , a unique , encrypted authentication token is exchanged between the device 300 and communication system 110 whereby the user of the device 300 will be able to access resources at the communication system 110 without being required to submit credentials upon each subsequent login . security credentials may be enabled by the user of the device 300 and / or communication system 110 or by an it administrator who may set various security policies for the device 300 , communication system 110 and / or related network . for example , an administrator may implement a username / password policy whereby users are required to login using a name and password . administrators may also enable or disable a browser mode wherein users may be able to access data not only through a mobile device 300 but also through a secure internet web browser utilizing , for example , 128 - bit ssl encryption . certain policies ( e . g ., user name and password ) may also be made time sensitive whereby a login expires every ‘ x ’ days . administrators may also control the obliteration of data in devices 300 in the instance that a device 300 with access to behind - the - firewall data is lost or stolen . in another embodiment of the present invention , encrypted data transmitted to and / or received from mobile device 300 may utilize digital signature algorithms such as sha - 1 , a secure hash algorithm , as disclosed in fips 180 - 2 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . the use of a digital signature algorithm provides additional protection against the modification of data as it passes through a network , even though the data is independently encrypted ( e . g ., using aes ). in yet another embodiment of the present invention , encrypted data transmitted to and / or received from mobile device 300 may further utilize a multichannel encryption protocol whereby a single block of data comprises multiple separately encrypted sections , each destined for a different endpoint . for example , a block of data may comprise a header section , which is accessed for routing purposes and a body section , which comprises several e - mail messages destined for the device 300 . each section of data may be encrypted with a separate key whereby the routing information may be decrypted without requiring access to the e - mail message data . in still another embodiment of the present invention , a virtual private network ( vpn ) may be utilized adding yet another layer of security on top of a ssl . these various embodiments may be implemented individually , collectively , or in a piece - meal fashion depending upon the particular security concerns of the data accessed and generated by device 300 . application cache 320 comprises or is otherwise coupled to the software , routines , hardware and / or driver devices necessary for storing application data in memory as opposed to constantly looking up , loading , reading and executing the application data from another location . application cache 320 helps improve the processing speed of device 300 . application cache 320 may be configured so that every time data is instantiated or called , the data is time - stamped . a clean - up process will occasionally remove all instances of data that are beyond a certain age as reflected by the time - stamp . by time - stamping and removing stale data , there is increased certainty that the cache 320 and the data that would otherwise be called from its native environment are synchronized . data stored in application cache 320 may , if necessary , be manually removed . such manual deletion may be required in instances where data is in error or has otherwise been corrupted and is preventing proper synchronization . sms module 330 comprises or is otherwise coupled to the software , routines , hardware and / or driver devices necessary for initiating a push or pull synchronization operation in response to the receipt of an sms message , which may include interaction with the synchronization module 305 . for example , an sms message is sent from a mobile device or an sms - gateway website and received at a network operator &# 39 ; s short message service center ( smsc ). the sms message is then stored and forwarded from the smsc to the recipient mobile device . if the recipient device is off or out of range , the sms message is stored at the smsc and delivered at the next possible opportunity or until it expires as determined by network and / or smsc settings . in addition to sending messages , sms can be used to transport data to a handset ; for example , ring tones and operator logos . in conjunction with the wireless application protocol that allows for internet access from a mobile device and the general packet radio service , configuration data for a particular device can be delivered via an sms message ( e . g ., allowing for remote configuration of a wap browser by a service provider or mobile operator ). sms messages may also be used to indicate the receipt of new voice mail or e - mail messages on a mobile device . sms functionality is also of particular benefit in the context of data synchronization , especially real - time access to e - mail or other data . many prior art synchronization systems merely provide for a regularly scheduled synchronization ( e . g ., every 15 minutes ) in order to limit the consumption of bandwidth and / or to preserve battery life on the client device . such a synchronization schedule deprives the mobile client user of real - time access to their data as exemplified by the arrival of a critical message or posting of information to a blog or other information depository , just seconds after the completion of a timed - synchronization operation . through the use of an sms message , the arrival or publication of new email or data that meets user specified qualifications ( e . g ., sender , importance , subject content , message content , etc .) may result in the generation of an sms message that is delivered to the device 300 . the sms module 330 , upon receipt and processing of the sms message and any instructive or identifying data contained therein , may initiate a synchronization operation in conjunction with the synchronization module 305 . for example , upon receipt of an sms message from a server or other computer associated with device 300 , the sms module 330 may instruct the synchronization module 305 to begin a synchronization operation with the server or associated computer . initiation of the synchronization operation may be governed , however , by certain limitations of the device 300 . for example , if the user of the device 300 is presently engaged in a telephone call , the synchronization operation will not take place . further , if the user is engaged in a high - bandwidth operation ( e . g ., receiving streaming media ) or is low on battery power , the device 300 may not effectuate the synchronization operation . such governance may be under the control of sms module 330 , synchronization module 305 and / or other components of the device 300 ( e . g ., logic module 310 ). identity module 340 comprises or is otherwise coupled to the routines , hardware , driver devices and various device identification tools that may be used to control access to various communications networks and utilization of certain services by the device 300 . for example , identity module 340 may be comprised of an advanced intelligent network sub - module ( not shown ) allowing for access to the advanced intelligent network ( ain ). the ain is a switched voice and data network architecture comprising a variety of network elements allowing for open , interfaced , multi - vendor , telecommunication capabilities . through these various capabilities , phone companies and service providers are able to define and customize , test and introduce service offerings such as multimedia messaging and cell routing . the ain , by further example , allows a wireless user to make and receive phone calls while ‘ roaming .’ optional location module 345 comprises or is otherwise coupled to the routines , hardware — including a gps receiver ( not shown )— and driver devices necessary for gps functionality in a gps - equipped device . signals emitted by gps satellites arrive at a gps receiver in the device 300 whereby the gps receiver can calculate its location in relation to gps satellite transmissions through a process known as trilateration . through trilateration , a gps receiver measures the distance from the gps satellite using travel time of the gps satellite signals and thereby pinpoints the physical location of the gps receiver . optional location module 345 may further comprise the assisted global positioning system ( a - gps ). a - gps uses a combination of gps satellites and cellular phone base stations to pinpoint location of the mobile device and its gps receiver and to offer a determination of location that is more accurate than gps alone . mobile device gps receivers , in correlation with an estimate of the mobile handset &# 39 ; s location as determined by a cell - sector , can predict with greater accuracy the gps signal the handset will receive and send that information to the mobile device handset . with this assistance , the size of the frequency search space is reduced and the time - to - first - fix of the signal is reduced from minutes to seconds . a - gps handset receivers can also detect and demodulate signals that are weaker in magnitude than those required by a traditional gps receiver . the interaction of a - gps in a synchronized network or with an assistance server ( not shown ) in an asynchronous network is generally known in the art . rich media module 350 comprises or is otherwise coupled to the software , routines , hardware and / or driver devices necessary for enabling rich media in device 300 . rich media includes , but is not limited to , scalable vector graphics , streaming video , animation and multimedia messaging service ( mms ). mms enables the creation , delivery and receipt of text messages that also include an image , audio , and / or video clip . mms messages may be sent from one mobile device to another or to an e - mail address . mms generally uses the synchronized multimedia integration language ( smil ) to define the layout of multimedia content . smil is a markup language allowing for the separate access of audio , video and images followed by their subsequent integration and playback as a synchronized multimedia presentation . authentication module 355 comprises or is otherwise coupled to the software , routines , hardware and / or driver devices necessary for authenticating device 300 with regard to the presence of device 300 on a particular network or access to particular services and / or access to data at remote location ( e . g ., a desktop computer or enterprise server , communication management system 110 and / or data aggregation server 210 ). authentication module 355 may work in conjunction with sip stack ( not shown ) and / or identity module 340 with regard to performing authentication routines and / or accessing network services including communication system 110 and / or data aggregation server 210 . authentication module 355 may , in some embodiments , further operate with one or more other modules present at device 300 such as synchronization module 305 , and encryption and decryption modules 315 and 325 . authentication module 355 may further operate with server - or network - side applications such as an ip or sip gateway or access module . authentication module 355 may rely on pre - call validation wherein the min and esn of the device 300 are verified before a call is processed ( i . e ., before a call is originated or received ). authentication module 355 may utilize a challenge / response process as governed by the cellular authentication and voice encryption ( cave ) algorithm . a mobile device seeking access to a particular network inputs several parameters into the cave algorithm and transmits the result to a mobile switching center ( msc ), which controls the switching elements of a cellular system ; the msc makes the same calculations and compares the results . if the results match then the device 300 is deemed authentic and to have legitimate access to the network ; if the results do not reconcile with one another ( e . g ., in the instance of a cloned phone ), device 300 is denied access . additional authentication methodologies may be utilized by authentication module 355 including radio frequency ( rf ) fingerprinting . just as no two human fingerprints are exactly identical , transmission characteristics vary slightly between individual cellular phones . technical details such as phase noise and harmonic spectra can uniquely identify a particular cell phone transmitter . by checking this transmitter signature against a known good signature , an rf fingerprinting system can determine whether a cell phone trying to place a call is authentic or an impostor . browser module 360 comprises or is otherwise coupled to the software , routines , hardware and / or driver devices necessary for enabling web browsing in a mobile device , for example , html and xhtml browsers . browser module 360 may operate in conjunction with rich media module 350 to the extent a browser enabled by the browser module 360 is utilized to access a web page comprising rich media , for example , streaming media . browser module may implement certain functionalities disclosed in commonly owned and co - pending u . s . patent application ser . nos . 11 / 123 , 540 ; 11 / 227 , 013 ; 11 / 227 , 272 ; and ser . no . 11 / 227 , 323 . browser module 360 may utilize the wireless application protocol , an open international standard for applications that use wireless communication and that allows for small , consumer - class wireless devices to access the internet . as wireless devices do not typically need a complete web browser implementation to provide web access , a wap gateway ( 195 ) provided by a network service provider may act as a go - between with a hyper text transfer protocol server to reduce the amount of data that needs to be sent to the device 300 by offloading computational requirements from the phone to the gateway . for example , through this offloading methodology , only the fundamental elements of a web page will be transmitted to device 300 whereby the total number of bytes of data transmitted is reduced . the gateway may identify these fundamental elements by identifying wireless markup language ( wml ) or wireless extensible markup language ( wxml ) tags embedded in the web page accessed . once nonessential data has been stripped from the web page , the page is sent to the wireless device using a lightweight transport stack such as the uniform datagram protocol ( udp ). use of the wap architecture in browser module 360 may further comprise the utilization of sub - protocols such as the wap application environment ( wae ); the session - layer wireless session protocol ( wsp ); the transaction - layer wireless transaction protocol ( wtp ); the security - layer wireless transport layer security ( wtls ); and / or the wireless datagram protocol ( wdp ). optional e - mail client 365 comprises or is otherwise coupled to the software , routines , hardware and / or driver devices necessary for enabling e - mail access in device 300 . for example , e - mail client 365 allows for access to e - mail messages received in an e - mail architecture such as microsoft exchange 5 . 5 2000 , 2003 ; lotus domino r5 , r6 , r6 . 5 ; impa4 ; and pop3 and imap - accessible internet e - mail . in conjunction with other modules , for example the sms module 330 and encryption and decryption modules 315 / 325 , e - mail client 365 may access e - mail as it arrives at a remote e - mail server or desktop computer that is integrated with or coupled to data management server 210 through , for example , a push and / or pull function . e - mail client 365 may also allow for traditional user - to - user electronic mail communications , for example , delivery of a message to an e - mail address associated with a particular mobile device rather than the address of a desktop computer where that message is subsequently forwarded to an associated mobile device . e - mail client 365 may be a client developed for a specific mobile device or operating environment . e - mail client 365 may also be a platform portable client like those disclosed in commonly owned and co - pending u . s . patent application ser . nos . 11 / 123 , 540 ; 11 / 227 , 013 ; 11 / 227 , 272 ; and ser . no . 11 / 227 , 323 . e - mail client 365 may comprise additional functionalities beyond simple receipt / review and generation / delivery of email . e - mail client 365 may further comprise address book functionality . such address book / contact functionality and the related contact data ( e . g ., individuals , their e - mail addresses , phone number and other data ) may be directly integrated with the e - mail client 365 or separate memory ( not shown ) in the device 300 . the address book functionality / contact data may also be embodied in a sub - or secondary module coupled to the e - mail client 365 ( not shown ), in some embodiments , such address book functionality and contact data may be stored remotely , for example , at the communication system 110 or at a server or desktop computer coupled to the device 300 via the communication system 110 and a data connection ( e . g ., a wireless connection between the communication system 110 and device 300 as well as a related connection between communication system 110 and a server 125 or pc 130 . the address book functionality and contact data may be utilized to create an interactive , networked experience in conjunction with , for example , dynamic aggregation module 370 as further discussed herein . utilizing contact data may contribute to a community - like experience including enhanced presence , peer - to - peer communication and information sharing / publication . dynamic aggregation module 370 comprises or is otherwise coupled to the software , routines , hardware and / or driver devices necessary for enabling access to and interaction with certain other modules at the device 300 ( e . g ., e - mail client 365 ) and communication system 110 ( e . g ., a presence module , location module , calendar module , and groups module like those described in co - pending u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 217 , 203 ) allowing for the dynamic aggregation of information from various users and / or data depositories and the utilization and display of that information for various functionalities . dynamic aggregation module 370 may be configured to organize , filter and present information from multiple inputs concerning context , relationship and communication means as described in u . s . provisional patent application no . 60 / 704 , 781 . dynamic aggregation module 370 may be a client software application that identifies the device 300 to a communication management system 110 and / or data aggregation server 210 . dynamic aggregation module 370 may further comprise certain software routines necessary to receive instructions or notifications from a communication management system 110 and / or data aggregation server 210 concerning the publication of information ( e . g ., to translate a received sms message into an instruction executable by the device ). for example , a publisher may provide information to be received by a group of recipients . communication management system 110 and / or data aggregation server 210 may only communicate ( or be able to communicate ) the existence of this information ( or the actual information ) with those devices comprising a dynamic aggregation module 370 such that the device 300 may receive the information or otherwise function to allow the user to access the published information . users of client device 300 and / or communication management system 110 can publish pim data or other forms of data and / or information to one or more users that are a member of an information community made possible by communicative coupling to communication system 110 . fig4 , for example , illustrates an exemplary methodology 400 for publishing information in an information community . in step 410 , a first user ( user a ) provides certain information to the data aggregation server 210 . this information may be pushed to the server 210 or pulled from a pc 115 / 240 or server 125 / 230 via a polling operation by the data aggregation server 210 . in step 420 , the data aggregation server 210 identifies a particular community . a community may be manually defined by a user and stored at the server 210 ( e . g ., group a comprises users b , c , and d ). the data aggregation server 210 may also intelligently identify a community based on , for example , pim data . for example , user a may be identified as an entry in user b &# 39 ; s pim data and / or vice versa . other possible communities may be identified based on factors such as common employment , family members and so forth . specific indicia for the delineation of a community may be set forth by a user for subsequent automated identification by the data aggregation server 210 ( e . g ., identify all users in a certain zip code ). once a community has been identified in step 420 , the data aggregation server 210 seeks to establish a publication link in step 430 . the link may occur automatically or may be subject to the data aggregation server 210 querying whether to make / accept the link in addition a number of other security limitations . for example , the data aggregation server 210 may seek to establish a link between user a and user b based on a community relationship based on a particular correlation or match in , for example , pim data . user b may be queried by the data aggregation server 210 with regard to whether user b wishes to accept the link and the information related thereto . similarly , user a may be queried as to whether to offer user b the link . for example , user b may have been identified as being a part of a community based on employment information derived from pim data in user a &# 39 ; s contact information . it might be the case that user b is no longer employed by the same company as user a and user a has not updated their contact information to reflect the termination . by offering user a the option of offering the link to user b , the inadvertent publication of proprietary information to user b may be avoided . the link may also be subject to the existence of certain security limitations . for example , if user b cannot establish a communicative link with , for example , data aggregation server 210 and / or communication management system via a secured communication channel ( e . g ., utilizing a ssl or vpn ), then the link may be automatically denied . alternatively , the user may be informed of the absence of certain security precautions via a server generated notification informing them of the requisite security requirements and a means to re - establish the link once those requirements have been met ( e . g ., a hyperlink or sms address ). the order of establishing the link may be concurrent ( e . g ., user a and user b are both informed of the attempt to establish the link at the same time by the server 210 ) or occur subject to approval by one of the two parties ( e . g ., user a must accept the data aggregation server &# 39 ; s 210 attempt to establish the link prior to the link being offered to user b ). the order of offering these links may also be subject to the confirmation of certain security precautions . for example , offering the link to user b when user b does not possess the requisite security credentials would be moot . in an alternative embodiment ( step 450 ), instead of the data aggregation server 210 identifying a correlation in the pim data , a user of the data aggregation and publication service offered by the data aggregation server 210 may specifically request certain publication information . for example , one user may be aware that a second user has recently updated certain information under their control ( e . g ., a blog ). that user may specifically request the delivery ( publication ) of the information from that user . in such a cases , the link is established — subject to the aforementioned optional security limitations and user approvals in step 430 and the data is published in step 440 . in yet another embodiment ( step 460 ), publication information is pushed to targeted recipients . for example , a user may wish for family members to have immediate access to recently published information ( e . g ., a blog entry ). in this embodiment , the provider of the publication data may directly target desired recipients of the data so that the recipients may immediately receive and review the published data from the server . the targeted link may be subject to the aforementioned acceptance and security protocols as discussed in the context of other embodiments ( step 430 ) and the data is then published in step 440 . publication information may be a variety of different types of information . for example , the information may be related to calendar data . a professor may , for example , wish to publish their calendar to reflect the availability to meet with students in the professor &# 39 ; s class . similarly , a doctor may wish to publish their availability to see patients . this calendar information may be published , in accordance with the various embodiments as set forth in fig4 . publication information , by further example , may also be a blog ( i . e ., a web - log ). a blog is , typically , a journal or newsletter that is frequently updated and intended for the general public consumption . blogs typically represent the personality of the author or a particular web site . once the owner of the blog has made a new entry to their blog ( e . g ., a new entry for a particular data and / or time ), the new blog entry may be published to users through the various methodologies disclosed in fig4 . publication information may also be a set of pictures . for example , a user may have recently traveled on vacation and taken a series of pictures of the locales visited . that user may wish to make those photos available to various members in their information community . those photos may be published in accordance with the various methodologies set forth in the context of fig4 . publication information is meant to be inclusive rather than exclusive . the aforementioned examples of calendar , blog and photo data / information are , therefore , exemplary and not meant to be interpreted as limitations as to the scope of the present invention . published information may be subject to read / write access . recipients of information published in the context of the present invention may be able to only read the published information or , alternatively , to edit or write to the information . for example , in the professor - student calendar example , students may be able to sign up for particular blocks on the professor &# 39 ; s schedule . to sign up for these blocks of time will require write access . similarly , in the blog example , recipients may respond to a particular blog entry and share their point of view or comment on the entry made by the user publishing the blog . posting a response , too , would require write access . in this regard , read / write access can be granted to all recipients , none of the recipients or a particular group of recipients . that group of recipients having read / write access may be classified as members . membership may be based on any set of requirements as set forth by the publishing user ( e . g ., family members , selected friends , associates at work , etc .). membership may also be subject to requests to join the membership group or invitations sent to prospective members . for example , a user who is aware of the content but not able to access the content may request the ability to view that content of the publishing user in a manner similar to that described in step 450 of fig4 . alternatively , a publishing user may send a voice sms or other communication to a recipient inviting them to join the group in a manner similar to that described in step 460 of fig4 invitations may also be sent as the result of the data aggregation server identifying a community as noted in step 420 as described in the context of fig4 . the published data — that is , the actual content — may be sent to recipients or , alternatively , a notification of the availability of published data may be sent to the recipients . for example , in the instance that the publication data happens to be digital photographs , the size of these files may consume a considerable amount of bandwidth . bandwidth consumption may be of issue when the user happens to be accessing data via a bandwidth constricted network ( e . g ., a wireless network ) or pays for consumed bandwidth ( e . g ., payment per mb of data transferred over the network ). the user , after having received the notification , may then access the published data on a more bandwidth - enabled network ( e . g ., a home computer with a dsl connection ). the notification , in this example , may be an sms message , an e - mail message , a voice - sms message , a voice mail or any other form of communication that is capable of being delivered to the various intended recipients over a communications network . the message may provide instructions for accessing the published data or , in the case of an e - mail or sms message , provide a link for directly gaining access to the content ( e . g ., a hyperlink ). in some embodiments of the present invention , the content or notification may be transmitted directly to targeted recipients following the establishment of a link by the data aggregation server 210 . that is , the server 210 identifies a community in a manner like that described in step 420 of fig4 and offers the establishment of a link in step 430 . instead of the server publishing the information like that described in step 440 of fig4 , the publishing user may then deliver the content directly to the recipient via the link established by the data aggregation server 210 . that is , the actual content bypasses the aggregation server 210 but is delivered to a user as identified by the server 210 . alternatively , the published data or notification may be provided by the publishing user directly to the server 210 . the server 210 may , via the links as established in , for example , step 430 , then deliver to the content to the users in step 440 as previously described . while the present invention has been described in connection with a series of preferred embodiments , these descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular forms set forth herein . to the contrary , the present descriptions are intended to cover such alternatives , modifications , and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and otherwise appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art .
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in fig1 and 2 , the reference numeral 1 denotes a carburetor body , 2 denotes a venturi , 3 denotes a butterfly throttle valve , 4 denotes a main nozzle assembly including a tubular jet holder 5 air - tightly fitted within a through hole 1a extending vertically through a boss part 1a and a nozzle tube 6 inserted air - tightly through a hole 1b made in the upper part of the carburetor body 1 coaxially with the through hole 1a and screwed at the lower end to the upper end of the jet holder 5 within the through hole 1a , 7 denotes a main jet screwed to the lower end of the jet holder 5 , 8 denotes a hole made in the side wall of the boss part 1a to make the inlet of the main jet 7 communicate with a float chamber 1b , 9 denotes a bleed pipe , 10 denotes a main air jet screwed in from the upper opening end of the nozzle pipe 6 , 11 denotes an annular air chamber formed between the inner wall surface of the large diameter part of the hole 1b and the outer peripheral surface of the head part of the nozzle tube 6 and made to communicate with the main air jet 10 through a split groove 6b formed in the diametral direction in the top part of the nozzle tube 6 , 12 denotes a plug body removably fitted in the inlet of an air introducing path 13 , able to interrupt the communication of the air introducing path with the suction bore 1c and made of rubber or the like , 14 denotes a nipple fitted to the carburetor body , 15 denotes a suction silencer sectioned within with a plurality of silencing plates 16 into a first chamber 15a having an air inlet 15a and a second chamber 15b having an air outlet 15b of substantially the same diameter as of the suction bore 1c , 17 denotes a bellows tube connecting the air outlet 15b of the suction silencer 15 with the suction bore 1c and substantially serving as a member for supporting the suction silencer 15 on the carburetor body 1 , 18 denotes a nipple fitted to the side wall on the second chamber 15b side of the suction silencer 15 , 19 denotes a pipe fitted at the respective ends to the nipples 14 and 18 to make the air introducing path 13 communicate with the second chamber 15b of the suction silencer 15 , 20 denotes a cover plate fitted to the carburetor body 1 through a gasket 21 and pressing downward the top surface of the main assembly 4 to keep the air - tightness between the jet holder 5 and through hole 1a and between the nozzle tube 6 and hole 1b and to close the upper opening of the air chamber 11 , 22 denotes a cylindrical jet block air - tightly fitted within the hole 1c formed in the upper part of the carburetor body 1 adjacently to the air chamber 11 and having through holes 22a and 22b formed in the side wall and through holes 22c formed in the bottom wall and communicating with the suction bore 1c , 23 denotes an idling screw screwed to the carburetor body 1 and able to adjust the flow volume of the fuel flowing through a path 1d communicating with the through hole 22a , 24 ( see fig2 ) denotes a fuel path opened at one end within the float chamber 1b and connected at the other end to the through hole 22b of the jet block 22 , 25 denotes a pilot jet screwed from above into the carburetor body 1 in the course of the fuel path 24 , and 26 denotes a pilot air jet which is screwed from above into the carburetor body 1 and is on the inlet side covered with the cover plate 20 through the gasket 21 and opened within an air chamber 27 communicating with the above mentioned air chamber 11 and on the outlet side opened within the fuel path 24 . by the way , the upper opening of the jet block 22 is closed with the cover plate 20 through the gasket 21 in the same manner as of the air chamber 11 , the main nozzle assembly 4 forms a main fuel feeding system and the fuel path 24 , pilot jet 25 , pilot air jet 26 and jet block 22 form a low speed fuel system . the operation of the carburetor according to the present invention shall be explained in the following . it is as well known that , at the time of starting and idling the engine , an air - fuel mixture will be fed to the engine mostly through the path 1d and through holes 22c through the low speed fuel system and , in response to the opening of the throttle valve , a proper amount of the mixture obtained of the fuel sucked in through the main jet 7 and air sucked in through the main air jet 10 will be jetted out of the nozzle 6a of the nozzle tube 6 so as to be fed to the engine . however , in such case , air to be fed to the main air jet 10 and pilot air jet 26 , that is , to be introduced into the air chambers 11 and 27 will be taken in directly from the second chamber 15a of the suction silencer 15 , that is , from the part in which no snow will flow or accumulate even when used while snow is falling through the nipple 18 , pipe 19 , nipple 14 and air introducing path 13 . therefore , even a snow powder will not flow into the air chambers as in the conventional structure of this kind . thus the air jets 10 and 26 will not be clogged and the engine will be able to always continue a favorable operation . by the way , according to the present invention , as the plug body 12 for interrupting the communication of the air introducing path 13 with the suction bore 1c is removable , in such case that a well known air cleaner is to be fitted to be used in place of the suction silencer 15 in a place having no snow , by removing the plug body 12 and fitting a plug into the nipple 14 , the carburetor can be used in the same manner as of the conventional structure and the range of utilizing the carburetor can be made wider . as described above , according to the present invention , there can be provided carburetors which can always develop a sufficient performance even when used while snow is falling and which can be used favorably for snow running cars and snow mobiles .
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hereinbelow , an embodiment of a system and a method for producing gasoline from natural gas via methanol according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . as shown in fig1 , the system according to the present embodiment mainly includes a steam reformer 10 , which is configured to generate reformed gas by steam - reforming natural gas , a methanol synthesis column 20 , which is configured to synthesize methanol from the reformed gas generated by the steam reformer , a gasoline synthesis column 30 , which is configured to synthesize gasoline from the methanol synthesized by the methanol synthesis column , and a pre - reformer 40 , which is configured to pre - reform natural gas before the natural gas is steam - reformed . the steam reformer 10 primarily includes a reaction tube 11 for steam reforming , a burning portion 12 disposed around the reaction tube 11 , a waste heat recovery portion 15 , which is configured to recover waste heat of the flue gas generated in the burning portion 12 , and a stack 16 , which is configured to release the flue gas to the atmosphere after waste heat has been recovered therefrom . the reaction tube 11 , which includes a steam reforming catalyst charged inside the tube , is a device for generating hydrogen , carbon monoxide , and carbon dioxide from natural gas containing methane as its main ingredient by carrying out the following reactions . for the steam reforming catalyst , known catalysts such as a nickel - based catalyst can be used , for example . a material supply line 13 for supplying a material 1 , which includes natural gas and steam , is connected to an inlet of the reaction tube 11 . the burning portion 12 includes a combustion burner ( not shown ) for heating the reaction tube 11 , and a fuel supply line 14 for supplying a fuel 2 such as natural gas is connected to the combustion burner . a reformed gas supply line 18 is connected to an outlet of the reaction tube 11 , which is a line for supplying reformed gas containing hydrogen , carbon monoxide , and carbon dioxide generated by the steam reforming reaction as its main ingredients to a methanol synthesis column 20 . a pre - reformer 40 is a device configured to pre - reform c2 or higher hydrocarbons contained in the natural gas such as ethane , primarily , into c1 hydrocarbons such as methane , carbon monoxide , or hydrogen . the pre - reformer 40 includes a pre - reforming catalyst charged inside the tube . for the pre - reforming catalyst , known catalysts such as a nickel - based catalyst can be used . the pre - reformer 40 is disposed on the upstream side of the steam reformer 10 in the direction of supply of the material , more specifically , in the material supply line 13 . in the material supply line 13 , a first flue gas - material heat exchanger 41 , which is configured to preheat the material 1 with flue gas from the waste heat recovery portion 15 , is provided on the further upstream side of the pre - reformer 40 in the direction of supply of the material , and a second flue gas - material heat exchanger 42 , which is configured to preheat the material that has been pre - reformed by the pre - reformer 40 with the flue gas from the waste heat recovery portion 15 , is provided on the downstream side of the pre - reformer 40 in the direction of supply of the material . in other words , the waste heat recovery portion 15 of the steam reformer 10 includes the second flue gas - material heat exchanger 42 and the first flue gas - material heat exchanger 41 described above , and also a flue gas - steam heat exchanger 17 , disposed in order of the flow of the flue gas from the burning portion 12 to the stack 16 . the flue gas - steam heat exchanger 17 is a device for obtaining steam or heat to be used within the system , and is configured to recover heat from the flue gas and obtain high - pressure steam by heating boiler water and the like with the flue gas flowing inside the waste heat recovery portion 15 . similarly , the reformed gas supply line 18 is provided with a reformed gas - steam heat exchanger 19 , which is provided in order to obtain steam or heat to be used within the system . the reformed gas - steam heat exchanger 19 is a device configured to obtain high - pressure steam and recover heat from the reformed gas by heating boiler water and the like by using the reformed gas . the methanol synthesis column 20 is a device configured to synthesize methanol from reformed gas by running the following reactions . the methanol synthesis column 20 includes a methanol synthesis catalyst charged inside the tube . for the methanol synthesis catalyst , known catalysts such as a copper - based catalyst can be used . a methanol supply line 22 is connected to methanol synthesis column 20 , which is a line for supplying methanol synthesized by the methanol synthesis column 20 to the gasoline synthesis column 30 . note that in addition to the synthesized methanol , liquid crude methanol containing water , which is a byproduct of the reaction of formula 4 , flows in the methanol supply line 22 . the gasoline synthesis column 30 is a device which is configured to synthesize gasoline from methanol by running the reactions of the following formulae . as described above , methanol is synthesized by the gasoline synthesis reaction expressed in formula 3 into gasoline via the dimethyl ether ( i . e ., dme ) synthesis reaction expressed by formula 5 . in the gasoline synthesis column 30 , two types of catalysts including the dme synthesis catalyst and the gasoline synthesis catalyst are provided in two stages so that two reactions can be run in stages . for the dme synthesis catalyst , known catalysts such as an aluminosilicate type zeolite - based catalyst can be used , for example . in addition , for the gasoline synthesis catalyst , known catalysts such as an aluminosilicate type zeolite - based catalyst can be used . a gasoline supply line 32 is connected with the gasoline synthesis column 30 , which is a line for supplying gasoline synthesized by the gasoline synthesis column 30 to storage facilities ( not shown ). note that although the example illustrated in fig1 includes the gasoline synthesis column 30 , a dme synthesis column , which is configured to produce dme by running the reactions up to the dme synthesis reaction of formula 5 , can be provided instead of the gasoline synthesis column 30 . according to the above - described configuration , the fuel 2 such as natural gas is first supplied to the burning portion 12 of the steam reformer 10 via the fuel supply line 14 . in the burning portion 12 , the fuel 2 is burned together with air , and the reaction tube 11 is heated to a temperature ranging from about 800 ° c . to about 900 ° c . the flue gas containing carbon dioxide generated in the burning portion 12 flows into the waste heat recovery portion 15 . on the other hand , the material 1 containing natural gas and steam is heated by the first flue gas - material heat exchanger 41 of the waste heat recovery portion 15 of the steam reformer 10 to a temperature ranging from about 450 ° c . to about 550 ° c ., and then the heated material 1 is supplied to the pre - reformer 40 . in the pre - reformer 40 , c2 or higher hydrocarbons contained in the material 1 , such as ethane , is pre - reformed into methane and the like . the pre - reformed gas is heated by the second flue gas - material heat exchanger 42 again to a temperature ranging from about 600 ° c . to about 700 ° c ., and then it is supplied to the reaction tube 11 of the steam reformer 10 via the material supply line 13 . after the material 1 is heated serially by the second flue gas - material heat exchanger 42 and the first flue gas - material heat exchanger 41 of the waste heat recovery portion 15 as described above and heat is recovered by the flue gas - steam heat exchanger 17 by heating boiler water or the like , the flue gas containing carbon dioxide generated in the burning portion 12 , which has the temperature of about 1 , 000 ° c ., is released from the stack 16 to the atmosphere . in the reaction tube 11 of the steam reformer 10 , the material 1 is steam - reformed by the reactions of formulae 1 and 2 and converted into reformed gas containing hydrogen , carbon monoxide , and carbon dioxide as its main ingredients . before the reformed gas is supplied to the methanol synthesis column 20 via the reformed gas supply line 18 , heat is recovered by the reformed gas - steam heat exchanger 19 by heating boiler water or the like . in the methanol synthesis column 20 , methanol is synthesized from the reformed gas by the reactions of formulae 3 and 4 . the methanol synthesis reactions are exothermic reactions . the temperature of the reformed gas is controlled by the reformed gas - steam heat exchanger 19 to the range of about 160 ° c . to about 200 ° c ., which is suitable for synthesis of methanol . methanol synthesized by the methanol synthesis column 20 is supplied to the gasoline synthesis column 30 via the methanol supply line 22 as crude methanol containing water . in the gasoline synthesis column 30 , gasoline is synthesized from methanol by the reactions of formulae 5 and 6 . the gasoline synthesis reactions are an exothermic reaction . in addition , because water is generated as a byproduct in the reaction of formula 6 , the crude methanol may contain water , and it is therefore not necessary to provide the methanol supply line 22 for supplying methanol to the gasoline synthesis column 30 with a purification device for removing water by distilling crude methanol , which is necessary in a conventional methanol synthesis plant . in the present embodiment , as described above , and differently from conventional methanol synthesis plants , the gasoline synthesis column 30 is provided in which exothermic reactions are run and thermal energy is generated , and in addition , it becomes unnecessary to provide a methanol distillation column which consumes energy , and thereby the amount of supply of the fuel 2 to the burning portion 12 of the steam reformer 10 can be reduced , although excessive energy is generated , by providing the pre - reformer 40 to heat the material at locations across the pre - reformer 40 by using the first and the second flue gas - material heat exchangers 41 and 42 of the waste heat recovery portion 15 of the steam reformer 10 . in addition , in the waste heat recovery portion 15 of the steam reformer 10 , the recovered heat decreases because the first and the second flue gas - material heat exchangers 41 and 42 are provided ; however , the system can be designed so that the energy of the entire system can be self - balanced by using the exothermic energy generated in the gasoline synthesis column 30 to compensate for the decreased heat . next , an embodiment illustrated in fig2 will be described . a system of the present embodiment primarily includes the steam reformer 10 , the methanol synthesis column 20 , the gasoline synthesis column 30 , and a co 2 recovery device 50 , which is configured to remove co 2 from flue gas of the steam reformer . note that the same configurations as those of the system illustrated in fig1 are provided with the same reference symbols , and detailed descriptions thereof will not be repeated here . the co 2 recovery device 50 is a device configured to absorb and remove carbon dioxide from flue gas by bringing co 2 absorbing liquid into gas - liquid contact with the flue gas that flows in the waste heat recovery portion 15 of the steam reformer 10 . the co 2 recovery device 50 is disposed on the flue gas downstream side of the flue gas - steam heat exchanger 17 . note that an absorbing liquid regeneration device ( not shown ) is added to the co 2 recovery device 50 . the absorbing liquid regeneration device is a device configured to obtain carbon dioxide gas as well as regenerate the co 2 absorbing liquid by separating carbon dioxide from the co 2 absorbing liquid which has absorbed carbon dioxide . the co 2 recovery device 50 is provided with a co 2 supply line 51 for supplying the recovered carbon dioxide gas to the methanol synthesis column 20 to reuse it as a material of the reaction expressed by formula 4 mentioned above , which is run in the methanol synthesis column 20 . with the above - described configuration , first , the fuel 2 such as natural gas is supplied to the burning portion 12 of the steam reformer 10 via the fuel supply line 14 . in the burning portion 12 , the fuel 2 is burned together with air , and the reaction tube 11 is heated to a temperature ranging from about 800 ° c . to about 900 ° c . after boiler water or the like is heated by the flue gas - steam heat exchanger 17 of the waste heat recovery portion 15 to recover heat and co 2 is removed by the co 2 recovery device 50 , the flue gas containing carbon dioxide generated in the burning portion 12 , which has the temperature of about 1 , 000 ° c ., is released from the stack 16 to the atmosphere . on the other hand , the material 1 containing natural gas and steam is supplied to the reaction tube 11 of the steam reformer 10 via the material supply line 13 . in the reaction tube 11 of the steam reformer 10 , the material 1 is converted by a steam reforming reaction into reformed gas . after heat is recovered by heating boiled water or the like by the reformed gas - steam heat exchanger 19 , the reformed gas is supplied to the methanol synthesis column 20 via the reformed gas feed line 18 . in addition , carbon dioxide recovered by the co 2 recovery device 50 is also supplied to the methanol synthesis column 20 via the co 2 supply line 51 . in the methanol synthesis column 20 , methanol is synthesized from the reformed gas and the carbon dioxide gas by running the reactions of formulae 3 and 4 . by adding the carbon dioxide gas , excessive hydrogen contained in the reformed gas can be converted into methanol , and as a result , the production of methanol can be increased . in addition , because the methanol synthesis reactions are an exothermic reaction , the exothermic energy generated in the methanol synthesis column 20 increases as the production of methanol increases . methanol synthesized by the methanol synthesis column 20 is supplied to the gasoline synthesis column 30 via the methanol supply line 22 as crude methanol containing water . in the gasoline synthesis column 30 , gasoline is synthesized from methanol by the reactions of formulae 5 and 6 . because the supply of methanol increases , the production of gasoline also increases , and the exothermic energy generated in the gasoline synthesis column 30 also increases in accordance with the increase in the production because the gasoline synthesis reactions are an exothermic reaction . in the present embodiment , as described above and differently from conventional methanol synthesis plants , the gasoline synthesis column 30 is provided in which exothermic reactions are run and thermal energy is generated , and in addition , it becomes unnecessary to provide a methanol distillation column which consumes energy , and thereby the system can be designed , although excessive energy is generated , so that the energy of the entire system can be self - balanced by providing the co 2 recovery device 50 and the absorbing liquid regeneration device ( not shown ) that consume energy . in addition , the production of gasoline in the gasoline synthesis column 30 can be increased by supplying carbon dioxide recovered by the co 2 recovery device 50 to the methanol synthesis column 20 together with the reformed gas . an embodiment illustrated in fig3 will be described . a system of the present embodiment primarily includes the steam reformer 10 , the methanol synthesis column 20 , the gasoline synthesis column 30 , and an the air preheater 60 , which is configured to preheat combustion air to be supplied to the burning portion of the steam reformer . note that the same configurations as those of the system illustrated in fig1 and 2 are provided with the same reference symbols , and detailed descriptions thereof will not be repeated here . the air preheater 60 includes a fan 63 for feeding combustion air , a flue gas - combustion air heat exchanger 62 , which is configured to preheat combustion air with the flue gas that flows in the waste heat recovery portion 15 of the steam reformer 10 , a combustion air introduction line 61 for introducing the preheated combustion air into the gasoline synthesis column 30 with the synthesis heat generated in the gasoline synthesis column 30 in order to further heat the preheated combustion air , and a combustion air supply line 64 for supplying the combustion air heated with the synthesis heat to the burning portion 12 of the steam reformer 10 . the flue gas - combustion air heat exchanger 62 is disposed on the flue gas downstream side of the flue gas - steam heat exchanger 17 . means for heating combustion air with the heat of reaction generated in the gasoline synthesis column 30 is not limited to specific means , but for example , the combustion air can be heated with steam obtained by heating boiler water with the heat of reaction generated in the gasoline synthesis column 30 . alternatively , heat can be exchanged between the dme synthesis catalyst in the gasoline synthesis column 30 or the reaction tube ( not shown ) charged with the gasoline synthesis catalyst and the combustion air . according to the above - described configuration , the fuel 2 such as natural gas is first supplied to the burning portion 12 of the steam reformer 10 via the fuel supply line 14 . in the burning portion 12 , the fuel 2 is burned together with air , and the reaction tube 11 is heated to a temperature ranging from about 800 ° c . to about 900 ° c . after boiler water or the like is heated by the flue gas - steam heat exchanger 17 of the waste heat recovery portion 15 to recover heat and co 2 is removed by the co 2 recovery device 50 , the flue gas containing carbon dioxide generated in the burning portion 12 , which has the temperature of about 1 , 000 ° c ., is cooled to a temperature ranging from about 300 ° c . to about 400 ° c . then , after the combustion air from the fan 63 is heated by the flue gas - combustion air heat exchanger 62 , the flue gas is released from the stack 16 . on the other hand , the material 1 containing natural gas and steam is supplied to the reaction tube 11 of the steam reformer 10 via the material supply line 13 . in the reaction tube 11 of the steam reformer 10 , the material 1 is converted into reformed gas by a steam reforming reaction . after heat is recovered by heating boiled water or the like by using the reformed gas - steam heat exchanger 19 , the reformed gas is supplied to the methanol synthesis column 20 via the reformed gas feed line 18 . in the methanol synthesis column 20 , methanol is synthesized from the reformed gas and carbon dioxide gas . methanol synthesized by the methanol synthesis column 20 is supplied to the gasoline synthesis column 30 via the methanol supply line 22 as crude methanol containing water . in the gasoline synthesis column 30 , gasoline is synthesized from methanol by the reactions of formulae 5 and 6 . the synthesis reaction from methanol to dme run in the gasoline synthesis column 30 is an exothermic reaction , and its heat of reaction is 185 kcal equivalent to 1 kg of methanol . in addition , the gasoline synthesis reaction is also an exothermic reaction , and its heat of reaction is 231 kcal equivalent to 1 kg of methanol . therefore , in synthesizing gasoline from methanol , the heat of reaction is 416 kcal equivalent to 1 kg of methanol . the combustion air introduced from the combustion air inlet line 61 is heated by using this heat of reaction . with respect to the condition of the dme synthesis reaction performed by the gasoline synthesis column 30 , it is preferable that the temperature range from 250 ° c . to 300 ° c . in addition , for the condition of the gasoline synthesis reaction , it is preferable that the temperature range from 380 ° c . to 450 ° c . therefore , the combustion air can be heated up to the range of about 300 ° c . to about 380 ° c . the combustion air heated by the gasoline synthesis column 30 is supplied to the burning portion 13 of the steam reformer 10 via the combustion air supply line 64 together with the fuel 2 . because the combustion air is heated as described above , the supply of the fuel 2 to the burning portion 13 can be reduced . in the present embodiment , as described above and differently from conventional methanol synthesis plants , the gasoline synthesis column 30 is provided in which exothermic reactions are run and thermal energy is generated , and in addition , it becomes unnecessary to provide a methanol distillation column which consumes energy , and thereby the system can be designed , although excessive energy is generated , so that the energy of the entire system can be self - balanced because the supply of the fuel 2 to the steam reformer 10 can be reduced by preheating the combustion air in the steam reformer 10 and preheating the combustion air by using the exothermic energy generated in the gasoline synthesis column 30 . an embodiment illustrated in fig4 will be described . a system of the present embodiment is a combination of all the embodiments illustrated in fig1 to 3 . more specifically , the system primarily includes the steam reformer 10 , the methanol synthesis column 20 , the gasoline synthesis column 30 , the pre - reformer 40 , the co 2 recovery device 50 , and the air preheater 60 , which is configured to preheat air to be supplied to the burning portion of the steam reformer . note that the same configurations as those of the system illustrated in fig1 to 3 are provided with the same reference symbols , and detailed descriptions thereof will not be repeated here . the components of the waste heat recovery portion 15 of the steam reformer 10 are disposed in the following order from the flue gas upstream side , i . e ., the second flue gas - material heat exchanger 42 , the first flue gas - material heat exchanger 41 , the flue gas - steam heat exchanger 17 , the flue gas - combustion air heat exchanger 62 , and the co 2 recovery device 50 . according to the above - described configuration , the fuel 2 such as natural gas is first supplied to the burning portion 12 of the steam reformer 10 via the fuel supply line 14 . in the burning portion 12 , the fuel 2 is burned together with air , and the reaction tube 11 is heated to a temperature ranging from about 800 ° c . to about 900 ° c . after the material is heated by the second flue gas - material heat exchanger 42 and cooled to a temperature ranging from about 450 ° c . to about 550 ° c . and the material is heated by the first flue gas - material heat exchanger 41 , the flue gas containing carbon dioxide generated in the burning portion 12 , which has the temperature of about 1 , 000 ° c ., is cooled to a temperature ranging from about 600 ° c . to about 700 ° c . next , boiler water or the like is heated by the flue gas - steam heat exchanger 17 of the waste heat recovery portion 15 , cooled to a temperature ranging from about 300 ° c . to about 400 ° c ., and then heat is recovered by heating the combustion air by using the flue gas - combustion air heat exchanger 62 . then , after co 2 is removed by the co 2 recovery device 50 , the flue gas is released from the stack 16 to the atmosphere . on the other hand , the material 1 containing natural gas and steam is supplied to the reaction tube 11 of the steam reformer 10 via the material supply line 13 . in the reaction tube 11 of the steam reformer 10 , the material 1 is converted by a steam reforming reaction into reformed gas . after heat is recovered by heating boiled water or the like by using the reformed gas - steam heat exchanger 19 , the reformed gas is supplied to the methanol synthesis column 20 via the reformed gas feed line 18 . in addition , carbon dioxide recovered by the co 2 recovery device 50 is also supplied to the methanol synthesis column 20 via the co 2 supply line 51 . in the methanol synthesis column 20 , methanol is synthesized from the reformed gas and carbon dioxide gas by running the reactions of formulae 3 and 4 . by adding the carbon dioxide gas , the production of the methanol and exothermic energy can be increased in the methanol synthesis column 20 . methanol synthesized by the methanol synthesis column 20 is supplied to the gasoline synthesis column 30 via the methanol supply line 22 as crude methanol containing water . in the gasoline synthesis column 30 , gasoline is synthesized from methanol by running the reactions of formulae 5 and 6 . because the supply of methanol increases , the production of gasoline and the exothermic energy can be increased in the gasoline synthesis column 30 . in the gasoline synthesis column 30 , the combustion air introduced from combustion air inlet line 61 is heated by the heat of reaction . in the present embodiment , as described above and differently from conventional methanol synthesis plants , the gasoline synthesis column 30 is provided in which exothermic reactions are run and thermal energy is generated , and in addition , it becomes unnecessary to provide a methanol distillation column which consumes energy , and thereby the amount of supply of the fuel 2 to the steam reformer 10 can be reduced , although excessive energy is generated , by providing the pre - reformer 40 , the co 2 recovery device 50 and the absorbing liquid regeneration device ( not shown ), and the air preheater 60 which preheats combustion air by using the heat of reaction of the gasoline synthesis column 30 and by heating the material at locations across the pre - reformer 40 by using the first and the second flue gas - material heat exchangers 41 and 42 of the waste heat recovery portion 15 of the steam reformer 10 , and the supply of the fuel 2 to the steam reformer 10 can also be reduced by preheating the combustion air . in addition , in the waste heat recovery portion 15 of the steam reformer 10 , the recovered heat decreases because the first and the second flue gas - material heat exchangers 41 and 42 are provided , however , the system can be designed so that the energy of the entire system can be self - balanced because the exothermic energy generated in the gasoline synthesis column 30 can be used to compensate for the decreased heat . the production of gasoline in the gasoline synthesis column 30 can be increased by supplying carbon dioxide recovered by the co 2 recovery device 50 to the methanol synthesis column 20 together with the reformed gas . further , the supply of the fuel 2 can be reduced by converting the entire carbon dioxide gas or a part thereof recovered by the co 2 recovery device 50 into carbon monoxide gas and by supplying it to the burning portion 12 of the steam reformer 10 together with the fuel 2 , which also enables self - balancing of the system . simulation of energy balance was carried out for the respective embodiments illustrated in fig1 to 3 , respective embodiments including a combination of two of the embodiments illustrated in fig1 to 3 , and the embodiment illustrated in fig4 , which includes all the embodiments illustrated in fig1 to 3 . the results are shown in table 1 . note that the simulation was carried out for the case in which the daily production of methanol was 2 , 500 tons . for the conditions of both the material and the fuel , natural gas was used . in addition , for comparison , results of a conventional example in which methanol is synthesized from natural gas and those of a reference example in which gasoline or dme is synthesized from natural gas via methanol are also shown in table 1 . as shown in table 1 , in the conventional example for synthesizing methanol , the residual energy was 0 kcal / h for the entire system , and the self - balance was achieved . on the other hand , in the reference examples 1 and 2 for synthesizing dme or gasoline via methanol , the synthesis heat generated in the synthesis of dme or gasoline ( mtg ) increased and methanol distillation heat became unnecessary , and accordingly , excessive energy was generated . in example 1 in which the pre - reformer configured to carry out pre - reforming was provided , the supply of fuel and the flue gas heat recovery amount in the steam reformer decreased , and accordingly , better self - balance was achieved compared with reference examples 1 and 2 . in addition , in example 2 in which the co 2 recovery device was provided , co 2 recovery heat became necessary and the production of gasoline increased , and accordingly , better self - balance was achieved compared with reference examples 1 and 2 . in example 3 in which combustion air was used to recover gasoline synthesis heat ( mtg heat ), the supply of fuel in the steam reformer and the amount of recovered flue gas decreased , and accordingly , better self - balance was achieved compared with reference examples 1 and 2 . similarly in examples 4 to 7 , which are a combination of the above - described examples , more remarkably better self - balance was achieved compared with reference examples 1 and 2 .
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the urinary concentrations of the analytes measured in the method of the present invention may be obtained by the use of any suitable quantitative or semi - quantitative analytical technique . such techniques for thromboxane b 2 compounds , and for apo ( a ) and its isoforms include , but are not limited to , enzyme - linked immunoassays ( elisa ), radio - immunoassays ( ria ), immunoturbidimetric assays , amperometric assays , dipstick - type assays and measurements using semiconductor - based devices . these techniques are all extensively described in the art , and well known to the skilled artisan in this field . in the case of dipstick - type assays , antibodies and reagents suitable for the quantitative or semi - quantitative detection of both apo ( a ) and thromboxane b 2 would be incorporated onto the same dipstick , and appropriate color charts would be provided for the interpretation of data thus obtained . similarly , biosensor devices could be used as the measurement apparatus for determining the concentrations of the two analytes involved in the method of the present invention . examples of suitable biosensors include fluorescence - based devices , spectrophotometric devices and semi - conductor based devices . in the latter case , separate channels of the device would be used for the separate determination of the concentrations of apo ( a ) and thromboxane b 2 , each determination being performed by virtue of the presence of specific antibodies located at spatially - separated locations on the device . thus , two separate electric currents are produced and analyzed separately , according to one or more interpretive rules ( as described in more detail in the following illustrative example ). additionally and optionally , a third channel might be used for determining the electrical conductivity of the urine sample , as a means of standardizing the thromboxane concentrations ( because of their dependence on urinary volume ). the measurement of a conductivity - normalized urinary analyte is described in co - pending israel patent application no . 137308 . the combined use of conductivity and thromboxane concentration measurements are also described in the following examples . in addition to the techniques described hereinabove , the urinary concentrations of the thromboxane and / or apo ( a ) analytes may also be measured using an antibody library phage display technique . many different variations on the basic technology [ described in : burton , d . r . & amp ; barbas , c . f . iii ( 1993 ) immunomethods 3 : 155 - 163 ] are known in the art , and may be adapted for use in measuring in conjunction with the method claimed herein . a further approach for measuring one or both of the analytes of the method of the present invention is the use of aptamer - based assays . aptamers are nucleic acid molecules that bind specific ligands with high affinity and selectivity [ jayasena , s . d . ( 1999 ) clin . chem . 45 : 1628 - 50 ]. although clearly very different from antibodies in terms of structure and means of production , aptamers are beginning to emerge as a class of detection molecules that rival antibodies in both therapeutic and diagnostic applications . they are thus ideally suited for use in the method of the present invention . many different types of assay have been developed [ osborne , s . e ., masumura , i . & amp ; ellington , a . d . ( 1997 ) curr . opin . chem . biol . 1 : 5 - 9 ] and may be used for the measurements required by the method of the present invention . the concentration of conjugated dienes and of lipid peroxides can be determined according to methods reviewed by aviram [ aviram m . et al . ( 2001 ) methods in enzymology 235 : 244 - 248 ] or according to their modifications , using spectrophotometry , titrations , tlc , hplc , gc , etc . the preferred method for determining the concentration of lipid peroxides is iodometry or spectrophotometry , and of conjugated dienes spectrophotometry . the use of specific biochemical and electrochemical measurement techniques in performing the methods of the present invention , and the interpretation of the results obtained therefrom , are described in the following illustrative and non - limiting examples . a group of 44 subjects in the age range 40 - 70 presenting in the emergency room of a large district hospital were randomly selected for this study . samples of urine were collected from each of the patients before they were subjected to any diagnostic or treatment procedures . these urine samples were immediately frozen and stored at − 20 ° c . for periods of less than one month , prior to being used for the biochemical analyses . the patients were also asked whether they were currently taking , or had recently been taking , cyclooxygenase inhibitors such as aspirin . the medical condition of each patient was also assessed 30 days after taking the urine sample , each patient being assigned to one of the following diagnostic groups : in addition , the patients &# 39 ; 30 day outcome was also assessed according to the following two criteria : comparison of the clinical outcome with the result obtained from the biochemical analyses ( see below in “ data analysis methods ”) was performed , in order to determine the sensitivity and specificity of said biochemical analyses as diagnostic tools . the concentrations of thromboxane b 2 in the urine samples were measured using a modification of the biotrak ™ system ( amersham international plc , little chalfont , buckinghamshire , england ; code rpn 220 ). the frozen urine samples were thawed and used directly in the thromboxane assay , without any form of pretreatment . briefly , 50 μl of each sample or thromboxane b 2 standard was added in duplicate to the wells of a microtitre plate pre - coated with donkey anti - rabbit igg . all standard solution dilutions were made in an assay buffer consisting of 0 . 1m phosphate buffer , ph 7 . 5 containing 0 . 9 % sodium chloride and 0 . 1 % bovine serum albumin . the same buffer was also used in the preparation of the zero standard ( i . e . 0 pg thromboxane b 2 ) and non - specific binding ( i . e . buffer - only ) wells . the amount of thromboxane b 2 added to the standard wells varied between 0 . 5 and 64 pg per well . next , 50 μl of rabbit anti - thromboxane b 2 antiserum was added to each well ( except for the spectrophotometric blank well ). following this , 50 μl of thromboxane b 2 - horseradish peroxidase conjugate solution was added to each well ( except for the blank well ), and the plate incubated with shaking at room temperature for one hour . at the end of this incubation period , the contents of each well were aspirated , and each well washed four times with 400 μl wash buffer ( 0 . 01m phosphate buffer , ph 7 . 5 , containing 0 . 05 % tween 20 ). immediately following the final washing step , 150 μl of enzyme substrate ( consisting of 3 , 3 ′, 5 , 5 ′- tetramethylbenzidine and hydrogen peroxide ) were added to each well . the plate was then incubated with shaking at room temperature for exactly 15 minutes , to allow development of the colored reaction product . the reaction was stopped by the addition of 100 μl of 1m sulphuric acid into each well . following thorough mixing , and within 30 minutes of addition of the sulphuric aced , the optical density of each well at 450 nm was determined using a plate reader . a calibration curve was constructed for the thromboxane b 2 standards by plotting the known thromboxane b amount ( x - axis ) against the percentage of bound antibody (% b / b 0 ). the latter parameter was calculated according to the following relationship : the sample thromboxane b 2 amounts for the samples were obtained by reading directly from the calibration curve . the electrical conductivity of each of the urine samples was measured using a cyberscan con100 conductivity meter ( eutech instruments pte ltd ., singapore ). a corrected thromboxane b 2 concentration for each sample tested was obtained by dividing said thromboxane concentration ( measured in pg / ml ) by the conductivity ( measured in ms / cm ), either by simple division or by more advanced statistical model . urinary apo ( a ) concentrations were measured by use of a commercially - available kit for detection of lipoprotein ( a ) using the following immunoturbidimetric method ( unimate 3 lpa , roche diagnostics , cat . no . 07 3980 4 ). the undiluted urine sample was kept at 2 - 8 ° c . prior to the analysis . the sample was then incubated with the following reagents : reagent r ( supplied in the kit ), rabbit antibodies specific for human lipoprotein ( a ) ( supplied in the kit ), lipoprotein ( a ) standard ( lpa t standard , roche diagnostics , cat . no . 07 51170 ), lipoprotein ( a ) control ( lpa t control , roche diagnostics , cat . no . 07 51197 ) and nacl solution 154 mmol / l ( 0 . 9 %). the precipitate formed following 10 minutes incubation was determined turbidimetrically using a chemical analyzer ( cobas mira , cobas instruments ), and converted to protein concentration by the use of a calibration curve created from results obtained with the specific lipoprotein ( a ) standard solution . the cut - off indicates a value which dictates if the patient condition is pathological or normal . cut - off was determined according to receiver operating characteristic curves ( roc ), which is a plot of the sensitivity ( or the true positive values ) vs . the false positive values . this analysis optimizes the correlation between the test results and the clinical outcome . the cut - off values are the reference values used in the method of the invention . preferably , such reference values are based on results of diagnostic tests of large groups of patients . the results of the various analyses described hereinabove were collected and analyzed according to the following three interpretive ‘ rules ’. rule 1 is based on measuring thromboxane b 2 concentrations and conductivity , and transforming a thromboxane / conductivity ratio to its natural logarithm , wherein a positive result ( i . e . the presence of cardiovascular disease ) is indicated by a natural logarithm - transformed ratio greater than the cutoff value of 3 . 2 for patients not taking cyclooxygenase inhibiting drugs ( e . g . aspirin ), or greater than the cutoff value of 2 . 7 for patients that are taking or have recently taken such drugs . rule 2 is based on measuring apo ( a ) concentrations alone , wherein a positive result ( i . e . the presence of cardiovascular disease ) is indicated by an apo ( a ) concentration equal to or greater than the cutoff value 20 mg / dl rule 3 is based on measuring thromboxane b 2 concentrations , conductivity and apo ( a ) concentrations , wherein a positive result ( i . e . the presence of cardiovascular disease ) is indicated by a thromboxane / conductivity ratio greater than the cut - off points given in rule 1 and an apo ( a ) concentration greater than the cutoff value of 20 mg / dl . following analysis of the data according to the foregoing rules , and tabulation of said data , the sensitivity and specificity of each rule was determined according to the following definitions : the results comparing the clinical outcome ( any cardiovascular event / free of chest pain ) with the biochemical results , as interpreted by each of the three aforementioned rules are given in table i . it may be seen from this table that the sensitivity of rule 1 ( based on thromboxane concentration / conductivity ratio only ) was 83 . 8 %, while the specificity obtained with this rule was 30 . 7 %. for rule 2 ( based on apo ( a ) measurements alone ) the sensitivity dropped to 77 . 4 % while the specificity was reduced to 23 %. the best sensitivity results , however , were obtained with rule 3 ( based on a combination of the thromboxane / conductivity results and the apo ( a ) measurements ). in this case , the sensitivity obtained was 87 %, while the specificity was 30 . 7 %. the predictive strength of the three rules in correctly determining the outcome of patients with major cardiovascular events ( including myocardial infarction ) and patients with angina , is illustrated in table ii . from this table it may be seen that all rules gave good sensitivity results for predicting major cardiovascular events ( rule 1 : 100 %; rule 2 : 88 . 8 %; rule 3 : 100 %). in the case of angina , however , the rule that yielded the highest sensitivity was rule 3 , that is the rule using both the thromboxane / conductivity data and the apo ( a ) measurements ( 81 . 8 %). the specificity of this rule ( 30 . 7 %) was the same as rule 1 , and higher than that observed in rule 2 ( 23 %). table i 30 days outcome any cardiovascular free of chest event pain n % n % rule 1 0 5 ( 16 . 1 %) 4 ( 30 . 7 %) 1 26 ( 83 . 8 %) 9 ( 69 . 2 %) rule 2 0 7 ( 22 . 5 %) 3 ( 23 . 0 %) 1 24 ( 77 . 4 %) 10 ( 76 . 9 %) rule 3 0 4 ( 12 . 9 %) 4 ( 30 . 7 %) 1 27 ( 87 . 0 %) 9 ( 69 . 2 %) [ 0089 ] table ii 1 : mi , mce 2 : angina 4 : discharged n % n % n % rule 1 0 5 ( 22 . 7 %) 4 ( 30 . 7 %) 1 9 ( 100 . 0 %) 17 ( 77 . 2 %) 9 ( 69 . 2 %) rule 2 0 1 ( 11 . 1 %) 6 ( 27 . 2 %) 3 ( 23 . 0 %) 1 8 ( 88 . 8 %) 16 ( 72 . 7 %) 10 ( 76 . 9 %) rule 3 0 4 ( 18 . 1 %) 4 ( 30 . 7 %) 1 9 ( 100 . 0 %) 18 ( 81 . 8 %) 9 ( 69 . 2 %) a group of 27 patients was randomly selected , and samples of their urine were collected in the same manner as in example 1 . ten patients were free of chest pain , and 17 had a cardiovascular event . 1 . tromboxane b 2 was analyzed , and the results were normalized , as described in example 1 . the conductivity was measured as described in example 1 . the concentrations of conjugated dienes ( cd ) in the urine samples were measured using the following spectrophotometric assay . the frozen sample was thawed , vortexed with 2 ml of hexane / isopropanol ( 3 : 2 ), and acidified by vortexing with 1 ml sulfuric acid ( 1 : 2000 ). the upper phase was dried under nitrogen , diluted with hexane and immediately measured at 234 nm . the cd concentration was calculated according to this relationship : nmol cd / ml = od × 10000 / 27 the concentrations of lipid peroxides ( pd ) in the urine samples were measured using a commercially available reagent ( chod - iodide - merck , cat . no . 14106 ) according to el - saadani [ el - saadani et al . ( 1986 ) j . lipid res . 30 : 627 - 630 ]. shortly , 100 μl sample was vortexed with the color reagent and left 30 minutes in dark . the absorbance at 365 nm was read against the color reagent as the blank , and the concentration of pd was calculated using this relationship : nmol pd / ml = od / 2 . 46 . the results of the various analyses described hereinabove were collected and analyzed as follows . a positive result ( i . e . the presence of cardiovascular disease ) was indicated by an experimental value greater than a cut - off point , which was varied according to the measured marker . the cut - off value was determined on a probability scale of zero to one , statistically calculated by integrating the following experimental parameters : analytes concentration , urine conductivity and in the case of thromboxane , aspirin intake . the sensitivity and specificity for a desired combination of measurements and certain cut - off values were calculated according to their definitions in example 1 . the results for various models are presented in the following tables , wherein “ test +” and “ test −” mean positive and negative results , respectively , of the biochemical measurement interpretation . “ disease +” and “ disease −” mean presence or absence , respectively , of the disease as found by clinical examination . disease + disease − test + 12 5 test − 3 7 sensitivity / specificity 80 %/ 58 % conductivity and thromboxane were measured together with cd . cut - off value is 0 . 60 disease + disease − test + 14 3 test − 1 9 sensitivity / specificity 93 %/ 75 % conductivity and thromboxane were measured together with pd . cut - off value is 0 . 60 . disease + disease − test + 11 3 test − 6 7 sensitivity / specificity 65 %/ 70 % conductivity and thromboxane were measured together with apo ( a ). cut - off value is 0 . 60 . disease + disease − test + 15 2 test − 4 6 sensitivity / specificity 79 %/ 75 % conductivity and thromboxane were measured together with cd , ad , and apo ( a ). cut - off value is 0 . 60 . disease + disease − test + 13 4 test − 1 9 sensitivity / specificity 93 %/ 69 % it is concluded from the data presented in the above examples that the use of the multiple biochemical parameters ( thromboxane concentration , urine conductivity , apo ( a ), cd , and pd ), all together or in subgroups , in accordance with interpretive rules described above , significantly increases the accuracy of the test in comparison to using any marker alone , for diagnosing a cardiovascular event . while specific embodiments of the invention have been described for the purpose of illustration , it will be understood that the invention may be carried out in practice by skilled persons with many modifications , variations and adaptations .
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referring now to the figs ., a handgun security lock - box in accordance with the present invention is shown at 10 . the lock - box 10 includes a receptacle 12 having a locking door 14 for controlled access to the receptacle &# 39 ; s interior cavity 16 . adjacent the door 14 , two pairs of mounting brackets 18 and 20 are secured to the exterior of the receptacle 12 . the brackets 18 and 20 are alternatively adapted for sliding engagement with a mounting plate 22 which is rigidly attached to a supporting surface 24 by means of threaded fasteners 26 . upon locking the door 14 , the mounting plate 22 may be trapped within the brackets 18 or 20 to prevent unauthorized movement of the receptacle 12 . the receptacle 12 is a generally rectangular box formed from metallic sheeting and dimensioned to retain one or more handguns ( not shown ) within its interior cavity 16 . the receptacle 12 includes : a rear wall 28 , horizontally - spaced , side walls 30 and 32 extending forwardly from the rear wall 28 , and vertically - spaced , top and bottom walls 34 and 36 connecting the side walls 30 and 32 and extending forwardly from the rear wall 28 . the receptacle 12 has an opening 38 in its front end for access to the interior cavity 16 which is preferably lined with a foam padding 40 to protect items placed within the interior cavity . to permit quick access to items placed within the interior cavity 16 , the lock - box 10 is provided with a sliding tray 42 . the tray 42 is formed from metallic sheeting and is lined with protective foam padding 44 . the tray 42 includes : a bottom wall 46 , side walls 48 extending upwardly from the bottom wall 44 , a rear wall 50 with a height greater than that of the side walls 48 and extending upwardly from the bottom wall 46 , and a front lip 52 extending upwardly from the bottom wall 46 . the lip 52 is provided with a hole 54 for grasping by the finger of a user . adjacent the opening 38 , four projections 56 protrude slightly from both the top wall 34 and the bottom wall 36 of the receptacle 12 . the projections 56 are arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the receptacle centerline a and are equidistantly spaced therefrom . the projections 56 are formed by stamping or otherwise and are preferably shaped like frustums , i . e ., forms left by cutting off the top portion of a cone with a plane parallel to the cone &# 39 ; s base . like the receptacle 12 , the door 14 is formed from metallic sheeting and is shaped to cover the opening 38 when closed . the door 14 includes a front plate 58 secured by a hinge 60 to the side wall 32 of the receptacle 12 . extending rearwardly from the front plate 58 is a peripheral flange 62 . as shown in fig3 the flange 62 is spaced from both the top wall 34 and the bottom wall 36 of the receptacle 12 so that slots 64 are provided therebetween . secured to the front plate 58 of the door 14 is a combination lock 66 of the type made by simplex access controls of north carolina . the lock 66 includes a knob 68 which extends outwardly from the front plate 58 which can be turned counterclockwise to extend a bolt 70 to catch on the projection 72 so as to lock the door 14 . unlocking the door 14 is accomplished by pressing the correct sequence of push buttons 74 adjacent the knob 68 and then turning the knob clockwise to retract the bolt 70 . the brackets 18 and 20 are each integrally formed from metallic sheeting . each of the brackets 18 and 20 includes a rectangular , retaining flange 76 with a lateral fin 78 extending at right angles from the rear edge thereof and an adjacent , longitudinal fin 80 extending at right angles from a side edge thereof . a mounting flange 82 extends at right angles from the base of each longitudinal fin 80 . as shown in fig4 the retaining flange 76 and the mounting flange 82 extend from opposite sides of the longitudinal fin 80 so as to provide the brackets 18 and 20 with s - shaped cross sections . each of the retaining flanges 76 is provided with a pair of frustum - shaped projections 84 adapted for alignment with one pair of projections 56 on the receptacle 12 . the projections 84 project outwardly from each retaining flange 76 toward the receptacle 12 . preferably , the projections 56 and 84 have a combined height adequate to permit the mounting plate 22 to pass therebetween . the brackets 18 are secured to the receptacle 12 by respectively welding the lateral fin 78 and mounting flange 82 of each to the top wall 34 . welding permanently positions the brackets 18 so that their retaining flanges 76 extend forwardly from the ends of the fins 78 toward the opening 38 in a common plane parallel to the top wall 34 . welding also permanently retains the projections 84 in axial alignment with the projections 56 of the top wall 34 . the brackets 20 are similarly welded to the bottom wall 36 of the receptacle 12 . thus , the retaining flanges 76 of brackets 20 are secured in a spaced , parallel relationship to the bottom wall 36 . likewise , the projections 84 of the brackets 20 are aligned with the projections 56 of the bottom wall 36 . the mounting plate 22 is integrally formed from metallic sheeting and includes a central portion 86 having a pair of arm portions 88 secured to the opposite sides thereof by downwardly - sloping shoulder portions 90 . as shown , the central portion 86 is sized to alternately fit between the retaining flanges 76 of the brackets 18 or 20 and includes apertures 92 for the passage of threaded fasteners 26 . the arm portions 88 , however , are sized to slide snugly between the axially aligned projections 56 and 84 as well as abut the fins 78 and 80 of the brackets 18 and 20 . extending forwardly from the front of each arm portion 88 is a downwardly - sloping wrist portion 94 which terminates in a finger portion 96 . the finger portions 96 are adapted to snugly fit within either of the slots 64 when the door 14 is closed . locking the door 14 with the finger portions 96 located in either of the slots 64 prevents unauthorized movement of the receptacle 12 away from the mounting plate 22 . to further discourage unauthorized movement of the receptacle 12 , each of the arm portions 88 of the mounting plate 22 is provided with a pair of locking apertures 98 . the apertures 98 are adapted to snugly encircle the projections 56 or 84 when the receptacle 12 is either pushed toward , or pulled from , the mounting plate 22 and supporting surface 24 . in either case , the projections 56 or 84 act as lugs inserted into the mounting plate 22 to prevent sliding movement of the receptacle 12 relative to the mounting plate . it should be noted that the finger portions 96 , arm portions 88 and central portion 86 are disposed in parallel , vertically - spaced planes . the preferred vertical displacement of the central portion 86 relative to the arm portions 88 permits the central portion 86 to move freely between the brackets 18 or 20 without the retaining flanges 76 binding against supporting surface 24 . further , such displacement spaces the heads of threaded fasteners 26 away from the top wall 34 of the receptacle 12 . use of the lock - box 10 is uncomplicated . first , the mounting plate 22 is secured with threaded fasteners 26 to a suitable supporting surface 24 . next , the door 14 is opened and the brackets 18 or 20 are drawn over the arm portions 88 of the mounting plate 22 . the tray 42 is now pulled from the cavity 16 and filled with such items as a handgun . after repositioning the tray 42 , the door 14 is closed and locked . when access to the items on the tray 42 is required , the lock 42 is simply unlocked and the door 14 is opened . a user may need to secure the receptacle 12 to the underside of a bed to hold a handgun for personal protection while at home and also to secure the receptacle 12 to the floorboard of an automobile to safely transport the handgun to a firing range . such a need is easily accommodated by securing separate mounting plates 22 to the bed frame and floorboard . the mounting brackets 18 and 20 permit the push buttons 74 to always be oriented in a standard position regardless of whether the receptacle 12 is suspended from above , or supported from below , by the mounting plate 22 . consistent orientation of the push buttons 74 permits a user to easily memorize the correct sequence for pressing the push buttons 74 to unlock the lock 66 and later to repeat the sequence without looking at the push buttons themselves as might be required in the dark . while the invention has been described with a high degree of particularity , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made thereto . therefore , it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiment described above , but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims .
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fig2 a depicts a circuit diagram of a decision feedback equalizer ( dfe ) 200 in accordance with the subject invention . the dfe 200 of the subject invention is capable of accepting electrical input data signals v in based upon optical data signals , appropriately converted , and analyzing such data at a variety of circuit elements to output an appropriately recovered data signal component v out1 or v out2 . more specifically , the dfe 200 compares the incoming data v in to reference voltages denoting threshold detection points for data analysis . dependent upon clock signaling and the prior data bit value , the dfe 200 will output the data signal component at either a first data output line v out1 or a second data output line v out2 . the configuration of the dfe 200 is such that it facilitates processing of a data pulse stream ( i . e ., the incoming data signal v in ) of 10 gbits / s and higher ( e . g ., 20 gbits / s , 40 gbits / s and the like ) by splitting the incoming signal v in into odd and even clock valued bits . as such , corresponding odd and even clock value actuated detection subcircuits are operating at only half of the transmission system data rate . the reader should note that fig2 a represents a simplified drawing of the circuit of the subject invention . specifically , each line that connects circuit elements actually represents two lines , each of which carry complementary values of the signal traveling along the depicted line . additional details are provided in the following description where necessary . the dfe 200 comprises a plurality of parallel detection subcircuits 210 n for processing incoming data pulses v in . in one embodiment of the subject invention , a first parallel subcircuit 210 1 and a second parallel subcircuit 210 2 are provided . each subcircuit 210 n further comprises a plurality of input analyzers 202 n . the signal analyzers 202 n compare the incoming data v in to threshold references ( v ref + and v ref − ) in order to accurately recover data from v in . as discussed above , each line in the depicted circuit represents two lines of complementary input . accordingly , each signal analyzer 202 n has four actual inputs that are represented by the two depicted inputs . for example , the line carrying v in to first signal analyzer 202 1 is actually one line connecting v in to a non - inverting input ( v in + ) and a second line connecting v in to an inverting input on the first signal analyzer 202 1 ( v in − ). the line carrying v ref + on the first signal analyzer 202 1 is actually one line connecting v ref + to a non - inverting input on the first signal analyzer 202 1 ( v ref + )+ and a second line connecting v ref + to an inverting input on the first signal analyzer 202 1 ( v ref + )− for a total of four inputs . similar connections are made to the second , third and fourth signal analyzers 202 2 , 202 3 and 202 4 , respectively . the results of the signal analyzers 202 n are passed on to a plurality of memory devices 204 n . in the first subcircuit 210 1 , the first signal analyzer 202 1 receives data v in and compares it to an upper detection threshold ( v ref + ) and sends the results to first memory unit 204 1 . a second signal analyzer 202 2 receives input from v in and compares it to a lower detection threshold reference ( v ref − ). the result of the second signal analyzer 202 2 is passed on to second memory device 204 2 . more specifically , each signal analyzer 202 n has two outputs ( represented by the single output line shown ). each memory device 204 n has a non - inverting input d + to accept one of the signal analyzer outputs and an inverting input d − to accept another of the signal analyzer outputs . each of the plurality of memory devices 204 n is also provided with input that is correlated to the timing of the transmission system . in one embodiment , the memory devices 204 n are provided with input timing pulses at timing intervals that are half of the system clock rate ( clk / 2 ). the single clk / 2 line represents two clock inputs ( clk / 2 )+ and ( clk / 2 )− applied to each memory device 204 n . the specific and strategic reason for designing the circuit with a complementary line configuration is that at the high operational speed of the circuit , it is easier to decide about the difference between two voltages ( applied signals ) than to decide about their absolute value . in other words , common mode distortions are more easily suppressed with the described configuration . the output of each of the plurality of memory units 204 n is provided to a selector unit 206 n . specifically , and in one embodiment , the output from first memory device 204 1 and the output of second memory device 204 2 is provided to first selector 206 1 . the second subcircuit 210 2 is similarly configured and wired as the first subcircuit 210 1 . specifically , a third signal analyzer 202 3 receives inputs from v in and upper threshold reference v ref + and outputs the results to third memory device 204 3 . similarly , fourth signal analyzer 202 4 is provided with input from v in and the lower detection threshold ( v ref − ). the output of fourth signal analyzer 202 4 is provided as input to a fourth memory device 204 4 . each of the third and fourth memory devices 204 3 and 204 4 are also provided with timing pulses that are correlated to the transmission system timing . specifically , and in one embodiment , second subcircuit 210 2 is provided with input timing pulses at timing intervals that are half of the system clock . however , these timing pulses are opposite or 180 ° out of phase with pulses provided to the first subcircuit 210 1 ( i . e ., clk / 2 ). outputs from the third and fourth memory units 204 3 and 204 4 are provided to a second selector 206 2 . the selector 206 from each subcircuit 210 n is crosswired to its counterpart in the other subcircuit . in this manner , each subcircuit 210 n is connected to its parallel counterpart so that each subcircuit controls the selection for the next bit in the other subcircuit 210 n . the output from each selector 206 1 and 206 2 is provided as input to first and second secondary memory units 208 1 and 208 2 , respectively . first secondary memory unit 208 1 is provided with an input clock signal one half the clock rate of the transmission system ( clk / 2 ). second secondary memory unit 208 2 is provided with an input clock signal one half the clock rate of the transmission system but at 180 ° out of phase with the first subcircuit 210 1 ( clk / 2 ). accordingly , if the input data pulse at v in is an odd clock valued data pulse , its recovered output can be found at v out1 . if incoming data v in is an even clock valued data pulse , the output can be found out at v out2 . effectively , each subcircuit 210 n divides the data recovery tasks so that each subcircuit 210 n is only working at one half the system clock rate ( clk typically 10 , 20 gbits / s or higher ). the dfe 200 of fig2 a , is created using a plurality of switching and logic components . in one embodiment , the dfe 200 is realized using an enhancement - depletion algaas / gaas hemt technology with a 0 . 2 μ gate length and a threshold frequency of about 60 ghz . optionally , the dfe 200 is built in source - coupled fet logic for better common - mode noise rejection and high speed circuit operation . differential coplanar waveguides are implemented on a single chip for providing both clock pulses and data pulses to the circuit 200 . in one particular example , the entire dfe circuit 200 comprises approximately 310 fets on a chip area of approximately 2 . 5 mm 2 and operates at a power consumption level of approximately 1 . 9 w . accordingly , the subject invention has the capabilities of providing differential feedback equalization to a 20 gbits / s signal . this design takes advantage of parallel signal processing which reduces electrical bandwidth requirements of the circuit while increasing the gain of a received signal with greater accuracy then previously realizable . one skilled in the art can also understand that since the typical delays associated with a basic feedback loop configuration have been eliminated , incoming signal rates of up to 20 gbits / s and higher can be processed with the same or better results than the processing of slower signals in the conventional manner . another embodiment of the invention is seen in fig2 b depicting an optical receiver 250 incorporating the dfe 200 . specifically , optical receiver 250 receives a train of broad spectrum ( wdm ) optical data pulses from transmission , line 252 . the pulses are provided to a demultiplexer 254 which segregates the broad spectrum pulses into individual wavelength pulses . the optical receiver may or may not incorporate a single broad spectrum or individual wavelength amplifiers ( not shown , but understood by those skilled in the art ) to improve incoming pulse quality prior to further processing . subsequent to demultiplexing , the individual wavelength pulses are provided to a plurality of converters 256 which convert the optical signal into an electrical signal ( a logical “ 1 ” or “ 0 ”). these electrical signals are then provided to a plurality of dfe &# 39 ; s 200 for analysis and data recovery as described to provide a plurality of data recovered electrical signals 258 . there are several types of optical data receivers , which can benefit from the above - identified dfe . more specifically , two basic types of optical data receivers are a pin receiver and an optically pre - amplified receiver . typically , pin receivers include , among other components , a photodiode for receiving optical data signals from a transmission line followed by an electrical amplifier . such a receiver configuration introduces a certain amount of terminal noise into the received signal prior to threshold detection ( or recovery ); hence , such a receiver requires a relatively higher degree of received power than an optically pre - amplified receiver . the optically pre - amplified receiver contains , among other components , an optical amplifier which receives optical data signals from a transmission line and amplifies them . subsequent to optical pre - amplification , the received data signal is passed through a band - pass filter ( bpf ) so as to filter undesirable optical components and sharpen the received signal . subsequent to band - pass filtering , the received signal is passed to a photodiode which converts the optical signal into an electrical signal . the performance gain of a pin and optically pre - amplified receivers with implemented dfe is described as follows . for pin receivers , symbol independent thermal noise is the main noise source . for optically pre - amplified receivers , the signal - ase beat noise becomes dominant . consequently there will be different performance gains for dfe operation in both receiver types . the amount of intersymbol interference ( isi ) in both receivers in the examples was the same . for the purpose of equalization gain estimation , fig4 shows an eye diagram 400 of an isi distorted nrz signal . for a pin receiver , the q factor of the unequalized signal is given by q ≈ ( i max - i min 2 σ th ) where i max , i min and σ th stand for the inner eye borders ( traces ) and the variance of the thermal noise respectively . perfect cancellation of the trace representing i min by means of the dfe would improve the receiver sensitivity by a penalty reduction of δ = - 20 log ⌊ q dfe q isi ⌋ = - 20 log ⌊ i max - i min i max ⌋ in the case of an optically pre - amplified receiver , the noise variance becomes symbol dependent . good approximations for q factors with and without dee operation are then given by q ≈ i max - i min x ase i max + x ase i min q dfe ≈ i max ′ x ase i max ′ + x ase i min ′ δ = 10 log ⌊ i max i max ′ ⌋ | q dfe = q where x ase is a parameter that describes the signal ase beat noise . when assuming that i imax and i min are proportional to each other , the penalty reduction in the case of the optically pre - amplified receiver is expected to be twice than that for the pin receiver . also the isi amount can be estimated after the penalty is measured . in one example , a 20 gb / s signal was generated by polarization multiplexing of two orthogonally polarized and de - correlated 10 gb / s 33 % rz data streams . by time interleaving of the 2 31 − 1 prbs data streams with 50 ps phase offset the isi was minimized . a lightwave converter with relative small electrical bandwidth was used to detect the 20 gb / s signal . after launching the signal to the decision circuit that included a 2 : 1 electrical de - mux , the bit error rate measurement was performed at 10 gb / s data rate . fig3 depicts graphs denoting the characteristics of each type of receiver described above . specifically , fig3 a shows a graph 300 plotting received power of a pin receiver versus the bit error rate ( in logarithmic scale ). fig3 b depicts a graph 310 plotting received power of an optically pre - amplified receiver versus the bit error rate ( in logarithmic scale ). first line 302 ( corresponding to the star data points ) denote the received power versus bit error rate with a dfe equipped pin receiver , while a line at 304 ( corresponding to the square data points ) reflects the same characteristics without dfe . inspection readily reveals that it is possible to lower the power of a transmitted data signal to the pin receiver simply by virtue of dfe recovery techniques as described in the subject invention . similarly , fig3 b shows similar lines for a pre - amplified receiver . that is , line 306 ( corresponding to the star data points ) reveals a lower power of a transmitted signal to the optically pre - amplified receiver with dfe than that of a line at 308 ( corresponding to the square data points ) of such receiver not using dfe . specifically , the gain from feedback equalization from the subject invention was about 3 db for the pin receiver and about twice that for the optically pre - amplified receiver . this is in good agreement with the derivations . the experimental result estimates the isi to be about 50 % ( 0 . 5 i max ≈ i min ) in front of the decision element without feedback operation . from this we conclude the overall electrical bandwidth of the front end to be around 10 ghz . accordingly , the results shown herein indicate that there is an improvement in systems using the dfe of the subject invention in that the received power of a transmitted data signal can be reduced and yet still maintain accurate data recovery . although various embodiments that incorporate the teachings of the present invention have been shown and described in detail herein , those skilled in the art can readily devise many other varied embodiments that still incorporate these teachings .
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referring now to the drawings , some of the embodiments of the invention are described in detail below . first in fig4 numeral 1 denotes a microcomputer of the invention , which comprises a ps signal generator 3 which generates and delivers a pulse modulation signal ps thereby to drive an electromagnetic valve 2 so as to control the oil pressure of a transmission gear which is not shown . the electromagnetic valve 2 is intended to control the automatic transmission by regulating the feed direction of the oil pressure , and it comprises an emitter - grounded npn transistor 22 which receives , as an input , the pulse modulation signal ps at its base and turns on and off collector current accordingly , and an excitation coil 21 of which one end is connected to the power source and the other end is connected to a collector . the excitation coil 21 is designed to move a spool ( not shown ) of the electromagnetic valve 2 , and it is excited or de - excited by the on or off state of the transistor 22 . the collector current is applied through an inverter 23 , to a toggle flip - flop circuit ( hereinafter referred to as an f / f ) 5 which is a means for holding signals provided to the microcomputer 1 , such as a monitor signal ms showing the state of the electromagnetic valve 2 , to be held therein . the f / f 5 inverts a held value fv at the leading edge of a mode signal ms . the held value fv of the f / f 5 is taken into a latch 72 through a transfer gate 71 at an input time provided by a latch control signal ls relating to the mode signal ms . fv is also given to an exclusive - nor gate 73 . at the other input of the exclusive - nor gate 73 , an output signal lv of a latch 72 is added , and the output signal of the exclusive nor gate 73 and the monitor timing signal mt are given to an and gate 74 . the monitor timing signal mt is of the same period as the pulse modulation signal ps , and a pulse is delivered at a time before the latch control signal ls . the output signal of the and gate 74 is regarded as a failure detection signal ds . the presence or absence of a failure is judged in accordance with the h or l state of this signal . a judging circuit 7 is constructed of such transfer gate 71 , latch 72 , exclusive - nor gate 73 and and gate 74 , as a failure detecting means . the operation for detecting a failure is explained below . fig5 is a timing chart showing the procedure for failure detection by the microcomputer of the present invention . in the example of fig5 a pulse width modulation ( pwm ) signal is used as the pulse modulation signal ps . to operate the electromagnetic valve 2 , the microcomputer 1 gives the pulse modulation signal ps of a specific period to the electromagnetic valve 2 . the electromagnetic valve 2 , depending on whether the pulse modulation signal ps is h or l , turns on or off the collector current of the transistor 22 , and excites or de - excites the excitation coil 21 . this collector current is inverted by the inverter 23 , and is given to the f / f 5 as the mode signal ms . the f / f 5 inverts its held valve fv at the rise of the mode signal ms , and delivers the held value fv to the latch 72 through the transfer gate 71 , and also to one end of the exclusive - nor gate 73 . the transfer gate 71 is turned on at the input timing of the latch control signal ls , and gives the held value fv to the latch 72 . the output signal lv of the latch 72 is delivered to the other end of the exclusive - nor gate 73 , thereby to carry out the exclusive nor calculation with the held value fv fed at one end of the gate 73 . the and calculation of the signal resulting from the above exclusive nor calculation and the monitor timing signal is performed in the and gate 74 . by the detection signal ds delivered from the and gate 74 , the presence or absence of a failure of the electromagnetic valve 2 is detected . that is , while the electromagnetic valve 2 is normally operating , the held value fv is inverted at the rise of the monitor signal , whereas , if not operating normally , the monitor signal ms does not rise , and the signal is not inverted as indicated by a broken line in fig5 ( c ). therefore , by latching the held value fv by the latch 72 one period before and judging whether or not this output signal lv and the held value fv are equal to each other at every monitor timing , the presence or absence of a failure of the electromagnetic valve 2 can be detected . thus , in the instant embodiment , it is enough to monitor the output of the exclusive - nor gate 73 by generating a monitor timing signal only once within the period of the pulse modulation signal ps . another embodiment of the invention is described below . in another embodiment , a high frequency pulse frequency modulation ( pfm ) signal is used , as the pulse modulation signal ps , and the rest is the same as in the foregoing embodiment . fig6 is a timing chart for explaining the failure detecting operation of this embodiment . in this case , too , similarly as in the preceding embodiment , it is enough to monitor the output of the exclusive - nor gate 73 only once within the period of the pulse modulation signal ps , and it is consequently possible to cope with the tendency to increase in speed of the pfm signal . a further different embodiment is explained next . fig7 is a block diagram showing the structure of a microcomputer according to the further embodiment , in which the f / f 5 is provided in two stages , namely , 5a , 5b , so as to cope with the trend toward high speeds of the pulse modulation signal ps . a held value fva of the f / f 5a is given to a transfer gate 71a and also to the f / f 5b . therefore , the held value fvb is a frequency - divided portion of the held value fva . the held value fva is applied to a latch 72a through the transfer gate 71a , and is further given to one input of an exclusive - nor gate 73a . at the other end of the exclusive - nor gate 73a , an output signal lva of the latch 72a is given . the held value fvb is also , similar to the held value fva , given to an exclusive - nor gate 73b . the output signals of the exclusive - nor gates 73a , 73b , and the monitor timing signal mt are given to the and gate 74 . by their and , that is , the detection signal ds , the presence or absence of a failure of the electromagnetic valve 2 is detected . the period of the timing signal mt and the latch control signal given to the transfer gates 71a , 71b is three times as long as the period of the pulse modulation signal ps . referring to a timing chart shown in fig8 the failure detecting operation of the further embodiment is explained below . when a monitor signal ms is outputted from the electromagnetic valve 2 , the held valve fva of the f / f 5a is inverted at the rise of the signal ms . in consequence , the exclusive nor of the held value fva and the value of the output signal lva of the held value latched three periods before the pulse modulation signal ps , and that of the held value fvb and the value of the output signal lvb of the held value latched three periods before the pulse modulation signal ps are calculated individually , and thus the presence or absence of a failure of the electromagnetic valve 2 is detected by the detection signal ds which is the and of these signals and the monitor timing signal mt . for example , as indicated by broken lines in fig8 ( c ) and ( d ), if the monitor signal ms is not outputted due to the disconnection or other cause , the held values fva , fvb are not inverted , and the held values fva and fvb , and output signals lva and lvb become respectively equal to each other , whereby the detection signal ds becomes h . in the manner as described hereinabove , by arranging the f / f 5 in two stages , it is possible to detect a failure by a single monitoring action in every three periods of the pulse modulation signal ps , so that it is possible to cope with the trend toward high speeds of the pulse modulation signal ps . in the foregoing embodiments , the electromagnetic valve is shown as an example of the external device , but this invention is not limited to it alone . whatever the external device may be , if it generates a monitor signal in response to the pulse modulation signal , a failure can be reliably detected by the microcomputer of this invention . in the preceding embodiment , the f / f is arranged in two stages the device is comprised of a counter as shown in fig9 it is similarly possible to cope with the trend of the pulse modulation signals toward high speeds . instead of the structure of the circuits employing the hardware as in the description herein , similar effects will be obtained if all functions are performed by software except that of the f / f . in this case , however , it is necessary to add means for reading the held value of the f / f . thus , according to the invention , a failure of an external device operating at high speeds can be securely detected by a simple hardware construction , and it is enough to monitor only once within the pwn period . it is not necessary to take into consideration the delay of the individual monitor input signal peculiar to the external device , and thus the load an the software , which is inclined to increase , can be reduced . as this invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit of essential characteristics thereof , the present embodiment is therefore illustrative and not restrictive , since the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the description preceding them , and all changes that fall within the meets and bounds of the claims , or equivalence of such meets and bounds thereof are therefore intended to be embraced by the claims .
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fig1 is a simplified diagram of a usb dongle , according to an embodiment of the invention . dongle 100 comprises two main parts : plug 120 and end cap 110 . plug 120 comprises a printed circuit board ( pcb ) encased in a metallic shell 130 . the plug 120 inserts into a usb port on an electronic device . plug 120 may plug directly into a device such as a personal computer or a laptop computer , or plug 120 may plug into a device , which is connected to a computing device . end cap 110 protrudes out from the usb socket . end cap 110 may be slightly wider than plug 120 , or end cap 110 may be the same width as plug 120 . a wider end cap would be able to house a larger antenna . also , end cap 110 provides a place for gripping the dongle for insertion into and removal from the usb port . a wider end cap also gives more of an area under which to slide fingertips in order to grip the dongle for unplugging from the device . in an alternate embodiment , the dongle module may use a different kind of mechanical plug such as firewire , hdmi , or mini - usb . the components within a dongle of one of these alternative form factors , or any other form factor , may be scaled appropriately for the form factor . for example , the pcb and / or the antenna may be larger than the pcb and antenna described in the specific examples herein . in addition , dongles of different embodiments may replace or omit certain components described in the example herein . for example , a dongle may omit the metallic shell in favor of using a shell of plastic or other material , or may provide a different way to secure the endcap to the pcb without using a shell . fig2 is a simplified diagram of dongle 100 viewed from the bottom with the metallic shell 130 removed from the plug , according to an embodiment of the invention . removing the metallic shell from the plug exposes pcb 200 . fig3 a is a simplified diagram illustrating the difference between a reference nano dongle and a pico dongle regarding the size of the pcb 200 and layout of the antenna , according to an embodiment of the invention . length 320 indicates the length of pcb 200 in a reference nano dongle form factor . length 320 includes the plug length 321 and the endcap length 322 for the reference nano dongle . for the reference nano dongle the antenna is printed on the pcb 200 within the endcap portion ( length 322 ), and is thus in the same plane as the pcb 200 . a metallic shell generally covers the plug length 321 . the antenna printed on endcap length 322 is not covered by the metallic shell . in other reference nano dongles , a trace can connect the antenna to internal circuitry located inside the metallic shell , thereby providing part of the antenna within plug length 321 . the proximity and overlap of a metallic shell with an antenna impacts the radiation pattern , because a metallic sheath may block or interfere with an antenna &# 39 ; s radiation pattern . an endcap may be applied over the length 322 of the pcb 200 to cover and protect the antenna . dimension 330 illustrates the length of the pcb 200 in a pico dongle comprising the length of plug 331 and the length of the antenna 332 . in some embodiments , the length of plug 331 in the pico dongle is roughly the same as the length of 321 in the nano dongle . the length of the antenna 332 includes a length of antenna 300 orientated perpendicular to the pcb 200 and a tail portion that is soldered to the pcb 200 , according to an embodiment of the invention . the vertical portions are illustrated in fig3 a are tilted in accordance with a perspective view , although the vertical portions can extend up and down with respect to the plane of the pcb 200 . dimension 333 illustrates the length of the generally perpendicular portion of the antenna 300 with respect to the pcb 200 , not including the soldered extension . an endcap may be applied over and / or around the some or all of the antenna 300 to cover the antenna 300 and for protection . the endcap may be made of plastic , or another material that would not significantly reduce the wireless transmission or reception properties of the antenna 300 . the endcap may also isolate some or all of the antenna 300 from the metallic shell enclosing the pcb 200 , reducing the interference that it may cause . in some embodiments , the length of the antenna portion 332 of the pico dongle is about half of the antenna portion 322 of the reference nano dongle . the pico dongle , according to embodiments of the invention , provides performance and a radiation patterns similar to reference nano dongles , but with a shorter antenna portion extending beyond the metallic shell . the configuration of the pico dongle , according to embodiments of the invention , provides benefits that cannot be achieved using the reference nano dongle . for example , reducing the length of the antenna portion 322 of the reference nano dongle would result in poorer signal strength and radiation pattern . if the antenna portion of the reference nano dongle were to be maintained , but partially inserted within the metallic shell to achieve the same overall length as a pico dongle , the performance would again be reduced due to interference from the metallic shell . fig3 b provides simplified perspective views of a pico dongle with a two dimensional ( 2d ) metallic plate antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention . fig3 b ( 1 ) illustrates a perspective view of a pico dongle as a complete package . the two dimensional ( 2d ) metallic plate antenna is located inside endcap 307 . fig3 b ( 2 ) is a perspective view from the same angle as that in fig3 b ( 1 ), but with metallic shell 305 and the endcap 307 removed , exposing the pcb 350 and antenna 340 . fig3 b ( 3 ) is a perspective view from the underside of the device illustrated in fig3 b ( 2 ). fig3 b ( 4 ) is a perspective view of the antenna , illustrating the clipping mechanism used to attach the antenna to the pcb . orienting the plate antenna 340 perpendicular to pcb 350 allows the antenna to fit within a shorter pico endcap . the perpendicular orientation also provides a quasi - 3d performance . because the illustrations are not drawn to scale , the plate antenna illustrated in fig3 b ( 2 ) appears to not fit in the endcap illustrated in fig3 b ( 1 ). however , as will be evident , the plate antenna does , in fact , fit in the endcap . further , as illustrated in fig3 b ( 4 ), clips 342 are attached to the antenna 340 to enable the antenna to be joined to the pcb at appropriate coupling locations . although two clips 342 are illustrated , additional or fewer clips can be utilized depending on the particular device geometry and design . fig3 c is a simplified diagram of a pico dongle with the end cap removed showing a three - dimensional ( 3d ) wire antenna 300 , according to an embodiment of the invention . the shape of wire antenna 300 overcomes the limitation of its size by radiating in three dimensions . the shape of the antenna as well as its placement and orientation within the dongle affects the radiation pattern . the antenna can be adjusted / optimized based on desired form factor . in some embodiments , a minimum distance between the antenna and shield ( i . e ., metallic shell 130 illustrated in fig1 ) is utilized to avoid shunting of current . fig3 d is a simplified side view diagram of a pico dongle illustrating a spatial separation between the three - dimensional ( 3d ) wire antenna 300 and the shield 130 according to an embodiment of the present invention . the minimum distance may be based on the thickness of the end cap housing 110 . in an embodiment , the plastic end cap 110 may be about 8 mm thick . a thinner housing may reduce the minimum distance , and thus , the length of the end cap 110 . in an embodiment , the antenna 300 may be no wider and / or higher than the plug 120 . in such an embodiment , the antenna 300 may retract into the plug 120 when not in use and extend outside of the plug 120 when in use . in an embodiment , the antenna may be three dimensional and made of wire , resembling the shape of a paper clip that has been bent so that it no longer lies flat . the length 333 of the antenna , as illustrated in fig3 a , is about 1 . 8 mm which is less than the 3 mm length of a typical pico dongle endcap . fig4 is a simplified diagram illustrating the height and width dimensions of wire antenna 300 , according to an embodiment of the invention . in fig4 , the illustrated dimensions are labeled as width 410 and height 420 . width 410 may be the same or larger than the standard usb socket of 12 mm because the width of the endcap may be wider than the width of the usb socket . in the embodiment illustrated , the width of the antenna is about 11 . 75 mm , and the end cap is slightly wider than the usb socket . in order for antenna 300 to be outside of the metallic shell surrounding the pcb in the plug portion of the dongle , the end cap that protrudes from the plug must be at least as long as antenna length 333 . in the illustrated embodiment , height 420 is an indication of the vertical dimension of the antenna when the pcb is in a horizontal orientation . the antenna may be mounted with a portion above the pcb and a portion underneath the pcb . the height 420 of the antenna is the minimum thickness of the endcap . in the illustrated embodiment , height 420 is about 4 mm . thus , the pico dongle that houses this example antenna 300 may be slightly thicker ( i . e . taller ) than it is long . such a 3d antenna may have a radiation pattern that allows improved ability to receive a signal from a transmitter and providing more flexibility regarding placement of the transmitter . the combination of removing the antenna from the metallic shell covering the plug and shaping the antenna to be three dimensional greatly enhances the effective radiation pattern and power of the dongle . the size of the 3d antenna is not limited to the dimensions described in the examples . for example , a dongle in a hdmi form factor may be used with audio / video equipment , such as a television . such a dongle may be plugged into the back of the television where size may be constrained . thus , the antenna within a dongle may be smaller than other types of wireless antennas used for televisions . the antenna design and dimensions may also be adjusted to provide increased signal power . thus , there may be different applications of a wireless communication device that require different sizes and configurations for a 3d wire antenna mounted perpendicular to a pcb . further , the dongle may be used to connect to one device , or to multiple devices simultaneously . the devices that connect to the dongle may be of any suitable type , such as but not limited to a computer mouse , keyboard , video camera , audio / video receiver , audio headphones , cable box , desktop or mobile computer , smart phone , and tablet . in some embodiments , the dongle may be configured differently depending on which type of device it is intended to connect to . fig5 and 6 each illustrates the radiation pattern for a dongle provided according to an embodiment of the invention , as compared to two different conventional dongles respectively . in each figure , the dongle provided according to an embodiment of the invention is a pico dongle housing a 3d wire antenna . to create the radiation pattern graph for each dongle , the power was measured while the dongle was attached to the same usb port of a particular laptop computer . fig5 is a graph illustrating a radiation pattern ( 507 ) for a first conventional dongle that is a pico dongle with a 2d antenna . radiation pattern ( 505 ) was measured for the dongle according to an embodiment of the invention ( hereinafter shortened to “ pico dongle with 3d antenna ” or simply “ 3d antenna ”). as can be measured using the figure , the average difference in radiation signal between the 3d antenna and the first conventional dongle is + 12 db . thus , comparing the 3d antenna to a 2d antenna in dongles of the same form factor shows that the 3d antenna outperforms the 2d antenna . fig6 is a graph illustrating the measured radiation pattern ( 607 ) for a second conventional dongle as compared to the radiation pattern of the 3d antenna ( 505 ). the second conventional dongle is a 2d nano dongle . the antenna in the 2d nano dongle is printed on the pcb . as can be seen in the graph , the performance of the 3d antenna allows the smaller dongle to perform almost as well as the larger dongle with only a 2 db difference on average . fig8 a - 8d are simplified diagrams illustrating components of a usb dongle at stages of assembly , according to an embodiment of the invention . fig8 a illustrates a 3d wire antenna mounted on a pcb . subassembly 810 comprises the antenna 300 attached to the pcb 200 . antenna 300 has spring - like properties . the antenna is compressed laterally to line up with the notches in the end of the pcb . once the antenna is inserted , the spring force acts laterally in the arrow directions to hold the antenna in place while an end of the antenna 450 is soldered to the pcb . fig8 b illustrates subassembly 840 which is constructed by placing subassembly 810 into a bracket 830 . fig8 c illustrates the placement of the endcap . endcap 110 covers antenna 300 and allows for a user to hold the dongle for insertion and removal of the dongle into and out of a usb socket . there are two portions to the endcap : a thicker portion that is useful for gripping the dongle with fingers , and a thinner portion that partially extends over the pcb . the thinner portion of endcap 110 has two recesses 851 and 852 on the side and top respectively . the endcap is placed onto the bracket from the top and snaps into the bracket at 853 , seen from the bottom of the bracket . fig8 d illustrates the placement of the metallic shell over the plug . the top and bottom illustrations view the same subassembly 870 from different angles . in subassembly 870 , metallic shell 130 encases a portion of the pcb and forms the plug that inserts into the usb socket . metal clip 882 on the top of the metallic shell snap fits into recess 852 on the endcap , and metal clips 881 on both sides of the metallic shell snap fit into corresponding recesses 851 on the sides of the endcap . fig7 is a simplified flow diagram of the steps for assembling a usb dongle that refers to the components and subassemblies shown in fig8 a - d , according to an embodiment of the invention . for purposes of describing these assembly steps , the pcb is assumed to be oriented in a horizontal position and the antenna oriented in a vertical position , though the assembled dongle may be used in other orientations . the length of the wire segment between vertical portions 430 and 440 of the wire antenna is slightly greater than the distance between notches 822 on the pcb . in step 710 , the 3d antenna is spring loaded onto a pcb to form subassembly 810 . to attach the antenna to the pcb , vertically oriented portions of the wire antenna 430 and 440 may be squeezed towards each other close enough so that the vertical portions can be inserted into notches 822 on the pcb . once the wire antenna portions 430 and 440 are inserted into the pcb notches 822 , the spring force acts laterally ( parallel to width 410 ) to hold the antenna in place while a horizontally oriented portion 450 of the antenna is soldered to the pcb in step 720 . thus , the pcb itself serves as a holding fixture during soldering , obviating the need for another plastic part to hold the antenna in place as well as removing the need for extra space on the pcb to place a soldering fixture during this assembly step . also , the spring loading of the antenna onto the pcb allows for easy assembly of a very small part . this design allows the 3d antenna shape to occupy a minimal space and yet provide a maximal rf pattern . in step 730 , subassembly 810 is inserted into bracket 830 from the top creating subassembly 840 . in step 740 , the endcap 110 is placed over the antenna from the top and snaps into subassembly 840 . hooks in the endcap hold the endcap onto the bracket 830 of subassembly 840 to form subassembly 860 . removing the dongle from the usb socket requires holding the endcap and pulling in the direction away from the plug . snapping the endcap onto the bracket from the top rather than from the end towards the plug avoids the endcap from separating from the dongle upon removing the dongle from the usb socket . in step 750 , the metallic shell 130 slides over the plug end of the dongle towards the endcap 110 , overlapping a portion of the endcap and holding the endcap securely onto the dongle . clips in the metallic shell snap into recesses on the sides of the bracket and the top of the overlapped portion of the endcap respectively . the entire assembly of the dongle may be performed without glue or other additional adhesive substance other than soldering the antenna to the pcb . this reduces the parts and time required for assembly . it should be appreciated that the specific steps illustrated in fig7 provide a particular method of assembling a wireless communications dongle according to an embodiment of the present invention . the individual steps illustrated in fig7 may include multiple sub - steps that may be performed in various sequences as appropriate to the individual step . furthermore , additional steps may be added or removed depending on the particular applications . one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize many variations , modifications , and alternatives . it is also understood that the examples and embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and that various modifications or changes in light thereof will be suggested to persons skilled in the art and are to be included within the spirit and purview of this application and scope of the appended claims .
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reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention , one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings . each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention , not limitation of the invention . in fact , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention . for instance , features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment . thus , it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents . fig1 and 2 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a vertical axis washing machine appliance 100 . in fig1 , a lid or door 130 is shown in a closed position . in fig2 , door 130 is shown in an open position . washing machine appliance 100 generally defines a vertical direction v , a lateral direction l , and a transverse direction t , each of which is mutually perpendicular , such that an orthogonal coordinate system is generally defined . while described in the context of a specific embodiment of vertical axis washing machine appliance 100 , using the teachings disclosed herein it will be understood that vertical axis washing machine appliance 100 is provided by way of example only . other washing machine appliances having different configurations , different appearances , and / or different features may also be utilized with the present subject matter as well , e . g ., horizontal axis washing machines . washing machine appliance 100 has a cabinet 102 that extends between a top portion 103 and a bottom portion 104 along the vertical direction v . a wash basket 120 ( fig2 ) is rotatably mounted within cabinet 102 . a motor ( not shown ) is in mechanical communication with wash basket 120 to selectively rotate wash basket 120 ( e . g ., during an agitation or a rinse cycle of washing machine appliance 100 ). wash basket 120 is received within a wash tub or wash chamber 121 ( fig2 ) and is configured for receipt of articles for washing . the wash tub 121 holds wash and rinse fluids for agitation in wash basket 120 within wash tub 121 . an agitator or impeller ( not shown ) extends into wash basket 120 and is also in mechanical communication with the motor . the impeller assists agitation of articles disposed within wash basket 120 during operation of washing machine appliance 100 . cabinet 102 of washing machine appliance 100 has a top panel 140 . top panel 140 defines an opening 105 ( fig2 ) that permits user access to wash basket 120 of wash tub 121 . door 130 , rotatably mounted to top panel 140 , permits selective access to opening 105 ; in particular , door 130 selectively rotates between the closed position shown in fig1 and the open position shown in fig2 . in the closed position , door 130 inhibits access to wash basket 120 . conversely , in the open position , a user can access wash basket 120 . a window 136 in door 130 permits viewing of wash basket 120 when door 130 is in the closed position , e . g ., during operation of washing machine appliance 100 . door 130 also includes a handle 132 that , e . g ., a user may pull and / or lift when opening and closing door 130 . further , although door 130 is illustrated as mounted to top panel 140 , alternatively , door 130 may be mounted to cabinet 102 or any other suitable support . a control panel 110 with at least one input selector 112 ( fig1 ) extends from top panel 140 . control panel 110 and input selector 112 collectively form a user interface input for operator selection of machine cycles and features . a display 114 of control panel 110 indicates selected features , operation mode , a countdown timer , and / or other items of interest to appliance users regarding operation . operation of washing machine appliance 100 is controlled by a controller or processing device 108 ( fig1 ) that is operatively coupled to control panel 110 for user manipulation to select washing machine cycles and features . in response to user manipulation of control panel 110 , controller 108 operates the various components of washing machine appliance 100 to execute selected machine cycles and features . controller 108 may include a memory and microprocessor , such as a general or special purpose microprocessor operable to execute programming instructions or micro - control code associated with a cleaning cycle . the memory may represent random access memory such as dram , or read only memory such as rom or flash . in one embodiment , the processor executes programming instructions stored in memory . the memory may be a separate component from the processor or may be included onboard within the processor . alternatively , controller 100 may be constructed without using a microprocessor , e . g ., using a combination of discrete analog and / or digital logic circuitry ( such as switches , amplifiers , integrators , comparators , flip - flops , and gates , and the like ) to perform control functionality instead of relying upon software . control panel 110 and other components of washing machine appliance 100 may be in communication with controller 108 via one or more signal lines or shared communication busses . during operation of washing machine appliance 100 , laundry items are loaded into wash basket 120 through opening 105 , and washing operation is initiated through operator manipulation of input selectors 112 . wash additives may be added to washing machine appliance 100 to assist in the cleaning process . in this regard , top panel 140 may define one or more apertures configured for receiving wash additives when door 130 is rotated to the open position . for example , as shown in fig2 , a first aperture 150 may be configured to receive pretreating additive , bleach , or powdered detergent for late wash cycles . a second aperture 152 may be configured to receive detergent for the primary wash cycle . each aperture 150 , 152 may direct wash additives to a separate additive dispenser or dispensing chamber . by contrast , the wash additives may be directed to a single dispensing chamber separated by a partition , as is known in the art . although two apertures 150 , 152 are illustrated , one skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more than two apertures may be used and may be configured to receive any particular type of wash additive depending on the particular application . as will be described in detail below , wash additive that is added through first aperture 150 may be received in an additive dispenser 200 . water may be added to additive dispenser 200 to create a wash liquid that may be dispensed into wash basket 120 along with additional water , detergent , and / or other powdered or fluid additives . one or more valves can be controlled by washing machine appliance 100 to provide for filling wash basket 120 to the appropriate level for the amount of articles being washed and / or rinsed . by way of example for a wash mode , once wash basket 120 is properly filled with fluid , the contents of wash basket 120 can be agitated ( e . g ., with an impeller as discussed previously ) for washing of laundry items in wash basket 120 . after the agitation phase of the wash cycle is completed , wash basket 120 can be drained . laundry articles can then be rinsed by again adding fluid to wash basket 120 depending on the specifics of the cleaning cycle selected by a user . the impeller may again provide agitation within wash basket 120 . one or more spin cycles also may be used . in particular , a spin cycle may be applied after the wash cycle and / or after the rinse cycle to wring wash fluid from the articles being washed . during a spin cycle , wash basket 120 is rotated at relatively high speeds . after articles disposed in wash basket 120 are cleaned and / or washed , the user can remove the articles from wash basket 120 , e . g ., by reaching into wash basket 120 through opening 105 . referring now generally to fig3 through 8 , additive dispenser 200 that may be used with washing machine appliance 100 will be described in more detail . although the discussion below refers to additive dispenser 200 , one skilled in the art will appreciate that the features and configurations described may be used for other additive dispensers in other washing machine appliances as well . for example , additive dispenser 200 may be positioned elsewhere within cabinet 102 , may have a different shape or chamber configuration , and may dispense water , detergent , or other additives . other variations and modifications of the exemplary embodiment described below are possible , and such variations are contemplated as within the scope of the present subject matter . additive dispenser 200 includes a lower portion 202 ( fig3 ) and an upper portion 204 ( fig4 ) that are spaced apart along the vertical direction v and joined together to form a dispenser chamber 206 . lower portion 202 , upper portion 204 , and other components of additive dispenser 200 may be made from any suitably rigid material . for example , according to the exemplary embodiment , lower portion 202 and upper portion 204 may be formed of injection molded plastic . in this regard , they may be injection molded from plastic such as hips ( high impact polystyrene - injection molding grade ) or abs ( injection molding grade ). according to the illustrated exemplary embodiment , lower portion 202 includes a bottom surface 210 defining a siphon sump area 212 and a plateau 214 , which will be described in more detail below . upper portion 204 may have substantially the same cross - sectional shape as lower portion 202 and may be fixed onto lower portion 202 using suitable mechanical fasteners , such as screws , bolts , rivets , etc . similarly , glue , snap - fit mechanisms , interference - fit mechanisms , or any suitable combination thereof may secure lower portion 202 and upper portion 204 . additive dispenser 200 may further include a water supply nozzle 216 for directing water into dispenser chamber 206 . for example , as best illustrated in fig4 through 6 , water supply nozzle 216 is mounted to upper portion 204 and is configured to provide a flow of water to dispenser chamber 206 . in general , this water may be mixed with wash additive , such as powdered detergent 224 , to form a wash liquid to be dispensed into the wash tub 121 from additive dispenser 200 . to supply water to water supply nozzle 216 , washing machine appliance 100 may further include a plurality of valves ( not shown ) that supply hot and / or cold water to water supply nozzle 216 from a hot water supply and a cold water supply . each valve may be , for example , a solenoid valve that is electrically connected to controller 108 . however , any other suitable water valve may be used to control the flow of water . the hot and cold water may be diverted directly to water supply nozzle 216 or may be mixed to achieve the appropriate water temperature prior to delivery through water supply nozzle 216 into dispenser chamber 206 . other methods of water delivery into dispenser chamber 206 are possible and within the scope of the present invention . although the illustrated embodiment shows a single water supply nozzle 216 mounted to upper portion 204 , it will be understood that different nozzle configurations may be used in alternative exemplary embodiments . for example , a water supply nozzle may be positioned on lower portion 202 of additive dispenser 200 or multiple nozzles may be placed throughout dispenser chamber 206 . other configurations are also possible and within the scope of the present subject matter . referring now specifically to fig3 through 8 , plateau 214 is generally a sloping surface that may have one or more angles , each angle being configured to direct liquid toward the siphon sump 212 . plateau 214 is positioned vertically above the siphon sump 212 and may define a receiving surface 218 . upper portion 204 may define an opening 222 configured to receive a wash additive ( e . g ., powdered detergent 224 ). according to the illustrated embodiment , opening 222 is positioned directly over receiving surface 218 . additive dispenser 200 may be mounted underneath top panel 140 of cabinet 102 ( fig2 ) such that opening 222 may receive wash additive poured into first aperture 150 or second aperture 152 . for example , according to the example embodiment , first aperture 150 may coincide with opening 222 , such that powdered detergent poured into first aperture 150 is received directly through opening 222 . in this regard , the user may see bottom surface 210 of lower portion 202 , and may thereby know how much detergent has been added to additive dispenser 200 . however , one skilled in the art will appreciate that the present subject matter is not limited to such a method of adding wash additive to additive dispenser 200 . for example , wash additive may be supplied directly from an additive reservoir located within cabinet 102 or apertures 150 , 152 may connect to additive dispenser 200 indirectly , e . g ., via a chute or channel . additive dispenser 200 may be mounted to top panel 140 using a plurality of mounting features , using mechanical fasteners , or in any other suitable manner . similarly , glue , snap - fit mechanisms , interference - fit mechanisms , or any suitable combination thereof may secure additive dispenser 200 to cabinet 102 . in addition , additive dispenser 200 may be easily removable , e . g ., for periodic cleaning . one skilled in the art will appreciate that additive dispenser 200 may be mounted in other locations and use other mounting means according to alternative exemplary embodiments . as described above , opening 222 is configured to receive wash additive through first aperture 150 of washing machine appliance 100 ( i . e ., a vertical - axis washing machine ). however , one skilled in the art will appreciate that different configurations of additive dispenser 200 are possible in alternative washing machine appliances and according to alternative exemplary embodiments . for example , according to an alternative embodiment , additive dispenser 200 may be slidably received within the cabinet of a horizontal - axis washing machine , such that a user may pull additive dispenser 200 along the transverse direction t to slide it out of the cabinet . the user may then add wash additive through opening 222 before sliding additive dispenser 200 back into the cabinet prior to starting a wash cycle . alternatively , additive dispenser 200 may draw wash additives from a separate storage container within washing machine appliance 100 . other configurations of additive dispenser 200 and dispenser chamber 206 are also possible and within the scope of the present subject matter . in addition , although only one dispenser chamber 206 is described herein , one skilled in the art will appreciate that more than one dispenser chamber may be included in alternative additive dispensers . referring again to fig3 through 8 , bottom surface 210 may further define an inner siphon cylinder 230 that extends in a substantially vertical direction from siphon sump 212 . one or more alignment ribs 232 may extend radially outward from inner siphon cylinder 230 . upper portion 204 may define an outer siphon cylinder 234 that extends downward over inner siphon cylinder 230 when upper portion 204 is mounted on lower portion 202 . outer siphon cylinder 234 may define a plurality of alignment slots 236 ( fig4 ) configured to receive alignment ribs 232 . in this manner , inner siphon cylinder 230 and outer siphon cylinder 234 define a siphon 238 . outer siphon cylinder 234 extends below plateau 214 very close to siphon sump 212 . a siphon inlet 240 is therefore formed between inner siphon cylinder 230 and outer siphon cylinder 234 proximate to the siphon sump 212 . in this manner , siphon 238 includes a siphon path that extends from siphon inlet 240 , through an annular siphon channel defined between siphon cylinders 230 , 234 , and out a siphon outlet 242 , such that wash liquid may flow through the inside of inner siphon cylinder 230 and into wash tub 121 . according to the exemplary embodiment , the annular siphon channel has a uniform thickness defined between the outer surface of the inner siphon cylinder 230 and the inner surface of the outer siphon cylinder 234 . after detergent 224 is added to receiving surface 218 , water may be added to create a wash liquid , and the siphon 238 is used to draw the wash liquid out of the dispenser chamber 206 and into wash tub 121 . more particularly , to operate siphon 238 according to an example embodiment , controller 108 may cause water to enter dispenser chamber 206 through water supply nozzle 216 to raise the level of wash liquid in dispenser chamber 206 . eventually , the wash liquid rises above siphon outlet 242 , which creates a siphon effect to draw wash liquid out of dispenser chamber 206 and into wash tub 121 through inner siphon cylinder 230 . as long as nothing clogs siphon inlet 240 , wash liquid may siphoned out of dispenser chamber 206 until the level of wash liquid drops below plateau 214 and siphon inlet 240 . bottom surface 210 may further define an overflow weir 250 that extends vertically upward from siphon sump 212 . a weir inlet 252 is defined at the top of overflow weir 250 and is in fluid communication with wash tub 121 . weir inlet 252 is typically positioned vertically above the top of inner siphon cylinder 230 — i . e ., the siphon outlet 242 . in this manner , wash liquid is dispensed into wash tub 121 through overflow weir 250 only when the level of wash liquid is above weir inlet 252 . when wash liquid is below this level , wash liquid is dispensed into wash tub 121 through the siphon 238 , as described above . notably , weir inlet 252 has a larger cross - section than siphon outlet 242 to allow for higher flow rates of wash liquid when dispenser chamber 206 is filled . as best shown in fig5 , overflow weir 250 is positioned adjacent siphon 238 within the siphon sump 212 . in addition , overflow weir 250 has a generally arcuate shape and wraps at least partly around siphon 238 . in this manner , overflow weir 250 , lower portion 202 , and upper portion 204 define a flow channel 254 on the opposite side of overflow weir 250 from siphon 238 . as described in detail below , this configuration directs the flow of water such that clogs in the siphon inlet 240 are reduced or eliminated . during operation of washing machine appliance 100 , a user may add powdered detergent through first aperture 150 . first aperture 150 coincides with opening 222 , which is positioned directly over receiving surface 218 . therefore , powdered detergent is collected on receiving surface 218 of plateau 214 . notably , receiving surface 218 is positioned remote from siphon inlet 240 . for example , as shown in fig6 , and 10 , receiving surface 218 does not coincide with siphon inlet 240 . instead , receiving surface 218 may be adjacent to siphon inlet 240 , and is sufficiently spaced apart to prevent detergent 224 from collecting in siphon inlet 240 . more specifically , receiving surface 218 may be spaced at least 5 millimeters away from outer siphon cylinder 234 along a horizontal direction h ( fig9 and 10 ). in addition , receiving surface 218 has a lower angle relative to horizontal than the remainder of plateau 214 . the angle of receiving surface 218 may be such that powdered detergent remains on receiving surface 218 until a flow of water entrains the powdered detergent . for example , receiving surface 218 may have an angle of less than five degrees relative to horizontal h ( fig9 and 10 ). in this manner , powdered detergent has a reduced tendency of collecting around and clogging siphon inlet 240 . referring now specifically to fig6 through 8 , the flow path of water within dispenser chamber 206 will be described . additive dispenser 200 and dispenser chamber 206 may generally define a first end 260 proximate water supply nozzle 216 and a second end 262 proximate siphon sump 212 . according to the exemplary embodiment , water supply nozzle 216 directs a flow of water 264 ( as indicated by arrows in fig6 through 8 ) in a substantially horizontal direction from first end 260 toward second end 262 . in this manner , liquid dispensed onto plateau 214 always tends to flow toward siphon sump 212 , and more particularly , to siphon inlet 240 . the flow of water 264 may be generally directed so as to slowly disperse and entrain powdered detergent . for example , as shown in fig6 through 8 , the flow of water 264 may be directed primarily down a side of dispenser chamber 206 , through flow channel 254 . notably , second end 262 is curved such that channel 254 wraps around overflow weir 250 and directs water directly past siphon inlet 240 . as the flow of water 264 is directed past siphon inlet 240 , it forces powdered detergent away from siphon inlet 240 , thereby reducing the tendency of powdered detergent to clog the siphon inlet 240 . more specifically , the flow of water 264 is directed past siphon 238 and back up onto plateau 214 . as best shown in fig9 and 10 , plateau 214 has two sloping portions and receiving surface 218 . a first sloping portion 270 is positioned underneath water supply nozzle 216 and slopes substantially in a direction toward siphon sump 212 . more particularly , the flow of water 264 on first sloping portion 270 is substantially parallel with a first sidewall 272 of lower portion 202 . a second sloping portion 274 is sloped substantially toward receiving surface 218 and toward siphon sump 212 . more particularly , second sloping portion 274 is angled in a direction substantially away from a second sidewall 276 and toward siphon sump 212 . due to the geometry of bottom surface 210 , sidewalls , 272 , 276 , and plateau 214 , the flow of water 264 tends to circulate about receiving surface 218 . in this manner , the powdered detergent deposited on top of receiving surface 218 is slowly eroded , entrained , and dispersed in the flow of water 264 . by directing water adjacent to and past receiving surface 218 , the tendency of powdered detergent to clog siphon inlet 240 may be reduced or eliminated when compared to designs that simply flush detergent using a shower of water or more direct flows of water . this written description uses examples to disclose the invention , including the best mode , and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention , including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods . the patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims , and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art . such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims , or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims .
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the instant invention may be employed to amidate naturally occurring , synthetically - derived or recombinantly expressed polypeptides . in the embodiments illustrated in detail hereinafter , the invention is employed to amidate recombinantly expressed chimeric proteins that have been recovered from host cells in the form of inclusion bodies . chimeric proteins employed in the instant invention may be expressed in a microbial host cell using known techniques of recombinant dna production . any suitable host cell known to be useful for the expression of proteins by recombinant dna methods may be employed , including prokaryotic and eukaryotic host cells and cell lines . e . coli is a preferred host cell . the host cell contains an expression vector which encodes the chimeric protein under the control of a regulatory sequence which is capable of directing its expression in the host , as well as an origin of replication that is functional in the host cell . the vector may contain other dna sequences conventionally employed in recombinant dna technology such as sequences encoding selectable markers . methods for expressing a foreign gene in a host organism also are well known in the art ( see , e . g ., maniatis et al . molecular cloning : a laboratory manual , cold spring harbor laboratory press , 2 nd ed ., 1989 ). the gene encoding a particular polypeptide can be constructed by chemically synthesizing the entire nucleotide sequence , by amplification , such as by the polymerase chain reaction ( pcr ), or by cloning the gene of interest . the gene is then subcloned into an appropriate expression vector . cloning vectors , expression vectors , plasmids , and viral vectors are well known in the art ( see , e . g ., maniatis et al ., supra , and goedell , methods in enzymology , vol . 185 ( academic press 1990 )). example 1 provides a detailed description of the preparation of a t7 - based expression system useful for high - level expression of mammalian proteins in e . coli . the host cell containing the expression vector is grown and the chimeric protein expressed under appropriate conditions . the conditions for growth of the host cell and expression of the chimeric protein will vary depending on various factors such as the host cell employed , the promoter and the particular chimeric protein being expressed . those skilled in the art are capable of determining the appropriate conditions for the particular host / vector system employed . methods for expressing a foreign gene in a host organism also are well known in the art ( see , e . g ., maniatis et al ., molecular cloning : a laboratory manual , cold spring harbor laboratory press , 2 nd ed ., 1989 ). the gene encoding a particular polypeptide can be constructed by chemically synthesizing the entire nucleotide sequence , by amplification , such as by the polymerase chain reaction ( pcr ), or by cloning the gene of interest . the gene is then subcloned into an appropriate expression vector . cloning vectors , expression vectors , plasmids , and viral vectors are well known in the art ( see , e . g ., maniatis et al ., supra , and goedell , methods in enzymology , vol . 185 ( academic press 1990 )). example 1 provides a detailed description of the preparation of a t7 - based expression system useful for high - level expression of mammalian proteins in e . coli . when a polypeptide is prepared by recombinant techniques , one can add a cleavage site at a point preceding the n - terminus , and a cys - x 2 - x 3 tail sequence to the c terminus of the amino acid sequence defining the peptide product , by incorporating or mutating the appropriate nucleotides into the encoding nucleic acid by any of various methods including , for example , site - directed mutagenesis . such cleavage site and cys - x 2 - x 3 sequences can provide a site for concurrent cleavage and amidation by palladium complexes as described herein . recombinant methods can also be used to generate a nucleic acid encoding a protein with a repeating polypeptide sequence , with each sequence separated by a predetermined cleavage site and the c - terminus of each sequence attached to the group cys - x 2 - x 3 . in this case , palladium complex - promoted concurrent cleavage and amidation can occur at multiple cleavage sites as defined above in the polypeptide , releasing multiple copies of the desired peptide . as used herein , “ protein ,” “ polypeptide ,” and “ peptide ” are used interchangeably and are intended to refer to any sequence of two or more amino acids , regardless of length , and including those having a molecular weight of between about 400 to about 100 , 000 daltons or greater ( preferably between 1 , 000 and 50 , 000 daltons ). polypeptides suitable for cleavage can comprise any of the natural amino acids , such as ala ( a ), arg ( r ), asp ( d ), asn ( n ), glu ( e ), gln ( o ), gly ( g ), his ( h ), leu ( l ), ile ( i ), lys ( k ), met ( m ), cys ( c ), phe ( f ), pro ( p ), ser ( s ), thr ( t ), trp ( w ), tyr ( y ), val ( v ) ( single letter amino acid code in parentheses ), or may comprise any side chain - modified amino acid derivative commonly used in peptide chemistry . the latter amino acid derivatives include , for example , 1 - or 2 - napthylalanines and p - benzoylamino - l - phenylalanine , among others . the process of the instant invention is applicable to natural polypeptides , synthetic polypeptides , or polypeptides produced using recombinant techniques . methods for preparing synthetic polypeptides are well known in the art and include , for example , merrifield solid phase peptide synthesis . methods for expressing a foreign gene in a host organism also are well known in the art ( see , e . g ., maniatis et al . molecular cloning : a laboratory manual , cold spring harbor laboratory press , 2 nd ed ., 1989 ). the gene encoding a particular polypeptide can be constructed by chemically synthesizing the entire nucleotide sequence , by amplification , such as by the polymerase chain reaction ( pcr ), or by cloning the gene of interest . the gene is then subcloned into an appropriate expression vector . cloning vectors , expression vectors , plasmids , and viral vectors are well known in the art ( see , e . g ., maniatis et al ., supra , and goedell , methods in enzymology , vol . 185 ( academic press 1990 )). example 1 provides a detailed description of the preparation of a t7 - based expression system useful for high - level expression of mammalian proteins in e . coli . thus , the process of the instant invention provides for the production of desired peptides which include , but are not limited to , glucagon - like peptide - 2 ( glp - 2 ), glucagon - like peptide - 1 ( glp - 1 ), growth hormone - releasing factor ( grf ), parathyroid hormone ( pth ), parathyroid hormone related peptide , adrenocorticotropic hormone ( acth ), enkephalins , endorphins , exendens , amylins , various opioid peptides , frog skin antibiotic peptides , such as gaegurins 5 and 6 , brevinin 1 , the ranatuerins 1 through 9 , and the esculetins , glucose - dependent insulinotropic polypeptide ( gip ), glucagon , motilin , thymopoietins , thymosins , ubiquitin , serum thymic factor , thymic humoral factor , neurotensin , tuftsin , and fragments and derivatives of these peptides . precursor non - amidated or reduced forms of the following peptides and other peptides of like nature , can also be expressed as a fusion construct with a predetermined cleavage site and subjected to cleavage and concurrent or sequential amidation in accordance with the process of the instant invention : gastrin , calcitonin , luteinizing - hormone - releasing hormone , pancreatic polypeptide , endothelin , corticotropin releasing factor , neuropeptide y , atrial naturetic peptide , amylin , galanin , somatostatins , vasoactive intestinal peptide , insulin , and fragments and derivatives of these peptides . examples of leader sequences which can be employed with chimeric proteins include a signal sequence such as that used to direct secretion of a protein from a cell , the n - terminal portion of a mature protein sequence , such as from a structural gene , a linker sequence , or combinations thereof . useful leader sequences also are shown in example 1 . a leader sequence can be obtained from the genes encoding glutathione - s - transferase or carbonic anhydrase . linkers may be designed to end in a predetermined cleavage sequences . c - terminal sequences which may be employed in accordance with the process of the instant invention include any sequence defined by cys - x 2 - x 3 , where x 2 is any amino acid and x 3 is cys , his , or met . such sequences include , but are not limited to , cacle ( seq id no : 12 ), cacdd ( seq id no : 13 ), cackk ( seq id no : 14 ), ckcle ( seq id no : 15 ), camle ( seq id no : 16 ), and cahle ( seq id no : 17 ). in preferred embodiments of the instant invention in which the peptide has been expressed in the form of a chimeric protein , the chimeric protein has a molecular weight of between about 400 to about 100 , 000 daltons or greater ( preferably between 1 , 000 and 50 , 000 daltons and can comprise any of the natural amino acids , such as ala ( a ), arg ( r ), asp ( d ), asn ( n ), glu ( e ), gln ( o ), gly ( g ), his ( h ), leu ( l ), ile ( i ), lys ( k ), met ( m ), cys ( c ), phe ( f ), pro ( p ), ser ( s ), thr ( t ), trp ( w ), tyr ( y ), val ( v ) ( single letter amino acid code in parentheses ), or may comprise any side chain - modified amino acid derivative commonly used in peptide chemistry . the latter amino acid derivatives include , for example , 1 - or 2 - napthylalanines and p - benzoylamino - l - phenylalanine , among others . after the chimeric protein has been expressed it can be recovered ( in the form of inclusion bodies ) from the host cells by known methods such as , for example , lysing the cells chemically or mechanically and separating the inclusion bodies ( chimeric protein ) by centrifugation . recovered inclusion bodies are thereafter subjected to palladium - promoted hydrolytic cleavage by dissolving them in a reaction mixture comprising 1 to about 22 molar organic acid containing a palladium ( ii ) or ( iv ) complex ( e . g ., tetrachloropalladate ( ii )). the palladium complex is added in significant molar excess to the chimeric protein in the process of the instant invention , ideally in about 2 - to about 20 - fold molar excess ( preferably in about 5 : 1 molar excess over cys ). the organic acid can include monocarboxylic acids such as acetic acid , propionic acid , butyric acid , pyruvic acid ; hydroxysubstituted acids such as lactic acid , tartaric acid , citric acid ; dicarboxylic acids such as oxalic acid , malic acid , maleic acid , malonic acid , fumaric acid , glutaric acid , adipic acid , succinic acid , pimelic acid ; tricarboxylic acids such as tricarballylic acid ; sugar acids such as glucuronic acid and other uronic acids , aldonic acids such as gluconic acid ; and aldaric acids such as saccharic acid . acetic , citric , formic , maleic , malonic , propionic , pyruvic , tartaric , lactic , and trifluoroacetic acids are preferred organic acid solvents . cleavage is usually carried out at a temperature of between about 50 ° c . to about 70 ° c . it is understood that the reaction conditions of the cleavage step of the process of the instant invention are adjusted depending on the palladium complex used and the characteristics of the polypeptide to be cleaved . the palladium complex should be solubilized , which will affect the reaction conditions . moreover , in a preferred embodiment , the reaction conditions used will at least partially denature the polypeptide to be cleaved . palladate ( pd ) ( ii ) complexes that can promote the cleavage of polypeptides in accordance with the instant invention include [ pd ( oh 2 ) 3 ( oh )] + , [ pdcl 4 ] 2 − ; cis -[ pd ( en )( oh 2 ) 2 ] 2 + , cis -[ pd ( pn )( oh 2 ) 2 ] 2 + , cis -[ pd ( pic )( oh 2 ) 2 ] 2 + , cis -[ pd ( bpy )( oh 2 ) 2 ] 2 + , cis -[ pd ( phen )( oh 2 ) 2 ] 2 + , and cis -[ pd ( dtco - oh )( oh 2 ) 2 ] 2 + . additionally , pd ( iv ) complexed with chloride ion as hexachloropalladate can also provide an effective cleavage agent . palladium complexes can be prepared by methods well known in the art ( see e . g ., ( hohmann et al ., inorg . chim . acta 174 : 87 ( 1990 ); rau et al ., inorg . chem ., 36 : 1454 ( 1997 ); drexler et al ., inorg . chem ., 30 : 1297 ( 1991 ), or u . s . pat . no . 5 , 352 , 771 ) or can be purchased commercially . preferred palladium complexes include salts of the following : [ pdcl 4 ] 2 − , [ pd ( ncch 3 ) 2 ( oh 2 ) 2 ] 2 + , and [ pdcl 6 ] 2 − . palladium complexes most preferred include [ pdcl 4 ] 2 − , [ pd ( ncch 3 )( oh 2 ) 2 ] 2 + , and [ pdcl 6 ] 2 complexes are used as the salt of an inorganic base , such as sodium or potassium . the sodium salt of [ pdcl 4 ] 2 − is preferred . in one embodiment of the instant invention , the chimeric protein ( in the form of a precursor peptide ) t7tag - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 ) cacle ( seq id no : 11 ) was expressed in e . coli and thereafter concurrently cleaved and amidated in accordance with the process of the instant invention . this chimeric protein has a leader sequence connected by a cys - his sequence to the growth hormone releasing factor peptide grf ( 1 - 44 ). the grf is linked to a cys - ala - cys - leu - glu ( seq id no : 12 ) c - terminal sequence . the precursor peptide comprises a 14 - residue signal sequence followed by both a 27 residue vestigial ( vg ) sequence ( which induced inclusion body formation and high expression ) and a 13 - residue linker which ends with the cys - his cleavage site . the precursor peptide was reacted in a mixture of ( 1 ) 4 m malonic acid in a ratio of 3 mg of precursor peptide / ml malonic acid , and ( 2 ) 4mm na 2 pdcl 4 the reaction proceeded at about 60 ° c . for approximately 2 hours to yield around 17 - 21 % of amidated peptide product as determined by hplc analyses . other precursor peptides which have been cleaved and amidated in accordance with the process of the instant invention include : t 7 - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacle ; ( seq id no : 11 ) t 7 - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacdd ; ( seq id no : 18 ) t 7 - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cackk ; ( seq id no : 19 ) t 7 - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- camle ; ( seq id no : 20 ) t 7 - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cable ; ( seq id no : 21 ) t 7 - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cghle ; ( seq id no : 22 ) and t 7 - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- clhle ; ( seq id no : 23 ) these precursor peptides were cleaved and amidated using 5 m malonic acid as an organic solvent , at precursor peptide concentration ranges of approximately 2 mg of precursor peptide / ml of organic solvent , with pd ( ii ) promoter concentrations of 5 . 6 molar excess to cys , at a reaction temperature of about 60 ° c . and a reaction time of about 2 hours . cleavage and amidation yields for these various precursor peptides obtained under these conditions ranged from 2 to 50 %. the mechanistic pathway for conversion of the cys - x 2 - x 3 tail sequence to the amidated grf product is not known . without intending any limitation to the scope of the instant invention , one possible explanation is that the first cys ( i . e ., cys ) moiety is converted to dehydroalanine to give a jacle ( seq id no : 24 ) species ( where j is used as the single letter code for the dehydroalanyl residue ). the dehydroalanine group then is either oxidatively or hydrolytically cleaved ( most likely with pd assistance ) at the amino terminal side to leave grf in amidated form . other embodiments of the instant invention are disclosed in the following examples , which are illustrative and not limiting . expression of t7tag - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cys - x 2 - x 3 ( seq id no : 25 ) precursor peptides : the following precursor peptides : t 7 tag - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacle ; ( seq id no : 11 ) t 7 tag - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacdd ; ( seq id no : 18 ) t 7 tag - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cackk ; ( seq id no : 19 ) t 7 tag - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- camle ; ( seq id no : 20 ) t 7 tag - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cahle ; ( seq id no : 21 ) t 7 tag - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cghle ; ( seq id no : 22 ) and t 7 tag - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- clhle ; ( seq id no : 23 ) e . coli bacteria containing expression plasmids encoding the t7tag - vg - d 4 k - ch - grf ( 1 - 44 ) cys - x 2 - x 3 ( seq id no : 25 ) polypeptides ( e . g ., the t7tag - vg - d 4 k - ch - grf ( 1 - 44 ) cacle ( seq id no : 11 ) in fig2 ) were grown in 500 ml shake flasks containing tryptone , yeast , glucose , batch salts ( sodium and potassium mono - and diphosphate salts and ammonium sulfate ), and antibiotic . inoculated shake flasks were subject to orbital shaking ( 200 rpm , 37 ° c .). incubation was completed when the culture reached an optical density ( od ) of 0 . 8 - 1 . 8 at 540 nm . fermentors ranging from 5 l to 100 l production capacities were seeded using shake flask cultures . the media included batch salts , glucose , and chelated metals solution ( potassium citrate , sodium citrate , magnesium sulfate , phosphoric acid ferric chloride , zinc chloride , cobalt chloride , sodium molybdate , manganese chloride , calcium chloride , and copper sulfate ). the ph of the medium was adjusted to 6 . 9 prior to inoculation and the ph was maintained at 6 . 9 during culture . dissolved oxygen was maintained at approximately 40 %, via agitation and supplemental oxygen . either silicone - based or polypropylene glycol - based “ antifoam ” was added aseptically on an “ as needed ” basis to reduce foaming in the fermentation culture . when the fermentation culture od reached 25 at 540 nm , recombinant protein expression was induced by adding filter - sterilized isopropylthiogalactoside ( iptg , 600 mm ) to a final concentration of 0 . 5 mm , followed by filter - sterilized magnesium induction supplement ( potassium citrate and magnesium sulfate ). the culture was incubated for another 6 hr , and then cooled to 10 - 15 ° c . recovery of inclusion bodies of t7tag - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cys - x 2 - x 3 ( seq id no : 25 ) precursor peptides the inclusion bodies prepared as in example 1 were recovered as follows . the e . coli cells from 500 ml shake flask were isolated . to the whole cells suspended in tris - edta buffer ( ph 8 . 0 , 10 mm and 1 mm , respectively ) was added lysozyme . freeze - thaw process followed by sonication broke the cells . the crude precursor peptides were further purified by solubilization in 1 . 5 m citric acid followed by precipitation by titration of the acid with naoh . the precipitate obtained at ph 4 . 0 was washed with deionized water until the conductivity of the solution became less than 0 . 1 ms . the residual white cake was lyophilized . the whole cells containing precursor peptides from 5 l fermentations were suspended in tris - edta buffer ( ph 8 . 0 , 10 mm and 1 mm , respectively ) and then pressurized to break . the isolated precursor peptide was further washed with deionized water until the conductivity of the wash became less than 0 . 1 ms . the crude precursor peptides grf - cacle ( seq id no : 26 ), grf - cacdd ( seq id no : 27 ), grf - cackk ( seq id no : 28 ), grf - camle ( seq id no : 29 ), grf - cahle ( seq id no : 30 ), grf - cghle ( seq id no : 31 ), and grf - clhle ( seq id no : 32 ) were further purified by solubilization in 6 . 5 m malonic acid or 3 . 5 m citric acid followed by sonication ( with probe sonicator , 2 mm tip od ). the precursor peptides were purified by hplc with a microsorb mv - 100 cnc8 column ( 4 . 6 × 100 mm ). the ibs were eluted with a linear gradient ; 10 - 100 % b in 20 min with buffers ; a was 100 % water and 5 mm hcl , and b 95 % acetonitrile and 5 mm hcl at 0 . 8 ml / min of flow rate and monitored at 280 nm . hplc method 1 : beckman hplc with system gold v 8 . 1 software , with waters symmetry column ( 4 . 6 × 150 mm with a guard column ( 4 . 6 × 15 mm )). a typical hplc performance was done with a linear gradient ; 20 - 30 % b in 5 min , 30 - 38 % b in 15 min and 38 - 100 % b in 3 min , with buffers ; a was 100 % water and 0 . 1 % tfa , and b 95 % acetonitrile and 0 . 1 % tfa . hplc method 2 : lc - ms : finnigan duo q lc - ms with a 4 . 6 × 250 mm , 10 μm , 300 å vydac c 8 reverse phase column was used . the gradient followed the same rate of change of the organic modifier as in method 3 . hplc method 3 : for t = 0 ( inclusion bodies ) and reaction time - course samples ( through t final ), a 4 . 6 × 250 mm , 10 μm , 300 å vydac c 8 reverse phase column was used ( 1 ml / min flow , 32 ° c . setpoint on column heater ) with the following mobile phases : a = 20 % acetonitrile , 0 . 1 % tfa ; b = 75 % acetonitrile , 0 . 1 % tfa . the gradient used was 15 - 33 % b ( 25 min . ), 33 - 100 % b ( 5 min . ), 100 - 15 % b ( 1 min . ), 15 % b ( 7 min .). uv absorbance detection was at 214 nm . the use of citric acid in cleavage - amidation of t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacle ( seq id no : 11 ) precursor peptide , t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacle , was dissolved with homogenization in citric acid at concentrations of 1 mg / ml , 2 mg / ml , and 3 mg / ml using techniques as described in example 2 . approximately 3 . 5 m citric acid stock was diluted to a 3 m final concentration during homogenization . for each inclusion body concentration , five tetrachloropalladate concentrations were investigated : 1 mm , 2 mm , 5 mm , 10 mm , and 15 mm . the reaction time was six hours and the reaction temperature was 60 ° c . yields of amidated r - grf of up to 14 % were determined by hplc method 3 of example 3 and are listed in table 1 . four solubilizations of grf - cacle ( seq id no : 26 ) inclusion bodies into malonic acid were made as follows : 2 mg / ml in 4 m malonic , 2 mg / ml in 5 m malonic , 3 mg / ml in 4 m malonic , and 3 mg / ml in 5 m malonic . for each of the two solutions at 2 mg / ml peptide , tetrachloropalladate was introduced at 2 , 3 , and 4 mm concentrations . for the two 3 mg / ml solutions , tetrachloropalladate was added separately at 3 , 4 , and 5 mm concentrations . all conditions were run in duplicate and each reaction was allowed to proceed for 3 hours at 60 ° c . and then was quenched by 3 × dilution in nascn solution ( specific for each such that final pd : scn − was kept at 1 : 2 ). hplc analyses were performed on samples diluted 5 fold into 8 m urea / 20 mm tcep , using method 3 , example 3 . fig2 illustrates the yield of rgrf ( 1 - 44 ) amide as a function of malonic acid , precursor peptide and tetrachloropalladate concentrations . as can be seen in fig2 , by comparing the ( 4 m , 2 mg / ml ) trend to the ( 4 m , 3 mg / ml ) as well as the ( 5 m , 2 mg / ml ) curve to the ( 5 m , 3 mg / ml ), there is very little difference in maximum yield associated with peptide concentration . however , comparison of ( 4 m , 2 mg / ml ) to ( 5 m , 2 mg / ml ), and also ( 4 m , 3 mg / ml ) to ( 5 m , 3 mg / ml ), shows a definite advantage of 4 m malonic acid concentration regardless of precursor peptide concentration . all four curves in fig2 demonstrate a maximum for the tetrachloropalladate concentration that corresponds to 5 - 5 . 5 equivalents of tetrachloropalladate per cysteine residue ( 3 cys / precursor peptide ) comparison of the cleavage - amidation of t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- camle ( seq id no : 20 ). t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacle ( seq id no : 11 ), and t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cahle ( seq id no : 21 ) by tetrachloropalladate in malonic acid the - camle ( seq id no : 16 ), - cahle ( seq id no : 17 ), and - cacle ( seq id no : 12 ) precursor peptides , prepared in solution in 5 m malonic acid as described in examples 1 and 2 , were incubated with 4 mm tetrachloropalladate at 60 ° c . for 2 hours . analyses were performed by method 1 . the cacle ( seq id no : 12 ) precursor peptide cleavage and amidation yields were double those of the cahle ( seq id no : 17 ) precursor peptide ( 31 vs 16 . 1 % yield of grf ( 1 - 44 ) amide ), and camle ( seq id no : 16 ) precursor peptide cleavage and amidation was 17 fold less than that of the cacle ( seq id no : 12 ) precursor peptide ( 1 . 8 % vs 31 % yield of grf ( 1 - 44 ) amide ). use of the cacle ( seq id no : 12 ) tail sequence was therefore shown to yield the greatest amount of c - terminally amidated grf . comparison of the cleavage - amidation of t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cghle ( seq id no : 22 ), t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cahle ( seq id no : 21 ), t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 ) clhle ( seq id no : 23 ) by tetrachloropalladate in malonic acid the precursor peptides t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cghle ( seq id no : 22 ), t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cahle ( seq id no : 21 ), t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- clhle ( seq id no : 23 ) were solubilized in 5 m malonic acid as described in examples 1 and 2 , and were incubated with 4 mm tetrachloropalladate at 60 ° c . for 2 hours . hplc analyses were performed by hplc method 1 of example 3 . the resultant amidation yields of the - clhle ( seq id no : 33 ) and - cahle ( seq id no : 17 ) precursors were essentially identical ; both yielded about 50 % more amide than the - cghle ( seq id no : 34 ) precursor . the results of this set of experiments established that x 2 in the tail sequence cys - x 2 - x 3 is not limited to any particular amino acid . comparison of the cleavage - amidation of t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacle ( seq id no : 11 ). t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cackk ( seq id no : 19 ), and t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacdd ( seq id no 18 ), by tetrachloropalladate in malonic acid the precursor peptides t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacle ( seq id no : 11 ), t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cackk ( seq id no : 19 ), and t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacdd ( seq id no : 18 ) were solubilized in 5 m malonic acid as described in examples 1 and 2 , and were incubated with 4 mm tetrachloropalladate at 60 ° c . for 2 hours . hplc analyses were performed by method 1 of example 3 . about 21 % of the precursor cackk ( seq id no : 14 ) amidated ; the amidation yield of the other constructs averaged around 50 %. mass spectrometric investigation of the reaction products of t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacle ( seq id no : 11 ) with tetrachloropalladate in malonic acid the precursor peptide t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacle ( seq id no : 11 ) was solubilized in 5 m malonic acid at a concentration of 3 mg / ml , as described in examples 1 and 2 . the solution was incubated with 4 mm tetrachloropalladate at 60 ° c . for 2 . 5 hours . an aliquot of the solution was analyzed by lc - ms by hplc method 2 of example 3 . fig3 a is rgrf ( 1 - 44 ) amide . fig3 c is rgrf ( 1 - 44 ) jacle ( seq id no : 35 ). the mass - spectrum of the putative grf - product showed the correct mass for grf ( 1 - 44 ) amide , as shown in fig3 . fig3 b is rgrf ( 1 - 44 ) amide . fig3 d is rgrf ( 1 - 44 ) jacle ( seq id no : 35 ). hplc identification of the product of the tetrachloropalladate reaction with t7tag - vg - d 4 kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacle ( seq id no : 11 ) in malonic acid as grf ( 1 - 44 )- amide t7tag - vg - d4kch - grf ( 1 - 44 )- cacle ( seq id no : 11 ) precursor peptide was reacted with tetrachloropalladate as described in example 9 , and was analyzed by hplc method 1 of example 3 . the cleavage - amidation product was analyzed with and without spiking standards of grf ( 1 - 44 ) amide and grf ( 1 - 44 )- oh . the retention times for the standards were respectively 18 . 3 and 18 . 7 min . the product peak from the reaction eluted at 18 . 3 min . when the standards were added to the sample and then analyzed , the major peak at 18 . 3 min increased in height . this supports the mass - spectrometric identification of the product as being grf ( 1 - 44 ) amide , and not grf ( 1 - 44 ) free acid . all publications , patents and patent applications including priority patent application no . 60 / 383 , 362 filed on may 24 , 2002 are incorporated herein by reference . while in the foregoing specification this invention has been described in relation to certain preferred embodiments thereof , and many details have been set forth for purposes of illustration , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is susceptible to additional embodiments and that certain of the details described herein may be varied considerably without departing from the basic principles of the invention .
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referring first to fig1 a conventional method will be described by which a deployment engineer can use a conventional radio - deployment tool ( rdt ) to determine the boundaries of a cell , for use in lower bit - rate applications unaffected by short - term fades and dispersion . fig1 contains an rdt base station ( rdtbs ) 1 , and an rdt wireless handset ( rdtwh ) 2 which could be carried by a deployment engineer ( not shown ). the rdt , which comprises the rdtbs 1 and the rdtwh 2 , operates when test signals are periodically sent from the rdtwh 2 to the rdtbs 1 while the rdtwh is held by a deployment engineer following a path , such as a path 3 for example . test signals are generated only as the deployment engineer walks the rdtwh 2 away from the rdtbs 1 . the test signals are analysed on the rdtbs 1 , so that it can indicate to the deployment engineer , through the user - interface of the rdtwh 2 , whether or not he or she has reached a cell boundary . the analysis performed on the test signals by such a conventional rdtbs 1 comprises the steps of measuring rssi - levels of the test signals , determining points 4 where the rssi - levels of the test signals fall below some threshold value , rssi 0 , and then using these points 4 to define a cell - boundary . as discussed previously however , this conventional method is inadequate when applied to the newly - emerging high bit - rate pcs ( personal communication services ) systems because of its inability to account for short - term fading and temporal dispersion . according to an embodiment of the invention , an rdt is provided which can determine cell - boundary points for the newly - emerging high bit - rate pcs systems by considering , in addition to the rssi - levels of test signals with respect to rssi 0 , the bit error rates ( ber ) of test signals . ber - levels are measured , because they are functions of both rssi - levels , and the short - term fading and dispersion effects described above . ber - levels of received signals are thus analysed , in conjunction with the rssi - levels of those same signals , to deduce whether or not short - term fading or dispersion effects are adversely impacting signals at a given point in the site . it is to be noted that in a preferred embodiment of this invention , the rdt measures ber - levels only for signals whose rssi - levels it forces down into a testing range , [ rssi 0 . . . rssi min ], where rssi min is the minimum power level at which communication between a handset and a receiver is of an acceptable quality . ber - levels are only measured for signals that have been driven into the testing range because signals falling outside it are either too strong ( rssi & gt ; rssi 0 ) to be adversely affected by short - term fading and dispersion or too weak ( rssi & lt ; rssi min ) to be considered for acceptance by the network in the first place . signals falling inside the testing range on the other hand , are both susceptible to these same effects and occasionally of value to the network . more specifically , signals falling inside the testing range are of value when they also form part of a fading range that is maintained in order to allow the network to tolerate signals afflicted by a pre - defined range of non - linear and unpredictable fades . the fading range at a given point extends from [ rssi meas . . . rssi meas - m f ], where rssi meas is the average rssi - level with which signals are received from that point during deployment , and m f is a fading margin that must be maintained below rssi meas at all points in a cell . the fading range begins to be adversely impacted by short - term fades and dispersion as it starts to overlap with the testing range . therefore , ber testing is performed on signals whose rssi - levels have been forced down into the testing range , in order to simulate the operation of the fading margin over a range of rssi - levels at which it is vulnerable against short - term fading or dispersion . referring now to fig2 a , an rdt according to an embodiment of the invention , again has an rdtbs 1 and an rdtwh 2 . the rdtwh may be a conventional wireless handset or may contain modifications to enhance rdt functionality . the rdtbs may be an otherwise conventional base station enhanced with the required rdt capabilities as discussed in detail below . the rdtwh 2 contains a microphone 6 for converting audio signals from the user into electrical signals , and a mute button 7 that the user can press to prevent the digitization and transmission of any electrical signal emanating from the microphone 6 . both the microphone 6 and the mute button 7 are connected to an adaptive pulse code modulation ( adpcm ) digital signal processor ( dsp ) 8 , such that adpcm modulation is performed on digitized signals received from the microphone 6 when the mute button 7 is not depressed , and on a string of 0 - bytes when the mute button 7 is being held down . in some rdtwhs , the mute button 7 may also function in a toggle mode wherein alternate strokes of the button 7 initiate and disable the mute feature . for the purposes of this embodiment , the mute feature must be activated during testing , and in what follows , this is assumed to be the case . the adpcm dsp 8 is connected to a scrambler circuit 9 . the scrambler 9 combines the bit - stream output of the adpcm dsp 8 with a known sequence of bits in order to produce a scrambled sequence of bits which is unlikely to contain continuous strings of 0 - bits or 1 - bits , and which is therefore more easily modulated and transmitted . the scrambler 9 is connected to an antenna and associated circuitry 10 , which is responsible for inserting the scrambled bit stream into packets , placing the packets into communications signals , and transmitting the communications signals through the air to the rdtbs 1 . the rdtbs 1 contains an antenna and associated circuitry 11 which is capable of applying a known attenuation to the rssi - level of the received signals so the attenuated rssi - level falls into the testing range , [ rssi 0 . . . rssi min ]. the generation of such signals , hereinafter rdt attenuated signals , is achieved by having the rdtbs 2 use different receiver configuration settings by , for example , adjusting the receive - sensitivity control of the rdtbs 2 , varying the location of attenuation pads on the rdtbs 2 , and / or varying the antennas 11 used to detect the received signals . the resulting rdt - attenuated signals are sent to an rssi detector 13 that measures rssi - levels and passes the results to a processor 14 . the antenna and associated circuitry 11 also extract packets from the received signals from the rdtwh 2 , and passes them to a descrambler 12 that is matched to the scrambler 9 on the rdtwh 1 . the output of the descrambler 12 , which is the received version of the digitized output generated by the adpcm 8 on the rdtwh 2 , is also sent to the processor 14 where ber calculation takes place . since the descrambled contents of the packets should be entirely comprised of zero bits in the absence of any error , the processor 14 may determine the ber by , for example , making the following calculation : ## equ1 ## ber - levels must be calculated to a threshold accuracy of 0 . 1 %, said threshold hereinafter referred to as ber 0 . ber 0 is the highest ber - level at which bit errors are accepted as being imperceivable to the human ear . a large number of ber tests are required to calculate a ber to an accuracy of the order of ber 0 . for ber 0 of 0 . 1 %, at least 1000 bits per second are required per ber measurement . a large number of ber tests are also needed to reduce the inaccuracies introduced by random fades , which are generally small and temporal in nature , and which are not to be confused with either the short - term or long - term fades that have been previously described , which are persistent in nature . this high resolution is preferably achieved by filling the entire payload field of the packets sent by the rdtwh with ber test data , as done in the rdtwh 2 illustrated in fig2 a . for example , consider a preferred embodiment wherein the communication protocol shared by the rdtbs and rdtwh is the digital european cordless telecommunications ( dect ) protocol . with dect , 320 bits of data are transmitted in the payload field ( the b - field ) of a packet , every 10 ms . thus , under this embodiment , each packet &# 39 ; s payload field is populated with a scrambled version of 320 zero - bits every 10 ms . a total of 32 , 000 bits per second are available for ber testing . since , as indicated above , 1000 bits per second are required per ber measurement , this provides an adequate capacity to support ber testing at up to 32 different rssi - levels . more specifically , given that 320 bits of test data are received every 10 ms , and assuming that the rdt is receiving test data from signals that are each transmitted at one of 32 different rssi - levels , 320 bits of ber test data are received per rssi - level per 320 ms test period . this may be extrapolated to conclude that an average 1000 bits of ber test data are received per rssi -- level per second . if test data from different test periods are combined to yield averaged ber results over periods of time at least a second in duration , as contemplated below , the use of the dect payload thus provides 1000 bits for ber testing per second for each rssi - level , or equivalently , a ber resolution of 0 . 1 %. an example of the operation of the embodiment illustrated in fig2 a is illustrated in fig2 b . as in the conventional method illustrated in fig1 the rdt operates when test signals are periodically sent from the rdtwh 2 to the rdtbs 1 which held by a deployment engineer following a path such as a path 3 . test signals are preferably generated only as the deployment engineer walks the rdtwh 2 away from the rdtbs 1 . also as in the conventional method illustrated in fig1 the test signals are analysed such that the rdtbs 1 can indicate to the deployment engineer whether or not he or she has reached a cell boundary . unlike the method illustrated in fig1 however , the deployment engineer holds down the mute button 7 of the rdtwh 2 to generate a test signal . when the mute button 7 is held down , the adpcm module 8 automatically generates a digitized adpcm - encoded stream of 0 - bits , regardless of what sounds can be detected by the microphone 6 . the scrambler 9 will combine the zero - bits with known pseudo - random sequences . the scrambler then places the scrambled combination into the payload of a test packet , which is placed within the test signal . using the mute button 7 to generate test packets for ber testing allows the deployment engineer to populate the entire payload field of test packets with clean , known and consistent pseudo - random sequences using only a conventional wireless handset ( the rdtwh ). the test signal is transmitted through the air to the rdtbs 2 via the transmit antenna 6 . once received at the rdtbs 1 via the antenna and associated circuitry 11 , the rssi - level of the signal is attenuated to a level falling within the testing range , [ rssi 0 . . . rssi min ]. the rssi detector 13 measures the rssi - level of the rdt - attenuated signal . the measured rssi - level is reported to the processor 14 , which uses the information to help determine whether or not a cell boundary has been reached by the deployment engineer . at the same time , the data in the payload field of the received packet contained within the received signal is extracted and descrambled by the descrambler 12 , which is aware of the scrambling sequence used by the scrambler 9 . assuming the mute button 7 was activated by the deployment engineer at transmission time , a correctly descrambled packet would yield a stream of zero - bits . any non - zero bits emerging from the descrambler 12 would indicate an error during transmission , which could be attributable to long - term fading , or dispersion and short - term fading . the processor 14 counts the non - zero bits and calculates a ber - level for the test signal . the processor 14 then uses rssi and ber measurements to help the deployment engineer determine whether or not he or she has reached a cell boundary . boundary points can be deemed present at points 4 where the rssi test is failed , or at points 5 where the rssi test is passed but the ber test is failed . the processor 14 may use the rssi and ber measurements to determine the cell boundary in a number of ways . in a preferred embodiment , ber - testing and rssi - testing do not take place on a per - signal basis . instead , each ber and rssi test is carried out using a plurality of signals that are sequentially transmitted from the rdtwh 2 to the rdtbs 1 within a testing - period of less than one second . this allows for statistical manipulation of the test results in order to compensate for spurious signals which if analysed in isolation may cause the rdt to incorrectly determine cell - boundary points . it also allows for the combining of ber test results from several test signals so as to improve the ber resolution of the rdt . more specifically , the rdt measures ber - levels for a series of signals received at selected rssi - levels evenly spaced within the range [ rssi 0 . . . rssi min ]. for example , if the dect protocol is assumed wherein the fading margin extends 32 db above rssi min , then 32 test - signals would be generated each test - period . the signals would be attenuated so their rssi - levels equal { rssi min + 1 db , rssi min + 2 db , . . . , rssi min + 32 db }. the measured ber - levels of each of the 32 rdt - attenuated test signals are held in a ber -- errors array , which is illustrated in fig3 . the ber -- errors array 15 has 32 elements 16 that each contain an average ber - level for packets received at a respective one of the 32 rdt - attenuated rssi - levels . the elements are indexed according to the rssi - levels at which the associated ber tests were conducted , which ranges from [ rssi 0 . . . rssi min ] as mentioned previously . the rdtbs updates one element in the array 15 every time a packet arrives from the rdtwh 2 . as indicated previously , a single packet may contain spurious data which should not be analysed in isolation . as such , ber - levels obtained from a packet received at one of the 32 rdt - attenuated rssi - levels , must be combined with previous measurements taken at the same rssi - level . in a preferred embodiment , this is done using an exponentially weighted moving average ( ewma ) which generally has the following form : in the above , average -- x t - 1 is the previously computed average value , new -- x is the newly measured value and average -- x t is the newly computed average value . c 1 and c 2 are ewma parameters which determine the relative weight given to the new data versus the previous data . for the ber computation case , the nth element in the ber -- errors array 15 is updated according to the following equation : ber count is the ber - level measured for the nth rdt - attenuated signal during the current testing - period . ber -- errors [ n ] t - 1 is the average ber - level entry to the ber -- errors array 15 made for the previous test period . in a preferred embodiment , c 1 and c 2 are chosen such that a significant exponential lag is implemented to minimise the effect of spurious ber measurements on the ber - levels entered into ber -- errors 15 . it is to be noted that besides negating the impact of spurious ber measurements , this combining of results also means that values in the ber -- errors array 15 can represent an average number of erroneous bits per test packet received over multiple test - periods . this allows for the recording of ber - levels with a resolution that exceeds the 1 / 320 resolution that is possible if test data from each individual packet is analysed in isolation . besides an update of ber -- errors 15 , an average rssi - level for the entire test - period is incrementally developed as more test - signals arrive . more specifically , when the nth test - signal arrives within a test period , the average rssi - level is updated using an ewma according to the following equation : rssi n is the rssi - level measured for the nth rdt - attenuated signal processed by the rssi detector 13 during the current testing - period . a ( n ) is the effect of the attenuation setting imposed by the rdt upon the nth test signal , which is added back on to rssi n in order to estimate the rssi - level that would have been measured if no rdt - attenuation had been imposed . the variable , average -- rssi ( n - 1 ), is the estimate of an average rssi - level calculated after the previous test signal had arrived . c 1 and c 2 are ewma weighting parameters . in a preferred embodiment , c 1 and c 2 are chosen such that a significant exponential lag is implemented to minimise the effect of spurious rssi measurements on the rssi - level calculated for the test - period . at the end of every test period ( in this example , every 320 ms ), the average rssi - level calculated using the last test signal of the period ( in this example , rssi ( 32 )) will be defined as the rssi meas value for the present location of the deployment engineer . once rssi meas is determined , it is compared to rssi 0 . if it is less than rssi 0 , the rssi test is failed from the point at which the deployment engineer is presently located , and there is no need to process the gathered ber data . the deployment engineer will be informed that he or she is located at a point on the cell boundary . if rssi meas is greater than rssi 0 , the accumulated ber - level measurements in ber -- errors 15 are processed to complete the ber test . completing the ber test involves sequentially examining the contents of the elements of the ber -- errors array 15 , to determine whether or not communication channels with ber & lt ; ber 0 are available across the entire required fading range for the present location of the deployment engineer . this object can be achieved using the following algorithm , which is described with reference to fig4 . fig4 illustrates a plot of various rssi - levels . it shows a maximum expected rssi - level for signals arriving from a handset , rssi max 17 , rssi 0 18 and rssi min 19 . fig4 also illustrates the rssi - levels in the testing range , [ rssi 0 . . . rssi min ] 20 , at which the ber - levels were just measured . finally , fig4 illustrates the fading range 21 for a given test period , which extends m f decibels downward from rssi meas , and which can only be defined once rssi meas has been determined . the ber test is completed by determining whether or not inadequate ber - levels are measured at rssi - levels that fall within the required fading range [ rssi meas . . . rssi meas - m f ] 21 . if the ber - levels of fading range signals are inadequate ( i . e . if ber & gt ; ber 0 ), the required fading margin 21 is deemed to be unavailable at the present location of the deployment engineer and the ber test is failed . since unacceptable ber - levels are assumed to occur only within the testing range , [ rssi 0 . . . rssi min ] 20 , the foregoing test can be achieved by seeing if unacceptable ber - levels have been recorded for parts of the testing range 20 that overlap with the fading range 21 . this in turn , can be done according to the following procedure : 1 . the readings in all the corresponding ber -- errors elements are compared to the threshold , ber 0 . if there are no elements with ber values & gt ; ber 0 , then there are no noticeable short - term fading or dispersion effects within the testing range [ rssi 0 . . . rssi min ] 20 , and therefore no such effects within the fading range 21 . the ber test is passed and there is no need to proceed to the next step . 2 . if there are elements in ber -- errors 15 with ber values & gt ; ber 0 , the highest rdt - attenuated rssi - level signal at which the ber - level rises above 0 . 1 %, rssi fail , is isolated . the size of the required fading margin , m f , is added to rssi fail . if the resulting sum exceeds rssi meas , rssi fail must fall within the fading margin 21 and the ber test is therefore failed . otherwise , ber - levels are deemed to become unacceptable only at rssi - levels falling below the fading margin , and the ber test is thus passed . if either the ber test or the rssi test is failed , the deployment engineer is alerted to the fact that a point on the cell boundary has been found , regardless of whether or not the average rssi - level , rssi meas , exceeds rssi 0 . in this way , rssi meas is maintained high enough not only for it to exceed rssi 0 , but also for all rssi - levels within its fading margin to exceed any rssi - levels at which dispersion and short - term fading effects are noticeable . if neither the ber test nor the rssi test has failed , the deployment engineer is informed that the rdtwh is deemed to be inside the cell boundary . in the above - described embodiment , this procedure is repeated each 320 ms , using freshly updated elements of the ber -- errors testing array 15 and a freshly updated average rssi - level . at the end of every testing period , once the rdt has decided whether or not a cell boundary point has been located on the basis of the most recent rssi and ber tests , it can directly communicate those determinations using well known man - machine i / o ( mmi ) devices such as sound or light sources , or it can communicate those same determinations to the rdtwh 2 which would then communicate them to the deployment engineer through an mmi . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the transmitter of a standard base station and the receiver and display of a standard wireless handset could be used without further alteration to implement an acceptable mmi for an rdt . a discrete alert may be signalled to the deployment engineer as the cell boundary point is encountered . this would occur when the ber / rssi tests undergo a transition from pass to fail . alternatively , an alert may be signalled after each test that indicates whether the rdtwh is located inside or outside a cell boundary . numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims , the invention may be practised otherwise than as specifically described herein . for example , the rdt can be operated over protocols other than dect . methods of generating known pseudo - random sequences of bits for ber testing , other than holding down the mute button 7 on the rdtwh 2 , can also be used . in other variants , a cell - boundary may be defined by manipulating the measured ber and rssi - levels according to different algorithms . the size of the testing periods and test - packets can be varied . moreover , filtering functions other than ewma functions can be employed to statistically manipulate rssi and ber measurements . the weights used by such functions can also be varied . in another variant , the size of the fading margin can be reduced by decreasing the power at which the rdtwh operates , such that the lowest rssi - level that is detectable by the rdtbs increases . as long as reducing the size of the fading margin is acceptable to network users , such variants would be preferred embodiments as they would allow for a greater number of ber tests to be conducted per second . for example , if the dect rdtwh has a minimum sensitivity level at only 16 db below rssi 0 as opposed to 32 db below rssi 0 , the fading margin could be reduced to 16 db , the testing range can also be reduced so it extends over 16 db , and only 16 test signals would be required per ber test period . this in turn means that twice as many ber tests could be carried out per unit of time , and an increased ber resolution of 0 . 05 % can be achieved that would span ber 0 . similarly , a greater number of tests per unit time , and therefore a greater ber resolution , can be achieved by driving rdt - attenuated signals into more widely spaced rssi - levels within the testing range . calculating ber - levels for signals at 2 db intervals for example , would also double the number of possible tests per unit time . the user - interface by which the rdt communicates with a deployment engineer , can also be varied in a number of ways , including having the display on the rdtwh 2 continuously display rssi and ber - levels , and having the rdtbs 1 communicate directly with the deployment engineer using a variety of mmi devices . furthermore , audible alerting devices or ringers on the rdtwh 2 can be used as mmis . these devices can draw on one of the several forms of distinctive ringing sounds supported by most standard wireless communication protocols for non - deployment environment features such as &# 34 ; ring - again .&# 34 ; since such features need not be supported in the deployment environment , each associated ringing sound can be designated to represent a different message from the rdt . for example , when a cell boundary has been determined , one form of ringing can be used to attribute the determination to a failed ber test , while another form of ringing can be used to attribute the determination to a failed rssi test . in another example , another form of ringing could indicate when the mute button 7 is not operational because it has not been toggled .
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lipoxygenase enzymes ( also referred to herein as lox ) are widely used in commercial processing of food products , the manufacture of perfumes and painting products , and in the processing of wood pulp . although all lipoxygenase catalyze the same basic function , only plant lipoxygenases have been approved by the united states food and drug administration for use in foods and food products . despite their broad uses , lipoxygenase enzymes are only expressed at low levels and , consequently , commercial quantities are both expensive and difficult to produce . despite previous failures in achieving high level lox expression , it has been surprisingly discovered that considerable enhancement of plant lipoxygenase expression can be achieved . at least part of this high - level of expression is attributed to the selection of sequences being expressed , expression of the sequences in a protease deficient host , and / or the co - expression with one or more chaperone plasmid sequences . preferable , the increased expression achieved is at a higher level than expression in host cells that do not contain a protease deficiency and / or cells that do not contain one or more chaperone plasmids . preferably the expression of the one or more proteases is eliminated , reduced to an undetectable level using conventional detection or reduced by at least 90 %, all as compared to wild - type expression levels . one embodiment of the invention comprises a system containing a bacterial cell host , preferably with a deficiency or one or more proteases , containing a coding sequence for lipoxygenase enzyme and preferably a chaperone system comprising one or more chaperone molecules . the system is preferably inducible and also preferably maintained from about 10 ° c . to about 37 ° c . for a period of time for maximal expression of enzyme product . the period of time is preferably from minutes to hours to days , and more preferably from about 1 to about 24 hours , more preferably from 2 to 12 hours and more preferably from about 2 to about 4 hours . the cells are preferably maintained at temperatures from about 15 ° c . to about 25 ° c . during this period . the lipoxygenase enzyme may be derived from animal or bacterial cells , and is preferably derived from plant cells . expression constructs may contain all or a portion of the lipoxygenase gene or coding region . preferably constructs contain a portion of the coding region sufficient to create functional lipoxygenase activity . preferably the constructs of the invention encode the sequences of seq id nos 1 - 3 , or contain the nucleic acid sequences of seq id nos 4 - 6 . also preferably the sequence is a functional sequences that generates functional lipoxygenase activity . preferably the host cell is a microorganism that rapidly and economically proliferates in vitro such as , for example , one or more of the bacterial cell strains of k12 cells , e . coli cells , bacillus cells , lactococci or yeast cells . also preferably , the host cells contain one or more protease deficiencies as compared to wild - type cells . for e . coli host cells , the deficiency is preferably of one or more of the proteases lon , ompt , and / or lon / clpp . preferably the host cells further contain one or more chaperone plasmid expression vectors . chaperones function in assisting protein folding , benefiting the co - expressed molecules . expression of lipoxygenase in the systems of the invention typically involves inducing expression of the lipoxygenase sequence and also preferably the chaperone sequences before , during or after expression of the lipoxygenase , and preferably simultaneously or nearly simultaneously to allow for maximal expression of the enzyme . lipoxygenase produced according to methods of the invention can be further isolated and purified . preferably , purification of lipoxygenase produced according to the methods of the invention involves contact the with immobilized - metal affinity chromatography media . the enzyme remains bound and can be washed with wash buffer and subsequently eluted with elution buffer . preferably the increased lipoxygenase expression of the invention is 5 fold greater as compared to expression in wild - type cells ( e . g ., cells that are not protease deficient and / or cells without one or more expression chaperones ), more preferably 10 fold greater , more preferably 50 fold greater , more preferably 100 fold greater , more preferably 200 fold greater , more preferably 300 fold greater , more preferably 400 fold greater , and more preferably 500 fold greater or more . lipoxygenase made according to the invention is preferably useful in the manufacture of food products such as bread products ( for either , or both bleaching and improving texture ), the manufacture of paints thinners , perfumes , aroma and flavor enhancers , as signaling compounds , and for pitch control in softwood pulp in paper industry . the following examples illustrate embodiments of the invention , but should not be viewed as limiting the scope of the invention . slp1 ( seed linoleate 13s - lipoxygenase - 1 [ glycine max ] ncbi reference sequence : np_001236153 . 1 , length 839 amino acids ) and slp3 seed linoleate 9s - lipoxygenase - 3 [ glycine max ] ncbi reference sequence : np_001235383 . 1 ) were employed as loxs for production in microbes . in addition , a shortened version of slp1 ( herein minilox ) from amino acid serine 278 containing an additional methionine before the serine 278 were cloned and expressed in microbes . synthesis of dna encoding protein sequences for slp1 , slp3 and minilox optimized for expression optimal gene codon usage in plants and bacteria differ . new dna encoding sequences for slp1 , slp3 and minilox were determined and synthetically generated according to instructions ( genscript usa inc .). the sequence for minilox was identical as that of slp1 with the exception of having an atg encoding for an initiator methionine prior to nucleotide bases encoding for slp1 serine 278 . optimized sequences with desired cloning sites were created . initially , slp1 and slp3 were cloned into the pet 47b vector ( novogen ) using smai - xhoi restriction sites , so that each contained the pet47b initiating methionine and a 6x histidine tag ( seq id no 7 ). the slp1 and minilox encoding dna were then transferred to the dna2 . 0 expression vector 424 purple , a low copy number plasmid without the histidine tags using ndei - xhol sites , so that expressed proteins would not contain the histidine tags . similarly , the slp1 encoding sequence was cloned into the 424 - purple vector ( herein 424 vector ) with the exception of using ndei - ecori cloning sites . the slp1 encoding sequences were then transferred to the dna2 . 0 purple - 444 vector ( herein 444 vector ), a high copy number plasmid using restriction sites ndel - xhoi . the vectors contained promoters for expression of the insert dna with the pet47 containing a t7 - promotor , and the dna2 . 0 vectors contained a t5 - promotor . vectors were transfected into cell lines . initially , expression of slp1 was performed with the 6 histidine ( seq id no 7 ) tagged slp1 vector in e . coli bl21 cells , an e . coli b cell line suitable for the expression of the pet47b vectors . thereafter , all expression was performed in e . coli k12 strains . expression was tested in lb media , with 50 - 100 μg / m1 ampicillin , and induction of expression for all vectors was with 0 . 5 - 1 mm iptg . the activity assay utilized linoleic acid as a substrate and colorimetric detection of product . detected values for the assay varied depending on the substrate preparation , age of substrate , and substrate batch , which may be subject to variation due to oxidation from the environment . as such , approximate expression levels of slp1 in bl21 are presented as 1 unit / cell od550 slp1 - lb culture and relative and approximate values for expression in other strains is relative to the bl21 expression . cell od550 is defined as a cell density at od550 . slp1 expressed with or without a histidine tag using the pet47b vector and bl21 cells was very poor when induced at room temperature . the standard level of activity , 1 unit / od cells was established for induction at 15 ° c . with and overnight expression . dramatically improved activity was observed using the purple - 424 vector ( herein 424 vector ), in the k12 hms 174 cell line ( 4 units / cell od550 ). unlike bl21 cells , activity was also observed when induced at 20 ° c .- 25 ° c . with overnight expression . slp1 activity could be further enhanced by growing cells at 15 ° c . for up to several days . in all e . coli strains tested , growth at 37c of was found to generate little or no slp1 activity , and protein degradation products were observed upon western analysis ( fig2 ). an additional increase in activity was discovered using protease deficient e . coli k12 strains with the 424 vector . lon , ompt , or lon / clpp mutants all showed a further minimum two - fold increase in activity with (˜ 10 units / cell od550 ). the specific e . coli cell lines with specific protease deficiencies also showed some similar characteristics of protein degradation ( fig3 ) yet some cell lines had less degradation than others , signifying that proteases play a role in the limited production of lipoxygenases . an additional enhancement of activity was observed when using the 444 high plasmid copy vector in the k12 pam155 ( lon protease deficient ) e . coli cell line and with chaperones . chaperone plasmid sets consisting of five different plasmids from takara bio inc . each designed to express a single or multiple molecular chaperone sets can enable optimal protein expression and folding and reduce protein misfolding . each takara plasmid carries an origin of replication ( orf ) derived from pacyc and a chloramphenicol - resistance gene ( cmr ) gene , which allows the use of e . coli expression systems containing cole1 - type plasmids that confer ampicillin resistance . the chaperone genes are situated downstream of the arab or pzt - 1 ( tet ) promoters and , as a result , expression of target proteins and chaperones can be individually induced if the target gene is placed under the control of different promoters ( e . g ., lac ). these plasmids also contain the necessary regulator ( arac or tet r ) for each promoter . takara bio inc . plasmids containing chaperones or sets thereof either tetracycline or arabinose inducible were coexpressed with slp1 . these include : groes - groel , dnak - dnaj - grpe , groes - groel - tig , or tig in plasmids ( takarabo inc .). expression of slp1 in the presence of groes - groel alone or with tig ( groes - groel - tig ) enhanced the amount of active enzyme produced roughly to 40 - 60 units / cell od . activity was optimal at 15 ° c . but also observed at or below 25 ° c . at 37 ° c ., expression was more limited . expression of slp1 in the pam153 cell with concomitant groesl chaperone expression , in lb , produces 68 micrograms of slp1 per milliliter at a bacterial od550 of 3 , when grown in test tubes at 37 ° c . and induced at 20 ° c . overnight . however , slp1 expression in an e . coli strain that is not a protease deficient strain and without chaperone expression can either not be detected at all with standard sds page analysis , or western analysis , or expresses less than 1 μg per milliliter lb under similar conditions at an od550 of 3 ( see fig4 ). in general , expression of slp1 in e . coli strains grown and induced under optimal conditions was undetectable or less than 1 microgram per milliliter when appropriate chaperones were absent and strains were not protease deficient . however when expressing slp1 in e . coli k12 protease deficient strains with co - expression of an appropriate chaperone , 68 micrograms of slp1 per milliliter at a bacterial od550 of 3 was attained . purification of slp1 with the 6xhis tag ( seq id no 7 ) was highly effective using standard ni - nta imac purification . in the 424 or 444 vectors lacking the 6xhis tag ( seq id no 7 ), where slp1 was encoded by the native slp1 sequence alone , imac was equally efficient though under modified conditions . nickel and zinc were each tested with similar results and calcium or other divalent metals should do as well . buffers for imac were either 50 mm phosphate or tris - hcl at ph 7 - 9 , with 400 mm nacl and 10 % glycerol . cells were disrupted using b - per ( peirce ) or by a homogenizer , in the presence of pmsf as a protease inhibitor . employing zinc - nta , it was discovered that loading the sample in buffer with 10 mm imidazole and elution in buffer with 80 mm imidazole was effective in purification of slp1 . other column media that effectively binds slp1 include monoq and deae , but not negatively charged resins . preliminary studies indicate that relatively poor production of slp1 is the result of rapid proteolysis accompanied by improper folding of the enzyme . the limited soluble slp1 and lack of insoluble protein suggests that most of the protein produced was rapidly degraded . degradation products of slp1 are visible in different e . coli strains with different protease deficient genetic backgrounds ( see fig1 ). an increase in both active enzyme and total protein was observed when inducing at suboptimal growth temperatures , where proteases are less functional . a relative increase in production and activity of slp1 when protein folding is enhanced by an over - expressed chaperone . high level expression of lipoxygenase in the e . coli , k12 , unless otherwise stated , all bacterial media employed in this example was luria broth ( herein lb , consisting of 10 grams tryptone , 5 grams yeast extract , and 10 grams nacl , dissolved in 1 liter water , and sterilized for a minimum of 20 minutes in an autoclave ). soybean lipoxygenase 1 ( herein slp1 ) was expressed from a plasmid transfected into e . coli k12 cells . fig5 represents an sds - page protein gel of whole cell soluble proteins extracted from the k12 cells employing the commercial b - per protein extraction reagent ( pierce , cat # 78243 ), following company protocols . the highest level of soluble slp1 protein relative to total soluble protein in the cell extract was 30 % or greater and approximated at 34 % as estimated by the imagej ( national institute of health public software ) analysis software . these levels are consistent with high level production of the enzyme . m = marker , 1 uninduced , 2 slp1 induced with 0 . 5 mm iptg 3 & amp ; 4 induced with 0 . 5 mm iptg and expressing a molecular chaperone . 1 . permiakova , m . d . and v . a . trufanov , effect of soybean lipoxygenae on baking properties of wheat flour , prikl biokhim mikrobiol , 2011 . 47 ( 3 ): p . 348 - 54 . 2 . permiakova , m . d ., et al ., [ role of lipoxygenase in the determination of wheat grain quality ]. prikl biokhim mikrobiol , 2010 . 46 ( 1 ): p . 96 - 102 . 3 . kanamoto , h ., m . takemura , and k . ohyama , cloning and expression of three lipoxygenase genes from liverwort , marchantia polymorpha l ., in escherichia coli . phytochemistry , 2012 . 77 : p . 70 - 8 . 4 . osipova , e . v ., et al ., recombinant maize 9 - lipoxygenase : expression , purification , and properties . biochemistry biokhimi , 2010 . 75 ( 7 ): p . 861 - 5 . 5 . hwang , i . s . and b . k . hwang , the pepper 9 - lipoxygenase gene calox1 functions in defense and cell death responses to microbial pathogens . plant physiol , 2010 . 152 ( 2 ): p . 948 - 67 . 6 . padilla , m . n ., et al ., functional characterization of two 13 - lipoxygenase genes from olive fruit in relation to the biosynthesis of volatile compounds of virgin olive oil . j agric food chem , 2009 . 57 ( 19 ): p . 9097 - 107 . 7 . knust , b . and d . von wettstein , expression and secretion of pea - seed lipoxygenase isoenzymes in saccharomyces cerevisiae . appl microbiol biotechnol , 1992 . 37 ( 3 ): p . 342 - 51 . 8 . steczko , j ., et al ., effect of ethanol and low - temperature culture on expression of soybean lipoxygenase l - 1 in escherichia coli . protein expr purif , 1991 . 2 ( 2 - 3 ): p . 221 - 7 . 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 . all references cited herein , including all publications , u . s . and foreign patents and patent applications , are specifically and entirely incorporated by reference . the term comprising , where ever used , is intended to include the terms consisting and consisting essentially of . furthermore , the terms comprising , including , and containing are not intended to be limiting . it is intended that the specification and examples be considered exemplary only with the true scope and spirit of the invention indicated by the following claims .
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a behind - the - head mounted personal audio set 30 having two earphone portions 40 a , 40 b , each independently pivotally secured to a behind - the - head headband 32 , is shown in fig1 - 20 . in a preferred embodiment , the behind - the head mounted personal audio set 30 has a curved headband 32 , preferably occupying a common plane 34 as best shown in fig1 . as best shown in fig4 , 5 , and 7 - 11 , the headband 32 is preferably sized to encircle and slightly grasp the rear contour of a wearer &# 39 ; s head 36 substantially between the wearer &# 39 ; s ears 38 a , 38 b . as shown in fig1 - 6 , the earphone portions 40 a , 40 b are preferably positioned on opposite ends of the headband 32 at individual pivots 47 a , 47 b . each pivot 47 a , 47 b operably secures an earphone - mounting portion 42 which as a substantially elongate pivot mounting portion 43 extending therefrom to operably engage the pivot , each earphone - mounting portion contains an earphone 39 therein . preferably , the center 41 of each earphone 39 is positioned below the common plane 34 of the headband during stereo use of the personal audio set . more preferably , the personal audio set 30 is a headset 30 ′ having a mini - boom microphone 46 extending therefrom . the mini - boom microphone 46 is preferably pivotally secured to the headset - mounting portion 42 at a defined third pivot 48 . the length of the boom portion of the mini - boom microphone is preferably sized to define a concealed position 100 as best shown in fig1 & amp ; 15 when aligned with the substantially elongate pivot mounting portion 43 . the mini - boom microphone may be pivoted about the third pivot 48 to define an operational position 102 of the mini - boom microphone as best shown in fig2 - 5 , 7 , 8 , 12 - 14 and 16 - 20 . by pivoting the earphone mounting portions 42 about their respective pivots and the mini - boom microphone about the third pivot 48 , the headset may be worn so that each earphone is positioned over one of the wearer &# 39 ; s ears with the mini - boom microphone 46 positioned on either the wearer &# 39 ; s left side as shown in fig4 , 5 and 8 , or a wearer &# 39 ; s right side as shown in fig7 . in addition , should the user desire or require using the personal audio - set in mono mode , and not have one of the earphone portions 40 b cover an ear , as shown in fig5 , the user can pivot one of the earphone mounting portions 42 about its respective pivot 47 b so that earphone portion rests away from the respective ear . for example , one possible mono configuration is shown in fig8 and 9 shows one earphone portion 40 a positioned over the wearer &# 39 ; s right ear with the earphone mounting portion 42 containing the boom microphone 46 pivoted to its engaged position ( fig8 ) while the other earphone portion 40 b is pivoted away from the wearer &# 39 ; s left ear ( fig9 ). it can be appreciated that the disclosed structure can also be pivoted about its three pivots to provide the same basic configurations while covering the right ear with an earphone and preventing the left ear from being covered with an earphone . an alternative possible mono configuration is shown in fig1 and 11 with one earphone portion 40 a moved forward of the wearer &# 39 ; s left ear with the boom microphone 46 extending there from towards the wearer &# 39 ; s mouth as shown in fig1 and the opposite earphone portion 40 b covering the wearer &# 39 ; s right ear as shown in fig1 . it can be appreciated that the disclosed structure can also be pivoted about its three pivots to provide the same basic configurations while covering the left ear with an earphone and preventing the right ear from being covered with an earphone . preferably , the earphone portion 40 a positioned nearest to the mini - boom microphone 46 is displaced from the wearer &# 39 ; s ear during mono use as best shown in fig1 . however , the disclosed structure also allows a user to position the earphone furthest away from the mini - boom microphone away from the user &# 39 ; s ear during mono use as shown in fig5 . preferably , the first and second pivots 47 a , 47 b are aligned along a defined three dimensional angle with respect to the headband 32 so as to optimize wearer comfort . this defined angle is shown as three two - dimensional angles in fig1 - 20 and labeled “ angle 1 ” ( fig1 ), “ angle 2 ” ( fig1 ), and “ angle 3 ” ( fig2 ). preferably , “ angle 1 ”, which biases the position of the earphone portion of the audio set to fit the angle of a human ear when viewed from the top of the head is 12 degrees plus or minus 10 degrees . “ angle 2 ” ( fig1 ), which is the angle between the intersection of the first pivot 47 a and the second pivot 48 , is preferably 25 degrees plus or minus 20 degrees and “ angle 3 ”, which is the angle between the common plane 34 of the headband 32 and the longitudinal centerline 45 of the headset mounting portion 42 , is preferably about 60 degrees plus or minus 30 degrees . more preferably , “ angle 3 ” is about 63 degrees . more preferably , the first and second pivots 47 a . 47 b includes a detent mechanism 60 to allow proper alignment when the audio set 30 is positioned for wearing adjacent to either a wearer &# 39 ; s left or right ears . preferably , four detents are provided , one for the left ear position shown in fig4 , one for the right ear position shown in fig7 , one for the first desired mono position shown in fig1 , and one for the second desired mono position shown in fig9 . one possible pivot structure for the first and second pivot 47 a , 47 b is shown in fig6 . the opposite ends 44 of the headband 32 each include a recess 62 defining a cam surface 64 . recesses 66 are placed at defined positions along the cam surface 64 to define the detent positions . the headset mounting portion 42 includes a circular recess 68 sized to rotate about a circular protrusion 70 extending from the first end 44 of the headband 32 . preferably , a resilient o - ring 47 is positioned between the circular recess 68 and the circular protrusion 70 to create frictional holding force . a detent spring 72 is positioned within the recess 62 and secured to the headset mounting portion 42 with a fastener 74 . preferably the detent spring 72 is sized to engage the recesses 66 in the cam surface 64 thereby urging the headset mounting portion 42 to one of the defined detents . more preferably , a cover 76 covers the fastener 74 and detent spring 72 . a possible pivot structure for the third pivot 48 is shown in fig6 . the headset mounting portion 42 includes a substantially circular opening 80 about which the mini - boom microphone is pivotally secured thereto . the headset - mounting portion 42 preferably includes operating electronics therein . preferably , an o - ring 86 is positioned within the circular opening 80 to hold a desired position of the mini - boom microphone . the personal audio set may be wired or wireless . if desired , the electronics can contain suitable electronic control systems and control logic to deactivate the earphone not positioned adjacent to a wearer &# 39 ; s ear during mono - use . this deactivation can be manually activated through a control button or the like positioned on the personal audio - set , or automatically detected by the control system based on predetermined criteria such as the position of the earphone mounting portions relative to the predetermined detents on the pivots . alternatively , the control system can deactivate one earphone during use of the mini - boom microphone such as when a user is initially listening to music from one source , and then receives a phone call from another source . preferably , controls 125 in communication with the electronics , such as volume control , channel selection , on / off and the like are provided on an exterior surface of one of the earphone mounting portions . more preferably , these controls are positioned so as to allow them to be substantially at the same locations relative to the earphone mounting portion when that earphone mounting portion is worn on either the wearer &# 39 ; s left or right ears . for example , the primary control is preferably a button positioned on the centerline of the earphone . having described and illustrated the principles of our invention with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof , it will be apparent that the invention can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles . in view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles may be put , it should be recognized that the detailed embodiment is illustrative only and should not be taken as limiting the scope of our invention . accordingly , we claim as our invention all such modifications as may come within the scope and spirit of the following claims and equivalents thereto .
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illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below . in the interest of clarity , not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification . it will be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment , numerous implementation - specific decisions must be made to achieve the developer &# 39 ; s specific goals , such as compliance with system - related and business - related constraints , which will vary from one implementation to another . moreover , it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time - consuming but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure . the present invention relates to a system for accessing distributed temperature data that is linked to time - based sensor data . in one embodiment , the system accesses a database of a scada system , such as a scada historian , in which sensor data , such as pressure data , single - point temperature data , flow rate data , or the like , resides . the data of interest is displayed on a user interface , such as a graphical user interface , in tabular and / or graphical forms . the system also accesses a database of a dts system for temperature data corresponding to a specified sensory event , such as a pressure anomaly , a single - point temperature anomaly , a flow rate anomaly , or the like , represented as data residing in the scada system database . for example , when an anomaly is identified in the scada system database data , either by computing means or by human means , one or more temperature series from the dts system database are displayed on the user interface . fig1 depicts a stylized , graphical representation of a system for accessing dts data residing in a database 101 of a dts system 103 based upon a selected event represented by sensor data residing in a database 105 of a scada system 107 . dts data is derived from one or more sensory outputs of a corresponding one or more distributed temperature sensors 109 and database 101 . dts system 103 comprises a dts system host 111 operably associated with the one or more distributed temperature sensors 109 . scada system 107 comprises a scada host 113 operably associated with one or more sensors 115 , such as one or more pressure sensors , one or more single - point temperature sensors , one or more flow rate sensors , or the like , and database 105 . in one embodiment , scada host 113 is operably associated with one or more controls 117 , such as valve controls , pump controls , temperature controls , or the like . the one or more sensors 115 and / or the one or more controls 117 may communicate with scada host 113 via other equipment and / or devices , such as remote terminal units 119 and 121 , respectively . scada system 107 receives inputs from the one or more sensors 115 , transforms the inputs into time - based data , and records the data in database 105 . scada system 107 further includes a human interface , which may be rendered on a display 123 of scada host 113 . the human interface or a portion thereof may be rendered on other displays , such as a display of combined access computer 125 , which is described in greater detail herein . in one embodiment , sensor data residing in database 105 of scada system 107 is managed by a scada historian residing on scada host 113 . still referring to fig1 , combined access computer 125 comprises hardware and software embodied in a computer - readable medium 126 , which are embodied in at least combined access computer 125 , that access data residing in dts database 101 and scada database 105 . combined access computer 125 includes a user interface 127 that , in the illustrated embodiment , is a graphical user interface . in one embodiment , the combined access computer 125 and the hardware and software embodied in combined access computer 125 access data residing in dts database 101 and scada database 105 . in another embodiment , the system for accessing dts data residing in database 101 of dts system 103 based upon a selected event represented by sensor data residing in database 105 of scada system 107 further comprises one or both of dts system 103 and scada system 107 . fig2 depicts an exemplary user interface 127 . it should be noted that , while user interface 127 is depicted as having a particular configuration in fig2 , the scope of the present invention is not so limited . in the embodiment shown in fig2 , user interface 127 includes two informational zones , a scada or discrete sensor zone 201 and a dts zone 203 . in the view shown in fig2 , scada data is rendered in zone 201 but no data is rendered in dts zone 203 . while many different types of data from sensors 115 , controls 117 , ( both shown in fig1 ) or the like may be rendered in scada zone 201 , “ average horizontal temperature ,” represented by a line 205 , and “ flow rate ,” represented by a line 207 , for “ well 2 ” are graphically depicted . various data may be selected for rendering and display in a selection area 208 of user interface 127 . scada zone 201 further provides gridlines and reference values for the data rendered in zone 201 . for example , in the illustrated embodiment , gridlines and reference values are provided in zone 201 for temperature , flow rate , and time , e . g ., date and time of day . it should be noted that data for any combination of sensors and / or any combination of wells can be rendered in zone 201 . scada data is inspected , either by human means or computer means , to find one or more events of interest . for example , fig2 depicts an anomaly in average horizontal temperature , generally at 209 , and an anomaly in flow rate , generally at 211 . to display dts data corresponding to a particular time , such as the time at which anomalies 209 and 211 occurred , a pointing device , such as a mouse , tablet pen , or the like , is used to place a pointer 213 at the time of interest and the pointing device is actuated . fig3 additionally depicts an exemplary embodiment of the results rendered in dts zone 203 of user interface 127 upon entering the time of interest in scada zone 201 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig3 , dts data from one or more times generally corresponding to the time and wells selected in scada zone 201 are displayed . for example , data for a time prior to the time selected in scada zone 201 is graphically displayed as line 301 , while data for a time after the time selected in scada zone 201 is graphically displayed as line 303 . dts zone 203 further provides gridlines and reference values for the data rendered in zone 203 . thus , for one or more times generally corresponding to a particular time of interest , determined from scada data , data from one or more distributed temperature sensing runs can readily be rendered . fig4 provides a flowchart depicting an illustrative embodiment of a method for using the system of fig1 . in the illustrated embodiment , the method starts at block 401 . the operator of the method selects one or more wells of interest ( block 403 ), such as in selection area 208 of scada zone 201 in user interface 127 ( each shown in fig2 ). one or more sensors of interest are selected ( block 405 ), such as in selection area 208 . the scada data for the selected one or more wells and the one or more sensors is rendered and displayed , such as in scada zone 201 , by the system and inspected to determine events of interest ( block 407 ). if an event is found ( block 409 ), the time corresponding to the event is selected ( block 411 ). dts data corresponding to the selected time is rendered and displayed , such as in dts zone 203 , by the system and inspected ( block 413 ). it should be noted that dts data for a plurality of times that fall about the selected time may be rendered and displayed . if no event is found in the scada data ( block 409 ) and / or after the dts data has been inspected ( block 413 ), a determination is made whether to inspect other scada data ( block 415 ). if an inspection of other scada data is desired , the method restarts at block 403 to select one or more wells of interest . if no other inspection of scada data is desired , the method ends at block 417 . fig5 provides a flowchart depicting an illustrative embodiment of a method for accessing dts data that may be performed using the system of fig1 . in the illustrated embodiment , the method starts at block 501 . based upon the one or more wells and the one or more sensors selected , such as in blocks 403 and 405 of the method shown in fig4 , sensor data is retrieved from scada system 107 ( block 503 ). the retrieved scada data is rendered and displayed in graphical and / or textual forms ( block 505 ). when an event of interest is found ( block 507 ), such as in block 409 of the method shown in fig4 , and the time corresponding to the event is selected , such as in block 411 of the method shown in fig4 , a record is made of the time of the event of interest ( block 509 ). data corresponding to the time of the event of interest is retrieved from dts system 103 ( block 511 ), rendered , and displayed ( block 513 ). it should be noted that dts data for a plurality of times that fall about the selected time may be rendered and displayed . the method ends at block 515 . while the present invention is described herein as being operatively associated with one or more wells , the scope of the present invention is not so limited . rather , the present invention contemplates the present system being a part of many different types of implementations . the particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only , as the invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein . furthermore , no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown , other than as described in the claims below . although the present invention is shown in a limited number of forms , it is not limited to just these forms , but is amenable to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof .
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referring now to the drawings , fig1 depicts , in its operative position , a primary filter 10 , and as shown here , with integral post filter 12 , mounted in the exit plenum 14 for removing an air stream from an industrial paint booth . air as depicted by reference arrow 16 exits from the paint booth , and the air contains particles 18 of paint overspray which are escaping the paint booth . the air stream 16 , containing particles 18 , is directed through the filter 10 , and then through the optional post filter 12 . as a result of this filtering process , it is customary that in excess of ninety five percent ( 95 %) of the mass of the particles 18 are removed , for a ninety five percent removal efficiency . it is more preferable that in excess of ninety nine percent ( 99 %) of the mass of the particles 18 are removed from the air stream 16 passing through the filter . clean air 20 from which particles 18 have been largely removed escapes from filter 10 and optional filter 12 in the direction of reference arrows indicated , and thence outward through exhaust stack 22 . in the typical paint booth filter plenum 14 , filters 10 and optional post filters 12 are left in place until they are &# 34 ; loaded &# 34 ; with a mass of paint being removed from the air stream to such a degree that ( a ) it can no longer function to an adequate removal efficiency , and / or ( b ) because the pressure drop ( delta p ) across the applicable filter ( s ) becomes excessive , generally as indicated by a remote pressure differential gauge device . alternately , particularly with experienced operators and with respect to the post filters 12 , filters may be changed based on visual appearance at time of an inspection . in any case , primary filter 10 is removed from the exit plenum 14 of the paint booth when it has completed a cycle of service . the optional post filter 12 is here shown provided in an integral fashion with primary filter 10 , and is slidably inserted and securely positioned in a slot defined by l - shaped flanges 24 and 26 . such a post filter 12 may also be provided separately ( as indicated , for example , in relation to fig7 herebelow ), or may be omitted entirely . typically , the post filter 12 may be provided in a poly or fibrous synthetic construction which is not amenable to recycling . thus , the post filter 12 is either ( a ) held for reinsertion into our novel metal filter , after it has been cleaned , recycled and is ready for reuse , if appropriate , or ( b ) discarded . after removal from the filtration system , our novel , preferably metal filter 10 is then placed in a &# 34 ; bake - off &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; heat cleaning &# 34 ; type oven 30 . the bake oven is operated at a relatively lower initial temperature for a first preselected time period and at a relatively higher final temperature level for a second preselected time period . the length of the first period is from about two to three hours . a typical example of a suitable oven would be the &# 34 ; go &# 34 ; series heat cleaning ovens as manufactured by guspro , inc ., 280 grand avenue east , chatham , ontario , n7m 5l5 , canada . in the oven 30 , one or more metal filters 10 are heated via primary burner 32 to oxidize contaminants in the process heating chamber 34 ( such as paint residue , represented by particles 18 which have become adhered to filters 10 ). the exact temperatures selected will depend on a variety of factors , including the paint to be oxidized , the local emission regulations , and the oven design itself . in some locales and some ovens , an initial heating period at up to about 260 ° c ., followed by a final heating period at about 343 ° c ., can be used . however , in another locale , it is preferred that oxidation take place at temperatures of up to about 540 ° c ., or more preferably , at temperatures up to about 450 ° c ., and most preferably , at temperatures ranging from approximately 426 ° c . to approximately 455 ° c ., and to produce combustion gases therefrom as noted by reference arrow 36 . with the guspro type oven 30 design , an oxidizing afterburner chamber 38 is provided , with a separate heating burner 40 , to further heat the gases produced in the process chamber up to a final temperature of up to about 877 ° c . or more , or more preferably , up to about 760 ° c . ideally , a long residence time is achieved in the oxidizing after burner chamber for gases traversing therethrough ( as represented by reference arrow 42 ), typically on the order of at least 0 . 75 seconds at the desired final temperature . the long residence time helps assure that complete oxidation occurs of the volatilized organics , and that stringent pollution control emission requirements are met for the stack gas 44 leaving oven 30 . in one embodiment of the method the filters are weighed when clean and weighed again when loaded with contaminants removed from the air stream . knowing the weight of contaminants removed , the necessary first period time required in the bake oven can be readily determined . in our method , the paint adhering to the metal filters 10 is baked until the paint turns to ash . upon removal of filter 10 from the oven 30 , any convenient method , such as manual manipulation of filters ( in direction of reference arrows 52 and 54 , for example ) or by use of a pressurized air hose ( not shown ), or other pneumatic , hydraulic , or mechanical methods , may be used to remove ( reference arrow 56 ) residual ash 58 from filter 10 . preferably , the ash 58 passes applicable regulatory criteria for disposal as a non - hazardous material . typically , with u . s . epa regulations , a non - detect analytical result for volatile organic compounds is required . also , a toxicity characteristic leaching procedure test ( tclp ) is also performed , and the reported leachate contaminant levels must be below hazardous waste listing criteria levels . to return the recycled metal filter 10 to service in the paint booth plenum 14 , preferably a new post filter 12 , is provided , and the recycled filter 10 and new post filter 12 are returned to their operating locations in the paint booth apparatus . although a flat type post - filter 12 is shown in fig1 a pocket type post filter 60 can also be utilized , as depicted in fig2 . such pocket type post - filters 60 can be selected in dimensions as desired to fit the clearance between l - shaped flange 24 and l - shaped flange 26 clear inside height h as may be provided on a filter 10 of pre - selected size . the pocket filter 60 may have one or more pockets p extending outward in the air flow direction for a total pocket thickness t . the height x of the frame 62 of the pocket filter , and the width y of the frame 62 of the pocket filter , are adapted to fit in a complementary , close relationship with the outer frame section 64 of recyclable metal filter 10 . likewise , if the flat poly filter 12 is used , its height x &# 39 ; and width y &# 39 ; are selected to fit in a complementary , close fitting relationship with the inside top 66 , inside bottom 68 , inside first side 70 , and inside second side 72 portions of the post filter attachment l - shaped flanges on outer frame section 64 of recyclable metal filter 10 . overall , the key design feature is that the recyclable metal filter 10 with flanges is designed so that air flow cannot appreciably escape outward between the first , primary filter 10 and the post filter 12 or 60 , so as to allow bypass or escapement of particles 18 . rather , air flow 16 is preferably effectively and substantially entirely filtered by both the primary metal filter 10 and the post filter 12 or 60 , so as to assure high overall filter efficiencies , i . e . removal efficiencies e in excess of ninety nine percent ( 99 %). although &# 34 ; metal mesh &# 34 ; filters have been around for some time , our novel metal mesh filter 10 has several novel and improved characteristics over the prior art metal mesh filters known to us . in particular , our filter 10 has an outer frame section 64 and filter media mesh section m which is constructed of a material designed to withstand extreme temperatures , repeatedly , at levels as set forth hereinabove . preferably , the filter 10 has a metallic outer frame section 64 and a plurality of metal mesh portions in the metallic filter mesh section m . more preferably , stainless steel is used for frame 64 and filter mesh m . most preferably , both frame 64 and mesh m are provided in 304 type stainless steel . alternately , a non - metal composite or ceramic material may be provided for frame 64 and filter mesh m , so long as the material will withstand repeated handling and the temperature cycling herein described . further , our filter 10 has a filter mesh m section which is comprised of two or more , and preferably four or more mesh portions which may be identified as mesh portions m 1 , m 2 , . . . to m n . these mesh portions m 1 to m n are preferably each a layer of stainless steel corrugated or expanded metal mesh . these mesh portions occur in at least two layers ( n = 2 ), and yet more preferably in at least four layers ( n = 4 ). still more preferably , a plurality of mesh portions m are provided where the number of layers is six or more ( n = 6 ). most preferably , for a frame of one or two inch thickness tf ( see fig2 ), our design comprises seven ( 7 ) or eight ( 8 ) or more mesh portions , i . e ., m 1 through m 8 ( where n = 8 ), or more mesh portions . each of the mesh portions m 1 through m 8 or more have a different configuration , as seen in fig3 . the first layer may have one configuration , such as a diamond shaped opening of a first dimension d 1 m 1 by d 2 m 1 with acute angle alpha 1 ( α ), one suitable first dimension would be diamond openings of one - half ( 0 . 5 ) inch by one quarter ( 0 . 25 ) inch . the second layer may have a second configuration with a second dimension d 1 m 2 by d 2 m 2 , with an acute angle alpha 2 ( α ), which might be the same as the first layer m 1 , or might be slightly smaller . the middle layers , e . g . m 3 , m 4 , m 5 , etc ., could be of a pleated or corrugated design with openings in the one - quarter ( 0 . 25 ) inch by one - eighth ( 0 . 125 ) inch size . the final layer , m n , may have openings as small as d 1 m n of one - eighth ( 0 . 125 ) inch by d 2 m n of one - sixteenth ( 0 . 0625 ) inch in size . this design is a &# 34 ; progressive density &# 34 ; type paint collector . the first few mesh layers m 1 , m 2 or so act as a pre - filter to the following layers m 3 , m 4 , etc . as may be appropriate for a specific design , based on desired service life , expected paint loading , and other appropriate design parameters . the progressive density design helps prevent face loading of the filters , i . e ., avoids capture of most of the particulates on the first one or two layers m 1 and m 2 , and , thereby avoids restricting the air flow so as to cause the later mesh layers , e . g ., m n - 2 , m n - 1 , m n , etc . to become ineffective and useless . if the filter were of only three layers m 1 , m 2 , and m 3 , it would be the second and third mesh layers m 2 and m 3 respectively , that determine the overall efficiency of the filter 10 , and the ability of the filter to capture and to hold the paint overspray particulate at low air velocities , such as 100 to 200 feet per minute ( fpm ), until such time as filter 10 can be removed and reused . for improved efficiency , a synthetic filter media 12 may be used downstream of the mesh section m of filter 10 , as depicted in fig3 . turning now to fig4 use of our novel filters 10 in a typical down - flow type paint booth 102 is depicted . the booth has an enclosing wall 104 and overhead 106 , and effectively sealable entrance doors 108 . a grate type floor 110 is provided with apertures 112 suitable for large volumes of paint overspray particles 18 carried by airstream 16 to flow downward therethrough and into horizontally mounted metal filters 10 affixed therebelow . air as indicated by reference arrows 114 leaves filters 10 and proceeds to the perimeter of the booth , where it turns and flows upward ( see reference arrows 116 ) through post filters of any preselected type , such as flat mounted poly filters 12 &# 39 ;. the fully filtered air stream thence flows outward and upward in the direction of reference arrows 118 . filters 10 may be manually removed from paint booth 102 , or , alternately , the process may be automated as depicted in fig5 and 6 . in fig6 the automated process for a typical down - flow paint booth , as just depicted , is illustrated . the booth 102 &# 39 ; has filters 10 &# 39 ; mounted below the floor grates ( not shown ) as depicted above . filters 10 &# 39 ;, when ready for recycling , are conveyed to bake oven 30 &# 39 ; which is closed and fired to remove paint particles from filters 10 &# 39 ;. the filters 10 &# 39 ; are then moved to an ash handling booth 120 , wherein high pressure air jets 122 or other pulsating or vibratory means are used to dislodge ash 58 from filters 10 &# 39 ;. ash 58 is collected in an air pollution control device 130 , and the clean filters 10 &# 39 ; are then automatically returned along a conveyor track 124 to the booth 102 &# 39 ; for reuse . the same basic principles as just described in reference to fig6 also apply to the cross - flow design shown in fig5 . there , a cross - flow paint booth 150 is shown with a bank of filters 152 in place for filtration of particulates 18 &# 39 ; leaving booth 150 in airstream 16 &# 39 ;. loaded filters , shown as 152 &# 39 ;, are transported by conveyance system track 154 to burn - off oven 30 &# 34 ;. in the burn off oven 30 &# 34 ;, particles 18 &# 39 ; of paint are removed from the recyclable primary heat resistant filters 152 . next , and shown with paint removed as filters 152 &# 34 ;, the now paint free filters 152 &# 39 ; are sent to an ash removal booth 120 &# 39 ;, wherein high pressure air jets 122 &# 39 ; or other pulsating or vibratory means are used to dislodge ash 58 from the paint free but ash laden filters 152 &# 34 ;. in a still further embodiment , a vacuum system 156 would collect the ash in an enclosed container 158 , for disposal of the non - hazardous ash . upon completion of ash 58 removal , filters 152 &# 34 ; have been transformed into clean filters 152 once again , and are conveyed along track 154 to booth 150 for re - use . ideally , the conveyor system uses an enclosed tunnel ( see partial enclosure indicated by hidden lines 159 ) to completely isolate the filters during their recycle process . in a common configuration alternative to the configuration initially depicted in fig1 above , a recyclable high temperature resistant and preferably metal filter 10 &# 39 ;, with outer frame section 64 &# 39 ; and mesh section m , may be provided without an integrally mounted post filter . rather , the pocket type final filter 60 &# 39 ; and recyclable metal filter 10 &# 39 ; are both independently mounted in support structure frame 160 . also shown in this embodiment are stainless steel handles 180 and 182 . as can be seen in fig9 which shows a partial bottom view , taken looking upward at filter 10 &# 39 ; of fig7 handle 180 is pivotally mounted to outer frame section 64 &# 39 ;, so that handle 180 may be repositionably displaced to locations 180 &# 39 ; and 180 &# 34 ;, as necessary for handling . handle 182 is also preferably pivotally mounted to the outer frame section 64 &# 39 ;. an industrial paint booth facility used to paint railroad cars had an exhaust filter bank 200 of ten filter elements , shown as elements f - 1 through f - 10 in fig8 . four of the ten conventional flat face paper filters were replaced with our novel metal filters , in locations f - 7 , f - 8 , f - 9 , and f - 10 . the filters were tested by taking velocity readings averaged by taking four readings per filter element . clean , the conventional paper filter elements had a linear face velocity of less than 200 feet per minute , and actually were found to average from a low of 139 feet per minute in location f - 8 to a high of about 190 feet per minute in location f - 7 . our novel metal filter elements had an air flow between about 200 feet per minute ( 197 feet per minute as tested in location f - 9 ) and about 300 feet per minute ( 296 feet per minute as tested in location f - 7 ), with a desired range of between about 270 feet per minute and about 300 feet per minute . for nominal 24 inch by 24 inch filters , conventional paper filters would need to be changed after two shifts of paint booth operation . our novel metal filters maintained air flow in excess of 200 feet per minute after five days of two shift per day operation . at that time , our metal filters were removed , and upon weighing the filters , it was determined that our filters had captured approximately six to eight pounds of paint overspray . the paint was removed from the filters by heating in the above described bake - off oven . it is thus to be appreciated that the novel recyclable metal filter device provided by the present invention , and the method by which filter recycling is possible , thus avoiding hazardous waste production and resulting disposal requirements , is a significant improvement in the state of the art of paint booth operation and maintenance . our novel filter design , and the method of employing by recycling the same in paint booth operations , is relatively simple , and it substantially improves the cost effectiveness of the paint operations that utilize the same . it will be readily apparent to the reader that our novel , recyclable filter device and the method of using the same in paint filter systems may be easily adapted to other embodiments incorporating the concepts taught herein . thus , the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof . therefore , the embodiments presented herein are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive . all changes and devices which are described within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosures set forth herein are therefore intended to be embraced therein .
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referring now to the drawings and in particular to fig3 and 4 , a compression device for applying cyclical compression therapy to a limb ( e . g ., a leg ) of a wearer is indicated in its entirety by the reference number 10 . the compression device 10 comprises a compression sleeve 12 and a controller 14 ( or “ air compressor unit ”) directly attached to the compression sleeve for supplying pressurized fluid to the sleeve 12 for providing compression therapy to the limb . the compression device 10 has a portable configuration such that the wearer of the device can more easily move about while wearing the device . however , the controller 14 may have a configuration other than portable such that the controller is not directly attached to the sleeve 12 without departing from the scope of the invention . the compression sleeve 12 is of the type sized and shaped for being disposed around a leg of the wearer , but could be configured to be applied to other parts of the wearer &# 39 ; s body . more specifically , the sleeve 12 has a width w ( fig4 ) for being wrapped around a full circumference of the leg and a length l for running from the ankle to a knee of the leg . this type of sleeve is generally referred to in the art as a knee - length sleeve . it will be understood that a compression sleeve may come in different sizes , such as a thigh - length sleeve ( not shown ) extending from the ankle to the thigh of the leg . it is understood that compression devices having other configurations for being disposed about other parts of the wearer &# 39 ; s body , are also within the scope of this invention , such as a wrap around a patient &# 39 ; s chest in the treatment of breast cancer . referring to fig4 , the compression sleeve 12 may comprise four layers secured together . the scope of the present invention , however , is not limited to four layers ( fig3 shows the compression sleeve 12 having only two layers .) in the illustrated embodiment , the compression sleeve 12 comprises an inner layer , generally indicated by 16 , on which a first intermediate layer ( broadly , a first bladder layer ), generally indicated by 18 , is overlaid . a second intermediate layer ( broadly , a second bladder layer ), generally indicated by 20 , overlies the first intermediate layer 18 and is secured thereto . an outer cover generally indicated by 22 , overlies and is secured to the second intermediate layer 20 . in use , the inner layer 16 will contact the limb of the wearer , and the outer cover 22 will be farthest from the limb of the wearer . if the sleeve 12 is constructed using only two layers of material ( e . g ., two bladder layers 18 , 20 ), then the first bladder layer 18 will contact the limb of the wearer , and the second bladder layer 20 will be farther from the limb of the wearer ( see fig3 ). the layers have the same shape and are superposed on each other so edges of the layers generally coincide . it is contemplated that one or more of the layers 16 , 18 , 20 , or 22 may not be superposed on a corresponding layer , but slightly offset to accommodate a particular feature of a patient &# 39 ; s limb . moreover , the number of sheets making up the compression sleeve 12 may be other than described . the first and second intermediate layers 18 , 20 , respectively , each include a single sheet of elastic material ( broadly , “ bladder material ”). for example , the sheets 18 and 20 are made of a pliable pvc material having a thickness of about 0 . 006 inch . the inner and outer layers 16 and 22 can be made of a polyester material having a thickness of about 0 . 005 inch . the materials and thicknesses of the layers may vary to add strength or to cause more expansion in one direction , such as toward the limb , during inflation . the second intermediate layer 20 may be secured to the first intermediate layer 18 along bladder seam lines 26 defining a proximal bladder 28 a , an intermediate bladder 28 b and a distal bladder 28 c , respectively , that are spaced longitudinally along the length l of the sleeve 12 . the number of bladders may be other than three without departing from the scope of the present invention . as used herein , the terms “ proximal ”, “ distal ”, and “ intermediate ” represent relative locations of components , parts and the like of the compression sleeve when the sleeve is secured to the wearer &# 39 ; s limb . as such , a “ proximal ” component or the like is disposed most adjacent to a point of attachment of the wearer &# 39 ; s limb to the wearer &# 39 ; s torso , a “ distal ” component is disposed most distant from the point of attachment , and an “ intermediate ” component is disposed generally anywhere between the proximal and distal components . the bladders 28 a , 28 b , 28 c are circumferential bladders meaning that they are sized and shaped to wrap around the wearer &# 39 ; s limb or around very nearly the entire circumference of the limb . for example , in one embodiment , the bladders 28 a , 28 b , 28 c each extend around at least 90 % around a leg . it is to be understood that the construction described herein can be adopted by the prior art sleeves with a partial bladder construction , without departing from the scope of the present invention . the intermediate layers 18 , 20 may be secured together by radiofrequency ( rf ) welding , adhesive , or other chemical and / or mechanical process . further , the intermediate layers 18 , 20 may be secured together at other locations , such as around their peripheries or at the bladder seam lines 26 to further define the shape of the inflatable bladders 28 a , 28 b , 28 c . the first intermediate layer 18 may be secured to the inner layer 16 along a seam line 46 extending along the outer periphery of the first intermediate layer 18 so central regions of the bladders 28 a , 28 b , 28 c are not secured to the inner layer 16 permitting the bladders to move relative to the inner layer 16 . the second intermediate layer 20 may also be secured to the inner layer 12 along the same seam line 46 . the first intermediate layer 18 may be secured to the inner layer 16 by rf welding , adhesive , or in other suitable ways . referring to fig4 , each inflatable bladder 28 a , 28 b , 28 c receives fluid from the controller 14 mounted on the sleeve 12 via a dedicated proximal bladder tube 34 a , intermediate bladder tube 34 b , and distal bladder tube 34 c , respectively , fluidly connecting the bladders to the controller . as will be appreciated , a tube line need not be dedicated to a bladder to practice the invention . in one embodiment , the bladders 28 a , 28 b , 28 c are configured to hold air pressurized in a range of about 10 mm hg ( 1333 pa ) to about 45 mm hg ( 6000 pa ). further , the bladders 28 a , 28 b , 28 c are preferably capable of being repeatedly pressurized without failure . materials suitable for the sheets include , but are not limited to , flexible pvc material that will not stretch substantially . in another embodiment , the intermediate layers 18 , 20 may form a chamber for receiving an inflatable bladder that is formed separate from the chamber . in this embodiment , the layers 18 , 20 need not be capable of containing pressurized air provided the inflatable bladders are . as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , the bladders 28 a , 28 b , 28 c may have openings 36 extending completely through the bladders . further , these opening 36 may be formed by a seam line 30 sealing the bladder layers 18 , 20 together . in the illustrated embodiment , the openings 36 are tear - drop - shaped , but the openings may have other shapes without departing from the scope of the invention . the inner layer 16 may be constructed of a material that is capable of wicking moisture . the inner ( or “ wicking ”) layer 16 , through capillary action , absorbs moisture trapped near the limb of the wearer , carries the moisture away from the surface of the limb , and transports the moisture from locations on the limb at the inner layer 16 where the moisture is abundant to areas where it is less abundant ( e . g ., closer to the openings 36 in the bladders 28 a , 28 b , 28 c ), to evaporate to the ambient environment . the openings 36 may have various sizes , shapes , and locations within the area of the bladder providing the compression . each opening 36 may expose the wicking layer 16 to the ambient air as opposed to the portion of the wicking layer beneath the bladder material . the portions of the inner layer 16 in registration with the openings 36 may be referred to as “ exposed portions ”. other ways of exposing the wicking material such as slits or extending the wicking material outside the perimeter of the bladder material are also envisioned as being within the scope of the present invention . if the sleeve 12 is constructed having only two bladder layers 18 , 20 , then the openings 36 expose portions of the limb of the wearer to the atmosphere . in the illustrated embodiment , the bladders 28 a , 28 b , 28 c have openings 36 . thus , the regions of the sleeve 12 that expand and contract under the influence of air pressure or other fluids to provide compression have the openings 36 . the regions of the sleeve 12 that do not provide compression ( e . g ., the seam lines 26 ) do not have openings 36 . the wicking material 16 may be inter - weaved with the impervious material to form the inner layer 16 that transports moisture to an area of less moisture . the openings 36 must be sized , shaped , and positioned so the sleeve provides adequate compression to maintain blood velocity , while maximizing evaporation of moisture . suitable wicking materials may comprise , for example , some forms of polyester and / or polypropylene . microfibers may be used . suitable microfiber materials include , but are not limited to , cooldry model number cd9604 , sold by quanzhou fulian warp knitting industrial co ., ltd . of quanzhou city , fujian province , china , and coolmax ®, sold by e . i . dupont de nemours and company of wilmington , del . referring to fig4 and 5 , the outer cover 22 of the compression sleeve 12 may be constructed of a single sheet of material . in the embodiment , the outer cover 22 is breathable and has a multiplicity of openings 40 or perforations so it has a mesh construction to provide even more breathability . a suitable material for the outer cover 22 may be a polyester mesh . the rate of evaporation through the openings is improved by treating the fibers of the mesh material with a hydrophilic material , so the mesh material absorbs the wicked fluid more readily . wicking fibers of this type are indicated generally by 42 in fig5 . these hydrophilic fibers 42 lower the surface tension of the mesh material to allow bodily fluids to more easily absorb into the fibers and spread through the material to provide more efficient evaporation of the wicked fluid . absorbing fluid more readily allows the fluid to move to the open areas more quickly for evaporation . the capillary effect is made more efficient when the absorbed fluid from the openings moves more quickly through the mesh outer cover 22 . the entire outer surface of the outer cover 22 may act as a fastening component of a fastening system for securing the sleeve 12 to the limb of the wearer . in a particular embodiment , the outer cover 22 of mesh ( fig5 ) has an outer surface comprising loops 48 , that act as a loop component of a hook - and - loop fastening system . a mesh construction , as shown in fig5 , may have interconnected or weaved fibers 42 of material forming the outer cover 22 . the loops 48 may be formed as part of the material of the outer cover 22 or otherwise disposed on the surface of the outer cover . a suitable material with such construction is a polyester mesh loop 2103 sold by quanzhou fulian warp knitting industrial co ., ltd . of quanzhou city , china . hook components ( not shown ) may be attached to an inner surface of the inner layer 16 at proximal , intermediate and distal flaps 50 a , 50 b , 50 c , respectively ( fig4 ). the loops 48 of the outer cover 22 allow the hook components to be secured anywhere along the outer surface of the outer cover 22 when the sleeve 12 is wrapped circumferentially around the limb of the wearer . this allows the sleeve 12 to be of a substantially one - size - fits - all configuration with respect to the circumferences of different wearers &# 39 ; limbs . moreover , the loops 48 on the outer cover 22 allow the practitioner to quickly and confidently secure the sleeve 12 to the wearer &# 39 ; s limb without needing to align the fastening components . it is contemplated that the outer cover 22 may be capable of wicking fluid in addition to being breathable . for example , the outer cover 22 may be constructed of the same material as the inner layer 16 ( e . g ., cool dry ). in this way , the moisture wicked by the inner layer 16 may be wicked by the outer cover 22 through the openings 36 in the bladders 28 a , 28 b , 28 c . the moisture can spread out evenly across the outer cover 22 and is able to evaporate more readily than if the outer cover was not formed of a wicking material because a greater surface area of the outer cover , as opposed to the inner layer 16 , is exposed to air . alternatively , the cover 22 can have a wicking material laced in or on top of outer layer . referring to fig6 - 9 , the controller 14 comprises a housing 60 enclosing the necessary components for pressurizing the bladders 28 a , 28 b , 28 c . the controller 14 may be programmed to execute various compression regimens , which may include inflation and deflation ( vent ) phases . a configuration in which a controller 14 is removably mounted on a compression garment and operatively connected to bladders on the compression garment is disclosed in more detail in u . s . patent applications ser . nos . 12 / 241 , 670 , 12 / 241 , 936 , and 12 / 893 , 679 which are assigned to tyco healthcare group lp and incorporated by reference in their entireties . other embodiments where the controller 14 is not configured for mounting directly on the sleeve 12 are also within the scope of the present invention . supply ports 62 in the controller housing 60 are configured to attach the bladder tubes 34 a - c to the controller 14 for delivering pressurized fluid to the inflatable bladders 28 a - c . an exhaust port 64 ( fig7 ) is disposed in a back 66 of the controller housing 60 for expelling the vented pressurized fluid from the compression device 10 during the vent phase . in the illustrated embodiment , a single exhaust port 64 is shown . however , the controller 14 may also have a plurality of exhaust ports without departing from the scope of the invention . referring to fig3 and 8 , the controller 14 is mounted on the sleeve 12 such that the exhaust port 64 faces an outer surface of the sleeve ( e . g ., outer cover 22 or second intermediate layer 20 ). therefore , during the vent phase , the exhausted fluid is not expelled into ambient as is the case with prior art designs . instead , the vented fluid is directed onto the sleeve 12 . the vented air will flow past the outer cover , bladder layers and inner layer , and flow over the leg of the wearer providing a cooling effect to the leg and improving moisture evaporation , because the outer cover 22 is formed of a mesh material , because the bladder layers 18 , 20 have openings 36 , and because the inner layer 16 is gas permeable . in the illustrated embodiment , the exhaust port 64 is located in a calf area of the leg . typically , the calf area is the location where a larger percentage of moisture accumulates during compression treatment . the exhaust port 64 could be located in a different area of the leg without departing from the scope of the present invention . referring to fig8 , the exhaust port 64 may be positioned directly over an opening 36 in the bladder layers 18 , 20 to increase the amount of air that impinges upon the leg . when the controller 14 includes multiple exhaust ports 64 , they can be generally aligned with an opening 36 . if the compression device is configured so that the controller is not mounted directly on the sleeve , an exhaust port of the controller can be in fluid communication with an exterior surface of the sleeve through tubing 68 ( fig9 ) extending from the exhaust port 64 to the sleeve 12 . the tubing can be positioned such that the vented air is directed through an opening 36 in the bladder layers 18 , 20 ( fig4 ). referring to fig1 , fluid impermeable sheets 70 ( e . g ., plastic sheets ) can be welded ( e . g ., by rf welding ) around the openings 36 that receive the vented fluid . in fig1 the opening 36 is circular , but can also be teardrop - shaped as shown in fig3 and 4 . the sheets 70 can be welded to an inner surface of the first intermediate layer 18 and around the opening 36 as shown to form three fluid channels 72 for directing fluid entering the opening 36 away from the opening . the channels 72 guide the air to facilitate the cooling of areas of the wearer &# 39 ; s skin that are not directly below the opening 36 . for example , it is envisioned that the channels 70 can be formed to guide air toward a back of the wear &# 39 ; s calf where more perspiration may be present . although the sheet 70 is welded to form three channels 72 in the illustrated embodiment , those skilled in the art will appreciate that fewer or more channels may be formed or the sheets may be embossed with dimples to provide multiple airways . as will also be appreciated , the sheet - and - channel configuration may be broadly referred to as a guide . having described the invention in detail , it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims . when introducing elements of the present invention or the preferred embodiments ( s ) thereof , the articles “ a ”, “ an ”, “ the ”, and “ said ” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements . the terms “ comprising ”, “ including ”, and “ having ” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements . in view of the above , it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained . as various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention , it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense .
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plants to which the plant - root growth promoting agent of the present invention is to be applied can be those plants at large which have clearly differentiated roots , stems and leaves , and specific examples thereof include leaf vegetables , fruit vegetables , root vegetables , flowers , fruit trees and grains . inosine does not necessarily need to be a purified product . insofar as it is free from side effects , an inosine product can be an inosine fermentation broth per se . also , it can take the form such as a concentrate or concentrated and dried product of an inosine fermentation broth , a crude product of inosine separated from an inosine fermentation broth , an inosine - containing intermediate treatment fraction upon the preparation of a nucleic - acid related substance ( nucleotide , nucleoside , nucleic acid base , etc .) by the decomposition of nucleic acid , an inosine - containing fraction of a processed inosine fermentation broth or the like . it is needless to say that in the case where the application of inosine is carried out by adding it to hydroponic water , for the purpose of preventing it from contaminating the hydroponic water , thereby causing putrefaction thereof , is preferred the application of inosine in the form free from impurities which may cause pollution or putrefaction . it is possible that the plant - root growth promoting agent containing inosine as the effective ingredient can be formed into a liquid preparation in which the agent has been dissolved or dispersed in a suitable solvent such as water so as to carry out its application through soil or hydroponic water conveniently or can be formed into a powder or granular preparation by using a proper extender or binder . from the viewpoints of preventing putrefaction or increasing inosine solubility , it is preferred to form inosine into its alkaline aqueous solution which has been added with an inorganic alkali such as alkali metal hydroxide , e . g ., naoh or koh , alkaline earth metal hydroxide , e . g ., mg ( oh ) 2 , or a basic amino acid such as lysine or arginine . incidentally , when a k - containing compound such as koh is used , the k component is also considered to have a good influence on the growth of the roots . examples of the application method of such a plant - root growth promoting agent include applying the agent to the soil in advance , then followed by sowing it with plant seeds , and adding the agent to hydroponic water to dissolve the former in the latter in the case of hydroponic cultivation . in addition , the agent can be useful for the purpose of recovering a fruit vegetable such as strawberry or melon from the exhaustion attributed to fruit bearing , or preventing the fruit bearing exhaustion . and , other examples of the application method include applying the agent at a proper time during cultivation , for example , by adding to the soil at the roots of the fruit vegetable or by adding it to the hydroponic water when the symptoms of bearing exhaustion are observed or when bearing exhaustion is expected even if there are no actual symptoms thereof observed . proper application amounts vary with the time of application , the kind or cultivation density of the plant , growth or cultivation stage , or the like . anyway , it is to be noted in this connection that the plant - root growth promoting agent according to the present invention is used in an amount which permits rooting ( i . e ., root germination ) or root growth superior to those of a plant cultivated under the same conditions except that the plant - root growth promoting agent of the present invention has not been applied . this amount can be determined by some preliminary comparison test which is feasible by those skilled in the art . in the case of soil before sowing , for example , the concentration of the inosine moiety can be as low as 5 to 50 g per 100 tons of soil ( 0 . 05 to 0 . 5 ppm ). in the case of hydroponic cultivation , the concentration of inosine can be set at 0 . 1 to 2 ppm per hydroponic water , different from the case of the application to soil . the agent of the present invention therefore exhibits plant rooting action or plant - root growth promoting action at such low concentrations . gibberellin which is one of representative plant hormones causes disorders in the plant when the concentration is set wrongly , that is , set at too high a concentration , at the using time , while it has no effects when the concentration is insufficient . this is commonly said about plant hormones . in japanese patent publication kokoku no . 16310 / 1974 referred to above , for example , harms brought by the application of a plant hormone are described as follows : chlorophenoxyacetic acid - based and β - naphthoxyacetic acid - based compounds are known as so - called plant hormones and application of them to , for example , fruit vegetables , is effective for the growth promotion or fruit time acceleration of the fruit ; on the other hand , however , there is a fear of these plant hormones causing various physiological disorders of crops ; such physiological disorders include abnormal bending of the stems or leaves , shrinkage of the leaves , generation of callus on the stems , leaves or peduncles , deformity of fruit , and frequent generation of hollow fruit . it is also described in the above literature that the object of the invention concerned is to provide a fruit - vegetable growth regulator useful in agricultural management , based on the findings that the generation of the above - described physiological disorders can be reduced and at the same time expected effects can be heightened by the mixed use of chlorophenoxyacetic acid - based and / or β - naphthoxyacetic acid - based compound ( s ) and nucleic acid or decomposition product ( s ) thereof . compared with this , inosine is not a plant hormone , can be used at various application concentrations , does not cause any particular disorders of the plant even used in an excess amount , is made use of by soil microorganisms soon after application and does not cause any obstacles but becomes useful for the soil improvement . the present invention will hereinafter be described in detail by examples . in the preparation of strawberry seedlings , it is very important to keep their roots sound during a high - temperature summer season , because the strawberry seedlings are allowed to grow in pots for a long time during this season . any disorder or putrefaction of the roots has an adverse effect on the subsequent growth after the seedlings are transplanted to the garden , so farmers are most nervous about and also interested in the preparation of potted seedlings out of all their strawberry cultivating works . water was sprayed onto potted seedlings of strawberry so as not to allow the water in the pots to run out . upon spraying , spraying of water having inosine dissolved therein in an amount to give a concentration of 0 . 05 to 0 . 5 ppm definitely contributed to the promotion of the growth of the roots ( compared with those pots to which inosine - free water was sprayed ). described specifically , when roots are in direct contact with a water - impermeable vinyl or the like at the bottoms of the pots , putrefaction or disorders and blackening thereby of the roots are often observed . the supply of inosine at the above concentration obviously reduced the damage and allowed many new white roots to appear . thus , a marked difference was recognized compared with the case where inosine had not been administered . about three months after the harvesting of strawberries ( i . e ., strawberry fruit ) was started , symptoms showing bearing - attributed exhaustion were observed . inosine was therefore applied as a solution thereof in aqueous potassium hydroxide ( ph 10 . 5 ) to the strawberry plants at their base ( i . e ., to the strawberry roots ), together with a large amount of water to give a concentration of 20 g per 10 ares ( about 100 tons of soil ). as a result , the strawberries put forth new buds and leaves after several days , while the fruit buds of the strawberries approaching their thickening stage started steady growth . although the kind of the strawberries tested has a tendency to very strong color development , shortage in coloring matter was not observed . after that , the harvesting of strawberries was continued favorably . supported by the sufficient development of leaves , the harvesting of strawberries could be continued until the beginning of june . in addition , until the end of july , runners were obtained from the above parent plants . even in that season , the strawberries kept their leaves sound with brisk runners . after the first crop of melons named &# 34 ; prince melon &# 34 ; ( registered trade mark ) grown in a green house , an aqueous solution having inosine dissolved therein was administered to the melons at their base ( i . e ., to the melon roots ) to give a concentration of 20 g / 10 ares . only three days after , a number of new white roots were observed to come to appear on the surface when the mulching was uncovered ( compared therewith , in a plot where inosine had not been applied , new white roots were hardly even observed when the mulching was turned up ). after that , new buds started to show marked growth , floral buds were put forth , and the flowers developed by pollination into fruit buds started thickening . such phenomena were also observed from melons grown outdoors . by the administration of inosine to the plot where the melon vines did not creep favorably due to the low temperatures , the melons revived and put forth many floral buds . besides , thickening of the fruit was satisfactory . small - sized lily bulbs are cheap but put forth only one or two flowers per bulb when grown , while large - sized ones are expensive but put forth as many as four or five flowers per bulb . so , some lily flower cultivators purchase small - sized lily bulbs from lily bulb cultivators , and rear them into large - sized bulbs by cutting off flower buds from lily trees grown from such small - sized bulbs . in the following year , the lily flower cultivators plant such large - sized bulbs , and ship the lily flowers put forth by the large - sized bulbs . one year , small - sized bulbs of a lily named &# 34 ; rureibu &# 34 ; ( trade mark ) were planted . a solution of inosine was administered in an amount of 20 g per 10 ares to the seedling roots , in order to make up for a little delay in permanent planting and also to promote the growth of the seedlings . the seedlings showed a favorable growth and their stems reached a sufficient height . contrary to expectation , they put forth as many as four floral buds on the average , which were by two more than the ordinary case . the flowers were large and magnificent . in the soil to which inosine had been administered in each amount as shown in table 1 below , brassica rapa var . pervidis , a kind of chinese cabbage , was planted and 37 days after , it was harvested . the weight of the roots was weighed after heat - drying . to the control plot , no inosine was added . incidentally , the soil was prepared by sifting a soil called kanumatsuchi through a 4 - mesh sieve and then adding &# 34 ; esusan fertilizer &# 34 ;, an amino - acid based , commercial fertilizer , ex ajinomoto co ., inc ., to the sifted soil of all the test plots , in an amount of 1200 mg per 400 g - soil . measurement results of the weight of the roots are shown together in the table . table 1______________________________________administered weight of the ratioamount ( ppm ) roots ( g ) (%) ______________________________________0 ( control plot ) 0 . 19 1000 . 05 0 . 28 1470 . 1 0 . 27 1420 . 2 0 . 33 1740 . 3 0 . 29 1530 . 5 0 . 45 237______________________________________ as shown in table 1 , the roots of brassica rapa var . pervidis showed a marked growth by the administration of inosine in an amount of at least 0 . 05 ppm , preferably 0 . 5 ppm , relative to the soil . a photograph of the water - washed roots of brassica rapa var . pervidis harvested as described above was taken . although this photograph does not clearly show the difference in the growth of the above - ground parts of brassica rapa var . pervidis between the inosine - added plots and the control plot , the growth in the test plots was superior to that of the control plot in the subterranean parts , more specifically , superior in the length and the number of the roots and moreover , in the quality of the above - ground parts ( leaf part ) as leaf vegetable . thus , it has been found that the addition of inosine was effective even in an amount of only 5 to 20 g per 100 t of soil . in the case where late - autumn netted melon is subjected to fix planting in early september in a warm district such as kyushu , japan , it cannot endure the thickening of the fruit in november or so at the harvest time and often experiences damping - off in a moment . the damping - off causes awful damage and , for example , it usually damages all the melons in a green house within as few as 2 to 3 days . the damping - off is presumed to occur because if cultivation is continued without sufficient extension of the roots at the warm time , demand for nutrients or water more than expected occurs at the thickening time of the fruit but the roots cannot meet the demand . in each of an inosine - applied plot and an inosine - free control plot of the same field , 10 seedlings of an earls series netted melon were planted . in the inosine - applied plot , 20 g per 10 ares ( corresponding to about 100 t of soil ) of inosine were applied to the melon roots several times , as an aqueous solution adjusted to ph 10 . 5 with potassium hydroxide , together with a large amount of water at an early stage of cultivation , and the melons were allowed to grow . as a result , 20 to 30 % of the melon trees experienced damping - off . they did not , however , show complete death but partial death in their leaves . the melons kept alive with withered leaves and 10 melons were harvested from the 10 trees . on the other hand , in the control plot to which inosine had not been applied , many melon trees experienced damping - off . six trees damped off completely , and harvested therefrom were four melons , which were less than half of the melons in the inosine - applied plot . concerning the growth of the roots , the inosine - applied plot (( a )) was superior to the control plot (( b ): inosine - free plot ( control plot )) in the thickness of the roots . the inosine - applied plot was also higher in the sweetness degree ( i . e ., sugar contents or brix degree ) of the fruit . described specifically , three delicious - looking , fine - shaped melons were selected from the melons harvested from each of the inosine - applied plot and the inosine - free plot , and their sweetness degree was evaluated by 10 people . as a result , all the members evaluated that the melons from the inosine - applied plot had stronger sweetness and were delicious compared with those from the control plot . the cultivation test of a chrysanthemum coronarium ( a new root - spread , medium - sized leaved chrysanthemum coronarium ) was conducted by japan fertilizers and foods association . seedling raising pots ( size : 9 × 7 . 5 cm , made of polyethylene ) were filled with soil to be tested , followed by the addition of a common fertilizer and water to artificially prepare a garden condition . when rooting was recognized after the seed sowing of the chrysanthemum coronarium , a predetermined amount of an inosine solution was applied and the application effects on roots , above - ground parts such as stems and leaves were studied . ( 1 ) a 2 % solution of inosine was applied after dilution with pure water . the application amount of each test plot is shown in table 2 below . table 2______________________________________test administered amountplot ( per 100 t - soil ) ______________________________________standard amount 5 ( g ) 2 - fold amount 104 - fold amount 206 - fold amount 3010 - fold amount 50______________________________________ ( 2 ) the progress including field husbandry is shown in table 3 below . table 3______________________________________events date______________________________________pots filled with soil december 1 , 1996fertilized and watered december 1 , 1996sowing ( 10 seeds per pot ) december 1 , 1996thinning out the seedlings december 10 1996to threeinosine administered december 15 , 1996end of test , observation january 13 , 1997______________________________________ incidentally , to all the test plots , aqueous solutions of monoammonium phosphate , ammonium sulfate and potassium chloride were added in amounts each corresponding to 20 mg in terms of n , p 2 o 5 and k 2 o . cultivation was carried out in a heated green house . at the application time of inosine , the seedlings had two leaves and reached a plant length of 5 cm . the cultivation was conducted for 44 days in total , including 25 days after the application of inosine . table 4__________________________________________________________________________ above - ground parts ( stems and leaves ) subterranean parts ( roots ) test pots no . weight ( g ) ( ratio ) weight ( g ) ( ratio ) __________________________________________________________________________inosine administration standard 1 3 . 5 0 . 7 amount 2 3 . 4 1 . 0 3 3 . 4 0 . 8 average 3 . 43 ( 103 ) 0 . 83 ( 108 ) 2 - fold 1 4 . 1 1 . 1 amount 2 4 . 1 0 . 9 3 3 . 7 1 . 2 average 3 . 97 ( 119 ) 1 . 07 ( 139 ) 4 - fold 1 4 . 6 1 . 0 amount 2 4 . 3 1 . 4 3 4 . 4 1 . 3 average 4 . 43 ( 133 ) 1 . 23 ( 160 ) 6 - fold 1 3 . 9 1 . 1 amount 2 4 . 2 1 . 1 3 4 . 4 1 . 1 average 4 . 17 ( 125 ) 1 . 10 ( 143 ) 10 - fold 1 3 . 6 1 . 2 amount 2 3 . 8 0 . 9 3 3 . 9 1 . 0 average 3 . 77 ( 113 ) 1 . 03 ( 134 ) non - administered pot 1 3 . 5 0 . 8 ( control pot ) 2 3 . 0 0 . 7 3 3 . 5 0 . 8 average 3 . 33 ( 100 ) 0 . 77 ( 100 ) __________________________________________________________________________ it is apparent that application effects of inosine are recognized in the growth of the roots and foliar ( above - ground ) parts of chrysanthemum coronarium . in this example were employed pots and a bed soil exclusively used for raising seedlings , which were to show the application effects of inosine clearly . &# 34 ; sakata &# 39 ; s cell pots ( exclusively used for raising seedlings )&# 34 ; and a bed soil exclusively used for cell pots , the filled amount being 17 g per pot , were employed as the pots and the bed soil . neither the test plots nor the control plot were subjected to fertilization . inosine was applied three days after the beginning of germination . the seeds were sown on sep . 19 , 1996 , inosine was applied on september 23 , and the investigation on the harvest was carried out on october 1st . table 5______________________________________test plots administration of inosine______________________________________control plot -- 5 g inosine - per - 10 - are plot 8 . 5 ml of a 0 . 01 mg / dl solution20 g inosine - per - 10 - are plot 3 . 4 ml of a 0 . 1 mg / dl solution30 g inosine - per - 10 - are plot 5 . 1 ml of a 0 . 1 mg / dl solution50 g inosine - per - 10 - are plot 8 . 5 ml of a 0 . 1 mg / dl solution______________________________________ results are shown in table 6 below . concerning each plot , the above - ground parts ( height and weight ) and subterranean parts ( root weight ) of 8 cucumber seedlings were measured and the average values were calculated , which are shown in table 6 below . incidentally , the roots were weighed after dried . table 6______________________________________ check items above - ground parts subterranean partstest plots height ( ratio ) weight ( ratio ) root weight ( ratio ) ______________________________________control plot 8 . 44 ( 100 ) 0 . 91 ( 100 ) 0 . 023 ( 100 ) 5 g inosine - per - 10 - are 10 . 96 ( 130 ) 0 . 97 ( 107 ) 0 . 031 ( 135 ) plot20 g inosine - per - 10 - 12 . 10 ( 143 ) 1 . 06 ( 116 ) 0 . 033 ( 143 ) are plot30 g inosine - per - 10 - 11 . 72 ( 139 ) 1 . 13 ( 124 ) 0 . 026 ( 113 ) are plot50 g inosine - per - 10 - 10 . 68 ( 127 ) 1 . 02 ( 112 ) 0 . 027 ( 117 ) are plot______________________________________ height unit : cm weight unit : g per sample root weight unit : g per sample it can be seen from the above table that the inosine - applied plots were superior to the control plot ( inosine - application - free plot ) in every item . application of inosine in an amount of 20 to 30 g / 10 ares is presumed to be the most effective . peas were subjected to the cultivation test in the same manner as in example 8 . supposing that the weight of the combined vine and foliar weight and that of the roots of the control peas ( application - free plot ) were 100 each , the vine and foliar weights were 107 and 120 and the root weights were 120 and 120 when inosine was applied in amounts of 30 g / 10 ares and 50 g / 10 ares , respectively . thus , application effects of inosine were recognized . the present invention has made it possible to carry out plant - root growth promotion easily and , in turn , to carry out rearing or thickening of leaves , floral buds , fruit bearing , or fruit easily .
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referring now again to the drawings and specifically to fig1 thereof , there is illustrated the wheelchair lift apparatus , designated generally at 1 , of the present invention . as shown , the apparatus 1 is installed for use with a conventional vehicle v , such as a recreational van or the like . as shown , the lift apparatus 1 is disposed within the side - door opening d of the vehicle adapted for rotational movement about a generally vertical axis , as shown by the arrows , at 4 . accordingly , the lift apparatus is adapted to swing inwardly and outwardly within the opening d of the van to provide ingress and egress to the user , such as an invalid . specifically , this pivotal movement about the vertical axis , as at 4 , is illustrated in fig6 which illustrates the lower drive mechanism , designated generally at 19 , for the lift apparatus 1 . as best seen in fig3 the lift apparatus 1 is mounted on the floor f of the vehicle chassis c . more specifically , the lift apparatus 1 includes a carriage assembly , designated generally at 8 , which is mounted on the floor f of the chassis c as aforesaid . in the form shown , the carriage assembly 8 includes a column support mechanism 10 which comprises a vertically disposed column member 12 ( fig3 ) which is mounted on a base plate 14 ( fig3 and 6 ) which , in turn , is mounted on the floor f of the chassis . as shown , the lower end of the column 12 is fixly attached to a driven segment gear 16 for rotation about a vertical axis . specifically , it will be seen that the base plate 14 is disposed in the same general plane as the surface of the floor f chassis . the segment gear 16 is disposed in vertically spaced relation above the base plate 14 and is fixably attached , as at 18 , to the column 12 ( fig6 ) as to rotate the column 12 vertically about its axis upon activation of a motor drive mechanism , designated generally at 20 . the segment gear 16 is driven by a drive gear 13 ( fig3 ) via a drive gear 15 actuated by drive motor 20 , as seen in fig6 . preferably , the segment gear 16 is of a generally 90 ° configuration so as to impart a corresponding full 90 ° rotation of the column 12 about its vertical axis and so as to correspondingly rotate the lift apparatus 1 through 90 ° inwardly and outwardly of the door opening d . in operation , as best seen in fig6 the segment gear is shown in solid line so that the lift apparatus 1 is swung outwardly completely 90 ° to its full open position . as shown , this would be at right angles in respect to the door opening d whereas , the illustration in perspective view of fig1 illustrates the lift apparatus 1 disposed generally at approximately 45 °. in fig6 the lift apparatus 1 is in the full open or 90 ° position to receive the user . in this position , an inclined cam surface 22 ( fig6 ) activates the limit switch 24 ( fig6 ) which de - activates the motor 20 to enable the user to lower the lift apparatus 1 vertically to the ground position , as seen in dotted line at g in fig3 . in the reverse operation , the lift apparatus 1 is raised vertically upon actuation of the motor 20 via lever l , which raises the lift apparatus 1 vertically , as illustrated by the arrow 26 to the solid line position illustrated in fig3 . the user then actuates another lever l2 so as to pivot the lift apparatus 1 inwardly about a generally horizontal plane upon rotational movement of the column 12 about its vertical axis . this rotational movement brings the segment gear 16 through a rotation of approximately 90 ° so as to engage another limit switch 28 ( fig6 ) which then again deactivates the motor 20 which seats the lift apparatus carrying the user in grounding engagement with the floor f of the chassis of the vehicle , as illustrated in broken line in fig3 . in the form shown , the control includes the lever l , which activates the control circuit ( not shown ) for raising the lift apparatus 1 vertically , as illustrated by the arrow 26 in fig3 . the lever l2 actuates the control circuit ( not shown ) for rotating the lift apparatus 1 into and out of the van about a generally horizontal plane . in accordance with the invention , the column assembly 10 includes the column member 12 which , as illustrated in cross - section at fig4 is of a polygonal , such as square - cross - sectional configuration . specifically , the column 12 has four generally planar sides , as at 30 , connected by generally flat edge portions , as at 32 . in the invention , it is to be understood that the surfaces 32 could be other than flat so as to include some degree of radius , as desired . preferably , the column 12 includes an interior strengthening plate 34 which preferably extends transversely between the flats , as at 32 . preferably , the plate 34 may extend throughout the full vertical length of the column 12 or less than such length , as desired . now in the invention , there is employed a plurality of bearing members , designated generally at 38 , for friction rolling engagement on the column member 12 . preferably , the roller bearing arrangement is structured and arranged so as to provide relief areas , as at 40 , to enable full surface - to - surface engagement between the confronting surface , as at 40 , of the column 12 ( fig4 ) with the corresponding confronting surface , as at 42 , of the respective rollers 44 and 46 . in the form shown in fig3 the rollers 44 are mounted upwardly on a roller housing assembly 48 and the rollers 46 are mounted downwardly of the assembly 48 , as best seen in fig2 . it will be seen that the upper rollers 44 include two individual generally frusto - conical rollers 45 and the lower rollers 46 include two individual generally frusto - conical rollers 45 and the lower rollers 46 include two individual generally frusto - conical rollers 47 which engage , by rolling , the column 12 , as best seen in fig4 . as best seen in fig4 the roller assembly 38 incorporates with each of the four ( 4 ) wheels 45 and 47 an adjustment device , designated generally at 50 , which are of identical construction . each adjustment device 50 includes a mounting block 52 fixably attached to the roller assembly 48 . an adjustment screw 54 ( fig4 ) is threadably connected to an axle 56 which rotatably mounts the respective rollers 45 and 47 of the respective roller assemblies . the axle 56 is provided at its opposite ends with bearing surfaces , as at 58 , which are disposed for sliding movement within slots , as at 60 , provided in the mounting blocks 52 for limiting axle adjusting movement of the screw within the block 52 . preferably , the screws are axially adjustable via fasteners , such as nuts 64 , so as to provide selective adjustment of the rollers 45 and 47 . this adjustment enables full surface - to - surface engagement at a generally 45 ° orientation of the respective rollers 45 and 47 with the confronting planar surfaces 30 of the column 12 . preferably , each of the wheels 45 and 47 is provided with an internal anti - friction bearing mechanism , designated generally at 70 . each of the mechanisms 70 include a bearing member which is commercially available . this bearing member is press - fit within the respective rollers 45 and 47 and maintained against axial movement by a retainer ring 74 . as best seen in fig2 and 5 , the lift apparatus 1 includes an upper drive assembly , designated generally at 80 , for moving the lift apparatus 1 horizontally on the column assembly 10 . as shown , this upper drive assembly 80 includes a drive motor 82 fixably mounted on a top support plate 84 which is fixably attached to the upper end of the column 12 . the drive motor 82 ( fig3 ) is operably connected to a drive screw 86 via a pair of drive pulleys 88 and 90 ( fig5 ) connected by two ( 2 ) belts 87 and 89 to the input drive end 92 ( fig3 ) of the drive screw . the drive screw 86 is mounted at one end to a bracket 98 which is fixably attached to the roller assembly 48 . the lower end of the drive screw 86 is mounted for rotation within a bearing , as at 100 , which , in turn , is attached to a bracket member 102 ( fig3 ) fixably attached to the segment gear 16 . preferably , the bearing 100 is of a plastic , such as teflon material , or the like . as best seen in fig3 the bracket 98 is illustrated in solid line when the lift apparatus is in the full vertically oriented &# 34 ; up &# 34 ; position and in dotted line in the full vertically oriented &# 34 ; down &# 34 ; position . in the invention , the lift apparatus 1 comprising the carriage assembly 8 includes a frame structure , designated generally at 101 , which is of a generally inverted u - shaped configuration as best illustrated in fig3 . more specifically , the structure 101 includes a generally planar ramp or platform 102 which is carried by a pair of oppositely disposed side columns 104 and 106 which are interconnected at their top ends by a cross member 108 . as shown , the outerward support column 106 is inclined to provide an offset portion as at 110 to provide sufficient clearance for the wheelchair user . the members 108 and 106 are interconnected by a strengthening gusset , as at 112 , to provide rigidity between the component parts . similarly , the parts 104 and 108 are provided with another gusset , as at 114 , for the same purpose . as shown the inner column 104 is provided with a brace member 116 which is fixably attached at its lower end to the platform 102 . as best illustrated in fig3 the cross member 108 is provided at its inner end with a control box , designated generally at 118 , which mounts the controls l1 and l2 , as aforesaid . as best seen in fig7 the platform 102 is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed strengthening side plates 122 which are made integral with and are disposed in generally vertically upstanding relation in respect to the platform 102 . as shown , the inner side plate 120 ( fig7 ) is fixably connected , as by weldments , to the inner column member 104 and to the brace member 116 . also , the side plate member 120 includes an integral flange 124 which provides a support for a freely rotatable pulley 186 , as will be hereinafter more fully described . as shown , the other outer side plate 122 ( fig3 ) includes a further gusset , as at 126 , for strengthening the inner connection between the side plate member 122 and the outer column member 106 . it will be seen , therefore , that the frame structure defined by the columns and cross members 104 , 106 and 108 define a generally inverted u - shaped configuration which is disposed substantially in the same general vertical plane with the support column member 12 which mounts the roller housing assembly 48 . similarly , the drive screw 86 is disposed in a generally vertical parallel relationship in respect to the support column 12 , as best illustrated in fig2 and 3 . in the invention , this parallel relationship between the component parts is achieved by a mounting bracket , as at 130 , which is fixably attached at one end , as at 132 to the distal end of the support column 12 ( fig1 and 5 ) and at the other end via a flange 134 secured , such as by screws and the like , to the column 136 of the vehicle . this bracket provides a structural support for maintaining the parallel relationship between the parts and the perpendicular relationship of these parts in respect to the floor f of the vehicle chassis . as best illustrated in fig7 and 8 , the platform 102 of the frame structure 8 includes a forward stop mechanism , designated generally at 140 , disposed for horizontal reciprocal movement on the platform member 102 . more specifically , this mechanism includes a support plate 142 which has an upturned end , as at 144 , adapted to prevent forward rolling movement of the wheelchair when installed thereon . the support plate 142 includes a pair of oppositely disposed integral flanges 146 and 148 of generally inverted l - shaped configuration . each of the flanges mounts a pair of rollers 150 and 152 adapted for rolling engagement within correspondingly shaped u - shaped channel members 154 and 156 fixably attached to the platform 102 . the guide channels 154 and 156 each include a pair of stop elements 160 , which serve to limit and provide a stop for the rollers and hence , forward movement of the mechanism 140 as illustrated by the arrow 162 in fig7 and 8 . more specifically , the stopping movement occurs when the rollers 152 are brought into abutment with the stops 160 . the opposite end of the guide members 154 and 156 are provided with elastomeric stop members ( rubber ) 164 which served to provide a cushion upon resilient retracting movement of the mechanism 140 . the retracting movement of the mechanism is automatically accomplished by a pair of oppositely disposed extension spring elements 166 which are attached at one end , as at 168 , to flanges 169 on the respective guide members 154 and 156 and at the other end to the side flanges 146 and 148 , as best seen in fig8 . by this arrangement , the forward stop mechanism 140 is disposed for reciprocal movement in a generally horizontal plane parallel to the general plane of the platform 102 so as to enable the wheels ( not shown ) of the wheelchair to engage the stop 144 so as to drive the assembly forward throughout its full through ( dotted line fig7 ) so that the rearwardmost ends of the flanges 146 and 148 are disposed generally at the center - line , as at 171 , of the oppositely disposed column member 104 and 106 . in this position , it has been determined that the wheels of the wheelchair can be supported by and transferred forwardly to a point sufficient such that the center of gravity , i . e . the load , of the wheelchair user including the wheelchair , is disposed slightly forward of the generally vertical plane defined by the generally inverted u - shaped structure 102 of the frame . preferably , this load distribution is disposed at such center line or forward of the same so as to prevent accidental rolling movement of the wheelchair rearwardly and off of the lift platform during normal use thereof . as best seen in fig7 a rear stop mechanism , designated generally at 170 , is provided to prevent inadvertent rearward rolling movement of the wheelchair off of the platform 102 . as shown , the mechanism includes a rear stop plate member 172 which is pivotably attached to the platform 102 via an elongated piano - type hinge spring 174 which is fixably attached , as by weldments , to the platform 102 and the stop 172 . as best seen in fig7 this spring hinge biases the stop plate 172 forwardly or in a counter - clockwise direction , as illustrated by the arrow 176 . the stop plate 172 is actuated by means of the cable 178 which is fixably attached by a turn buckle , as at 180 , and then threaded through a guide roller 182 and then around a guide roller 186 fixably mounted on the flange 124 . at this juncture , the cable takes a 90 ° turn and extends vertically upwardly generally parallel to the inner column member 104 and attached at its free end to a pivotal link 188 . the link 188 is pivotally attached at one end , as at 190 , ( fig2 ) to a cross member 192 which is integrally connected between the roller assembly 148 and the inner column member 104 . as shown , the free end of the cable 178 is attached , as at 194 , adjacent the free end of the cable 178 is attached , as at 194 , adjacent the free end of the pivot link 188 . as best seen in fig3 another cable member 196 is fixably attached , as at 198 , to the pivot link 188 generally intermediate its ends . the cable 196 is fixably attached at its other end , as at 202 , to a ball screw assembly 204 which receives the drive screw 86 for raising and lowering the carriage lift assembly 48 in a generally vertical direction . the operation of stop mechanism 170 can be illustrated with reference to fig3 and 7 . as shown , in the full - up or solid line position illustrated in fig3 the pivot link 188 is disposed in a generally 45 ° orientation . in this condition , the upper cable 196 is held in a taut condition by means of the upward force exerted by the ball screw assembly 204 , whereas , the lower cable 178 is only under sufficient tension so as to maintain the stop member 172 in the upward position , as illustrated in fig7 so as to override the biasing force of the piano spring hinge 174 thereby to hold the stop member 172 in a generally 45 ° opientation in relation to the platform 102 . upon actuation of the outer lever l1 the carriage lift assembly 8 is vertically lowered with the cables 196 and 178 maintained in a relatively constant load condition until platform 102 bottoms out with the ground . after grounding , continued actuation of the outer lever l1 acts to overdrive the upper drive motor 82 which , in turn , drives roller drive screw 204 downwardly . this movement causes the upper cable 196 to slack and the lower cable 178 to become under tension due to the resilient biasing of the piano spring hinge 174 . this causes pivotal movement of the pivot link 188 in a generally clockwise direction ( fig2 ) which enables the stop plate member 172 to pivot downwardly , as shown by the arrow 176 ( fig7 ) into the general plane of the platform member 102 . in this position , a limit switch 210 mounted on the cross member 192 is contacted which stops further vertical downward movement of the ball screw 204 . in the invention , the cable 178 has a 2000 p . s . i . at test capability and the stop plate 172 has a 1600 p . s . i . force capability . the lift platform 102 has a lifting capacity of 960 pounds and a stationary load capacity of 2000 pounds . the upper motor 82 has a 3000 r . p . m . and draws 28 amps at a 400 lbs . loading capacity on the platform . in the invention , there is at least a 2 to 1 safety factor in respect to the v . a . recommended lift capacity at 400 lbs . in a technical operation , with the user then positioned on the platform 102 , he merely actuates the switch lever l1 which actuates motor 82 via cables 88 and 90 to rotate the screw 86 in the stationary ball screw 204 which is fixably attached to the support column 12 . this raises the platform 102 to the desired height , as illustrated in solid line in fig3 whereupon the lift will stop automatically upon actuation of a suitable limit switch ( not shown ) being utilized to automatically de - energize the motor 82 . at this position , the user then actuates the other control lever l2 which activates drive motor 20 ( fig6 ) so as to rotate the lift to the door d into the van . he then again actuates control l1 so as to automatically lower the lift and platform 102 to the floor f of the van . automatic operation of the forward stop mechanism 140 and the rear stop mechanism 170 operate during this sequence of this steps , as aforesaid . accordingly , reversal of the above steps enables the user to readily discharge himself from the van once again to ground level , all accomplished automatically under his own control in accordance with the advantages of the present invention .
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fig3 illustrates a subimage sequence generated in order to render images b ( k ), b ( k + 1 ) of the image sequence of fig1 using sequential color rendition . in this example , it is assumed that the individual images can be rendered by three monochromatic subimages , for example subimages in the colors red , green and blue , so that in order to render an image three monochromatic subimages are rendered in temporal succession . immediately successive subimages differ in color , and in fig3 , distinct rendition planes are chosen for the individual colors in the direction perpendicular to the time axis . in order to characterize distinct colors in the black - and - white representation of fig3 , distinct hatching patterns are chosen for the individual colors . in fig3 , b 1 (.) denotes the subimages of the subimage sequence in the first color , for example red ; b 2 (.) denotes the subimages of the second color , for example blue ; and b 3 (.) denotes the subimages of the third color , for example green . the subimage sequence is motion - compensated , which is equivalent to the fact that moving objects rendered by the subimage sequence are rendered correctly in respect of motion at the temporal position of the respective subimage in the subimage sequence . the position of a moving object , that is , an object that has a first position in a first image b ( k ) of the rendered image sequence and a second position different from the first position in a subsequent second image b ( k + 1 ) of the image sequence , changes from subimage to subimage in the direction of motion . in the example of fig1 , the direction of motion of the object 10 runs in the horizontal direction of the image from the left image margin to the right image margin . correspondingly , the position of the object in the subimage sequence changes from subimage to subimage in the direction toward the right image margin . the subimage sequence in the illustrated example is generated in such fashion that the position of the object 10 in subimages b 1 ( k ), b 1 ( k + 1 ) of the first color corresponds to the position of the object in images b ( k ), b ( k + 1 ) of the image sequence to be rendered . the subimages of the second color and the third color , respectively b 2 ( k ), b 3 ( k ) and b 2 ( k + 1 ), b 3 ( k + 1 ), lying temporally between subimages b 1 ( k ), b 1 ( k + 1 ) of the first color are subimages interpolated in motion - compensated fashion . referring to fig4 , the content of the three monochromatic subimages , respectively b 1 ( k ), b 2 ( k + ⅓ ), b 3 ( k + ⅔ ) and b 1 ( k + 1 ), b 2 ( k + 1 + ⅓ ), b 3 ( k + 1 + ⅔ ), which are generated in association with an image b ( k ) and b ( k + 1 ) respectively , are rendered in superimposed fashion in one image . as can be seen , the outlines of the objects , each monochromatic , of the individual subimages are not in register because of the generation of a motion - compensated subimage sequence , 10 ( k ), . . . , 10 ( k + 1 + ⅔ ) denoting the objects in the individual subimages of the subimage sequence . the outlines of the monochromatic objects instead lie offset relative to one another along the direction of motion of the object . when the physiology of human vision is taken into consideration , however , this offset of the position of the objects , each rendered monochromatically , from subimage to subimage leads to the object rendered by the subimage sequence being perceived as an object in a uniform color , without interfering color fringes being perceived at the edges of the object . the color of the object results from blending of the colors of the objects in the three monochromatic subimages . fig5 illustrates a first embodiment of a system for image rendition using a subimage sequence with monochromatic subimages whose color varies cyclically . b ( z ) denotes an image sequence to be rendered , which can be a conventional video image sequence and , indeed , both a frame sequence with line - interlaced frames and a full - image sequence . the image frequency at which individual images of this image sequence b ( z ) are available is f = 1 / t . two temporally successive images b ( k ), b ( k + 1 ) of this image sequence b ( z ), which in the example correspond to the images rendered in fig1 with a moving round object , are illustrated in fig7 . here t 1 = k · t denotes a first time point t 1 at which a first image b ( k ) of this image sequence is available , and t 2 =( k + 1 )− t denotes a second time point at which second image b ( k + 1 ) of this image sequence is available . the input image sequence b ( z ) is supplied to an interpolator 21 that generates from motion - compensated intermediate image interpolation , an image sequence b ( i ) having an image frequency three times that of the input image sequence b ( z ). the motion - compensated image sequence b ( i ) is illustrated in fig6 . with reference to fig7 , the interpolator 21 generates in motion - compensated fashion , for two temporally successive images b ( k ), b ( k + 1 ) of the input image sequence b ( z ), two intermediate images b ( k + ⅓ ) and b ( k + ⅔ ). the image sequence b ( i ) thus comprises the images of the input image sequence b ( z ) as well as two additional motion - compensated intermediate images for each image of the input image sequence . the individual images of this motion - compensated image sequence b ( i ) are preferably uniformly spaced in respect of time . the temporal interval of the two intermediate images b ( k + ⅓ ), b ( k + ⅔ ) associated with images b ( k ), b ( z + 1 ) of input image sequence b ( z ) is taken into account in previously known fashion in intermediate image interpolation . in relation to the illustrated example in which the object is located at a first position in the first image b ( k ) and at a second position in the second image b ( k + 1 ), this means that the position of the object in first intermediate image b ( k + ⅓ ), which is rendered at a time point t 1 + ⅓ · t , is offset relative to the position in the image b ( k ) by ⅓ of the distance between the first image position and the second image position . in the further interpolated intermediate image b ( k + ⅔ ), which is rendered at a time point t 1 + ⅔ · t , the object is located at a position that is offset relative to the position in the image b ( k ) by ⅔ of the distance between the first position and the second position in the direction of motion . apparatuses for motion - compensated intermediate image interpolation corresponding to the interpolator 21 are well known , and shall not be discussed in detail herein , in the interest of brevity . for example , such an interpolator is described for example in schröder and blume , ibid ., pages 315 - 363 . the motion - compensated image sequence b ( i ) is supplied to a filter 22 , which splits the image sequence b ( i ) into monochromatic image sequences b ( i ), b 2 ( i ), b 3 ( i ). from these monochromatic motion - compensated subimage sequences b 1 ( i ), b 2 ( i ), b 3 ( i ), subimage sequence tb ( i ) produced for rendition is formed by a multiplexer 23 . the subimage sequence tb ( i ) represents the respective temporally successive subimages of distinct colors . the multiplexer 23 passes cyclically , in time with a clock signal clk whose frequency corresponds to the frequency of the motion - compensated image sequence b ( i ), one of the three subimage sequences b 1 ( i ), b 2 ( i ), b 3 ( i ) to its output in order to generate subimage sequence b ( i ) to be rendered . the subimage sequence tb ( i ) is supplied to a display 25 , for example a so - called dlp processor , which projects onto a projection screen 26 the images represented by the subimage sequence tb ( i ). fig6 a is a simplified schematic illustration of a dlp projector , which has as its central element a dlp integrated circuit 253 to which the subimage signal tb ( i ) is supplied . the dlp integrated circuit is fashioned to reflect selectively at its surface , as dictated by the subimage signal tb ( i ), a light beam delivered from a light source 251 and propagated through an optical system 254 in order to generate a reflected light beam having a light / dark pattern dependent on the subimage signal tb ( i ). the light beam reflected from the dlp integrated circuit 253 is received by a projection apparatus 255 and projected onto projection screen 26 . a color wheel 252 , which is inserted into the beam path between the light source 251 and the dlp integrated circuit 253 , and which has three distinct color filter regions 252 a , 252 b , 252 c as shown in fig6 b , rotates in synchronization with clock signal clk . in this way a light beam is generated in synchronization with the subimages represented by the subimage signal tb ( i ) and containing in each case only the video information for one color component of the image , which light beam is reflected by the dlp integrated circuit . with reference to fig8 , it is also possible to split the incoming image signal b ( z ) before a motion - compensated image sequence is generated , using a filter 32 corresponding to the filter 22 ( fig5 ), in order to generate three subimage sequences or subimage signals b 1 ( z ), b 2 ( z ), b 3 ( z ). the system of fig8 comprises three intermediate image interpolators 33 , 34 , 35 that , from monochromatic image sequences b 1 ( z ), . . . , b 3 ( z ), generate motion - compensated subimage sequences b 1 ( i ), . . . , b 3 ( i ) having a frequency three times that of input image sequence b ( z ). in the manner already explained with reference to fig5 , these subimage sequences are supplied to the multiplexer 23 and further processed . the subimage sequences to be processed are thus first broken down into their color components before motion compensation takes place . next the motion - compensated color subimages are sequentially passed through to the device to the display . as described , the color component currently being passed through must correspond to the filter currently located in the optical beam path . in each of the systems of fig5 and fig8 , more subimages are generated than are necessary for the subimage sequence tb ( i ), which ultimately serves for image rendition . it should be pointed out that the intermediate image interpolators 33 , 34 and 35 of fig8 can also be fashioned such that these generate , by suitable intermediate image interpolation from monochromatic subimage sequences b 1 ( z ), . . . , b 3 ( z ), only the monochromatic subimages that are necessary for the subimage sequence tb ( i ). the frequency of image rendition can also be a ( possibly not whole - number ) multiple of the input image frequency . in this case the color wheel rotates more than once per input image or has more than three subdivisions . although the present invention has been illustrated and described with respect to several preferred embodiments thereof , various changes , omissions and additions to the form and detail thereof , may be made therein , without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .
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the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms . while the drawings illustrate and the specification describes certain preferred embodiments of the invention , it is to be understood that such disclosure is by way of example only . there is no intent to limit the principles of the present invention to the particular disclosed embodiments . in one preferred embodiment of the invention , a set of blocks includes four different styles of blocks , a full set including multiple copies of each style . as shown in fig1 the four exemplary styles include a stooping man style block 10 , a cup style block 12 , a tripod style block 14 , and a tooth style block 16 . as will be seen , each of these pieces has one - half of a mechanical interfitting connection at one end and one - half of a magnetic coupling at the other end so that the pieces may be joined together in countless combinations and configurations , limited only by the child &# 39 ; s imagination and creativity . the man block 10 comprises an abstractly shaped body having a flat base 18 at one end , a trunk 20 projecting upwardly from base 18 , a reduced dimension neck 22 projecting from trunk 20 , and a head or bulb 24 located at the distal end of neck 22 . trunk 20 tapers very gradually toward neck 22 and is provided with a pair of generally flat opposite sides 26 and 28 , a slightly rounded back 30 , and a slightly rounded front 32 . neck 22 slopes upwardly and forwardly at an oblique angle from the upper end of trunk 20 so as to dispose bulb 24 in forwardly overhanging relationship to the front 32 of the body . bulb 24 is somewhat teardrop - shaped , having its largest width at the upper outboard end thereof while its lower inboard end tapers somewhat symmetrically inwardly to a reduced diameter at the junction with neck 22 . bulb 24 comprises one - half of a mechanical connection formed when bulb 24 is interfitted into a mating component as will be discussed below . the body of man block 10 is integrally molded from a suitable synthetic resinous material such as toy grade polyvinyl chloride , the characteristics and composition of such material being well understood by those of ordinary skill in this art . advantageously , the block 10 may be injection molded and provided with a smooth , solid , yet slightly resilient body . a suitable pigment may be added for increased appeal . a recess 34 in base 18 ( fig2 ) fixedly receives a disc magnet 36 that is secured in place by a suitable layer of bonding material 38 . disc magnet 36 is flush with the exposed surface of base 18 and comprises one - half of a magnetic coupling formed when the bases of two of the blocks are brought into face - to - face engagement with one another . although the magnetic coupling can take several different forms including , for example , a simple magnet in one - half of the coupling and a ferrous metal component in the other half , in one preferred form of the invention the coupling comprises two magnets having mutually opposite polarities . thus , as illustrated in fig7 and 8 , two of the disc magnets 36 a and 36 b comprise the separate halves of a magnetic coupling and are of mutually opposite polarity , each of the magnets having a suitable indication of its polarity such as , for example , a dot 37 on the magnet 36 a and a smooth dot - free surface on the magnet 36 b . it is to be understood that , in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the invention , a number of the man blocks 10 will be provided with magnetic bases that are of one polarity , while another group of the man blocks 10 will be provided with bases of opposite polarity . thus , a pair of the man blocks 10 may be magnetically coupled together at their bases , provided only that one of the bases is positive and the other is negative . depending upon the strength of the magnets used , it may be necessary or desirable to somewhat reduce the weight of the block 10 . this may be accomplished , for example , by providing a void or hollow space ( not shown ) internally of the block , such as within its trunk adjacent the recess 34 . the size and shape of any such recess must be such as to avoid adversely impacting the structural integrity and strength of the product , however . desirably , the strength of the magnets is such as to permit young children to easily disconnect the magnets from one another and yet securely hold a pair of the blocks together . a second piece in the set is the cup block 12 which , like the man block 10 , has one half of a magnetic coupling at one end and one half of a mechanical connection at another end . cup block 12 has a flat base 40 , a trunk 42 projecting upwardly from base 40 that takes the form generally of an asymmetrical cone , a neck 44 of reduced dimensions projecting upwardly from the upper end of trunk 42 , and a cup 46 disposed at the upper distal end of neck 44 . although the surface of trunk 42 is substantially arcuate throughout a full 360 ° degrees thereof , trunk 42 still presents a pair of opposite sides 48 and 50 , a back 52 , and a front 54 . it will thus be seen that the body of cup block 12 leans slightly toward side 48 as neck 44 projects upwardly from trunk 42 at a slight lean angle from side - to - side . additionally , neck 44 leans slightly forwardly at an oblique angle so as to position cup 46 out into overhanging relationship with the front 54 of trunk 42 . cup 46 has a socket 56 that is configured to complementally and matingly receive a connecting bulb such as bulb 24 of man block 10 ( see fig2 , for example ). the configuration of socket 56 is such that bulb 24 is snugly received and held therein when man block 10 and cup block 12 are interconnected , yet bulb 24 is free to rotate within socket 56 such that the rotative positions of the two blocks can be varied with respect to one another . preferably , when bulb 24 is inserted into socket 56 , there is a slight snap fit , achieved in part by the relative configurations of bulb 24 and socket 56 and in part by the nature of the material from which the blocks are constructed . in this respect , it is desirable that such material be slightly compressively resilient so that the walls of cup 46 can yield slightly as necessary to accommodate the bulb 24 as it is inserted into place . like the man block 10 , cup block 12 is integrally molded from a suitable synthetic resinous material such as polyvinyl chloride and has a magnet bonded within a recess such as the magnet 36 and recess 34 . also like the man block 10 , cup block 12 is preferably provided in multiples within a set of the blocks , certain of those cup blocks having magnetic bases of one polarity and others having magnetic bases of the opposite polarity . thus , pairs of the cup blocks 12 can be attached together at their bases 40 when the bases are of opposite polarity . a third style is the tripod block 14 , which has one - half of a magnetic coupling at one end and one - half of a mechanical connection at the other end . the body of tripod block 14 includes a flat base 58 , a generally symmetrically conical trunk 60 projecting upwardly from base 58 , a neck 62 projecting from the upper end of trunk 60 , and a tripod 64 projecting from the distal end of neck 62 . three legs 66 , 68 and 70 diverge from the upper end of neck 62 toward outermost ends that are configured in the shape of bulbs 72 , 74 and 76 respectively . each of the bulbs 72 , 74 and 76 is configured complementally to the socket 56 of cup 46 of cup block 12 such that any selected one of the bulbs 72 , 74 and 76 may be releasably snapped into cup 46 ( see , for example , fig2 ). it will be seen , therefore , that bulbs 72 , 74 and 76 are substantially of the same configuration as the bulb 24 of man block 10 . the two legs 68 and 70 of tripod 64 are offset from one another approximately 180 ° degrees . on the other hand , the third leg 66 is offset from legs 68 and 70 by only approximately 90 ° degrees . moreover , leg 66 is somewhat longer than legs 68 and 70 and projects from neck 62 at a shallower angle than legs 68 and 70 . notwithstanding the fact that leg 66 is longer than legs 68 , 70 and projects at a shallower angle , the outermost ends of bulbs 72 , 74 and 76 lie in a common plane that is close to being parallel with the plane of base 58 . consequently , when tripod block 14 is inverted with its base 58 up and the bulbs of the tripod 64 resting upon a level supporting surface , the base 58 is likewise almost or at least substantially level so as to provide a convenient and stable platform from which to erect variously shaped structures that rise from base 58 . like the previously described blocks , tripod block 14 has a recess in its base that fixedly receives a magnet to which other blocks having bases of an opposite polarity may be attached . it is contemplated that multiples of the tripod blocks 14 will be included in each set of blocks , some having bases of one polarity and others of the opposite polarity such that a pair of the tripod blocks can be magnetically attached together at their bases when opposite polarities are selected . in one preferred form of the invention , legs 66 , 68 and 70 are so configured that tripods 64 of adjacent tripod blocks may be mutually interconnected as shown in fig1 and 27 wherein the legs of one tripod are interdigitated between the legs of the other . preferably , webbing 78 between the various tripod legs is configured , arranged and dimensioned such that when the legs of the two tripods are interdigitated , there is a relatively snug fit therebetween without excessive looseness or relative rotation permitted . the enlarged nature of bulbs 72 , 74 and 76 at the outer ends of legs 66 , 68 and 70 relative to the somewhat narrower inner ends of such legs is helpful in obtaining a light snap fit when the two tripod blocks are forced axially into interfitting engagement with one another . as with the previously described blocks , the tripod style block 14 is preferably integrally molded from a synthetic resinous material such as polyvinyl chloride . in one preferred form , tripod block 14 , like the others , is essentially solid , except perhaps for certain void areas ( not shown ) which may be provided adjacent or at the trunk to provide weight control . the slightly compressively resilient nature of tripod legs 66 , 68 and 70 , coupled with the nature of the material used for tripod block 14 , helps in establishing a snap fit interconnection of a pair of tripods into one another . while in a preferred form of the invention the tripods can be interengaged in any selected one of three rotative positions , it will be appreciated that when the tripods are interengaged with the long legs 66 diametrically opposed to one another , the flat bases 58 of the two interengaged blocks become disposed in substantially parallel relationship to one another . this provides a number of benefits and construction opportunities . the fourth style of block in the set is the symmetrical tooth block 16 which , like the other previously described blocks , is adapted for magnetic coupling at one end and mechanical connection at the other end . the body of tooth block 16 includes a flat base 80 , a generally cylindrical trunk 82 projecting upwardly from base 80 , and a group of axially extending , symmetrical , laterally spaced apart , tapered teeth 84 at the upper end of trunk 82 . in one preferred form of the invention , fourteeth are provided at substantially equally spaced intervals about the circumference of trunk 82 . each tooth 84 tapers to a generally pointed tip 86 that is rounded off or blunted to avoid the presence of a sharp comer . each tooth is somewhat prism - shaped , having an outermost curved face 88 and a pair of generally flat , triangular , upwardly converging inner faces 90 and 92 . notches 94 are defined between the spaced apart teeth 84 . like the previously described blocks , tooth blocks 16 are preferably integrally molded from a synthetic resinous material such as polyvinyl chloride and are substantially solid throughout . furthermore , each is provided with an inset magnet , with certain of the tooth blocks having magnets of one polarity and others having magnets of the opposite polarity so that a pair of the tooth blocks can be attached together magnetically at their bases . in addition , a pair of the tooth blocks can be mechanically interconnected at their opposite ends by inserting the teeth 84 of one block into the notches 94 of the other . in one preferred embodiment , the teeth and notches are so configured that the two blocks do not lock up against axial displacement ; however , they do preclude relative rotation of the blocks due to the interfitting nature of the teeth and notches . various polymeric based compositions are suitable for making the blocks of the present invention . particularly suitable is a composition containing approximately 67 . 00 % by weight suitable polyvinyl chloride resin , approximately 24 . 00 % by weight suitable plasticizer , approximately 3 . 50 % by weight suitable stabilizer , approximately 3 . 50 % by weight suitable epoxy , approximately 1 . 00 % by weight suitable processing addivitves , approximately 0 . 50 % by weight suitable lubricant , and approximately 1 . 00 % by weight suitable modifier . one particularly preferred polyvinyl chloride resin is available from shin - etsu chemical co ., ltd . of tokyo , japan under the trade designation tk - 1000 . one particularly preferred plasticizer is phthalate , such as available under the trade designation jayflex dinp from exxon chemical company . a particularly preferred stabilizer is mark cz 123 available from witco vinyl additives gmbh of lampertheim , germany . a particularly preferred epoxy is epoxidised soya bean oil available from ciba - geigy corporation of tarrytown , n . y . under the trade designation irgaplast 39 or from witco vinyl additives gmbh of lampertheim , germany under the trade designation drapex 39 . the processing additives , lubricant and modifier may be selected from a wide variety of brands and sources , as well known to those skilled in the art . preferably , the material from which the blocks are made has a shore hardness of about 90 to about 95 durometer on the a scale . the abstractly shaped blocks of the present invention can be combined in any number of creative ways to allow and encourage children to express themselves freely . animals , creatures , people , and structures of various shapes and sizes can all be formed , limited only by the imagination . one very simple structure , representing no entity in particular , is illustrated in fig2 to provide but one example of how the blocks of the present invention can be mechanically interconnected or magnetically coupled together , or both . although preferred forms of the invention have been described above , it is to be recognized that such disclosure is by way of illustration only , and should not be utilized in a limiting sense in interpreting the scope of the present invention . obvious modifications to the exemplary embodiments , as 3 hereinabove set forth , could be readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention . the inventor ( s ) hereby state ( s ) his / their intent to rely on the doctrine of equivalents to determine and assess the reasonably fair scope of his / their invention as pertains to any apparatus not materially departing from but outside the literal scope of the invention as set out in the following claims .
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embodiments of a performance analysis program and a method for generating the same according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings . fig1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an information processor in which a performance analysis program of the present invention is installed . the information processor 100 is exemplified by a general - purpose computer , a personal computer , a workstation and so on . the information processor 100 includes a cpu 10 and a memory 20 . the cpu 10 controls respective units of the information processor 100 and executes various programs . the memory 20 stores a compiler 30 . also , the memory 20 stores a source program 40 and a performance analysis program 50 when a performance analysis is executed . the compiler 30 is the software ( program ) basically for converting a source program ( source code ) into object code . the source program is described through a programming language by a human . the object code is a program which can be executed by the computer . in the present invention , the compiler 30 not only converts the source program 40 into object code , but also adds commands or routines to execute a performance analysis . then , the compiler 30 outputs a performance analysis program 50 . the commands or routines are added before or after the conversion . the performance analysis program 50 is the program of the object code , which can execute the performance analysis . the compiler 30 executed by the cpu 10 generates the performance analysis program 50 from the source program 40 . the compiler 30 has a procedure judging unit 31 , a measurement routine embedding unit 32 and a time measurement command embedding unit 33 . these units are intended to embed the processes ( commands or routines ) necessary for the performance analysis , when the source program 40 is compiled . incidentally , the routine implies the set of the program codes having the function for executing a particular process . also , although it is not independent as the individual program code , if several lines to several tens of lines of codes are set to carry out the particular process , that portion can be referred to as the routine . the routine is roughly classified into two elements , depending on the roles in the program . the routine , which is firstly called in starting the program , for managing the progress of the entire program , is referred to as “ a main routine ”. the routine , which is called from the other routine during the execution of the program and operated , is referred to as “ a subroutine ”. the procedure judging unit 31 judges whether or not a statement under the process is a call statement for calling the subroutine or function , in the process for compiling the source program 40 inputted to the compiler 30 , and then returns its result . incidentally , the statement implies one completed command for carrying out a process inside the program . the program is constituted by the sets of such statements . the measurement routine embedding unit 32 embeds the call statement for calling a measurement start routine , into a head of the subroutine or function under the process , in the process for compiling the source program 40 . further , the measurement routine embedding unit 32 embeds the call statement for calling a measurement end routine , into an end of the subroutine or function under the process . the time measurement command embedding unit 33 embeds a time measurement command before and after the call statement for calling the measurement start routine embedded by the measurement routine embedding unit 32 . moreover , the time measurement command embedding unit 33 embeds the time measurement command before and after the call statement for calling the measurement end routine embedded by the measurement routine embedding unit 32 . fig2 is a flowchart showing an operation of an embodiment of a method for generating a performance analysis program according to the present invention . this operation is the embedding process for the measurement routine in compiling the source program 40 . at first , the compiler 30 sets one of the statements of the source program 40 that as the first examination target of the performance analysis , in the compiling process of the source program 40 , and then starts the examination ( step s 201 ). next , the compiler 30 judges whether or not the examination of all the statements is ended . here , the all the statements are included in the source program 40 that is the examination target ( step s 202 ). based on the judgment result , if the examination of all of the statements has been ended ( step s 202 : yes ), the compiler 30 ends this process . based on the judgment result , if the examination of all the statements is not ended ( step s 202 : no ), next , the compiler 30 calls the procedure judging unit 31 . the procedure judging unit 31 judges whether or not the statement under the examination is the procedure ( the subroutine or function ) ( step s 203 ). if the procedure judging unit 31 judges that the statement is the subroutine or function , the compiler 30 uses the measurement routine embedding unit 32 and executes embedding the measurement routine ( step s 204 ). after the execution of the measurement routine embedding at the step s 204 , the compiler 30 uses the time measurement command embedding unit 33 and executes the embedding the time measurement command ( step s 205 ). finally , the compiler 30 executes a process for advancing the statement of the examination target by one ( step s 206 ). after that , the compiler 30 returns to the process for judging whether or not all the statements have been examined ( step s 202 ). fig3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the step s 203 of the procedure judgment process . in the procedure judgment process , the procedure judging unit 31 judges whether or not the statement under the process is the subroutine or function ( step s 301 ). based on the judgement result , if the statement under the process is the subroutine or function , the procedure judging unit 31 returns a value indicating a key word “ yes ” as a return value ( step s 302 ). based on the judgement result , if the statement is not the subroutine nor function , the procedure judging unit 31 returns a value indicating a key word “ no ” as the return value ( step s 303 ). fig4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the step s 204 of the measurement routine embedding process . at first , the measurement routine embedding unit 32 embeds the call statement for calling the measurement start routine , into the head of the procedure under the process ( step s 401 ). then , the measurement routine embedding unit 32 embeds the call statement for calling the measurement end routine , into the end portion of the procedure under the process ( step s 402 ). fig5 is a flowchart showing an operation of the step s 205 of the time measurement command embedding process . at first , the time measurement command embedding unit 33 embeds the time measurement command before and after the call statement for calling the measurement start routine ( step s 501 ). then , the time measurement command embedding unit 33 embeds the time measurement command before and after the call statement for calling the measurement end routine ( step s 502 ). next , the embodiment of the performance analysis program of the present invention will be described below by comparing the flowchart with that of the conventional performance analysis program . here , as an example , both of the conventional and the present invention &# 39 ; s performance analysis program are executed on the information processor 100 having the cpu 10 . in this case , cpu 10 executes the performance analysis program . however , the this execution environment is only the example for the explanation . actually , the execution environment of the performance analysis program in the present invention is not limited to on the above - mentioned information processor . at first , the conventional performance analysis program will be described below . fig6 is an example of the flowchart showing the conventional performance analysis program . in the conventional performance analysis program , if the call for the measurement routine is carried out during the execution of a original function , it proceeds to the process for the measurement routine ( step s 601 ). when the process for the measurement routine is started , the prologue process is executed based on the linkage rule ( step s 602 ). here , the prologue process is exemplified by the reservation of a stack region and the saving of data in registers . the conventional performance analysis program is the method such that the time measurement is ended after the execution of the prologue process for the measurement routine . the time obtainment command is executed , and then , the time measurement is ended ( step s 603 ). incidentally , if the measurement routine under the execution is the measurement start routine , this corresponds to the process for ending the time measurement with regard to the original functions executed between the portion immediately before the epilogue process of the last measurement end routine and the portion immediately after the prologue process of the measurement start routine . if the measurement routine under the execution is the measurement end routine , this corresponds to the process for ending the time measurement with regard to the subroutines executed between the portion immediately before the epilogue process of the last measurement start routine and the portion immediately after the prologue process of the measurement end routine . after the time measurement is ended , the process for specifying the original function , which calls the measurement routine under the execution , is executed ( step s 604 ). by specifying the function , it is possible to relate the function to the result of the performance analysis , to collect the performance data for each function and to manage the performance data through table storage . after the original function is specified , the calculation of the performance analysis and the other processes are executed ( step s 605 ). in the conventional performance analysis program , after the execution of the above - mentioned and other processes , the time measurement is started . here , this executes the time obtainment command and starts the time measurement ( step s 606 ). incidentally , if the measurement routine under the execution is the measurement start routine , this corresponds to the process for starting the time measurement with regard to the subroutines to be executed between the portion immediately before the epilogue process for the measurement start routine and the portion immediately after the prologue process of the measurement end routine . if the measurement routine under the execution is the measurement end routine , this corresponds to the process for starting the time measurement with regard to the original functions to be executed between the portion immediately before the epilogue process for the measurement end routine and the portion immediately after the prologue process of a next measurement start routine . after the start of the time measurement , the epilogue process based on the linkage rule is executed ( step s 607 ). here , the epilogue process is exemplified by the open of the stack and the recovery of the register data . when the measurement routine is ended , among the values obtained from the process for the measurement routine , the value required from the original function and the value necessary for the performance analysis process are returned as the return value ( step s 608 ). after the measurement routine is ended , the execution of the original function is resumed ( step s 609 ). incidentally , if the process for again calling the measurement routine is executed during the execution of the original function , it proceeds to the process at the step s 601 . in the conventional performance analysis program , the measurement time is measured through the above process . however , there is a problem that in the measurement routine , a cache miss and a branch prediction miss are generated which results in the fluctuation in the execution time for each execution . the cache miss implies the fact that a desirable data cannot be found out in spite of the access to a cache in which data is a transiently stored . next , the performance analysis program of the present invention will be described below . fig7 is an example of the flowchart showing the performance analysis program of the present invention . the performance analysis program of the present invention is the method such that the time measurement is ended immediately before the measurement routine is called . then , the time obtainment command is executed , and the time measurement is ended ( step s 701 ). incidentally , if the measurement routine under the execution is the measurement start routine , this corresponds to the process for ending the time measurement with regard to the original function executed between the portion immediately after the end of the last measurement end routine and the portion immediately before the start of the measurement start routine . if the measurement routine under the execution is the measurement end routine , this corresponds to the process for ending the time measurement with regard to the subroutine executed between the portion immediately after the end of the last measurement start routine and the portion immediately before the start of the measurement end routine . in the performance analysis program of the present invention , after the process for ending the time measurement , the call for the measurement routine is executed ( step s 702 ). thus , the measurement routine is called , and the process for the measurement routine is started . when the process for the measurement routine is started , the prologue process is executed based on the linkage rule ( step s 703 ). the prologue process is exemplified by the reservation of the stack region and the saving of data in the registers . the process for specifying the original function , which calls the measurement routine under the execution , is executed ( step s 704 ). by specifying the function , it is possible to relate the function to the result of the performance analysis , to collect the performance data for each function and to manage the performance data through the table storage . after the original function is specified , the calculation of the performance analysis and the other processes are executed ( step s 705 ). after the start of the time measurement , the epilogue process is executed based on the linkage rule ( step s 706 ). the epilogue process is exemplified by the open of the stack and the recovery of the register data . when the measurement routine is ended , among the values obtained from the process for the measurement routine , the value required from the original function and the value necessary for the performance analyzing process are returned as the return value ( step s 707 ). after the measurement routine is ended , the execution of the original function is resumed ( step s 708 ). in the performance analysis program of the present invention , after the resumption of the execution of the original function , the time measurement is started . here , the time obtainment command is executed , and the time measurement is started ( step s 709 ). the present invention can reduce the error in the time which exists between the time measurement command and the call for the measurement routine in the conventional process , by carrying out the partial in - line process of the time measurement in immediately before or immediately after the call statement for calling the measurement routine . fig8 is an example of the conventional performance analysis program . fig9 is an example of the performance analysis program of the present invention . in fig8 , “ call measuring_start ( )” is the call statement for calling the measurement start routine , and “ call measuring_end ( )” is the call statement for calling the measurement end routine . “ subroutine measuring_start ” is the measurement start routine . “ subroutine measuring_end ” is the measurement end routine . in the conventional performance analysis program , the time obtainment command is executed immediately after the prologue process within the routine and immediately before the epilogue process , in both of the measurement start routine and the measurement end routine . similarly to the case of fig8 , in fig9 , “ call measuring_start ( )” is also the call statement for calling the measurement start routine , “ call measuring_end ( ) ” is also the call statement for calling the measurement end routine , “ subroutine measuring_start ” is the measurement start routine , and “ subroutine measuring_end ” is the measurement end routine . in the performance analysis program of the present invention , the time obtainment command is executed before and after the call for the measurement start routine and before and after the call for the measurement end routine . in the conventional method , as shown in fig8 , the time measurement command is executed after the prologue process of the measurement routine and before the epilogue process . thus , the variation time generated at the prologue process and epilogue process cannot be accurately reflected in the measurement time . on the other hand , in the method of the present invention , as shown in fig9 , the time measurement command is inserted before and after the call statement of the measurement start routine for the performance analysis , and the time measurement command is further inserted before and after the call statement of the measurement end routine . then , by measuring the time except the time required for the prologue process and epilogue process , it is possible to attain the more precise performance analysis . the present invention , since executing the time measurement command before the call for the measurement routine , solves the problem where if the number of the calls for the measurement routine is great , the difference between the actual execution time and the measurement time becomes great , which has the severe influence on the performance analysis . also , using the present invention solves the variation time in the execution of the prologue process and the epilogue process , which cannot be conventionally analyzed , and improves so as to carry out the performance analysis more precisely . in the conventional time measuring method , the variation time included in the measurement of the execution time with regard to the subroutine or function in which the number of the call times is great becomes great , and there is the problem of a precision . however , with the application of this method , the variation time is not measured , which enables the time to be measured more precisely . that is , the time measurement command is inserted before and after a measurement start routine call statement for the performance analysis , and the time measurement command is further inserted before and after a measurement end routine call statement . thus , the more precise performance analysis becomes possible by measuring the time except the time necessary for the prologue process and epilogue process . also , according to the present invention , it can be applied to the use field for examining which of the subroutines or functions is a bottleneck in carrying out a performance tuning of a computer program . it is apparent that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment , that may be modified and changed without departing form the scope and spirit of the invention .
| 6 |
the wet - comminuted reaction mixture is fed to the two - stage washing with a residual moisture content of at least 1 % by weight , preferably at least 2 % by weight , more preferably at least 3 % by weight , even more preferably at least 4 % by weight , and most preferably at least 5 % by weight . examples of suitable aromatic dihalogen compounds are 4 , 4 ′- difluorobenzophenone , 4 , 4 ′- dichlorobenzophenone , 4 , 4 ′- dichlorodiphenyl sulfone , 4 , 4 - difluorodiphenyl sulfone , 1 , 4 - bis ( 4 - fluorobenzoyl ) benzene , 1 , 4 - bis ( 4 - chlorobenzoyl ) benzene , 4 chloro - 4 ′- fluorobenzophenone and 4 , 4 ′- bis ( 4 - fluorobenzoyl ) biphenyl . the halogen group is generally activated by a para - carbonyl or sulfonyl group . in the case of a para - carbonyl group , the halogen is chlorine or preferably fluorine ; in the case of a para - sulfonyl group , the halogen may be fluorine or chlorine , although the preferred halogen here is generally chlorine owing to sufficient reactivity and lower costs . it is also possible to use mixtures of different dihalogen compounds . examples of suitable bisphenols are hydroquinone , 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxybenzophenone , 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxydiphenyl sulfone , 2 , 2 ′- bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propane , 4 , 4 ′- dihydroxybiphenyl , bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) ether , bis ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) thioether , bis ( 4 - hydroxynaphthyl ) ether , 1 , 4 -, 1 , 5 - or 2 , 6 - dihydroxynaphthalene , 1 , 4 - bis ( 4 - hydroxybenzoyl ) benzene , 4 , 4 ′- bis ( 4 - hydroxybenzoyl ) biphenyl , 4 , 4 ′- bis ( 4 - hydroxybenzoyl ) diphenyl ether or 4 , 4 - bis ( 4 - hydroxybenzoyl ) diphenyl thioether . it will be appreciated that it is also possible to use mixtures of different bisphenols . examples of suitable halophenols are 4 -( 4 ′- chlorobenzoyl ) phenol and 4 -( 4 ′- fluorobenzoyl ) phenol . with regard to the selection of the halogen , the same criteria apply as for the dihalogen compounds . it will be appreciated that it is also possible to use mixtures of different halophenols or mixtures of halophenols with a 1 : 1 mixture of aromatic dihalogen compound and bisphenol . suitable alkali metal and alkaline earth metal carbonates and hydrogencarbonates derive from lithium , sodium , potassium , rubidium , cesium , magnesium , calcium , strontium or barium . typically , in accordance with the prior art , a mixture of sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate is used . according to the prior art , the high - boiling aprotic solvent is preferably a compound of the formula where t is a direct bond , one oxygen atom or two hydrogen atoms ; z and z ′ are each hydrogen or phenyl groups . it is preferably diphenyl sulfone . where ar and ar ′ are each a divalent aromatic radical , preferably 1 , 4 - phenylene , 4 , 4 ′- biphenylene , and 1 , 4 -, 1 , 5 - or 2 , 6 - naphthylene . x is an electron - withdrawing group , preferably carbonyl or sulfonyl , while y is another group , such as o , s , ch 2 , isopropylidene or the like . in this case , at least 50 %, preferably at least 70 % and more preferably at least 80 % of the x groups should be a carbonyl group , while at least 50 %, preferably at least 70 % and more preferably at least 80 % of the y groups should consist of oxygen . in the especially preferred embodiment , 100 % of the x groups consist of carbonyl groups and 100 % of the y groups of oxygen . in this embodiment , the paek may , for example , be a polyether ether ketone ( peek ; formula i ), a polyether ketone ( pek ; formula ii ), a polyether ketone ketone ( pekk ; formula iii ) or a polyether ether ketone ketone ( peekk ; formula iv ), but other arrangements of the carbonyl and oxygen groups are of course also within the terms of the embodiments of the invention . the paek is generally partly crystalline , which is manifested , for example , by finding , in the dsc analysis , a crystal melting point t m which in most cases is in the order of magnitude of around 300 ° c . or higher . however , the teaching of the invention can also be applied to amorphous paek . in general , it is the case that sulfonyl groups , biphenylene groups , naphthylene groups or bulky y groups , for example an isopropylidene group , reduce crystallinity . owing to the given reactivity of the functional groups and the low solubility of the paek at relatively low temperatures , the reaction is typically carried out within the temperature range from approximately 200 to 400 ° c ., preference being given to the range from approximately 250 to 350 ° c . further details of the performance of the reaction can be taken from the abovementioned prior art . after performing the reaction , the reaction mixture is discharged from the reactor . the discharged reaction mixture is cooled with sprayed and / or flowing water and , after solidifying , transferred in water - moist form into a comminution apparatus . this may , for example , be a breaker , a crusher , a mill or a dispersion unit . the breakers , crushers , mills and dispersion units used may be all of those which are known to the person skilled in the art ; for example , reference is made to vauck / müller , grundoperationen chemischer verfahrenstechnik [ basic operations of chemical process technology ], 10th edition , chapter 5 . 1 . ( zerkleinern [ comminution ]), deutscher verlag für grundstoffindustrie , leipzig 1994 . for example , it is possible to use jaw crushers , round crushers , roll crushers or impact crushers for a comminution to diameter from about 0 . 5 to 50 mm , or impact mills , roll mills , hammer mills , ball mills , vibratory mills , cutting mills or jet mills or dispersion units for a comminution to from about 50 to 500 μm . the comminuted water - moist reactor effluent is optionally subsequently initially dried , for example by pressing , centrifugation , washing off some of the residual moisture with , for example , ethanol or with the aid of another suitable measure , and brought to the residual moisture content according to the embodiments of the present invention . subsequently , it is fed to the two - stage wash process . appropriately , the upper limit for the residual moisture content is 30 % by weight , 25 % by weight , 15 % by weight , 12 % by weight or 10 % by weight . in both stages of the two - stage wash process , it is possible to wash either batchwise in a stirred tank or in a stirred suction filter ( referred to hereinafter as “ slurry washing ”) or continuously in the form of a drainage wash , a compact filter cake being flowed through continuously by a solvent . in the first stage , an organic solvent , for example acetone , methyl ethyl ketone , methyl isobutyl ketone , methanol , ethanol , isopropanol , n - or iso - butanol , 2 methoxyethanol , 1 , 2 - dimethoxyethane , tetrahydrofuran , ethyl acetate , benzene , toluene , xylene and mixtures thereof is used for washing . however , it is also possible in principle to use any other suitable organic solvent . in the second stage , water is used for washing , in order to remove the salts . if washing is effected batchwise in one or in both stages , the washing is carried out from approximately 5 to 15 times in total in each case . when fewer wash steps are carried out , the purification of the product may be insufficient . when , in contrast , more washing steps are carried out , the process overall becomes very costly and inconvenient . if washing is effected at relatively high temperature under pressure , however , only a few wash steps , for example 1 , 2 , 3 or 4 wash steps , may be sufficient . according to the prior art , the water wash may include a wash with a dilute acid , for instance hydrochloric acid , sulfuric acid , orthophosphoric acid or in particular pyrophosphoric acid , polyphosphoric acid , metaphosphoric acid or phosphonic acid ( de 42 07 555 a1 ). the acid is used here in a concentration of from approximately 0 . 1 to 5 % by weight . in addition to an extraction of inorganic constituents improved even further , this achieves improved melt stability of the paek . after the wash , the paek is dried . it can then be used directly in this form , for example as a coating material , but it may also be granulated and , if desired , processed to compounds by addition of further substances , such as fillers , pigments , stabilizers , other polymers , processing assistants and the like . suitable compounds , their production and use are known to those skilled in the art . the paek obtained in accordance with the invention features a particularly low content of inorganic constituents and solvent residues . it is suitable particularly for end uses in the electronics industry , and also wherever the surface quality of moldings plays a role . the invention will be illustrated by way of examples hereinafter , although the invention is not intended to be limited to the examples . at 60 ° c ., 69 . 2 g of diphenyl sulfone , 26 . 2 kg of 4 , 4 ′- difluorobenzophenone , 13 . 2 kg of hydroquinone , 13 . 2 kg of sodium carbonate and 640 g of potassium carbonate are added successively in solid form in a jacketed reactor . the reactor was closed and inertized with nitrogen . once the jacket temperature had attained 160 ° c ., the stirrer was switched on at 50 rpm . once the internal temperature had likewise attained 160 ° c ., the reactor was heated slowly to 320 ° c . the reaction profile was observed via the torque which was determined from the power consumption by the stirrer motor . the torque rose after approximately 6 hours and , after a further about 2 hours , oscillated at a constant range approximately 55 % above the starting level . the product was discharged , cooled with water and comminuted in a crusher . the residual moisture content in the comminuted reactor effluent was approximately 20 % by weight . 5 kg of the comminuted , water - moist reactor effluent obtained above were dried to constant mass in a vacuum drying cabinet at 100 ° c . and approximately 100 mbar for 12 hours . thereafter , the dried reactor effluent was transferred into a stirred suction filter , and subjected to two - stage washing ten times with 15 liters each time of ethanol ( in each case 1 hour at 75 ° c .) and then ten times with 15 liters each time of deionized water ( in each case 1 hour at 95 ° c .). the fourth of the 10 water washes was carried out here with 15 liters of 0 . 5 % aqueous orthophosphoric acid . the resulting purified peek was dried and analyzed for the impurities with aas ( atomic absorption spectroscopy ), icp - oes ( inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectroscopy ) and elemental analysis . 5 kg of the comminuted , water - moist reactor effluent obtained above were dried to constant mass in a vacuum cabinet at 100 ° c . and approximately 100 mbar for 12 hours . thereafter , the dried reactor effluent was transferred to a stirred suction filter . ethanol was introduced into the suction filter from the top ; the suspension was stirred at room temperature for 15 minutes . once the solid had settled out again , a total of 150 liters of ethanol were passed through the solid at 75 ° c . within 8 hours . once this first drainage wash with ethanol had been completed , the procedure was repeated with water . in this case , water was introduced into the suction filter from the top and the suspension was stirred at 40 ° c . for 15 minutes . once the solid had settled out again , first 75 liters of deionized water , then 10 liters of 0 . 5 % aqueous orthophosphoric acid and then a further 75 liters of deionized water without interruption of the elution stream were passed through the solid at 95 ° c . within a total of 9 hours . the resulting purified peek was dried and analyzed for the impurities with aas , icp - oes and elemental analysis . 5 kg of the comminuted , water - moist reactor effluent obtained above were dewatered in a centrifuge at 1000 rpm . the residual moisture content after centrifugation was approximately 5 % by weight . thereafter , the dried reactor effluent was transferred into a stirred suction filter , and subjected to two - stage washing ten times with 15 liters each time of ethanol ( in each case 1 hour at 75 ° c .) and then ten times with 15 liters each time of deionized water ( in each case 1 hour at 95 ° c .). the fourth of the 10 water washes was carried out here with 15 liters of 0 . 5 % aqueous orthophosphoric acid . the resulting purified peek was dried and analyzed for the impurities with aas , icp - oes and elemental analysis . 5 kg of the comminuted , water - moist reactor effluent obtained above were dewatered in a centrifuge at 1000 rpm . the residual moisture content after centrifugation was approximately 5 % by weight . thereafter , the dried reactor effluent was transferred to a stirred suction filter . ethanol was introduced into the suction filter from the top ; the suspension was stirred at room temperature for 15 minutes . once the solid had settled out again , a total of 150 liters of ethanol were passed through the solid at 75 ° c . within 8 hours . once this first drainage wash with ethanol had been completed , the procedure was repeated with water . in this case , water was introduced into the suction filter from the top and the suspension was stirred at 40 ° c . for 15 minutes . once the solid had settled out again , first 75 liters of deionized water , then 10 liters of 0 . 5 % orthophosphoric acid and then a further 75 liters of deionized water without interruption of the elution stream were passed through the solid at 95 ° c . within a total of 9 hours . the resulting purified peek was dried and analyzed for the impurities with aas , icp - oes and elemental analysis . 5 kg of the comminuted , water - moist reactor effluent obtained above were transferred into a suction filter and 10 liters of ethanol were poured over it , which for the most part washed off the surface moisture . subsequently , the further procedure of example 1 was followed . the resulting purified peek was dried and analyzed for the impurities with aas , icp - oes and elemental analysis . 5 kg of the comminuted , water - moist reactor effluent obtained above were transferred into a suction filter and 10 liters of ethanol were poured over it , which for the most part washed off the surface moisture . subsequently , the further procedure of example 2 was followed . the resulting purified peek was dried and analyzed for the impurities with aas , icp - oes and elemental analysis . the entire disclosure in german priority application de 10 2006 022 442 . 6 , filed may 13 , 2006 , is hereby incorporated by reference .
| 2 |
the instant invention addresses the large scale cultivation of cells for the propagation of viruses , especially recombinant viruses for gene therapy , vaccine production , and so on . in particular , the instant invention addresses three aspects of large scale cultivation ; the use of bead - to - bead transfer of adherent cells to sequentially scale up the number of cells in culture , including the use of trypsin to dissociate cells from microcarriers in bioreactors , the use of fluidized bed - like separation of cells from the beads during harvest , and the use of microfiltration to disrupt cells so as to liberate virus particles . the term “ virus ” as used herein includes not only naturally occurring viruses but also recombinant viruses , attenuated viruses , vaccine strains , and so on . recombinant viruses include but are not limited to viral vectors comprising a heterologous gene . in some embodiments , a helper function ( s ) for replication of the viruses is provided by the host cell , a helper virus , or a helper plasmid . representative vectors include but are not limited to those that will infect mammalian cells , especially human cells , and can be derived from viruses such as retroviruses , adenoviruses , adeno - associated viruses , herpes viruses , and avipox viruses . adenoviral vectors are preferred . type 2 and type 5 adenoviral vectors are more preferred , with type 5 adenoviral vectors being especially preferred acn53 is a recombinant adenovirus type 5 encoding the human wild - type p53 tumor - suppressor protein and is described , for example , in published pct international patent application wo 95 / 11984 . as used herein , the term “ confluent ” indicates that the cells have formed a coherent monocellular layer on the surface ( e . g ., of the microcarrier ), so that virtually all the available surface is used . for example , “ confluent ” has been defined ( r . i . freshney , culture of animal cells — a manual of basic techniques , wiley - liss , inc . new york , n . y ., 1994 , p . 363 ) as the situation where “ all cells are in contact all around their periphery with other cells and no available substrate is left uncovered ”. for purposes of the present invention , the term “ substantially confluent ” indicates that the cells are in general contact on the surface , even though interstices may remain , such that over about 70 %, preferably over about 90 %, of the available surface is used . here , “ available surface ” means sufficient surface area to accommodate a cell . thus , small interstices between adjacent cells that cannot accommodate an additional cell do not constitute “ available surface ”. the cultivation steps in the methods of the present invention can be carried out in a bioreactor or fermentor known in the art of about 1 to 5000 l equipped with appropriate inlets for introducing the cells and microcarriers , sterile oxygen , various media for cultivation , etc . ; outlets for removing cells , microcarriers and media ; and means for agitating the culture medium in the bioreactor , preferably a spin filter ( which also functions as an outlet for media ). exemplary media are disclosed in the art ; see , for example , freshney , culture of animal cells — a manual of basic techniques , wiley - liss , inc . new york , n . y ., 1994 , pp . 82 - 100 . the bioreactor will also have means for controlling the temperature and preferably means for electronically monitoring and controlling the functions of the bioreactor . exemplary microcarriers on which the cells are allowed to grow are known in the art and are preferably specially adapted for the purpose of cell cultivation . general reference is made to the handbook microcarrier cell culture — principles & amp ; methods , published by pharmacia . however , it should be noted that some cell lines used in the present invention may not adhere strongly to the surfaces of microcarriers ; it is well within the ability of one of ordinary skill in the art to determine a suitable combination of cell line , virus ( where applicable ), microcarrier and culture conditions . the microcarrier preferably has a particle size in the range of about 100 to 250 microns , more preferably in the range of about 130 to 220 microns , and should be composed of a non - toxic material . the median of the sample size preferably falls in these ranges , such that these size ranges are preferably those of at least the middle 90 % of the microcarrier sample . in a preferred embodiment , the microcarrier consists of substantially spherical microbeads with a median particle size of about 150 to 200 microns , preferably 170 to 180 microns . the microcarrier surface may be treated to modify cell adhesion , in particular to enhance cell adhesion yet permit proliferation and spreading ; thus the microcarriers may be coated , e . g ., with collagen . preferably , the microcarriers are slightly denser than the culture medium , so that gentle agitation will keep them in suspension , whereas simple means such as sedimentation or centrifugation allows their separation . a density of 1 . 03 to 1 . 045 g / ml when the microcarriers are equilibrated with a standard solution such as 0 . 9 % nacl ( or with the culture medium ) is suitable . the present inventors have found that pharmacia &# 39 ; s cytodex - 3 microcarriers in general will meet these requirements , although the particular requirements that apply for certain cell lines or viruses may require the selection of a particular cytodex microcarrier . the cells may be those of any suitable host cell line that is able to replicate itself and in particular support the replication of the virus of interest . a particularly preferred cell line is the human embryonic kidney cell line 293 ( atcc catalog number crl 1573 ). these cells do not adhere strongly to all microcarriers , and are preferably used with pharmacia &# 39 ; s cytodex - 3 microcarriers , which are collagen - coated for better cell adhesion . cytodex - 3 microcarriers have a median particle size of about 175 microns with the middle 90 % of the sample having a size of about 140 to 210 microns ; the density of such microcarriers when equilibrated with 0 . 9 % nacl is 1 . 04 g / ml . the cells are preferably cultivated on such a microcarrier in a first step , and then loosened therefrom and transferred to additional microcarriers for a production step . stirring can conveniently be effected not only by a paddle at the bottom of the bioreactor but also by a rotating spinfilter , which preferably extends downwards from the top of the bioreactor into the bulk of the medium . the cells and microcarriers can be kept in suspension in the culture by rotation of the spinfilter ; the spinfilter may also be equipped with fine orifices that permit the removal of medium without loss of cells . the medium can be removed and replaced simultaneously or alternately ; it is frequently convenient to remove a substantial fraction ( e . g ., up to about 50 %) of the medium and then replenish it with the appropriate replacement medium while still removing medium , e . g ., through the spinfilter . typically , cells are scaled - up from a master working cell bank vial through various sizes of t - flasks , and , preferably , finally to bioreactors . a preferred flask is the cell factory ™ tissue culture flask ( cf ; nunc ), a specially designed large flask that conveniently has several internal compartments providing a large surface area to which the cells can adhere or attach and on which they can grow . after cultivation until substantially confluent , the cells can be loosened by trypsinization and isolated . the trypsinization is effected for a short period ( preferably less than 5 minutes , more preferably about 3 minutes ), and the trypsin is then neutralized by the rapid addition of serum in growth medium . if desired , the cells can be centrifuged and the trypsin - containing medium removed before the serum is added . the resulting cell suspension is then typically fed into a seed production bioreactor ( typically 20 - 30 l volume ) for further cultivation , and in some embodiments , to a larger production bioreactor ( typically 150 - 180 l volume ). the ratio of volume of the second ( larger ) bioreactor to the seed bioreactor depends upon the degree to which the cell line is propagated in the first bioreactor , but is typically from 5 : 1 to 10 : 1 , e . g ., in the range of ( 6 - 8 ): 1 . cells are detached from microcarriers by a trypsinization procedure performed in the cultivation vessel , preferably a bioreactor , while the microcarriers are suspended . the spinfilter is utilized to perform medium exchanges to reduce the serum and calcium levels in the medium , which increases the efficiency of the trypsinization while maintaining a constant volume in the bioreactor . settling steps are avoided which might cause damage to the cells on the microcarriers . the resultant cell / microcarrier suspension can then be transferred to a production bioreactor which is previously charged with culture media and microcarriers . after the transfer of cell / microcarrier suspension from the seed bioreactor , the production bioreactor ( for example , about 200 l ) is operated , e . g ., at about 37 ° c . and about ph 7 . 3 . a perfusion of fresh medium during cell propagation can then be performed in order to maintain the lactate concentration below about 1 . 0 g / l . cells are typically allowed to grow on the microcarriers for about 4 to 7 days until more than 50 % of the microcarriers are completely confluent . preferably , a virus infection process is then initiated . a vial of 40 to 50 ml viral inoculum , typically containing approximately 1 . 0 × 10 13 total viral particles is used to infect the production bioreactor . virus is allowed to replicate in the production bioreactor for about 3 to 5 days until about the time of maximum virus titer . typically , more than 90 % of cells will have detached from the microcarriers due to cytopathic effects of the virus . the final recombinant adenovirus yield from the production bioreactor is typically about 8 . 5 × 10 9 viral particles / ml . this gives a total yield of viral particles of 1 . 4 × 10 15 from each 160 - l batch . in other embodiments of the invention , the production bioreactor is inoculated with cells harvested by trypsinization and then used directly to inoculate the production bioreactor . typically 8 to 12 cell factory ™ tissue culture flasks are utilized to achieve the overall bioreactor inoculum seeding density of 0 . 6 to 1 × 10 5 cells / ml . the typical virus yield in this method ranges from about 1 . 7 to 2 . 6 × 10 10 viral particles / ml . therefore , this particular method provides a total virus particle number of about 3 to 4 × 10 15 from each 160 l batch . in some embodiments of the invention , a fluidized bed - like process is used to harvest the cells from the bioreactor . typically , the bioreactor is harvested after about 90 % of the cells detach from the microcarriers . without being limited to any one theory , the cytopathic effect of viral propagation in the host cells appears to be responsible for the cell detachment . in other embodiments , uninfected cells can be detached from microcarriers by the trypsinization method of the instant invention . after the bioreactor is harvested , the broth contains cells , microcarriers and medium . virus is present in the cells and the medium . therefore , all of this material is preferably collected for processing . the specific gravity ( density ) of the microcarriers is similar to that of the cells . preferably , the microcarriers are kept freely suspended while separating the cells from the beads , as processing steps using sedimentation causes the cells to settle with the microcarriers , which results in recovery losses . a preferred embodiment of a separation device is provided in fig1 and 2 . in some embodiments of the invention , the separation device is provided as part of a system . an exemplary system is depicted in fig2 . the system thus comprises a bioreactor 100 in which the cells are cultivated on microcarriers ; a flow path 102 from the bioreactor to the separation device 104 ; the separation device comprising a column 106 ; an outlet 108 for the collection of cells and the aqueous solution ; and a mesh screen 110 . the microcarriers are retained in suspension by an upward flow in the separation device and are retained in the separation device by the mesh screen , and the cells and aqueous solution are collected through the outlet . also provided in the system is a pump 112 , wherein the pump directs the flow of the aqueous solution from the bioreactor to the outlet . in some embodiments , a microfilter 114 and an ultrafilter 116 may be provided as components of the system . in the embodiment shown in fig1 the separation device typically comprises a column 106 , such as a chromatography column , having an inlet 114 through which an aqueous suspension of cells and microcarriers from a bioreactor 100 is introduced into the separation device 104 ; and at least one outlet 108 for the collection of cells and the aqueous solution ; and a mesh screen 110 . the microcarriers are retained in suspension in the column by an upward flow in the separation device and are retained in the separation device by a mesh screen , and wherein the cells and aqueous solution are collected through the outlet . the flow rate in the separation device is about 1 to about 3 cm / min . typically , an upward flow through the column is generated by pumping an aqueous solution , such as the cell suspension or a buffer , through the inlet , wherein the inlet is situated at the bottom of the device and the outlet is situated at the top of the device . fig2 is an expanded schematic view of a separation device 200 , depicting in more detail an outlet assembly 210 , a mesh screen assembly 212 , an inlet 214 , and a column 216 having an upper section 218 and a lower section 220 . the lower section typically comprises about 20 to 50 %, more preferably about 30 %, of the volume of the column and contains the inlet . the lower section is preferably conical , with a preferred angle of about 15 to about 45 degrees . thus , the fermentation broth from the bioreactor is pumped into the base of the column . the flow rate is regulated to provide an upward flow sufficient to keep the cells and viral particles suspended in the medium while allowing for the retention of the microcarriers within the separation device . preferably , the flow rate is approximately 1 - 2 cm / min since the cells have a specific gravity similar to that of the microcarriers . the clarified broth containing cells and virus passes through the mesh screen on the upper end of the fluidized bed - like column and is collected for microfiltration . for a 200 l scale device , the lower section of the column preferably is conical . the cone allows for a gradual reduction of the linear velocity of the fermentation broth entering the cone . the fluid velocity of the inlet line is reduced to achieve a reduced linear flow in a uniform distribution across the cross sectional area at the upper end of the cone . the walls of the cone are at an angle which allows the beads that settle on the walls to move downward to the inlet . in this way , these beads are resuspended to avoid entrapment of the cells between the settled beads . the angle of the conical walls is preferably about 30 degrees . angles less than 15 degrees provide an exceptionally long cone and angles greater than approximately 45 degrees may not disperse the inlet feed effectively . the upper section of the column functions as a zone in which the beads settle at a rate greater than the linear flow rate of the fermentation medium . this section of the column is cylindrical in shape . within this zone a boundary is formed such that the microcarriers accumulate in the lower region of the column . an end plate assembly 222 ( fig2 ) of the column functions as a collection point for the clarified fermentation media containing cells and virus . this consists of an end plate 224 fitted with a mesh screen assembly . this screen , preferably about 50 to 120 mesh , more preferably about 100 mesh , functions as a second point for removal of the microcarriers . the above - described embodiment is the preferred embodiment used in the examples herein . the column dimensions and screen mesh may be varied based upon the volume of solution to be processed , the concentration of beads , the particular microcarrier used and the media formulation ( e . g ., specific gravity of media ). a preferred column consists of a bottom cone custom fabricated out of stainless steel to be attached to two pharmacia ks370 section tubes fitted with a ks370 end assembly to which the vendor screen was replaced with a stainless steel ( ss ) mesh ( preferably about 50 to 120 mesh , more preferably about 100 mesh ). after the cells are collected , they are preferably lysed to liberate additional virus particles . homogenization or freeze - thawing may be used to liberate the virus particles . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , microfiltration is used to simultaneously lyse virus - containing cells and clarify the broth of cell debris which would otherwise interfere with viral purification . for example , the microfiltration can be performed using a prostak ( millipore ) system with a 0 . 65 micron , hydrophilic or hydrophobic membrane and at a shear rate of 7000 l / sec . the shear rate is generated by the flow of retentate through the tangential flow channels of the membrane . therefore , the cross - flow is used not only to prevent the membrane from fouling but can also be used to create enough shear for lysing the cells . the pore size of the filter should be sufficient to allow passage of virus while retaining cell debris . thus , typically the pore size range is about 0 . 2 - 0 . 65 micron . the shear rate range is typically about 2000 to 10 , 000 l / sec , more preferably about 7000 l / sec . typically , benzonase ™ endonuclease ( american international chemical , inc .) is added to the clarified broth to digest cellular nucleic acids , as viral particles can become complexed with cellular nucleic acids . in a preferred embodiment , ultrafiltration using a pellicon system ( millipore ) with a 1 million nominal molecular weight cut - off , pellicon i - regenerated cellulose membrane is used to concentrate the virus . the ultrafiltration step accomplishes two functions ; the virus is concentrated for purification and diafiltration is performed to exchange the buffer so that the virus suspension can be applied directly to a deae column . the eluate from the microfilter contains the liberated virus and is preferably concentrated e . g ., by ultrafiltration . between each cultivation step , the cells can be loosened and stripped from the microcarrier by trypsinization , e . g ., by treatment with trypsin . in the present invention it is preferred to remove the serum used in the cultivation , since the serum proteins inhibit the trypsin ; removal of the serum therefore allows a smaller amount of trypsin to be used . this is advantageous since addition of a larger amount may cause localized high concentrations of trypsin that could damage the cells . with regard to the next step , ca ++ ions are removed since the removal of these ions from the cells tends to loosen the cells and enables one to use less - trypsin . thus , loosening and stripping cells , especially of the human embryonic kidney cell line 293 , can conveniently include the following steps : i ) rapidly washing the cells to remove serum and other soluble materials ; ( ii ) removing ca ++ from the washed cells by adding a chelating agent ; ( v ) trypsinizing the cells for a short period of time ( preferably ranging from about 3 minutes to about 15 minutes ); and in step ( i ) above , the phrase “ rapidly washing ” means at a constant bioreactor volume perfusing one volume change of medium at a rate of about 1 - 3 liters per minute , more preferably about 2 liters per minute . in step ( iii ) above , the phrase “ rapidly removing the chelating agent ” means at a constant bioreactor volume perfusing one and a half volume changes of medium at a rate of about 1 - 3 liters per minute , more preferably about 2 liters per minute . in step ( iv ) above , the phrase “ rapidly adding trypsin ” means adding the appropriate volume of trypsin solution ( typically a 2 . 50 % solution ) at a rate of about 1 - 3 liters per minute , more preferably about 2 liters per minute . in step ( vi ) above the phrase “ rapidly neutralizing the trypsin by adding serum ” means adding the appropriate volume of serum at a rate of about 1 - 3 liters per minute , more preferably about 2 liters per minute . if the serum is not removed in step ( i ), then the addition of the necessary large amounts of trypsin can lead to locally high concentrations of trypsin , which can actually damage or even kill the cells rather than simply loosen them . the removal of serum in step ( i ) and of ca ++ in step ( ii ) reduces the amount of trypsin needed in steps ( iv ) and ( v ). to avoid actually damaging or even killing the cells , the treatment with the chelating agent and with the trypsin should preferably be kept short ( i . e ., long enough to detach the cells from the microcarriers , but preferably not longer ). examples of preferred chelating agents include edta ( ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid ) and egta ( ethylene - bis ( oxyethylene - nitrilo ) tetraacetic acid ). the serum is removed by a process of medium exchange ; for example , the medium can be pumped off through a spinfilter . serum - free wash medium is added to replace what was pumped off and the mixture stirred . alternatively , the addition of serum - free wash medium can be continuous with the removal of medium through the spin - filter . the process is repeated until the serum concentration has been reduced to a sufficiently low level , e . g ., less than about 1 . 0 to 0 . 20 %, preferably about 0 . 2 %. the chelating agent , preferably edta , is added in serum - free chelating medium , the mixture again stirred , and the chelating agent pumped off . alternatively , the addition of the chelating agent in serum - free medium can be continuous with the removal of the medium through the spinfilter . the trypsin is preferably used in step ( v ) to provide a concentration in the bioreactor of from about 0 . 05 to 0 . 1 %, and it is allowed to act on the cells for from 5 to 10 minutes , e . g ., preferably a trypsin concentration of about 0 . 065 % for about 8 minutes . protein , typically in the form of bovine calf serum , is preferably added to the bioreactor in a final concentration of about 10 to 20 % to inhibit the trypsin . thus the addition of serum in step ( vi ) not only prepares the cells for further cultivation but also neutralizes residual trypsin . the entire sequence of steps ( i )-( vi ) can take place in situ in the bioreactor ; in some embodiments the suspension of microcarriers and cells can be transferred to a larger bioreactor , where further microcarriers are added for the next step of the cultivation . the cells are allowed to attach to the microcarriers and then are cultivated further . once they become substantially confluent again ( e . g ., 3 - 4 days &# 39 ; cultivation at about 37 ° c . ), they can be put through the next stage , which may for example be harvesting , loosening for a further upstaging , or inoculation with virus . if the cells have been cultivated simply for harvest , then they can be harvested at this stage , e . g ., by a repetition of steps ( i ) through ( vi ) above . if they are needed for a further upstaging , then steps ( i )-( vi ) above can be repeated . if they have been cultivated for propagation of a virus , the virus can now be inoculated into the medium . the examples herein serve to illustrate but do not in any way limit the present invention . the selected vectors and hosts and other materials , the concentration of reagents , the temperatures , and the values of other variables are only to exemplify the application of the present invention and are not to be considered limitations thereof . each viral fermentation batch is started from a cell line propagated from a vial of 293 cell manufacturers working cell bank ( mwcb ). the bioreactors are inoculated with 293 cells ( atcc catalog number crl 1573 ) maintained by propagation in t - flasks and cell factory ™ using growth medium ( medium 1 ), as illustrated in table 1 below . each transfer represents a passage . typically , passage numbers of 4 to 30 are employed for inoculation of a seed bioreactor . to prepare for the transfer of cells from flask to flask during cell expansion , the spent medium is poured off and the cells in the flask are then washed with phosphate - buffered saline ( pbs ). a trypsin solution is added to the cell monolayer on the flask &# 39 ; s surface and the cells are exposed until they detach from the surface . trypsin action is then largely neutralized by adding growth medium ( medium 1 , table 1 ) containing serum ; complete neutralization is not necessary , since residual trypsin will have low activity . the cells can be recovered by centrifugation and resuspended in fresh growth medium ( medium 1 ). table 2 shows the typical volumes are used . virus inocula can be prepared by infecting mature cell factory ™ tissue culture flasks . in this procedure , 293 cells are first propagated from t - flasks to cell factory ™ tissue culture flasks . when cell factory ™ tissue culture flask cultures are mature ( typically 80 - 90 % confluent ) they are infected with an inoculum from the manufacturer &# 39 ; s working virus bank ( mwvb ). the infected cell factory ™ tissue culture flasks are incubated until the 293 cells detach from their supporting surface . the cells are collected by centrifugation and ruptured by multiple freeze - thaw cycles . after a subsequent centrifugation , the virus is recovered in the supernatant and stored as aliquots at − 20 ° c . or below . this material is the “ virus inoculum ” which is used to infect bioreactors . optionally , the virus inoculum can also be derived from the bioreactor harvest which is filter - sterilized ( see “ production bioreactor harvest ” below ). preferably , a seed bioreactor is used to prepare the 293 cell inoculum for the production bioreactor . the seed bioreactor is steam - sterilized and charged with a batch of filter - sterilized growth medium ( medium 1 , table 1 , above ) for the free cell suspension process . for the microcarrier process , however , swelled sterile microcarrier beads ( cytodex 3 or equivalent ) are preferably added at this stage . the seed bioreactor is inoculated with the 293 cells harvested from cell factory ™ tissue culture flasks . the operating conditions are set as shown in table 3 . the ph and dissolved oxygen ( do ) are controlled by sparging co 2 and oxygen , respectively . extra growth medium can be added to the bioreactor by perfusion . cell growth is monitored by microscopic examination and by measuring the lactate production and glucose consumption . typically , when the cell density in the suspension culture reaches 1 × 10 6 cells / ml in the seed bioreactor , it is ready for inoculating the production bioreactor . however , inoculation requires a few additional steps for the microcarrier process . typically , when the cells on the microcarriers are & gt ; 50 % confluent , the serum and calcium in the bioreactor medium are washed off using media described in table 1 . trypsin is then added rapidly , and when the cell detachment reaches typical level , serum is added to inactivate the trypsin . the seed bioreactor contents are now transferred to the production bioreactor . optionally , 293 cells harvested from multiple cell factory ™ tissue culture flasks can directly be used as inoculum for a production bioreactor . typically , 8 - 12 such cultures are harvested and pooled to provide an inoculum . the viral production process is exemplified in a 200 - l production bioreactor using growth medium ( medium 1 , table 1 ). in the suspension culture process , filter - sterilized medium is batched into the bioreactor . however , in the microcarrier process , microcarriers are either sterilized in situ in the production bioreactor or autoclaved externally and charged . these microcarriers are then conditioned in the growth medium ( medium 1 ) prior to inoculation with 293 cells . the production bioreactor is inoculated with the 293 cells from the seed bioreactor . the operating conditions are set as shown in table 4 . the ph and dissolved oxygen ( do ) are controlled by sparging co 2 and oxygen , respectively . optionally , extra growth medium can be added to the bioreactor by perfusion . cell growth is monitored by microscopic examination , and by measurement of lactate production and glucose consumption . cells are allowed to grow to approximately 1 × 10 6 cells / ml . the bioreactor is then inoculated with virus . preferably , a multiplicity of infection ( moi ) ratio expressed as the total viral particles per cell of 50 : 1 to 150 : 1 is used . viral titer is typically performed using the resource q hplc assay . virus is allowed to propagate until the cell viability drops to about 10 %. the type of virus and its action upon the host cells may determine whether it is necessary to detach the host cells from the microcarriers and / or lyse the cells . at about the time of maximum virus titer ( frequently when the cells start to detach from the microcarrier and some of which may lyse , so that the virus starts to escape ), the incubation can be stopped and the cells and virus can be harvested . indeed , in the microcarrier process , 80 - 90 % of the cells , sometimes even more than 90 %, may detach from the microcarriers . without being limited to any one theory , the cytopathic effect of viral propagation in the host cells appears to be responsible for cell detachment . thus , when adenovirus acn53 is used with 293 cells , the cells start to detach from the microcarriers after 3 or 4 days &# 39 ; cultivation with the virus . at harvest , the bioreactor contents have to be handled differently depending on whether the process uses free suspension or a microcarrier . in the microcarrier process , a fluidized bed column is preferably used to separate the microcarriers from cells and supernatant . an upward flow rate is maintained so as to retain the microcarriers while the cells and supernatant pass through . the fluidized bed is washed with medium or wash buffer to recover most residual cells and virus , and the washings are combined with the cells and supernatant as an eluate . the fluidized bed operation is not required for the free cell suspension process . the eluate containing cells and virus is further processed in that the cells are lysed by high shear to release virus , and the eluate is then clarified by means of a cross - flow microfiltration . typically , 0 . 65 μm durapore ( millipore ) or equivalent membranes are used . towards the end of the microfiltration , the retentate is washed with wash buffer to recover the residual virus into the permeate . after microfiltration , the permeate can be optionally treated with a nuclease such as benzonase ™ endonuclease . the permeate from the microfiltration is concentrated by ultrafiltration ( with a typically 1 million molecular weight cutoff ) and a buffer exchange is performed using the wash buffer . the concentrated and diafiltered retentate containing the virus is then passed through a final filter . the resulting filtrate is stored as “ viral concentrate ” in a freezer at − 20 ° c . or below . table 1 above lists the media used in the preparation of the viral inoculum and in the fermentation process . all these culture media are prepared by first dissolving the dry dmem powder and other reagents in purified water . after dissolving the dry powders , these media are adjusted to ph 7 . 2 - 7 . 6 with hydrochloric acid . the media are then sterilized by passing through a 0 . 2 μm filter into an appropriate storage container . the sterile media are refrigerated below 10 ° c . and discarded one month after preparation . a frozen vial of the 293 cell line containing a total of 2 × 10 7 cells was thawed in a 37 ° c . water bath . the cells were washed with 10 ml of medium 1 . the washed cells were resuspended in a total volume of 30 ml of medium 1 and placed in a 75 cm 2 tissue culture flask ( t75 ). the culture was placed in an incubator at 37 ° c . with a 5 % co 2 atmosphere and a humidity level of 100 %. this was passage 1 of the culture . the t75 culture reached a confluency level of 90 % in three days . at this time the t75 culture was trypsinized in the following manner . the 30 ml of supernatant medium was removed from the flask . a volume of 10 ml of cmf - pbs ( dulbecco &# 39 ; s phosphate buffered saline without calcium chloride and without magnesium chloride ) was used to wash the culture surface . the supernatant cmf - pbs was removed from the flask . two ml of te ( 0 . 05 % crude trypsin with 0 . 53 mm edta - 4na ) solution was added to the flask . the flask was moved so that the solution covered the entire culture surface . the cells detached from the flask surface within five minutes . ten ml of medium 1 was added to the flask immediately after the cells detached from the surface . the cell suspension was centrifuged at 1000 rpm for ten minutes at ambient temperature with the break . the supernatant was removed . the cells were resuspended in five ml of medium 1 . the cell suspension was transferred to a sterile bottle with 200 ml of medium 1 . the 200 ml cell suspension was placed in a 500 cm 2 tissue culture flask ( t500 ). the liquid in the t500 was allowed to equilibrate between chambers before placement in a horizontal position in the incubator . the culture was placed in an incubator at 37 ° c . with a 5 % co 2 atmosphere and a humidity level of 100 %. this was passage 2 of the culture . the t500 culture reached a confluency level of 90 % in four days . on the fourth day , the t500 culture was trypsinized and scaled - up in the following manner . the supernatant medium was discarded . the culture surface was washed with 25 ml of cmf - pbs . a volume of 25 ml of te was added to the flask . the flask was moved so that the te solution covered all three layers of culture surface . the cells detached from the flask surface within five minutes . after the cells detached , 50 ml of medium 1 was added to the flask . all of the surfaces were contacted with the medium by moving the flask . the resultant cell suspension was poured into a 200 ml conical centrifuge bottle . the cells were pelleted by centrifugation at 1000 rpm for ten minutes at ambient temperature with the brake . the supernatant was discarded . the cells were resuspended in 5 to 15 ml of medium 1 . the cell suspension was placed in 800 ml ( 200 ml per new t500 flask ) of medium 1 . the cell suspension was mixed . a volume of 200 ml of the cell suspension was added to each of four t500 flasks . the liquid level in each flask was allowed to equilibrate between chambers before placement in a horizontal position in the incubator . the split ratio for this passage was 1 : 4 . this was passage 3 . the culture was passaged in this manner for passages 4 through 13 . at passage 14 , four t500 cultures were trypsinized in the manner given above . the cell suspensions were pooled and placed in a bottle containing 1 . 5 liters of medium 1 . this cell suspension was added to a 6000 cm 2 cell factory ™ ( cf ) tissue culture flask . the liquid level in the cf was allowed to equilibrate between chambers before placement in a horizontal position in the incubator . 4 . scale - up and passaging of cell factory ™ tissue culture flask cultures the cf culture reached an 80 % confluency level in three days . the trypsinization was performed in the following manner for passage 15 . the 1 . 5 liters of medium 1 was drained from the cf culture . the culture surfaces were washed with 500 (± 100 ) ml of cmf - pbs . after the wash , 250 (± 50 ) ml of te solution was added to the cf culture . the cf was moved so that the te solution covered each of the surfaces . after the cells detached from the surface , 500 ml of medium 1 was added to the cf . the cf was moved so that the medium 1 contacted each of the surfaces . the resultant cell suspension was aliquotted into four , 250 ml conical centrifuge bottles . the cells were pelleted by centrifugation at 1000 rpm for ten minutes with the brake on . the supernatant medium was discarded from each centrifuge bottle . in each centrifuge bottle , the cells were resuspended in 5 ml of medium 1 . the cells suspensions were pooled into one centrifuge bottle . the three remaining centrifuge bottles were washed with an additional 5 - 10 ml of medium 1 which was added to the pooled cell suspension . this cell suspension was split equally among six bottles containing 1 . 5 liters of medium 1 . each of the six 1 . 5 liter cell suspensions was added to a cf . the liquid level of each cf was allowed to equilibrate among the chambers before the cf was placed in a horizontal position in the incubator . the culture was passaged in the same manner for passage 16 . the cf cultures reached an 80 % confluency level in five days . four of the six cf cultures were used to inoculate the seed bioreactor as follows . the 1 . 5 liters of medium 1 was drained from the cf culture . the culture surfaces were washed with 500 (± 100 ) ml of cmf - pbs . after the wash , 250 (± 50 ) ml of te solution was added to the cf culture . the cf was moved so that the te solution covered each of the surfaces . immediately after the cells detached from the surface 500 ml of medium 1 was added to the cf . the cf was moved so that the medium 1 contacted each of the surfaces . the resultant cell suspension was aliquotted into four , 250 ml conical centrifuge bottles . the cells were pelleted by centrifugation at 1000 rpm for ten minutes at ambient temperature with the brake on . the supernatant medium was discarded from each centrifuge bottle . in each centrifuge bottle , the cells were resuspended in 5 ml of medium 1 . the cells suspensions were pooled into one centrifuge bottle . the remaining three centrifuge bottles were washed with an additional 5 - 10 ml of medium 1 which was added to the pooled cell suspension . the cell suspensions from each of the four centrifuge bottles were then pooled together , yielding a total volume of 50 - 100 ml . an additional volume of medium 1 was added to bring the total volume to 1000 ml . this was the cell inoculum . the total amount of cells in the cell inoculum was 2 . 88 × 10 9 total cells and 2 . 84 × 10 9 viable cells . the 1000 ml of cell inoculum was transferred to a sterile erlenmeyer flask and inoculated into the 30 liter seed bioreactor which contained a total volume of 18 liters of medium 1 with 66 g of cytodex 3 microcarriers . 1 . preparation of cytodex 3 microcarriers for the 30 l seed bioreactor one batch of 66 grams of cytodex 3 microcarriers was prepared in the following manner . the 66 grams of cytodex 3 microcarriers was placed in a five liter , glass , erlenmeyer flask . two liters of cmf - pbs with 0 . 2 ml of tween 80 was added . the microcarriers were allowed to swell at ambient temperature for five hours and thirty minutes . after this swelling period , the supernatant cmf - pbs was decanted from the flask leaving behind the cytodex 3 microcarrier slurry . the cytodex 3 microcarrier slurry was washed with two liters of cmf - pbs then resuspended in cmf - pbs to a total volume of two liters . the batch of cytodex 3 was autoclaved in the five liter flask at 121 ° c . for three and a half hours on a liquids cycle . the sterilized cytodex 3 batch was used the next day for the 30 l seed bioreactor . on the day of the cytodex 3 addition to the 30 l seed bioreactor the following actions were performed . the supernatant cmf - pbs was decanted from the five liter flask . the microcarrier slurry was washed with two liters of medium 1 . after the wash , medium 1 was added to the flask to a final volume of two liters . the 30 l seed bioreactor which contained a spinfilter was cleaned and steam sanitized . the bioreactor was sterilized for fifty minutes at 121 ° c . one day prior to 293 cell inoculation , the 30 l seed bioreactor was filled with 18 liters of medium 1 . the two liters containing 66 grams of the cytodex 3 microcarriers with medium 1 solution was added to the 30 l bioreactor . the 30 l seed bioreactor operating conditions are listed in table 8 . the 293 cells were propagated on the cytodex 3 microcarriers for five days . the actual operating conditions in the 30 l seed bioreactor during this time period are listed in table 9 . on the fifth day of cultivation , 54 % of the microcarrier population contained greater than 50 cells / microcarrier , 38 % contained 1 - 25 cells , 8 % contained no cells , and 8 % were in aggregates of two microcarriers as determined by examination of a sample under the microscope at magnification . results are provided in table 10 . one batch of 420 grams of cytodex 3 microcarriers was prepared in the following manner . the 420 grams of cytodex 3 microcarriers was placed in a fifty liter carboy . a volume of 21 . 5 liters of cmf - pbs with 2 . 0 ml of tween 80 was added . the microcarriers were allowed to swell at ambient temperature for 17 hours . after this swelling period , the supernatant cmf - pbs was removed from the carboy leaving behind the cytodex 3 microcarrier slurry . the cytodex 3 microcarrier slurry was washed with 25 liters of cmf - pbs then resuspended in cmf - pbs to a total volume of 20 liters . the 200 l bioreactor which contained a spinfilter was cleaned and steam sanitized . the 20 liter cytodex 3 microcarrier slurry was transferred to the bioreactor . five liters of cmf - pbs was used to wash out the 50 liter carboy and transferred to the bioreactor . the bioreactor was sterilized for 50 minutes at 123 ° c . the bioreactor was maintained at 4 ° c . overnight . the next day , 120 liters of medium 1 was added to the 200 l bioreactor . the microcarrier solution was agitated at 90 rpm for ten minutes in the bioreactor . the volume was brought down to 55 liters by withdrawing liquid through the spinfilter . an additional 110 liters of medium 1 was added to the 200 l bioreactor . the microcarrier solution was agitated at 90 rpm for ten minutes in the bioreactor . the volume was brought down to 55 liters by withdrawing liquid through the spinfilter . medium 1 was added to the bioreactor to bring the volume to 125 liters . the bioreactor &# 39 ; s operating conditions were set according to table 11 . on the fifth day of cultivation of the 293 cells on the cytodex 3 microcarriers , the bead to bead transfer procedure was performed . the serum and calcium levels of the medium in the culture were reduced by perfusing 22 liters of medium 2 at a rate of 2 liters per minute using the spinfilter with a constant bioreactor volume of 20 liters . perfusion was continued with 22 liters of medium 3 at a perfusion rate of 2 liters per minute with a constant bioreactor volume of 20 liters . this reduced the serum and calcium levels further . medium 3 contained disodium ethylenediaminetetra - acetate dihydrate ( edta ) which chelates divalent cations such as magnesium and calcium . a third round of perfusion was performed using 33 liters of medium 2 which was designed to further reduce the serum and calcium levels and to reduce the concentration of edta in the medium . at this point , the medium was withdrawn through the spinfilter to reduce the total culture volume to 15 . 5 liters . a volume of 480 ml of a 2 . 5 % trypsin solution was added to the bioreactor in one minute . by microscopic observation , eight minutes after the addition of the trypsin solution , 90 % of the cells had detached from the microcarriers . at this point , four liters of serum was added to the bioreactor in two and a half minutes to inhibit the action of trypsin and to protect the cells from shear during the transfer procedure to the production bioreactor . the trypsinized cells and microcarriers were transferred to the production bioreactor by pressure . the transfer was achieved in eight minutes . immediately after the transfer , five liters of medium 1 was added to the seed bioreactor as a flush and transferred to the production bioreactor by pressure . operating conditions of the seed bioreactor during the bead - bead transfer procedure are provided in table 12 . the 293 cells were propagated on the cytodex 3 microcarriers for six days . the actual operating conditions in the 200 l production bioreactor during this time period are listed in table 13 . a total volume of 115 liters of medium 1 was perfused from days four through six . the rates were as follows ; 24 liters was perfused in one hour on day four , 40 liters was perfused in one hour on day five , and 50 liters was perfused in one hour on day six . the oxygen uptake rate measured as the decrease of the dissolved oxygen level ( percent of air saturation , % do ) per minute (% do decrease / min ) reached 1 . 65 %/ min on day six . results from microscopic exam on the sixth day of cultivation of 293 cells on cytodex 3 microcarriers in the 200 l bioreactor are provided in table 14 . the bioreactor culture was inoculated with virus on day 6 . the viral inoculum had been stored frozen at − 80 ° c . a volume of 45 ml of the viral inoculum , 2 - 2 , was thawed in a water bath at 20 °- 25 ° c . the total amount of virus added to the tank was 1 . 1 × 10 13 viral particles as measured by the resource q hplc assay . the viral inoculum was mixed and placed in a bottle with one liter of medium 4 ( 293 - 1 - r07 dulbecco &# 39 ; s modified eagle &# 39 ; s medium with l - glutamine and sodium bicarbonate ( 3 . 7 g / l )). the viral solution was filtered through a gelman maxi culture capsule into a sterile five liter addition flask . the viral suspension was added to the 200 l production bioreactor with sterile connections made via the tubing welder . production bioreactor operating conditions after infection are provided in table 15 . three days after infection , 89 % of the microcarriers did not have attached cells and the oxygen uptake rate measured was 0 . 53 %/ min . the total infected cell concentration present in the supernatant broth was 1 . 0 × 10 6 cells / ml . the total volume in the bioreactor was 162 liters . the bioreactor was harvested at this time . a volume of 400 liters of the harvest recovery buffer was prepared and filtered through a pall ultipor n66 ( 0 . 2 micron pore size ) and aliquotted into sterile vessels in the following manner . three aliquots of 210 liters , 130 liters , and 50 liters were prepared . the volume of 210 liters was used for the bioreactor wash and the fluidized bed column operation . the 130 liter aliquot was used during the microfiltration . the 50 liter aliquot was utilized during the ultrafiltration process . f . separation of cells from the microcarriers using the fluidized bed column the fluidized bed was sanitized using a caustic solution ( 0 . 1n sodium hydroxide ). a t - fitting was connected to the harvest port of the bioreactor . on one side of the t - fitting , a sanitary hose ( 15 . 9 mm id ) and valve were connected to the fluidized bed column . a peristaltic pump was placed on this line ( watson marlow model 604s ). the second side of the t - fitting was connected to a sanitary hose ( 15 . 9 mm id ) and valve leading to the buffer tank . the outlet of the fluidized bed column , through which the broth containing cells and virus passed , was connected to a tank used as the microfiltration recirculation vessel . the broth from the bioreactor was passed through the fluidized bed column at a target flow rate of 2 - 3 liters per minute . the flow rate was controlled with the peristaltic pump . agitation was maintained in the bioreactor . when the bioreactor volume was less than 100 liters the spin filter was turned off . when the bioreactor volume was less than 30 liters , the agitator was turned off . after the bioreactor contents were processed through the fluidized bed column , the bioreactor was washed with 90 liters of harvest recovery buffer . this wash material was processed through the fluidized bed column . at the end of the process , the microcarriers remained in the fluidized bed column and were discarded . data are provided in table 16 . the starting material for the microfiltration process was the broth from the fluidized bed column that was clarified of the microcarriers and contained cells and virus . during the microfiltration step , the cells were lysed due to the shear rate used , the broth was clarified of debris larger than 0 . 65 microns and the residual nucleic acids from the lysed cells was digested by benzonase ™ endonuclease ( e . g ., 0 . 5 million units per 200 l batch ), an enzymatic preparation . the microfiltration unit was a prostak system ( millipore ). it contained a durapore , 0 . 65 micron pore size , hydrophilic , membrane ( catalog number sk2p446eo ) with a surface area of 54 square feet . the feed and retentate lines of the prostak filter unit were connected to the microfiltration recirculation vessel which contained the microcarrier - clarified broth from the fluidized bed column . a line used to feed the harvest recovery buffer into the microfiltration recirculation vessel was connected . the permeate line from the prostak unit was connected to the ultrafiltration recirculation vessel . the temperature of the broth was maintained in the range of 25 °- 35 ° c . when the broth feeding into the prostak unit was reduced to a volume of 10 to 30 liters in the microfiltration recirculation vessel , 50 liters of the harvest recovery buffer was added to the vessel and the microfiltration continued . this step was repeated once . the microfiltration continued until the volume in the microfiltration recirculation vessel was reduced to 10 to 30 liters . at this time , 0 . 5 million units of benzonase ™ endonuclease was added to the clarified both in the ultrafiltration recirculation vessel . the contents of the vessel were mixed well and the broth was held for two hours before the ultrafiltration was started . data are provided in table 17 . the starting material for the ultrafiltration process in the ultrafiltration recirculation vessel was the benzonase ™ endonuclease - treated , clarified broth from the microfiltration permeate . the ultrafiltration unit was a pellicon system ( millipore ). it contained a 1 million nominal molecular weight cut - off , pellicon ii - regenerated cellulose membrane ( catalog number p2c01mc05 ) with a surface area of 40 square feet . the feed and retentate lines of the pellicon unit were connected to the ultrafiltration recirculation vessel . the ultrafiltration permeate line was connected to a waste vessel . a vessel containing the harvest recovery buffer ( 50 mm tris base , 150 mm sodium chloride , 2 mm magnesium chloride hexahydrate , and 2 % sucrose ) was connected to the ultrafiltration recirculation vessel . when the ultrafiltration retentate volume reached 5 to 10 liters , an addition of 15 liters of the harvest recovery buffer was made and the ultrafiltration was continued . this step was repeated once . the ultrafiltration was continued until the retentate volume was less than 5 to 10 liters . the retentate from the ultrafiltration contained the concentrated virus . the retentate was collected from the pellicon unit . a flush of 3 to 6 liters of the harvest recovery buffer was used to collect all of the material from pellicon unit . this flushed material was added to the ultrafilter retentate broth . this was filtered through a millipore , durapore , 0 . 45 micron pore size filter ( catalog number cvhl71pp3 ) into a sterile bag . the material in the sterile bag was stored frozen at − 80 ° c . data are provided in table 18 . all 293 cell cultures in t75 , t500 and cell factory ™ tissue culture flasks were cultivated in medium 1 in an incubator at 37 ° c ., 100 % humidity and a 5 % co 2 atmosphere . all open operations were performed aseptically under a biosafety ( laminar flow ) hood . medium fills and additions were performed through a 0 . 2 micron pore size , pall ultipor n66 , in - line filter installed on the feed port of the bioreactor which was steam sterilized for 30 minutes at 121 ° c . all other additions to the bioreactors were performed each using a sterile erlenmeyer flask with pharmed ™ tubing that was aseptically connected between the bioreactor and the addition flask by a tubing welder . all buffers used in the recovery process were filtered through a 0 . 2 micron pore size , pall ultipor n66 , in - line filter ( slk7002nfp ) installed on a port of the receiving vessel . note that for the microfiltration operations either a hydrophilic or hydrophobic membrane can be used . all publications and patent applications cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference . modifications and variations of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art . the specific embodiments described herein are offered by way of example only , and the invention is not to be construed as limited thereby .
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turning to the figures , fig1 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a syringe system 5 that can be used with the extended finger flange 10 of the present disclosure . as depicted , the syringe systems 5 includes a needle guard 40 configured to receive a syringe 20 having a plunger 30 . the syringe 20 has a substantially smooth - walled cylindrical barrel 22 , a hub or distal end 24 that is the administration end , and a proximal end 26 . the proximal end 26 of the barrel 22 is configured to receive the plunger 30 . the plunger 30 comprises a stem 32 and a radial portion or thumb pad 36 . the distal end 24 of the cylindrical barrel 22 preferably comprises a needle port or luer fitting . preferably , the needle of the syringe 20 is covered with a cap 25 prior to the attachment of the extended finger flange and / or administration of the medication . the syringe 20 is preferably housed inside the needle guard 40 . although the extended finger flange 10 of the present disclosure may be used with a variety of needle guards or directly with a syringe , in an exemplary embodiment the needle guard 40 comprises a body 50 for receiving and holding the syringe 20 and a shield 60 slidably attached to the body 50 . in one exemplary embodiment , the shield 60 is a tubular member adapted to slidably fit on the body 50 and has a proximal end 62 and a distal end 64 . the shield 60 comprises a pair of finger flanges 66 . the distal surfaces 67 of the finger flanges 66 typically provide only a small surface area for the end user &# 39 ; s fingers to grip and secure the syringe system . the shield 60 can include one or more trigger fingers 68 that extend proximally from the proximal end 62 of the shield 60 . during administration of the medication , the radial portion 36 of the plunger 30 contacts the trigger fingers 68 . this action allows the shield 60 to transition from a first , retracted position to a second , extended position to cover the needle . the needle guard 40 can also include a spring mechanism coupled to the body 50 and the shield 60 for biasing the shield 60 towards an extended position when the trigger fingers 68 are deflected radially . in an exemplary embodiment , the extended finger flange device 10 fits onto the needle guard 40 of the syringe system 5 . the lateral flaps 12 of the extended finger flange 10 increase the surface area and make it easier for the end user to grip the device and administer an injection . the addition of the extended finger flange 10 makes it easier for end users that have joint pain or limited dexterity to handle and grip the device when they self - administer an injection by extending the area that they have to grip . the exact dimensions , orientation , and configuration of the lateral flaps 12 of the extended finger flange 10 can be varied to fit the requirements of the patient population served by the drug medication . for example , as shown in fig2 , the lateral flaps 12 can comprise a wide , rounded area or the lateral flaps 12 can comprise a more rectangular shape as shown in fig4 . as another example , as shown in fig3 , the finger flaps 12 can have a downward orientation to further assist the end user in holding the device . the extended finger flange 10 is generally molded from plastic , such as , polypropylene , k - resin , or polycarbonate , or the like . alternatively , the extended finger flange 10 can be manufactured using an over molded process ( fig4 ). in this embodiment , a soft durometer elastomare could be molded over a ridged core to provide support to the device and a soft spongy feel to the user that would give a better grip and reduce the pressure on the user &# 39 ; s fingers . as shown in fig3 , the extended finger flange 10 is placed onto the outside of the needle guard 40 of the syringe system 5 . the extended finger flange 10 can be coupled with the syringe system 5 in a variety of ways . as one example , the extended finger flange 10 can be coupled to the syringe system 5 using a slight press fit over the needle guard 40 . in another embodiment , the extended finger flange 10 can be coupled to the syringe system 5 through a positive snap feature 14 ( fig2 ) that couples the extended finger flange 10 and the syringe system 5 together . in this embodiment , the extended finger flange 10 comprises one or more snap features 14 that are configured to engage complimentary portions of the shield 60 of the needle guard 40 . for example , the snap features 14 on the extended finger flange 10 can be configured to engage the lateral ends 63 ( fig1 ) of the finger flange 66 on the shield 60 . in an alternative embodiment shown in fig5 , the extended finger flange 10 can be configured to slide on to the safety system 5 from the side . in this embodiment , the central portion of the extended finger flange 10 comprises a “ c ” shape . attaching the extended finger flange 10 from the side reduces the chance of damaging the needle when attaching the extended finger flange 10 to the syringe system 5 . in this embodiment , the extended finger flange 10 can be held in place by , for example , two upper snap features 18 and two side snap features 19 . the snap features 18 , 19 can engage complimentary portions of the shield 60 . for example , the side snap features 19 can interact with recesses 65 on the shield 60 , and the upper snap features 18 can interact with the lateral ends 63 of the finger flange 66 of the shield 60 . in yet another exemplary embodiment , as shown in fig6 , the extended finger flange 10 comprises one or more internal snaps 17 that press fit against the finger flange 66 of the shield 60 when the extended finger flange 10 is fully inserted onto the needle guard 40 . once fully inserted ( see fig7 a and 7b ), the snap features 17 press against the lateral edges of the finger flange 66 but not against the lateral ends 63 and , thus , does not apply pressure against the sidewall of the device . this configuration prevents the extended finger flange 10 from deforming the needle guard 40 . such deformation could cause an increase in friction between the shield 60 and body 50 of the needle guard 40 and possibly prevent the shield 60 from extending relative to the body when activated . while the invention is susceptible to various modifications , and alternative forms , specific examples thereof have been shown in the drawings and herein described in detail . it should be understood , however , that the invention is not to be limited to the particular forms or methods disclosed , but to the contrary , the intention is to cover all modifications , equivalents , and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims .
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fig1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of gas turbines according to first to third embodiments of the present invention described below . as shown in fig1 , a gas turbine 1 is provided with a compressor 2 , a combustor 3 , a turbine unit 4 , and a rotational shaft 5 . as shown in fig1 , the compressor 2 sucks in air to compress it and supplies the compressed air to the combustor 3 . a rotational driving force is transmitted from the turbine unit 4 to the compressor 2 via the rotational shaft 5 , and , upon being rotationally driven , the compressor 2 sucks in air and compresses it . note that any known configurations can be employed for the compressor 2 ; it is not particularly limited . as shown in fig1 , the combustor 3 mixes externally supplied fuel and the supplied compressed air , generates high - temperature gas by combusting the mixed air , and supplies the generated high - temperature gas to the turbine unit 4 . note that any known combustors can be employed as the combustor 3 ; it is not particularly limited . as shown in fig1 , the turbine unit 4 extracts rotational driving force from the supplied high - temperature gas to rotationally drive the rotational shaft 5 . note that any known configurations can be employed for the turbine unit 4 ; it is not particularly limited . a gas turbine according to a first embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to fig1 to 7 . note that , in this embodiment , turbine blades of the invention of the present application will be described as applied to stator blades of sixth to ninth stages in the compressor 2 of the gas turbine 1 . fig2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of a rotor disc and stator blades in a compressor of a gas turbine according to this embodiment . as shown in fig1 and 2 , the compressor 2 is provided with stator blades ( turbine blades ) 10 that are attached to a casing 6 of the gas turbine 1 and rotor blades that are disposed at a circumferential surface of a circular plate - shaped rotor disc ( not shown ) which is rotationally driven by the rotational shaft 5 . the stator blades 10 and the rotor blades are disposed in rows in the circumferential direction of the rotational shaft 5 at regular intervals and are disposed in alternating rows in the axial direction of the rotational shaft 5 . next , the stator blades 10 , which are the feature of this embodiment , will be described . fig3 is a cross - sectional view for explaining the configuration near a seal holder in the stator blade in fig2 . as shown in fig2 and 3 , the stator blades 10 are provided with an outer shroud portion 11 , airfoil portions 12 , inner shroud portions ( shroud portions ) 13 , a seal holder ( holder casing ) 14 , springs ( elastic portions ) 15 , a spacer ( pressing portion ) 16 , and a honeycomb seal 17 . as shown in fig2 , the outer shroud portion 11 is a member that forms part of wall surfaces of a flow channel in which fluid flows in the compressor 2 . furthermore , the outer shroud portion 11 is a curved plate - like member disposed at end portions of the airfoil portions 12 on the radially outer side thereof , and a single outer shroud portion 11 is disposed for a plurality of the airfoil portions 12 . in other words , the outer shroud portion 11 is formed of a cylindrical member that has been divided into a plurality of portions , and the plurality of the airfoil portions 12 are connected to an inner circumferential surface thereof . with regard to the shape of the outer shroud portion 11 and the connection method with the airfoil portions 12 , any known shapes and methods can be employed ; they are not particularly limited . as shown in fig2 , the airfoil portions 12 are members whose cross - sections extending in the radial direction of the rotational shaft 5 are formed in airfoil shapes and that , together with the rotor blades rotationally driven by the rotational shaft 5 , compress a fluid , such as air , and send it toward the combustor 3 . the airfoil portions 12 are provided with leading edges le , which are upstream - end portions relative to a flow of surrounding fluid , trailing edges te , which are downstream - end portions , negative pressure surfaces , which are surfaces curved in convex shapes , and positive pressure surfaces , which are curved in concave shapes . as shown in fig2 and 3 , the inner shroud portions 13 , as well as the outer shroud portion 11 , form part of the flow channel in which the fluid flows inside the compressor 2 . furthermore , the inner shroud portions 13 are curved plate - like members disposed at end portions of the airfoil portions 12 on the radially inner side thereof , and a single inner shroud portion 13 is disposed for a single airfoil portion 12 . in other words , the inner shroud portions 13 are formed of a cylindrical member that has been divided into a plurality of portions , and the airfoil portions 12 are connected to outer circumferential surfaces thereof . fitting grooves 13 a that fit with the seal holder 14 , extending in the circumferential direction ( direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in fig3 ), are provided at end portions on the leading edge le side and trailing edge te side of the inner shroud portions 13 . as shown in fig3 , the seal holder 14 is a member that is attached to the inner shroud portions 13 on the inner circumferential side thereof ( bottom side in fig3 ), that , together with the inner shroud portions 13 , forms a space for accommodating the springs 15 and the spacer 16 inside thereof , and that supports the honeycomb seal 17 . as with the outer shroud portion 11 , a single seal holder 14 is disposed for the plurality of the airfoil portions 12 and the inner shroud portions 13 . the seal holder 14 is provided with a pair of side wall portions 14 s that extend in radial directions at the leading edge le side and the trailing edge te side and a bottom plate portion 14 b which connects end portions of the pair of side wall portions 14 s at the radially inner side thereof . in other words , a groove portion is formed in the seal holder 14 , opening outward in the circumferential direction ( top side in fig3 ). the radially outer - side end portions of the side wall portions 14 s are provided with protrusions 14 a which protrude inward in the seal holder 14 , extending in the circumferential direction thereof , and fit with the fitting grooves 13 a of the inner shroud portions 13 . the bottom plate portion 14 b is provided with through - holes 14 h into which compressing bolts ( compressing portions ) 18 that press the spacer 16 together with the springs 15 are inserted . the through - holes 14 h are provided in the bottom plate portion 14 b at an equidistant position from each of the pair of side wall portions 14 s , and a plurality thereof are provided in the circumferential direction ( direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in fig3 ) at predetermined intervals . as shown in fig2 and 3 , the springs 15 are elastic members that bias the inner shroud portions 13 in directions that separate them from the spacer 16 and the seal holder 14 . furthermore , by sliding on the inner shroud portions 13 , the springs 15 damp the vibrations in the stator blades 10 , i . e ., the airfoil portions 12 and the inner shroud portions 13 . in this way , by having the springs 15 bias the inner shroud portions 13 in the directions that separate them from the seal holder 14 , the fitting grooves 13 a and the protrusions 14 a are pressed together , coming into close contact with each other , thereby making it possible to ensure the sealing level between the inner shroud portions 13 and the seal holder 14 . the springs 15 are substantially rectangularly formed plate springs that are formed into substantially a wave shape , and the spring force of the springs 15 is adjusted by adjusting the plate thickness of the plate springs . with regard to the material forming the springs 15 , the material is desirably capable of maintaining the required spring properties while the gas turbine 1 is in operation , that is , even if the springs 15 are heated to high temperature . the springs 15 are disposed in a space formed between the inner shroud portions 13 and the seal holder 14 , more specifically , between the inner shroud portions 13 and the spacer 16 . furthermore , a total of two springs 15 , one on the leading edge le side and another on the trailing edge te side , are disposed in a parallel arrangement . in this embodiment , descriptions will be given as applied to an example in which these two springs 15 are disposed at the same phase , in other words , an example in which peak portions of the two springs 15 come in contact with the inner shroud portions 13 or the spacer 16 at the same positions . fig4 is a schematic diagram for explaining another arrangement example of the springs . note that , the two springs 15 may be disposed at the same phase , as described above , or they may be disposed at different phases , as shown in fig4 ; it is not particularly limited . with the arrangement of the springs 15 shown in fig4 , at locations where the peak portions of the first spring 15 are in contact with the inner shroud portions 13 , the peak portions of the other spring 15 are in contact with the spacer 16 . by doing so , it is possible to make the springs 15 contact all of the inner shroud portions 13 , even when arrangement intervals of the peak portions in the first spring 15 are wider than arrangement intervals of the inner shroud portions 13 . that is , the inner shroud portions 13 with which the peak portions of the first spring 15 are not in contact are in contact with the peak portions of the other spring 15 , thereby making it possible to have all of the inner shroud portions 13 in contact with the springs 15 . the shapes of the springs 15 are determined such that the amplitude of the wave shape ( peak - to - peak distance in the radial direction ) is longer than the distance from the inner circumferential surfaces of the inner shroud portions 13 to the outer circumferential surface of the spacer 16 and so that the peak portions of the springs 15 are in contact with the inner circumferential surfaces of individual inner shroud portions 13 . more specifically , the amplitude of the wave shape in the springs 15 is determined on the basis of the frictional force for damping the vibrations of the stator blades 10 , that is , the compression level of the springs 15 required for generating the spring force . the wavelength ( peak - to - peak distance in the circumferential direction ) in the wave shape of the springs 15 is determined on the basis of the arrangement intervals of the inner shroud portions 13 , that is , the pitch thereof . as shown in fig3 , the spacer 16 , together with the compressing bolts 18 , presses the springs 15 toward the inner shroud portions 13 and is disposed between the bottom plate portion 14 b of the seal holder 14 and the springs 15 . as with the seal holder 14 , a single spacer 16 is disposed for the plurality of the airfoil portions 12 and the inner shroud portions 13 . in other words , the spacer 16 is formed of a cylindrical member that has been divided into a plurality of portions , and the springs 15 come in contact with the inner circumferential surface thereof . the spacer 16 is provided with through - holes 16 h into which the compressing bolts 18 are inserted . as shown in fig3 , the honeycomb seal 17 , together with seal fins 22 provided in a rotor 21 , suppresses leakage of the fluid that flows between the stator blades 10 and the rotor 21 . any known honeycomb seal may be used as the honeycomb seal 17 ; it is not particularly limited . next , an assembly method of the stator blades 10 having the above - described configuration will be described . fig5 is a schematic diagram for explaining attaching and detaching of the seal holder in the stator blades in fig3 . first , the springs 15 and the spacer 16 are disposed on the inner circumferential surface side in the inner shroud portions 13 , and the compressing bolts 18 are screwed onto the inner shroud portions 13 via the through - holes 16 h of the spacer 16 . then , by screwing the compressing bolts 18 further into the inner shroud portions 13 , the spacer 16 is brought closer to the inner shroud portions 13 to compress the springs 15 . at this time , the distance from the inner circumferential surfaces of the inner shroud portions 13 to the outer circumferential surface of the spacer 16 is made shorter than the distance from the inner circumferential surfaces of the inner shroud portions 13 to the outer circumferential surface of the bottom plate portion 14 b of the seal holder 14 . subsequently , the seal holder 14 is fitted to the inner shroud portions 13 . more specifically , the protrusions 14 a of the seal holder 14 are fitted to the fitting grooves 13 a in the inner shroud portions 13 . at this time , the seal holder 14 is fitted while sliding it in the circumferential direction relative to the inner shroud portions 13 . fig6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the state after the seal holder is attached to the stator blades in fig3 . then , as shown in fig6 , the compressing bolts 18 are removed from the inner shroud portions 13 via the through - holes 14 h of the seal holder 14 , and thus , attaching of the seal holder 14 is completed . the seal holder 14 is removed by carrying out the above - described steps sequentially in reverse order . note that , the compressing bolts 18 may be completely removed from the stator blades 10 as described above , or they may remain on the stator blades 10 in a state in which a predetermined level of compression is exerted on the springs 15 ; it is not particularly limited . next , a method of damping vibrations in the stator blades 10 having the above - described configuration will be described . when the gas turbine 1 is operated , vibrations are generated in the stator blades 10 due to the influence of the fluid or the like flowing in the compressor 2 . more specifically , vibrations are generated by which the airfoil portions 12 and the inner shroud portions 13 of the stator blades 10 vibrate in the circumferential direction . when the inner shroud portions 13 vibrate as described above , sliding occurs between the peak portions of the springs 15 , which are pressed against the inner shroud portions 13 , and the inner circumferential surfaces of the inner shroud portions 13 . the pressing force of the springs 15 and the frictional force in accordance with the friction coefficient between the inner shroud portions 13 and the springs 15 act between the inner shroud portions 13 and the springs 15 . the above - described sliding converts vibrational energy of the airfoil portions 12 and the inner shroud portions 13 into frictional energy , such as thermal energy and so forth , thereby damping the vibrations in the stator blades 10 . with the above - described configuration , when the airfoil portions 12 and the inner shroud portions 13 vibrate and slide relative to the seal holder 14 , the springs 15 , which have been pressing the inner shroud portions 13 in the direction away from the seal holder 14 , and the inner shroud portions 13 relatively move ; that is , the springs 15 and the inner shroud portions 13 slide . accordingly , energy associated with the vibrations in the airfoil portions 12 and the inner shroud portions 13 is converted into thermal energy ( frictional energy ) due to sliding , thereby making it possible to damp the vibrations in the airfoil portions 12 and the inner shroud portions 13 . furthermore , because the compression level of the springs 15 is adjusted by moving the spacer 16 closer to the inner shroud portions 13 , the force with which the springs 15 press the inner shroud portions 13 is adjusted . in other words , because the frictional force between the springs 15 and the inner shroud portions 13 is adjusted , it is possible to adjust the level of damping of vibrations in the airfoil portions 12 and the inner shroud portions 13 . on the other hand , the springs 15 can be easily replaced by attaching / detaching the springs 15 , together with the seal holder 14 , to / from the inner shroud portions 13 by sliding them . accordingly , even if the springs 15 become deteriorated due to wear from long - term use , the springs 15 can easily be replaced . in addition , the springs 15 are disposed inside the space surrounded by the seal holder 14 and the inner shroud portions 13 ; therefore , even if the springs 15 break , it is possible to prevent them from leaping out of the space to damage the airfoil portions 12 . furthermore , by moving the spacer 16 closer to the inner shroud portions 13 , the biasing force of the springs 15 is received by the inner shroud portions 13 and the spacer 16 . in other words , the biasing force of the springs 15 does not act on the seal holder 14 . accordingly , when moving the seal holder 14 by sliding it relative to the inner shroud portions 13 or when attaching / detaching the seal holder 14 , the frictional force that acts at contact surfaces between the inner shroud portions 13 and the seal holder 14 is reduced , thereby making it possible to facilitate the sliding movement or attaching / detaching . because the inner shroud portions 13 are independently disposed for each of the plurality of the airfoil portions 12 , the individual airfoil portions 12 and the inner shroud portions 13 readily move relative to the springs 15 , as compared with the case in which the plurality of the inner shroud portions 13 are integrally formed . in other words , the sliding distance between the inner shroud portions 13 and the springs 15 is extended . accordingly , a greater amount of energy associated with the vibrations in the airfoil portions 12 and the inner shroud portions 13 is converted into thermal energy ( frictional energy ) due to sliding , and therefore , the vibrations in the airfoil portions 12 and the inner shroud portions 13 are more readily damped . on the other hand , because a single seal holder 14 is provided for the plurality of the airfoil portions 12 and the inner shroud portions 13 , the sealing level between the upstream side and the downstream side of the stator blades 10 can be increased as compared with the case in which the seal holders 14 are disposed for each of the plurality of the airfoil portions 12 and the inner shroud portions 13 . by employing plate - like springs formed into a wave - like shape as the springs 15 , a larger pressing force can be exerted on the inner shroud portions 13 as compared with the case in which other types of springs are employed . on the other hand , by making each of the peak portions of the springs 15 individually contact the inner shroud portions 13 , the plurality of the inner shroud portions 13 can be moved , by sliding them , with respect to a single spring 15 . the spacer 16 can be moved closer to the inner shroud portions 13 using the compressing bolts 18 . accordingly , the compression level of the springs 15 is adjusted , thereby adjusting the force with which the springs 15 press the inner shroud portions 13 . in other words , because the frictional force between the springs 15 and the inner shroud portions 13 is adjusted , it is possible to adjust the level of damping of vibrations in the airfoil portions 12 and the inner shroud portions 13 . on the other hand , by moving the spacer 16 closer to the inner shroud portions 13 , the biasing force of the springs 15 is received by the inner shroud portions 13 and the spacer 16 . accordingly , when moving the seal holder 14 by sliding it relative to the inner shroud portions 13 or when attaching / detaching the seal holder 14 , the frictional force that acts at contact surfaces between the inner shroud portions 13 and the seal holder 14 is reduced , thereby making it possible to facilitate the sliding movement or attaching / detaching . fig7 is a schematic diagram for explaining yet another arrangement example of the springs in fig3 . note that , two springs 15 may be disposed between the inner shroud portions 13 and the spacer 16 , as in the embodiment described above , or , as shown in fig7 , four springs 15 may be disposed between the inner shroud portions 13 and the spacer 16 ; the number of the springs 15 is not particularly limited . furthermore , the spacer 16 may be pressed toward the inner shroud portions 13 by screwing the compressing bolts 18 onto the inner shroud portions 13 as in the above - described embodiment , or the spacer 16 may be pressed toward the inner shroud portions 13 by screwing the pressing springs 15 onto the seal holder 14 to thereby press the tip of the pressing springs 15 against the spacer 16 ; it is not particularly limited . as in the embodiment described above , the gas turbine 1 may be operated in a state in which the spacer 16 remains between the seal holder 14 and the inner shroud portions 13 , or the gas turbine 1 may be operated with the spacer 16 removed from between the seal holder 14 and the inner shroud portions 13 ; it is not particularly limited . as in the embodiment described above , the spring force of the springs 15 may be adjusted by adjusting the compression level of the springs 15 using the compressing bolts 18 or , even in a state in which the compressing bolts 18 are removed , the spring force of the springs 15 may be adjusted by adjusting only the plate thickness of the spacer 16 ; it is not particularly limited . a gas turbine according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig8 to 15 . note that , in this embodiment , turbine blades of the invention of the present application will be described as applied to stator blades of first to fourth stages in the compressor 2 of the gas turbine 1 . fig8 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of a rotor disc and stator blades in a compressor of a gas turbine according to this embodiment . as shown in fig1 and 8 , the compressor 2 is provided with stator blades ( turbine blades ) 110 that are attached to a casing 6 of the gas turbine 1 and rotor blades that are disposed at a circumferential surface of a circular plate - shaped rotor disc ( not shown ) which is rotationally driven by the rotational shaft 5 . the stator blades 110 and the rotor blades are disposed in rows in the circumferential direction of the rotational shaft 5 at regular intervals and are disposed in alternating rows in the axial direction of the rotational shaft 5 . next , the stator blades 110 , which are the feature of this embodiment , will be described . fig9 is a cross - sectional view for explaining the configuration near a seal holder in the stator blade in fig8 . as shown in fig8 and 9 , the stator blades 110 are provided with an outer shroud portion 111 , airfoil portions 112 , inner shroud portions ( shroud portions ) 113 , a seal holder ( holder casing ) 114 , springs ( elastic portions ) 115 , damping plates ( friction portions ) 116 , and a honeycomb seal 117 . as shown in fig8 , the outer shroud portion 111 is a member that forms part of wall surfaces of a flow channel in which fluid flows in the compressor 2 . furthermore , the outer shroud portion 111 is a curved plate - like member disposed at end portions of the airfoil portions 112 on the radially outer side thereof , and a single outer shroud portion 111 is disposed for a plurality of the airfoil portions 112 . in other words , the outer shroud portion 111 is formed of a cylindrical member that has been divided into a plurality of portions , and the plurality of the airfoil portions 112 are connected to an inner circumferential surface thereof . with regard to the shape of the outer shroud portion 111 and the connection method with the airfoil portions 112 , any known shapes and methods can be employed ; they are not particularly limited . as shown in fig8 , the airfoil portions 112 are members whose cross - sections extending in the radial direction of the rotational shaft 5 are formed in airfoil shapes and that , together with the rotor blades rotationally driven by the rotational shaft 5 , compress a fluid , such as air , and send it toward the combustor 3 . the airfoil portions 112 are provided with leading edges le , which are upstream - end portions relative to a flow of surrounding fluid , trailing edges te , which are downstream - end portions , negative pressure surfaces , which are surfaces curved in convex shapes , and positive pressure surfaces , which are curved in concave shapes . as shown in fig8 and 9 , the inner shroud portions 113 , as well as the outer shroud portion 111 , form part of the flow channel in which the fluid flows inside the compressor 2 . furthermore , the inner shroud portions 113 are curved plate - like members disposed at end portions of the airfoil portions 112 on radially inner side thereof , and a single inner shroud portion 113 is disposed for a single airfoil portion 112 . in other words , the inner shroud portions 113 are formed of a cylindrical member that has been divided into a plurality of portions , and the airfoil portions 112 are connected to outer circumferential surfaces thereof . fitting grooves 113 a that fit with the seal holder 144 , extending in the circumferential direction ( direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in fig9 ), are provided at end portions on the leading edge le side and trailing edge te side of the inner shroud portions 113 . as shown in fig9 , the seal holder 114 is a member that is attached to the inner shroud portions 113 on the inner circumferential side thereof ( bottom side in fig9 ), that , together with the inner shroud portions 113 , forms a space for accommodating the springs 115 and the damping plates 116 inside thereof , and that supports the honeycomb seal 117 . as with the outer shroud portion 114 , a single seal holder 114 is disposed for the plurality of the airfoil portions 112 and the inner shroud portions 113 . the seal holder 114 is provided with a pair of side wall portions 114 s that extend in radial directions at the leading edge le side and the trailing edge te side and a bottom plate portion 114 b which connects end portions of the pair of side wall portions 114 s at the radially inner side thereof . in other words , a groove portion is formed in the seal holder 114 , opening outward in the circumferential direction ( top side in fig9 ). the radially outer - side end portions of the side wall portions 114 s are provided with protrusions 114 a which protrude inward in the seal holder 114 , extending in the circumferential direction thereof , and fit with the fitting grooves 113 a of the inner shroud portions 113 . the bottom plate portion 114 b is provided with through - holes 114 h into which compressing bolts ( compressing portions ) 118 that press the damping plates 116 together with the springs 115 are inserted . the through - holes 114 h are provided in the bottom plate portion 114 b at an equidistant position from each of the pair of side wall portions 114 s and a plurality thereof are provided in the circumferential direction ( direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in fig9 ) at predetermined intervals . as shown in fig8 and 9 , the springs 115 are elastic members that bias the inner shroud portions 113 and the damping plates 116 in directions that separate them from the seal holder 114 . furthermore , the springs 115 , together with the damping plates 116 , damp the vibrations in the stator blades 110 , i . e ., the airfoil portions 112 , and the inner shroud portions 113 . in this way , by having the springs 115 bias the inner shroud portions 113 in the directions that separate them from the seal holder 114 , the fitting grooves 113 a and the protrusions 114 a are pressed together , coming into close contact with each other , thereby making it possible to ensure the sealing level between the inner shroud portions 113 and the seal holder 114 . the springs 115 are substantially rectangularly formed plate springs that are formed into substantially a wave shape , and the spring force of the springs 115 is adjusted by adjusting the plate thickness of the plate springs . with regard to the material forming the springs 115 , the material is desirably capable of maintaining the required spring properties while the gas turbine 1 is in operation , that is , even if the springs 115 are heated to high temperature . the springs 115 are disposed in the space formed between the inner shroud portions 113 and the seal holder 114 , more specifically , between the seal holder 114 and the damping plates 116 . furthermore , a total of two springs 115 , one on the leading edge le side and another on the trailing edge te side , are disposed in a parallel arrangement . in this embodiment , descriptions will be given as applied to an example in which these two springs 115 are disposed at the same phase , in other words , an example in which peak portions of the two springs 115 come in contact with the damping plates 16 or the seal holder 114 at the same positions . fig1 is a schematic diagram for explaining another arrangement example of the springs in fig9 . note that , the two springs 115 may be disposed at the same phase , as described above , or they may be disposed at different phases , as shown in fig1 ; it is not particularly limited . with the arrangement of the springs 115 shown in fig1 , at locations where the peak portions of the first spring 115 are in contact with the damping plates 116 , the peak portions of the other spring 115 are in contact with the seal holder 114 . by doing so , it is possible to make the springs 115 contact all of the damping plates 116 , even when arrangement intervals of the peak portions in the first spring 115 are wider than arrangement intervals of the inner shroud portions 113 and the damping plates 116 . that is , the damping plates 116 with which the peak portions of the first spring 115 are not in contact are in contact with the peak portions of the other spring 115 , thereby making it possible to have all of the damping plates 116 in contact with the springs 115 . the shapes of the springs 115 are determined such that the amplitude of the wave shape ( peak - to - peak distance in the radial direction ) is longer than the distance from the outer circumferential surfaces of the damping plates 116 to the inner circumferential surface of the seal holder 114 and so that the peak portions of the springs 115 are in contact with the inner circumferential surfaces of individual damping plates 116 . more specifically , the amplitude of the wave shape in the springs 115 is determined on the basis of the frictional force for damping the vibrations of the stator blades 110 , that is , the compression level of the springs 115 required for generating the spring force . the wavelength ( peak - to - peak distance in the circumferential direction ) in the wave shape of the springs 115 is determined on the basis of the arrangement intervals of the inner shroud portions 113 and damping plates 116 , that is , the pitch thereof . as shown in fig9 , the damping plates 116 are pressed against the inner circumferential surfaces of the inner shroud portions 113 by the springs 15 and are disposed between the inner shroud portions 113 and the springs 115 . as with the inner shroud portions 113 , one damping plate 116 is disposed for each of the plurality of the airfoil portions 112 and the inner shroud portions 113 . fig1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of the damping plates in fig9 . the damping plates 116 are provided with bolt holes 116 h into which the compressing bolts 118 are screwed and relief grooves 116 g formed on surfaces facing the inner shroud portions 113 . the bolt holes 116 h are female screw holes formed substantially at the center of the damping plates 116 and the compressing bolts 118 are screwed thereinto . first end portions of the compressing bolts 118 are screwed into the bolt holes 116 h of the damping plates 116 . second end portions of the compressing bolts 118 are inserted into the through - holes 114 h of the seal holder 114 . the nuts ( compressing portions ) 119 , which compress the springs 115 together with the compressing bolts 118 , are threaded onto the second end portions of the compressing bolts 118 . as shown in fig9 and 11 , the relief grooves 116 g are grooves formed on the surfaces ( top - side surfaces in fig9 and 11 ) of the damping plates 116 facing the inner shroud portions 113 . in addition , the relief grooves 116 g are grooves extending in the direction parallel to the direction in which the rotational shaft 5 extends ( direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in fig9 ), in other words , grooves extending in a direction that intersect with , more preferably a direction perpendicular to , the direction in which the damping plates 116 and the inner shroud portions 113 slide . by providing the relief grooves 116 g in this way , the surfaces of the damping plates 116 that come into contact with the inner shroud portions 113 are divided into two with the relief grooves 116 g therebetween , and each surface comes into contact with the inner shroud portions 113 . accordingly , even if the inner shroud portions 113 and the damping plates 116 slide , the inner shroud portions 113 and the damping plates 116 come into stable contact at the above - described two surfaces , thereby preventing the occurrence of problems such as partial contact or the like . as shown in fig9 , the honeycomb seal 117 , together with seal fins 122 provided in a rotor 21 , suppresses leakage of a fluid that flows between the stator blades 110 and the rotor 21 . any known honeycomb seal may be used as the honeycomb seal 117 ; it is not particularly limited . next , an assembly method of the stator blades 110 having the above - described configuration will be described . fig1 is a schematic diagram for explaining attaching and detaching of the seal holder in the stator blades in fig9 . first , the springs 115 and the damping plates 116 are disposed inside the seal holder 114 , and the second end portions of the compressing bolts 118 are inserted into the through - holes 114 h of the seal holder 114 . then , by threading the nuts 119 on the second end portions of the compressing bolts 118 , the damping plates 116 are brought closer to the bottom plate portion 114 b of the seal holder 114 , thereby compressing the springs 115 . at this time , the distance from the outer circumferential surface of the bottom plate portion 114 b to the outer circumferential surfaces of the damping plates 116 is made shorter than the distance from the outer circumferential surface of the bottom plate portion 114 b to the inner circumferential surfaces of the inner shroud portions 113 . subsequently , the seal holder 114 is fitted to the inner shroud portions 113 . more specifically , the protrusions 114 a of the seal holder 114 are fitted to the fitting grooves 113 a in the inner shroud portions 113 . at this time , the seal holder 114 is fitted while sliding it in the circumferential direction relative to the inner shroud portions 113 . fig1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the state after the seal holder is attached to the stator blade in fig9 . then , as shown in fig1 , the nuts 119 are removed from the compressing bolts 118 , and the damping plates 116 are brought into contact with the inner shroud portions 113 , thereby completing the attaching of the seal holder 114 . the seal holder 114 is removed by carrying out the above - described steps sequentially in reverse order . note that , the compressing bolts 118 may be left attached to the damping plates 116 , as described above , or they may be removed from the damping plates 116 ; it is not particularly limited . next , a method of damping vibrations in the stator blades 110 having the above - described configuration will be described . when the gas turbine 1 is operated , vibrations are generated in the stator blades 110 due to the influence of the fluid or the like flowing in the compressor 2 . more specifically , vibrations are generated by which the airfoil portions 112 and the inner shroud portions 113 of the stator blades 110 vibrate in the circumferential direction . when the inner shroud portions 113 vibrate as described above , sliding occurs between the damping plates 116 , which are pressed against the inner shroud portions 113 , and the inner circumferential surfaces of the inner shroud portions 113 . the pressing force of the springs 115 and the frictional force in accordance with the friction coefficient between the inner shroud portions 113 and the damping plates 116 act between the inner shroud portions 113 and the damping plates 116 . the above - described sliding converts vibrational energy of the airfoil portions 112 and the inner shroud portions 113 into frictional energy , such as thermal energy and so forth , thereby damping the vibrations in the stator blades 110 . with the above - described configuration , when the airfoil portions 112 and the inner shroud portions 113 vibrate and slide relative to the seal holder 114 , the damping plates 116 , which have been pressed against the inner shroud portions 113 , and the inner shroud portions 113 relatively move ; that is , the damping plates 116 and the inner shroud portions 113 slide . accordingly , energy associated with the vibrations in the airfoil portions 112 and the inner shroud portions 113 is converted into thermal energy ( frictional energy ) due to the sliding , thereby making it possible to damp the vibrations in the airfoil portions 112 and the inner shroud portions 113 . on the other hand , by moving the damping plates 116 closer to the seal holder 114 , the biasing force of the springs 115 is received by the damping plates 116 and the seal holder 114 . in other words , the biasing force of the springs 115 does not act on the inner shroud portions 113 . accordingly , when moving the seal holder 114 by sliding it relative to the inner shroud portions 113 or when attaching / detaching the seal holder 114 , the frictional force that acts at contact surfaces between the inner shroud portions 113 and the seal holder 114 is reduced , thereby making it possible to facilitate the sliding movement or attaching / detaching . furthermore , the springs 115 can be easily replaced by attaching / detaching the springs 115 , together with the seal holder 114 , to / from the inner shroud portions 113 by sliding them . accordingly , even if the springs 115 become deteriorated due to wear from long - term use , the springs 115 can easily be replaced . in addition , the springs 115 are disposed inside the space surrounded by the seal holder 114 and the inner shroud portions 113 ; therefore , even if the springs 115 break , it is possible to prevent them from leaping out of the space to damage the airfoil portions 112 . because the inner shroud portions 113 are independently disposed for each of the plurality of the airfoil portions 112 , the individual airfoil portions 112 and the inner shroud portions 113 readily move relative to the damping plates 116 , as compared with the case in which the plurality of the inner shroud portions 113 are integrally formed . in other words , the sliding distance between the inner shroud portions 113 and the damping plates 116 is extended . accordingly , a greater amount of energy associated with the vibrations in the airfoil portions 112 and the inner shroud portions 113 is converted into thermal energy ( frictional energy ) due to sliding , and therefore , the vibrations in the airfoil portions 112 and the inner shroud portions 113 are more readily damped . on the other hand , because a single seal holder 114 is provided for the plurality of the airfoil portions 112 and the inner shroud portions 113 , the sealing level between the upstream side and the downstream side of the stator blades 110 can be increased as compared with the case in which the seal holders 114 are disposed for each of the plurality of the airfoil portions 112 and the inner shroud portions 113 . by employing springs formed into a wave - like shape as the springs 115 , a larger pressing force can be exerted on the inner shroud portions 113 as compared with the case in which other types of springs are employed . on the other hand , by making each of the peak portions of the springs 115 individually contact the damping plates 116 , the plurality of the damping plates 116 are pressed against the inner shroud portions 113 by a single spring . because the compressing bolts 118 protrude from the damping plates 116 penetrating the seal holder 114 , the compressing bolts 118 and the damping plates 116 are movable in directions toward and away from the seal holder 114 , while being restricted in movement in the direction that intersects with the direction of movement toward / away from the seal holder 114 ; that is , movement in the circumferential direction of the rotational shaft 5 is restricted . accordingly , it is ensured that sliding occurs between the inner shroud portions 113 and the damping plates 116 . fig1 is a schematic diagram for explaining yet another arrangement example of the springs in fig3 . note that , two springs 115 may be disposed between the damping plates 116 and the seal holder 114 , as in the embodiment described above , or , as shown in fig1 , four springs 115 may be disposed between the damping plates 116 and the seal holder 114 ; the number of the springs 115 is not particularly limited . fig1 is a schematic diagram for explaining another configuration of the seal holder in fig9 . note that , as in the above - described embodiment , the honeycomb seal 117 may be disposed in the seal holder 114 , and the seal fins 122 may be disposed at the rotor 21 or , as shown in fig1 , seal fins 122 may be disposed in the seal holder 114 , configuring them as a labyrinth seal in which steps are provided at positions that face the seal fins 122 of the rotor 21 ; it is not particularly limited . as in the embodiment described above , the spring force of the springs 115 may be adjusted by adjusting the compression level of the springs 115 using compressing bolts 118 and the nuts 119 or , even in a state in which the nuts 119 are removed , the spring force of the springs 115 may be adjusted by adjusting only the plate thickness of the damping plates 116 ; it is not particularly limited . a gas turbine according to a third embodiment of this invention will now be described with reference to fig1 and fig1 to 19 . note that , in this embodiment , turbine blades of the invention of the present application will be described as applied to stator blades of first to third , fifth to seventeenth , or tenth to fourteenth stages in the compressor 2 of the gas turbine 1 . fig1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of a rotor disc and stator blades in a compressor of a gas turbine according to this embodiment . as shown in fig1 and 16 , the compressor 2 is provided with stator blades ( turbine blades ) 210 that are attached to a casing 6 of the gas turbine 1 and rotor blades that are disposed at a circumferential surface of a circular plate - like rotor disc ( not shown ) which is rotationally driven by the rotational shaft 5 . the stator blades 210 and the rotor blades are disposed in rows in the circumferential direction of the rotational shaft 5 at regular intervals and are disposed in alternating rows in the axial direction of the rotational shaft 5 . next , the stator blades 210 , which are the feature of this embodiment , will be described . fig1 is a cross - sectional view for explaining the configuration near a seal holder in the stator blades in fig1 . in this embodiment , the stator blades 210 will be described as applied to stator blades with fixed pitch , in other words , stator blades with fixed angles of attack with respect to the flow of the fluid flowing inside the compressor 2 . as shown in fig1 and 17 , the stator blades 210 are provided with an outer shroud portion 211 , airfoil portions 212 , inner shroud portions ( shroud portions ) 213 , a seal holder ( holder casing ) 214 , springs ( elastic portions ) 215 , and a honeycomb seal 217 . as shown in fig1 , the outer shroud portion 211 is a member that forms part of wall surfaces of a flow channel in which fluid flows in the compressor 2 . furthermore , the outer shroud portion 211 is a curved plate - like member disposed at end portions of the airfoil portions 212 on the radially outer side thereof , and a single outer shroud portion 211 is disposed for a plurality of the airfoil portions 212 . in other words , the outer shroud portion 211 is formed of a cylindrical member that has been divided into a plurality of portions , and the plurality of the airfoil portions 212 are connected to an inner circumferential surface thereof . with regard to the shape of the outer shroud portion 211 and the connection method with the airfoil portions 212 , any known shapes and methods can be employed ; they are not particularly limited . as shown in fig1 , the airfoil portions 212 are members whose cross - sections extending in the radial direction of the rotational shaft 5 are formed in airfoil shapes and that , together with the rotor blades rotationally driven by the rotational shaft 5 , compress a fluid such as air and send it toward the combustor 3 . the airfoil portions 212 are provided with leading edges le , which are upstream - end portions relative to a flow of surrounding fluid , trailing edges te , which are downstream - end portions , negative pressure surfaces , which are surfaces curved in convex shapes , and positive pressure surfaces , which are curved in concave shapes . as shown in fig1 and 17 , the inner shroud portions 213 , as well as the outer shroud portion 211 , form part of the flow channel in which the fluid flows inside the compressor 2 . furthermore , the inner shroud portions 213 are curved plate - like members disposed at end portions of the airfoil portions 212 on radially inner side thereof , and a single inner shroud portion 213 is disposed for a single airfoil portion 212 . in other words , the inner shroud portions 213 are formed of a cylindrical member that has been divided into a plurality of portions , and the airfoil portions 212 are connected to outer circumferential surfaces thereof . fitting grooves 213 a that fit with the seal holder 214 , extending in the circumferential direction ( direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in fig1 ), are provided at end portions on the leading edge le side and trailing edge te side of the inner shroud portions 213 . as shown in fig1 , the seal holder 214 is a member that is attached to the inner shroud portions 213 on the inner circumferential side thereof ( bottom side in fig1 ), that , together with the inner shroud portions 213 , forms a space for accommodating the springs 215 inside thereof , and that supports the honeycomb seal 217 . as with the outer shroud portion 211 , a single seal holder 214 is disposed for the plurality of the airfoil portions 212 and the inner shroud portions 213 . the seal holder 214 is provided with a pair of side wall portions 214 s that extend in radial directions at the leading edge le side and the trailing edge te side and a bottom plate portion 214 b which connects end portions of the pair of side wall portions 214 s at radially inner side thereof . in other words , a groove portion is formed in the seal holder 214 , opening outward in the circumferential direction ( top side in fig1 ). the radially outer - side end portions of the side wall portions 214 s are provided with protrusions 214 a which protrude inward in the seal holder 214 , extending in the circumferential direction thereof , and fit with the fitting grooves 213 a of the inner shroud portions 213 . as shown in fig1 and 17 , the springs 215 are elastic members that bias the inner shroud portions 213 in directions that separate them from the seal holder 214 . furthermore , by sliding on the inner shroud portions 213 , the springs 215 damp the vibrations in the stator blades 210 , i . e ., the airfoil portions 212 , and the inner should portions 213 . in this way , by having the springs 215 bias the inner shroud portions 213 in the directions that separate them from the seal holder 214 , the fitting grooves 213 a and the protrusions 214 a are pressed together , coming into close contact with each other , thereby making it possible to ensure the sealing level between the inner shroud portions 213 and the seal holder 214 . the springs 215 are substantially rectangularly formed plate springs that are formed into substantially a wave shape , and the spring force of the springs 215 is adjusted by adjusting the plate thickness of the plate springs . with regard to the material forming the springs 215 , the material is desirably capable of maintaining the required spring properties while the gas turbine 1 is in operation , that is , even if the springs 215 are heated to high temperature . the springs 215 are disposed in a space formed between the inner shroud portions 213 and the seal holder 214 , more specifically , between the inner shroud portions 213 and the seal holder 214 . furthermore , a total of two springs 215 , one on the leading edge le side and another on the trailing edge te side , are disposed in a parallel arrangement . in this embodiment , descriptions will be given as applied to an example in which these two springs 215 are disposed at the same phase , in other words , an example in which peak portions of the two springs 215 come in contact with the inner shroud portions 213 or the seal holder 214 at the same positions . fig1 is a schematic diagram for explaining another arrangement example of springs in fig1 . note that , the two springs 215 may be disposed at the same phase , as described above , or they may be disposed at different phases , as shown in fig1 ; it is not particularly limited . with the arrangement of the springs 215 shown in fig1 , at locations where the peak portions of the first spring 215 are in contact with the inner shroud portions 213 , the peak portions of the other spring 215 are in contact with the seal holder 214 . by doing so , it is possible to make the springs 215 contact all of the inner shroud portions 213 , even when arrangement intervals of the peak portions in the first spring 215 are wider than arrangement intervals of the inner shroud portions 213 . that is , the inner shroud portions 213 with which the peak portions of the first spring 215 are not in contact are in contact with the peak portions of the other spring 215 , thereby making it possible to have all of the inner shroud portions 213 in contact with the springs 215 . the shapes of the springs 215 are determined such that the amplitude of the wave shape ( peak - to - peak distance in the radial direction ) is longer than the distance from the inner circumferential surfaces of the inner shroud portions 213 to the outer circumferential surface of the seal holder 214 and so that the peak portions of the springs 215 are in contact with the inner circumferential surfaces of individual inner shroud portions 213 . more specifically , the amplitude of the wave shape in the springs 215 is determined on the basis of the frictional force for damping the vibrations of the stator blades 210 , that is , the compression level of the springs 215 required for generating the spring force . the wavelength ( peak - to - peak distance in the circumferential direction ) in the wave shape of the springs 215 is determined on the basis of the arrangement intervals of the inner shroud portions 213 , that is , the pitch , thereof . as shown in fig1 , the honeycomb seal 217 , together with seal fins 222 provided in the rotor 21 , suppresses leakage of a fluid that flows between the stator blades 210 and the rotor 21 . any known honeycomb seal may be used as the honeycomb seal 217 ; it is not particularly limited . next , a method of damping vibrations in the stator blades 210 having the above - described configuration will be described . when the gas turbine 1 is operated , vibrations are generated in the stator blades 210 due to the influence of the fluid or the like flowing in the compressor 2 . more specifically , vibrations are energized by which the airfoil portions 212 and the inner shroud portions 213 of the stator blades 210 vibrate in the circumferential direction . when the inner shroud portions 213 vibrate as described above , sliding occurs between the peak portions of the springs 215 , which are pressed against the inner shroud portions 213 , and the inner circumferential surfaces of the inner shroud portions 213 . the pressing force of the springs 215 and the frictional force in accordance with the friction coefficient between the inner shroud portions 213 and the springs 215 act between the inner shroud portions 213 and the springs 215 . the above - described sliding converts vibrational energy of the airfoil portions 212 and the inner shroud portions 213 into thermal energy , such as frictional energy and so forth , thereby damping the vibrations in the stator blades 210 . with the above - described configuration , when the airfoil portions 212 and the inner shroud portions 213 vibrate and slide relative to the seal holder 214 , the springs 215 and the inner shroud portions 213 relatively move ; that is , the springs 215 and the inner shroud portions 213 slide . accordingly , energy associated with the vibrations in the airfoil portions 212 and the inner shroud portions 213 is converted into thermal energy ( frictional energy ) due to the sliding , thereby making it possible to damp the vibrations in the airfoil portions 212 and the inner shroud portions 213 . on the other hand , the springs 215 can be easily replaced by attaching / detaching the springs 215 , together with the seal holder 214 , to / from the inner shroud portions 213 by sliding them . accordingly , even if the springs 215 become deteriorated due to wear from long - term use , the springs 215 can easily be replaced . in addition , the springs 215 are disposed inside the space surrounded by the seal holder 214 and the inner shroud portions 213 ; therefore , even if the springs 215 break , it is possible to prevent them from leaping out of the space to damage the airfoil portions 212 . because the inner shroud portions 213 are independently disposed for each of the plurality of the airfoil portions 212 , the individual airfoil portions 212 and the inner shroud portions 213 readily move relative to the springs 215 , as compared with the case in which the plurality of the inner shroud portions 213 are integrally formed . in other words , the sliding distance between the inner shroud portions 213 and the springs 215 is extended . accordingly , a greater amount of energy associated with the vibrations in the airfoil portions 212 and the inner shroud portions 213 is converted into thermal energy ( frictional energy ) due to sliding , and therefore , greater damping of the vibrations in the airfoil portions 212 and the inner shroud portions 213 is possible . fig1 is a schematic diagram for explaining yet another arrangement example of the springs in fig1 . note that , two springs 215 may be disposed between the inner shroud portions 213 and the seal holder 214 , as in the embodiment described above , or , as shown in fig1 , four springs 215 may be disposed between the inner shroud portions 213 and the seal holder 214 ; the number of the springs 215 is not particularly limited . note that , the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above , and various alterations are permissible within a range that does not depart from the gist of the present invention . for example , in the above - described embodiments , turbine blades of this invention have been described as applied to stator blades of a gas turbine compressor ; however , application to stator blades of a turbine unit of a gas turbine is also possible .
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an important aspect of the invention is the release module and its manufacture . for reasons of ease and versatility of the product , using classical techniques and ordinary compressing machines , it has been possible to produce a release module having the shape of a cylindrical polymer matrix with one concave base and the other convex ( fig1 and 2 ). one of the reasons for this new geometry is that it favors the assembly of the release modules , to obtain a system that cannot be made directly , in which to change the kinetics according to the type of assembly . to increase the capacity of the release modules to remain assembled together and to control drug release , a component may be introduced into the composition such as a swelling and gelling hydrophilic polymer , generally , but not necessarily , with a high molecular weight . in this case the composition of the module is that of a hydrophilic matrix . these types of polymer are easily available on the market , for example , as illustration without limitation , hydroxypropylmethylcellulose , known by the commercial name methocel ® hydroxypropyl methylcellulose in grades k4m , k15m and k100m ( dow chemical company ); or other polymers such as xanthan gum , pectin , carrageenans , guar gum . the quantity of these polymers used to obtain the control of the release of active principle by the release module is that commonly described in the literature , and varies preferably between 20 and 60 % weight / weight referred to the total composition of the matrix which may also comprise excipients generally considered safe as well as the active principle which may be any one of the active principles contemplated by the pharmacopoeia for oral administration . with respect to the total composition , the contribution of the active principle varies preferably between 80 % and 0 . 0001 % weight / weight . the inventors of the present patent application have found that the assembly of the release modules making up the finished system (“ assembly ”) can be easily obtained , including in the release module a polymer with strong adhesive properties such as sodium carboxymethylcellulose , carboxypolymethylene , hydroxypropylcellulose , hydroxypropylmethylcellulose , methylcellulose , polymethacrylate or others . in this way , the release system can be obtained by inserting the release modules in a hard gelatine capsule , in the sequence concave face against convex face , so that they are in close contact with each other in forming the assembly . when the gelatine capsule is immersed in the gastric fluid at 37 ° c ., the gelatine component softens and dissolves , creating , around the pile of modules inserted in the capsule , a layer of sticky material which holds them together for a brief period due to the complete dissolving of the gelatine . during this period the gastric fluid also comes in contact with the modules included in the capsule . they are thus able to gel on the outside , giving rise to a sticky layer which welds them very firmly together . a cylindrical assembly is thus obtained ( with one concave base and the other convex , as in fig4 ), having the same base area as the modules of which it is composed , with a height smaller than the sum of the individual heights of the single modules . this cylinder , which possesses an unusual geometry for pharmaceutical forms , may ( in the case of polymers with a low apparent density ), but need not , show the capacity to float due to the intrinsic property of the modules of which it is composed . it is subject to a very slow phenomenon of swelling and dissolving , which guarantees slow drug release and self - destruction only at the end of the drug release period . since the individual modules are assembled to obtain various release systems , in some situations it is preferable that they are assembled in such a way as to produce an assembly in which the various individual modules are even more firmly fitted and stuck together . in this case the gluing of the modules fitted convex face into concave face ( fig4 ) is further strengthened with a solution or suspension of a biocompatible polymer such as ethylcellulose , cellulose acetate phthalate or other polymers , but also with an aqueous solution of water - soluble polymers such as high - viscosity carboxymethylcellulose . alternatively , the welding of the modules may also be obtained by means of thermal welding or ultrasound welding . moreover , the inventors of the present patent application have found that , in the case where the modules are welded two by two , concave face against concave face , the resulting assembly , due to the formation of an insulated internal cavity ( fig5 ), besides presenting a varied release kinetics , shows the immediate capacity to float in water ( that is even if the apparent density of the polymer matrix exceeds the density of water ). this gluing is achieved : by placing in contact the concave faces of the cylindrical modules , on which a small amount of adhesive polymer solution has been applied , or by means of thermal welding or ultrasound welding . the inventors of the present patent application have also discovered the possibility of creating a floating release system by combining cylindrical modules with one concave and one convex base ( or with one concave base and the other flat , or with two concave bases ), with other “ simple ” cylindrical elements with flat bases . the modules with a concave and a convex base according to the invention are intended to give floating capacity ( and therefore so - called “ auxiliary ” modules can , but need not , be used , that is to say modules without active principle , that is composed of biocompatible polymers possibly mixed with excipients generally recognized as safe ), whereas the cylindrical elements with flat bases are intended for drug release . this can be achieved by stacking the release element between two or more floating modules depending on its weight . in fact , by placing both flat faces of the release element in contact with a concave base of the floating module , two float chambers are created which are able to develop a total buoyancy able to render floating the new assembly thus obtained . in particular , for the functioning of the finished assembly the release element must be firmly glued to two or more floating modules . in this case the swelling of the two or more floating modules does not interfere with drug release , which takes place through the exposed surface of the release element . after the floating phase , the whole system is slowly destroyed . in this variation , to further strengthen the floating power , the floating module may be composed of a mixture of a hydrophilic polymer and a low - density hydrophobic component ( that is one that reduces the apparent density of the overall polymer matrix ). by contact with the gastric fluid or with water , it rapidly reaches a stable floating situation . in order to ensure the correct functioning of the floating element , the composition of the mixture that must provide the hydrostatic thrust is essential . the inventors of the present patent application have found that the maximum result can be obtained by mixing a hydrophobic substance with a hydrophilic one , so as to give the module the lowest possible true density , together with a certain hydrophobia which favors the immediate floating of the element . as a hydrophilic substance for making the floating layer it is possible to use gellable and soluble biocompatible polymers such as : polyvinylpyrrolidone , hydroxypropylmethylcellulose , carboxymethyl cellulose , hydroxypropylcellulose , hydroxyethylcellulose , carboxypolymethylene , gums such as guar gum , xanthan gum , chitosanes , gum arabic , gum tragacanth , sodium and calcium alginates , gelatine , pectins . the hydrophobic substances that can be used may be : hydrogenated oils , cetyl , myristic and stearyl alcohol , esters of fatty acids such as glyceryl mono - or distearate . to further increase the buoyancy of the floating module it is also possible to include a mixture of salts able to develop co 2 by contact with gastric fluid : in this case the swelling of the polymer determines the formation of a gelled structure which retains the bubbles of co 2 that have formed , further reducing the apparent density of the polymer matrix . the effervescent mixture may be composed of substances that produce co 2 such as : calcium carbonate , calcium bicarbonate , sodium carbonate , sodium bicarbonate , potassium carbonate , potassium bicarbonate , magnesium carbonate . lastly , as concerns the composition of the drug release element ( cylindrical or polyhedric , with flat bases / faces ), as in the case of the release modules provided by the present invention , it can be given by a mixture of active principle , possible excipients generally recognized as safe and a biocompatible polymer , preferably gellable such as polyvinylpyrrolidone , hydroxypropylmethylcellulose , carboxymethyl - cellulose , sodium and calcium alginates , gum arabic , gum tragacanth . the first example describes the manufacture and operation of a release module containing acyclovir . it is intended for the preparation of a system composed of a capsule containing various modules stacked in such a way as to give an assembly containing a total quantity of 400 mg of acyclovir . x 1 module ( mg ) acyclovir 100 hydroxypropylmethylcellulose 29 . 5 sodium carboxymethylcellulose 29 . 5 nahco 3 12 . 3 talc 6 . 2 mg stearate 1 . 8 125 g of acyclovir are blended with about 33 ml of a solution 8 % p / v of sodium carboxymethylcellulose ( blanose 7lf ). the granulate is obtained by forcing the mixture through the 500μ mesh of the net of an oscillating granulator . the granules are stove - dried with air circulating at 35 ° c . for about 8 hours . the remaining components of the formula are added to the acyclovir granulate and the whole is mixed in a turbula for about 40 minutes . the production of the module by compression is carried out with an alternative tablet press , using special punches with diameter 7 . 4 mm , the drawing of which is shown in fig3 . the weight of each module was 191 . 5 mg , the diameter 7 . 5 mm and the mean height 5 . 5 mm . the speed at which acyclovir is released from the release module was determined at 37 ° c . in artificial gastric fluid with the apparatus 2 usp 24 , vane 50 rpm . the profile of the release of acyclovir from the release module is shown in fig6 ( circles ). about 30 % of the drug was released after 120 minutes and about 70 % after 500 minutes . the kinetics of release from this module , which has one concave and one convex face , was faster than that of a cylindrical matrix with flat faces ( fig6 , rhombi ) having the same composition , prepared with a set of punches with diameter 7 . 4 mm from the same quantity of mixture . such comparative result is shown in fig6 . four release modules , prepared according to the technique described in example 1 , were stacked one on another , with the convex faces fitted into the concave faces and stuck with a 0 . 5 % hydroalcoholic solution ( 2 : 8 ) of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose phthalate ( fig4 ). the speed at which acyclovir is released from the capsule was determined at 37 ° c . in artificial gastric fluid with the apparatus 2 usp 24 , vane 50 rpm . the release of acyclovir from this stacked system of four modules is shown in fig7 ( rhombi ), in comparison with the release from the individual modules ( circles ). in the first 500 minutes the drug release from the four stacked and glued modules was slower and more linear than the release presented by the individual modules . four release modules , prepared according to the technique described in example 1 , were glued two by two , concave face against concave face , wetting the edges of these faces with a 5 % hydroalcoholic solution ( 2 : 8 ) p / v of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose phthalate and joining them with a light pressure , to form two assemblies of two modules ( fig5 ). these assemblies float immediately in the dissolving fluid . the release of acyclovir from these two assemblies ( fig7 , squares ) was faster and more linear than that obtained with the four stacked and glued modules ( fig7 , rhombi ). the example illustrates the preparation of a floating release system which contains the float modules separate from the release elements . for the preparation of 500 floating systems , the following substances are used in the quantities indicated : aluminium hydroxide 95 g polyvinylpyrrolidone 4 g magnesium stearate 1 g hydroxypropylmethylcellulose 75 g ( methocel ® k 100m ) hydrogenated castor oil ( cutina hr ) 15 g sodium carbonate 5 g tartaric acid 5 g granulate the aluminium hydroxide and the active principle with a 1 % aqueous solution of polyvinylpyrrolidone . dry , calibrate on sieve 25 # . mix with magnesium stearate and compress the mixture with a tablet press equipped with flat punches with diameter 7 . 4 mm . mix the components according to the quantities indicated in a turbula ® mixer for 15 minutes and compress the mixture with a tablet press equipped with punches with a concave and a convex face with diameter 7 . 4 mm . for the preparation of the finished assembly , rigid gelatine capsules are used , of the type snap fit ™ 00 , with internal diameter 8 mm and a total closed capsule height of 23 . 4 mm . the floating modules and the release elements are stuck together by means of a 12 . 5 % solution of cellulose acetate phthalate in acetone , before being inserted in the capsule in the following sequence : a thin film of adhesive solution is applied on the concave base of a floating module ; the flat base of the release element is stuck onto this . the gluing operation is repeated , sticking a second floating module onto the second flat base of the release element . for the preparation of 500 floating systems , the following substances are used in the quantities indicated : aluminium hydroxide 95 g polyvinylpyrrolidone 4 g magnesium stearate 1 g crospovidone ( kollidon ® cl ) 96 g tartaric acid 20 g sodium carbonate 24 g hydroxypropylmethylcellulose 54 g ( methocel ® k4m ) talc 4 g magnesium stearate 2 g let half the dose of kollidon ® cl absorb a quantity equal to its own weight of a 1 % aqueous solution of methocel ® k4m hydroxypropyl methylcellulose in which the sodium carbonate has been dissolved . let the mixture dry partly at 80 ° c . for 30 minutes , sieve it , complete drying and sieve it again . let the remaining quantity of kollidon ® cl absorb a quantity equal to its own weight of a 1 % aqueous solution of methocel ® k4m hydroxypropyl methylcellulose in which the tartaric acid has been dissolved . let the mixture dry partly at 80 ° c . for 30 minutes , sieve it , complete drying and sieve it again . to the two mixtures , add the methocel ® k4m hydroxypropyl methylcellulose , the talc and the mg stearate and mix for 20 minutes in a turbula ® mixer . compress the mixture with a tablet press equipped with punches with a concave and a convex face with diameter 7 . 4 mm . granulate the aluminium hydroxide with the active principle and with a 1 % aqueous solution of polyvinylpyrrolidone . dry , calibrate on sieve 25 # and compress the mixture with a tablet press equipped with flat punches with diameter 7 . 4 mm . for the preparation of the finished system , rigid gelatine capsules are used , of the type snap fit ™ 00 , with internal diameter 8 mm and a total closed capsule height of 23 . 4 mm . the floating modules and the release elements are stuck together by means of a 12 . 5 % solution of cellulose acetate phthalate in acetone , before being inserted in the capsule in the following sequence : a thin film of adhesive solution is applied on the base of a release element ; the concave base of the floating element is stuck onto this . the gluing operation is repeated , sticking a second floating module onto the second base of the release element . accordingly , while only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , it is obvious that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .
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a gas turbine component , especially a ceramic matrix composite ( cmc ) ring segment , is described herein with an abradable surface exposed to a hot gas flow . in contrast to prior art , no thermal barrier coating is applied to the exposed surface . instead , the cmc itself is used as its own thermal barrier , but is modified to allow for abradability . the current invention provides an array of depressions directly in the cmc surface to increase its abradability , allowing occasional brushing contact with turbine blade tips with reduced wear on the blade tips . this technology is especially applicable to cmc ring segment walls formed by laminate construction , in which cmc layers are oriented edgewise in a stacked configuration . fig1 illustrates a cmc wall structure 22 of a prior art ring segment 20 p that has a thermal barrier coating 24 such as fgi to provide an abradable gas flow sealing surface 26 . fig2 illustrates a cmc wall structure 32 of a ring segment 30 that has a sealing surface 34 with no coating , but with an array of depressions 36 according to aspects of the invention to increase the abradability of the surface 34 . the depressions 36 are unconnected to each other in order to prevent bypass of the working gas around the blade tips via the depressions . they can be formed by removal of material from the cmc surface 34 after constructing and curing the wall 32 , or they can be formed by laminate edge profiling , as next described . material removal processes may include one or more known methods , such as milling , drilling , water jet cutting , laser cutting , electron beam cutting , and ultrasonic machining . fig3 illustrates a cmc wall structure 48 formed by a stack of cmc layers ( or lamellae ) 40 - 43 with edge profiling 50 , 52 that results in a surface 44 with unconnected depressions 46 . techniques for manufacturing such a stacked lamellate assembly are known in the art , such as discussed in commonly - assigned united states patent application publications us 2006 / 0121265 and us 2006 / 0120874 , both incorporated by reference herein . each layer 40 - 43 has a respective edge that is profiled with alternating maxima 50 and minima 52 that may be formed onto the edge prior to joining of the lamellae together . the maxima 50 and minima 52 are staggered in alternating layers 40 - 43 so that the adjoining maxima 50 of one or several adjacent layers are substantially aligned with the adjoining minima 52 of one or several adjacent layers to form a plurality of unconnected depressions 46 in the surface 44 . in the embodiment of fig3 , the maxima 50 and minima 52 both define a generally rectangular shape , with the relative absolute and relative depth and length dimensions of the rectangular shapes being selectable by the designer to optimize performance in any specific application . typically , the dimensions of the depressions 46 may be 1 . 5 - 2 . 5 mm deep and up to 4 mm long ( i . e . along the longitudinal axis of the lamella ). typically the length of the exposed maxima surface segment 50 may be 5 - 7 mm . fig4 illustrates a variation of fig3 in a cmc wall structure 48 ′ formed by a stack of cmc layers 40 ′- 43 ′ with edge profiling 50 ′, 52 ′ that results in a surface 44 ′ with unconnected depressions 46 ′. each layer 40 ′- 43 ′ has a respective edge that is profiled with alternating maxima 50 ′ and minima 52 that define a generally v - shape . the dimensions of the exposed surface segment 50 ′ and the depth of the depression 46 ′ may be similar to those described for the embodiment of fig3 . fig5 illustrates a cmc wall structure 48 ″ formed by a stack of cmc layers 40 ″- 43 ″ in which a first series 40 ″ and 42 ″ of the cmc layers has maxima 50 ″ and minima 52 ″, a second series 41 ″ and 43 ″ of the layers has respective edges 53 that generally match the level of the maxima 50 ″ of the first series , and the first and second series of the layers 40 ″- 43 ″ alternates in the stack . in this embodiment the transition between the maxima 50 ″ and minima 52 ″ define a relatively smooth curved shape . the dimensions of the exposed surface segment 50 ″ and the depth of the depression 46 ″ may be similar to those described for the embodiment of fig3 . other edge profiles and arrangements are possible . for example profiles similar to those of the first series of cmc layers 40 ″ and 42 ″ of fig5 could be used in a staggered configuration as in fig3 and 4 , and vice versa . fig6 illustrates an array of unconnected depressions 36 with circular openings in a surface 34 , as may be formed by ball - end milling or other machining processes . the depressions 36 may have a spherical shape , or they may have a cylindrical shape proximate the surface 34 with a spherical bottom , or they may have a cylindrical shape throughout . embodiments wherein depressions have a cross - sectional area that decreases with depth are effective to present an increasing wear surface area as the sealing surface is worn by abrasion , thereby facilitating the wear - in of the surface . fig7 illustrates an array of unconnected depressions 46 with rectangular openings in a surface 44 formed by a stacked laminate construction as in fig3 . fig8 illustrates an array of unconnected depressions 54 with hexagonal openings in a surface 34 ′, as may be formed by laser , water jet , or electron beam machining techniques . fig9 illustrates a turbine ring segment 30 ′ with a cmc wall 32 ′ formed by bonding and curing of stacked cmc lamellae 56 . a gas sealing surface 34 ″ on the wall 32 ′ is subsequently machined with an array of depressions 36 according to the invention as in fig2 and 6 or in other shapes such as illustrated in fig3 - 5 , 7 and 8 . behavior of cmc exposed to high temperatures shows reduction in strength over long periods ; however such a reduction in strength should not be limiting for the present invention because strength is not the material property of primary concern for a wear surface . since a cmc surface 34 , 44 in this invention is directly exposed to the hot working gas , it will be exposed to temperatures over 1200 ° c . this will reduce its strength but will also increase its hardness . the increase in hardness will beneficially reduce erosion of the surface . the surface may be allowed to age during operation of the gas turbine engine , or it may be pre - aged prior to being placed into operation . a thin , hard ceramic coating , for example alumina , may be applied to the cmc edges as temporary erosion protection until cmc hardening occurs . the present invention eliminates the need for an abradable thermal barrier coating such as fgi , thus eliminating the associated bond joint and avoiding any concern about differential elasticity between the two materials . accordingly , the invention is expected to provide improved component reliability and durability and reduced manufacturing expense compared to prior art coating methods . while various embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein , it will be obvious that such embodiments are provided by way of example only . numerous variations , changes and substitutions may be made without departing from the invention herein . accordingly , it is intended that the invention be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims .
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in general , a communication system includes a transmitter and a receiver . the transmitter and the receiver can be called a transceiver for simultaneously performing a transmitting function and a receiving function . for ease of description , a first part for providing a femto data service will be defined to be a transmitter and a second part for entering a service area covered by the transmitter and receiving the femto data service will be called a receiver . the transmitter can be referred to as a base station ( bs ) or an advanced base station ( abs ), and the receiver as a mobile station ( ms ) or an advanced mobile station ( ams ). throughout the specification , a femto service indicates a data service that is provided distinctively according to a subscription type to the femtocell . embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to accompanying drawings . fig1 shows a configuration of a communication network according to embodiments of the present invention . the communication network of fig1 provides a macrocell service and a femtocell service . a transmitter for the macrocell will be referred to as a macro base station 100 and another transmitter for the femtocell will be called a femto advanced base station 200 . the femto advanced base station 200 uses an air interface overlapped on the macro base station 100 to exchange a control message . the femto advanced base station 200 registers itself and the macro base station 100 to the network to directly receive radio link configuration information from the network . a mobile station 300 enters the network of the macro base station or that of the femto advanced base station depending on a subscription state to the femtocell service and a support state of the femtocell service . the femto advanced base station 200 supports at least one of the following subscription types , and can simultaneously support two or more . a ) closed subscriber group - closed femto advanced base station ( csg - closed femto abs ): provides high - speed data service to a limited subscriber group . b ) closed subscriber group - open femto abs : provides low - speed data service to a limited subscriber group . c ) open subscriber group femto abs : provides a data service regardless of service registration and provides the same with the lowest - quality data service . the femto advanced base station 200 broadcasts information on femto service subscription types provided by the femto advanced base station 200 to the mobile stations 300 in the serving cell , or unicasts it according to a request from the mobile station 300 . the mobile station 300 providing the femto service receives a femtocell information list ( e . g ., csg white list ) from the femto advanced base station 200 , and attempts to enter the network of the corresponding femto advanced base station 200 when it is found that the mobile station 300 has subscribed to the femto service . fig2 shows a data flowchart among a macro base station , a femto advanced base station , and a mobile station for entering a femtocell network . when the mobile station is turned on , it enters an initialization state . while in the initialization state , radio interface parameters are configured and time and frequency are synchronized . in the initialization state , the mobile station receives various control information from the macro base station through a preamble sequence . particularly , a primary advanced ( pa ) preamble sequence and a secondary advanced ( sa ) preamble sequence are used to control the downlink . fig3 shows a data structure of a superframe including a - preambles . referring to fig3 , a first symbol of a frame is specified as an a - preamble symbol . the pa - preamble is positioned at the first symbol of the second frame in a superframe , and the sa - preamble is positioned at the first symbol of three other frames . the sa - preamble sequences are divided into a plurality of partitions that are dedicated to the base stations including the macrocell abs , the macro hot zone abs , and the femto abs . for example , the femto advanced base station can be allocated to be dedicated to the 3rd sub - partition ( sp3 ) of an s - sfh . the base stations except the macrocell base station are called non - macro base stations . at the phy level , non - macro base station information can be broadcast in a hierarchical configuration formed with a secondary - superframe header ( s - sfh ) of the sa - preamble sequence and an advanced air interface_system configuration descriptor ( aai_scd ) message . here , the s - sfh is a non - macro base station cell type and is partitioned for a public base station or a csg femto advanced base station , and the aai_scd message is partitioned for the public base station and csg femto advanced base station . the public base station can be classified as a hot zone , a relay , and an osg , and the csg femto advanced base station can be classified as a csg - closed femto advanced base station and a csg - open femto advanced base station . the mobile station identifies the femto advanced base station at the phy level , and can also identify the femto advanced base station at a mac level . that is , at the mac level , non - macro base station information can be provided to the mobile station by use of a femtocell information list ( e . g ., csg white list ). the femtocell information list can be broadcast to the mobile stations in the cell , and it can also be provided according to a request of the mobile station . the femtocell information list displays types of the femto services provided by the femto advanced base station . the mobile station receives the femtocell information list from the femto advanced base station , and checks whether the femto service to which the mobile station is registered is included in the femtocell information list . if included , the mobile station enters the network of the corresponding femto advanced base station , and if not , it enters the network of the macrocell base station . fig4 shows a configuration of a femto advanced base station 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig4 , the femto advanced base station 200 includes a channel encoder 210 , a mapper 220 , a modulator 230 , a receiving circuit 240 , a memory 250 , and a controller 260 . the channel encoder 210 encodes streams of information bits according to a predetermined coding scheme to generate coded data . the mapper 220 maps the coded data output by the channel encoder 110 on symbols that are represented with the positions following the constellation of the amplitude and the phase . the modulation scheme includes the m - quadrature phase shift keying ( m - psk ) and the m - quadrature amplitude modulation ( m - qam ). the modulator 230 modulates the mapped unicast symbols according to a predetermined multiple access modulation . the multiple access modulation scheme includes single - carrier modulation schemes such as the cdma and the multi - carrier modulation schemes such as the ofdm . the receiving circuit 240 receives the unicast signals from the receiver through an antenna , generates them into digital signals , and transmits them to the controller 260 . the memory 250 stores system information for operating the femto advanced base station 200 and the femtocell information list . the controller 260 controls the femto advanced base station 200 , and particularly it includes a femtocell information transmitting module 261 and a service providing module 262 . the femtocell information transmitting module 261 broadcasts the femtocell information list to the mobile stations in the cell , or unicasts the femtocell information list to the corresponding mobile station through the receiving circuit 240 when the mobile station requests information . the service providing module 262 provides the data service with the quality corresponding to the femto service to which the mobile station 300 is subscribed to the mobile stations 300 in the serving cell . when the femto advanced base station 200 provides a plurality of femto subscription types and the mobile stations 300 in the serving cell are subscribed to different femto services , the service providing module 262 provides the data service with different quality to the mobile stations 300 according to the multiple access modulation so that the mobile stations 300 may correspond to the subscribed femto services . the service with the different quality has quality of service ( qos ) parameters including different priority . fig5 shows a configuration of a mobile station 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention . in fig5 , the mobile station 300 includes a channel decoder 310 , a demapper 320 , a demodulator 330 , a memory 340 , a transmitting circuit 350 , and a controller 360 . the demodulator 330 , the demapper 320 , and the channel decoder 310 of the mobile station 300 perform reverse functions of the above - described modulator 230 , mapper 220 , and channel encoder 210 of the femto advanced base station 200 . that is , the signal received through the antenna is demodulated by the demodulator 330 , and is demapped by the demapper 320 to be encoded data . the encoded data are decoded by the channel decoder 310 . the demodulator 330 , the demapper 320 , and the channel decoder 310 can be called a receiving circuit ( not shown ) overall . the memory 340 stores system information required for operating the mobile station 300 and an identifier of the femto service to which the mobile station is subscribed . the transmitting circuit 350 generates the various data provided by the controller 360 into analog data , and transmits the same to the femto advanced base station 200 or the macro base station 100 through the antenna . the controller 350 controls the mobile station 300 , and includes a comparison module 351 for checking whether the femtocell subscription type information includes the identifier stored in the memory when receiving information on a plurality of femtocell subscription types from the femto advanced base station 200 , and a registration module 352 for requesting registration from the femto advanced base station 200 according to the femtocell subscription type that corresponds to the identifier stored in the memory . when the femtocell subscription type information does not include the identifier stored in the memory , the registration module 352 can request registration from the macrocell base station 100 other than the femto advanced base station 200 . while this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not 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 . the embodiments of the present invention are applicable to a service providing method of a femtocell for simultaneously providing a femto service to a plurality of mobile stations , and a transmitter and receiver for the same method . the above - described embodiments can be realized through a program for realizing functions corresponding to the configuration of the embodiments or a recording medium for recording the program in addition to through the above - described device and / or method , which is easily realized by a person skilled in the art .
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with reference now to fig1 - 4 , the descriptions of the various embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration , but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed . many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments . the terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments , the practical application or technical improvement over technologies found in the marketplace , or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein the present invention may be a system , a method , and / or a computer program product . the computer program product may include a computer readable storage medium ( or media ) having computer readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention . the computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device . the computer readable storage medium may be , for example , but is not limited to , an electronic storage device , a magnetic storage device , an optical storage device , an electromagnetic storage device , a semiconductor storage device , or any suitable combination of the foregoing . a non - exhaustive list of more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium includes the following : a portable computer diskette , a hard disk , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), an erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom or flash memory ), a static random access memory ( sram ), a portable compact disc read - only memory ( cd - rom ), a digital versatile disk ( dvd ), a memory stick , a floppy disk , a mechanically encoded device , such as punch - cards or raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon , and any suitable combination of the foregoing . a computer readable storage medium , as used herein , is not to be construed as being transitory signals per se , such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves , electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media ( e . g ., light pulses passing through a fiber - optic cable ), or electrical signals transmitted through a wire . computer readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded to respective computing / processing devices from a computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or external storage device via a network , for example , the internet , a local area network ( lan ), a wide area network ( wan ), and / or a wireless network . the network may comprise copper transmission cables , optical transmission fibers , wireless transmission , routers , firewalls , switches , gateway computers and / or edge servers . a network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives computer readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium within the respective computing / processing device . computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations of the present invention may be assembler instructions , instruction - set - architecture ( isa ) instructions , machine instructions , machine dependent instructions , microcode , firmware instructions , state - setting data , or either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages , including an object - oriented programming language such as java ™ smalltalk , c ++ or the like , and conventional procedural programming languages , such as the “ c ” programming language or similar programming languages . the computer readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user &# 39 ; s computer , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer , as a stand - alone software package , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer and partly on a remote computer , or entirely on the remote computer or server . in the latter scenario , the remote computer may be connected to the user &# 39 ; s computer through any type of network , including a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or the connection may be made to an external computer ( for example , through the internet using an internet service provider ). in some embodiments , electronic circuitry including , for example , programmable logic circuitry , field - programmable gate arrays ( fpga ), or programmable logic arrays ( pla ) may execute the computer readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry , in order to perform aspects of the present invention . aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods , apparatus ( systems ), and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention . it will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , can be implemented by computer readable program instructions . these computer readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer , a special purpose computer , or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine , such that the instructions , which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus , create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . these computer readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer , a programmable data processing apparatus , and / or other devices to function in a particular manner , such that the computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an article of manufacture , including instructions which implement aspects of the function / act specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer , other programmable data processing apparatus , or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer , other programmable apparatus , or other device to produce a computer implemented process , such that the instructions which execute on the computer , other programmable apparatus , or other device implement the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture , functionality , and operation of possible implementations of systems , methods , and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention . in this regard , each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module , segment , or portion of instructions , which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function ( s ). in some alternative implementations , the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures . for example , two blocks shown in succession may , in fact , be executed substantially concurrently , or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order , depending upon the functionality involved . it will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration , and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration , can be implemented by special purpose hardware - based systems that perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions . reflow soldering is a process in which a plated metallurgy can be used to temporarily attach one or more electrical components to their contact pads , after which the entire assembly is subjected to controlled heat , which melts the solder , permanently connecting the joint . heating may be accomplished by passing the assembly through a reflow oven , or under an infrared lamp , or by soldering individual joints with a hot air pencil . the goal of the reflow process is to melt the solder and heat the adjoining surfaces without overheating and damaging the electrical components . during reflow , controlled collapse chip connections ( c4 ) packages can exhibit non - uniform thermal profiles , which can result in , for example , thermal stress or a difference in microstructures . embodiments of the present invention seek to provide a method , product , and system to determine the thermal profile of semiconductors . sequential steps of an exemplary embodiment of a method , product , and system for determining thermal profiles of a semiconductor structures are described below with respect to the schematic illustrations of fig1 - 4 . similar reference numerals denote similar features . fig1 is a functional block diagram illustrating an environment , generally designated 100 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . environment 100 includes equipment 120 , emitter 130 , sensor 140 , and computing device 110 . in an embodiment , equipment 120 , emitter 130 , sensor 140 , computing device 110 , or any combination thereof may be depicted as a single entity . although not shown , environment 100 may include additional connections than depicted . in certain embodiments , environment 100 does not include emitter 130 . equipment 120 is in communication with computing device 110 via communications link 116 . equipment 120 deposits emitting material on the surface of semiconductor structures , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . in an embodiment , equipment 120 deposits one or layers of emitting material utilizing a slurry painting method or a conventional deposition process , such as chemical vapor deposition . applicable emitting material includes material capable of luminescent decay , material diffusion , ionizing radiation , temperature - based spectral shift , and temperature - dependent luminescence ( discussed further below ). in an embodiment , the emitting layer emits one or more of a luminescence , visible light , infrared light , and ions . in other embodiments , the emitting layer is capable of chemiluminescence , bioluminescence , and / or photoluminescence . in other embodiments , the emitting layer is comprises quantum dots capable of temperature - based spectral shifts . in certain embodiments , the emitting layer includes a first and second diffusion layer , wherein the first diffusion layer diffuses into the second diffusion layer at a diffusion rate that is a function of time and / or temperature . emitter 130 is in communication with computing device 110 via communications link 117 . emitter 130 is not utilized in embodiments wherein the emitting material is capable of material diffusion ( discussed below ). in an embodiment , photoluminescent material , such as material that includes erbium or ytterbium , is the emitting material . in an embodiment , applicable photoluminescent material includes phosphors . for example , phosphors , such as sralo 4 : eu 2 + , dy 3 + , are alkaline earth aluminates that are co - doped with divalent europium ( eu 2 + ) and trivalent dysprosium ( dy 3 + ) ions . alkaline earth aluminates typically have a general formula , mal 2 o 4 , wherein m may be barium ( ba ), calcium ( ca ), or strontium ( sr ). emitter 130 is a device that exudes a type of signal , such as photons or ionizing particles , and exposes emitting material to the signal . in an embodiment , emitter 130 emits photons in the 510 nm to 530 nm wavelength range . sensor 140 is in communication with computing device 110 via communications link 118 , accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . sensor 140 detects signals that are , for example , associated with luminescent decay , material diffusion , ionizing radiation , temperature - based spectral shift , and / or temperature - dependent luminescence . in an embodiment , sensor 140 is a photometer . sensor 140 can measure light by counting photons or incoming flux . photon measurements may be defined in units , such as photons / cm 2 or photons * cm − 2 . computing device 110 is used to determine thermal profiles of semiconductor structures , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . computing device 110 includes test data 114 and program function 112 . test data 114 are emission readings generated by sensor 140 and received via communications link 118 . program function 112 is software that determines the thermal profile of semiconductor structures , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . program function 112 can send instructions to equipment 120 and emitter 130 via communications links 116 and 117 , respectively . program function 112 can , via communications link 118 , receive emission readings generated by sensor 140 . program function 112 can determine the thermal profile of semiconductor structures . fig2 is a reflow profile of a semiconductor structure , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . specifically , fig2 illustrates a reflow profile of a semiconductor structure ( not shown ), for example , a semiconductor package comprising a first and second semiconductor structure joined by c4 , wherein the first semiconductor structure comprises an emitting layer that includes , for example , an alkaline earth aluminate is formed on the backside thereof using equipment 120 . the emitting material that comprises the emitting layer undergoes photoexcitation using emitter 130 . in this particular example , t p is the peak temperature of the package and should not exceed the maximum operating temperature of the c4 . t l is the liquidus temperature and denotes the temperature above which the c4 is in a liquid state , and t l is the time maintained above t l . in certain embodiments , program function 112 determines emission readings while the c4 is in a solid state , wherein the initial read is taken at to and the final read is taken at t k . in other embodiments , program function 112 determines emission readings while the c4 is in a liquid state , wherein the initial read is taken at t i and the final read is taken at t f . in certain embodiments , the reflow profile comprises a maximum ramp up rate of 3 ° c ./ s and a maximum ramp down rate of 6 ° c ./ s . program function 112 determines the thermal profile of the semiconductor package by determining the difference between the initial and final reads . in an embodiment , program function 112 determines a thermal profile that reflects regions of high and low temperature . in other embodiments , sensor 140 comprises a 2 - dimensional array of sensors , such as photodiodes , that can detect ultraviolet and / or infrared wavelengths , such as wavelengths in the 300 nm to 1700 nm range . program function 112 can generate a 2 - dimensional or 3 - dimensional graphic representation of the determined thermal profile . fig3 is a flowchart depicting the operational steps of program function 112 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . program function 112 instructs equipment 120 to deposit one or more layers of emitting material on the backside of a semiconductor structure ( step 300 ). for example , equipment 120 deposits a layer of an emitting material that includes an alkaline earth aluminate , for example , sralo 4 : eu , dy . program function 112 takes an initial emissions reading using sensor 140 ( step 310 ). for example , program function 112 instructs emitter 130 to excite the emitting material for a predetermined time period . subsequently , program function 112 takes an initial emissions reading of two adjacent regions of the emitting material , regions a and b , for example , 75 photons / cm 2 and 75 photons / cm 2 , respectively . at the end of the reflow process , program function 112 takes a final emissions reading using sensor 140 ( step 320 ). at the end of the reflow process , program function 112 takes a final emissions reading for regions a and b using sensor 140 , 52 photons / cm 2 and 35 photons / cm 2 , respectively . program function 112 determines the thermal profile of the semiconductor package using the initial and final readings ( step 330 ). for example , region b has a lower photon count compared to region a , which is reflective that region b retained more heat , which may be reflective of reflow issues . such regional photon count comparisons can assist one in , for example , determining whether the chip was sufficiently heated to form proper interconnects , quantitating thermal load , and / or ascertaining the thermal uniformity across a substrate . additional reflow issues may be addressed using photon count comparisons . for example , during reflow of c4s , a difference in the thermal profiles of modules can result in thermal stress or a difference in the microstructures included therein . regional comparisons of photon counts can assist one in ascertaining the uniformity of the local thermal budget across each module . multiple reflows of wafers and dies may affect em performance . here , regional photon count comparisons can assist one in ascertaining a die &# 39 ; s thermal history through manufacturing . fig4 shows a block diagram of an exemplary design flow 400 used , for example , in semiconductor ic logic design , simulation , test , layout , and manufacture . design flow 400 includes processes , machines , and / or mechanisms for processing design structures or devices to generate logically or otherwise functionally equivalent representations of the design structures and / or devices described above and shown in fig1 - 3 . the design structures processed and / or generated by design flow 400 may be encoded on machine - readable transmission or storage media to include data and / or instructions that , when executed or otherwise processed on a data processing system , generate a logically , structurally , mechanically , or otherwise functionally equivalent representation of hardware components , circuits , devices , or systems . machines include , but are not limited to , any machine used in an ic design process , such as designing , manufacturing , or simulating a circuit , component , device , or system . for example , machines may include : lithography machines , machines and / or equipment for generating masks ( e . g ., e - beam writers ), computers or equipment for simulating design structures , any apparatus used in the manufacturing or test process , or any machines for programming functionally equivalent representations of the design structures into any medium ( e . g ., a machine for programming a programmable gate array ). design flow 400 may vary depending on the type of representation being designed . for example , a design flow 400 for building an application specific ic ( asic ) may differ from a design flow 400 for designing a standard component , or from a design flow 400 for instantiating the design into a programmable array , for example , a programmable gate array ( pga ) or a field programmable gate array ( fpga ) offered by altera ® inc . or xilinx ® inc . fig4 depicts a block diagram of components of server computing device 110 in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention . it should be appreciated that fig4 provides only an illustration of one implementation and does not imply any limitations with regard to the environments in which different embodiments may be implemented . many modifications to the depicted environment may be made . a non - transitory computer readable storage medium embodiment herein is readable by a computerized device . the non - transitory computer readable storage medium stores instructions executable by the computerized device to perform a method that tests integrated circuit devices to measure a voltage overshoot condition . server 110 includes communications fabric 402 , which provides communications between computer processor ( s ) 404 , memory 406 , persistent storage 408 , communications unit 410 , and input / output ( i / o ) interface ( s ) 412 . communications fabric 402 can be implemented with any architecture designed for passing data and / or control information between processors ( such as microprocessors , communications and network processors , etc . ), system memory , peripheral devices , and any other hardware components within a system . for example , communications fabric 402 can be implemented with one or more buses . memory 406 and persistent storage 408 are computer readable storage media . in this embodiment , memory 406 includes random access memory ( ram ) 414 and cache memory 416 . in general , memory 406 can include any suitable volatile or non - volatile computer readable storage media . program function 112 and test data 114 are stored in persistent storage 408 for execution and / or access by one or more of the respective computer processor ( s ) 404 via one or more memories of memory 406 . in this embodiment , persistent storage 408 includes a magnetic hard disk drive . alternatively , or in addition to a magnetic hard disk drive , persistent storage 408 can include a solid - state hard drive , a semiconductor storage device , a read - only memory ( rom ), an erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom ), a flash memory , or any other computer readable storage media that is capable of storing program instructions or digital information . the media used by persistent storage 408 may also be removable . for example , a removable hard drive may be used for persistent storage 408 . other examples include optical and magnetic disks , thumb drives , and smart cards that are inserted into a drive for transfer onto another computer readable storage medium that is also part of persistent storage 408 . communications unit 410 , in these examples , provides for communications with other data processing systems or devices . in these examples , communications unit 410 includes one or more network interface cards . communications unit 410 may provide communications through the use of either or both physical and wireless communications links . program function 112 may be downloaded to persistent storage 408 through communications unit 410 . i / o interface ( s ) 412 allows for input and output of data with other devices that may be connected to server 110 . for example , i / o interface ( s ) 412 may provide a connection to external device ( s ) 418 such as a keyboard , a keypad , a touch screen , and / or some other suitable input device . external device ( s ) 418 can also include portable computer readable storage media such as , for example , thumb drives , portable optical or magnetic disks , and memory cards . software and data used to practice embodiments of the present invention , e . g ., program function 112 and test data 114 , can be stored on such portable computer readable storage media and can be loaded onto persistent storage 408 via i / o interface ( s ) 412 . i / o interface ( s ) 412 also connects to a display 420 . display 420 provides a mechanism to display data to a user and may be , for example , a computer monitor . the programs described herein are identified based upon the application for which they are implemented in a specific embodiment of the invention . however , it should be appreciated that any particular program nomenclature herein is used merely for convenience and , thus , the invention should not be limited to use solely in any specific application identified and / or implied by such nomenclature .
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approx . 1 . 5 liters of water for injection purposes are prepared in a suitable glass vessel . 210 g water for injection purposes are prepared in another glass vessel and 91 . 17 g acetic acid are added . the amount of cetrorelix acetate calculated ( 1 . 62 - 1 . 695 g , depending on the content of the batch used ) is dissolved in the prepared 30 % acetic acid with stirring . this solution is transferred to the glass vessel with 1 . 5 liters of water for injection purposes , 82 . 2 g mannitol are added , dissolved and made up to 3039 g with water for injection purposes . the solution is sterilized by filtration through an appropriate membrane filter ( pore size 0 . 2 μm ) under aseptic conditions . 100 ml first runnings should be discarded . the filters should be sterilized with superheated steam before sterile filtration . cetrorelix freeze - dried solution should be protected from recontamination during storage . the solution is immediately filled into colorless injection bottles din 2r , hydrolytic class i under aseptic conditions and provided with sterile freeze - drying stoppers . the nominal filling amount is 2 . 0 ml = 2 . 026 g . the 2 ml injection bottles were rinsed in an injection bottle washing machine , dried with hot air and sterilized . the cleaned , freeze - drying stoppers were autoclaved . the closed injection bottles were transferred to a freeze - drying installation and frozen at a plate temperature of − 40 ° c . drying was carried out using a drying program with a plate temperature of − 40 ° c . rising to + 20 ° c . the installation is then flooded with sterile nitrogen , the bottles are closed in the installation and the stoppers secured with crimped caps . the injection bottles are checked visually for faulty closures and outer faults . faulty injection bottles are removed and destroyed . cetrorelix lyophilizate 1 mg is a white , solid , freeze - dried cake in a colorless 2 ml injection bottle which is closed with gray freeze - drying stoppers and yellow flip - off crimped caps . 420 g water for injection purpose are prepared in a suitable vessel and 121 . 56 g acetic acid are added . the amount of the nonapeptide ( about 3 . 783 g , depending on the content of the batch used ) is dissolved in the prepared 20 % acetic acid and with stirring . 82 ., 2 niannitol are added and dissolved . this solution is sterilized by filtration through an appropriate membrane filter ( pore size 0 . 2 μm ) under aseptic conditions . the same membrane filter is used for the water for injection purpose to make up the solution to 3064 g . the filters should be sterilized with superheated steam . the solution should be protected from recontamination during storage . the solution is filled in to sterile colorless injection bottles din 2 r , hydrolytic class i under aseptic conditions and provided with sterile freeze - drying stoppers . the nominal filling amount is 1 . 0 ml = 1 . 022 g . the 2 ml injection bottles were rinsed in an injection bottle washing machine , dried with hot air and sterilized . the cleaned freeze - drying stoppers were autoclaved . the injection bottles were transferred to a freeze - drying installation and frozen at a plate temperature of − 40 ° c . drying was carried out using a drying programme with a plate temperature of − 40 ° c . rising to + 20 ° c . the installation is then flooded with sterile nitrogen , the bottles are closed in the installation and the stoppers are sealed with crimped caps . the injection bottles are checked visually for faulty closures and outer faults . faulty injection bottles are removed and destroyed . the lyophilisate of the nonapeptide ( 1 mg ) is a white , solid , freeze - dried cake in a colorless 2 ml injection bottle which is closed with grey freeze - drying stoppers and flip - off crimped caps . 143 . 5 g water for injection purpose are prepared in a suitable vessel and 61 . 5 g acetic acid are added . the amount of the protirelin acetate calculated ( equivalent to 800 mg of the peptide base ) is dissolved with stirring . this solution is transferred to another vessel with approximately 1 l water for injection purpose . 109 . 6 g mannitol are added , dissolved and made up to 2048 g with water for injection purposes . the solution is filled in to sterile colorless injection bottles din 2 r , hydrolytic class i under aseptic conditions and provided with sterile freeze - drying stoppers . the nominal filling amount is 1 . 0 ml = 1 . 024 g . the 2 ml injection bottles were rinsed in an injection bottle washing machine , dried with hot air and sterilized . the cleaned freeze - drying stoppers were autoclaved . the injection bottles were transferred to a freeze - drying installation and frozen at a plate temperature of − 40 ° c . drying was carried out using a drying programme with a plate temperature of − 40 ° c . rising to + 20 ° c . the installation is then flooded with sterile nitrogen , the bottles are closed in the installation and the stoppers are sealed with crimped caps . the injection bottles are checked visually for faulty closures and outer faults . faulty injection bottles are removed and destroyed . the protireline lyophilizate ( 0 . 4 mg ) is a white , solid , freeze - dried cake in a colorless 2 ml injection bottle which is closed with grey freeze - drying stoppers and flip - off crimped caps . 245 g water for injection purpose are prepared in a suitable vessel and 61 . 5 g acetic acid are added . the amount of somatostatine acetate calculated ( 0 . 52 - 0 . 66 g , dependent on the content of the batch used ) is dissolved with stirring . this solution is transferred to another vessel with approximately 1 l water for injection purpose . 109 . 6 g mannitol are added , dissolved and made up to 2049 g with water for injection purposes . the solution is filled in to sterile colorless injection bottles din 2 r , hydrolytic class i under aseptic conditions and provided with sterile freeze drying stoppers . the nominal filling amount is 1 . 0 ml = 1 . 024 g . the 2 ml injection bottles were rinsed in an injection bottle washing machine , dried with hot air and sterilized . the cleaned freeze - drying stoppers were autoclaved . the injection bottles were transferred to a freeze - drying installation and frozen at a plate temperature of − 40 ° c . drying was carried out using a drying programme with a plate temperature of − 40 ° c . rising to + 20 ° c . the installation is then flooded with sterile nitrogen , the bottles are closed in the installation and the stoppers are sealed with crimped caps . the injection bottles are checked visually for faulty closures and outer faults . faulty injection bottles are removed and destroyed . the lyophilizate ( 0 . 25 mg somatostatine acetate ) is a white , solid , freeze - dried cake in a colorless 2 ml injection bottle which is closed with grey freeze - drying stoppers and flip - off crimped caps .
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before describing the workings of fig1 and 2 , it should be understood that when a telephone is on hook about 48 volts will appear across the line . when a telephone is on hold about 18 volts can be made to appear across the line . when the telephone is off hook , i . e . actively in use , from 4 to 9 volts will appear across the line . the circuits of fig1 and 2 will detect these voltages and give an indication as to whether a line is in use , on hold or available . referring now specifically to fig1 an incoming telephone line is indicated at 1 . the incoming line 1 goes through a full wave rectifier 2 and the output on lines 6a and 8a goes to a voltage divider which includes resistors 3 and 4 and a zener diode 5 , scr 6 and diode 7 . contacts 8 across scr 6 go to the hold contacts of a selector switch , described in detail later . a zener diode 10 having a cutoff voltage of 15 volts is in series with a voltage divider made up of resistors 12 and 14 . line 16 from the center of the divider leads to the source of fet 18 while the gate 21 is connected to the negative line 8 . fet 18 is of the depletion type which means that it is normally on but that a negative voltage turns the fet off . if the full line voltage is across the lines 6a and 8a , i . e . the phone is on the hook , the gate voltage 21 on fet 18 would be negative with respect to the source 16 so that the fet 18 will be non - conducting . similarly , the 30 v zener 22 keeps fet 30 turned off . however , if the telephone is placed on hold by shorting contacts 8 , this will trigger scr 6 , causing the line voltage to drop to about 18 v and be held there by zener 5 despite variations in line voltage . this will cause fet 18 to conduct , turning on the opto coupler 20 . line 6a also leads to a second zener 22 which has a voltage rating of 30 . this is in series with the voltage divider 24 and 26 , the center of which is connected to the source 28 of a depletion mode fet 30 . the drain of fet 30 is connected to a second opto coupler 32 . the gate of 30 is connected to the negative line 8a . fets 34 and 36 are of the enhancement mode type which means that they are normally off and a positive voltage turns them on . when the line is on hold , i . e . about 18 volts , the second zener 22 stops conducting which allows fet 30 to turn on which turns on opto coupler 32 . this turns on fet 36 which causes led flasher 40 to go into intermittent operation causing the led 42 to flash on and off . this indicates to the user that the line is on hold . now if one takes the phone off the hook , the voltage across line 6a - 8a drops to about 4 to 9 volts which turns both zeners 10 and 22 off which permits the fets 18 and 30 to turn on . when opto coupler 20 turns on , fet 34 starts conducting which shorts out the led flasher 40 causing the led 42 to glow constantly . this indicates to the user that the line is in use . this circuit is completely adequate for private systems and also systems which do not require an extremely high resistance when the phone is on hook . fig2 shows a more complicated circuit which accomplishes the same result but which has an extremely high resistance (& gt ; 10mω ) so that is meets all fcc requirements and is usable in any country . in this circuit a single quad cmos comparator or 2 dual cmos comparators are employed having four sections designated 44 , 46 , 48 and 50 . the incoming line 52 and 54 goes through a full wave rectifier 56 so that it is immaterial which side of the line is positive . thus , the output from the rectifier will always be positive on line 58 and negative on line 60 . to meet the on hook minimum resistance requirements specified in fcc rules and regulations , part 68 of 10mω and to divide the line voltage to a convenient value , a voltage divider network consisting of resistors 61 , 62 , 64 and 66 is employed . this supplies one - third of the line voltage to sections 44 and 46 of the comparator and one - fifteenth of the voltage to section 50 of the comparator . to prevent the cross talk between lines , which proved a serious problem in previous attempts to build an all electric system , each line condition detector circuit is supplied with its own d . c . to d . c . converter power supply 68 which is run from a common 12 v d . c . supply and which gives a 10 volt well regulated (± 1 %) output to comparator 44 and by means of resistive voltage dividers , 5 volts to comparator 46 and 6 volts to comparator 50 . the d . c . to d . c . converter operates at a frequency of about 60 khz and so there is no coupling at audio frequencies between the lines . the power supply also supplies the voltage for running the four comparators . section 48 is used as a hold flashing oscillator operating through opto coupler 70 to actuate led 72 . comparator 44 is biased in such a way that it conducts if the voltage in line 58 is less than 30 v . this indicates a hold condition and this actuates comparator 48 through opto coupler 70 causing led 72 to flash . fets 74 and 76 are both enhancement mode devices and , when a voltage of less than 15 v is sensed by comparator 46 , fet 74 is actuated , shutting off comparator 48 so that led 72 now stops flashing and has a steady glow , indicating that the phone is off hook and in use . comparator 50 compares the plus 10 voltage from the power supply 68 with the voltage developed between resistors 62 and 64 so that this comparator is turned on only when there is a very high voltage on the line , i . e . the ringing current which is in the range of 75 - 105 volts of 20 cycle a . c . when this voltage appears on the line , the electronic ringer 78 is activated . in fig3 a practical circuit is shown which might be completely contained within a telephone instrument . it will be seen that only three incoming lines are shown , namely , line 1 , line 2 and line n but that a large number of lines might be employed . it will also be noted in this circuit that there is a relatively small number of incoming wires , namely , one pair for each line , plus one pair for intercom , plus one pair for the supply voltage . switch 80 or hold button is a double pole double throw switch that normally would be in the lefthand position and would be thrown to the right only by pressing the hold button down . switch 82 and the switches immediately below it are four pole double throw switches and are of a type wherein if one button is depressed , the others are released . thus , if a call comes in on a particular line , the button for that particular switch is depressed releasing the others . also , it is possible by activating the switch 80 to place that particular line on hold . the line condition indicators 84 , 86 and 8n can be either of the type indicated in fig1 or fig2 . obviously one complete indicator is employed for each incoming line . also , an intercom circuit can be employed which is shown in fig3 for the sake of completeness but which is of fairly simple design , using the telephone instrument speech circuits for audio communication and utilizing the touch tone pad buttons to signal the desired office instrument . the dtmf signals are decoded in each instrument by a two stage phase locked loop decoder which can be set by means of a 7 section dip switch to decode any of the 12 pad numbers ( 0 - 9 * #).
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the present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to the following embodiments . it is to be noted that the following descriptions of preferred embodiments of the invention are presented herein for purpose of illustration and description only ; it is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise form disclosed . the present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to the following embodiments . please refer to fig4 - 1 and fig4 - 2 . fig4 - 1 is a front view and fig4 - 2 is a back view , showing the dust cover according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the dust cover 5 includes a fixed portion 53 and a movable portion 50 . the flexible portion 57 connects the fixed portion 53 with the movable portion 50 . in the embodiment shown in fig4 - 1 and fig4 - 2 , the flexible portion 57 is defined by the recess slot 55 and formed integrally with the fixed portion 53 and the movable portion 50 . according to fig4 - 2 , the recess slot 55 is formed and being recess towards three directions , two lateral sides . because the thickness of the recess slot 55 is relatively much thinner than the thickness of the fixed portion 53 and the movable portion 50 , when the external force applied to the movable portion 50 , the flexible portion 57 will be bended . therefore , the plugging hole is uncovered ( please refer to fig3 ). according to the fig4 - 1 , the present invention further has a receptacle 59 for exchangeablely receiving the label therein . accordingly , the label can be easily replaced by being drawn out from the receptacle 59 . and the drawback in the conventional dust cover that the label is easily torn down can be avoided . please refer to fig4 - 2 . the fixed portion 53 further has a fixing block 51 for fixing the fixed portion 53 on the socket 2 ( fig3 ). furthermore , the movable portion 50 has a protruding element 52 for being inserted into the plugging hole 23 ( fig3 ) so as to keep the movable portion 50 firmly covering the plugging hole 23 and avoiding the dust . please refer to fig4 - 1 . the receptacle 59 has a insertion slot 54 for the label 59 a being inserted therein . furthermore , for preventing the label 59 a from slipping out from the receptacle 59 accidentally , a stopper 56 is disposed corresponding to the opening of the insertion slot 54 . therefore , the label 59 a will not fall off from the receptacle 59 by accidental external force . please refer to fig4 - 3 and fig4 - 4 . fig4 - 3 is a side view fo the dust cover according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . and fig4 - 4 is a top view of the dust cover according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the fixing block 51 and the protruding element 52 are disposed at the back of the dust cover 5 and the receptacle 59 is disposed in front of the dust cover 5 . the flexible portion 57 formed by the recess slot 55 connects the fixed portion 53 with the movable portion 50 . one side of the stopper 56 , which faces to the receptacle 59 , is inclined or an arc for the label 59 a easily drawn out by a conscious external force . please refer to fig5 . fig5 is a schematic view showing the dust cover combined with the socket according to the present invention . the socket 2 has a fixing aperture 21 ′ for fixed the fixing block 51 of the dust cover 5 therein . certainly , the fixing block 51 can be as same as the holders 31 of the fig2 , and the fixing aperture 21 ′ also can be as same as the locking hole 21 of the fig2 . furthermore , the fixed portion 53 can be stuck , screwed , or welded by the high frequency welding machine when being fixed engaged with the socket 2 . please refer to fig6 . fig6 is a schematic view showing the dust cover according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention . the fixed portion 53 has a first pivotal join portion 53 ′, while the movable portion 50 has a second pivotal join portion 55 ′ pivotally connected to the first pivotal join portion 53 ′ through a shaft 57 ′. therefore , the first pivotal join portion 53 ′, the second pivotal join portion 55 ′ and the shaft 57 ′ have the same functions as the flexible portion 57 described above , and further , the possible breakage near the flexible portion 57 shown in fig5 can be avoided . please refer to fig7 . fig7 is a schematic view showing the dust cover according to yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention . fig7 shows that a socket 6 having a dust cover 50 ′ thereon . the dust cover 50 ′ is formed integrally with the body 60 of the socket 6 . the socket 6 has a plugging hole 66 for the plug 4 ( fig3 ) plugged therein so as to form an electrical connection . a slot 64 is disposed in the plugging hole 66 and has a cavity 64 a for being engaged with the incline 41 a . the dust cover 50 ′ is connected to the body 60 through the connecting portion 57 a . the connecting portion 57 a is bendable and the thickness thereof is much thinner than the dust cover 50 ′. therefore , when the external force is applied , the dust cover 50 ′ will move flexibly away from the plugging hole 66 . the dust cover 50 ′ also has the receptacle 59 as shown in fig4 - 1 . please refer to fig8 . fig8 is a schematic view showing the dust cover according to still another preferred embodiment of the present invention . the socket 7 has a dust cover 50 ″ directly pivotally connected with the body 70 of the socket 7 , but not through the fixed portion 53 as shown in fig6 . the body 70 has a pivotal join portion 72 pivotally connected to the shaft 71 a of the dust cover 50 ″. the socket 7 also has the slot 64 and the cavity 64 a disposed therein as shown in fig7 . the usage of the pivotal join portion 72 is to prevent the possible breakage near the connecting portion 57 a . the dust cover 50 ″ also has the receptacle 59 as shown in fig4 - 1 . therefore , it is clear that the receptacle which exchangeablely receives the label therein makes the label exchanging easy and avoid the drawbacks of using the paster label 39 a ( fig3 ). and the motion mechanism of the movable portion is achieved by the bendable connecting portion or the pivotal join mechanism . furthermore , the dust cover is able to be formed integrally with the socket and the process of connecting the socket and the dust cover is spared . thus the efficacy of the dust cover is increased . while the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiments . on the contrary , it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures .
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the following definitions of the general terms used in the present description apply irrespective of whether the terms in question appear alone or in combination . it must be noted that , as used in the specification and the appended claims , the singular forms “ a ”, “ an ,” and “ the ” include plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise . the term “ alkyl ” denotes a straight - chain or branched saturated hydrocarbon residue with 1 to 6 carbon atoms , preferably with 1 to 4 carbon atoms , such as methyl , ethyl , n - propyl , i - propyl , i - butyl , t - butyl , and the like . the term “ alkoxy ” denotes a lower alkyl residue as defined above bound via an oxygen atom . examples of “ lower alkoxy ” residues include methoxy , ethoxy , isopropoxy and the like . the terms “ alkyl substituted by one or more halogen atoms ” and “ haloalkyl ” each denotes an alkyl residue as defined above wherein at least one hydrogen atom has been replaced with a halogen atom . the terms “ alkoxy substituted by one or more halogen atoms ” and “ haloalkoxy ” each denotes an alkoxy residue as defined above wherein at least one hydrogen atom has been replaced with a halogen atom . examples of lower alkoxy substituted by one or more halogen include 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoroethoxy groups . the term “ alkenyl ” used in the present description denotes straight - chain or branched unsaturated hydrocarbon residues with 2 - 6 , preferably 2 - 4 carbon atoms , such as ethenyl , 2 - propenyl , isobutene - 1 - yl , and those specifically exemplified in the instant patent application . the term “ aryl ” represents an aromatic carbocyclic group consisting of one individual ring , or one or more fused rings in which at least one ring is aromatic in nature . preferred aryl groups are phenyl or naphthyl . the term “ heteroaryl ” refers to an aromatic group having 5 to 12 ring atoms and containing one or more heteroatoms selected from nitrogen , oxygen and sulphur . in a certain embodiment , the heteroaryl groups contain one or more nitrogen atoms . preferred heteroaryl groups have 5 or 6 ring atoms . examples of such heteroaryl groups are pyridinyl , pyrazinyl , pyrimidinyl or pyridazinyl . the term “ cycloalkyl ” means a cycloalkyl group containing 3 to 12 , preferably 3 to 8 and still more preferably 3 to 6 , carbon atoms , such as cyclopropyl , cyclobutyl , cyclopentyl or cyclohexyl . cycloalkyl containing 3 to 4 carbon atoms are the most preferred . the term “ a heterocyclic group having 5 to 12 ring atoms ” denotes a heterocyclic ring having 5 to 12 , preferably 5 to 9 as still more preferably 5 or 6 , ring members containing at least one nitrogen atom as ring members , and none , 1 , 2 or 3 additional heteroatom ring members selected from n , o and s , the remaining ring members being carbon atoms . examples of 5 or 6 heterocyclic ring include but are not limited to 1h - tetrazole ; 2h - tetrazole ; 1 , 2 , 3 - and 1 , 24 - triazole ; imidazole ; pyrrole ; 1 , 2 , 3 -, 1 , 3 , 4 - or 1 , 2 , 5 - thiadiazine ; 1 , 4 - oxazine ; 1 , 2 - or 1 , 4 - thiazine ; 4 - morpholinyl ; 1 - pyrrolidinyl ; 1 - piperazinyl , preferably 4 - morpholinyl ; 1 - pyrrolidinyl or 1 - piperazinyl . substituents for such 5 or 6 membered heterocyclic ring include but are not limited to halo , amino , nitro , cyano , hydroxy , c 1 - 6 - alkyl optionally substituted by hydroxy , c 1 - 6 - alkoxy , c 2 - 6 - alkenyl , c 3 - 8 - cycloalkyl , or cf 3 , and preferably c 1 - 6 - alkyl ; or cf 3 . “ pharmaceutically acceptable ,” such as pharmaceutically acceptable carrier , excipient , etc ., means pharmacologically acceptable and substantially non - toxic to the subject to which the particular compound is administered . the term “ pharmaceutically acceptable addition salt ” refers to any salt derived from an inorganic or organic acid or base . “ therapeutically effective amount ” means an amount that is effective to prevent , alleviate or ameliorate symptoms of disease or prolong the survival of the subject being treated . the present invention provides pyrrazolo - pyrimidine derivatives of the general formula ( i ): r 1 is h , halo , c 1 - 6 - alkoxy , c 1 - 6 - alkyl , c 1 - 6 - haloalkyl , or c 1 - 6 - haloalkoxy ; r 3 is c 1 - 6 - alkyl optionally substituted by hydroxy ; or is nr b r c wherein r b and r c are each independently selected from the group consisting of h , c 3 - 8 - cycloalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl having from 5 to 12 ring atoms , and c 1 - 6 - alkyl which is optionally substituted by one or more substituent ( s ) selected from the group consisting of halo , hydroxy , c 3 - 8 - cycloalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl having from 5 to 12 ring atoms and — nr b ′ r c ′ , wherein r b ′ and r c ′ are each independently selected from the group consisting of h and c 1 - 6 - alkyl ; or r b and r c can , together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached , form an optionally substituted heterocyclic group having 5 to 12 ring atoms , wherein the substituents are selected from the group consisting of halo , hydroxy , c 1 - 6 - alkyl and c 1 - 6 - haloalkyl ; and r 4 is h , straight c 1 - 6 - alkyl , c 1 - 6 - haloalkyl or c 3 - 4 - cycloalkyl ; the invention includes all racemic mixtures , all their corresponding enantiomers and / or optical isomers . the compounds of formula ( i ) can also be used in form of their prodrugs . examples are esters , n - oxides , phosphate esters , glycoamide esters , glyceride conjugates and the like . the prodrugs can add to the value of the present compounds containing compounds of the invention and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier . the advantages in absorption , pharmacokinetics in distribution and transport to the brain . r a is h , halo , preferably cl , or c 1 - 6 - alkyl , preferably methyl ; r 1 is h , halo , preferably cl ; c 1 - 6 - alkoxy , preferably meo or eto ; c 1 - 6 - alkyl , preferably methyl ; c 1 - 6 - haloalkyl , preferably chf 2 or cf 3 ; c 1 - 6 - haloalkoxy , preferably cf 3 ch 2 o ; r 2 is halogen , preferably cl , or c 1 - 6 - haloalkyl , preferably cf 3 ; r 3 is nr b r c wherein r b and r c are each independently selected from the group consisting of h , c 1 - 6 - alkyl , preferably methyl , ethyl , i - propyl , or t - butyl , each of which is optionally substituted by one or more substituent ( s ) selected from the group consisting of hydroxy and — nr b ′ c ′ , wherein r b ′ and r c ′ are each independently selected from the group consisting of h and c 1 - 6 - alkyl , preferably methyl ; and r 4 is c 1 - 6 - haloalkyl , preferably chf 2 or cf 3 , or c 3 - 4 - cycloalkyl , preferably cyclopropyl ; r 1 is h , cl , meo , eto , methyl , chf 2 , cf 3 , or cf 3 ch 2 o ; r 3 is nr b r c wherein r b and r c are each independently selected from the group consisting of h , methyl , ethyl , i - propyl , or t - butyl , each of which is optionally substituted by one or more substituent selected from the group consisting of hydroxy and — nr b ′ c ′ , wherein r b ′ and r c ′ are each independently selected from the group consisting of h and methyl ; and r 4 is chf 2 , cf 3 , or cyclopropyl ; also encompassed by the compounds of formula ( i ) are those of formula ( ia ): wherein r a , r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 are as defined hereinabove for formula ( i ), and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof . 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 2 - chloro - 5 - sulfamoyl - thiophen - 3 - yl )- amide ; 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 2 - chloro - 5 - sulfamoyl - thiophen - 3 - yl )- amide ; 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 2 - chloro - 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 2 - chloro - 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 5 -( 4 - chloro - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 2 - chloro - 5 - sulfamoyl - thiophen - 3 - yl )- amide ; 5 -( 3 - ethoxy - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 2 - chloro - 5 - sulfamoyl - thiophen - 3 - yl )- amide ; 5 -( 3 - methyl - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 2 - chloro - 5 - sulfamoyl - thiophen - 3 - yl )- amide ; 5 -( 4 - chloro - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 2 - chloro - 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 5 -( 3 - ethoxy - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 2 - chloro - 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 5 -( 3 - methyl - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 2 - chloro - 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 5 -[ 3 -( 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoro - ethoxy )- 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl ]- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 2 - chloro - 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 5 -( 3 - chloro - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 2 - chloro - 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 2 - chloro - 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 2 - chloro - 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid { 5 -[ bis -( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- sulfamoyl ]- 2 - chloro - thiophen - 3 - yl }- amide ; 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid { 5 -[ bis -( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- sulfamoyl ]- 2 - chloro - thiophen - 3 - yl }- amide ; 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 2 - chloro - 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - ethylsulfamoyl )- thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 2 - chloro - 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - 1 - methyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 2 - chloro - 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - 1 - methyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 2 - chloro - 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - ethylsulfamoyl )- thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 2 - methyl - 5 - sulfamoyl - thiophen - 3 - yl )- amide ; 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 2 - methyl - 5 - sulfamoyl - thiophen - 3 - yl )- amide ; 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- 2 - methyl - thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- 2 - methyl - thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 2 - chloro - 5 -( 2 - dimethylamino - ethylsulfamoyl )- thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 2 - chloro - 5 -( 2 - dimethylamino - ethylsulfamoyl )- thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 5 -( 3 - ethoxy - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 2 - chloro - 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - ethylsulfamoyl )- thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 5 -( 4 - chloro - phenyl )- 7 - cyclopropyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 2 - chloro - 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - amino - ethylsulfamoyl )- 2 - chloro - thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [( rs )- 2 - chloro - 5 -( 3 - hydroxy - pyrrolidine - 1 - sulfonyl )- thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [( rs )- 2 - chloro - 5 -( 3 - hydroxy - pyrrolidine - 1 - sulfonyl )- thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid { 2 - chloro - 5 -[( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- methyl - sulfamoyl ]- thiophen - 3 - yl }- amide ; 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 2 - chloro - 5 -( 4 - methyl - piperazine - 1 - sulfonyl )- thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 2 - chloro - 5 -( 4 - methyl - piperazine - 1 - sulfonyl )- thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid { 2 - chloro - 5 -[( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- methyl - sulfamoyl ]- thiophen - 3 - yl }- amide ; and 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - amino - ethylsulfamoyl )- 2 - chloro - thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide . also encompassed by the compounds of formula ( i ) are those of formula ( ib ): wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 are as defined hereinabove for formula ( i ), and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof . examples of compounds of formula ( ib ) include also encompassed by the compounds of formula ( i ) are those of formula ( ic ): wherein r a , r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 are as defined hereinabove for formula ( i ), and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof . examples of compounds of formula ( ic ) include 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 4 - methyl - 5 - sulfamoyl - thiazol - 2 - yl )- amide ; 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 4 - methyl - 5 - sulfamoyl - thiazol - 2 - yl )- amide ; 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide ; 5 -( 4 - chloro - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 4 - methyl - 5 - sulfamoyl - thiazol - 2 - yl )- amide ; 5 -( 3 - ethoxy - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 4 - methyl - 5 - sulfamoyl - thiazol - 2 - yl )- amide ; 5 -( 3 - methyl - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 4 - methyl - 5 - sulfamoyl - thiazol - 2 - yl )- amide ; 5 -( 4 - chloro - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide ; 5 -( 3 - ethoxy - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide ; 5 -( 3 - methyl - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide ; 5 -( 3 - chloro - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 4 - methyl - 5 - sulfamoyl - thiazol - 2 - yl )- amide ; 5 -( 3 , 4 - dichloro - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 4 - methyl - 5 - sulfamoyl - thiazol - 2 - yl )- amide ; 5 -[ 3 -( 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoro - ethoxy )- 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl ]- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 4 - methyl - 5 - sulfamoyl - thiazol - 2 - yl )- amide ; 5 -( 3 - chloro - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide ; 5 -( 3 , 4 - dichloro - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide ; 5 -[ 3 -( 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoro - ethoxy )- 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl ]- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 3 - methyl - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 4 - methyl - 5 - sulfamoyl - thiazol - 2 - yl )- amide ; 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 2 - chloro - 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - 1 - methyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- thiophen - 3 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 3 - methyl - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid { 5 -[ bis -( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- sulfamoyl ]- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl }- amide ; 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid { 5 -[ bis -( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- sulfamoyl ]- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl }- amide ; 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - 1 - methyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - 1 - methyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - ethylsulfamoyl )- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - ethylsulfamoyl )- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 5 - sulfamoyl - thiazol - 2 - yl )- amide ; 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 5 - sulfamoyl - thiazol - 2 - yl )- amide ; 5 -( 3 - ethoxy - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - 1 - methyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - dimethylamino - ethylsulfamoyl )- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - dimethylamino - ethylsulfamoyl )- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide ; 5 -( 4 - chloro - phenyl )- 7 - cyclopropyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 5 -( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - ethylsulfamoyl )- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 4 - methyl - 5 -( 4 - methyl - piperazine - 1 - sulfonyl )- thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [ 4 - methyl - 5 -( 4 - methyl - piperazine - 1 - sulfonyl )- thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide ; 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid { 5 -[( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- methyl - sulfamoyl ]- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl }- amide ; 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid { 5 -[( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- methyl - sulfamoyl ]- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl }- amide ; ( rs )- 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [( rs )- 5 -( 3 - hydroxy - pyrrolidine - 1 - sulfonyl )- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide ; and 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid [( rs )- 5 -( 3 - hydroxy - pyrrolidine - 1 - sulfonyl )- 4 - methyl - thiazol - 2 - yl ]- amide . also encompassed by the compounds of formula ( i ) are those in which r 3 is c 1 - 6 - alkyl optionally substituted by hydroxyl . in another embodiment are encompassed compounds of formula ( i ) in which r 3 is nr b r c wherein r b and r c are independently selected from the group consisting of : h , c 3 - 8 - cycloalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl having from 5 to 12 ring atoms , and c 1 - 6 - alkyl which is optionally substituted by one or more substituent ( s ) selected from the group consisting of halo , hydroxy , c 3 - 8 - cycloalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl having from 5 to 12 ring atoms and — nr b ′ r c ′ , wherein r b ′ and r c ′ are each independently selected from the group consisting of h and c 1 - 6 - alkyl ; or r b and r c can , together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached , form an optionally substituted heterocyclic group having 5 to 12 ring atoms , wherein the substituents are selected from the group consisting of halo , hydroxy , c 1 - 6 - alkyl and c 1 - 6 - haloalkyl . of these , compounds wherein r b and r c are hydrogen are preferred . alternatively , preferred compounds in this embodiment are those in which r b and r c are each independently c 1 - 6 - alkyl , optionally substituted by one or more substituent ( s ) selected from the group consisting of halo , hydroxy , and c 3 - 8 - cycloalkyl . as another alternative within this group are those compounds in which r b and r c are each independently c 1 - 6 - alkyl , optionally substituted by — nr b ′ r c ′ , wherein r b ′ and r c ′ are each independently selected from the group consisting of h and c 1 - 6 - alkyl . as yet another alternative within this group are those compounds in which r b and r c together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached , form an optionally substituted heterocyclic group having 5 to 12 ring atoms , wherein the substituents are selected from the group consisting of halo , hydroxy , c 1 - 6 - alkyl and c 1 - 6 - haloalkyl . the compounds of the invention can be prepared according to a process comprising reacting a compound of formula ( vi ): wherein a , r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 are as defined in formula ( i ) above ; to obtain the compound of formula ( i ), and if desired converting the compound of formula ( i ) into its pharmaceutically acceptable addition salt . the pharmaceutically acceptable addition salts can be manufactured readily according to methods known per se and taking into consideration the nature of the compound to be converted into a salt . inorganic or organic acids such as , for example , hydrochloric acid , hydrobromic acid , sulphuric acid , nitric acid , phosphoric acid or citric acid , formic acid , fumaric acid , maleic acid , acetic acid , succinic acid , tartaric acid , methanesulphonic acid , p - toluenesulphonic acid and the like are suitable for the formation of pharmaceutically acceptable salts of basic compounds of formulae ( i ), ( ia ), ( ib ) and ( ic ). the synthesis of the intermediate compounds of formula ( vi ) above can be carried out in accordance with the following general procedure i which procedure is outlined below in scheme 1 . as for the reaction of the compound of formula ( vii ) with the compound of formula ( vi ), it can be carried out for example in accordance with the following general procedure ii which procedure is outlined below in scheme 2 . in these schemes , a , r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 are as defined hereinabove . procedures i and ii are applicable for the preparation of all the compounds according to formulae ( i ), ( ia ), ( ib ) and ( ic ). to a stirred solution of compound of formula ( iii ) in an organic solvent ( e . g . tert - butyl - methyl - ether ) is added at room temperature a solution of sodium methanolate in methanol followed by a solution of compound of formula ( ii ) in an organic solvent ( e . g . tert - butyl - methyl - ether ). the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for about 19 h , cooled , acidified and extracted ( e . g . with diethyl ether ). the combined organic layers are washed and dried ( e . g . mgso 4 ) and evaporated to give crude the compound of formula ( iv ) which can be used without further purification . a stirred mixture of commercially available 3 - amino - 4 - ethoxycarbonyl - pyrazole ( compound of formula ( v )) and compound of formula ( iv ) in an organic acid ( e . g . acetic acid ) is heated under reflux conditions for about 1 . 5 h . the reaction mixture is evaporated and the crude product is dissolved in a mixture of a concentrated base ( e . g . koh in methanol and water ). the reaction mixture is stirred at about 60 ° c . for about 1 . 5 h , cooled , acidified and concentrated . the precipitate is collected by filtration and further purified ( e . g . by crystallization from diethylether / methanol ) to give the compound of formula ( vi ). to a stirred solution of compound of formula ( vi ) in a solvent ( e . g . thf ) is added at room temperature dmf , the solution is cooled to about 0 ° c . and oxalylchloride is added . the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for about 3 h and evaporated to dryness . the precipitate is dissolved in pyridine and , while stirring at room temperature , 4 - dimethylaminopyridine and a compound of formula ( vii ) are added . the reaction mixture is allowed to stir at room temperature for about 16 h , evaporated to dryness and the crude product purified ( e . g . by flash chromatography on silica gel ) to yield the product , which can be further purified ( e . g . by crystallization from methanol / hexane ). the present invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions containing compounds of the invention , for example compounds of formula i and their pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts , and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier . such pharmaceutical compositions can be in the form of tablets , coated tablets , dragées , hard and soft gelatine capsules , solutions , emulsions or suspensions . the pharmaceutical compositions also can be in the form of suppositories or injectable solutions . the pharmaceutical compounds of the invention , in addition to one or more compounds of the invention , contain a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier . suitable pharmaceutically acceptable carriers include pharmaceutically inert , inorganic and organic carriers . lactose , corn starch or derivatives thereof , talc , stearic acids or its salts and the like can be used , for example , as such carriers for tablets , coated tablets , dragées and hard gelatine capsules . suitable carriers for soft gelatine capsules are , for example , vegetable oils , waxes , fats , semi - solid and liquid polyols and the like . depending on the nature of the active substance no carriers are , however , usually required in the case of soft gelatine capsules . suitable carriers for the production of solutions and syrups are , for example , water , polyols , glycerol , vegetable oil and the like . suitable carriers for suppositories are , for example , natural or hardened oils , waxes , fats , semi - liquid or liquid polyols and the like . in addition , the pharmaceutical compositions can contain preservatives , solubilizers , stabilizers , wetting agents , emulsifiers , sweeteners , colorants , flavorants , salts for varying the osmotic pressure , buffers , masking agents or antioxidants . they can also contain still other therapeutically valuable substances . as mentioned earlier , medicaments containing a compound of formula ( i ) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and a therapeutically inert excipient are also an object of the present invention , as is a process for the production of such medicaments which comprises bringing one or more compounds of formula ( i ) or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof and , if desired , one or more other therapeutically valuable substances into a galenical dosage form together with one or more therapeutically inert carriers . the compounds of formula ( i ) and their pharmaceutically acceptable salts are metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonists and can be used for the treatment or prevention of acute and / or chronic neurological disorders , such as psychosis , schizophrenia , alzheimer &# 39 ; s disease , cognitive disorders and memory deficits . other treatable indications are restricted brain function caused by bypass operations or transplants , poor blood supply to the brain , spinal cord injuries , head injuries , hypoxia caused by pregnancy , cardiac arrest and hypoglycaemia . further treatable indications are acute and chronic pain , huntington &# 39 ; s chorea , als , dementia caused by aids , eye injuries , retinopathy , idiopathic parkinsonism or parkinsonism caused by medicaments as well as conditions which lead to glutamate - deficient functions , such as e . g . muscle spasms , convulsions , migraine , urinary incontinence , nicotine addiction , psychoses , opiate addiction , anxiety , vomiting , dyskinesia , depression and glioma . the dosage at which the compounds of the invention can be administered can vary within wide limits and will , of course , be fitted to the individual requirements in each particular case . in general , the effective dosage for oral or parenteral administration is between 0 . 01 - 20 mg / kg / day , with a dosage of 0 . 1 - 10 mg / kg / day being preferred for all of the indications described . the daily dosage for an adult human being weighing 70 kg accordingly lies between 0 . 7 - 1400 mg per day , preferably between 7 and 700 mg per day . the compounds of the present invention are group ii mglu receptor antagonists . the compounds show activities , as measured in the assay described below , of 0 . 150 μm or less , typically 0 . 030 μm or less , and ideally of 0 . 010 μm or less . in the table below are described some specific ki values of representative compounds . ex . no . 2 3 8 35 k i mglu2 ( μm ) 0 . 0069 0 . 142 0 . 0025 0 . 027 cdna encoding the rat mglu2 receptor protein in pbluescript ii was subcloned into the eukaryotic expression vector pcdna i - amp from invitrogen ltd ( paisley , uk ). this vector construct ( pcd1mgr2 ) was co - transfected with a psvneo plasmid encoding the gene for neomycin resistance , into cho cells by a modified calcium phosphate method described by chen & amp ; okayama ( 1988 ). the cells were maintained in dulbecco &# 39 ; s modified eagle medium with reduced l - glutamine ( 2 mm final concentration ) and 10 % dialysed foetal calf serum from gibco - invitrogen ( carlsbad , calif ., usa ). selection was made in the presence of g - 418 ( 1000 ug / ml final ) and mcpg ??. clones were identified by reverse transcription of 5 μg total rna , followed by pcr mglu2 receptor specific primers 5 ′- atcactgcttgggtttctggcactg - 3 ′ and 5 ′- agcatcactgtgggtggcataggagc - 3 ′ in 60 mm tris hcl ( ph 10 ), 15 mm ( nh4 ) 2 so 4 , 2 mm mgcl 2 , 25 units / ml taq polymerase with 30 cycles annealing at 60 ° c . for 1 min ., extention at 72 ° c . for 30 s , and 1 min . 95 ° c . denaturation . cells , cultured as above , were harvested and washed three times with cold pbs and frozen at − 80 ° c . the pellet was resuspended in cold 20 mm hepes - naoh buffer containing 10 mm edta ( ph 7 . 4 ), and homogenised with a polytron ( kinematica , ag , littau , switzerland ) for 10 s at 10 000 rpm . after centrifugation for 30 min . at 4 ° c ., the pellet was washed once with the same buffer , and once with cold 20 mm hepes - naoh buffer containing 0 . 1 mm edta , ( ph 7 . 4 ). protein content was measured using the micro bca method from pierce - perbio ( rockford , ill ., usa ) using bovine serum albumin as standard . after thawing , the membranes were resuspended in cold 50 mm tris - hcl buffer containing 2 mm mgcl 2 ( ph 7 ) ( binding buffer ). the final concentration of the membranes in the assays was 25 μg protein / ml . inhibition experiments were performed with membranes incubated with 10 nm [ 3 h ]- ly354740 at room temperature , for 1 hour , in presence of various concentrations of the compound to be tested . following the incubations , membranes were filtered onto whatmann gf / b glass fiber filters and washed 5 times with cold binding buffer . non specific binding was measured in the presence of 10 μm dcg iv . after transfer of the filters into plastic vials containing 10 ml of ultima - gold scintillation fluid from perkin - elmer ( boston , mass ., usa ), the radioactivity was measured by liquid scintillation in a tri - carb 2500 tr counter ( packard , zürich , switzerland ). the inhibition curves were fitted with a four parameter logistic equation giving ic 50 values , and hill coefficients . almost all of the starting materials used in the general procedures i and ii are commercially available . the non - commercially available starting materials have been prepared according to the procedures as outlined hereafter and unless otherwise specified , the intermediate compounds described therein are novel compounds . other starting materials useful in the general procedures i and ii can be prepared taking into account the following examples of preparation and using known methods . to a stirred and cooled ( 0 ° c .) solution of potassium tert .- butanolate ( 1 . 39 g , 12 mmol ) in dmso ( 3 ml ) was added diethyl malonate ( 1 . 9 ml , 12 mmol ) and the reaction mixture was stirred for 20 min at room temperature . to the white suspension was added at room temperature 4 - fluoro - 3 - trifluoromethyl - acetophenone ( 1 g , 5 mmol ) and dmso ( 2 ml ). the reaction mixture was stirred for 6 h at 60 ° c . and for 16 h at room temperature . the reaction mixture was cooled ( 0 ° c . ), a solution of potassium hydroxide ( 1 . 09 g , 19 mmol ) in water ( 2 ml ) was added and the mixture was stirred at 100 ° c . for 23 h . the mixture was poured into ice / water ( 40 ml ) and extracted with diethyl ether ( 2 × 40 ml ). the combined organic layers were washed with water ( 3 × 30 ml ), brine ( 30 ml ), dried ( mgso 4 ) and evaporated . the crude product ( 0 . 92 g ) was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel ( heptane / ethyl acetate 3 : 1 ) to give the title compound ( 0 . 76 g , 77 %) as a light yellow liquid . ms ( ei ) 202 . 0 [ m ]. to a stirred suspension of potassium ethanolate ( 2 . 36 g , 27 mmol ) in ethanol ( 30 ml ) was added at room temperature a solution of 4 - fluoro - 3 - trifluoromethyl - acetophenone ( 2 . 5 g , 12 mmol ) in ethanol ( 10 ml ). the reaction mixture was stirred at 60 ° c . for 2 h and evaporated . ice / 2 n hcl ( 50 ml ) was added and the water layer was extracted with diethylether ( 2 × 100 ml ). the combined organic layers were washed with ice - water ( 50 ml ), brine ( 50 ml ), dried ( mgso 4 ) and evaporated to give the title compound ( 2 . 9 g , 98 %) as a brown solid , which was used without further purification . ms ( ei ) 232 . 1 [ m ]. to a stirred solution of 4 - fluoro - 3 - trifluoromethyl - acetophenone ( 2 . 5 g , 12 mmol ) in dmso ( 15 ml ) was added at room temperature 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoroethanol ( 1 . 7 g , 17 mmol ) and potassium hydroxide ( 1 . 74 g , 27 mmol ). the reaction mixture was stirred for 30 min at 40 ° c ., ice / 2n hcl ( 50 ml ) was added and the water layer was extracted with diethylether ( 2 × 100 ml ). the combined organic layers were washed with ice - water ( 50 ml ), brine ( 50 ml ), dried ( mgso 4 ) and evaporated to give the title compound ( 3 . 6 g , 98 %) as a brown solid , which was used without further purification . ms ( ei ) 286 . 1 [ m ]. under argon atmosphere , a suspension of potassium tert - butanolate ( 71 . 6 g , 625 mmol ) in dmso ( 150 ml ) was placed in a 1 . 5 l flask , fitted with a mechanical stirrer . then diethyl malonate ( 97 . 9 ml , 625 mmol ) was added drop wise at 20 - 30 ° c . under ice bath cooling . to the thick white suspension was the added solid commercially available 5 - chloro - 2 - nitro - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenylamine [ cas - no . 35375 - 74 - 7 ] ( 60 . 14 g , 250 mmol ) in one portion , the mixture was diluted with dmso ( 100 ml ) and the red solution warmed up to 60 ° c . and stirred for 20 h at 60 ° c . the mixture was cooled to 23 ° c . and a solution of potassium hydroxide ( 85 %, 65 . 24 g , 1 mol ) in water ( 100 ml ) was added drop wise . the mixture was then heated to 100 ° c . and stirred for further 4 h . the mixture was cooled to 23 ° c ., diluted with water ( ca . 1000 ml ), acidified with 37 % hcl 3 to ph 3 , and extracted three times with tert - butyl methyl ether ( tbme ) the organic layers were washed with brine , dried over mgso 4 and evaporated to give a brown solid , which was triturated with hot heptane , filtered off and washed with heptane to give the title compound as a brown solid ( 50 . 0 g , 91 %), which was used without further purification . ms ( isn ) 218 . 9 [ m − h ]. to a rapidly stirred mixture of tert - butyl nitrite ( 45 . 33 ml , 382 mmol ) and copper ( ii ) bromide ( 76 . 1 g , 341 mmol ) in acetonitrile ( 450 ml ) at 65 ° c . was added cautiously solid 5 - methyl - 2 - nitro - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenylamine from step 1 ( 50 . 0 g , 227 mmol ). after the addition was complete , stirring was continued for further 1 h at 65 ° c . the mixture was cooled to 23 ° c . and poured into 1 n hcl ( 1000 ml ), extracted twice with tbme , the organic layer was washed with brine , dried over mgso 4 . removal of the solvent in vacuum left a brown oil , which was purified by silica gel column chromatography with heptane / ethyl acetate 9 : 1 to give the title compound as a yellow liquid ( 49 . 8 g , 77 %). ms ( ei ) 283 . 0 [ m ] and 285 . 0 [ m + 2 ]. a mixture of 1 - bromo - 5 - methyl - 2 - nitro - 4 - trifluoromethyl - benzene from step 2 ( 49 . 80 g , 175 mmol ) and copper ( i ) cyanide ( 16 . 5 g , 184 mmol ) in 1 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidone ( nmp ) ( 180 ml ) was heated up to 150 ° c . and stirred for 30 min under nitrogen atmosphere . the mixture was cooled to 23 ° c . and poured into 1 n hcl , extracted with tbme , washed with brine and dried over na 2 so 4 . removal of the solvent in vacuum left a brown oil , which was purified by silica gel column chromatography with heptane / ethyl acetate 4 : 1 -& gt ; 2 : 1 to give the title compound as a light yellow solid ( 35 . 48 g , 88 %). ms ( ei ) 230 . 1 [ m ]. iron powder ( 37 . 42 g , 670 mmol ) was added in small portions to a stirred suspension of finely grinded 5 - methyl - 2 - nitro - 4 - trifluoromethyl - benzonitrile from step 3 ( 34 . 58 g , 150 mmol ) in methanol ( 75 ml ) and 37 % hcl ( 93 ml ). the internal temperature was kept between 40 and 60 ° c . by external water bath cooling . the resulting brown solution was stirred for 1 h at 50 ° c ., giving a green suspension . the mixture was poured into ice cold water ( 600 ml ), the precipitated solid was filtered off and washed with water to give a green solid , which was dissolved in boiling ethanol ( 700 ml ), activated carbon ( ca . 10 g ) was added and the mixture was refluxed for 1 h . the hot solution was filtered and the solvent was evaporated in vacuum to leave the title compound as a brown - yellow solid ( 23 . 55 g , 78 %), which was used without further purification . ms ( ei ) 200 . 1 [ m ]. to a solution of 2 - amino - 5 - methyl - 4 - trifluoromethyl - benzonitrile from step 4 ( 23 . 34 g , 117 mmol ) in dry thf ( 350 ml ) was added isoamyl nitrite ( 34 . 3 ml , 257 mmol ) and the mixture was refluxed for 20 h . additional isoamyl nitrite ( 16 . 6 ml , 129 mmol ) was added and the mixture was refluxed for further 20 h . the mixture was cooled to 23 ° c . and diluted with tbme , the organic layer was washed with 1 n hcl , sat . nahco 3 - sol . and brine , dried over na 2 so 4 . removal of the solvent in vacuum left a brown oil ( 25 . 82 g ), which was purified by bulb to bulb distillation to give a yellow liquid ( 20 . 11 g ), which was finally purified by distillation to give the title compound as a yellow liquid ( 17 . 10 g , 79 %; bp 38 - 42 ° c . at 0 . 8 mbar ). ms ( ei ) 185 . 1 [ m ]. a mixture of 3 - methyl - 4 - trifluoromethyl - benzonitrile from step 5 ( 16 . 25 g , 88 mmol ) and 3 n naoh ( 88 ml , 264 mmol ) in dioxane ( 90 ml ) was refluxed for 18 h . the mixture was cooled to 23 ° c ., diluted with tbme , acidified with 1 n hcl to ph 1 and extracted twice with tbme . the combined organic layers were washed with brine , dried over mgso 4 . removal of the solvent in vacuum left the title compound as an off white solid ( 14 . 46 g , 81 %), %), which was used without further purification . ms ( isn ) 203 . 1 [ m − h ]. to a suspension of 3 - methyl - 4 - trifluoromethyl - benzoic acid from step 6 ( 14 . 1 g , 69 . 1 mmol ), n , o - dimethylhydroxylamine hydrochloride ( 10 . 78 g , 111 mmol ), n - methylmorpholine ( 12 . 14 ml , 111 mmol ) and 4 - dmap ( 844 mg , 691 mmol ) in dcm ( 230 ml ) at 0 ° c . were added 1 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl )- 3 - ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride ( edc ) ( 15 . 98 g , 82 . 9 mmol ) and dmf ( 85 ml ). the mixture was warmed up to 23 ° c . and was stirred for 18 h under nitrogen atmosphere . the mixture was diluted with tbme , washed with water and twice brine , dried over na 2 so 4 . removal of the solvent in vacuum left the title compound as a brown oil ( 16 . 92 g , 99 %), which was used without further purification . ms ( isp ) 248 . 0 [ m + h ]. to a solution of n - methoxy - 3 , n - dimethyl - 4 - trifluoromethyl - benzamide from step 7 ( 16 . 90 g , 68 . 36 mmol ) in thf ( 280 ml ) at − 5 ° c . was added a 3 m methylmagnesium bromide solution in diethyl ether ( 45 . 6 ml , 136 . 7 mmol ). the mixture was stirred at 0 ° c . for 1 h , then was warmed up to 23 ° c . and stirring was continued at 23 ° c . for further 1 . 5 h under nitrogen atmosphere . then 1 n hcl ( 100 ml ) was added drop wise to the mixture and stirring was continued for 30 min . the mixture was diluted with etoac and the aqueous layer was separated , the organic layer was washed with brine and dried over mgso 4 . removal of the solvent in vacuum left the title compound as a light brown liquid ( 12 . 87 g , 93 . 1 %), which was used without further purification . ms ( ei ) 202 . 1 [ m ]. to etoh ( 500 ml ) was added potassium metal ( ca . 21 g , ca . 537 mmol ) and the vigorous reaction had to be cooled with an ice bath . stirring was continued until all potassium metal was dissolved . solid commercially available 5 - chloro - 2 - nitro - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenylamine [ cas - no . 35375 - 74 - 7 ] ( 57 . 74 g , 240 mmol ) was added in one portion and the resulting dark red mixture was stirred at 55 - 60 ° c . for 4 days . the warm reaction mixture was slowly poured into h 2 o ( ca . 2000 ml ), adjusted ph with conc . hcl to ph 2 , the yellow precipitate was filtered off , washed with h 2 o and dried in air at 60 ° c . to give a yellow solid ( 57 . 81 g , 96 %), which was used without further purification . ms ( isn ) 249 [ m − h ]. solid 5 - ethoxy - 2 - nitro - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenylamine from step 1 ( 57 . 81 g , 231 mmol ) was added slowly over 15 min to a rapidly stirred mixture of tert - butyl nitrite ( 45 . 8 ml , 347 mmol ) and anhydrous copper ( ii ) bromide ( 77 . 4 g , 347 mmol ) in acetonitrile ( 462 ml ), which was heated to 65 ° c . in an oil bath . stirring at 65 ° c . was continued for 30 min , the reaction mixture was cooled to 23 ° c ., poured into 1 n hcl , saturated with solid nacl , extracted with tbme , dried over mgso 4 . removal of the solvent in vacuum left a dark brown oil ( 74 . 5 g ). silica gel column chromatography with heptane / etoac 4 : 1 gave the title compound as a yellow solid ( 63 . 03 g , 87 %). ms ( ei ) 313 . 0 [ m ] and 315 . 0 [ m + 2 ]. a mixture of 1 - bromo - 5 - ethoxy - 2 - nitro - 4 - trifluoromethyl - benzene from step 2 ( 61 . 81 g , 197 mmol ) and cucn ( 18 . 51 g , 207 mmol ) in nmp ( 197 ml ) was heated to 150 ° c . for 30 min . cooled to 23 ° c ., poured into 1 n hcl , extracted with tbme , washed with brine , dried over na 2 so 4 . removal of the solvent in vacuum left a brown oil . silica gel column chromatography with heptane / etoac 4 : 1 gave the title compound as a yellow solid ( 46 . 73 g , 91 %). ms ( ei ) 260 . 1 [ m ]. iron powder ( 40 . 96 g , 733 mmol ) was added in small portions over 5 min to a stirred suspension of finely grinded 5 - ethoxy - 2 - nitro - 4 - trifluoromethyl - benzonitrile from step 3 ( 42 . 79 g , 164 . 5 mmol ) in meoh ( 85 ml ) and conc . hcl ( 102 ml ) with water bath cooling keeping the internal temperature at 40 - 50 ° c . the resulting mixture was stirred for further 1 h at ca . 50 ° c . and then poured into ice cold h 2 o ( 700 ml ). the precipitate was filtered , washed with water , dried , and dissolved in boiling etoh ( 800 ml ), activated carbon ( ca . 10 g ) was added , the mixture was refluxed for 45 min , the hot solution was filtered and evaporated to dryness to leave a yellow solid ( 31 . 81 g , 84 %), which was used without further purification . ms ( ei ) 230 . 1 [ m ]. to a solution of 2 - amino - 5 - ethoxy - 4 - trifluoromethyl - benzonitrile from step 4 ( 31 . 62 g , 137 . 4 mmol ) in dry thf ( 410 ml ) was added isoamyl nitrite ( 40 . 4 ml , 302 mmol ) and the mixture was refluxed for 16 h . the solvent was removed in vacuum to give an orange oil , which was dissolved in sat . nahco 3 - sol ., extracted three times with diethyl ether . the combined organic layers were washed with 1 n hcl and brine , dried over na 2 so 4 . removal of the solvent in vacuum left an orange oil , which was purified by double kugelrohr distillation ( up to 160 ° c . bath temperature at 1 . 5 mbar ) to give the title compound as a light yellow solid ( 25 . 06 g , 85 %). ms ( ei ) 185 . 1 [ m ]. to a solution of 3 - ethoxy - 4 - trifluoromethyl - benzonitrile from step 5 ( 5 . 00 g , 23 . 2 mmol ), copper ( i ) bromide ( 100 mg , 0 . 7 mmol ), tert .- butyldimethylchlorosilane ( 4 . 20 g , 27 . 9 mmol ) in dry thf ( 30 ml ) at − 70 ° c . was drop wise added a 3 m methylmagnesium bromide solution in diethyl ether ( 13 . 2 ml , 39 . 6 mmol ). the mixture was stirred at − 70 ° c . for 10 min , then was warmed up to 0 ° c . and stirring was continued at 0 ° c . for further 2 h under nitrogen atmosphere . poured the reaction mixture onto ice and sat . nh 4 cl - sol ., extracted three times with diethyl ether , washed the combined organic layers with brine , dried over mgso 4 . removal of the solvent in vacuum left a brown oil , which was purified by silica gel column chromatography with heptane / etoac 4 : 1 to give the title compound as a yellow liquid ( 1 . 84 g , 34 %). ms ( ei ) 232 [ m ]. commercially available 5 - chloro - 2 - nitro - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenylamine [ cas - no . 35375 - 74 - 7 ] ( 72 . 2 g , 300 mmol ) was dissolved in dmso ( 600 ml ) and 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoroethanol ( 270 ml ) were added at 23 ° c ., the slightly exothermic reaction was cooled with a ice bath . koh ( 85 %, 99 . 0 g , 1500 mmol ) were added slowly and the dark red reaction mixture was stirred at 23 ° c . for 4 days . transferred into a 3 l flask and 1500 ml h 2 o were added under ice bath cooling , acidified with 3 n hcl and stirred at 23 ° c . for 3 h , filtered off the yellow precipitate , washed with h 2 o and dried in air at 60 ° c . to give the title compound as a yellow solid ( 89 . 47 g , 98 %). ms ( isn ) 303 . 1 [ m − h ]. solid 2 - nitro - 5 -( 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoro - ethoxy )- 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenylamine from step 1 ( 24 . 28 g , 80 mmol ) was added slowly over 15 min to a rapidly stirred mixture of tert - butyl nitrite ( 14 . 23 ml , 120 mmol ) and anhydrous copper ( ii ) bromide ( 26 . 75 g , 120 mmol ) in acetonitrile ( 160 ml ), which was heated to 65 ° c . in an oil bath . stirring at 65 ° c . was continued for 2 h , the reaction mixture was cooled to 23 ° c ., poured into 1 n hcl , saturated with solid nacl , extracted with tbme , dried over mgso 4 . removal of the solvent in vacuum left a dark brown oil ( 35 . 57 g ). silica gel column chromatography with heptane / etoac 4 : 1 gave the title compound as an orange solid ( 30 . 54 g , 104 %), which was used without further purification . ms ( ei ) 367 [ m ] and 369 [ m + 2 ]. a mixture of 1 - bromo - 2 - nitro - 5 -( 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoro - ethoxy )- 4 - trifluoromethyl - benzene from step 2 ( 30 . 54 g , 83 . 0 mmol ) and cucn ( 7 . 80 g , 87 . 1 mmol ) in nmp ( 83 ml ) was heated to 150 ° c . for 30 min . cooled to 23 ° c ., poured into 1 n hcl , extracted with etoac , washed with brine , dried over na 2 so 4 . removal of the solvent in vacuum left a dark brown oil ( 33 . 9 g ). silica gel column chromatography with heptane / etoac 9 : 1 -& gt ; 4 : 1 gave the title compound as a yellow solid ( 22 . 05 g , 85 %). ms ( ei ) 314 [ m ]. iron powder ( 15 . 80 g , 283 . 0 mmol ) was added in small portions over 5 min to a stirred suspension of finely grinded 2 - nitro - 5 -( 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoro - ethoxy )- 4 - trifluoromethyl - benzonitrile from step 3 ( 19 . 93 g , 63 . 4 mmol ) in meoh ( 32 ml ) and conc . hcl ( 40 ml ) with water bath cooling keeping the internal temperature at 25 - 35 ° c . the resulting mixture was stirred for further 1 h at ca . 30 ° c . and then poured into ice cold h 2 o ( 400 ml ). the precipitate was filtered , washed with water , dried , and dissolved in boiling etoh ( 400 ml ), activated carbon ( ca . 10 g ) was added , the mixture was refluxed for 45 min , the hot solution was filtered and evaporated to dryness to leave a dark green solid ( 15 . 96 g , 84 %), which was further purified by silica gel column chromatography with heptane / etoac 4 : 1 to give the title compound as a yellow solid ( 14 . 56 g , 81 %). ms ( isn ) 283 [ m − h ]. to a solution of 2 - amino - 5 -( 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoro - ethoxy )- 4 - trifluoromethyl - benzonitrile from step 4 ( 14 . 47 g , 50 . 9 mmol ) in dry thf ( 153 ml ) was added isoamyl nitrite ( 15 . 0 ml , 112 . 0 mmol ) and the mixture was refluxed for 20 h . the solvent was removed in vacuum to give an orange oil , which was dissolved in tbme , washed with 1 n hcl , sat . nahco 3 - sol . and brine , dried over na 2 so 4 . removal of the solvent in vacuum left a brown solid ( 15 . 05 g ), which was purified by kugelrohr distillation ( up to 155 ° c . bath temperature at 1 . 2 mbar ) to give the title compound as a light yellow solid ( 10 . 83 g , 79 %). ms ( ei ) 269 [ m ]. a mixture of 3 -( 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoro - ethoxy )- 4 - trifluoromethyl - benzonitrile from step 5 ( 8 . 75 g , 33 mmol ) and 3 m naoh ( 3 . 9 g , 98 mmol in 33 ml h2o ) in dioxane ( 33 ml ) was refluxed for 7 . 5 h . poured onto ice , acidified with conc . hcl to ph 1 , saturated with solid nacl , extracted with tbme , dried over mgso 4 . removal of the solvent in vacuum left the title compound as an off - white solid ( 9 . 22 g , 98 %), %), which was used without further purification . ms ( isn ) 286 . 9 [ m − h ]. to a mixture of 3 -( 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoro - ethoxy )- 4 - trifluoromethyl - benzoic acid from step 6 ( 9 . 22 g , 32 mmol ), n , o - dimethylhydroxylamine hydrochloride ( 5 . 00 g , 51 mmol ), n - methylmorpholine ( 5 . 62 ml , 51 mmol ) and 4 - dmap ( 391 mg , 3 . 2 mmol ) in dcm ( 100 ml ) and dmf ( 20 ml ) at 0 ° c . was added 1 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl )- 3 - ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride ( edc ) ( 7 . 36 g , 38 mmol ) and the mixture was stirred at 23 ° c . for 18 h . poured onto ice cold 1 n hcl , extracted with tbme , washed with sat . nahco 3 - sol . and brine , dried over na 2 so 4 . removal of the solvent in vacuum left the title compound as a brown oil ( 10 . 555 g , 100 %), %), which was used without further purification . ms ( ei ) 331 . 0 [ m ]. to a solution of n - methoxy - n - methyl - 3 -( 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoro - ethoxy )- 4 - trifluoromethyl - benzamide from step 7 ( 10 . 467 g , 32 mmol ) in thf ( 100 ml ) at − 5 ° c . was added methylmagnesium bromide ( 3 m in et 2 o , 21 . 1 ml , 64 mmol ). the mixture was stirred at 0 ° c . for 15 min , then warmed up to 23 ° c ., stirring was continued for further 1 . 5 h at 23 ° c . cooled to 0 ° c ., 1 n hcl ( 150 ml ) was added dropwise , stirring was continued at 23 ° c . for 15 min , the mixture was diluted with tbme , the phases were separated , the organic layer was washed with water and brine , dried over mgso4 . removal of the solvent in vacuum left a yellow solid ( 9 . 021 g , 100 %), which was used without further purification . ms ( ei ) 286 . 1 [ m ]. hydrogenation of a stirred solution of 5 - chloro - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonamide [ cas - no . 61714 - 46 - 3 ; commercially available ] ( 1 . 13 g , 4 . 66 mmol ) in methanol ( 140 ml ) on raney - nickel ( 1 . 13 g ) for 3 h at room temperature yielded after removal of the catalyst by filtration , evaporation and column chromatography on silica gel ( ethyl acetate / hexane ) the title compound as a light brown solid . ms ( isp ) 211 . 0 [( m − h ) − ], mp 138 ° c . a ) to a stirred solution of 2 - amino - 2 - methyl - 1 - propanol ( 0 . 75 g , 8 . 39 mmol ) in dioxane ( 21 ml ) was added at room temperature 5 - chloro - 4 - nitrothiophene - 2 - sulfonyl chloride ( 2 . 0 g , 7 . 63 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 1 . 17 ml , 8 . 39 mmol ). the light yellow suspension was stirred at room temperature for 17 h , poured into water ( 100 ml ) and extracted with dichloromethane ( 3 × 75 ml ). the combined organic layers were washed with water ( 100 ml ) and brine ( 70 ml ), dried ( mgso 4 ) and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel ( heptane / ethyl acetate 1 : 1 ) and subsequent crystallization from ethyl acetate / hexane to yield 5 - chloro - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( 0 . 73 g , 30 %) as a light brown solid . ms ( isp ) 313 . 1 [( m − h ) − ], mp 136 ° c . b ) hydrogenation of a stirred solution of 5 - chloro - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( 0 . 66 g , 2 . 1 mmol ) in methanol ( 70 ml ) on raney - nickel ( 0 . 66 g ) for 3 h at room temperature yielded after removal of the catalyst by filtration , evaporation and purification of the crude product by column chromatography on silica gel ( ethyl acetate / hexane ) followed by crystallization from ethyl acetate / hexane the title compound ( 0 . 41 g , 69 %) as a light brown solid . ms ( isp ) 282 . 8 [( m − h ) − ], mp 113 ° c . a ) to a stirred solution of 2 - amino - 2 - methyl - 1 - propanol ( 1 . 14 g , 13 mmol ) in dioxane ( 20 ml ) was added at 0 ° c . ( ice water bath ) commercially available 2 - acetamido - 4 - methylthiazole - 5 - sulfonyl chloride ( 2 . 95 g , 12 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 1 . 78 ml , 13 mmol ). the light yellow suspension was stirred at room temperature for 17 h , poured into water ( 100 ml ) and extracted with dichloromethane ( 2 × 10 ml ). the combined organic layers were washed with sat . nahco 3 solution ( 2 × 70 ml ) and brine ( 70 ml ), dried ( mgso 4 ) and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel ( ethyl acetate / meoh 9 : 1 ) and subsequent crystallization ( ethyl acetate / meoh / heptane ) to yield 2 - acetamido - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( 1 . 15 g , 32 %) as a light brown solid . ms ( isp ) 306 . 1 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 194 ° c . b ) a stirred suspension of 2 - acetamido - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( 1 . 15 g , 3 . 58 mmol ) in 6n hydrochloric acid ( 14 ml ) was heated for 2 h at 80 ° c ., evaporated ., and saturated nahco 3 solution ( 30 ml ) was added . the mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 50 ml ), the combined organic layers washed with brine ( 30 ml ), dried ( mgso 4 ) and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel ( dichloromethane / meoh / nh 4 oh 80 : 10 : 1 ) to yield the title compound ( 0 . 68 g , 71 %) as a white solid . ms ( isp ) 264 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 146 ° c . a ) to a stirred solution of 2 - amino - 1 , 3 - propanediol ( 0 . 5 g , 5 . 49 mmol ) in water ( 2 ml ) was added at room temperature magnesium oxide ( 1 . 11 g , 27 . 5 mmol ) and thf ( 6 ml ). the suspension was stirred at room temperature for 30 min and a solution of 5 - chloro - 4 - nitrothiophene - 2 - sulfonyl chloride ( 2 . 88 g , 10 . 9 mmol ) in thf ( 2 ml ) was added . the light yellow suspension was stirred at room temperature for 1 h and , after filtration on dicalit , evaporated . water ( 60 ml ) was added and the mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 50 ml ). the combined organic layers were washed with brine ( 70 ml ), dried ( mgso 4 ) and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel ( heptane / ethyl acetate 1 : 1 ) and subsequent crystallization from ethyl acetate / hexane to yield 5 - chloro - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - ethyl )- amide ( 0 . 76 g , 44 %) as a light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 314 . 9 [( m − h ) − ], mp 142 ° c . b ) hydrogenation of a stirred solution of 5 - chloro - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - ethyl )- amide ( 0 . 67 g , 2 . 12 mmol ) in methanol ( 67 ml ) on raney - nickel ( 0 . 67 g ) for 2 . 5 h at room temperature yielded after removal of the catalyst by filtration , evaporation and purification of the crude product by column chromatography on silica gel ( dichloromethane / meoh ) followed by crystallization from ethyl acetate / hexane the title compound ( 0 . 47 g , 77 %) as a light brown solid . ms ( isp ) 286 . 8 [( m + h ) + ], mp 132 ° c . a ) to a stirred solution of diethanolamine ( 1 . 16 g , 11 mmol ) in water ( 4 ml ) was added at room temperature magnesium oxide ( 2 . 22 g , 55 mmol ) and thf ( 16 ml ). the suspension was stirred at room temperature for 30 min and a solution of 5 - chloro - 4 - nitrothiophene - 2 - sulfonyl chloride ( 3 . 46 g , 13 . 2 mmol ) in thf ( 4 ml ) was added . the light yellow suspension was stirred at room temperature for 1 h and , after filtration on dicalit , evaporated . water ( 60 ml ) was added and the mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 50 ml ). the combined organic layers were washed with brine ( 70 ml ), dried ( mgso 4 ) and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by flash chromatography on silica gel ( heptane / ethyl acetate ) to yield 5 - chloro - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid bis -( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- amide ( 0 . 48 g , 13 %) as a yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 331 . 2 [( m + h ) + ], mp 113 ° c . b ) hydrogenation of a stirred solution of 5 - chloro - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid bis -( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- amide ( 0 . 40 g , 1 . 21 mmol ) in methanol ( 40 ml ) on raney - nickel ( 0 . 40 g ) for 4 h at room temperature yielded after removal of the catalyst by filtration , evaporation and purification of the crude product by flash chromatography on silica gel ( dichloromethane / meoh ) the title compound ( 0 . 19 g , 52 %) as a yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 301 . 0 [( m + h ) + ], mp 96 ° c . a ) to a stirred solution of ethanolamine ( 0 . 67 g , 11 mmol ) in water ( 4 ml ) was added at room temperature magnesium oxide ( 2 . 22 g , 55 mmol ) and thf ( 12 ml ). the suspension was stirred at room temperature for 30 min and a solution of 5 - chloro - 4 - nitrothiophene - 2 - sulfonyl chloride ( 3 . 46 g , 13 . 2 mmol ) in thf ( 4 ml ) was added . the light yellow suspension was stirred at room temperature for 1 h and , after filtration on dicalit , evaporated . water ( 60 ml ) was added and the mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 50 ml ). the combined organic layers were washed with brine ( 70 ml ), dried ( mgso 4 ) and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by flash chromatography on silica gel ( heptane / ethyl acetate ) and subsequent crystallization from ethyl acetate / hexane to yield 5 - chloro - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- amide ( 1 . 39 g , 44 %) as a yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 284 . 8 [( m − h ) − ], mp 99 ° c . b ) hydrogenation of a stirred solution of 5 - chloro - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid bis -( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- amide ( 1 . 28 g , 4 . 46 mmol ) in methanol ( 120 ml ) on raney - nickel ( 1 . 28 g ) for 4 h at room temperature yielded after removal of the catalyst by filtration , evaporation and purification of the crude product by flash chromatography on silica gel ( dichloromethane / meoh ) the title compound ( 0 . 78 g , 68 %) as a yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 254 . 9 [( m − h ) − ], mp 100 ° c . a ) to a stirred solution of 2 - amino - 2 - methyl - 1 , 3 - propanediol ( 0 . 44 g , 4 . 2 mmol ) in thf ( 10 ml ) was added at room temperature 5 - chloro - 4 - nitrothiophene - 2 - sulfonyl chloride ( 1 . 0 g , 3 . 82 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 0 . 58 ml , 4 . 2 mmol ). the light yellow suspension was stirred at room temperature for 17 h , poured into water ( 100 ml ) and extracted with dichloromethane ( 3 × 75 ml ). the combined organic layers were washed with water ( 100 ml ) and brine ( 70 ml ), dried ( mgso 4 ) and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by flash chromatography on silica gel ( heptane / ethyl acetate ) and subsequent crystallization from ethyl acetate / hexane to yield 5 - chloro - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - 1 - methyl - ethyl )- amide ( 0 . 25 g , 20 %) as a light brown solid . mp 133 ° c . b ) hydrogenation of a stirred solution of 5 - chloro - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - 1 - methyl - ethyl )- amide ( 0 . 25 g , 0 . 76 mmol ) in methanol ( 30 ml ) on raney - nickel ( 0 . 26 g ) for 5 h at room temperature yielded after removal of the catalyst by filtration , evaporation and purification of the crude product by flash chromatography on silica gel ( ethyl acetate / heptane ) followed by crystallization from ethyl acetate / hexane the title compound ( 0 . 16 g , 68 %) as a light brown solid . ms ( isp ) 299 . 1 [( m − h ) − ], mp 136 ° c . a ) to a stirred solution of diethanolamine ( 1 . 24 g , 11 . 8 mmol ) in dioxane ( 20 ml ) was added at 0 ° c . ( ice water bath ) commercially available 2 - acetamido - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonyl chloride ( 1 . 0 g , 3 . 93 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 0 . 6 ml , 4 . 32 mmol ). the light yellow suspension was stirred at room temperature for 17 h , and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by flash chromatography on silica gel ( dichloromethane / meoh ) and subsequent crystallization ( dichloromethane / meoh / hexane ) to yield 2 - acetamido - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid bis -( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- amide ( 0 . 74 g , 58 %) as a white solid . ms ( isp ) 324 . 0 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 204 ° c . b ) a stirred suspension of 2 - acetamido - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid bis -( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- amide ( 0 . 7 g , 2 . 16 mmol ) in 6n hydrochloric acid ( 8 ml ) was heated for 2 h at 80 ° c ., evaporated ., and saturated nahco 3 solution ( 50 ml ) was added . the mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 50 ml ), the combined organic layers washed with brine ( 30 ml ) and dried ( mgso 4 ). the crude product was further purified by crystallization ( hexane ) to yield the title compound ( 0 . 45 g , 74 %) as a white solid . ms ( isp ) 281 . 9 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 141 ° c . a ) to a stirred solution of 2 - amino - 2 - methyl - 1 , 3 - propanediol ( 1 . 86 g , 17 . 7 mmol ) in dioxane ( 20 ml ) was added at 0 ° c . ( ice water bath ) commercially available 2 - acetamido - 4 - methylthiazole - 5 - sulfonyl chloride ( 1 . 5 g , 5 . 89 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 0 . 9 ml , 6 mmol ). the light yellow suspension was stirred at room temperature for 17 h , and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by flash chromatography on silica gel ( ethyl acetate / meoh ) and subsequent crystallization ( dichloromethane / meoh / hexane ) to yield 2 - acetamido - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - 1 - methyl - ethyl )- amide ( 0 . 33 g , 17 %) as a white solid . ms ( isp ) 322 . 2 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 201 ° c . b ) a stirred suspension of 2 - acetamido - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - 1 - methyl - ethyl )- amide ( 0 . 33 g , 1 . 02 mmol ) in 6n hydrochloric acid ( 4 ml ) was heated for 2 h at 80 ° c ., evaporated ., and saturated nahco 3 solution ( 30 ml ) was added . the mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 50 ml ), the combined organic layers washed with brine ( 30 ml ) and dried ( mgso 4 ). the crude product was further purified by crystallization ( dichloromethane / meoh / hexane ) to yield the title compound ( 0 . 11 g , 38 %) as a white solid . ms ( isp ) 280 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 170 ° c . a ) to a stirred solution of ethanolamine ( 1 . 08 g , 17 . 7 mmol ) in dioxane ( 20 ml ) was added at 0 ° c . ( ice water bath ) commercially available 2 - acetamido - 4 - methylthiazole - 5 - sulfonyl chloride ( 1 . 5 g , 5 . 89 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 0 . 9 ml , 6 mmol ). the light yellow suspension was stirred at room temperature for 17 h , and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by flash chromatography on silica gel ( ethyl acetate / meoh ) and subsequent crystallization ( dichloromethane / meoh / hexane ) to yield 2 - acetamido - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- amide ( 1 . 0 g , 61 %) as a white solid . ms ( isp ) 278 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 211 ° c . b ) a stirred suspension of 2 - acetamido - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- amide ( 0 . 95 g , 3 . 4 mmol ) in 6n hydrochloric acid ( 13 ml ) was heated for 2 h at 80 ° c ., evaporated , and saturated nahco 3 solution ( 20 ml ) was added . the mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 50 ml ), the combined organic layers washed with brine ( 50 ml ) and dried ( mgso 4 ). the crude product was further purified by crystallization ( dichloromethane / meoh / hexane ) to yield the title compound ( 0 . 51 g , 63 %) as a white solid . ms ( isp ) 236 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 151 ° c . a ) to a stirred solution of 5 - methyl - 4 - nitrothiophene - 2 - sulfonyl chloride [ cas no . 61714 - 77 - 0 ] ( 1 . 0 g , 4 . 14 mmol ) in thf ( 20 ml ) was added at 0 ° c . ( ice water bath ) ammonium hydroxide solution ( 25 %, 5 ml ). the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1 h , evaporated , poured into water ( 30 ml ) and extracted with ethyl acetate ( 2 × 50 ml ). the combined organic layers were washed with brine ( 2 × 30 ml ), dried ( mgso 4 ) and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by crystallization from ethyl acetate / hexane to yield 5 - methyl - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonamide ( 0 . 75 g , 82 %) as a brown solid . ms ( isp ) 221 . 0 [( m − h ) − ], mp 120 ° c . b ) hydrogenation of a stirred solution of 5 - methyl - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonamide ( 0 . 50 g , 2 . 25 mmol ) in methanol ( 15 ml ) on raney - nickel ( 0 . 5 g ) for 16 h at room temperature yielded after removal of the catalyst by filtration , evaporation and crystallization ( methanol / diethyl ether / hexane ) the title compound as a light brown solid . ms ( isp ) 191 . 0 [( m − h ) − ], mp 175 ° c . a ) to a stirred solution of 2 - amino - 2 - methyl - 1 - propanol ( 1 . 11 g , 12 . 4 mmol ) in dioxane ( 20 ml ) was added at 0 ° c . ( ice water bath ) 5 - methyl - 4 - nitrothiophene - 2 - sulfonyl chloride [ cas no . 61714 - 77 - 0 ] and triethylamine ( 0 . 63 ml , 4 . 56 mmol ). the light yellow suspension was stirred at room temperature for 17 h , and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel ( ethyl acetate / meoh ) and subsequent crystallization ( ethyl acetate / heptane ) to yield 5 - methyl - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( 0 . 71 g , 58 %) as a light brown solid . ms ( isp ) 293 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 126 ° c . b ) hydrogenation of a stirred solution of 5 - methyl - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( 0 . 60 g , 2 . 04 mmol ) in methanol ( 20 ml ) on raney - nickel ( 0 . 6 g ) for 7 h at room temperature yielded after removal of the catalyst by filtration , evaporation and crystallization ( diethyl ether / hexane ) the title compound as an off - white solid . ms ( isp ) 262 . 9 [( m − h ) − ], mp 118 ° c . a ) to a stirred solution of 2 - amino - 2 - methyl - 1 - propanol ( 1 . 11 g , 12 . 5 mmol ) in dioxane ( 20 ml ) was added at 0 ° c . ( ice water bath ) 2 - acetamido - thiazole - 5 - sulfonyl chloride [ cas no . 69812 - 30 - 2 ; commercially available ] ( 1 . 0 g , 4 . 15 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 0 . 64 ml , 4 . 57 mmol ). the light yellow suspension was stirred at room temperature for 17 h , and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel ( ethyl acetate ) to yield 2 - acetamido - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( 0 . 72 g , 59 %) as a white solid . ms ( isp ) 292 . 1 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 206 ° c . b ) a stirred suspension of 2 - acetamido - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( 0 . 68 g , 2 . 32 mmol ) in 6n hydrochloric acid ( 20 ml ) was heated for 2 h at 80 ° c ., evaporated ., and saturated nahco 3 solution ( 30 ml ) was added . the mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 50 ml ), the combined organic layers washed with brine ( 30 ml ), dried ( mgso 4 ) and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel ( dichloromethane / meoh / nh 4 oh 80 : 10 : 1 ) to yield the title compound ( 0 . 42 g , 72 %) as a colorless oil . ms ( isp ) 250 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]. a ) to a stirred solution of n , n - dimethylethylenediamine ( 0 . 67 g , 7 . 6 mmol ) in dioxane ( 25 ml ) was added at room temperature 5 - chloro - 4 - nitrothiophene - 2 - sulfonyl chloride ( 2 . 0 g , 7 . 64 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 1 . 17 ml , 8 . 4 mmol ). the light yellow suspension was stirred at room temperature for 17 h , and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by flash chromatography on silica gel ( dichloromethane / methanol ), and subsequent crystallization from ethyl acetate to yield 5 - chloro - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - dimethylamino - ethyl )- amide ( 1 . 16 g , 48 %) as a light brown solid . ms ( isp ) 312 . 0 [( m − h ) − ], mp 178 ° c . b ) hydrogenation of a stirred solution of 5 - chloro - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid bis -( 2 - dimethylamino - ethyl )- amide ( 1 . 09 g , 3 . 47 mmol ) in methanol ( 100 ml ) and tetrahydrofurane ( 30 ml ) on raney - nickel ( 1 . 1 g ) for 5 h at room temperature yielded after removal of the catalyst by filtration , evaporation and purification of the crude product by crystallization ( ethyl acetate / meoh ) the title compound ( 0 . 64 g , 65 %) as a brown solid . ms ( isp ) 282 . 0 [( m − h ) − ], mp 184 ° c . a ) to a stirred solution of n , n - dimethylethylenediamine ( 1 . 04 g , 11 . 8 mmol ) in tetrahydrofurane ( 14 ml ) was added at 0 ° c . ( ice water bath ) commercially available 2 - acetamido - 4 - methylthiazole - 5 - sulfonyl chloride ( 1 . 0 g , 3 . 93 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 0 . 6 ml , 4 mmol ). the light yellow suspension was stirred at room temperature for 17 h , and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel ( dichloromethane / meoh / nh 4 oh 80 : 10 : 1 ) and subsequent crystallization ( dichloromethane / hexane ) to yield 2 - acetamido - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - dimethylamino - ethyl )- amide ( 1 . 07 g , 89 %) as a white solid . ms ( isp ) 305 . 1 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 143 ° c . b ) a stirred suspension of 2 - acetamido - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - dimethylamino - ethyl )- amide ( 1 . 0 g , 3 . 26 mmol ) in 6n hydrochloric acid ( 13 ml ) was heated for 2 h at 80 ° c ., and 2n nahco 3 solution ( 100 ml ) was added . the mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 50 ml ), the combined organic layers washed with brine ( 50 ml ) and dried ( mgso 4 ). the crude product was further purified by crystallization ( ethyl aceate ) to yield the title compound ( 0 . 68 g , 79 %) as a white solid . ms ( isp ) 262 . 9 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 153 ° c . a ) to a stirred solution of 2 - amino - 1 , 3 - propanediol ( 2 . 15 g , 23 . 6 mmol ) in thf ( 26 ml ) was added at 0 ° c . ( ice water bath ) commercially available 2 - acetamido - 4 - methylthiazole - 5 - sulfonyl chloride ( 2 . 0 g , 7 . 85 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 1 . 2 ml , 8 . 64 mmol ). the light yellow suspension was stirred at room temperature for 17 h , and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel ( dichloromethane / meoh / nh 4 oh 80 : 10 : 1 ) to yield 2 - acetamido - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - ethyl )- amide ( 1 . 46 g , 60 %) as a light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 308 . 1 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 217 ° c . b ) a stirred suspension of 2 - acetamido - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - ethyl )- amide ( 1 . 45 g , 4 . 69 mmol ) in 6n hydrochloric acid ( 22 ml ) was heated for 2 h at 80 ° c ., evaporated , and saturated nahco 3 solution ( 50 ml ) was added . the mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 50 ml ), the combined organic layers washed with brine ( 50 ml ), dried ( mgso 4 ) and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by crystallization ( dichloromethane / meoh / hexane ) to yield the title compound ( 0 . 55 g , 44 %) as an off - white solid . ms ( isp ) 266 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]. a ) to a stirred solution of tert - butyl n -( 2 - aminoethyl )- carbamate ( 0 . 46 g , 2 . 87 mmol ) in thf ( 6 ml ) was added at 0 ° c . ( ice water bath ) 5 - chloro - 4 - nitrothiophene - 2 - sulfonyl chloride ( 0 . 5 g , 1 . 91 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 0 . 29 ml , 2 . 1 mmol ). the light yellow suspension was stirred at room temperature for 17 h , and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by flash chromatography on silica gel ( ethyl acetate / heptane ), and subsequent crystallization from ethyl acetate / hexane to yield [ 2 -( 5 - chloro - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonylamino )- ethyl ]- carbamic acid tert - butyl ester ( 0 . 53 g , 72 %) as a light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 384 . 1 [( m − h ) − ], mp 147 ° c . b ) hydrogenation of a stirred solution of [ 2 -( 5 - chloro - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonylamino )- ethyl ]- carbamic acid tert - butyl ester ( 0 . 47 g , 1 . 22 mmol ) in methanol ( 40 ml ) on raney - nickel ( 0 . 47 g ) for 5 h at room temperature yielded after removal of the catalyst by filtration , evaporation and purification of the crude product by crystallization ( dichloromethane / meoh ) the title compound ( 0 . 38 g , 88 %) as a light brown solid . ms ( isp ) 354 . 1 [( m − h ) − ], mp 116 ° c . a ) to a stirred solution of ( rs )- 3 - pyrrolidinol ( 0 . 75 g , 8 . 6 mmol ) in thf ( 18 ml ) was added at room temperature 5 - chloro - 4 - nitrothiophene - 2 - sulfonyl chloride ( 1 . 5 g , 5 . 72 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 0 . 88 ml , 6 . 3 mmol ). the light yellow suspension was stirred at room temperature for 17 h , and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel ( ethyl acetate ), and subsequent crystallization from dichloromethane / meoh / hexane to yield ( rs )- 1 -( 5 - chloro - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonyl )- pyrrolidin - 3 - ol ( 0 . 65 g , 36 %) as a yellow solid . ms ( ei ) 312 . 0 [( m ) + ], mp 96 ° c . b ) hydrogenation of a stirred solution of ( rs )- 1 -( 5 - chloro - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonyl )- pyrrolidin - 3 - ol ( 0 . 92 g , 2 . 94 mmol ) in methanol ( 90 ml ) on raney - nickel ( 0 . 92 g ) for 7 h at room temperature yielded after removal of the catalyst by filtration , evaporation and purification of the crude product by flash chromatography ( ethyl acetate / heptane ) and subsequent crystallization ( dichloromethane / meoh / hexane ) the title compound ( 0 . 30 g , 36 %) as a yellow solid . ms ( ei ) 282 . 0 [( m ) + ], mp 156 ° c . a ) to a stirred solution of 1 - methylpiperazine ( 1 . 18 g , 11 . 8 mmol ) in thf ( 24 ml ) was added at 0 ° c . ( ice water bath ) commercially available 2 - acetamido - 4 - methylthiazole - 5 - sulfonyl chloride ( 2 . 0 g , 7 . 85 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 1 . 2 ml , 8 . 6 mmol ). the light yellow suspension was stirred at room temperature for 17 h , and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by column chromatography on silica gel ( dichloromethane / meoh 9 : 1 ) and subsequent crystallization ( dichloromethane / meoh / hexane ) to yield 2 - acetamido - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 4 - methylpiperazinyl )- amide ( 1 . 85 g , 74 %) as a white solid . ms ( isp ) 319 . 0 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 245 ° c . b ) a stirred suspension of 2 - acetamido - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 4 - methylpiperazinyl )- amide ( 1 . 73 g , 5 . 43 mmol ) in 6n hydrochloric acid ( 22 ml ) was heated for 2 h at 80 ° c ., evaporated , and saturated nahco 3 solution ( 75 ml ) was added . the mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 50 ml ), the combined organic layers washed with brine ( 50 ml ), dried ( mgso 4 ) and evapoarted . the crude product was further purified by crystallization ( ethyl acetate / meoh / hexane ) to yield the title compound ( 1 . 14 g , 76 %) as a white solid . ms ( isp ) 277 . 0 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 188 ° c . a ) to a stirred solution of 2 -( methylamino )- ethanol ( 0 . 44 g , 5 . 86 mmol ) in thf ( 12 ml ) was added at 0 ° c . ( ice water bath ) commercially available 2 - acetamido - 4 - methylthiazole - 5 - sulfonyl chloride ( 1 . 0 g , 3 . 92 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 0 . 6 ml , 4 . 32 mmol ). the light yellow suspension was stirred at room temperature for 17 h , and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by flash chromatography on silica gel ( dichloromethane / meoh ) and subsequent crystallization ( dichloromethane / meoh / hexane ) to yield 2 - acetamido - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- methyl - amide ( 0 . 93 g , 81 %) as a white solid . ms ( isp ) 294 . 0 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 189 ° c . b ) a stirred suspension of 2 - acetamido - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- methyl - amide ( 0 . 85 g , 2 . 9 mmol ) in 6n hydrochloric acid ( 13 ml ) was heated for 2 h at 80 ° c ., evaporated , and saturated nahco 3 solution ( 50 ml ) was added . the mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 50 ml ), the combined organic layers washed with brine ( 50 ml ), dried ( mgso 4 ) and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by crystallization ( dichloromethane / meoh / hexane ) to yield the title compound ( 0 . 49 g , 67 %) as a white solid . ms ( ei ) 251 . 1 [( m ) + ]; mp 118 ° c . a ) a suspension of 2 -( methylamino )- ethanol ( 0 . 29 g , 3 . 86 mmol ) and magnesium oxide ( 0 . 77 g , 19 . 1 mmol ) in thf ( 4 ml ) and water ( 1 . 4 ml ) was allowed to stir at room temperature for 30 min , 5 - chloro - 4 - nitrothiophene - 2 - sulfonyl chloride ( 1 . 0 g , 3 . 81 mmol ) dissolved in thf ( 1 . 6 ml ) was added drop wise at room temperature over a period of 1 h and the reaction mixture was allowed to stir for an additional hour . filtration over decalite and evaporation yielded the crude product which was further purified by flash chromatography on silica gel ( ethyl acetate / heptane ) to yield 5 - chloro - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- methyl - amide ( 0 . 4 g , 35 %) as a yellow solid . ms ( ei ) 300 . 0 [( m ) + ], mp 62 ° c . b ) hydrogenation of a stirred solution of 5 - chloro - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- methyl - amide ( 0 . 58 g , 1 . 93 mmol ) in methanol ( 50 ml ) on raney - nickel ( 0 . 58 g ) for 6 h at room temperature yielded after removal of the catalyst by filtration , evaporation and purification of the crude product by flash chromatography ( dichloromethane / meoh ) the title compound ( 0 . 15 g , 29 %) as a yellow oil . ms ( isp ) 270 . 9 [( m + h ) + ]. a ) a suspension of 1 - methyl - piperazine ( 0 . 38 g , 3 . 79 mmol ) and magnesium oxide ( 0 . 38 g , 9 . 43 mmol ) in thf ( 2 . 1 ml ) and water ( 0 . 7 ml ) was allowed to stir at room temperature for 30 min , 5 - chloro - 4 - nitrothiophene - 2 - sulfonyl chloride ( 0 . 5 g , 1 . 91 mmol ) dissolved in thf ( 0 . 7 ml ) was added drop wise at room temperature over a period of 1 h and the reaction mixture was allowed to stir for an additional hour . filtration over decalite and evaporation yielded the crude product which was further purified by flash chromatography on silica gel ( dichloromethane / meoh ) to yield 5 - chloro - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 4 - methyl - piperazinyl )- amide ( 0 . 14 g , 23 %) as a yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 326 . 3 [( m + h ) + ], mp 180 ° c . b ) hydrogenation of a stirred solution of 5 - chloro - 4 - nitro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 4 - methyl - piperazinyl )- amide ( 0 . 39 g , 1 . 2 mmol ) in methanol ( 40 ml ) on raney - nickel ( 0 . 39 g ) for 4 h at room temperature yielded after removal of the catalyst by filtration , evaporation and purification of the crude product by flash chromatography ( dichloromethane / meoh ) the title compound ( 0 . 26 g , 73 %) as a yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 296 . 0 [( m + h ) + ], mp 91 ° c . a ) to a stirred solution of ( rs )- 3 - pyrrolidinol ( 0 . 51 g , 5 . 85 mmol ) in thf ( 12 ml ) was added at 0 ° c . ( ice water bath ) commercially available 2 - acetamido - 4 - methylthiazole - 5 - sulfonyl chloride ( 1 . 0 g , 3 . 93 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 0 . 6 ml , 4 . 32 mmol ). the light yellow suspension was stirred at room temperature for 17 h , and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by flash chromatography on silica gel ( dichloromethane / meoh ) and subsequent crystallization ( dichloromethane / meoh / hexane ) to yield ( rs )- 1 -( 2 - acetamido - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonyl )- pyrrolidin - 3 - ol ( 0 . 82 g , 68 %) as a white solid . ms ( isp ) 306 . 3 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 241 ° c . b ) a stirred suspension of ( rs )- 1 -( 2 - acetamido - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonyl )- pyrrolidin - 3 - ol ( 0 . 82 g , 2 . 68 mmol ) in 6n hydrochloric acid ( 13 ml ) was heated for 2 h at 80 ° c . evaporated , and saturated nahco 3 solution ( 20 ml ) was added . the mixture was extracted with ethyl acetate ( 3 × 50 ml ), the combined organic layers washed with brine ( 50 ml ), dried ( mgso 4 ) and evaporated . the crude product was further purified by crystallization ( dichloromethane / meoh / hexane ) to yield the title compound ( 0 . 62 g , 88 %) as a white solid . ms ( isp ) 263 . 8 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 165 ° c . some of the intermediates compounds , e . g . the pyrazolo - pyrimidine carboxylic acids derivatives which can be used according to the general procedures i and ii are commercially available . however some of said intermediates have been prepared from acetophenones according to the procedures as outlined hereafter and unless otherwise specified , these compounds are novel . the person skilled in the art will be able to prepare other pyrazolo - pyrimidine carboxylic acids derivatives useful in the general procedures i and ii taking into account the following examples of preparation : a ) to a stirred solution of ethyl difluoroacetate ( 5 . 0 ml , 21 mmol ) in tert - butyl - methyl - ether ( 30 ml ) was added at room temperature a 5 . 4m solution of sodium methanolate in methanol ( 4 . 65 ml , 25 mmol ) followed by a solution of commercially available 4 - trifluoromethyl - acetophenone ( 4 . 0 g , 21 mmol ) in tert - butyl - methyl - ether ( 10 ml ). the reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 19 h , poured into ice / water ( 50 ml ), acidified with 2n hcl ( 40 ml ) and extracted with diethyl ether ( 2 × 100 ml ). the combined organic layers were washed with brine ( 2 × 50 ml ), dried ( mgso 4 ) and evaporated to give crude 4 , 4 - difluoro - 1 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- butane - 1 , 3 - dione ( 5 . 87 g ) as a yellow liquid , which was used without further purification . b ) a stirred mixture of commercially available 3 - amino - 4 - ethoxycarbonyl - pyrazole ( 3 . 38 g , 22 mmol ) and 4 , 4 - difluoro - 1 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- butane - 1 , 3 - dione ( 5 . 8 g , 22 mmol ) in acetic acid ( 45 ml ) was heated under reflux conditions for 1 . 5 h . the reaction mixture was evaporated and the crude product ( yellow solid , 8 . 5 g , 22 mmol ) was dissolved in a mixture of 2m koh in methanol ( 176 . 5 ml , 0 . 35 mol ) and water ( 85 ml ). the reaction mixture was stirred at 60 ° c . for 1 . 5 h , poured into ice / water ( 200 ml ), acidified with 3n sulfuric acid ( ph = 4 ) and stirred at room temperature for 30 min . the precipitate was collected by filtration and further purified by crystallization from diethylether / methanol to give the title compound ( 4 . 51 g , 57 %) as an off - white solid . ms ( isp ) 356 . 1 [( m − h ) − ]; m . p . 261 ° c . the title compound was prepared from commercially available ethyl trifluoroacetate , commercially available 4 - trifluoromethyl - acetophenone and commercially available 3 - amino - 4 - ethoxycarbonyl - pyrazole according to the general procedure i . the title compound was prepared from commercially available ethyl difluoroacetate , commercially available 4 - chloro - acetophenone and commercially available 3 - amino - 4 - ethoxycarbonyl - pyrazole according to the general procedure i . off - white solid . ms ( isp ) 322 . 2 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 232 ° c . the title compound was prepared from commercially available ethyl trifluoroacetate , commercially available 4 - chloro - acetophenone and commercially available 3 - amino - 4 - ethoxycarbonyl - pyrazole according to the general procedure i . off - white solid . ms ( isp ) 340 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 238 ° c . the title compound was prepared from commercially available ethyl difluoroacetate , 3 - methyl - 4 - trifluoro - acetophenone ( example a . 4 ) and commercially available 3 - amino - 4 - ethoxycarbonyl - pyrazole according to the general procedure i . off - white solid . ms ( isp ) 370 . 1 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 217 ° c . the title compound was prepared from commercially available ethyl trifluoroacetate , commercially available 4 - chloro - 3 - methyl - acetophenone and commercially available 3 - amino - 4 - ethoxycarbonyl - pyrazole according to the general procedure i . off - white solid . ms ( isp ) 354 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 243 ° c . the title compound was prepared from commercially available ethyl difluoroacetate , commercially available 3 , 4 - dichloro - acetophenone and commercially available 3 - amino - 4 - ethoxycarbonyl - pyrazole according to the general procedure i . off - white solid . ms ( isp ) 356 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 263 ° c . the title compound was prepared from commercially available ethyl trifluoroacetate , 3 - methyl - 4 - trifluoro - acetophenone ( example a . 4 ) and commercially available 3 - amino - 4 - ethoxycarbonyl - pyrazole according to the general procedure i . off - white solid . ms ( isp ) 388 . 1 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 250 ° c . the title compound was prepared from commercially available ethyl trifluoroacetate , commercially available 3 , 4 - dichloro - acetophenone and commercially available 3 - amino - 4 - ethoxycarbonyl - pyrazole according to the general procedure i . light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 374 . 1 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 264 ° c . the title compound was prepared from commercially available ethyl trifluoroacetate , 3 -( 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoroethoxy - 4 - trifluoro - acetophenone ( example a . 6 ) and commercially available 3 - amino - 4 - ethoxycarbonyl - pyrazole according to the general procedure i . off - white solid . ms ( isp ) 471 . 9 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 264 ° c . the title compound was prepared from commercially available ethyl trifluoroacetate , 3 - ethoxy - 4 - trifluoro - acetophenone ( example a . 5 ) and commercially available 3 - amino - 4 - ethoxycarbonyl - pyrazole according to the general procedure i . off - white solid . ms ( isp ) 418 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 264 ° c . the title compound was prepared from commercially available ethyl difluoroacetate , 3 - ethoxy - 4 - trifluoro - acetophenone ( example a . 5 ) and commercially available 3 - amino - 4 - ethoxycarbonyl - pyrazole according to the general procedure i . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 400 . 2 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 247 ° c . the title compound was prepared from commercially available ethyl difluoroacetate , commercially available 4 - chloro - 3 - methyl - acetophenone and commercially available 3 - amino - 4 - ethoxycarbonyl - pyrazole according to the general procedure i . light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 336 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 238 ° c . the title compound was prepared from commercially available ethyl difluoroacetate , 3 -( 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoroethoxy - 4 - trifluoro - acetophenone ( example a . 6 ) and commercially available 3 - amino - 4 - ethoxycarbonyl - pyrazole according to the general procedure i . off - white solid . ms ( isp ) 454 . 2 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 261 ° c . the title compound was prepared from commercially available ethyl difluoroacetate , 3 - chloro - 4 - trifluoromethyl - acetophenone [ cas - no . 129322 - 80 - 1 ] and commercially available 3 - amino - 4 - ethoxycarbonyl - pyrazole according to the general procedure i . light red solid . ms ( isp ) 390 . 2 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 216 ° c . the title compound was prepared from commercially available ethyl difluoroacetate , commercially available 3 - fluoro - 4 - trifluoromethyl - acetophenone and commercially available 3 - amino - 4 - ethoxycarbonyl - pyrazole according to the general procedure i . light brown solid . ms ( isp ) 374 . 1 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 233 ° c . the title compound was prepared from commercially available ethyl trifluoroacetate , 3 - chloro - 4 - trifluoromethyl - acetophenone [ cas - no . 129322 - 80 - 1 ] and commercially available 3 - amino - 4 - ethoxycarbonyl - pyrazole according to the general procedure i . light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 408 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 244 ° c . the title compound was prepared from commercially available ethyl trifluoroacetate , commercially available 3 - fluoro - 4 - trifluoromethyl - acetophenone and commercially available 3 - amino - 4 - ethoxycarbonyl - pyrazole according to the general procedure i . light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 392 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 212 ° c . a ) a mixture of ethyl 3 -( 4 - chloro - phenyl )- 3 - oxo - propionate ( 18 . 1 g , 0 . 080 mol ) and ethyl 5 - amino - 1h - pyrazole - 4 - carboxylate ( 13 . 7 g , 0 . 088 mol ) was stirred at 160 ° c . for 3 h . acoet ( 40 ml ) and hexane ( 40 ml ) were successively added to the cooled mixture and stirring was continued at 0 ° c . for 0 . 5 h . the crystals were isolated by filtration and the solid was triturated for 1 . 2 h with 0 . 2 n hcl ( 80 ml ). the solid was filtered off , washed with water and dried to give ethyl 5 -( 4 - chloro - phenyl )- 7 - hydroxy - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylate ( 13 . 3 g , 52 %). white solid . ms ( isn ) 316 . 3 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 190 - 192 ° c . b ) a mixture of 5 -( 4 - chloro - phenyl )- 7 - hydroxy - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylate ( 9 . 53 g , 0 . 03 mol ), phosphorous oxychloride ( 11 . 0 ml , 0 . 12 mol ), and n , n - dimethylaniline ( 1 . 3 ml , 0 . 01 mol ) was stirred for 2 h at 100 ° c . the mixture was evaporated in vacuo and the residue was partitioned between water and dichloromethane . the organic phase was washed with water , dried ( na 2 so 4 ) and evaporated in vacuo . the remaining solid was crystallized from acoet / hexane to give 7 - chloro - 5 -( 4 - chloro - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine ( 6 . 80 g , 67 %). pale - yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 336 . 0 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 133 - 135 ° c . c ) to a solution of 7 - chloro - 5 -( 4 - chloro - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine ( 4 . 0 g , 12 . 0 mmol ), tetrakis ( triphenylphosphin ) palladium ( 1 . 15 g , 1 . 0 mmol ) in thf ( 20 ml ) was added at 20 ° c . 0 . 25 m cyclopropylzinc chloride / thf suspension ( ca . 192 ml , 48 mmol ; freshly prepared by stirring a mixture of 96 ml of 0 . 5 m cyclopropylmagnesium bromide / thf and 96 ml of 0 . 5 m zinc chloride / thf ( 96 ml ) for 1 h at 0 ° c . followed by 1 h at 20 ° c .) and the mixture was refluxed in an atmosphere of argon for 2 . 5 h . after the slow addition at 0 ° c . of sat . aqueous nh 4 cl solution ( 30 ml ), the mixture was partitioned between acoet and 10 % sodium chloride solution . the organic layer was evaporated in vacuo and the residue was chromatographed on silica gel using acoet / cyclohexane ( 1 : 4 v / v ) as eluent to give after crystallization from acoet the title compound ( 2 . 54 g , 62 %). off - white solid . ms ( isp ) 342 . 1 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 141 - 143 ° c . d ) a mixture of ethyl 5 -( 4 - chloro - phenyl )- 7 - cyclopropyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( 0 . 95 g , 2 . 8 mmol ) and 2 n naoh solution ( 5 . 6 ml ) in meoh ( 35 ml ) was heated to 80 ° c . for 0 . 5 h . the mixture was cooled , diluted with water ( 150 ml ) and washed with diethyl ether . the aqueous layer was acidified by the addition of 3n hcl to ph 2 . the precipitate formed was isolated by filtration , washed with water , and dried to give the title compound ( 0 . 75 g , 86 %). off - white solid . ms ( isn ) 312 . 3 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 256 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thipohene - 2 - sulfonic acid amide ( example b . 1 ) according to general procedure ii . light brown solid . ms ( isp ) 549 . 9 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 298 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thipohene - 2 - sulfonic acid amide ( example b . 1 ) according to general procedure ii . light brown solid . ms ( isp ) 567 . 9 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 275 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 5 - amino -[ 1 , 3 , 4 ] thiadiazole - 2 - sulfonic acid amide [ commercially available , cas 14949 - 00 - 9 ] according to general procedure ii . light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 518 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 284 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 5 - amino -[ 1 , 3 , 4 ] thiadiazole - 2 - sulfonic acid amide [ commercially available , cas 14949 - 00 - 9 ] according to general procedure ii . light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 536 . 1 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 280 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 2 ) according to general procedure ii . light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 622 . 2 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 233 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 2 ) according to general procedure ii . light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 640 . 1 [ ( m + h ) + ]; mp 223 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 2 - sulfonic acid amide [ cas - no . 187230 - 38 - 2 ] according to general procedure ii . light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 531 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 284 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 2 - sulfonic acid amide [ cas - no . 187230 - 38 - 2 ] according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 549 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 303 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 5 -( 4 - chloro - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 4 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thipohene - 2 - sulfonic acid amide ( example b . 1 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 534 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 329 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 5 -( 3 - ethoxy - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 10 ) 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thipohene - 2 - sulfonic acid amide ( example b . 1 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 612 . 2 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 281 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 5 -( 3 - methyl - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 8 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thipohene - 2 - sulfonic acid amide ( example b . 1 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 581 . 8 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 283 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 5 -( 4 - chloro - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 4 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 2 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 605 . 8 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 272 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 3 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 621 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 257 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 3 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 603 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 268 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 5 -( 3 - ethoxy - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 10 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 2 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 684 . 3 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 234 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 5 -( 3 - methyl - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 8 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 2 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 654 . 2 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 207 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 5 -[ 3 -( 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoro - ethoxy )- 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl ]- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 10 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 2 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 738 . 3 [( m − h − ]; mp 264 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 5 -( 3 - chloro - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 17 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 2 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 674 . 3 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 254 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 5 -( 4 - chloro - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 4 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 2 - sulfonic acid amide [ cas - no . 187230 - 38 - 2 ] according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 515 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 305 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 5 -( 3 - ethoxy - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 10 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 2 - sulfonic acid amide [ cas - no . 187230 - 38 - 2 ] according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 595 . 4 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 300 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 5 -( 3 - methyl - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 8 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 2 - sulfonic acid amide [ cas - no . 187230 - 38 - 2 ] according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 563 . 3 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 309 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 5 -( 4 - chloro - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 4 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 3 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 587 . 1 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 274 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 5 -( 3 - ethoxy - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 10 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 3 ) according to general procedure ii . light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 665 . 2 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 276 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 5 -( 3 - methyl - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 8 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 3 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 635 . 0 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 272 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 5 -( 3 - chloro - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 17 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 2 - sulfonic acid amide [ cas - no . 187230 - 38 - 2 ] according to general procedure ii . light brown solid . ms ( isp ) 585 . 1 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 299 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 5 -( 3 , 4 - dichloro - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 9 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 2 - sulfonic acid amide [ cas - no . 187230 - 38 - 2 ] according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 549 . 2 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 307 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 5 -[ 3 -( 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoro - ethoxy )- 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl ]- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 10 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 4 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 649 . 1 [( m + h + ]; mp 264 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 4 ) according to general procedure ii . light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 624 . 2 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 241 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 4 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 642 . 2 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 225 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 5 -( 3 - chloro - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 17 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 3 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 655 . 1 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 274 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 5 -( 3 , 4 - dichloro - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 9 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 3 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 621 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 265 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 5 -[ 3 -( 2 , 2 , 2 - trifluoro - ethoxy )- 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl ]- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 10 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 3 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 719 . 3 [( m − h − ]; mp 275 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 3 - methyl - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 5 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 2 - sulfonic acid amide [ cas - no . 187230 - 38 - 2 ] according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 545 . 1 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 307 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid bis -( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 5 ) according to general procedure ii . light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 640 . 3 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 216 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid bis -( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 5 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 658 . 4 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 217 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 6 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 612 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 191 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - 1 - methyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 7 ) according to general procedure ii . light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 638 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 237 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - 1 - methyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 7 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 656 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 201 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 3 - methyl - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 8 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 3 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 617 . 2 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 271 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid bis -( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 8 ) according to general procedure ii . light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 621 . 1 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 191 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid bis -( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 8 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 639 . 1 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 214 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - 1 - methyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 9 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 637 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 250 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - 1 - methyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 9 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 619 . 2 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 248 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 6 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 594 . 1 . 2 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 209 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 10 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 575 . 1 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 134 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 10 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid , ms ( isp ) 593 . 1 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 166 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - methyl - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid amide ( example b . 11 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 548 . 1 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 297 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - methyl - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid amide ( example b . 11 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 530 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 313 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - methyl - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 12 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 620 . 3 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 225 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - methyl - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 12 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 602 . 2 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 180 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 2 - amino - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid amide [ cas - no . 63735 - 95 - 5 ] according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 535 . 2 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 309 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 2 - amino - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid amide [ cas - no . 63735 - 95 - 5 ] according to general procedure ii . light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 517 . 2 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 311 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 5 -( 3 - ethoxy - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 10 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - 1 - methyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 9 ) according to general procedure ii . light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 681 . 2 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 220 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - dimethylamino - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 14 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 623 . 1 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 162 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - dimethylamino - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 14 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 639 . 1 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 198 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 5 -( 3 - ethoxy - 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- 7 - trifluoromethyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 10 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 6 ) according to general procedure ii . light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 656 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 250 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - dimethylamino - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 15 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 602 . 1 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 217 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - dimethylamino - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 15 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 620 . 2 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 235 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 2 - amino - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 13 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 607 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 292 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 2 - amino - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 13 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 589 . 2 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 280 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 5 -( 4 - chloro - phenyl )- 7 - cyclopropyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 19 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 2 ) according to general procedure ii . pale - yellow solid . ( isn ) 580 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 238 - 241 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 5 -( 4 - chloro - phenyl )- 7 - cyclopropyl - pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 19 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 , 1 - dimethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 3 ) according to general procedure ii . pale - yellow solid . ms ( isn ) 559 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 293 - 294 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 16 ) according to general procedure ii . light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 604 . 8 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 217 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - 1 - hydroxymethyl - ethyl )- amide ( example b . 16 ) according to general procedure ii . light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 623 . 1 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 215 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and [ 2 -( 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonylamino )- ethyl ]- carbamic acid tert - butyl ester ( example b . 17 ) according to general procedure ii and subsequent removal of the protecting group with trifluoroacetic acid in dichloromethane at 0 ° c . for 3 h . orange solid . ms ( isp ) 595 . 0 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 150 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and ( rs )- 1 -( 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonyl )- pyrrolidin - 3 - ol ( example b . 18 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 622 . 2 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 274 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and ( rs )- 1 -( 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonyl )- pyrrolidin - 3 - ol -( example b . 18 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 640 . 2 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 270 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 4 - methyl - 5 -( 4 - methyl - piperazine - 1 - sulfonyl )- thiazol - 2 - ylamine ( example b . 19 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 616 . 2 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 269 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 4 - methyl - 5 -( 4 - methyl - piperazine - 1 - sulfonyl )- thiazol - 2 - ylamine ( example b . 19 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 634 . 1 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 273 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- methyl - amide ( example b . 20 ) according to general procedure ii . light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 591 . 1 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 216 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- methyl - amide ( example b . 20 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 609 . 0 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 266 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- methyl - amide ( example b . 21 ) according to general procedure ii . light brown solid . ms ( isp ) 607 . 8 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 231 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 2 - chloro - 5 -( 4 - methyl - piperazine - 1 - sulfonyl )- thiophen - 3 - ylamine ( example b . 22 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 635 . 3 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 293 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 2 - chloro - 5 -( 4 - methyl - piperazine - 1 - sulfonyl )- thiophen - 3 - ylamine ( example b . 22 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 653 . 3 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 301 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - difluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and ( rs )- 1 -( 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonyl )- pyrrolidin - 3 - ol ( example b . 23 ) according to general procedure ii . light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 603 . 0 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 286 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and ( rs )- 1 -( 2 - amino - 4 - methyl - thiazole - 5 - sulfonyl )- pyrrolidin - 3 - ol ( example b . 23 ) according to general procedure ii . light yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 621 . 0 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 300 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonic acid ( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- methyl - amide ( example b . 21 ) according to general procedure ii . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 628 . 1 [( m + h ) + ]; mp 221 ° c . the title compound was prepared from 7 - trifluoromethyl - 5 -( 4 - trifluoromethyl - phenyl )- pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - a ] pyrimidine - 3 - carboxylic acid ( example c . 1 ) and [ 2 -( 4 - amino - 5 - chloro - thiophene - 2 - sulfonylamino )- ethyl ]- carbamic acid tert - butyl ester ( example b . 17 ) according to general procedure ii and subsequent removal of the protecting group with trifluoroacetic acid in dichloromethane at 0 ° c . for 3 h . yellow solid . ms ( isp ) 611 . 0 [( m − h ) − ]; mp 195 ° c . tablets of the following composition are produced in a conventional manner : tablets of the following composition are produced in a conventional manner : the active ingredient having a suitable particle size , the crystalline lactose and the microcrystalline cellulose are homogeneously mixed with one another , sieved and thereafter talc and magnesium stearate are admixed . the final mixture is filled into hard gelatine capsules of suitable size .
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a detailed description of the preferred embodiments according to the present invention will now be given referring to the accompanying drawings . first , the first embodiment of an ophthalmic apparatus for precisely measuring a refractive power of an eye to be measured will be described . here , in the apparatus , though various optical systems such as the observing optical system , the alignment optical system , the projecting optical system for fixation target and the like are arranged , each optical system will be explained in the fourth embodiment hereinafter . in fig1 numeral 1 indicates two light sources ( 1a and 1b ) each of which emits rays with a wavelength in an infrared region . the light source 1a is arranged on a optical axis and the light source 1b is arranged distant from the optical axis . the light source 1b is arranged so that it can rotate around the optical axis . numeral 2 is a condenser lens and the light sources 1a , 1b are positioned at a front focal point of the condenser lens 2 existing at the side of the light sources 1a , 1b . numeral 3 is a spot diaphragm which is arranged so as to be movable to a position conjugated with the fundus of an eye 6 to be examined . numeral 4 indicates an objective lens and numeral 5 indicates a beam splitter . and numeral 7 is an objective lens , numeral 8 is a reflecting mirror and numeral 9 , 11 are relay lenses . numeral 10 indicates a cornea reflecting rejection mask which is arranged at a position conjugated with the cornea of the eye 6 and , as shown in fig2 the cornea reflecting rejection mask 10 has two light shading portions 10a and 10b which shade the reflecting light from the cornea corresponding to the light sources 1a , 1b , respectively . numeral 12 indicates a movable lens which is moved synchronous with the spot diaphragm 3 and numeral 13 indicates an imaging lens . and numeral 14 indicates a light receiving device for measurement which is arranged so as to be rotatable around the optical axis synchronous with both the light source 1b and the cornea reflecting rejection mask 10 . next , electric block diagram will be described with reference to fig3 . in fig3 the light signal received by the light receiving device 14 is output to an a / d converter 21 and converted into digital signal through the a / d converter 21 . the converted digital signal is input to a microcomputer 22 . the microcomputer 22 controls a dc motor driver 23 and a dc motor 24 so that the spot diaphragm 3 is conjugated with the fundus of the eye 6 based on the light signal received by the light receiving device 14 , thereby the movable lens 12 and the spot diaphragm 3 are moved along the optical axis . a potentiometer 25 detects a voltage value corresponding to the position of the spot diaphragm 3 when the spot diaphragm 3 is moved by the dc motor 24 . the detected signal ( voltage value ) is input to the microcomputer 22 after being converted into the digital signal by the a / d converter 21 . thereby , the spherical refractive power of the eye in the meridional direction is calculated by the microcomputer 22 . numeral 26 indicates a pulse motor driver and numeral 27 indicates a pulse motor through which the light source 1b , the cornea reflecting rejection mask 10 and the light receiving device 14 are rotated , thereby the axial angles thereof are changed . numeral 28 is a display device on which the measured result is displayed under control by the microcomputer 22 . next , operation of the above constructed apparatus will be described hereinafter . the luminous flux emitted from the light sources 1a , 1b , which are alternately turned on , is irradiated on the spot diaphragm 3 through the condenser lens 2 . the measuring light passed through the spot diaphragm 3 is condensed at near position from the cornea of the eye 6 and thereafter an image of the spot diaphragm 3 is formed on the fundus . the measuring light reflected from the fundus is reflected by the beam splitter 5 and the reflecting mirror 8 and passed through the cornea reflecting rejection mask 10 . thereby , the fundus image is formed on the light receiving device 14 through the imaging lens 13 . on the other hand , the luminous flux , which is emitted from the light source 1a and passed in a region of the visual axis , forms the image of the spot diaphragm 3 onto the fundus on the visual axis . this image of the spot diaphragm 3 becomes a standard position . the light receiving device 14 detects both the spot diaphragm image by the light source 1a and the spot diaphragm image by the light source 1b , respectively . and based on the detected result by the light receiving device 14 , the microcomputer 22 moves the spot diaphragm 3 and the movable lens 12 until the spot diaphragm 3 is positioned at a position conjugated with the fundus of the eye 6 in the meridional direction . further , the potentiometer 25 detects the moved position of the spot diaphragm 3 as the voltage value and the detected signal of the voltage is input to the microcomputer 22 through the a / d converter 21 . the microcomputer 22 conducts calculation processing to convert the positional signal of the spot diaphragm 3 into the refractive power value , thereby the refractive power value in the meridional direction is obtained . thereafter , the pulse motor 27 rotates the light source 1b , the cornea reflecting rejection mask 10 and the light receiving device 14 around the optical axis with predetermined steps ( for example , steps corresponding to 5 degrees ) and the refractive power in the meridional direction from the optical axis is measured . by repeating such operation in succession , the refractive power data can be obtained in all meridional directions of 360 degrees . next , displaying methods by which the thus obtained refractive power data displayed on the display device 28 will be described hereinafter . in fig4 the refractive power data obtained according to the above is plotted corresponding to each of the meridional lines and the distance from the center gives an extent of refractive ametropy . here , if the distance from the center is long , refractive ametropy is heavy and if the distance from the center is short , refractive ametropy is light . and in order to be able to visually understand , the maximum values of refractive ametropy are plotted on the outer circle and the minimum values thereof are plotted inner circle which has a 1 / 2 radius of the outer circle . for instance , fig4 ( a ) shows the refractive power data obtained from the eye 6 having irregular astigmatism and fig4 ( b ) shows the refractive power data obtained from the eye 6 having simple astigmatism . as shown in fig4 ( b ), when the ellipse with symmetry is obtained , the spherical refractive power values , the cylindrical refractive power value and the cylindrical axial angle are calculated and displayed on the display device 28 . further , fig5 shows another displaying method in which the refractive power values are displayed every angle ( degrees ) in utilizing color classification on the color display . here , in the color classification , the color is , for instance , classified into 15 stages by combining a hue such as red , orange , yellow , green , blue , indigo blue and purple and a gradation thereof . according to this method , in case that the refractive power in each stage is defined as 0 . 5 d ( diopter ), the refractive power values can be relatively displayed in a range of + 3 . 5 d ˜- 3 . 5 d if the spherical equivalent value ( se value ) is used as the standard value . and for example , the refractive ametropy may be absolutely displayed based on that hypermetropia is colored in blue direction and myopia is colored in red direction while emmetropia eye is used as the standard point . here , though the step for color classification is essentially determined as 0 . 5 d , it is desirable that changing means is arranged in the apparatus so that such step can be changed . and it will be effective if the graphs in both fig4 and 5 can be mutually displayed by changing them . next , the ophthalmic apparatus of the second embodiment will be given hereinafter , according to fig6 . here , in fig6 the same element as in the first embodiment is indicated by the same numeral . in the second embodiment , the luminous flux from the light source 1b is optically rotated , though in the first embodiment the light source 1b is directly rotated around the optical axis . that is , in the second embodiment , the light source 1b is fixed on the optical axis and a parallel glass 15 is rotatably arranged between the light source 1b and the condenser lens 2 . thereby , the luminous flux emitted from the light source 1b is deviated through the parallel glass 15 and as a result , the same effect in the first embodiment that the light source 1b is positioned distantly from the optical axis can be obtained . and the measuring light source 1a is arranged so that the luminous flux emitted therefrom is reflected by a half - mirror 16 and the main light thereof becomes coaxial with the projecting optical axis . as mentioned above , in the second embodiment , the parallel glass 15 is rotated around the optical axis synchronous with the cornea reflecting rejection mask 10 and the measuring light receiving device 14 , instead that the measuring light source 1b is rotated in the first embodiment . in addition to the above , the ophthalmic apparatus of the third embodiment will be described according to fig7 . although the refractive power is obtained by projecting the spot target onto the fundus of the eye 6 , the refractive power is obtained in the ophthalmic apparatus according to the third embodiment , as follows . in fig7 numerals 30 , 39 indicate infrared light sources which emit infrared rays with a wavelength in the infrared region and numerals 31 , 40 indicate condenser lenses . numeral 32 is a conical prism , numeral 33 is a diaphragm which has a ring hole therein , numeral 41 is a spot diaphragm and numerals 34 , 42 are relay lenses . and numeral 35 is a hole mirror having a hole in the center thereof , numeral 43 is a half - mirror , numeral 37 is a imaging lens and numeral 38 is a - two - dimensional image pick - up element such as ccd camera . here , the diaphragm 33 is arranged at a position conjugated with the fundus of the eye 6 and the spot diaphragm 41 is also arranged at a position conjugated with the fundus of the eye 6 . and the fundus is conjugated with the two - dimensional image pick - up element 38 . further , not only both the infrared light source 30 and the hole mirror 35 but also both the hole mirror 35 and the pupil of the eye 6 , are mutually arranged with a conjugation relationship therebetween , respectively . in the above construction , the luminous flux emitted from the infrared light source 30 is irradiated on the diaphragm 33 through the condenser lens 31 and the conical prism 32 . the luminous flux passed through the diaphragm 33 is reflected by the hole mirror 35 while passing through the relay lens 34 and thereafter forms an image of the diaphragm 33 onto the fundus of the eye 6 after passing through the objective lens 36 . the reflected luminous flux from the fundus is passed through the hole of the hole mirror 35 and forms the fundus image on the element 38 through the imaging lens 37 . on the other hand , the luminous flux emitted from the infrared light source 39 , which is passed through the region of the visual axis , is reflected by the half - mirror 43 and forms an image of the spot diaphragm 41 onto the fundus on the visual axis . in the ophthalmic apparatus of the third embodiment , the ring pattern image of the diaphragm 33 is picked up by the element 38 ( ccd camera ) from the center portion of the eye 6 and the image of the diaphragm 41 , which gives the center image of the eye 6 , is picked up by the element 38 , thereby the refractive power is obtained by calculating the distance between each of the ring patterns and the canter image of the eye 6 . next , the ophthalmic apparatus according to the fourth embodiment will be described hereinafter . the apparatus is constructed from various systems such as a projection optical system for projecting the measuring target onto the cornea to measure the cornea curvature , a detection optical system for detecting the measuring target to measure the cornea curvature , a projection optical system for projecting the measuring target onto the fundus to measure the eye refractive power , a detection optical system for detecting the measuring target to measure the eye refractive power , a projection optical system for fixation target , an alignment display optical system and a control system . each system will be described in succession hereinafter . in fig8 numeral 51 is a placido - plate which has a hole in the center thereof . in the placido - plate 51 , as shown in fig9 a plurality of ring pattern portions 51a through which light can pass , each ring pattern portion 51a having a predetermined width , and a plurality of ring pattern portions 51b by which light is shaded , each ring pattern portion 51b having a predetermined width , are concentrically formed around the optical axis . on the back side of the ring pattern portions 51a , a plurality of light sources 52 such as led elements by which the ring pattern portions 51a are uniformly irradiated . each light source 52 emits near infrared rays . the ring pattern formed by irradiating the ring pattern portions 51a through the light sources 52 is projected onto the cornea of the eye e to be examined . at that time , since the front side of the placido - plate 51 is entirely covered by a film 53 which cuts the visible rays and passes the infrared rays , the person who is examined cannot see the ring pattern . here , in the fourth embodiment , as the light sources 52 for irradiating the placido - plate 51 , the light sources emitting near infrared rays are utilized only to avoid miosis of the eye e when the refractive power is measured subsequently . therefore , as the light sources for irradiating the pattern of the placido - plate 51 , the other light sources emitting red rays can be utilized without being limited to the infrared light sources . and it is conceivable to use a ring fluorescent tube as the light source to irradiate the placido - plate 51 and to arrange a reflector near the ring fluorescent tube . in this case , the light from the ring fluorescent tube is reflected by the reflector and is irradiated to the pattern of the placido - plate 51 . the reflected light from the cornea which has the ring pattern according to the placido - plate 51 is reflected through a beam splitter 54 and thereafter forms the cornea reflecting image of the ring pattern on a picture pick - up plane of a ccd camera 57 through a picture pick - up lens 55 and a mirror 56 . numeral 60 indicates a pair of light sources emitting rays with a wavelength in the near infrared region . the light sources 60 are arranged near a focal point of a condenser lens 61 existing at the side of the light sources 60 . in this fourth embodiment , the light sources 60 are symmetrically positioned against the optical axis and are rotated with 180 degrees around the optical axis . however , in order to obtain more detailed information of the refractive power , it is conceivable that one of the light sources 60 is arranged on the optical axis and the other thereof is arranged so as to rotate with 360 degrees around the optical axis . and numeral 82 is a measuring target plate which has a measuring target ( spot hole ) and is movable so as to set to a position conjugated with the fundus of the eye e . numeral 63 is a projecting lens and the projecting lens 63 projects the target plate 62 onto the fundus of the eye e . numeral 64 indicates a objective lens , numeral 65 indicates a beam splitter and numeral 66 indicates a mirror . and numeral 67 and 68 are relay lenses , numeral 69 is a cornea reflecting rejection mask shaped as a band , which is arranged at a position conjugated with the cornea of the eye e , numeral 70 is a movable lens moved synchronously with the target plate 62 , numeral 71 is an imaging lens . numeral 72 is a divided light receiving device which is rotated around the optical axis synchronously with the light sources 60 and the cornea reflecting rejection mask 69 . numeral 80 indicates the first relay lens which is utilized for fogging the eye e by being moved along the optical axis and numeral 81 indicates the second relay lens . and numeral 82 is a fixation target arranged at a focal point of the second relay lens 81 , numeral 83 is a condenser lens and numeral 84 is a illumination lamp . numeral 90 is an illumination lamp embedded in the placido - plate 51 , the lamp 90 emitting rays with a wavelength in the near infrared region and irradiating the anterior portion of the eye e . and the lamp 90 is utilized for illuminating the eye e to pick up the anterior image of the eye e . the anterior image of the eye e is picked up by the ccd camera 57 in the above mentioned detection optical system . the image picked up by the ccd camera 57 is displayed on the display device 91 . the displayed image is utilized for roughly aligning the optical axis of the apparatus and the eye e . numeral 92 is an alignment light source such as led , the alignment light source 92 emitting rays with a wavelength in the near infrared region . and the alignment light source 92 is arranged to a focal point of the objective lens 64 through the half - mirror 93 and the beam splitter 65 in the projection optical system for fixation target . the light from the alignment light source 92 forms the cornea reflection image and is adjusted to an alignment marker ( not shown ) for alignment with a predetermined relationship therebetween . the measurement result and the anterior image of the eye e are alternately displayed on the display device 91 by exchanging thereof . as the display device 91 , a color liquid crystal display is adopted so as to be able to display color graphics . the control system of the apparatus will be described with reference to fig1 . the signal from the ccd camera 57 is converted to digital signal by a a / d converter 100 and is input to a frame memory 102 synchronous with the clock signal from a timing generator 101 . the image data stored in the frame memory 102 is input to a synthesizing circuit 104 under control by the first microcomputer 103 and screened on the display device 91 . to the synthesizing circuit 104 , a video graphic adaptor 105 which can form video graphics and characters is connected . the video graphic adaptor 105 displays video graphic images or synthesized images of both the image picked up by a ccd camera 57 and the characters on the display device 91 . numeral 106 is an image processing circuit which conducts image processing to the placido - ring image stored in the frame memory 102 and stores the processing result in a memory 107 . numeral 108 is a printer , numeral 109 is a driver for controlling the printer 108 . and numeral 110 is the second microcomputer connected to the first microcomputer 103 . the second microcomputer 110 mainly controls measurement operation . numeral 111 is a start switch to start measurement , numeral 112 is a control switch having various switches such as a mode exchanging switch for exchanging a cornea shape measurement mode and a refractive power measurement mode . numeral 113 is a driver for driving a refractive power measurement system 114 , numeral 115 is a driver for driving a projection optical system for fixation target 116 , numeral 117 is a driver for turning on and off of the light sources 52 , numeral 118 is a driver for driving the illumination lamp 90 and numeral 119 is a driver for driving the alignment light source 92 . and numeral 120 is a floppy disk device and numeral 121 is a driver for driving the floppy disk device 120 . next , operation of the above constructed apparatus will be described with reference to flowcharts in fig1 to 13 . first , the mode exchanging switch in the control switch 112 is selected and the measurement item is determined . here , operation in a case that a continuous measurement mode where the cornea shape measurement mode and the refractive power measurement mode are successively conducted , will be described hereinafter . when the continuous measurement mode is selected by the mode exchanging switch , the illumination lamp 90 and the alignment light source 92 are turned on ( s1 ). and the anterior image of the eye e is picked up by the ccd camera 57 and the picked up image is screened on the display device 91 through the frame memory 102 and the synthesizing circuit 104 ( s2 ). the examiner adjusts the anterior image of the eye e , the luminescent point and the alignment mark ( not shown ) through a well - known sliding mechanism while seeing the display device 91 , so that a predetermined relationship is formed among the anterior image of the eye e , the luminescent point and the alignment mark ( s3 ). and when the start switch 111 is pushed after the alignment is completed ( s4 ; yes ), the illumination lamp 90 and the alignment light source 92 are turned off ( s5 ) and the light sources 52 of the placido - ring are turned on for a predetermined time interval ( s6 ). thereby , the placido - plate 51 is projected on the eye e through the light sources 52 and the placido - ring image is formed on the cornea of the eye e . the placido - ring image is picked up by the ccd camera 57 and the image data thereof is stored in the frame memory 102 ( s7 ), thereby the placido - ring image is displayed on the display device 91 ( s8 ). at that time , the examiner examines whether the placido - ring image displayed on the display device 91 satisfactorily picked up or not . if the image is unsatisfactorily picked up ( s9 ; no ), a cancel switch in the control switch 112 is pushed and the measurement is conducted again ( s1 ). on the contrary , if the image is satisfactorily picked up ( s9 ; yes ), a save switch in the control switch 112 is pushed . when the save switch is pushed , the edge detection process is conducted through the image processing circuit 106 and the processed image data is stored in the memory 107 by the first microcomputer 103 ( s10 ). and at the time that the processed image data is stored in the memory 107 , the cornea shape measurement mode is changed to the refractive power measurement mode . first , in this mode , the illumination lamp 90 and the alignment light source 92 are turned on ( s11 ) and the alignment is done by the same procedure as in the cornea shape measurement mode ( s12 , s13 ). when the alignment is completed , the start switch 111 is pushed ( s14 ). the second microcomputer 110 operates both the refractive power measurement system 114 and the projection optical system for fixation target 116 based on the signal from the start switch 111 . the measurement light from the light source 60 is passed through the condenser lens 61 , the target plate 62 and the projecting lens 63 and is condensed near the cornea of the eye e . thereafter , the light is reached to the fundus of the eye e . the light reflected on the fundus is passed through the beam splitter 54 and the light path thereof is changed . and the light from the beam splitter 54 is reflected by the mirror 66 and passed through the relay lenses 67 , 68 . as a result , the light is irradiated on the light receiving device 72 through the imaging lens 71 . further , based on the signal received by the light receiving device 72 , the second microcomputer 110 moves both the movable lens 70 and the target plate 62 so that they are arranged at a position conjugated with the fundus of the eye e . next , after both the fixation target 82 and the the fundus of the eye e are mutually positioned at the conjugated position through the first relay lens 80 , the fixation target 82 is further moved by a suitable diopter so as to fog the eye e . after fogging of the eye e , the light source 60 , the cornea reflecting rejection mask 69 and the light receiving device 72 are rotated step by step ( for example , every 1 degree ) with 180 degrees around the optical axis . while rotating thereof , the target plate 62 and the movable lens 70 are moved according to the signal from the light receiving device 72 , thereby the refractive power value in the meridional direction is obtained every rotational step based on quantity of movement of the target plate 62 and the movable lens 70 ( s15 , s16 ). the above measurement of the refractive power is repeated for predetermined several times ( s17 ) and the measurement result is averaged . the averaged data is transmitted to the memory 107 and stored therein ( s18 ). here , as the measurement data of the refractive power value , the refractive power data in each meridional direction is stored in addition to the spherical refractive power , the cylindrical refractive power and the cylindrical axis . and similar to the above , the measurement of the cornea shape and the refractive power of the other eye e is conducted ( s19 ). the measurement data of the cornea shape and the refractive power is processed as follows and the displaying data thereof is obtained . first , the first microcomputer 103 reads the cornea shape data ( s21 ) and the cornea curvature is calculated every the predetermined angle based on the edge point of each of the rings ( s21 ). next , calculation method will be described with reference to fig1 . in fig1 , supposed that the image i of the point light source p , which is located at a position distant from the cornea by the distance d on the optical axis and distant from the optical axis by the height h by the convex cornea , is formed at a position distant from the vertex of the cornea by the distance 1 and distant from the optical axis by the height h , the equation ( 1 ) is materialized . ## equ1 ## next , if the image i is imaged by the lens l on the two dimensional plane , the height is detected as the height h &# 39 ;. therefore , the magnification m of the optical system in the apparatus is represented by the equation ( 2 ). ## equ2 ## here , if the curvature radius of the cornea is r , the focal length f of the cornea as the convex mirror is represented by the equation ( 3 ). ## equ3 ## and if it exists a relationship according to the equation ( 4 ) between the focal length f and the distance d , a relationship between the distance 1 and the focal length f is represented by the equation ( 5 ). thus , according to the equations ( 2 ), ( 3 ) and ( 5 ), the equation ( 1 ) is rewritten into the equation ( 6 ). ## equ4 ## that is to say , the distance d , the height h and the magnification m are inherent values for the apparatus . therefore , if the height h &# 39 ; is obtained , the curvature radius r of the cornea in the region where the image is observed can be obtained . here , in case that the curvature radius of the cornea in the small region is calculated , for example , every one degree in the meridional direction against light and shade edges of each placido - ring according to the above equations , it is necessary to calculate for several thousands points . as a result , the processing time becomes longer . in order to avoid this problem , it is conceivable to use the following calculation method to calculate the curvature radius r of the cornea . here , supposed that the curvature in the region where the j th ring is projected is defined as the curvature radius r j , the constant determined by the height of the jth ring , the distance to the eye and the image magnification in the apparatus is k j and the image height on the screen is h j , the above equations are simply represented as the equation ( 8 ). in the equation ( 8 ), the constant k j can be obtained as the inherent value of the apparatus by beforehand measuring a plurality of the spherical eye models , each having the known curvature , which cover the measurement range of the apparatus . the thus obtained constant k j is stored in the non - volatile memory of the apparatus . and when the curvature radius of the eye is measured , the curvature can be easily and quickly calculated by reading the constant k j from the non - volatile memory and calculating the curvature radius according to the equation ( 8 ). further , at this time , manufacturing error of the apparatus can be corrected . by conducting the above calculation , the cornea curvature is obtained every the predetermined angle at edge in each ring image . the obtained cornea curvature is stored . here , the calculation process of the cornea curvature is conducted by the first microcomputer 103 , and thus while such processing by the first microcomputer 103 , it is conceivable that the eye refractive power is measured by the second microcomputer 110 . the cornea curvature data and the eye refractive power data which are obtained according to the above , are displayed on the display device 91 ( s22 ). at that time , display contents can be selected by the switch in the control switch 112 . next , the display contents about the cornea curvature data and the eye refractive power data will be described with reference to fig1 and 16 . fig1 shows a display example using color map by converting the curvature radius of the cornea into the corneal refractive power through a well - known calculating method and classifying the distribution thereof in each color ( s23 ). in such color classification , the color is , for instance , classified into 15 stages by combining a hue such as red , orange , yellow , green , blue , indigo blue and purple and a gradation thereof , and the red shows the maximum refractive power , the purple shows the minimum refractive power . according to this , the refractive power value between the maximum refractive power and the minimum refractive power is divided into 15 stages and each stage of the color classification ( 15 stages ) is corresponded to each refractive power value . in fig1 , the inner circle in the color map is displayed so that the circle is superposed over the pupil position of the eye . fig1 shows a graph in which the eye refractive power data is plotted corresponding to each meridional line . in fig1 , the extent of the refractive ametropy is indicated by the distance from the center . and in order to visually understand , the maximum value of the refractive ametropy is plotted on the outer circle and the minimum value of the refractive ametropy is plotted on the inner circle which has a 1 / 2 radius of the outer circle ( s23 ). fig1 shows an example of color map in which the refractive power data is indicated corresponding to each angle . the color classification is conducted in 15 stages as in the case of fig1 . according to this method , in case that the refractive power in each stage is defined as 0 . 5 d ( diopter ), the refractive power values can be relatively displayed in a range of + 3 . 5 d ˜- 3 . 5 d if the spherical equivalent value ( se value ) is used as the standard value ( s23 ). and for example , the refractive ametropy may be absolutely displayed based on that hypermetropia is colored in blue direction and myopia is colored in red direction while emmetropia eye is used as the standard point . next , a method to display the remaining astigmatism based on the cornea curvature data and the eye refractive power data will be described referring to fig1 . fig1 shows an example of color map in which the remaining astigmatism ( defined by the difference between the total astigmatism and the cornea astigmatism ) calculated based on the cornea refractive power data derived from the cornea refractive power data in the pupil area as shown in fig1 corresponding to each measurement region and the eye refractive power data ( the data converted to the refractive power when the vertex of the cornea is selected as the standard ). in fig1 , the same color classification as in the fig1 may be conducted ( s23 ). here , the total astigmatism substantially equals to sum of the cornea astigmatism and the astigmatism in the crystalline lens . thus , the data obtained based on the cornea curvature data ( the cornea refractive power data ) and the eye refractive power data may be effectively used for correction of the cornea in the refractive ametropy . further , in addition for the cornea correction , the above data will be effectively used in a case that a silicon gel type iol ( intra ocular lens ) by which the focal point is changeable is practiced instead of the intraocular lens implant which has a fixed focal point . here , as in the first embodiment , it is conceivable that one of the light sources 60 is arranged on the optical axis and the other is arranged so as to rotate 360 degrees around the optical axis , thereby the refractive power is obtained in all directions of 360 degrees . in this case , the color map display of the cornea refractive power can be more suitably conducted . such construction will be omitted since it is apparent from fig1 . the display data is printed by the printer 108 through the driver 109 if necessary ( s24 , s25 ) and is stored in the floppy disk device 120 through the driver 121 if necessary ( s26 , s27 ). next , the fifth embodiment will be described hereinafter with reference to fig1 . here , in fig1 , the same elements in the aforementioned fourth embodiment is numbered by the same numbers . in the fourth embodiment , the light path through which the luminous flux of the target for measuring the eye refractive power is secured in the placido - plate 51 by opening the hole in the center of the placido - plate 51 . however , in this case , more information about the cornea shape in the center of the cornea cannot be obtained . in order to improve this point , measurement of the cornea curvature in the cornea center can be done in the fifth embodiment . in fig1 , numeral 130 is the second plane placido - plate arranged at the focal point of the objective lens 64 and on the upper surface of the second placido - plate 130 , transparent portions which is able to pass light are formed at the center and concentrically in a form of plurality of ring patterns , and further light shading portions are concentrically formed in a form of plurality of ring patterns . numeral 131 is the second illumination light for illuminating the second placido - plate 130 , the illumination light 131 emitting rays in near infrared region . the second illumination light 131 uniformly irradiates the second placido - plate 130 through a condenser lens 132 and projects the ring pattern image onto the cornea of the eye e through the objective lens 64 . here , if the focal length of the objective lens 64 is f 1 , the image formed by the cornea having the curvature radius r is formed at the focal point of the objective lens 64 with a size of ( r / 2 )/ f 1 . according to this , the distribution of the cornea curvature can be obtained by detecting the ring pattern image on the plane that the image is picked up and conducting calculation process as in the fourth embodiment . as mentioned above , in the apparatus of the fifth embodiment the detailed information about the cornea center region can be obtained , therefore such apparatus would be very useful for operation to correct the refractive ametropy in which it is necessary to know the information about the cornea center region . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .
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fig1 illustrates a one - line block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an electrical system ( system ) 100 . the system 100 includes a direct current ( dc ) power source 102 that may include , for example , an array of solar cells , a wind turbine , or other type of generator or power source . a switch box 104 is electrically connected to the dc power source 102 and an inverter 108 . the inverter 108 is operative to invert dc power into ac power . the inverter 108 is electrically connected to a load 110 and an ac grid 112 . while the electrical system 100 is depicted in fig1 as a one - line block diagram , it will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that such a depiction also represents a multi - phase electrical distribution system , such as a three - phase or three - phase with switching neutral electrical system , for example . the switch box 104 includes a fuse 116 that may include any type of fuse such as , for example , a photovoltaic ( pv ) fuse that is electrically connected to the dc power source 102 and the inverter 108 . the switch box 104 includes a switch 114 that is electrically connected to the fuse 116 and the dc power source 102 . the arrangement of the switch 114 allows the fuse 116 to be electrically isolated from the dc power source 102 when the switch 114 is in an open position or state . the electrical connection between the inverter 108 and the ac grid 112 , and in some instances , the connection between the inverter and the load 110 , may result in a “ back feeding ” state where a voltage may be present at the fuse 116 even if the fuse 116 is isolated from the dc power source 102 ( i . e ., the switch 114 is in an open position or state ). thus , prior to accessing the fuse 116 during installation , maintenance , or troubleshooting , a technician should determine whether a voltage is present at the fuse 116 . if a voltage is present at the fuse , the technician should not access the fuse 116 until the source of the voltage is isolated from the fuse . the embodiments described below include an obstructive member between the fuse 116 and an access opening of the switch box 104 that will allow a technician to test the fuse 116 to determine whether voltage is present while the obstructive member remains in position . in operation , once the technician has tested the fuse 116 and ensured that no voltage is present at the fuse 116 , the technician may remove or reposition the obstructive member to gain physical access to the fuse 116 . in this regard , fig2 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a switch box ( connection box ) 202 . the switch box 202 is arranged to be used in a multi - phase power system . though the switch box 202 of the illustrated embodiment is arranged to be used in a three - phase power system , alternate embodiments may include similar arrangements that may be used in , for example , a single - phase power system or a multi - phase power system having any number of phases . the switch box 202 includes a housing portion 204 having a rear panel 206 , and side panels 208 that define a cavity 210 having an access orifice 211 defined in an embodiment by exposed edges 217 of the side panels 208 , the housing portion 204 includes a front panel 212 that encloses the cavity 210 and the access orifice 211 when arranged in a closed position . the front panel 212 may be secured to the side panels 208 of the housing portion with , for example , fasteners , a hinge arrangement , a combination of a hinge arrangement and fasteners , or any suitable combination of hooks , clasps , or clips . switches 214 are arranged in the cavity 210 . the switches 214 are connected to an actuating lever 216 with a mechanical linkage arrangement such that the movement of the actuating lever 216 changes the position or state of the switches 214 . each of the switches 214 includes a terminal that may be connected to an electrical cable or line . the switches 214 are electrically connected to corresponding fuse holder assemblies 219 . the each of the fuse holder assemblies 219 includes a first fuse holder portion 220 and a second fuse holder portion 222 . the first fuse holder portion 220 secures a first end of a fuse 224 and is electrically connected to a corresponding switch 214 . the second fuse holder portion 222 secures a second end of the fuse 224 and is electrically connected to a terminal that may be electrically connected to an electrical cable or line . an electrical path is defined by the terminals of a switch 214 , the switch 214 contacts , the first fuse holder portion 220 , the fuse 224 , the second fuse holder portion 222 , and terminals of the second fuse holder portion 222 . as discussed above , in operation , a voltage may be present in the fuses 224 and the fuse holder assemblies 219 during a back feeding state even if the switches 214 are in an open position or state . it is desirable to encourage a technician to determine whether a voltage is present in the fuses 224 and the fuse holder assemblies 219 prior to performing installation , maintenance , or troubleshooting tasks . fig2 illustrates a partially transparent view of an exemplary embodiment of a cover 225 that is arranged in the cavity 210 between the access orifice 211 and the second fuse holder portions 222 . in the illustrated embodiment , the cover 225 is fabricated from a non - conductive or insulating material such as , for example , a plastic , nylon , composite , or other type of non - conductive material . the cover 225 of the illustrated embodiment is fabricated from a single sheet of semi - rigid material however , alternate embodiments are not limited to being fabricated from a single sheet of material , and may be fabricated and assembled from any number or combination of parts and components that many include , for example , rigid , flexible , or semi - rigid materials . fig3 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the cover 225 . the cover 225 includes a front cover panel portion 302 and side cover panel portions 304 that are connected to the front cover panel portion 302 . the side cover panel portions 304 are connected to extension portions 306 . in the illustrated embodiment , the extension portions 306 include at least one orifice 308 that is operative to receive a fastener such as , for example , a bolt or a screw ( not shown ). the front cover panel portion 302 includes probe orifices 311 that are sized and shaped to allow a voltage or other type of testing probe to be inserted through the probe orifices 311 . the probe orifices 311 of the illustrated embodiment are formed in a circular shape and are sized such that a testing probe may pass through one of the probe orifices 311 , but other tools that are larger than the diameter of the probe orifices 311 or parts of a human body such as , a finger may not pass through the probe orifices 311 . thus , the front cover panel portion 302 partially obscures portions of the fuse holder assemblies 219 when viewed by a technician via the access orifice 211 ( of fig2 ). fig4 illustrates a front view of the exemplary embodiment of the cover 225 of fig3 as described above . fig5 illustrates a top partially cut - away view of the cover 225 along the line 5 ( of fig2 ). the cover 225 is secured to the rear panel 206 of the switch box 202 with fasteners 504 and 505 that pass through the orifices 308 ( of fig3 ). the fasteners 504 and 505 may be similar or dissimilar . in one embodiment , the fastener 505 includes a “ one - way ” screw head that makes removal of the fastener 505 difficult without special tools , while the fastener 504 includes a traditional screw head such as , for example , a slotted screw head . thus , a technician is discouraged from removing the fastener 505 and is encouraged to remove the fastener 504 . such an arrangement helps to ensure that the cover 225 may not be completely removed by a technician and discarded . the probe orifices 311 are arranged to align with corresponding test contact points 502 on the second fuse holder portions 222 such that each of the probe orifices 311 and the corresponding test contact points 502 define lines substantially normal to the front cover panel portion . the test contact points 502 are electrically connected to the fuses 214 and the terminals of the second fuse holder portions 222 . the test contact points 502 may include any conductive portion of the second fuse holder portions 222 that are electrically connected to the terminals of the second fuse holder portions 222 . the front cover panel portion 302 is arranged such that the planar surfaces of the front cover panel portion 302 are substantially parallel to the planar surfaces of the rear panel 206 . in the illustrated embodiment , the planar surfaces of the side cover panel portions 304 are substantially perpendicular to the planar surfaces of the front cover panel portion 302 and the planar surfaces of the extension portions 306 are substantially parallel to the rear panel 206 . in alternate embodiments , the planar surfaces of the cover 225 may be arranged in any suitable alternative arrangement relative to each other , or the switch box 202 , and are not limited to the arrangements described above . the line 501 illustrates a plane partially defined by the by exposed edges 217 of the side panels 218 ( of fig2 ), the cover 225 is disposed between the plane partially defined by the by exposed edges 217 of the side panels 218 and the second fuse holder portions 222 . fig6 illustrates another top partially cut - away view of the cover 225 along the line 5 ( of fig2 ). fig6 illustrates the use of a test probe 602 that is electrically connected to a test device 604 , such as , for example , a voltmeter device . the test probe 602 is shown passing through a probe orifice 311 of the cover 225 to contact a corresponding test contact point 502 of the second fuse holder portions 222 . the diameter ( d ) of the probe orifice 311 is between about 2 . 5 mm to 4 mm and greater than the diameter ( d ′) of the test probe 602 such that the test probe 602 may pass through the probe orifice 311 . fig6 also illustrates a finger 606 that has been placed adjacent to a probe orifice 311 , the diameter ( d ) is less than the approximate diameter ( d ″) of the finger 606 , thus preventing the finger 606 or other objects from passing through the probe orifice 311 and contacting conductive portions of the second fuse holder portions 222 . fig7 illustrates a top view of the cover 225 along the line 5 ( of fig2 ). in fig7 , the fastener 504 ( of fig5 ) has been removed , and the cover 225 has been moved to provide access to the second fuse holder portions 222 and the fuses 224 . in the illustrated embodiment , the cover 225 has been deformed to flex about the region 702 . the region 702 of the cover 225 may include a crease or scored portion to reduce the resistance to the deformation . the fastener 505 secures the extension portion 306 of the cover 225 to the rear panel 206 of the switch box 202 . fig8 illustrates a front view of the switch box 202 with the cover 225 arranged in a closed position . the cover 225 obscures portions of the second fuse holder portions 222 ( of fig2 ) and the fuses 224 . the cover 225 is secured to the rear panel 206 of the switch box 202 with the fasteners 504 and 505 , however any number of fasteners or other fastening means such as , for example , clips , pins , brackets or tabs may be used in alternate embodiments . fig9 illustrates a front view of the switch box 202 with the cover 225 arranged in an open position . the fastener 504 has been removed , and the cover 225 has been positioned to expose and to allow access to the second fuse holder portions 222 and the fuses 224 . though the embodiments of the switch box 202 ( of fig2 ) include switches 214 , in alternate embodiments the switch box 202 may be a connection box that does not include the switches 214 , but includes the fuse holder assemblies 219 and the cover 225 arranged in a similar manner as discussed above . 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 .
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the process of the invention provides for the removal of solvents from an inlet solvent laden air ( sla ) path utilizing an adsorbent . there is shown schematically in fig1 a preferred process according to the invention . the sla enters an adsorber 10 through a sla inlet path 12 . the flow of inlet sla is controlled by an sla inlet valve 16 . the sla is passed through an adsorbent , preferably a bed of activated carbon . solvents in the air stream are adsorbed by the adsorbent . purified air leaves the adsorber 10 through an air exit path 20 controlled by a valve 21 and can usually be vented . when the adsorbent becomes saturated with solvents , the adsorbent is regenerated . the adsorbent is preferably regenerated when desorption equilibrium is attained or nearly attained , or when environmental limits of solvent particles are reached in the air leaving the adsorber . the process of the invention preferably provides for essentially closed loop regeneration of the adsorbent . the regenerating gas , steam , is passed to the adsorber 10 through a steam inlet path 24 controlled by a valve 25 to strip solvents from the adsorbent . steam condenses as the adsorbent heats , and the adsorber condensate is transported to a water tank 28 through an adsorber condensate exit 30 controlled by a valve 31 . the steam and solvent vapors are transported from the adsorber 10 by an adsorber steam exit path 34 , which is controlled by a steam exit valve 36 . the steam and solvent vapors exiting the adsorber are preferably between 200 degrees f . and about 230 degrees f . the steam and solvent vapors exiting the adsorber 10 are passed to a condenser 40 . the condenser 40 is supplied with cooling means such as water which enters the condenser by a condensor water inlet path 42 and exits the condenser by a condensor water outlet path 44 . the temperature of the cooling water that is required depends on process parameters , and particularly on the solvents being condensed . condensed water and solvents exit the bottom of the condenser through a condenser liquid exit path 48 and are transported to a decanter 52 . non - condensibles leave the condenser 40 through a condenser vapor exit path 54 , which preferably returns the non - condensibles to another adsorber for adsorption . the temperature of the fluids leaving the condenser 40 will depend on the particular solvents being removed and other process parameters . the decanter 52 separates the liquid product from the condenser into a solvent rich fraction and a water layer fraction . the water layer fraction may , for example , form at the bottom of the decanter 52 and exit through a heavy fraction exit path 56 to the water storage tank 28 . the solvent rich fraction , which forms at the top of the decanter 52 , leaves the top of the decanter 52 through a decanter light fraction exit path 64 and is passed to a solvent tank 65 . the solvent tank 65 receives the solvent rich fraction from the path 64 . it is desirable that the solvents from this fraction be processed and reused , if possible . otherwise , these products must be disposed by suitable processes and according to acceptable standards . the water layer fraction which , in this embodiment , leaves the bottom of the decanter 52 , may be sufficiently free of solvent that it may be used directly for further steam generation . where solvents that are miscible with water are encountered , however , it may be necessary to further process this stream to reduce the concentration of these contaminants to acceptable levels . the dashed lines in fig1 indicate the exit and return paths to one such further separation process , in this embodiment , distillation . a control valve 74 can be utilized to direct the flow of the water layer fraction from the heavy fraction exit path 56 to a distillation inlet path 78 . the bottoms of the distillation column 82 are heated by a circulation path 84 . a heat exchanger 88 heats the bottoms circulated through the path 84 . the heat exchanger 88 can receive heat through a steam inlet path 90 , which steam exits through a steam outlet path 94 . the solvent product from the distillation will normally exit the top of the distillation column 82 , as through a solvent exit path 98 . a portion of the solvent exiting through the path 98 can be returned to the column 82 through a return line 100 . a portion of the substantially contaminant free regenerating fluid ( here water ) in the recirculation path 84 is passed to the water storage tank 28 through a distillation column water outlet path 104 . the concentrations in the different vapor and liquid phases will be determined , at the limit , by equilibrium conditions for the compounds that are present and operating parameters such as temperature and inlet concentrations . the equilibrium condition will be disrupted by the constant withdrawal of compounds from the process . a dynamic equilibrium may be attained , but must be calculated or determined empirically on a case by case basis . data of solubilities for many binary and ternary systems is available in the literature . data for complex mixtures must be established in the laboratory . the water layer tank 28 is a holding tank for the water . the water is pumped by a pump means 62 as needed to a steam generator 66 through a steam generator inlet path 70 . the steam is generated by heat which may be provided by electricity , high pressure steam , or the combustion of a fuel . a high pressure steam enters the steam generator 66 through a high pressure steam inlet path 74 and exits the steam generator 66 through a high pressure steam exit path 78 . the high pressure steam is preferably at least 40 psig and condenses on the tube side of the steam generator . steam leaving the steam generator 66 is transported by the steam inlet path 24 to the adsorber 10 to regenerate the adsorbent . where the bulk of the solvents and contaminants in the process stream are miscible with water , decantation will normally be inappropriate . solvents such as ethanol , propanol , tetrahydrofuran and others , which are miscible in water , do not separate into two phases . these solvents will not separate by decantation and must be separated by another process . fig2 illustrates another embodiment of the invention wherein the condensation product is separated by distillation . an adsorber 120 receives sla from a sla inlet path 124 controlled by a valve 125 . purified air exits through the air exit path 128 controlled by a valve 129 . the adsorbent is periodically regenerated by a flow of regenerating fluid , preferably steam , which is received from an adsorber steam inlet path 130 . initial steam passed through the adsorbent will condense as the adsorbent heats , and this condensation is passed through an adsorber condensate outlet path 132 controlled by a valve 133 to a water storage tank 136 . steam and solvents exit the adsorber 120 through an adsorber solvent exit path 140 , which flow is controlled by an adsorber solvent exit path valve 144 . the steam and solvents are passed to a condenser 148 , which can be cooled by suitable means known in the art . the condenser 148 can receive cooling liquid from a cooling liquid inlet path 152 . the cooling liquid exits the condenser 148 through a cooling liquid exit path 156 . the condensate product leaves the condenser 148 through a condensate exit path 160 . non - condensibles leave the condenser 148 through a non - condensibles condenser exit path 162 , which preferably returns the non - condensibles to the another adsorber for readsorption . the condensate leaving the condenser 148 is passed to a condensate storage tank 166 . a pump 170 can be used to transport condensate from the condensate tank 166 through a distillation column inlet path 174 to a distillation column 176 . the distillation column 176 is adapted to separate the miscible solvents from the regenerating fluid , here water . the bottoms of the distillation column 176 are recirculated through a recirculation path 180 . a heat exchanger 182 heats the bottoms flowing through the recirculation path 180 . the heat exchanger 182 receives heat from suitable means , such as the steam inlet path 184 , which steam exits the heat exchanger 182 through a steam exit path 186 . the solvents will normally exit the top of the column through a solvent exit path 190 . a portion of the exiting solvents are returned to the column 176 through a reflux path 192 . a portion of the bottoms is withdrawn through a distillation column product outlet path 194 and is passed to the water storage tank 136 . water in the storage tank 136 can be pumped by a pump 200 through a steam generator inlet path 202 to the steam generator 204 . the steam generator 204 can be heated by suitable means known in the art such as high pressure steam , which can enter the steam generator 204 through a high pressure steam inlet path 206 , and which can exit through a high pressure steam outlet path 210 . steam generated in the steam generator 204 exits through the adsorber steam inlet path 130 . flow through the adsorber steam inlet path 130 is controlled by a control valve 212 . should the contaminants form azeotropes with water , further processing may be required to dehydrate the solvents . the ph of the water can be neutralized , as needed , in the water tank 136 . toluene used in a coating operation must be separated from an air stream before the air stream can be vented to the atmosphere . a toluene laden air path is passed through an adsorbent wherein the toluene is adsorbed on the adsorbent . the adsorbent is regenerated when needed by passing steam through the adsorbent . the toluene and steam vapor exiting the adsorber are condensed . the condensate is transported to a decanter for separation . in the decanter two phases form wherein the lighter , top layer contains most of the toluene and the lower , heavier layer contains mostly water . the light fraction leaving the top of the decanter and containing the toluene is transported to a storage tank . the solubility of water in toluene is slight , on the order of about 500 ppm , and the toluene product may therefore be reused in most applications without further processing . the water layer leaving the decanter contains about 600 ppm of toluene , and usually cannot be released without further treatment . the water is therefore passed to a water layer tank and is then used to generate steam for further regeneration . high pressure steam at about 40 psig is used to vaporize this water in the steam generator . the steam generated in the steam generator and passed to the adsorbers is at about 20 psig . solvents such as ethanol , propanol , tetrahydrofuran and other solvents which are miscible in water do not separate into two or more layers and these solvents must be separated from water by distillation . solvent laden air ( sla ) is passed through the adsorbent bed where the solvents are adsorbed on the carbon . the solvents are then desorbed using steam . the solvents and steam are condensed and flow to the condensate tank . the homogenous mixture of solvent and water is pumped to the distillation column where the solvents are concentrated and removed overhead from the column . the water is removed from the base of the column and flows to a water holding tank where it is treated and filtered before recycling to the steam generator . as in the case of example 1 , the water used in this system is recovered and recycled so that there is no waste water to sewer . there are also other combinations of solvents having varying degrees of solubilities in water . in such cases it may be necesary to distill the water layer from decantation to remove some solvent which remains in the water layer before the water can be recycled to steam generator . the process of the invention can be utilized to remove a number of solvents in different proportions from the sla path . although steam is a preferred regenerating fluid , the principles disclosed herein could apply to other regenerating fluids . particular selection , sizing and precise layout of the process equipment must , of course , depend upon the operation parameters and conditions . the number , type , dimension and design of the adsorbers , decanters , pumps , columns , tanks , exchangers , condensers , and generators , for example , can vary . these process characteristics must be selected according to known process design principles . accordingly , this invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof , and reference should therefore be made to the following claims , rather than the foregoing specification , as indicating the scope thereof .
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referring more particularly to fig1 - 4 , wherein like numbers refer to similar parts , a rodent trap 20 is shown in fig1 . the rodent trap is economically assembled of six parts : a metal spring 22 and five molded plastic parts . the spring 22 is received within a recessed channel 24 formed in the projecting platform 26 of a plastic base 28 . the base 28 has an upwardly protruding side wall 30 . the side wall 30 has a front opening 32 and a number of barb - receiving ledges 34 . a plastic lid 36 has protruding barbs 38 which engage with the barb - receiving ledges 34 to fix the lid to the base and to close off the trap 20 and define a trap interior 40 . a trigger 42 is mounted within the base interior 40 , and a slidable strike member 44 provides access to the base interior . as shown in fig1 , the base has an encircling interior wall 46 which extends around the interior . a stub wall 48 projects from the interior wall 46 rearwardly of the strike member 44 , and is aligned with a lower barrier wall 50 which projects upwardly from the floor 52 of the base 28 . recessed beneath the floor 52 are two parallel guide tracks 54 which receive track - following flanges 56 which extend downwardly from the side walls 58 of a tunnel element 60 of the strike member 44 . the tunnel element side walls 58 are joined to a tunnel top wall 62 and a tunnel end wall 64 to define an enclosed passageway which communicates with the trap interior 40 . each tunnel element side wall 58 has portions defining an arched opening or entryway 66 , as shown in fig2 , which allows a rodent to enter from either side of the tunnel element . the tunnel element travels along the guide tracks under the urging of the spring when released from the trigger . the direction of tunnel element travel defines an axis , which is defined equidistant between the two side walls 58 . as shown in fig1 , the spring 22 has a forward loop 68 and a rear loop 70 . the forward loop 68 is engaged by a hook 72 which extends downwardly from the end wall 64 of the tunnel element 60 . the rear loop 70 of the spring 22 engages a spring hook 71 which protrudes downwardly from the base floor 52 adjacent the end of the spring channel 24 . the spring 22 biases the strike member 44 into a retracted configuration , acting to accelerate the strike member towards a rodent within the trap 20 when the trigger 42 is tripped . the lid 36 has a short stub wall 76 which extends downwardly close to the base stub wall 48 , as well as an upper barrier wall 78 which extends near the base lower barrier wall 50 . the lid and base stub walls 76 , 48 and the lid and base barrier walls 78 , 50 , serve to define an entrance compartment 80 of the interior through which the tunnel element 60 extends , and a trigger compartment 82 within which is mounted the trigger 42 . a shallow tunnel stop 84 extends downward from the lid in a position rearward of the tunnel element 60 . the tunnel stop 84 serves to limit the rearward travel of the strike member 44 by engaging the top wall 62 of the tunnel element as it moves rearwardly . as shown in fig2 , the trigger 42 is pivotably mounted to an upstanding pin 86 which , as best shown in fig1 , is supported on a platform 88 which extends from the base floor 52 . the trigger 42 is a molded plastic piece having two brackets 90 ( only the top one being shown in fig1 - 3 ) with pin holes 92 through which the base pin 86 extends . the upper end of the pin 86 is supported against deflection in the direction of strike member movement by a protruding arc segment 94 which extends from the lid 36 adjacent the pin . the trigger 42 has a lower clearance wall 96 joined by a horizontal shelf 98 to a protruding upper wall 100 , shown in fig1 and 2 . the trigger 42 may be reinforced by outside ribs 102 running parallel to the shelf 98 as shown in fig4 . a tab 104 extends downwardly from the trigger clearance wall 96 near the end away from the brackets 90 , and is received within a tab guide hole 106 formed in the floor 52 of the base 28 . a spring 108 is integrally molded to protrude from the base interior wall 46 which has a free end 110 , shown in fig1 , which engages the exterior of the trigger 42 and urges the trigger toward the strike member . the integral spring 108 may be formed with an upper lead - in ramp 112 to aid directing the trigger into place during assembly . the upper wall 100 of the trigger 42 extends into the trigger compartment 82 to narrow the compartment to increase the likelihood that a rodent passing through the compartment will engage the trigger . as shown in fig2 , the strike member has a trigger engaging member 114 which projects from the strike member tunnel element 60 towards the trigger 42 . the trigger engaging member 114 has a horizontal wall 116 which extends from the tunnel element 60 side wall 58 towards the trigger 42 , and which joins a vertical wall 118 . the vertical wall 118 extends downwardly along the entire inside edge of the horizontal wall 116 , and extends upwardly to define a barrier wall 120 . a clearance gap 122 is thus defined between the barrier wall 120 and the trigger upper wall 100 . through this gap 122 a rodent may detect the bait 124 contained within a removable bait cup 126 , best shown in fig1 and 3 . the bait cup 126 is positioned between the tunnel element 60 and the trigger 42 . it is the bait which draws the rodent into the trigger compartment where it will not only activate the trigger , but also be best positioned for being struck in such a way as to be killed by portions of the strike member 44 . a catch 128 protrudes from the trigger lower wall 96 near the free end 130 of the trigger 42 . the free end 132 of the vertical wall 118 of the trigger engaging member 114 abuts against the trigger catch 128 , thereby holding the strike member 44 in its set position , with the tunnel element 60 extending from the trap interior 40 as shown in fig2 . in the set position , the strike member 44 is held against the force of the spring 22 which is urging the strike member towards its retracted configuration . as best shown in fig4 , the trigger engaging member 114 is principally connected to the tunnel element 60 side wall 58 by the horizontal wall 116 . an upper slot 134 and a lower slot 136 defined between the barrier wall 120 and the tunnel side wall 58 provide clearance for the upper barrier wall 78 and the lower barrier wall 50 as the strike member moves along the guide tracks 54 . the lower clearance wall 96 of the trigger is recessed back from the trigger upper wall 100 to provide clearance for the trigger engaging member 114 as the strike member moves from its set configuration to a striking engagement with a captured rodent . the strike member 44 has a vertical wall which acts as a strike plate 138 which extends in the direction of the strike member motion towards the rear of base 28 . the strike plate 138 extends the full height of the barrier wall 120 . as shown in fig3 , the strike plate 138 extends parallel to the rear barrier wall 48 but offset towards the trigger a small amount , for example about ⅛ inch . the strike plate 138 is an off - axis wall which extends towards the interior , and which is configured to strike portions of the rodent outside the tunnel element 60 when the trap 20 is triggered . the operation of the trap 20 is illustrated in fig1 and 2 . the user removes the bait cup 126 from the base 28 by rotating it to disengage the bait cup projecting flanges 140 from their engagement with the base floor 52 surrounding a bait cup opening 142 located within the trigger compartment 82 . the user then places rodent bait 124 , for example peanut butter , in the bait cup 126 , and returns it to its position within the base 28 . because the bait cup 126 is removed and introduced through the underside of the base 28 , the user need not remove the lid 36 from the trap . to set the trap , the user grips and pulls on the sidewardly projecting flanges 144 of the tunnel element 60 of the strike member 44 which are accessible exterior to the base 28 . the tunnel element 60 is thus extended to reveal the two entryways 66 and the trigger engaging member 114 is brought forward until the integral spring 108 urges the trigger 42 to engage with the trigger engaging member , and thereby hold the strike member 44 in the set position as shown in fig2 . one of the sidewardly projecting flanges 144 may have a protruding pointer 145 , as shown in fig1 , which is always positioned outside the base interior and which extends over indicia 152 placed on the platform 26 of the base alongside one of the guide tracks 54 . the indicia 152 may be molded into the base , or may be applied such as on an adhesive - backed label . the indicia include a region indicating that the trap is “ set ” as shown in fig2 , and another region , closer to the side wall 30 indicating that the trap has been activated and that a rodent has been “ caught ” as shown in fig3 . the words “ set ” and “ caught ” are spaced from each other in the axial direction of travel of the tunnel element 60 , so that when the trap is in a position with the tunnel element extracted , the pointer 145 is near the indicium “ set ”, and when the tunnel element is retracted substantially within the interior , the pointer is near the indicium “ caught ”. in the set position , the only access to the bait for a mouse 146 is through the entryways 66 and thence through a passageway 148 defined by the tunnel element 60 , the lower barrier wall 50 , the upper barrier wall 78 , the lid 36 and the interior wall 46 on the entrance compartment 80 side of the base 28 . when the mouse 146 enters the passageway 148 , it must progress through the tunnel and then make a turn into the trigger compartment 82 . as shown in fig4 , when the mouse looks into the trigger compartment the bait 124 is directly ahead , but shielded by the wall 118 of the trigger engaging member . the gap 122 presents a route to the bait 124 . as the mouse moves towards the gap 122 , it will engage against and displace sidewardly the upper wall 100 of the trigger 42 , thereby causing the trigger to pivot about the pin 86 and releasing the trigger catch 128 from the free end of the 132 of the trigger engaging member 114 of the strike member 44 . once released from the trigger , the spring 22 accelerates the strike member along the axial path defined by the guide tracks 54 towards the rear of the base 28 . as shown in fig3 , this rapid retraction of the strike member brings the vertical wall 118 and the strike plate 138 into contact with the mouse 146 and forcibly displaces it towards the rear of the base . because the mouse &# 39 ; s head was within the trigger compartment when the trigger was engaged , it is likely that the strike plate 138 will crush the torso of the mouse 146 between the strike plate 138 and the wall 48 at the rear of the base , usually causing death . the tunnel element 60 may be a little more than 3 inches long . because the mouse is partially within the trigger compartment when struck , there is adequate space within the trap to entirely contain the rodent &# 39 ; s remains so that none will project beyond the trap interior . the retracted tunnel element 60 gives an easily perceived signal to the user that a mouse has been caught . the trap 20 and the mouse therein may then be disposed of by the user without the need to ever come directly in contact with the mouse remains . it is understood that the invention is not limited to the particular construction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described , but embraces all such modified forms thereof as come within the scope of the following claims .
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fig1 is a flow diagram 100 showing interactions between a device 110 , a content source 112 , a speech recognition data source 114 , and a speech recognition data store 116 . when content is provided to the device 110 corresponding speech recognition data for the content is also provided , which alleviates a need for device 100 to internally generate the speech recognition data . in one embodiment , the speech recognition data associated with the content can be automatically provided without an explicit user selection . in another embodiment , an entire recognition grammar used by the device 110 , which includes the speech recognition grammar , can be generated / acquired by the content source 112 and conveyed to the speech enabled device 110 . providing a complete recognition grammar can offload a task of grammar compilation , which can be resource intensive , to the content source 112 . compiling a recognition grammar can require a list of items for the grammar be maintained by the content source 112 and / or be conveyed to the content source 112 from the device 110 . it should be appreciated that many speech enabled devices 110 can be resource limited devices , such as mobile phones and mp3 players , ill suited for a burden of generating speech recognition data and / or of compiling a recognition grammar . as shown by diagram 100 , the device 110 can convey a content request 120 to content source 112 . an optional set of speech recognition preferences 122 can also be conveyed . the content source 112 can then locate the requested content 124 . if the content is not located , an error message can be conveyed to the device 110 and the process can terminate . additionally , although not shown in diagram 100 , device 110 may have to provide authentication information before receiving content from source 112 . for example , source 112 can be a source for music downloads , where device 110 must either include a payment artifact for the requested music downloads or show proof that the requested music was previously purchased through the content source 112 . once the content source 112 locates a set of items that satisfy the request 120 , identifiers for the content item ( s ) can be conveyed 126 to a speech recognition data source 114 . each item can include multiple identifiers in one embodiment , each representing a means for identifying that content item via speech input . for example , if an item is a song , identifiers can be conveyed for the song title , for the artist name , and / or for the album name associated with the item . the speech recognition data source 114 can determine if speech recognition data for the requested content item ( s ) already exists in a speech recognition data store 116 . this determination can be made by first querying 132 the data store , which results in a query response 134 . when a pre - existing entry for an item exists , a request for the associated speech recognition data 136 can be conveyed to the data store 116 , which provides the data 138 in response . when no pre - existing speech recognition data exists for a content item , the speech recognition data source 114 can create speech recognition data 140 . created speech recognition data 140 can be conveyed 142 to data store 116 where it can be used to satisfy similar future requests thereby saving source 114 a need to create the speech recognition data each time requests are received . separate queries and process can be made for each content item , as shown by branching decision block 144 . once speech recognition data has been generated for each content item , this data can be conveyed 146 to the content source 112 . the content source 112 can then convey the content item ( s ) and the speech recognition data for the item ( s ) 148 to the device 110 . upon receipt , the device 110 can add 150 the content items to a list of available items . for example , a new music item can be added to a music player &# 39 ; s content list or the added item can simply be added to a local memory space of the device 110 . after adding the content item ( s ), the device 110 can add speech recognition data to an internal speech recognition grammar 152 and associated those grammar items with a suitable context for the content items . for instance , the device 110 can include multiple context sensitive grammars , and the speech recognition data can be added to appropriate ones of the grammars . after the speech recognition grammar has been updated , the device 110 can speech recognize input associated with the newly added content items and can perform appropriate programmatic actions upon recognizing the speech input . fig2 is a system 200 diagram showing a speech enabled device 210 able to acquire content along with speech recognition data in accordance with an embodiment of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein . specific components 110 - 116 shown in diagram 100 can be implemented in accordance with specifics detailed for corresponding components described in system 200 . for example , the device 110 can be an instance of speech enabled device 210 . in system 210 , a speech enabled device 210 can request 260 content from a content source 240 . the request 260 may or may not explicitly specify that speech recognition data is to be provided to the speech enabled device 210 depending upon implementation specifics . the content source 240 can convey identifiers 264 for the requested content to a speech recognition data source 250 . the speech recognition data source 250 can either generate speech recognition data 266 for the identifier or retrieve the data 266 from a data store 252 . the content source 240 can receive the speech recognition data 266 , which it can convey along with requested content from data store 242 to device 210 within response 262 . the device 210 can add the received content as a new content item 232 of a content data store 230 . the speech recognition data can be added to a suitable recognition grammar 228 of a grammar data store 226 . in one implementation , the response 262 can include an entire compiled speech recognition grammar 228 to be placed in the data store 226 , which includes entries for the newly acquired content as well as pre - existing entries . this alleviates a need for the device 210 to compile the recognition grammar 228 , which can be a resource intensive operation . in one configuration , the content source 240 can maintain a list in data store 242 of items to be included in the compiled recognition grammar 228 . in another configuration , a list of content items can be conveyed within the request 260 to the content source 240 . in another implementation , data store 252 can represent a data store for aggregating speech recognition data from one or more speech recognition data sources 250 able to generate this data 266 from identifiers 264 . in this way data store 252 can represent a continuously updated database of speech recognition data for identifiers 264 , which saves the contributing / accessing speech recognition data source ( s ) 250 from having to generate new speech recognition data 266 for each request 260 . in a music context , for example , the pronunciation database can quickly be populated with song title , album , artists , and genre pronunciations for popular songs . as shown in system 200 , the content source 202 can be any computing device or set of computing devices able to provide digital content to the device 210 upon request 260 . the content source 240 can , for example , be a network server . in one embodiment content source 240 can be a web server , which communicates with a browser of device 210 through standard web protocols ( e . g ., http messages ). in another embodiment , the content source 240 can be a desktop computer to which device 210 is linked , such as through a usb connection . the speech recognition data source 250 can be any computing device or set of computing devices able to provide speech recognition data 266 that is associated with a set of items 264 upon request . the speech recognition data source 250 can be implemented as a stand - alone server , as part of a cluster of servers , within a virtual computing space formed from a set of one or more physical devices , and the like . in one embodiment , functionality attributed to the speech recognition data source 250 and the content source 240 can be incorporated within a single machine . for example , an ability to generate speech recognition data 266 can be a software enhancement able to be added to a content source 240 . in another embodiment , the speech recognition data source 250 can deliver speech recognition data 266 as part of a web service . for example , the speech recognition data source 250 can be a turn - based speech recognition engine implemented as part of a middleware solution , such as websphere , which provides speech recognition data as a web service to a set of content providing web servers ( source 240 ). the speech recognition data 266 can include phonetic representations of content items , which can be added to a speech recognition grammar 228 of device 210 . the speech recognition data can conform to a variety of grammar specification standards , such as the speech recognition grammar specification ( srgs ), extensible multimodal annotation markup ( emma ), natural language semantics markup language ( nlsml ), semantic interpretation for speech recognition ( sisr ), the media resource control protocol version 2 ( mrcpv2 ), a nuance grammar specification language ( gsl ), a java speech grammar format ( jsgf ) compliant language , and the like . additionally , the speech recognition data can be in any format , such as an augmented backus - naur form ( bnf ) format , an extensible markup language ( xml ) format , and the like . different devices 210 can be designed to handle different formats of speech recognition data 266 , which can be specified in preferences conveyed within the request 260 . source 250 can tailor or customize a format of the speech recognition data 266 to interoperate with a format desired by / compatible with the request 260 issuing device 210 . additionally , the speech recognition data source 250 can optionally customize the speech recognition data 266 to speech characteristics ( e . g ., accent , dialect , gender , etc .) of a user of device 210 to improve recognition accuracy of a speech recognition engine 220 used by device 210 . user specific characteristics upon which a user specific customization is based can be conveyed within request 260 or can be maintained within a data store 242 of a content source 240 in a user specific record . the speech enabled device 210 can be any computing device able to accept speech input and to perform programmatic actions in response to the received speech input . the device 210 can , for example , include a speech enabled mobile phone , a personal data assistant , an electronic gaming device , an embedded consumer device , a navigation device , a kiosk , a personal computer , and the like . the speech enabled device 210 can include a network transceiver 212 , an audio transducer 214 , a content handler 216 , a user interface 218 , and a speech recognition engine 220 . the network transceiver 212 can be a transceiver able to convey digitally encoded content with remotely located computing devices . the transceiver 212 can be a wide area network ( wan ) transceiver or can be a personal area network ( pan ) transceiver , either of which can be configured to communicate over a line based or a wireless connection . for example , the network transceiver 212 can be a network card , which permits device 210 to connect to content source 240 over the internet . in another example , the network transceiver 212 can be a bluetooth , wireless usb , or other point - to - point transceiver , which permits device 210 to directly exchange content with a proximately located content source 240 having a compatible transceiving capability . the audio transducer 214 can include a microphone for receiving speech input as well as one or more speakers for producing speech output . the content handler 216 can include a set of hardware / software / firmware for performing actions involving content 232 stored in data store 230 . for example , in an implementation where the device 210 is an mp3 player , the content handler can include codecs for reading the mp3 format , audio playback engines , and the like . the user interface 218 can include a set of controls , i / o peripherals , and programmatic instructions , which enable a user to interact with device 210 . interface 218 can , for example , include a set of playback buttons for controlling music playback ( as well as a speech interface ) in a digital music playing embodiment of device 210 . in one embodiment , the interface 218 can be a multimodal interface permitting multiple different modalities for user interactions , which include a speech modality . the speech recognition engine 220 can include machine readable instructions for performing speech - to - text conversions . the speech recognition engine 220 can include an acoustic model processor 222 and / or a language model processor 2244 , both of which can vary in complexity from rudimentary to highly complex depending upon implementation specifics and device 210 capabilities . the speech recognition engine 220 can utilize a set of one or more grammars 228 . in one embodiment , the data store 226 can include a plurality of grammars 228 , which are selectively activated depending upon a device 210 state . accordingly , grammar 228 to which the speech recognition data 266 is added can be a context dependent grammar , a context independent grammar , a speaker dependent grammar , and a speaker independent grammar depending upon implementation specifics for system 200 . each of the data stores 226 , 230 , 242 , 252 can be physically implemented within any type of hardware including , but not limited to , a magnetic disk , an optical disk , a semiconductor memory , a digitally encoded plastic memory , a holographic memory , or any other recording medium . each data store 226 , 230 , 242 , 252 can be stand - alone storage units as well as a storage unit formed from a plurality of physical devices , which may be remotely located from one another . additionally , information can be stored within the data stores 226 , 230 , 242 , 252 in a variety of manners . for example , information can be stored within a database structure or can be stored within one or more files of a file storage system , where each file may or may not be indexed for information searching purposes . fig3 is a flow chart of a method 300 for acquiring content along with speech recognition data to a speech enabled device in accordance with an embodiment of the inventive arrangements disclosed herein . the method 300 can be performed in the context of a system 200 or similar speech recognition system . method 300 can begin in step 305 , where a speech enabled device can connect to a remotely located content source over a network . in step 310 at least one item to acquire from the content source to the speech enabled device can be selected , such as through a web browser . in step 315 , speech recognition preferences can be optionally conveyed form the device to the content source . speech recognition preferences are only needed when the speech recognition data ultimately provided to the speech enabled device is customized and / or formatted for a specific user or device . other embodiments exist , where the speech recognition data provided to the device is uniform across requesting devices , which makes caching speech recognition data more efficient . even when customized speech recognition data is required , this data need not be provided by the device in step 315 . in a different configuration , for instance , the content source or other network element can store user / device specific preferences that include speech recognition preferences . assuming a user logs into the content source or otherwise identifies themselves , it is a simplistic task to identity and match a user / device with stored preferences . in another implementation , speech preferences can be automatically extracted / determined from speech input provided by a user , which assumes that speech samples are either captured within the device and conveyed to the content source or that interactions with the content source are through a speech interface . once the content source determines an availability of the requested item ( s ), it can determine textual identifiers for the item ( s ). a textual identifier can be any identifier used to reference the content items , such as a name of the item . these identifiers can be conveyed along with any available speech recognition preferences to a speech recognition data creator , as shown by step 320 . in step 325 , a phonetic representation of the textual identifiers can be generated / received . in step 325 , the phonetic representation can be written to a speech recognition data file in a device compatible format . this data file can be conveyed to the content requesting device along with the content items in step 335 . in step 340 , the speech recognition data can be added to a recognition grammar of the speech enabled device and the content items can be added to a device memory . in step 345 a speech command for an operation involving one of the new content items can be received . in step 350 , this speech command can be speech recognized by a speech recognition engine of the device . a programmatic action can execute based upon the speech recognized command that involves the content item . the present invention may be realized in hardware , software or a combination of hardware and software . the present invention may be realized in a centralized fashion in one computer system or in a distributed fashion where different elements are spread across several interconnected computer systems . any kind of computer system or other apparatus adapted for a carrying out methods described herein is suited . a typical combination of hardware and software may be a general purpose computer system with a computer program that , when being loaded and executed , controls the computer system such that it carries out the methods described herein . the present invention also may be embedded in a computer program product , which comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods described herein , and which when loaded in a computer system is able to carry out these methods . computer program in the present context means any expression , in any language , code or notation , of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following : a ) conversion to another language , code or notation ; b ) reproduction in a different material form .
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the present invention is a multilevel data encoding and modulation technique for the transmission of digital data either over a transmission line or by wireless transmission . fig1 a shows an exemplary baseband signal 12 a encoded according to the technique of the present invention . as used herein , the term baseband signal refers to a signal of single frequency in the range from zero hertz upward , which has not been modulated onto a carrier . fig1 a shows a sample bit stream , or data stream , in this case the binary stream 1100101001 , encoded according to the technique of the present invention . fig1 b – 1d show the same binary stream encoded according to three multilevel encoding schemes known in the art for comparison purposes , resulting in the corresponding encoded signals 12 b , 12 c , and 12 d , respectively . the multilevel encoding technique of the present invention utilizes two pairs of complementary line or logic levels . in the most basic implementation , each pair of complementary line levels consists of a binary set of logic levels , having a first logic level corresponding to a mark , or binary 1 , and a second logic level corresponding to a space , or binary 0 , for a total of four distinct logic levels . as shown more clearly in fig2 , the logic level spectrum has a median level 14 ( labeled “ skew - level ” in fig2 for a purpose described below ). in a recommended implementation of the technique of the present invention , the space in the first pair 16 of complementary logic levels is offset from the median in a positive direction by a slight magnitude , while the mark is offset from the median by a more strongly positive magnitude . preferably the mark is offset from the median by twice the magnitude of the offset of the space , or other integral proportional ratio , although this is not required . by contrast , the space in the second pair 18 of complementary logic levels is offset from the median in a negative direction by a slight magnitude , while the mark is offset from the median by a more strongly negative magnitude . the logic levels will usually be the amplitude or voltage of the signal , although conceptually the logic levels may refer to variations of frequency about a median frequency . the present invention may be implemented using bipolar devices wherein the median logic level 14 would be equivalent to a ground potential . the present invention may also be implemented using monopolar device such as fiber optic and other transmission media incapable of reversing the polarity of the signal 12 a about ground by applying a bias potential thereby raising the negative range to or just above the zero level . in the encoding technique of the present invention , the bits in the input bit stream are divided into odd - numbered bits and even - numbered bits , so that the first bit in the stream is an odd bit , the second bit is an even bit , the third bit is an odd bit , etc . it is a rule of the encoding technique of the present invention that the odd - numbered bits is associated with one pair of complementary logic levels , while the even - numbered bits are associated with the other pair of complementary logic levels . in the drawings , the odd - numbered bits are associated with the first , or positive , pair 16 of mark and space levels , while the even - numbered bits are associated with the second , or negative , pair 18 of mark and space levels , although the reverse convention is equivalent and within the scope of the present invention . thus , in fig2 a negative mark or space never appears above an odd - numbered bit ( symbolized by the letter o between the scale ticks on the time axis ), and a positive mark or space never appears above an even - numbered bit ( symbolized by the letter e between the scale ticks on the time axis ). referring back to fig1 a , it will be seen that since the first bit in the binary stream 1100101001 is a binary 1 , the signal 12 a is encoded with a positive mark . the second bit is also a 1 , and since the bit is even numbered , the signal 12 a is encoded with a negative mark . the third bit is a 0 , and since the bit is odd - numbered , the signal 12 a is encoded with a positive space , etc . each bit has alternating polarity so that the frequency of the signal 12 a is constant , although the amplitude of the bits varies . by contrast , fig1 b shows the same bit stream encoded with a conventional quaternary technique in which the period of each bit is the same as in signal 12 a , but each bit encodes two bits of data instead of one , so that the resulting signal 12 b has the same symbol rate as signal 12 a , but transmits information at twice the rate as signal 12 a . thus the first two digits of the input data stream , 11 , are encoded by the uppermost logic level , the next two bits , 00 , are encoded by the lowest logic level , the third pair of bits , 10 , are encoded by the upper one of the two intermediate levels , etc . the plateau in signal 12 b opposite logic level “ 10 ” should be compared to the same bits as they are encoded in signal 12 a . the flat plateau in signal 12 b at logic level “ 10 ” encodes the sequence 1010 . this plateau , in essence , doubles the period of the mark , and means that signal 12 b encompasses a range of frequencies , thereby increasing the bandwidth of frequencies transmitted compared to signal 12 a . if enough binary “ 10 ” pairs appear in succession , the receiver may interpret the plateau as a d . c . voltage level , thereby resulting in a bit error . alternatively , if a binary “ 10 ” in the input stream is either immediately preceded by or followed by a binary “ 11 ”, the transition between symbol logic levels is low compared to signal 12 a , leading to poorer discrimination in logic levels . fig1 c illustrates another quaternary level encoding technique of the prior art in which the same input bit stream is encoded at the same information rate as signal 12 a . it will be apparent by inspection that the period of each logic level in signal 12 c is twice that of signal 12 b , so that the frequency , and hence the bandwidth , is half that of signal 12 b . the same observations with respect to the comparison of signal 12 b with 12 a apply here , i . e ., the signal 12 c encompasses a range of frequencies , the receiver may interpret a plateau in the signal 12 c as a d . c . voltage , and transitions between successive symbol states or logic levels may be so short that discrimination in the receiver is poor . fig1 d shows a ternary level signal according to an encoding technique conventionally known as alternate mark inversion . in this technique a space is always at the median level 14 and alternating marks have their polarity inverted . while this technique exhibits a sharp transition between mark and space , and between consecutive marks , consecutive spaces are at the same logic level with resulting plateaus . consequently this technique also suffers from a range of frequencies in the encoded baseband signal 12 d , as well as poor discrimination from d . c . caused by extended plateaus in the signal 12 d . the alternating polarity of the signal 12 a encoded according to the present invention ensures that the encoded baseband signal 12 a is constant in frequency . since the frequency is constant , it is unnecessary to transmit a range of frequencies , thereby conserving bandwidth . the theoretical bandwidth of a signal encoded according to the multilevel data encoding and modulation technique of the present invention is thereby minimized to a single frequency which is half that of the frequency of the encoded data . as a practical matter , the bandwidth will be limited by the quality of the transmission medium and filtering devices . this efficiency of bandwidth utilization permits multiple signals to be transmitted in the bandwidth which would otherwise be occupied using conventional encoding techniques . for example , a 500 bps ( bits per second ) signal could be transmitted at 250 hz , while simultaneously a 498 bps signal is transmitted at 249 hz , a 496 bps signal is transmitted at 248 hz , etc . the encoding technique of the present invention may be further combined with other developing techniques , such as dense wave divided multiplexing ( dwdm ), to achieve increases in throughput which are three to six orders of magnitude higher than existing technologies . fig3 illustrates a five level encoding technique , which i refer to as quinque - synch modulation ( qsm ) ( qsm is used loosely to refer to either a four level or five level signal encoded according to the present invention , although quinque is derived from the latin word for “ five ”). the fifth logic level in qsm is at the median logic level 14 , and is referred to as the skew - level . according to the technique of the present invention , the skew - level is used to slightly shift the frequency of the output bit stream by stuffing bits into the bit stream at predetermined intervals . as shown in fig3 , the preferred method requires two skew bits 20 separated by one or more 22 mark logic levels . by being able to skew the frequency of the output bit stream , multiple bit streams may be added to a single transmission medium , each bit stream having its own monofrequency timing ( mft ). in addition , by virtue of the fact that mark bits represent the maximum voltage excursion in either the positive or negative direction , skew - level implementation provides means to implement automatic gain control ( agc ) on the receive side to ensure consistent level discrimination . fig4 shows a block diagram of a data transmission system for carrying out the multilevel data encoding and modulation technique of the present invention . a conventional data terminal equipment device ( dte not shown ), e . g ., a computer , supplies one or more bit streams 24 as input to the system . if frequency division multiplexing ( fdm ) or time division multiplexing ( tdm ) is used with the data encoding technique of the present invention , a plurality of input bit streams 24 will be supplied to an asynchronous framing module ( afm ) 26 to frame the bit streams using conventional multiplexing techniques . the amplitude modulator and polarity inverter 28 , receiving input from either the afm 26 or directly from an input bit stream 24 , splits the incoming bit stream into even - numbered and odd - numbered bits . the voltage level of each output bit is offset according to its logic level and the even - numbered bits are inverted into the opposite polarity from the odd - numbered bits . the levels may be a mark and space in a simple binary encoding scheme , or may be multiple levels in a tokenized encoding scheme where two or more bits are encoded in a single timing interval . frequency skewing the signal for fdm implementation may be performed on the bit stream prior to the amplitude modulator and polarity inverter 28 or as part of this step as described in the discussion above relative to qsm and fig3 . the two opposing polarity bit streams are then recombined to form a single encoded bipolar baseband signal 12 a , which is fed into a narrow band filter 30 which removes all odd harmonics from the square wave signal to form a sinusoidal waveform of fundamental frequency . the sinusoidal waveform is transmitted through the transmission media 31 , which may be fiber optic cable , microwave radio , copper wire , or other data transmission media as known in the communications art . when the remote receiver receives the signal from the transmission media , the signal is processed by a narrow band filter 32 to remove noise and to ensure that only the frequency of interest is demodulated and decoded . if the baseband data had been multiplexed using fdm , the filter 32 provides frequency isolation from the fdm aggregate . fig5 a shows a representative waveform 36 after processing the bit stream 12 a shown in fig1 a by the filter 32 . the filtered signal 36 shown in fig5 a is then processed by a bit recovery module 34 to recreate the original signal by correlating a preceding decoded bit value with the absolute value of the voltage gain 38 between adjacent half - cycle peaks according to table 1 . table 1 is straightforward and may be easily interpreted by one skilled in the art . for example , referring to the first row , if the previous bit had a value of binary 1 ( a mark ), and the magnitude of the voltage change from the previous half - cycle peak to the current half - cycle peak ( of the opposite polarity ) 38 is two times the absolute value of the voltage offset 40 of a binary 1 measured from the median 14 , then the current bit has a value of binary 1 ( a mark ). the remaining rows are interpreted in similar fashion . table 1 may be easily extrapolated to include multilevel encoding schemes such as the signal 12 b shown in fig1 b . it will be noted that the absolute gain always has a magnitude greater than the offset of a space from the median 14 and that the polarity of the received signal always alternates with successive bits . the combination of these two factors combine to provide improved discrimination of mark and space , thereby improving noise and interference immunity . if multiplexing is utilized , the output of the bit recovery module 34 is processed by an afm 44 which removes skew bits if introduced by the afm 26 and demultiplexes the signal to fan out a plurality of output signals 46 identical to the input signals 24 ; otherwise the bit recovery module 34 outputs a single signal identical to the input signal . the filtered signal 42 shown in fig5 b represents the waveform generated as a result of the bit stream with skew bits implemented as shown in fig3 . for wireless transmission , the system may use conventional techniques for modulating the output of the narrow band filter 30 onto a carrier frequency by amplitude modulation , frequency modulation , phase modulation , and other conventional modulation techniques . it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiments described above , but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims .
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neural interfaces are implanted within the nervous systems of animals and humans to record , stimulate , and treat neural tissue activity . typically , this occurs within animal research of a variety of fields ( e . g . neurological disorders and basic nervous system function ) as well as clinical diagnosis and therapy ( e . g ., epilepsy ). neural interfaces are implanted through a variety of methods , and are held during insertion by a variety of means including vacuum , mechanical lock , adhesive , dissolvable adhesive , and momentary impulse contact . the most pervasive form of holding microscale devices for insertion is a stiff engagement of some kind with a separate device such as a micro - positioner . it can be advantageous as it keeps delicate microscale devices stiff during insertion into dynamic tissue and allows a range of insertion speeds . impulse insertion is also popular for microscale devices with large number of shanks . impulse inserters are most commonly formed from metal and polymer components and powered using pneumatics . the procedure of impulse insertion positions a cabled microscale device over targeted tissue . the impulse inserter is then placed over the microscale device . the impulse inserter then receives a pneumatic pulse that actuates the insertion mechanism , striking the microscale device at a high rate of speed and sending it into the neural tissue . unfortunately , the impulse process requires a high degree of skill to position the microscale device and impulse inserter as well as actuate the inserter at the appropriate time . the average researcher is incapable of using the technique without significant training and often relies on an outsider with special expertise in impulse insertion . mechanically locked insertion is a poor solution for implanting microscale devices for chronic experiments or periods . microscale devices meant for chronic implantation often have cables to implanted structures . these cables are both delicate and resilient ; they are easy to plastically deform to the point of damage , and if deflected too far during insertion can apply a residual force on the implanted microscale device , resulting in damage to tissue over time . basic assembly to microscale devices with cables is also challenging during surgeries as the cables leading out of microscale devices terminate in large connectors which are affixed to tissue ; the microscale devices are then adjusted with small deflections of the cable until positioned over the target tissue . this process leaves little room for additional deflection of the cable , increasing the requirement for flexibility of the insertion device or insertion technique . these limitations prevent the implantation of chronic neural interfaces in a wide variety of situations . this reduces the amount of data acquired as well as limiting current and future therapies . current insertion techniques also limit the visibility of the electrode for the researcher . accordingly , in some embodiments , disclosed herein is an insertion and extraction device that manipulates micro - scale devices , and provides unlimited degrees of freedom for placing and removing micro - scale devices . in some embodiments , the insertion and extraction device may have a tensional hook for engaging with micro - scale devices . it can also be advantageous to have a tensional loop . by using a loop , the corresponding hook on an implanted micro - scale device might be easier to extract after a lengthy implantation that encapsulated the device in tissue . in some embodiments , the insertion and / or retraction device may have a spring and dampening system to compensate for deflection of tissue during respiration . in other embodiments , the insertion and / or retraction device is actively positioned to follow the motion of tissue . in some embodiments , the insertion and / or retraction device uses a computer to monitor the motion of the tissue and adjusts the speed and deflection of the mechanical device accordingly within a closed loop feedback system . an insertion and / or retraction device capable of interfacing with a flexible baseplate ( e . g ., joining body ) can also be advantageous in some embodiments as it allows customization of placement within the nervous system and increased conformity to anatomical variations for research and clinical applications . in some embodiments , the joining body is configured to be flexible enough to bend around the outer curvature of neural tissue ( e . g ., sulcus surface of cortex , circumference of a nerve , or surface of a plexus ). in some embodiments the joining body is configured to be flexible enough to bend with the motion of neural tissue due to respiration or containing body acceleration and deceleration . in some embodiments , disclosed herein is an insertion and / or retraction device to manipulate various devices , including but not limited to implantable medical devices . the device to be inserted and / or removed can be a micro - scale device in some embodiments , but is not necessarily limited to devices to be inserted and / or retracted of a particular size . in some embodiments , the devices to be inserted and / or removed with systems and methods as disclosed herein can have a device total volume of about or less than about , for example , 100 mm 3 , 50 mm 3 , 25 mm 3 , 10 mm 3 , 5 mm 3 , 2 mm 3 , 1 mm 3 , 0 . 5 mm 3 , 0 . 25 mm 3 , 0 . 1 mm 3 , 0 . 05 mm 3 , or less . in some embodiments . the device to be inserted and / or removed could be , for example , an implantable neural interface device . in some embodiments , the device to be inserted has dimensions of about 1 mm × 1 mm × 1 mm or smaller . neural interface devices as referred to herein could involve brain or spinal cord devices , but also peripheral nerve devices including sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves , as well as devices that monitor and / or treat cardiac and other tissues . the insertion and / or retraction device can interface with various types of micro - scale devices , including but not limited to neural interfaces that act as recording or stimulation electrodes , optical fibers , or as hollow tubes for media , e . g ., fluid delivery . in other embodiments , the insertion and / or retraction device can interface with biological sensors or stimulators for placement within organisms . in still other embodiments , the insertion and / or retraction device can interface with sensors or stimulators for placement within organisms . in some embodiments , the insertion and / or retraction device can interface with micro - scale devices for placement within movably positioned sheets , gels , foams , liquids , soil , artificial organisms , organic material , composites , mixtures , and other shapes of substrate . in other embodiments , the body of the insertion and / or retraction device can be shaped into advantageous configurations for manipulation and various treatment modalities including recording , stimulating , magnetic stimulation , magnetic monitoring , fluid delivery , temperature control , optical stimulation , optical monitoring , video monitoring , and chemical irrigation of neural tissue . in some embodiments , the body that includes the tether could also serve as a delivery device for a drug , such as an antithrombotic agent , an antibiotic , an anti - inflammatory , an anti - epileptic , viral vectors , or a chemotherapeutic agent , for example . in some embodiments , the insertion and / or retraction device can place an implantable neural or non - neural interface device within any tissue within the body dependent upon the desired research or clinical result ; including nervous , muscle , connective , epithelial , cardiac , lung , renal , gastrointestinal , and bone tissues . in some embodiments , the tissue is a body lumen , such as within a lumen or luminal wall of an artery or vein for example . in some embodiments , the tissue is not within a lumen and / or luminal wall . in some embodiments , an insertion device can also be used as a retraction device , and a retraction device can also be used as an insertion device . however , in some embodiments , a first device can be used for insertion , and a second device can be used for retraction . the first device and the second device can be the same or substantially the same size , shape , etc . as each other , or be different in other embodiments . in some embodiments , the device to be inserted or retracted have a compressed or low - crossing profile configuration for delivery and removal and an expanded configuration when implanted in the body . in some embodiments , the device to be inserted or retracted has the same configuration for both delivery , removal , and when implanted in the body . in some embodiments , the insertion and / or retraction device can be interfaced with the implantable neural interface device to diagnosis and / or treat epilepsy , a movement disorder ( e . g ., parkinson &# 39 ; s disease ), a psychiatric disorder ( e . g ., clinical depression ), the result of a stroke , alzheimer &# 39 ; s disease , a cognitive disorder , an anxiety disorder , an eating disorder , an addition or craving , restless leg syndrome , a sleep disorder , tourette &# 39 ; s syndrome , a stress disorder , coma , autism , a hearing disorder , a vision disorder , blindness , retinal degeneration , age related macular degeneration , cortical injury , optic nerve injury , dry eye syndrome , a speech disorder , amblyopia , headaches , temporomandibular joint disorder , pain ( e . g ., phantom limb pain and chronic pain ), urinary incontinence , erectile dysfunction , bone disease , arthritis , tendonitis , the result of ligament or tendon damage , and paralysis ( e . g ., facial nerve paralysis and spinal paralysis ). in some embodiments , the device system can be used to provide control of a prosthetic such as a limb or an external computer . in some embodiments , the device system may wirelessly communicate with a system that is connected to a network or cloud of data . in other embodiments , the device system is connected to a biological interface to monitor tissue . in some other embodiments , the device system is connected to a biological interface to modulate tissue . in still other embodiments , the device system is connected to a biological interface to monitor and modulate tissue . in other embodiments , the biological interface can include an implantable camera . in other embodiments , the device system can insert and / or retract a biological interface to study , diagnose , and / or treat cardiovascular conditions such as heart failure , rheumatic heart disease , hypertensive heart disease , ischemic heart disease , angina , coronary artery disease , cerebral vascular disease , stroke , atherosclerosis , cerebrovascular disease , cardiomyopathy , pericardial disease , valvular heart disease , inflammatory heart disease , congenital heart disease , and peripheral arterial disease . in still other embodiments , the device system can insert and / or retract a biological interface to study , diagnose , and / or treat cancers , including leukemia , lymphoma , myeloma , bladder cancer , lung cancer , brain cancer , melanoma , breast cancer , non - hodgkin lymphoma , cervical cancer , and ovarian cancer . in other embodiments , the device system can insert and / or retract a biological interface to study , diagnose , and / or treat type 1 and type 2 diabetes . in some embodiments , the device system can include a biological interface to study , diagnose , and / or treat orthopedic conditions , including osteoarthritis , rheumatoid arthritis , bone fractures , lower back pain , neck pain , and a herniated disk . in other embodiments , the device system can insert and / or retract a biological interface to study , diagnose , and / or treat eye conditions , including glaucoma , cataracts , age - related macular degeneration , amblyopia , diabetic retinopathy , retinal detachment , retinal tearing , and dry eye syndrome . in still other embodiments , the device system can insert and / or retract a biological interface to study , diagnose , and / or treat hearing conditions , including hearing loss , meniere &# 39 ; s disease , malformation of the inner ear , autoimmune inner ear disease , tinnitus , and vertigo . in other embodiments , the device system can insert and / or retract a biological interface to study , diagnose , and / or treat tactile disorders , including impaired sensitivity to pressure applied to the skin , elevated two - point discrimination thresholds ( i . e . impaired spatial acuity ), loss of vibratory sense , and deficits in proprioception . in other embodiments , the device system can insert and / or retract biological interface to study , diagnose , and / or treat taste , taste impairing conditions , smell , and smell impairing conditions . in still other embodiments , the device system can be movably engaged within one , two , or more body tissues , regions , or organ systems including but not limited to the scalp , skin , muscle , bone , neural tissue , heart , lungs , trachea , bronchi , diaphragm , liver , pancreas , kidneys , bladder , urethra , spleen , esophagus , stomach , intestine , penis , testes , uterus , or ovary . in some embodiments , the insertion or removal tool need not necessarily be located within a body lumen , and can be used , for example , outside of a blood vessel such as an artery or the vein . in some embodiments , about or at least about 50 %, 60 %, 70 %, 80 %, 90 %, or more of a length of the insertion and / or removal tool is outside of the body or a body lumen such as a blood vessel during the insertion or removal process . in some embodiments , systems and methods as disclosed herein can modulate neural tissue , and have a stimulatory or inhibitory effect . neural tissue is specialized for the conduction of electrical impulses that convey information or instructions from one region of the body to another . about 98 % of neural tissue is concentrated in the brain and spinal cord , which are the control centers for the nervous system . neurons transmit signals as electrical charges which affect their cell membranes . a neuron has a cell body ( soma ) that contains a nucleus . the stimulus that results in the production of an electrical impulse usually affects the cell membrane of one of the dendrites , which then eventually travels along the length of an axon , which can be a meter long . axons are often called nerve fibers with each ending at a synaptic terminal . neuroglia are cells of the cns ( central nervous system ) and pns ( peripheral nervous system ) that support and protect the neurons . they provide the physical support for neural tissue by forming myelin sheaths , as well as maintaining the chemical composition of the tissue fluids and defending the tissue from infection . schwann cells are specialized pns cells that form myelin sheaths around neurons . neurons ( nerve cell ) include a cell body that contains the nucleus and regulates the functioning of the neuron . neurons also include axons that are cellular process ( extension ) that carry impulses away from the cell body . neurons also include dendrites that are cellular process ( extension ) that carry impulses toward the cell body . a synapse is a space between axon of one neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the next neuron — transmits impulses from one neuron to the others . neurotransmitters are chemicals released by axons and transmit impulses across synapses . in some embodiments , provided is a closed loop control system for stimulating and monitoring neural activity . to meet this objective , microfilaments are embedded in various body configurations with six degrees of freedom to provide many system options for interacting with neural tissue . as an example , this would enable the data collected from a first recording microfilament ( or external source ) to help guide the output of a second stimulating microfilament . the approximate diameter of circular microfilaments for conducting electrical current is between 1 μm and 250 μm , such as no more than about 25 μm , 50 μm , or 75 μm . for electrical stimulation , larger sites up to 50 μm would be advantageous to achieve surface areas that meet useful stimulation current requirements without a coating . the approximate diameter of circular microfilaments for conducting or monitoring light is between is 0 . 1 μm to 250 μm , such as no more than about 25 μm , 50 μm , or 75 μm . the approximate diameter of circular microfilament tubes for delivering or circulating gases , fluids , and mixtures in some embodiments is between 1 μm to 100 μm , or no more than about 50 μm , 75 μm , 100 μm , or 150 μm . microfilaments can also be placed within a packed geometry that allows for a tapering of the penetrating area cross sections to reduce the cross sectional area and thus long term adverse neural tissue response . in some embodiments , the microfilaments can extend outward from the body &# 39 ; s surface ; these sites can be formed ( e . g ., bent or flattened ) to provide desired functional characteristics . the array body can take multiple forms including penetrating structures with microfilament sites and joining sections to optimize placement within the nervous system . an approximate cross sectional area of a penetrating array body in some embodiments is 1 μm 2 to 0 . 2 mm 2 , preferably up to approximately 7850 μm 2 . for large area coverage as in electrocorticography , larger body areas up to approximately 100 cm 2 or more would be advantageous to collect more data from the outer surface of a neural tissue section . in some embodiments , insertion and / or retraction devices can be used to insert or remove neural interface devices such as those disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 9 , 095 , 267 to halpern et al ., which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety . the array body can also take on non - linear shapes , which allow novel insertion techniques into difficult areas to access within surgery . a curved shape can be rotated into position where a linear angle of attack is unavailable . the array body can also have a curve located at different positions ( e . g ., proximal , midportion , or distal ) to aid in anchoring to neural tissue or bone , while there may be a linear segment distal to , and / or proximal to the curved segment . one advantage of the insertion and / or retraction device in some embodiments is the wide range of materials and components available to improve insertion conditions and long term performance of a microscale device within a nervous system . the components of the device can be formed from , for example , one , two , or more of gold , platinum , platinum iridium , carbon , stainless steel , steel , titanium , niobium , aluminum , conductive polymers , polymers , ceramics , organic materials or any other material depending on the desired clinical result . a three - dimensional view of an example of an insertion and / or retraction device 50 is shown in fig1 . some embodiments of the device 50 can include , for example , a tether 120 , and a continuous body 105 surrounding all or a portion of the tether 120 . the continuous body can have a width of , for example , between about 5 μm and 100 μm , or no more than about 500 μm , 1000 μm , 1500 μm , 2000 μm , 2500 μm , 5000 μm , 7500 μm , or 10 , 000 μm . the continuous body can also have a length of between about 1 mm and 10 mm , or no more than about 25 mm , 50 mm , 75 mm , 100 mm , or 200 mm . in some embodiments , the tether 120 includes an engagement hook 130 at one end for engagement with microscale devices . in still other embodiments , an engagement loop could be positioned at one end , the tether can be integrally formed , or formed as part of a plurality of bodies joined together , so long as it is physically continuously connected together as a whole . in some embodiments , a device 50 could include an adjustable hook that can be movable to create different sized openings for engagement . in still other embodiments , the distal end of the device 50 can be shaped to provide stiffness to a flexible or hinged microscale device . in some embodiments , the continuous body 105 can be an elongate tubular member , and / or be assembled to a robotic manipulator that adjusts position based upon the movement of the targeted tissue . in still other embodiments , a control knob 180 with tracking pin feature 182 or other feature such as a wheel , lever , or the like can , for example , slide and rotate between the slot 184 communicating with or near the proximal end of the device and the tension stop 186 that relax and tension the tether 120 respectively . in some embodiments , the elasticity of the tether 120 allows for a degree of stretch sufficient for the user to pull the control knob 180 back against before rotating to a new position and allowing it to rest in a slot or track 184 . in some embodiments , the slot or track 110 and / or the slot or track 184 has an axial length that is between about 1 % and 50 %, such as between about 1 % and 20 %, or between about 1 % and 10 % of the axial length of the continuous body 105 , or in some embodiments about or less than about 50 %, 40 %, 30 %, 20 %, 10 %, 5 %, or less , or ranges encompassing any two of the foregoing percentages . in other embodiments , a flap 140 can have a shape that is easier to grab by tweezers or other implements . in some other embodiments , the end effector 130 can have an automated mechanism to grab a microscale device . in still other embodiments , near the distal end of the continuous body 105 can be shaped to engage with microscale devices of different shapes . in some other embodiments , the width of the end effector can be between about 1 μm and 50 μm , or no more than about 100 μm , 500 μm , 1000 μm , 1500 μm , 2000 μm , 2500 μm , 3000 μm , or 5000 μm . in still other embodiments , the width of the opening of the end effector can be between about 1 μm and 50 μm , or no more than about 100 μm , 500 μm , 1000 μm , 1500 μm , 2000 μm , 2500 μm , 3000 μm , or 5 , 000 μm . in other embodiments , the width of an automated end effector can be between about 1 μm and 50 μm , or no more than about 100 μm , 500 μm , 1000 μm , 1500 μm , 2000 μm , 2500 μm , 3000 μm , or 5000 μm . in still other embodiments , the continuous body can be shaped to encourage the sliding of the tether 120 when it is movably displaced . in some other embodiments , the cross - section of tether 120 can have a shape that prevents some rotations within the continuous body 105 . in other embodiments , the end effector can be any desired shape , including a shape that is threaded through an aperture on a micro - scale device . in still other embodiments , the tether can be elastic or inelastic . in some other embodiments , the aperture of the microscale device can be elastic or inelastic . in some embodiments , the tether has sufficient column strength to push the device to be inserted or removed distally . in other embodiments , an automated or non - automated end effector can operably engage and disengage with movable jaws , a movable clamp , a movable multi - headed hook , a movable anchor , a vacuum , a movable air nozzle , a movable cable , a movable loop , a movable net , a movable cup , a movable collet , a movable snake ( e . g ., an articulating flexible member , akin to a flexible endoscope or device used to unclog pipes ), a movable coil , a movable barb , a movable snap - fit arm , a movable prong , a movable sheet , a movable strap , a movable threaded rod , a movable threaded hole , a movable anchor , a movable rod , a movable magnet , and a movable nozzle that dispenses dissolvable material . fig1 shows an isometric view of an insertion device 50 with a tether 120 housed within , and completely or partially encircled by the continuous body 105 , which can be a tubular member within a central lumen configured to house the tether 120 as shown . the distal end of the tether 120 can be looped around / tied to an aperture near the proximal end of the end effector 130 as shown . the flap 140 can extend radially outwardly of a slot 110 extending proximally a distance from the distal end of the sidewall of the continuous tubular body 105 . the proximal end of the tether 120 joined by a mechanical lock 122 to the control knob 180 partially housed by the continuous body 105 . the control knob 180 has a tracking pin 182 that slides within track 184 extending distally a distance from the proximal end of the sidewall of the continuous tubular body 105 . the slot 110 can be circumferentially in line with , or circumferentially offset from the slot or track 184 in some embodiments . the tracking pin 182 can be movably positioned to rest in tension stop 186 to apply tension to tether 120 . fig1 a illustrates an isometric view of an insertion device 50 with a tether 120 housed within , and encircled by the continuous body 105 , which can be a tubular member within a central lumen configured to house the tether 120 as shown . the distal end of the tether 120 can be looped around / tied to an aperture near the proximal end of the end effector 130 as shown . the isometric view shows a tether 120 with wall thicknesses between about 1 μm and 25 μm , or no more than about 50 μm , 75 μm , 100 μm , 150 μm , 250 μm , 500 μm , 1000 μm , or 2000 μm in some embodiments . a pair of tweezers 150 , jaws , or other tool are guiding an end effector , e . g ., engagement hook 130 by grasping a hook flap or tab 140 , which can extend laterally from the body of the engagement hook 130 as shown , or at other desired locations . the flap 140 can extend radially outwardly of a slot 110 extending proximally a distance from the distal end of the sidewall of the continuous tubular body 105 . beneath the insertion device distally is a microscale device 160 with shanks 164 extending substantially orthogonal to a baseplate 161 and suspended by its cable 162 above target tissue 170 . the baseplate 161 has a loop 165 that can be integral to the baseplate or joined to its surface . fig1 b illustrates an isometric view of an insertion device with the end effector , e . g ., engagement hook 130 engaged with a microscale device 160 and tensioned against the distal end of a continuous body 105 . the engagement hook flap 140 extends radially outwardly of slot 110 . in other embodiments the end effector could take the form of a multi - headed hook , a magnet , a vacuum nozzle , a bayonet lock mechanism , a snap fit mechanism , a press fit , and a shape for threading through an aperture on a micro - scale device for example . fig1 c illustrates an isometric view of the insertion device 50 of fig1 engaged with a microscale device 160 that has been inserted into tissue 170 . fig1 d illustrates an isometric view of the insertion device 50 of fig1 engaged with a microscale device 160 that has been inserted into tissue 170 . tweezers 150 grasping hook flap 140 are disengaging engagement hook 130 from a loop or other hook - engaging element on , e . g ., the proximal end of the microscale device 160 in preparation for removal of the insertion device 50 . fig1 e illustrates an isometric view of an insertion device 50 retracted from , and disassociated with a microscale device 160 inserted in tissue 170 . the steps illustrated in fig1 b - 1e could be performed in reverse order to retract a microscale device 160 previously inserted within tissue . fig2 illustrates a side view of the distal end of an insertion device 200 above a microscale device 250 with an engagement loop 252 configured to reversibly attach to an end effector of the insertion device . in some embodiments , the device 200 includes a pivotable engagement hook 230 and a guide rod 220 having a distal end connected to the pivotable engagement hook 230 . the engagement hook 230 has fixed jaws as shown , although movable jaws are possible in other embodiments . in other embodiments the engagement hook could take the form of , for example , a four bar linkage , a sliding component , grasping jaws , a multi - headed hook , a magnetic lock , a vacuum head , a bayonet lock mechanism , a snap fit mechanism , an actuated press fit , and an articulated snaking mechanism . fig2 a illustrates a side view of the insertion device 200 of fig2 with a pivotable engagement hook 230 engaged with an engagement loop 252 due to the displacement of guide rod 220 . fig2 b illustrates a side view of the insertion device 200 of fig2 with an engagement hook 230 on a pivot and engaged with an engagement loop 252 . in some embodiments , a guide rod 220 has retracted an inner housing 210 , such as an inner tubular member , to tension a microscale device 250 against the distal end of the insertion device 200 ( e . g ., the distal end of the continuous body outer housing ). in some embodiments , the microscale device 250 could be flexible . in still other embodiments , the microscale device could include a single shank . in other embodiments , the microscale device could be a device that emits energy , including light and / or magnetic fields . fig3 illustrates a side view of an insertion device 300 with a tether member 310 encircled within a lumen of the continuous body 305 . the side view shows tether 310 with thicknesses between about 1 μm and 25 μm , or no more than about 50 μm , 75 μm , 100 μm , 150 μm , 250 μm , 500 μm , 1000 μm , or 2000 μm in some embodiments . an end effector , e . g ., engagement hook 320 is connected near its proximal end via an aperture or other connection to the distal end of the tether 310 , such as via a loop in the tether . the insertion device 300 is shown extended above a microscale device 360 suspended by its cable 365 . in some embodiments , microscale device 360 can be without a cable 365 . fig3 a illustrates a side view of the insertion device 300 of fig3 with a tether 310 encircled by , and the distal end of the tether 310 is extending distally with respect to the continuous body 305 . the side view shows a pair of tweezers 350 , jaws , or other tool grasping a hook flap or tab 330 which can extend laterally from the body of the engagement hook 320 as shown , or at other desired locations and guide an engagement hook 320 . the tool 350 can actuate the tab 330 in a desired direction in order to move the engagement hook 320 in an appropriate direction . beneath the insertion device is a microscale device 360 suspended by or otherwise attached to its cable 365 . in some embodiments , the microscale device 360 has hinges 370 for flexibility . fig3 b illustrates a side view of the insertion device 300 of fig3 with a tether 310 encircled by a continuous body 305 . the side view shows an engagement hook 320 inserted within engagement loop 380 , aperture , or other complementary connector on the microscale device 360 , such as on a proximal baseplate of the microscale device 360 . a tether 310 can tension the microscale device 360 against the distal end of continuous body 305 . in some embodiments , the distal end of the continuous body 305 engages the hinges 370 of the microscale device , stiffening the microscale device 360 for insertion into tissue . in still other embodiments the distal end of the continuous body 305 has bosses that insert into holes in a flexible microscale device . in other embodiments , the insertion device mechanically stiffens the microscale device by engaging it from one or more sides . in still other embodiments the insertion device uses a vacuum or magnetic attraction to engage a microscale device . although certain embodiments of the disclosure have been described in detail , certain variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art , including embodiments that do not provide all the features and benefits described herein . it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative or additional embodiments and / or uses and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof . in addition , while a number of variations have been shown and described in varying detail , other modifications , which are within the scope of the present disclosure , will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure . it is also contemplated that various combinations or sub - combinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the present disclosure . accordingly , it should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the present disclosure . thus , it is intended that the scope of the present disclosure herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above . for all of the embodiments described above , the steps of any methods need not be performed sequentially . the ranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all overlap , sub - ranges , and combinations thereof . language such as “ up to ,” “ at least ,” “ greater than ,” “ less than ,” “ between ,” and the like includes the number recited . numbers preceded by a term such as “ approximately ”, “ about ”, and “ substantially ” as used herein include the recited numbers ( e . g ., about 10 %= 10 %), and also represent an amount close to the stated amount that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result . for example , the terms “ approximately ”, “ about ”, and “ substantially ” may refer to an amount that is within less than 10 % of , within less than 5 % of , within less than 1 % of , within less than 0 . 1 % of , and within less than 0 . 01 % of the stated amount .
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in the following discussion , numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . however , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention may be practiced without such specific details . in other instances , well - known elements have been illustrated in schematic or block diagram form in order not to obscure the present invention in unnecessary detail . additionally , for the most part , details concerning network communications , electromagnetic signaling techniques , and the like , have been omitted inasmuch as such details are not considered necessary to obtain a complete understanding of the present invention , and are considered to be within the understanding of persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art . it is further noted that , unless indicated otherwise , all functions described herein may be performed in either hardware or software , or some combination thereof . in a preferred embodiment , however , the functions are performed by a processor , such as a computer or an electronic data processor , in accordance with code , such as computer program code , software , and / or integrated circuits that are coded to perform such functions , unless indicated otherwise . turning to fig1 , disclosed is a prior art sram 100 having an sram cell 110 . the sram 100 does not have a continuous blc . the sram cell 100 has a true node 112 and a complementary node 114 coupled to a local true bitline ( lblt ) 106 and a local complementary bitline ( lblc ) 107 , respectively . the sram cell 110 is also coupled to a wordline 105 through the gate of a first and second transistor 111 , 113 . a precharge line 115 is coupled to a first precharge circuit 131 and a second precharge circuit 133 through their respective gates . in fig1 , the first and second precharge circuits 131 , 133 use positive field effect transistors ( pfets ). as is understood by those of skill in the art , a pfet functions as a short when a low value is applied to its gate , and an open when a high voltage is applied to its gate . the lblt 106 is coupled to an lblt node 118 , and the lblc 107 is coupled to a lblc node 119 . the lblt node 118 is coupled to the drain of the first precharge circuit 131 . the lblc node 119 is coupled to the drain of the second precharge circuit 133 . the source of the precharge circuits 131 , 133 are both coupled to a high voltage source 157 . the lblt node 118 is further coupled to a local evaluator 120 , which is coupled to a second stage evaluator 122 . coupled to the lblt and lblc nodes 118 , 119 are the drains for a first write circuit 136 and a second write circuit 138 , respectively . the sources of the write circuits 136 , 138 are coupled to ground . in fig1 , the first and second write circuits 136 , 138 have negative field effect transistors ( nfets ). as is understood by those of skill in the art , a nfet functions as an open when a low value is applied to its gate , and a short when a high voltage is applied to its gate . the gates of the write circuits 136 , 138 are coupled to a writet line 141 and a writec line 143 , respectively . the writet line 141 and writec line 143 are coupled to the respective outputs of a write predriver circuit 150 . the write predriver circuit 150 has a data in line 153 and a write enable line 156 . to either read from the sram cell 110 or write to the sram cell 110 , the wordline 105 is asserted from a default logical low state to a logical high state . furthermore , when reading from the true node 112 of the sram cell 110 at the coupled local evaluator 120 , the value on the writet and writec 141 , 143 lines are zero . because the write - lines 141 , 143 values are zero , the write circuit 136 , 138 are turned off during a read . therefore , there is an open circuit between the lbl nodes 118 , 119 and ground . furthermore , when reading from the lblt line 106 through the local evaluator 120 , the precharge line input 115 transitions from a zero to a one , which turns off the precharge circuit 131 , thereby opening the connection between the lblt node 118 and high voltage source ( vbb ) 157 . however , the write circuit 136 is still open , as writet 141 is inputting a zero value into the write circuit 136 nfet . therefore , the voltage on the lblt node 118 is floating . in floating , an entity , such as the lblt node 118 , is not being driven by an applied voltage . for example , when the writet line 141 is on , the lblt node 118 is driven to ground . however , if the lblt line 141 is off , the lblt node 118 is floating , if the precharge circuit 131 is also an open . in fig1 , whether the true node 112 is at ground or high is read by the local evaluator 120 . in fig1 , during a read , if the true node 112 of the sram cell 110 stored voltage value is zero , the floating voltage of the lblt node 118 discharges to ground into the sram cell 110 . the resulting ground lblt node 118 voltage is read by the local evaluator 120 . alternatively , if the true node 112 of the sram cell 110 stored voltage value is high , the lblt node voltage 118 value stays substantially the same as a high voltage . in any event , the lblt node 118 voltage value is proportional to the voltage of the t node 112 of the sram cell 110 . in fig1 , during a read , both the writet 141 and the writec 143 lines are zero , which means that the lblc node 119 voltage value is floating at the precharge value high voltage value . as complementary voltages are not being applied to both the of the t and c nodes 112 , 114 of the sram cell at the same time , the values stored in the sram cell 110 do not change as a function of being read . the value of writeenb on line 156 is a “ one ” if not writing to the sram cell 110 , and a value of a “ zero ” if a value is being written to the sram cell 110 . the value of datain on line 153 is a “ zero ” or a “ one ,” as appropriate . if writing , the writeenb 156 value is zero . if writing , the wordline 105 value and the precharge 115 value are also raised to a one . before being driven by the writet and writec values , a floating voltage is created at both the lblt 118 and the lblc 119 nodes . if writing , the writeenb 156 value is zero , which means that the writet 141 and the writec 143 values will complement one another . therefore , then the writec 143 and writet 141 values come to drive the voltages at the lblt 118 and the lblc 119 nodes . when either the writet 141 or writec 143 value is low , the corresponding nfet write circuit 133 , 138 stays open , and the corresponding lbl node 118 , 119 starts off as a floating high voltage . however , the high floating value of the lbl node voltage discharges to ground when the corresponding nfet write circuit turns on for the non - zero writet 141 or writec 143 values . this means that both the lblt node 118 and the lblc node 119 become driven complements of one another , and these complementary voltages are then stored in the t and c nodes 112 , 114 of the sram cell 110 , as one value is floating high , but the other one is driven to ground by either write circuit 133 , 138 being turned on ( that is , going to ground ). this means that the lblt 106 values and the lblc 106 values can be written to the sram cell 110 , as both the writet 141 and writec 143 lines are complementary , which means that either the write circuit 136 or the write circuit 138 drives the true node 112 or complement node 114 to ground . turning now to fig2 , disclosed is an sram cell system 200 with a continuous bit_line 260 and a simplified configuration of precharge circuits . generally , sram cell 200 allows for the elimination of one of the precharge circuits of fig1 . in the system 200 , a continuous blc 260 is coupled to a plurality of sram cells 210 ( not shown ). when attempting a write , all coupled sram cells 210 receive the same continuous blc 260 value . however , through the use of a selected wordline 205 , only the selected sram cell 210 is written to . in the sram cell 200 , the continuous blc 260 does not have a precharge circuit . in one aspect , a portion of the circuitry and functionality of a precharge circuit 133 can be found in predriver circuit 290 for use with the continuous blc 260 . however , those of skill in the art understand that other logic circuits that have the same functionality as the write predriver circuit 290 can be substituted for the write predriver circuit 290 . in the system 200 , a precharge 215 is coupled to a portion of a second precharge circuit 272 . the portion of the second precharge circuit 272 can be a pfet . the drain of the second pfet 272 is coupled to the lblt node 270 , and the source of the second pfet 272 is coupled to the drain of the first precharge circuit 271 . the writet 241 is coupled to the gate of the first precharge circuit 271 . the source of the precharge circuit 271 is coupled to a system high voltage ( vbb ) 257 . in the system 200 , whenever a read is occurring , the write_enb 256 value is one . this is inverted to a zero by a predriver inverter 257 . the zero value is input into a predriver nand 259 . therefore , the value output of the nand 259 , and hence the write predriver circuit 290 , is a high voltage , and therefore the continuous blc 260 is high during a read . during a read , the writet 241 value is low . as the writeenb 256 input is a high , this high value is input into the predriver nor 258 , which is output as a low . therefore , the writet 241 output of the write predriver circuit 290 is a low during a read . during the read of the sram 210 , the true node 212 of the sram cell 210 is read . during the read function , there is a low signal on the writet 241 ( as a function of the writeenb signal 256 ), so the lblt node 270 voltage is not connected to ground , as the nfet write circuit 280 is open . furthermore , the precharge 215 value is transitioned to one , which turns off ( opens ) the second precharge pfet 272 , thereby creating a floating lblt 270 node . during a read , the sram true node 212 , if it has stored within it a low value , will function as a sink for the floating node lblt 270 value , thereby taking the value of the floating lblt node 270 to zero , and read by an evaluator 220 . in a further emobodiment , a nand gate is used within the local evaluator 220 , instead of an inverter . the sram true node 212 , if it has stored within it a high voltage value , drives a high voltage on the lblt node 270 , which is also read by the evaluator 220 . in the system 200 , the values in the sram stored within the true node 212 and the complementary node 214 of the sram cell 210 are not changed during a read , because complementary voltages are not being driven on the true node 212 and complementary node 214 simultaneously when wordline 205 is on . in the system 200 , during a read , both the lblt node 270 and the continuous blc 260 start out coupled to a high voltage . during a read , the sram cell 210 true node 212 and complementary node 214 values do not change . during the write function , the wordline 205 is turned on , but the precharge 215 is kept at a zero , unlike the transition of the precharge 115 in fig1 . during a write , therefore , the second pfet 272 functions as a short between the drain of the first pfet 271 and the write circuit 280 . the voltage at the lblt node 270 is therefore driven either to high source voltage 257 or to ground , as either the first pfet 271 or the write circuit 280 nfet is a short , as a function of the writet 241 value . as is also understood by those of skill in the art , although nfets and pfets are disclosed in fig2 , other nfets are within the scope of the present invention . the writet 241 value is used to input a high charge or a low charge to the nodes 212 and 214 of the sram cell 200 , depending upon the polarity of the writet function 241 , which is in turn a function of the data in . if the writet 241 value is high , the nfet write circuit 280 is turned on . furthermore , the first pfet 271 is turned off . the lblt node 270 is therefore drained to zero voltage value , which is written into the true node 212 of the sram cell 210 . this value is written to the true node 212 of the sram cell 210 due to the driving of the high voltage through the continuous blc 260 and the driving of a grounded voltage at the lblt 270 , as opposed to applying a high voltage through the continuous blc 260 , but floating a voltage at lblt node 270 during a read . however , if the writet 241 value is zero , the first pfet 271 coupled to the writet 241 is turned on ( shorts ), as zero input turns on the first pfet 271 . the nfet write circuit 280 , however , is off , and the lblt node 270 voltage value is driven to the source voltage value 257 . furthermore , the complementary value of the writet 241 is found in the continuous blc 260 . this also occurs during the writing to the sram 210 . for instance , if the writet 241 value is one in a write , the continuous blc 260 value is zero . because two complementary voltages are driven into the sram t and c nodes 212 , 214 , the sram 210 accepts these complementary voltages and stores them within the sram 210 . in the system 200 , during a write , the precharge does not transition voltage states from a zero to a one . this can lead to power savings , as power consumption and heat production can be proportional to the frequency of voltage switching . furthermore , in the system 100 , the wordline 105 and the precharge 115 during the write signal all transitioned at approximately the same time , which can create timing difficulties to implement . if the transitions of the precharge 115 and the wordline 105 did not occur at the proper time in the system 100 , a short could occur between the high voltage 157 and ground . in the system 200 , however , during a write , the pfet 271 and 272 and the nfet 280 are configured so that there will not be a short between the voltage high 257 and the ground during the write at the same time . it is understood that the present invention can take many forms and embodiments . accordingly , several variations may be made in the foregoing without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention . the capabilities outlined herein allow for the possibility of a variety of programming models . this disclosure should not be read as preferring any particular programming model , but is instead directed to the underlying mechanisms on which these programming models can be built . having thus described the present invention by reference to certain of its preferred embodiments , it is noted that the embodiments disclosed are illustrative rather than limiting in nature and that a wide range of variations , modifications , changes , and substitutions are contemplated in the foregoing disclosure and , in some instances , some features of the present invention may be employed without a corresponding use of the other features . many such variations and modifications may be considered desirable by those skilled in the art based upon a review of the foregoing description of preferred embodiments . accordingly , it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention .
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as generally described above , the present invention is directed to the formation of metallic silicide films of relatively low resistivity values on heated silicon substrates by direct ion beam deposition . the silicide films are produced by the chemical interaction of the metal ions with silicon atoms diffused from the substrate . the ion beam is maintained at a relatively low energy level so as to inhibit losses by sputtering and to prevent the penetration of the ions into the substrate beyond a distance of only a few monolayers . as the metal ions from the ion beam initially accumulate in the near - surface region of the substrate as a continuous metal film , any metallic silicide formation present with the substrate at a temperature in the range of about room temperature to about 300 ° c . would most likely occur at the film - silicon substrate interface due to the finite range of the ions . this formation of the metallic silicide at the interface of the film and the substrate is due to the energy level of the metal ions contacting the substrate . however , with the deposit of metal ions which interact with the silicon atoms to form metallic silicide layer reaching a depth of about 2 nm , the metallic silicide forming reaction rapidly diminishes due to silicon depletion so that essentially only metal ions are deposited on the metallic silicide layer . applicants have discovered that by heating the substrate during the irradiation thereof with the metal ions that diffusion of a sufficient concentration of silicon atoms will occur from the substrate through the substrate - film interface and any formed portions of the metallic silicide film to provide an adequate level of interaction between the silicon atoms and the metal ions to provide a film with stoichiometric properties throughout the entire film thickness . in practicing the present invention the metallic silicide film is formed from the surface or near surface of the substrate outwardly until the desired thickness of the metallic silicide film is achieved . the mechanism for forming the metallic silicide film by the direct ion deposition onto the heated substrate depends upon both thermal and athermal ( ion impact ) processes . it is believed that the metallic silicide phases form athermally at the surface of the substrate as a result of ion impact with the ion energy being redistributed among the silicon atoms on the substrate surface in the area contiguous to ion impact to provide the energy necessary to activate the silicide phase formation . to sustain this silicide phase formation the supply of silicon atoms to the surface of the film as it is being formed is maintained by thermal diffusion at elevated temperature . the silicon substrates may be of any suitable type . for example , single crystal wafers with the & lt ; 100 & gt ; axis oriented perpendicular to the surface upon which the ion beam contacts or in any other orientation have been found to be satisfactory . other silicon crystal structures such as polycrystalline may be use with similar results . also , the substrates may be doped with n - or p - type dopants for use in selected electronic applications . further , the substrate may be formed of silicon alloyed with another material such as germanium . in accordance with the present invention the metallic silicide films are formed for metal - silicon systems in which silicon is the dominant diffusing element , i . e ., that is the metal atom is less mobile in the silicide . in the use of ion beam deposition the range of the metal ions in the silicides is less than two nm for all anticipated energy - ion combinations , so that any movement of the reactants necessary for forming the metallic silicide films must be made by diffusion . thus , in accordance with the present method , with the silicon being the dominant diffuser , the silicon atoms diffuse from the substrate through the growing metallic silicide film to the near surface region of the film where they athermally interact with the incident energetic metal ions to form metallic silicides . the ion beam energies utilized in practicing the present invention are in the range of about 10 to 1000 ev with current densities in the range of about 1 to about 10 micro - amps / cm 2 . the ion beams within this energy range are sufficient for forming metal silicide films of a thickness in the range of about 1 to 300 nm . the use of these relatively low ion beam energies is sufficient to effect the athermal formation of a metallic silicide on the surface of the silicon substrate and any previously formed portion of the metallic silicide film layer without causing undesirable ion implantation below the near surface regions of the substrate . as pointed out above , with these low beam energies the metal ions only penetrate a few monolayers into the substrate so that essentially all reactions incident to the metallic silicide film formation are essentially surface reactions . since the penetration depth of the ions into the substrate is small , as required for a surface technique , then at the relatively low temperatures used herein , the reaction will stop after the silicide grows sufficiently thick ( in the order several monolayers ) to isolate the silicon substrate from the newly arriving atoms . in order to provide the silicon atoms necessary for forming the stoichiometric metallic silicide films the substrate is heated to a temperature which is sufficient to effect diffusion of an adequate number of silicon atoms through the silicide film as it is being formed to interact with the metal ions at the surface of the growing metallic silicide film . it has been found that for the formation of stoichiometric metallic silicide films with a thickness in the aforementioned range that heating the silicon substrate to the temperature in the range of about 400 ° to 600 ° c . is required . with the substrate heated to temperatures less then about 400 ° c . it is believed that there will be an insufficient concentration of silicon atoms to produce a uniformly stoichiometric silicide throughout the film thickness . also , with temperatures greater than about 600 ° c . no beneficial increase in the diffusion of silicon atoms is realized and deleterious diffusion and / or volatilization of the dopants from the substrate starts to occur and increases with increasing temperature . the maximum temperature utilized for practicing the present invention is at least about 100 ° c . less than that required for practicing the physical and chemical deposition technique previously utilized and is at least 200 ° c . less than that required for the annealing procedures heretofore required to reduce the resistivity of the metallic silicide to the desired value . the various metals which are usable for forming the beam of metal ions in the present invention are those metals which , as noted above , are slower diffusers or less mobile in metallic silicides than the silicon atoms . these metals include titanium , tungsten , iron , vanadium , tantalum , and molybdenum . of these various metals , titanium is believed to be the most desirable for many electronic applications since the titanium disilicide formed from practicing present invention has the lowest resistivity values . prior to providing the silicon substrate with the metallic silicide film , it may be preferable to clean the surface of the substrate . satisfactory cleaning can be provided by rinsing the substrate in ethanol , distilled water , and dilute hf prior to mounting the substrate in the vacuum chamber utilized for the ion beam deposition . the surfaces of the substrates can also be cleaned while in the vacuum chamber immediately before initiating the ion beam deposition by bombarding the substrate with a low - energy beam of chlorine ions at a dose of about 1 × 10 17 / cm 2 while the substrate is heated to temperature of about 500 ° c . this ion beam cleaning procedure is similar to reactive ion etching and provides surfaces which are conducive to good epitaxilial growth on silicon . the ion beam deposition may be carried out in a suitable chamber or deposition chamber evacuated to a pressure in the range of about 1 × 10 - 7 to 1 × 10 - 10 torr . the ion beam deposition and the heating of the substrate is maintained until the metallic silicide film reaches the desired thickness . normally , with ion beam energies in the aforementioned range a metallic silicide film growth rate in the order of about 1 nm / min is provided . with such a growth rate a reaction duration of about 1 minute to about 5 hours would be required for forming a metallic silicide film with a thickness in the range of about 1 to 300 nm . in order to provide a more facile understanding of the present invention several examples relating to the formation of metallic silicide films on silicon substrates using different metal ions are set forth below . in these examples the silicon substrates are single crystal wafers with the & lt ; 100 & gt ; axis oriented perpendicularly to the surface contacted by the ion beam . all substrates used were electronic grade n - or p - type si doped respectively with p and b to resistivities of 5 to 10 ohms - cm . the particular concentration and / or type of dopants is not critical to the formation of high purity metallic silicide films since the temperatures employed are insufficient to cause any deleterious diffusion of the dopants from the substrate . in the following examples the metallic silicide films were produced by the direct deposition of low energy ( 40 to 200 ev ) metal ions onto the silicon substrates . the metal ion beam was produced at the minimum extraction energy of 35 kev in a commercially available ion implantation accelerator ( extrion 200 - 1000 ) using a freeman ion source . in these examples the 35 kev beam was magnetically mass analyzed and passed through three stages of liquid - nitrogen trapped differential pumping and a seven - degree neutral trap . the beam entering the deposition chamber was decelerated in a four - element deceleration lens system to the desired final energy . the pressure in the deposition chamber was in the 10 × 10 - 10 torr range . the silicon substrates were each held in a 14 mm diameter holder containing a resistance heater capable of heating the substrate surface to a temperature of about 900 ° c . a faraday cup was used for positioning and laterally profiling the beam . the films produced were characterized by conventional rutherford backscattering and ion channelling with 2 - mev he at a scattering angle of 160 degrees to measure stoichiometry of the metallic silicide films , film thickness and degree of epitaxy . details on the micro structure of the metallic silicide films were obtained by transmission electron microscopy of cross - sectionally thinned specimens by using a commercially available philips em400t transmission electron microscope operating at 100 kev . sheet resistance measurements were made with a standard 4 - point probe and were converted to electrical resistivities using the film thicknesses determined from the rutherford backscattering measurements . a cleaned , single - crystal silicon wafer was mounted in the ion beam deposition chamber and subjected to a beam of titanium ions at a energy of 100 ev . during this ion bombardment the substrate was heated to 550 ° c . a film of titanium disilicide was formed on the surface of the wafer in a deposit area of approximately 3 cm 2 at a growth rate of about 1 nm / min . the film growth was continued to a thickness of 200 nm and when analyzed exhibited low bulk - like resistivity of 15 - 20 micro - ohms - cm this resistivity value compares favorably to the 13 - 25 micro - ohms - cm values for thin titanium disilicide films formed by using previously known techniques and annealed at temperatures in excess of 800 ° c . a 55 - nm thick polycrystalline film of tungsten disilicide film was formed on a single - crystal silicon wafer heated to a temperature of 500 ° c . with an incident ion beam energy of 200 ev . the growth rate of the film was similar to that of the titanium . the uniform height of scattering from both the tungsten and the silicon in the film as provided by a 2 - mev he ion backscattering spectrum indicated that a constant ratio of silicon to tungsten was present throughout the thickness of the film while the relative heights of the two regions indicated that the ratio of silicon to tungsten was 2 to 1 or stoichiometric throughout the thickness of the film . the large lattice mismatch for this tungsten disilicide film prevented epitaxial growth during the film formation . an iron disilicide film was formed on a single crystal silicon wafer at an ion beam energy of 40 ev while the substrate was heated to 550 ° c . the film growth rate was approximately 1 nm / min . analysis of the 200 nm - thick film indicated that the film was of uniform stoichiometry throughout the thickness of the film with the ratio of silicon to iron being 2 , which is iron disilicide . the resistivity measurement of this film was approximately 850 ohms - cm , which compares favorably with resistivity values previously achieved for iron disilicide films sintered at temperatures greater than 700 ° c . it will be seen that the metallic silicide films formed by practicing the method of the present invention possess resistivities which are comparable to the lowest values achieved by practicing any of the previously known techniques and which are achieved at temperatures significantly lower than heretofore usable so as to significantly reduce the thermal budget and greatly reduce the redistribution and / or volatilization of dopants . the ion beam deposition of the present invention can be accomplished with a magnetically analyzed beam that is elementally and isotopically pure so as to provide metallic silicide films of high purity without oxygen or nitrogen contaminants and which are homogeneous and uniformly stoichiometric with relatively large grains .
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hereinafter , embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a whole storage battery recycle system according to an embodiment of the present invention . the storage battery recycle system in this embodiment includes storage battery relocation assistance server 1 , a plurality of vehicles 100 , a plurality of houses 200 , a plurality of buildings 300 , a plurality of factories 400 , collected - battery warehouse 500 , and network 600 utilized for data transmission . in fig1 , one each of the plurality of vehicles 100 , houses 200 , buildings 300 and factories 400 is illustrated by one representative element . in these configurations , storage battery relocation assistance server 1 corresponds to an embodiment of the storage battery relocation assistance apparatus according to the present invention , and vehicle 100 , house 200 , building 300 , and factory 400 correspond to an embodiment of a plurality of facilities using a storage battery . storage battery relocation assistance server 1 is a computer including , for example , a cpu ( central processing unit ) as an arithmetic unit , a ram ( random access memory ) and a hard disk as storing section 20 , a communication apparatus , a display or a printer as an information output section , and an input apparatus for inputting an operational command from an operator . in storage battery relocation assistance server 1 , a software module read from the hard disk is expanded on the ram and is executed by the cpu to implement a plurality of functional modules . more specifically , storage battery relocation assistance server 1 includes , as the plurality of functional modules , in - use battery state collection section 11 , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 , input section 13 for inputting information on use destinations , relocation determination section 14 , reporting section 15 , collected - battery deterioration prediction section 16 , and collected - battery state collection section 17 . storing section 20 in storage battery relocation assistance server 1 includes in - use battery information storing section 21 , in - use battery deterioration prediction information storing section 22 , use - destination - information storing section 23 , unused - battery deterioration prediction information storing section 24 , collected - battery deterioration prediction information storing section 25 , and collected - battery information storing section 26 . this plurality of storing sections 21 to 26 stores and manages predetermined information according to predetermined formats . in - use battery information storing section 21 corresponds to an embodiment of the battery information management section according to the present invention , and use - destination - information storing section 23 corresponds to an embodiment of the requirement information management section according to the present invention . in - use battery state collection section 11 collects information ( referred to as battery information ) representing a state of a plurality of storage batteries used in the plurality of vehicles 100 , the plurality of houses 200 , the plurality of buildings 300 , and the plurality of factories 400 , and stores the information in in - use battery information storing section 21 . the battery information is collected always or periodically . in - use battery state collection section 11 is capable of exchanging data with the communication sections of the plurality of vehicles 100 , the plurality of houses 200 , the plurality of buildings 300 , and the plurality of factories 400 through a communication apparatus connected to network 600 . the collected in - use battery information will be described below in detail . in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 predicts future deterioration of each storage battery on the basis of the battery information on an in - use storage battery , and stores this prediction result ( referred to as deterioration prediction information ) in in - use battery deterioration prediction information storing section 22 . this deterioration prediction information will be described below in detail . input section 13 receives information , which is inputted by an operator according to a predetermined input format through the input apparatus , on each facility ( referred to as use - destination - information ) of the plurality of vehicles 100 , the plurality of houses 200 , the plurality of buildings 300 , and the plurality of factories 400 . input section 13 then stores the inputted use - destination - information in use - destination - information storing section 23 . the content of this use - destination - information will be described below . collected - battery state collection section 17 collects information representing a state of a plurality of storage batteries kept in collected - battery warehouse 500 , and stores the information in collected - battery information storing section 26 . collected - battery state collection section 17 is capable of exchanging data with a communication section of collected - battery warehouse 500 through a communication apparatus connected to network 600 . the collected information in this case is almost the same as information collected by in - use battery state collection section 11 . collected - battery deterioration prediction section 16 predicts future deterioration of the plurality of storage batteries kept in collected - battery warehouse 500 , and stores information on the prediction result in collected - battery deterioration prediction information storing section 25 . the details of this deterioration prediction will be described later as a supplement for prediction of deterioration of an in - use storage battery . unused - battery deterioration prediction information storing section 24 is a storing section for beforehand storing , as deterioration prediction information , information on the future deterioration property of an unused storage battery that is kept while being unused . relocation determination section 14 reads , from storing section 20 , the deterioration prediction information on an in - use storage battery , the deterioration prediction information on an unused storage battery , the deterioration prediction information on a collected storage battery , and the use - destination - information on each facility . based on the above - described deterioration prediction information and information on predetermined relocation requirements for a storage battery , relocation determination section 14 then performs an optimization process and determines the optimal relocation time and relocation destination of each storage battery . that is , relocation determination section 14 determines the optimal relocation schedule for each storage battery . reporting section 15 extracts , for example , a relocation schedule involving relocation time close to the present time from among the optimal relocation schedules for respective storage batteries determined in relocation determination section 14 , and lists these information items on the display or on a printout . based on these information items , an operator sets the schedule for relocation exchange for storage batteries in the plurality of vehicle 100 , the plurality of house 200 , the plurality of building 300 , the plurality of factory 400 , and collected - battery warehouse 500 , and advances a procedure of relocation of the storage batteries . that is , the operator and a worker , for example , report to a contractor , an exchange of a storage battery , and then perform exchange maintenance of a storage battery on the basis of the schedule for a relocation exchange . vehicle 100 includes storage battery b , charger 101 , battery control section 102 , in - vehicle communication section 103 , and socket 104 . storage battery b supplies electric power to a running motor ( not illustrated ) of vehicle 100 to drive the vehicle . socket 104 is connected to external cable 211 for the input of an external power source and transmission and reception of data . charger 101 charges storage battery b with the external power source inputted from socket 104 . battery control section 102 controls necessary electric power supplied to the running motor from storage battery b . battery control section 102 measures and monitors , for example , the voltage , input and output currents , a temperature , a state of charge ( soc ), and a deterioration state ( soh : state of health ) of storage battery b , and transmits these information items to storage battery relocation assistance server 1 through in - vehicle communication section 103 . if cable 211 serving as a communication path is connected to socket 104 , in - vehicle communication section 103 performs data communication through cable 211 . otherwise , in - vehicle communication section 103 is connected to network 600 through radio communication and performs data communication . here , the state of charge ( soc ) is the ratio of a residual capacity to a fully charged capacity , and the deterioration state ( soh : state of health ) is a value representing a state of deterioration of a storage battery calculated from the internal resistance value of the storage battery . house 200 includes , for example , storage battery b , battery control section 201 , electric load 202 , and in - house communication section 203 . for example , storage battery b is charged with electric power from a commercial power source ( also referred to as a common power source ) in the time zone when an electricity price is low , and supplies electric power to electric load 202 in the time zone when the electricity price is high or when electricity is deficient . electric load 202 is one of various kinds of electric appliances used in house 200 . battery control section 201 measures and monitors , for example , the voltage , input and output currents , a temperature , a state of charge ( soc ), and a state of health ( soh ) of storage battery b , and transmits these information items to storage battery relocation assistance server 1 through in - house communication section 203 . in - house communication section 203 can be connected to network 600 to perform data communication . each of building 300 and factory 400 also includes storage battery b , a battery control section , an electric load , and a communication section similarly to house 200 . when relocation use ( also referred to as reuse ) of storage batteries b is performed between the facilities which are vehicle 100 , house 200 , building 300 , and factory 400 , collected - battery warehouse 500 is a facility for keeping storage batteries b temporarily collected from any of the facilities . collected - battery warehouse 500 includes collected storage battery b , battery management section 501 , and communication section 502 . battery management section 501 controls storage battery b so as to be maintained in an appropriate state of charge , or control storage battery b so as to appropriately charge and discharge , in order to delay the progression degree of deterioration of storage battery b . battery control section 501 measures the voltage , input and output currents , a temperature , a state of charge ( soc ), and a state of health ( soh ) of storage battery b , and transmits the measurement result to storage battery relocation assistance server 1 through communication section 502 . fig2 is a data table illustrating an example content of the in - use battery information stored in in - use battery information storing section 21 . in - use battery information storing section 21 stores a plurality of respective information items representing states of a plurality of storage batteries used in the plurality of facilities . to these information items , the information collected by in - use battery state collection section 11 is sequentially added . the in - use battery information stored in in - use battery information storing section 21 includes , for example , a model number , a present use place , the history of past use places , an initial capacity , a voltage log , a current log , a temperature log , a state of charge ( soc ), a state of health ( soh ), and charge / discharge allowable electric power ( also referred to as an sop : state of power ( prediction electric power ability )). these information items are independently stored for all the registered storage batteries . information on the voltage log , the current log , and the temperature log is stored as the series of data representing the voltage , current , and a temperature at a plurality of time points ( ti ), respectively . information on the state of charge , the state of health , and charge / discharge allowable electric power is also stored as the series of data representing the respective values at a plurality of time points . here , the charge / discharge allowable electric power ( sop ) represents the maximum charge electric power and the maximum electric discharge electric power estimated from , for example , the voltage and the internal resistance of the storage battery . in - use battery state collection section 11 collects , from each facility , respective information items on the voltage log , the current log , the temperature log , the state of charge ( soc ), the deterioration state ( soh ), and the charge / discharge allowable electric power ( sop ) among the items in the data table of fig2 . in - use battery state collection section 11 then adds the collected information items to the in - use battery information items and stores the resultant information items . collected - battery information storing section 26 also stores respective collected - battery information items including the items in the data table of fig2 . collected - battery state collection section 17 collects , from collected - battery warehouse 500 , respective information items on the voltage log , the current log , the temperature log , the state of charge ( soc ), the deterioration state ( soh ), and the charge / discharge allowable electric power ( sop ). collected - battery state collection section 17 then adds the collected information items to the collected - battery information items and stores the resultant information items in collected - battery information storing section 26 . fig3 is a data table illustrating an example of the deterioration prediction information stored in in - use battery deterioration prediction information storing section 22 . as illustrated in fig3 , in - use battery deterioration prediction information storing section 22 stores a plurality of pieces of curvilinear data of deterioration states predicted according to various relocation models for each storage battery . the relocation model is a model representing at which time and to which facility a target storage battery is relocated . the relocation model will be described below in detail . as illustrated in fig9 a to 9d , 9m and 9q , various relocation models are set so as to include various relocation patterns possible for relocation of storage batteries in reality . the curvilinear data of deterioration states will be described below in detail . as illustrated in fig1 , the curvilinear data is data representing a time variation in a deterioration state ( referred to as soh or “ the residual capacity of a battery ”). fig4 is a data table illustrating an example of the use - destination - information stored in use - destination - information storing section 23 . the use - destination - information includes , as information representing each facility , use destination data for identifying the facility , contractor data for identifying a contractor , and use destination category data for representing the category ( for example , a vehicle , a house , a building , and a factory ) of the facility , for example . the use - destination - information includes , as requirement information to the storage battery , information on contract electric power demand representing the maximum electric power which can be supplied from the storage battery , information on a contract battery capacity representing the minimum capacity of the storage battery , and information on an installation space for installing the storage battery , for example . use - destination - information storing section 23 stores the above - described use - destination - information for all facilities receiving service of the supply of the storage batteries . when a contractor is added , information representing the facility of the contractor is inputted from input section 13 , and use - destination - information concerning the new contractor is added to use - destination - information storing section 23 . here , the action and the advantageous effects of the relocated and used storage battery will be explained . fig5 is a graph illustrating a time variation in the discharge capacity of the same storage battery charged and discharged repeatedly with a predetermined current amount . respective three graph lines in fig5 indicate the cases of high , middle , and low charge / discharge currents . as illustrated in the graph of fig5 , the storage battery deteriorates and gradually decreases the discharge capacity ( also referred to as a battery capacity ) by repeating charge and discharge . the magnitude of a charge / discharge current for the storage battery , i . e ., the severity of use of the storage battery also varies the rate of deteriorating the storage battery . for example , a higher charge / discharge current increases the rate of the deterioration , and a lower charge / discharge current decreases the rate of the deterioration . the graph line for the high charge / discharge current in fig5 indicates an example case used for a vehicle . storage battery b of vehicle 100 outputs a large current in the case of running , and rapidly charges in the case of charging . therefore , the use conditions for the storage battery in vehicle 100 are very severe in comparison with the other facilities . moreover , since vehicle 100 is required to have a high storage battery performance , the storage battery performance reaches the lower limit of the required performance of vehicle 100 at a stage at which the deterioration degree of the storage battery does not progress so much . the graph line for the middle charge / discharge current in fig5 indicates an example case used for a house . storage battery b in house 200 or building 300 charges and discharges relatively moderately . furthermore , in house 200 or building 300 , the installation space for storage battery b is large in comparison with vehicle 100 , and many storage batteries can be used in parallel . therefore , in house 200 or building 300 , the use conditions required for storage battery b are moderate in comparison with vehicle 100 . moreover , since the use conditions are moderate , the storage battery performance required for house 200 or building 300 is low in comparison with that for vehicle 100 . the graph line for the low charge / discharge current in fig5 indicates an example case used for a factory . in factory 400 , storage battery b charges and discharges in a further planned and stable manner . moreover , in factory 400 , the installation space for storage battery b is further large in comparison with house 200 and building 300 , and an enormous number of storage batteries can be used in parallel . therefore , the use conditions for storage battery b in factory 400 are moderate in comparison with the use conditions for house 200 and building 300 . moreover , since the use conditions are moderate , the storage battery performance required for factory 400 is low in comparison with those for house 200 and building 300 . therefore , as illustrated in fig5 in many cases , the progression degree of deterioration is large in the storage battery used in vehicle 100 , and decreases in the storage batteries used in house 200 ( or building 300 ) and factory 400 in this order . even if vehicles 100 are of the same type , respective vehicles 100 involve different progression degrees of deterioration since , for example , users use vehicles 100 at different frequencies . in the other facilities , the progression degrees of deterioration also differ in the respective facilities similarly . moreover , as illustrated in fig6 a to 6c , the storage battery performance required for each application is the highest in vehicle 100 , and decreases in the order of house 200 ( or building 300 ) and factory 400 . fig6 a to 6c are graphs illustrating changes in deterioration curves in the case of relocation use of the storage battery . fig6 a to 6c illustrate deterioration curves of storage batteries when a storage battery used for a certain period in a vehicle continues being used in the vehicle and when the storage battery used for the certain period is relocated to and used in a house or a factory , as an example . as illustrated in fig6 a to 6c , the deterioration curve of a storage battery variously changes depending on to which facility the storage battery is relocated for use and depending on when the storage battery is relocated . moreover , assuming that the time point of the storage battery performance reaching the lower limit of the performance required for each facility is defined as a storage battery life , as can be seen from comparison in fig6 a to 6c , the relocation use of a storage battery can lead to a longer storage battery life of the storage battery . fig7 is a configuration diagram illustrating the details of storage battery b . storage battery b as an object to be provided in a system of the present embodiment is composed of , for example , a lithium ion secondary battery . storage battery b is provided by being packaged in a form of battery pack bp which can readily be mounted on each facility . moreover , battery pack bp includes a plurality of battery modules bm bundled in order to provide predetermined output and capacity . moreover , each battery module bm has a plurality of battery cells bc mounted therein . the collection and management of the battery information and the relocation use of the storage battery described above can be performed in units of battery packs bp , and also in units of battery modules bm or in units of battery cells bc . next , a storage battery deterioration prediction process performed by in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 will be explained . fig8 is a flow chart illustrating the procedure of the storage battery deterioration prediction process . fig9 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the various relocation models subject to deterioration prediction . fig1 a to 10c are graphs illustrating the outline of the deterioration prediction curves of the storage battery in one relocation model . fig1 a to 11c are graphs illustrating the outline of the deterioration prediction curves of the storage battery in another relocation model . for example , at a time when an execution instruction is inputted from an operator , or at predetermined time intervals , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 starts this storage battery deterioration prediction process . if the process starts , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 first reads in - use battery information from the in - use battery information storing section in step s 11 . next , in step s 12 , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 sequentially selectively sets one relocation model for relocating a storage battery in the plurality of facilities from among the various relocation models . as illustrated in fig9 a to 9d , 9m and 9q , the various relocation models include a plurality of relocation patterns in which a storage battery is first used for vehicle 100 having severe use conditions and is then relocated to house 200 , building 300 , or factory 400 in order of the gradually loosened use conditions . as illustrated in fig9 b to 9d , the various relocation models also include relocation patterns involving the skip of one or more of house 200 , building 300 , and factory 400 . moreover , the various relocation models also include patterns based on changing storage battery relocation time . for example , the relocation models in fig9 a to 9m have patterns in which a storage battery is relocated when the storage battery performance reaches the lower limit of the required performance for the facility using the storage battery . on the other hand , the relocation model in fig9 q has a pattern in which a storage battery is relocated a little earlier ( for example , a storage battery is relocated when the storage battery performance reaches a higher level by a predetermined amount than the lower limit of the required performance ). moreover , as illustrated in fig9 d and 9m , the various relocation models also include patterns in which a relocation destination is set to another house 200 , another building 300 , or another factory 400 in the same category . even in a facility in the same category ( for example , house ), a storage battery is severely utilized in some place and less severely utilized in another place , and the progression degree of deterioration is not necessarily the same . in consideration of this , the relocation model in fig9 m involves relocation destinations changed independently . in the case of an enormous number of facilities , if relocation models for relocating storage batteries are prepared for all the facilities , the number of relocation models increases significantly . therefore , in the case of an enormous number of facilities , in the same facility category , a facility model may be prepared so as to have a standard progression degree of deterioration , a plurality of facility models may be prepared so as to have progression degrees of deterioration shifted from the standard degree at a plurality of levels , and these facility models may be combined to thereby prepare relocation models . next , in step s 13 , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 predicts deterioration of the storage battery according to the relocation model set in step s 12 . for example , the graphs in fig1 a to 10c illustrate the case of a relocation model in which a storage battery used in vehicle 100 is used down to the lower limit of the required performance in each facility and is sequentially relocated to house 200 and then factory 400 . in this case , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 predicts the deterioration prediction curve in vehicle 100 in fig1 a , for example , from the time transition data of the deterioration state ( soh ) in the in - use battery information . alternatively , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 can calculate a deterioration prediction curve from the data of the voltage log , the current log , and the temperature log in the in - use battery information , assuming that the same use situation continues . in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 also calculates the deterioration prediction curve in house 200 in fig1 b , on the basis of the in - use battery information on another storage battery used in house 200 . that is , a deterioration prediction curve is calculated from the data of the time transition data of the deterioration state ( soh ) or the voltage log , the current log , and the temperature log included in the in - use battery information , assuming that the storage battery is used in the same situation . furthermore , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 similarly calculates the deterioration prediction curve of factory 400 in fig1 c , on the basis of the in - use battery information on another storage battery used in factory 400 . next , another example of a deterioration prediction step will be explained . the graphs of fig1 a to 11c illustrate the case of a relocation model for sequentially relocating a storage battery presently used in vehicle 100 to house 200 and factory 400 in a stage involving a higher level by 10 % than the lower limit of the required performance in each facility . in this relocation model , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 calculates a deterioration prediction curve by setting the relocation time for a storage battery to the time when the storage battery performance reaches a higher value by a predetermined ratio than the lower limit of the required performance of each facility . in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 also summarizes and calculates prediction of the progression degree of deterioration in each facility on the basis of the in - use battery information also in this relocation model similarly to the case of the relocation model in fig1 . in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 may also read the use - destination - information from use - destination - information storing section 23 to acquire information on the storage battery required performance in each facility . through such deterioration prediction , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 obtains the deterioration prediction curve of the storage battery for one relocation model , as illustrated in fig1 a to 10c or 11a to 11c . next , in step s 14 , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 accumulates the prediction result data representing the deterioration prediction curve obtained in step s 13 , into in - use battery deterioration prediction information storing section 22 . through a process loop of steps s 12 to s 15 , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 then repeats the deterioration prediction and accumulation of the prediction result data for all the relocation patterns . through a process loop of steps s 11 to s 16 , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 also repeats the deterioration prediction and accumulation of the prediction result data for all the storage batteries . through such a storage battery deterioration prediction process , as illustrated in fig3 , in - use battery deterioration prediction information storing section 22 accumulates therein the data of the deterioration curve in the case of the relocation use in the various relocation models for each storage battery . collected - battery deterioration prediction section 16 predicts deterioration of the plurality of storage batteries b that would occur if they are continued to be kept in the collected - battery warehouse , and stores the data of the predicted deterioration curve in collected - battery deterioration prediction information storing section 25 . this deterioration curve can be predicted and calculated from the time transition data of the deterioration state ( soh ) or the data of the voltage log , the current log , and the temperature log stored in collected - battery information storing section 26 , assuming that the deterioration progresses in the same situation . additionally , collected - battery deterioration prediction section 16 may also predict deterioration of a collected battery used by relocation , for example , to the house , the building , or the factory similarly to in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 , and may store the deterioration curve in collected - battery deterioration prediction information storing section 25 . next , a relocation determination process performed by relocation determination section 14 will be described . fig1 is a flow chart illustrating a procedure of the relocation determination process . fig1 is a table illustrating determination requirements for relocating a storage battery . relocation determination section 14 starts this relocation determination process in response to an instruction from an operator or at predetermined time interval . if the process is started , relocation determination section 14 first reads , in step s 21 , the data of predicted deterioration curve ( also referred to as “ deterioration prediction information ”) of each storage battery from in - use battery deterioration prediction information storing section 22 , unused - battery deterioration prediction information storing section 24 , and collected - battery deterioration prediction information storing section 25 . next , in step s 22 , relocation determination section 14 reads use - destination - information from use - destination - information storing section 23 . then , in step s 23 , relocation determination section 14 determines the combination of the optimal relocation time and relocation destination ( referred to as “ relocation schedule ”) for each storage battery on the basis of the read data , by performing a calculation process ( for example , optimization process ) for comprehensively improving the sufficiency level of a plurality of predetermined determination requirements . as illustrated in fig1 , the determination requirements for relocating storage batteries include , for example , a requirement of maintaining the contract electric power demand in each use destination , a requirement of maintaining the contract battery capacity in each use destination , and a requirement of setting relocation time in a way that makes the relocation time close to a time when the storage battery performance comes near the lower limit of the required performance in each facility . moreover , the determination requirements include , for example , a requirement of decreasing the number of new storage batteries to be supplied , a requirement of reducing a variation in the deterioration degrees of storage batteries simultaneously used in each facility , and a requirement of decreasing the reserved quantity of collected batteries . moreover , the determination requirements include a requirement of increasing the usage rate of the installation space for storage batteries in each facility . the respective determination requirements are assigned with weighting factors λ 1 , λ 2 , . . . . in step s 23 , relocation determination section 14 performs a calculation process so as to better satisfy a requirement having a larger weighting factor , and determines the relocation schedule for each storage battery . through such a relocation determination step , for example , when the storage battery of certain house 200 approaches the lower limit of the required performance , the optimal storage battery which can be relocated from vehicle 100 to this house 200 is extracted to display this information on the relocation schedule . similarly , when the storage battery of certain factory 400 approaches the lower limit of the required performance , the optimal storage battery which can be relocated from the plurality of vehicles 100 , houses 200 , or buildings 300 to this factory 400 is extracted to display this information on the relocation schedule . moreover , when abnormality or a sign of failure is found in several storage batteries in a certain facility , information representing that the several storage batteries need to be replaced is displayed on the relocation schedule . moreover , through the above - mentioned relocation determination step , the calculation process for comprehensively improving the sufficiency level of each determination requirement calculates a relocation schedule for storage batteries , the relocation schedule surely satisfying a requirement of maintaining the contract electric power demand in each use destination and a requirement of maintaining the contract battery capacity in each use destination . moreover , the relocation schedule for each storage battery is calculated to set relocation time in a way that makes the relocation time as close as possible to a time when a storage battery comes near the lower limit of the required performance in each facility and so as to minimize the number of new storage batteries to be supplied . moreover , the relocation schedule is calculated so as to minimize a variation in the deterioration degrees of storage batteries simultaneously used in each facility and so as to minimize the reserved quantity of collected batteries . moreover , the relocation schedule is calculated so as to relocate many progressively deteriorated storage batteries to a facility having a large installation space to increase the usage rate of the large installation space . the relocation schedule is calculated according to other determination requirements that are set variously . next , in step s 24 , relocation determination section 14 distinguishes a relocation schedule involving relocation time close to the present time ( for example , within one month from the present time ) from among the determined relocation schedules . then , if relocation determination section 14 finds a relocation schedule close to the present time , relocation determination section 14 outputs information on the relocation schedule to reporting section 15 , in step s 25 . thereby , the information on the relocation schedule is reported from reporting section 15 to an operator . through such a relocation determination process , the optimized relocation schedule , which can better satisfy the determination requirements for relocation , for the storage battery is determined to display information on this relocation schedule for an operator . based on the information on this relocation schedule , an operator sets the schedule for relocation exchange for storage batteries in the plurality of vehicle 100 , the plurality of house 200 , the plurality of building 300 , the plurality of factories 400 , and collected - battery warehouse 500 in reality , and can advance a procedure of relocation of the storage batteries . that is , the operator and a worker , for example , report an exchange of a storage battery and perform exchange maintenance of a storage battery for a contractor according to the schedule for a relocation exchange . fig1 a to 16 are explanatory diagrams of an example of repacking for relocating a storage battery . as illustrated in fig1 a and 14b , instead of relocation of a storage battery , battery pack bp 1 , without modification , the storage battery may be relocated after repacking battery pack bp 1 into other battery packs bp 2 and bp 3 according to conditions of a relocation destination or the battery state in battery pack bp 1 . alternatively , a storage battery may be relocated in units of battery modules bm 1 . alternatively , as illustrated in fig1 , a storage battery may be relocated after such repacking that the deterioration degrees of a plurality of battery modules bma and bmb in battery packs bp 2 and bp 3 are uniform . then , battery packs bp 2 a and bp 3 a repacked so as to have uniform deterioration degrees may also be relocated . alternatively , as illustrated in fig1 , when only one or more battery cells bc 1 in battery module bm 1 have deteriorated significantly , a storage battery may be relocated after replacing this battery cell bc 1 with battery cell bc 2 deteriorated in a similar degree to the other cells . then , battery module bm 1 a partially replaced may be relocated . in the above - described relocation determination process , relocation determination section 14 can also determine a relocation schedule in units of battery modules bm or in units of battery cells bc to thereby display information on combination for repacking battery packs and information on combination for uniforming non - uniform deterioration degrees . as described above , according to storage battery relocation assistance server 1 and the storage battery recycle system in this embodiment , the in - use battery information representing the states of the plurality of storage batteries used in the plurality of facilities is collected in storage battery relocation assistance server 1 . furthermore , in - use battery deterioration prediction section 12 in storage battery relocation assistance server 1 predicts deterioration of storage batteries in the case of relocating the storage batteries in the plurality of facilities , on the basis of these information items . therefore , this deterioration prediction result can assist determination of the optimal relocation time and relocation destination of a storage battery . according to storage battery relocation assistance server 1 in this embodiment , relocation determination section 14 determines the combination of the optimal relocation time and relocation destination for each storage battery , on the basis of the deterioration prediction result in the case of relocating each storage battery among the plurality of facilities and the use - destination - information . storage battery relocation assistance server 1 then outputs information on the relocation schedule of the determination result to the exterior . therefore , on the basis of the information on this relocation schedule , an operator or a worker can set the schedule for relocating storage batteries in reality among the plurality of facilities and can cause the plurality of storage batteries to be relocated and used in the plurality of facilities . this can contribute to a comprehensive cost reduction for the life cycle from manufacturing to recycling of a storage battery . the embodiment of the present invention has been described thus far . the above - described embodiment has been described in an example case where in - use battery state collection section 11 collects battery information through communication network 600 . however , the battery information may also be collected after a delay of one week to several months , instead of real - time collecting of the battery information . therefore , for example , the battery information may be accumulated in the facility during a predetermined period , and in - use battery state collection section 11 may collect this battery information through a storage medium , such as a record disk , a memory card , or a usb ( universal serial bus ) memory . specifically , the storage medium having battery information written in the facility may be sent to the manager of storage battery relocation assistance server 1 , and the manager may read battery information from this storage medium to send the battery information to in - use battery state collection section 11 . the embodiment has been described above with an example which involves one kind of storage battery , i . e ., a lithium ion secondary battery . however , storage battery relocation assistance server 1 may handle a plurality of kinds of storage batteries ( for example , a lithium ion secondary battery and a nickel hydrogen secondary battery ). storage battery relocation assistance server 1 then performs a relocation schedule for relocating , to a facility using a first kind of storage battery , and using a second kind of storage battery . the embodiment has been described using specific examples for the contents of the in - use battery information , use - destination - information , and the determination requirement for relocation . however , the in - use battery information , the use - destination - information , and the determination requirement for relocation are not limited to the contents described in the embodiment . the relocation model which is set for predicting deterioration of a storage battery can also be modified appropriately by , for example , adding a relocation model having a collection period in midstream . the disclosure of japanese patent application no . 2011 - 266774 , filed on dec . 6 , 2011 , including the specification , drawings and abstract , is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . the present invention can be utilized for the storage battery comprehensive management service for relocating and using a storage battery among the plurality of facilities .
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in fig1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted the core components of a print engine assembly , showing the general environment in which the laminated ink distribution structure of the present invention can be located . the print engine assembly includes a chassis 10 fabricated from pressed steel , aluminium , plastics or other rigid material . chassis 10 is intended to be mounted within the body of a printer and serves to mount a printhead assembly 11 , a paper feed mechanism and other related components within the external plastics casing of a printer . in general terms , the chassis 10 supports the printhead assembly 11 such that ink is ejected therefrom and onto a sheet of paper or other print medium being transported below the printhead then through exit slot 19 by the feed mechanism . the paper feed mechanism includes a feed roller 12 , feed idler rollers 13 , a platen generally designated as 14 , exit rollers 15 and a pin wheel assembly 16 , all driven by a stepper motor 17 . these paper feed components are mounted between a pair of bearing moldings 18 , which are in turn mounted to the chassis 10 at each respective end thereof . a printhead assembly 11 is mounted to the chassis 10 by means of respective printhead spacers 20 mounted to the chassis 10 . the spacer moldings 20 increase the printhead assembly length to 220 mm allowing clearance on either side of 210 mm wide paper . the printhead construction is shown generally in fig4 to 8 . the printhead assembly 11 includes a printed circuit board ( pcb ) 21 having mounted thereon various electronic components including a 64 mb dram 22 , a pec chip 23 , a qa chip connector 24 , a microcontroller 25 , and a dual motor driver chip 26 . the printhead is typically 203 mm long and has ten print chips 27 ( fig1 ), each typically 21 mm long . these print chips 27 are each disposed at a slight angle to the longitudinal axis of the printhead ( see fig1 ), with a slight overlap between each print chip which enables continuous transmission of ink over the entire length of the array . each print chip 27 is electronically connected to an end of one of the tape automated bond ( tab ) films 28 , the other end of which is maintained in electrical contact with the undersurface of the printed circuit board 21 by means of a tab film backing pad 29 . the preferred print chip construction is as described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 044 , 646 by the present applicant . each such print chip 27 is approximately 21 mm long , less than 1 mm wide and about 0 . 3 mm high , and has on its lower surface thousands of mems inkjet nozzles 30 , shown schematically in fig9 a and 9b , arranged generally in six lines — one for each ink type to be applied . each line of nozzles may follow a staggered pattern to allow closer dot spacing . six corresponding lines of ink passages 31 extend through from the rear of the print chip to transport ink to the rear of each nozzle . to protect the delicate nozzles on the surface of the print chip each print chip has a nozzle guard 43 , best seen in fig9 a , with microapertures 44 aligned with the nozzles 30 , so that the ink drops ejected at high speed from the nozzles pass through these microapertures to be deposited on the paper passing over the platen 14 . ink is delivered to the print chips via a distribution molding 35 and laminated stack 36 arrangement forming part of the printhead 11 . ink from an ink cassette 37 ( fig2 and 27 ) is relayed via individual ink hoses 38 to individual ink inlet ports 34 integrally molded with a plastics duct cover 39 which forms a lid over the plastics distribution molding 35 . the distribution molding 35 includes six individual longitudinal ink ducts 40 and an air duct 41 which extend throughout the length of the array . ink is transferred from the inlet ports 34 to respective ink ducts 40 via individual cross - flow ink channels 42 , as best seen with reference to fig7 . it should be noted in this regard that although there are six ducts depicted , a different number of ducts might be provided . six ducts are suitable for a printer capable of printing four color process ( cmyk ) as well as infra - red ink and fixative . air is delivered to the air duct 41 via an air inlet port 61 , to supply air to each print chip 27 , as described later with reference to fig6 to 8 , 20 and 21 . situated within a longitudinally extending stack recess 45 formed in the underside of distribution molding 35 are a number of laminated layers forming a laminated ink distribution stack 36 . the layers of the laminate are typically formed of micro - molded plastics material . the tab film 28 extends from the undersurface of the printhead pcb 21 , around the rear of the distribution molding 35 to be received within a respective tab film recess 46 ( fig2 ), a number of which are situated along a chip housing layer 47 of the laminated stack 36 . the tab film relays electrical signals from the printed circuit board 21 to individual print chips 27 supported by the laminated structure . the distribution molding , laminated stack 36 and associated components are best described with reference to fig7 to 19 . fig1 depicts the distribution molding cover 39 formed as a plastics molding and including a number of positioning spigots 48 which serve to locate the upper printhead cover 49 thereon . as shown in fig7 , an ink transfer port 50 connects one of the ink ducts 39 ( the fourth duct from the left ) down to one of six lower ink ducts or transitional ducts 51 in the underside of the distribution molding . all of the ink ducts 40 have corresponding transfer ports 50 communicating with respective ones of the transitional ducts 51 . the transitional ducts 51 are parallel with each other but angled acutely with respect to the ink ducts 40 so as to line up with the rows of ink holes of the first layer 52 of the laminated stack 36 to be described below . the first layer 52 incorporates twenty four individual ink holes 53 for each of ten print chips 27 . that is , where ten such print chips are provided , the first layer 52 includes two hundred and forty ink holes 53 . the first layer 52 also includes a row of air holes 54 alongside one longitudinal edge thereof . the individual groups of twenty four ink holes 53 are formed generally in a rectangular array with aligned rows of ink holes . each row of four ink holes is aligned with a transitional duct 51 and is parallel to a respective print chip . the undersurface of the first layer 52 includes underside recesses 55 . each recess 55 communicates with one of the ink holes of the two centre - most rows of four holes 53 ( considered in the direction transversely across the layer 52 ). that is , holes 53 a ( fig1 ) deliver ink to the right hand recess 55 a shown in fig1 , whereas the holes 53 b deliver ink to the left most underside recesses 55 b shown in fig1 . the second layer 56 includes a pair of slots 57 , each receiving ink from one of the underside recesses 55 of the first layer . the second layer 56 also includes ink holes 53 which are aligned with the outer two sets of ink holes 53 of the first layer 52 . that is , ink passing through the outer sixteen ink holes 53 of the first layer 52 for each print chip pass directly through corresponding holes 53 passing through the second layer 56 . the underside of the second layer 56 has formed therein a number of transversely extending channels 58 to relay ink passing through ink holes 53 c and 53 d toward the centre . these channels extend to align with a pair of slots 59 formed through a third layer 60 of the laminate . it should be noted in this regard that the third layer 60 of the laminate includes four slots 59 corresponding with each print chip , with two inner slots being aligned with the pair of slots formed in the second layer 56 and outer slots between which the inner slots reside . the third layer 60 also includes an array of air holes 54 aligned with the corresponding air hole arrays 54 provided in the first and second layers 52 and 56 . the third layer 60 has only eight remaining ink holes 53 corresponding with each print chip . these outermost holes 53 are aligned with the outermost holes 53 provided in the first and second laminate layers . as shown in fig9 a and 9b , the third layer 60 includes in its underside surface a transversely extending channel 61 corresponding to each hole 53 . these channels 61 deliver ink from the corresponding hole 53 to a position just outside the alignment of slots 59 therethrough . as best seen in fig9 a and 9b , the top three layers of the laminated stack 36 thus serve to direct the ink ( shown by broken hatched lines in fig9 b ) from the more widely spaced ink ducts 40 of the distribution molding to slots aligned with the ink passages 31 through the upper surface of each print chip 27 . as shown in fig1 , which is a view from above the laminated stack , the slots 57 and 59 can in fact be comprised of discrete co - linear spaced slot segments . the fourth layer 62 of the laminated stack 36 includes an array of ten chip - slots 65 each receiving the upper portion of a respective print chip 27 . the fifth and final layer 64 also includes an array of chip - slots 65 which receive the chip and nozzle guard assembly 43 . the tab film 28 is sandwiched between the fourth and fifth layers 62 and 64 , one or both of which can be provided with recesses to accommodate the thickness of the tab film . the laminated stack is formed as a precision micro - molding , injection molded in an acetal type material . it accommodates the array of print chips 27 with the tab film already attached and mates with the cover molding 39 described earlier . rib details in the underside of the micro - molding provides support for the tab film when they are bonded together . the tab film forms the underside wall of the printhead module , as there is sufficient structural integrity between the pitch of the ribs to support a flexible film . the edges of the tab film seal on the underside wall of the cover molding 39 . the chip is bonded onto one hundred micron wide ribs that run the length of the micro - molding , providing a final ink feed to the print nozzles . the design of the micro - molding allow for a physical overlap of the print chips when they are butted in a line . because the printhead chips now form a continuous strip with a generous tolerance , they can be adjusted digitally to produce a near perfect print pattern rather than relying on very close toleranced moldings and exotic materials to perform the same function . the pitch of the modules is typically 20 . 33 mm . the individual layers of the laminated stack as well as the cover molding 39 and distribution molding can be glued or otherwise bonded together to provide a sealed unit . the ink paths can be sealed by a bonded transparent plastic film serving to indicate when inks are in the ink paths , so they can be fully capped off when the upper part of the adhesive film is folded over . ink charging is then complete . the four upper layers 52 , 56 , 60 , 62 of the laminated stack 36 have aligned air holes 54 which communicate with air passages 63 formed as channels formed in the bottom surface of the fourth layer 62 , as shown in fig9 b and 13 . these passages provide pressurised air to the space between the print chip surface and the nozzle guard 43 whilst the printer is in operation . air from this pressurised zone passes through the micro - apertures 44 in the nozzle guard , thus preventing the build - up of any dust or unwanted contaminants at those apertures . this supply of pressurised air can be turned off to prevent ink drying on the nozzle surfaces during periods of non - use of the printer , control of this air supply being by means of the air valve assembly shown in fig6 to 8 , 20 and 21 . with reference to fig6 to 8 , within the air duct 41 of the printhead there is located an air valve molding 66 formed as a channel with a series of apertures 67 in its base . the spacing of these apertures corresponds to air passages 68 formed in the base of the air duct 41 ( see fig6 ), the air valve molding being movable longitudinally within the air duct so that the apertures 67 can be brought into alignment with passages 68 to allow supply the pressurized air through the laminated stack to the cavity between the print chip and the nozzle guard , or moved out of alignment to close off the air supply . compression springs 69 maintain a sealing inter - engagement of the bottom of the air valve molding 66 with the base of the air duct 41 to prevent leakage when the valve is closed . the air valve molding 66 has a cam follower 70 extending from one end thereof , which engages an air valve cam surface 71 on an end cap 74 of the platen 14 so as to selectively move the air valve molding longitudinally within the air duct 41 according to the rotational positional of the multi - function platen 14 , which may be rotated between printing , capping and blotting positions depending on the operational status of the printer , as will be described below in more detail with reference to fig2 to 24 . when the platen 14 is in its rotational position for printing , the cam holds the air valve in its open position to supply air to the print chip surface , whereas when the platen is rotated to the non - printing position in which it caps off the micro - apertures of the nozzle guard , the cam moves the air valve molding to the valve closed position . with reference to fig2 to 24 , the platen member 14 extends parallel to the printhead , supported by a rotary shaft 73 mounted in bearing molding 18 and rotatable by means of gear 79 ( see fig3 ). the shaft is provided with a right hand end cap 74 and left hand end cap 75 at respective ends , having cams 76 , 77 . the platen member 14 has a platen surface 78 , a capping portion 80 and an exposed blotting portion 81 extending along its length , each separated by 120 °. during printing , the platen member is rotated so that the platen surface 78 is positioned opposite the printhead so that the platen surface acts as a support for that portion of the paper being printed at the time . when the printer is not in use , the platen member is rotated so that the capping portion 80 contacts the bottom of the printhead , sealing in a locus surrounding the microapertures 44 . this , in combination with the closure of the air valve by means of the air valve arrangement when the platen 14 is in its capping position , maintains a closed atmosphere at the print nozzle surface . this serves to reduce evaporation of the ink solvent ( usually water ) and thus reduce drying of ink on the print nozzles while the printer is not in use . the third function of the rotary platen member is as an ink blotter to receive ink from priming of the print nozzles at printer start up or maintenance operations of the printer . during this printer mode , the platen member 14 is rotated so that the exposed blotting portion 81 is located in the ink ejection path opposite the nozzle guard 43 . the exposed blotting portion 81 is an exposed part of a body of blotting material 82 inside the platen member 14 , so that the ink received on the exposed portion 81 is drawn into the body of the platen member . further details of the platen member construction may be seen from fig2 and 24 . the platen member consists generally of an extruded or molded hollow platen body 83 which forms the platen surface 78 and receives the shaped body of blotting material 82 of which a part projects through a longitudinal slot in the platen body to form the exposed blotting surface 81 . a flat portion 84 of the platen body 83 serves as a base for attachment of the capping member 80 , which consists of a capper housing 85 , a capper seal member 86 and a foam member 87 for contacting the nozzle guard 43 . with reference again to fig1 , each bearing molding 18 rides on a pair of vertical rails 101 . that is , the capping assembly is mounted to four vertical rails 101 enabling the assembly to move vertically . a spring 102 under either end of the capping assembly biases the assembly into a raised position , maintaining cams 76 , 77 in contact with the spacer projections 100 . the printhead 11 is capped when not is use by the full - width capping member 80 using the elastomeric ( or similar ) seal 86 . in order to rotate the platen assembly 14 , the main roller drive motor is reversed . this brings a reversing gear into contact with the gear 79 on the end of the platen assembly and rotates it into one of its three functional positions , each separated by 120 °. the cams 76 , 77 on the platen end caps 74 , 75 co - operate with projections 100 on the respective printhead spacers 20 to control the spacing between the platen member and the printhead depending on the rotary position of the platen member . in this manner , the platen is moved away from the printhead during the transition between platen positions to provide sufficient clearance from the printhead and moved back to the appropriate distances for its respective paper support , capping and blotting functions . in addition , the cam arrangement for the rotary platen provides a mechanism for fine adjustment of the distance between the platen surface and the printer nozzles by slight rotation of the platen 14 . this allows compensation of the nozzle - platen distance in response to the thickness of the paper or other material being printed , as detected by the optical paper thickness sensor arrangement illustrated in fig2 . the optical paper sensor includes an optical sensor 88 mounted on the lower surface of the pcb 21 and a sensor flag arrangement mounted on the arms 89 protruding from the distribution molding . the flag arrangement comprises a sensor flag member 90 mounted on a shaft 91 which is biased by torsion spring 92 . as paper enters the feed rollers , the lowermost portion of the flag member contacts the paper and rotates against the bias of the spring 92 by an amount dependent on the paper thickness . the optical sensor detects this movement of the flag member and the pcb responds to the detected paper thickness by causing compensatory rotation of the platen 14 to optimize the distance between the paper surface and the nozzles . fig2 and 27 show attachment of the illustrated printhead assembly to a replaceable ink cassette 93 . six different inks are supplied to the printhead through hoses 94 leading from an array of female ink valves 95 located inside the printer body . the replaceable cassette 93 containing a six compartment ink bladder and corresponding male valve array is inserted into the printer and mated to the valves 95 . the cassette also contains an air inlet 96 and air filter ( not shown ), and mates to the air intake connector 97 situated beside the ink valves , leading to the air pump 98 supplying filtered air to the printhead . a qa chip is included in the cassette . the qa chip meets with a contact 99 located between the ink valves 95 and air intake connector 96 in the printer as the cassette is inserted to provide communication to the qa chip connector 24 on the pcb .
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the present is a technique that is useful for marking or coating glass capillary outer diameters or lumen , glass fibers and organically coated fibers and capillaries . the technique according to the present invention uses a metallorganic material to “ paint ” or coat ( or mark ) strands , in the draw line , after the strand has been drawn in a draw tower . the coated strands are then heated to a temperature that is sufficient to degrade the metallorganic and drive off the organic portions , thereby leaving a metal coating behind . preferably , the heating is performed in a draw tower after the strand has been drawn . alternately , the strand may be premanufactured and coated and heated separately . it is preferable that the heating of the metallorganic coated strand be done with an infrared ( ir ) heater , but it has been found that laser curing the metallorganic materials also works as does convective heating , in limited cases . when heating an organically precoated strand using an ir heater , it is most preferred to use an ir band in which the organic precoat does not substantially absorb . this helps ensure that the integrity of the organic precoat is not compromised during the “ curing ” process . not only can the body and ends of the strands be coated with metals , but the strands may be selectively marked , such as in precisely spaced bands , either by precise application of the “ paint ” or , more interestingly , by painting the entire section and “ curing ” with precise location of the laser focus . the uncured material is then either retained or washed away with solvent . in one embodiment , a laser would be located in a draw tower , with the laser beam split to several spots spaced at regular intervals , such as 0 . 5 mm . the “ paint ” is applied on the bare glass and then either flash cured into lines or the laser is moved in step with the strand draw for slower cures . the marked strand is then passed through a solvent to remove the uncured material and coat the finished product with standard polymers . this could be done in intervals such as 5 cm to offer new rulings in reprocessed fiber . finally , this manufacturing technique could be done continuously . gc and ce dimensioned capillary was coated with gold containing metalorganic material during the draw manufacturing process . the coated capillary was placed in a furnace at 450 ° c . along with control fibers of the same material coated with only polyimide . after ½ hour , the uncoated polyimide failed , but the gold coated polyimide did not . within about 8 hours , the uncoated polyimide samples ( controls ) were bare glass and the gold coated polyimide remained intact . in this application , it appears that the gold blocks oxygen from the polyimide . while , polyimide can take very high temperatures in the absence of oxygen , it fails at about 375 ° c . in the presence of oxygen . in the petroleum industry , gc separations are done at temperatures that often exceed the upper continuous use temperature of the polyimide coating , e . g ., 425 ° c ., and capillary gc columns are essentially disposable as a result . thus , the metal coated silica strands manufactured according to the present invention can provide high temperature gc capillaries , high temperature optical fibers , and capillaries that are resistant to chemicals that normally would attack the underlying polyimide coating , such as strong acids and bases . also , the gold may be soldered , so one can make simple hermetic seals on fiber and capillary . further , one can transmit electricity down a fiber or capillary or establish a static electrical field around the fiber or capillary , which might lead to applications in sensors and perhaps even in ce related methods and biotechnology applications . a possible application for this process is the manufacture a surgical fiber , particularly one using long wavelengths where gold is at least partially reflective and where the “ bare ” fiber is made visible in x - ray and in endocscopic procedures where saline flush is used . currently , the fiber almost disappears in the aqueous environment , making placement of the tip very difficult . rulings on the fiber tip would be useful to the surgeon in gauging the dimensions of target tissues , e . g ., urinary calculi . this method would be useful because normally the fiber or choice for such applications has a secondary ( 2 °) numerical aperture ( na ), due to the low index polymer coating on the outside diameter ( od ) of fluorine doped glass cladding . in bending stresses , evanescent field energy leaks into the glass cladding , as cladding modes . when the bends become sharp enough to exceed the secondary na , the polymer coating ( 2 ° cladding ) burns and the fiber fails , often damaging costly endoscopic equipment , causing injury to the patient or even surgical personnel . while gold is not an excellent reflector until about 3 μm wavelength , it does reflect at 2 . 1 μm , so it should function as a reflective - type containment of the cladding modes . different metals used in the method according to the present invention include , but are not limited to , gold , silver , platinum , palladium , and the like , which would permit use of fiber ( if directly coated on glass thickly enough ) at up to 1000 ° c . finally , additional polymer coatings may be applied over the metallic coatings or markings in order to provide physical protection to the coated materials for handling and additional processing . the preferred embodiment of the invention is described above in the description of preferred embodiments . while these descriptions directly describe the above embodiments , it is understood that those skilled in the art may conceive modifications and / or variations to the specific embodiments shown and described herein . any such modifications or variations that fall within the purview of this description are intended to be included therein as well . unless specifically noted , it is the intention of the inventors that the words and phrases in the specification and claims be given the ordinary and accustomed meanings to those of ordinary skill in the applicable art ( s ). the foregoing description of a preferred embodiment and best mode of the invention known to the applicant at the time of filing the application has been presented and is intended for the purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed , and many modifications and variations are possible in the light of the above teachings . the embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application and to enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated .
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the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . referring to fig1 , there is shown a system 10 for changing the angle of a nose of a bullet , relative to the body , while the bullet is in flight to control the trajectory of the bullet . in general , the nose of the bullet is rotated in accordance with a generally constant nose angle , smoothly relative to the bullet body , with a rotation rate equal to but in opposite direction as the rotation rate of the bullet . this enables the bullet to appear to have a bent nose that is constant in its orientation relative to air stream through which it flies , and thus can be used to control the trajectory of the bullet after it leaves the barrel of weapon . in fig1 , the system 10 involves the use of a projectile 12 having a body portion 14 , a nose 16 , and a reduced diameter portion 18 for supporting the nose 16 from the body portion 14 . the reduced diameter portion 18 is preferably made from a material that is slightly flexible , such as high strength steel . an electronic subsystem 22 is located within a central portion 20 of the body portion 14 for controlling a wobbling motion ( i . e ., deflection ) of the nose 16 as the projectile 12 is in flight . in one form the projectile 12 may comprise a bullet , for example a . 50 caliber round of ammunition that is fired from a rifle , automatic weapon , or any other suitable weapon . the system 10 is not limited to use with any one caliber of projectile , but rather may be incorporated into larger or smaller caliber projectiles . however , with the long useable range of . 50 caliber bullet , which may extend for one mile or longer , the accuracy provided by the present system 10 is expected to significantly enhance the effectiveness of such a projectile and its corresponding weapon . the projectile 12 may be substantially enclosed within a conventional casing 23 before being fired from a weapon 25 . with further reference to fig1 , the nose 16 is also supported by three electrically responsive components 24 a , 24 b and 24 c . in one embodiment the electrically responsive components 24 a - 24 c may comprise piezoceramic actuators , however , any form of electrically responsive materials may be used , provided they have the ability to alter their shape in response to an electrical signal . for convenience , the electrically responsive components 24 a - 24 c will be referred to throughout the following discussion simply as “ piezoceramic actuators ” 24 a - 24 c . the piezoceramic actuators 24 a - 24 c each may be shaped like a beam . each is further coupled at a first end 26 to an associated coupling element 28 , and at a second end 30 to a coupling element 32 . the coupling elements 28 and 30 are fixedly secured either by suitable adhesives or mechanical fasteners to the nose 16 and body portion 14 respectively . as shown in fig2 , the piezoceramic actuators 24 a - 24 c are further arranged so that they spaced apart preferably about 120 degrees from one another around the circumference of the nose 16 . as will be described in more detail in the following paragraphs , the piezoceramic actuators 24 a - 24 c are controllably actuated to cause the nose 16 to be tilted ( or deflected ) away from the axial center 34 of the projectile 12 during flight . this is highly useful in controlling the trajectory of the projectile 12 . as will be appreciated , a projectile such as a bullet typically exits the barrel of the weapon from which it was fired with a high degree of spin . the rate of spin may be up to 15 , 000 rpm or even higher . typically the nose of a bullet will begin to “ wobble ” slightly as it flies through the atmosphere after leaving the barrel . by “ wobble ”, it is meant that the axial center of the nose of the bullet moves through and around the generally linear path that the bullet is travelling . as the bullet travels towards its intended target the amount of wobble of the nose typically gets worse . depending on the distance to the target and the atmospheric conditions present , such as wind , rain , snow , etc ., the wobble may become significantly pronounced . eventually , the bullet may actually begin tumbling end over end before it reaches its intended target . obviously , the greater the degree of wobble of the nose during flight , generally the greater the loss of accuracy of the bullet that will be experienced . with brief reference to fig3 , for example , when piezoceramic actuator 24 a is actuated , it bows or “ buckles ”, causing it to pull the nose 16 of the projectile 12 away from the axial center 34 of the projectile 12 . depending which one piezoceramic actuator 24 ( or pair of actuators 24 ) is actuated , the nose 16 will be deflected in an intended direction . this controlled deflection or controlled wobble of the nose 16 is used to effectively cancel the wobble that the nose 16 of the projectile 12 would otherwise experience during flight if the piezoceramic actuators 24 a - 24 c were not being used . selectively actuating specific ones of the piezoceramic actuators 24 a - 24 c allows the nose 16 of the projectile to be kept in a constant orientation , relative to a reference surface ( e . g ., a ground surface ). this can significantly enhance the accuracy of the projectile 12 . it will also be appreciated that while the piezoceramic actuators 24 a - 24 c are shown in linear orientations in fig1 and 2 , that the actuators could just as readily be configured so that they assume a normally bowed or buckled shape . then , straightening out any given one of the piezoceramic actuators 24 a - 24 c , either by applying a suitable electrical signal or removing an electrical signal , could achieve the desired deflection of the nose 16 described above . it will also be appreciated that while three piezoceramic actuators 24 a - 24 c are illustrated , that a greater or lesser plurality of actuators could be employed . the number of piezoceramic actuators 24 used will affect the degree of precision by which the nose 16 can be deflected . however , the greater the number of actuators 24 used the greater the complexity and cost of the signal processing electronics that will likely be required . referring now to fig4 , a more detailed illustration of one embodiment of the electronic subsystem 22 of the system 10 is shown . initially , it will be appreciated that the system 10 includes an external signal source 36 for supplying a wireless signal that may be used by the system 10 in implementing control of the piezoceramic actuators 24 a - 24 c . the wireless signal is preferably an electromagnetic wave signal ( e . g ., an rf signal ). a projectile launch sensor 38 is physically attached to the weapon that is used to fire the projectile 12 so that the recoil of the weapon can be sensed , and the approximate instant that firing occurs can be detected . the launch sensor 38 may be a strain gauge or any other suitable form of sensor , for example a sensor formed from a piezoelectric polymer such as a polyvinylidene fluoride ( pvdf ). such a sensor is commercially available from ktech corporation of albuquerque , n . mex . alternatively it be an electrically isolated section of the piezoceramic material or the bimorph beam itself which is able to detect the firing ( i . e ., recoil ) of the projectile . the electronic subsystem 22 includes an antenna , which is also shown in fig3 . the antenna , as shown in fig3 , is preferably orientated perpendicular to the axial center of the projectile 12 . the signal being emitted from the external signal source 36 may be a polarized signal , for example a vertically polarized signal . thus , the strength of the signal received by the antenna 40 will vary significantly , and in a cyclic manner , as the physical orientation of the projectile 12 changes when the projectile spins during flight . this is because the physical orientation of the antenna 40 will be continuously changing such that a signal of increasing strength , and then decreasing strength , will be received , in an alternating fashion . the frequency of cyclic signal will also be in accordance with the spin rate of the projectile 12 . the antenna 40 may comprise a patch antenna that is linearly polarized . alternatively , a magnetic sensor may be used in place of the antenna 40 and external rf signal 36 . the magnetic sensor may sense the earth &# 39 ; s magnetic field as it spins and generate a sinusoidally varying output waveform that is referenced to the spin rate , and also to the roll angle , of the projectile 12 . the electronic subsystem 22 may include a roll angle reference oscillator 42 , a phase lock loop subsystem 44 , a flight command processor 46 , a nose angle sensor 48 , a three phase signal generator 50 , an amplitude control subsystem 52 , an acceleration command generator 54 , and an actuator drive subsystem 56 . the roll angle reference oscillator 42 receives the varying output signal from the antenna 40 and the launch signal from the launch sensor 38 . upon receiving the launch signal , the roll angle reference oscillator 42 begins generating a sinusoidally varying ( i . e ., oscillating ) reference signal having a frequency that is tied to the spin rate of the projectile 12 , and which is also indicative of the roll angle of the projectile 12 . thus , if the spin rate of the projectile 12 as the projectile leaves the weapon is 150 , 000 rpm , then the frequency of the output signal from the roll angle reference oscillator 42 may be 2 . 5 khz . also , since one revolution of the projectile 12 will represent one cycle of the oscillator &# 39 ; s 42 signal , this sinusoidal signal forms a measure of the projectile roll angle at any given instant . the nose angle sensor 48 supplies signals relating to the angle of the nose wobble at any given instant to the flight control processor 46 . one implementation is to electrically isolate a small section of the piezoceramic material located on each piezoceramic actuator 24 , thus forming a strain sensor that measures the deflection of the piezoceramic actuator 24 , and hence the angle between the nose 16 and the bullet body portion 14 . the angle of wobble of the nose 16 of the projectile 12 is relative to the axial center of the body portion 14 . the output of the roll angle reference oscillator 42 is fed to an input of the phase lock loop ( pll ) subsystem 44 . the pll subsystem 44 also receives an output from the flight command processor 46 and from the actuator drive subsystem 54 . the flight command processor 46 provides the phase offset commands that are used by the pll subsystem 44 to generate the needed phase control signals to the three phase generator 50 . put differently , the signal output from the flight control processor 46 represents the desired phase difference ( i . e ., offset ), at a given time , between are the phase angle of the sinusoidal output from the roll angle reference oscillator 42 and the projectile nose wobble output from the nose angle sensor 48 . essentially , the direction command subsystem 46 provides an input signal to the pll subsystem 44 that tells the pll subsystem what is the offset phase of the electrical signals that that need to be generated to offset the wobble of the nose 16 and to maintain the nose at a desired angle relative to a reference surface . for example , in fig3 , the desired angle 34 a of the nose 16 may be preselected to be 20 degrees . the flight control processor 46 would then be programmed to provide the offset needed to maintain the nose at the desired 20 degree angle . the precise angle selected may depend on various factors , including the type of projectile ( e . g ., caliber ) being used , or possibly even the environment in which the projectile is being used ( e . g ., in windy , rainy weather ). an option is a remote flight control processor 46 a . a remote flight control processor would receive wireless signals , for example wireless rf signals , from the nose angle sensor 48 and the acceleration command generator 54 , and send wireless phase offset signals back to the pll subsystem 44 to control angular orientation of the nose 16 of the projectile 12 . the remote flight control processor 46 a could be located on a mobile platform or at a stationary location , such as a nearby command facility . returning to fig4 , the pll subsystem 44 generates the phase control signals that the three phase signal generator 50 uses to generate the three phase electrical signals that are used for controlling the piezoceramic actuators 24 a - 24 c . the output signals from the three phase signal generator 50 are modified by the amplitude control subsystem 52 , based on the desired normal acceleration of the nose 16 . the amplitude control subsystem 52 output signals may be generated by a suitable guidance algorithm used therewith . thus , when the acceleration of the projectile 12 is at a maximum value , and the wobble of the nose 16 is expected to be at its lowest magnitude , the acceleration command generator may not attenuate the signals output from the three phase generator 50 at all . but as the projectile 12 flies along it path of travel , the acceleration command generator 54 may signal to the amplitude control subsystem 52 to slightly increase the magnitudes of the output signals being provided to the actuator drive subsystem 56 . this allows the amplitude of the drive signals to be tailored to the speed of the projectile 12 . referring further to fig4 , the actuator drive subsystem 56 can be seen to include switching elements 58 a , 58 b , 60 a , 60 b , and 62 a - 62 b . an inductor 64 is disposed between the two switching elements 58 a and 58 b . a second inductor 66 is disposed between the two switching elements 60 a and 60 b , and a third inductor 68 is disposed between the switching elements 62 a and 62 b . the inductors 64 , 66 and 68 take the switching signals from the amplitude control subsystem 52 and help to provide sinusoidal electrical switching signals to the piezoceramic actuators 24 a - 24 c . the output signals from the amplitude control subsystem 52 control the switches associated with each of the piezoceramic actuators 24 a - 24 c . in effect , the switching signals applied to the switches 60 a , 60 b will be 120 degrees out of phase ( e . g ., advanced ), from those applied to switches 58 a , 58 b . the signals applied to switches 62 a , 62 b will be 120 out of phase ( e . g ., advanced ) from those applied to switches 60 a , 60 b . referring briefly to fig5 a - 5c , one example of the switching signals is shown . switching signal 70 may be applied to piezoceramic actuator 24 a , switching signal 72 to piezoceramic actuator 24 b and switching signal 74 to piezoceramic actuator 24 c . signal 72 is advanced 120 degrees in phase from signal 70 , and signal 74 is advanced 120 degrees in phase from signal 72 . referring to fig6 , a flowchart 100 is shown illustrating exemplary operations that the system 10 may perform in controlling the flight of the projectile 16 . initially , at operation 102 , the launch of the projectile 12 is first detected . at operation 104 the roll angle and spin rate of the projectile 12 is sensed . at operation 106 the roll angle and spin rate are used by the roll angle reference oscillator 42 to generate the roll angle reference signal . at operation 108 the needed flight control information is obtained from the flight control processor 46 . at operation 110 the pll subsystem 44 generates the pll signals that are used by the three phase generator 50 . at operation 112 the magnitude of the three phase switching signals from the three phase generator 50 are adjusted in relation to the acceleration of the projectile 16 . at operation 114 the amplitude adjusted switching signals are applied to the piezoceramic actuators 24 a - 24 c . the system 10 and method of the present disclosure enables the attitude of the nose of a projectile to be maintained at a desired attitude over the course of its flight , relative to some external reference line , for example a ground surface , over which the projectile is travelling . this can significantly increase the accuracy of the projectile . while various embodiments have been described , those skilled in the art will recognize modifications or variations which might be made without departing from the present disclosure . the examples illustrate the various embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure . therefore , the description and claims should be interpreted liberally with only such limitation as is necessary in view of the pertinent prior art .
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the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown . this invention may , however , be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein ; rather , this embodiment is provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art . referring now to the drawings , there is shown in fig1 and 2 , an embodiment of the present invention , which is a monopod , generally designated 10 that is lightweight and portable . it provides support to the camera 11 and enhances user control throughout the slotted length of its permitted travel along the hollow shaft 12 , and the up and down tilting of the camera . the slotted length is defined by a hollow shaft slot 13 that runs along a part of the length of the hollow shaft 12 . the hollow shaft 12 has an upper end 7 and lower end 9 , and comprises the primary mechanism of the embodiment of the present invention and is able to stand alone or on an assortment of bases such as a foot plug 14 . also shown is a support leg 16 that is joined to the hollow shaft 12 in order to extend the gross working vertical length of the monopod 10 , as well as a camera mount and tilt mechanism 79 , which facilitates the retention and control of a camera . the hollow shaft 12 incorporates the primary mechanism of the monopod 10 , and has a hollow shaft head 19 to which capsules 30 , 30 ′ are attached and a hollow shaft foot 18 that enables the monopod to either stand alone or on an assortment of bases . the hollow shaft 12 is connected at its hollow shaft foot 18 to a support leg 16 by means of a connector plug 14 to thereby extend the gross working vertical height of the monopod 10 . the connector plug 14 is generally cylindrical and formed so that its end forms an interference fit with the internal surface of the hollow shaft 12 and support leg 16 , and is over sized in the middle to form a connector plug spacer 15 to prevent damage to the hollow shaft and support leg . the support leg 16 may be any one of a variety of tubes , stands , and tripods ; alternatively , if an extension is desired , the foot plug 17 at the base of the support leg 16 can be replaced by a variety of tubes , stands , and tripods to broaden the versatility of the present invention across an increased range of photographic opportunities and environments . alternatively , the foot plug can also be supplied with a spiked end to enable placement of the monopod on the ground . referring also now to fig3 , shown is an enlarged view of the constant force spring mechanism which comprises constant force helical springs 20 , 20 ′ that are connected to a movable plug 50 by pin 25 that fits into helical spring retaining hole 52 . more specifically , the constant force helical springs 20 , 20 ′ sit at the top of the hollow shaft 12 . the movable plug 50 travels inside the cavity of the hollow shaft 12 as a result of its attachment to collar 60 which the user photographer causes to move . movable plug 50 is attached to the collar 60 and collar sleeve 61 via collar pin 62 , which fits into plug retaining hole 53 through slot 13 . since collar 60 travels along the outside of the hollow shaft 12 in tandem with the movable plug 50 , it therefore contributes to maintaining the mechanical integrity of the hollow shaft 12 by preventing its walls from buckling inward or outward . the collar 60 also supports a camera mount plate 80 upon which camera mount bracket 89 rests and provides for an up / down camera tilt feature . collar sleeve 61 interfaces between the collar 60 and hollow shaft 12 and is selected from materials that ensure that it is slideably connected to the hollow shaft 12 and is intended to minimize friction as it slides along the length of the hollow shaft 12 . constant force helical springs 20 , 20 ′ act as counterweight force means and are selected to counteract the loading force of the movable plug 50 and the other elements attached to the movable plug 50 , as well as in accordance with the specific desire of the photographer user . constant force helical spring 20 , 20 ′ are mounted with internal diameters tightly wrapped around drums 21 , 21 ′ that ride on bearings 22 , 22 ′ which are in turn held in place by axles 23 , 23 ′ that are further retained by capsules 30 , 30 ′. constant force helical springs 20 , 20 ′ will have the tendency to force the top of the capsules 30 , 30 ′ away from each other . in order to hold capsules 30 , 30 ′ in the positions shown in fig3 , container box 40 is used to counteract the forces . those skilled in the art will realize that there are numerous means to hold or mechanically bond capsules 30 , 30 ′ together . the free ends of the constant force springs attached to the loading force , which is the movable plug 50 , etc . the movable plug 50 also has a slot 51 to receive the constant force helical spring ends 24 and a hole 52 through which the spring ends 24 are secured by a pin 25 . in other embodiments , the load capacity can be increased by using a plurality of constant force springs mounted in tandem on top of each other . turning now to fig4 and 5 , in addition to height adjustment , the present invention includes means to mount and control the camera &# 39 ; s vertical attitude ( up and down tilt ) by a camera and tilt mechanism 79 that is mounted onto the collar 60 . tapped holes in collar 60 receive coves 63 , 63 ′ that convert one side of collar 60 into a flat plane . spacer screws 64 , 64 ′ retain coves 63 , 63 ′ and the rear pressure plate 70 against the hollow shaft 12 . the camera mount and tilt mechanism 79 includes a rear pressure plate 70 and front pressure plate 70 ′ and corresponding friction pads 81 , 81 ′, which are used to sandwich a rotating camera mount plate 80 . a camera mount spindle 82 extends from the rotating mount plate 80 through to the front pressure plate 70 ′ and is mechanically attached to the camera mount tongue 83 using splines , screws , welding , chemical bonding or similar means . an element of the camera mount and tilt mechanism 79 is that the center of gravity of the camera is generally near the centerline of spindle 82 . tightening pressure plate adjustment screw 72 , 72 ′ forces friction pads 81 , 81 ′ against rotating camera mount plate 80 thereby restricting its rotational movement . this permits the user to control the up and down tilt of the camera 11 from its free tilt position and further so that when the photographer is satisfied with the tilt angle and aim he can release the camera without changing the pre - adjusted camera tilt angle . the pressure can be adjusted according to the camera &# 39 ; s size and weight . furthermore , the moment produced by the weight of the camera 11 causes the collar 60 to tighten against the hollow shaft 12 and this enables both the collar 60 and the moveable plug 50 to which it is connected to hold fast against the monopod . turning now to fig6 , 7 and 8 , there is shown a camera mount bracket 89 and elements thereof . the camera mount bracket 89 comprises of a vertical mount bracket arm 90 and horizontal mount bracket arm 91 and are held together by bracket reinforcement screws 94 , 94 ′ and is further configured to mate with and be attached to the base of the camera 11 by means of mounting bolt 95 , whose travel is limited to the length of the slot 93 , which is sized in order to adjust to a variety of cameras . in the usual upright , vertical position , the female dovetail groove 96 of the camera mount bracket 89 slides over the mating male dovetail camera mount tongue 83 of fig5 . for the horizontal position , longitudinally formed dovetail groove 92 is also formed to slide over mating male dovetail camera mount tongue 83 in a similar manner .
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a receptacle which forms an embodiment of the invention comprises a receptacle front member 10 , a pair of power blade connector straps 12 and 14 , a receptacle body 16 , a ground blade connector strap 18 and a yoke 20 . the receptacle front member 10 comprises a front cover of generally rectangular shape and designated 10a , a pair of power contact side covers generally designated 10b and 10c , respectively , and a ground contact side cover generally designated 10d . the front cover 10a has two sets of apertures or slots extending perpendicularly therethrough to accommodate the various conductive blades of one or two male plugs inserted into the receptacle . the number of apertures and their configurations will , of course , depend upon the particular application or use to which the receptacle is to be put . the receptacle as illustrated has two sets of power blade apertures , designated 11a and 11b , respectively ; two sets of neutral blade apertures designated 13a and 13b , respectively , and two sets of ground blade apertures , designated 15a and 15b , respectively , to accommodate conventional three - blade plugs . if the receptacle is not a grounding type , the ground apertures 15a and 15b may be omitted and only two apertures provided in each set ; a power and a neutral aperture oriented in substantially parallel alignment . the entire receptacle front member is integrally molded with the side covers hinged to the front cover by means of &# 34 ; live &# 34 ; or web hinges . the ground connector strap 18 and yoke 20 are assembled into a unit by means of rivets 22 and 24 which pass through respective openings 26 and 28 in the yoke 20 and through respective openings 30 and 32 in the ground connector strap 18 and have their ends peened over to fixedly secure the strap 18 and yoke 20 together in good electrical contact . the receptacle further comprises a pair of side cover assembly screws 34 and 36 and a ground contact assembly screw 35 which , as described below , assist in the assembly and wiring of the receptacle . to assemble the receptacle , the ground blade connector strap 18 is placed inside the yoke 20 and riveted together and the sub - assembly is inserted into the receptacle body 16 from the bottom thereof as seen in fig1 . a dovetail 40 of the yoke 20 fits within a mating guide slot 42 in the receptacle body to secure this end of the yoke to the receptacle body . in this position , a pair of projections 44 and 46 fit within pocket or cavity 48 in the receptacle body 16 , another pair of projections 50 and 52 fit closely around the outside of the side walls forming another pocket 54 in the receptacle body 16 , a pair of grounding blades 56 and 58 forming one of the ground contacts fit and are thereby housed within the pocket 48 in the receptacle body 16 , toward the left - hand side of that pocket as seen in fig1 . the grounding strap 18 includes a tong 60 having at its top a threaded wallplate screw hole 62 aligned with wallplate aperture 62a . the tong 60 positioned against the inside surface of the projection 46 is , along with projection 46 , housed by the pocket 48 . to render greater stability to the cantilevered end of the tong bearing the screw hole 62 , tip portion 63 of the tong may be shouldered to seat against the opposite inwardly inclined edges 44b of the projection 44 , fig4 . in any event , the screw opening 61 of greater diameter than the screw 36 is substantially aligned with a threaded opening 47 in the projection 46 to permit unimpeded inward axial movement of the screw 36 through the opening 47 upon rotation of the screw during cover closure . another pair of ground contact blades 64 and 66 , forming another ground contact of the ground connector strap 18 fit within and are thereby housed by the pocket 54 . the guide slot 42 and pockets 48 and 54 in the receptacle body 16 extend through the entire receptacle body and are open at their bottom ends , which are not visible in fig1 . the power connector strap 14 is inserted into the receptacle body 16 , by dropping it into the body 16 from the top thereof as seen in fig1 such that its blades forming a power contact , generally indicated at 68 , fit within a pocket 70 in the receptacle body 16 and its blades forming another power contact generally indicated at 72 fit within another pocket 74 in the receptacle body 16 , its pair of legs 76 and 78 , which define a generally v - shaped insulation - displacement slot 80 therebetween , fit between abutments 82 and 84 of the receptacle body 16 and over a land 86 having a u - shaped slot 88 which is large enough to accommodate the largest conductor to be wired into the receptacle , and legs 90 and 92 defining between them a generally v - shaped insulation - displacement slot 94 fit between similar abutments 96 and 98 over a similar land 100 having a similar slot 102 . when so positioned , a break - off tab 157 is located over a cavity 138 behind an upstanding land 97 extending between the abutments 84 and 96 . tabs 79 and 89 are positioned to abut the land 97 and thereby limit outward movement of the slots 80 and 94 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the device 10 whether the tab 157 is broken off or not . the land 97 also serves as a fulcrum for the blade of a screwdriver which may be inserted in a slot 155 to bend and thus break the tab 157 from its supporting tabs 79 and 89 , respectively . as will be apparent , the outer edges of the legs 76 , 78 and 90 , 92 will bear against abutment 82 , 84 and 96 , 98 , respectively , to restrain the contacts 90 and 94 , respectively , against movement in directions parallel to the longitudinal axis of the device 10 . the inward edges 81 and 95 of the respective contacts 80 and 94 bear against the surfaces of the pocket 48 adjoining the lands 86 and 100 , respectively . the power blade connector strap 12 , which is a mirror image of the strap 14 , fits similarly in the receptacle body 16 such that its power blades generally indicated at 104 and 106 fit within pockets 108 and 110 , respectively , of the receptacle body 16 , an its insulation - displacement slots fit between similar abutments and over similar lands . the front member 10 is fitted to the thusly assembled components by aligning the tops of the projections 44 , 46 , 50 and 52 , which protrude above the top of the receptacle body 16 , with matching rectangular slots 112 , 114 , 118 and 116 , respectively , formed in the back of the front cover 10a of the front member 10 , fig2 . the projections 44 , 46 , 50 and 52 each have a plurality of sharp barbs on the outer edges of their top ends and are spaced apart far enough to bite into the opposite ends of the plastic walls defining the corresponding slots 112 - 118 in the front cover 10a . these barbs engaging the slot walls thereby secure together , with an interference fit , the entire assembly made up of the front cover 10a , the power blade connector straps 12 and 14 , the receptacle body 16 , the ground blade connector strap 18 and the yoke 20 . the slots 112 and 114 receiving the barbed ends of the projections 44 and 46 , respectively , are partially visible in fig2 and may be positioned on opposite sides of the wall plate aperture 62a . the front cover 10a includes integrally molded projections 120 and 122 positioned and dimensioned such that projection 120 , which is generally u - shaped in section with the open side facing outwardly , presses the legs 76 and 78 defining the slot 80 onto the land 86 and the projection 122 , of generally u - shape in section , similarly presses the legs 90 and 92 defining the insulation - displacement slot 94 against the land 100 . the free ends of the projections 120 and 122 press against the legs defining the respective insulation - displacement slots to resist bending and deformation of the respective legs by forces applied in directions transverse to the plane of the legs when conductors are pushed into the insulation - displacement slots . the projections also provide a three - sided insulated housing around the edges defining each slot . the open side of each housing is wide enough to accommodate the end of an insulation - covered wire which is forced into an underlying insulation - severing slot . similar projections 124 and 126 , of generally u - shaped in section , press the insulation - displacement slots of the power connector strap 12 against similar lands and between similar abutments , and another projection 128 fits over the surfaces of two legs 130 , 132 which define a ground conductor insulation - displacement slot 134 . the two legs 130 , 132 are is located inwardly of two integrally formed , opposed legs 142 and 143 which define therebetween a u - shaped slot 145 dimensioned to accept the heaviest ground conductor for which the receptacle is designed . when so assembled , the receptacle is ready to be wired . the unstripped ends of power and ground conductors are placed at the respective power and ground insulation - displacement slots , as illustrated in fig4 and 5 , and the side covers are pivoted toward the receptacle body 16 , initially by hand and then with the assistance of the assembly screws 34 , 35 and 36 . referring as an example to fig4 the unstripped end of a power conductor 130 is placed at the insulation - displacement slot 94 , which is visible in fig4 and the power side cover 10c is pivoted toward the receptacle body 16 such that the slot 131 in the cover 10c and the pusher block 134 on the inside of the side cover 10c engage the insulated sheath of the conductor 130 . the web portion 135 of the pusher block 134 is aligned with the slot 94 and can freely enter it . the power assembly screw 34 passes through the opening 38 , fig2 . the screw 34 also passes freely through the u - shaped insulating barrier 136 in the receptacle body and is threaded into the threaded opening 44a in the projection 44 of the yoke 20 . upon tightening the power blade assembly screw 34 , the conductor 130 is pushed progressively into the insulation - displacement slot 94 until the slot cuts through the insulation and makes electrical contact with the underlying conductor wire 130a . it is noted that the pusher block 134 , web 135 and the edges of the slot 131 engage a length of the insulated sheath of the conductor 130 , pressing it against mating parts of the receptacle body 16 , to provide a degree of strain relief against tensile forces applied to the conductor . any other power conductor and the ground conductor are wired similarly and are similarly held to provide strain relief . a separate side cover 10d and a separate assembly screw 35 , extending through opening 39 in side cover 10d and threaded in the opening 51 of projection 50 , are used in a similar manner to wire the ground conductor . as illustrated in fig4 assembly screw 36 passes through opening 37 ( fig1 ) in side cover 10b and threads into opening 47 of projection 46 , with any protruding part of the screw tip extending through opening 61 in the grounding strap 18 and into the open area between the projection 44 and the tong 60 of the grounding strap . the terminal action is not adversely affected by the offset loading produced by only one conductor each in the hot and neutral terminal . to use the receptacle as a split circuit receptacle , the tab 157 ( fig1 ) in the power connector 14 and the tab 161 in the power connector 12 can be broken off with the screwdriver used to effect wiring and installation of the receptacle . to facilitate manufacture of the receptacle , the ground strap 18 and the yoke 20 could be made as a single integral metal part rather than two individual parts connected by the rivets 22 and 24 . in addition , the projections 44 and 46 could be positioned at the end of the yoke 20 opposite that from which the projections 50 and 51 depend and the housing 16 recessed to receive these projections to depend therefrom in the same way as the projections 50 and 51 depend from their end of the yoke . other similar changes could be made to the receptacle without departing from the scope of the invention . as will be appreciated , when assembled and wired , the insulated housing of the receptacle fully encloses all electrically live parts to thereby reduce danger of electrical shock . the orientation of the elements of the receptacle has been described for the usual case , that is , the receptacle is mounted with the front cover 10a extending along a vertical plane and being the &# 34 ; front &# 34 ; of the receptacle . as will be understood , it is possible to mount the receptacle in other orientations without departing from the spirit of the invention .
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referring now to fig1 the device - under - test ( dut ) power supply of the present invention , generally designated 30 , is adaptable for use by automatic test equipment , generally designated 10 . the power supply implements on - tester load circuitry 36 ( fig2 and 3 ) to minimize calibration and validation process times . by providing on - tester load circuitry available to the dut power supply , costly hardware modifications for calibration / validation procedures are avoided . further referring to fig1 the automatic test equipment , or ate 10 , generally includes a computer workstation 12 that couples to a test head 14 via a cable bundle 16 . the test head houses a plurality of channel cards ( not shown ) and power supply boards 30 ( only one board shown ) in relative close proximity to the dut 40 . the dut mounts to a production device - interface - board ( dib ) 18 , that interfaces with the test head via a tester interface ( not shown ). the tester interface provides an interconnection of signal , ground and power paths between the ate and the dut . with reference to fig2 one specific embodiment of the dut power supply 30 that employs the internal calibration / validation circuitry of the present invention includes digital circuitry 32 , power circuitry 34 , internal load circuitry 36 and amplifier circuitry 50 . the digital circuitry 32 provides a digital - to - analog control interface between the tester and the dut power supply . the power circuitry 34 , in one embodiment , takes the form of a low - noise switching dc - dc converter , as more fully set forth in co - pending u . s . application ser . no . 09 / 718 , 780 , titled switching dc - dc converter with noise suppression circuitry , filed nov . 22 , 2000 , assigned to the assignee of the present invention , and expressly incorporated herein by reference . further details of the amplifier circuitry 50 are found in co - pending u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 797 , 511 , titled “ high current and high accuracy linear amplifier ”, filed mar . 1 , 2001 , assigned to the assignee of the present invention , and expressly incorporated herein by reference . referring to fig2 and 3 , the digital circuitry 32 , power circuitry 34 and amplifier circuitry 50 of fig2 may be thought of collectively as one embodiment of a power generation circuit 60 ( in phantom ) for purposes of the present invention . with continued reference to fig3 coupled to the power generation circuit is a current measurement unit 62 for providing accurate and precise current output information to the power circuitry to effect proper regulation under varying loads and operating conditions . further referring to fig3 the on - tester load circuitry 36 preferably includes internal calibration circuitry in the form of an active load 70 , and internal validation circuitry comprising an ac load 80 and a capacitive load 82 . in one embodiment , the active load includes a plurality of fet transistors fc 1 - fcn coupled in parallel . each transistor is regulated by a control circuit c 1 - cn to maintain consistent and stable operation through varying temperatures and other parameters . switching circuitry in the form of a plurality of switches sw 1 - sw 5 selectively substitutes the dut 40 for the active load 70 across the power circuitry output in response to software - driver commands . in a preferred embodiment , the active load 70 , the ac load 80 and the capacitive load 82 are coupled to a nist - traceable current source i . to calibrate the power supply current measurement unit 62 , the active load 70 is first calibrated using the nist - traceable current source i . the precise value of the current source is stored in a non - volatile ram memory 64 . the precise known current value , for example 1 . 000 amperes , is applied to each fet of the active load in sequence . voltage measurements are taken , for example at the terminals t 1 and t 2 ( by nist traceable voltage measuring circuitry , not shown ) and combined with the known current in accordance with ohms law to determine the precise resistance value for each fet transistor . once the active load resistances for fets fc 1 - fcn are known , they may then be activated individually , or in combination , as calibration loads for the current measurement unit 62 . for any given known load , voltage measurements may be taken ( again , using voltage measurement circuitry , not shown ) to determine the output current ( using basic ohms law ). this measurement is taken in addition to the readings from the current measurement unit itself . the measured current values are then compared . calibration offsets and gain factors are then calculated , and stored in a calibration memory ( not shown ) for future current measurements made by the power supply circuitry during normal device testing . this combination of circuitry and process achieves a nist - traceable calibration of the power supply current measurement unit 62 without having to undock the tester ( or test head ) from a prober or a handler during its normal operating conditions . with continued reference to fig3 the ac load 80 and the capacitive load 82 emulate the dynamic load currents presented to the power supply by the activity of the dut and the bulk capacitance usually present on the dib to minimize voltage droop by supplying instantaneous current to the dut . by switching different numbers of load fet switches on and off in a dynamic fashion , the varying load of the dut can be emulated . by switching different numbers of capacitors on , the ability of the power supply to drive the different load capacitances is verified . validation procedures are highly desirable prior to placing the tester in a production environment . the ac load 80 preferably comprises a set of dynamic loads including resistors r 1 - rn to set current levels and fets fv 1 - fvn that are selectively activated to provide a path from the power supply to the load resistors . by implementing several resistors / fets in parallel , the current level may be varied . similarly , the capacitive load 82 includes a plurality of fets f 2 v 1 - f 2 vn that selectively switch - in respective capacitors c 1 - cn . use of these two circuits in combination allows the load to emulate a wide range of dut and dib test conditions , with a wide range of currents and load impedances . one of the challenging aspects with having the load circuitry 36 within the ate test head , as described above , is that unlike external dib - based validation schemes , the actual interface parasitics to a dib are not in the validation load path . as a result , the performance of the ate supply when driving a load through the in - tester parasitics may not be fully validated . further , the quality of the path from the ate power supply to the dut may not be verified fully . the inventor has addressed these potential challenges with a unique modification as described below . referring now to fig4 the challenges above are alleviated by providing an ate power supply 100 comprising two power supply units , power supply a 90 and power supply b 92 . the supplies may be operated individually or in parallel . respective internal loads 94 and 96 are provided for each supply . the loads are similar in construction to the selectively switched ac and capacitive loads described earlier , and warrant no further description . with continued reference to fig4 both supplies are interconnected to the dut 40 via separate paths 91 , 93 ( for power supply a 90 ) and 95 , 97 ( for power supply b 92 ). the connections allow driving the paths to the dib 18 from one power supply ( for example , power supply a ) and connecting the load 96 associated with the other supply ( power supply b ) to that supply &# 39 ; s path to the dib . at that point , the path from the overall combined power supply to the load includes the parasitics from the first supply to the dib and also the parasitics from the dib back to the load associated with the second power supply . thus , the interconnection parasitics and the ability of the power supply to properly supply power through those parasitics may be verified . following calibration and validation , the calibration and validation loads 70 , 80 and 82 ( fig3 ) are deactivated by the switching circuitry swa - swe , and the dut 40 switched into the power supply circuit . at this point , the power supply is ready for device testing , where accurate current measurement capability is critically important . those skilled in the art will appreciate the numerous benefits and advantages afforded by the present invention . of particular importance is the in - tester load circuitry that enables the elimination of any undocking procedures associated with the calibration and validation process . by eliminating the undocking steps , substantial savings in throughput and time associated with calibration and validation are realized by the semiconductor device manufacturer . 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 detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , while the present invention has been described in detail for use in packaged - device level applications , minor modifications could be made to employ the power supply in wafer - probe applications . in such applications , device boards take the form of probecards . moreover , implementation of fet transistors are specifically identified for use in the in - tester load circuits of the present invention . while fets are preferred , it is to be understood that any type of in - tester loads are within the scope of the present invention , including discrete resistors and other forms of transistor technologies . additionally , the description herein often refers to “ in - tester ” as being within the testhead . while this is considered within the scope of the present invention , the “ in - tester loads ” may be placed anywhere in the tester , including the mainframe and / or the power supply housing .
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according to the present invention , marine cuttings are treated , preferably in situ , to minimize their environmental impact upon discharge . the treatment forms a cutting mixture which will not result in oxygen depletion of marine sediment . in a preferred method , free hydrocarbons in the cuttings are converted into “ isolated hydrocarbons ,” defined herein as hydrocarbons which are unavailable to organically enrich surrounding marine sediment in an amount sufficient to induce oxygen depletion of the marine sediment . for purposes of the present application , the term “ oxygen depletion ” is defined to mean depletion of oxygen in marine sediment to a level below that required to sustain a typical community of benthic aerobic organisms . without limiting the invention , typical healthy marine sediments are believed to have an oxygen content of from about 2 mg o 2 / liter to about 8 mg o 2 / liter of sediment . isolated hydrocarbons may be formed in a number of ways , including but not necessarily limited to encapsulation of the free hydrocarbons with a suitable encapsulating material . in a preferred embodiment , free hydrocarbons in the drilled cuttings are encapsulated with an encapsulating material which renders the hydrocarbons wholly or partially inaccessible to biological degradation for a prolonged period of time . in a preferred embodiment , hydrocarbons in the drilling mud are non - toxic and biodegradable , and the encapsulating material allows some release of the hydrocarbons into the seawater at a rate which is sufficiently low as to allow the microorganisms in the surrounding environment to degrade the hydrocarbons without oxygen depletion of the marine sediment . the drilled cuttings may be treated using any suitable system of equipment . after separation from the drilling mud , the contaminated cuttings typically pass through a holding bin into an inlet hopper . the cuttings preferably are treated directly in a batch mixer equipped with an appropriate inlet for the relevant solutions and an apparatus for low shear mixing , such as a paddle mixer . in a preferred embodiment , the cuttings are sprayed with an emulsifyng solution effective to transform the free hydrocarbons in the cuttings into an emulsion . the emulsion thereafter is treated with an encapsulating material to encapsulate the emulsified hydrocarbons . the composition of the emulsifying solution will vary depending upon the type of free hydrocarbons found in the drilling mud , and may be similar to the emulsifiers used in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 076 , 938 , incorporated herein by reference . however , the following emulsifiers were found are superior to those described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 076 , 938 because of ( a ) environmental compatibility , and ( b ) stability of the emulsion . the emulsifying solution may be a blend of organic acids , inorganic acids , and emulsifiers . the emulsifier ( s ) may have any ionic nature , including non - ionic , anionic , and cationic . preferred emulsifying solutions are as non - toxic as possible , and preferably comprise either a non - ionic emulsifier ( where the drilling mud comprises paraffins ) or , a combination of at least a non - ionic surfactant and most preferably a non - ionic and an anionic emulsifier ( where the drilling system does not comprise paraffins ). although the compounds called “ emulsifiers ” herein typically are referred to as surfactants , their function in the present invention is to act as emulsifiers . the emulsifying solution lowers the interfacial tension between the oil and water to produce a sufficiently small droplet size , from about 3 microns to about 20 microns , preferably about 10 microns or less in diameter . preferred emulsifying solutions comprise : from about 15 wt % to about 45 wt %, preferably about 20 wt % phosphoric acid , or another acidic composition with similarly low toxicity ; about 5 wt % to about 90 wt %, preferably about 65 wt % emulsifiers ; and water . in order to achieve the desired small droplet size , it is necessary to use emulsifiers with the correct hydrophilic / lipophilic balance ( hlb ). the required hlb will differ depending upon the oil being emulsified . in a preferred embodiment , the required hlb is achieved using a non - ionic emulsifier . preferred non - ionic emulsifiers include , but are not necessarily limited to polyoxyethylene alcohols comprising from about 8 to about 30 , preferably about 8 to about 20 carbon atoms and comprising about 3 to about 50 moles , most preferably about 3 to about 20 moles ethylene oxide . the following are preferred hlb &# 39 ; s for non - ionic emulsifiers when the drilling mud contains the following oils : polyalphaolefins and paraffins — hlb 12 . 5 ; esters — hlb - 15 . 4 ; synthetic iso - paraffins — hlb 10 . 9 . blends of both non - ionic and anionic emulsifiers have been found to decrease droplet size in most instances . where such a blend is used , a preferred ratio of non - ionic to anionic emulsifier is about 5 / 95 to about 95 / 5 , preferably about 70 / 30 to about 95 / 5 . any suitable , non - toxic anionic emulsifier may be used in such blends . preferred anionic emulsifiers include , but are not necessarily limited to those selected from the group consisting of : alkane sulfates and alkane sulfonates comprising about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms , preferably about 8 to about 12 carbon atoms . the following are preferred emulsifying blends for use with the specified type of drilling muds . the drilling muds indicated by brand name are available from baker hughes inteq , and the brand name represents a proprietary trademark of baker hughes inteq ): for use with a driling mud comprising polyalphaolefins ( syn - teq ) ( blend of emulsifiers with hlb 12 . 5 ): ratio of ( isodecyl alcohol ethoxylate with 6 moles of eo ) to ( secondary alkanesulfonate of sodium or sodium octyl sulfate )= 85 : 15 for use with an ester - containing drilling mud ( blend of emulsifiers with hlb 15 . 4 ) ratio of ( oleyl alcohol ethoxylate with 20 moles of eo ) to sodium octyl sulfate = 90 : 10 for use with a synthetic isoparaffin - containing mud ( blend of emulsifiers with hlb 10 . 9 ) an excess of the emulsifier solution is added to the cuttings , preferably in the inlet hopper . the amount of emulsifier added will depend upon the concentration of free hydrocarbons m the cuttings as measured by any suitable means , such as “ retort ,” or distillation and measurement of the oil content . after addition of the emulsifyng solution , the wt / wt ratio of emulsifing blend in the cuttings should be about 0 . 2 wt % to about 5 wt % for cuttings contaminated with from about 2 wt % to about 18 wt % free hydrocarbons , respectively . the cuttings and emulsifying solution may be agitated so that substantially all of the free hydrocarbons are removed from the cuttings and emulsified or dispersed in the emulsifier solution . thereafter , the encapsulating material is added . the encapsulating material may be substantially any encapsulating material that surrounds the emulsified hydrocarbon droplets and solidifies . suitable encapsulating materials include , but are not necessarily limited to silicates and polymeric microencapsulating materials . a preferred encapsulating material is a silicate solution . the amount of silicate solution that is added to the emulsified solution preferably is about 1 to about 2 times the amount of emulsifying solution added . the emulsifier rapidly and substantially completely disperses the free hydrocarbons in the cuttings into small droplets . application of the silicate solution to the emulsified oil converts the emulsified oil into a thick gel , which can be water - washed off of the cuttings , leaving a substantially clean surface . when allowed to dry , the gel is even more amenable to subsequent removal by water - washing . because the emulsifier removes hydrocarbons ( hydrophobic materials ) from the cuttings and because the emulsifing solution is very hydrophilic , the wettability of the cuttings is changed from oil wettable to water wettable . the more hydrophilic cuttings have less tendency to agglomerate , and tend to more widely disperse , both in the seawater as they travel toward the ocean floor , and eventually in the marine sediment . the combination of ( a ) encapsulation of free hydrocarbons from the cuttings ( which decreases accessibility to the hydrocarbons over time ), and ( b ) change in the wettability of the cuttings from oil wet to water wet ( which results in greater spatial dispersion of the hydrocarbons ) greatly minimizes the organic load on the marine sediment and helps to prevent oxygen depletion . persons of skill in the art will appreciate that many modifications may be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit of the present invention . accordingly , the embodiments described herein are illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention .
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there is shown in fig1 in accordance with the improved assembly of special novelty effects apparatus of the present invention , at reference number 1 , a block reference to synthesizer circuit means 1 having as component parts or inclusions thereof , microprocessor circuit means and memory chip circuit means or alternatively , flash drive circuit means , suitable to insertion of selected memory chip or flash card devices , or alternatively , with the microprocessor circuit means memory chip circuit means of predetermined novelty sounds or lighting effects programmed therein . the synthesizer circuit means 1 with its associated microprocessor circuit means and memory chip circuit means , can be programmed or preprogrammed to provide such sound effects as a 1000 cc motorcycle , music , air - horn or air - brakes or engine noises of a semi - trailer truck , a 747 airplane taxing down the runway or taking off , all of which are novelty sounds emitting from a bicycle . tailpipe replica plate means are provided at 2 as shown in fig1 , mounted to extend toward the rear direction as shaped in the bell shaped figure of a customary tailpipe , and may be mounted to one - side or both sides of a carrier frame . tailpipe lighting devices or means 3 are mounted , fig1 , to the free end or rearmost section of the tailpipe means 2 and are activated to simulate tailpipe emissions during throttling or take - off movements . rear mounted speaker devices or means 4 are mounted , fig1 , approximate to the free end or rearmost section of the tailpipe means 2 and are effective to emit sounds determined by the selected track of the synthesizer circuit means 1 , such as the sound effects of the motorcycle , or other appropriate selected or predetermined tailpipe noises . for example , other tailpipe noises may be the beeping noise of a vehicle made to indicate or warn of backing movements . it would not be desirable to simulate or provide for emergency siren sounds of emergency vehicles , however . headlight or front lighting device or means 5 including side light signal devices are provided to be mounted to the front as shown in fig1 and 2 of the drawings , and may be provisioned to include one or more light bulbs to simulate the front lighting devices customarily associated with a motorcycle . when the headlight 5 is turned to the “ on ” position , the front and rear lights stay on unless interrupted by another overriding lighting function that is not inclusive of front lighting . generator sensor device or means 6 are provided to be engaged to turn with movement of the bicycle 12 . the bicycle 12 is illustrated in the drawings to be comprised of or include front handlebars 12 a , seat 12 b , front and rear wheels 12 c and a frame 12 d . the generator sensor means 6 is mounted to engage the front wheel and be moved thereby to generate the energy to power all the electrical components or to just generate a signal to control the operating frequency of the electrical components when the bicycle 12 is moving . when the bicycle 12 is moving , the generator sensor means 6 sets the frequency for the lights flashing and the simulated or replicate sound of a vehicle moving . battery power means not shown in the drawings but included in the synthesizer circuit means 1 are required to be used with or without the use of the generator sensor 6 . push button signal devices or means 7 provide left or right directional turn signals and are mounted to or proximate of the front handlebars 12 a . when the appropriate left or right directional signal push button device 7 is pushed or activated , the same side lighting means 5 and 3 are activated to start flashing and the other side is deactivated so as not to flash , providing left or right directional turn signals , respectively . the flashing is preset for a determined time duration , such as 15 seconds , after which the frontal light device 5 and the rearward light device 3 will return to their preset positions or states . when the headlight device 5 is switched on , the tail light device 3 will operate off the turn signals . synthesizer switch device or means 8 is provided best shown in fig1 , and serves as a multi - positional selector switch for the multi - functions of the synthesizer circuit means 1 , being mounted preferably proximate to the synthesizer circuit means 1 and having positions as follows : i ) off position ; ii ) motorcycle simulations sounds and lighting effects position ; iii ) truck sound effects ; iv ) airplane sound effects ; and v ) other desired sound or lighting effects , including emergency parking lights or backing warning . the positions of the synthesizer switch means 8 are obviously varied to the desire of the multiplicity of simulations to be provided by the associated synthesizer circuit means 1 . there is shown in fig2 , potentiometer throttle device or means 9 provided on the selected free end portion of the handlebars 12 a of the bicycle 12 . the potentiometer means 9 is provided to be a pivotable throttle portion extending on the handlebars 12 a to provide the simulation of a motorcycle throttle , which when turned or rotated in the same or similar manner as rotating the throttle of a motorcycle provides the sounds of a motorcycle engine through the circuit connections to the rear mounted speaker device ( s ) 4 mounted on or proximate to the simulated tailpipe plate means 2 . simultaneously , the tailpipe light means 3 flash to simulate burning of gas emitting from the tailpipe ( s ) 2 . when the potentiometer device 9 is further positioned by rotation , as the bicycle moves forward , the rear speaker ( s ) 4 emit the sounds of a motorcycle moving forward , or in an alternative position of the switching device 8 , emits the sounds of a truck or alternative position , the sounds of an airplane . in the music position , the speaker devices 4 or 11 as provided on the front of the bicycle 12 shown in fig1 , provide same associated sound effects , including air - horn for frontal movement . the potentiometer device 9 does not replace the front handle bars but is added to a selected end thereof , and is readily pivotable by hand strength of a child . engine simulated cover plate means is provided at 10 and attached to the frame 12 d of the bicycle 12 by a variety of fasteners including screws or clips for ease of removal . the engine plate means 10 is not essential to the present invention but is intended to add to the image effects of simulation of a motorcycle . the front speaker device 11 is used primarily to provide music and sound of a truck air - horn or air - brakes . however , the front speaker device 11 can be made to emit any desired sound effect as is downloaded into the memory of the synthesizer circuit device 1 . gas tank simulated cover plate means is provided at 13 of fig1 , and serves as the enclosure or mounting plate for the synthesizer circuit device 1 and the synthesizer switch device 8 and like the engine plate means 10 , plate means 13 can be attached by a variety of fasteners including screws or clips for ease of removal . the cover platen means 13 is provided with a decal image of a gasoline tank to simulate the gas tank of a motorcycle . another switch means 14 is provided on and operative to switch on or off the headlight device 5 as shown in fig1 . when the switch 14 is in the on position , all lights front and back remain on , except when the left or right directional turn signals 7 are pushed . thereupon , the opposite side tail light 3 is turned off and the same side tail light 3 flashes for a predetermined time period such as the 15 seconds previously stated , after which the lights 5 and 3 return to the on position . a battery device 15 in fig1 provides power supply required for the operations of circuitry including the synthesizer circuit means 1 and its associated microprocessor and memory circuit or flash drive . in summary , the present invention provides special novelty effects apparatus for a wheeled device such as a bicycle 12 , comprising in combination , synthesizer circuit means 1 including microprocessor circuit means and memory circuit means for providing predetermined programs for different sound effects for simulation of selected sounds atypical to the wheeled device 12 on which the synthesizer circuit means is mounted ; synthesizer switch means 8 including multiple switch settings , each one of the switch settings responsive to select from the synthesizer circuit means 1 a different predetermined program of sound effects ; tailpipe cover plate means 2 including tailpipe speaker device 4 responsive to a selected one of the synthesizer circuit means 1 predetermined programs to provide predetermined sound effect atypical to the sound of the wheeled device 12 on which mounted ; and potentiometer throttle means 9 pivotable to a predetermined throttle position to activate a corresponding throttle sound effect provided by the synthesizer circuit means 1 when the synthesizer switch means 1 is set to cause the synthesizer circuit means 1 to select the throttle sound effect desired . other circuit control means that are needed to interconnect the component parts of this invention and its novelty effects apparatus are not further described in this specification or illustrated in the drawing , nor is any electric schematic provided , as this provision is thought to be unnecessary and readily available to the practitioner of the pertinent art . associated power source such as a battery not shown can be used economically as a power source in the present invention . other equally equivalent embodiments of the present invention are readily apparent and are intended to be included in the detailed description made herein . minor modifications , changes in dimensions or materials or sizes and configurations of component parts , and means of attachment to the bicycle 12 or its frame 12 d are intended to be included herein . the entirety of the special novelty effects apparatus described and set forth in this specification as the present invention can be provided to the consumer by kit form .
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a particularly useful class of base glass - ceramic compositions suitable for treatment according to the invention are the aluminosilicate and lithium aluminosilicate compositions characterized by the presence of beta - spodumene and / or beta quartz solid solutions as principal crystal phases . this base glass composition area includes compositions consisting essentially , in weight percent on the oxide basis as calculated from the batch , of about 55 - 80 % sio 2 , 14 - 35 % al 2 o 3 , 0 - 5 % li 2 o , 0 - 7 % tio 2 , 0 - 10 % zro 2 , 3 - 13 % total of tio 2 + zro 2 , and 0 - 3 % f , to which may be added a total of 0 . 1 - 10 % of transition metal oxide additives . suitable transition metal oxide additives include one or more oxides selected in the indicated proportions from the group consisting of 0 - 5 % mno 2 , 0 - 5 % fe 2 o 3 , 0 - 3 % coo , 0 - 2 % cuo , 0 - 2 % cr 2 o 3 , 0 - 3 % v 2 o 5 , and 0 - 10 % nio . minor amounts of other compounds may , of course , be included within these compositions as aids in melting , to modify properties , or for other known purposes . examples of additives which have been employed are la 2 o 3 , nb 2 o 5 , bao , b 2 o 3 , p 2 o 5 , mgo , cao , zno , na 2 o , k 2 o , ta 2 o 5 , cl , br , as 2 o 3 , and sb 2 o 3 . the total amount of these additives , however , is generally held to not more than about 10 % by weight , so that the basic constituents sio 2 , al 2 o 3 , li 2 o , tio 2 , zro 2 , f , and transition metal oxides will comprise at least about 90 % by weight of the glass - ceramic composition . glass - ceramic compositions within the above described composition range may be compounded and melted in accordance with conventional glass - making practice , and thereafter formed into glass articles by conventional means such as pressing , rolling , casting , spinning or the like . the batch materials may consist of oxides or may comprise any other compounds which will decompose at melting temperatures to yield molten batches having calculated oxide compositions within the aforementioned range . for these compositions , melting typically requires temperatures in the range of about 1600 °- 1650 ° c . for times in the range of about 6 - 16 hours . glass articles formed from the above compositions may be converted by crystallization in situ into semi - crystalline glass - ceramic articles according to processes conventional for beta - spodumene and beta - quartz - containing glass - ceramics . such processes comprise exposure of the articles to temperatures in the range of about 700 °- 800 ° c . for times in the range of about 1 - 4hours to obtain nucleation of the glass , followed by exposure to temperatures in the range of about 800 °- 1200 ° c . for times in the range of about 1 - 8 hours to obtain crystallization of the glass . following crystallization , the semicrystalline glass - ceramic articles are subjected to further heat treatment under reducing conditions to promote the development of an exuded surface phase comprising active transition metal oxide compounds thereon . exuded films formed in the described composition system include one or more crystalline compounds selected from the group consisting of co 3 o 4 , mn 3 o 4 , fe 3 o 4 , nial 2 o 4 , coal 2 o 4 , mnal 2 o 4 , feal 2 o 4 , val 2 o 4 , cucr 2 o 4 , nife 2 o 4 , cofe 2 o 4 , mnfe 2 o 4 , cotio 3 , mntio 3 , fetio 3 , co 2 tio 4 and comn 2 o 4 . these may be found alone , in combination with each other , or in solid solution or combination with mgal 2 o 4 , valo 4 , cual 2 o 4 , cral 2 o 4 , mncr 2 o 4 and fecr 2 o 4 . the film - producing heat treatments suitably comprise heating at temperatures in the range of about 500 °- 1000 ° c . in a reducing atmosphere . preferred atmospheres include hydrogen and hydrogen - containing atmospheres such as forming gas ( h 2 , n 2 ). these atmospheres may contain additional constituents such as water vapor , co , co 2 , cl 2 or sulfur . of course , other conventional reducing atmospheres such as hexane , methane , ammonia or the like may also be employed if desired . typical treatment times range from at least about 1 / 2 hour up to about 10 hours or more . longer treatment times may be employed , if desired , but long treatments are of no practical benefit and are commercially undesirable . after sufficient growth of the transition metal oxide film has been attained in accordance with the above - described treatment , it may be desirable to further treat the article to modify the properties of the surface film for certain applications . leaching is sometimes useful to remove residual glassy phases and / or to modify the porosity of the film . supplemental oxidizing and / or reducing treatments may also be employed to modify the oxidation states of certain of the film constituents . the precise nature of the supplemental treatment employed , if any , will depend on the properties desired in the film and the nature of the use for which the article is intended . examples of thermally - crystallizable glass compositions suitable for forming beta - spodumene and beta - quartz glass - ceramics having exuded surface films containing transition metal oxide compounds according to the invention are set forth in table i below . compositions are given in parts by weight on the oxide basis as calculated from the batch . these compositions were batch melted in platinum crucibles at 1625 ° c . for 16 hours , and then poured into steel molds to form 4 inches × 4 inches × 1 / 2inches slabs and annealed at 650 ° c . most of the compositions shown also include minor amounts of as 2 o 5 as a fining agent ; however , the amount remaining in the glass after melting is negligible and is therefore not reported . table i__________________________________________________________________________composition 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8__________________________________________________________________________sio . sub . 2 63 . 2 % 60 . 9 % 58 . 7 % 61 . 2 % 59 . 3 % 71 . 7 % 71 . 7 % 71 . 7 % al . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 20 . 5 20 . 9 19 . 5 20 . 5 20 . 5 15 . 0 15 . 0 15 . 0li . sub . 2 o 3 . 5 3 . 5 3 . 8 3 . 5 3 . 5 4 . 5 4 . 5 4 . 5tio . sub . 2 4 . 8 4 . 8 4 . 9 4 . 8 4 . 8 5 . 5 5 . 5 5 . 5zro . sub . 2 -- -- -- 0 . 1 0 . 1 -- -- -- mgo 1 . 7 1 . 7 -- 1 . 7 1 . 7 -- -- -- zno 1 . 2 1 . 2 2 . 8 1 . 2 1 . 2 -- -- -- na . sub . 2 o 0 . 6 0 . 6 0 . 6 0 . 6 0 . 6 -- -- -- k . sub . 2 o 0 . 3 0 . 3 0 . 3 0 . 2 0 . 2 -- -- -- p . sub . 2 o . sub . 5 1 . 2 1 . 2 2 . 6 1 . 2 1 . 2 -- -- -- b . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 0 . 4 0 . 4 -- -- -- -- -- 5 . 0f 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 1 -- -- -- -- -- br -- -- 0 . 4 -- -- -- -- -- mno . sub . 2 -- -- 0 . 4 -- -- -- -- 0 . 6fe . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 1 . 6 3 . 0 4 . 0 3 . 0 3 . 0 -- 1 . 3 -- coo -- -- 0 . 9 0 . 6 2 . 4 2 . 6 -- 2 . 7nb . sub . 2 o . sub . 5 -- -- -- -- -- 3 . 5 -- -- __________________________________________________________________________ the thermally - crystallizable glass articles in table i , produced as above described , are thereafter treated as set forth below in table ii in order to produce glass - ceramic articles having beta - spodumene and / or beta - quartz solid solutions as principal crystalline phases and exuded surface films containing transition metal oxide compounds . table ii reports the crystallizing heat treatments employed to convert each thermally - crystallizable glass article to the semi - crystalline state , the principal crystal phase present in the articles after ceramming , the reducing heat treatments employed to promote the growth of transition metal oxide compounds present in the exuded surface films , the appearance of the articles after the growth treatments , and the dominant properties of the exuded films . the principal crystalline phases listed are generally solid solutions rather than specific compounds . in instances where forming gas is used as the reducing atmosphere , a gas consisting of 8 % h 2 and 92 % n 2 by volume was employed . typical film thicknesses over the range of growth treatments employed range about 0 . 1 - 2 microns . table ii__________________________________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4__________________________________________________________________________nucleation treatment 2 hours - 780 ° c . 2 hours - 780 ° c . 2 hours - 780 ° c . 2 hours - 780 ° c . crystallizaton 6 hours - 1080 ° c . 2 hours - 1100 ° c . 2 hours - 1100 ° c . 2 hours - 1100 ° c . treatmentprincipal crystal β - spodumene , ana - β - spodumene , ana - β - spodumene , ana - β - spodumene , phases tase , mgal . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 tase , mgal . sub . 2 o . sub . 5 tase , zral . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 anatasefilm growth treatment 2 hours - 500 ° c . 2 hours - 500 ° c . 2 hours - 500 ° c . 2 hours - 500 ° c . h . sub . 2 h . sub . 2 h . sub . 2 forming gassurface appearance purple metallic black black metallic grey blackexuded crystal phases feal . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 fe . sub . 3 o . sub . 4 , feal . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 , fe . sub . 3 o . sub . 4 , coal . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 , coal . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 , fe . sub . 3 o . sub . 4 mn . sub . 3 o . sub . 4 , mnfe . sub . 2 o . sub . 4surface properties magnetic - good magnetic - good magnetic - good magnetic - good hysteresis loop hysteresis loop hysteresis loop hysteresis loop 5 6 7 8__________________________________________________________________________nucleation treatment 2 hours - 780 ° c . 2 hours - 780 ° c . 2 hours - 780 ° c . 2 hours - 780 ° c . crystallizaton 2 hours - 1080 ° c . 2 hours - 1100 ° c . 2 hours - 1100 ° c . 2 hours - 1100 ° c . principal crystal β - spondumene , β - spodumene , β - spodumene , β - spodumene , cotio . sub . 3 , phases anatase cotio . sub . 3 , co . sub . 2 tio . sub . 4 cotio . sub . 3 co . sub . 2 tio . sub . 4film growth treatment 2 hours - 500 ° c . 2 hours - 500 ° c . 2 hours - 500 ° c . 2 hours - 500 ° c . forming gas forming gas forming gas forming gassurface appearance grey black black black blackexuded crystal phases coal . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 , co . sub . 3 o . sub . 4 , co . sub . 3 o . sub . 4 , co . sub . 2 tio . sub . 4 , fe . sub . 3 o . sub . 4 , tife . sub . co . sub . 3 o . sub . 4 , mn . sub . 3 o . sub . 4 , comn . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 , fe . sub . 3 o . sub . 4 , cofe . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 cotio . sub . 3 cotio . sub . 3surface properties magnetic - good active catalyst active catalyst very active catalyst , hysteresis loop c . sub . 6 h . sub . 8 oxidation co oxidation co oxidation , c . sub . 6 h . sub . 8 c . sub . 6 h . sub . 8 oxidation oxidation__________________________________________________________________________ from the foregoing examples it is readily apparent that a broad range of aluminosilicate and lithium aluminosilicate glass - ceramic compositions containing transition metal additives may be treated according to the invention to provide exuded transition metal spinel films thereon having a variety of uses . compositions which are utilized for producing transition metal films having desirable magnetic and electrical properties are titania - nucleated lithium aluminosilicate compositions consisting essentially , in weight percent on the oxide basis as calculated from the batch , of about 58 - 64 % sio 2 , 19 - 21 % al 2 o 3 , 2 - 5 % li 2 o , 2 - 7 % tio 2 , 0 - 1 % zro 2 , 3 - 7 % total of tio 2 + zro 2 , 0 - 1 % f , and 1 - 6 % total of transition metal additives , essentially including iron , selected in the indicated proportion from the group consisting of 1 - 5 % fe 2 o 3 , 0 - 5 % mno 2 , 0 - 5 % coo and 0 - 3 % nio . exuded transition metal films produced from articles of these compositions typically include one or more compounds of spinel structure selected from the group consisting of co 3 o 4 , fe 3 o 4 , mn 3 o 4 , mnal 2 o 4 , feal 2 o 4 , coal 2 o 4 , mnfe 2 o 4 , nife 2 o 4 , and cofe 2 o 4 , essentially including at least one iron compound . example i of table i represents the presently preferred composition for producing a film having particularly desirable magnetic properties according to the invention . compositions which are utilized for producing glass - ceramic articles having exuded transition metal oxide films demonstrating useful catalytic activity consist essentially , in weight percent on the oxide basis as calculated from the batch of about 68 - 74 % sio 2 , 14 - 19 % al 2 o 3 , 0 - 5 % li 2 o , 0 - 6 % tio 2 , 0 - 3 % zro 2 , 5 - 9 % total tio 2 + zro 2 , 0 - 5 % b 2 o 3 , 0 - 3 % f , and 1 - 10 % total of transition metal additives selected in the indicated proportion from the group consisting of 0 - 5 % fe 2 o 3 , 0 - 5 % coo , 0 - 5 % mno 2 , 0 - 2 % cuo , 0 - 2 % cr 2 o 3 , and 0 - 3 % nio . exuded transition metal films produced on articles of these compositions typically contain one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of cotio 3 , co 2 tio 4 comn 2 o 4 , co 3 o 4 , mn 3 o 4 , cofe 2 o 4 , coal 2 o 4 , mntio 3 , and fetio 3 . example 8 of table i represents the presently preferred composition for producing a catalytically - active oxide film in this system . types of glass - ceramic articles other than alumino - silicate and lithium aluminosilicate beta - quartz and beta - spodumene articles are also useful in providing exuded transition - metal - containing films according to the invention . another useful composition area is found to include somewhat diverse silicate , aluminosilicate , and boroaluminate base compositions wherein manganese is a major constituent , comprising at least about 10 % by weight of the compositions . the operative composition area includes compositions consisting essentially , in weight percent on the oxide basis , as calculated from the batch , of about 10 - 60 % mno 2 , at least one oxide selected in the indicated proportion from the group consisting of 10 - 70 % sio 2 , 13 - 43 % al 2 o 3 , and 0 - 35 % b 2 o 3 , essentially including at least about 5 % b 2 o 3 and 20 % al 2 o 3 , when sio 2 is absent , not exceeding about 5 % b 2 o 3 when al 2 o 3 is absent , and not exeeding about 10 % b 2 o 3 when both sio 2 and al 2 o 3 are present , the sum total of mno 2 + sio 2 + al 2 o 3 + b 2 o 3 comprising at least about 60 % by weight of the composition , 0 - 30 % nb 2 o 5 , 0 - 20 % tio 2 , 0 - 5 % fe 2 o 3 , 0 - 10 % nio , 0 -- 3 % cr 2 o 3 , 0 - 10 % zro 2 , 0 - 35 % la 2 o 3 , 0 - 10 % ta 2 o 5 , 0 - 15 % bao , 0 - 10 % sno 2 , 0 - 3 % coo , 0 - 4 % zno and 0 - 10 % k 2 o . minor amounts of other compounds may , of course , be included within these compositions as aids in melting , to modify properties and so forth , including , for example , li 2 o , na 2 o , wo 3 , p 2 o 5 , mgo , cl , f , mno 3 , cu 2 o , v 2 o 5 , as 2 o 3 , and sb 2 o 3 . glass - ceramic compositions within the aforementioned composition range may be melted according to conventional practice , typically at temperatures in the range of about 1500 - 1600 ° c . for times on the order of about 6 - 16 hours . the molten glasses may be formed into glass articles by conventional means such as pressing , rolling , casting , drawing or the like . batch materials for these glasses may comprise oxides or other compounds which will decompose at melting temperatures to yield molten batches having oxide compositions within the aforementioned range . glass articles formed from the above compositions may be converted by crystallization in situ into glass - ceramic articles by heat treatment at temperatures in the range of about 600 °- 1200 ° c . for times in the range of about 4 - 24 hours . useful crystallization treatments comprise a nucleation step wherein the article is heated at temperatures in the range of about 600 °- 800 ° c . for times on the order of 1 - 4 hours . principal crystal phases in these composition systems include mnal 2 o 4 , mn 3 o 4 , mn 2 al 2 ( sio 4 ) 2 and mnsio 3 depending somewhat on the composition of the mno 2 -( b 2 o 3 , al 2 o 3 , sio 2 ) base glass . following crystallization , the growth of transition - metal - containing oxide films on the surface of these glass - ceramic articles is promoted using reducion heat treatments substantially the same as those above described for beta - spodumene and beta - quartz - containing articles . such treatments typically comprise heating to temperatures in the range of about 500 °- 1000 ° c . in a reducing atmosphere , preferably an atmosphere comprising hydrogen or nitrogen - hydrogen forming gas , for treatment times in the range from about 1 / 2 hour up to about 10 hours , or more . again , longer treatments may be employed if desired , but these are not deemed of practical benefit . transition - metal - containing exuded films which may form in this composition system include mn 3 o 4 , fe 3 o 4 , mnal 2 o 4 , nial 2 o 4 , nife 2 o 4 , mnfe 2 o 4 , mncr 2 o 4 , mnnb 2 o 6 ninb 2 o 6 , mn 2 al 2 ( sio 4 ) 2 , and ti 2 nb 10 o 29 . the compounds in this system may be found either alone or in solid solution or combination with other crystalline species such as mnsio 3 and zro 2 . residual glassy phases may also be present . whereas the transition metal oxide films produced in these systems typically differ in composition from the interior of the article , it is possible that in certain cases the predominant surface compound is also one which predominates in the article as a whole . nevertheless treatment according to the invention is effective to increase crystal formation in the surface layers of the article such that improved surface properties are obtained . examples of thermally - crystallizable glass compositions suitable for forming silicate , aluminosilicate , and boroaluminate glass - ceramics having exuded surface films containing transition metal oxide compounds according to the invention are set forth in table iii below . compositions are given in parts by weight on the oxide basis as calculated from the batch . the compositions were batch melted in platinum crucibles at 1600 ° c . for about 6 hours , and then poured into steel molds to form 3 / 8 × 5 × 5 inch slabs and annealed at about 600 ° c . a few of the compositions additionally contained minor amounts of as 2 o 5 as a fining agent , but the amount remaining in the glass after melting is small and is therefore not reported . table iii__________________________________________________________________________compositon 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16__________________________________________________________________________mno . sub . 2 43 . 0 % 31 . 8 % 45 . 0 % 60 . 0 % 51 . 5 % 21 . 0 % 40 . 0 % 30 . 0 % b . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 -- -- 30 . 0 5 . 0 -- -- -- -- al . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 20 . 6 15 . 1 25 . 0 20 . 0 13 . 3 43 . 0 25 . 0 20 . 0sio . sub . 2 35 . 4 19 . 7 -- -- 22 . 2 34 . 0 25 . 0 30 . 0la . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 -- 33 . 5 -- -- -- -- -- -- nb . sub . 2 o . sub . 5 -- -- -- -- 13 . 0 -- -- -- ta . sub . 2 o . sub . 5 -- -- -- -- -- 5 . 0 -- -- tio . sub . 2 10 . 0 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- sno . sub . 2 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 10 . 0k . sub . 2 o -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 10 . 0bao -- -- -- 15 . 0 -- -- -- -- zno -- -- -- -- -- 2 . 0 -- -- cr . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 -- -- -- -- -- 1 . 0 -- -- fe . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 -- -- -- -- -- 3 . 0 -- -- coo -- -- -- -- -- 1 . 0 -- -- nio -- -- -- -- -- 3 . 0 10 . 0 -- __________________________________________________________________________ the thermally - crystallizable glass articles of table iii , produced as above described , are thereafter treated as set forth below in table iv in order to produce glass - ceramic articles having exuded surface films containing transition metal oxide compounds . table iv reports the crystallization heat treatments employed to obtain bulk crystallization in situ of the articles , the principal crystalline phases present in the articles after ceramming , the reducing heat treatments employed to promote the growth of transition metal spinel films on the articles , the transition metal spinels present in the exuded surface films , the appearance of the articles after growth treatment , and the dominant properties of the exuded films . film dielectric constant ( k &# 39 ;) and loss tangent ( tan δ ) are reported where determined on individual samples . in instances where forming gas is reported as present in the reducing atmosphere , a gas consisting of 8 % h 2 and 92 % n 2 by volume was employed . typical film thicknesses for these exuded films over the range of growth treatments employed range about 0 . 1 - 4 microns . table iv__________________________________________________________________________ 9 10 11 12__________________________________________________________________________nucleation treatment 4 hours - 650 ° c . 4 hours - 650 ° c . 4 hours - 700 ° c . 4 hours - 650 ° c . crystallization 2 hours - 800 ° c . 4 hours - 800 ° c . 4 hours - 800 ° c . 2 hours - 1000 ° c . treatment 4 hours - 1000 ° c . 4 hours - 1000 ° c . principal crystal mnsio . sub . 3 , mnsio . sub . 3 mn . sub . 3 o . sub . 4phases mn . sub . 2 al . sub . 2 ( sio . sub . 4 ). sub . 2film growth 4 hours - 1000 ° c . 4 hours - 800 ° c . 2 hours - 500 ° c . 2 hours - 700 ° c . treatment h . sub . 2 forming gas forming gas forming gassurface appearance liver color liver color brown grey brownexuded crystal phases mn . sub . 3 o . sub . 4 , mnal . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 mnal . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 , mn . sub . 3 o . sub . 4 mn . sub . 3 o . sub . 4 , mnal . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 mnal . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 , mn . sub . 3 o . sub . 4surface properties ferromagnetic ferromagnetic ferromagnetic ferromagnetic k &# 39 ; = 15 . 5 k &# 39 ; = 14 . 0 k &# 39 ; = 8 . 7 k &# 39 ; = 14 . 8 tanδ = 0 . 042 tanδ = 0 . 002 tanδ = 0 . 06 tanδ = 0 . 53 13 14 15 16__________________________________________________________________________nucleation treatment 4 hours - 650 ° c . 4 hours - 650 ° c . 4 hours - 780 ° c . 4 hours - 650 ° c . crystallization 2 hours - 1000 ° c 4 hours - 1000 ° c . 4 hours - 1000 ° c . 2 hours - 700 ° c . treatmentprincipal crystal mnsio . sub . 3 mnal . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 mnsio . sub . 3phasesfilm growth 2 hours - 700 ° c . 2 hours - 800 ° c . 2 hours - 1000 ° c . 2 hours - 500 ° c . treatment forming gas forming gas forming gas forming gassurface appearance brown black black brown greyexuded crystal mn . sub . 2 al . sub . 2 ( sio . sub . 4 ). sub . 2 , mn . sub . 3 o . sub . 4 , mnal . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 mn . sub . 3 o . sub . 4 , mnal . sub . 2 o . sub . 4 , mn . sub . 3 o . sub . 4 , mnal . sub . 2 o . sub . 4phases mnnb . sub . 2 o . sub . 6 nial . sub . 2 o . sub . 4surface properties ferromagnetic ferromagnetic ; ferromagnetic ; ferromagnetic active catalyst active catalyst ( co , c . sub . 6 h . sub . 8 oxida - ( co , c . sub . 6 h . sub . 8 oxida - tion ) tion ) k &# 39 ; = 14 . 8 k &# 39 ; = 12 . 4 k &# 39 ; = 12 . 0 tanδ = 0 . 038 tanδ = 0 . 016 tanδ = 0 . 01__________________________________________________________________________ while the foregoing examples indicate that a broad range of manganese - containing compositions may be treated according to the invention to provide exuded crystalline films thereon , the best film properties are produced over a somewhat narrower range of composition . among the aluminosilicate glass - ceramic compositions amenable to treatment according to the invention , those consisting essentially , in weight percent on the oxide basis as calculated from the batch , of about 19 - 40 % sio 2 , 13 - 43 % al 2 o 3 , and 15 - 50 % mno 2 , optionally including 0 - 4 % zno , 0 - 10 % tio 2 , 0 - 10 % zro 2 , 0 - 10 % sno 2 , 0 - 10 % nio , 0 - 5 % fe 2 o 3 , and 0 - 30 % nb 2 o 5 , are preferred . these compositions may provide exuded films containing at least one of mn 3 o 4 , fe 3 o 4 , mnal 2 o 4 , nial 2 o 4 , mnfe 2 o 4 , nife 2 o 4 , mnnb 2 o 6 , mn 2 al 2 ( sio 4 ). sub . 2 and ti 2 nb 10 o 29 , many of which provide desirable electrical , magnetic and / or catalytic properties . preferred boroaluminate glass - ceramic compositions according to the invention are those consisting essentially , in weight percent on the oxide basis as calculated from the batch , of about 20 - 35 % al 2 o 3 , 5 - 35 % b 2 o 3 , and 28 - 60 % mno 2 , optionally including 0 - 15 % bao and 0 - 35 % la 2 o 3 . these compositions provide mn 3 o 4 and / or mnal 2 o 4 - containing films of good quality having desirable electrical properties . from the foregoing description it is apparent that a large number of exuded transition metal oxide films may be provided on glass - ceramic base articles according to the invention to impart a variety of useful properties thereto . thus articles having configurations suitable for use as magnetic memories , such as discs , may be conventionally formed , crystallized and provided with flat surfaces , and thereafter heat treated to exude magnetic transition metal oxide films thereon . similarly glass - ceramic tubes , honeycombs , or the like may be formed , heat treated to exude catalytically - active films thereon , and incorporated into catalytic reactors to provide stable , durable active elements . of course , these examples are merely illustrative of the numerous applications for glass - ceramic articles having integral exuded films which may be practiced within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims .
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with reference to the drawings for purposes of illustration , the present invention is embodied in a hypodermic syringe assembly 20 ( fig1 ) that includes a cartridge 22 hollow to form a cylindrical storage chamber 23 ( fig2 ) and a piston 24 moveable within the chamber 23 to cause the withdrawal or retrieval of viscous or gaseous medical material within the chamber . the cartridge 22 is disposed for activation of the piston 24 in a delivery device 26 having a magnet assembly 28 moveably attached to the delivery device 26 to move in the direction indicated by line 30 and controlled by an actuator 32 . advantageously , the cartridge piston 24 is magnetically coupled to the magnet assembly 28 and is moveably responsive to the magnet assembly 28 for travel within the chamber 23 in the direction indicated by line 30 . it will be appreciated that this configuration thus eliminates the need for a piston rod as featured in conventional , manually operated syringes that utilize a plunger formed from a piston and piston rod . the delivery device 26 includes a cartridge nest 34 for securely holding the cartridge 22 when in use . the cartridge nest 34 is further defined by a material transfer interface 36 that allows for attachment of the cartridge to a transfer device 38 ( fig2 ). a transfer device 38 of the type suitable for this purpose , but without limitation , is a hypodermic needle , tube , nipple or the like . an adjustable guard 40 or tensioning member secures the cartridge 22 within the cartridge nest 34 against the transfer interface 36 . the guard 40 may incorporate tensioning means for holding the cartridge 22 in place against the transfer interface 36 . tensioning means of the type suitable for this purpose may include , but is not limited to , a spring , rubber or elastomeric material . the guard 40 is preferably adjustable in the direction indicated by line 30 to accommodate different lengths of cartridges 22 ; however , other embodiments may include a stationary guard in which the cartridges are of uniform size or the different lengths can be maintained by the tensioning means . an actuator drive train 42 ( fig2 ) that connects the actuator 32 to the moveable magnet assembly 28 is shown for exemplary purposes within a housing 44 below the cartridge nest 34 . the actuator drive train 42 ( fig2 ) may be configured in any form to accommodate manual movement by an individual into a linear transfer of the magnet assembly 28 along the length of the cartridge nest 34 . for exemplary , purposes the delivery device 26 is shaped as a gun with the actuator 32 forming a pivotally movable trigger 46 and grip 48 alongside the cartridge nest 34 . the trigger 46 is preferably spring biased away from the grip 48 and geared when pulled toward the grip 48 to rotate a rod slotted as a screw drive 50 . the magnet assembly 28 is coupled conventionally to the slots that are carved to enable the magnet assembly 28 to move linearly in both directions . to facilitate usage , the trigger 46 is preferably calibrated with the screw drive 50 such that one pull of the trigger 46 causes the magnet assembly 28 to move the complete length of a path along the cartridge nest length . this eliminates the need to “ pump ” the trigger multiple times to move the magnet assembly completely in one direction . this allows for in mass vaccination situations for the delivery device to be operated quickly and reloaded with new needles and cartridges for repeated use . the delivery device housing 44 and drive train 42 may be manufactured from plastic or metal as required for intended use , manufacturing cost and durability . the magnet assembly 28 , sized and shaped to surround the cartridge 22 with a magnetic field and attach to the actuator drive train 42 , includes a magnetic field , formed from one or more magnets , sufficient to move the magnetically responsive piston 24 when aligned with the piston 24 within the cartridge 22 along the length of the cartridge chamber 23 . factors to consider when selecting the magnetic field strength of the magnet assembly include the thickness of the cartridge wall , material used for cartridge manufacturing , magnets , materials used for the piston , friction between the wall and the piston inside the cartridge chamber , resistance of the body to injection within tissue and veins from blood pressure , relevant pharmaceutical requirements and the viscosity of the medical material to be transferred . for purposes of this invention medical material may include , but is not limited to , gas , powder or liquid material or other material typically delivered to or withdrawn from a living body . furthermore the term “ medical material ” is used to promote and facilitate understanding of the invention &# 39 ; s operation in terms of conventional syringe uses , but is not intended to be limiting and can refer to any chemical material or be used in applications not associated with a living body . it will be appreciated that the plunger - less design of the present invention allows for the placement of the manual actuator to be located alongside the chamber or in another location more appropriate for the ergonomic design and handling of the device rather than rearward of the storage chamber as required by mechanical requirements when working with a plunger drive mechanism . furthermore , the overall size of the delivery device can be adapted to be more compact without the need to accommodate a withdrawn plunger rod . with reference now to fig3 , an exemplary cartridge 22 generally includes a cylindrical casing 60 made of conventional materials for storing medical material and depending upon the application may include , but is not limited to , glass , plastic , ceramic or metal . the cartridge chamber 23 formed by the casing includes a magnetically responsive piston 24 sized and shaped to move easily through the chamber 23 while providing a sufficient seal between the piston 24 and cartridge casing 60 to inhale or expel medical material when coupled with a transfer device without allowing the medical material to pass to the other side of the piston 24 . the piston 24 may include any magnetically responsive material or may be magnetic itself depending upon the application . furthermore , in instances where the medical material is reactive to the piston material , the piston may be coated with a cover material that is inert to or non - reactive with the medical material . a rubber stopper 62 is provided to secure the medical material in the chamber , but may be penetrated with sufficient ease to permit connection to a transfer device when connected to a transfer interface within a delivery device . an air evacuation slot 64 is provided in the casing to allow for ambient air to fill or expel from the empty portion of the cartridge chamber 23 . while enlarged in the drawing for purposes of illustration , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the air slot diameter need only be large enough to permit the free flow of air when the piston 24 is moved . unlike conventional syringe cartridges that are designed to accommodate contact of a piston rod with the piston , the air slot of the present invention can easily be covered and sealed to prevent exposure of medical material with ambient air thereby increasing the shelf life capability of the cartridge . with reference to fig4 where like reference numerals refer to like structures , an exemplary cartridge design for extended storage is shown wherein the cartridge 22 includes a knob 70 or ball of excess casing material covering the air slot 64 . where the casing 60 is manufactured from glass , plastic , ceramic or the like , a break - away or cutaway knob 70 or ball made of like casing material or material that readily adheres to the casing material is provided to seal the air slot 64 . when the cartridge 22 is selected for use to dispense the medicine , the knob 70 or ball of material is broken or cut away from the hole . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the guard 40 ( fig1 and 2 ) of the dispensing device 26 may be adapted with a sharp edge that that upon insertion of the cartridge 22 ( fig4 ) into the dispensing device , the knob 70 is pressed against the guard and is broken or cut off of the casing 60 . with reference now to fig5 where like reference numerals refer to like structures , an exemplary cartridge design for extended storage is shown wherein the cartridge 22 includes a cap 80 sealing engaged over the end of the cartridge 22 with the air slot 64 . this embodiment provides extended shelf life for the medical material with more options for use than in fig4 , as the cap 80 can be used with cartridges intended for the dispensing of drugs as well as cartridges intended for the withdraw of samples from a living body . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the increased contact surface area of the cap 80 with the casing 60 about the air slot 64 provides a better sealing engagement than can be obtained with conventional syringe cartridges . in yet another embodiment , fig6 where like reference numerals refer to like structures a cartridge 22 is illustrated with a cap 80 covering an opening filled with a membrane material 90 that is selected with application specific features . the membrane 90 can provide one - way withdrawal or inhalation of ambient air . where this configuration is used for the storage of a drug the membrane can operate once the piston 24 is pulled away to allow air into the chamber 23 , but would otherwise prevent air from entering while the piston remains in contact with the membrane . such a membrane of this type may be a rubber stopper and flap forming a bellows valve or the like . furthermore , the membrane may be adapted to allow for the passage of only certain gases and in certain directions to address thermal changes or other factors during storage while reducing contamination with ambient air . with the benefits of a piston - less syringe and cartridges usable for the long term storage of drugs and an improved delivery device that can be easily adapted ergonomically for different applications and without reliance on electrical or battery power for use , the savings to the medical community in manufacture , storage and transportation of drugs and drug delivery devices may be fully realized by understanding that ampoules or vials are now conventionally delivered with disposable syringes at any facility supplying injections . the syringe and ampoule are manufactured under sterile conditions and must be transported and stored at the local facility increasing storage costs , transportation and manufacturing costs . by using a cartridge as the drug storage vehicle as it is designed to handle long term storage or storage periods that make better economic sense and are consistent with logistical and strategic purchasing strategies , the ampoule is eliminated from transport and storage . the cartridges are more compact and can be stored more efficiently . transfer devices such as needles can be stored with the cartridges rather than requiring the storage of entire syringes . various reusable delivery devices can be stored in limited numbers on site , substantially reducing the storage space now used for disposable syringes . cartridges can be used in other dosing devices decreasing the need for specialized drug dispensing equipment . the improved seal of the cartridges allows for the contemplation of gaseous medical material to be stored in the cartridge , which was not possible in conventional cartridge designs . also the bi - directional movement of the piston allows for powders to be stored and used in the cartridge in which a liquid is drawn into the cartridge at the time of use to reconstitute the powder for injection in a liquid form . thus , utilizing a system in which : 1 . a trigger mechanism that uses magnets and magnetic energy to inject and withdraw eliminating plunger mechanism is provided . 2 . all dosages come in a completely sealed cartridges placed into a trigger mechanism . these have a shelf life limited only by the stability of the drug and could be estimated in for storage periods believed to be similar to ampoules or vials . 3 . this cartridge forms a syringe and a storage vessel at the same time , as ampoules and vials are eliminated . 4 . this cartridge can operate to store liquid , gas and powder . 1 . the process increases shelf life of the drug and decreases storage space . 2 . the costs of injection are reduced by eliminating ampoules , vials , syringes , pre - filled syringes , short shelf life cartridges , simplification of the drug manufacturing process , reduction in the fda controlled inspection steps , less packaging , shipping and handling . 3 . a small , compact and easy to use design and construction is provided . 4 . the trigger mechanism and the cartridge are light weight and can be used for liquid , gas and powder drugs and chemicals . 5 . this device works in both directions and , therefore , is capable of incretion and extraction . 6 . this product when widely adapted in a facility will standardize inventory even more reducing the unnecessary varieties of syringes and cutting the cost of injection even further . 7 . pre - measured doses reduce human error and increase compliance during injection . 8 . using cartridges in different pre - measured quantities and reusable delivery devices reduces the waste of drugs and materials ; it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the benefits and features of a magnetically actuated piston that allows for varying placement of the actuator may be used in syringe type device with or without a removable cartridge . furthermore , it will be appreciated the removable cartridges while described for use in a manual syringe type device may used in any type of device including computer controlled automated dispensing and sampling systems . while the exemplary embodiment utilizes a natural magnet design , the magnet assembly may include electromagnetic solenoids for providing the magnetic actuation of the piston by an electrical switch . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the container and method of the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the invention . other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein . it is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only .
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