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text stringlengths 1.55k 332k	label int64 0 8
the invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown . this invention may , however , be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein . rather , these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete , and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art . in the drawings , the size and relative sizes of layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity . the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention . as used herein , the singular forms “ a ”, “ an ” and “ the ” are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms “ comprises ” and / or “ comprising ,” when used in this specification , specify the presence of stated features , integers , steps , operations , elements , and / or components , but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features , integers , steps , operations , elements , components , and / or groups thereof . embodiments of the invention are described herein with reference to illustrations that are schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments ( and intermediate structures ) of the invention . as such , variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result , for example , of manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances , are to be expected . thus , embodiments of the invention should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result , for example , from manufacturing . unless otherwise defined , all terms ( including technical and scientific terms ) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs . it will be further understood that terms , such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries , should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein . fig1 is a perspective view of a display case having a transparent lcd 200 . generally , the display case includes a housing 105 , to which a door frame assembly 100 is fastened . in this embodiment , a cavity 110 is provided below the door frame assembly 100 where various electronic devices 111 for operating the transparent lcd assembly 200 can be located . the electrical devices 111 may include any or all of the following : power modules , timing and control board ( tcon ), video player , hard drive / electronic storage , microprocessor / cpu , wireless transmitter / receiver , cellular data transmitter / receiver , and internet connectivity . at least some of the electrical devices 111 are in electrical communication with the transparent lcd 200 . fig2 is a perspective view of the display case of fig1 where the door has been opened . the transparent lcd 200 is preferably sandwiched between a front glass 225 and rear glass 205 . also preferably sandwiched between the front and rear glass 225 / 205 is an upper plate 216 and a lower plate 215 , each of which are preferably attached to the rear glass 225 such that heat from the plates can be conductively transferred to the rear glass 225 and removed by natural or forced convection . in an exemplary embodiment , the upper and lower plates are preferably bonded to the rear glass 205 through adhesive transfer tape . an exemplary adhesive transfer tape for this purpose would be 468 mp , available commercially from 3m ™ of st . paul , minn . www . 3m . com / converter in order to illuminate the transparent lcd 200 , one or more printed circuit boards ( pcbs ) each containing a plurality of leds is preferably in conductive thermal communication with either the upper , lower , or both plates . in this way , heat that is generated by the leds can be transmitted to the pcb and eventually transferring to the rear glass 205 where the heat can dissipate through natural or forced convection . fig3 is a perspective view of the display case of fig1 showing the cavity for electronic devices 111 as well as the location of detail a . fig4 is a front view of detail a shown in fig3 . here , a wireless transmitter / receiver 450 is shown within the cavity 110 and included with the electrical devices 111 . fig5 is a perspective view showing a lower mounting plate 215 and various electronic devices 400 in electrical communication with the lcd 200 . a second wireless transmitter / receiver 455 is also preferably positioned on the lower mounting plate 215 and may communicate electronically with the wireless transmitter / receiver 450 shown within the cavity 110 . a plurality of different signals can be transmitted between the two wireless devices 450 / 455 including but not limited to : image / video data , visual alerts , image inspection / test patterns , temperature of the display case , and feedback data from the lcd 200 such as brightness , color saturation , color temperature , gamma , and contrast ratio . as noted above , preferably the electronic devices 400 are in conductive thermal communication with the plate 215 which is preferably bonded to and in conductive thermal communication with the rear glass 205 so that heat generated by the electronic devices 400 can be removed . similarly , fig6 is a perspective view showing an upper mounting plate which can also be used to mount various electronic devices and is also preferably bonded to and in conductive thermal communication with the rear glass 205 . the wireless devices 450 / 455 can operate under any form of wireless networking technology , including but not limited to : wpan , wlan , a wireless mesh network , or gan . specifically regarding the architecture for a wlan network , these could include but are not limited to stations , basic service set , extended service set , and a distribution system . further regarding the types of wireless lans , these could include but are not limited to peer - to - peer , bridge , and a wireless distribution system . any form of general encryption method can be used with the exemplary embodiments herein . in a preferred embodiment , the lower plate 215 would extend horizontally as far as possible , preferably to the same horizontal width as the lcd 230 and may extend 4 - 14 inches in vertical width , depending on the application . although shown attached to the lower plate 215 , electrical devices 400 could also be mounted to the upper plate 216 . in a preferred embodiment , the upper plate 216 would extend horizontally as far as possible , preferably to the same horizontal width as the lcd 200 . the upper plate 216 may also extend 4 - 14 inches in vertical width , depending on the application . while not required , it is also preferred that the lower plate 215 and the upper plate 216 are within 15 % of the same surface area . in other words , it is preferred that the plates 215 / 216 are substantially the same surface area . this is not required however , as some embodiments may require a larger surface area for the plate which would contain the electrical devices 400 , or a larger surface area for the top plate 216 as compared to the bottom plate 215 . it is preferred that the plates are both metallic , and most preferably aluminum , but they can be any material that has good thermal conductivity . fig7 is a perspective view of a partially assembled exemplary embodiment of a sealed transparent lcd assembly 200 . here , the front glass 225 has been removed to show the interior of the sealed assembly 200 . this view shows the rear glass 205 with the spacer 300 attached around the perimeter of the glass 205 . the various electronic devices 400 as well as the second wireless transmitter / receiver 455 are shown attached to the bottom plate 215 and sealed between the rear glass 205 and front glass 225 ( not shown here ). fig8 is a perspective view of the sealed transparent lcd assembly 200 of fig1 - 2 . generally speaking , the assembly includes a spacer 300 which is sandwiched between a front glass 225 and rear glass 205 . these components are preferably sealed together with an inert gas filling the sealed enclosure . the components are preferably gaseously sealed so that outside gas cannot penetrate into the assembly and any gas sealed within the assembly cannot substantially escape . although not required for every embodiment , argon gas has been found to be preferred as the gas sealed within the assembly . for gaseously sealing these components together , it is preferable to use a hot melt polyurethane . preferably , the spacer 300 is the super spacer ® standard from quanex in cambridge , ohio www . quanex . com . in an exemplary embodiment , the spacer 300 would be a flexible foam that contains a desiccant and has a pressure sensitive acrylic adhesive on the front and back edges of the spacer which would be used to bond with the front and rear glass . the embodiments of the wireless communication and transparent lcd system described herein can be used with any number of display case designs , either temperature controlled or not , and with doors that open or glass that remains stationary . although shown here with a transparent lcd , the wireless system could be used with a traditional backlit lcd as well . having shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention , those skilled in the art will realize that many variations and modifications may be made to affect the described invention and still be within the scope of the claimed invention . additionally , many of the elements indicated above may be altered or replaced by different elements which will provide the same result and fall within the spirit of the claimed invention . it is the intention , therefore , to limit the invention only as indicated by the scope of the claims .	7
as shown in fig1 a vehicle drive system includes a main drive shaft 10 which is connected through a known type of differential gear 11 to driving wheels 12 of the vehicle . drivingly coupled to the shaft 10 is the rotor of an electric motor 13 which can be energised by a battery 14 by way of a control circuit 15 . the speed of the motor 13 is adjustable by a suitable control 16 . an internal combustion engine 20 has an output shaft 25 which can be coupled to the shaft 10 by means of an electro - magnetic clutch 21 . a non - slipping belt and pulley arrangement 22 is coupled to a further shaft 23 . a three - phase alternator 24 is drivingly coupled to the shaft 23 . the arrangement 22 includes a pulley 32 which is loose on the shaft 25 . a plate 33 is drivingly coupled to the shaft 25 . a stationary electromagnet 34 surrounds the pulley 32 and plate 33 and is energisable to urge the plate 33 and pulley 32 into frictional driving engagement . the pulley 32 , plate 33 and electromagnet 34 combine to provide a further clutch 35 . output current from the alternator 24 is supplied to a rectifier circuit 26 whose output is connected across the battery 14 . the battery 14 comprises eighteen 12 volt battery units , providing 216 volts . a dc / dc converter 27 is connected across the output of the battery 14 for maintaining a charge on an auxiliary 12 volt battery 28 which can supply , inter alia , the starter and ignition circuits of the engine 20 , through a switch 29 . in its fully clockwise position the switch 29 supplies current to a starter ( not shown ) of the engine 20 through a switch 36 . a battery charging circuit 30 is also connected across the terminals of the battery 14 and can be connected to a 240 volt mains supply through terminals 31 . a transducer 40 is coupled to the shaft 10 and provides , on a line 41 , a signal nd corresponding to the speed of the shaft 10 . a further transducer 42 is coupled to the shaft 25 and provides , on a line 43 a signal ne corresponding to the speed of the engine 20 . a limit detecting circuit 46 is responsive to the engine speed signal ne on line 43 to provide a signal on a line 45 when the signal ne exceeds a predetermined low value . a circuit 44 is shown in detail in fig4 to 6 and acts to regulate the field current of the alternator 24 , and thereby the load imposed by the alternator 24 on the engine 20 when the clutch 35 is operated . the propulsion system can be operated in at least five modes : 1 . with the clutch 21 disengaged and the motor 13 energised by the battery 14 to drive the shaft 10 . 2 . with the clutch 21 disengaged , the battery 14 energising the motor 13 to drive the shaft 10 , the engine 20 running and the clutch 35 engaged to drive the alternator 24 and thereby to maintain the charge of the battery 14 and to provide at least part of the current supply to the motor 13 . 3 . with the engine 20 running , clutch 21 engaged , clutch 35 disengaged and the motor 13 de - energised by means of its control circuit 15 . in this condition the engine 20 is driving the shaft 10 directly and the rotor of the motor 13 acts , effectively , as a flywheel . 4 . with the engine 20 running , the clutch 21 engaged and the motor 13 energised to drive the shaft 10 . in this condition the engine 20 is supplementing the power output of the motor 13 . 5 . with the engine 20 running , the clutch 21 engaged and the motor 13 acting as a generator to charge the battery 14 . in any of operating modes 3 , 4 or 5 above , the speed of the engine 20 is controlled in a conventional manner by a throttle operated by a pedal . operation in modes 3 , 4 and 5 will usually be commenced when the vehicle is moving at a substantial speed . it is therefore necessary to match the speed of the engine 20 with that of the shaft 10 before the clutch 21 is engaged . speed matching is effected by engaging the clutch 35 while the engine 20 is stationary , starting the engine , opening the engine throttle sufficiently to enable its speed to be raised to a level at which the clutch 21 can be operated , and varying the load applied by the alternator 24 to the engine 20 , to cause operation of the clutch 21 by circuits 50 , 51 shown in detail in fig2 and 3 respectively . as shown in fig2 the circuit 50 includes a relay r1 having normally - closed contacts r1a and normally open contacts r1b . a further relay r2 has normally open contacts r2a and normally closed contacts r2b . a third relay r3 has normally closed contacts r3a and normally open contacts r3b . a fourth relay r4 has normally open contacts r4a and a fifth relay r5 has normally closed contacts r5a . when the engine ignition switch 29 ( fig1 ) is in its central , normally - running position a signal is provided on a line 52 to the circuit 50 . the line 52 is connected to the clutch 35 through a line 53 , by way of the relay contacts r4a . the line 52 is also connected to the line 53 through a series arrangement of the contacts r1a , contacts r2b , diodes 54 , 55 connected cathode to cathode and the contacts r5a . the relay r4 is connected in parallel with a rc delay circuit 56 to the junction between the diodes 54 , 55 . the line 45 is connected through a diode 57 and a resistor 58 to a line 59 connected to the ignition circuit of the engine 20 . a series arrangement of two diodes 60 , 61 connected cathode to cathode , the contacts r2a and contacts r1a are also connected between the line 45 and the line 52 . the relay r2 is connected between earth and the junction of the diodes 60 , 61 . the relay r3 can be energised from the line 52 through the contacts r1b and a switch 65 arranged in series . the switch 65 is operable by a signal on a line 66 from the circuit 51 ( fig1 ). the line 52 can be connected to the relay r1 by means of a manually operable switch 67 . energisation of relay r1 closes contacts r1b and the relay r1 is thereafter maintained energised through a diode 68 . the relay r5 is energisable from the line 52 through a series arrangement of the contacts r1b , r3b and a diode 73 . the relay r5 is also energisable from the line 52 when the contacts r1b and the switch 65 are both closed . a line 69 to the clutch 21 ( fig1 ) communicates with the line 52 when the contacts r1b and r3b are both closed . indicator devices 70 , 71 are energised when signals are present on the lines 53 , 69 respectively . a further indicator device 72 is energised when the relay r1 is latched on through the contacts r1b and diode 68 . as shown in fig3 the circuit 51 includes a differential amplifier 80 which is responsive to the signals nd , ne on lines 41 , 43 respectively . an output signal from the amplifier 80 is supplied to a zero - level detecting circuit 81 which provides a signal on the lines 66 to the circuit 50 when the speeds of the drive shaft 10 and engine 20 are substantially equal . an alternative form of the device 81 provides a signal when a difference between these speeds is less than a predetermined amount . for example a signal may be provided on lines 66 when the speed of the engine 20 is less than one or two hundred rpm above or below that of the shaft 10 . output signals from the amplifier 80 are also supplied to a proportional plus integral amplifier 82 whose output is connected through a switch 83 and a resistor 84 to the inverting input of a further differential amplifier 85 . the switch 83 is ganged with the switch 67 in the circuit 50 ( fig2 ) and the switch 36 in the line to the engine starter ( fig1 ), so these switches are operated at the same time and that when the switches 67 , 83 are closed , the switch 36 is open . the inverting input of the amplifier 85 is also supplied , through a resistor 86 , with an engine speed demand signal on a line 87 from a selector device 88 ( fig1 ). the non - inverting input of the amplifier 85 is supplied with the engine speed signal ne on line 43 . the output of the amplifier 85 forms a field current demand signal which is supplied on a line 89 to the control circuit 44 ( fig1 ) for the alternator 24 , to regulate the alternator field current , and thereby the load imposed by the alternator 24 on the engine 20 when the clutch 25 is engaged . if the propulsion system is operating in mode 1 above , and it is required to couple the engine 20 to the shaft 10 to operate in any of modes 3 , 4 or 5 , the switch 29 applies and maintains a signal on line 52 and subsequently starts the engine 20 . return of the switch 29 to its central position maintains the signal on the line 52 . this signal passes through contacts r1a , r2b and diode 54 to operate the relay r4 and close the contacts r4a , the resulting voltage on line 53 energising the clutch 35 to couple the engine 20 to the alternator 24 . when the engine speed signal ne exceeds a predetermined low value limit detection circuit 46 provides a signal on line 45 which is applied through the diode 57 and resistor 58 to the line 59 , to supply the ignition circuit of the engine 20 . at the same time the control circuit 44 provides a field current to the alternator 24 , thereby imposing a load on the engine 20 . the signal on line 45 energises the relay r2 ( fig2 ), opening the contact r2b and shutting the contacts r2a . since contacts r4a have been shut , relay r4 is maintained energised through the normally - closed contacts r5a and the diode 55 . closure of contacts r2a maintains the relay r2 energised through the diode 61 . the switch 67 is now operated to energise relay r1 from the supply on line 52 , closing contact r1b and opening contact r1a . relay r2 is nevertheless maintained energised by the signal on line 45 and relay r4 by the latch provided by contacts r4a , r5a . closure of contacts r1b energises the indicating device 72 through the normally - closed contacts r3a , providing an indication that driving connection between the engine 20 and the shaft 10 has been selected , but has not yet occurred . when the speed of the engine 20 is substantially equal to that of the shaft 10 the switch 65 is closed , energising relay r3 and closing the contacts r3b . the voltage signal on line 52 is then applied through line 69 to energise the clutch 21 . closure of contacts r3b also energises relay r5 through the diode 73 , opening contacts r5a and de - energising relay r4 . contacts r4a open after a delay imposed by the circuit 56 , causing the clutch 35 to be disengaged . the alternator 24 is , however , no longer required to load the engine 20 , since speed matching has already occurred . indicator device 72 is de - energised and device 71 is energised to show that the clutch 21 is engaged . after the ganged switches 67 , 83 in circuits 50 , 51 respectively have been closed , but before the switch 65 is closed the speed of the engine 20 is varied by adjusting the load of the alternator 24 thereon , by means of the signal on line 87 from the speed selector device 88 ( fig1 ). as shown in fig3 the engine speed signal ne and the shaft speed signal nd on lines 43 , 41 respectively are applied to the amplifier 80 and any speed error is subjected to proportional plus integral amplification before being applied through the switch 83 and resistor 84 to the inverting input of the amplifier 85 , to which input the signal on line 87 is also applied . the engine speed signal ne is also applied to the non - inverting input of amplifier 85 . the effect is that a required increase in engine speed results in the signal on line 89 being applied to the circuit 44 to reduce the field current of the alternator 24 , and hence the load of the latter on the engine 20 . when the speed signals ne , nd are equal , the resulting zero output from the amplifier 80 is detected by the circuit 81 and provides a signal on the line 66 to operate the switch 65 , resulting in energisation of the clutch 21 , as described above . after the clutch 35 has been disengaged it is necessary to prevent the clutch 21 from being disengaged while the engine 20 is running , since the engine would then be unloaded and could overspeed . this requirement is met by the arrangement described , since if switch 67 ( fig2 ) is opened while the engine is running the relay r1 nevertheless remains energised through the contacts r1b and the diode 68 . the contacts r3b are thus maintained shut by relay r3 and the clutch 21 remains energised . additionally , since relay r1 remains energised the contacts r1a are open . contacts r4a are also open and the clutch 35 cannot be re - engaged with the engine 20 running . in order to de - energise the relay r1 and disengage the clutch 21 it is necessary to operate the switch 29 to remove the voltage supply from line 52 . if , with the switch 67 open the switch 29 is first operated to remove the voltage on line 52 , de - energisation of relay r1 closes contacts r1a and opens contacts r1b . relay r3 is de - energised , contacts r3a close and contacts r3b open , and clutch 21 is disengaged . if switch 29 is subsequently shut while the speed ne of the engine 20 is above that required to provide the signal on line 45 , relay r2 remains energised and contacts r2b are open . relay r4 cannot therefore be energised through contacts r1a and the clutch 35 cannot be engaged while the engine speed ne is above its predetermined low value . the switch 36 , being ganged to the switches 67 , 83 , prevents the engine 20 from being started when the switch 67 is closed , since if this occurred the clutch 21 would be engaged while the engine 20 was running unloaded by the alternator 24 , by way of the clutch 35 . as described above the control circuit 44 controls the field current of the alternator 24 in accordance with the magnitude of the signal online 89 . the circuit 44 comprises well - known circuit arrangements which operate in a known manner , and which do not of themselves form part of the invention . the circuit 44 will therefore be described only insofar as to enable its operation to be understood . as shown in fig4 and 6 the circuit 44 may be considered as comprising parts 44a , 44b and 44c . part 44a is an amplifier stage responsive to the signal on line 89 from the circuit 51 ( fig3 ) and to the ignition voltage on line 59 ( fig1 ). two amplifier . circuits 100 , 101 respond to the signal on line 89 to provide a signal on a line 102 . a semiconductor switch arrangement 103 is responsive to the ignition voltage signal on line 59 , absence of this signal connecting the line 102 to an earth rail 104 . a buffer circuit 105 is responsive to the signal on line 102 to supply a signal on a line 106 to the part 44b ( fig5 ). as shown in fig5 the signals on line 106 is applied to the inverting input of an amplifier 95 whose other input is connected to a feedback line 122 . the amplifier 95 forms one element of an integrated circuit of the type available from motorola under the designation mc3301 , the numerals adjacent the amplifier indicating the terminals to which respective connections are made . the amplifier 95 has associated externally connected components to provide an integrating term and its output is supplied on a line 96 to an oscillator circuit 97 which also forms an element of the aforementioned motorola integrated circuit . the frequency of the output of oscillator 97 is dependent on the magnitude of the signal on line 96 and typically is in the range of 100 hz to 1 khz . the oscillator output is applied to the base of a npn transistor 110 , through a resistor 98 which forms part of a resistor - capacitor network 99 connected between a + 12 v rail 111 and an earth rail 112 , and provides a suitable bias at the output of oscillator 97 . the transistor 110 is connected between the rails 111 , 112 through a + 8 v regulating circuit 107 and the arrangement is such that a negative signal on the base of transistor 110 results in a positive voltage on a line 113 . a diode , resistor and capacitor network 114 acts as a voltage pulse shaping circuit for the signals on line 113 . the signals on line 113 are applied through a potential divider 115 to a line 116 to the base of npn transistor 117 which is connected between the rails 111 , 112 so that a positive signal on its base results in a low level signal on the base of a pnp transistor 118 . transistor 118 is connected between the rails 111 , 112 so that in response to the low level signal on its base it provides a positive signal on the base of a npn transistor 119 , causing the latter to conduct . the transistor 119 is connected between the rails 11 , 112 in series with the primary of a transformer 120 . the transistors 117 , 118 , 119 and their associated capacitors and resistors comprise a voltage to current switching circuit which provides current pulses in the primary of the transformer 120 , these pulses having the frequency of the oscillator circuit 97 . a capacitor 130 and resistor 131 in series between the transformer primary and the rail 112 act to suppress voltage spikes . the secondary winding of the transformer 120 is centre - tapped and is connected to a network 132 of resistors , diodes and zener diodes which shape the transformer output current pulses to provide drive pulses to the base of a power transistor 133 , and also provide protection against excessive voltage on the base of the transistor 133 . the transistor 133 is connected through the primary winding of a transformer 134 between the negative terminal of the 216 volt battery 14 ( fig1 ) and a lead 135 to the field winding of the alternator 24 . a second lead 136 from the field winding is connected to the positive terminal of the battery 14 . a diode 137 is connected between the lines 135 , 136 so as to be reverse biased with respect to the dc voltage on these lines , and acts as a so - called &# 34 ; free - wheel &# 34 ; diode to maintain the field current during intervals when the transistor 133 is switched off . as described the primary winding of the transformer 134 is connected in the - 216 volt line . switching of the transistor 116 in response to the pulses on line 115 results in current pulses through the primary of the transformer 120 . these pulses have the frequency of the output of the oscillator 109 and are detected by the secondary of the transformer 134 . a resistor , capacitor and diode network 138 forms a compensated peak - to - peak detection circuit which provides a feedback signal on the line 122 , this signal comprising a dc level proportional to the peak - to - peak magnitude of the current pulses through the primary of the transformer 134 . the arrangement is such that the magnitude of the signal on line 122 is dependent on the magnitude of the field current . an increase in the field current demand signal on line 106 results in an increase in frequency of the field current , and a signal corresponding to the increased current is fed back to the amplifier 95 on the line 122 to provide a new steady - state condition .	1
parts which correspond to one another are provided with the same reference symbols in all the figures . referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first , particularly , to fig1 thereof , there is shown an electrical plug connector 1 having a contact carrier part 2 illustrated in a perspective view . the contact carrier part 2 has socket contact openings 3 at the end side and conductors 4 leading to the socket contact openings 3 . a housing half - shell 5 has a latching opening 6 and a latching hook 7 lying radially opposite the latter . the latching hook 7 latches with the latching opening 6 of a complementary , second housing half - shell 5 ( not illustrated here ). the housing half - shells 5 accommodate the contact carrier part 2 between them and in the assembled state they form , in conjunction with the contact carrier part 2 , the housing of the electrical plug connector 1 . in this context , cylindrical shell sections 8 of the housing half - shells 5 enclose a carrier shaft 10 of the contact carrier part 2 while bearing against a securing collar 9 of the contact carrier part 2 . a further latching hook 11 , which faces the shell section 8 and is spaced apart from the other latching hook 7 , latches with a latching window 12 ( not visible here ) of the respective other housing half - shell 5 . on the end side , lying opposite the socket contact openings 3 , of the plug connector 1 , the housing half - shells 5 accommodate an adaptor part 13 . the adaptor part 13 contains two flange - like circumferential collars 14 which are spaced apart from one another . the latter engage in two complementary housing grooves 15 , on the inside of the housing , of the housing half - shells 5 . the adaptor part 13 therefore has on the outside an outer contour which is matched to the inner contour of the housing half - shells 5 . in addition , the outer diameter of the adaptor part 13 is matched to the inner diameter of the housing in the region of the enclosed housing half - shells 5 . the adaptor part 13 therefore lies in a form - locking fashion in the housing 5 of the electrical plug connector 1 . the adaptor part 13 encloses a sleeve line ( conduit ) 16 which is a coiled or a corrugated - tube - shape in the exemplary embodiment , the sleeve line 16 in turn enclosing the conductors 4 . fig2 illustrates in perspective the plug connector 1 with the socket contact openings 3 , the conductors 4 , the housing half - shell 5 , the latching opening 6 and the latching hooks 7 , 11 . the adaptor part 13 has here merely a securing element 13 a . the latter is provided with a continuous slot 17 through which a grounding contact 18 engages . the securing element 13 a supports or forms the securing collar 14 which engages in the housing groove 15 facing the socket contact openings 3 . the securing element 13 a in turn engages around the sleeve line 16 and rests on the sleeve line 16 on the end side . as is comparatively clearly apparent in fig3 to 5 , a contact lug 19 of the grounding contact 18 projects beyond the securing element 13 a of the adaptor part 13 , and on the side facing away from the sleeve line 16 the contact lug 19 projects into the housing 5 of the electrical plug connector 1 . the grounding contact 18 has comb - like securing and / or contact claws 20 . these are provided at the contact end , lying opposite the contact lug 19 , of the grounding contact 18 . with each second contact claw 20 , the grounding contact 18 engages in corresponding corrugation valleys 21 , while the securing claws 20 which alternate with the latter rest on corrugation peaks 22 of the sleeve line 16 , preferably while applying a pressure force . the grounding contact 18 permits an electrically conductive connection of the then electrically conductive sleeve line 16 , which is embodied , for example , as a metal tube for this purpose , with a grounding contact 23 ( fig1 ) and / or with the then metallic or electrically conductive housing half - shells 5 ( fig2 ) of the electrical plug connector 1 . as a result of the locking of the securing or contact claws 20 of the grounding contact 18 in the corresponding surface structure of the sleeve line 16 , the sleeve line 16 is also secured against rotation . the adaptor part 13 has two adaptor half - shells 13 b and 13 c . the latter are coupled in an articulated fashion to the securing element 13 a via film hinges 13 d ( fig4 and 5 ) and therefore , as is shown in fig3 to 5 , they can be pivoted against the sleeve line 16 and latched to one another in the closed state . for this purpose , the cylindrical half - shells 13 b , 13 c of the adaptor part 13 have latching hooks 24 and corresponding latching webs 25 on the opposite side . in the latched state according to fig5 , the latching hook 24 of the one half - shell 13 b engages behind the latching web 25 of the other half - shell 13 c . the latching hooks 24 of the half - shell 13 b engages correspondingly behind the latching web 25 of the half - shell 13 b . the securing element 13 a is embodied with corresponding flat sides onto which the film hinges 13 d and the adaptor half - shells 13 b and 13 c are integrally formed . the adaptor half - shells 13 b , 13 c and therefore the adaptor part 13 itself have circumferential webs 26 which run around on the inside . in the assembled state according to fig5 , the circumferential webs 26 engage in the corrugation valleys 21 of the sleeve line 16 . as a result , the inner structure of the adaptor part 13 is matched to the outer structure of the sleeve line 16 . in addition , the inner diameter of the adaptor part 13 is matched as free of play as possible to the outer diameter of the sleeve line 16 when the adaptor half - shells 13 b , 13 c are closed . the formation of the form - locking connection between the adaptor part 13 and the sleeve line 16 by the circumferential webs 26 on the inside causes the sleeve line 16 to be reliably secured by the adaptor part 13 . as a result of the form - locking securement of the adaptor part 13 in the housing 5 of the electrical plug connector 1 , the sleeve line 16 is securely held on the adaptor part 13 , wherein the adaptor part 13 is effective as a tensile strain relief . the adaptor part 13 is always the same in terms of its outer diameter and its outer structure . for the purpose of adaption to different sleeve lines 16 with different outer diameters and outer structures , the adaptor part 13 is merely embodied in a correspondingly different way on the inside . therefore , for different sleeve lines 16 all that is necessary is to make available correspondingly matched adaptor parts 13 , while the electrical plug connector 1 is otherwise always the same . the further embodiment illustrated in fig6 to fig1 shows the adaptor part 13 without the contact carrier part 2 . this embodiment is also to be understood such that in order to implement the electrical plug connector the adaptor part 13 is in turn inserted into the contact carrier part 2 . the adaptor part 13 which is illustrated in fig6 has outer ribs 27 on its outer casing . the adaptor part 13 has a hollow - cylindrical accommodation space 28 . a supporting cylinder 29 projects into the hollow - cylindrical accommodation space 28 . in a radial direction 30 of the adaptor part 13 , the supporting cylinder 29 is at a lateral distance from the inner face of an outer wall 31 of the adaptor part 13 . this lateral distance in the radial direction 30 between the outer face of the supporting cylinder 29 and the inner face of the outer wall 31 of the adaptor part 13 serves to form an accommodation pocket 32 for the sleeve line 16 in the adaptor part 13 . in order to assemble the adaptor part 13 according to fig6 to fig1 , the sleeve line 16 is first inserted into an accommodation pocket 32 in the axial direction 33 of the adaptor part 13 . as soon as the sleeve line 16 lies completely in the accommodation pocket 32 ( fig8 - 10 ), a fork - like securing clamp 34 is inserted in the radial direction 30 into the adaptor part 13 through a continuous slot 17 ′ in the outer wall of the adaptor part 13 . the fork projections 35 of the fork - like securing clamp 34 engages , in the final assembled state , in one of the corrugation valleys 21 of the sleeve line 16 which is configured as a corrugated tube . the fork - like securing clamp 34 also has the contact lug 19 which is bent over in an angled shape in the axial direction 33 away from the fork projections 34 . in the case of a metallic sleeve line 16 , the contact lug 19 serves at the same time as a grounding contact , as do the fork projections 35 which engage on the sleeve line 16 . the sleeve line 16 is secured in a form - locking fashion to the adaptor part 13 with the aid of the fork projections 35 of the securing clamp 34 which engages in the corrugation valley 21 which is aligned with the fork projections 35 in the radial direction 30 . in this context , the supporting cylinder 29 increases the rigidity of the sleeve line 16 from the inside and forms a collar - like securing flange for the sleeve line 16 on the adaptor part 13 .	7
the features of the inventions will be described in sections . we begin with a hardware design that the invention was designed to be used with so that the parts of that system can be discussed with reference to how the invention functions . then we describe various configurations available in user hardware that provide some complications . next , we describe the concept of priority , which was mentioned in the background section . following that we begin to discuss two main branches of the invention , tailored scope queues , and virtual queues . after a general discussion about these designs and their implementations , we explain what a data sharing group is , and how it is used by tailored scope queues to accomplish the goal of efficacious task assignment in accord with the user &# 39 ; s desires . variations on this theme are then considered and explained in terms of various embodiments . then we discuss how the two branches of the invention respond to user &# 39 ; s system configuration and / or user &# 39 ; s application mix with dynamic configuration . one form of a multiprocessor computer system 100 which could take advantage of this invention is described with reference to fig1 . larger versions , which employ the invention , can be built in a modular manner using more groups of components similar to the ones shown , but for purposes of this discussion a 16 - processor version suffices . ( we have established the principles of this invention in a 32 processor configuration and larger systems should also be able to use the principles taught herein ). in the system illustrated there is a central main memory 101 having a plurality of memory storage units msu 0 - 3 . these can be configured to form a long contiguous area of memory or organized into many different arrangements as is understood in this industry . the msus are each connected to each of the two crossbars 102 , 103 , which in turn are connected to the highest level of cache in this exemplary system , the third level caches ( tlcs ) 104 – 107 . these tlcs are shared cache areas for all the instruction processors ( ips ) underneath them . data , instruction and other signals may traverse these connections similarly to a bus , but advantageously by direct connection through the crossbars in a well - known manner . the processors ip 0 – 15 in the currently preferred embodiment are instruction processors of the “ 2200 ” variety in a cellular multiprocessing ( cmp ) computer system from unisys corporation in the preferred embodiment but could be any processors . a store - through cache is closest to each instruction processor ( ip ), and since it is the first level cache above the instruction processor , it is called for a first level cache ( flc ). the second level caches and third level caches are store - in caches in the preferred embodiment computer systems . the second level caches ( slcs ) are next above the flcs , each ip has its own slc as well as a flc . note that the blocks 110 – 125 , each containing a flc , slc and ip , are connected via a bus to their tlc in pairs and that two such pairs are connected to each tlc . thus the proximity of the slcs of ip 0 and ip 1 is closer than the proximity of ip 2 and ip 3 to the slcs of ip 0 and ip 1 . ( the buses are illustrated as single connecting lines ; example : tlc 105 connected by bus 130 to blocks 117 and 116 ). each of these buses is an example of the smallest and usually most efficient multiprocessor cache neighborhood in this embodiment . two threads that share data will execute most efficiently when confined to one of these cache neighborhoods . also , the proximity of ip 0 – 3 to tlc 104 is greater than the proximity of any of the other ip &# 39 ; s to tlc 104 . by this proximity , a likelihood of cache hits for processes or tasks being handled by most proximate ips is enhanced . thus , if ip 1 has been doing a task , the data drawn into slc 131 and tlc 104 from main memory ( the msus 101 ) is more likely to contain information needed for that task than are any of the less proximate caches ( tlcs 105 , 106 , 107 and their slcs and flcs ) in the system 100 . tasks that require 3 or 4 processors will execute most efficiently in a tlc cache neighborhood , called a subpod . note that we may use the following terminology to refer to various neighborhoods by size . a pod would consist of the caches under a crossbar 102 , 103 , consisting of two tlcs and the lower level caches underneath them . a subpod would be those cache memory areas subsidiary to and including a tlc . in fig1 a tlc 104 has the subpod indication shown . a bus neighborhood consists of the cache memories of two ips , illustrated on fig1 as including the caches of ips 4 and 5 . the pod attached to crossbar 103 is indicated to include tlcs 106 and 107 . it is also productive to mention at this juncture that where choices need to be made between neighboring ips within a cache neighborhood for purposes of stealing for load balancing , “ buddy lists ” may be kept to minimize the overhead of choosing . this will be discussed in appropriate detail later , and reference may be made to u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 920 , 023 &# 39 ; s filed on aug . 1 , 2001 , and its fig4 and accompanying discussion for background information , although at that time such neighboring ips were not called “ buddies .” it should be noted that this system 100 describes a 16 ip system , and that with two additional crossbars , the system could be expanded in a modular fashion to a 32 ip system , and that such systems can be seen for example in the unisys corporation cmp cs7802 computer system , and could also be applied to the unisys es7000 computer system with appropriate changes to its os , in keeping with the principles taught herein . it should also be recognized that neither number of processors , nor size , nor system organization is a limitation upon the teachings of this disclosure . for example , any multiprocessor computer system , whether numa ( non - uniform memory architecture ) architected or uma ( uniform memory architecture ) as in the detailed example described with respect to fig1 could employ the teachings herein to improve performance as described in the background section above . this computer system 100 serves to illustrate the multi - processing ( mp ) factor referred to in this document . the mp factor is a commonly - used measure of the efficiency of a multi - processing system . for example , a 4 processor system which has a work capacity equivalent to 3 . 8 single processors is said to have a 0 . 95 ( 3 . 8 / 4 ) mp factor . the overhead of accessing a relatively slow shared memory and of managing data integrity across all the memory caches does not grow linearly , so the mp factor usually declines as the number of processors increases . for example , a 16 processor system may only have a work capacity equivalent to 12 single processors , an mp factor of 0 . 75 . in this example system , and on many other systems with a complex bus and cache structure , there are some distinct performance steps in the mp factor as the number of processors increases . for example , the mp factor of the four processors within a subpod is markedly better than the mp factor for the 5 – 8 processors in a pod . by dedicating data - sharing groups to the processors of the smaller cache neighborhoods , this invention seeks to take advantage of the greater efficiencies of those neighborhoods . in an idealized example , four applications could each be dedicated to a 4 - processor subpod and achieve a much higher total mp factor than would be available in a 16 processor system without dedication . the applications would have the advantage of the high mp factor of a 4 processor system , yet still be able to share the network and database resources of the full 16 processor system . the user &# 39 ; s system may be a subset ( or a superset ) of the configuration shown in fig1 . for example , an 8 processor system may have been delivered to the user , with two tlcs ( 104 and 106 ) and 8 processors ( 110 – 113 and 118 – 121 ). that configuration can be split by the user into two partitions , each of which is under the control of a separate instance of the os . of the processors ( 110 – 113 ) within tlc 104 &# 39 ; s cache neighborhood , any could be marked down ( disabled ) because of a hardware failure or because the user only contracted for , say , a 3 - processor software key . any of those circumstances could subsequently change and cause the os to dynamically add the processors back into the configuration . in the current hardware series , a superset is already available having 32 processors and larger systems with 64 or even more processors may also be created . for reasons detailed in our previous patent application ser . no . 09 / 920 , 023 , a single switching queue , commonly used in multiprocessor systems , becomes inefficient when the computer operating system supports processor affinity . if there is a single switching queue per system then processors scanning the queue for work must ignore tasks with affinity to other processors , extending the time required for the scan . the scan is typically performed with the switching queue &# 39 ; s data under a lock ( and thus unavailable to any other processors while locked ). passing over other processors &# 39 ; tasks extends the time that the single switching queue must be locked and this can be a severe performance impact , particularly on a system with many processors . for efficiency , the design described in the &# 39 ; 023 patent application described using a switching queue per processor rather than a single shared queue . in that design , a processor &# 39 ; s switching queue only holds tasks with affinity for that processor and consequently contention for the single processor &# 39 ; s switching queue &# 39 ; s lock is minimized . however , departing from the commonly used single switching queue means that the design must compensate for the loss of the automatic system - wide load - balancing and execution priority that comes with using a single queue . load - balancing is handled in the &# 39 ; 023 patent application &# 39 ; s design by allowing idle processors to steal work from the queues of processors that are busier on average . that design , which takes into account the impacts of cross - cache memory requests , is described in detail in the above - referenced &# 39 ; 023 patent application . in the invention described here , the execution priority ( i . e ., the preferred order in which tasks are executed ) is handled according to the needs of the user &# 39 ; s applications . in the computer industry , many systems function well with only a non - preemptive priority mechanism . “ non - preemptive ” means that the dispatcher will not preempt a currently executing task with one of higher priority unless the task voluntarily gives up control of the processor or its assigned time - slice ends . in such systems the use of priority is relatively simple , ensuring , for example , that transactions will have execution priority over batch processing and program development . in the &# 39 ; 023 patent application , such non - pre - emptive use of priority is used in the individual processor queues . at the system level , the effects of priority are not as uniform , as there are cases where one processor will run a low priority task from its own queue when there are higher priority tasks queued to other processors , but this is considered a reasonable trade - off against the performance benefits of processor affinity under most circumstances . there are , however , some applications that are designed to make explicit use of the system &# 39 ; s priority mechanisms . these are typically “ real time ” applications , which must respond with an output message to an external stimulus such as an input message within a time constraint . for example , the application may have medium priority “ producer ” tasks that generate output messages and put them onto an output queue ; and the application may have high priority “ consumer ” tasks that are responsible for taking output messages from the queue and sending them over the network . such an application will need to rely on the dispatcher to apply the priorities rigorously so that , for example , it does not have consumer tasks queued behind producer tasks causing it to overflow the space it has for waiting output messages . two alternative mechanisms are provided in this invention for more rigorous application of execution priorities . the first , a “ tailored scope queues ” design , involves the replacement of the concept of individual processor switching queue with shared switching queues tailored to cache neighborhoods , and the second , a “ virtual queue ” design , involves the use of an additional system - wide or application - wide virtual queue . in the first , the “ tailored scope queues ” design , instead of having a switching queue per processor there is a single shared queue for all the processors ( the processor group ) within a cache neighborhood . thus , within such a caching neighborhood , the priority can be easily maintained , as there is a single queue and the high priority tasks will always be taken first from that queue . even in a system with multiple caching neighborhoods , there are also more processors available to execute a high priority task on each of the queues . for a complete solution , though , it may be necessary to dedicate all the tasks of a priority - sensitive application to the cache neighborhood , and have a single queue shared by all the processors in that neighborhood , so that all the application &# 39 ; s tasks are guaranteed to be on the single queue . ( dedication of tasks to queues is discussed later in this document .) this tailored scope queues design is a trade - off against performance , as the tasks now have affinity to the processor group , rather than to a single processor , thus limiting the likelihood of advantage from the potential benefit from reusing any cache residue within the processor &# 39 ; s immediate cache . therefore such a tailored scope switching queue design is usually preferable for use by small cache neighborhoods such as a bus or a subpod , but not for large neighborhoods such as a pod where up to 8 processors share the switching queue . turn now to fig2 a and 2b , in which highly simplified conceptual models of computer systems are illustrated in diagrams 50 a and 50 b , respectively . ( we will refer to fig2 c later for the discussion of virtual queue embodiments .) inside computer system 51 a there is a dispatcher program , usually a piece of re - entrant code , an instance of which runs each of the dispatcher queues ( sq 0 – sqx ) to accomplish the tasks for the dispatcher queues . in computer system 51 a , there is a single switching queue to each instruction processor . thus , in this figure , there are n switching queues , sq 0 – sqn − 1 . in computer system 51 b , again all the dispatcher queues run the dispatcher 52 a , but here there are asymmetries between the number of dispatcher queues and the instruction processors . switching queue 1 ( sq 1 ) has four ips at its disposal , sq 2 has three , sq 3 has one , and sqx has one ( ipn − 1 ). typically , it is more difficult to arrange the multiprocessor computer system into switching queues with differently - sized scopes , but it is possible . more typically , each switching queue will have a same number of ips servicing it . this simplification makes the message a user needs to send to the operating system ( called the “ exec ” in unisys cs7802 computer systems ) simpler . identifying merely the number of switching queues or their scope forces an automatic division of the processors . it is preferable too to order the split along natural dividing lines ( i . e ., neighborhoods ) within the system . thus , processors within a group that shares a bus and / or higher - level cache should be assigned to the same switching queue to take advantage of the inherent efficiencies available to such an organization in cache sharing and processor / cache communications simplicity . it is convenient in some preferred embodiments to maintain a pair of tables that allow for easy allocation of switching queues to hardware configuration and tasks to switching queues . in fig4 a and 4b such tables are illustrated . in the table of fig4 a , the first column identifies the ips by number , 0 – 15 in the sixteen processor system . the bus neighborhoods are defined in the second column , and there are buses 0 – 7 , each having two processors . the third column identifies which bus neighborhoods and processors correspond to which processors , and there are four tlc neighborhoods , 0 – 3 . a tlc neighborhood identifies a subpod . the pod neighborhoods , of which there are two , pod 0 , and pod 1 in a 16 - processor system are identified in the next column . the switching queues are identified by number in the right side of the table of fig4 a . they correspond to pod neighborhoods ( sq 0 , sq 1 ) and subpod / tlc neighborhoods sq 2 – sq 5 , bus neighborhoods ( sq 6 – sq 13 ) and processor switching queues ( sq 14 – sq 29 ). broken down in this way , with 29 switching queues provides for an easy way to manage switching queues . on a machine with this table , one could designate for examples , sq 0 and any combination of switching queues from the bottom half of the table to fill the processor resources , but one could not use sq 2 , sq 3 , sq 6 – 9 or sq 14 – 21 , because they overlap on the resources designated for sq 0 . with reference to the computer system of fig1 , this set of efficiencies becomes apparent . any four ips that share a tlc ( a subpod neighborhood ) will be better suited to sharing a switching queue because they share the same tlc and will reuse code and data from the shared tlc rather than getting it from an msu or other tlc in many instances . this becomes even more likely as the user dedicates particular tasks that share the same data resources to a switching queue using this tlc . thus , while it is possible to split up the assignment of adjacent ips across switching queues , it is not recommended . therefore we have focused on various methodologies for ensuring that even with some enhanced user control , the more efficient allocation of switching queues will be adopted on our computer systems . the table of fig4 b is an example record of tasks and runids identified to specific switching queue as numbered in fig4 a . in the initial embodiment , we allow a computer system administrator ( a user ) to control the number of ips servicing a switching queue . therefore , we produced a new dynamic configuration parameter which we gave a static name “ swqafflvl ” as a mnemonic for “ switching queue affinity level .” swqafflvl is defined as a user addressable parameter that specifies the affinity level desired for a dispatching queue . in the preferred embodiment the allowable values are : the lower the affinity number , the greater the improvement in the multi - processing ( mp ) factor because data is shared across smaller cache neighborhoods with higher performance . ( the system can have up to four pods in our current computer system designs , but it should be recognized that in other computer systems different , analogous ip / memory architectures of larger or smaller sizes as well should be able to take advantages of the teachings provided herein ). these swqafflvl values are based on the current unisys hardware and the number of processors at a given level may change in the future because of a different hardware organization . a similar parameter can be used with alternate hardware architectures as one of ordinary skill in this field will easily appreciate . also , multiple swqaffvl parameters may be used to enhance flexibility and provide for various sized groups of processors handling various sized loads simultaneously , as one of ordinary skill in this art can easily appreciate . in our initial embodiment we use only one swqaffvl parameter for simplicity . the user &# 39 ; s swqafflvl changes only take effect on a reboot in current systems , but as per earlier discussion , it is possible to configure the operating system to handle on - the - fly changes to the sizes and number of switching queues using this invention . the system will be released with this configuration parameter set to 0 ( zero ) as the default because that provides the best performance for most environments that do not need to rigorously enforce preemptive priority . in the initial embodiment then , the user who needs preemptive priority will modify the swqafflvl parameter , to say 2 ( subpod ), to modify the number of switching queues , and this modification will take place on reboot . in other preferred embodiments , the user will send a message to the operating system with the request to modify swqafflvl and the os will handle the change , cutting over the switching queues as needed and handling the extant queues as described in the later section on the dynamic configuration of tailored scope queues . the second , virtual queue design employs an additional virtual queue for the range of task priorities that are being used explicitly within an application . ( typically , the range would encompass the highest application priorities in the system but this is not essential .) the “ application ” could be all the threads in a run , or any other group of tasks as a user may wish to aggregate or otherwise organize them . instead of having a physical queue that would result in contention , each processor in the system has its own queue ( sq 0 – sqn − 1 ) and records the value of the highest priority within the range for the application whenever it updates the queue . the set of these values constitutes the “ virtual queue 58 , as shown in fig2 c . whenever a processor has reason to look at its own switching queue for the next task to execute , it first looks at the priority values recorded by the other processors in the virtual queue . if one of those has a higher priority value , then it attempts to “ pluck ” the higher priority task from the other processor &# 39 ; s switching queue and execute it . “ plucking ” involves locking the other processor &# 39 ; s switching queue and finding and removing the highest priority task . ( there are as many ways to lock a queue and find data on it as there are multiprocessor computer operating systems , at least , and these are known to those of ordinary skill in this art ). if this is successful ( i . e ., a higher priority task is plucked from another processor &# 39 ; s switching queue ) then the dispatcher dequeues the task from the other processor &# 39 ; s queue and moves it to the processor that was looking for work and plucked it . the “ looking ” is a low overhead mechanism performed without a lock , so it is possible that some other processor may pluck the task first , in which case the processor can either ignore the task and continue dispatching from its own queue , or return to checking the virtual queue for another high priority task . there can be various optimizations of the virtual queue design , both in further reducing the overheads of scanning the virtual queue and in preferring to pluck a task that is queued nearby ( similar to the design we described for stealing in the background above ) where there is a choice of tasks needing processor resources at a given priority level . for example , in a large multi - processor system , it may be sufficient for each processor to scan only a subset of the processors , as described in the “ stealing ” algorithm of the &# 39 ; 023 patent application , relying on other processors to scan the remainder using a pre - set “ buddy ” system . the “ buddy ” system associates each processor with a buddy at each level of the cache hierarchy . for example , a processor has one buddy on the bus , another on the other bus within the subpod , another on the pod &# 39 ; s adjacent subpod , etc . it only looks at these buddies , and always in order of closeness to itself . each processor has a buddy list and each processor is in at least one other processor &# 39 ; s list . in this manner , the overheads of looking and choosing are minimized . generally , if there are significant overheads required to access distant cache neighborhoods , then the subset of the processors that are scanned can be organized so that the processor that is looking for work will prefer to pluck tasks that are queued to processors that are in nearby cache neighborhoods and so reduce the performance impacts of loading the plucking processor &# 39 ; s cache with the task &# 39 ; s data . this virtual queue design is also a trade - off of rigorous priority over performance , as the task would probably have executed more efficiently if left where it was . unlike the first , tailored scope queues , a shared switching queue design , this virtual queue design is a complete solution without the need for dedication . ( see more details about “ dedication ” below ). in addition , it can operate with less overhead for an application that is dedicated to a cache neighborhood , as there is no need for a processor to look at the priority values for processors outside the neighborhood unless the neighborhood is allowed to execute non - dedicated tasks . fig1 illustrates virtual queue processing with flowchart 150 . each time an ip switching queue ( sq ) has a task put on its list , or at least each time one is added of higher priority than any existing tasks , the new task or tasks will be recorded 151 on the virtual queue . a simple mask or data matrix 156 is used at step 152 to show which tasks have highest priority on each of the processor &# 39 ; s switching queues . in this example , sixteen processors have spaces allocated . processor one ( second from the left ) has the highest priority task ( an “ a ” level task ), the next is processor three ( fourth from the left ), with a “ c ” level priority task , and two other processors have recorded tasks of priority “ e ” level with no other processors having recorded tasks . a processor when looking for a task will check for tasks on the virtual queue to determine if there is one of some priority listed and then attempt to take it from the processor on whose individual queue the task is also listed . one could develop a system where the processor looks to its own switching queue first and only take tasks of higher priority than those on that processor &# 39 ; s switching queue , but we believe it more efficient to check the virtual queue first . the purpose of the virtual queue is to find the highest priority task in the system and the switching queues are ordered by priority . therefore we only care about one task per ip . if that task is selected and dequeued then the next task on the ip &# 39 ; s queue sets the priority value that goes into the virtual queue . based on whether or not under rules described elsewhere which define buddy processors and switching queue availability for plucking , a processor can pluck tasks from the identified processors with high priority tasks , the flow chart is followed through steps 153 – 155 , and if under those rules it is acceptable it will attempt to take the task from the ip having the highest priority task . also , ( 157 will only record if the buddy has a higher priority task , not one of equal priority , so if the original ip had a task of priority a and there were bs and other as , then the only recording will be done in 151 , and we &# 39 ; ll select the original ip .) after the task is recorded 157 , 158 , the task is plucked from the switching queue of the processor that originally had it 159 . if another processor has already taken the task from the switching queue then either the task is ignored and the processor continues , dispatching from its own switching queue , or the processor can revisit the virtual queue , looking for another high priority task . ( although this “ plucking ” algorithm and the “ stealing ” algorithm previously described are described in terms of processor queues , i . e ., the situation where each processor has its own queue , they can be generalized to handle processor groups . if the processors in a processor group share a switching queue , then a processor in the group becomes “ idle ” when the queue is empty and it may choose to steal work from the queue of another processor group that is busier than some threshold . it may also choose to pluck and execute the highest priority task that is queued to some other group instead of a lower priority task on its own group &# 39 ; s queue .) the user determines which applications share data extensively based on their known design or based on instrumentation of the system . the user identifies each group of such applications to the os by defining them as belonging to a data - sharing group . the parameters that define the declaration by a system administrator of data - sharing groups can be quite simple . they should preferably be able to fit into a single message the user can send to the operating system ( os ). with reference to fig3 , a block of memory or a message 20 should have components including the data - sharing group id 21 , and a list 22 of software entities , having repeated entries of entity type 23 and entity id 24 . ( a pair of entity type and entity id is identified by a paired numeral 23 / 24 a – x ). in format , the message to the os need merely contain the data - sharing group id and the data - sharing group membership list , and the os can look up the entity type and entity id from the pointers in the data - sharing group list ; or the message could contain all the information if preferred . additionally , the user will have to supply a list of dedications 30 , such as is illustrated in fig3 , ( unless he uses a default condition ). here , the list of messages 30 will describe the features of handling for each task or userid or whatever dedication unit moniker is employed . when the user applies this list , the os should have some kind of security check to determine that these dedications are permitted and authorized by / for the system administrator . in the preferred embodiment , the messages or units on the list have seven data components 31 – 37 , and the list can be as long as needed . ( a – x ). an additional description of how this is used is found in the section below on dedicating data - sharing group ( s ) to cache neighborhoods , but a brief description of the data component parts follows . with reference to fig3 , each of the messages a – x should have components including the data - sharing group id 31 , previously declared by the system administrator and an indication of the processing resources required . the resources can be expressed as processor group id 32 that identifies the group of processors to which the work should be assigned . the resources can also be expressed as processing power parameter 33 that indicates the number of processors required for this particular data sharing group ( if the os is to select a processor group based on the power required .). more than one data - sharing group can be dedicated to a processor group if sufficient processor power is available . the exclusive assignment indicator 34 , if set , instructs the os that no other data - sharing groups may dedicate to this processor group . the processor group is permitted , however , to execute tasks that have not been dedicated , if the “ non - dedicated work permitted ” indicator 35 is set . this permission is subject to the overload thresholds 36 l and 36 u , as described by the state diagram in fig1 . in the event of an overload condition , where dedicated tasks drive the processor group to a degree of busy - ness that exceeds the threshold 36 u , the user ( operations staff ) can be notified according to the control 37 . the messages in the list are preferably ordered by the system administrator with the first assignments having precedence . the os processes all the messages , even if some of the assignments cannot be satisfied because of resource conflicts or absences , or for other reasons . for example , the system may be running with fewer processors than normal , or the system may not have all the resources requested . in the initial basic embodiment , there is only one data - sharing group , so it is unnamed . it provides limited control for up to ten batch / demand run ids ( i . e . tasks or applications or parts or groups thereof as selected by a user ) that the user can dedicate to a single processor group . the runs themselves are specified with a set of dynamic configuration parameters we call dedicated_runid1 through dedicated_runid10 . these configuration parameters take effect when the parameter is changed . tasks of runids currently executing are switched to the processor group as soon as possible . in the initial embodiment as soon as possible means when they next become candidates for execution . ( see dedication process sections below for further information on this topic ). in the preferred embodiment , the user can define as many data - sharing groups as are required for various combinations of applications and the like . the data structures described in fig3 would preferably be used to define these but any user interface that supports such data structures can be used . in the system that is the preferred embodiment , probable entity types are runs , application groups , and subsystems . the performance of all these types can potentially benefit by being confined to a limited cache neighborhood . the run type is valuable for large application programs with many control threads , all of which share data spaces . it may also be used for multiple runs that share common data spaces . the application group type is useful to describe all the transactions that update a common shared data space . the subsystem type describes shared code and data callable by many runs or transactions . a user wishes to optimize the performance of the applications in the data - sharing groups by dedicating the groups to the smallest , and hence the highest - performing , cache neighborhoods that can support the applications . ( the highest - performing neighborhoods are those with the highest multi - processor factor .) to be more precise , the user actually dedicates the data - sharing group to the processor group that services the cache neighborhood . for each data - sharing group the user either names a specific processor group ( identified in block 32 in fig3 , based on id from fig4 tables ) or tells the os the number of processors required ( 33 in fig3 ) and the os chooses the optimum processor group . although the user will typically only request dedications for which there are sufficient processors available , the system may be running with a reduced configuration , so the user submits a list of dedications to the os in order of precedence . thus , in either manner , the user submits all the dedication requests he desires and the system accommodates those that it is capable of accomplishing . for example , if a user asks for an 8 - way ( that is , an eight processor neighborhood ) dedication and a 4 - way dedication and the system has 11 processors , what happens depends on how the processors are arranged . if there is an 8 - way pod with a missing processor and a separate , complete 4 - way subpod then the 4 - way application dedication would be allocated to the subpod and the other would run non - dedicated either across all 11 processors or the remaining 7 processors of the 8 - way pod , depending on whether the 4 - way definition allows non - dedicated work . if there is a full 8 - way pod , then the 8 - way dedication would be successful and the 4 - way dedication would fail and would run non - dedicated unless the user requested the 4 - way dedication have higher precedence . as can be seen in the data structures 32 and 33 , two methods of assignment are available in the preferred embodiments , one where the user explicitly specifies processor groups and one , more automated , where the user specifies the processor power needed and the system chooses the processor groups . with the explicit specification method , the size of the processor groups is defined by the swqafflvl parameter defined above ( section on tailored scope queues — initial embodiment ). for each data - sharing group , the user specifies which processor group is to be used by naming one of the processors in that processor group ( 32 ). for example , with swqafflvl set to 2 ( meaning one queue per 4 processor subpod ), a data - sharing group nominating processor 8 would be dedicated to the four processors 8 , 9 , 10 , and 11 , i . e ., the processor group for the subpod . the user is notified if an assignment cannot be satisfied , for example , if the processor group &# 39 ; s processors are not available . the data - sharing group , preferably after an os system notice to the user , then runs non - dedicated . in preferred embodiments it is the user &# 39 ; s responsibility to submit an alternative assignment , although the os could wait and recheck for more satisfactory conditions if desired . in the automated method , the user specifies the processing power required by a data - sharing group , and this power parameter is used by the os to decide the size of the processor group that is required , and to pick one . for example , a data - sharing group that requires 6 processors , running on a system that has 1 , 2 , 4 , and 8 processor cache neighborhoods would be assigned to an 8 processor group . if the next request is for 3 processors for another data - sharing group then it would be assigned to a 4 processor group . with this method , processor groups can be different sizes to match the user &# 39 ; s application needs . the swqafflvl parameter would still apply , but only to processors that are not part of one of the assigned processor groups . the expectation is that the parameter would be set to 0 ( a queue per processor ) but not necessarily so . if an assignment cannot be satisfied then the user is notified and the data - sharing group will run non - dedicated . as with explicit dedication , either the user may choose to change the assignment messages , ( for example to reduce the number of processors requested , and resubmit the messages ), or the os can support the dedication on the occurrence of acceptable conditions . dedicated tasks may only execute within the confines of the assigned processor group . this is why we chose to call this dedication . preferably , the tasks are tagged with a mask of master bits , described in fig1 , one bit per possible processor in the system &# 39 ; s design , that indicates which processors may execute the task . tasks are initially queued to a switching queue that is serviced by one of the allowed processors . the tasks are kept within the confines of the processor group by restricting the “ stealing ” and “ plucking ” of the tasks . no processor outside the group may steal or pluck a dedicated task , though the processors inside the group may steal from each other &# 39 ; s queues to maintain a balanced load or pluck from each other &# 39 ; s queues to honor the user &# 39 ; s needs for preemptive priority . with both methods of dedication , non - dedicated tasks may run on any processor , subject to any limitations 35 ( fig3 ) specified by the user when dedicating data - sharing groups . non - dedicated tasks are those that are either not part of a data - sharing group or are part of a data - sharing group that has not been dedicated to a processor group . the user can prevent an assigned processor group from running non - dedicated tasks using the “ non - dedicated work permitted ” indicator 35 . if allowed by the “ non - dedicated work permitted ” indicator 35 , the processors can take on non - dedicated work either through the round robin selection when tasks are created or through stealing from other queues . idle processors that are not in an assigned processor group can steal non - dedicated work at any time . idle processors within an assigned processor group can steal any work from each other and can steal non - dedicated work from processors outside the group subject to the controls in 35 and 36 . the user can control the performance effects of the dedication and any interference from the execution of non - dedicated tasks with the overload thresholds 36 . these include an upper threshold 36 u and a lower threshold 36 l . ( values are set for these thresholds in accord with the user &# 39 ; s understanding of the system . for example , an upper threshold of 95 % busy and a lower threshold of 50 % busy might be a setting , but the values used internally could be in terms of operations per fraction of a second or clock cycle if those are the kinds of data the computer system housekeeping functions records .) as shown in the state diagram in fig8 , if the processor group is taking on non - dedicated work and it becomes busier than the upper threshold 36 u then it stops taking on that work . it will resume taking on work if the processor group becomes less busy then the lower threshold . if the upper threshold 36 u is exceeded again even though no work is being taken on , then the processor group dequeues all non - dedicated work and redistributes it to the other eligible dispatching queues , so that it is only doing dedicated work . thereafter , dropping below the lower threshold 36 l causes it to begin taking on non - dedicated work again . although dedication to a cache neighborhood can improve performance of a task , there is a risk that the cache neighborhood will become overloaded . for example , the user may have dedicated the data - sharing group to a processor group that has enough capacity , but the processor group may become overloaded due to additional application load or the failure of a processor . the user can set thresholds to detect overload conditions and take appropriate action . ( overload conditions are determined by housekeeping and monitoring functions of the os which are common in many large computer systems . these functions can be adapted to provide data on the busyness parameters when selected within the ordinary skill of those in this field .) if the processor group becomes busier than the upper threshold 36 u and is not processing any non - dedicated work , then the user is notified of the overload event as required by 37 . the user can choose to modify the data - sharing group definitions or the assignment list in response to the event . for example , the assignment list could be modified so that a data sharing group now specifies a larger cache neighborhood , or so that two data sharing groups that shared a cache neighborhood are now assigned to separate neighborhoods , or some subset of tasks can be removed from the dedication list . this response can be automated by an auto - answering message system built into the os itself to handle circumstances where such an overload is an anticipated event . in the initial embodiment , there is only one , unnamed , data - sharing group , and the group is automatically assigned to the default processor group ; that with the highest numbered processor in the configuration . as i / o interrupts are directed to the lowest numbered processors on these systems , this enables the data - sharing group and its dedicated tasks to avoid the load caused by i / o interrupt processing . the number of processors in the processor group is governed by the swqafflvl parameter . if this is set to 2 , for example , the data - sharing group will run in the highest numbered subpod , and i / o interrupts will be handled by the lowest numbered subpod . the runs specified by the dedicated - runid parameters will be executed using the processor group with the highest numbered ip at the time the parameter is modified . using the processor group with the highest ip number reduces the impact from i / o interrupts in the inventors &# 39 ; computer systems , and application of this invention to other computer systems may use different ip numbers for various reasons including avoiding i / o processing on dedicated processor groups . having removed the load of i / o interrupts , the runs the user dedicates to the highest numbered processor group will be the only runs to execute using those processors . refer now to fig5 a , a first stage in the two - stage description when taken together with fig5 b to describe the functioning of the system . initially in fig5 a , without any dedication assignments , the system 40 a exhibits an operating system ( os ) 41 having at least the security check 42 , application run handler 43 , and affinity assignment block 44 available to the system , and likely in main or disk memories are applications app 1 – 4 , 60 – 63 , respectively . the hardware is configured into three switching queues , sq 0 , sq 2 , and sq 3 . sq 0 has six ips , sq 2 has four ips and sq 3 has four ips . as mentioned previously , typical configurations will have a uniform number of ips per switching queue , but it is reasonable to allocate the ips in other ways such as is illustrated with respect to system 40 a . a user 50 , who wants to run an application app 2 61 , will send a message 51 to the operating system 41 , which will direct the message to the security check 42 . the security check will , if the message is appropriate , direct the run app function 43 to get and run the application . the application will spawn several tasks , here taske , taskf and taskg . the run app function will also have identified this application app 2 61 to the affinity assignment function 44 , which will assign the affinity of these tasks to the various processors in accordance with the round - robin mechanisms . in this heuristic example without the dedication being used , this could have meant that taske was assigned to switching queue sq 0 , taskf to sq 2 and taskg to sq 3 . in the inventors &# 39 ; systems an identical dispatcher is used by all switching queues , but that is not important for the functioning of this invention . each could have an unique dispatcher if desired . in fig5 b the time is shortly later than in fig5 a , and the system is called 40 b . the system administrator 50 wants to use dedication to dedicate a single application app 1 60 to a processor group . the system administrator preferably sends a first message 52 to the security check 42 defining a data - sharing group dsg 1 with a single member app 1 , and then a second message 53 to the security check after the request to dedicate data - sharing group dsg 1 to processor group sq 0 , and to give data - sharing group dsg 1 exclusive use of sq 0 . thus tasks a , b , c , and d will be dedicated to sq 0 as they seek ip resources , and task e will be reassigned to sq 2 . once this dedication has happened , any request message to run the application app 1 60 will cause a dedicator function 45 within the operating system 41 carrying the identification information from message 30 ( fig3 ). this information is incorporated into the affinity assignment function 44 , so that when the message to run app 1 60 is sent by the run app function 43 to the affinity assignment function 44 , all of the tasks spawned by program app 1 60 are assigned to switching queue sq 0 . additionally , in the preferred embodiments , non - dedicated tasks already on the switching queue in switching queue 0 ( sq 0 ) will be moved to one of the other switching queues sq 2 and sq 3 . this move can be done with additional code within the switching queue &# 39 ; s management code , preferably . alternatively the operating system can handle it by a routine in the affinity assignment function . the sending of the messages 52 and 53 should alter the functioning of the affinity assignment function to send all tasks from the identified application to the identified switching queue , and any other tasks to other switching queues . in the preferred embodiments , the dedication process involves the application of a user - supplied dedication list ( 30 in fig3 ) against the user &# 39 ; s system configuration . as a result of that process , the os builds a set of controls that govern the execution of tasks , the treatment of priority , and the scope of load balancing . where the handling of priority is based on the tailored - scope queue design , the controls are queues specifically built to handle the dedications . where priority is handled by a virtual queue design , the controls are masks , wherein each processor is assigned an array position within the mask . note that with the virtual queue design for dedication the actual use of the virtual queue and the plucking the highest priority tasks are optional . if the user &# 39 ; s applications function well with the limitations of non - preemptive and processor - local priority then the user can dedicate tasks but disable the virtual queue . fig1 is a flowchart of how the dedication list ( again , fig3 , item 30 ) is used to generate the tailored - scope switching queues for the assigned cache neighborhoods , and for those that handle non - dedicated tasks . the flowchart 160 is applicable either to the initial application of the dedication list 160 a , or to any subsequent change 160 b or 160 c , so it also shows the dequeuing of tasks from the previous queues and their enqueuing to new ones created . finally in 160 d it addresses the initial assignment of a newly created task to either the switching queue its data sharing group is dedicated 160 d 1 , or to one of the unassigned switching queues 160 d 2 . the flowchart does not show the dispatcher &# 39 ; s actions in processing a solitary one of these switching queues , as handling of a single priority - based queue by multiple processors with some kind of inherent load balancing is well understood in the industry . note that the step “ notify operations ” 160 a 1 is an indication to the operations staff that the dedication has been unsuccessful . also in block 160 a 2 , if there is a non - exclusive dedication , an os can permit more than one data sharing group to be dedicated to a single cache neighborhood and switching queue . the remainder of the figure is self explanatory . the flowchart 170 of fig1 has a similar flowchart structure to that of fig1 , however it handles the priority requirements with a virtual queue rather than creating new switching queues for cache neighborhoods . the chart shows how the dedication list is used in the virtual queue design to generate steal - from / pluck - from masks for the processors and stealable / pluckable masks for the tasks . for this design , the dispatcher actions are shown in some detail , as the dedication of a data sharing group to a processor group has implications on both virtual queue processing ( for systems that support preemptive priority ) and on load balancing . the relationship between these functions is illustrated in the flow chart 120 of fig9 , which describes the processing that occurs when a processor is looking for work to do . in fig9 , four dispatcher states are illustrated with three active states 121 , 122 , and 123 , and an idle state 124 . an instruction processor will always be in one of these processing states unless it is actually executing a task . transitions from states 121 , 122 , 124 and 124 occur as indicated . for example , if a virtual queue processing state 121 exists when a processor finds no task eligible in the priority range on the virtual queue , it transitions to a state 122 or 123 or 124 , in the illustrated sequence . thus , for support of preemptive priority ( an option ), the processor must first look for and “ pluck ” the highest priority eligible task queued to any processor . this virtual queue processing 121 is described in detail below . if there are no such eligible tasks , then the processor looks for the highest priority task on its own switching queue 122 , and executes that task . if there is no task on the queue , then the processor is in idle state 124 . however , if a load balancing algorithm 123 is available , the processor looks for another processor that is significantly busier ( on average ) and that has a queue of tasks ready for execution . if it finds such a processor , it will “ steal ” the highest priority task and execute it , as described in detail below or else it will transition to idle state 124 . the control information for virtual queue processing ( plucking ) and load balancing ( stealing ) is shown in fig1 . the controls are shown as conceptual array , with the first array element describing state for ip 0 , the second for ip 1 , etc . in the preferred embodiment , these arrays are implemented as bit maps within a 36 - bit word for efficiency , but many other implementations are possible . a stealing order array , one per processor , described conceptually in the 09 / 920 , 023 patent application incorporated herein by this reference . we still prefer to use this concept to determine which other processors this one should look at ( its “ buddies ”) and the order in which it should look at them . an example is array 131 , showing stealing order relative to one of sixteen processors in an example computer system . the array is used to limit the overheads of both the virtual queue processing and load balancing algorithms . the steal - from mask , also known as the pluck - from mask , ( examples illustrated as masks 132 – 134 ) one per processor , indicates which other processors this one is allowed to steal ( or pluck ) from . the masks are related . array or masks 132 – 4 express permissions ; in other words , whether one ip can pluck / steal from another ip . mask 131 describes a preferred order to look at them ( for efficiency ). in a system without any dedications ( as one having mask 132 ), this would be set to allow any processor to steal from any other , with the stealing order established by the stealing order mask , unique to each processor . however , if this processor is assigned to be part of a dedication that does not permit the execution of non - dedicated work , then the mask will indicate that the processor may only steal or pluck within the confines of the dedication . the mask 133 is an example of the mask for a processor that is a member of an assigned subpod that is not allowed to do undedicated work . this mask only allows it to pluck or steal from the four processors within the subpod . each task in the system is also given a “ stealability ” mask . for a non - dedicated task , this mask ( like mask 135 ) would be set to allow any processor to steal or pluck it . for a dedicated task , only those processors within the scope of the dedication are allowed to steal or pluck it ( example , mask 136 only allows the last four processors to steal this task . the virtual queue processing proceeds according to the flowchart in fig1 . each processor is required to record its highest priority queued task ( within the defined range of priorities , typically those known as “ real - time ”). in the example shown in 156 in fig1 , only 4 processors have queued tasks within the defined range . a processor looking for the highest priority task to dispatch first looks at the other processors according to the order in the stealing order array 156 . driven by the masks described above , it only looks at processors that it is allowed to pluck from and only considers tasks that it may pluck . if it finds such a task and the task has higher priority than any on its own queue , then it will pluck the task from the other processor ( i . e ., dequeue it from the other processor &# 39 ; s queue ) and execute the task . note that , for performance reasons , the search for the task is performed without a lock , so it is possible that some other processor will pluck this task , so this processor &# 39 ; s plucking will fail , causing the virtual queue processing to be repeated . if there is no pluckable task , then the processor will service its own queues according to normal dispatching algorithms . a load balancing mechanism was described in the earlier referenced ser . no . 09 / 020 , 023 patent application incorporated herein by this reference , but modification is required to handle the dedication of tasks . fig1 &# 39 ; s flowchart 140 shows how an idle processor uses the steal - from mask to determine whether it is permitted to steal work from the processors in the stealing - order array . it starts by checking each buddy ip 141 and proceeds until it finds a task 142 or goes idle 143 . for example , if an instruction processor is assigned to be part of a dedication that does not permit the execution of non - dedicated work then the steal - from mask will only permit stealing within the scope of the dedication . one additional check is also necessary . when selecting a task from the stolen - from processor &# 39 ; s queue , the stealing processor must find the highest priority task that is allowed to be stolen by this processor . for example , the stealing processor must not be allowed to steal dedicated tasks if it is not part of the dedication . a check against the stealable mask of the task provides the needed information . dynamic configuration responsive to user &# 39 ; s system configuration and / or user &# 39 ; s application mix ( terms from background chart ) the dedication of data - sharing groups to switching queues must be reevaluated automatically whenever the processor configuration is reduced or when the user applies the list of data - sharing group dedication requests , and this should be done by the os routine responding to the change in configuration . the user may reapply the dedication list 25 ( from fig3 ) either to match a hardware configuration or because the list has been changed to reflect an operational or application change . the action may also be automated to occur at some specific time of day or when a particular task finishes or starts . the list of dedication messages is ordered , with the most important messages first , and a list is always submitted in its entirety , because the os will use it to replace the previous list . the results of reapplying the list may range from no changes at all to the queues , to a complete restructuring . in principle , a completely new set of switching queues is generated to match the switching queues that are required to satisfy the data - sharing groups &# 39 ; dedications . the dispatching algorithms begin using these new switching queues for the tasks that are currently executing , all newly created tasks , and those that had previously been waiting on other resource queues . tasks on the prior queues are moved to the new queues , based on the new dedications . once a queue is emptied of tasks , the emptied queues are discarded . any embodiment of the invention can choose to accelerate this queue replacement process by recognizing when a queue change is minor and simply re - naming or re - assigning a queue , but such accelerations are neither required nor forbidden in accord with our invention . the parameters discussed above ( swqafflvl and dedicated_runidx ) and the alternative data - sharing group definition 20 and assignment list 25 in fig3 can be modified at any time . when one of the parameters is modified , the system re - evaluates what queue should be used for processing the dedicated runs . if there are not at least 2 switching queues with “ up ”( that is , running ) ips , the update will be rejected , and all memory copies of the dedicated runids will be cleared to spaces to indicate that there are no dedicated runs . this will also occur if a dynamic dn ( change of the ip state from running to not - running ) of an ip results in only 1 switching queue . the dynamic dn of an ip that results in a new switching queue having no ips to process it when there are still at least 2 switching queues will result in the operating system re - evaluating what queues should be used for processing the dedicated runs . the dynamic up ( change of the ip state from not - running to running ) of an ip will not cause the re - evaluation of dedicated run processing . resetting one of the dedicated_runidx parameters will cause the re - evaluation after the dynamic up if this up was done to provide a better environment for the dedicated runs . in the initial embodiment , there is only one data - sharing group ( defined by the dedicated_runidx parameters ) and one size of switching queue ( set by swqafflvl ). the data - sharing group is dedicated to the highest numbered switching queue , and the assignment is exclusive and does not permit the execution of non - dedicated tasks . all remaining tasks run in the lower numbered switching queues . this is a much simpler environment as the number and size of the switching queues can only be changed at reboot time , but the reevaluation principles are the same as for the preferred embodiment . the configuration is reevaluated whenever the last processor of a switching queue is removed or a dedicated_runidx is modified . if a processor is added then the system waits for the user to change or reaffirm a dedicated_runidx before reevaluating the configuration . consider the 16 processor example in block 300 in fig7 a with subpods 301 – 304 . if the system has sqwafflvl set to 2 ( subpod ), then it has fixed switching queues sq 1 – sq 4 ( 310 – 313 ). the os dedicates the single data - sharing group dsg 1 306 to the subpod 304 with the highest numbered processor ( ip 15 ) and uses the single switching queue sq 4 313 for processors ip 12 – ip 15 . in this initial embodiment , assignments are exclusive and do not permit the execution of non - dedicated tasks , so all other tasks are queued , using a round - robin mechanism , to sq 1 , sq 2 , and sq 3 , ( 310 – 312 ), running on processors ip 0 – ip 11 . consider changes to the data - sharing group dsg 1 306 and to the hardware configuration of fig7 a . if the list of tasks within the data - sharing group is increased then the os will move the additional tasks to queue sq 4 313 . the reverse will happen if the list of tasks in the data - sharing group is reduced . in this initial embodiment , the os will reevaluate the dedications whenever a hardware configuration change reduces a switching queue to zero processors . if , say , processors 12 – 15 are to be removed as in block 300 a in fig7 b , then the os will reevaluate the situation when the last of these processors is removed . provided the system still has at least two switching queues with at least one processor each then the os will apply the dedications of the data - sharing group dsg 1 306 a . in this case , there are three populated switching queues left and the data - sharing group dsg 1 306 a will be moved to switching queue sq 3 312 a and processors ip 8 – ip 11 . in this initial embodiment , a dedication to a switching queue implies an exclusive assignment of the queue , so the remaining tasks are now confined to sq 1 310 a and sq 2 311 a and processors ip 0 – ip 7 . as there are no queues to create and delete in this initial embodiment , this movement of tasks can happen automatically as tasks become eligible for execution following interruption . if there had been only one switching queue left there would have been no dedications . the os will not permit the assignment of the only switching queue . for an example of this dynamic reconfiguration , consider the preferred embodiment , a 16 processor system shown in block 200 of fig6 a with four subpods 201 – 204 and three switching queues sq 1 , sq 2 and sq 3 , assigned four , four , and 8 ips , respectively . the user has declared three data - sharing groups dsga , dsgb , dsgc , ( 210 – 212 ) in decreasing order of precedence , requiring , let us say 6 , 3 , and 3 ips , respectively . for optimal performance , these dedications are rounded up to the next available size of cache neighborhood . thus , the 6 - processor dedication requires an entire pod of 8 ips and the 3 - processor dedications each require a subpod of 4 ips . the os creates switching queue sq 1 ( 217 ) with 8 processors ( ip 8 – ip 15 ) for dsga , and sq 2 ( 216 ) ( ip 4 – ip 7 ) and sq 3 ( 215 ) ( ip 0 – ip 3 ) with 4 processors each for dsgb ( 211 ) and dsgc ( 212 ), respectively . the remainder of the system &# 39 ; s tasks are queued to any of switching queues 215 – 217 , depending on the current load balancing situation . moving on to fig6 b , we have a situation in which the third subpod 203 a processors 8 – 11 must be removed from the system . this will impact data - sharing group dsga 210 and 210 a . typically , in most multiprocessor systems , four processors will not appear to leave at the same time , and the system will actually see four changes , losing one processor at a time . losing the first two processors will cause a reevaluation but have no impact as switching queue sq 1 217 will still have 6 processors , sufficient for data - sharing group dsga 210 . in such cases it is likely that the os would detect that no changes or re - queuing is required . the reevaluation following the removal of the third processor causes the os to handle the configuration as shown in block 200 a in fig6 b . subpod 203 a has been reduced to a single processor ip 11 and the two subpods 203 a and 204 a do not now have enough processing power for dsga 210 a . this time the reevaluation causes the os to select the only 8 processor pod available ( the cache neighborhood with processors ip 0 – ip 7 ) and create new switching queue nsq 4 218 with 8 processors ( ip 0 – ip 7 ) for data - sharing group dsga 210 a . it also creates new switching queue nsq 5 219 with 4 processors ( ip 12 – ip 15 ) for data - sharing group dsgb 211 a . data - sharing group dsgc &# 39 ; s 212 a dedication will fail as there are no subpods available with sufficient ip resources , and its tasks will be spread , along with all other tasks , across all the remaining queues , including the queue for the lone surviving processor ip 11 of the subpod 203 a . as ip 11 has no specific assignments it is serviced by a single queue nsq 6 220 . when that processor leaves the configuration , completing the removal of subpod 203 a , no data - sharing groups will be impacted but any tasks queued to nsq 6 220 must be redistributed to the remaining queues nsq 4 , nsq 5 ( 218 , 219 ). for a similar example of dynamic reconfiguration with the virtual queue design , consider the preferred embodiment , a 16 processor system shown in block 800 of fig1 with four subpods 801 – 804 . the user has declared three data - sharing groups dsga , dsgb , dsgc , ( 810 – 812 ) in decreasing order of precedence , requiring , let us say 6 , 3 , and 3 ips , respectively . in this example , the system is running with swqafflvl set to 0 ( processor affinity ), so each processor has its own switching queue . also , the user &# 39 ; s message indicates that the dedication of dsga must forbid the execution of any non - dedicated work by the assigned cache neighborhood . for optimal performance , these dedications are rounded up to the next available size of cache neighborhood . thus , the 6 - processor dedication requires an entire pod of 8 ips ( 803 + 804 ) and the 3 - processor dedications each require a subpod of 4 ips ( 802 and 801 ). for any tasks created within dsga ( 810 ), the os builds a “ stealable / pluckable ” mask 820 that indicates that the task may be executed only on processors within subpods 803 and 804 . similarly , the os builds masks 821 and 822 for tasks within dsgb and dsgc that limit their execution to subpods 802 and 801 respectively . the remaining tasks , not members of those data sharing groups , have no dedication and would normally be allowed to execute anywhere , but , in this example , dsga &# 39 ; s dedication did not allow the execution of non - dedicated tasks . consequently , the os builds a mask , mask 823 , for those tasks that allows them to execute only on subpods 801 and 802 . the os also builds “ steal - from ” masks for all the systems processors . these masks limit the scope of the processors &# 39 ; plucking and stealing . processors in subpods 803 and 804 are confined by dsga &# 39 ; s dedication , so mask 853 indicates that they may only pluck and steal within those subpods . subpods 801 and 802 are allowed to execute both dedicated and non - dedicated tasks so their processors &# 39 ; masks indicate that they may pluck and steal within the subpod and also from each other . the plucking and stealing of dedicated tasks will however be further limited by those tasks &# 39 ; stealable / pluckable masks 820 and 821 . now let us consider the impact of a dynamic configuration change on this example , and look at the transition from fig1 to fig1 a . as with the tailored scope queues example , we have a situation in which the third subpod 803 and 803 a must be removed from the system . this will impact data - sharing group dsga 810 and 810 a . typically , in most multiprocessor systems , four processors will not appear to leave at the same time , and the system will actually see four changes , losing one processor at a time . losing the first two processors will cause a reevaluation but have no impact as the two subpods ( 803 a + 804 a ) will still have 6 processors , sufficient for data - sharing group dsga 810 a . in such cases it is likely that the os would detect that no change to the assignments is required . however , action is required to cope with any tasks that are queued to the first two processors to be removed . as the processor is going away , the os dequeues its tasks and must requeue them to one of the processors within the scope of the dedication , using a round - robin or similar mechanism to assist load - balancing . ( in this example , there are no non - dedicated tasks as dsga &# 39 ; s dedication did not permit their execution , but if there had been , those tasks would be similarly requeued to one of the processors permitted to execute non - dedicated tasks .) the reevaluation following the removal of the third processor causes the os to handle the configuration as shown in block 800 a in fig1 a . subpod 803 a has been reduced to a single processor ip 11 and the two subpods 803 a and 804 a do not now have enough processing power for dsga 810 a . this time the reevaluation causes the os to select the only 8 processor pod available ( the cache neighborhood with processors ip 0 – ip 7 ) and create new stealable masks 820 a for the tasks in the dsga group and new steal - from masks 851 a for the processors in the pod ( 801 a + 802 a ). as part of the reevaluation , the os assigns the second data - sharing group dsgb 811 a , which requires 3 processors , to the only remaining fully - populated subpod 804 a with processors ip 12 – ip 15 . the tasks in dsgb are given stealable masks 821 a that restrict them to those four processors . the processors in subpod 804 a are given steal - from masks 853 a that allow them to steal or pluck from any processors that are allowed to execute non - dedicated tasks . data - sharing group dsgc &# 39 ; s 812 a dedication will fail as it requires 3 processors and there are no subpods available with sufficient resources , and its tasks will be spread , along with all other non - dedicated tasks , across all of the processors that can execute non - dedicated tasks . accordingly , tasks in dsgc are given stealable masks 822 a and non - dedicated tasks are given masks 823 a . the remaining processor ip 11 in the remaining subpod 803 a is given a steal - from mask 852 a that allows it to steal and pluck from any processor that can execute non - dedicated tasks . note that when the reevaluation is complete , all affected tasks must have been dequeued from their current processor queues and requeued to one of the processors described by their stealable masks . the processor is selected by the round - robin mechanism used for initial load - balancing . when ip 11 is eventually removed from the system ( as part of the removal of subpod 803 a ), all non - dedicated work will be executed on subpod 804 a . note that removal of ip 11 will not cause a reevaluation as no data - sharing groups are impacted , and there is still one subpod 804 a that can execute non - dedicated tasks . it will , however , be necessary to dequeue ip 11 &# 39 ; s tasks and redistribute them to processors within subpod 804 a . there will , of course , be other housekeeping that is needed for the removal ( or addition ) of a processor , but this housekeeping is not described here as it is well understood within operating systems that support the dynamic addition and removal of processors .	6
the invention , as represented by fig1 , and 3 is a beam stop ( 10 ) comprises two main elements -- a cell or cuvette ( 12 ), hereinafter referred to generically as a cell , and an absorbing fluid ( 14 ) contained within the cell , the absorbing fluid ( 14 ) consisting of a solvent or carrier liquid and an absorbing species dissolved in the solvent or suspended within the carrier liquid . the cell must be made of material that is transparent through the wavelength of the laser of interest . therefore , one would choose the material based on the wavelength of laser used . the preferred materials are glass , plastic , and fused silica quartz , due to its transparency throughout the wavelength regions . for other wavelength regions , other materials may be appropriate . for example , if the laser is in the far uv region , sapphire is preferred . an important feature of the invention is the design of the cell . as shown in fig1 and 3 , the cell ( 12 ) is constructed so that the planar face of the cell ( 18 ) upon which the incident laser beam ( 20 ) ( traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow ) is oriented at brewster &# 39 ; s angle ( 22 ) to the beam . this angle can be easily calculated depending on the polarization of the beam , the wavelength of interest , and the cell material . the purpose of orienting the cell face at brewster &# 39 ; s angle is that the laser beam passes into the cell essentially without loss of radiation and therefore with little or no specular reflection . there must also be an opening ( 24 ) in the cell for placing the absorbing fluid within the cell and preventing leakage and spillage of the fluid . preferably , this is any standard taper ground joint . most preferably , the joint is a ts - 9 pennyhead . the opening ( 24 ) should also be placed at an angle ( 26 ) as shown in fig2 so that when the laser beam stop is in use with laser beams having vertical or horizontal polarization , the fluid does not leak out . preferably , the opening is at a 45 ° angle . the absorbing species must absorb the wavelength of light emitted by the laser . preferably , the species is a dye . in addition , if one desires to both block and indicate the presence of the beam , the radiation of the beam must also be converted into visible light by the absorbing species . for lasers emitting in the ultraviolet and visible ranges preferred dyes include those used in dye lasers and other common fluroescent dyes . most preferably , the dye is selected from the group comprising fluorescein , rhodamine , and 7 - hydroxy - 4 - methyl coumarin . for laser beams in the ir range , it is preferable to use photoluminescent materials so that the ir radiation is upconverted into the visible spectrum . it is important to note that the quantum yield need not be particularly high to be useful . note that if the indicating ( fluorescent ) property is not desirable or necessary , the device can serve as a beam block in any region of the optical spectrum simply by including any absorbing species in a suitable solvent . the concentration of absorbing species within the fluid should be such as to give an optical density of about 0 . 2 or greater at the laser wavelength . this assures that all incident laser energy is absorbed within the cell . the species need not be dissolved in a solvent . for instance , if photoluminescent materials are used in the case of an ir laser , these materials can be suspended in a carrier liquid rather than dissolved . the solvent or carrier liquid for the absorbing species must be relatively transparent and able to dissolve or suspend the species . relatively transparent means that the solvent or carrier liquid should absorb less than about 1 % of the light . preferably , the solvent or carrier liquid should also be readily available , have a low vapor pressure , and be non - toxic and non - flammable . in the case of high power lasers , the solvent or carrier liquid must also have a high heat capacity so that the solvent or carrier liquid will absorb the light without getting hot . most preferably , the solvent or carrier liquid is water . having described the invention , the following examples are given to illustrate specific applications of the invention . these specific examples are not intended to limit the scope of the invention described in this application . a laser beam stop , represented in fig1 , and 3 was constructed for use in blocking and indicating a laser beam polarized vertically , hitting the cell from the left , and having a wavelength of 488 nanometers , the cell being made of fused quartz . brewster &# 39 ; s angle was calculated to be 36 degrees , 50 minutes . the stop was 3 inches long with a 1 inch outside diameter and a wall thickness of 1 / 16 inch . a solution of fluorescein in water was used as the absorbing material . the laser beam was successfully blocked by the stop with no specular reflection .	6
the basic architecture for a sampled analog optical link 100 is shown in fig1 . the pulse train from a pulsed optical source 102 optically samples the incoming rf signal 103 via a mach - zehnder intensity modulator 104 . the output rf signal 105 is recovered by direct detection of the modulated optical pulse train with a photodiode 106 . from sampling theory it is well - known that , when the frequency of the rf input ( ω in / 2π ) exceeds one - half of the optical sampling rate ( ω rep / 2π ), the rf output will be aliased to a frequency of { tilde over ( ω )}= ω rep −( ω in mod ω rep ) which may also be written as { tilde over ( ω )}= nω rep − ω in where n represents the index of the alias band where the original signal resides . clearly , when no steps are taken to prevent aliasing there may be substantial ambiguity in the detected rf output of the link . in many applications , the input frequency range is limited by placing an appropriate anti - aliasing filter at the link input , thereby restricting the input frequency range and removing any ambiguity . for wideband esm applications spanning many alias bands , such filtering operations may not be applied . this clearly motivates alternative techniques for signal disambiguation . the theory of operation for our disambiguation technique is described below . it is well known that the phase power spectral density arising from fluctuations in the repetition rate ( the temporal jitter ) of a pulse train grows proportionally to n 2 in the rf power spectrum . here n = f n / f rep is an integer number representing the ratio of the n - th harmonic of the pulse train repetition rate divided by the fundamental repetition rate . when this pulsetrain is used to sample an incoming rf signal , the phase noise from the pulse train is transferred to the input rf signal . in a subsampling link architecture , i . e . where the input rf signal is not required to reside in the fundamental nyquist band ( 0 ≦ f ≦ f rep / 2 ) but the output measurement bandwidth is limited to the fundamental nyquist band , the phase noise sidebands may be used to coarsely discern the signal &# 39 ; s original center frequency . in this work we apply a well - defined jitter , or fluctuation in the repetition rate of the sampling optical pulse train , through fm modulation of the signal used to generate the sampling pulse train in an optical comb generator 200 ( fig2 ). other sources include a tunable - rate actively - modelocked laser , a mode - locked laser with a known timing jitter , and other art - recognized means . to show how the introduction of a known frequency dither ( equivalently a known timing jitter ) may be used to achieve wideband signal disambiguation , we begin by analyzing the time domain expression for the photocurrent at the output of a sampled analog optical link . the photocurrent derived from one output of the mach - zehnder intensity modulator ( mzm ) may be written as i ( t )= p ( t )[ 1 + v in ( t )* h mzm ( t )]* h pd ( t )* h 1pf ( t ) ( 1 ) where p ( t ) is the temporal power profile of the sampling pulse train , v in ( t ) is the input rf voltage applied to the mzm ( not limited to pure sinusoids , to be discussed below ), h mzm ( t ) is the impulse response of the mzm , h pd ( t ) is the impulse response of the photodiode 106 , h 1pf ( t ) is the impulse response of the low - pass filter 112 used to restrict the link output to the fundamental nyquist band , and * denotes convolution . for input signals in the small - signal regime the double - sided rf power spectrum may be written as ( for a quadrature - biased link ) here , p sp ( ω ) is the spectrum of the pulse intensity , h pd ( ω ) is the frequency response of the photodiode 106 normalized to its dc responsivity , v π ( ω ) is the frequency - dependent halfwave voltage of the mzm , and r o is the load resistance seen by the photodiode 106 . the average photocurrent at quadrature ( i avg ) is given by the product of the average optical power ( p o ) and the dc responsivity of the photodiode 106 . when the sampling optical pulse train consists of a series of identical pulses the time - domain intensity profile may be written as where { tilde over ( p )}( t ) is the intensity profile of a single pulse in the train , δ ( ) is the dirac delta function , and t is the repetition period of the pulse train — here , the pulse train is assumed to be perfectly periodic . the spectrum of the pulse intensity ( normalized to the average optical power , p o ) is then given by the fourier transform of eq . ( 3 ) here , we see the spectrum of the pulse intensity consists of an optical comb with a line spacing given by ω rep = 2π / t weighted by the fourier transform of the intensity of a single pulse in the train . it should be noted that for wideband operation it is desirable to have very short sampling pulses . in our system , the use of cascaded intensity and phase modulation results in a broad optical comb , however , the time - domain intensity immediately after the phase modulator corresponds to an approximately 50 % duty cycle square wave at the comb repetition rate . to exploit the comb bandwidth and achieve short sampling pulses requires phase - compensation of the optical comb as it is readily shown that — for a fixed optical bandwidth — the pulse duration is minimized when the spectral phase is uniform . given the dominant spectral phase variation in our apparatus is quadratic , the pulses are readily compressed using standard single - mode optical fiber . if the sampling pulse train is again assumed to consist of a series of identical pulses , however , the repetition time is allowed to vary from pulse - to - pulse the time - domain intensity of the pulse train may be written as where δt represents a small deviation from the fundamental period of the pulse train . provided the timing deviation is much smaller than the pulse period a first - order taylor expansion of eq . ( 5 ) readily yields where j ( t ) is a function of time representing the timing deviation relative to the fundamental period t . note , in this work j ( t ) is deterministic — therefore , we may perform our analysis in terms of j ( t ) and its complex spectrum s j ( ω ) directly . the complex spectrum of the pulse train intensity is found by taking the fourier transform of eq . ( 7 ) and is given by here , we see that there are two components to the complex spectrum of the intensity of the sampling pulse train . the first consists of a periodic comb of frequencies spaced by the pulse repetition rate ( ω rep / 2π = 1 / t ) and weighted by the fourier transform of a single intensity pulse in the train . the second component consists of modulation sidebands resulting from the timing deviation of the pulse train which are also weighted by the fourier transform of a single pulse in the train . these modulation sidebands grow linearly ( in complex amplitude ) with the index n of the periodic comb as predicted for phase - noise spectral growth in pulse trains exhibiting timing jitter . to illustrate how the timing deviation of the sampling pulse train may be used to disambiguate signals when the link operates in a subsampling ( downconverting ) mode we insert the complex spectrum of the pulse train p opt ( ω ) [ eq . ( 8 )] into the expression for the rf power spectrum given by eq . ( 2 ). we now consider the rf output power from the link in two cases . first , we consider the case when only the sampling pulse train is incident on the photodiode [ v in ( ω )= 0 ] and the low - pass filter is removed . in this case the rf power spectrum consists of a comb of rf tones separated by the fundamental pulse repetition rate and the corresponding modulation sidebands arising from the pulse train timing deviation [ essentially the magnitude - squared of eq . ( 8 )]. if we compare the ratio of powers of one of the modulation sidebands of the n - th order combline to the n - th - order combline — defined to be the sidelobe - to - peak ratio ( spr )— we find this ratio to be as expected , this ratio grows quadratically with the combline index n . if we now consider the case where the rf input signal is present [ v n ( ω )≠ 0 ] and a low - pass filter is used to limit the output bandwidth to the fundamental nyquist band ( 0 ≦ ω ≦ ω rep / 2 ) it is clear that signals present at the link input will be aliased at the link output . input signals within the n - th order alias band will appear at alias frequencies given by { tilde over ( ω )}= nω rep − ω in . here , we define the alias band to be a frequency range with a bandwidth equal to the fundamental pulse repetition rate centered about the n - th - order rf combline . the peak power comparison of the central component and either sideband results in the same spr given in eq . ( 9 ) for an input signal v in ( ω ) with bandwidth bw , provided the fm frequency ( ω j / 2π ) is chosen such that the spectral components of eq . ( 2 ) centered at nω rep − ω in and nω rep − ω in ± ω j are clearly resolvable . from eq . ( 2 ), if we compare the peak power of the input signal measured within the fundamental nyquist band ( i . e ., the aliased signal sampled with a perfectly periodic optical pulse train ) to the peak power of one of the modulation sidebands which appears about the input signal peak as a result of the timing deviation of the pulse train , we find it is also given by eq . ( 9 ) spr sig = spr comb =[ nω rep t \| s j ( ω )\|] 2 ( 10 ) for a sinusoidal frequency modulation applied to the signal generating the optical comb , the timing deviation may be written as where κ is the fm sensitivity ( khz / v ) of the synthesizer 110 driving the comb source , v j is the amplitude of the fm control voltage , and ω j / 2π = f j is the fm frequency . this yields a sidelobe - to - peak ratio given by therefore , we may directly determine the alias band from which the signal originated by measuring the spr and comparing with that computed from eq . ( 12 ). we note , a second ambiguity remains in the measured signal , that is , from which half of the alias band did the signal arise ($ ω in & lt ; nω rep or ω in & gt ; nω rep ). for many applications , such as utilizing the subsampled analog link 100 as a cueing receiver for a high - fidelity tuned superheterodyne receiver , this ambiguity is of no consequence . in cases where the spectral components are not clearly resolved , a second sampled reference signal ( without fm , or with quadrature fm ) would be required . for applications where further accuracy is required , a second sampling frequency may be used . the rf gain of the subsampling link for signals in the n - th alias band may be written as ( assuming there is no matching network internal to the photodiode ) here , ω in is the original input signal frequency , the alias frequency is given by nω rep − ω in , and r i is the input resistance of the mzm . the rf gain is seen to take a form similar to that of a conventional imdd analog link , with additional frequency - filtering terms arising from the sampling optical pulse ( intensity ) shape and the low - pass filter . as noted earlier , the rf gain uniformity between alias bands improves as the sampling pulse duration decreases . for decreasing pulsewidth \| p sp ( nω rep )\| 2 varies less from band - to - band . from the wiener - khintchine theorem , \| p sp ( nω rep )\| 2 is readily determined from the intensity autocorrelation of the optical sampling pulse . it is important to note that the photodiode bandwidth need only cover the fundamental nyquist band since the aliasing ( downconversion ) operation is the result of an optical heterodyne process . the optical modulator , however , must show high - efficiency across the rf frequency range of interest . here we illustrate our technique through disambiguation of sinusoidal signals at center frequencies ranging from 1 mhz - 40 ghz . a convenient method for generating tunable repetition - rate optical pulse trains is through cascaded eletrooptic amplitude and phase modulation schemes that produce wide - bandwidth optical frequency combs . fig2 depicts the setup used in this research for optical comb and short pulse generation . we cascade a mach - zehnder intensity modulator ( mzm ) 104 with four phase modulators 114 which are driven with large ampltidue rf signals ( relative to the modulator halfwave voltage ). the large phase modulation index enables us to obtain broad optical combs from our cw laser 111 . for this work we choose an input modulation frequency of rf in = 5 ghz , which translates into the repetition rate of the generated pulse signal and gives a nyquist band edge of 2 . 5 ghz . all modulation was true time - delay matched which allows the repetition - rate to be continuously tuned over a multi - ghz range . each phase modulator 114 is driven with 30 dbm ( 1 w ), and the mzm intensity modulator 104 is quadrature - biased and driven at roughly one - half its 5 ghz half - wave voltage ( v π ≈ 6 v ). the output pulses from the comb generator 200 are then compressed with the proper amount of standard single - mode fiber 116 , which was determined assuming a purely quadratic phase to be 1 . 57 km for this experiment . in this demonstration the root - mean - square duration of the intensity of the sampling pulses is approximately 6 ps . note , any of a number of pulsed optical sources may be employed in the sampled link architecture including actively - modelocked lasers or low - biased mach - zehnder modulators driven by a step - recovery diode . the key requirement is that the repetition - rate must be dynamically tunable at least over a small range . from eq . ( 12 ), is it evident that the spr grows as the square of the folding band → n 2 . therefore , once the spr for the n = 1 band is known , the alias band may be determined from the spr assuming this quadratic growth . in our experiment κ = 100 khz / v , v j = 50 mv , f j = 100 khz which yields [ eq . ( 12 )] spr n = 1 = 6 . 25 × 10 − 4 , or approximately − 32 db . in fig3 ( a ) we illustrate the predicted increase in spr by comparing the spr for input signals at 300 mhz ( n = 0 alias band ), 4 . 7 ghz ( n = 1 alias band ), and 34 . 7 ghz ( n = 7 alias band ). note , the measurement is taken in the fundamental nyquist band ( 0 ≦ f ≦ 2 . 5 ghz ) where all of the above signals alias to a center frequency of 300 mhz . signals that inherently fall within the fundamental nyquist band do not exhibit the 100 khz modulation sidebands , and have spr = 0 as illustrated when the input signal is 300 mhz ( bottom curve ). when the input signal frequency is such that aliasing occurs , the phase - modulation sidebands grow as illustrated for input signals at f in = 4 . 7 ghz ( middle curve ) and f in = 34 . 7 ghz ( top curve ). here , the measured spr values for 4 . 7 ghz and 34 . 7 ghz are , respectively , spr n = 1 ≈− 32 db and spr n = 7 ≈− 15 . 1 db in nearly perfect agreement with eq . ( 12 ). this measurement is repeated for input signals with center frequencies up to 40 ghz and the results are shown in fig3 ( b ). here , the measured spr for each input signal ( circles ), as well as each harmonic of the pulse train repetition rate ( triangles ) are normalized to the value corresponding to n = 1 calculated from eq . ( 12 ). for reference , the scale below the plot shows the definition of the alias bands and the corresponding nyquist bands . it is very apparent from fig3 ( b ) that the spr growth is proportional to n 2 as expected illustrating that this quantity may be readily used to determine the alias band from which a given signal originated . a plot of n 2 is overlayed showing agreement with a quadratic growth profile . fig4 ( a ) shows the optical spectrum from the comb generator 200 . the full root - mean - square ( rms ) bandwidth of the comb envelope is calculated to be δf rms ˜ 225 ghz from which the number of comb lines is determined from n = 1 + δfrms / frep , where frep is 5 ghz . within the rms bandwidth the comb exhibits 46 comblines which show about a 1 db power variation ( at full - width - at - half - maximum bandwidth , δffwhm , ˜ 93 features are obtained ). fig4 ( b ) shows the autocorrelation measurement of the compressed optical pulse from which the rms duration of the intensity pulse is determined to be approximately 6 ps . ideal pulse compression is not achieved because of the deviation from a purely quadratic phase in our apparatus as evidenced by the bat ears in our optical spectra as well as the sidelobes visible in the intensity autocorrelation trace . a more uniform comb and moderately shorter pulse durations could be tailoring the drive waveform to obtain a more pure quadratic phase . for validation of the new gain expression presented in section 2 , we start here with the rf gain performance of the subsampled analog link shown in fig1 . for this measurement , 16 different continuous - wave ( cw ) tones spanning the 300 mhz - 40 ghz range are individually applied to the rf input of the link at a power level of 10 dbm . the frequencies of these tones were chosen such that all signals are aliased to 300 mhz at the link output and so that there is one frequency per 2 . 5 ghz nyquist bin . the peak signal power at 300 mhz is then measured with an electrical spectrum analyzer . the measured link gain versus frequency is shown in fig5 ( circles ). for comparison , the link gain calculated from eq . ( 13 ) using the measured frequency - dependent halfwave voltage of the modulator and an average photocurrent of i avg = 2 . 5 ma is shown by the gray curve . in this calculation p sp ( w ) 2 is given by the fourier transform of the measured intensity autocorrelation [ fig2 ( b )] and the frequency - dependent cable loss at the link input has been included . across the 40 ghz bandwidth of the measurement the magnitude of the error is below 1 db and is limited by the system measurement accuracy . in order to show that this technique is truly capable of determining from which alias band an ambiguous signal originated , we perform an automated experiment where the input frequency to the link was randomized . this experiment utilizes a random uniform sample of 1000 different input frequencies within the range of 1 mhz to 40 ghz . the aliased baseband replicas ( i . e ., those within the fundamental nyquist band ) are measured for each random input and control code determines the spr normalized to the known spr at 5 ghz . the corresponding alias band ( index n ) is then determined from the square root of the normalized spr . the results of this measurement are shown in fig6 ; the symbols / line show the measured alias band after disambiguation and the top axis shows the input alias band , for reference . for every input signal the correct alias band was determined across the 40 ghz bandwidth of the measurement proving the technique reliable for coarse broadband rf disambiguation . obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that the scope of the invention should be determined by referring to the following appended claims .	7
in fig1 , the interspinal prosthesis 1 with the counterpart 6 is shown in the assembled state . the central piece 2 of the prosthesis 1 , with the inner end 7 of the prosthesis 1 , adjoins the counterpart 6 . at the outer end 8 of the prosthesis 1 , the two processes 3 are disposed perpendicularly to the central axis 4 and diametrically opposite to one another . in the embodiment shown here , the processes 3 are constructed as halves of an ellipsoid body . the also radial and diametrically opposite to one another processes 3 of the counterpart 6 are disposed symmetrically to a plane , which is orthogonal to the central axis 4 . three radial cams 17 , which are disposed symmetrically when viewed in the cross - section of the prosthesis 1 parallel to the central axis 4 , protrude at the central piece 2 at the inner end 7 of the prosthesis and engage complementary grooves 18 at the counterpart 6 , function as twisting safeguard between the prosthesis 1 and the counterpart 6 . coaxially with the central axis 4 , the central part 2 includes a depression 5 , which penetrates from the inner end 7 into the prosthesis 1 up to a depth t . the counterpart 6 has a peg 16 , which is constructed to be complementary to the depression 5 and accordingly , during the assembly of the prosthesis 1 and the counterpart 6 , can be introduced into the depression 5 . furthermore , the prosthesis 1 comprises a fixing - in - position bolt 19 with a bolt head 26 , which can be brought into contact with the outer end 8 of the prosthesis 1 . the fixing - in - position bolt can be passed coaxially with the central axis 4 through the prosthesis 1 and locked by means of a slide lock 27 in the peg 16 of the counterpart 6 , so that the prosthesis 1 can be locked detachably with the counterpart 6 . a borehole 20 , coaxial with the central axis 4 , passes through the fixing - in - position bolt 19 and the counterpart 6 , so that the prosthesis 1 and the counterpart 6 can be collapsed radially . fig2 shows a further embodiment of the prosthesis with the counterpart 6 in the assembled state . the depression 5 passes through the prosthesis 1 coaxially from the inner end 7 up to the outer end 8 . during the assembly of the prosthesis 1 and the counterpart 6 , the peg 16 at the counterpart 6 is pushed into the through depression until the inner end 7 of the prosthesis 1 comes up against the processes 3 of the counterpart 6 . moreover , a borehole 20 is drilled through the counterpart 6 between the outer end 15 and the inner end 14 . the coupling means 11 are constructed as a screwed connection , the screw 21 being passed through the depression 5 at the prosthesis 1 and through the borehole 20 at the counterpart 6 from the outer end 8 of the prosthesis 1 up to the outer end 15 of the counterpart 6 and bolted with a nut 22 . in addition , the prosthesis 1 is provided with a hollow space 12 , so that the walls 13 of the hollow space can be collapsed or , by filling the hollow space 12 with a filling material , expanded . the embodiment , shown in fig3 , differs from the embodiments described above in that the peg 16 at the counterpart 6 is passed completely through the depression 5 at the prosthesis 1 , so that the inner end 14 of the counterpart 6 aligns with the outer end 8 of the prosthesis 1 furthermore , the counterpart 6 has several boreholes 20 , which are continuous from the inner end 14 to the outer end 15 and the axes of which extend parallel to the central axis 4 . the cerclage wires 23 , by means of which the interspinal prosthesis 1 and the counterpart 6 are fixed in position , can be passed through these boreholes 21 . the embodiment , shown in fig4 , differs from those shown in fig1 owing to the fact that the coupling means 11 comprise a locking bolt 28 , which can be passed through the borehole 20 , which passes through the prosthesis 1 and the counterpart 6 coaxially with the central axis 4 . the locking bolt 28 , with its head 29 , can be brought into contact with the outer end 15 of the counter part 6 and has , at its tip , radially and elastically deformable cams 31 , which , when the prosthesis 1 and the counterpart 6 are assembled , can be locked in an eccentric relief 30 , the diameter of which is larger than the diameter of the borehole 20 , so that the prosthesis 1 and the counterpart 6 are held together . for introducing the locking bolt 28 into the borehole 20 , the cams 31 can be compressed perpendicularly to the central axis 4 by means of axially disposed slots 32 , so that the locking bolt 28 can be passed through the borehole 20 , while , in the assembled state , the cams 31 spring back elastically and latch into the eccentric relief 30 at the prosthesis 1 . a hole is drilled through the locking bolt 28 coaxially with the central axis 4 , so that a pin 25 can be passed through it , as a result of which a radial deflection of the cams 31 is prevented in fig5 , a further embodiment of the inventive prosthesis 1 with a counterpart 6 is shown . at the outer end 8 of the prosthesis 1 as well as at the outer end 15 of the counterpart 6 , the processes 3 are mounted once again perpendicularly to the central axis 4 and diametrically opposite to one another , the processes 3 in this embodiment having a semicircular cross sectional surface parallel to the central axis 4 . the depression 5 passes through the prosthesis 1 from the inner end 7 to the outer end 8 coaxially with the central axis 4 . in the depression 5 , there is an internal thread 36 with a very large pitch . adjoining the inner end 14 , the counterpart 6 once again has a peg 16 , which has an external thread 33 that is complementary to the internal thread 36 , so that the prosthesis 1 and the counterpart 6 can be fastened detachably to one another by means of this screwed connection . a first saw tooth - like system 34 is mounted at the counterpart 6 between the peg 16 and the processes 3 and can be brought into engagement with a complementary second tooth system 35 at the inner end 7 of the prosthesis 1 during the assembly of the prosthesis 1 and the counterpart 6 so that , due to the asymmetric configuration of the saw tooth systems 34 , 35 , a safeguard is provided against the unintentional detachment of the prosthesis 1 from the counterpart 6 .	0
fig2 shows a representation of one embodiment of the invention . an object 200 , such as a particular employee in a corporation , has particular attributes and qualifications such as education , experience , contact details , location ( if the corporation has various offices , for instance ), title , etc . this information is stored in various data sources which can have different formats and can be in one physical location or be distributed over different machines . in this embodiment , data associated with the object 200 is located in a relational data base 202 , a structured data file 204 which could take the form of a hierarchical file system such as ldap used by sap , a data source storing free text 206 , and other data formats or sources indicated generally by reference numeral 208 . it will be appreciated that typically numerous objects with associated data are stored in the various data structures . instead of directing searches to each of the data structures in turn , the present invention reads the data by providing for interfaces to the various data structures . in one embodiment the reading simply comprises a remote function call ( rfc ) to each of the data sources . the read data is stored , as indicated by reference numeral 210 . in one embodiment , the read data is stored in an xml file which is then readable by a search engine 212 . it will be appreciated that the read data could also be stored in a different format , such as a database . however , the xml file format has the flexibility of easily allowing fields to be added , deleted or updated . the present invention thus provides an elegant way of searching attributes from numerous data sources at the same time and avoids putting additional loads on the various data sources each time a search is performed . since information stored in data sources is not always complete or also lacks the flexibility of capturing ad hoc information that is best included in free text format , the present invention , further contemplates providing means for adding free text . in one embodiment , this is done by means of a template driven user interface that defines data fields , some of which may be populated by data from one or more of the data sources , and some may be filled in by a user by any one of a number of means , e . g ., by selecting from a menu or by entering text . fig3 shows one particular implementation of the invention , which shows an application server 300 , which in this embodiment , forms part of an hr system 302 . the application server 300 includes a data storage 304 for storing incoming data in an xml file . as is shown in fig3 , the application server 300 may be part of the hr system or , alternatively , hr data may be provided from an external data source 310 . thus data is supplied both automatically from data sources such as the hr data base 310 and a hierarchical file storage 312 , as well as by manual entering of information using the user interface 320 . other data sources could additionally be integrated using remote function calls ( rfc ) interface 322 . all the data from the various data sources is transferred to the application server so that the xml file 304 can be populated and stored in the content server 330 as well as allow the corresponding fields to be visualized in a template . this is best illustrated by the embodiment of a template shown in fig4 . fig4 shows a template 400 which , in this embodiment is web based . the template 400 includes data entry fields such as firstname 410 , lastname 412 , location 414 , costcenter 416 , phone 418 , and email 420 , which are populated from the hierarchical database 310 and stored in the xml file 304 . it also includes fields that are filled out by a user , such as the fields workarea 422 and region 424 , which provide drop down menus for easy selection of entries by the user . it also includes other selection fields such as languages spoken 426 , as well as free text data entry locations 430 , 432 . the latter two fields provide the user with the flexibility of entering information that is not necessarily common to other employees but which is nevertheless relevant in identifying an employee with specific attributes . referring again to fig3 , the search engine 340 communicates with the content server 330 to extract objects ( in this case , employees ) with defined attributes . the content server , in turn interacts with the data entry system to save any additional data that is entered by a user , in the xml file . in one embodiment a separate xml file is provided for each object . however , it will be appreciated that the filing system can be set up in different ways . in one embodiment , the different fields are defined to allow searches to be conducted in specific fields only instead of searching through the full xml files . to define the various fields , tags are associated with the fields and are included as part of the data . the data fields of the template are also used to design the search interface when searching for objects . thus it prompts the user to enter the search criteria in the selected data fields that are relevant to the user , and invokes the search engine 340 to search the xml files 304 . in one embodiment the search engine 340 uses fuzzy logic to allow spelling variances , and synonyms to be picked up during a search . as yet a further refinement , in one embodiment , keys are included as part of some or all of the data to provide greater search flexibility . for example , when a user selects “ english ” in the languages spoken field 426 , this would not necessarily be picked up if this search element were typed in in german or spanish , since the word “ english ” is spelled differently in these languages and would not be recognized . however , by including a key en ( for instance , by way of a tag ) and attaching it to the field , the selection of the field automatically invokes the key notwithstanding that the field may be identified to the human user as english , englisch , or anglais . while the invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments and applications , it will be appreciated that the invention can be implemented in different ways and have different applications without departing from the scope of the invention .	6
the following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention , and is provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements . various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art , and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . thus , the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown , but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein . fig1 a illustrates different power areas within processor 102 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . processor 102 is divided into a core power area 126 , and a non - core power area 124 . core power area 126 includes the instruction - processing portion of processor 102 . specifically , core power area 126 includes arithmetic - logic unit 104 , register files 106 , pipelines 108 , and possibly level one ( l1 ) caches 110 . note that l1 caches 110 can alternatively be located in non - core power area 124 . arithmetic - logic unit 104 provides computational and logical operations for processor 102 . register files 106 provide source operands , intermediate storage , and destination locations for instructions being executed by arithmetic - logic unit 104 . pipelines 108 provides a steady stream of instructions to arithmetic - logic unit 104 . instructions in pipelines 108 are decoded in transit . therefore , pipelines 108 may contain instructions in various stages of decoding and execution . l1 caches 110 include data caches and instruction caches for arithmetic - logic unit 104 . l1 caches 110 are comprised of very high - speed memory to provide fast access for instructions and data . in one embodiment of the present invention , l1 caches 110 includes a write - through data cache . non - core power area 124 comprises the remaining portion of processor 102 and includes interrupt processor 112 , real - time clock 114 , clock distribution circuitry 116 , level two ( l2 ) caches 118 , cache tags 120 , and cache snoop circuitry 122 . in general , non - core power area 124 includes portions of processor 102 that are not directly involved in processing instructions , and that need to operate while instruction processing is halted . interrupt processor 112 monitors interrupts 128 and periodically interrupts the execution of applications to provide services to external devices requiring immediate attention . interrupt processor 112 can also provide a wake - up signal to core power area 126 as described below . real - time clock 114 provides time - of - day services to processor 102 . typically , real - time clock 114 is set upon startup from a battery operated real - time clock in the computer and thereafter provides time to the system . clock distribution circuitry 116 provides clock signals for processor 102 . distribution of these clock signals can be switched off or reduced for various parts of processor 102 . for example , clock distribution to core power area 126 can be stopped while the clock signals to non - core power area 124 continue . the acts of starting and stopping of these clock signals are known in the art and will not be described further . real - time clock 114 and clock distribution circuitry 116 receive clock signal 130 from the computer system . clock signal 130 is the master clock signal for the system . l2 cache 118 provides a second level cache for processor 102 . typically , an l2 cache is larger and slower that an l1 cache , but still provides faster access to instructions and data than can be provided by main memory . cache tags 120 provide an index into data stored in l2 cache 118 . cache snoop circuitry 122 invalidates cache lines base primarily on other processors accessing their own cache lines , or i / o devices doing memory transfers , even when instruction processing has been halted . l2 cache 118 , cache tags 120 , and cache snoop circuitry 122 communicate with the computer system through memory signals 132 . non - core power area 124 receives non - core power 136 and core power area 126 receives core power 134 . the voltage applied for non - core power 136 remains at a voltage that allows circuitry within non - core power area 124 to remain fully active at all times . in contrast , non - core power 136 may provide different voltages to non - core power area 124 based upon the operating mode of processor 102 . for example , if processor 102 is a laptop attached to external electrical power , the voltage provided to non - core power 136 ( and to core power 134 during instruction processing ) may be higher than the minimum voltage , thus providing faster execution of programs . the voltage applied to core power 134 remains sufficiently high during instruction processing so that core power area 126 remains fully active . however , when processor 102 receives a signal that processing can be suspended , the voltage supplied by core power 134 can be reduced . in one embodiment of the present invention , the voltage in core power 134 is reduced to the minimum value that will maintain state information within core power area 126 , but this voltage is not sufficient to allow processing to continue . in another embodiment of the present invention , the voltage at core power 134 is reduced to zero . in this embodiment , the state of core power area 126 is first saved before the voltage is reduced to zero . this state can be saved in a dedicated portion of l2 cache 118 , in main memory , or in another dedicated storage area . upon receiving an interrupt or other signal indicating that processing is to resume , the voltage in core power 134 is restored to a normal level , saved state is restored , and processing is restarted . fig1 b illustrates an alternative partitioning of power areas within processor 102 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig1 b , l2 cache 118 , cache tags 120 , and cache snoop circuitry 122 are included in core power area 126 rather than in non - core power area 124 . in this embodiment , the voltage supplied as core power 134 is reduced or set to zero as described above , however , the cache circuitry within processor 102 is also put into the reduced power mode . prior to reducing the voltage supplied to core power area 126 , data stored in l2 cache 118 is flushed to main memory . additionally , if the voltage at core power 134 is reduced to zero , the state of processor 102 is first saved in main memory . fig2 is a flowchart illustrating the process of monitoring processor load and switching to power saving modes in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the system starts by monitoring the processor load ( step 202 ). next , the system determines if the processor will be needed soon ( step 204 ). this determination is made based on the current execution pattern and the cost of entering and recovering from nap mode . this cost , calculated in power usage , must be less than the power wasted by not going into nap mode . if the processor will be needed soon at step 204 , the process returns to step 202 to continue monitoring the processor load . if the processor will not be needed soon at step 204 , the system determines if the processor has been taking long naps recently ( step 206 ). if not , the system enters a normal nap mode , which involves halting the processor without reducing any voltages ( step 208 ). typically , halting the processor involves removing the clock signals to the core power area of the processor . after halting the processor , the system waits for an interrupt ( step 210 ). upon receiving an interrupt or other signal requiring a restart , the system restarts instruction processing ( step 212 ). after restarting instruction processing , the process returns to step 202 to continue monitoring the processor load . if the processor has recently been taking long naps at step 206 , the system enters a deep nap mode , which involves saving the state information from the core power area ( step 214 ), halting the processor ( step 216 ), and then reducing the voltage supplied to the core power area ( step 218 ). after reducing the voltage , the system waits for an interrupt ( step 220 ). upon receiving the interrupt or other signal requiring a restart , the system restores the voltage to the core power area ( step 222 ). next , the modules within the core power area are restarted ( step 224 ). the system then restores the state information that was saved at step 214 ( step 226 ). after the processor has been restarted , the process returns to step 202 to continue monitoring the processor load . note that the above description applies when the processor is used to save and restore the state information . in cases where dedicated hardware saves and restores the state information , steps 214 and 216 , and steps 224 and 226 can be reversed . note also that if the voltage supplied to the core power area 126 is reduced but maintained at a level where modules in the core power do not lose state information , steps 216 and 224 are not required . the foregoing descriptions of embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description only . they are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the forms disclosed . accordingly , many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art . additionally , the above disclosure is not intended to limit the present invention . the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims .	8
the embodiment of fig1 shows a sketch of a plan view of a micromechanical coriolis rate of rotation sensor 1 according to the invention having two driving masses 2 . the driving masses 2 are disposed parallel to a substrate , not shown here , located within the plane of the drawing . the driving masses 2 are each connected to the substrate by means of an anchor 3 and anchor springs 4 disposed thereon . the anchor springs 4 allow rotation about a z - axis in an orthogonal coordinate system . in said coordinate system , the z - axis protrudes out of the plane of the drawing , while the x - axis is disposed in the longitudinal direction of the driving masses 2 and the y - axis is disposed in the transverse direction of the driving masses 2 . the x - axis is thereby the measurement axis , meaning that the rate of rotation sensor is able to determine a rotation of the sensor or the substrate about the x - axis . the y - axis disposed orthogonal thereto and in the same plan represents the detection axis . the driving masses 2 move accordingly about the y - axis , out of the x - y plane , when the substrate is rotated about the measurement or x - axis . this takes place due to a coriolis force that arises when the driving masses 2 oscillate about the drive axis thereof or the z - axis . said displacements are made possible by the central suspension of the driving masses 2 on the anchor 3 and the anchor springs 4 disposed thereon and connected to the driving masses 2 . the anchor springs 4 are accordingly implemented such that they allow the rotary motion of the driving masses 2 about the anchor 3 in question or about the z - axis , and also allow pivoting of the driving masses 2 about the y - axis . they are rigid about the x - axis , in contrast , so that no displaceability arises here , as a rule . it should be noted here that the direction out of the plane of the drawing is referred to as the z - axis in the above description . the x - axis refers to a direction transverse to the plane of the drawing , and the y - axis refers to a direction along the plane of the drawing . this also applies for cases where the axes are shifted parallel to each other . the two driving masses 2 are connected to each other by means of a connecting element 5 and connecting springs 6 . one connecting element 5 having the associated connecting springs 6 is disposed at each end of each driving mass 2 in the x - direction . the connecting element 5 and the connecting springs 6 bring about a synchronization of the rotary motions of the driving masses 2 . this ensures that , when the two driving masses 2 oscillate in antiphase , that is , so that the two ends of the driving masses 2 facing toward each other move toward each other or away from each other , said masses oscillate at the same frequency , so that a stable system arises , wherein the deflections of the two driving masses 2 result in the same amplitude out of the x - y plane in case of detecting a rate of rotation of the sensor about the x - axis . the connecting springs 6 are thereby implemented so that they allow deflection in the x - y plane , as well as a pivoting motion of the driving masses 2 about the y - axis , wherein the motions of both connecting springs of a connecting element occur in opposite directions for a deflection out of the x - y plane , while they occur in the same direction for an antiphase motion of the driving masses 2 within the x - y plane . in order to be able to rotate the driving masses 2 about each anchor 3 or the z - axis , drive elements 7 are provided . the drive elements 7 are associated with the driving masses 2 and consist of comb electrodes , for example , that are supplied with an alternating voltage , whereby the driving masses 2 are induced to rotate about the anchor 3 . the rotary motion thereby alternates according to the polarity of the comb electrodes , that is , it oscillates , so that an oscillating motion about the anchor 3 takes place . detecting elements 8 are disposed between the substrate and the driving masses 2 . the detecting elements 8 are , for example , plate capacitors , the electrodes thereof being disposed on the substrate and , opposite thereof , on the side of the driving masses 2 facing the substrate . for a rotary motion of the driving masses 2 about the y - axis , the distance between the opposing electrodes of the detecting elements 8 changes , whereby a changed electrical signal is generated . said electrical signal is symptomatic of the deflection of the driving masses 2 and thus in turn for the rotary motion of the substrate about the x - axis . the rate of rotation of the rate of rotation sensor can thereby be determined by analyzing said electrical signal of the detecting elements 8 . a further embodiment example of the present invention is shown in fig2 . the corresponding sketch shows a rate of rotation sensor 1 constructed similarly to the embodiment of fig1 . the driving masses 2 are rotatably attached about the y - axis and the z - axis to the substrate , not shown , by means of an anchor 3 and anchor springs 4 . the driving masses 2 are driven by means of drive elements 7 and the deflection thereof out of the x - y plane is detected by means of detecting elements 8 . a difference from the embodiment of fig1 is the type of the connecting element 5 . in the embodiment of fig4 , the connecting element 5 ′ is divided in two on each side . while the connecting element 5 ′, together with the connecting springs 6 ′ disposed thereon , connects the two driving masses 2 in a manner similar to the connecting element 5 of fig1 , an additional connecting element 5 ″ is provided . the connecting element 5 ″ is attached to each of the driving masses 2 by means of connecting springs 6 ″. the connecting element 5 ″ is further attached to the substrate by means of an anchor 10 and anchor springs 11 . the anchor springs 11 are implemented for allowing a rotary motion about the z - axis as well as a rotary motion of the connecting elements 5 ′ and 5 ″ about the x - axis . such an arrangement of the connecting elements 5 ′ and 5 ″ is particularly advantageous if the driving masses 2 are drive in phase rather than in antiphase . rotary motions of the driving masses 2 are also caused thereby , leading to a tilting motion about the y - axis in case of a rate of rotation about the x - axis . because the rotary oscillations about each anchor 3 of the driving masses 2 occur in phase in this case , the deflection of the driving masses 2 due to a coriolis force can also be expected to be in phase . this means that both driving masses 2 tilt up and down about the y - axis in the same side region of the y - axis at the same time . operation of the rate of rotation according to the invention is also possible in this mode , even if the robustness of the sensor and the detection of impacts on the rate of rotation sensor is thereby not as advantageous as for the antiphase motion of the driving masses 2 . a further embodiment example of the present invention is shown in fig3 . said embodiment is , in turn , similar to the embodiment of fig1 . in addition to various differences , a detailed representation is selected in particular here . the driving masses 2 are each attached to the anchor 3 by means of four anchor springs 4 . this allows a uniform rotary motion of the driving masses 2 about the anchor 3 or the z - axis , for driving the same according to the arrows p . the driving motion of the driving masses 2 takes place in turn in the x - y plane . comb electrodes of the driving elements 7 provide the drive of the driving elements 2 . the drive electrodes 7 consist of a stationary part fixed to the substrate and a second part , wherein the comb electrodes are attached to the displaceable driving masses 2 . the two parts of the driving elements 7 engage in each other and lead to a rotary motion of the driving masses 2 about the anchor 3 . in order to be able to determine and optionally correct the rotary motions of the driving masses 2 caused by the driving elements 7 , feedback elements 12 are provided . the feedback elements 12 also consist of comb electrodes . said comb electrodes , engaging in each other , of which in turn a first part is attached to the substrate and a second part is displaced together with the driving mass 2 , determine the frequency at which the driving masses 2 oscillate about the z - axis by means of a corresponding change in the electrical voltage . if differences between the actual and target frequency are thereby determined , then the frequency of the driving masses 2 can be changed accordingly by correspondingly influencing the driving elements 7 , in order to correspond in turn to the target frequency . the feedback elements 12 are each disposed between two driving elements 7 . they thereby comprise nearly the same distance from the axis of rotation z , and can thus operate at a similar precision as the driving elements 7 . the two driving masses 2 are connected to a connecting element 5 ′″ at each end thereof , as seen in the x - direction . the connecting elements 5 ′″ are implemented in the form of cantilevers disposed fixedly on the driving mass 2 . a connecting spring 6 ′″ is disposed between the two cantilevers of the connecting elements 5 ′″. the connecting spring 6 ′″ protrudes into an intermediate space between the two driving masses 2 and is serpentine in form . the connecting elements 5 ′″, together with the connecting springs 6 ′″ allow displacement of the driving masses 2 in antiphase within the x - y plane , as well as deflection of the driving masses 2 out of the x - y plane for detecting a rate of rotation . this also occurs in antiphase . the rotary motions of the driving masses 2 out of the x - y plane are shown by means of arrow symbols s . the rotary motion also takes place in antiphase , analogous to the drive motion of the driving masses 2 . stoppers are provided in order to prevent damage to the driving masses 2 or other elements . in the embodiment of fig3 , stoppers 13 are attached to the substrate and protrude into the region of the anchor springs 4 . the anchor springs 4 would strike against the stoppers 13 in case of excessive deflection of the driving masse 2 , and thus prevent damage to the driving masses 2 or the springs 4 by excessive bending . in addition to good rotary motion of the driving masses 2 about the z - axis , good shock stability is achieved by attaching the driving masses 2 to the anchor 3 by means of four anchor springs 4 . the driving masses 2 can thereby tilt about both the x - axis and the y - axis for a corresponding impact on the sensor 1 . said motion of the driving masses 2 in the same direction in case of an impact can be determined by the detecting elements , not shown here but implemented similarly to those in fig1 and 2 . the determination is made in that , instead of the opposing approach and separation of the individual electrodes of the detecting elements 8 expected in normal operation , a separation or approach takes place in the same direction . if such is detected , then a shock condition is assumed , so that the measurement results that are supposed to determine a rate of rotation of the sensor 1 must be cleansed or discarded . a further embodiment example is shown in fig4 . the embodiment of fig4 is most suitable for being able to eliminated shock conditions , and for protecting the sensor 1 against damage . in the embodiment shown here , the two driving masses 2 are disposed at a relatively great distance from each other . the two anchors 3 are located along the y - axis and allow a rotary motion about the anchor 3 in a similar manner to the previous embodiments , together with the drive elements 7 , the feedback elements 12 , and the corresponding anchor springs 4 . when a coriolis force occurs due to a rate of rotation and acts on the sensor 1 about the x - axis , the driving masses 2 are deflected in turn about the y - axis and out of the x - y plane . said rotary motions of the driving masses 2 out of the x - y plane are shown by means of arrow symbols s . the rotary motion takes place in antiphase , analogous to the drive motion of the driving masses 2 . the driving masses 2 of said embodiment comprise connection elements 5 ″″ there between . the connecting elements 5 ″″ are connected to the driving masses 2 by means of connecting springs 6 ″″. the connecting element 5 ″″ consists of a first mass 14 and a second mass 15 . the first mass 14 encloses the second mass 15 in a frame - like manner and is connected to the driving masses 2 by means of the connecting springs 6 ″″. the first mass 14 is also connected to the second mass 15 by means of further connecting springs 16 . the connecting springs 16 allow displaceability of the first mass 14 relative to the second mass 15 in the x - y plane . displaceability of the first mass 14 in the y - direction is thereby made possible . the connecting springs 6 ″″ are rigid in the x - direction and the z - direction , so that motion of the driving masses 2 simultaneously brings about motion of the first mass 14 and of the second mass 15 by means of the connecting springs 16 . the second mass 15 is disposed on a further anchor 19 by means of springs 17 . the spring 17 is designed such that a rotary motion is possible about the x - axis . it is thus ensured that , for a deflection of the driving masses 2 out of the x - y plane , tilting of the connecting elements 5 ″″ about the anchor 18 or the x - axis can occur . detecting elements that can detect the change in distance between the driving masses 2 and the connecting elements 5 ″″, particularly the first masses 14 and the second masses 15 , are disposed between the driving masses 2 and / or the connecting elements 5 ″″ and the substrate . the corresponding rotary motion is shown by the arrow symbols s . stoppers 19 are disposed between the first mass 14 and the second mass 15 , preventing damage to the spring elements or the first or second mass in case of excessive deflection . the same applies to the stoppers 20 disposed on the exterior of the first mass 14 . said stoppers prevent the driving masses 2 and the first mass 14 , and the connecting springs 6 ″″ disposed there between , from being damaged . if a shock condition arises on sensor 1 , then the driving masses 2 do not tilt out of the x - y plane in the opposite direction , as would occur due to the driving elements 7 . rather , the two driving masses 2 tilt out of the x - y plane in the same direction . as soon as this is the case , the first mass 1 is also displaced out of the x - y plane provided therefore , while the second mass 15 remains unchanged , due to the spring characteristics of the spring 17 . the first mass 14 is thus displaced by the connecting springs 16 relative to the second mass 15 largely in parallel to the x - y plane and out of the same , and approaches or departs from the substrate . this can , in turn , be determined by a change in the electrical signals by the detecting elements 8 disposed between the first mass 14 and the substrate . the construction of the rate of rotation sensor 1 as shown provides a particularly stable and shock - resistant construction of a rate of rotation sensor 1 . false measurements due to detectable shock conditions can also be very reliably prevented . different conditions of the rate of rotation sensor 1 of fig4 are shown in fig5 a , 5 b , and 5 c . fig5 a thereby shows an antiphase motion of the driving masses 2 . it is evident that the driving masses 2 are displaced about the anchor 3 in a clockwise and counter - clockwise direction . the feedback elements 12 are disposed near the anchor 3 . the connecting elements 5 ″″ remain essentially stationary . according to fig5 b , operation of the rate of rotation sensor 1 in phase is shown . the two driving masses 2 thereby pivot in the same direction , clockwise or counterclockwise . a force is thereby exerted on the first mass 14 of the connecting element 5 ″″, so that said first mass 14 is displaced relative to the second mass 15 . the displacement of all of said elements takes place within the x - y plane . according to fig5 c , a rate of rotation about the x - axis occurs , whereby coriolis forces arise that act on the driving masses 2 . the deflection according to fig5 c takes place in the opposite direction , from which it can be concluded that the driving masses 2 are also driven in antiphase . the tilting of the driving masses 2 in opposite direction about the y - axis causes the connecting elements 5 ″″ to tilt as well . because said elements can be rotated only about the x - axis due to the anchors 18 and the springs 17 , the connecting elements 5 ″″ tilt about the x - axis along the two anchors 18 . a change in the distance from the connecting elements 5 ″″ thereby occurs with respect to the substrate located below . the detecting elements 8 disposed there between , not shown here , can detect said change in distance by means of a change in the electrical signals , and a corresponding rate of rotation of the rate of rotation sensor about the x - axis is thereby detected . the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown . in particular , the invention is not limited to the forms of the individual components shown , to the extent that said forms do not arise from the claims . changes to the scope of the disclosure and the applicable claims may be made at any time .	6
the present embodiment introduces the notion of “ tiles ” to exploit the two dimensional dependencies between blocks while also supporting the exploitation of multiple processors , if available in the encoder , to simultaneously perform encoding operations on multiple tiles . the partitioning of a frame into tiles is completely specified by the numbers n and m , eliminating the need for a slice header , which is a basic requirement in conventional slice processing . here , n and m are the height and width of a tile measured in number of blocks . typically , the values of n and m are conveyed to the decoder in the sequence header or picture header resulting in negligible transmission bandwidth overhead . in addition to unilaterally transmitting the n and m numbers to the decoder in the sequence or picture header , an alternative is to have a handshaking operation between the decoding device and encoding device , where the values of n and m are exchanged , as well as perhaps the processing capabilities of the decoder . by making the dependency breaks in a n × m tile , the system exploits the possibility in images to create both vertical boundaries as well as horizontal boundaries that minimally disturbed correspondences between blocks . moreover , the content of a particular series of images may be a natural landscapes that often have horizontal dependencies ( such as horizons , etc .). on the other hand , imagery involving forests or other vertical oriented images may benefit more greatly by having a larger vertical dimension so that more blocks in the vertical dimension may be included as part of a common tile , thereby allowing for the exploitation of the dependencies between blocks in the vertical direction . the specification of the numbers n and m specifies dependency breaks at tile boundaries by implication . in a typical video encoder according to the present embodiment , at least the following dependencies are broken at tile boundaries ( other dependencies may be broken as well depending on the relevant standard defining the decoding requirements ): use of reconstructed pixels for intra prediction , use of motion vectors from neighbouring blocks for motion vector coding , use of intra direction modes from neighbour blocks . adaptive entropy coding based on previously encoded blocks . flushing of arithmetic coding bits . deblocking filter across tile boundaries , although this can be avoided if deblocking is performed as a separate pass on a single processing core . fig3 a shows an arrangement of 2 × 3 tiles ( arbitrarily choosing 2 as being the vertical component and 3 being the horizontal component of a tile , but vice versa would also be an acceptable convention ). blocks having a same letter belong to a common tile and therefore are best suitable for being processed with one processing core . therefore , supposing four processing cores are available , the “ a ” tile may be processed by one core while separate cores may handle the b , c and d tiles respectively , where all the processing is done in parallel . in a non - limiting context , the numbers in each tile of fig3 a represent an ordering of macro blocks ( or other blocks ) within the tile . for example , for tile a the first three blocks 0 - 2 are arranged in a horizontal row ( in the raster scan direction ), while a second row of blocks 3 - 5 are disposed in a row beneath the first row . thus , the blocks are arranged in a two - dimensional group of blocks where the dependencies are broken at the vertical edge between tile a and tile b , and at the horizontal edge between tile a and tile c . fig3 b shows the transmission order for the frame , which follows the raster - scan order . in order to reorder the bits from the tiles into the bits in raster scan order , a tile reformatter is used . likewise , at the decoder , if processing by tiles is chosen , a tile formatter is used to return the bits to proper block for each tile . the tile reformatter at the encoder conversion changes the tile - order ( a 0 , a 1 , a 2 , a 3 , a 4 , a 5 , b 0 , b 1 , b 2 , . . . ) as shown in fig3 a to raster - scan order ( a 0 , a 1 , a 2 , b 0 , b 1 , b 2 , a 3 , a 4 , . . . ) as shown in fig3 b . likewise , the tile formatter at the decoder performs a reordering operation from raster - scan order to tile - order . regarding this reformatting process , if the encoder processes in tiles and the bits from each tile were not reordered , the resulting bitstream would be in tile - order . in that case , the decoder would have two options could either a ) do nothing with the bitstream and decode the blocks in tile - order , or b ) convert to raster - scan order and then decode the blocks in raster - scan order . both options are alternative embodiments , although they place an extra processing burden on the decoder . on the other hand , the primary embodiment reflected in the drawings is to have the encoder place the bits in raster - scan order in turn , this minimizes the processing burden on the decoder and allows the decoder to either : a ) do nothing with the bitstream and decode the blocks in raster scan order ( i . e . no tile penalty ), or b ) convert from raster - scan order to tile - order and decode the blocks in tile - order . therefore , if the encoder processes in tiles and assumes the burden of converting from tile - order to raster - scan order the decoder are compelled to do nothing except respect the dependency breaks at the tile boundaries . in an encoder according to the present embodiment , tiles are processed in parallel on different cores . each core produces a string of compressed bits for that particular tile . in order to transmit the compressed data in raster scan order , the bits produced by different tiles / cores need to be reformatted . this is typically done on a single core . a parallel processor embodiment is illustrated in fig4 , where the dashed line indicates modules that are processed in parallel on respective cores . moreover , each core is assigned a processing task per tile ( although there is no restriction on processing multiple tiles per core ), and share memory resources to assist in sharing reference data for inter prediction between tiles and blocks . the frame memory resides in shared memory , while the tile reformatter is implemented on a single core . ( alternatively , the deblocking filter can run on a single core .) moreover , the subtractor 9 , transform 13 , quantization 15 , inverse transform 26 , blocking filter 8 , frame memory 6 , motion compensation 5 , intraprediction 3 , switch 7 and entropy coder 17 are all similar to that described earlier in fig1 . however , in this multicore embodiment that provides tile - compatible processing , a tile reformatter 18 is used to retrieve and arrange bits from respective tiles so as to place them in raster scan order so that the bit stream sent from the encoder of fig4 would be in raster scan order . likewise , a decoder would optionally employ a corresponding tile formatter if it is configured to repackage the bits into the end by end tiles before decoding . another thing to note in fig4 , is the presence of dashed lines . as discussed above , a common core may perform all the functions , for example , of the transform 13 , quantization 15 , entropy coder 17 , inverse transform 26 , deblocking filter 8 , motion compensation 5 , switch 7 and interprediction 3 . because the tile reformatter 18 and frame memory 6 are available as a common resource amongst the different cores , each used for processing different tiles , the frame memory and tile reformatter 18 are not limited to use on a single core , but rather available for interfacing between the different cores . likewise the subtractors and adders shown are implemented on a different core . the present arrangement of encoding functions on different cores is meant to be non - exhaustive . instead , one aspect of having the arrangement in tiles is that there can be a correspondence between the tiles and the number of cores made available . moreover , as discussed above , having multiple processor cores , provides available processing resources that may result in arranging a number of tiles to correspond with those cores . at the decoder side , the decoder in the handshaking process with the encoder , can specify whether the tile reformatter 18 shall be used or not ( in a tile partitioning mode or not ). the tile partitioning mode allows for the reception of bits read out from respective tiles , without reformatting , or reformatted so as to place the bits in the same order as would be provided in a raster - scan or as would be done with a conventional encoder . of course , in a more straightforward process , no handshaking is performed and the encoder and decoder always operate in the tile partitioning mode . it should be noted that when both the encoder and decoder operate in tile partitioning mode the tile reformatter ( encoder ) and tile formatter ( decoder ) are not needed since there is no need to put the bit - stream in raster scan order . thus , the tile reformatter 18 and tile formatter 25 have an internal by - pass capability for passing the bit - stream there through without manipulation . of course in fig4 and 5 the tile reformatter 18 and tile formatter 25 are also used to show the two way communication between the encoder and decoder . this connection is merely exemplary because the encoder and decoder can exchange information ( such as the values for n and m through sequence - or picture headers ) through any one of a variety of communication interfaces . moreover , the bits representing the values n and m need not be reformatted in any way , and thus by - pass the reformatting and formatting functions in the tile reformatter 18 and tile formatter 25 respectively . in this same way , other message data exchanged between the encoder and decoder use the tile reformatter and tile formatter as a communications interface , without bit reordering . fig5 is a block diagram of a decoder according to an embodiment that supports a tile portioning mode of operation , and includes parallel processing to assist in processing separate tiles . as was the case with fig4 , a dashed line indicates what decoding components are supported on a separate processing core , such that multiple cores may be used to simultaneously process tiles received from the encoder . the frame memory 6 is used as a common resource , similar to what is done at the encoder in fig4 . the tile formatter 25 initially receives the values n and m from the tile reformatter 18 from the encoder , although the tile reformatter does not perform any bit manipulation or reordering of these values . instead , from the values n and m , the tile formatter 25 recognizes the tile shapes for the data arriving from the incoming bit stream and ultimately allows the decoder components to perform a decoding operation based on the tile partitioning ( and associated dependency breaks ) introduced at the encoder . moreover , the decoder breaks the dependencies in the current frame between blocks at tile boundaries as dictated by the values n and m . it should be noted that the encoder may provide multiple pairs of n and m , indicating that each tile , or at least multiple tiles , in a frame can have a different rectangular shape . in some instances , the decoder can specify its wishes to the encoder for required / desired values of n and m or whether to use tile partitioning at all . this may be useful , for example , by the decoder informing the encoder that the decoder can support only a 720p30 display format if not in tile partitioning mode , but could support 1080p30 display format if used in a tile partitioning mode using tiles that are not larger than n × m . this two - way communication between the encoder and the decoder is represented by a double headed arrow at the tile formatter 25 in fig5 . when arranged in this way , tiles offer the advantage over conventional slices and slice groups in that no tile header is needed to identify tile boundaries . moreover , there is no overhead required on a tile - by - tile or block - by - block basis to support the identification of tile boundaries . instead , by specifying at first the shape of the tiles , or by reading the sequence or frame headers , the decoder has all the information it needs to identify tile boundaries based on the original specification of the values n and m . also , the decoder has the option of using the tiles or not . in this way , the impact on the decoder is minimal since the decoder need not perform tile processing if it chooses not to . also by allowing the encoder to specify different n × m shaped tiles , there is a large amount of flexibility with regard to arranging the number and size of the tiles to better support parallel processing and the speed with which encoding may be performed when multiple cores are available . moreover , tiles offer an advantage of decoupling the encoding process from the transmission order in which the bits are transmitted . this allows for better vertical intra prediction as opposed to conventional processes . also , by using parallel tiles allows for better parallization for analysis since there is less constraint on tile shape and no header is required . as further explanation , an advantage of breaking dependency at column boundaries ( vertical boundaries ), is that by dividing a frame vertically provides a smaller penalty on compression performance since a vertical boundary is shorter than a horizontal boundary when a 16 : 9 aspect ratio is the format for display , because motion generally tends to be performed in a horizontal direction . also , parallelization by columns reduces a delay since the data arrives one row at a time from the camera and all available cores can start to work immediately on a new row , as it arrives . thus , partitioning a frame into tiles allows for the more efficient use of available cores to begin immediate processing of data provided from a camera , as compared with conventional approaches using slices or slice groups . also , by using tiles , it is possible to be more flexible in the encoder for performing “ stitching ”. stitching is the collection of arbitrarily shaped rectangles which means that the change in spatial position of sub - pictures by manipulation in the compressed domain may be made possible . tiles also allow for more efficient packetization into ( almost ) fixed - sized packets . thus a packetizer can assemble independent shelves of compressed data ( one per column / row ) into one packet without any backwards dependency to the encoding process . this helps provide autonomy in how data is transmitted from one location to the next for both transmission over separate communication paths , as well as processing independently at the decoder side . as discussed above , allowing for parallization by columns , also provides for finer - grained parallelism and better load balancing amongst processing cores . finally , another advantage of using tiles is that by encoding by smaller widths provides the opportunity to reduce memory bandwidth and internal memory as composed to slice processing or slice groups . moreover , the reduction in memory bandwidth and internal memory may be made available even if a single - core implementation is used . as a summary , below is a list of advantages of dependency breaks at column boundaries : 1 ) dividing a frame vertically gives smaller penalty on compression performance since a vertical boundary is shorter than a horizontal boundary ( assuming 16 : 9 aspect ratio ) and because motion tends to be horizontally . 2 ) parallelization by columns reduces the delay since data arrives one row at a time from the camera , and all cores can start to work immediately as a new row arrives . 3 ) flexibility in the encoder to do “ stitching ” of arbitrarily shaped rectangles , i . e . change the spatial position of sub - pictures by manipulations in the compressed domain . 4 ) more efficient packetization into ( almost ) fixed - sized packets . the packetizer can assemble independent chunks of compressed data ( one per column / row ) into one packet without any backward dependency to the encoder process . 5 ) parallelization by columns provides finer - grained parallelism and better load balancing . 6 ) encoding by smaller widths might reduce the memory bandwidth and internal memory . this is true even for single - core implementations . fig6 is a flowchart showing a method for encoding frames using n × m tiles . the process begins in step s 1 , where a frame is portioned into blocks of pixels . the process then proceeds to step s 3 where the blocks are arranged into n × m tiles . the tiles are grouped independent of the order of transmission of the blocks . the process then proceeds to step s 5 , where the values of n and m are transmitted to the receiving device in the sequence or picture header , but not in a slice or slice group header , recognizing that avc / h . 264 does not support anything but slices or slice groups . the tiles would not be compliant with avc / h . 264 because if the encoder decided to divide the frame into tiles , the decoder would not recognize the format . in a sequence header ( before the first frame — which is part of the video stream , but after the call set up ), the encoder would send the height and width of the tile . this way the decoder would know the size of the tiles . it should be noted that there can also be a pre - assignment of tile shape to type of frame , for example i ( intra frame ), b and p frames . each tile may then be encoded in parallel in step s 7 , where each tile is optionally encoded by a separate processing core . of course a single core can process more than one tile . also , devices with only one core can process all of the tiles . the process then proceeds to step s 9 where the encoded tiles are transmitted to the receiving device . the transmission order can be in the raster scan order even though the tiles may have been encoded in a different order . once transmitted to the decoder at the receiving device , the decoder decodes the tiles in step s 11 with one or more cores . the process then repeats in step s 13 for processing the next frame . fig7 illustrates a computer system 1201 upon which an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented . the computer system 1201 may be programmed to implement a computer based video conferencing endpoint that includes a video encoder or decoder for processing real time video images . the computer system 1201 includes a bus 1202 or other communication mechanism for communicating information , and a processor 1203 coupled with the bus 1202 for processing the information . while the figure shows a signal block 1203 for a processor , it should be understood that the processors 1203 represent a plurality of processing cores , each of which can perform separate tile the computer system 1201 also includes a main memory 1204 , such as a random access memory ( ram ) or other dynamic storage device ( e . g ., dynamic ram ( dram ), static ram ( sram ), and synchronous dram ( sdram )), coupled to the bus 1202 for storing information and instructions to be executed by processor 1203 . in addition , the main memory 1204 may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions by the processor 1203 . the computer system 1201 further includes a read only memory ( rom ) 1205 or other static storage device ( e . g ., programmable rom ( prom ), erasable prom ( eprom ), and electrically erasable prom ( eeprom )) coupled to the bus 1202 for storing static information and instructions for the processor 1203 . the computer system 1201 also includes a disk controller 1206 coupled to the bus 1202 to control one or more storage devices for storing information and instructions , such as a magnetic hard disk 1207 , and a removable media drive 1208 ( e . g ., floppy disk drive , read - only compact disc drive , read / write compact disc drive , compact disc jukebox , tape drive , and removable magneto - optical drive ). the storage devices may be added to the computer system 1201 using an appropriate device interface ( e . g ., small computer system interface ( scsi ), integrated device electronics ( ide ), enhanced - ide ( e - ide ), direct memory access ( dma ), or ultra - dma ). the computer system 1201 may also include special purpose logic devices ( e . g ., application specific integrated circuits ( asics )) or configurable logic devices ( e . g ., simple programmable logic devices ( splds ), complex programmable logic devices ( cplds ), and field programmable gate arrays ( fpgas )). the computer system 1201 may also include a display controller 1209 coupled to the bus 1202 to control a display 1210 , such as a cathode ray tube ( crt ), for displaying information to a computer user . the computer system includes input devices , such as a keyboard 1211 and a pointing device 1212 , for interacting with a computer user and providing information to the processor 1203 . the pointing device 1212 , for example , may be a mouse , a trackball , or a pointing stick for communicating direction information and command selections to the processor 1203 and for controlling cursor movement on the display 1210 . in addition , a printer may provide printed listings of data stored and / or generated by the computer system 1201 . the computer system 1201 performs a portion or all of the processing steps of the invention in response to the processor 1203 executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions contained in a memory , such as the main memory 1204 . such instructions may be read into the main memory 1204 from another computer readable medium , such as a hard disk 1207 or a removable media drive 1208 . one or more processors in a multi - processing arrangement may also be employed to execute the sequences of instructions contained in main memory 1204 . in alternative embodiments , hard - wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions . thus , embodiments are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software . as stated above , the computer system 1201 includes at least one computer readable medium or memory for holding instructions programmed according to the teachings of the invention and for containing data structures , tables , records , or other data described herein . examples of computer readable media are compact discs , hard disks , floppy disks , tape , magneto - optical disks , proms ( eprom , eeprom , flash eprom ), dram , sram , sdram , or any other magnetic medium , compact discs ( e . g ., cd - rom ), or any other optical medium , punch cards , paper tape , or other physical medium with patterns of holes , a carrier wave ( described below ), or any other medium from which a computer can read . stored on any one or on a combination of computer readable media , the present invention includes software for controlling the computer system 1201 , for driving a device or devices for implementing the invention , and for enabling the computer system 1201 to interact with a human user ( e . g ., print production personnel ). such software may include , but is not limited to , device drivers , operating systems , development tools , and applications software . such computer readable media further includes the computer program product of the present invention for performing all or a portion ( if processing is distributed ) of the processing performed in implementing the invention . the computer code devices of the present invention may be any interpretable or executable code mechanism , including but not limited to scripts , interpretable programs , dynamic link libraries ( dlls ), java classes , and complete executable programs . moreover , parts of the processing of the present invention may be distributed for better performance , reliability , and / or cost . the term “ computer readable medium ” as used herein refers to any medium that participates in providing instructions to the processor 1203 for execution . a computer readable medium may take many forms , including but not limited to , non - volatile media , volatile media , and transmission media . non - volatile media includes , for example , optical , magnetic disks , and magneto - optical disks , such as the hard disk 1207 or the removable media drive 1208 . volatile media includes dynamic memory , such as the main memory 1204 . transmission media includes coaxial cables , copper wire and fiber optics , including the wires that make up the bus 1202 . transmission media also may also take the form of acoustic or light waves , such as those generated during radio wave and infrared data communications . various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying out one or more sequences of one or more instructions to processor 1203 for execution . for example , the instructions may initially be carried on a magnetic disk of a remote computer . the remote computer can load the instructions &# 39 ; for implementing all or a portion of the present invention remotely into a dynamic memory and send the instructions over a telephone line using a modem . a modem local to the computer system 1201 may receive the data on the telephone line and use an infrared transmitter to convert the data to an infrared signal . an infrared detector coupled to the bus 1202 can receive the data carried in the infrared signal and place the data on the bus 1202 . the bus 1202 carries the data to the main memory 1204 , from which the processor 1203 retrieves and executes the instructions . the instructions received by the main memory 1204 may optionally be stored on storage device 1207 or 1208 either before or after execution by processor 1203 . the computer system 1201 also includes a communication interface 1213 coupled to the bus 1202 . the communication interface 1213 provides a two - way data communication coupling to a network link 1214 that is connected to , for example , a local area network ( lan ) 1215 , or to another communications network 1216 such as the internet . for example , the communication interface 1213 may be a network interface card to attach to any packet switched lan . as another example , the communication interface 1213 may be an asymmetrical digital subscriber line ( adsl ) card , an integrated services digital network ( isdn ) card or a modem to provide a data communication connection to a corresponding type of communications line . wireless links may also be implemented . in any such implementation , the communication interface 1213 sends and receives electrical , electromagnetic or optical signals that carry digital data streams representing various types of information . the network link 1214 typically provides data communication through one or more networks to other data devices . for example , the network link 1214 may provide a connection to another computer through a local network 1215 ( e . g ., a lan ) or through equipment operated by a service provider , which provides communication services through a communications network 1216 . the local network 1214 and the communications network 1216 use , for example , electrical , electromagnetic , or optical signals that carry digital data streams , and the associated physical layer ( e . g ., cat 5 cable , coaxial cable , optical fiber , etc ). the signals through the various networks and the signals on the network link 1214 and through the communication interface 1213 , which carry the digital data to and from the computer system 1201 maybe implemented in baseband signals , or carrier wave based signals . the baseband signals convey the digital data as unmodulated electrical pulses that are descriptive of a stream of digital data bits , where the term “ bits ” is to be construed broadly to mean symbol , where each symbol conveys at least one or more information bits . the digital data may also be used to modulate a carrier wave , such as with amplitude , phase and / or frequency shift keyed signals that are propagated over a conductive media , or transmitted as electromagnetic waves through a propagation medium . thus , the digital data may be sent as unmodulated baseband data through a “ wired ” communication channel and / or sent within a predetermined frequency band , different than baseband , by modulating a carrier wave . the computer system 1201 can transmit and receive data , including program code , through the network ( s ) 1215 and 1216 , the network link 1214 and the communication interface 1213 . moreover , the network link 1214 may provide a connection through a lan 1215 to a mobile device 1217 such as a personal digital assistant ( pda ) laptop computer , or cellular telephone . ( option 1 ) obviously , numerous modifications and variations of the present disclosure are possible in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims , the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein .	7
in one embodiment , as shown in fig1 , the buoy - to - sail boat distance indicator system ( system ) 100 has a buoy transmitter 200 and a boat receiver 300 . the buoy transmitter 200 has a transmitter power source 210 , a transmitter central processor unit ( cpu ) 220 , a radio transmitter 240 , an acoustic transmitter 260 , and a speed of sound calibrator 280 . the boat receiver 300 has a receiver power source 310 , a receiver cpu 320 , a radio receiver 340 , an acoustic receiver 360 , and an information display 380 . the transmitter cpu 220 controls the speed of sound calibrator 280 . the speed of sound calibrator 280 provides the transmitter cpu 220 with the speed of sound through water for the operating environment in which system 100 is being used . the speed of sound calibrator 280 , which can be implemented in many ways , measures the speed of sound for the current conditions . one way to implement a speed of sound calibrator would be to measure the temperature , water salinity , and water pressure , and then calculate the speed of sound for those conditions using the appropriate known equations . another way , somewhat more empirically , would be to measure the time for a signal to transit a known distance . the ways for measuring the speed of sound through water are well known to one of average knowledge in the art . the transmitter cpu 220 controls both the radio transmitter 240 and acoustic transmitter 260 . the transmitter cpu 220 causes the radio transmitter 240 to transmit a radio signal 140 and causes acoustic transmitter 260 to transmit an acoustic signal 160 . radio signal 140 and acoustic signal 160 should be omnidirectional signals . in the simplest embodiment transmitter cpu 220 is programmed with the range distance at which the radio signal 140 and acoustic signal 160 should simultaneously arrive . using the calibrated speed of sound , the transmitter cpu 220 computes the transmit time delay . the transmit time delay is the amount of time after sending the acoustic signal 160 at which to transmit the radio signal 140 so that both signals simultaneously arrive at a specified range distance . the transmitter cpu 220 causes the acoustic transmitter 260 to send immediately the acoustic signal 160 , and then at transmit time delay later causes the radio transmitter 240 to send immediately the radio signal 140 . just as the transmitter cpu 220 drives both radio transmitter 240 and acoustic transmitter 260 , the receiver cpu 320 listens to both the radio receiver 340 and acoustic receiver 360 . in the simplest embodiment , receiver cpu 320 observes which signal , radio signal 140 or acoustic signal 160 , arrives first . if acoustic signal 160 arrives first , receiver cpu 320 then knows the range result that boat receiver 300 is closer to buoy transmitter 200 than the specified range distance . if the radio signal 140 arrives first , receiver cpu 320 then knows the range result that boat receiver 300 is farther from buoy transmitter 200 then the specified range distance . the receiver cpu 320 displays range result on the information display 380 . in the simplest embodiment the information display could be just a light which turns on or off when the range result is that boat receiver 300 is closer to buoy transmitter 200 than the specified range distance . or the light could turn on or off when the range result is that the boat receiver 300 is farther from the buoy transmitter 200 than the specified range distance . or the information display could be two lights , a first light for when the range result is that boat receiver 300 is closer to buoy transmitter 200 than the specified range distance , and a second light for when the boat receiver 300 is farther from buoy transmitter 200 than the specified range distance . or , the information display 380 could be a text message saying “ less than ” or “ greater than ,” as appropriate . or the information display could use audio signals vice visual signals . in an alternative embodiment , the transmitter cpu 220 can use the radio transmitter 240 to send the speed of sound information to the receiver cpu 320 via radio signal 140 and radio receiver 340 . in this embodiment , receiver cpu 320 measures the received time delay between arrival of the radio signal 140 and the acoustic signal 160 . using the speed of sound and received time delay , the receiver cpu 320 can then compute the measured range distance and sign ( i . e ., plus or minus ) which the boat receiver 300 is from the specified range distance . the measured range distance can be shown on the information display 380 as appropriate . as a special case of this alternative embodiment , when the specified range distance is set to zero , the measured range distance will be the distance from the buoy transmitter 200 to the boat receiver 300 . in yet another alternative embodiment , boat receiver 300 will have a plurality of acoustic receivers 360 . by knowing the relative positions of each acoustic receiver 360 , the receiver cpu 320 can use the different arrival times for acoustic signal 160 at each acoustic receiver 360 to determine the relative direction from boat receiver 300 to buoy transmitter 200 . the details of how to do such calculations are well known to one of average knowledge in the art . the unambiguous range is the range under which , in the simplest embodiment , the two correlated signals ( radio signal 140 and acoustic signal 160 ), will have been received at the boat receiver 300 before the next radio signal 140 is received . this range is determined by the time between radio transmissions and the speed of sound for the operating environment . the rate at which the system 100 can measure the distance between transmitter 200 and receiver 300 is also determined by the time between radio transmissions . in an alternative embodiment , the concept of staggered pulse repetition intervals , well known to one of average knowledge in the art in the area of traditional radar , can be applied to this system 100 so as to provide an alternative method for either increasing the unambiguous range , or increasing rate at which the distance measurements are made , or some combination there of . transmitter power source 210 powers all other parts of buoy transmitter 200 . receiver power supply 310 powers all other parts of boat receiver 300 . transmitter power 210 and receiver power 310 can be any sort of electrical storage or generation source . in this system 100 the buoy transmitter 200 is not interrogated in any way by boat receiver 300 . one buoy transmitter 200 can service an unlimited number of boat receivers 300 . depending on the method of implementation , speed of sound calibrator 280 may or may not have parts in common with acoustic transmitter 260 . system 100 components , especially the housings for buoy transmitter 200 and boat receiver 300 , should be brightly colored such that they can be easily seen . for example , buoys normally used during sailboat races are brightly colored so that they can be easily seen . thus , for the same reasons , buoy transmitter 200 should be brightly colored . having boat receiver 300 brightly colored can facilitate people being able to see that a sailboat has a boat receiver 300 . also , for both buoy transmitter 200 and boat receiver 300 , should either fall into the water , having them brightly colored will make them easier to see by people trying to find them . because the radio signal 140 travels over the water &# 39 ; s surface and the acoustic signal 160 travels below the water &# 39 ; s surface , the operations of system 100 can be identified as radio over audio below , and abbreviated to create the word roab . a buoy - to - sailboat distance indicator system 100 for determining the distance between a buoy and a boat both floating in a common body of water , has a buoy transmitter 200 and at least one boat receiver 300 . the buoy transmitter 200 , deployed on the floating buoy , has a speed of sound calibrator 280 for producing a measurement of the speed of sound through the body of water , a radio transmitter 240 for producing a radio signal 140 transmitted through the air above the body of water , an acoustic transmitter 260 for producing an acoustic signal 160 transmitted through the body of water , and a transmitter cpu 220 . the transmitter cpu 220 receives the measurement of the speed of sound , calculates the trigger times , and triggers the radio transmitter 240 and the acoustic transmitter 260 to transmit respectively the radio signal 140 above , and acoustic signal 160 through , the body of water such that both simultaneously arrive at a predetermined distance across the body of water . a boat receiver 300 , deployed on a boat , has a radio receiver 340 for receiving the radio signal 140 transmitted through the air above the body of water , an acoustic receiver 360 for receiving the acoustic 160 signal transmitted through the water , a receiver cpu 320 for determining the relative arrival time between the radio signal 140 and the acoustic signal 160 , and determining thereby the distance of the boat from the buoy relative to the predetermined distance . an information display 380 displays the distance information about the distance of the boat receiver 300 from the buoy transmitter 200 relative to the predetermined distance . in an alternative embodiment a buoy - to - sailboat distance indicator system 100 for determining the distance between a buoy and a boat , both floating in a common body of water , has a buoy transmitter 200 and a boat receiver 300 . the buoy transmitter 200 deployed on the buoy has a speed of sound calibrator 280 for producing a measurement of the speed of sound through the body of water , a radio transmitter 240 for producing both a radio signal 140 transmitted through the air above the body of water and for transmitting the measurement of the speed of sound , an acoustic transmitter 260 for producing an acoustic signal 160 transmitted through the body of water , and a transmitter cpu 220 . the transmitter cpu 220 receives the measurement of the speed of sound , calculates the trigger times and triggers the radio transmitter 240 and the acoustic transmitter 260 to transmit respectively their radio signal 140 above , and acoustic signal 160 through , the body of water such that both simultaneously arrive at a predetermined distance across the body of water . the boat receiver 300 has a radio receiver 340 for receiving both the radio signal 140 transmitted through the air above the body of water and the transmitted measurement of the speed of sound , an acoustic receiver 360 for receiving the acoustic signal 160 transmitted through the body of water , a receiver cpu 320 for determining the relative arrival time between the radio signal 140 and acoustic signal 160 , and determining thereby the distance and sign of distance of the boat receiver 300 from the buoy transmitter 200 and from the predetermined distance . an information display 380 displays the distance and the sign of distance of the boat receiver 300 from the buoy transmitter 200 and from the predetermined distance . although various preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described herein in detail to provide for complete and clear disclosure , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , that variations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims .	0
as is well known , the coronary artery branches off the aorta and is positioned along the external surface of the heart wall . oxygenated blood flows from the heart to the aorta , and on to the rest of the body , some of the blood flowing into the coronary artery . in some individuals , plaque builds up within the coronary artery , blocking the free flow of blood and causing complications ranging from mild angina to heart attack and death . in order to restore the flow of oxygenated blood through the coronary artery , bypass surgery is performed . one or more venous segments are used to join the aorta and a site in the coronary artery distal to the blockage . the inserted vascular segments act to bypass the blocked portion of the coronary artery and thus provide for a free or unobstructed flow of oxygenated blood from the heart . to perform the bypass , an incision is made through the patient &# 39 ; s sternum ( sternotomy ), and the patient is placed on a bypass pump so that the heart and surrounding vessels can be operated on while not beating . typically , a saphenous vein graft is harvested from the patient &# 39 ; s leg , and the bypass graft is anastomosed to the aorta and to the coronary artery . it should be understood , however , that other arterial or venous segments may be used to perform the bypass and that other blocked vessels may be bypassed . the term “ vascular graft ” as used herein refers to any such venous or arterial segment used in any bypass procedure . [ 0019 ] fig1 illustrates a human heart having a saphenous vein graft vg attached to the aorta ao and to the coronary artery ca at a site distal to the blockage bl in the coronary artery ca . as noted above , over time , the vein graft vg itself may become diseased , stenosed , or occluded , and intervention is necessary to once again restore the flow of oxygenated blood through the coronary artery ca . [ 0020 ] fig2 illustrates means for bypassing the blockage bl in the coronary artery , as well as in the vein graft vg . a conduit 10 is positioned in the heart wall or myocardium myo . although the bypass described herein is from the left ventricle of the heart to the coronary artery , it should be understood that this is merely exemplary . the principles of the present invention are not limited to left ventricular conduits , and include conduits for communicating bodily fluids from any space within a patient to another space within a patient , including any mammal . furthermore , such fluid communication through the conduits is not limited to any particular direction of flow and can be antegrade or retrograde with respect to the normal flow of fluid . moreover , the conduits may communicate between a bodily space and a vessel or from one vessel to another vessel ( such as an artery to a vein or vice versa ). moreover , the conduits can reside in a single bodily space so as to communicate fluids from one portion of the space to another . for example , the conduits can be used to achieve a bypass within a single vessel , such as communicating blood from a proximal portion of an occluded coronary artery to a more distal portion of that same coronary artery . in addition , the conduits and related methods can preferably traverse various intermediate destinations and are not limited to any particular flow sequence . for example , in one preferred embodiment of the present invention , the conduit communicates from the left ventricle , through the myocardium , into the pericardial space , and then into the coronary artery . however , other preferred embodiments are disclosed , including direct transmyocardial communication from a left ventricle , through the myocardium and into the coronary artery . thus , as emphasized above , the term “ transmyocardial ” should not be narrowly construed in connection with the preferred fluid communication conduits , and other non - myocardial and even non - cardiac fluid communication are preferred as well . with respect to the walls of the heart ( and more specifically the term “ heart wall ”), the preferred conduits and related methods are capable of fluid communication through all such walls including , without limitation , the pericardium , epicardium , myocardium , endocardium , septum , etc . the bypass which is achieved with certain preferred embodiments and related methods is not limited to a complete bypass of bodily fluid flow , but can also include a partial bypass which advantageously supplements the normal bodily blood flow . moreover , the occlusions which are bypassed may be of a partial or complete nature , and therefore the terminology “ bypass ” or “ occlusion ” should not be construed to be limited to a complete bypass or a complete occlusion but can include partial bypass and partial occlusion as described . the preferred conduits and related methods disclosed herein can also provide complete passages or partial passages through bodily tissues . in this regard , the conduits can comprise stents , shunts , or the like , and therefore provide a passageway or opening for bodily fluid such as blood . moreover , the conduits are not necessarily stented or lined with a device but can comprise mere tunnels or openings formed in the tissues of the patient . the conduits of the present invention preferably comprise both integral or one - piece conduits as well as plural sections joined together to form a continuous conduit . the present conduits can be deployed in a variety of methods consistent with sound medical practice including vascular or surgical deliveries , including minimally invasive techniques . for example , various preferred embodiments of delivery rods and associated methods may be used . in one embodiment , the delivery rod is solid and trocar - like . it may be rigid or semi - rigid and capable of penetrating the tissues of the patient and thereby form the conduit , in whole or in part , for purposes of fluid communication . in other preferred embodiments , the delivery rods may be hollow so as to form the conduits themselves ( e . g ., the conduits are preferably self - implanting or self - inserting ) or have a conduit mounted thereon ( e . g ., the delivery rod is preferably withdrawn leaving the conduit installed ). thus , the preferred conduit device and method for installation is preferably determined by appropriate patient indications in accordance with sound medical practices . the conduit 10 , as illustrated in fig2 preferably extends from the left ventricle lv of the heart to the coronary artery ca at a site that is distal to the site of the blockage bl . the conduit 10 is preferably made of a biocompatible material such as titanium , titanium alloys , nickel alloys , or a biocompatible polymer . if desired , the conduit 10 can incorporate a valve that allows blood to flow freely from the left ventricle lv to the coronary artery ca but prevents the backflow of blood from the coronary artery 10 to the heart . further details regarding conduits and conduit delivery systems are described in copending patent applications entitled delivery methods for left ventricular conduit [ attorney docket no . percar . 003cp1 ], designs for left ventricular conduit [ attorney docket no . percar . 013a ], left ventricular conduit with blood vessel graft [ attorney docket no . percar . 005a ], valve designs for left ventricular conduit [ attorney docket no . percar . 006a ], left ventricular conduits to coronary arteries and methods for coronary bypass [ attorney docket no . percar . 033cp1 ], and blood flow conduit delivery system and method of use [ attorney docket no . percar . 040a ], all filed on the same day as the present application , and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 429 , 144 , and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 662 , 124 , the disclosures of which are all hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety . in order to bypass the blockages in both the coronary artery ca and the vein graft vg , thereby providing for enhanced blood flow in the patient , the conduit 10 must be positioned at a site which is downstream or distal to the blockage bl in the coronary artery ca and the attachment site of the vein graft vg to the coronary artery ca . this allows oxygenated blood to flow directly from the left ventricle lv of the heart into the coronary artery ca and on to the rest of the body without encountering the blockage bl and without having to travel through the blocked vein graft vg . although some proximal flow may occur through the vein graft , it is advantageous to place the conduit in a position which completely bypasses the blockage ( s ). the preferred positioning of the conduit 10 is illustrated in fig2 . fig3 a - 3 c depict a preferred method for delivery of the conduit 10 into the myocardium myo . although the figures illustrate the delivery of the conduit 10 percutaneously , it should be appreciated that the percutaneous approach is not essential to achieve many objects of the present invention , and therefore , an open - chest or other approach can also be used . in the preferred embodiment illustrated , the conduit 10 is delivered percutaneously , through the aorta ao and through the vein graft vg , thereby ensuring that both the original blockage bl in the coronary artery ca and the vein graft vg itself are bypassed . other methods of delivery of the conduit 10 through the vein graft vg to a site in the myocardium myo past both the blockage bl in the coronary artery ca and the site of attachment of the vein graft vg are also contemplated . the conduit 10 is first mounted on the distal end of a steerable delivery catheter 12 ( fig3 a ). the catheter 12 is delivered into the patient &# 39 ; s vasculature , such as through the femoral artery in the thigh , and through the aorta ao until it reaches the site of attachment of the vein graft vg . the catheter 12 is then delivered through the vein graft vg and into the coronary artery ca . the distal end of the catheter 12 is positioned adjacent the desired insertion point in the myocardium myo . the conduit 10 is then inserted into the myocardium myo , such that one end of the conduit 10 is positioned in the left ventricle lv of the heart , and the other end is positioned in the coronary artery ca ( fig3 b ). methods of conduit delivery are described in detail in the above - referenced copending application delivery methods for left ventricular conduit [ attorney docket no . percar . 003cp1 ], and in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 429 , 144 and u . s pat . no . 5 , 409 , 019 , all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety . the conduit 10 therefore provides for the shunting of oxygenated blood directly from the left ventricle lv of the heart into the coronary artery ca . the conduit 10 can include anchoring means such as hooks , barbs , flanges or collars , or can be sutured , stapled or otherwise anchored in place to prevent conduit migration . the position of the conduit can be checked radiographically , and adjusted if necessary . as illustrated in fig3 c , after the conduit 10 has been properly positioned in the myocardium myo , the delivery catheter 12 is withdrawn from the patient . another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in fig4 a - d . in this embodiment , an existing vascular graft is provided with a new , biocompatible lining , which allows for the free passage of blood therethrough . the lining can be formed of any biocompatible material , such as various polymers , but is preferably formed from a section of blood vessel , such as a vein , taken from the patient . the section of vein or other blood vessel harvested preferably contains one or more one - way valves , which occur naturally in the veins . in a preferred embodiment , the new vein section used to line the existing graft is obtained from the saphenous vein in the patient . of course a blood vessel taken from a human or animal donor could also be used . for example , a fetal pig or piglet could be obtained and dissected to remove a section of the pulmonary artery having a pulmonic valve therein , or a section of the aorta having an aortic valve , or any other similar vessel having a naturally occurring valve system . the vein section harvested is preferably sized so as to be approximately the same length as the original vein graft vg , but other lengths are also contemplated . the natural vein is biocompatible and therefore reduces the occurrence of problems associated with rejection and clotting . in addition , the vein section provides a natural valve system that is already in use throughout the body to prevent the backflow of blood . after the vein section has been harvested , it is mounted on the distal end of a catheter for insertion into the patient , as described below . turning now to fig4 a , there is illustrated a steerable delivery catheter 20 having an inner lumen . a vein section 22 obtained as described above is mounted on the distal end of a second catheter 24 , which is inserted through the lumen of the delivery catheter 20 . the second catheter 24 preferably has an inflatable balloon 26 mounted on its distal end , over which the vein section 22 is concentrically mounted . inflatable catheters are well known to these of skill in the art , and can be readily obtained from various commercial sources . the delivery catheter 20 and second catheter 24 are preferably delivered together into the patient &# 39 ; s vasculature , such as through the femoral artery in the thigh , and through the aorta ao until they reach the site of attachment of the vein graft vg . the second catheter 24 bearing the vein section 22 is then delivered through the vein graft vg , as illustrated in fig4 b . after the new vein section 22 , mounted on the distal end of the second catheter 24 , is delivered into the vein graft vg , the delivery catheter 20 is withdrawn , as illustrated in fig4 c . the second catheter 24 and new vein section 22 remain in position inside the vein graft vg . the balloon 26 at the distal end of the second catheter 24 is inflated as shown in fig4 d . expansion of the balloon 26 forces the new vein section 22 against the interior of the existing vein graft vg , expanding the interior lumen in both the existing graft vg and the new vein section 22 , opening a new passage for blood to flow through the vein graft vg . the balloon 26 is deflated , and the second catheter 24 is withdrawn from the patient , leaving the existing vein graft vg with a new vein lining , as illustrated in fig4 e . preferably , the new vein section 22 is attached to the existing vein graft vg or to the aorta ao at one end and to the coronary artery ca at the other end . the new vein section 22 can be attached by sutures , staples , or other attachment means . the embodiments illustrated and described above are provided merely as examples of certain preferred embodiments of the present invention . changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments presented herein by those skilled in the art without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention , as defined by the claims which follow .	0
reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . fig1 shows a functional view for illustrating a typical structure for mounting an antenna on a mobile vehicle , and particularly for illustrating a satellite broadcasting reception under the concept that a mobile vehicle 12 such as a moving vehicle receives signals for the satellite broadcasting or satellite communication . an antenna radome 14 receives satellite radio waves 13 from a satellite 11 . an active antenna signal processor 15 receives the satellite radio waves from the antenna radome 14 and performs a satellite tracking calculation . a satellite broadcasting receiver 16 processes the signals from the active antenna signal processor 15 and then transfers recovered information to users through tv monitor 17 . fig5 shows a structure of an active channel antenna system of a mobile comprising an antenna radome 51 and an active antenna signal processor 52 according to the present invention . the antenna radome 51 comprises m active channel sub - modules 511 , 512 , 513 and 514 divided into 4 groups , 4 signal power combiners 515 , 516 , 517 and 518 , a beam forming block 519 , a rotation power supply 520 , a tracking signal converter 521 , a beam steering control 522 , a rotation platform 530 , a rotary jointer 523 , a frequency converter 524 and a driving control 528 . the active antenna signal processor 52 comprises a satellite tracking processor 527 , an electronic compass sensor 526 and a power supply module 525 . the antenna radome 51 receives signals from the satellite and then transmits them to the m active channel sub - modules divided into 4 groups . primary beams of double beams are formed in active module channels through a reception signal low - noise amplifier , a phase delay control , a phased array and a power control . on one hand , each of the active channel sub - modules is divided into 4 groups 511 , 512 , 513 and 514 and each of the group is connected to the signal power combiners 515 , 516 , 517 and 518 respectively . the 4 signals from the signal power combiners are transmitted to the beam forming block 519 . the 4 satellite signals transmitted to the beam forming block 519 are distributed into two parts . one part of the signals forms secondary beam of the double beam through the low noise amplifier , the phase delay control , the phased array , the power control and the signal power combiner , and then transmitted to the tracking signal converter 521 . in addition , the other part of the signals is connected to the signal power combiner and then transmitted to a rotary jointer 523 . the satellite information signals transmitted to the rotary jointer 523 are converted into intermediate frequencies in the frequency converter 524 and then provided to a satellite broadcasting receiver 54 through a band pass filter . the receiver recovers the information and then provides them to users through a tv monitor 55 . the tracking signal converter 521 which receives the satellite signals transmitted together with the secondary beam detects magnitudes of the satellite tracking information signals and then transmits the information to the beam steering controller 522 . the beam steering controller 522 transmits the information to the satellite tracking processor 527 of the active antenna signal processor 52 through the rotary jointer 523 . a program in the satellite tracking processor 527 calculates the information together with information processing results of the movement of the mobile sensed through an electronic compass sensor 526 and then provides azimuth angle , elevation angle and tracking speed informations of the satellite positions . the azimuth angle and velocity information are provided to a driving controller 528 . the driving control 528 controls and monitors the azimuth angle driving motor 529 to preform one - dimensional azimuth angle control proper to the related informations . the elevation angle information is provided to the beam steering controller 522 . the beam steering controller 522 performs calculations for forming beams in order to control a desired one - dimensional elevation angle and then calculates phase delay value codes of the double beams assigned to the angular phase shifter . the assigned phase delay value codes are transmitted to the active channel sub - modules 511 , 512 , 513 and 514 and beam forming block 519 for controlling the one - dimensional elevation angle , forming beams and adjusting beam steerings . power from a vehicle power supply 53 is supplied to a power supply module 525 of the active antenna signal processor 52 and then supplied to each parts . for example , power is supplied to the rotation power supply 520 through the rotary jointer 523 and then supplied to each required parts on the rotation platform 530 . the driving motor 529 operates the rotation platform 530 , controlling the azimuth angle of the active antenna one - dimensionally . m active channel sub - modules 511 , 512 , 513 and 514 divided into 4 groups , 4 signal power combiners 515 , 516 , 517 and 518 , the beam forming block 519 , the tracking signal converter 521 , the beam steering controller 522 and the rotation power supply 520 are mounted on the rotation platform 530 . the rotary jointer 523 continuously transmits and supplies the satellite reception signals , the angular control signals and supply power without a stop in a relative rotation state of a fixed part of the antenna radome 51 and a rotating part on the rotation platform 530 . the electronic compass sensor 526 provides three axis posture informations of an absolute steering and a forward declination of the mobile at the moment that the measurement is demanded , and a side declination . fig6 shows an active channel sub - module of a mobile active channel antenna system according to the present invention . the active channel sub - module comprises n - i radiation sub - arrays 606 , 602 , 603 and 604 , n - i primary low noise amplifiers 605 , 606 , 607 and 608 , a signal power combiner 609 , a secondary low noise amplifier 613 , a phase shifter 611 , a ( phase shifter ) driver 612 and a signal power attenuator 610 , where i is 0 or a integer number smaller than n - 1 for example , n - i is 4 . the signals transferred to the antenna radome 51 of fig1 are transmitted to the radiation sub - arrays 601 , 602 , 603 and 604 of the active channel sub - module . the radiation sub - arrays 601 , 602 , 603 and 604 are fixed phased array antenna consisted of a coupling of p unit antenna elements which are in - phase delayed . the satellite signals added gains in the radiation sub - arrays 601 , 602 , 603 and 604 are amplified to low noise in primary low noise amplifiers 605 , 606 , 607 and 608 and ensure performance of antenna gains to noise constants . the amplified signals are connected to the signal power combiner 609 , losses of the signal gains are recovered in the secondary low noise amplifier 613 and then the signals are delayed in the phase shifter 611 to have required phases . the signal power attenuator 610 compensates the delayed signals for their gain differences among m active channel sub - modules . an output from the signal power attenuator 610 is provided to the signal power combiner ( 515 to 518 of fig5 ). the ( phase shifter ) driver 612 receives phase delay codes from the beam steering control ( 522 of fig5 ) and controls the phase of the phase shifter 611 to a specific value . fig7 shows a structure of a beam forming block of an active channel antenna system according to the present invention . the beam forming blocking comprises 4 low noise amplifiers 701 , 702 , 703 and 704 , 4 phase shifters 705 , 706 , 707 and 708 , 4 ( phase shifter ) drivers 709 , 710 , 711 and 712 , and 2 signal power combiners 713 and 714 . when signals from the satellite arrive at the antenna radome ( 51 of fig5 ), the active channel sub - modules 511 , 512 , 513 and 514 control phase delays of the signals in order to form a primary beam of the double beams . the signals are divided into 4 groups and then transmitted to the beam forming blocks . the signals from the signal power combiners 515 , 516 , 517 and 518 are compensated for their gain losses and distributed to low noise amplifiers 701 to 704 . first , one of the signals is phase - shifted to form a secondary beam of the double beam through the phase shifter 705 , coupled with three phase delayed satellite signals of the secondary beam from other groups through the first signal power combiner 713 and then provided as secondary beam signals 119 . on the other hand , the other distributed signals are coupled with three satellite signals from other groups through the second signal power combiner 714 and then provided as satellite broadcasting signals 716 received in the antennas . fig8 shows a functional view for illustrating a structure of a phased array according to the present invention . first , the satellite signals are excited to a radiation sub - array of the phased array structure . the radiation sub - arrays are arranged on a plane orienting to the satellite . an arrayed structure of the radiation sub - arrays are determined by the following rules on the basis of the magnitude of the antenna to be manufactured . that is , the antenna is constructed to a circle and the magnitude of the circle is determined by the gain . n radiation sub - arrays are arranged sequentially and regularly in an inside of the circle . each of the radiation sub - arrays are arrayed in a certain length 801 dx and a width 802 dy . the radiation sub - arrays of the antenna have g columns and h rows . the radiation sub - arrays are divided into 4 groups of the phased array unit areas of double beams 803a , 803b , 803c and 803d , and each groups has equal radiation sub - arrays for satisfying the rules and being included in an inside of the circle . each rows of the groups constitutes the m active channel sub - modules ( see fig6 ). the number of the radiation sub - arrays in each columns 804 , 805 , 806 , 807 and 808 of the groups satisfies n - i rule . n is equal to the number of the radiation sub - arrays of the longest column in the groups and i is an arbitrary number which makes the number n - i of the radiation sub - arrays in each column to be a maximum . fig9 shows a functional view for illustrating a method for forming a double beam according to the present invention . a primary beam of the double beam is a satellite forward steering beam and a secondary beam is a tracking beam . if satellite steering informations from a satellite tracking processor 91 are provided to a beam steering control 92 , the beam steering control 92 provides codes to the ( phase shifter ) driver of each active channel sub - modules and the signals through the phase shifter are delayed by a certain phase , forming the primary beam . if the reception magnitude of the secondary beam signal 94 is detected in a tracking signal converter 93 and satellite tracking error signals 95 are provided to the satellite tracking processor 91 through the beam steering control 92 , a program calculates them and then provides codes to the beam steering control 92 , reforming the secondary beam . the codes are transmitted to the ( phase shifter ) driver of the beam forming block and the phase of the primary beam signal transmitted through the phase shifter therefrom is additionally delayed , forming the secondary beam . fig1 shows a functional view for illustrating a secondary beam steering of an active antenna system of a mobile according to the present invention . as shown in the drawing , the secondary beam sequentially produces secondary beam steering patterns each having different steerings by assigning delay phases + 45 , + 45 , - 45 and - 45 degrees to 4 unit area of the phased array of the secondary beam and then sequentially altering them to a time interval t according to the tracking sequence . fig1 shows a functional view for illustrating a double beam pattern of an active antenna system of a mobile vehicle according to the present invention . an initial actual satellite steering is in coordinates ( uo , vo )=( o , o ) and if the primary beam has a steering effective area ( 111 ) of a db , the secondary beam having a tracking effective area of b db shifts steering center coordinates ( u , v ) of the secondary beam steering patterns 112a , 112b , 112c and 112d in a sequence illustrated in fig1 based on an a db steering effective area track of the primary beam . if the coordinates of the actual satellite are shifted to ( u &# 39 ;, v &# 39 ;), the magnitudes of the satellite signals received in the secondary beam steering patterns 112a , 112b , 112c and 112d are different . the shifted values ( u &# 39 ;, v &# 39 ;) of the satellite are calculated from the differences and the center coordinates of the primary beam are shifted from ( o , o ) to ( u &# 39 ;, v &# 39 ;). such a procedure is repeated several times for continuous satellite tracking . fig1 shows a flow chart for illustrating a satellite tracking method according to the present invention . the satellite tracking is performed by applying an electronic compass sensor using the double beam satellite tracking and absolute steering sensing , and also using a satellite initialization program , a satellite initial tracking program , an antenna measurement automatic tracking program and a satellite repeated tracking program . first , the system is initialized at a step 121 . the initialized system performs open loop tracking which applies the electronic compass sensor in an initial tracking of the satellite , and thus tracks the satellite initial position at a step 122 . it is first confirmed whether signals are detected at a step 123 . if the signals are detected and a position of the satellite is captured , the antenna measurement automatic tracking which applies the double beam satellite tracking as a closed loop tracking is repeatedly performed at a step 125 . if the signals are not detected , i . e ., if the satellite initial tracking fails for a certain time , the operation is stopped on an emergency according to the determination of the user at a step 124 . then it is secondarily confirmed whether the signals are sensed at a step 126 . if the signals are not sensed and thus the satellite tracking is failed , the satellite repeated tracking is performed as an open loop tracking which applies an electronic compass sensor at a step 127 . if the signals are detected as a result of the confirmation and thus the satellite tracking succeeds , the process proceeds to an antenna measurement automatic tracking step 125 . it is confirmed in the third time whether the signals are detected at a step 128 . if the signals are detected and thus the satellite tracking is succeeded , the step proceeds to the antenna automatic tracking step 125 . if the signals are not detected and thus the satellite tracking has failed , the process proceeds to the satellite initial tracking step 122 . as described above , there are effects according to the present invention as follows . first , both of the one - dimensional array control of an elevation angle and one - dimensional mechanical control of an azimuth angle are used , providing an economical and effective system to a two - dimensional satellite array antenna , and an improved performance of a satellite tracking velocity to a two - dimensional mechanical control antenna . second , compared with the conventional mono pulse tracking method which divides gain with a single beam pattern and then performs satellite tracking , the present invention improves tracking gain loss by using a secondary beam and thus providing a variable active high speed satellite tracking function and a secondary beam gain corresponding to a primary beam gain . third , the present invention improves inaccuracy of tracking position determination which can be occurred in an one - dimensional step tracking mode by using two - dimensional tracking with a double beam . fourth , the present invention improves the system such that it becomes an economical and effective system having the same performance by reducing the number of control elements compared with the system which controls the phase of the unit antenna elements by controlling the phase using radiation sub - array for phased array control . fifth , the present invention improves fixation of a structure of a conventional system array by applying freely the gain and magnitude of the desired antenna using a variable phased array of the radiation sub - array . sixth , the present invention prevents that the satellite tracking effects actual satellite information reception as a conventional actual satellite information reception uses the same beam in satellite tracking since the primary beam of the double beam tracks only the actual satellite information reception and the secondary beam tracks only the satellite . seventh , the present invention reduces a necessary recovering time after the failure of the initial satellite tracking and steering control which measures the relative steering from angular rate using the conventional angular rate sensor by using the electronic compass sensor which senses an absolute steering and 3 axis angle variation for satellite tracking . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modification and variations can be made in a structure of an active antenna system of a mobile and a satellite tracking method with the system of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions . thus , it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents . the foregoing description , although described in its preferred embodiment with a certain degree of particularity , is only illustrative of the principles of the present invention . it is to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited to the preferred embodiments disclosed and illustrated herein . accordingly , all expedient variations that may be made within the scope and the spirit of the present invention are to be encompassed as further embodiments of the present invention .	7
the following example describes a processing system capable of achieving the following actions : rapid depressurization to vacuum and repressurization to atmospheric or greater pressure ; rapid temperature fluctuation : and ionic cleaning . the result of these actions separates lignocellulosic fiber into its various molecular components : cellulose , hemicelluloses , and lignin . the system is consists of an ionic generator with fan 1 attached to ion reservoir 2 . the ionic generator 1 blows charged or ionized air into the reservoir 2 , which is attached to temperature manipulation vessel 4 by pipe 3 . temperature manipulation vessel 4 is capable of heating of chilling the ionized air by means of coils within the vessel . pipe 5 runs between temperature manipulation vessel 4 and vacuum reaction chamber 6 , which is supported by structural stand 7 . pipe 5 is equipped with a valve . reaction chamber 6 is attached to vacuum draw down tank 9 by pipe 8 with valve . vacuum in vacuum draw down chamber 9 is pulled by vacuum pump 10 . the system is operated in the following manner . first , ionic generator 1 is started building concentrated reserved in ion reservoir 2 and temperature manipulation vessel 4 . at the same time vacuum pump 10 is switched on to draw down vacuum tank 9 . the valves on pipes 5 and 8 are closed in order to concentrate the ions in ion reservoir 2 and create the vacuum within the vacuum draw down tank 9 . next , lignocelfulosic fiber is placed in reaction chamber 6 . the material is exposed to heat and mechanical rotation by common art . when vacuum is achieved in draw down tank 9 the valve on pipe 8 is opened rapidly creating a vacuum in reaction chamber 6 . once vacuum is achieved in reaction chamber 6 the valve on pipe 8 is closed . the vacuum is maintained in reaction chamber 6 . the rapid depressurization shocks the lignocellulosic fiber causing it to swell . the vacuum accelerates the drying process . next , the valve on pipe 5 is opened allowing the ionized air from ionic reservoir 2 and temperature manipulation vessel 4 to rapidly repressurize reaction chamber 6 . a secondary valve or pipe 8 may be opened allowing the ionized air to gradually flow through the reaction chamber for a period of time . the vacuum and repressurization process facilitates the diffusion and penetration of the ionized air into the lignocellulosic fiber . the ionized air may either be chilled or heated depending on the processing parameters . heating and chilling is controlled in temperature manipulation vessel 4 . heated air helps the transfer of ions arid facilitates the cleaning of the cellulose fiber . a rapid temperature drop through exposure to chilled air cracks the gums that surround the cellulose fiber making it more accessible to the cleaning action of the ionized air . the general process described in this invention may be repeated as many times as is necessary to achieve the desired degree of processing . when the process is completed cellulose fiber , lignin , and the various gums may be collected through a variety of methods that are commonly known . recovered cellulose fiber may be utilized for textile applications . or , the carbohydrate portion , the cellulose and hennicelluloses , may be subjected to further treatment for biofuels production . it will be understood that the previous example serves to illustrate one possible means of achieving the actions and objectives of this invention . although a few exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , the present invention is not limited to the described exemplary embodiments . instead , it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made to these exemplary embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention , the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents . the terminology used in the description of the invention herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention . as used in the description of the embodiments of the invention and the appended claims , the singular forms “ a ”, “ an ” and “ the ” are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . unless otherwise defined , all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs . all publications , patent applications , patents , and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety . it will be further understood that the terms “ comprises ” and / or “ comprising ,” when used in this specification , specify the presence of stated features , integers , steps , operations , elements , and / or components , but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features , integers , steps , operations , elements , components , and / or groups thereof . it will be understood that relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures . moreover , it will be understood that although the terms first and second are used herein to describe various features , elements , regions , layers and / or sections , these features , elements , regions , layers and / or sections should not be limited by these terms . these terms are only used to distinguish one feature , element , region , layer or section from another feature , element , region , layer or section . thus , a first feature , element , region , layer or section discussed below could be termed a second feature , element , region , layer or section , and similarly , a second without departing from the teachings of the present invention . it will also be understood that when an element is referred to as being “ connected ” or “ coupled ” to another element , it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present . in contrast , when an element is referred to as being “ directly connected ” or “ directly coupled ” to another element , there are no intervening elements present . further , as used herein the term “ plurality ” refers to at least two elements . additionally , like numbers refer to like elements throughout . thus , there has been shown and described several embodiments of a novel invention . as is evident from the foregoing description , certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein , and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications , or equivalents thereof , will occur to those skilled in the art . the terms “ having ” and “ including ” and similar terms as used in the foregoing specification are used in the sense of “ optional ” or “ may include ” and not as “ required ”. many changes , modifications , variations and other uses and applications of the present construction will , however , become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings . 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 the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow . the scope of the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein , but is to be accorded the full scope consistent with the claims , wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “ one and only one ” unless specifically so stated , but rather “ one or more .” all structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various embodiments described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims .	3
prior to reading the specification , it is to be noted that the directional adjectives of inner , outer , upper and lower through the whole specification are based on the direction of the annexed drawings . referring to fig1 - 3 , a seat tilt angle control device in accordance with the present invention is shown . the seat tilt angle control device comprises : a tilt unit 1 mounted in a seat back of a vehicle seat , comprising a tilt support frame set 10 ; a drive mechanism 20 adapted for tilting the tilt unit 1 within a predetermined angle , comprising a motor 21 , a linking member 22 and a connection member 23 ; a mounting assembly 30 mounted in the drive mechanism 20 , comprising a connection member 31 capped on the connection member 23 of the drive mechanism 20 , a plurality of mounting through holes 32 cut through the connection member 31 , a plurality of screw bolts b 1 mounted in the mounting through holes 32 to affix the connection member 31 to the connection member 23 of the drive mechanism 20 , an opening 33 cut through the connection member 31 , a plurality of adjustment holes 34 cut through the connection member 31 and equiangularly spaced around the opening 33 , and an indicator 35 ; a control unit 4 angularly adjustably mounted in the tilt unit 1 , comprising an adjustment member 50 for adjusting the mounting assembly 30 at the tilt unit 1 ; a switch mount 60 connected to the adjustment member 50 ; and a switch 70 mounted in the switch mount 60 and electrically coupled to the drive mechanism 20 . further , the adjustment member 50 comprises two connecting hole 51 ; the switch mount 60 comprises two connecting hole 61 respectively connected to the connecting hole 51 of the adjustment member 50 by respective screw bolts b 2 . further , the control unit 4 comprises at least one , for example , two adjustment holes 52 . these adjustment holes 52 are elongated and smoothly curved slots . further , screw bolt b 3 are respectively inserted through the adjustment holes of the control unit 4 and adjustably and selectively fastened to the adjustment hole 34 of the mounting assembly 30 to adjustably affix the adjustment member 50 to the of the mounting assembly 30 at the tilt unit 1 . in other words , the adjustment holes 52 of the control unit 4 can be fixedly fastened to the adjustment hole 34 of the mounting assembly 30 . the control unit 4 further comprises an index 53 corresponding to the indicator 35 of the tilt unit 1 . further , the switch mount 60 is inserted into the opening 33 of the mounting assembly 30 , comprising a switch mounting hole 62 . the switch 70 is mounted in the switch mounting hole 62 of the switch mount 60 . in this embodiment , the switch 70 is a mercury switch . however , mercury switch is not a limitation . when the switch 70 is in a first angle range , it drives on the drive mechanism 20 . when the switch 70 is in a second angle range , it stops the drive mechanism 20 from movement . in this embodiment , the first angle range and the second angle range are divided by the horizontal line . the main features and effects of the present invention are outlined hereinafter : as illustrated in fig3 , when in the first angle range position , the switch 70 is off and cannot control the drive mechanism 20 from not being moved , and therefore , the tilt unit 1 can be freely tilted . as illustrated in fig4 , when the tilt unit 1 is maximumly tilted , the switch 70 is shifted into the second angle range and electrically conducted to control the drive mechanism 20 from being moved , thus , the tilt unit 1 is stopped from tilting to prevent rollovers . thus , when adjusting the tilt angle adjustment range , loosen the screw bolt b 3 from the adjustment hole 52 for allowing micro adjustment of the angular position of the adjustment member 50 . alternatively , the screw bolt b 3 can be respectively affixed to respective other adjustment holes 34 of the mounting assembly 30 to largely change the angular position of the control unit 4 . thus , the mounting assembly 30 provides multiple adjustment holes 34 for the mounting of the adjustment holes 52 of the adjustment member 50 in a selective manner . further , the adjustment holes 52 are elongated and smoothly arched slots for micro adjustment . further , the indicator 35 of the tilt unit 1 mates with the index 53 of the control unit 4 for visually checking the angle being adjusted . because the seat tilt angle control device of the invention allows free adjustment of the tilt angle , it is practical for use in any of a variety of different models and types of motor vehicles . accordingly , the present invention has the advantage of saving component parts . except the aforesaid embodiment , the seat tilt angle control device of the invention can be variously embodied . for example , except the arrangement of mounting the control unit 4 in the drive mechanism 20 , control unit 4 can also be installed in the tilt support frame set 10 . or , the switch 70 can be roll ball switch instead of the aforesaid mercury switch . further , in addition to the application of being used in a seat back , the seat tilt angle control device can also be used in a seat cushion or any other different part of the vehicle seat . one or a combination of multiple of the aforesaid embodiments of the present invention can achieve the objects of the present invention . in conclusion , the seat tilt angle control device of the present invention can be controlled to accurately adjust the tilt angle adjustment range without detaching many component parts , assuring a high level of convenience and safety , and effectively achieving the objects of the present invention . although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration , various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims .	1
in the electrical power generating plant shown in fig1 a boiler 1 serves as the source of high - pressure steam , providing the motive fluid to drive a reheat steam turbine generally designated as 2 and including high - pressure ( hp ) turbine 3 , intermediate - pressure ( ip ) turbine 4 , and low - pressure ( lp ) turbine 5 . the turbine sections 3 , 4 , and 5 are coupled in tandem and to electrical generator 7 by a shaft 8 . the steam flow path from boiler 1 is through conduit 9 , from which steam may be taken to hp turbine 3 through main stop valve 10 and hp control valve 11 . a high - pressure bypass sub - system including hp bypass valve 12 and desuperheating station 13 provides an alternative or supplemental steam path around hp turbine 3 . steam flow exhausting from hp turbine 3 passes through check valve 14 to rejoin any bypassed steam , and the total passes through reheater 15 . from reheater 15 , steam may be taken through the intercept valve 16 and reheat stop valve 17 to the ip turbine 4 and lp turbine 5 which are series connected by conduit 18 . steam exhausted from the lp turbine 5 flows to the condenser 19 . a low - pressure bypass sub - system including lp bypass valve 21 , lp bypass stop valve 22 , and desuperheater 23 provides an alternative or supplemental steam path around ip turbine 4 and lp turbine 5 to condenser 19 . rotational speed and output power of the turbine 2 are related to the admission of steam by control valve 11 which , although referred to herein as a single valve for the purpose of explaining the invention , is actually a plurality of valves circumferentially arranged about the inlet to the high - pressure turbine to achieve full or partial arc admission of steam as desired . a speed and load control loop , operative to position control valve 11 , includes speed transducer 24 providing a signal indicative of actual turbine speed , a speed reference unit 25 by which the desired speed may be selected , and a first summing device 26 which compares the actual speed with the desired speed and supplies a speed error signal proportional to the difference . the error signal from summing device 26 is amplified by gain element 27 to provide one input to second summing device 28 wherein the amplified error signal is compared with a load reference r l supplied by load reference unit 29 . under steady - state conditions , the speed error signal is zero so that the output of second summing device 28 is a signal representative of the load setting . this signal , referred to as e l , is applied to cv control unit 30 . control unit 30 may include a power amplification device to operate control valve 11 in accord with e l , and may also include means to linearize the flow characteristics of the control valve 11 . the speed and load control branch of the system is substantially the same as was disclosed in the aforementioned patent , u . s . pat . no . 3 , 097 , 488 to eggenberger et al . control of the hp bypass valve 12 , the low - pressure bypass valve 21 , and the intercept valve 16 is determined by a signal indicative of turbine actual load demand ( ald ) and designated as e l &# 39 ;. e l &# 39 ; is formed by taking the product of e l ( the output of the second summing device 28 ) and p b ( the boiler pressure as measured by pressure transducer 32 ) in multiplier 33 . the ald signal e l &# 39 ; is applied to a load demand readout 34 in addition to control loops for regulating the hp bypass valve 12 , the lp bypass valve 21 , and the intercept valve 16 as mentioned above . the hp bypass control loop includes p ref hp function generator 35 , mode selector 41 , rate limiter 36 , third summing device 37 , boiler pressure transducer 32 , proportional plus integral controller 38 , manual / automatic selector 39 , and hp bypass valve 12 ; the lp bypass control loop includes p ref lp function generator 40 , fourth summing device 42 , reheater pressure transducer 43 , proportional plus integral controller 44 , manual / automatic selector 45 , and lp bypass valve 21 ; and the intercept valve control loop includes adjustable gain amplifier 46 , intercept valve 16 , and iv control unit 47 which may include means to linearize the flow characteristics of valve 16 . in the hp bypass control loop , p ref hp function generator 35 provides a reference signal , or setpoint , against which the boiler pressure p b as measured by transducer 32 is compared in third summing device 37 . the hp bypass valve 12 is positioned in accord with the output signal from summing device 37 , being caused to open more or less as p b is greater or lesser than p ref hp , the signal from function generator 35 . an example of the function produced by p ref hp function generator 35 is shown in fig2 wherein p ref hp is a function of e l &# 39 ;. in the example shown , p ref hp at low values of e l &# 39 ; is a constant equal to a minimum selected boiler pressure p b min , then is ramped upward to a second constant value p ref hp max , selected to be just greater than the rated boiler pressure , with higher values of e l &# 39 ;. function generator 35 includes adjustments 50 and 51 provided , respectively , to select p b min and the value of α , the slope of the ramped portion of the function p ref hp . in terms of valve operation , the hp bypass valve 12 is throttling at the lower values of e l &# 39 ; to maintain p b min , then is fully closed as the function p ref hp is ramped up . function generators operative as described , and as will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the lp bypass control loop , are well known in the art and may generally be of the type described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 097 , 488 . rate limiter 36 prevents p ref hp from declining at an excessive rate with a sudden drop of e l &# 39 ; as may occur with a sudden loss of load . this prevents the occurrence of a large error signal which would tend to rapidly swing the bypass valve 12 from closed to opened , causing shock to the boiler 1 from the quick release of steam pressure . proportional plus integral controller 38 accepts the error signal from third summing device 37 to produce a signal proportional to the error and its time integral so as to position hp bypass valve 12 accordingly . the manual / automatic selector 39 provides for disengaging the hp bypass valve 12 from automatic control so that it can be manually positioned , and allows control to be readily switched from automatic to manual and vice versa . mode selector 41 allows control according to the p ref hp function ( sliding pressure ) or , by substituting a constant value for p ref hp , at a constant pressure . in the lp bypass control loop , p ref lp function generator 40 provides a reference pressure signal or setpoint based on the value of e l &# 39 ;, for example , as shown in fig3 . the function p ref lp is a constant at lower values of e l &# 39 ;, representing the minimum allowable reheat pressure p reh min , then is ramped upward with slope β as e l &# 39 ; increases . the p ref lp function generator 40 is provided with adjustment 52 to select the desired valve of p reh min , which is determined by the operating specifications of the reheater boiler 15 . the p ref lp value is compared with actual reheater pressure , as measured by transducer 43 , in fourth summing device 42 and the error signal therefrom applied to proportional plus integral controller 44 which automatically directs operation of lp bypass valve 21 to minimize the error signal . manual / automatic selector 45 allows the lp bypass valve 21 to be operated manually or automatically as was described above for the hp bypass valve 12 . the intercept control loop provides for throttling the intercept valve at reduced load to maintain the minimum allowable reheater pressure p reh min . this is achieved by passing the e l &# 39 ; signal through amplifier 46 whose gain is selected to be inversely proportional to p reh min . the output from amplifier 46 is applied to iv control unit 47 providing a proportional power signal for operating intercept valve 16 . the coordinated operation of control valve 11 with intercept valve 16 is illustrated graphically in fig4 and 5 , each figure showing the results with a different boiler pressure p b . the plots of fig4 and 5 are in normalized units covering a range of 0 to 1 . 0 representing generally , 0 to 100 % of the possible span of a particular variable . for example , a boiler pressure p b stated to be 0 . 5 units may be taken as a boiler pressure of 50 % of rated pressure . thus in referring to the plot of intercept valve opening as shown in fig4 and 5 , a normalized value of 1 . 0 indicates the valve is fully open , a value of 0 . 5 that the valve is one - half open , and so on . this permits description of the control system independent of the limiting parameters of any given system component , e . g ., boiler capacity or pressure . the graphs show that the intercept valve throttles over the range of e l necessary to maintain the minimum reheater pressure in accord with e l &# 39 ; and the steam flow through the control valve 11 , but independently of the main boiler pressure . operation of the invention can best be explained in terms of numerical values assigned to the various operating parameters to serve as illustrative examples . for that purpose , and for signal manipulation , the parameters can be expressed in terms of normalized units as was explained above . for the following description of different phases of turbine operation , reference is made to fig1 - 5 . just prior to startup of the turbine , the boiler 1 is operated at some minimum steam flow and pressure . there may , for example , be 0 . 3 units of flow at 0 . 4 units of pressure with all of the steam being bypassed through the bypass system around turbine 2 to the condenser 19 . the turbine 2 is then started by appropriately setting speed reference unit 25 and load reference unit 29 to cause steam flow through the control valve 11 and the intercept valve 16 . for example , when the load reference signal r l is increased to 0 . 3 units , assuming no speed error , e l also equals 0 . 3 and flow to the high - pressure turbine 3 is 0 . 12 units ( 0 . 3e l × 0 . 4p b = 0 . 12e l &# 39 ;). the actual load demand ( ald ) readout 34 will , at this point , display 0 . 12 units of demand , numerically equal to the steam flow into the high - pressure turbine 3 . furthermore , if the minimum allowable reheat pressure setting p reh min is 0 . 3 units , then flow through the intercept valve 16 , intermediate pressure turbine 4 , and low - pressure turbine 5 will also be 0 . 12 units ( 0 . 3p reh × 0 . 12e l &# 39 ;/ 0 . 3p reh min ). the latter parenthetical expression results from multiplying the reheater pressure by the ald signal and multiplying that product by the gain ( 1 / p reh min ) of intercept loop amplifier 46 . if , at this point , r l is increased to 0 . 7 , the ald signal will move to 0 . 28 and , from the graphs of fig2 and 3 as examples , the hp and lp bypass valves 12 and 21 will become very nearly closed with p ref hp and p ref lp on the verge of being ramped up . flow through the intercept valve 16 will be 0 . 28 units ( 0 . 3p reh × 0 . 28e l &# 39 ;/ 0 . 3p reh min ) and the valve 16 will be very nearly wide open ( 0 . 28e l &# 39 ;/ 0 . 3p reh min ≃ 1 . 0 units , where a value of 1 . 0 in the intercept control loop results in intercept valve 16 being fully open ). since the gain of the intercept loop is matched to the inverse of p reh min , coordination of the control valve 11 and intercept valve 16 is assured as illustrated by the graphs of fig4 and 5 . at higher loads the r l signal can be fixed , or held constant , and if conditions are steady - state with respect to speed , r l will equal e l . thus the control valve 11 will be fixed in position and the boiler pressure may be allowed to slide upward to satisfy increasing load demands on the turbine 2 . the ald readout 34 will display the actual load demand under all conditions , showing an increasing value as boiler pressure slides upward . above 0 . 7 units of actual load , as illustrated in the examples of fig2 and 3 , the boiler will be at full pressure and control of the turbine 2 will be as is conventional for a turbine not having a bypass valving arrangement . as load is reduced , mode selector 41 may be brought into play , permitting the boiler 1 to be operated at a constant elevated pressure . in this constant pressure mode , mode selector 41 negates the effect of a changing value of e l &# 39 ; on the output of function generator 35 by substituting a constant value for p ref hp . at constant pressure , intercept valve 16 operates in coordination with control valve 11 as load is reduced ; the hp bypass valve 12 controls the pressure of the boiler 1 at a selected constant value of p ref hp ; and the lp bypass valve , with the intercept valve , controls reheater pressure . if turbine load is reduced while in the variable pressure mode , and unless there is very sudden loss of load , operation of the system is the reverse of that obtained during the loading process , and the boiler and reheater pressures are allowed to slide down to the minimum preselected values . with a sudden loss of load , rate limiter 36 prevents a precipitous drop in the signal applied to third summing device 37 , avoiding a rapid opening of the hp bypass valve 12 and causing a sudden blowdown of the pressure of boiler 1 . while there has been shown and described what is considered to be a preferred embodiment of the invention , and there has been set forth the best mode contemplated for carrying it out , it will be understood that various modifications may be made therein . it is intended to claim all such modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention .	5
fig2 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present invention . the output compaction architecture 200 comprises a response shaper 210 which is inserted between the outputs of the scan chains 221 , 222 , . . . , 225 and the inputs of the output compactor 250 . the output compactor 250 advantageously need not be a sophisticated array of exclusive - or ( xor ) gates . in fact , the output compactor 250 can be implemented by any xor network - based compactor and even the most primitive xor tree . it is accepted that the output compactor 250 will allow some masking of faults to occur during compaction . the response shaper 210 , the operation and design of which is further described in detail herein , serves to “ reshape ” responses from the scan chains 221 , 222 , . . . , 225 in a manner that preferably minimizes the masking of faults by the output compactor 250 . fig3 through 5 illustrate the principles behind the reshaping of the scan chain responses . fig3 depicts a simple 4 - to - 1 output compactor implemented with xor gates 351 , 352 , 353 that can be used to observe four internal scan chains 321 , 322 , 323 , and 324 with one external scan chain output ( so ) 360 . assume that the four scan flip - flops ( depicted as rectangles ) s 1 , 1 , s 2 , 1 , s 3 , 1 , and s 4 , 1 in the scan chains currently hold the responses of the circuit to the previous test pattern . with reference to fig3 through 5 , the notation g / f , where g = f = 0 or 1 , inside each of the scan flip - flops denotes the good circuit and faulty circuit responses that are captured into the flip - flop . when the good circuit value of a flip - flop is opposite to its faulty circuit value , i . e ., 1 / 0 or 0 / 1 , then the flip - flop is said to capture an error . fig3 shows that flip - flops s 1 , 1 and s 3 , 1 , whose values are scanned out at the same cycles , have captured errors . values that are scanned out of each internal scan chain output will propagate through the output compactor network to the external scan chain output 360 which in turn is observed by automatic test equipment ( ate ). even though there are multiple scan flip - flops that captured errors , the good circuit value at the external scan chain output is equivalent to its faulty circuit value . the errors that are propagated to the two inputs of the second stage xor gate 353 are “ masked .” therefore , the defect that caused errors at s 1 , 1 and s 3 , 1 cannot be observed by the ate because the two errors cancel each other out when they pass through the xor network . fig4 shows another case where the error values are masked . again , a simple 4 - to - 1 output compactor is depicted with xor gates 451 , 452 , 453 that can be used to observe four internal scan chains 421 , 422 , 423 , and 424 with one external scan chain output 460 . if an error is scanned out with an unknown value at the same cycle , the error is masked and cannot be observed by the ate . in fig4 , the symbol “ u ” denotes an unknown value , i . e ., a value that can be either 0 or 1 . among the four flip - flops that are scanned out at the current shift cycle , only s 1 , 1 has an error value . however , since the good circuit value at s 2 , 1 is unknown , the error value at s 1 , 1 cannot be observed . unknown values can occur for several reasons : for example , the circuit can have flip - flops that are not scanned , the circuit can contain bus drivers whose control signals are not fully decoded , etc . normally , good circuit responses of a circuit are computed by conducting logic simulation for the circuit . limitations in simulation accuracy can also cause unknown values . fig5 illustrates how reshaping responses helps the simple output compactor depicted in fig3 and 4 detect defects . assume that scan chains 521 , 522 , 523 , 524 of a circuit capture responses as shown in fig5 a . fig5 a shows that flip - flops s 1 , 1 , s 1 , 3 , and s 3 , 3 hold errors . if the simple output compactor depicted in fig3 and 4 is used to compress output responses , then all errors are masked and no defect can be observed at the output of the output compactor . the error in s 1 , 1 is scanned out with the unknown value in s 2 , 1 and the two errors in s 1 , 3 , and s 3 , 3 are scanned at the same shift cycles . assume that a flip - flop , which is initialized to 1 / 1 before the scan shift operation starts , is inserted between s 1 , 1 and the corresponding input to the compactor to delay the first scan chain 521 by one clock cycle , as depicted in fig5 b . that is , responses captured in the scan chain 521 are “ reshaped ” by the inserted flip - flop . in fig5 b , no error value is scanned out with another error or unknown value at any shift cycle and all errors can be observed at the output of the compactor . the simple shape compactor can thereby detect defects when even number errors are scanned out and / or errors are scanned out along with unknown values at the same shift cycle . fig6 shows an implementation of a response shaper 610 for a circuit with four scan chains 621 , 622 , 623 , 624 . in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , the response shaper 610 is comprised of delay elements 615 , 616 , 617 , 618 , multiplexers 611 , 612 , 613 , 614 , and a 2 - to - 4 decoder 619 . each delay element and multiplexer is inserted between each scan chain output and the corresponding input of the output compactor 650 . the 2 - to - 4 decoder 619 generates signals that select a scan chain output that will be delayed . for example , if the input of the decoder is set to i , where i = 1 , 2 , 3 , or 4 , then responses that are scanned out of chain i are delayed before they are input to the compactor and responses from the other scan chains are input to the compactor without any delay . it should be noted that delay elements that can delay the selected scan chain by more than one cycle can be readily used , in the situation where it is anticipated that no error can be observed at the output of the compactor 650 by delaying only one shift cycle ( for example , where an error appears with an unknown value and another unknown value appears at the next cycle ). fig7 depicts an alternative embodiment which does not utilize delay elements to reshape responses of selected scan chains . the function of this response shaper 710 is similar to that of the response shaper illustrated in fig6 . again , the response shaper 710 is inserted between four scan chains 721 , 722 , 723 , 724 and the output compactor 750 . however , unlike the response shaper shown in fig6 which delays responses of the selected scan chain , responses of the selected scan chain in fig7 will be input to the compactor earlier than the other scan chains , for example by one cycle . the response shaper 710 comprises a 2 - to - 4 decoder 719 that generates signals to four multiplexers 711 , 712 , 713 , 714 which can selectively advance responses from one of the scan chains 721 , 722 , 723 , 724 . since delay elements are not used , this approach can reduce hardware overhead to implement the response shaper . fig8 shows an example of how the two different schemes can also be combined together to both delay and advance responses of selected scan chains . an extra multiplexer is provided with each element of the response shaper 810 that is inserted between each scan chain output and each corresponding input of the output compactor 850 . the extra multiplexer is responsive to a control signal that can select whether to delay or advance a scan chain in a shift cycle while the decoder 819 is still used to identify which of the scan chains 821 , 822 , 823 , 824 will be delayed or advanced . if the circuit into which the response shaper is inserted has a large number of scan chains , then the hardware overhead of the above embodiments can be reduced by selectively inserting the response shaper elements into the output compaction scheme , as illustrated by fig9 . in fig9 , the delay elements and multiplexers from the above - described response shaper embodiment are only inserted for selected scan chains to reduce hardware overhead . although the circuit has four scan chains 921 , 922 , 923 , 924 , the response shaper 910 only inserts delay elements and multiplexers for two scan chains 921 , 923 , as depicted in fig9 . fig1 is a flowchart of processing performed to generate the control signals for the above - described response shaper , in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention . at step 1001 , a fault simulation is run with the pre - computed test patterns from a first test pattern p 1 to a last test pattern p n , where n is the number of pre - computed test patterns . at step 1002 , an identification is made of faults f i newly detected by each test pattern p i , where i = 1 , 2 , . . . n . this is conducted under the assumption that all scan chains are directly observed without an output compactor . at step 1003 , the masked faults for each test pattern are identified , namely those faults which can be observed without the use of an output compactor but cannot be observed if the scan chains are observed via the output compactor . these masked faults are placed into a masked fault list f mask . at step 1004 , responses are computed to each test pattern . from the last test pattern p n toward the first test pattern p 1 , responses are computed to each test pattern , r i , where i = 1 , 2 , . . . n , and the values captured in each scan flip - flop . if there is any fault in f i that is masked when the scan chains are observed via the output compactor , then search is conducted for a scan chain that allows all faults to be detected when it is delayed ( or advanced depending on the embodiment discussed above ). if there is more than one such scan chain , then a decision can be made to select the scan chain that can detect the most faults in the masked fault list f mask . as a fault is determined to be detectable by a reshaped scan chain , the fault is dropped from the fault list : an identification is made of all faults from the entire fault list that are detected when the selected scan chain is delayed ( or advanced ) and the detected faults are removed from fault list f i for every test pattern p i , where i = 1 , 2 , . . . n , and also from the masked fault list f mask . at step 1005 , the input signals for the decoder of the response shaper are generated for each test pattern using the information obtained in step 1004 . in the foregoing , if it is assumed that the response shaper will delay and / or advance only a single scan chain for entire shift cycles to scan out a response completely , then there is a need for only one set of decoder control signals for each test pattern . this advantageously minimizes the test data volume that is to be stored to control the response shaper . if , however , there are test patterns having detected faults that cannot be detected by delaying or advancing any scan chain , then it should be noted that it is possible to switch scan chains that are reshaped in the middle of scan shift operation for the response . thus , multiple sets of control signals would be generated for those test patterns . although this may increase test data volume , it could advantageously achieve the same fault coverage that can be achieved when scan chains are directly observed without the use of any output compactor — even in the presence of a large number of unknown values . while exemplary drawings and specific embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated , it is to be understood that that the scope of the present invention is not to be limited to the particular embodiments discussed . thus , the embodiments shall be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive , and it should be understood that variations may be made in those embodiments by workers skilled in the arts without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims that follow and their structural and functional equivalents . as but one of many variations , it should be understood that the response shaper described herein can be utilized with a wide variety of output compaction schemes .	6
referring to the drawings in particular , a vehicle seat 1 for a motor vehicle has a seat part 3 and a backrest 4 , the inclination of which is adjustable relative to the seat part 3 . in order to adjust the inclination of the backrest 4 , a drive shaft 7 , which is arranged horizontally in the transition region between the seat part 3 and the backrest 4 , is rotated manually , for example , by means of a handwheel 5 , or in a motor - driven manner , for example by means of an electrical motor . on both sides of the vehicle seat 1 , the drive shaft 7 engages in a fitting 10 so that it is rotationally secure , in a manner which will be described later . the drive shaft 7 defines the adopted directional data of a cylinder coordinate system . the fitting 10 is in the form of a gear fitting in which a first fitting part 11 and a second fitting part 12 are connected to each other by means of a gear unit for displacement and fixing in position , to be more precise , by means of an eccentric epicyclic gear system , which in the present case is self - locking , as described , for example , in de 44 36 101 a1 , the relevant disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein ( and corresponding u . s . pat . no . 5 , 634 , 689 is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety ). with the mounting of the fitting 10 , the first fitting part 11 is , for example , connected tightly to the structure of the backrest 4 , i . e . it is fixed with respect to the backrest part . the second fitting part 12 is then connected tightly to the structure of the seat part 3 , i . e . it is fixed with respect to the seat part . those assignments of the fitting parts 11 and 12 are preferred when the drive shaft 7 and the backrest 4 are to have the same direction of rotation , or when the position of the drive shaft 7 relative to the backrest 4 is to be constant in order , for example , to be able to fit to the structure of the backrest 4 an electrical motor rotating the drive shaft 7 . however , the assignments of the fitting parts 11 and 12 can also be exchanged , i . e . the first fitting part 11 would then be fixed with respect to the seat part and the second fitting part 12 would be fixed with respect to the backrest . the latter assignments of the fitting parts 11 and 12 are preferred when the radial spacings of the fastening points between the fitting 10 and a relatively thin metal backrest sheet are to be as large as possible . each of the two fitting parts 11 and 12 can be approximately inscribed in a circular disk shape . the two fitting parts 11 and 12 are preferably composed of metal , in particular steel . in order to absorb the axially acting forces , i . e . in order to hold the fitting parts 11 and 12 together , an enclosing ring 13 is provided . such a method of holding parts together by means of an enclosing ring is described , for example , in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 799 , 806 a , the relevant disclosure of which is expressly incorporated herein . the preferably metal enclosing ring 13 is , with the mounting of the fitting 10 , connected tightly to the second fitting part 12 , being preferably first of all pressed on and then welded . alternatively , the enclosing ring 13 is beaded , engaging over the second fitting part 12 . at one of its end faces , the enclosing ring 13 has an edge bent radially inwards by means of which it engages radially over the outside of the first fitting part 11 , optionally with the interposition of a sliding ring , without impeding the relative movement of the two fitting parts 11 and 12 . from a structural point of view , the two fitting parts 11 and 12 therefore together form a disk - shaped unit . in order to form the gear unit , an externally toothed wheel 16 is formed on the second fitting part 12 , and an internally toothed ring 17 is formed on the first fitting part 11 , the toothed wheel and the toothed ring meshing with each other . the diameter of the tip circle of the external toothing of the toothed wheel 16 is smaller by at least the depth of one tooth ( of the toothed ring 17 ) than the diameter of the root circle of the internal toothing of the toothed ring 17 . a corresponding difference in the number of teeth of the toothed wheel 16 and the toothed ring 17 of at least one tooth permits a rolling movement of the toothed ring 17 on the toothed wheel 16 . on the side facing the toothed wheel 16 , the first fitting part 11 has , concentrically with the toothed ring 17 , a collar 19 which can be integrally formed on ( i . e . formed in one piece with ) the first fitting part 11 as a collar formation or which can be secured thereto in the form of a separate sleeve . a driver 21 is supported rotatably in the collar 19 by means of a hub 22 . the driver 21 is preferably composed of plastic material . the hub 22 of the driver 21 is provided centrally with a bore 23 for receiving the drive shaft 7 . the profile of the bore 23 is configured to fit the profile of the drive shaft 7 , in the present case a splined shaft profile . adjoining its hub 22 , the driver 21 has a covering disk 25 which is formed in one piece with the hub 22 and which has a larger diameter than the hub . supported on the collar 19 ( with their curved inner surfaces ) are two wedge segments 27 which support ( with their curved outer surfaces ) the second fitting part 12 by means of a slide bearing bush 28 which is pressed into the second fitting part 12 in a rotationally secure manner . the driver 21 has — spaced radially from the hub 22 — a driver segment 29 which engages with clearance between the narrow sides of the wedge segments 27 and which is formed in one piece with the covering disk 25 and the hub 22 . the mutually facing broad sides of the wedge segments 27 each receive , with a respective recess defined by projecting sections of material , a respective angled end finger of an omega spring 35 which presses the wedge segments 27 apart in the circumferential direction , it being possible during operation for the projecting material sections of the wedge segments 27 to touch and act on each other . the driver 21 is secured axially to the outside of the first fitting part 11 by a clipped - on securing ring 43 . provided on the outside of the second fitting part 12 , between the radially outer edge thereof and the covering disk 25 , is a sealing ring 44 which is composed , for example , of rubber or soft plastic material and which is connected , especially clipped , to the covering disk 25 . the wedge segments 27 ( and the omega spring 35 ) define an eccentric which , in extension of the direction of eccentricity ( i . e . the line connecting the axes ), presses the toothed wheel 16 into the toothed ring 17 at an engagement site so defined . when drive is effected by means of the rotating drive shaft 7 , a torque is first of all transmitted onto the driver 21 and then , by means of the driver segment 29 , onto the eccentric which slides along the slide bearing bush 28 , shifting the direction of eccentricity and thus shifting the site of engagement of the toothed wheel 16 in the toothed ring 17 , this presenting itself as a wobbling rolling movement , i . e . as a relative rotation with a superimposed wobbling movement . as a result , the inclination of the backrest 4 is continuously adjustable between several use positions . depending on the mounting of the fitting 10 , the eccentric ( i . e . the wedge segments 27 ) is supported by the second fitting part 12 , while the eccentric , for its part , supports the first fitting part 11 , or the relationships are exactly reversed , i . e . the eccentric rests on the first fitting part 11 and supports the second fitting part 12 . each of the — in the present case thirty three — teeth 16 a of the toothed wheel 16 has radially inward on both sides a tooth root 16 b , radially outward a tooth tip 16 c and , between them on both sides , one tooth flank 16 d each . the tip circle circumscribing the tooth tips 16 c and the root circle inscribed by the tooth roots 16 b are concentrical , in the present case to the receptacle for the eccentric , such receptacle being coated with the slide bearing bush 28 , a center point m 16 and a radial orientation ( in cylinder coordinates ) of the toothed wheel 16 thus being defined . the course of two adjacent tooth roots 16 b results , for example , from a radius ( quarter arc ) of approximately 1 mm , adjoining the one tooth flank 16 d ( continuous and differentiable ), a straight piece of 1 to 2 mm which is adjacent tangentially to the root circle , and a mirror - symmetrical radius ( quarter arc ) of approximately 1 mm , which is adjoining the next tooth flank 16 d . the tooth roots 16 b merge in the point of contact to the root circle ( radius for example approximately 31 mm ). the course of a tooth tip 16 c results , for example , from a radius ( quarter arc ) of approximately 1 mm , adjoining the one tooth flank 16 d ( continuous and differentiable ), a tangential piece of 1 to 2 mm and a mirror - symmetrical radius ( quarter arc ) of approximately 1 mm , which is adjoining the other tooth flank 16 d . the tooth tips 16 c touch the tip circle ( radius , for example , approximately 34 mm ) at their radially outermost point . correspondingly , each of the — in the present case thirty - four — teeth 17 a of the toothed ring 17 has a tooth root 17 b , a tooth tip 17 c and two tooth flanks 17 d . the tip circle which is inscribed by the tooth tips 17 c and the root circle which circumscribes the tooth roots 17 b are concentrical , in the present case with respect to the collar 19 , thus defining a center point m 17 and a radial orientation ( in cylinder coordinates ) of the toothed ring 17 . the courses of the tooth roots 17 b and of the tooth tips 17 c preferably correspond to those of the tooth roots 16 b and of the tooth tips 16 c . the straight piece which bears against the root circle ( radius for example approximately 36 mm ) can be a little longer than that of the toothed wheel 16 . the radius at the tooth tip 17 c can be a little larger than that of the tooth tip 16 c , resulting in the piece adjoining the tip circle ( radius , for example , approximately 33 mm ) being a little shorter than with the toothed wheel 16 . the tooth roots of adjacent teeth 17 a merge in their point of contact with the root circle ( their radially outermost point ), thus defining the tooth base enclosed by them . the tooth tips 17 c touch the tip circle at their radially inmost point . the eccentricity e ( of the eccentric ) is the distance between the center point m 17 of the toothed ring 17 and the center point m 16 of the toothed wheel 16 . it amounts , for example to 1 to 2 mm . it results from the exact configuration of the teeth 16 a and 17 a , how the teeth 16 a , 17 a can come into contact , in particular along which contact lines and contact surfaces . in the pole toothing of the present embodiment , the tooth flanks 16 d and 17 d — subsequently at one pitch point w each — get to bear against one another , i . e . they serve for the rolling movement , while the tooth tips 16 c , 17 c , and the tooth roots 16 b , 17 b can be configured independently of this . when the fitting 10 is driven , that is to say during the rolling movement , the pitch point w is not exactly in the extension of the eccentricity e , but — relative to the center point m 16 of the toothed wheel 16 — it is at a first angle α of 10 ° to 50 °, in particular approximately 45 °, over the extension of the eccentricity e . the contact of these tooth flanks 16 d and 17 d at the pitch point w has the same effect as if the toothed wheel 16 and the toothed ring 17 rotated relative to one another around an instantaneous center of rotation p . the first angle a depends on the shape of the wedge segments 27 , in particular of the wedge angle , and of their position during the rolling movement . with respect to the extension of the eccentricity e , a further pitch point occurs on the side opposing pitch point w , so that the toothed wheel 16 is supported , i . e . stabilized at three points ( eccentric and the two pitch points ). the instantaneous center of rotation p is , in every case , in the extension of the eccentricity e . moreover , the instantaneous center of rotation p — with respect to the pitch point w — is located at a second angle β of 80 ° to 100 °, in particular approximately 90 °, with respect to the straight line connecting the pitch point w and the center point m 16 of the toothed wheel 16 . the toothed flanks 16 d and 17 d are configured as circular - arc pieces around the instantaneous center of rotation p , i . e . the center point of their curvature is the same point , namely the instantaneous center of rotation p , and the ( constant ) radius of curvature k 1 of the tooth flank 16 d and the ( constant ) radius of curvature ) k 2 of the tooth flank 17 d are identical as well ( for example approximately 33 mm ). the identical radius of curvature k 1 = k 2 for the tooth flanks 16 d and 17 d is an ideal radius of curvature for perfectly worked teeth 16 a and 17 a . in practice , there are tolerances in production . to compensate them , it is advantageous , if the actual radius of curvature k 2 of the tooth flank 17 d is slightly smaller and / or the actual radius of curvature k 1 of the tooth flank 16 d is slightly larger than the ideal radius of curvature , i . e . the radius of curvature k 1 of the tooth flank 16 d at the pitch point w and the radius of curvature k 2 of the tooth flank 17 d at the pitch point w are ( only ) at least approximately identical . since the tooth flanks 16 d , 17 d are only very short circular - arc pieces it can be sensible — depending on the production tolerances — that the actual radii of curvature k 1 , k 2 of the tooth flanks 16 d , 17 d are within a range of ± 10 %, preferably ± 4 %, particularly preferably ± 1 %, each time , for example , referred to their common mean value ( k 1 + k 2 )/ 2 . the named ranges are consequently considered to be still approximate . preferably , both centers of curvature are located on the straight line connecting pitch point w and the instantaneous center of rotation p . while specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention , it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles .	1
turning now to the drawings , fig1 illustrates a partial cross - sectional view of a semiconductor substrate 10 . substrate 10 is preferably a silicon - based , single crystalline material doped either n - type or p - type . arranged on the upper surface of substrate 10 can be various isolation structures ( not shown ). isolation structures can be formed either by the shallow trench isolation (&# 34 ; sti &# 34 ;) process or the locos process . in either event , isolation structures serve to isolate an active or passive device in one portion of substrate 10 from an active or passive device within another portion of substrate 10 . an example of one active device formed between isolation structures is provided in reference to numeral 14 . device 14 is shown as a first transistor formed upon and within the upper surface of substrate 10 . first transistor 14 includes , according to one embodiment , a gate conductor 20 and a gate dielectric 22 . gate conductor 20 , in combination with adjacent isolation structures , serve to mask implant of a lightly doped drain 24 (&# 34 ; ldd &# 34 ;) into the regions therebetween . thereafter , a cvd oxide is deposited across the topography , including the ldd implant areas 24 . the cvd oxide is then removed using an anisotropic etch . resulting from the anisotropic etch , oxide spacers 26 remain on opposing side wall surfaces of conductor 20 . spacers 26 , as well as isolation structures 12 , serve to mask implant of source / drain impurities . the source / drain implant 28 , in conjunction with ldd implant 24 , comprises a junction , wherein the term &# 34 ; junction &# 34 ; conotates either a source region or a drain region . during the implant process , another implant 29 can be formed . implant 29 is a region which receives implant species of the same type as those in the bulk of substrate 10 . implant 29 is a high concentration implant area . for example , if substrate 10 comprises p - type species , then implant 29 comprises a higher concentration of p - type species ( often referred to as a p + implant ). implant 29 thusly formed is often referred to as a &# 34 ; well - tie &# 34 ; implant . it serves to receive a contact subsequently formed and for providing a low resistive path from the contact to the substrate . thus , substrate 10 shown in fig1 is possibly only a small portion of the entire wafer substrate , i . e ., a well portion of that wafer substrate . the use of wells in general and the formation of a well - tie implant within each well are concepts that are known to those skilled in the art . provision of wells and contacts thereto make available the present process to cmos technologies . junction areas serve to receive various silicides shown in reference to fig2 . the silicides help reduce contact resistivity of metal conductors forwarded to the junctions . silicides are shown in reference to as numeral 30 , and are formed anywhere where silicon is present . silicides 30 primarily exist on the silicon - based junctions 28 , the silicon based well - ties 29 , as well as the polysilicon gate conductor 20 . silicides 30 upon polysilicon are often referred to as &# 34 ; polycide &# 34 ;. regardless of where the silicides are formed , the process sequence used in producing silicide is generally the same . first the silicon - based material receives a refractory metal . second , the metal covered , silicon - based material is subjected to a high temperature anneal cycle . the anneal cycle allows movement of the silicon and refractory metal atoms so that a metal silicide occurs . the anneal cycle is often repeated to achieve a first phase silicide , followed by a second phase silicide . the second phase silicide is generally of lower resistivity than the first phase silicide . in the interim , however , non - reacted refractory metal is removed from areas typically in regions over oxide . referring to fig3 a processing step subsequent to fig2 is shown . in particular , fig3 illustrates an interlevel dielectric 32 deposited across the first topography onto which , and into which , first transistor 14 resides . interlevel dielectric 32 can be deposited in numerous ways . preferably , dielectric 32 is deposited as an oxide using cvd techniques . according to one embodiment , dielectric 32 is deposited using plasma enhanced cvd to a thickness sufficient to isolate transistor 14 from certain devices subsequently placed upon and within dielectric 32 . dielectric 32 is also deposited at a thickness sufficient to define the thickness of a subsequently placed gate conductor attributable to a second level transistor . in preparation for second level devices , dielectric 32 is preferably planarized after it is deposited . according to one embodiment , peak elevation regions 34 of dielectric 32 are removed by chemical mechanical polishing (&# 34 ; cmp &# 34 ;). cmp utilizes a slurry material and a polishing pad placed on the exposed surface , whereby the pad rotates and removes the upper surfaces commensurate with the lower surfaces . according to another embodiment , the upper surfaces 34 are removed using a sacrificial etch back . in this instance , a sacrificial material is placed on the upper surface such that the recesses or valleys are filled with that material . the material upper surface is then removed at an etch rate substantially the same as the dielectric underlayer . when all of the sacrificial material is removed , the remaining dielectric surface is approximately planar in that it takes on the same contours as the planar surface of the sacrificial material . referring to fig4 a processing step subsequent to fig3 is shown . fig4 depicts an opening 36 which extends entirely through interlevel dielectric 32 to the upper surface of silicide 30 . opening 36 is contained only to the silicide upon the first transistor gate conductor 20 . opening 36 is produced by placing a masking layer across dielectric 32 and then patterning the masking layer such that the region to be opened is exposed . the exposed region is then subjected to an etch which , according to one embodiment , is a dry ( anisotropic ) etchant . the etchant cycle continues for a time sufficient to remove all of interlevel dielectric 32 directly above silicide 30 . the etchant composition is chosen so that it is selective to removing dielectric 32 but to a lesser degree silicide 30 . various etchant species used for achieving that purpose are generally well known , all of which achieve a fairly straight side wall surface characteristic of an anisotropic etch . referring to fig5 opening 36 is filled with a polycrystalline (&# 34 ; polysilicon &# 34 ;) material 38 . polysilicon 38 fills opening 36 by blanket depositing a layer of polysilicon to a thickness which is greater than the depth of opening 36 . thereafter , the upper regions of the polysilicon layer are removed using , for example , cmp . removal continues for a time sufficient to retain polysilicon 38 only within the confines of opening 36 . the retained polysilicon 38 is henceforth referred to as the gate conductor 40 of a second , upper level transistor . after cmp , a blanket implant is performed to dope polysilicon 38 to render it conductive . fig6 illustrates a processing step subsequent to fig5 wherein a dielectric 42 is formed across the upper surfaces of interlevel dielectric 32 and gate conductor 40 , according to one embodiment . dielectric 42 can be cvd deposited . the deposited dielectric may be chosen to contain a nitrogen species . according to another embodiment , dielectric 42 is formed only in regions directly above gate conductor 40 . in the later instance , dielectric 42 is denoted as reference numeral 42a , wherein dielectric 42a can be grown from the silicon - based gate conductor 40 . regardless of the method used in producing dielectric 42 and / or 42a , the result is the same : to separate gate conductor 40 from a overlying substrate produced in accordance with the processing step shown in fig7 . fig7 illustrates a silicon - based substrate 44 ( or second substrate ) formed across only select regions of interlevel dielectric 32 . more specifically , substrate 44 is formed by depositing a layer of polysilicon , and then removing portions of that polysilicon except for areas directly above gate conductor 40 and gate dielectric 42a . the retained portions of polysilicon substrate 44 is centered directly above gate conductor 40 and gate dielectric 42 , but also extends laterally from the upper surfaces of the gate dielectric . the amount of lateral extension onto adjacent interlevel dielectric 32 can vary . substrate 44 is defined as having a thickness sufficient to receive source / drain junction implants which extend downward to the bottom surface of substrate 44 , or lower . if desired , and it usually is desired , a threshold adjust implant and possibly a punch through implant is incorporated into substrate 44 prior to source / drain formation . fig8 depicts a processing step whereby a masking material 46 is deposited across the entire upper topography . portions of that masking material are removed , and those portions are designated as reference numeral 46a . the retained portions 46b , however , exist only upon substrate 44 . retained masking material 46b exists only along a center region of substrate 44 . the extremities of substrate 44 are thereby exposed as shown in fig9 . fig9 illustrates a processing step subsequent to fig8 wherein source / drain implants are forwarded into substrate 44 in regions void of retained masking material 46b . implants 48 extend into substrate 44 and form source / drain junctions 50 . junctions 50 , in combination with gate conductor 40 and gate dielectric 42a , comprise a second transistor 52 . second transistor 52 comprises essentially the same features as first transistor 14 . however , those features are inverted relative to the order in which features of first transistor 14 are formed . further , features of second transistor 52 are confined entirely within or below substrate 44 . for sake of clarity , gate conductors 20 and 40 are not drawn to scale . the topological thickness and area of polysilicon which form those conductors can be adjusted depending upon the size of transistors 14 and 52 as well as the thickness of interlevel dielectric 32 . it is not imperative that the relative features be drawn to scale or that dimensions be specified , all of which would be readily apparent to those skilled in the art given the benefits described herein . what is necessary , however , is that the second level gate conductor 40 be adjoined to first level gate conductor 20 with substantially no intermediate interconnect other than silicide 30 . further , the electrical connection between the gate conductors is made in the shortest possible manner . rather than having to route the gate conductor of one transistor laterally across a topological surface to a gate conductor of another transistor , the gate conductors herein are stacked one upon each other using an inverted second transistor . connection to the stacked gate conductors is performed in a dimension either behind or in front of the cross - sectional plane shown in fig9 . substrate 44 of second transistor 52 receives various dopants to render the substrate ( or well ) semiconductive . preferably , substrate 44 comprises polysilicon , and polysilicon is exposed along a separate surface to receive all the various implants necessary to form junctions and channels . according to an alternative embodiment , substrate 44 can , if desired , be forwarded into the opening 36 shown in fig4 . substrate 44 therein can receive dopants using a masking layer similar to the step shown in fig9 . in this alternative arrangement , the second substrate 44 is confined within the opening directly upon gate conductor 20 . thus , instead of using a silicide 30 , the latter arrangement forgoes silicide and allows growth of a gate oxide instead . the gate oxide is therefore drawn between the shared gate conductor 20 and the substrate material deposited into opening 36 . in this configuration , only a single polysilicon gate conductor 20 need be fabricated . while the alternative configuration may be used , it is desired that a silicide be used , and two gate conductors 20 and 40 be arranged on opposing sides of the silicide 30 . moreover , it is desirable that second substrate 44 be dimensioned outside of opening 36 into which second gate conductor 40 exists . fig1 illustrates a processing step subsequent to fig9 whereby another interlevel dielectric 56 can be fashioned upon second transistor 52 and the lateral topography into which and upon which transistor 52 occurs . dielectric 56 can be planarized , similar to the technique used to planarize dielectric 32 . accordingly , dielectric 56 affords an opportunity to introduce openings 58 to source junctions and well ties 28 / 29 of the lower transistor as well as openings 59 to drain junctions 28 of the lower transistor . depending upon where contact is to be made , the vertical distance of openings 58 and 59 can vary . however , in each case , the length of the various openings depend upon the thickness of first and second interlevel dielectrics 32 and 56 , respectively . openings 58 and 59 are filled with conductive material as shown in fig1 . filling the openings form junction vias which are electrically conductive . the conductive vias serve as interconnect which extend along a vertical axis ( or along an axis perpendicular to the topological surfaces on which transistors 14 and 52 exist ). the interconnect serves to couple a junction of a lower level transistor to a junction of an upper level transistor , couple a junction of an upper or lower transistor to a power supply , and couple a junction of an upper or lower transistor to ground . the various conductors formed by filling openings 58 and 59 are shown as output and ground conductors . in the illustration provided , only an output and ground conductor 61 and 62 are brought forth . however , it is understood that the cross - section shown in fig1 is indicative of only a portion of a nor gate depicted in elevational view . fig1 thereby illustrates only one pair of transistors which make up a nor gate . likewise , fig1 illustrates connection of a ground conductor , whereas another cross - section of a nor gate may indicate the power ( vcc ) connection . it is understood that the source junction areas of an pmos transistor , such as transistor 52 , is connected to such a power conductor . fig1 illustrates a top plan view of a nor gate 64 formed according to the processing steps set forth above . nor gate 64 includes a pair of stacked transistors 14 and 52 modulated by a first gate conductor 20 and a second gate conductor 40 . the cross - sectional detail of transistors 14 and 52 as shown in fig1 are presented along the plane 13 -- 13 of fig1 . for example , fig1 depicts output conductor 61 and , more specifically , the junction via which extends output conductor 61 to both the lateral edge of upper transistor junction 50 and the upper surface of lower transistor junction 28 . fig1 also illustrates coupling of ground conductor 62 to junction 28 but not to junction 50 . the cross - hatching of the p - type source / drain (&# 34 ; p active &# 34 ;) and n - type source / drain (&# 34 ; n active &# 34 ;) makes clear the demarcation of output conductor 61 / ground conductor 62 connectivity . it is noted that the stacking of transistors shown at the left - hand side of fig1 is repeated at the right - hand side . the right - hand side shows a pair of stacked transistors linked to those stacked at the left - hand side . both the left - hand and right - hand sides show metal contacts of power and ground to respective well regions of pmos and nmos transistors . the pmos and nmos power and ground well - ties are shown in reference to numerals 68 and 70 . coupling the wells to appropriate power and ground conductors affords biasing the &# 34 ; body &# 34 ; of nmos transistors to a ground voltage while also biasing the body of pmos transistors to a vcc voltage . biasing the body causes a change in the workfunction difference between the gate material and the bulk silicon in the ensuing channel . in essence , biasing the body of an nmos device to ground voltage will force the threshold voltage more positive . conversely , biasing the body of a pmos device to ground to a power voltage will force threshold voltage more negative . more importantly , in both instances , biasing the body will force the threshold voltage to be more consistent from transistor to transistor given the relatively constant bias being applied to the respective transistor body . a consistent turn - on threshold that does not deteriorate at smaller geometries is at least one benefit provided by grounding the body or well of an nmos transistor and powering the body or well of a pmos transistor . fig1 depicts but one example of various features of a nor gate and a layout of those features with respect to one another . it is apparent from fig1 that two pairs of transistors are needed to form a nor gate . each pair comprises a transistor inverted directly upon a non - inverted transistor . routing a junction of one transistor within one of the pairs to another transistor within the same pair or to another pair occurs by using contacts to an overlying metal layer or by laterally extending the junction within the same elevational plane to another junction associated with another transistor pair . various permutations or variations may be made to the layout arrangement . all of this would be obvious to a skilled artisan given the benefit of the present description . accordingly , a cross - section through the stacked pair of transistors on the right - hand side of fig1 would be somewhat similar to the cross - section shown in fig1 with modifications apparent given the top - plan view of fig1 . turning now to fig1 , a circuit schematic of nor gate 64 is illustrated . the circuit schematic illustrates biasing nmos transistor bodies 72 to ground and biasing pmos transistor bodies 74 to power . fig1 also illustrates the two pair of stacked transistors shown in dashed line as numerals 14 and 52 . transistor 14 is illustrated as being an nmos transistor while transistor 52 is a pmos transistor , for example . accordingly , the transistor layout and the general interconnect arrangement of the circuit schematic follows to some degree the layout shown in fig1 in that transistor 14 and 52 represent the stacked transistors on the left - hand side of fig1 and transistors 76 and 78 represent stacked transistors on the right - hand side . input b in modulates transistors 76 and 78 , while input a in modulates transistors 14 and 52 . a nor gate 64 is shown having two pairs of stacked transistors . depending upon the number of levels needed , numerous other transistors can therefor be stacked almost endlessly into a third dimension to allow a multi - level device fabrication thereof . it will be appreciated to those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure that the present process methodology is capable of producing numerous nor gates in three dimensions . preferably , a pmos device is stacked directly upon an nmos device , yet inverted from that nmos device . alternatively , a nmos can be stacked ( and inverted ) upon a pmos device . in either instance , stacking pmos and nmos devices affords ready linkage of their gates and interconnect of their junctions amongst one another and to the power and ground conductors associated with the ensuing wafer . thus , the first and second transistor shown in the above figures are of opposite type so that gate conductor 40 of second transistor 52 is doped opposite gate conductor 20 of first transistor 14 . the same can be true of a third and fourth transistor with common gates linking one another in the shortest possible fashion . the third and fourth transistors are of opposite type , similar to the first and second transistors , so that the corresponding gate conductors are doped opposite one another to ensure ohmic contact at silicide formed therebetween . this ohmic contact provides that both polysilicon gates will be at the same bias -- a desired outcome in circuit applications . various modifications and changes may be made to each and every processing step without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention provided the interconnect concepts set forth in the claims are retained . it is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such modifications and changes , and accordingly , the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense .	7
fig3 a is a top plan view of a pair of inventive roller - type brushes 23 a , 23 b . each of the brushes 23 a , 23 b comprises a wafer contacting surface 25 ( i . e ., the surface that contacts the wafer during polishing ) which further comprises a first portion 27 , having a planar contact surface 25 a , and a second portion 31 having a profiled contact surface 25 b positioned along at least one end 35 a , 35 b of each brush . when two of the inventive roller brushes 23 a , 23 b are used to simultaneously clean both the front and back surfaces of a wafer , the brushes are preferably positioned such that the ends 35 a , 35 b and the second portions 31 positioned thereon , are at opposite ends of the brushes 23 a , 23 b ( i . e ., laterally opposed ) as shown in fig3 a . preferably both the first and second portions 27 , and 31 have a plurality of nodules that contact the wafer during polishing . a first set of nodules 37 is located on the first portion 27 of the brush . the nodules 37 thus define the planar contact surface 25 a . these planar nodules 37 are preferably circular for ease of manufacture . rows of circular planar nodules 37 having a height h 1 of 0 . 21 inches , a diameter d 1 of 0 . 41 inches , and a spacing x 1 between adjacent nodules 37 of 0 . 2 inches have proven effective during testing on roller brushes 23 a , 23 b having a first outside diameter d 1 of 2 . 72 inches and a second outside diameter d 2 of 2 . 3 inches , as best understood with reference to the side sectional view of fig3 b , which is taken along line 3 b — 3 b of fig3 a . the test brushes were made of pva having a tensile strength of between 77 - 87 psi and an elongation at failure of between 230 %- 300 %. similarly a second set of nodules 39 is located on the second portion 31 of the brush . the nodules 39 thus define the profiled contact surface 25 b as best shown with reference to fig3 c which shows a side sectional view of both the brush of fig3 a taken along line 3 c — 3 c , and a side sectional view of a wafer “ w ”. these profiled nodules 39 are preferably elongated , having an elliptical or rectangular shape . a row of elliptical profiled nodules 39 having a height h 2 along the inside edges thereof of 0 . 735 inches , a height h 3 along the outside edges thereof of 0 . 7908 inches , a width equal to d 1 ( fig3 b ), a length l 1 of 0 . 75 inches , and a spacing between adjacent profiled nodules 39 of 0 . 58 inches has proven effective during testing on the roller brushes 23 a , 23 b described above . the profile ( e . g ., taper ) between the inside edge height h 2 and the outside edge height h 3 preferably corresponds to the edge profile of the wafer w to be cleaned , as shown in fig3 c . a recessed area 41 surrounds both the planar and the profiled nodules 37 and 39 so as to provide a channel through which solvents and slurries may travel . in this manner , slurry residue effectively cleaned from both the wafer &# 39 ; s planar surfaces and from the wafer &# 39 ; s edge surfaces by the planar and profiled brush portions 25 a and 25 b , respectively , may easily travel through the recessed area 41 until gravity and / or an auxiliary liquid flow removes the slurry residue from each brush , as further described below with reference to fig4 . fig4 is a side perspective view of a scrubbing device 43 that employs the inventive brushes of fig3 a - c , and is useful in describing the advantages provided by the present invention . as shown in fig4 the inventive scrubbing device 43 comprises a platform 45 for supporting a wafer w to be cleaned . the first and second brushes 23 a , 23 b , described above , are operatively coupled to the platform 45 so as to contact both the planar and profiled portions of a first side w 1 of the wafer w , and the planar and profiled portions of a second side w 2 of the wafer w , respectively . a conventional spinning mechanism 47 such as a motor , represented generally by reference number 47 , is operatively coupled to the first and second brushes 23 a , 23 b so as to selectively spin the first and second brushes 23 a , 23 b as described below . further , a rotating mechanism ( described below ) is operatively coupled to the platform 45 so as to rotate the wafer w positioned thereon . preferably , as shown in fig4 the platform 45 comprises a plurality of rotating wheels 49 a - c for both supporting and rotating the wafer w . specifically , each rotating wheel 49 a - c has a central notch or groove 51 , having a sidewall angle ( e . g ., of 45 °) such that only the very edge of the wafer w contacts the rotating wheels 49 a - c . the notches thus prevent damage to the front or back wafer surfaces that may otherwise occur . in operation , the first and second brushes 23 a , 23 b are initially in an open position ( not shown ), a sufficient distance from each other so as to allow a wafer to be inserted therebetween . thereafter , the wafer w to be cleaned is positioned between the first and second brushes 23 a , 23 b and the brushes assume a closed position ( fig4 ), sufficiently close to each other so as to both hold the wafer w in place therebetween and to exert a force on the wafer surfaces sufficient to achieve effective cleaning . mechanisms ( not shown ) for moving the brushes 23 a , 23 b between the open and closed positions are well known in the art and are therefore not further described herein . once the brushes 23 a , 23 b are in the closed position , the spinning mechanism 47 is engaged and the first and second brushes 23 a , 23 b begin to spin . preferably the brushes 23 a , 23 b spin in opposite directions , as indicated by arrows s 1 and s 2 in fig4 applying forces to the wafer w in a first direction ( e . g ., downward ) while the wafer w rotates either clockwise or counterclockwise . this drives the wafer into the rotating wheels 49 a - c , so that the wafer w remains captured thereby . the top and bottom surfaces of wafer w are cleaned of slurry residue when contacted by the nodules 37 , 39 of the first and second brushes 23 a , 23 b , respectively . more specifically , the first set of nodules 37 contact the flat surfaces of the wafer w , cleaning slurry residue therefrom , and the second set of nodules 39 contact the edge surfaces of the wafer w , cleaning slurry residue therefrom . while the pair of brushes 23 a , 23 b spin , the rotating wheels 49 a - c which engage the wafer &# 39 ; s edge rotate causing the wafer w to rotate . rotation of the wafer w ensures that the pair of brushes 23 a , 23 b contact each point along the surface of the wafer w . because the brush profile of the inventive scrubbing device 43 is preferably designed to follow the wafer &# 39 ; s profile , a uniform contact force is applied to both the flat surfaces and the profiled surfaces of the wafer w . in this manner , with use of only two brushes , uniform cleaning is achieved across the entire wafer surface . preferably , the scrubbing device 43 is employed within an automated semiconductor device processing system having a loading station for receiving wafers , and a wafer handler for transferring wafers from the loading station to the scrubbing device 43 . the foregoing description discloses only the preferred embodiments of the invention , modifications of the above disclosed apparatus and method which fall within the scope of the invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art . for instance , although inventive brushes are preferably pva roller type brushes , they may be other types of brushes such as pancakes , disks , etc ., and may comprise other materials such as nylon bristles , mohair , etc . the brushes may or may not employ nodules , and the nodules , if used , may assume any shape ( e . g ., square , octagonal , etc .). although the brushes of fig3 a - 4 have only a single profiled end , both ends and / or other locations of a roller - type brush may have profiled portions ( as shown in fig5 a ), or the alternative edge contacting portion described herein , and numerous locations along , or the entire outer perimeter of a pancake - type brush may have profiled portions ( as shown in fig5 b ), or the alternative edge contacting portion described herein . finally , it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art , that specific dimensions provided herein are merely exemplary of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention , and the invention is not to be limited thereby . accordingly , while the present invention has been disclosed in connection with the preferred embodiments thereof , it should be understood that other embodiments may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention , as defined by the following claims .	6
referring to fig1 and 3 , the floor mat 10 is a large , planar , flat , body 12 which has a first surface 16 a and a second opposing parallel surface 16 b . the two surfaces 16 a and 16 b are parallel to one another . the periphery of the floor mat is bounded by an interlocking perimeter 26 . the surface 16 a has a texture or three dimensional design and the second surface 16 b has a texture or three dimensional design , the two textures or designs can be the same or different . for purposes of this invention , texture means a three dimensional texture or design embossed in or embossed out of the mat surface . one or both surfaces 16 a and 16 b can also be smooth . the body is made up of two layers 14 a and 14 b ( see fig6 ). the two layers are bound together either by heat welding and / or an adhesive . preferably , the two layers have the same chemical composition so that the two layers have the same coefficient of thermal expansion and the same elastomeric properties so that the two layers work together and respond similarly when subject to temperature changes and forces . the two layers have an outer surface 16 a and 16 b , respectively , and two inner surfaces 17 a and 17 b which preferably form an undulating boundary 20 between the two layers . preferably , the inner surfaces 17 a and 17 b are not parallel to the first and second surfaces . rather , the two inner surfaces 17 a and 17 b in the preferred embodiment meet to form undulating boundary 20 which has a topography of rolling hills and vales . the two outer surfaces 16 a and 16 b are parallel , or generally parallel . in the preferred embodiment , the inner surfaces 17 a and 17 b are generally not parallel to either of the outer surfaces . thus , the thickness 22 of the body is generally constant across the entire length and width of the body . in contrast , in the preferred embodiment , the thicknesses of the first layer and second layer vary as the boundary undulates . thus , the thickness of the first and second layers vary from point to point . the thickness 24 a of the first layer 14 a at a given point , together with the thickness 24 b of the second layer at the same point are equivalent to the thickness 22 of the body . thus , thickness 24 c of the first layer 14 a , at a second point , is less than the thickness 24 a at the first point and the thickness 24 d of the second layer 14 b at the second point is greater than the thickness 24 b of the second layer at the first point . the undulating boundary between the first layer and the second layer resists delamination of the two layers making the mats more robust as explained supra . however , the two layers 14 a and 14 b can be flat planar layers of the same or different thickness , each having a generally uniform thickness . as described above , the texture of the first surface 16 a can be different than the texture of the second surface 16 b . similarly , the color of the first layer and the first surface 16 a can be different than the color of the second layer 14 b . thus , the present mats give the purchaser the opportunity to have a selection of colors and / or a selection of textures . in addition , it permits the purchaser to form a checkerboard pattern or other pattern , assuming enough tiles are utilized , utilizing the different textures and / or colors of the mat tiles . preferably , the mats are made from resilient polymeric materials , such as natural or synthetic rubber , and most preferably from foam elastomeric material , such as polyethylene foam , polyurethane foam , eva - pe foam ( ethylene vinyl acetate - polyethylene foam elastomer ), and eva foam ( ethylene vinyl acetate foam ). preferably , the elastomeric mats are made from a combination of virgin polymer and recycle polymer , such as virgin eva polymer and a mix of virgin and recycle pe ( polyethylene ) polymer . the blend of eva and virgin and recycle pe are compounded together and heated to a temperature below the polymer foaming temperature and pressed into thin sheets through rollers of uniform thickness within uniform temperatures of a range of 5 ° c . ; preferably within a range of 1 ° c . the sheets are 5 to 10 millimeters in thickness . other thicknesses can be employed . the sheets are sandwiched together , normally about six sheets to each mat and placed in trays having a bottom surface with a die or mold for the texture and a top plate . the top plate may also have a die or mold for the texture for the other surface . the tray with the sandwich of layers of the raw composition and the top plate are pressed in a press and heated to a temperature to permit the elastomer to foam and expand . the press is required to keep the distance between the tray and the top plate constant to yield elastomeric foam mat of a predetermined thickness . preferably , the three like sheets have virtually identical compositions and blend together to form one layer of the mat . the two mat layers have slightly different compositions because their respective sheets are made from different raw compositions ( the differences can be slight ) at different times . the virgin pe and the recycle pe have different rates of thermal expansion and different rates of foaming . the raw compositions of the sheets are restricted in vertical movement and unrestricted in horizontal movement between the tray and the top plate in the press when heated . in the preferred embodiment , three layers of the raw composition will have one color and the other three layers of composition will have another color . thus , one side of the mat may be red and the other side may be black , etc . the die in the bottom of the tray places one texture on one surface of the mat , and if the top plate has a die , it places a texture on the other surface of the mat . preferably , the two textures are different although they can be the same . after the foaming reaction is completed by the heating in the press , the tray and the top plate are removed from the press and the unfinished mat is removed from the tray . the mat is allowed to cool and then it is passed to a cutting machine wherein the mat with the interlocking periphery is cut out of the unfinished mat . the mat is now complete . in those cases where the top plate does not have a die for the texture , the mat comes out of the press with a texture only on one surface and a smooth planar other surface . the mat can be sent to a roller mill having a cool roller and a heated roller with a die attached thereto . the heated roller with die only heats the surface not having a texture permitting the heated roller with die to texture the other surface of the mat . the textured surface is kept cool by the cool roller . the mat is passed between two rollers and the roller that touches the texture surface is cool , whereas the roller with the die to give texture to the other surface is hot . the cooling roller prevents destruction or damage to the textured surface created in the press . the above invention is not restricted to the specific embodiments disclosed herein ; modifications and other embodiments of the invention are within the scope of the invention .	4
in brief overview and referring to fig1 a and 1b , an embodiment of the connection detection circuit 8 of the invention which detects when an active communications device , such as an rs232 transmitter , is connected to it and which sets the state of an inactive control line in response thereto is shown . in the embodiment shown , the detection connection circuit 8 is incorporated in an rs232 communications device having five receiver input terminals 10 , 12 , 14 , 16 , 18 . each of the input terminals 10 , 12 , 14 , 16 , 18 is capable of providing an input signal , received from an rs232 communications driver , to a respective receiver circuit 20 , 22 , 24 , 26 , 28 and a respective inactive detection circuit 30 , 32 , 34 , 36 , 38 . an output terminal 40 , 42 , 44 , 46 , 48 of each receiver circuit 20 , 22 , 24 , 26 , 28 is a respective output terminal 40 , 42 , 44 , 46 , 48 of the rs232 communications device . the output terminals 40 , 42 , 44 , 46 , 48 pass the corresponding input signals , received from the rs232 communications driver , as output signals of the rs232 communications device . an output terminal 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 of each inactive detection circuit 30 , 32 , 34 , 36 , 38 provides the input signal to a corresponding input terminal 60 , 62 , 64 , 66 , 68 of a accumulated delay circuit 70 . an output terminal 72 of the accumulated delay circuit 70 is the output terminal of the connection detection circuit 8 , upon which appears an inactive control signal . when an active rs232 communications driver is connected to the input terminals 10 , 12 , 14 , 16 , 18 of the connection detection circuit , the connection detection circuit 8 of the invention places a first predetermined voltage , as described below , onto its output terminal 72 . when no rs232 communications driver is detected , the connection detection circuit places a second predetermined voltage on its output line 72 . considering one representative receiver circuit 20 and inactive detection circuit 30 , of the connection detection device , the input terminal 10 is connected to ground through a resistor 74 in the receiver circuit 20 , which in one embodiment is 4 . 5 k ohms . the input terminal 10 is also electrically connected to a first input terminal 76 of the inactive detection circuit 30 , and the input of a schmitt trigger 78 , whose output terminal 79 is connected to the input terminal 81 of an inverter 80 . the output terminal 82 of the inverter 80 is connected to a second input terminal 84 of the inactive detection circuit 30 and the input terminal 86 of a second inverter 88 . the output terminal 89 of the second inverter 88 is the output terminal of the device 40 . the first input terminal 76 of the inactive detection block 30 is in electrical connection to one terminal 90 of a fet 94 . the gate 96 of the fet 94 is connected to ground and a third terminal 98 of fet 94 is connected to both the first terminal 100 and the gate 104 of a fet 108 . a third terminal 110 of fet 108 is electrically connected to supply voltage v cc . the common node 114 of fets 96 and 108 is connected to the input terminal 120 of inverter 124 . the output terminal 126 of inverter 124 is connected to one input terminal 128 of a nor gate 130 . the other input terminal 132 of nor gate 130 is the second input terminal 84 of the inactive detection circuit 30 . the output terminal 134 of nor gate 130 is the output terminal 50 of the inactive detection circuit 30 . the logic which generally is embodied in a nor gate operating under what is called positive logic is that an output of high or logic 1 is produced only when both inputs to the nor gate are held at low or logic 0 , and the nor gate produces an output of low or logic 0 if either or both of its inputs are held at high or logic 1 . one obtains the rules under negative logic by inverting all output values in the truth table of the nor gate . the output terminal 50 of the inactive detection circuit 30 is electrically connected to one input terminal 60 of the accumulated delay circuit 70 . this input terminal 60 is the input terminal to one stage 140 of the accumulated delay circuit 70 . there is at least one stage 140 , 142 , 144 , 146 , 148 in the accumulated delay circuit 70 for each receiver circuit 20 , 22 , 24 , 26 , 28 . each stage 140 , 142 , 144 , 146 148 includes at least one pmos fet 150 , 152 , 154 , 156 , 158 and at least one nmos fet 160 , 162 , 164 , 166 , 168 and a delay capacitor 170 , 172 , 174 , 176 , 178 . each input terminal 60 , 62 , 64 , 66 , 68 is electrically connected to the gate 180 , 182 , 184 , 186 , 188 respectively of the pmos fet 150 , 152 , 154 , 156 , 158 and the gate 190 , 192 , 194 , 196 198 respectively of the nmos fet 160 , 162 , 164 , 166 , 168 of its respective stage 140 , 142 , 144 , 146 , 148 . the first terminal 200 , 202 , 204 , 206 , 208 of each respective pmos fet 180 , 182 , 184 , 186 , 188 of each respective stage 140 , 142 , 144 , 146 , 148 is connected to supply voltage v cc . the first terminal 210 of nmos fet 160 is connected to ground . the second terminal 212 of pmos fet 150 and the second terminal 214 of nmos fet 160 are electrically connected to each other and one terminal of capacitor 170 . the second terminal of capacitor 170 is connected to ground . the first terminal of capacitor 170 is also electrically connected to the first input terminal 220 of the nmos fet 162 of the next stage 142 . the second terminal 222 of the nmos fet 162 of the second stage 142 is electrically connected to the second terminal 226 of the pmos fet 152 of the second stage 142 , the first terminal of capacitor 172 and the first terminal 230 of nmos fet 164 of the next stage 144 . again , the second terminal of capacitor 172 is connected to ground . this pattern in which the second terminals of the pmos and nmos fets of one stage are electrically connected to one terminal of the capacitor of that stage and also are electrically connected to the first terminal of nmos fet of the succeeding stage is repeated for each stage of the accumulated delay circuit 70 except the last stage 148 . the common connection of the second terminal 260 of pmos fet 158 , the second terminal 262 of nmos fet 168 , and the first terminal 264 of capacitor 178 of the last stage 148 is connected to the input terminal 270 of inverter 274 . the output terminal 278 of inverter 274 is connected to the input terminal 280 of inverter 284 and the output terminal 288 of inverter 284 is the output terminal 72 of the accumulated delay circuit 70 . in describing the operation of the device only one representative receiver 20 will be considered for simplicity . three possible input conditions are herein discussed . the first is the absence of a drive signal , or the presence a noise signal of small magnitude , such as a few millivolt signal . the second is the presence of a drive signal at high or logic 1 , which in one embodiment may be of the order of hundreds of millivolts or more above a reference voltage such as ground . the third is the presence of a drive signal at low or logic 0 , which in one embodiment may be of the order of hundreds of millivolts or more below a reference voltage such as ground . as will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art , these voltages relate simply to one embodiment , and other voltage ranges , which may or may not be symmetrically disposed about a reference voltage such as ground , can equally well be dealt with by a circuit which is another embodiment by the invention . in the first input condition , when there is no driver connected to input terminal 10 , or when a driver is connected to input terminal 10 but is inactive or is floating , the voltage on the input terminal 10 is brought to ground by resistor 74 . this is therefore a low or logic 0 input signal to the schmitt trigger 78 whose output is therefore high or logic 1 . this signal is inverted to low or logic 0 by inverter 80 and again to high or logic 1 by inverter 88 . the high or logic 1 output signal of inverter 88 is presented on the output terminal 40 . the inactive , noise or ground signal on the input terminal 10 which is forced to ground by resistor 74 is also applied to the first terminal 90 of fet 94 , which in con unction with the grounded gate terminal 96 causes fet 94 to be non - conductive . the second terminal 100 and gate 104 of fet 108 being electrically connected in conjunction with the first terminal 110 of fet 108 being electrically connected to supply voltage v cc , turns fet 108 on and brings node 114 high or logic 1 . this high signal applied to the input terminal 120 of inverter 124 results in a low or logic 0 output signal being applied to one input terminal 128 of nor gate 130 . the second input terminal 132 of the nor gate 130 is connected to the output terminal 82 of inverter 80 of the receiver circuit 20 and is also low or logic 0 as described above . the output terminal 134 of nor gate 130 is therefore high or logic 1 . this voltage level is the inactive signal which is placed on the output terminal 50 of the inactive detection circuit 30 . this high or logic 1 signal is applied to the gates 180 and 190 of fets 150 , 160 , respectively , of the first stage 140 of the accumulated delay circuit 70 . when the second input condition , namely an input signal of high or logic 1 , which in this embodiment comprises a signal of several hundred millivolts or more above ground , is applied to input terminal 10 , the voltage on the input terminal 10 is not brought to ground by resistor 74 so long as the driver can source or supply sufficient current to sustain the voltage input signal across resistor 74 . there is therefore a high or logic 1 input signal to the schmitt trigger 78 whose output is therefore low or logic 0 . this signal is inverted to high or logic 1 by inverter 80 , which appears at terminal 82 and is communicated to in put terminal 132 of the nor gate 130 . this high or logic 1 is converted again to low or logic 0 by inverter 88 . the low or logic 0 output signal of inverter 88 is presented on the output terminal 40 . however , since nor gate 130 has one input which is high or logic 1 , it is irrelevant what signal is applied to the other input , because the rules of operation of the nor gate require that its output be a low or logic 0 in any case . this low or logic 0 nor gate 130 output voltage level indicates an active signal at input terminal 10 , and is placed on the output terminal 50 of the inactive detection circuit 30 . when the third input condition , namely an input signal of low or logic 0 is applied to input terminal 10 , the voltage on the input terminal 10 is not brought to ground by resistor 74 so long as the driver can source or supply sufficient current to sustain the voltage input signal across resistor 74 . in this embodiment , there is therefore a low or logic 0 input signal of a value which is typically many hundred millivolts or more below reference ground which is applied via first input terminal 76 of the inactive detection circuit 30 to the first terminal 90 of fet 94 . this signal , in conjunction with the grounded gate terminal 96 causes fet 94 to be conductive . this draws node 114 to a low voltage . second terminal 100 and gate 104 of fet 108 are electrically connected to node 114 . fet 108 therefore is turned off . the low or logic 0 signal at node 114 is applied to the input terminal 120 of inverter 124 which results in a high or logic 1 output signal being applied to input terminal 128 of nor gate 130 . once again , because nor gate 130 has one input which is high or logic 1 its output be a low or logic 0 . this low or logic 0 nor gate 130 output voltage level indicates an active signal at input terminal 10 , and is placed on the output terminal 50 of the inactive detection circuit 30 . the presence of a high or logic 1 signal on the gate 180 of pmos fet 150 from the output terminal 50 of the inactive detection circuit 30 turns pmos fet 150 off . the presence of the high or logic 1 signal on the gate 190 of nmos fet 160 turns nmos pet 160 on , thereby applying a low or logic 0 signal to one terminal of capacitor 170 and to the first terminal 220 of nmos pet 162 of stage 142 . for the rest of the discussion it is assumed that all the input terminals 60 , 62 , 64 , 66 , 68 of the accumulated delay circuit 70 are high or logic 1 indicating that there are no active drivers connected to any of input terminals 10 , 12 , 14 , 16 , 18 and hence all input terminals 10 , 12 , 14 , 16 , 18 are at ground due to resistor 74 and its equivalents in each receiver 22 , 24 , 26 , 28 . because input terminal 62 is high , the gates 182 and 192 of the pmos pet 152 and nmos pet 162 , respectively , are high and pmos pet 152 is off and nmos pet 162 is on in the next stage 142 . because of the high or logic 1 value applied to each input terminal 60 , 62 , 64 , 66 , 68 of the accumulated delay circuit 70 , the pmos fets 154 , 156 , 158 will be off and the nmos fets 164 , 166 , 168 will be on for each subsequent stage 144 , 146 , 148 . because a low or logic 0 signal is applied to the first terminal 220 of nmos fet 162 of stage 142 , the low or logic 0 signal will be propagated to each first terminal 230 , 232 , 234 of each respective nmos fet 164 , 166 , 168 of each respective stage 144 , 146 , 148 and to the input terminal 270 of inverter 274 . inverter 274 inverts the signal thereby applying a high or logic 1 signal to the input terminal 280 of inverter 284 and causing the output terminal 72 of the device to be low or logic 0 . if conversely one input terminal , for example input terminal 16 , were connected to an active driver , then the output terminal 56 of the inactive detection circuit 36 which is connected to the input terminal 66 of the accumulated delay circuit 70 would be low or logic 0 . this signal applied to gates 186 and 196 of pmos fet 156 and nmos fet 166 , respectively , of stage 146 will cause nmos fet 166 to turn off and pmos fet 156 to turn on , thereby applying v cc to capacitor 176 and first terminal 234 of nmos fet 168 of the next stage 148 . capacitor 176 will therefore charge with a characteristic time constant , delaying the propagation of the high or logic 1 signal to the nmos fet 168 . the presence of a high or logic 1 signal on the gate 198 of the nmos fet 168 turns it on thereby applying the v cc or logic 1 which is on terminal 234 to capacitor 178 and the input terminal 270 of inverter 274 . as the capacitor 178 charges , the application of the v cc to input terminal 270 is also delayed . the high or logic 1 input applied to the inverter 274 is inverted to a low or logic 0 signal which in turn is applied to the input terminal 280 of inverter 284 . inverter 284 inverts this signal to high or logic 1 which is then the output signal appearing on device output terminal 72 , indicating that at least one active driver is connected to the receivers 20 , 22 , 24 , 26 , 28 of the device 8 . referring to fig2 another embodiment of the accumulated delay circuit 70 of the invention is shown which includes an additional pmos fets 300 , 304 , 308 , 312 associated with each stage 140 , 142 , 144 , 146 , but the last stage 148 , respectively . in this embodiment , the input terminals 60 , 62 , 64 , 66 , 68 of the accumulator delay circuit are connected not only to the gates of each stage 140 , 142 , 144 , 146 , 148 but also to the gates 320 , 324 , 328 , 332 of the pmos fets 300 , 304 , 308 , 312 . the first terminal 340 , 344 , 348 , 352 of each pmos pet 300 , 304 , 308 , 312 respectively , is electrically connected to the first terminal of each capacitor 170 , 172 , 174 , 176 , respectively . the second terminal 320 , 324 , 328 , 332 of each pmos fet 300 , 304 , 308 , 312 respectively , is connected to node 380 at the first terminal of capacitor 178 &# 39 ; shown in this embodiment as two capacitors in parallel . in this configuration , when any of the input terminals 60 , 62 , 64 , 66 are low or logic 0 , the corresponding pmos fet 300 , 304 , 308 , 312 turns on reducing the delay caused by the corresponding capacitor stages 170 , 172 , 174 , 176 , 178 &# 39 ; and allowing the connection of a driver to the input terminals 10 , 12 , 14 , 16 , 18 of the device 8 to be quickly detected . referring to fig3 a complete rs232 communication device is shown which is constructed in accordance with the invention . the device includes five receiver units 400 , 404 , 408 , 412 , 416 and three driver circuits 420 , 424 , 426 . each receiver unit 400 , 404 , 408 , 412 , 416 includes a respective one receiver circuit 20 , 22 , 24 , 26 , 28 and a respective one inactive detection circuit 30 , 32 , 34 , 36 , 38 ( fig1 a and b ). the input terminals 10 , 12 , 14 , 16 , 18 of the receiver units 400 , 404 , 408 , 412 , 416 are the input terminals of the receiver circuits 20 , 22 , 24 , 26 , 28 . similarly the output terminals 40 , 42 ′, 44 , 46 , 48 are the output terminals of the receiver circuits 20 , 22 , 24 , 26 , 28 . the inactive detection output terminals 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 are the output terminals of the inactive detection circuits 30 , 32 , 34 , 36 , 38 . these inactive detection output terminals 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 are connected to the input terminals 60 , 62 , 64 , 66 , 68 of the online device 440 which are also the input terminals to the accumulated delay circuit 70 contained within the online device 440 . the output terminal 72 of the accumulated delay circuit 70 is the output terminal of the online circuit 440 . this output terminal 72 is the input to an inverter 444 which inverts the output signal of the online circuit 440 . enable - 232 ( en232 ) 450 and not - enable - 232 ( en232 bar ) 454 , as described below , are also output terminals of the online circuit 440 as is the pump - shutdown line ( pumpsd ) 458 . the enable - 232 ( bn232 ) 450 and not - enable - 232 ( en232 bar ) 454 terminals provide input signals to a level shifter 480 whose output signal placed on output terminal 490 controls the state of the drivers 420 , 424 , 426 . three additional control lines not - shutdown ( shutdown bar ) 460 , not - online ( online bar ) 464 , and driver - shutdown ( drsd ) 468 , as described below also control the operation of the online circuit 440 . the components of the online device 440 shown in fig3 in addition to the accumulated delay circuit 70 are shown in fig4 . the output termninal 72 of the accumulated delay circuit 70 provides one input signal to a nor gate 500 . the other input signal to the nor gate 500 is provided by the control line not - shutdown ( shutdown bar ) 460 . when not - shutdown ( shutdown bar ) 460 is high it prevents the state of the output line 72 of the accumulated delay circuit 70 from propagating and having any effect . that is , the not - shutdown ( shutdown bar ) 460 terminal when set high causes the output of the accumulated delay circuit to be ignored or overridden . the output signal of the nor gate 500 applied to the output terminal 504 is inverted by inverter 510 and the output signal of the inverter is one input signal to a nand gate 514 . the other input terminal of the nand gate 514 is provided by control line not - online ( online bar ) 464 . the state of not - online ( online bar ) 464 therefore provides a second control signal which determines whether the inactive output signal provided by the accumulated delay circuit 70 is propagated on output line pump - shutdown ( pumpsd ) 458 . the output signal from nand gate 514 is one input signal to a second nor gate 520 . the second input signal to the nor gate 520 is provided by control line driver - shutdown ( drsd ) 468 . the output signal from nor gate 520 is provided on output terminal enable - 232 ( en232 ) 450 and is inverted by inverter 530 and placed on output terminal not - enable - 232 ( en232 bar ) 454 . thus the state of the driver - shutdown terminal ( drsd ) 468 determines , in part , the state of the enable - 232 ( en232 ) 450 and not - enable - 232 ( en232 bar ) 454 and thus provides a way to shut down the drivers 420 , 424 , 426 . variations , modifications , and other implementations of what is described herein will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as claimed . accordingly , the invention is to be defined not by the preceding illustrative description but instead by the spirit and scope of the following claims .	8
before describing the detailed operation of one embodiment , it may be best to address how the prior art utilizes precise and rigorous test scripts in a laboratory environment to anticipate the various conditions complex electronic device may face in actual use . fig3 a shows one example of the prior art where simple loop script 30 is used to test only one particular set of parameters . script 30 begins by process 301 which initiates a connection with the device under test ( dut ). the number of iterations for which the test is to be run is set in process 302 . within each iteration , or loop , process 303 sets the value of the specified protocol parameter to the value associated with the loop &# 39 ; s index . this single protocol parameter may be associated with the dut , or with the simulated base station emulator ( bse ). once the parameter is set , the results are measured at process 304 and then outputted or stored to be used in a later analysis , for example , by process 305 . the loop &# 39 ; s index is then incremented in process 306 , and the system determines whether the script has finished its specified iterations in process 307 . based on such a determination , the script either ceases or continues via process 302 with the next iteration , setting the value of the associated protocol parameter to the value associated with the incremented index . for example , fig3 b utilizing the simple loop script illustrated in fig3 a , depicts the values associated with the specified protocol parameter . the system first initiates contact as discussed in process 301 , and then steps through the number of iterations , m , from 1 to 5 . the system then determines what protocol parameter it is to be manipulated . in this example , fig3 a and 3b have set the parameter to the channel number . the value of the channel number is then initialized to the value of m , in this case 1 . after measuring the cell phone &# 39 ; s transmit power at channel 1 , the system then outputs or stores the results and increments the index to 2 . the loop then continues , incrementing the channel number to 2 and measuring the results . eventually , the index is incremented from 5 to 6 , and the system determines whether the loop end index is exceeded . since the loop index has been exceeded , the test is now finished . the test results based on the channel number will then be analyzed for problems encountered during laboratory testing . obviously , an algorithm for testing devices based on the simple loop script 30 is limited in that the designer / engineer can only test the functionality of a device in relation to a single protocol parameter . to test every possible parameter , the script must be run linearly , on the order of the total number of parameters and consuming valuable time and resources . additionally , such an algorithm is incapable of testing the interaction between multiple protocol parameters at various ranges . in recognition of this limitation , the prior art has expanded to include test scripts which utilize multiple loops to test the interaction between various protocol parameters . fig4 a exemplifies an algorithm based on multiple loop test script 40 . after initiating a connection with the device to be tested at process 401 , the outer loop index m is initialized in process 402 and set in process 403 to a specific parameter . the system then initializes the index of an inner loop n , via process 404 , and associates a second parameter with that index in process 405 . the result of the interaction and combination of the two parameters is then measured at process 406 . the result is then either outputted or stored in process 407 , and the inner loop &# 39 ; s end index is incremented in process 408 . the system then determines whether the index of the inner loop is exceeded via process 409 . if the index is not exceeded , the inner loop returns and continues its iteration in process 404 , incrementing the value of the associated protocol parameter to that of the incremented index . once the inner loop &# 39 ; s iterations are complete , the system determines that the inner loop &# 39 ; s index has been exceeded and exits the inner loop . the index of the outer loop is then incremented 4 in process 10 , and the system determines whether the outer end index has been exceeded in process 411 . if the outer end index has not been exceeded , the outer loop continues its next iteration , setting the value of the associated protocol parameter to that of the incremented index in process 403 . the system then reinitializes the index of the inner loop ; the outer loop &# 39 ; s parameter remains fixed as the inner loop &# 39 ; s parameter is increased with each iteration of the inner loop . the result from each iteration is again outputted or stored in process 407 . once the outer loop &# 39 ; s end index has been exceeded in process 411 , the test ends and the results are analyzed for issues arising with the different permutations . fig4 b , utilizing the multiple loop script illustrated in fig4 a , depicts indexing the outer loop m ( channel number in this example ) in a range from 1 to 5 . the system then determines and associates a specific protocol parameter with the outer index , selecting the channel number and setting its initial value to that of m . in the example , the system then determines the number of iterations the inner loop ( power level in this example ) is to traverse . in this instance , n is set to iterate four times . through each iteration of the inner loop , the script tests the functionality of the first channel with power levels 1 through 4 . after each iteration of the inner loop , i . e . channel number set to 1 and power level set to 1 , the system outputs the results , increments the index of the inner loop , and then repeats the measurement . the channel number remains at 1 , while the power level is incremented to 2 , 3 , and 4 , respectively . ( thus , each channel will be tested four times , each time using a different power level .) once the power level is incremented beyond 4 , the inner loop ceases its iterations . the system then increments the index of the outer loop , m , and the channel number is changed to 2 ( two ). upon re - entering the inner loop , the script then tests the combination of channel number 2 with each power level . the process continues until the outer index is incremented to 5 . the script then exits and the test ceases . while script 40 ( fig4 a ) is an improvement over simple loop script 30 ( fig3 a ), the use of such a multiple loop algorithm still presents a number of problems for designers . while the script may be written to include multiple inner loops , given the number of possible protocol parameters , testing every possible permutation is time consuming and infeasible . moreover , since the sequence of testing is well - defined , it does not correlate well with real - world conditions . for example , in an everyday setting , a user will normally not encounter a device that sequentially iterates through the various ranges of each parameter . instead , the device will transition between various parameter values based on various conditions which are not simulated . as such , the multiple loop algorithm continues to limit the ability of a designer to effectively simulate real - world conditions and address the issues a user will face under real - world conditions . and while field testing remains a valuable alternative available to designers / engineers , providing them with real - world transitions , field testing is expensive . additionally , it is often difficult or impossible to reproduce the exact situation in a protocol process that caused the failure . it then becomes exceedingly difficult to diagnose problems encountered in field testing in order to remedy the design problem . as such , the desire and need exists for a testing protocol that enables the designer of complex electronic equipment in a laboratory setting to randomly test different permutations of the protocol parameters that affect complex electronic equipment in an effort to simulate and address the real - world use of such devices . turning now to fig1 , there is shown one embodiment detailing system and method 10 utilizes pseudo - random loop algorithm 14 . such an algorithm can be embedded in system controller 13 ( or in mobile phone tester 12 ) which in turn , sends the parameters , permutations , and values for each parameter to be tested to mobile phone tester 12 . controller 13 receives the results of the test from mobile phone tester 12 for further processing and for presentation to a user of system 10 . mobile phone tester 12 itself contains base station emulator ( bse ) 120 and is in direct communication with dut 11 . controller 13 can be a pc or a specialized test set , if desired , and could contain memory as well as processing capability . a graphical user interface could be provided for presentation of the data to the user . as noted above , system 10 contains pseudo - random loop algorithm 14 that is responsible for randomly testing available permutations of protocol parameters . fig2 a details one embodiment 20 of such an algorithm . pseudo - random loop algorithm 20 comprises , for example , pseudo - random seed 205 , parameter list for looping 202 , range , or the allowed values of each parameter 203 , and the number of iterations desired 204 . any number of other parameters can be established as desired . if desired , a fully random algorithm could be used , but by using the seed to establish pseudo - randomness it is easier to achieve test repeatability . as shown in fig2 a , process 200 of algorithm 20 first initiates a connection with the dut . if this is to be a repeat test , process 201 directs the retrieval from memory of the seed , and the parameters of the prior test via process 221 . if this is a new test then the system , via process 202 , sets the protocol parameters which are associated both with the bse and dut . under such an algorithm , the number of parameters is neither limited by the amount of time it will take to iterate through each possible permutation nor by the number of iterations . the range for each protocol parameter is then determined in process 203 , and the system sets the number of iterations for the loop in process 204 . another embodiment of such a system may have the system prompt the designer / engineer for the protocol parameters to be tested , the range for each parameter , and the number of iterations via manual input 121 ( fig1 ). embodiments may utilize a combination of user input and system determination in setting each of these values . once the number of iterations has been determined , the algorithm then sets the seed for the pseudo - random generator in the loop . the seed could be determined by the code designer from a random number generator , or the user ( or system ) could use any number , for example , the time since midnight in milliseconds . the seed for pseudo - random generation is then retained for reference in process 206 , and the first iteration of the loop begins in process 207 . utilizing the pseudo - random seed and loop index , process 205 pseudo - randomly sets the value of each protocol parameter in process 208 . in the example being illustrated , the algorithm would set values for parameters associated with both the dut and , if desired , the bse , with no limitation on the number of parameters that may be included in the testing . once the specified parameters have been set , the results are then measured via process 209 and then either outputted or stored via process 210 . it is important to note that , though the algorithm is embodied within system controller 13 , the results from the test will first be recorded by mobile phone tester 12 . tester 12 may then either retain the results until all iterations of the loop are complete or may immediately send the results back to system controller 13 . this communication can be either by wireline or wireless . using a stack based bse allows protocol parameters such as channel number , channel type , or power level to be changed in any order because it handles all the protocol messages for making the transition between states in the bse and dut . using the seed and loop index number in the system controller to pseudo - randomly set protocol parameters allows for great variation in the order protocol parameters are sequenced . once the result has been preserved , the loop end index is incremented via process 211 , and the algorithm determines whether the loop has exceeded its end index , process 212 . if the end index has not been exceeded , the loop continues with its next iteration . once the loop &# 39 ; s end index is exceeded , the test ends and , depending on the specific embodiment , the results from the final test , which have been recorded by mobile phone tester 12 , may immediately be sent back to system controller 13 . alternatively , mobile phone tester 12 may return the results from all permutations to system controller 13 . fig2 b and 2c are examples of possible permutations that may result from the utilization of pseudo - random loop algorithm 20 . after initiating a connection with the dut , the system or the designer / engineer , or a combination thereof , selects the channel number and power level ( and any other parameters desired ) as the protocol parameters in the test . note that in this context the magnitude can be either the level ( such as power level , channel number , etc .) or could be a value ( such as pcs band ). the system or designer / engineer then instructs the system to iterate , for example , 20 times and the pseudo - random seed is generated and retained for future use . the loop index , m , is initialized to 1 and the pseudo - randomly generated seed is used to set the values of the channel number and power level . note that in fig2 b in step 1 , the system is testing channel 4 at a power level of 2 , while at step 2 , channel 2 is being tested at a power level of 1 . the system then measures the dut &# 39 ; s transmit power with such a permutation , and outputs or stores the result . the value m is then incremented . since the end index has not been exceeded , the system repeats the test with different values , generated by the pseudo - random seed , for each parameter . this process continues until the loop end index is exceeded , thereby ending the test . as noted above , the results from each iteration may have been stored locally in tester 12 or may have been immediately transmitted back to system controller 13 . in either case , all results are transmitted back to system controller 13 to be preserved for display and / or analysis . note also that the next time a test is run ( as shown in fig2 c ) a new seed is created and this relationship between the channel number and power level ( or other parameters being tested ) is different , as is the order of channel testing . thus , random testing patterns are achieved even with the same loop index parameters . note also that the sequence shown in fig2 b and 2c are examples for illustration purposes only since the actual testing would be random . also the parameters ( such as channel and power are likewise only used as examples ) unlike the permutations discussed with respect to fig3 b and 4b of the prior art . in a specific embodiment , system controller 13 ( fig1 ) may contain : memory containing the pseudo - random loop algorithm ; a record of each transition between the randomly - generated protocol parameters and the results from each different test ; and the controller could be used for evaluating all the results from a given test sequence ; and could also be used to store and analyze all the protocol messages that passed between the base station emulator ( bse ) and dut for proper operation or errors . having a stack - based bse in the mobile phone tester handles all of the messages required for transition from one protocol state to another , such as during a channel change . it also allows the mobile phone tester to respond to messages from the dut algorithmically in a way similar to real networks and thus eliminates the need for predetermined protocol states . as shown in fig2 a , if a particular test sequence is to be repeated , process 221 , either under system control or under control of the user , would set the seed and parameters to those of the test sequence to be repeated . because the seed and parameters of the sequence are the same as those for the original sequence the looping algorithms would result in the original sequence of protocol state changes and tests would be exactly repeated . this pattern could also be applied to the same dut or more devices as desired . in communication with system controller 13 , mobile phone tester 12 is responsible for initiating the connection with the electronic device being tested . for example , in fig1 , mobile phone tester 12 maintains a connection with a dut . a connection may be initiated between mobile phone tester 12 and dut 11 in a number of different ways . in one embodiment , the tester may be a base into which the cell phone is plugged . the tester then has a direct , hard - wired connection to the device and may manipulate the dut &# 39 ; s protocol parameters through electronic circuitry . in another embodiment , the tester may be wirelessly connected to the dut and this may emulate a base station or centralized server which communicates with the dut via wireless networks . advantages of utilizing a pseudo - random loop system and method over the prior art are numerous . a pseudo - random algorithm more closely mimics the real networks for which the electronic device under test was designed . under real network conditions , the protocol processes are exceedingly random . depending on environmental and device conditions , the bse &# 39 ; s and dut &# 39 ; s parameters may randomly alter the values of a number of different parameters in an effort to provide maximum functionality of the device . such randomly - generated variations , such as variations in weather conditions , battery power , location of user or other users , etc ., can affect an electronic device in ways unable to be simulated under tests using the prior art . by utilizing the seed to pseudo - randomly generate the sequence , the sequence of parameters the electronic device faces appears to be more random and more closely simulates real - world conditions . by utilizing a pseudo - random loop system and method , a far larger and more thorough sequence of protocol transitions and dut states may be tested than could ever be practical with script testing . the random generation of parameter values alleviates the need for identifying every possible permutation and , by extension , generating complex multiple loop scripts which must run each permutation in a linear fashion . by retaining the sequence of protocol transitions , a failure may then be analyzed according the sequence of transitions it underwent prior to the failure . thus , while the parameters were tested in random fashion , such randomness , for any one test , is prescribed and repeatable , either under control of controller 13 or by phone tester 12 because the values of the seed and parameters are maintained in memory . this further enables the designer to more easily duplicate the failure in a more real - world simulation . use of a pseudo - random loop system and method enables the designer to more easily test a complex electronic device &# 39 ; s response to the interaction of multiple parameters . under such an algorithm , the designer is not limited to testing only the parameters on a device or only the parameters associated with the base station . with such an algorithm , the designer is able to test the interaction between various parameters , regardless of which device the parameters are associated with , as well as analyze how the device reacts to the randomly - generated transitions between the parameters . it should be recognized that many different embodiments of the system and method described therein may be used to achieve the same results . for example , pseudo - random loop algorithm 20 may be placed on a chip which is inserted into a system control device or mobile phone tester . additionally , system control 13 and tester 12 may be combined in such a manner that the need for two separate devices is negated . a single device may then be used to maintain the results of the testing , manipulate the parameters of the bse , and initiate contact with and manipulate the parameters of the dut . additionally , the concepts discussed herein are not limited to the testing of mobile phones , but may be useful in many different areas , including , for example , cordless telephones , paging devices , vehicle navigation systems , wireless networks , as well as other complex electronic systems outside the communication industry , such as elevators , automobile , traffic light controllers , computers , chip sets , etc .	6
as used herein , the term “ refinery stream ” generally refers to an apparatus or instrumentality of a chemical process ( e . g ., a process to refine crude hydrocarbons ), such as an oil refinery process , which is , or can be , susceptible to contamination with a polar molecule . refinery streams include , but are not limited to , processing streams in connection , or fluid communication with , heat transfer components such as a heat exchanger , a furnace , a crude preheater , a coker preheater , or any other heaters , a fcc slurry bottom , a debutanizer exchanger / tower , other feed / effluent exchangers and furnace air preheaters in refinery facilities , flare compressor components in refinery facilities and steam cracker / reformer tubes in petrochemical facilities . refinery streams can also be in connection , or in fluid communication with , other instrumentalities in which heat transfer can take place , such as a fractionation or distillation column , a scrubber , a reactor , a liquid - jacketed tank , a pipestill , a coker and a visbreaker . refinery streams can also be in connection , or in fluid communication with , tubes , piping , baffles and other process transport mechanisms that are internal to , at least partially constitute , and / or are in fluid communication with , any one of the above - mentioned components . it is understood that the term refinery stream includes , but is not limited to , process streams in connection with chemical processes besides petrochemical refining operations . as used herein , the terms “ hydrocarbon fluid ” or “ hydrocarbon liquid fluid ” refer to a fluid composition containing at least predominately compounds comprising hydrogen and carbon . such compounds include , for example , saturated alkanes , and / or unsaturated alkenes and alkynes . a hydrocarbon fluid can also include cycloalkanes , cycloalkenes and cycloalkynes . furthermore , a hydrocarbon fluid can include aromatic hydrocarbons or arenes , alkanes , alkenes and alkyne - based compounds . the hydrocarbon compounds can be unsubstituted or substituted with additional chemical groups . as used herein , the term “ polar molecule contaminant ” refers to any polar compound present in a refinery stream that has a surface affinity for high surface energy compounds , wherein the polar molecule contaminant adsorbs onto the surfaces of such high surface energy compounds . as used herein , the term “ nanoparticle compound ” refers to a compound with high surface energy and / or high surface area , as described in more detail below , wherein the surface of the compound has the capacity to adsorb polar molecules . reference will now be made in detail to the various aspects of the present invention . the method and corresponding steps of the invention will be described in conjunction with the figures and examples provided herein . in accordance with the present invention , a method for reducing polar molecule contaminants in a refinery stream is provided . this reduction in contaminants is achieved by adding an amount of a nanoparticle compound to a refinery stream effective to remove the polar molecule contaminants , wherein the polar molecule contaminants are adsorbed onto the nanoparticle compound , and separating the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex from the refinery stream . the nanoparticle compound can be added to the refinery stream in separate batches , or in a continuous refinery stream . in accordance with another embodiment of the invention , the refinery stream includes a hydrocarbon fluid . for example , the refinery stream can be in connection with a petrochemical refinery operation . in another embodiment of the invention , the nanoparticle compound is introduced to be freely dispersed within the hydrocarbon fluid . in accordance with another aspect of the present invention , a system is provided that is capable of removing polar contaminates from a refinery stream . the system includes at least one fluid , solution , solvent or mixtures thereof , containing a polar molecule contaminant ; a supply of a nanoparticle compound to be introduced to the refinery stream , wherein the polar molecule contaminant is capable of being adsorbed onto the nanoparticle compound to form a nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex ; and a separator in fluid communication with the refinery stream for separating the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex from the refinery stream . in accordance with the invention , the addition of an amount of a nanoparticle compound to a refinery stream effective to adsorb a polar molecule contaminant to form a nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex , and separation of the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex from the refinery stream is effective in reducing contamination of the refinery stream . while not limited thereto , the addition of a nanoparticle compound according to the methods of the invention is particularly suitable in reducing or preventing polar molecule contamination . in accordance with one embodiment of the invention , the polar molecule contaminants include organic and inorganic particulates . organic particulates ( such as precipitated asphaltenes and coke particles ) include , but are not limited to , insoluble matter precipitated out of solution upon changes in process conditions ( e . g . temperature , pressure , or concentration changes ) or a change in the composition of the refinery stream ( e . g . changes due to the occurrence of a chemical reaction ). inorganic particulates include , but are not limited to silicon dioxide , clay and iron oxide . in accordance with another embodiment of the invention , a polar molecule contaminant includes , but is not limited to , sulfur - containing compounds , nitrogen - containing compounds , porphyrin , asphaltene , naphthenic acid , mercury , carbon dioxide and particulates . in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention , the nanoparticle compound is added to a refinery stream , for example , a hydrocarbon fluid , which contains polar molecule contaminants , including organic and inorganic particulates as defined above . the refinery stream can contain any amount of particulates , such as , for example , 1 - 10 , 000 ppm . in accordance with one embodiment of the invention , the nanoparticle compound is a compound comprising a high surface energy . generally , surface energy quantifies the disruption of intermolecular bonds that occurs when a surface is created , wherein the surface of a compound is less energetically favorable than the remainder of the compound . in accordance with one embodiment of the invention , the surface energy of the nanoparticle compound is at least about 10 mj / m 2 , at least about 20 mj / m , at least about 30 mj / m 2 , at least about 40 mj / m 2 , at least about 50 mj / m 2 , at least about 60 mj / m 2 , at least about 70 mj / m 2 , at least about 80 mj / m 2 , at least about 90 mj / m 2 , or at least about 100 mj / m 2 . in accordance with one embodiment of the invention , the nanoparticle compound has a diameter of from about 0 . 01 to about 1000 nm , more preferably from about 1 to about 60 nm , and more preferably from about 1 to about 10 nm . in one embodiment , the nanoparticle compound has a diameter of from about 40 - 60 nm . in other embodiments , the nanoparticle compound has a diameter of about 3 nm . in yet another embodiment of the invention , the nanoparticle compound has a diameter of about 1 mm or less . in other embodiments of the invention , the nanoparticle compound has a diameter of about 0 . 5 mm or less . without being bound to any theory , it is believed that the capacity of a unit mass of nanoparticle compound to adsorb a polar molecule contaminant increases as the surface area of the unit mass of nanoparticle compound is increased . in accordance with one embodiment , the present invention includes a method of increasing the capacity of a nanoparticle compound to adsorb a polar molecule contaminant by decreasing the size of the nanoparticle compound , for example , as measured by the nanoparticle compound diameter . for example , the size of the nanoparticles comprising a unit mass of nanoparticle compound can be decreased , thereby increasing the adsorbent capacity of the unit mass of nanoparticle compound . in one embodiment , the methods of the invention include decreasing the size of the nanoparticle compound prior to introducing the nanoparticle compound into a refinery stream , for example , a hydrocarbon fluid , to increase the nanoparticle compound &# 39 ; s capacity to remove polar molecule contaminants from the refinery stream . the size of the nanoparticle compound can be decreased by any known means in the art . in one non - limiting example , the nanoparticle compound includes fe 2 o 3 , and decreasing the size of the nanoparticle includes chemically reducing the fe 2 o 3 at a temperature of from at least about 100 - 400 ° c ., from at least about 125 - 350 ° c ., from at least about 150 - 300 ° c ., or from at least amount 175 - 200 ° c . to fe 3 o 4 . in another non - limiting example , the nanoparticle compound includes fe 2 o 3 , and decreasing the size of the nanoparticle includes chemically reducing the fe 2 o 3 at a temperature of about 150 ° c . to fe 3 o 4 . in other embodiments of the invention , heating the nanoparticle compound prior to introducing the nanoparticle compound into a refinery stream , for example , hydrocarbon fluid , increases the nanoparticle compound &# 39 ; s capacity to remove polar molecule contaminants from the refinery stream . in one embodiment of the invention , the nanoparticle compound is heated at a temperature of from about 100 ° c . to about 1000 ° c ., or from about 100 ° c . to about 750 ° c ., or from about 100 ° c . to about 500 ° c ., or from about 100 ° c . to about 200 ° c . in other embodiments of the invention , the nanoparticle compound is heated at a temperature of at least about 250 ° c . in yet other embodiments of the invention , the nanoparticle compound is heated at a temperature of at least about 350 ° c . in other embodiments of the invention , the nanoparticle compound is heated prior to introducing the nanoparticle compound into a refinery stream , for example , hydrocarbon fluid , at a temperature up to the magnetic phase transition temperature of the nanoparticle , or a magnetic compound present in the nanoparticle . in other embodiments , the nanoparticle compound is heated prior to introducing the nanoparticle compound into a refinery stream , for example , hydrocarbon fluid , at a temperature above about 250 ° c . and below the magnetic phase transition temperature of the nanoparticle , or a magnetic compound present in the nanoparticle . in one non - limiting example , when the magnetic compound is magnetite , the nanoparticle can be heated at a temperature , for example , between about 250 ° c . and 585 ° c . in accordance with one embodiment of the invention , the nanoparticle compound has a surface area from at least about 0 . 5 - 1000 m / g , from at least about 1 - 750 m 2 / g , from at least about 5 to 500 m 2 / g , from at least about 7 - 400 m 2 / g , from at least about 15 - 200 m 2 / g as measured by nitrogen bet . in accordance with one embodiment of the invention , the nanoparticle compound has a surface area from at least about 10 - 300 m 2 / g as measured by nitrogen bet . in accordance with another embodiment of the invention , the nanoparticle compound can be introduced into a refinery stream , for example , a hydrocarbon fluid , at an acidic ph ( for example , a ph that is less than ph 7 . 0 ), a neutral ph ( for example , at about ph 7 . 0 ), or at a basic ph ( for example , a ph greater than ph 7 . 0 ). in one embodiment of the invention , the nanoparticle compound is introduced into the refinery stream at a ph greater than 1 . 0 . as encompassed by the present invention , the nanoparticle can be introduced into a refinery stream , adsorb a polar molecule contaminant onto its surface , and be separated from the refinery stream without changing the temperature of the refinery stream , for example , a hydrocarbon fluid . thus , in accordance with one embodiment , the methods of the invention includes maintaining a temperature of a refinery stream following introduction of the nanoparticle compound at a similar temperature as prior to the introduction of the nanoparticle compound . in other embodiments of the invention , the temperature of the refinery stream is increased or decreased before , after , or at the same time as the nanoparticle is introduced into the refinery stream . this is in contrast to prior art methods , for example , methods of removing contaminants using fixed bed assemblies , which require temperature changes in removing contaminants from a refinery stream . in one embodiment , the nanoparticle is introduced into a hydrocarbon stream at a temperature up to the magnetic phase transition temperature of the nanoparticle , or a magnetic compound present in the nanoparticle . in one non - limiting example , when the magnetic compound is magnetite , the nanoparticle can be introduced into a hydrocarbon stream at a temperature up to , for example , about 585 ° c . as encompassed by the present invention , the nanoparticle compound can be introduced into a refinery stream , for example a hydrocarbon fluid , adsorb a polar molecule compound onto its surface , and be separated from the refinery stream without changing the pressure of the refinery stream . thus , in accordance with one embodiment , the methods of the invention further include maintaining a pressure of the refinery stream following introduction of the nanoparticle compound at a similar pressure as before the introduction of the nanoparticle compound . in other embodiments of the invention , the pressure of the refinery stream is increased or decreased before , after , or at the same time as the nanoparticle compound is introduced into the refinery stream . this is in contrast to prior art methods , for example , methods of removing contaminants using fixed bed assemblies , which require pressure changes in the refinery stream to remove the contaminants . as contemplated by the present invention , the nanoparticle compound is introduced into a refinery stream , for example , a hydrocarbon fluid , in an amount effective to remove a polar molecule contaminant from the refinery stream . in one non - limiting embodiment , the nanoparticle compound is introduced into the refinery stream at a concentration of from about 0 . 01 weight % to about 99 weight %, from about 0 . 01 weight % to about 90 weight %, from about 0 . 01 weight % and 80 weight %, from about 0 . 01 weight % to about 70 weight %, from about 0 . 01 weight % to about 60 weight %, from about 0 . 01 weight % to about 50 weight %, from about 0 . 01 weight % to about 40 weight %, from about 0 . 01 weight % to about 30 weight %, from about 0 . 01 weight % to about 2 . 0 weight %, from about 0 . 01 weight % to about 10 weight %, from about 0 . 01 weight % to about 5 weight %, or from about 0 . 01 weight % to about 1 weight % of the refinery stream . in one non - limiting embodiment , the nanoparticle compound is introduced into the refinery stream at a concentration of from about 0 . 1 to about 15 weight % of the refinery stream . in one embodiment of the invention , the nanoparticle compound is introduced into the refinery stream , for example , a hydrocarbon fluid , at a concentration of 10 weight % of the refinery stream . in other embodiments , the nanoparticle compound is introduced into the refinery stream at a concentration of 1 weight % of the refinery stream . in accordance with another embodiment of the invention , the nanoparticle compound is introduced into a refinery stream , for example , a hydrocarbon fluid , in amount effective to reduce the concentration of polar molecule contaminants in the refinery stream . in one embodiment , the amount of nanoparticle compound introduced into the refinery stream is effective to reduce the concentration of polar molecule contaminants in the refinery stream from about 0 % to 100 %, or from about 0 to about 90 %, or from about 0 to about 80 %, or from about 0 to about 70 %, or from about 0 to about 60 %, or from about 0 to about 50 %, or from about 0 to about 40 %, or from about 0 to about 30 %, or from about 0 to about 20 %, or from about 0 to about 10 %, or from about 0 to about 5 %, or from about 0 to about 1 %. in accordance with one embodiment of the invention , the nanoparticle compound is a magnetic compound . because the compound is magnetic , and can be attracted or repelled by a magnetic field , the nanoparticle compound of the invention , and / or the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex , can be separated from a refinery stream , for example , a hydrocarbon fluid , by applying a magnetic field to the nanoparticle compound and / or the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex . in accordance with another embodiment of the invention , the nanoparticle compound can comprise any material that can be attracted to a magnetic field , for example , but not limited to , iron , nickel , cobalt , magnetite or mixtures thereof . in accordance with another embodiment of the invention , the nanoparticle compound can be separated from the refinery stream , for example , a hydrocarbon fluid , by applying a magnetic field to the nanoparticles . in one embodiment , the nanoparticle compound has a polar molecule contaminant adsorbed on its surface to form a nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex . in other embodiment , the polar molecule contaminant is absorbed into the nanoparticle compound to form a nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex . the magnetic field can attract or repel the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex to or away from the magnetic source so that the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex can be collected and removed from the refinery stream . the magnetic field can be produced by any means known in the art . according to one embodiment , separating the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex from a refinery stream , for example , a hydrocarbon fluid , includes applying a magnetic field to the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex to separate the complex from the hydrocarbon liquid fluid . in one embodiment , the nanoparticle compound or the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex can be separated from a refinery stream in the absence of a filter . in other embodiments , a filter is present . in other embodiments of the invention , a nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex can be removed from a fluid by passing the fluid comprising the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex through an apparatus , such as , but not limited to , a packing or filter that is magnetized , for example , by an electric current or an electromagnetic field . by passing the fluid through the magnetic apparatus , the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex can be attracted to or repelled from the apparatus , thereby removing the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex from the fluid passed through the apparatus . when the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex is attracted to the apparatus , the magnetic field can be turned off periodically to dislodge the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex attached to the apparatus . in yet other embodiments , the apparatus is not magnetized , and the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex is separated from the fluid by a physical interaction with the apparatus , such that the fluid passes through or around the apparatus , while the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex is bound to the apparatus . furthermore , the addition of a nanoparticle compound to a refinery stream , as described in connection with the present invention , can be combined with other techniques for reducing and / or mitigating polar molecule contamination . such techniques include , but are not limited to , fixed bed adsorption , as generally known in the art ( see , e . g ., u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 730 , 860 and 7 , 148 , 389 , which are each hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties ). following the removal of a nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex from a refinery stream , for example , a hydrocarbon fluid , the nanoparticle compound can be regenerated to removed the polar molecule contaminants adsorbed onto the surface of the nanoparticle compound , and increase the nanoparticle compound &# 39 ; s ability to adsorb additional polar molecule contaminants . in accordance with one embodiment , a nanoparticle compound of the present invention can be regenerated from a nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex by heating the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex . in one embodiment , regenerating the nanoparticle compound includes heating the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex at a temperature of at least about 250 ° c . in other non - limiting embodiments , a nanoparticle compound of the present invention can be regenerated from a nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex by heating the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex at a temperature above about 250 ° c . and below the magnetic phase transition temperature of the nanoparticle , or the magnetic compound present in the nanoparticle . in one non - limiting example , when the magnetic compound is magnetite , the nanoparticle can be heated at a temperature , for example , between about 250 ° c . and 585 ° c . in other embodiments of the invention , the nanoparticle compound can be regenerated from a nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex by contacting the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex with water , or any other polar liquid or solution . in one embodiment , regenerating the nanoparticle compound includes immersing the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complex in water . referring now to fig1 , there is shown an exemplary system and method according to one embodiment of the invention for removing a polar molecule contaminant from a fluid , for example , a hydrocarbon fluid . as shown in fig1 , magnetite nanoparticles ( 1 ) are introduced into a first tank ( 2 ) containing fluid ( 3 ) comprising polar molecule contaminants ( 4 ). the polar molecule contaminants are adsorbed onto the surface of the magnetite nanoparticles to form nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complexes ( 5 ). a magnetic force produced by a magnet ( 6 ) is then exerted on the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complexes , thereby attracting the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complexes towards the magnet , and the fluid removed from the first tank to a second tank ( 7 ), wherein the removed fluid is free from , or substantially free from , the nanoparticle compound - polar molecule complexes ( 5 ). the present invention is further described by means of the examples , presented below . the use of such examples is illustrative only and in no way limits the scope and meaning of the invention or of any exemplified term . likewise , the invention is not limited to any particular preferred embodiments described herein . indeed , many modifications and variations of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this specification . the invention is therefore to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims along with the full scope of equivalents to which the claims are entitled . sum frequency generation ( sfg ) was used to examine the affinity of asphaltene or porphyrine for sapphire , a high energy surface . sample of deuterated toluene that contain either asphaltene or porphyrine , two polar molecule contaminants , were contacted with sapphire . the sfg spectra of the interface between the sapphire and the toluene - asphaltene or toluene - porphyrine was generated . deuterated toluene does not produce any spectral features in the 2800 - 3200 cm − 1 and the spectral structures shown in fig2 are produced by asphaltene or porphyrine at the liquid / sapphire interface , indicating the adsorption of these two polar molecules onto the sapphire . this is concluded based on the fact that randomly oriented molecules at the interface do not produce any sfg signals . when molecules such as asphaltene and porphyrine adsorb onto the solid their random orientational arrangement is lifted and able to produce sfg signals . therefore , the sfg resonance features in the spectra , shown in fig2 , are the signatures of adsorbed asphaltene and porphyrine onto the solid surface . this demonstrates that these polar molecules have strong affinity toward high surface energy materials , such a sapphire . a toluene solution containing 250 ppm of asphaltene ( extracted from arab light crude ) was cleaned using 10 wt % of 40 - 60 nm magnetite particles . fig3 shows a toluene solution containing 250 ppm asphaltene to which no magnetite nanoparticles have been added ( 1 ), and a toluene solution containing 250 ppm asphaltene to which the nanoparticles have been added ( 2 ). the magnetite nanoparticles with adsorbed asphaltene in ( 2 ) have been attracted to a magnet ( 3 ) which exerted an attractive magnetic force on the magnetite nanoparticles . fig3 shows a reduction in asphaltene concentration only . the initial amounts of solvent in ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) were not identical , and the lower level of solution in ( 2 ) is not due to liquid uptake by the nanoparticles . 770 ppm of asphaltene ( extracted from arab light crude ) was prepared in toluene ( fig4 , solution 0 ). 10 wt % of 40 - 60 nm magnetite nanoparticles were then added to the solution and kept in contact with the solution for approximately five minutes . the nanoparticles were removed using a magnet ( fig4 , solution 1 ). 10 wt % of 40 - 60 nm magnetite nanoparticles were added to solution 1 . after approximately five minutes the nanoparticles were removed using a magnet ( fig4 , solution 2 ). 10 wt % of 40 - 60 nm magnetite nanoparticles were then added to solution 2 . after approximately five minutes the nanoparticles were removed using a magnet ( fig4 , solution 3 ). the uv - vis transmission spectrum of each solution was collected and the absorption was calculated . using the known value of the concentration of “ solution 0 ” and the measured value of the total uv - vis absorbance of each solution , the asphaltene concentration of each solution was determined . fig4 depicts a graph showing the asphaltene concentration for each solution , demonstrating the removal of asphaltene using magnetite nanoparticles . the initial 770 ppm concentration of asphaltene was reduced by 87 . 5 % after the first treatment with magnetic nanoparticles , and was reduced by about 100 % after the second treatment with the magnetite nanoparticles . 800 ppm of porphyrin solution was prepared in toluene ( fig5 , solution 0 ). 10 wt % of 40 - 60 nm magnetite nanoparticles were added to the solution and kept in contact with the solution for approximately five minutes . the nanoparticles were removed using a magnet ( fig5 , solution 1 ), 10 wt % of 40 - 60 nm magnetite particles were then added to solution 1 . after approximately five minutes the nanoparticles were removed using a magnet ( fig5 , solution 2 ). 10 wt % of 40 - 60 nm magnetite particles were then added to solution 2 . after approximately five minutes the nanoparticles were removed using a magnet ( fig5 , solution 3 ). 10 wt % of 40 - 60 nm magnetite particles were then added to solution 1 . after approximately five minutes the nanoparticles were removed using a magnet ( fig5 , solution 4 ). the uv - vis transmission spectrum of each solution was collected . using the known value of the concentration of “ solution 0 ” and the measured value of the total uv - vis absorbance of each solution , the porphyrin concentration of each solution was determined . fig5 depicts a graph showing the porphyrin concentration for each solution , demonstrating the removal of porphyrin using magnetite nanoparticles . the initial 800 ppm concentration of porphyrin was reduced by 37 . 5 % after the first treatment with magnetite nanoparticles , and was reduced by about 50 % after the second treatment with the magnetite nanoparticles . the concentration of porphyrin in solutions 3 and 4 remained at about 50 % of solution 0 following treatment . a solution containing naphthenic acid with a tan of 2 . 2 was prepared in hexadecane ( fig6 , solution 0 ). 10 wt % of 40 - 60 nm magnetite nanoparticles were then added to the solution and kept in contact with the solution for approximately five minutes . the nanoparticles were removed using a magnet ( fig6 , solution 1 ). next 10 wt % of 40 - 60 nm magnetite particles were added to solution 1 . after approximately five minutes the nanoparticles were removed using a magnet ( fig6 , solution 2 ). 10 wt % of 40 - 60 nm magnetite particles were then added to solution 2 . after approximately five minutes the nanoparticles were removed using a magnet ( fig6 , solution 3 ). the ftir spectrum of each solution was collected . using the known value of the concentration of “ solution 0 ” and the measured value of the total absorbance of ir for the acid group of each solution , the naphthenic acid concentration of each solution was determined and tan was calculated . fig6 depicts a graph showing tan for each solution , demonstrating the removal of naphthenic acid using magnetite nanoparticles . the initial concentration of naphthenic acid was reduced by 22 . 7 % after the first treatment with magnetite nanoparticles , by about 27 . 2 % after the second treatment with the magnetite nanoparticles , and by about 36 . 3 % after the third treatment with magnetite nanoparticles . a solution containing 823 ppm of asphaltene ( extracted from heavy arab crude ) in toluene was prepared . 10 wt % of 40 - 60 nm magnetite nanoparticles were added to the solution . the nanoparticles were then separated from the solution with a magnet . using the uv - vis spectrum of the original solution and the once - cleaned solution it was determined that 631 ppm of asphaltene was removed by the nanoparticles . following removal from the solution , the nanoparticles were left to dry overnight in an ambient environment and then placed in an air oven at 350 ° c . for one hour . the heat treated nanoparticles were then added to a freshly prepared solution of 823 ppm of asphaltene in toluene . after one minute the nanoparticles were removed from the solution using a magnet , and the uv - vis of the processed solution was recorded . the uv - vis spectrum reveals that 772 ppm was removed from the solution . thus , the polar removal capability of magnetite nanoparticles can be restored using heat . additionally , the polar molecule contaminant removal capability of the magnetite nanoparticles increases with heat treatment . a solution containing 823 ppm of asphaltene ( extracted from heavy arab crude ) in toluene was prepared . 10 wt % of 40 - 60 nm magnetite nanoparticles were added to the solution . the nanoparticles were removed from the solution after approximately five minutes using a magnet . using the uv - vis spectrum of the original solution and the once - cleaned solution , it was determined that 749 ppm of asphaltenes were removed by the nanoparticles . the removed nanoparticles were immersed in water for approximately five minutes . the nanoparticles were then separated from water using a magnet and left to dry in an ambient environment for 12 days . the water - treated nanoparticles were then added to a freshly prepared solution of 823 ppm of asphaltene in toluene . after approximately five minutes the nanoparticles were separated from the solution and the uv - vis of the processed solution was recorded . the uv - vis spectrum reveals that 644 ppm was removed from the solution . thus , the polar removal capability of the magnetite nanoparticles can be restored by immersing used nanoparticles in water . two equal amounts of 1000 ppm asphaltene ( extracted from heavy arab crude ) in toluene solution were prepared . in one solution 10 wt % of 40 - 60 nm magnetite nanoparticles were added . 1 wt % of 3 nm magnetite nanoparticles were added to the second solution . the nanoparticles were removed from the solutions after approximately five minutes using a magnet . the uv - vis spectra of the cleaned solutions revealed that the concentration of asphaltene was reduced to 91 and 87 ppm , in the first and the second solution , respectively . fig7 shows the nanoparticle - cleaned solutions to which 10 wt % of 40 - 60 nm magnetite nanoparticles ( 1 ) and to which 1 wt % of 3 nm magnetite nanoparticles were added ( 2 ). alongside the two cleaned solutions is a 1000 ppm ( uncleaned ) reference solution ( 3 ). the present invention is not to be limited in scope by the specific embodiments described herein . indeed , various modifications of the invention in addition to those described herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description and the accompanying figures . such modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims . patents , patent applications , publications , product descriptions and protocols are cited throughout this application , the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties for all purpose .	2
these compounds are known per se . a certain number of methods by which they can be synthesised can be found in the literature . the cyclic derivatives of formula i can be prepared for example by the following process carried out in two stages : in the first stage , an anhydrous α - glycol is reacted with anhydrous phosphorus trichloride in solution in dichloromethane to form a cyclic glycol chlorophosphite in accordance with the following reaction scheme : ## equ3 ## since this reaction is highly exothermic , the reaction mixture has to be cooled . the solvent is eliminated by distillation after about 1 . 5 hours , the resulting product being distilled under reduced pressure . in a second stage , the chlorophosphite in solution in dioxan is hydrolysed by the addition of water in accordance with the following reaction : ## equ4 ## the evolution of hydrochloric acid is promoted by maintaining a temperature around ambient temperature and a reduced pressure . it is also possible to obtain the same compounds by transesterifying diethylphosphite in the presence of an α - glycol ( oswald , can . chem . vol . 37 , page 1498 ). unfortunately , the products obtained by these two methods contain not only the cyclic derivative , but also more viscous derivatives . one method of obtaining the cyclic product is to hydrolyse the cyclic chlorine - containing derivative with a stoichiometric quantity of water in the presence of a hydrochloric acid acceptor . it is known ( cf . journ . amer . chem . soc . 1972 , page 5491 ) that certain cyclic phosphonates corresponding to the above formulae in which y &# 39 ; and y &# 34 ; are hydrogen whilst z &# 39 ; and z &# 34 ; represent hydrogen on the one hand and a methyl on the other hand , or both represent hydrogen or a methyl , are readily soluble in water and give a neutral solution which gradually acidifies due presumably to hydrolysis into monohydroxyalkyl phosphite . in other words , when the cyclic compounds of formula i are in contact with water , there is an equilibrium between the cyclic form and the form resulting from opening of the ring by hydrolysis . in practice , an aqueous composition of one of the cyclic derivatives contains a mixture of both forms . this reaction is more complete in alkaline medium . we have found that the cyclic compounds of formula i , irrespective of whether they have been obtained by one or other of the methods described above , undergo ring - opening in aqueous medium to form at least partly linear compounds corresponding to formulae iia and iib . in addition , analysis has shown that the viscous products referred to above are oligomers of compounds corresponding to formulae iia and iib . these oligomers are also present in compositions based on cyclic compounds which have been stored . this explains why the fungicidal compositions according to the invention can contain active materials corresponding to the different formulae . thus , if the starting product is a cyclic compound of formula ( i ), this compound , on being dissolved in water or in a medium containing water , or even if it is merely in contact with water , is progressively partially hydrolysed to give linear compounds of formulae ( iia ) and ( iib ), the composition ultimately used being formed by a mixture more or less rich in one or other of the different structures , each of which has similar fungicidal properties . the compounds of general formulae iia and iib can thus be prepared by the preferably alkaline hydrolysis of corresponding cyclic derivatives . they can also be obtained by known methods for preparing monoesters of phosphorous acid for example ( journal of the chemical faculty of the russian chemical academy , 1972 , vol . 42 , page 1930 ) by dealkylating the corresponding diesters with metal halides in accordance with the following reaction : ## equ5 ## the same result can also be obtained by treating a dialkyl phosphite with a base ( soda or ammonia ). in this case ( cf . journ . org . chem . 1962 , page 2521 ), the aforementioned ammonium salt is obtained . we have also found that , during storage , the compounds according to the invention show a tendency towards condensation to form much more viscous oligomers . these compounds in turn readily give the active compounds of formulae iia and iib by dissolution in water or by contact with water , as explained above . the following examples illustrate the preparation and use of the compounds according to the invention . preparation of 2 - hydroxy - 4 - methyl - 1 , 3 , 2 - dioxaphospholane , o -( 2 - hydroxypropyl )- phosphonate and o -( 1 - methyl - 2 - hydroxy - ethyl )- phosphonate ( compound nos . 1 , 5 and 6 ). a . in a first method , 4 - methyl - 2 - oxo - 2h - 1 , 3 , 2 - dioxaphospholane is synthesised by hydrolysing 4 - methyl - 2 - chloro - 1 , 3 , 2 - dioxaphospholane in the presence of a hydrochloric acid acceptor , such as pyridine , in accordance with the following reaction : ## equ6 ## 28 . 1 g ( 0 . 2 mole ) of chlorophosphite are dissolved in 250 ml of anhydrous toluene and the resulting solution cooled while stirring to below 15 ° c . this is followed by the gradual introduction of 3 . 6 g ( 0 . 2 mole ) of water in solution in 15 . 8 g ( 0 . 2 mole ) of anhydrous pyridine . on completion of the addition , the temperature of the reactants is allowed to rise to 20 ° c . the pyridine hydrochloride is filtered and the toluene removed in vacuo . the residue , in the form of a fluid oil , is distilled in vacuo . this mobile liquid which has a geranium odor is soluble in all organic solvents . the nmr spectrum indicates that the product ( compound 1 ) is a mixture of 2 isomers of cyclic form . elemental analysis c % h % p % calculated 29 . 50 5 . 74 25 . 40found 29 . 33 6 . 13 25 . 48 the product is then dissolved in acetonitrile and one equivalent of water added to the resulting solution . removal of the solvent leaves a liquid product ( n d 20 = 1 . 4528 ) containing 97 % of a mixture of the following compounds : ## equ7 ## and ## equ8 ## centesimal analysis for c 3 h 9 o 4 p analysis c % h % p % calculated 25 . 71 6 . 43 22 . 14found 25 . 76 6 . 18 22 . 17 b . in another method , 1 mole of anhydrous 1 , 2 - propyleneglycol is reacted with 1 mole of anhydrous phosphorus trichloride in solution in dibromomethane . the chloro - phosphite of propylene glycol is quantitatively obtained in accordance with the following reaction : ## equ9 ## since the reaction is exothermic , the reaction mixture is cooled . after about 1 . 5 hours , the solvent is removed by distillation and the resulting product distilled under reduced pressure . this is followed by the addition of two equivalents of water to one equivalent of chloro - phosphite in solution in acetonitrile . c . the method described by oswald ( j . can . chem . vol . 37 , page 1498 ) is used with diethylphosphite and propylene glycol in accordance with the following scheme ; ## equ10 ## a mixture of 1 mole of each of the reactants is heated to 120 ° c - 130 ° c under a pressure of 120 mmhg until distillation of the glycol has stopped , which takes about 3 hours . the distilled product , obtained in a yield of 71 %, is a colourless viscous oil with an index n d 20 of 1 . 469 and a boiling point of 106 ° - 107 ° c / 10 . sup . - 3 mmhg . this oil is soluble in water , alcohol , acetone , and insoluble in aromatic solvents . analysis c % h % p % calculated 29 . 50 5 . 74 25 . 40found 30 . 69 6 . 24 22 . 46 the corresponding open derivatives are obtained in the same way as described above in ( a ). d . the method adopted is the method described by mandelbaum et al in c . a . 69 , 43338h ( 1968 ) for the production of dialkylphosphites , comprising reacting phosphorus trichloride with a mixture of propylene glycol and methanol at a temperature below - 15 ° c . removal in vacuo of the hydrocrloric acid and methylene chloride leaves compound 1 whose structure is confirmed by infra - red spectrum . compounds 5 and 6 can be obtained from compound 1 as described above in ( a ). the o -( 2 - hydroxypropyl )- phosphite obtained in example 1 is neutralised and dissolved in water by the addition of normal caustic soda . a virtreous , highly hygroscopic product is obtained by precipitation . centesimal analysis for c 3 h 8 nao 4 p analysis c % h % p % calculated 22 , 22 4 , 94 13 , 66found 21 , 83 5 , 11 13 , 77 practically a mixture of the predicted compound with the sodium o -( 1 - methyl 2 - hydroxyethyl ) phosphite isomer is obtained . ( compound no . 17 ).&# 34 ; the procedure is as described above , except that the soda is replaced by ammonia . a vitreous , highly hygroscopic product is obtained by precipitation . centesimal analysis for c 3 h 12 no 4 p analysis c % h % n % p % calculated 22 , 93 7 , 64 8 , 92 19 , 75found 22 , 88 7 , 93 8 , 82 19 , 52 practically a mixture of the predicted compound with the ammonium 0 -( 1 - methyl , 2 - hydroxyethyl ) phosphite isomer is obtained ( compound no . 18 )&# 34 ;. the procedure is as in example 2 , except that the soda is replaced by monoethanolamine . a vitreoous , highly hygroscopic product is obtained by precipitation . the procedure is as in example 2 except that the soda is replacd by calcium hydroxide and barium hydroxide , respectively . the corresponding salts are obtained . following the procedure of example 1 , method b ), 4 - chloromethyl - 2 - chloro - 1 , 3 , 2 - dioxaphospholane is hydrolyzed in solution in methylene chloride with two equivalents of water . the liquid obtained , of index n d 20 = 1 . 5008 , contains approximately 93 % of a mixture of the following two isomeric compounds : ## equ11 ## and ## equ12 ## analysis c % h % p % cl % calculated 20 . 63 4 . 58 17 . 77 20 . 34found 20 . 58 4 . 94 17 . 66 20 . 18 2 - chloro - 2 , 3 , 2 - dioxaphospholane is hydrolysed in the same way as described in example 1 , method b ), giving a liquid which is soluble in water and which contains the required product , as shown by the nmr - spectrum . preparation of diethylammonium salts of o -( 2 - hydroxy propyl ) phosphite ( compound no . 20 ) and o -( 1 - methyl 2 - hydroxy ethyl ) phosphite ( compound no . 21 ). the procedure is as described above in example 2 , except that the soda is replaced by diethylamine . a liquid ( n d 20 = 1 . 452 ) is obtained by precipitation with a quantitative yield . centesimal analysis for c 7 h 20 no 4 p analysis c % h % n % p % calculated 39 , 4 9 , 38 6 , 57 14 , 55found 39 , 49 9 , 11 6 , 56 14 , 70 preparation of salts of respectively dimethyl - diethyl -, and diisopropylammonium of o -( 2 - hydroxy - ethyl ) phosphite ( compounds no . 22 , 23 and 24 ) the procedure is as described in example 2 , except that the soda is respectively replaced by dimethyl ), diethyl -, and diisopropylamine . the final products are liquids which are obtained with a quantitative yield . ______________________________________compound molecular ref . index centesimal analysis anal - calcul . found n . sub . d . sup . 20 ysis______________________________________ c % 28 , 25 27 , 65 h % 8 , 18 8 , 1122 c . sub . 4 h . sub . 14 no . sub . 4 p 1 , 458 n % 8 , 18 7 , 78 p % 18 , 13 18 , 34 c % 36 , 18 36 , 41 h % 9 , 05 9 , 1523 c . sub . 6 h . sub . 18 no . sub . 4 p 1 , 458 n % 7 , 04 7 , 12 p % 15 , 58 15 , 63 c % 42 , 3 42 . 16 h % 9 , 7 10 , 0424 c . sub . 8 h . sub . 22 no . sub . 4 p 1 , 4625 n 6 , 17 6 , 20 p 13 , 66 13 , 77______________________________________ the products according to the invention are tested for their effect on the mycelian growth of the following fungi : the &# 34 ; agar plate dilution &# 34 ; method is used for each test . a mixture of gelose and an acetone solution or a wettable powder containing the material to be tested in a concentration of 0 . 25 g / l , is poured into a petri dish at a temperature of around 50 ° c . the wettable powder is prepared by mixing the following ingredients for 1 minute in a cutter mill : - active material to be tested 20 % deflocculant ( calcium lignosulphate ) 5 % wetting agent ( sodium alkylaryl sulphate ) 1 % filler ( aluminium silicate ) 74 % this wettable powder is then mixed with a quantity of water for a single application in the required dose . the gelose - containing mixture is allowed to solidify and discs of mycelian culture of the fungus placed on it . a petri dish similar to the other petri dish , except that the gelose medium does not contain active material , is used as control . after 4 days at 20 ° c , the surface area of the inhibition zone observed is evaluated and expressed as a percentage of the inoculated surface area . ______________________________________fungus % inhibition product no . 1 product no . 2______________________________________rhizoctonia 50 50fusarium oxysporum 60 60fusarium nivale 78 65fusarium roseum 60 70sclerotinia minor 83 100sclerotinia sclerotiorum -- 50pythium 100 100phomopsis 50 50septoria 95 70helminthosporium 83 70verticillium 100 100cercospora -- 90gloesporium 60 -- ______________________________________ the products according to the invention are tested for their action on pythium de baryanum in cucumbers . the following procedure is adopted for each test : a medium containing a culture of the fungus is mixed with a sterilised earth and pots filled with the resulting mixture . after 8 days , the earth is infested . it is then treated by spraying with a suspension of the active material to be tested in various concentrations . the active material is in the form of a wettable powder prepared as described in example 1 . the results of the test are assessed 15 days after sowing of the seeds by counting the number of destroyed or sick plants in relation to an untreated control and a non - contaminated control . under these conditions , products 1 and 2 afford complete protection in a dose of 0 . 5 g / l . one drop of a mixture of a suspension of spores containing approximately 80 , 000 units per cc , and of a suspension in the required dilution of a wettable powder of the same composition as that described in example 8 , in the case of an insoluble product , or of an acetone solution , is applied to freshly cut tomato leaves . under these conditions , products 1 and 2 afford complete protection in a dose of 0 . 5 g / l , whilst product 1 affords adequate protection in a dose of 0 . 125 g / l . pot - grown vine plants are treated by spraying the underneath of their leaves with an aqueous suspension of a wettable powder having the following composition by weight : - active material to be tested 20 % deflocculant ( calcium lignosulphate ) 5 % wetting agent ( sodium alkylaryl sulphonate ) 1 % filler ( aluminium silicate ) 74 % in the required dilution containing the active material to be tested in the appropriate dose . each test is repeated twice . after 48 hours , the plants are infected by spraying the underneath of their leaves with an aqueous suspension containing approximately 80 , 000 units per cc of spores of the selected fungus . the pots are then placed for 48 hours in an incubation cell at 20 ° c / 100 % relative humidity . under these conditions , compounds 1 , 2 , 3 and 5 to 16 afford complete protection in a dose of 0 . 5 g , compounds 5 to 23 also afford complete protection in a dose of only 0 . 25 g / l , whilst the cyclic compound , compound no . 1 , has a distinctly inadequate effect . in addition , none of the products tested showed the least sign of phytotoxicity . the base of several vine stocks ( gamay variety ) each accommodated in a pot containing vermiculite and a nutritive solution , are sprayed with 40 cc of a solution containing 0 . 1 g / l of the material to be tested . after 2 days , the vine is contaminated with an aqueous suspension containing 100 , 000 spores per cc of plasmopara viticola . the vine thus treated is left to incubate for 48 hours in a room at 20 ° c / 100 % relative humidity . the degree of infestation is observed after about 7 days in relation to an infested control sprayed with 40 cc of distilled water . under these conditions , compounds 1 and 5 to 23 absorbed by the roots provide the vine leaves with complete protection against mildew , which clearly demonstrates the systemic character of these compounds . several vine stocks ( gamay variety ), each accommodated in a pot containing a mixture of pure earth and sand , are treated at the stage of 7 leaves by spraying a wettable powder containing 1 g / l of the active material to be tested onto the underneath of the 4 lowest leaves . this is followed by incubation for 48 hours in a room at 20 ° c / 100 % relative humidity . the degree of infestation is noted after about 7 days on the fifth to seventh leaves , counting from the bottom upwards , in relation to a control which has been treated with distilled water . under these conditions , compounds nos . 1 and 5 to 23 provide the uppermost leaves of the vine with complete protection against mildew . the systemic effect observed in the preceding example is confirmed when the active material is applied to leaves . groups of vine stocks ( gamay ) are naturally infested at the beginning of the month of august , following abundant rainfall and frequent watering . these groups of vine stocks are then treated after 8 , 14 and 23 days , respectively , with 50 % &# 34 ; slurries &# 34 ; of wettable powders respectively containing as active material compound no . 1 , manganese ethylene - 1 , 2 - bis - dithiocarbamate , or manebe , and a mixture of these two compounds . the following table shows the results of observations made 2 , 8 , 20 , 35 and 45 days , respectively , after the final treatment . these results are expressed in percentage protection in relation to a contaminated , but untreated control . ______________________________________active material dose observation after g / l 2 8 20 35 45 days days days days days______________________________________compound no . 1 2 100 70 15 10 0manebe 1 . 2 95 93 88 77 70compound no . 1 2 + 100 100 100 95 90 1 . 2______________________________________ this table clearly illustrates , on the one hand , the excellent immediate action of compound no . 1 , on the other hand the remarkable persistence of the mixture , which is greater than that of manebe used on its own , and finally the absence of phytotoxicity of compound no . 1 on vine . several groups of 10 vine stocks ( gamay variety ) are subjected from spring to the beginning of august to regular , very fine spraying so as to produce heavy contamination with mildew . the groups of vine stocks are treated respectively with a known fungicide ( manganese dithiocarbamate , or manebe , and n -( trichloromethylthio )- phthalimide ) used in the standard dose , and with compound no . 5 . at the end of august , the percentage of leaves affected by mildew is counted for each group . ______________________________________active material dose in % of sick leaves g / hl______________________________________compound no 5 300 1 . 8manebe 280 4 . 3folpel 150 25control -- 90______________________________________ this table clearly illustrates the superiority of the compounds according to the invention over known anti - mildew fungicides . it should be noted that results similar to those produced by compound no . 5 are obtained with compound no . 1 of the parent patent . several groups of 10 vine stocks ( gamay variety ) are treated against mildew ( plasmopara vitricola ) from spring to the beginning of august ( 10 treatments ) with a 50 % wettable powder ( unless indicated otherwise ) containing known fungicides ( copper oxychloride , manebe , folpel , n -( trichloromethylthio )- 3a , 4 , 7 , 7a - tetrahydro - phthalimide or captane and n -( 1 , 1 , 2 , 2 - tetrachloroethylthio )- 3a , 4 , 7 , 7a - tetrahydrophthalimide or captafol ) in the standard dose , on the one hand alone and , on the other hand with a dose 2 to 3 times lower in admixture with 300 g / hl of compound no . 5 . protection is observed on the 31st of august and then on the 27th september . the following table shows the results expressed as a percentage of the surface area of the patches of mildew in relation to the total surface area of the leaves . ______________________________________known fungicide + compound % of the surface area of the leaves protected 31 / 8 27 / 9______________________________________copper oxychloride500 -- 90 90120 -- 80 60120 300 100 95manebe280 -- 95 95120 -- 70 70120 300 97 . 5 90captane175 -- 85 70 70 -- 70 40 70 300 96 . 5 70captafol160 -- 85 85 70 -- 70 70 70 300 100 95folpel150 -- 85 85 70 -- 70 60 70 300 97 . 5 85______________________________________ these results clearly demonstrate the remarkable ability of the compounds according to the invention to afford , in combination with low doses of known fungicides , distinctly better protection than that afforded by these fungicides used in the standard dose . it should also be noted that , when used under the same conditions as compound no . 5 , compound no . 1 gives similar results . finally , tests on tobacco and hops have shown that compounds nos . 1 and 5 are active in protecting these plants against mildew without any signs of phytotoxicity . these examples clearly demonstrate the remarkable fungicidal properties of the compounds according to the invention , namely the wide spectrum comprising ground fungi and mildews , and in their case , an immediate , systemic and inhibiting action and the absence of phytotoxicity on vine . accordingly , the compounds according to the invention can be used generally for protecting plants against fungus disease and , more particularly , the vine against mildew , both in preventive and in curative treatment . they can be used either on their own or in admixture with one another and , in particular , with cyclic compounds of formula i and open compounds corresponding to formulae iia and iib , and in association with known fungicides such as metallic dithiocarbamates ( manebe , zinebe , mancozebe ), basic salts or hydroxides of copper , ( tetrahydro )- phthalimides ( captane , captafol , folpel ), methyl n -( 1 - butyl - carbamoyl )- 2 - benzimidazole carbamate ( benomyl ), methyl n - 2 - benzimidazole carbamate , etc ., either in order to complete the spectrum of activity of the compounds according to the invention or to increase their presistence . by virtue of these properties , the compounds according to the invention can be used for protecting plants against fungus disease , more especially in agriculture , arboiculture , horticulture , market gardening and , more particularly , in viticuluture , and for the treatment of seeds . for practical application , the compounds according to the invention are rarely used on their own . more often they form part of formulations generally comprising a support and / or a surfactant in addition to the active material according to the invention . in the context of the invention , a support is an organic or mineral , natural or synthetic material with which the active material is asssociated to facilitate its application to the plant , to seeds or to the soil , or its transportation or handling . the support can be solid ( clays , natural or synthetic silicates , resins , waxes , solid fertilisers ....) or fluid ( water , alcohol , ketones , petroleum fractions , chlorinated hydrocarbons , liquefied gases ). the surfactant can be an ionic or non - ionic emulsifier , dispersant or wetting agent such as , for example , salts of polyacrylic acids , lignin - sulphonic acids , condensates of ethylene oxide with fatty alcohols , fatty acids or fatty amines . the compositions according to the invention can be prepared in the form of wettable powders , dusting powders , granulates , solutions , emulsifiable concentrates , emulsions , suspended concentrates and aerosols . the wettable powders are normally prepared in such a way that they contain from 20 to 85 % by weight of active material . in addition to a solid support , they normally contain from 0 to 5 % by weight of a wetting agent , from 3 to 10 % by weight of a dispersant and , when necessary , from 0 to 10 % by weight of one or more stabilisers and / or other additives , such as penetration agents , adhesives or anti - lumping agents , colourants , etc . for example , a wettable powder can have the following composition : - active material 50 % calcium lignosulphate ( deflocculant ) 5 % anionic wetting agent 1 % anti - lumping silica 5 % kaolin ( filler ) 39 % aqueous dispersions and emulsions , for example compositions obtained by diluting with water a wettable powder or an emulsifiable concentrate such as described above , are included within the general scope of the invention . these aqueous compositions are of considerable practical significance . due to the hydrolysis reactions of the compounds of formula i , the preparation of compositions of this kind spontaneously produces corresponding compounds iia and iib so that the compositions often contain a mixture of the two types of compounds . these emulsions can also be of the water - in - oil type or of the oil - in - water type and they can have a thick consistency resembling that of a mayonnaise . the compositions according to the invention can contain other ingredients , for example protective colloids , adhesives or thickeners , thixotropic agents , stabilisers or sequestrants , and other active materials known to have pesticidal properties , in particular acaricides or insecticides .	2
fig1 is a floor care apparatus 2 of one embodiment of the present invention that comprises a chassis 6 that supports a steerable front wheel 10 and a plurality of rear wheels 14 . one of skill in the art will appreciate that the apparatus shown is traditionally used for floor scrubbing operations . the floor care apparatus of embodiments of the present invention , however , may also be used for finish removal and include a floor treating assembly 18 that houses at least one sanding pad 22 . although two pads 22 are shown , one of skill in the art will appreciate that any number of pads 22 , or brushes , or any other type or combination of floor treating device known in the art may be employed . a broom or squeegee 26 is located behind the floor treating assembly 18 and in front of the rear wheels 14 . in one embodiment of the present invention , two pads 22 with a surface adapted for removing finish treatment are employed . preferably , a 3m scotch brite ® surface preparation pad is integrated into the brush or wrapped around a brush core of existing manufacturer , which will be described in further detail below with respect to fig3 . the pad 22 may be wrapped around the core in a spiral fashion as disclosed in wo 2009 / 149 , 722 , which is incorporated by reference herein . in addition , core of one embodiment is interconnected to the floor cleaning apparatus by bearings as also disclosed in the &# 39 ; 722 application . as mentioned above , the floor care apparatus comprises two pads 22 for removal of finish . in other embodiments of the present invention , however , a front pad 22 f is adapted for removing layers of floor treatment while the rear pad 22 r is used for scrubbing the floor to remove debris . the scrubbing pad or brush 22 r may be cylindrical as shown or may be disk shaped and rotate along an axis perpendicular to the surface being cleaned . it should be understood that any cleaning device may be used in conjunction with the contemplated sanding pad 22 . one skilled in the art will further appreciate that any of the features disclosed in the references listed below may be used with the floor care apparatus without departing from the scope of the invention . for example , the floor care apparatus shown may be either walk - behind or ride - on . the chassis 6 includes a tank of water cleaning solution that is mixed with cleaning solution or premixed , such as soap water , and a recovery tank . as the floor care apparatus 2 traverses the floor , the front brush 22 f sands the floor to remove a layer or layers of finish of predetermined thickness . nozzles located behind the front brush 22 f spray water or cleaning solution on the sanded floor capture the dust and debris generated by the front brush 22 f . the second brush 22 r uses the cleaning solution to scrub the floor and a squeegee 26 , or any other fluid capturing device , and suctioning system to direct the dirty solution and debris into a recovery tank . additional nozzles positioned in front of the sanding brush 22 f may be used that spray chemical or other finish softening agents to the floor . still other embodiments of the present invention may be completely dry wherein a plurality of sanding brushes are used and debris is collected by a broom and vacuum system . referring now to fig2 , a smaller walk - behind floor care apparatus 2 is shown that is controlled via a rotatable handle 30 interconnected to a motor and solution housing 34 . a plurality of sanding pads 22 are located under the motor and are urged against the floor by the weight of the motor . this embodiment of the present invention is primarily used for wet finish removal operations wherein two pads 22 counter rotate which allows the apparatus to “ float ” and thus be more controllable . the weight of the gas or electrically powered motor , cleaning solution , and associated components will dictate the amount of force applied by the brushes , and , thus , the amount of finish removed . the apparatus also includes a squeegee 26 f ahead of the front brush 22 f and a squeegee rear 26 r of the rear brush 22 r that collect cleaning solution and debris from the floor . using two squeegees also allows the apparatus to be used in two directions . a series of wheels or other propelling mechanisms may be incorporated into the floor treating apparatus to provide a propulsion . referring now to fig3 , a pad employed by some embodiments of the present invention is shown that wrapped around a core 38 that is associated with an axle 42 . the axle 42 rotates around a longitudinal axis 46 that is positioned generally parallel to the surface being cleaned and perpendicular to the direction of floor care apparatus travel . the pad 22 may be firmly associated with the core 38 or may be selectively removable therefrom . further , the pad 22 may be formed in a single piece that is wrapped around the core 42 or may be of a clam shell configuration comprising two or more interconnected or closely associated pieces that extend the width of the core 38 . the pad 22 may alternatively be slip fit onto the core 38 . fig4 shows another embodiment of the pad that includes a flap cylinder 50 with a plurality of pads 22 operatively interconnected thereto . one edge 54 of the pad 22 is associated with the cylinder 50 and the outer edge 58 of the pad 22 is located outwardly from the core . although shown with a continuous external surface , one skilled in the art will appreciate that the pad may have a varied external pattern to facilitate removal of debris from the floor and expulsion of dust and debris from the pad material to prevent clogging . while various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail , it is apparent that modifications and alterations of those embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art . however , it is to be expressly understood that such modifications and alterations are within the scope and spirit of the present invention , as set forth in the following claims . further , the invention ( s ) described herein is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways . in addition , it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting . the use of “ including ,” “ comprising ,” or “ having ” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items . this application is related to u . s . pat . no . 5 , 555 , 596 , entitled “ floor cleaning apparatus ”; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 485 , 653 , entitled “ floor cleaning apparatus ”; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 628 , 086 , entitled “ floor cleaning apparatus with squeegee mounting system ”; and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 608 , 947 , entitled “ floor cleaning apparatus with pre - filter ”; the entire disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein . this application is also related to u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 059 , 663 , filed feb . 15 , 2005 , now u . s . pat . no . 7 , 533 , 435 , which is a continuation - in - part of u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 737 , 027 , filed dec . 15 , 2003 , now abandoned , which is a continuation - in - part of u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 438 , 485 , filed may 14 , 2003 , now abandoned , the entire disclosures of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein . this application is also related to u . s . patent application publication nos . 2009 / 0094784 , 2006 / 0064844 , 2006 / 0124770 , and 2006 / 0156498 , and u . s . patent application no . 2011 / 0023248 , the entire disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein . this application is also related to pending u . s . patent application ser . no . 12 / 912 , 554 , filed oct . 26 , 2010 , the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein .	0
advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings . referring to the drawings in greater detail wherein like reference numerals refer to similar or identical parts throughout the various views , several embodiments of the present invention and methods of practicing the present invention will be considered . in one aspect , the invention provides a method for compensating for component characteristic drift in pixel circuit for driving light emitting devices . a two transistor one capacitor ( 2t1c ) active matrix display pixel circuit is described wherein the second transistor features dual gate and the capacitor is connected between the first gate and the drain of the second transistor . alternatively the second dual - gate transistor can be implemented as two single - gate transistors . a light emitting diode is driven with the drain current of the second transistor . the second gate of the second transistor is energized during the programming period of the pixel to pre - charge the pixel capacitance . during the holding phase of the pixel , the second gate of the second transistor is de - energized , allowing the capacitor in the feedback loop to favorably control the voltage on the first gate thus stabilizing the drain current of the second transistor in view of variations that the second transistor or light emitting device can manifest over time . one embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig4 representing a pixel circuit 100 in an active matrix display . the circuit includes a first sg or dg transistor ( m 1 ), a second dg transistor m 2 , a capacitor cp , and a light emitting device led . the light emitting device could be a light emitting diode , an organic light emitting diode , a quantum - dot light emitting device , or any other current stimulated light emitting device . m 1 receives signals v scan on its gate . the first source - drain terminal of m 1 receives v data . the second source - drain terminal of m 1 is connected to the first gate g 1 of m 2 ( 110 ). the second gate g 2 of m 2 ( 120 ) is connected to the v scan signal . the source s of m 2 is held at a common voltage , while the drain d is connected to the cathode of the led . the led anode is connected to the supply voltage vdd . the capacitor cp is connected between the first gate g 1 and drain d or m 2 . in the circuit of fig4 , m 1 acts as a switch . the gate of m 1 receives the v scan signal to control the on or off state of m 1 . a high v scan signal would turn m 1 on , and a low v scan signal would turn it off ( for the circuit in fig4 ). when m 1 is turned on , v data is passed from the first source - drain terminal of m 1 to the second source - drain terminal of m 1 , thus applying v data to g 1 of m 2 . the second gate g 2 of m 2 is driven by v scan signal or other appropriate switching voltage level switched simultaneously with the v scan signal . the v scan and v data signal waveforms are shown in fig5 . the v scan and v data signal waveforms are similar to what is commonly used in active matrix displays and is common knowledge for those of ordinary skill in the art . we explain it here for completeness . v scan periodically pulses , thus addressing a particular row of pixels by connecting the row pixels to a column bus for a short period of time . this is done through the switching action of m 1 . v data remains substantially stable during the time m 1 is switched on to allow settling and voltage programming of the first gate g 1 of m 2 . once v scan is removed , the pixel substantially maintains the programmed voltage within its capacitor cp , until the next frame is refreshed . fig6 shows key operating points for the circuit 100 in fig4 as v scan is sequenced . referring jointly to fig4 and fig6 the operation of the circuit is as follows . during the short v scan pulse , the gates g 1 and g 2 of m 2 are biased with v g1 = v data and v g2 = v scan , respectively . for this case , the dual - gate transistor m 2 operating point is in point a with v ds ( m 2 )= v 1 as shown in fig6 . the strong current contribution from the g 2 channel of m 2 pushes v 1 to be substantially low . during this time , the capacitor is programmed to ( v data − v 1 ) voltage . after the programming , v scan goes low . then , the circuit automatically establishes a new , smaller value of led current since the current from the channel of the second gate g 2 is excluded . without a capacitance cp placed in the feedback between drain d and the first gate g 1 of m 2 , the m 2 operating point would be at point c with v ds ( m 2 )= v 3 as shown in fig6 . instead , due to the feedback capacitance cp , the voltage transient at the drain of m 2 is transferred back to g 1 increasing the voltage at the first gate g 1 by the amount of δvg . because of this negative feedback loop the steady state operating point when v scan is turned off leads to a final operating point at point b with v ds ( m 2 )= v 2 and v g1 = v data + δvg as shown in fig6 . δvg can be expressed as : where c gd ( m 2 ), c gs ( m 2 ) and c gs ( m 1 ) are corresponding gate - drain , and gate - source overlapping capacitances of m 1 and m 2 , respectively , and m is a parameter approaching unity for sufficiently large cp . during the holding period with v scan low , the led current is determined by the voltage of g 1 as : with m 2 operating in saturation . the drain current of m 2 in saturation is given by i d ( m 2 )≈ β ×( v data − v th + δv g ) α , ( 3 ) where β is the gain coefficient , v th is the m 2 threshold voltage and α is the power low parameter . it is clear that the additional term δvg in ( 3 ) will compensate any v th drift if ∂ v th /∂( δv g )= 1 . using a linear approximation for the led curve in the range of v dd − v ds ≧ v p , the led current is expressed as : i oled ≈( v dd − v ds − v p )/ r d , for v dd − v ds ≧ v p ( 4 ) where v p is the led threshold voltage shown in fig6 . in this region and for the purpose of this analysis , the led dynamic resistance r d =∂ v oled /∂ i oled can be considered constant due to the inherently large series resistance of led . by combining equations ( 1 ), ( 2 ), ( 3 ) and ( 4 ), and with α ≈ 2 , v 1 ≈ const , r d ≈ const and v ds ≈ v 2 , it can be shown that : for in m · β · r d & gt ;& gt ; 1 , equation ( 5 ) reduces to ∂ v th /∂( δv g )≈ 1 , meaning that the led current becomes immune to the v th drift and deterioration . the above analytical conclusions can be more precisely demonstrated through circuit simulation . one example is shown in fig7 . the graph in fig7 shows relative led current degradation due to a 1 . 5v v th shift of m 2 for different programming voltages v data . while the relative degradation in the conventional pixel is more than 75 %, the present invention delivers degradation of less than 1 . 5 %. in addition , fig8 shows a comparison between the i - v characteristics of the pixel circuit of fig4 and the conventional pixel of prior art . an advantageous linear i - v characteristic of new pixel circuit is clearly observed in fig7 owning to a beneficial influence of the δvg term in equation ( 3 ), whereas a conventional pixel circuit exhibits substantial nonlinearity of its programming characteristics . the relative led current degradation plotted in fig7 is found as : fig9 shows additional benefits of the present invention in that it reduces the display degradation due to led &# 39 ; s non - uniformity and aging . if the led &# 39 ; s i - v curve changes due to aging or to pixel - to - pixel nonuniformity , the voltage difference ( v 2 − v 1 ) will change too , which in turn reflects in a favorable change in δv g that will correct the voltage at the first gate g 1 of m 2 thus compensating for the degradation in led . fig9 shows an example simulation that shows great improvement afforded by present invention compared to the conventional case . the driver current deviation plotted in fig9 is calculated as : the pixel circuit 100 shown in fig4 thus overcomes the drawbacks existing in the conventional active matrix pixel driving circuits while reducing the transistor drift , led drift , and improving non - linearity . at the same time the basic circuit of fig4 does not require any changes to the externally driven signals ( v data and v scan lines ) compared to the conventional state - of - the - art . furthermore , no extra space for circuitry is required compared to the conventional 2t1c pixel circuits ( fig1 and fig2 ). with its simple conventional voltage driving scheme and with no additional control lines , the proposed pixel maximizes an overall fill factor of display pixels . additional control of the circuit compensation behavior could be obtained by controlling the height of the pulse on the second - gate . in most instances , the height of the v scan pulse can be slightly adjusted without adversely affecting the switching properties of m 1 . however , g 2 of m 2 can be driven from a line that is separate from v scan and supplies the v g2 signal ( see fig1 ). in this case more flexibility is afforded as to the voltage levels and shape of v g2 . it is advantageous to implement m 2 as dg transistor . however , m 2 can be replaced by two sg transistors whose sources and drains are wired in parallel . such variation would still be within the scope of the present invention . additionally , p - type transistor circuit variations of circuit 100 ( fig1 and fig1 ) would also fall within the scope of the present invention . as can be seen from the above description , in one aspect the invention provides a method for compensating for component characteristic drift in pixel circuit for driving light emitting devices comprising steps of : providing a 2t1c active matrix display pixel circuit wherein the second transistor features dual gate and the capacitor is connected between the first gate and the drain of the second transistor . a light emitting diode is driven with the drain current of the second transistor . the second gate of the second transistor is energized during the programming period of the pixel to pre - charge pixel capacitance . during the holding phase of the pixel , the second gate of the second transistor is de - energized , allowing the capacitor in the feedback loop to favorably control the voltage on the first gate thus stabilizing the drain current of the second transistor in view of variations that the second transistor or light emitting device can manifest over time . an alternative implementation of the second dual - gate transistor could be accomplished by two single - gate transistors whose source and drain are wired together . while the invention has been described in terms of several embodiments , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the invention as set forth in the following claims .	6
referring to the drawings and in particular fig1 , 17 , 18 , 25 , 28 and 32 , the rigid intersection connection 1 , 1 &# 39 ;, 1 &# 34 ;, 1 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;, 1 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;, 1 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;&# 34 ; and 1 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; of the present invention as shown in the structures of fig3 , 24 and 36 include a first elongated wood x structural member 2 having first , second , third , and fourth sides 3 , 4 , 5 , and 6 ; a first elongated wood y structural member 7 intersecting the elongated wood x structural member 2 and having first , seat and second sides 8 , 9 and 10 ; a first elongated wood z structural member 11 intersecting the elongated wood x and y structural members 2 and 7 and having first , seat and second sides 12 , 13 , and 14 ; and a first rigid connector 15 constructed from a single sheet of sheet metal 16 configured for holding the intersecting elongated wood x , y , and z structural members 2 , 7 and 11 in a rigid embrace . the first rigid connector 15 includes : an xy support side member 17 dimensioned for registration with a portion of the elongated wood x structural member 2 ; an xz support side member 18 integrally connected to the xy support side member 17 along a substantial portion thereof and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the elongated wood x structural member ; a yx side member 19 integrally connected to the xy support side member 17 and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the first side 8 of the elongated wood y structural member 7 ; a zx side member 20 integrally connected to the xz support side member 18 and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the first side 12 of the elongated wood z structural member 11 ; a y seat member 21 integrally connected to the yx side member 19 and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the seat side 9 of the elongated wood y structural member 7 ; a y side member 22 integrally connected to the y seat member 21 and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the second side 10 of the elongated wood y structural member 7 ; a z seat member 23 integrally connected to the zx side member 20 and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the seat side 13 of the elongated wood z structural member 11 ; and a z side member 24 integrally connected to the z seat member 23 and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the second side 14 of the elongated wood z structural member 11 . the rigid connectors are connected to the elongated wood structural members as shown in the drawings by first fastener means 25 attaching the xy support side member 17 to the first side of the elongated wood x structural member ; second fastener means 26 attaching the yx side member 19 to the first side 8 of the elongated wood y structural member 7 ; third fastener means 27 attaching the y side member 22 to the second side 10 of the elongated wood y structural member 7 ; fourth fastener means 28 attaching the zx side member 20 to the first side 12 of the elongated wood z structural member 11 ; and fifth fastener means 29 attaching the z side member 24 to the second side 14 of the elongated wood z structural member 11 . this application describes three basic rigid connectors which may be constructed from the same sheet metal blank 16 . these rigid connectors are divided into three series 15 &# 39 ;, 15 , and 15 &# 34 ; which in turn have several modifications . the first series of rigid connectors 15 &# 39 ; are illustrated in fig1 - 21 and are constructed from the blank 16 illustrated in fig2 . the first series rigid connectors 15 &# 39 ; are used in the greenhouse structure 69 illustrated in fig3 - 14 , the bench structure 61 illustrated in fig2 , and the bunk bed furniture structure 68 illustrated in fig3 - 38 . the first series rigid connection 1 &# 39 ; is characterized by a structure in which the first elongated wood y and z structural members 7 and 11 are in general linear alignment and the xy and xz support side members 17 &# 39 ; and 18 &# 39 ; of the first rigid connector 15 &# 39 ; are in substantially the same plane . the parts of the first series rigid connector 15 &# 39 ; which are identical to the second series rigid connector 15 are designated by a single prime mark (&# 39 ;) and the description is not repeated . the third series of rigid connectors 15 &# 34 ; are illustrated in fig1 and are constructed from the blank 16 illustrated in fig2 . the third series rigid connectors 15 &# 34 ; are used in the greenhouse structure 69 illustrated in fig3 - 14 . the third series rigid connection 1 &# 34 ; is characterized by a structure in which the xy , and xz support side members 17 &# 34 ; and 18 &# 34 ; of the first rigid connector 15 &# 34 ; are disposed at an angle 70 and the yx side member 19 &# 34 ; and the xy support side member 17 &# 34 ; of the first rigid connector 15 &# 34 ; are disposed at an angle 71 . the parts of the third series rigid connector 15 &# 34 ; which are identical to the second series rigid connector 15 are designated by a double prime mark (&# 34 ;) and the description is not repeated . the second series of rigid connectors 15 are illustrated in fig1 , 15 and 16 and are constructed from the blank 16 illustrated in fig2 . the second series of rigid connectors have several modifications as follows : a first modified second series rigid connector 15 &# 34 ;&# 39 ; is illustrated in fig2 - 30 ( like parts are designated by the symbol (&# 34 ;&# 39 ;); a second modified second series rigid connector 15 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; is illustrated in fig2 - 27 ( like parts are designated by the symbol (&# 34 ;&# 34 ;); a third modified second series rigid connector 15 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 39 ; is illustrated in fig3 - 34 ( like parts are designated by the symbol (&# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 39 ;); and a fourth modified second series rigid connector 15 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; is illustrated in fig3 - 41 ( like parts are designated by the symbol (&# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ;). the second series rigid connectors 15 are used in the greenhouse structure 69 illustrated in fig3 - 14 , the bench structure 61 illustrated in fig2 , the log holder structure 54 illustrated in fig2 , and the bunk bed furniture structure 68 illustrated in fig3 - 38 . the rigid intersection connections 1 , 1 &# 34 ;, 1 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;, 1 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;, 1 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 39 ;, and 1 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; illustrated in fig1 , 17 , 25 , 28 or 32 which includes third as well as second series rigid connectors include : a first elongated wood x structural member 2 having first , second , third , and fourth sides 3 , 4 , 5 , and 6 ; a first elongated wood y structural member 7 intersecting the elongated wood x structural member 2 and having first , seat and second sides 8 , 9 , and 10 ; and a first elongated wood z structural member 11 intersecting the elongated wood x and y structural members 2 and 7 and having first , seat and second sides 12 , 13 , and 14 . first rigid connector 15 1 is constructed from a single sheet of sheet metal 16 configured for holding the intersecting elongated wood x , y , and z structural members 2 , 7 , and 11 in a rigid embrace and includes : an xy support side member 17 dimensioned for registration with a portion of the first side 3 of the elongated wood x structural member 2 ; an xz support side member 18 disposed at an angle 72 to the xy support side member 17 and integrally connected thereto along a substantial portion thereof and dimensioned for registration with the second side 4 of the elongated wood x structural member 2 ; a yx side member 19 integrally connected to the xy support side member 17 and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the first side 8 of the elongated wood y structural member 7 ; the xy support side member 17 and the yx side member 19 forming a first angle 30 ; a zx side member 20 integrally connected to the xz support side member 18 and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the first side 12 of the elongated wood z structural member 11 ; the xz support side member 18 and the zx side member 20 forming a second angle 31 ; a y seat member 21 integrally connected to the yx side member 19 and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the seat side 9 of the elongated wood y structural member 7 ; a y side member 22 integrally connected to the y seat member 21 and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the second side 10 of the elongated wood y structural member 7 ; a z seat member 23 integrally connected to the zx side member 20 and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the seat side 13 of the elongated wood z structural member 11 ; and a z side member 24 integrally connected to the z seat member 23 and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the second side 14 of the elongated wood z structural member 11 . the first rigid connector 15 1 is connected to the elongated wood structural members by first fastener means 25 attaching the xy support side member 17 to the first side 3 of the elongated wood x structural member 2 ; second fastener means 26 attaching the yx side member 19 to the first side 8 of the elongated wood y structural member 7 ; third fastener means 27 attaching the y side member 22 to the second side 10 of the elongated wood y structural member 7 ; fourth fastener means 28 attaching the zx side member 20 to the first side 12 of the elongated wood z structural member 11 ; fifth fastener means 29 attaching the z side member 24 to the second side 14 of the elongated wood z structural member 11 ; and sixth fastener means 32 attaching the xz support side member 18 to the second side 4 of the elongated wood x structural member 2 . the rigid intersection connections 1 , 1 &# 34 ;, and 1 &# 39 ; illustrated in fig1 , 17 , and 18 may be made even more rigid and hold greater loads by providing a y side opening means 33 formed in the y side member 22 permitting double shear fastening of the y side member 22 to the elongated wood x structural member 2 and z side opening means 34 formed in the z side member 24 permitting double shear fastening of the z side member to the elongated wood x structural member 2 . double shear attachment is by seventh fastener means 35 dimensioned for insertion through the y side opening means 33 , the elongated wood y structural member 7 and into the elongated wood x structural member 2 ; and eighth fastener means 36 dimensioned for insertion through the z side opening means 34 , the elongated wood z structural member 11 and into the elongated wood x structural member 2 . double shear fastening is fully explained in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 480 , 941 granted nov . 6 , 1984 entitled double shear angled fastener connector . a first modified second series rigid connector 15 &# 34 ;&# 39 ; is illustrated in fig2 - 30 . this form of the invention has been found to be suitable for connecting smaller dimension lumber to larger dimension posts . the rigid intersection connection 1 &# 34 ;&# 39 ; includes : a y side extension 37 integrally connected to the y side member 22 &# 34 ;&# 39 ; at an angle 41 and disposed in registration with a portion of the elongated wood x structural member 2 ; and a z side extension 38 integrally connected to the z side member 24 at an angle 42 and disposed in registration with a portion of the elongated wood x structural member 2 . connection is by ninth fastener means 39 piercing the y side extension 37 and inserted into the elongated wood x structural member 2 ; and tenth fastener means 40 piercing the z side extension 38 and inserted into the elongated wood x structural member 2 . a second modified , second series rigid connector 15 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; is illustrated in fig2 - 27 . this form of the invention is particularly suitable for lumber of the same thickness . the rigid intersection connection 1 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; includes : a y side extension interlock 43 integrally connected to the y side member 22 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; at an angle 47 and disposed in registration with a portion of the z side member 24 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;; and a z side extension interlock 44 integrally connected to the z side member 24 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; at an angle 48 and disposed in registration with a portion of the y side member 22 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;. connection is by eleventh fastener means 45 piercing the y side extension interlock 43 and the z side member 24 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; and inserted into the elongated wood z structural member 11 ; and twelfth fastener means 46 piercing the z side extension interlock 44 and the y side member 22 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; and inserted into the elongated wood y structural member 7 . a third modified second series rigid connector 15 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;&# 34 ; is illustrated in fig3 - 34 . this form of the invention is particularly suitable for large dimension lumber . the rigid intersection connection 1 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;&# 34 ; includes : a y side member extension x structural member interlock 49 integrally connected to the y side member 22 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;&# 34 ; at an angle 53 and disposed for registration with the z side member 24 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;&# 34 ;; a restricted opening 50 formed in the y side member extension x structural member interlock 49 ; a restricted slot opening 51 formed in the z side member 24 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;&# 34 ; in registration with the restricted opening 50 formed in the y side member extension x structural member interlock 49 ; and thirteenth fastener means 52 dimensioned for insertion through the restricted opening 50 formed in the y side member extension x structural member interlock and the restricted slot opening 51 formed in the z side member 24 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;&# 34 ;, and inserted into the elongated wood x structural member 2 . tab 89 connected to y seat member 21 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;&# 34 ; and formed with a fastener opening for receipt of fastener 124 for insertion therethrough into elongated x structural member 2 , and tab 90 connected to z seat member 23 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;&# 34 ; and formed with a fastener opening for receipt of fastener 124 for insertion therethrough into elongated x structural member 2 assist in increasing the rigidity of the rigid intersection connection 1 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;&# 34 ;. a fourth modified second series rigid connector 15 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; is illustrated in fig3 - 41 . this form of the invention is particularly suitable for lumber of the same dimensional width and for structural rigidity . the rigid intersection connection 1 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; includes : a y side extension overlap 57 integrally connected to the y side member 22 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; at an angle 59 ; a z side extension overlap 58 integrally connected to the z side member 24 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; at an angle 60 and disposed in overlapping registration with the y side extension overlap 57 ; and fifteenth fastener means 56 piercing the y and z side extension overlaps 57 , and 58 and inserted into the first elongated wood x structural member 2 . one of the simplest structures using a plurality of rigid intersection connections as described in the present invention is a log holder 54 which is illustrated in fig2 . this is only one example of a furniture structure , but it typifies one of the structures which takes advantage of the unique characteristics of the rigid connector of the present invention . any one of the second series rigid connectors could be used , but as an example , the second modified second series rigid connector 15 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; as previously described in fig2 - 27 is illustrated . the structure 54 as illustrated in fig2 includes : a plurality of rigid intersection connections 1 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; including : a first elongated wood x structural member 2 1 having first , second , third , and fourth sides 3 , 4 , 5 , and 6 ; a second elongated wood x structural member 2 2 having first , second , third and fourth sides 3 , 4 , 5 , and 6 spaced from and disposed generally parallel to the first elongated wood x structural member 2 1 ; a third elongated wood x structural member 2 3 having first , second , third and fourth sides 3 , 4 , 5 , and 6 spaced from and disposed generally parallel to the second elongated wood x structural member 2 2 ; a fourth elongated wood x structural member 2 4 having first , second , third and fourth sides 3 , 4 , 5 , and 6 spaced from and disposed generally parallel to the first and third elongated wood x structural members 2 1 and 2 3 ; a second elongated wood y structural member 7 2 disposed parallel and spaced from the first elongated wood y structural member 7 1 ; a second elongated wood z structural member 11 2 disposed parallel and spaced from the first elongated wood z structural member 11 1 ; a first rigid connector 15 1 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; connected to the first elongated wood x structural member 2 1 , a second rigid connector 15 2 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; connected to the second elongated wood x structural member 2 2 , the first elongated wood z structural member 11 1 and the second elongated wood y structural member 7 2 ; a third rigid connector 15 3 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; connected to the third elongated wood x structural member 2 3 , the second elongated wood y structural member 7 2 and the second elongated wood z structural member 11 2 ; a fourth rigid connector 15 4 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; connected to the fourth elongated wood x structural member 2 4 , the second elongated wood z structural member 11 2 and the first elongated wood y structural member 7 1 ; and fastener means 55 attaching the first , second , third , and fourth rigid connectors 15 2 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;, 15 3 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;, 15 4 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; to the elongated wood structural members 2 1 2 2 , 2 3 , 2 4 , 7 1 , 7 2 , 11 1 , and 11 2 . the log holder 54 may be made of any dimension lumber , but a typical lumber size would be 2 &# 34 ;× 4 &# 34 ; or nominal 2 × 4 &# 39 ; s . referring again to the log holder structure illustrated in fig2 and the second modified , second series rigid connector 15 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; illustrated in fig2 - 27 each of the first , second , third and fourth rigid connectors 15 1 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;, 15 2 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;, 15 3 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;, and 15 4 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; include : a y side extension interlock 43 integrally connected to the y side member 22 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; at an angle 47 and disposed in registration with a portion of the z side member 24 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;; a z side extension interlock 44 integrally connected to the z side member 24 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; at an angle 48 and disposed in registration with a portion of the y side member 22 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;; eleventh fastener means 45 piercing each of the y side extension interlocks 43 and the z side members 24 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; and inserted into the elongated wood z structural members 11 ; and twelfth fastener means 46 piercing each of the z side extension interlocks 44 and the y side members 22 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; and inserted into the elongated wood y structural members 7 . another furniture structure which is uniquely adapted for construction with the rigid intersection connections of the present invention is a work bench . the work bench may have four or more legs such as the five leg work bench in fig2 . to minimize the number of drawings , a four leg work bench has not been specifically drawn ; rather it may be readily envisioned that simply placing a table top means on the top of the log holder of fig2 would readily result in the formation of a work bench or table . to construct an even sturdier work bench , horizontal wood structural members may be used as in the 5 post work bench of fig2 . the description which follows refers to a four leg work bench as illustrated in fig2 , but with the additional horizontal support members as illustrated in fig2 . a furniture structure such as a work bench previously described may include : a third elongated wood y structural member 7 3 disposed from the first elongated wood y structural member 7 1 and in parallel relation thereto ; a fourth elongated wood y structural member 7 4 disposed from the second elongated wood y structural member 7 2 and in parallel relation thereto ; a third elongated wood z structural member 11 3 disposed from the first elongated wood z structural member 11 1 and in parallel relation thereto ; a fourth elongated wood z structural member 11 4 disposed from the second elongated wood z structural member 11 2 and in parallel relation thereto ; a fifth rigid connector 15 5 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; disposed from the first rigid connector 15 1 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; and connected to the first elongated wood x structural member 2 1 , the third elongated wood y structural member 7 3 , and the third elongated wood z structural member 11 3 ; a sixth rigid connector 15 6 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; connected to the second elongated wood x structural member 2 2 , the third elongated wood z structural member 11 3 , and the fourth elongated wood y structural member 7 4 ; a seventh rigid connector 15 7 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; disposed from the third rigid connector 15 3 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; and connected to the third elongated wood x structural member 15 3 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;, the fourth elongated wood z structural member 11 4 and the fourth elongated wood y structural member 7 4 ; an eighth rigid connector 15 8 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; disposed from the fourth rigid connector 15 4 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; and connected to the fourth elongated wood x structural member 2 3 , the third elongated wood y structural member 7 3 and the fourth elongated wood z structural member 11 4 ; and the fastener means 55 also attach the fifth , sixth , seventh and eight rigid connectors 15 5 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;, 15 6 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;, 15 7 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;, and 15 8 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; to the elongated wood structural members 7 3 , 11 3 , 7 4 , 11 4 , 2 1 , 2 2 , 2 3 , and 2 4 . fig2 is an illustration of a 5 post work bench . the description which follows includes the description of the four post work bench set forth above . while the work bench may be constructed from any of the rigid connectors previously described , the description which follows is based on the second series rigid connectors illustrated in fig1 and 2 and the first series rigid connector illustrated in fig1 . the furniture structure 61 illustrated in fig2 includes : a fifth elongated wood x structural member 2 5 disposed between the first and fourth elongated wood x structural members 2 1 and 2 4 ; a first , first series rigid connector 15 2 , which includes : an xy support side member 17 &# 39 ; dimensioned for registration with a portion of the fifth elongated wood x structural member 2 5 ; an xz support side member 18 &# 39 ; integrally connected to the xy support side member 17 &# 39 ; along a substantial portion thereof and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the fifth elongated wood x structural member 2 5 ; a yx side member 19 &# 39 ; integrally connected to the xy support side member 17 &# 39 ; and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the first side 8 of the first elongated wood y structural member 7 1 ; a zx side member 20 &# 39 ; integrally connected to the xz support side member 18 &# 39 ; and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the first side 8 of the first elongated wood y structural member 7 1 ; a y seat member 21 &# 39 ; integrally connected to the yx side member 19 &# 39 ; and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the seat side 9 of the first elongated wood y structural member 7 1 ; a y side member 22 &# 39 ; integrally connected to the y seat member 21 &# 39 ; and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the second side 10 of the first elongated wood y structural member 7 1 ; a z seat member 23 &# 39 ; integrally connected to the zx side member 20 &# 39 ; and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the seat side 9 of the first elongated wood y structural member 7 1 ; a z side member 24 &# 39 ; integrally connected to the z seat member 23 &# 39 ; and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the second side 14 of the first elongated wood y structural member 7 1 ; and the xy and xz support side members 17 &# 39 ; and 18 &# 39 ; are in substantially the same plane ; a second , first series rigid connector 15 2 &# 39 ; spaced from the first , first series rigid connector 15 1 &# 39 ; including : an xy support side member 17 &# 39 ; dimensioned for registration with a portion of the fifth elongated wood x structural member 2 5 , an xz support side member 19 &# 39 ; integrally connected to the xy support side member 17 &# 39 ; along a substantial portion thereof and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the fifth elongated wood x structural member 2 5 ; a yx side member 19 &# 39 ; integrally connected to the xy support side member 17 &# 39 ; and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the first side 8 of the third elongated wood y structural member 7 3 ; a zx side member 20 &# 39 ; integrally connected to the xz support side member 18 &# 39 ; and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the first side 8 of the third elongated wood y structural member 7 3 ; a y seat member 21 &# 39 ; integrally connected to the yx side member 19 and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the seat side 9 of the third elongated wood y structural member 7 3 ; a y side member 22 &# 39 ; integrally connected to the y seat member 21 &# 39 ; and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the second side 10 of the third elongated wood y structural member 7 3 ; a z seat member 23 &# 39 ; integrally connected to the zx side member 20 &# 39 ; and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the seat side 9 of the third elongated wood y structural member 7 1 ; a z side member 24 &# 39 ; integrally connected to the z seat member 23 &# 39 ; and dimensioned for registration with a portion of the second side 14 of the third elongated wood y structural member 73 ; and the xy and xz support side members 17 &# 39 ; and 18 &# 39 ; are in substantially the same planes ; and the fastener means 55 also attach the first and second first series rigid connectors 15 1 &# 39 ; and 15 2 &# 39 ; to the elongated wood structural members 2 5 , 7 1 , and 7 3 . table surface 125 may be attached to third and fourth elongated wood y structural members 7 3 and 7 4 and third and fourth elongated wood z structural members 11 3 and 11 4 . use of eight rigid connectors in any furniture structure such as the table structure illustrated in fig2 or the bunk bed illustrated in fig3 - 38 which follow eliminates the need for any diagonal bracing . the use of a plurality of rigid intersection connections of the present invention forming structures based on rectangles instead of triangles , makes it possible to form many useful structures with very little change in the basic structure . for example , the construction of a 4 post table using the basic structure of the log holder 54 in fig2 also may result in the formation of a basic 4 poster bunk bed ( not shown but similar to the structure of fig3 ). the description that follows is therefore a continuation of the description of the four post bench but instead of using the second series rigid connectors previously described and illustrated in fig1 and 2 , the fourth modified , second series rigid connectors illustrated in fig3 and 41 is used . the furniture structure such as a four post bunk bed may include the structure previously described for a four post table and also include : the first through eighth rigid connectors 15 1 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; through 15 8 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; each of which include : a y side extension overlap 57 integrally connected to the y side member 2 2 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; at an angle 59 ; a z side extension overlap 58 integrally connected to the z side member 2 4 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; at an angle 60 ; fifteenth fastener means 56 piercing each of the y and z side extension overlaps 57 and 58 and inserted into each of the first , second , third , and fourth elongated wood x structural members 2 4 , 2 2 , 2 3 , and 2 4 . amazingly , the rigid intersection connection of the present invention is capable of constructing a log holder , a work bench and a bunk bed , but it is uniquely capable of constructing an entire building based on one rigid connector . the structure illustrated in fig2 - 14 may be a storage shed , tool house or greenhouse or other garden utilitarian structure . note that the structure is based on a series of rectangles rather than a series of triangles as in all other building structures . the use of rectangles rather than triangles permits windows , doors , vents or other openings to be placed anywhere in the structure ; even at corners because there is no interfering diagonal members . use of the intersecting connections of the present invention eliminates the need for plywood or other sheathing to create shear walls in building structures . thus glass or plastic panels may be fitted in each of the rectangles in the greenhouse illustrated in fig2 - 14 . the greenhouse described in this application may have a flat roof , a shed roof or a peaked roof . the description which follows relates to a flat roofed greenhouse which is not shown in order to reduce the number of drawings in this application . the rigid connectors used in the construction of the greenhouse structure may be any of those described . a full description of each rigid connector is not repeated as the description has been set forth above for each of the different series connectors . in determining the particular rigid connector , one may refer to the previous description , the claims and the drawings . referring specifically to fig3 the building structure includes : a first elongated wood x structural member 2 1 having first , second , third , and fourth sides 3 , 4 , 5 , and 6 and upper and lower ends 62 and 63 , a second elongated wood x structural member 2 2 disposed generally parallel to and spaced from the first elongated wood x structural member 2 1 and having first , second , third and fourth sides 3 , 4 , 5 , and 6 and upper and lower ends 62 and 63 ; a third elongated wood x structural member 2 . sup . 3 spaced from and disposed generally parallel to the second elongated wood x structural member 2 2 and having first , second , third and fourth sides 3 , 4 , 5 , and 6 and upper and lower ends 62 and 63 ; a fourth elongated wood x structural member 2 4 spaced from and disposed generally parallel to the first and third elongated wood x structural members 2 1 and 2 3 and having first , second , third and fourth sides 3 , 4 , 5 , and 6 and upper and lower ends 62 and 63 ; the first , second , third , and fourth elongated wood x structural members 2 1 , 2 2 , 2 3 , 2 4 provide corner studs in the building structure ; a first elongated wood y structural member 7 1 disposed between and intersecting the first and fourth elongated wood x structural members 2 1 and 2 4 and having first , second , third , and fourth sides 3 , 4 , 5 , and 6 ; a first elongated z structural member 11 1 disposed between and intersecting the first and second elongated wood x structural members 2 1 and 2 2 and having first , second , third , and fourth sides 3 , 4 , 5 , and 6 ; a second elongated wood y structural member 7 2 disposed parallel and spaced from the first elongated wood y structural member 7 1 and intersecting the second and third elongated x structural members 2 . sup . 2 and 2 3 and having first , second , third , and fourth sides 3 , 4 , 5 , and 6 ; a second elongated wood z structural member 11 2 disposed parallel and spaced from the first elongated wood z structural member 11 2 , and intersecting the second and third elongated wood x structural members 2 2 and 2 3 and having first , second , third and fourth sides 3 , 4 , 5 , and 6 ; the first and second elongated wood y structural members 7 1 and 7 2 and the first and second elongated wood z structural members 11 1 and 11 2 form a perimeter sill in the building ; a first , second series rigid connector 15 1 connected to and forming a rigid interconnection with the first elongated wood x structural member 2 1 , the first elongated wood y structural member 7 1 and the first elongated wood z structural member 11 1 ; a second , second series rigid connector means 15 2 connected to and forming a rigid interconnection with the second elongated wood x structural member 2 2 , the first elongated wood z structural member 11 1 and the second elongated wood y structural member 7 2 ; a third , second series rigid connector means 15 3 connected to and forming a rigid interconnection with the third elongated wood x structural member 2 3 , the second elongated wood y structural member 7 2 and the second elongated wood z structural member 11 2 ; a fourth , second series rigid connector means 15 4 connected to and forming a rigid interconnection with the fourth elongated wood x structural member 2 4 , the second elongated wood z structural member 11 2 and the first elongated wood y structural member 7 1 ; roof means such as a flat structure connected to the upper portions 62 of the elongated wood x structural members 2 1 , 2 2 , 2 3 , and 2 4 ; fastener means 25 - 29 , 32 , and 56 attaching the first , second , third , and fourth , second series rigid connectors 15 1 , 15 2 , 15 3 , and 15 4 , to the elongated wood structural members 2 1 , 2 2 , 2 3 , 2 4 , 11 1 , 7 2 , 11 2 , and 7 1 ; and the first elongated wood x structural member 2 1 , the first elongated wood y structural member 7 1 , the fourth elongated wood x structural member 2 4 and the roof means form a rectangular opening . the previously described building structure with a flat roof may also be formed with a shed or slanting roof by simply adding third series rigid connectors illustrated in fig1 and previously described . the additional structure for a shed roof building structures includes : the first , second , third , and fourth elongated wood x structural members have upper ends 62 ; a sixth elongated wood x structural member 2 6 disposed adjacent the upper ends 62 of the first and fourth elongated wood x structural members 2 1 and 2 4 ; a fifth elongated wood z structural member 11 5 having an upper end 64 and a lower end 65 intersecting the sixth elongated wood x structural member 2 6 and disposed in close association with the upper end 62 of the first elongated wood x structural member 2 2 ; a fifth elongated wood y structural member 7 5 having an upper end 66 and having a lower end 67 intersecting the sixth elongated wood x structural member 2 6 and disposed in close association with the upper end 62 of the fourth elongated wood x structural member 2 4 ; a first , third series rigid connector means 15 1 &# 34 ; connected to and forming a rigid interconnection with the sixth elongated wood x structural member 2 6 , the first elongated wood x structural member 2 1 and the fifth elongated wood z structural member 11 5 ; a second , third series rigid connector means 15 2 &# 34 ; connected to and forming a rigid interconnection with the sixth elongated wood x structural member 2 6 , the fourth elongated wood x structural member 2 4 , and the fifth elongated wood y structural member 7 5 ; and panel means connecting the upper ends 64 and 66 of the fifth elongated wood z structural member 11 5 and the fifth elongated wood y structural member 7 5 and the upper ends 62 of the second and third elongated wood x structural members 2 2 and 2 3 . the building structure with a peaked roof is illustrated in fig3 - 14 . this structure differs only with the previously shed roofed structure in that two additional third series rigid connectors illustrated in fig1 are required and two additional second series rigid connectors are added . any of the second series rigid connectors previously described may be used . the peaked roof building structure 69 illustrated in fig3 in addition to the description for the shed roof structure includes : a seventh elongated wood x structural member 2 7 disposed adjacent the upper ends 62 of the second and third elongated wood x structural members 2 2 and 2 3 ; an eighth elongated wood x structural member 2 8 disposed from and parallel to the sixth and seventh elongated wood structural x members 2 6 and 2 7 ; a sixth elongated wood y structural member 7 6 having upper and lower ends 66 and 67 and intersecting the seventh and eighth elongated wood x structural members 2 7 and 2 8 and the fifth elongated wood z structural member 11 5 , and the lower end 67 being disposed in close association with the upper end 62 of the second elongated wood x structural member 2 2 ; a sixth elongated wood z structural member 11 6 having upper and lower ends 64 and 65 and intersecting the seventh elongated wood x structural member 2 7 and the fifth elongated wood y structural member 7 5 , and disposed in close association with the upper end 62 of the third elongated wood x structural member 2 3 ; a third , third series rigid connector means 15 3 &# 34 ; connected to and forming a rigid interconnection with the seventh elongated wood x structural member 2 7 , the second elongated wood x structural member 2 2 and the sixth elongated wood y structural member 7 6 ; a fourth , third series rigid connector means 15 4 &# 34 ; connected to and forming a rigid interconnection with the seventh elongated wood x structural member 2 7 , the third elongated wood x structural member 2 3 , and the sixth elongated wood z structural member 11 6 ; a ninth , second series rigid connector means 15 9 connected to and forming a rigid interconnection with the eighth elongated wood x structural member 2 8 , the sixth elongated wood y structural member 7 6 and the fifth elongated wood z structural member 11 5 ; a tenth , second series rigid connector means 15 10 connected to and forming a rigid interconnection with the eighth elongated wood x structural member 2 8 , the fifth elongated wood y structural member 7 5 and the sixth elongated wood z structural member 11 6 ; and fastener means 55 attaching the third and fourth , third series rigid connectors 15 3 &# 34 ; and 15 4 &# 34 ; and the ninth and tenth second series rigid connectors 15 9 and 15 10 to the elongated wood structural members 2 7 , 2 8 , 7 6 , 11 6 , 11 5 , and 7 5 . surprisingly , the first , second , and third series connectors 15 &# 39 ;, 15 , and 15 &# 34 ; are all constructed from the same sheet metal blank 16 illustrated in fig2 . the second series rigid connector 15 illustrated in fig1 , 15 and 16 is constructed from sheet metal blank 16 illustrated in fig2 as follows : xy support side member 17 is bent up 90 ° along bend line 73 , y seat member 21 is bent up 90 ° along bend line 74 , y side member 22 is bent up 90 ° along bend line 75 , z seat member 23 is bent up 90 ° along bend line 76 and z side member 24 is bent up 90 ° along bend line 77 . first series rigid connector 15 &# 39 ; illustrated in fig1 - 21 is constructed from sheet metal blank 16 illustrated in fig2 in the exact same manner as second series rigid connector 15 explained above except that no bend is made along bend line 73 . third series rigid connector 15 &# 34 ; illustrated in fig1 is constructed from sheet metal blank 16 illustrated in fig2 in the exact same manner as second series rigid connector 15 except that variable bends may be made in either bend line 78 or 79 depending on the slope required as in the sloping roof for the greenhouse 69 illustrated in fig3 . first modified , second series rigid connector 15 &# 34 ;&# 39 ; illustrated in fig2 - 30 is constructed from sheet metal blank 80 illustrated in fig3 as follows : xy support side member 17 &# 34 ;&# 39 ; is bent up 90 ° along bend line 73 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;, y seat member 21 &# 34 ;&# 39 ; is bent up 90 ° along bend line 74 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;, y side member 22 &# 34 ;&# 39 ; is bent up 90 ° along bend line 75 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;, z seat member 23 &# 34 ;&# 39 ; is bent up 90 ° along bend line 76 &# 34 ;&# 39 ; and z side member 24 &# 34 ;&# 39 ; is bent up 90 ° along bend line 77 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;. y side extension 37 is then bent down 90 ° along bend line 81 , z side extension 38 is then bent down 90 ° along bend line 82 , and blank 80 is cut along cut line 83 and cut line 84 . second modified , second series rigid connector 15 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; illustrated in fig2 - 27 is constructed from the same sheet metal blank 80 illustrated in fig3 as first modified , second series rigid connector 15 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;, except that no cuts are made along line cut lines 83 and 84 , nor is any bend made along bend lines 81 and 82 . instead , y side extension interlock 43 is bent down 90 ° along bend line 85 and z side extension interlock 44 is bent down 90 ° along bend line 86 . third modified , second series rigid connector 15 &# 34 ;&# 34 ; illustrated in fig3 - 34 is constructed from sheet metal blank 87 illustrated in fig3 as follows : xy support side member 17 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;&# 34 ; is bent up 90 ° along bend line 73 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;&# 34 ;, y seat member 21 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;&# 34 ; is bent up 90 ° along bend line 74 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;&# 34 ;, y side member 22 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;&# 34 ; is bent up 90 ° along bend line 75 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;&# 34 ;, z seat member 23 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;&# 34 ; is bent up 90 ° along bend line 76 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;&# 34 ; and z side member 24 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;&# 34 ; is bent up 90 ° along bend line 77 &# 34 ;&# 39 ;&# 34 ;. in addition , y side member extension x structural member interlock 49 is bent down 90 ° along bend line 88 , and tabs 89 and 90 are bent down 90 ° along bend lines 91 and 92 . fasteners 124 attach tabs 89 and 90 to elongated wood structural member 2 . fourth modified , second series rigid connector 15 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; illustrated in fig3 - 41 is constructed from sheet metal blank 93 illustrated in fig4 as follows : xy support side member 17 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; is bent down 90 ° along bend line 73 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ;, y seat member 21 is bent down 90 ° along bend line 74 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ;, y side member 22 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; is bent down 90 ° along bend line 75 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ;, z seat member 23 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; is bent down 90 ° along bend line 76 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; and z side member 24 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; is bent down 90 ° along bend line 77 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ;. in addition , y side extension overlap 57 is bend up 45 ° along bend line 94 and z side extension overlap 58 is bent up 45 ° along bend line 95 . fourth modified , first series rigid connector 15 &# 39 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; as illustrated in fig4 - 45 is constructed from sheet metal blank 93 illustrated in fig4 in the exact same manner as fourth modified , second series rigid connector 15 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; explained above except that no bend is made along bend line 73 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; nor is any bend made along bend lines 94 and 95 . the description of fourth modified , first series rigid connector 15 &# 39 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; as illustrated in fig4 - 45 is identical to the description of fourth modified , second series rigid connector 15 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; illustrated in fig3 - 41 except for the absence of bending along bend line 73 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ;, and bend lines 57 and 58 . numbering of rigid intersection connection 1 &# 39 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; in fig4 - 45 is identical to the numbering of rigid intersection connection 1 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; in fig3 - 41 except that the designation (&# 39 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ;) is set forth after the numbers in fig4 - 45 instead of the designation (&# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ;) set forth after the numbers in fig3 - 41 . rigid intersection connections 1 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; and 1 &# 39 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; are used in the construction of the furniture structure 68 sometimes referred to as the &# 34 ; bunk bed &# 34 ; in fig3 - 38 . referring to fig4 - 51 , a rigid angle 96 is illustrated which is ancillary to the structures of the present invention based on rectangles rather than triangles . the rigid angle 96 consists of a first side 97 , connected at right angles to a second side 98 and formed with a first member 99 integrally connected to first side 97 along bend line 101 and a second member 100 integrally connected to second side 98 along bend line 102 and constructed from a sheet metal blank 103 illustrated in fig4 . attachment in furniture products is preferably by screws or lag bolts 104 . construction of the building structure 69 such as a greenhouse illustrated in fig3 - 14 is generally as set forth above , but with the following additional description . a plurality of intermediate elongated wood x structural members 2 9 are attached at their bottom ends to elongated wood y structural members 7 1 and 7 2 at spaced intervals by a plurality of first series rigid connectors 15 &# 39 ; and at their top ends to sixth and seventh elongated x structural members 2 6 and 2 7 by third series rigid connectors 15 &# 34 ;. a door 105 may be hung in door frame members 106 and 107 in which their bottom ends are attached to first elongated wood z structural member 11 1 by first series rigid connectors 15 &# 39 ; and their top ends by rigid angles 96 . in addition to the roof structure previously described , a plurality of intermediate rafters or intermediate elongated wood z structural members 11 7 and intermediate elongated wood y structural members 7 7 may be spaced at intervals with their lower ends connected to sixth and seventh elongated wood x structural members 2 6 and 2 7 by third series rigid connectors 15 &# 34 ; and their top ends connected to eighth elongated wood x structural member 2 8 by second series rigid connectors 15 . a movable roof vent 109 may be located in the roof structure . preferably the movable roof vent is controlled for opening and closing by a temperature sensitive means so that a more even temperature may be maintained in the greenhouse . movable roof vent 109 may be framed by framing member 112 . preferably movable lower side vent 108 is also installed in the side or rear of the greenhouse 69 to admit cool fresh air when needed . an alternate form of construction is illustrated in fig8 , 13 and 14 . the rear elevation of the building structure illustrated in fig8 may be constructed with a window 114 set in window frames 113 and a movable vent 115 installed below window 114 . to strengthen the building structure , fire stops 116 may be installed as required and connected to the wood members by either first series rigid connectors 15 &# 39 ; or second series rigid connectors 15 as required . door 105 may be one piece or it may be a two piece &# 34 ; dutch door &# 34 ; divided into upper and lower portions 110 and 111 . a basic version of furniture structure 68 , also known as a bunk bed was previously described . fig3 illustrates a more commercial form having ladder means 119 including an intermediate elongated wood structural member 2 10 connected at its upper end to third elongated wood y structural member 7 3 by first series rigid connector 15 &# 39 ; and including a plurality of ladder steps 120 . railings 121 may be connected to the upper ends of elongated wood x structural members 2 1 , 2 2 , 2 3 , 2 4 , and 2 10 by rigid angles 96 , first series rigid connectors 15 &# 39 ;, and second series rigid connectors 15 as required . load ledgers 122 may be added to support the edges of the bed frame , book shelves , desks and other loads to be held by the furniture structure . first elongated wood y structural member 7 1 may be removably attached to fifth rigid connector 15 4 &# 34 ;&# 34 ;&# 34 ; and rigid angle 96 for ease in entering and exiting the furniture structure . research has indicated that college students assigned to small dormitory rooms or renting private rooms have very limited floor area in which to place their bed , desk and book storage unit . a combination bed and study unit illustrated 123 in fig3 and 38 using the rigid connectors previously described in this application was the structure which resulted from this study . the combination bed and study unit includes : a desk unit 117 connected to the first and second elongated wood x structural members 2 1 and 2 2 ; a storage unit 118 connected to the third and fourth elongated wood x structural members 2 3 and 2 4 ; ladder means 119 connected to the third and fourth elongated wood and structural members 2 10 ; and the fastener means 55 are threaded for installation and disassembly of the rigid connectors 15 , and 15 &# 39 ;, rigid angles 96 , and elongated wood structural members as set forth in fig3 - 38 of the drawings . for purposes of clarity and convenience , no connectors were drawn on fig3 and 38 . it is to be understood that the same connectors illustrated on fig3 are used in the construction of the bed and study units illustrated in fig3 and 38 .	8
hereafter , an embodiment of the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to the drawings . fig1 is an equivalent circuit diagram of a tunable filter according to a first embodiment of the present invention . the tunable filter shown in fig1 includes a filter main body 11 , and a control circuit 12 that controls the filter main body 11 . the filter main body 11 is a ladder filter including a series resonance unit 3 having two resonance units 1 and 2 connected in series , and parallel resonance units 4 and 5 that are connected to between one end of the resonance units 1 and 2 , respectively and an input / output common terminal . each of the resonance units 1 , 2 , 4 , and 5 has a variable capacitor 7 and a thin - film piezoelectric resonator , i . e ., a film bulk acoustic resonator ( fbar ) 8 that are connected in parallel , and a variable capacitor 9 that is connected in series with them . an upper electrode of the film bulk acoustic resonator 8 within the series resonance unit 3 and an upper electrode of the film bulk acoustic resonator 8 within the parallel resonance unit 6 have mutually different thicknesses . based on this , a resonance frequency of the series resonance unit 3 and a resonance frequency of the parallel resonance unit 6 are slightly different from each other . configurations of the variable capacitors 7 and 9 , and the film bulk acoustic resonator 8 are described later . the control circuit 12 includes a first voltage controlled oscillator ( vco 1 ) 13 that oscillates in a first oscillation frequency , a second voltage controlled oscillator ( vco 2 ) 14 that oscillates in a second oscillation frequency , a temperature compensated crystal oscillator ( tcxo ) 15 that generates a reference frequency signal , a pll ( phase - locked loop ) circuit ( pll 1 ) 16 that controls the oscillation frequency of the first voltage controlled oscillator 13 , a voltage applying circuit 17 that controls capacitance of a part of the variable capacitors within the tunable filter , a pll circuit ( pll 2 ) 18 that controls the oscillation frequency of the second voltage controlled oscillator 14 , a voltage applying circuit 19 that controls capacitance of other part of the variable capacitors within the tunable filter , a base band circuit 20 , and a storage circuit 21 that stores reference frequencies of the first and the second voltage controlled oscillators 13 and 14 . the first voltage controlled oscillator 13 and the second voltage controlled oscillator 14 constitute a monitoring circuit . fig2 is a top plan diagram of the variable capacitors 7 and 9 that are used in the tunable filter shown in fig1 . fig3 is a cross - sectional diagram of the variable capacitors cut along a line a - a ′ in fig2 . as shown in these diagrams , each of the variable capacitors 7 and 9 have fixed electrode 32 formed on a silicon substrate 31 , a dielectric film 33 formed on the upper surface of the fixed electrode 32 , and a variable electrode 34 disposed opposed above the dielectric film 33 . bimorph type thin - film piezoelectric actuators 35 and 36 are formed at the left and right sides of the variable electrode 34 . each of the thin - film piezoelectric actuators 35 and 36 has a first electrode 38 formed above the silicon substrate 31 via an anchor 37 , a piezoelectric film 39 formed on the upper surface of the first electrode 38 , a second electrode 40 formed on the piezoelectric film 39 , and a support beam 41 formed on the upper surface of the second electrode 40 . when a voltage is applied to between the first electrode 38 and the second electrode 40 , bimorph operation occurs to displace the actuators 35 and 36 . maximum capacitance is obtained when the variable electrode 34 and the dielectric film 33 are brought into contact with each other . minimum capacitance is obtained when the variable electrode 34 is furthest from the dielectric film 33 . the dielectric film 33 formed on the upper surface of the fixed electrode 32 prevents occurrence of short - circuit between the fixed electrode 32 and the variable electrode 34 . fig4 is a diagram showing a relation between driving voltages applied to the thin - film piezoelectric actuators 35 and 36 and capacitances of the variable capacitors 7 and 9 . a distance between electrodes changes in proportion to an application voltage . capacitance changes in inverse proportion to a distance between electrodes . capacitance can change continuously in the order of about two digits . when electrodes have a large film thickness to have a low direct - current resistance , q becomes very large too . the first electrode 38 and the second electrode 40 of the thin - film piezoelectric actuators 35 and 36 , and the variable electrode 34 and the fixed electrode 32 of the variable capacitors 7 and 9 can have a thickness within a range of 10 nm to 1 μm , by taking a resistance into account , respectively . according to the present embodiment , these electrodes are assumed to have a thickness of 50 nm , respectively . the piezoelectric film 39 can have a thickness within a range of 10 nm to 1 μm , by taking displacement into account . according to the present embodiment , the piezoelectric film 39 is assumed to have a thickness of 500 nm . the dielectric film 33 is assumed to have a thickness of 50 nm , and equivalent area of the variable capacitors 7 and 9 is assumed to be 6400 μm . capacitances of the variable capacitors 7 and 9 are measured by changing control voltages vtune applied to the thin - film piezoelectric actuators 35 and 36 within a range of 0 to 3 volts . as a result , minimum capacitance is 0 . 34 pf and maximum capacitance is 2 . 86 pf , which shows a large change of 8 . 4 times . fig5 is a cross - sectional configuration diagram of the film bulk acoustic resonator 8 . the film bulk acoustic resonator 8 shown in fig5 includes a lower electrode 53 formed on a silicon substrate 51 via an anchor 52 , a piezoelectric unit 54 that covers the surrounding of the lower electrode 53 , and an upper electrode 55 formed on the upper surface of the piezoelectric unit 54 . an aluminum nitride film that grows in orientation to a direction of axis c is used for the piezoelectric unit 54 . aluminum is used for the upper electrode 55 and the lower electrode 53 , respectively . a resonator 56 including the lower electrode 53 , the piezoelectric unit 54 , and the upper electrode 55 is fixed to the substrate via the anchor 52 . when an alternate current is applied to between the upper electrode 55 and the lower electrode 53 , an alternate stress occurs due to a piezoelectric adverse effect , thereby exciting a resonance of an elastic wave in a thickness vertical mode . a film thickness of the piezoelectric unit 54 substantially corresponds to a half wave length of the resonance frequency . fig6 is a diagram showing impedance characteristic of the film bulk acoustic resonator 8 . fig7 is a diagram showing a phase characteristic of the film bulk acoustic resonator 8 . impedance becomes minimum at a resonance point fr , and impedance becomes maximum at an antiresonance point fa . the inductor can have very high q between fr and fa . when an oriented thin film of aluminum nitride or zinc oxide is used for the piezoelectric unit 54 , a distance between fr and fa can be taken by 5 to 6 percent cent . therefore , a filter having a relatively wide band can be configured . as is clear from a comparison between fig3 and fig5 , the variable capacitors 7 and 9 and the film bulk acoustic resonator 8 that are driven with the thin - film piezoelectric actuators 35 and 36 have very similar configurations . therefore , these units can be manufactured in a common manufacturing process . when they are hollow sealed , a larger advantage can be obtained . particularly , when plural elements are prepared on the same substrate , a variance between the elements can be reduced , which contributes to improve performance of the filter . according to the present embodiment , in order to obtain 2 ghz of resonance frequency , the piezoelectric unit 54 has a film thickness of 1100 nm , the lower electrode 53 has a film thickness of 100 nm , and the upper electrode 55 has a film thickness of 150 nm . the first voltage controlled oscillator 13 shown in fig1 has a tank circuit 61 and an amplifier 62 connected in parallel . the second voltage controlled oscillator 14 has a tank circuit 63 and an amplifier 64 that are connected in parallel . the tank circuit 61 has a film bulk acoustic resonance unit 65 and a variable capacitor 66 that are connected in parallel . the tank circuit 63 also has a film bulk acoustic resonance unit 67 and a variable capacitor 68 that are connected in series . the film bulk acoustic resonators 65 and 67 within the tank circuits 61 and 63 have configurations similar to those shown in fig5 . the variable capacitors 66 and 68 have configurations similar to those shown in fig3 . the voltage applying circuit 17 controls capacitance of the variable capacitor 66 within the first voltage controlled oscillator 13 , and controls capacitance of the variable capacitor 9 within the series resonance unit 3 and capacitance of the variable capacitor 9 within the parallel resonance unit 6 . the voltage applying circuit 19 controls capacitance of the variable capacitor 68 within the second voltage controlled oscillator 14 , and controls capacitance of the variable capacitor 7 within the series resonance unit 3 and capacitance of the variable capacitor 7 within the parallel resonance unit 6 . fig8 is a diagram for explaining the principle of the operation of the tunable filter shown in fig1 . the oscillation frequency of the first voltage controlled oscillator 13 is determined by a control voltage v 1 that is output from the voltage applying circuit 17 . the oscillation frequency of the second voltage controlled oscillator 14 is determined by a control voltage v 2 that is output from the voltage applying circuit 19 . the storage circuit 21 stores information concerning the oscillation frequencies of the first voltage controlled oscillator 13 and the second voltage controlled oscillator 14 so that band passage characteristics that are optimum for selecting a channel individual to the communication system are obtained at the time of manufacturing the tunable filter . the base band circuit 20 reads this information , and controls the pll circuits 16 and 18 , thereby accurately controlling the oscillation frequencies of the first voltage controlled oscillator 13 and the second voltage controlled oscillator 14 . the center frequency and the bandwidth in the passage characteristics of the ladder filter ( i . e ., filter main body ) 11 are determined by the control voltages v 1 and v 2 that are output from the voltage applying circuits 17 and 19 , respectively . more specifically , as shown in fig8 , the center frequency of the filter is determined by the control voltage v 2 that is output from the voltage applying circuit 19 , and the bandwidth of the filter is determined by the control voltage v 1 output from the voltage applying circuit 17 . fig9 is a diagram showing passage characteristics of the tunable filter shown in fig1 . as shown in fig9 , when the voltages applied by the voltage applying circuits 17 and 19 are changed within the range of 0 to 3 volts , the center frequency changes within a range of 2 . 95 mhz to 3 . 08 mhz , thereby obtaining a large range of a frequency change of 43 percent . at the same time , very precipitous shielding characteristic can be obtained . as explained above , according to the first embodiment , a feedback control , in which capacitances of the variable capacitors 7 and 9 within the filter main body 11 are controlled in accordance with the oscillation frequencies within the first and the second voltage controlled oscillators 13 and 14 as a monitoring circuit , is performed continuously during communication . with this arrangement , stable filter characteristics can be obtained without being affected by frequency drift due to rise in the temperature of the device . while the monitoring circuit including the first and the second voltage controlled oscillators 13 and 14 is used in fig1 , the configuration of the monitoring circuit is not particularly limited . by using this type of monitoring circuit , capacitances of variable capacitors during operation are accurately measured . further , a resonance frequency of a resonance circuit combined with an inductor element is accurately monitored . capacitances are calculated based on a result of monitoring the resonance frequency , and are fed back to the voltage applying circuits 17 and 19 that drive the variable capacitors . as a result , characteristics of the filtering circuit consisting of the variable capacitors 7 and 9 and the film bulk acoustic resonator 8 can be controlled accurately . a tunable filter according to a second embodiment is the same as that according to the first embodiment , except the circuit configuration of the filter main body 11 is different . therefore , the difference is mainly explained hereinafter . fig1 is a circuit diagram of the filter main body 11 according to the second embodiment . the filter main body 11 shown in fig1 includes two capacitors 71 and 72 that are connected in series , and a parallel resonance unit 75 having two resonance units 73 and 74 connected to between one end of the capacitors 71 and 72 , respectively and an input / output common terminal . each of the resonance units 73 and 74 has the film bulk acoustic resonator 8 and the variable capacitor 7 that are connected in parallel , and the variable capacitor 9 that is connected in series with them , like the resonator shown in fig1 . the number of resonators that constitute the parallel resonance unit 6 is not particularly limited to two . fig1 is a diagram showing passage characteristics of the tunable filter using the filter main body 11 shown in fig1 . fig1 shows a change in the passage characteristics when the application voltages output from the voltage applying circuits 17 and 19 shown in fig1 are changed . as is clear from a comparison between fig1 and fig1 , number of elements of the filter main body 11 shown in fig1 is smaller than that of the filter main body shown in fig1 . therefore , the area in which the elements are formed can be reduced , and the passage bandwidth becomes half of that in fig9 . further , when the capacitances of the variable capacitors 7 and 9 are changed , a total change in the impedance of the filter is small . on the other hand , attenuation characteristic becomes milder than that in fig9 . shielding characteristics in areas other than the passage band are different between at the low - frequency side and at the high - frequency side . as explained above , according to the second embodiment , the filter main body 11 can be made smaller . a tunable filter according to a third embodiment is the same as that according to the first embodiment , except the circuit configuration of the filter main body 11 is different . therefore , the difference is mainly explained . fig1 is a circuit diagram of the filter main body 11 according to the third embodiment . the filter main body 11 shown in fig1 has a lattice filter configured by four resonators 76 connected in a bridge . each resonance unit 76 has the film bulk acoustic resonator 8 and the variable capacitor 7 that are connected in parallel , and the variable capacitor 9 that is connected in series with them , like the resonator shown in fig1 . among the four resonators 76 shown in fig1 , the film bulk acoustic resonators 8 included in the two resonators on one diagonal line and the film bulk acoustic resonators 8 included in the two resonators on the other diagonal line have mutually different thicknesses in their upper electrodes 55 . therefore , resonance frequencies of the resonators on one diagonal line and resonance frequencies of the resonators on the other diagonal line are different from each other by a predetermined level . fig1 is a diagram showing passage characteristics of the tunable filter using the filter main body 11 shown in fig1 . this diagram shows passage characteristics when the voltage applying circuit controls capacitances of the variable capacitors 7 and 9 within a range of control voltage 0 to 3 volts . the center frequency changes within a range of 2 . 98 mhz to 3 . 12 mhz , thereby obtaining a large range of a frequency change of 5 . 2 percent . at the same time , very large out - of - band attenuation characteristics are obtained . as explained above , when a lattice filter is configured by plural resonators , a large variable - frequency range can be obtained , in a similar manner to that according to the first embodiment . according to a fourth embodiment , a circuit configuration of the control circuit 12 is different from that according to the first embodiment . fig1 is an equivalent circuit diagram of a tunable filter according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention . the tunable filter shown in fig1 has the control circuit 12 having a circuit configuration different from that shown in fig1 . the control circuit 12 shown in fig1 has a monitoring circuit 81 that constitutes a voltage controlled oscillator , the temperature compensated crystal oscillator 15 , the voltage applying circuits 17 and 19 , the base band circuit 20 , the storage circuit 21 , and an operating circuit 82 . the monitoring circuit 81 has the amplifier 62 and a resonance unit 83 that are connected in parallel . the resonance unit 83 has the film bulk acoustic resonator 8 and the variable capacitor 7 that are connected in parallel , and the variable capacitor 9 that is connected in series with them , like the resonator shown in fig1 . the voltage applying circuit 17 controls capacitance of the variable capacitor 9 within the monitoring circuit 81 , capacitance of the variable capacitor 9 within the series resonance unit 3 of the filter main body 11 , and capacitance of the variable capacitor 9 within the parallel resonance unit 6 . the voltage applying circuit 19 controls capacitance of the variable capacitor 7 within the monitoring circuit 81 , capacitance of the variable capacitor 7 within the series resonance unit 3 of the filter main body 11 , and capacitance of the variable capacitor 7 within the parallel resonance unit 6 . fig1 a and 15b are diagrams for explaining the principle of the operation of the tunable filter shown in fig1 . as shown in fig1 a , when the voltage applying circuit 17 controls the control voltage v 1 supplied to the monitoring circuit 81 , the oscillation frequency of the monitoring circuit 81 changes within a range of fr to fa . as shown in fig1 b , a center frequency is determined by the control voltage v 2 output from the voltage applying circuit 19 , and a passage bandwidth is determined by the control voltage v 1 output from the voltage applying circuit 17 . the storage circuit 21 stores in advance at a manufacturing time , the oscillation frequency of the monitoring circuit 81 corresponding to the band passage characteristics optimum for selecting a channel individual to a communication system . with this arrangement , the operating circuit 82 can accurately control the oscillation frequency of the monitoring circuit 81 corresponding to the passage characteristics desirable during communications . this feedback control of the oscillation frequency is carried out continuously during communications . as explained above , according to the fourth embodiment , stable filter characteristics can be obtained without being affected by frequency drift due to rise in the temperature of the device , in a similar manner to that according to the first embodiment . according to a fifth embodiment , a circuit configuration of the monitoring circuit is different from that according to the fourth embodiment . fig1 is an equivalent circuit diagram of a tunable filter according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention . the tunable filter shown in fig1 has a monitoring circuit 91 having a circuit configuration different from that of the monitoring circuit 81 shown in fig1 . the tunable filter shown in fig1 is input with an oscillation signal of a predetermined frequency from a voltage controlled oscillator 92 provided at the outside . the monitoring circuit 91 shown in fig1 includes resonators similar to those shown in fig1 . each resonator has the film bulk acoustic resonator 8 and the variable capacitor 7 that are connected in parallel , and the variable capacitor 9 that is connected in series with the film bulk acoustic resonator 8 and the variable capacitor 7 . the voltage applying circuit 17 controls capacitance of the variable capacitor 9 within the monitoring circuit 91 , capacitance of the variable capacitor 9 within the series resonance unit 3 of the filter main body 11 , and capacitance of the variable capacitor 9 within the parallel resonance unit 6 . the voltage applying circuit 19 controls capacitance of the variable capacitor 7 within the monitoring circuit 91 , capacitance of the variable capacitor 7 within the series resonance unit 3 of the filter main body 11 , and capacitance of the variable capacitor 7 within the parallel resonance unit 6 . fig1 a and 17b are diagrams for explaining the principle of the operation of the tunable filter shown in fig1 . as shown in the diagram , capacitances of the variable capacitors 7 and 9 within the monitoring circuit 91 are controlled based on the control voltage v 1 output from the voltage applying circuit 17 and the control voltage v 2 output from the voltage applying circuit 19 , respectively . as a result , oscillation frequencies change , and the passage bandwidth and the center frequency of the filter main body 11 are controlled . mainly , as shown in fig1 b , the center frequency of the filter main body 11 is controlled based on the control voltage v 1 , and the bandwidth of the filter main body 11 is controlled based on the control voltage v 2 . the voltage applying circuits intermittently control the control voltages v 1 and v 2 during communications . as explained above , according to the fifth embodiment , stable filter characteristics can be obtained without being affected by frequency drift due to rise in the temperature of the device , in a similar manner to that according to the first embodiment . according to a sixth embodiment , the variable capacitors 7 and 9 and the film bulk acoustic resonator 8 of the filter main body 11 are used as a part of the control circuit 12 . fig1 is an equivalent circuit diagram of a tunable filter according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention . the tunable filter shown in fig1 has the control circuit 12 of which circuit configuration is different from that shown in fig1 . the control circuit 12 shown in fig1 has the temperature compensated crystal oscillator 15 , a voltage applying circuit 101 , the base band circuit 20 , the storage circuit 21 , the operating circuit 82 , switching circuits 102 , 103 , and 104 , a detecting circuit 106 that detects the amplitude of a signal output from the filtering circuit 11 , and a temperature detector 107 that detects the ambient temperature . the filter main body 11 has a circuit similar to that shown in fig1 . at the time of adjusting filter characteristics , the outside voltage controlled oscillator 92 inputs an oscillation signal having a predetermined frequency to the filter main body 11 via the switching circuit 104 . the switching circuit 103 uses the variable capacitors 7 and 9 of any one of the resonators of the filter main body 11 , as a part of the monitoring circuit 81 , and is used to control capacitances of these variable capacitors 7 and 9 . the variable capacitors 7 and 9 that are not selected by the switching circuit 102 hold charges held when these variable capacitors are connected to the switching circuit 102 before . the switching circuit 103 is switched at the time of monitoring the variable capacitors 7 and 9 of any one of the resonators of the filter main body 11 . according to the present embodiment , the output from the voltage controlled oscillator is intermittently sweep input to the filter main body 11 via the switching circuit 104 when the power is turned on or during communications . the detecting circuit 106 detects the amplitude of the output signal from the filter main body 11 . the operating circuit 82 controls capacitances of the variable capacitors 7 and 9 based on a result of detecting the amplitude by the detecting circuit 106 and a result of detecting the temperature by the temperature detector 107 . more specifically , the operating circuit 82 controls capacitances of the variable capacitors 7 and 9 so that the amplitude of the output signal from the filter main body 11 becomes maximum . with this arrangement , stable filter characteristics can be obtained without being affected by frequency drift due to rise in the temperature of the device . as explained above , according to the sixth embodiment , the filter main body 11 can be used as a monitoring circuit by switching the switching circuits 102 to 104 . as a result , an exclusive monitoring circuit is not necessary , thereby simplifying a circuit configuration . according to a seventh embodiment , a circuit configuration of a monitoring circuit is different from those according to the preceding embodiments . fig1 is an equivalent circuit diagram of a tunable filter according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention . the tunable filter shown in fig1 includes the voltage applying circuits 17 and 19 , the base band circuit 20 , the storage circuit 21 , monitoring circuits 111 and 112 , and a temperature detecting circuit 113 . each of the monitoring circuits 111 and 112 has a variable capacitor 114 and a capacitance detecting circuit 115 that are connected in parallel . the capacitance detecting circuit 115 measures capacitances of the variable capacitors 7 and 9 that are connected in parallel , and transmits a result of the measuring to the operating circuit 82 . the voltage applying circuit 17 controls capacitance of the variable capacitor 114 within the monitoring circuit 111 , capacitance of the variable capacitor 9 within the series resonance unit 3 of the filter main body 11 , and capacitance of the variable capacitor 9 within the parallel resonance unit 6 . the voltage applying circuit 19 controls capacitance of the variable capacitor 114 within the monitoring circuit 112 , capacitance of the variable capacitor 7 within the series resonance unit 3 of the filter main body 11 , and capacitance of the variable capacitor 7 within the parallel resonance unit 6 . the operation of the principle of the tunable filter shown in fig1 is explained hereinafter . a resonance frequency fr ′ and an antiresonance frequency fa ′ of the resonator in the filter main body 11 can be calculated based on the following expressions ( 1 ) and ( 2 ), using the resonance frequency fr and the antiresonance frequency fa of the film bulk acoustic resonator 8 , the capacitance vc 1 of the variable capacitor 7 connected in parallel , and the capacitance vc 2 of the variable capacitor 9 connected in series . f r ′ = f r ⁢ 1 + c 1 c 0 + v c1 + v c2 ( 1 ) f a ′ = f r ⁢ 1 + c 1 c 0 + v c1 ( 2 ) capacitors c 0 and c 1 correspond to an equivalent capacitance and a parallel equivalent capacitance , respectively when the film bulk acoustic resonator 8 is expressed by a bvd model equivalent circuit . therefore , when the resonance frequency and the antiresonance frequency of each resonator in the filter main body 11 , and the capacitances of the variable capacitor 7 connected in parallel and the variable capacitor 9 connected in series within each resonator are controlled based on the measured capacitances of the variable capacitors 114 within the monitoring circuits 111 and 112 , band passage characteristics of the filtering circuit can be set to a value that is optimum for selecting a channel individual to a communication system . as explained above , according to the seventh embodiment , configurations of the monitoring circuits 111 and 112 can be simplified . using a simpler circuit than that according to the first embodiment , stable filter characteristics can be obtained without being affected by frequency drift due to rise in the temperature of the device . an eighth embodiment is a modified example of the seventh embodiment , and differences from the seventh embodiment will be mainly described hereinafter . fig2 is an equvalent circuit diagram of a tunable filter according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention . the tunable filter of fig2 has voltage applying circuits 116 and 117 , and monitor circuits 118 and 119 , in addition to the constituents of fig1 . each of the monitor circuits 118 and 119 has a variable capacitor 114 and a capacitance detecting circuit 115 connected in parallel , similarly to the monitor circuit 111 . the capacitance detecting circuit 115 measures the capacitance of the variable capacitor 114 connected in parallel , and transmits the measured result to the operating circuit 82 . the voltage applying circuit 17 controls capacitance of the variable capacitor 114 in the monitor circuit 111 and capacitance of the variable capacitor 9 in the series resonance unit 3 in the filter main body 11 . the voltage applying circuit 19 controls capacitance of the variable capacitor 114 in the monitor circuit 112 and capacitance of the variable capacitor 7 in the parallel resonance unit 6 in the filter main body 11 . the voltage applying circuit 116 controls capacitance of the variable capacitor 114 in the monitor circuit 118 and capacitance of the variable capacitor 9 in the series resonance unit 3 in the filter main body 11 . the voltage applying circuit 117 controls capacitance of the variable capacitor 114 in the monitor circuit 119 and capacitance of the variable capacitor 9 in the parallel resonance unit 6 in the filter main body 11 . according to the eighth embodiment , resonance frequency and antiresonance frequency of the series resonance unit 3 in the filter main body 11 , and capacitances of the variable capacitor 7 connected in parallel and the variable capacitor 9 connected in series in the series resonance unit 3 can be controlled based on the measured capacitances of the variable capacitors 114 in the monitor circuits 111 and 112 . resonance frequency and antiresonance frequency of the parallel resonance unit 6 , and capacitances of the variable capacitor 7 connected in parallel and the variable capacitor 9 connected in series in the parallel resonance unit 6 can be controlled based on the measured capacitances of the variable capacitors in the monitor circuits 118 and 119 . therefore , it is possible to control band - pass property of the filter circuit , especially , central pass frequency and band - pass over a range of broad frequency band , and to set the band - pass property to an optimum value for channel selection inherent to the communication system . as described above , according to the eighth embodiment , it is possible to simplify the configurations of the monitor circuits 111 and 112 , and to obtain stable filter property corresponding to the central frequency and the band - pass width at a range broader than that of the first embodiment . according to the fourth , the fifth , and the seventh embodiments , when the variable capacitors 114 within the monitoring circuits 111 and 112 and the variable capacitors 7 and 9 within the filter main body 11 apply the same voltage to the respective piezoelectric driving actuators , the same capacitance needs to be obtained . further , the variable capacitors 7 connected in parallel or the variable capacitors 9 connected in series in the resonators within the filter main body 11 need to exhibit the same characteristics and the same responses . the mems elements formed on the same substrate according to the semiconductor process usually obtain the same characteristics within a narrow area of at least the same wafer even when there is a large variance among lots or among wafers . therefore , the control systems according to the fourth , the fifth , and the seventh embodiments can be employed . in order to enable the resonators to have the same capacitance by receiving control voltages from the voltage applying circuits , one actuator can be shared as shown in fig2 in place of individually providing actuators to the variable capacitors . fig2 shows an example of a state that one actuator 121 is used to drive variable capacitor within plural resonators . with this arrangement , a variance of characteristics of individual variable capacitors can be reduced . actuators of all variable capacitors to which one voltage applying circuit supplies a control voltage can be set together into one . actuators of all variable capacitors within the resonators 3 connected in series can be set together into one . actuators of all variable capacitors within the resonators 6 connected in parallel can be set together into one . as explained above , according to the ninth embodiment , one actuator is used to control capacitances of plural variable capacitors . therefore , characteristics of the variable capacitors 7 and 9 can be arranged . in the above embodiments , a film bulk acoustic resonator is used for the inductor element . alternatively , a surface acoustic wave element ( i . e ., a saw device ) can be used . an inductor including a general waveguide and a coil can be also used . fig2 is a top plan diagram showing one example of a surface acoustic wave element . fig2 is a cross - sectional diagram of the surface acoustic wave element shown in fig2 cut along a line a - a . as shown in these diagrams , the surface acoustic wave element has a comb electrode 132 and an input / output electrode 133 formed on a piezoelectric monochristalline substrate 131 . a monitoring circuit of the above variable capacitors can have various forms . for example , a voltage controlled oscillator using a film bulk acoustic resonator and a variable capacitor can be used , or a filter module having a film bulk acoustic resonator and a variable capacitor connected in series or in parallel can be used . alternatively , a tunable filter itself can be used to carry out monitoring during the operation . a filter main body configured by a variable capacitor and an inductor element has various types such as a ladder type and a lattice type . many circuit systems can be also applied to the monitoring circuit . in the above embodiments , a resonator uses the variable capacitor 7 and the film bulk acoustic resonator 8 that are connected in parallel , and the variable capacitor 9 that is connected in series with them . however , the circuit configuration of the resonator is not limited to this . for example , fig2 shows an example of a resonator that is configured by a variable capacitor and a film bulk acoustic resonator that are connected in series , and a variable capacitor that is connected in parallel with them . the resonator shown in fig2 can be used in the filter main body 11 , shown in fig1 etc ., and in the monitoring circuit 83 shown in fig1 . the tunable filters explained in the above embodiments are used in various electric appliances . because the tunable filter according to the present invention is formed on the semiconductor substrate , the device can be made small . therefore , the tunable filter can be applied to various portable devices such as a portable telephone . fig2 is a block diagram showing one example of a schematic configuration of a portable telephone that incorporates the tunable filter according to the above embodiments . this portable telephone is a direct conversion type . the portable telephone shown in fig2 includes an antenna 141 , a directional coupler 142 that switches between a transmission and a reception , a transmitter 143 , a receiver 144 , and a base band processor 145 . the receiver 144 includes a tunable filter 146 explained above , a low noise amplifier ( lna ) 147 , a phase demodulator 148 that demodulates the phase of an output signal from the lna 147 , and an a / d converter 149 that a / d converts the phase - modulated signal . the transmitter 143 includes a d / a converter 151 that d / a converts a transmission signal generated by the base band processor , a low - pass filter 152 that extracts only a predetermined frequency component of a signal output from the d / a converter 151 , a phase modulator 153 that modulates the phase of an output from the low - pass filter 152 , and an amplitude modulator 154 that modulates the amplitude of a phase - modulated signal . the tunable filter can be connected to a latter stage of the lna .	7
solid state switching combined with a step up high voltage pulse transformer provides a high voltage pulser for modulating the cathode of a traveling wave tube amplifier . the pulser is capable of providing the required high voltage to the cathode of a traveling wave tube and simultaneously modulating the cathode with a desired wave envelope . since the pulser is all solid state , turn on after long periods of storage is limited only by the battery activation time and the traveling wave tube warm up time . pulse rise time , fall time , width and amplitude can be varied within the limitations of the output transformer by merely adjusting trim resistors , providing a wide range of flexibility in the output waveshape with a minimum of inconvenience . referring now to the drawings wherein like numbers represent like parts in the several views , fig1 discloses a preferred embodiment of the invention . a high frequency input pulse trigger is directed to a pulse steering circuit 10 . the steering circuit output delivers alternate pulses respectively to channel a and channel b . both channel a and channel b operate in the same manner and are comprised of identical components . since both circuits are identical all channel circuitry is described with respect to channel a . output 12 of pulse steering circuit 10 is coupled to provide a pulse to pulse stretchers 20 and 30 of channel a . output 14 of pulse steering circuit 10 is coupled to provide alternate pulses to channel b . therefore each channel is effectively operating at one - half the trigger pulse repetition frequency input . there are three microcircuit pulse stretchers in each channel , providing 8 μs , 1 μs and 2 μs duration pulses respectively . pulse stretcher 20 provides an 8 μs output pulse to a preamplifier 22 and provides a separate output pulse as an input to the 2 μs pulse stretcher 40 . the output of preamplifier 22 is coupled to a base drive circuit 24 , with the output of base drive circuit 24 being coupled as the input to a main drive circuit 26 . similarly the output of 1 μs pulse stretcher 30 is coupled to the input of a preamplifier 32 , the output of preamplifier 32 being coupled to base drive circuit 34 and the output of base drive circuit 34 being coupled as an input to main drive circuit 36 . similarly pulse stretcher 40 has an output coupled to preamplifier 42 , which has an output coupled to base drive circuit 44 . the output of base drive circuit 44 is coupled as an input to main drive circuit 46 to provide the 2 μs circuit . the output of preamplifier 32 is further coupled to the input of base drive circuit 24 . this allows the extra drive from the 1 μs pulse circuit to provide extra drive for the main drive transistors of the 8 μs pulse circuit to speed up their turn - on time . the signal coupled from the 8 μs pulse stretcher 20 to the 2 μs pulse stretcher input 40 is an impulse or trigger to start the 2 μs pulse . its time relation to the other 8 μs pulse output of pulse stretcher 20 is determined by the input prf only . functionally , each is independent of the other . the output of main drive circuit 26 is coupled in parallel with the output of main drive circuit 36 to one side of the primary winding of pulse transformer 28 . the other side of the primary winding is coupled to the output of main drive circuit 46 , with b + being supplied to the system through the center tap of the primary winding . the secondary winding of transformer 28 is coupled on one side to ground and on the other side to the cathode of a diode 29 . the anode of diode 29 is coupled to the traveling wave tube 50 for pulsing the tube . channel b is similarly coupled to receive steering pulses from steering circuit 10 , operate in response to these pulses alternately with channel a to couple an output signal in parallel with the output of diode 29 to the traveling wave tube 50 . these pulses are coupled to twt through common junction 54 . filament power for the traveling wave tube is coupled to the tube from filament power supply 52 . a clamping circuit 60 includes a power supply 62 coupled across the primary winding of a transformer 64 . the secondary of transformer 64 is coupled through a diode 66 , a capacitor bank 68 and 69 and back to the transformer and to a common circuit ground . a resistor bank 70 is coupled in parallel with capacitors 68 and 69 for providing a voltage dividing network . the anode - capacitor junction 72 of the voltage divider network is forward coupled through a diode 74 to the traveling wave tube input junction 54 . a sensing amplifier 76 has an input coupled to the junction 78 between capacitor bank 68 and 69 and an output 80 coupled to control clamp power supply 62 . another output 82 of sensing amplifier 76 is coupled to clamp dumping circuit 84 and an output of the clamp dump 84 is coupled through the primary winding of a transformer 86 to b + ( battery ). the secondary of transformer 86 is coupled on one side to common ground and on the other side in reverse through a zener diode to junction point 72 between diode 66 and diode 74 . outputs 90 and 92 respectively from channel a and channel b are coupled through a resistor network 94 and 96 respectively to the pulse steering circuit . similarly the outputs 90 and 92 are respectively coupled through resistances 98 and 100 to the clamp dump circuit 84 . fig2 disclose the pulse time sequence of the embodiment of fig1 . the μs and 8 μs pulses within a given channel start simultaneously . the additional drive provided by the 1 μs output is required to charge the load capacitance 68 - 69 and the stray capacitance of the transformer &# 39 ; s secondary within the allotted time . the 8 μs output provides the load current . at the end of the 8 μs period , the 2 μs drive circuit is triggered . it provides the energy required to discharge the capacitance of the load and the stray capacitance of the transformer secondary within the allotted time . during the 8 μs &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; period perturbations can occur on the output pulse as a result of the dump action of the dumping circuit . this can be eliminated or inhibited during this &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; period by coupling a signal through resistors 98 or 100 to the clamp dump circuit . the traveling wave tube cathode is pulsed during the 8 μs period after which the clamp dump transformer secondary is pulsed . the main drive , base driver , and clamp dump circuits are constant current drivers . fig3 shows a typical circuit that can provide this function . a transistor 110 or parallel group of transistors , has its emitter connected in series with a resistor 112 to a common ground . using a resistor forward voltage drop of approximately 4 volts , for example , at the desired current , the base or bases of the transistors will then be driven from a 5 volt voltage source . zener diode 114 is coupled between the base of the transistors to the circuit common for controlling this voltage . the main drive circuit having operational components similar to the base drive circuit is shown coupled to an output transformer 28 . the clamp dump circuit is the same type of circuit as the base drive or main drive circuit . as shown in fig4 the pulse steering circuit comprises a pair of transistors 121 and 122 , one transistor for each output channel . each transistor is driven from opposing outputs of a bistable multivibrator 124 . the collectors of the two transistors are resistively coupled through respective resistors r1 to the common input trigger pulse . the emitters of the respective transistors are coupled to ground and the collectors are coupled to provide the respective pulse steering outputs alternately to channel a and channel b . the particular &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; transistor shunts the input signal applied thereto to ground thereby preventing its channel from driving the traveling wave tube . the state of the bistable multivibrator 124 is changed by the output of the &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; channel 8 μs pule stretcher which is coupled through resistors 94 and 96 to the pulse steering circuit as shown in fig1 . the sense amplifier is simply a common variety operational amplifier such as the nationl semi - conductor model lm101 . in the clamping circuit 60 the series resistance in parallel with the two series capacitors 68 and 69 form a divider network for the sense amplifier , providing a predetermined approximate voltage at the amplifier input . the capacitors also act as a sync for excessive energy ( ripples and spikes ) occurring on the output pulse . the capacitors are precharged to the required pulse output voltage by the clamp power supply . when an output pulse occurs the excess voltage is clamped by the diode connected to the load . the clamp dump is inhibited during the on pulse period . once the inhibit is removed the clamp dump will pulse breaking down the high voltge zener diode connected to the secondary of the clamp dump transformer . the capacitor voltage is restored to the required voltage when the zener diode breaks down . during operation the high voltage pulser delivers both a high voltage and pulse shaping output to the cathode of the traveling wave tube . a high frequency input pulse trigger , typically a 50 kilohertz pulse , is directed to the pulse steering circuit 10 . the steering circuit output delivers alternate pulses to the pulse stretchers of channels a and b . therefore each channel is effectively operating at one - half the trigger prf or , for example 25 kilohertz . the respective channel pulse stretcher outputs are amplified , amplitude regulated , and fed to the base of the constant current output transistors which in turn drive the primary of the output pulse transformer . energy of the 1 μs pulse is used to charge the traveling wave tube capacitance producing a fast pulse rise time , while the 8 μs pulse is the main pulse determining the traveling wave tube on - time . the 2 μs pulse , which occurs at the end of the 8 μs pulse , is used to discharge the traveling wave tube capacitance and to reset the core of the output pulse transformer . the secondary of the two channel pulse transformers are connected to the load through high voltage diodes applied in an &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; configuration . in parallel with the load , but isolated from the load by the high voltage diode 74 , capacitor bank 68 - 69 is pre - charged to the required traveling wave tube voltage . when the constant current output of the pulser reaches the required output voltage , all excess drive current is shunted into the capacitor producing a flat topped pulse . during the inner pulse period the excess energy is removed from the capacitors by the clamp dumping circuit so that each pulse will have the same voltage amplitude . although a particular embodiment and form of this invention has been illustrated , it is apparent that various modifications and embodiments of the invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the foregoing disclosure . accordingly , the scope of the invention should be limited only by the claims appended hereto .	7
according to an embodiment of the invention , the method for preparing the phosphorus - containing benzoxazine resin is shown in flow chart 1 , and then the detail about flow chart 1 will be described in the followings . 21 . 32 g ( 0 . 05 moles ) phosphorus - containing diamine monomer ( iv - a ) and 12 . 82 g ( 0 . 105 moles ) 2 - hydroxybenzaldehyde are dissolved in dmac / toluene . the solution is contained in a three - necked bottle and a dean - stark device is set to execute a draining reaction . the reaction proceeds at the reflux temperature for 12 hours . after the reaction finishes , toluene is removed from the solution and the reflux temperature drops to the room temperature . nabh 4 are added into the three - necked bottle in batches and then the solution is stirred at the room temperature for 24 hours . after the reaction finishes , the reacting liquid is mixed in the deionized water to separate a white powder . the pumping and filtering process is used for obtain the white powder ( ii - a ) 30 . 33 g , and the yield is 95 %. afterwards , 10 . 0 g ( 0 . 0156 moles ) monomer ( ii - a ) is dissolved in toluene , and then 1 . 4976 g ( 0 . 0499 moles ) paraformaldehyde is added into the three - necked bottle to react at the reflux temperature for 24 hours . after the reaction finishes , toluene is removed by a spin concentrator to obtain a light yellow powder ( i - a ) 10 . 27 g , and the yield is 99 %. please refer to fig1 . fig1 is a schematic diagram illustrating 1h nmr spectrum of the compound ( i - a ). 22 . 73 g ( 0 . 05 moles ) phosphorus - containing diamine monomer ( iv - a ) and 12 . 82 g ( 0 . 105 moles ) 2 - hydroxybenzaldehyde are dissolved in dmac / toluene . the solution is contained in a three - necked bottle and a dean - stark device is set to execute a draining reaction . the reaction proceeds at the reflux temperature for 12 hours . after the reaction finishes , toluene is removed from the solution and the reflux temperature drops to the room temperature . nabh 4 are added into the three - necked bottle in batches and then the solution is stirred at the room temperature for 24 hours . after the reaction finishes , the reacting liquid is mixed in the deionized water to separate a white powder . the pumping and filtering process is used for obtain the white powder ( ii - b ) 30 . 33 g , and the yield is 91 %. afterwards , 10 . 0 g ( 0 . 0149 moles ) monomer ( ii - b ) is dissolved in toluene , and then 1 . 437 g ( 0 . 0479 moles ) paraformaldehyde is added into the three - necked bottle to react at the reflux temperature for 24 hours . after the reaction finishes , toluene is removed by a spin concentrator to obtain a light yellow powder ( i - b ) 10 . 09 g , and the yield is 98 %. 24 . 123 g ( 0 . 05 moles ) phosphorus - containing diamine monomer ( iv - c ) and 12 . 82 g ( 0 . 105 moles ) are dissolved in dmac / toluene . the solution is contained in a three - necked bottle and a dean - stark device is set to execute a draining reaction . the reaction proceeds at the reflux temperature for 12 hours . after the reaction finishes , toluene is removed from the solution and the reflux temperature drops to the room temperature . nabh 4 are added into the three - necked bottle in batches and then the solution is stirred at the room temperature for 24 hours . after the reaction finishes , the reacting liquid is mixed in the deionized water to separate a white powder . the pumping and filtering process is used for obtain the white powder ( ii - c ) 32 . 66 g , and the yield is 94 %. afterwards , 10 . 0 g ( 0 . 0143 moles ) monomer ( ii - c ) is dissolved in toluene , and then 1 . 381 g ( 0 . 046 moles ) paraformaldehyde is added into the three - necked bottle to react at the reflux temperature for 24 hours . after the reaction finishes , toluene is removed by a spin concentrator to obtain a light yellow powder ( i - c ) 10 . 14 g , and the yield is 98 %. 24 . 426 g ( 0 . 05 moles ) phosphorus - containing diamine monomer ( iv - d ) and 12 . 82 g ( 0 . 105 moles ) are dissolved in dmac / toluene . the solution is contained in a three - necked bottle and a dean - stark device is set to execute a draining reaction . the reaction proceeds at the reflux temperature for 12 hours . after the reaction finishes , toluene is removed from the solution and the reflux temperature drops to the room temperature . nabh 4 are added into the three - necked bottle in batches and then the solution is stirred at the room temperature for 24 hours . after the reaction finishes , the reacting liquid is mixed in the deionized water to separate a white powder . the pumping and filtering process is used for obtain the white powder ( ii - d ) 32 . 2 g , and the yield is 92 %. afterwards , 10 . 0 g ( 0 . 0142 moles ) monomer ( ii - d ) is dissolved in toluene , and then 1 . 37 g ( 0 . 0454 moles ) paraformaldehyde is added into the three - necked bottle to react at the reflux temperature for 24 hours . after the reaction finishes , toluene is removed by a spin concentrator to obtain a light yellow powder ( i - d ) 10 . 291 g , and the yield is 99 %. please refer to fig2 . fig2 is a schematic diagram illustrating 1h nmr spectrum of the compound ( i - d ). according to another embodiment of the invention , the method for preparing the phosphorus - containing benzoxazine resin is shown in flow chart 2 , and then the detail about flow chart 2 will be described in the followings . 30 . 53 g ( 0 . 05 moles ) phosphorus - containing diamine monomer ( viii - a ) and 12 . 82 g ( 0 . 105 moles ) are dissolved in dmac / toluene . the solution is contained in a three - necked bottle and a dean - stark device is set to execute a draining reaction . the reaction proceeds at the reflux temperature for 12 hours . after the reaction finishes , toluene is removed from the solution and the reflux temperature drops to the room temperature . nabh 4 are added into the three - necked bottle in batches and then the solution is stirred at the room temperature for 24 hours . after the reaction finishes , the reacting liquid is mixed in the deionized water to separate a white powder . the pumping and filtering process is used for obtain the white powder ( vi - a ) 38 . 26 g , and the yield is 93 %. afterwards , 10 . 0 g ( 0 . 012 moles ) monomer ( vi - a ) is dissolved in toluene , and then 1 . 16 g ( 0 . 0388 moles ) paraformaldehyde is added into the three - necked bottle to react at the reflux temperature for 24 hours . after the reaction finishes , toluene is removed by a spin concentrator to obtain a light yellow powder ( v - a ) 10 . 084 g , and the yield is 98 %. although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof , the disclosure is not for limiting the scope of the invention . persons having ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications and changes without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . therefore , the scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred embodiments described above .	2
next , one embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings below . since btbas used in the present invention is in a liquid state at room temperature , the btbas is introduced into a furnace using a btbas supply apparatus shown in fig2 and 3 . a btbas supply apparatus shown in fig2 is a combination of a thermostatic bath and gas flow rate control . a btbas supply apparatus shown in fig3 controls a flow rate by a combination of a liquid flow rate control and a vaporizer . referring to fig2 , in the btbas supply apparatus 4 , an interior of a thermostatic bath 41 containing a btbas liquid raw material 42 therein is heated to about 100 ° c . to increase a vapor pressure of btbas , thereby evaporating the btbas . then , the evaporated btbas is controlled in flow rate by a mass - flow controller 43 , and supplied , from a btbas supply port 44 , to a supply port 22 of a nozzle 21 of an vertical - type lpcvd ( low pressure cvd ) film forming apparatus shown in fig1 . in the btbas supply apparatus 4 , pipes from the btbas liquid raw material 42 to the btbas supply port 44 are covered with pipe heating members 45 . referring to fig3 , in the btbas supply apparatus 5 , push - out gas of he or n 2 introduced from a push - out gas introducing port 53 is introduced , through a pipe 54 , into a btbas tank 51 containing a btbas liquid raw material 52 therein , thereby pushing out the btbas liquid raw material 52 into a pipe 55 . then , the btbas liquid raw material 52 is controlled in flow rate by a liquid flow - rate control apparatus 56 and sent to a vaporizer 57 . in the vaporizer 57 , the btbas liquid raw material 52 is evaporated and supplied , from a btbas supply port 58 , to the supply port 22 of the nozzle 21 of the vertical - type lpcvd ( low pressure cvd ) film forming apparatus shown in fig1 . in the btbas supply apparatus 5 , pipes from the vaporizer 57 to the btbas supply port 58 are covered with pipe heating members 59 . next , the vertical - type lpcvd film forming apparatus which can preferably be used in the present embodiment will be explained with reference to fig1 . in the vertical - type lpcvd film forming apparatus 1 , a heater 13 is provided outside of a quartz reaction tube 11 so that an interior of the quartz reaction tube 11 can be heated uniformly . a quartz inner tube 12 is provided in the quartz reaction tube 11 . a quartz boat 14 is provided in the quartz inner tube 12 , and a plurality of semiconductor wafers are mounted on the quartz boat 14 and stacked in the vertical direction . the quartz boat 14 is mounted on a cap 15 . the quartz boat 14 is brought into and out from the quartz inner tube 12 by vertically moving the cap 15 . lower portions of the quartz reaction tube 11 and the quartz inner tube 12 are opened , but they are air - tightly closed by a bottom plate 24 of the cap 15 by moving the cap 15 upward . apparatus nozzles 18 and 21 are provided in lower portions of the quartz inner tube 12 such as to bring into communication with the quartz inner tube 12 . an upper portion of the quartz inner tube 12 is opened . a discharge port 17 is provided at a lower portion of space between the quartz inner tube 12 and the quartz reaction tube 11 so as to bring into communication with the space . the discharge port 17 is in communication with a vacuum pump ( not shown ) so as to evacuate the quartz reaction tube 11 . the raw gases supplied from the quartz nozzles 18 and 21 are injected from injection ports 20 and 23 into the quartz inner tube 12 . the gases then move in the quartz inner tube 12 from its lower portion to its upper portion , thereafter downwardly flows through the space between the quartz inner tube 12 and the quartz reaction tube 11 , and is discharged from the discharge port 17 . a method for forming a silicon nitride film using the vertical - type lpcvd film forming apparatus 1 will be explained next . first , the quartz boat 14 holding a large number of semiconductor wafers 16 is inserted into the quartz inner tube 12 the inside temperature of which is maintained at 600 ° c . or lower . next , the quartz reaction tube 11 is evacuated from the discharge port 17 to produce a vacuum therein using a vacuum pump ( not shown ). in order to stabilize a temperature over the entire surface of the wafer , it is preferable to evacuate for about one hour . next , nh 3 gas is charged from a charging port 19 of the quartz nozzle 18 to purge the inside of the quartz reaction tube 11 using nh 3 before btbas is charged . then , while nh 3 gas is continuously charged from a charging port 19 of the quartz nozzle 18 , btbas is charged from the charging port 22 of the quartz nozzle 21 , and an si 3 n 4 film is formed on the semiconductor wafer 16 . next , the supply of btbas is stopped while keep charging the nh 3 gas from the charging port 19 of the quartz nozzle 18 , thereby purging the quartz reaction tube 11 using nh 3 . if only btbas is charged , a film different from the si 3 n 4 film is formed and thus , it is preferable to purge the quartz reaction tube 11 using nh 3 before and after deposition . next , n 2 is allowed to flow into the quartz reaction tube 11 from the quartz nozzle 18 to purge the quartz reaction tube 11 using n 2 , thereby removing nh 3 in the quartz reaction tube 11 . then , the supply of n 2 is stopped and the quartz reaction tube 11 is evacuated to produce a vacuum therein . a set of the purge operation using n 2 and the subsequent evacuation operation in the quartz reaction tube 11 is carried out several times . thereafter , the interior of the quartz reaction tube 11 is brought back from the vacuum state into the atmospheric pressure state . then , the quartz boat 14 is moved down and taken out from the quartz reaction tube 11 . then , the quartz boat 14 and the semiconductor wafers 16 are cooled down to room temperature . the above - described silicon nitride film forming method is repeated , and when a thickness of the si 3 n 4 film formed in the quartz reaction tube 11 reached 3 , 000 å , nf 3 gas is introduced into the quartz reaction tube 11 from the quartz nozzle 18 , thereby carrying out in situ cleaning of the si 3 n 4 film . first , the quartz boat 14 holding no semiconductor wafer 16 is inserted into the quartz inner tube 12 the inside temperature of which is maintained at 600 ° c . next , the quartz reaction tube 11 is evacuated from the discharge port 17 to produce a vacuum therein using the vacuum pump ( not shown ). then , nf 3 gas is charged from the charging port 19 of the quartz nozzle 18 at a flow rate of 500 sccm , the quartz reaction tube 11 is evacuated to produce a vacuum therein from the discharge port 17 using the vacuum pump ( not shown ), a pressure in the quartz reaction tube 11 is maintained at 10 torr or higher , and the interior of the quartz reaction tube 11 is cleaned . then , the supply of nf 3 gas is stopped , the quartz reaction tube 11 is evacuated to provide a vacuum therein from the discharge port 17 using the vacuum pump ( not shown ), and residue nf 3 gas is discharged . next , n 2 is allowed to flow into the quartz reaction tube 11 from the quartz nozzle 18 to purge the quartz reaction tube 11 using n 2 to remove nf 3 in the quartz reaction tube 11 . then , the quartz reaction tube 11 is evacuated to produce a vacuum therein from the discharge port 17 using the vacuum pump ( not shown ). the evacuation operation and the purge operation using n 2 are carried out several times . thereafter , the interior of the quartz reaction tube 11 is brought back from the vacuum state into the atmospheric pressure state . then , the quartz boat 14 is moved down and taken out from the quartz reaction tube 11 . at the time of cleaning using nf 3 , when the si 3 n 4 film is etched , the quartz is also adversely etched at the same time . therefore , important is condition in which the si 3 n 4 film is largely etched , and the quartz ( sio 2 ) is etched as little as possible . fig6 shows a relation between a pressure and an etching selection ratio . in this figure , the horizontal axis shows a pressure in the quartz reaction tube 11 , and the vertical axis shows a ratio of an etching rate ( er ( sin )) of the si 3 n 4 film to an etching rate ( er ( sio 2 )) of the quartz . referring to fig6 , it can be found that as the pressure becomes higher , the etching selection ratio is increased , and the quartz ( sio 2 ) becomes less prone to be etched . for these reason , it is preferable to set the pressure to 10 torr or higher . further , by further increasing the pressure , the etching selection ratio becomes more excellent , and the etching rate is also enhanced and thus , the etching time can be shortened . for example , although the etching time is about 30 minutes when the pressure is set to 10 torr , when the pressure is set to 70 torr , almost the same etching can be carried out for about 15 minutes . by carrying out the nf 3 cleaning whenever the thickness of the formed si 3 n 4 film reaches 3000 å , it is possible to form particle - free si 3 n 4 films 100 times continuously in a maintenance - free manner . fig7 shows data . in fig7 , the horizontal axis shows the number of film forming operations , a blank exists every three times operation . the blank shows the nf 3 cleaning operation . the vertical axis shows the number of foreign particles of 0 . 18μ or greater particle size on the wafer . the cleaning operation using nf 3 gas was carried out in such a manner that nf 3 gas was charged into the quartz reaction tube 11 at a flow rate of 500 scam , the quartz reaction tube 11 was evacuated to produce a vacuum therein , the pressure in the quartz reaction tube 11 was maintained at 10 torr ( 1 , 300 pa ), a temperature therein was set to about 600 ° c ., and the cleaning operation was carried out for 30 minutes . in fig7 , “ top ” means a 115th wafer from the bottom , “ cnt ” means 66th wafer from the bottom , and “ bot ” means a 16th wafer from the bottom , when 125 wafers were processed . time required for carrying out the nf 3 cleaning operation once is 2 . 5 hours ( it takes 30 minutes to flow nf 3 gas , and the remaining time are required for bringing up the boat and evacuating to produce a vacuum and the like ), and there is a merit if compared with 16 hours required for conventional maintenance . as described above , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention , when si 3 n 4 films are formed using btbas and nh 3 , it is possible to reduce the frequency of maintenance as small as possible and to suppress or prevent the generation of particles . the entire disclosure of japanese patent application no . 11 - 333129 filed on nov . 24 , 1999 including specification , claims , drawings and summary are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . although various exemplary embodiments have been shown and described , the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown . therefore , the scope of the invention is intended to be limited solely by the scope of the claims that follow .	8
the inflatable basketball structure resembles an ordinary basketball apparatus and includes an inflatable basketball backboard , an inflatable basketball rim , a basketball net , an inflatable supporting pole , and an inflatable safety enclosure . the members are made of one or more inflatable cells . several members can be made of a single cell . each individual inflatable cell has an airtight inflatable chamber having an inflation valve . the inflation valve permits air to be introduced and removed from the chamber . alternately , the airtight inflatable chamber can be outfitted with more than one valve , an inflation valve and a separate deflation valve where the inflation valve only inflates the chamber and the deflation valve only deflates the chamber . members may be formed of an outside jacket layer providing additional structural support as an exoskeleton for an inside inflatable member inflated against the outside jacket layer to prevent buckling of the outside jacket layer . the inflatable basketball backboard , inflatable basketball rim , basketball net , inflatable supporting pole , and inflatable safety enclosure are formed of an outside jacket layer providing additional structural support as an exoskeleton for an inside inflatable member inflated against the outside jacket layer to prevent buckling of the outside jacket layer . the basketball rim is made of a hoop of inflatable or padded material . a standard basketball net can be used on the inflatable basketball hoop by attaching the net to the hoop by means of detachable hook and loop tape . the hoop holds the net via the hook and loop tape where a hook side is disposed on either the net or hoop and the loop side is disposed on the other side . the net detaches if a user &# 39 ; s fingers are caught in the net . the rim is attached to the backboard . the junction between the hoop and the backboard is reinforced by elastic cord that restores the hoop to neutral position after a user dunks on the hoop . elastic cord connects the backboard to the hoop . the rim is flexible in relationship to the backboard and can flex when a user slam dunks . the backboard is in turn attached to the backboard pole . the backboard can be made of a single planar rectangular inflatable member . the backboard has an outside jacket layer restraining an inflated inside inflatable member . the outside jacket layer is a tough and more rigid fabric providing additional structural support as an exoskeleton . the inside inflatable backboard member is inflated against the outside jacket layer to prevent buckling of the outside jacket layer . the outside jacket layer restrains the inside inflatable member from expansion beyond the size of the outside jacket layer . alternatively , the backboard can also be made of a planar rectangular rigid core enveloped on the rear side by an inflatable member . the inflatable basketball pole is hollow and inflatable . optionally , the pole has an outside jacket layer restraining an inflated inside inflatable member . the outside jacket layer is a tough and more rigid fabric providing additional structural support as an exoskeleton . the inside inflatable member is inflated against the outside jacket layer to prevent buckling of the outside jacket layer . the outside jacket layer restrains the inside inflatable member from expansion beyond the size of the outside jacket layer . the inside inflatable member is an inflatable airtight member having an inflation valve . the member has a single inflation valve . the height adjustable pole can height adjust by either forming intermediate inflation chambers or a crumple zone . in the first inflation chambers embodiment , a number of intermediate independent chambers have individual air inflation valves and form preferably a pair of independent inflation chambers . in the inflation chamber embodiment , the base portion of the inflatable basketball pole supports a number of independent chambers . the independent chambers in turn support the upper portion of the inflatable basketball pole . a user may inflate or deflate one or more of the chambers to raise or lower the height of the basketball hoop , rim , and backboard . upon deflation of the independent chambers , the upper portion of the basketball pole decreases to a lower height , without affecting the air pressure of the base portion of the inflatable basketball pole or the upper portion of the inflatable basketball pole . a user then secures the upper , lower and intermediate portions by pairs of upper and lower straps of hook and loop tape . the upper and lower strap maintains the relative position of the members in the inflation chamber embodiment . the upper straps begin at a location above the upper intermediate inflation chamber and secures to a corresponding lower strap below the lowest intermediate inflation chamber . buttons or other hardware attachment means may connect the straps to each other . the preferred means for securing the opposing pair of straps is hook and loop tape . similarly , a user can increase the height of the basket by detaching the straps and inflating the intermediate chambers . in the second basketball pole embodiment , a crumble zone is a user height adjustable section of the basketball pole that allows a user to adjust the height of the basket . unlike the inflation chamber embodiment , the crumble zone embodiment has a single cell representing the basketball pole . the crumble zone is a location on the basketball pole that can be deflated and restricted in height by a plurality of straps , or other restriction means , so that the zone does not inflate to full height when restricted by a height restriction means . the crumble zone is defined by height restriction means such as upper straps that connect to lower straps . upper straps connecting to lower straps allow partial inflation of the crumble zone . when the air pressure is at full inflation air pressure , the crumble zone is also at full pressure . the crumble zone deflates upon deflation of the entire enclosure . instead of straps , the sleeve representing the outside shell of the basketball pole can be modified to include zippers between flaps to allow a user to zip up and contract a portion of the sleeve to limit the full inflation height of the crumble zone . a user determines the desired height of the basket rim and can adjust straps and set the straps to the proper height . the proper height is marked on the straps . once the straps are in place , the user inflates the device . the crumple zone straps limit the total height of the basket rim while maintaining rigid inflation . the crumple zone can be scored or prefolded to create a standard folding pattern that allows the zone a specific repetitively formed shape instead of a random crumpled shape . the net has hook and loop tape connecting the net to the rim . the loop side is attached to the net while the hook side is attached to the rim . if a user has a finger caught in the net , the net detaches to prevent injury to the user . the present embodiment further includes and an elastic cord attaching the back of the backboard to the spine of the basketball pole . the spine is the rearward portion facing away from the face of the backboard . the elastic cord restores the position of the backboard after a user dunks . the elastic cord can be threaded through loops or a continuous sleeve stitched into the spine of the basketball pole . a plurality of elastic cords may be used depending upon the restoring force desired . an elastic cord connects the upper and lower portion in a similar manner and reinforces the hook and loop tape . the basketball pole has an outside covering that can be enveloped around the pole . the crumple zone shares air pressure with the basketball pole and main wall members . an air pump can assist in maintaining air pressure by providing air to the enclosure and the basketball pole . the air pump is preferably attached to the base of the enclosure , constantly providing air input . the inflatable structure enclosure retains a basketball inside the enclosure by mesh netting . retaining the basketball enhances users safety and fun . the three main wall members forming the enclosure includes the left wall , the right wall and the rear wall . the standard wall consists of a top tubular member attached to a pair of side tubular members attached to a bottom tubular member . the four tubular members form a frame defining an aperture that is enclosed by netting stretched to span across the aperture . the inflatable basketball structure can be mounted on a trampoline with the left wall , right wall , and rear wall resting on the periphery of the rectangular trampoline . a rope or strap retains the enclosure to the trampoline frame and can attach the left wall , right wall and rear wall to the frame . the preferred embodiment has a rectangular enclosure with three main walls . alternate embodiments may use circular or semicircular wall configurations . a wall includes a structure of inflatable frame members with netting spanning between inflatable frame members . in an alternate freestanding embodiment , the basketball pole , basket and rim are separately inflated from the enclosure . the assembly of the basketball pole , basket and rim forms a freestanding unit resting on the basketball pole base having no air communication with the protective enclosure . the freestanding inflatable pole is attached to the protective enclosure by mounting straps or mounting cord and can be reconfigured to attach to other structures by mounting straps or a mounting cord . the freestanding embodiment maximizes user configuration options and allows the basketball pole member to be separated from the protective enclosure and attached to other non - inflated or inflated protective trampoline enclosures . non - inflated protective trampoline enclosures having solid steel frames and retaining mesh netting are widely used . some are described in u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 053 , 845 , and 6 , 261 , 207 to publicover . the freestanding inflatable pole can be attached to a wide variety of non - inflated structures by means of straps or cord . the inflatable basketball structure may comprise an inflatable safety enclosure having three walls defining a semicircular instead of rectangular enclosure , and here the trampoline provided is a circular trampoline .	0
turning to the drawing , there may be seen a block diagram representing a preferred embodiment of the adaptive gain - ranging system of the present invention . signal source 10 is connected , through selector switch 12 and selectable gain amplifier 14 , to the input of analog - to - digital ( a / d ) converter 16 . in turn , the output of a / d converter 16 provides a signal to data system 18 and thence to output device 20 . the system further comprises control device 22 , interconnected between various other components as will hereinafter be described in detail , and a calibration signal system in general designated by reference numeral 24 , also connected to the input of a / d converter 16 through selector switch 12 and selectable gain amplifier 14 . power for the operation of the system is supplied , as appropriate , by one or more power supplies ( not shown ). in greater detail , signal source 10 may be any one of a number of well - known electrical transducers that provide a variable electrical current or voltage responsive to a physical parameter . in this regard , signal source 10 may be , for instance , a photodetector , a piezoelectric strain gauge , a capacitive proximity detector , or the like , together with any required power supply , preamplier , impedance matching device , and the like , as well known in the art . selector switch 12 is any one of a number of devices for making an electrical connection between either of two electrical inputs and the switch &# 39 ; s electrical output while simultaneously electrically disconnecting the other input . in the preferred embodiment , selector switch 12 is chosen so as to be activated by an appropriate electrical &# 34 ; mode set &# 34 ; signal from control device 22 . in this case , selector switch 12 may be an electromechanical or solid state relay . however , it will be appreciated that in some applications selector switch 12 might be a manually manipulated device , such as one or more switches or connectors . selector switch 12 is connected to receive input signals from signal source 10 and calibration signal system 24 and to connect them alternately to selectable gain amplifier 14 . selectable gain amplifier 14 is chosen to provide ( analog ) output signals responsive to ( analog ) input signals at any one of a preselected plurality of nominal gains , the gain being selected by an appropriate gain set signal . while typically the preselected gains of selectable gain amplifier 14 are chosen to differ from one another nominally by powers of two , it will be appreciated that any two or more values of the preselected gain may be employed , and further that one or more of the preselected gains may be fractional ( i . e ., selectable gain amplifier 14 may provide attenuation ). in the preferred embodiment , the gain is set in response to an electrical gain set signal from control device 22 . for such an embodiment , the gain of the selectable gain amplifier may be established by opening , closing , or stepping an electromechanical relay or its solid state equivalent . however , as is the case of the operation of selector switch 12 , it will be understood that in certain embodiments a manually manipulated device , such as a multi - tap switch , might be employed to select the value of the desired gain . selectable gain amplifier 14 is connected between selector switch 12 and a / d converter 16 so as to provide a signal proportional to the signal received from the selector switch 12 . a / d converter 16 is any one of a number of well - known devices for periodically providing digitally ( commonly binary ) encoded electrical signals responsive to the current or voltage of an input signal . the output of a / d converter 16 serves as an input ( directly or through telemetry ) to data system 18 , which preferably is a dedicated data system capable of storing , comparing , and otherwise manipulating digital information . thus , data system 18 is preferably an electronic computer programmed , as taught by the prior art , to accumulate and process the output of a / d converter 16 into a form useful to the user , depending on the nature of the system and signal source 10 . in its simplest form , data system 18 might thus be programmed only to correct the data by the last known values of the gain and offset , e . g ., by dividing by the gain and adding the offset . typically , data system 18 is connected to an output device 20 so that the raw data from a / d converter 16 , or the result of its manipulation or comparison with previously stored data , may be displayed or permanently recorded . to this end , output device 20 is typically a display system , printer , recorder , or the like . control device 22 is any one of a number of devices for providing a sequence of control signals on command . thus , control device 22 may be an electromechanical sequence controller , tape or card actuated switching gear , or the like . in the preferred embodiment , control device 22 is a signal conditioner providing a set of appropriate electrical signals responsive to signals from data system 18 . it will be understood , however , that control device 22 might also be a manually operated device , such as a set of switches . control device 22 is connected to a power supply ( not shown ) so as to provide control signals to selector switch 12 , selectable gain amplifier 14 , and calibration source system 24 . calibration source system 24 includes selectable bias source 26 , noise source 28 , and summing amplifier 30 . selectable bias source 26 is any one of a number of devices for providing any selected constant level reference signal from a set of pre - established dc signal levels . thus , selectable bias source 26 may be a voltage divider network and a precision power supply , a set of standard cells , or the like , that may be variously connected to provide a selected reference signal . in the preferred embodiment , the selection of the bias level is responsive to a bias set signal from control device 22 . to this end , as well known , solid state or electromechanical relays or the like may be used to interconnect components so as to provide the desired signal levels . however , it will also be understood that the selection of reference signals might also be done manually . in a preferred embodiment , the selected output signal from selectable bias source 26 is provided as one of the inputs to summing amplifier 30 . in a preferred embodiment , noise source 28 is connected as the other input of summing amplifier 30 . noise source 28 is any one of a number of well - known devices for producing an electrical noise of known statistical properties . thus , noise source 28 may be a diode noise generator , a noisy amplifier , or the like . preferably , but not necessarily , noise source 28 is chosen to produce a gaussian ( or nearly gaussian ) noise spectrum which , as well known , exhibits amplitude variations having a mean average of zero over time . in any event , as will become apparent hereinafter , the operation of the invention is simplified if the probability distribution of the noise is symmetric . summing amplifier 30 is preferably a conventional unity - gain amplifier capable of superposing a pair of signals . its output , corresponding to the sum of the signals it receives from selectable bias source 26 and noise source 28 , is connected as an input to selector switch 12 . concerning the overall system parameters of calibration signal system 24 , noise source 28 is selected so as to produce a noise signal having maximum amplitude variations about its mean average value . the noise signal has a maximum amplitude , when amplified at the lowest gain of selectable gain amplifier 14 , that is greater than at least one , and preferably several times , the least significant digit value of a / d converter 16 , while preferably remaining less than half the counting range i . e ., less than half the value between the minimum and maximum output values , of the converter at the highest gain of the selectable gain amplifier . the minimum and maximum reference signal levels of selectable bias source 26 are chosen such that , when amplified by selectable gain amplifier 14 at minimum and maximum gain respectively , they correspond to output signals of a / d converter 16 spaced from the minimum and maximum output values or counts by better than half the maximum noise amplitude produced by noise source 28 . it will be understood that for a truly gaussian signal , the maximum amplitude of the noise signal may be generated within any convenient range , say six standard deviations . however , the requirement remains that at the lowest gain of the gain - ranging amplifier the amplitude of the noise signal covers at least one -- and preferably several times -- the least significant digit as digitized by the a / d converter in a relatively small number of counting cycles , yet the noise signal does not the range of the converter at the highest gain a significant number of times in a relatively large number of counts ). the operation of the preferred embodiment will now be described . normally , selector switch 12 is positioned to connect signal source 10 to selectable gain amplifier 14 ( disconnecting calibration source system 24 ), and selectable gain amplifier 14 is set at a predetermined nominal gain . signals from signal source 10 , amplified accordingly , are supplied as input to a / d converter 16 . as a result , a train of digital signals spaced apart by the sampling time of the a / d converter is supplied to data system 18 . in the preferred embodiment , as in prior art devices , data system 18 , inter alia , compares the signals from a / d converter 16 with pre - established limit signals ( stored , for instance , in a look - up table ), and supplies control device 22 with an appropriate up or down signal respectively as the count falls below or exceeds the pre - established lower or upper limits . in response , control device 22 generates appropriate gain set signals and supplies them to selectable gain amplifier 14 , stepping the gain up or down . this process continues until the digitized signal from a / d converter 16 is within the pre - established limits . thereafter , data is collected , processed , and disposed of as required by the nature of the overall system . throughout the cycling of selectable gain amplifier 14 , it will be understood that the nominal value of the selected gain is somehow recorded , as on a counter , in data system 18 responsive to the up and down signals . data system 18 may thus present to output device 20 a digital output , updated as desired , corresponding to the signal from signal source 10 , as amplified by selectable gain amplifier 14 , together with an indication of the nominal gain setting of the amplifier . alternatively , as will be understood by those skilled in the art of computer - assisted instrumentation systems , data system 18 might apply ( as from a look - up table ) the last known values of the gain and offset corresponding to the gain setting , thereby supplying output device 20 a corrected sequence of data . in response to signals from data system 18 , control device 22 also provides a sequence of signals to selector switch 12 , selectable gain amplifier 14 , and calibration source system 24 , thereby interposing a calibration test . this sequence may be initiated by data system 18 in response to either a previously established program ( e . g ., an instruction to initiate a calibration sequence at fixed time intervals , after cycling selectable gain amplifier 14 a pre - set number of times , or the like ), a user command , or the like . at the same time that the calibration sequence is initiated , the gain - ranging function of data system 18 described supra is inhibited . in the calibration sequence , control device 22 preferably first resets selectable gain amplifier 14 to the lowest gain and selectable bias source 26 to the lowest bias . control device 22 then sets selector switch 12 to connect calibration source system 24 to the input of the selectable gain amplifier , disconnecting signal source 10 at the same time . as a consequence , the lowest level dc calibration signal , with superposed noise due to noise source 28 , is supplied to a / d converter 16 at the lowest nominal gain of selectable gain amplifier 14 . data system 18 now accumulates in memory a series of digital signals corresponding to this bias and gain . alternatively , this information may be recorded by output device 20 . unlike data accumulated from signal source 10 , these digital signals are not manipulated according to the function of the system , nor are they corrected by applying the last known gain and offset values corresponding to the gain set . when a statistically significant number of samples of digital signals is collected , control device 22 generates a bias set signal resetting the bias of selectable bias source 26 to the highest level calibration signal , and data system 18 accumulates another series of digital signals . in a like manner , control device 22 generates gain set and bias set signals to step selectable gain amplifier 14 through its preselected gains , supplying minimum and maximum calibration signals for each gain setting . data system 18 accumulates a set of signals for each calibration level at each gain setting . since the maximum amplitude of the noise generated by noise source 28 has been selected to be greater than the resolution of a / d converter 16 at the minimum gain of selectable gain amplifier 14 , each series of digital signals produced during the calibration sequence will evidence scatter . since the levels of the dc calibration signals have been selected , in view of the gains of selectable gain amplifier 14 , to correspond to digital signals displaced from the limits of a / d converter 16 by counts greater than half the maximum amplitude of the noise signal , virtually all of the sample counts of each digital signal series will be within the counting limits , i . e ., the maximum and minimum values of the converter . the time or mean average of each series of digital signals will be a value corresponding to the noise - free value of the corresponding calibration signal at the gain in question , since , preferably , the time average value of the noise signal is zero . the accuracy of this average depends upon the number of individual values of the digital signal averaged and upon the statistical behavoir of the noise , and may be deduced by an analysis of the particular system parameters and noise source . absent a detailed analysis , it is evident that the number of significant figures in this average easily exceeds that obtainable from observations of a noise - free calibration source . in particular , for a gaussian noise , it may be shown that the accuracy of the average increases inversely as the square root of the number of independent values or samples entering into the average . consequently , at moderate data rates and over reasonable time periods , values of gain and offset , one or two orders of magnitude more accurate than the a / d converter resolution , are readily obtainable . the average values of the series of digitized calibration signals correspond to zero - point and scale ( offset and gain ) values of the various gain settings . the gain and offset may be directly determined therefrom , as by data system 18 or manually . these new values may be recorded or used to update a correction look - up table in data system 18 . at the end of the calibration sequence , control device 22 resets selectable gain amplifier 14 to the initial predetermined nominal gain and resets selector switch 12 so as to reconnect signal source 10 to the selectable gain amplifier while simultaneously disconnecting calibration source system 24 . the data system is simultaneously returned to its normal data collection mode . it will be appreciated that details of both the apparatus and method described above may be altered without departing from the scope of the invention . thus , as previously indicated , controller 22 may be an electromechanical sequence controller or an extension of a general purpose computer . further , the various control functions may be , if desired , performed manually . then too , it will be understood that noise source 28 need not be a separate device , but might , for instance , be incorporated into selectable bias source 26 . thus , selectable bias source 26 might incorporate a stage of amplification with a noisy amplifier . it will be appreciated that , in cases where noise source 28 is incorporated into selectable bias source 26 , summing amplifier 30 may be dispensed with , the selectable bias source being directly connected to selector switch 12 . it will also be appreciated that the averaging of the calibration signals may be performed by data system 18 , and that weighted averaging might be employed , for instance , for noise sources having nonsymmetrically distributed noise spectra . it will also be understood that the results of each calibration run might be automatically incorporated into subsequent data processing by data system 18 , and that further , the individual digital signals corresponding to each train of a calibration run might simply be passed through data system 18 to output device 20 for subsequent analysis . since these and other changes may be made in the above apparatus and method without departing from the scope of the invention herein involved , it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted in an illustrative and not a limiting sense .	7
fig2 shows one embodiment of an arrangement of a disc storage unit suitable for implementing a data read / write system in accordance with the present invention . in this embodiment , servo information of the above - described intersector built - in system is employed . fig3 illustrates in detail the servo information . each of fig4 a and 4b show procedures of addressing of the disc surface serial system in a similar manner as fig1 a and 1b . on one surface of disc 1 , which is shown at an upper part on the left side of fig2 there are shown a track t and a plurality of fan - shaped regions for servo information si which are arranged radially so as to partially interrupt the tracks in the circumferential direction . in fig2 the number of the fan - shaped regions is eight . in practice , however , this number is the same as the number of the sectors in the track , and usually several tens of fan - shaped regions are provided . a head 2 is supported via a thin plate spring by an arm 3 which rocks in a direction indicated by an arrow m in this embodiment . the position of the arm 3 in the radial direction is controlled by an actuator 4 of a type using a voice coil motor consisting of a stator 4a and a rotor 4b . a driver 5 is provided for driving the actuator 4 . a plurality of heads 2 in the disc storage unit are connected to read / write circuit 6 . of the heads , the one which is designated by a head selection instruction hs from a processor 20 is put in a mode of reading or writing data in response to the contents of a read / write instruction rw also from processor 20 , as is the case of a conventional disc unit storage unit . a read out signal rs outputted from a read out output r of the read / write circuit 6 is sent via a demodulation circuit 7 and a data separating circuit 8 to an encoder - decoder circuit 9 . on the other band , a write signal ws is supplied by the encoder - decoder circuit 9 to a write input w of the read / write circuit 6 . the read out signal rs is also supplied to a servo information reading circuit 10 so that the read - out portion of the servo information si contained therein can be read out . microprocessor 20 is incorporated in the disc storage unit for overall control of the components therein , and microprocessor 20 is connected to the servo information reading circuit 10 via an internal bus 40 which functions as both an address but and a data bus simultaneously . the microprocessor 20 is connected by address but 41 to a rom 21 for storing recorded programs therein and rom 21 also is connected to the internal bus 40 . a data controlling circuit 30 connected to the microprocessor 20 via the internal bus 40 is itself a simple processor . ram 31 is connected to the data control circuit 30 via the address bus 41 . as is the case of a conventional disc storage unit , the data controlling circuit 30 receives serially the read - out signal decoded by the encoder - decoder circuit 9 and converts it into parallel data which are stored first in the ram 31 , followed by supplying the parallel data to a data bus 42 and conversely reading the data on the data bus 42 in a parallel mode and converting it into a serial write signal , and then supplying it to to the read / write circuit 6 via the encoder - decoder circuit 9 in an encoded mode . the internal bus 40 and the data bus 42 are connected to or associated with an external bus 60 for a computer ( not shown ) via an interface circuit 50 of scsi system , for example . the data controlling circuit 30 is separately connected to the rom 21 for the microprocessor 20 so that the programs and basic data information contained therein can be utilized . as is shown in fig2 the microprocessor 20 supplies a driving instruction to the driver 5 for the actuator 4 via the internal bus 40 and also sends the above - described two instructions ( hs and rw ) for the read / write circuit 6 . fig3 is a partial development view showing a part of a disc surface to explain an example of the mode of writing intersector built - in servo information si between the sectors s in a track t . in this embodiment , the servo information si is a so - called vast servo type which consists of four servo information regions sa , sb , sc and sd arranged in the circumferential direction of the disc 1 . as is described in detail in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 669 , 004 , the contents of the four servo information regions are written into the respective surfaces of the disc 1 at different positions thereof in radially opposite directions with respect to the center line of a track t in a simple repetitive manner such that each of them has a content consisting of several repetitive patterns and that a deviation of the head from the center line of the track , or off - track , can be detected based on the magnitude of the vast signal which is obtained by reading out the contents of each servo information portion . on the left hand side of the servo information regions , there is provided a marker b for detecting the servo information si , which indicates that the servo information regions follow it . usually , the marker b is made as a region which is blank , that , is no data has content . on the right hand side of the servo information portion , there is written a track number tn in the form of a unique code so that it can be read out during a so - called seeking operation in which the head is displaced or seeds . the servo information reading circuit 10 shown in fig2 is contemplated to read out the contents of the servo information si which consists of the marker b , the servo information regions sa to sd and the track number tn . the circuit 10 detects the marker b to initiate the reading out and detects the respective magnitudes of the four vast signals derived from the servo information regions sa to sd , and if desired , also reads out the track number tn and then supplies the information to processor 20 via internal bus 40 . next , the overall construction of the sectors s on the track t in accordance with the present invention will be described by referring mainly to one of them . as is the case in a conventional disc storage unit , a sector s consists of an identification portion id and a data portion dt , and synchronization data sy are provided at the respective beginning portions thereof . the identification portion id contains the physical addresses , i . e ., the head number hn , the track number tn and selector number sn , of the sector and the data portion dt contains data d of using 256 to 1024 bytes together with error codes . of course , the head number hn denotes the number of the disc and the track number tn corresponds to the cylinder number as conventionally used . fig4 a and 4b show how to convert the logical addresses into the physical addresses in the same manner as previously explained in fig1 with respect to the case where two disc surfaces are used . in this case , it is assumed that the servo information si is written in eight component portions on each disc surface for the ease of illustration . fig4 a shows the disc surface for which the head number hn is 0 and the logical addresses 0 to 7 designated by a computer ( not shown ) are sequentially converted into the eight sectors s in the radially outermost track with the track number tn = 0 as shown in fig4 a , and the accompanying logical addresses 8 to 15 are sequentially converted into the eight sectors in the track with the track number tn = 1 . in the same manner as above , continuous logical addresses are sequentially converted into the sectors arranged in the inner tracks in the radial direction . assuming that the total number of sectors of one disc surface is x as is the case previously explained , the logical address x - 1 is converted into the last sector in the radially innermost track . the subsequent logical addresses are all converted into the sectors in the disc surface with the head number hn = 1 shown in fig4 b . in this embodiment , the first logical address x on this surface is converted into the top sector in the radially innermost track of this disc surface as shown in fig4 b . as shown in fig4 b , of the logical addresses x - 1 et seq ., every eight logical addresses are converted into sectors in the tracks sequentially from the sector which is present by one track outer in the radial direction than the radially innermost track toward the sector which is the radially outermost track in the disc surface with the head number 1 . the last logical address 2x - 1 is converted into the last sector in the radially outermost track . it follows from this that when the disc surface is switched in response to the movement of the logical address from x - 1 to x , it is only necessary that the read / write action be switched from the head no . 0 to the head no . 1 , without moving the head actually . next , explanation of the overall operation of the system in accordance with the present invention will follow the description of the above - described construction of the disc storage unit for practicing the present invention . the data read / write instruction rw derived from a computer ( not shown ) is supplied to the microprocessor 20 via the external bus 60 , the interface circuit 50 and the internal bus 40 . the read / write instruction always includes designation of a read instruction or a write instruction in addition to the top logical address of the data , and therefore , the processor 20 first converts the logical addresses into the physical addresses by the address converting means p stored in the rom . now , assuming that the number of tracks on one of the disc surfaces is nt , and that the number of sectors in one track is ns , as will be readily understood , the designated logical addresses can easily be converted into physical addresses by defining as the head number hn an integer part of a value obtained by dividing the value of the designated logical address by nt · ns , further defining as the track number tn an integer part of a value obtained by dividing the remainder of the division of the designated logical address by nt · ns by ns and also defining the surplus of the second division as the sector number ts . the processor 20 issues the head number hn contained in the converted physical address as a head selection instruction hs and supplies it to the read / write circuit 6 , and performs a so - called seek operation in which the processor 20 reads out the track number portion tn in the servo information si via the servo information reading circuit 10 , as is the case of a conventional disc storage unit , and moves the head 2 in the vicinity of the track with the track number tn in the converted physical address while issuing an instruction for operation and supplying it to the drive circuit 5 of the actuator 4 . immediately after completion of the seek operation a read / write instruction rw is supplied to the read / write circuit 6 in response to the instruction given by a computer ( not shown ) so as to begin a data read / write action . in this case , the processor 20 receives the magnitude of the vast signal obtained by reading the four servo information regions sa to sd in the servo information si from the servo information reading circuit 10 , as is the case of a conventional disc storage unit , and a calculates on off - track amount , and then while controlling the position of the head 2 via the actuator 4 in a closed loop control mode so that the off - track amount falls within a predetermined allowance , starts read / write operation in association with the internal bus 40 on the condition that the off - track amount becomes within the predetermined allowance . the reading or writing of data is usually performed such that the content of the data for one track is read or written continuously in one operation . however , in the present invention , the reading or writing data from or into a sector in a track is performed in a closed loop control mode with reference to preceding servo information on the same disc surface , resulting in that accurate reading out or writing can always be carried out even when the pitch between adjacent tracks is narrow and the mechanical precision of the head mechanism is not high . of course , the reading or writing of data is carried out within the logical addresses designated by a computer ( not shown ) or until the last designated logical address is reached . when switching tracks from which data information is to be read from or written into while continuing the above - described operation , the processor 20 operates the actuator 4 to change the position of the head 2 by one intertrack pitch radially inwardly or outwardly and starts reading or writing data from or into a new track after confirming that the off - track amount has become within the predetermined allowance with reference to the servo information . as stated above , the time required for movement of the head by one intertrack pitch according to the present invention is shorter than the time required conventionally for correction of the position of the head after switching heads in the case where the intertrack pitch is narrow , and therefore , reading out or writing data information from or into new tracks can be carried out faster than before . communication of data to be read or written with the computer in the present invention is the same as the conventional technique , and more specifically , the data read out by the data controlling circuit 30 is first stored in ram 31 and then supplied to the computer via the data bus 42 , the interface circuit 50 and the external bus 60 , and on the other hand the data to be written is first stored in ram 31 and supplied in the reverse direction to the data controlling circuit 30 and the like to obtain the write signal ws for disc 1 . while the description of the embodiments of the present invention has been completed , it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above - described embodiments and that various modifications can be effected within the true spirit of the present invention . for instance , although description of the above embodiments has been made as to the case where two disc surfaces are used for convenience , it is rather common to use four or more disc surfaces in practice . the servo information is not limited to the vast servo system type used in the above - described embodiments and any known type of servo information can be used in the present invention as the case may be . the number of the regions where servo information is to be written should be selected appropriately from disc to disc in response to the accuracy of reading or writing operations or the degree of the mechanical precision of the head mechanism . for instance , there can be used only one region but with as high as possible a storage capacity or that of intersector built - in mode as used in the embodiments described above in order to increase the tracking accuracy upon reading or writing data . the construction of the disc storage unit used in the above - described embodiments is merely an example and those having a construction such as a type or model considerably different from that used in the embodiments can also be used in the present invention in an appropriate manner . the practical manner of conversion of the logical addresses into the physical addresses is to be adapted to the construction of the disc storage unit , and various variations may be made in practice . the invention has been described in detail with respect to embodiments , and it will now be apparent from the foregoing to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects , and it is the intention , therefore , in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit of the invention .	6
a detailed description of the embodiments of this invention is next related while referring to the accompanying drawings . fig1 a and fig1 b are respectively drawings showing cross sectional views of the chemical tank and the wash tank comprising the wet processing device of the first embodiment of the invention . this embodiment , as shown in fig1 a and fig1 b is comprised of a chemical tank 1 consisting of an inner tank 1 a and an outer tank 1 b , a wash tank 15 , and a wafer conveyor 8 . as shown in fig1 a , the inner tank 1 a of the chemical tank 1 , besides having a wafer stand 3 for mounting the wafer 2 conveyed to the bottom , also has a cylinder 7 in the vicinity of the upper edge for overflow of the chemical 5 . the cylinder 7 uses a material having excellent chemical resistance , is affixed with a non - contact fluid level sensor 6 at the top connected by a wire 10 , and is open at the bottom . the non - contact fluid level sensor 6 detects the level of air bubbles 4 emitted in the inner tank 1 a , and supplies different types of control signals by way of the wire 10 . the cylinder 7 is connected with an air bleed pipe 11 to bleed off ( remove ) the air bubbles 4 accumulated in the sealed space formed in the lower part of the sensor 6 , and the passage in the pipe 11 is installed with an air solenoid operated valve ( asv ) 12 . the wafer conveyor 8 conveys the wafer 2 held in the conveyor chuck 9 along the shaft 8 a to the wafer stand 3 installed in the inner tank 1 a of the chemical tank 1 . however the wafer pull - up speed when extracting the wafer from the tank , is a high pull - up speed or a low pull - up speed based on the output from the sensor 6 . a circulating pump 13 and a filter 14 are installed in the chemical line between the inner tank 1 a and the outer tank 1 b , the same as in the example of the prior art . next , as shown in fig1 b , the wafer 2 extracted by the wafer conveyor 8 from the inner tank 1 a of the chemical tank 1 is conveyed to the wash tank 15 and mounted on the wafer stand 16 installed in the bottom . the wash tank 15 connects to the water supply line 17 and carries out washing of the wafer 2 . in the example of the prior art , one water - supply air operated valve is connected to the water supply line 17 , and a fixed quantity ( fixed speed ) of distilled water was supplied to the wash tank 15 . here however , a first water - supply air operated valve 18 for high - speed water supply , and a second water - supply air operated valve 19 for low - speed water supply are installed . the selection of these first and second water - supply air operated valves 18 , 19 is performed by control signals from the above mentioned non - contact fluid level sensor 6 . when many air bubbles 4 are detected , high speed is selected or in other words , the first water - supply air operated valve 18 is opened to supply a large quantity of distilled water . conversely , when few air bubbles 4 are detected , the low speed is selected or in other words , the second water - supply air operated valve 19 is opened to supply a small quantity of distilled water . an enlarged view of the sensor and cylinder of fig1 is shown in fig2 . the non - contact fluid level sensor 6 is inserted in the top section of the cylinder 7 as shown in fig2 . a sealing material 20 is installed between the non - contact fluid level sensor 6 and the cylinder 7 to prevent drooping and to maintain the air sealing . an air bleed pipe 11 is installed between the over flow level constituted by the bottom of the non - contact fluid level sensor 6 and the reference fluid level 22 , on the side of the cylinder 7 , and the above described asv ( air solenoid operated valve ) asv 12 is installed in this pipe 11 . an opening 21 is formed in the bottom of the cylinder 7 , and along with the open surface of the opening 21 and the overflow surface forming a right angle versus the cylinder 7 axis , the cylinder 7 itself is installed in an inner tank position not exerting an effect in the event of an overflow of chemical 5 to the outer tank 1 b or in other words installed near the inner side of the wall of the inner tank 1 a . consequently , when installed in the inner tank 1 a of the cylinder 7 , and the valve 12 installed in the pipe 11 is opened , or in other words when the air is bled off , the reference fluid level 22 can match the overflow . a fluid setting level 23 can also be set to the desired level between the reference fluid level 22 and the opening 21 . therefore , after installing the cylinder 7 and bleeding off the air , the fluid level within the cylinder drops from reference fluid level 22 to the desired fluid setting level 23 due to the penetration of some air bubbles through the opening 21 . when the fluid level inside the cylinder falls to the fluid setting level 23 due to the air bubbles , the sensor 6 detects the presence of many air bubbles , and implements control by way of the wire 10 . [ 0029 ] fig3 shows an enlarged view of the chemical tank and cylinder of fig1 . the non - contact fluid level sensor 6 in the cylinder 7 installed in the inner tank 1 a of the chemical tank 1 , as shown in fig3 has already determined the level formed by the opening 21 of cylinder 7 and the reference fluid level 22 so that no fluid level detection is required . just detecting the optional level that the fluid setting level 23 is set to is sufficient . the optionally set fluid setting level 23 in the cylinder 7 can be just one level for checking the air bubble quantity and switching to high speed / low speed or can be two levels for switching to high speed / low speed . in either case , just providing a function for detecting the fluid level with the sensor 6 is sufficient . the non - contact fluid level sensor 6 determines that the amount of air bubbles is large when the fluid level reaches fluid setting level 23 and commands the shaft drive of wafer conveyor 8 to perform high - speed wafer pull - up . on the other hand , if the optional level that the fluid setting level 23 is set to is not detected , then the sensor 6 commands the shaft drive of wafer conveyor 8 to perform low - speed wafer pull - up . the non - contact fluid level sensor 6 controls the water quantity of the wash tank 15 in the same way , by detecting the air bubbles . in other words , when determined that a large amount of air bubbles are present , a thick deposit of chemical remains on the wafer surface in order to set a high speed pull - up of the wafer as described above . the remaining chemical must be washed ( rinsed ) requiring a large distilled water flow rate so the water supply line must be switched to a flow rate to handle a large water quantity . conversely , when few air bubbles are found , a low pull - up speed is set and the flow rate is small . in detecting the air bubbles 4 of the chemical tank 1 in this embodiment in this way , the amount of air bubbles 4 are detected as the height of the fluid setting level 23 in the sealed space 24 inside the cylinder 7 . in other words , when the fluid level formed in the sealed space 24 has dropped to the optional level set for the fluid setting level 23 , many air bubbles are determined to be present , and a command for high speed pull - up of the wafer 2 from the chemical tank 1 is sent . also , when determined that many air bubbles 4 are present , a large flow rate is specified for the water supply line at the wash tank 15 . the embodiments of the invention are hereafter described in more detail while referring to fig1 through fig3 . under the conditions of chemical processing that generates many air bubbles and a minute amount of air - borne particles around the chemical tank 1 and the wash tank 15 , air - borne particles are easily prone to adhere to the surface of the wafer 2 being conveyed to the wash tank 15 after chemical processing . furthermore , even more bubbles are generated due to reaction with sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide when processing a wafer 2 with a resist coating , in sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide so that the adherence of particles to the surface of the wafer being conveyed is even further accelerated . here , an example of sulfuric acid — hydrogen peroxide processing followed by washing is described for the case where air bubbles are easily prone to occur due to effects of the circulating line and chemicals , under conditions of a minute amount of air - borne particles present while conveying a mix of both resist and non - resist coated wafers . the fluid setting level 23 was made to match the level of opening 21 . first of all , prior to mounting the wafer 2 in the wafer conveyor 8 in the chemical tank 1 , the asv 12 is opened and the air inside the cylinder 7 is bled off . when the air inside this cylinder 7 is bled off ( removed ), the space inside the cylinder is open to the outer air so that the reference fluid level 22 inside the cylinder 7 is at the same height as the overflow level . this non - contact fluid level sensor 6 detects the fluid level 22 inside the cylinder 7 , and closes the asv 12 after confirming that the overflow level of inner tank 1 a of chemical tank matches the reference fluid level 22 within the cylinder 7 , and stops the cylinder 7 air bleeding . closing this asv 12 forms a sealed space 24 between the fluid level 22 of cylinder 7 and the bottom edge of the non - contact fluid level sensor 6 . then , when the non - contact fluid level sensor 6 detects the fluid level 22 inside the cylinder 7 , the wafer 2 is conveyed to the inner tank 4 of chemical tank 1 , and chemical processing starts . further , circulation filtering is performed in the chemical tank 1 , and overflow of chemical 5 occurs from the inner tank 1 a to the outer tank 1 b , and the air bubbles 4 in the chemical 5 also overflow . during the overflow , a portion of the air bubble 4 in the chemical 5 pass through the opening 21 formed in the bottom of the cylinder 7 and are trapped in the sealed space 21 . when the wafer 2 is resist wafer , air bubbles are generated by the reaction with the sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide so that a portion of these air bubbles are also trapped in the same way in the cylinder 7 . when the air bubbles 4 are trapped inside the cylinder 7 , the chemical inside the cylinder 7 is ejected from the opening 21 of cylinder 7 , and the sealed space 24 expands . in other words , the fluid level inside the cylinder 7 drops from the fluid level 22 , and the non - contact fluid level sensor 6 does not detect the fluid level 22 . the fluid level inside the cylinder 7 declines even further , and when the non - contact fluid level sensor 6 detects the fluid setting level 23 set at the level at the opening 21 during chemical processing , the wet processing is determined to have many air bubbles 4 . a first control signal to set the pull - up speed of the wafer 2 after chemical processing to high speed is therefore sent to the shaft drive of the wafer conveyor 8 by way of the wire 10 . a second control signal sent simultaneously from the sensor 6 , opens the first water - supply air operated valve 18 during rinsing in the wash tank 15 , and closes the second water - supply air operated valve 19 to set a large distilled water flow rate . in other words , during wafer processing with a large quantity of air bubbles , the pull - up of the wafer 2 from the chemical tank 1 is set to a high speed so that a large amount of chemical flows into the wash tank 15 . consequently , the water supply to the wash tank 15 is increased to perform high efficiency rinsing within a short time within the wash tank 15 . during high speed pull - up , the wafer 2 is conveyed with a thick coating of chemical on the surface . the air - borne particles at this time attach to the wafer 2 while floating in the fluid film containing the air bubbles . the particles are therefore not directly adhering to the silicon surface so that when washing is performed while in this state , the fluid film on the wafer 2 and the particles are both washed away . as a final result , few particles directly adhere to the wafer 2 but a large quantity of water must be supplied to the wash tank 15 . the fluid level inside cylinder 7 on the other hand , does not fall much , and when the chemical processing is finished , or in other words , when the non - contact fluid level sensor 6 has detected that the fluid setting level 23 is between the reference fluid level 22 and the level of the opening 21 , the sensor 6 determines that few air bubbles 4 are present in the wafer processing and sets a low pull - up speed for the wafer 2 by issuing a first control signal after the chemical processing . simultaneous with that setting , a second control signal is issued from the sensor 6 to close the first water - supply air operated valve 18 and open the second water - supply air operated valve 19 during rinsing in the wash tank 15 . a low pull - up speed from the chemical tank 1 is set when few air bubbles 4 are present during wafer processing . due to the effect of tensile force during pull - up , the chemical 5 is pulled into the chemical tank 1 from the surface of the wafer 2 . as a result , the amount of chemical remaining on the wafer 2 is small , so that the amount of chemical flowing into the wash tank 15 is also small and rinsing just as effective as the rinsing during high speed pull - up can be performed with a small amount of water . in this embodiment , by in this way determining with the non - contact fluid level sensor 6 if there is a large or a small amount of air bubbles 4 during wafer processing , a high speed or a low speed can be automatically set as the pull - up speed from the chemical tank 1 , the flow rate or in other words a large or a small flow rate can also be automatically set during rinsing in the next wash tank 15 , and the amount of distilled water used in the wash tank can be reduced . a cross sectional view of the wet processing device for describing the second embodiment of the invention is shown in fig4 . the chemical processing section of this embodiment , as shown in fig4 is formed with a chemical tank 1 and a wafer conveyor and wash tank ( omitted here since is identical to fig1 b ), utilizes the non - contact fluid level sensor 6 to detect the quantity of air bubbles 4 , and also controls the concentration of hydrogen peroxide and wafer pickup speed as well as the amount of distilled water . members assigned with the same reference numerals are identical to the members in fig1 a so an explanation is omitted here . in this embodiment , the circulation filtering line having a circulating pump 13 and a filter 14 for the inner tank 1 a of chemical tank 1 , also consists of a distilled water fill pump 25 , a hydrogen peroxide pump 26 , and a sulfuric acid pump 27 , and controls the concentration of chemicals being supplied . the non - contact fluid level sensor 6 installed in the cylinder 7 determines the air bubble 4 condition ( amount of air bubbles 4 are detected by sensor 6 ), supplies a third control signal and when many air bubbles 4 are present , and along with stopping the filling of hydrogen peroxide from the hydrogen peroxide pump 26 , also drives the distilled water fill pump 25 and the hydrogen peroxide pump 26 to lower the concentration of hydrogen peroxide and decrease the air bubbles 4 in the inner tank 1 a inside the chemical tank 1 . this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the point that the concentration of the chemical 5 is adjusted according to the amount of air bubbles 4 in the inner tank 1 a of chemical tank 1 . further , the pull - up of the wafer 2 and the washing after pull - up of the wafer 2 are processed in the same way as previously described in the wash tank 15 in fig1 b . further , the supply of chemical for refilling was explained above as being controlled with the hydrogen peroxide pump 26 however , all the pumps 25 through 27 may also be controlled so that the relative amount of hydrogen peroxide is reduced . by controlling the chemicals in this way , the adherence of particles to the wafer due to the effect of the air bubbles can be limited , and consequently uniform wafer quality achieved , and product reliability improved to an even higher level . the wet processing device of this invention as described above , detects the status of the air bubbles within the chemical tank so that a high pull - up speed or a low pull - up speed to pull up wafer from inside the chemical tank can be automatically set to render the effect that the amount of distilled water consumed inside the chemical tank is minimized and that a reduction in particles can be achieved . this invention renders the further effect that the amount of water supplied to the wash tank is controlled according to the air bubble status within the chemical tank , and the amount of distilled water consumed inside the wash tank can be reduced , to achieve lower costs . this invention renders the still further effect that by achieving control of the air bubble quantity and water supply quantity , various types of wafers can be handled , uniform wafer quality can be attained , and product reliability improved to an even higher level . although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments , this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense . various modifications of the disclosed embodiments will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description of the invention . it is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will cover any modifications or embodiments as fall within the true scope of the invention .	8
preferred embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 a and 1b . the first embodiment is directed to a positioning apparatus constituting a positioning body portion of an exposure apparatus , an electron - beam drawing apparatus , a precise measuring instrument , or the like . on a base 1 serving as a stationary base , there are arranged a positioning mount 3 for positioning a stage apparatus 2 for supporting a substrate , such as a wafer , which is a workpiece or a measurement object , and a pair of guides 4 serving as a rolling guide interposed between the stage apparatus 2 and the positioning mount 3 in a detachably attachable manner . each guide 4 includes a plurality of rollers 41 serving as a rolling member , a plate - like retainer 42 with holes for holding the rollers 41 , a lower - side guide plate 43 in contact with ( abutting ) lower sides of the rollers 41 , and an upper - side guide plate 44 in contact with ( abutting ) upper sides of the rollers 41 . the upper - side guide plate 44 fits into a guide groove 2 a formed on a lower surface of the stage apparatus 2 in a detachably attachable manner , and the lower - side guide plate 43 fits into a guide groove 3 a formed on an upper surface of the positioning mount 3 in a detachably attachable manner . on the positioning mount 3 , are provided , in a stand - up fashion , reference members 31 to 33 for positioning the stage apparatus 2 in the x and y directions , respectively . a bottom surface of the stage apparatus 2 constitutes a reference surface that can be freely brought into contact ( abutment ) with a supporting surface ( an upper surface ) of the positioning mount 3 . the stage apparatus 2 is provided with hydrostatic bearings 5 serving as a hydrostatic bearing unit that faces the upper surface of the positioning mount 3 . in the event that the stage apparatus 2 is positioned while being in contact ( abutment ) with the reference members 31 to 33 ( as discussed later ) after each guide 4 is extracted while the stage apparatus 2 is lifted from the base 1 , the stage apparatus 2 is floated from the positioning mount 3 by the hydrostatic bearings 5 . as illustrated in fig2 , a detachably - attachable auxiliary base 6 is in contact ( abutment ) with an end surface of the base 1 , an auxiliary mount 7 is installed on the auxiliary base 6 , and an upper surface of the auxiliary mount 7 constitutes a movement surface that is an extension portion from the supporting surface of the positioning mount 3 . the lower - side guide plate 43 extends from the guide groove 3 a ( fig1 b ) of the positioning mount 3 into a guide groove 7 a ( fig1 a ) formed on the auxiliary mount 7 , and is capable of lightly moving the stage apparatus 2 installed on the auxiliary mount 7 up to the positioning mount 3 on the base 1 by means of rolling motions of the rollers 41 . in this event , the guide 4 moves by an around l / 2 while the stage apparatus 2 moves by a movement amount l . accordingly , the minimum necessary length of the guide 4 is equal to or more than a value of the length of the stage apparatus 2 plus the movement amount l / 2 . further , the height and inclination of the auxiliary mount 7 are so adjusted as to be approximately equal to those of the positioning mount 3 . the upper - side guide plate 44 moves together with the stage apparatus 2 , and the lower - side guide plate 43 extends over an almost overall length of the positioning mount 3 and the auxiliary mount 7 so as to cover a connection portion therebetween . since the lower - side guide plate 43 covers the connection portion between the positioning mount 3 and the auxiliary mount 7 , the roller 41 can pass the connection portion without any engagement , even if there is a step or an inclination at the connection portion . under a condition in which the stage apparatus 2 is moved to a place near the reference members 32 and 33 of the positioning mount 3 , as illustrated in fig3 , the stage apparatus 2 is lifted by a screw 11 serving as a lifting unit penetrating a screw block 10 of the stage apparatus 2 , and the stage apparatus 2 is settled on the positioning mount 3 by retracting the screw 11 again after both the guides 4 are extracted and the auxiliary mount 7 and the auxiliary base 6 are detached . here , the upper - side and lower - side guide plates 43 and 44 can be extracted together with the guides 4 . then , upon supply of compressed air to the hydrostatic bearings 5 through a pipe ( not shown ), the compressed air is injected toward the positioning mount 3 , and the stage apparatus 2 is caused to float from the positioning mount 3 and supported by the hydrostatic pressure in a non - contact fashion . under this condition , the stage apparatus 2 is moved in the x and y directions , and brought into contact ( abutment ) with the individual reference members 31 to 33 . thus , the positioning of the stage apparatus 2 is performed as illustrated in fig5 a and 5b . because the stage apparatus 2 is caused to float by the hydrostatic bearing 5 , no stick - slip motion occurs , and the stage apparatus 2 can be brought into contact ( abutment ) with the reference members 31 to 33 and positioned very lightly , accurately and quickly by using only a small force . in place of the screw 11 for lifting the positioning mount 3 from the stage apparatus 2 , a cylinder mechanism serving as a lifting unit can be used , as illustrated in fig4 . this cylinder mechanism includes a cylinder 20 buried in the base 1 and a piston 21 that is to be brought into contact ( abutment ) with the lower surface of the stage apparatus 2 to lift the stage apparatus 2 . fig5 a , 5 b and 6 are , respectively , a plan view , an elevation and a cross - sectional view showing a positioning - completed state in which the stage apparatus 2 is positioned with respect to the x and y directions , and brought into contact ( abutment ) with the reference members 31 to 33 . in general , a high precision measuring instrument , a semiconductor exposure apparatus , and the like , are disposed in a thermostatic chamber or a vacuum chamber . in the event that the auxiliary mount 7 is so constructed as to extend outside such a chamber , it is possible to use a conveying apparatus , such as a crane , during an operation for installing the stage apparatus 2 on the auxiliary mount 7 . the assemblage operating efficiency of a semiconductor exposure apparatus , an electron - beam drawing apparatus , and the like , can be improved , and the maintenance cost thereof can also be reduced by the use of the positioning apparatus discussed above . a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig7 a and 7b . in the second embodiment , three spacers 34 serving as a supporting member are interposed between the above - discussed positioning mount 3 and base 1 . the three spacers 34 are arranged approximately equiangularly about a center of gravity of the stage apparatus 2 and the positioning mount 3 to support the positioning mount 3 at three points . further , each hydrostatic bearing 5 is arranged at a location of each spacer 34 in a superimposing manner . since the positioning mount 3 is thus supported at three points , the stage apparatus 2 is likewise supported substantially at three points , so that deformation of the stage apparatus 2 due to excessive constraints can be prevented . furthermore , since the hydrostatic bearing 5 is disposed at the above - mentioned support point , deformation of the positioning mount 3 due to the injection of the compressed air can be reduced to the minimum degree . the second embodiment is the same as the first embodiment concerning the guide , auxiliary mount , and so forth , and a description thereof is , therefore , omitted . a modification of the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig8 a and 8b . in the modification , spacers 34 and butting members 35 are interposed between the above - discussed base 1 and positioning mount 3 . the height of the butting member 35 is set to be smaller than that of the spacer 34 for supporting the positioning mount 3 by a small amount . when the stage apparatus 2 is moved from the auxiliary mount 7 to the positioning mount 3 , deformation of the positioning mount 3 is likely to occur with the movement of the stage apparatus 2 . at this time , when the positioning mount 3 deforms by the amount of a difference between the spacer 34 and the butting member 35 , the bottom surface of the positioning mount 3 is brought into butting contact with the butting member 35 , and supported thereby . accordingly , the amount of deformation of the positioning mount 3 can be advantageously reduced to an amount below a predetermined amount . in the embodiments discussed above , the roller 41 can be a ball serving as a rolling member . in this case , the stage apparatus 2 can be two - dimensionally moved on a plane within an allowable range permitted by the retainer 42 , the guide grooves 2 a and 3 a , and so forth . further , the auxiliary base 6 for supporting the auxiliary mount 7 can be comprised of a self - supporting structure . the screw 11 for lifting the stage apparatus 2 can be assembled in the base 1 . the cylinder 20 can be disposed in the stage apparatus 2 . moreover , the hydrostatic bearing 5 can be constructed on the side of the supporting surface of the positioning mount 3 . as discussed in the foregoing , in the positioning apparatus , the stage apparatus is conveyed onto the movement surface of the auxiliary mount , and moved to the supporting surface of the positioning mount of a body apparatus , such as an exposure apparatus , using the rolling guide , and the stage apparatus is then lifted using the lifting unit to extract the rolling guide . after that , the stage apparatus is lowered onto the supporting surface . when the stage apparatus is positioned while being in contact ( abutment ) with the reference member , the stage apparatus is caused to float from the supporting surface by the hydrostatic bearing unit . when the stage apparatus is conveyed from the movement surface to the supporting surface , even a very heavy stage apparatus can be lightly moved because the weight of the stage apparatus is supported by the rolling guide . when the stage apparatus is positioned on the supporting surface using the reference member , the rolling guide is extracted and the stage apparatus is then supported by the hydrostatic bearing unit in a non - contact manner . accordingly , highly - precise positioning can be efficiently performed . it is thus possible to quickly and precisely position the stage apparatus for supporting a workpiece or a measurement object , and to drastically improve the assemblage efficiency of an exposure apparatus , and the like . except as otherwise discussed herein , the various components shown in outline or in block form in the figures are individually well known and their internal construction and operation are not critical either to the making or using or to a description of the best mode of the invention . while the present invention has been described with respect to what are at present considered to be the preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments . the present invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and the scope of the appended claims .	6
an illustrative programmable logic device 10 which can be constructed in accordance with this invention is shown in fig1 . the most detail is shown in the upper left - hand corner of fig1 . some of this detail is omitted in other portions of fig1 to avoid unduly burdening the drawing . device 10 includes a plurality of regions 20 of programmable logic disposed on the device in a two - dimensional array of intersecting rows and columns of regions . each region 20 includes a plurality of subregions 30 of programmable logic which can be constructed as described above in the background section of this specification . for example , each region 20 may include ten subregions 30 . a plurality of horizontal interconnection conductors 40 is associated with each row of regions 20 . a plurality of vertical interconnection conductors 50 is associated with each column of regions 20 . a plurality of local interconnection conductors 60 is associated with each region 20 . programmable connections 42 are provided for programmably selectively connecting the horizontal conductors 40 adjacent to each region to the local conductors 60 adjacent to that region . programmable connections 62 are provided for programmably selectively connecting the local conductors 60 adjacent to each region to input conductors 70 of that region . programmable connections 82 and 84 are provided for programmably selectively connecting output conductors 80 of each region to the horizontal and vertical conductors 40 and 50 adjacent to that region . and programmable connections 52 are provided for programmably selectively connecting intersecting horizontal and vertical conductors 40 and 50 . the structure shown in fig1 is only one example of many possible programmable logic device architectures with which this invention can be used . for example , the programmable connectivity shown in fig1 is only illustrative , and different or additional connectivity can be employed if desired . to briefly consider just some of these possibilities , more direct feedback can be provided from subregion outputs 80 to the local conductors 60 associated with the region that produces those subregion outputs . as another possibility , rather than providing separate programmable connections 52 , the functionality provided by those connections can be combined into connections 82 and 84 and the associated circuitry . an illustrative embodiment of the improved driver circuitry of this invention is shown in fig2 . the circuitry shown in fig2 is associated , at least for the most part , with one representative region 20 in fig1 . ( of course , each region 20 will typically have similar circuitry associated with it .) the output signal 80 of each subregion 30 in the associated region is applied to one input of a respective , conventional , programmable logic connector (&# 34 ; plc &# 34 ;) 110 . other inputs to each plc 110 are signals from several ( i . e ., &# 34 ; m &# 34 ;) horizontal and / or vertical conductors 40 and 50 . in the simplest embodiment , each plc 110 is programmable ( by function control elements (&# 34 ; fces &# 34 ;) that are not shown separately in fig2 ) to select one of its input signals for application to its output terminal . ( in more complex embodiments , each plc may be programmable to perform various logical operations on one or more of its inputs in order to produce an output .) the output signal of each plc 110 is applied to an associated , conventional buffer 120 . each buffer amplifies and otherwise conditions the applied signal for use in driving one or more conductors 40 and / or 50 . the output signal of each buffer 120 is applied to an associated nmos pass gate transistor 130 and also to the input terminal of an associated , conventional plc 140 . in the illustrative embodiment shown in fig2 all of the pass gates 130 associated with each region 20 are controlled in parallel by the signal on lead 170 . this signal may be dynamically controlled by the output signal of a subregion 30 in the associated region or a subregion 30 in another region adjacent to the associated region . alternatively , the signal on lead 170 may be programmed or fixed at logic 0 or logic 1 by appropriately programming fces 152 and 162 . for example , if fce 162 is programmed logic 0 , the output signal of nand gate 160 is always logic 1 . if fces 152 , 162 are both programmed logic 1 , the output signal of nand gate 160 is always logic 0 . if fce 152 is programmed logic 0 and fce 162 is programmed logic 1 , the signal on lead 170 is the inverted output of the subregion 30 shown in fig2 . thus the signal on lead 170 can be either the dynamic inverted output of the depicted subregion 30 or static logic 0 or logic 1 . the output signal of each pass gate 130 is applied to a respective one of vertical conductors 50a . each of these pass gate 130 output signals is effectively tri - statable by disabling the associated pass gate ( signal on lead 170 is logic 0 ). the vertical conductors 50 adjacent to each column of regions 20 are divided into two groups of m conductors 50a and n conductors 50b . for example , if there are ten subregions 30 in each region 20 , there may be ten conductors in each group of conductors 50a ( i . e ., m = 10 ). substantially more conductors may be included in each group of conductors 50b . for example , n may be a number like 70 . each conductor 50a receives the output of one pass gate 130 associated with each row of regions 20 . thus each conductor 50a has several pass gates 130 connected to it ( i . e ., one in each row of regions 20 ). however , only one group of pass gates 130 along conductors 50a will be enabled ( by the associated signal 170 ) at any one time . the other pass gates 130 along those conductors 50a that are not enabled ( i . e ., in other rows ) are effectively tri - stated as described above . accordingly , conductors 50a are operable as tri - state - type lines . considering now the other connectivity of the output signals of buffers 120 , each of plcs 140 is programmable by fces ( not shown separately ) to apply the associated buffer 120 output signal to one or more of n vertical conductors 50b and / or n &# 39 ; horizontal conductors 40 . ( if desired , plcs 140 may be additionally programmable to perform logic on the signal being passed .) from the foregoing it will be seen that each buffer 120 is effectively shared between two uses : ( 1 ) tri - state - type driving of conductors 50a , and ( 2 ) static connection driving of conductors 50b and / or 40 . nmos pass gates 130 , which are used in the tri - state - type operation , can be much smaller than dedicated tri - state drivers . in addition , the enable signal 170 for pass gates 130 comes from a local source such as a nearby subregion 30 , thereby avoiding extensive routing and consequent delay of the enable signal . fig3 illustrates the type of dynamic switching that can be easily implemented in a programmable logic device 10 constructed as shown in fig1 and 2 . the several regions 20 on the left in fig3 are all in one column on device 10 . the region 20 to the right is typically in another column . the desired task is to transfer the contents of the ten registers in the subregions 30 that make up any one of the regions 20 on the left to the ten registers in the subregions that make up the region on the right . this can be done by enabling the pass gates 130 associated with the desired source registers , while disabling the pass gates 130 associated with all of the other possible source registers . in this way conductors 50a are effectively used as a multiplexer for transferring the desired source data to the destination registers on the right . use of conductors 50a can be changed dynamically , so that at another time other registers on the left can be used as the source of the data transferred to the registers on the right . for example , the subregion 30 that controls a group of pass gates 130 can be programmed to act as an address decoder ( the address data being applied to the subregion via its inputs 70 ). when the subregion 30 receives the address it is programmed to recognize , it outputs a signal that enables the associated pass gates 130 , thereby allowing the signal sources ( e . g ., subregion outputs 80 ) connected to the inputs of the associated buffers 120 to make use of conductors 50a . all of the other subregions 30 that control pass gates 130 connected to those conductors 50a are programmed to recognize different addresses . thus at any one time only the pass gates 130 associated with one region 20 in a column are enabled . all of the other pass gates 130 in that column are effectively tri - stated . fig4 shows another illustrative embodiment in which control of the pass gates 130 associated with each region 20 is at least partly subdividable . half of the pass gates 130 associated with each region 20 are controlled by the signal on lead 170 &# 39 ;, and the other half of those pass gates 130 are controlled by the signal on lead 170 &# 34 ;. both of leads 170 &# 39 ; and 170 &# 34 ; can carry the ( inverted ) output signal of depicted subregion 30 . ( this assumes fce 156 programmed logic 1 and fces 166 &# 39 ; and 166 &# 34 ; programmed logic 0 .) alternatively , both of leads 170 &# 39 ; and 170 &# 34 ; can be forced to logic 1 by programming all of fces 156 , 166 &# 39 ;, and 166 &# 34 ; logic 0 . as still another possibility , either or both of fces 166 &# 39 ; and 166 &# 34 ; can be programmed logic 1 to force the associated lead or leads 170 &# 39 ;/ 170 &# 34 ; to logic 0 . if only one of fces 166 &# 39 ; and 166 &# 34 ; is programmed logic 1 , then the lead associated with the other of these fces can be dynamically controlled by the output signal of subregion 30 ( assumes fce 156 programmed logic 1 ) or can be forced to logic 1 ( by programming fce 156 logic 0 ). in respects other than those specifically mentioned above , the embodiment shown in fig4 may be similar to the embodiment shown in fig2 . the embodiment shown in fig4 allows somewhat greater flexibility in the use of tri - state - type conductors 50a . for example , if only some of conductors 50a need to be driven from the subregions 30 in an adjacent region , the pass gates 130 associated with the other subregions in that region can be gated off ( associated fce 166 &# 39 ; or 166 &# 34 ; programmed logic 1 ). those other subregions can then be used for other purposes ( e . g ., driving conductors 50b and / or 40 ). fig5 illustrates a programmable logic device 10 ( which includes driver circuitry in accordance with this invention ) in a data processing system 200 . in addition to device 10 , data processing system 200 may include one or more of the following components : a processor 204 ; memory 206 ; i / o circuitry 208 ; and peripheral devices 210 . these components are coupled together by a system bus 220 and are populated on a printed circuit board 230 which is contained in an end - user system 240 . system 200 can be used in a wide variety of applications , such as computer networking , data networking , instrumentation , video processing , digital signal processing , or any other application where the advantage of using reprogrammable logic is desirable . programmable logic device 10 can be used to perform a variety of different logic functions . for example , programmable logic device 10 can be configured as a processor or controller that works in cooperation with processor 204 . programmable logic device 10 may also be used as an arbiter for arbitrating access to a shared resource in system 200 . in yet another example , programmable logic device 10 can be configured as an interface between processor 204 and one of the other components in system 200 . it should be noted that system 200 is only exemplary , and that the true scope and spirit of the invention should be indicated by the following claims . the plcs mentioned throughout this specification ( which includes the appended claims ) can be implemented in any of a wide variety of ways . for example , each plc can be a relatively simple programmable connector such as a switch or a plurality of switches for connecting any one of several inputs to an output . alternatively , each plc can be a somewhat more complex element which is capable of performing logic ( e . g ., by logically combining several of its inputs ) as well as making a connection . in the latter case , for example , each plc can be product term logic , implementing functions such as and , nand , or , or nor . examples of components suitable for implementing plcs are eproms , eeproms , pass transistors , transmission gates , antifuses , laser fuses , metal optional links , etc . as has been mentioned , the components of plcs can be controlled by various , programmable , function control elements (&# 34 ; fces &# 34 ;), which are not always shown separately in the accompanying drawings . ( with certain plc implementations ( e . g ., fuses and metal optional links ) separate fce devices are not required , so that in those cases any depiction of fce devices in the accompanying drawings merely indicates that the plcs are programmable .) fces can also be implemented in any of several different ways . for example , fces can be srams , drams , first - in first - out (&# 34 ; fifo &# 34 ;) memories , eproms , eeproms , function control registers ( e . g ., as in wahlstrom u . s . pat . no . 3 , 473 , 160 ), ferro - electric memories , fuses , antifuses , or the like . from the various examples mentioned above it will be seen that this invention is applicable both to one - time - only programmable and reprogrammable devices . it will be understood that the foregoing is only illustrative of the principles of the invention , and that various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . for example , the principle illustrated by fig4 can be extended to even more subdivisions of tri - state - type conductors 50a . as another example of modifications within the scope of the invention , more than one pass gate 130 can be connected to the output of each buffer 120 . the outputs of such multiple pass gates can go to different conductors 50 , or some can go to horizontal conductors 40 instead of only to vertical conductors 50 . if provided , the multiple pass gates 130 associated with each buffer 120 can be partly or wholly independently controlled ( e . g ., in the manner that the pass gates in the two groups shown in fig4 can be independently controlled if desired ). the number of subregions 30 in each region 20 can be varied , as can the numbers of rows and columns of regions . the number of inputs and outputs of each subregion 30 can also be changed if desired . different types of logic can be used in the subregions or regions . for example , instead of look - up tables , sum - of - products logic could be employed . it will also be understood that terms like &# 34 ; row &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; column &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; horizontal &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; vertical &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; top &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; bottom &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; left &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; right &# 34 ;, and other similar directional or orientational characterizations are entirely arbitrary and are employed only as relative terms for convenience herein . these terms are not intended to have any absolute or fixed meaning or to limit the scope of the claims to any particular device orientations or directions .	7
the present invention includes a therapy of administering a therapeutically effect amount of ex vivo cultured blood cells to patients afflicted with blood deficiencies , such as anemia , aplastic anemia and thrombocytopenic purpura . the term “ therapeutically effective amount ” is intended to include a sufficient quantity of the present activated blood cells to effect a statistically significant increase in blood cell counts when administered to a patient with blood deficiencies , i . e ., a significantly low concentration of a natural blood component , such as red blood cells , white blood cells , platelets and other factors produced by the bone marrow and cells generated from the bone marrow . the cultured blood cells may be either from the patient or from an immunologically acceptable donor . one protocol for activating blood cells via ex vivo culture includes obtaining a blood sample ( e . g ., 10 - 100 ml ) from the patient , or an immunologically acceptable donor , separating blood cells from the blood sample , and culturing the separated blood cells . an “ immunologically acceptable donor ” is a person having tissues , to include blood cells , that do not have medically unacceptable levels of recipient reactions ( e . g ., hemolytic anemia , heart failure , renal failure ). the blood cells may be separated from blood sera by protocols such as by centrifugation . the separated blood cells are then cultured under sterile conditions in a medium with one or more of a cytokine ( to include cell stimulating factors ) and an ionophore . the separated blood cells may be cultured in the media as specified above , for example , for periods between of greater than about 1 hour , in other embodiments between about 10 and 200 hours , between about 20 and 80 hours , or between about 30 and 60 hours and at a temperature , for example , between about 30 and 42 degrees c ., in other embodiments between about 32 and 40 degrees c ., or between about 37 and 38 degrees c . or any range subsumed therein . a person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other ranges of periods and temperatures within these explicit ranges are contemplated , and are within the present disclosure . blood deficiencies can be treated by the approaches described herein . in general , the blood deficiencies involve a reduced concentration of blood components that originate from the bone marrow or from products , such as specific cell types , from the bone marrow . blood deficiencies include , for example , anemia , aplastic anemia and thrombocytopenic purpura . anemia can be considered broadly as a deficiency of a blood component or , in some contexts , as a deficiency of red blood cells . aplastic anemia is a deficiency of peripheral blood elements . thrombocytopenic purpura , such as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura , involves a deficiency in platelet number . as a specific example , the discussion below describes aplastic anemia in some detail , although the treatment methods can be applicable more broadly . after being cultured , the activated blood cells may be washed ( e . g ., twice with sterile saline solution ). therapeutically effective amounts of the activated blood cells are then administered to patients . one acceptable method of administering the activated blood cells is intravenously . while the activated cells may be administered in a single dose , portions of the activated blood cells may also be administered over a period of time . for example , doses of the present activated blood cells may be administered to patients once per week for a period of four weeks . however doses of the present activated blood cells may be administered to patients at intervals of , for example , one - half week , ten days , 14 days , 21 days , other intermediate periods , or other effective periods . moreover , the intervals may vary during the course of the treatment . for example , initially blood cell doses may be administered at daily , twice a week , weekly , and / or bi - weekly intervals . the dosages can be , for example , between about 1 × 10 5 to about 2 × 10 8 cells per treatment , which may depend on the patient &# 39 ; s age and condition . the total time required for treatment ( e . g ., administering the present activated blood cells ) may depend on the amount of activated blood cells available and patient response . patient response can be measured , for example , in terms of return to normal blood cell counts and / or marrow histology as well as an overall improvement in health . obviously , blood samples can be drawn from patients repeatedly during or after the initial treatment period so that additional activated blood cells can be obtained for further treatments . furthermore , activated blood cells from an immunologically acceptable donor can be administered initially or administered for the entire duration of the treatment . alternatively , blood cells from the patient , activated by the present protocol , may be administered after blood cells from an immunologically acceptable donor are initially administered . the most current definition of severe aplastic anemia is marked pancytopenia with at least two of the following : 1 ) granulocytes less than 500 / microliter , 2 ) platelets less than 20 , 000 / microliter , 3 ) anemia with corrected reticulocyte count less than 1 %, plus markedly hypoplastic marrow depleted of hematopoietic cells . moderate aplastic anemia generally involves a hypocellular bone marrow and cytopenia in at least two cell lines not in the severe range . onset is insidious and the initial complaint may be progressive fatigue and weakness due to the anemia , followed in some cases by hemorrhage . the hemorrhage is usually from the skin and mucosal linings , due to thrombocytopenia . infection is rare despite the severe neutropenia . physical examination reveals pallor and possibly bruising or petechiae . aplastic anemia patients exhibit no lymphadenopathy or splenomegaly . fever may or may not be present . peripheral blood assays show pancytopenia . the presence of immature red and white blood cells strongly argues against aplastic anemia . red blood cells may be mildly macrocytic due to increased erythropoietic stress and they usually are normocytic and normochromic . the corrected reticulocyte count is very low or zero , indicating a lack of erythropoiesis . bleeding time may be prolonged even with normal coagulation parameters . patients have an increased serum iron and a normal transferrin , resulting in an elevated transferrin saturation . plasma iron clearance is decreased due to a reduction in erythropoiesis . bone marrow aspirate may be dry . but a biopsy can show severe hypocellular or aplastic marrow with fatty replacement . because there have been cases in which the initial marrow biopsy exhibited hypercellularity , more than one biopsy may be necessary for accurate diagnosis . a severe depression can be noted in all hematopoietic progenitor cells , including myeloid , erythroid , pluripotent cell lines , and megakaryocytes . diagnosis generally is based on finding the classic triad of anemia , neutropenia , and thrombocytopenia in both blood and bone marrow specimens . x - rays may be needed to rule out bone lesions or neoplastic infiltrates . magnetic resonance imaging has been useful in clearly defining hypoplastic marrow . since the diagnosis is one of exclusion , all other causes of pancytopenia and other lab findings are usually ruled out before aplastic anemia can be diagnosed . the basic defect in aplastic anemia is failure of production of all cell lines . possible mechanisms of the pathogenesis of aplastic anemia include 1 ) defective or absent hematopoietic stem cells , 2 ) abnormal bone marrow microenvironment , 3 ) abnormal regulatory cells , and 4 ) suppression of hematopoiesis by immunologic cells . while the pathophysiology of the disease is not yet completely clear , ( young et al ., the pathophysiology of acquired aplastic anemia , n . engl . j . med . 1997 ; 336 ( 19 ): 1365 - 1372 and young et al ., the treatment of severe acquired aplastic anemia , blood . 1995 ; 85 ( 12 ): 3367 - 3377 ) there is evidence to support the theory that aplastic anemia is an immune - mediated disease . bone marrow transplantation and immunosuppressive therapy using combined antilymphocyte globulin and cyclosporine have been used for treatment ( rosenfeld et al ., intensive immunosuppression with antithymocyte globulin and cyclosporine as treatment for severe aplastic anemia , blood 1995 ; 85 ( 11 ): 3058 - 3065 and halperin et al ., severe acquired aplastic anemia in children : 11 - year experience with bone marrow transplantation and immunosuppressive therapy , am . j . pediatr . hematol . oncol . 1989 ; 11 ( 3 ): 304 - 309 ). however , the therapy of immune suppression often has undesirable and severe side effects . moreover , hematopoietic growth factors such as granulocyte colony - stimulating factor ( kojima et al ., treatment of aplastic anemia in children with recombinant human granulocyte - colony stimulating factor , blood 1991 ; 77 ( 5 ): 937 - 941 and sonoda et al ., multilineage response in aplastic anemia patients following long - term administration of filgrastim ( recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor ), stem cells 1993 ; 11 : 543 - 554 ), granulocyte macrophage colony - stimulating factor ( champlin et al ., treatment of refactory aplastic anemia with recombinant human granulocyte - macrophage - colony - stimulating factor , blood 1989 ; 73 ( 3 ): 694 - 699 and guinan et al ., a phase i / ii trial of recombinant granulocyte - macrophage colony - stimulating factor for children with aplastic anemia , blood 1990 ; 76 ( 6 ): 1077 - 1082 ), and interleukin - 3 ( ganser et al ., effect of recombinant human interleukin - 3 in patients with normal hematopoiesis and in patients with bone marrow failure , blood 1990 ; 76 ( 4 ): 666 - 676 and nimer et al ., a phase i / ii study of interluekin - 3 in patients with aplastic anemia and myelodysplasia , exp . hematol . 1994 ; 22 : 875 - 880 ) have provided only limited and transient effects . many patients respond to immunosuppressive therapy and there are abnormal levels of various immune molecules in aplastic patients . for instance , interleukin - 1 , produced by macrophages , natural killer cells , b lymphocytes , and endothelial cells , plays a central role in both immune responses and regulation of hematopoiesis by inducing the release of erythroid and multipotent colony - stimulating factors from marrow stromal cells , regulating early progenitor cells and stimulating stem cell recovery following induced myelosuppression . immune dysregulation in aplastic anemia consists of decreased natural killer cell activity , increased numbers of activated t suppressor cells and abnormal production of interleukin - 2 and gamma - interferon . natural killer cells are large granular lymphocytes which lyse tumor cells or virus - infected target cells upon direct contact . natural killer cells also produce gamma - interferon , interleukin - 2 , and induces colony - stimulating activity . these cells may inhibit myeloid and erythroid colony formation under certain conditions . for instance , when exogenous growth factors are absent from a culture , natural killer cells normally produce cytokines and support hematopoiesis . however , optimal conditions induce natural killer cells to inhibit hematopoiesis . natural killer cell activity in aplastic anemia patients returns to normal after hematopoietic recovery . gamma - interferon is produced by activated lymphocytes and suppresses hematopoiesis . although aplastic patients show an overproduction of gamma - interferon , levels of gamma - interferon decrease in response to immunosuppression . interferons are potent inhibitors of hematopoietic colony formation — both through direct action on progenitor cells and indirect effects via accessory immune system cells . tumor necrosis factor - alpha is another cytokine which is in excess in aplastic anemia . it functions to inhibit colony growth of the normal hematologic progenitors . high tumor necrosis factor - alpha values correlate with decreased platelet , hemoglobin , and leukocyte counts . tumor necrosis factor - alpha and gamma - interferon may act synergistically to suppressor hematopoiesis . aplastic anemia patients produce gamma - interferon and tumor necrosis factor - alpha in excess , show an inverted helper : suppressor t cell ratio , and have predominantly t suppressor cells in the bone marrow . these cells may mediate suppression of hematopoiesis via cytokine production . the bone marrow also has a higher proportion of cytotoxic t cells than peripheral blood . the clinical relevance of immune dysfunction is suggested by a decrease in activated lymphocytes following successful immunosuppressive therapy . mechanisms for acquired aplastic anemia in general , and mechanisms for benzene - induced aplastic anemia in particular , are not well understood . nonetheless , both types of aplastic anemia share considerable similarities with respect to pathophysiology and clinical manifestations . there are presently two hypotheses to explain the mechanism of aplastic anemia , direct damage and immune - mediated . both hypotheses are supported by data from experimental and clinical studies . direct damage to bone marrow cells is thought to be responsible for temporary and reversible bone marrow failure following cytotoxic chemotherapy and radiotherapy . immune - mediated bone marrow failure is more difficult to cure . in the case of benzene - induced aplastic anemia , the disease seems to be associated with both mechanisms . evidence of direct damage to bone marrow cells is supported by the studies indicating that benzene is involved in inhibiting a number of biochemical processes of bone marrow cells . specifically , benzene has been shown to damage stromal macrophages in bone marrow , thereby leading to deficient interleukin - 1 production ( niculescu et al ., inhibition of the conversion of pre - interleukins - 1 [ alpha ] and 1 [ beta ] to mature cytokines by p - benzoquinone , a metabolite of benzene , chemico - biological interactions ; 1995 ; 98 : 211 - 222 and kalf et al ., p - benzoquinone , a reactive metabolite of benzene , prevents the processing of pre - interleukins - 1 [ alpha ] and - 1 [ beta ] to active cytokines by inhibition of the processing enzymes , calpain , and interluekin - 1 [ beta ] converting enzyme , environmental health perspectives ; 1996 ; 104 ( suppl . 6 ): 1251 - 1256 ). interleukin - 1 is considered important for growth and differentiation of stem cells ( bagby , g . c ., production of multi lineage growth factors by hematopoietic stromal cells : an intercellular regulatory network involving mononuclear phagocytes and interleukin - 1 , blood cells 1987 ; 13 : 147 - 159 and fibbe et al ., human fibroblasts produce granulocyte - csf , macrophage - csf and granulocyte - macrophage - csf following stimulation by interleukin - 1 and poly ( rl ). poly ( rc ), blood 1988 ; 72 ( 3 ): 860 - 866 ). however , there has been no report of prolonged response to treatments of hematopoietic growth factors , including interleukin - 1 . suitable media used in ex vivo activation provide essential nutrients for blood cells . these media generally comprise , for example , inorganic salts , amino acids , vitamins , and other compounds all in forms which can be directly utilized by blood cells . by way of illustration and not limitation , one suitable medium is rpmi 1640 . however , other media , such as serum - free media aim - v , will support blood cells in culture may be suitable as well . the medium may be supplemented with a mammalian serum , e . g ., fetal bovine serum at levels between about 0 . 1 and 50 %, between about 1 and 40 %, or between about 5 % and 15 %, of the medium , by weight . one suitable formulation of rpmi , designated as a modified rpmi 1640 and available under catalog number 30 - 2001 from american type culture collection , has the following ingredients : 1 . cytokines . one or more cytokines may be used to activate blood cells when cultured in the presence thereof . cytokines are small proteins ( usually in the range of 5 - 20 kd ) that are released by cells and have specific effects on cell - cell interaction , communication , and behavior of other cells . usually included as cytokines , are interleukins , lymphokines and signaling molecules such as tumor necrosis factor ( tnf ) and interferons . while natural cytokines can be used , recombinant produced cytokines produced , for example , by established nucleic acid expression systems are also contemplated . as such , modified and mutated forms of natural cytokines that maintain function can also be used . exemplary cytokines , which may be suitable for some embodiments of the present invention , include : a . interleukins . a variety of naturally occurring polypeptides that affect functions of specific cell types and are found in small quantities . they are secreted regulatory proteins produced by lymphocytes , monocytes and various other cells and are released by cells in response to antigenic and non - antigenic stimuli . the interleukins , of which there are 16 identified to date , modulate inflammation and immunity by regulating growth , mobility and differentiation of lymphoid and other cells . interleukins may be present in concentrations between about 10 and 50 , 000 iu / ml , about 100 - 5 , 000 iu / ml , or about 100 - 1 , 000 iu / ml . alternatively an effective concentration of interleukins may be present . an effective concentration of interleukins is any concentration at which blood cells are actived by the present protocol . i . interleukin - 1 ( il - 1 ). il - 1 is a soluble protein ( 17 kd : 152 amino acids ) secreted by monocytes , macrophages or accessory cells involved in the activation of both t lymphocytes and b lymphocytes and potentiates their response to antigens or mitogens . biological effects of il - 1 include the ability to replace macrophage requirements for t - cell activation , as well as affecting a wide range of other cell types . at least two il - 1 genes are known and alpha and beta forms of il - 1 are recognized . il - 1 is released early in an immune system response by monocytes and macrophages . it stimulates t - cell proliferation and protein synthesis . another effect of il - 1 is to cause fever . ii . interleukin - 2 ( il - 2 ). il - 2 is a hormone - like substance released by stimulated t lymphocytes . il - 2 causes activation and differentiation of other t lymphocytes independently of antigen . il - 2 stimulates the growth of certain disease - fighting blood cells in the immune system and is secreted by th1 cd4 cells to stimulate cd8 cytotoxic t lymphocytes . il - 2 also increases the proliferation and maturation of cd4 cells themselves . iii . interleukin - 3 ( il - 3 ). il - 3 is a product of mitogen activated t - cells . il - 3 is a colony stimulating factor for bone marrow stem cells and mast cells . il - 3 is considered one of the hematopoietic colony stimulating factors . iv . interleukin - 4 ( il - 4 ). il - 4 is a soluble cytokine factor produced by activated t lymphocytes that promotes antibody production by causing proliferation and differentiation of b - cells . il - 4 induces the expression of class ii major histocompatibility complex and fc receptors on b - cells . il - 4 also acts on t lymphocytes , mast cell lines , and several other hematopoietic lineage cells including granulocyte , megakaryocyte , and erythroid precursors , as well as macrophages . v . interleukin - 5 ( il - 5 ). il - 5 is a factor promoting eosinophil differentiation and activation in hematopoiesis . it also triggers activated b - cells for a terminal differentiation into ig - secreting cells . vi . interleukin - 6 ( il - 6 ). il - 6 stimulates the growth and differentiation of human b - cells and is also a growth factor for hybridomas and plasmacytomas . it is produced by many different cells including t - cells , monocytes , and fibroblasts . il - 6 is a single chain 25 kd cytokine originally described as a pre b - cell growth factor , now known to have effects on a number of other cells including t - cells which are also stimulated to proliferate . vii . interleukin - 7 ( il - 7 ). il - 7 is a hematopoietic growth factor that promotes growth of b - cell precursors and is also co - mitogenic with interleukin - 2 for mature t - cell activation . il - 7 is produced by bone marrow stromal cells . viii . interleukin - 8 ( il - 8 ). il - 8 is a cytokine that activates neutrophils and attracts neutrophils and t lymphocytes . il - 8 is released by several cell types including monocytes , macrophages , t lymphocytes , fibroblasts , endothelial cells , and keratinocytes by an inflammatory stimulus . il - 8 is a member of the beta - thromboglobulin superfamily and structurally related to platelet factor 4 . ix . interleukin - 9 ( il - 9 ). il - 9 is a cytokine produced by t - cells , particularly when mitogen stimulated . il - 9 stimulates the proliferation of erythroid precursor cells ( bfue ) and is thought to be a regulator of hematopoiesis . il - 9 may act synergistically with erythropoietin . the il - 9 receptor belongs to the hemopoietic receptor super family . il - 9 has been shown to enhance the growth of human mast cells and megakaryoblastic leukaemic cells as well as murine helper t - cell clones . i1 - 9 is a glycoprotein that is derived from t - cells and maps to human chromosome 5 . x . interleukin - 10 ( il - 10 ). il - 10 is a factor produced by th2 helper t - cells , some b - cells and lps activated monocytes . it is a coregulator of mast cell growth . xi . interleukin - 11 ( il - 11 ). il - 11 is a pleiotropic cytokine , originally isolated from primate bone marrow stromal cell line , that has the ability to modulate antigen - specific antibody responses , potentiate megakaryocytes , and regulate bone marrow adipogenesis . il - 11 stimulates t - cell dependent b - cell maturation , megakaryopoiesis , and various stages of myeloid differentiation . xii . interleukin - 12 ( il - 12 ). il - 12 is a 75 kd heterodimeric cytokine composed of disulfide - bonded 40 kd and 35 kd subunits that was originally identified by its ability to induce cytotoxic effector cells in synergy with less than optimal concentrations of interleukin - 2 . il - 12 is released by macrophages in response to infection and promotes the activation of cell - mediated immunity . specifically , il - 12 triggers the maturation of th1 cd4 cells , specific cytotoxic t lymphocyte responses , and an increase in the activity of nk cells . consequently , il - 12 is the initiator of cell - mediated immunity . it enhances the lytic activity of nk cells , induces interferon production , stimulates the proliferation of activated t - cells and nk cells . is secreted by human b lymphoblastoid cells ( nc 37 ). xiii . interleukin - 13 ( il - 13 ). il - 13 is a t lymphocyte - derived cytokine that produces proliferation , immunoglobulin isotype switching , and immunoglobulin production by immature b - lymphocytes . il - 13 is produced by activated t - cells , inhibits il - 6 production by monocytes , and also inhibits the production of other pro - inflammatory cytokines such as tnf , il - 1 , and il - 8 . il - 13 stimulates b - cells . the gene for il - 13 is located on human chromosome 5q in a gene cluster that also has the il - 4 gene . xiv . interleukin - 14 ( il - 14 ). il - 14 is a cytokine that induces b - cell proliferation , inhibits immunoglobulin secretion , and selectively expands certain b - cell subpopulations . xv . interleukin - 15 ( il - 15 ). il - 15 is a cytokine that stimulates the proliferation of t lymphocytes and shares biological activities with il - 2 . i1 - 15 also can induce b lymphocyte proliferation and differentiation . xvi . interleukin - 16 ( il - 16 ). il - 16 is a cytokine produced by activated t lymphocytes that stimulates the migration of cd4 - positive lymphocytes and monocytes . b . lymphokines . a lymphokine is a substance produced by a leucocyte that acts upon another cell . examples are interleukins , interferon alpha , lymphotoxin ( tumor necrosis factor alpha ), granulocyte monocyte colony stimulating factor ( gm - csf ). i . interferons ( ifn ) are a family of glycoproteins human cells which normally have a role in fighting viral infections by preventing virus multiplication in cells . interferons may be present in the same concentrations as interluekins . alternatively , effective concentrations of interferons may be present . effective concentrations of interferons are contemplated to include any concentration at which blood cells are activated by the present protocol . ifn alpha is secreted by leucocytes and ifn gamma is secreted by fibroblasts after viral infection . 1 . interferon gamma is an interferon elaborated by t lymphocytes in response to either specific antigen or mitogenic stimulation . 2 . interferon alpha includes a number of different subtypes that are elaborated by leukocytes in response to viral infection or stimulation with double - stranded rna . ifn - alpha - 2a and - 2b are protein products made by recombinant dna techniques and are used as antineoplastic agents . interferon - alpha is one of the type i interferons ( interferon type i ) produced by peripheral blood leukocytes or lymphoblastoid cells when exposed to live or inactivated virus , double - stranded rna , or bacterial products . it is the major interferon produced by virus - induced leukocyte cultures and , in addition to its pronounced antiviral activity , causes activation of natural killer cells . 3 . interferon alfa - 2a is a type i interferon consisting of 165 amino acid residues with lysine in position 23 . this protein is produced by recombinant dna technology and resembles interferon secreted by leukocytes . it is used extensively as an antiviral or antineoplastic agent . 4 . interferon alfa - 2b is type i interferon consisting of 165 amino acid residues with arginine in position 23 . this protein is produced by recombinant dna technology and resembles interferon secreted by leukocytes . it is used extensively as an antiviral or antineoplastic agent . 5 . interferon beta is an interferon elaborated by fibroblasts in response to the same stimuli as interferon alpha . interferon - beta is one of the type i interferons produced by fibroblasts in response to stimulation by live or inactivated virus or by double - stranded rna . it is a cytokine with antiviral , antiproliferative , and immunomodulating activity . 6 . interferon - b2 ( interleukin - 6 ) is a cytokine that stimulates the growth and differentiation of human b - cells and is also a growth factor for hybridomas and plasmacytomas . it is produced by many different cells including t - cells , monocytes , and fibroblasts . inf - b2 is a single chain 25 kd cytokine originally described as a pre b - cell growth factor , now known to have effects on a number of other cells including t - cells , which are also stimulated to proliferate . inf - b2 is an inducer of acute phase proteins and a colony stimulating factor acting on mouse bone marrow . 7 . interferon gamma is elaborated by t lymphocytes in response to either specific antigen or mitogenic stimulation . ii . tumor necrosis factor ( tnf ) is a tumor - inhibiting factor present in the blood of animals exposed to bacterial lipopolysaccharide . tnf preferentially kills tumor cells in vivo and in vitro , causes necrosis of certain transplanted tumors in mice , and inhibits experimental metastases . human tnf alpha is a protein of 157 amino acids and has a wide range of pro - inflammatory actions . tnf may be present in the same concentrations as interleukins . alternatively , tnf may be present in an effective concentration . an effective concentration of tnf is an concentration at which blood cells are activated by the present protocol . c . cell stimulating factors . activating blood cells in the presence of one or more cell stimulation factors may be efficacious in alleviating aplastic anemia in the context of the present invention . cell stimulating factors are contemplated to include such substances as granulocyte colony - stimulating factor granulocyte macrophage - colony stimulating factor and macrophage - colony stimulating factor . cell stimulating factors may be present in concentrations between about 10 and 50 , 000 iu / ml , between about 10 and 10 , 000 iu / ml , or between about 10 and 1000 iu / ml . alternatively , an effective concentration of cell stimulating factors may be present . an effective concentration of cell stimulating factors is any concentration at which blood cells are activated by the present protocol . 1 . granulocate colony - stimulating factor ( g - csf ): g - csf are glycoproteins synthesized by a variety of cells and are involved in growth and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells . in addition , these factors stimulate the end - cell functional activity of stem cells . 2 . granulocyte - macrophage colony - stimulating factor ( gm - csf ): gm - csf is an acidic glycoprotein of 23 kd with internal disulfide bonds . gm - csf is produced in response to a number of inflammatory mediators by mesenchymal cells present in the hemopoietic environment and at peripheral sites of inflammation . gm - csf stimulates the production of neutrophilic granulocytes , macrophages , and mixed granulocyte - macrophage colonies from bone marrow cells and can stimulate the formation of eosinophil colonies from fetal liver progenitor cells . 3 . macrolphage - colony stimulating factor ( m - csf ): m - csf is a cytokine synthesized by mesenchymal cells that stimulates pluripotent stem cells of bone marrow into differentiating towards the production of monocytes ( mononuclear phagocytes ). the compound stimulates the survival , proliferation , and differentiation of hematopoietic cells of the monocyte - macrophage series . it is a disulfide - bonded glycoprotein dimer with a mw of 70 kd and binds to a single class of high affinity receptor which is identical to the product of the c - fins proto - oncogene . 2 . ionophores . ionophores are calcium or other cation specific reagents ( such as polypeptrates ) which can traverse a lipid bilayer and a lipid soluble . there are two classes of ionophores : carriers and channel formers . carriers , like valinomycin , form cage - like structures around specific ions , diffusing freely through the hydrophobic regions of the bilayer . channel formers , like gramicidin , form continuous aqueous pores through the bilayer , allowing ions to defuse therethrough . in addition to the foregoing , suitable ionophores for the present protocol may include a23187 ( calcimycin ), ionomycin , geldanamycin , monensin ( na - salt ), nystatin , polymyxin - b sulfate , and rapamycin . it is believed that carriers , such as a23187 , accumulate calcium cations in response to ph gradients . a23187 possesses a dissociating carboxylic acid group and catalyzes an electrically neutral exchange of protons for other cations across the membrane ( hyono et al ., bba 389 , 34 - 46 ( 1985 ): kolber and haynes , biophysics journal , 36 , 369 - 391 ( 1981 ); hunt and jones , biosci . rep ., 2 , 921 - 928 ( 1982 )). two molecules of a23187 are present as carboxylate anions , and are thus available to carry to protons , or equivalents , back across the membrane after releasing the transported divalent cation . if present , ionophores may be present in concentrations between about 1 and 10 , 000 ng / ml , between about 1 and 1000 ng / ml , or between about 10 and 500 ng / ml . alternately , ionophores may be present in an effective concentration . an effective concentration of ionophores is any concentration at which blood cells are activated , but not overactivated , by the present protocol . excessive concentrations of activating agents may not be effective in the treatment approaches described herein . the delivery of activated cells can provide a statistically significant improvement in clinical parameters of a patient . for example , the administration of cell activated as described herein can result in a statistically significant increase in white blood cell counts , red blood cell counts hemoglobin levels and platelet counts . in general , continuation of the treatment procedure as described herein can result in a return to normal blood levels . in some embodiments , after four treatments , the patient can have an increase in each of white blood cell counts , red blood cell counts and hemoglobin of at least about 20 %, in other embodiments at least about 35 % and in other embodiments at least about 50 %. similarly , in some embodiments , platelet counts can increase by at least about 25 %, in other embodiments at least about 50 %, and in further embodiments at least about 100 %. a person of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that additional ranges of blood parameter improvement within the explicit ranges presented are contemplated and are within the present disclosure . the activation compounds , such as one or more cytokines and / or one or more ionophore , can be mixed with an appropriate cell culture medium or a portion thereof for distribution . in alternative embodiments , one or more activation compounds can be packaged along with a cell culture medium or portions thereof for shipping . similarly , a desired combination of activation compounds , such as one or more cytokines and one or more ionophores , can be packaged together for shipping , either mixed or in separate compartments . in any of these embodiments , the medium and / or activation compounds can be combined with any remaining medium components and / or activation compounds to form the desired medium for culturing cells under conditions to activate the cells . also , in any of these embodiments , the compositions that are packaged together can include , for example , instructions for completing the cell culture medium with activation properties and / or instructions for performing the cell culturing . the cell culturing can be performed at the facility that is treating the patient or the cell culturing to activate the cells can be performed at a remote location . in either case , the activated cells can be administered after a short period of time after harvesting from the cell culture to ensure that the cells remain viable . alternatively , the cells can be stored under conditions that maintain the cells in a viable condition . for example , the cells can be stored at liquid nitrogen temperatures with a cryoprotectant . the cells can be prepared , for example using known procedures , at appropriate times for administration to the patient . for example , the cells can be suspended in a buffered saline solution for administration to the patient . other known carriers , for example , can be used for delivery of the cells . eight patients with verified histories of from one to six years of occupational exposure to benzene were subjected to the present regimen after their consents were obtained . the makeup of the patients was one male and seven females and the ages of the patients ranged from 24 to 41 . all patients experienced symptoms of weakness , dizziness , fainting , and accelerated heart rates . among these patients , four were hospitalized due to acute symptoms with bleeding . the hospitalized patients required blood or platelet transfusions . the other four patients experienced chronic symptoms and were treated with standard therapies for four , six and 15 months , respectively . bone marrow biopsies and aspiration samples were obtained from all patients to confirm hematopoiesis . toxic levels of benzene were present in the blood and bone marrow of all patients . peripheral blood mononuclear cells ( pbmcs ) were separated from patient blood samples ( 40 - 50 ml ) by ficoll - hypaque centrifugation . the separated pbmcs were then placed in an appropriate volume ( based on cell concentration ) of rpmi 1640 with 10 % fetal bovine serum under sterile conditions and cultured at 2 × 10 6 cells / ml for 48 hours in the presence of interleukin - 2 ( il - 2 ) at 500 iu / ml ( chiron , emeryville , calif . ), granulocyte macrophage - colony - stimulating factor ( gm - csf ) at 200 iu / ml ( immunex , seattle , wash . ), and calcium ionophore a23187 at 100 ng / ml ( sigma , st . louis , mo .). at the end of the culture period , adherent cells were scraped off the plastic surfaces of the culture vessels and harvested together with non - adherent cells . to harvest the cells , the cells were spun down to form a cell pellet . different numbers of cells were obtained for different patients . the harvested cells were washed twice in saline solution and administered to the patients . after washing , the cells were resuspended in 5 to 10 mls of saline , with the volume determined by the number of cells . these suspensions were further diluted with 50 ml of saline before administering the cells to the patients . activated allogeneic pbmcs were used for a single patient ( hc ) in the first three treatments because the patient had experienced low blood counts , severe bleeding and infection . for the other patients , activated pbmcs were intravenously administered with 50 ml saline to the patients . the treatment was repeated every week for at least four weeks . the number of cells administered to a particular patient depended on the number of cells obtained from the patient . hematological parameters , white blood cell counts , red blood cell counts , hemoglobin levels , and platelet counts , were monitored before and after the treatment for each patient and are shown in table 1 . data from these patients indicated that the therapy was effective in enhancing the peripheral blood cell counts . six patients experienced improvement of more than one subset listed and two patients had better platelet counts . the blood cell counts began to improve in most patients after two treatments and continued to improve throughout the time the present activated cells were administered . seven of the eight patients improved to the extent that some of their hemological parameters reach normal levels or levels approaching normal after completion of four treatments . although blood cell counts of the patients improved from the therapy in general , improvements were not uniformly achieved . some patients experienced limited improvement in red blood cell counts , but dramatic improvement in platelet counts . it was noted that all patients &# 39 ; platelet counts were significantly increased . patient hc experienced more severe acute symptoms than the other patients . additionally , patient hc had a bleeding problem as well . because of the low yields of peripheral blood cells from patient hc , allogeneic pbmcs were used to stimulate patient hc &# 39 ; s hematopoiesis . after three treatments using allogeneic cells , patient hc &# 39 ; s blood counts began to improve . after the three treatments of allogeneic cells , autologous pbmcs were then used to continue the therapy . although patient hc &# 39 ; s hemotological parameters were not corrected to normal levels after six treatments , patient hc continued to improve . discomfort due administering the present immunotherapy was mild to moderate . five patients experienced no appreciable discomfort . three patients experienced chilling , fevers between 37 and 39 degrees c ., headaches , nausea , vomiting , and loss of appetite after cell infusion . however , these symptoms were transient , typically lasting one to two days . aspirin was administered when patients experienced discomfort . bone marrow biopsies and aspiration samples were obtained from all patients before the therapy began and two weeks after the final treatment . as shown in fig1 , the histology of the bone marrow samples from three patients with the most severe samples indicated severe damage before the therapy was begun . after the therapy was administered , remarkable improvements in bone marrow histology were found . with respect to patient hc , however , the improvement observed in patient hc &# 39 ; s bone marrow was not coupled with improved peripheral blood counts . before beginning treatment , four of the eight patients experienced severe symptoms , coupled with bleeding . these four patients required periodic transfusions of whole blood or platelets before and during the therapy . after four treatments , however , none of the patients experienced bleeding and whole blood and platelet transfusions were not continued . the beneficial effects of the present cell - based therapy do not appear to be transient . all patients continued to have improved or stable hematological parameters after the therapy was discontinued . some female patients experienced unstable blood counts during menstrual periods , but no patients experienced a relapse . patient lc , who responded to the therapy , has experienced stable symptoms for more than two months since the final treatment ( fig2 ). the results of this study suggest that administering activated pbmcs to patients with aplastic anemia is highly effective . some patients had close to normal bone marrow histologically , but had peripheral hematological parameters which were not as close to normal . to this end , it seemed that a time gap occurred between histological recovery of bone marrow and recovery of peripheral blood cell counts . patients experiencing this gap were closely monitored and the patients &# 39 ; hematological parameters showed continued improvement . these patients sometimes took a few weeks or months to attain normal peripheral blood cell counts . in analyzing the data generated by the study , it was noted that , among different compartments of the blood , increase in platelets was most evident , significant and rapid in patients benefiting from therapy . the initial increase in platelet counts was possibly due to the fact that platelets have a faster generation and differentiation interval . other cell types of blood such as neutrophils , granulocytes and reticulocytes were also improved in agreement with the four parameters listed ( data not shown ). platelet counts are likely more susceptible to benzene toxicity than other blood cells , but are the most responsive to the present therapy due to their faster generation interval . acquired aplastic anemia is a difficult disease to cure . however , the present immunosuppression therapy was very effective in treating this disease , for which bone marrow transplants are the only known cure heretofore . however , in spite of the success of bone marrow transplants , this therapy has serious complications , e . g ., tumors , ( socie et al ., malignant tumors occurring after treatment of aplastic anemia , n . eng . j . med . 1993 ; 329 ( 16 ): 1152 - 1157 ) and graft - versus - host disease ( ferrara et al ., graft - versus - host disease , n . engl . j . med . 1991 ( 324 ); 324 : 667 - 674 ). moreover , many patients cannot obtain bone marrow transplants due to the expense of the procedure and / or the lack of compatible donors . to this end , a simple and effective therapy with fewer side effects is needed to treat aplastic anemia . the results of this study indicate that aplastic anemia can be effectively treated with minimal side effects . the present cell - based immunotherapy is believed to be applicable to other types of anemia and bone marrow disorders as well . these disorders include those experienced by hiv ( human immunodeficiency virus )- infected patients after cocktail chemotherapy and cancer patients with bone marrow failure after chemotherapy and radiotherapy , inherited aplastic anemia , and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura . while not wishing to be bound by a specific theoretical basis for the operation of this invention , it is presently believed that several phenomena may be responsible for the favorable responses of patients to the present immunotherapy . a first theory is that the activated cells secrete multiple ( perhaps partially unknown ) effective factors simultaneously . these multiple factors , when working in concert , may have a synergistic combined effect . a second factor hypothesized for the effectiveness of the present therapy is that some presently unknown key factors for hematopoiesis are produced by activated immune cells . these unknown factors may be responsible , at least in part , for the effectiveness of the present therapy . a third factor which might be involved is that immune cells are capable of traveling to bone marrow and of delivering cytokines to hematopoietic stem cells and to other precursor cells at close range . moreover , the present activated immune cells may be able to remain in close proximity to the marrow for periods sufficient to effect microenvironment improvement in the bone marrow . a fourth factor which might be responsible for the effectiveness of the present therapy is that cell contact between immune cells and hematopoietic cells may be essential for hematopoietic cell growth and differentiation . a fifth factor might be that activated immune cells , even in small amounts , may contribute to prevent the immune system from adversely influencing hematopoiesis . quantities of pcmbs from 10 - 100 ml of blood are relatively small . however , these small quantities exerted large effects on bone marrow histology and hematopoiesis . the results of administering blood cells activated by the present protocol are unexpected in view of results from previous studies . with the exception of one study , young et al . ( note 2 ) found administered growth factors ( granulocyte - colony stimulating factor and granulocyte macrophage - colony stimulating factor ) to affect neutrophil numbers only . the one study showed marked increases of neutrophil and platelet counts when granulocyte - colony stimulating factor was administered . interleukin - 3 , administered alone or in combination with granulocyte macrophage stimulating factor had even less effect on myelopoiesis than the growth factors administered alone . similarly ( liu et al ., cellular interactions in hemopoiesis , blood cells 1987 ; 13 : 101 - 110 and ettinghausen et al ., hematologic effects if immunotherapy with lymphokine - activated killer cells and recombinant interleukin - 2 in cancer patients , blood 1987 ; 69 ( 6 ): 1654 - 1660 ), found that administering activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells and interleukin - 2 to patients “ emphasized ” anemia and oesinophilia in patients receiving this therapy . the present invention is also contemplated to include items of manufacture , which include separately packaged containers of one or more cytokine ( s ) and ionophore ( s ) as more fully described above . the container contents may be used to culture , and thereby activate , blood cells for use in the present therapeutic protocol . instructions , such as on a label , may be present in the item of manufacture . a medium suitable for culturing blood cells may further be included . this example described the treatment of a 1 year five month old female patient with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura . the patient was diagnosed with the disease at about 9 months . the patient was first treated with conventional therapy of corticosteroids and intravenous infusions of immunoglobulin . although the patient responded to the conventional treatment , the patient became completely dependent on the corticosteroid therapy . the maintain sufficient platelet levels , the patient had to receive increasingly higher doses of corticosteroids . then , the patient was treated with an activated cell based therapy as described herein . the treatment was the same as described in example 1 except that only 20 mls of blood was drawn from the patient each time , rather than 40 - 50 mls . the patient was treated once a week for 9 weeks . ex vivo activated cells were administered on day 1 , day 8 , day 15 , day 22 , day 29 , day 35 , day 42 , day 49 and day 56 . at the same time that immunotherapy with activated cells was initiated , corticosteroids and any other aspect of conventional therapy were completely withdrawn . the patient &# 39 ; s platelet levels gradually improved during the treatment with activated cells as shown in fig2 . the patient had a lung infection at day 49 that correlated with a significant decrease in platelet number . after the patient recovered from the infection , the patient &# 39 ; s platelet numbers went back to normal levels . all publications , patents , patent applications , and other documents cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety . in the case of conflict , the present specification shall prevail . because numerous modifications of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof , the scope of the invention is not to be limited to the embodiments illustrated and described . rather , the scope of the invention is to be determined by the appended claims and their equivalents .	2
the fuel tank emission system 10 shown in the drawing , includes a fuel tank 12 ; a file pipe 14 through which fuel enters the tank 12 ; an evaporative leak check module ( elcm ) 20 ; filter 22 ; a normally - closed diurnal control valve ( dcv ) 24 ; carbon canister 26 , connected by a passage 28 to tank 12 ; fuel tank vapor pressure sensor ( ftvps ) 30 ; an atmosphere reference port 32 ; and a purge valve 34 , connected by a passage 36 to an engine 37 . the ftvps 30 is used to check the fuel system vapor space for the presence of a leak equivalent to about a 0 . 020 inch ( 0 . 508 millimeters ) diameter hole . fuel vapor generated in tank 12 is at least partially vented through a first vapor flow path , which includes passage 28 and canister 26 . activated carbon , similar to charcoal , contained in canister 26 collects and stores the hydrocarbons . when the engine is running , air is drawn through canister 26 , and the hydrocarbons are drawn into the engine 37 . the tank vapor pressure sensor 30 is essentially a membrane exposed on one side of its thickness to fuel tank and canister pressure , and on the opposite side to atmospheric pressure through port 32 . the elcm 20 includes a valve 40 , pressure sensor 42 , and pump 44 , preferably a vane pump . pump 44 communicates though a port 46 with the fuel tank 12 through a second vapor flow path , which includes passages 48 , 49 and a filter 22 . passages 48 , 50 connect filter 22 to valve 40 . the air line 56 may include the evaporative leak check module ( elcm ) 20 . the elcm filter 22 filters the air flow to the elcm 20 . the evaporative leak check module 20 includes the elcm diverter valve 40 , vacuum pump 44 and elcm pressure sensor 42 . a reference orifice 70 may also be included within the evaporative leak check module 20 . the diverter valve 40 includes a first path 62 and a second path 64 , which pass through valve 40 . in a first position as illustrated in the figure , air is directed through path 62 of the diverter valve 40 directly from its input to the dcv 24 . in the second position , the diverter valve 40 is controlled upward so that the vacuum pump 44 is in use , thereby creating vacuum in the passage 55 , 56 , 64 up to the diurnal control valve 24 . in either case , the pressure sensor 42 generates a pressure signal corresponding to the pressure within the elcm 20 . the pump &# 39 ; s port 52 communicates with valve 40 through passage 64 and with pressure sensor 42 , passage 56 and the dcv 24 through passage 55 . pressure sensor 42 preferably indicates absolute pressure in the system . the valve 40 of the elcm 20 is a two - position valve , actuated by a solenoid 58 and compression spring 60 . valve 40 moves alternately to and from the position shown in the figure wherein passages 50 , 56 are interconnected through valve passage 62 . in the position shown in the figure , the vacuum pump 44 is isolated from the system . in the alternate position , passage 50 is isolated and vacuum pump 44 can apply a pressure differential to create vacuum in passages 55 , 56 and 64 . through the use of diverter valve 40 , pump 44 has ability to draw a reference vacuum on orifice 70 corresponding in magnitude to the vacuum in a fuel system having a leak through an orifice of about 0 . 20 inch diameter . if pump 44 can produce a larger vacuum on the complete fuel system 10 than the reference vacuum , the system 10 is assumed to be sealed . if the pump cannot produce vacuum as great as the reference vacuum , the system is assumed to be unsealed or leaking . a pressure relief valve 66 , located in a passage 68 , is connected to the dcv 24 and passage 56 . the reference orifice 70 is located between pressure sensor 42 and passage 56 . a low - cost snorkel hose 72 has an open end connected to the atmospheric reference port 32 of the ftvps 30 . hose 72 is connected through a tee fitting 74 in passage 56 between the dcv 24 and pump 44 . an engine control module ( ecm ) 80 communicates through electronic data lines to a fuel level sensor 82 in the fuel tank 12 , the solenoid 83 of purge valve 34 , the ftvps 30 , the solenoid 58 and pressure sensor 42 of the elcm 20 , and the solenoid 85 of the dcv 24 . unlike typical evaporative emissions systems that are vented to atmosphere during normal operation , the evaporative emissions system 10 is closed to atmosphere by the dcv 24 . the ftvps 30 is located on the sealed side of the dcv 24 , but it is undesirable to open the dcv 24 when the gasoline engine 37 is not operating . opening the dcv 24 without the engine running would allow the escape of hydrocarbon vapors . in the sealed system 10 , pressure in the fuel system will vary from negative to positive during normal operation and while the vehicle is parked with the engine off . no operating condition exists in which pressure in the system is predictably zero . because of this , the fuel tank vapor pressure sensor 30 could be stuck - in - range at a pressure reading , in which case it would be impossible to diagnose the condition . a reliable way is needed to confirm that the fuel tank vapor pressure sensor 30 is operating correctly and reading the actual pressure in the fuel tank 12 . to reliably ensure that fuel tank vapor pressure sensor 30 is operating correctly , while the engine is not running , pump 44 in the elcm 20 is used to produce vacuum , which is communicated to the atmospheric reference port 32 of the fuel tank vapor pressure sensor 30 through hose 72 . the fuel tank vapor pressure sensor 30 is intended to read the pressure differential between the sealed system 10 and atmosphere . in the illustrated example , the vapor pressure sensor 30 is attached directly to the carbon canister 26 . the snorkel hose 72 connects the atmospheric reference port 32 on the fuel tank vapor pressure sensor to passage 56 between the dcv 24 and the elcm 20 with the use of tee fitting 74 . pump 44 in the elcm 20 creates a vacuum which is applied to the atmospheric reference port 32 on fuel tank vapor pressure sensor 30 through hose 72 . pump 44 can produce up to 4 kpa of pressure differential between the sealed system 10 and atmosphere , which is great enough to cause a change in output of fuel tank vapor pressure sensor 30 . the change in output of fuel tank vapor pressure sensor 30 can be used to confirm that the sensor is operating properly . the pressure sensor 42 in the elcm 20 produces a signal representing absolute pressure , which is used in a rationality test to confirm that the output of fuel tank vapor pressure sensor 30 changed the correct amount when vacuum is produced in the system by pump 44 . under normal running conditions , the air reference port hose 72 does not affect the output of fuel tank vapor pressure sensor 30 because the air reference port 32 is open to atmosphere . the air reference port 32 is protected from water splash . the system provides a reliable check on the operation of the fuel tank pressure sensor 30 without opening the dcv 24 . while certain embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail , those familiar with the art to which this invention relates will recognize various alternative designs and embodiments for practicing the invention as defined by the following claims .	5
this present invention provides a wearer of nasal cannula apparatus the ability to reposition the fluid supply tubes to be oriented in a more comfortable position by adding lightweight flexible polymeric joints and / or malleable non - ferromagnetic metals to the nasal cannula apparatus as is described in the various aspects and embodiments of the inventions provided below . referring to fig1 , a first exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in which a wearer 5 has comfortably positioned a nasal cannula apparatus away from the ears 60 . the nasal cannula apparatus includes a first fluid supply tube 20 which is joined to an inlet side of a first adjustment member 30 a . a first fluid supply tube segment 35 is joined to the outlet side of the first adjustment member 30 a at one end and is joined to an inlet side of a second adjustment member 30 b at the opposite end . a second fluid supply tube segment 50 is joined to the outlet side of the second adjustment member 30 be at one end and to a first inlet side of a nasal insufflating member 55 at its opposite end . likewise , a second fluid supply tube 15 is joined to an inlet side of a third adjustment member 30 c . a third fluid supply tube segment 40 is joined to the outlet side of the third adjustment member 30 c at one end and to an inlet side of a fourth adjustment member 30 d at the opposite end . a fourth fluid supply tube segment 45 is joined to the outlet side of the fourth adjustment member 30 d at one end and to a second inlet side of the nasal insufflating member 55 at its opposite end . in this embodiment of the invention , the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 are shown routed over the top the wearer &# 39 ; s head 5 and held in position by a retaining clip 25 depicted in fig1 a , 1 b . the diameters of the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 and the first , second , third , and fourth supply tube segments 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 are generally equal and constructed of like polymeric materials to ensure a balanced fluid flow is delivered to the nasal insufflating member 55 . a larger diameter common fluid supply tube 10 delivers the fluid from a reservoir to the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 by way of a y - fitting 70 depicted in fig1 b . the first , second , third and fourth adjustment members 30 a , 30 b , 30 c , 30 d are coaxially joined to the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 and the first , second , third , and fourth supply tube segments 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 so as to not interfere with the fluid supply being delivered to the wearer 5 . while four adjustment members 30 a , 30 b , 30 c , 30 d are shown in this figure , one skilled in the art will appreciate that fewer adjustment members could be used to allow the wearer to reposition the fluid supply tubes to achieve a more comfortable position . the polymeric construction materials of the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 , the first , second , third , and fourth supply tube segments 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 and common fluid supply tube 10 are preferably of a thermo plastic such as polyvinyl chloride ( pvc ) having a sufficient plasticizer to allow flexibility and suppleness . pvc or other common thermo plastic polymers used in the current art are acceptable for use in the various components incorporated into the invention . additional construction materials may be incorporated or replace the polymeric construction of the first , second , third and fourth adjustment members 30 a , 30 b , 30 c , 30 d as described below . referring to fig2 a , a first embodiment of the invention is depicted . in this embodiment of the invention , a flow through adjustable bellows joint ( adjustment member ) 30 a is disposed into the nasal cannula invention at two or more of the adjustment member positions 30 a , 30 b , 30 c , 30 d depicted in fig1 . the bellows joint ( s ) 30 a are constructed with inlet 75 and outlet nozzles 80 for attachment to the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 , and / or the first , second , third , and fourth supply tube segments 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 . the designation of inlet and outlet are used for convenience only . the adjustment members are intended to be simple flow - through devices which lack flow directivity restrictions . the adjustment members , as is depicted in fig2 b , are constructed of polymeric materials which are compatible with the polymeric construction materials of the first and second fluid supply - tubes 20 , 15 , and / or the first , second , third , and fourth supply tube segments 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 . to achieve the necessary flexibility , positioning memory and structural integrity , a more rigid construction of polymer is used . for example , pvc having a reduced amount of plasticizer as is common used in the non - analogous art of drinking straws with flexible elbow joints . in one embodiment of the invention , depicted in fig2 c , the adjustment members 30 a are dimensioned to fit into the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 , and / or the first , second , third , and fourth supply tube segments 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 . in this embodiment of the invention , the outer diameters of the inlet and outlet nozzles 75 , 80 are slightly larger than the inner diameters of the fluid supply tubing 35 , 20 . the resilient properties of the dimensionally expanded fluid supply tubing 35 , 20 forms sealed joints over the inlet and outlet nozzles 75 , 80 . this tubing coupling arrangement is commonly employed in the non - analogous art of aquarium aeration tubing . alternately , the inlet and outlet nozzles may be attached to the various fluid supply tubing using an adhesive . the various inner and outer diameters of the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 , the first , second , third , and fourth supply tube segments 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 and / or the inlet and outlet nozzles 75 , 80 may be adjusted accordingly to optimize the fluid flow delivered to the nasal insufflating member 55 depicted in fig1 . in another related embodiment of the invention , depicted in fig2 d , the adjustment members 30 a are dimensioned to fit over the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 , and / or the first , second , third , and fourth supply tube segments 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 . in this embodiment of the invention , the inner diameters of the inlet and outlet nozzles 75 , 80 are slightly smaller in diameter than the fluid supply tubing 35 , 20 . the resilient properties of the dimensionally compressed fluid supply tubing 35 , 20 forms sealed joints within the inlet and outlet nozzles 75 , 80 . alternately , the inlet and outlet nozzles 75 , 80 may be attached to the various fluid supply tubing using an adhesive . as before , the various diameters of the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 , the first , second , third , and fourth supply tube segments 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 and / or the inlet and outlet nozzles 75 , 80 may be varied accordingly to optimize the fluid flow delivered to the nasal insufflating member 55 depicted in fig1 . both embodiments of the invention depicted in fig2 c and 2 d may be used to retrofit an existing nasal cannula available in the current art or provided as a complete nasal cannula assembly . inclusion of the bellows joints as adjustment members 30 a , 30 b , 30 c , 30 d allows a wearer 5 of the nasal cannula to adjust various portions of the fluid supply tubing to achieve a more comfortable wearing position . wearing adjustment is made simply by repositioning of the applicable section ( s ) of the supply tubing and flexing of the bellows joints ( adjustment members 30 a , 30 b , 30 c , 30 d ) depicted in fig1 . referring to fig3 a , another embodiment of the invention is depicted . in this embodiment of the invention , a flow through adjustable joint 30 a is disposed into the nasal cannula invention at two or more of the adjustment member positions 30 a , 30 b , 30 c , 30 d depicted in fig1 . the flow through adjustment member 30 a is uniform in diameter for direct attachment to the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 , and / or the first , second , third , and fourth supply tube segments 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 . the adjustment member 30 a , as is depicted in fig3 b , is constructed of one or more non - ferromagnetic metals that are compatible with the polymeric construction materials of the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 , and / or the first , second , third , and fourth supply tube segments 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 . for example , non - ferromagnetic metal tubing constructed from aluminum , copper or austenitic stainless steel may be used for the adjustment members 30 a . non - ferromagnetic metals are important for wearers who may undergo magnetic resonance imaging ( mri ) procedures . if mri procedures are not of concern , iron alloys may be employed as well . to achieve the necessary flexibility , positioning memory and structural integrity , the wall thicknesses of the metal tubing comprising the adjustment member 30 a is optimized to allow the tubing to bend without reaching the ductility limit ( s ) of the metal . in one embodiment of the invention , depicted in fig3 c , the adjustment member 30 a is dimensioned to fit into the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 , and / or the first , second , third , and fourth supply tube segments 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 . in this embodiment of the invention , the outer diameter of the metal adjustment member 30 a is dimensioned slightly larger than the inner diameters of the fluid supply tubing 35 , 20 . the resilient properties of the dimensionally expanded fluid supply tubing 35 , 20 forms sealed joints over the adjustment member 30 a . alternately , the adjustment member 30 a may be attached to the various fluid supply tubing using an adhesive . the various inner and outer diameters of the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 , the first , second , third , and fourth supply tube segments 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 and / or the inlet and outlet nozzles 75 , 80 may be varied accordingly to optimize the fluid flow delivered to the nasal insufflating member 55 depicted in fig1 . in another related embodiment of the invention , depicted in fig3 d , the adjustment member 30 a is dimensioned to fit over the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 , and / or the first , second , third , and fourth supply tube segments 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 . in this embodiment of the invention , the inner diameter of the adjustment member 30 a is slightly smaller in diameter than the fluid supply tubing 35 , 20 . the resilient properties of the dimensionally compressed fluid supply tubing 35 , 20 forms sealed joints within the adjustment member 30 a . alternately , the adjustment member 30 a may be attached to the various fluid supply tubing using an adhesive . as previously described , the various diameters of the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 , the first , second , third , and fourth supply tube segments 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 and / or the inlet and outlet nozzles 75 , 80 may be varied accordingly to optimize the fluid flow delivered to the nasal insufflating member 55 depicted in fig1 . both embodiments of the invention depicted in fig3 c and 3 d may be used to retrofit an existing nasal cannula available in the current art or provided as a complete nasal cannula assembly . inclusion of the metal adjustment members 30 a , 30 b , 30 c , 30 d allows a wearer 5 of the nasal cannula to adjust various portions of the fluid supply tubing to achieve a more comfortable wearing position . wearing adjustment is made simply by bending of the applicable section ( s ) of the of the adjustment members 30 a , 30 b , 30 c , 30 d depicted in fig1 . referring to fig4 a , another embodiment of the invention is depicted . in this embodiment of the invention a flow through flexible polymeric joint ( adjustment member ) 30 a is disposed into the nasal cannula invention at two or more of the adjustment member positions 30 a , 30 b , 30 c , 30 d depicted in fig1 . the polymeric joint 30 a as depicted in fig4 b , is constructed primarily of polymeric materials which is compatible with the polymeric construction materials of the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 , and / or the first , second , third , and fourth supply tube segments 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 . in addition , a thin non - ferromagnetic metal ribbon or wire 65 , 65 ′ is incorporated along a long axis of the polymeric joint ( adjustment member ) 30 a . the addition of the thin non - ferromagnetic metal ribbon or wire 65 , 65 ′ provides the necessary positioning memory not generally available in the inexpensive thermoplastic polymers normally found in nasal cannula constructions . the metal ribbon or wire 65 , 65 ′ may extruded with the thermoplastic tubing at the time of tubing manufacture or added thereafter by heating the ribbon or wire 65 , 65 ′ beyond the melting point of the thermoplastic and embedding the metal into polymeric tubing . in both of the aforementioned manufacturing methods , the metal ribbon or wire 65 , 65 ′ should be embedded entirely in the polymeric construction of the tubing rather than extending into the fluid flow channel . this reduces the chances of oxidation and possible reaction if high concentrations of oxygen are to be used as the fluid provided to the wearer . in one embodiment of the invention , depicted in fig4 c , the adjustment member 30 a is dimensioned to fit into the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 , and / or the first , second , third , and fourth supply tube segments 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 . in this embodiment of the invention , the outer diameter of the adjustment member 30 a is dimensioned slightly larger than the inner diameters of the fluid supply tubing 35 , 20 . the resilient properties of the dimensionally expanded fluid supply tubing 35 , 20 forms sealed joints over the adjustment member 30 a . alternately , the adjustment member 30 a may be attached to the various fluid supply tubing using an adhesive . the various inner and outer diameters of the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 , the first , second , third , and fourth supply tube segments 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 and / or the inlet and outlet nozzles 75 , 80 may be varied accordingly to optimize the fluid flow delivered to the nasal insufflating member 55 depicted in fig1 . in another related embodiment of the invention , depicted in fig4 d , the adjustment member 30 a is dimensioned to fit over the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 , and / or the first , second , third , and fourth supply tube segments 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 . in this embodiment of the invention , the inner diameter of the adjustment member 30 a is slightly smaller in diameter than the fluid supply tubing 35 , 20 . the resilient properties of the dimensionally compressed fluid supply tubing 35 , 20 forms sealed joints within the adjustment member 30 a . alternately , the adjustment member 30 a may be attached to the various fluid supply tubing using an adhesive . as previously described , the various diameters of the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 , the first , second , third , and fourth supply tube segments 35 , 40 , 45 , 50 and / or the inlet and outlet nozzles 75 , 80 may be varied accordingly to optimize the fluid flow delivered to the nasal insufflating member 55 depicted in fig1 . both embodiments of the invention depicted in fig4 c and 4 d may be used to retrofit an existing nasal cannula available in the current art or provided as a complete nasal cannula assembly . inclusion of the adjustment members 30 a , 30 b , 30 c , 30 d allows a wearer 5 of the nasal cannula to adjust various portions of the fluid supply tubing to achieve a more comfortable wearing position . wearing adjustment is made simply by bending of the applicable section ( s ) of the of the adjustment members 30 a , 30 b , 30 c , 30 d depicted in fig1 . referring to fig4 e , another embodiment of the invention is depicted where the adjustment member 30 a is dimensioned to slidably fit over the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 , becoming a slidable sleeve which may be repositioned anywhere along the contiguous outer surfaces of the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 . as such , the adjustment member 30 a in this embodiment of the invention does not become part of the fluid flow channel and is therefore ideal as a simple retrofit of existing nasal cannula apparatus . usage of this embodiment of the invention by the wearer 5 of the nasal cannula apparatus is nearly identical to that described above with the added advantage of the wearer being able to slide one or more of the adjustment members 30 a , 30 b , 30 c , 30 d to the most comfortable positions along the long axis of the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 . referring to fig5 a , a final embodiment of the invention is shown where a non - ferromagnetic metal ribbon or wire 65 is embedded directly in the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 . this embodiment of the invention is simply an extension of the embodiments of the invention described above for fig4 a , 4 b , 4 c , 4 d and 4 e where a metal ribbon or wire 65 ′ is incorporated directly into the polymeric construction of the first or second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 as shown in fig5 b . this embodiment of the invention provides an additional advantage in that there are no rough surfaces or tubing diameter changes involved in the construction of the nasal cannula apparatus . the wearer 5 of the nasal cannula apparatus which incorporates this embodiment of the invention may simply bend the portion or portions of the first and second fluid supply tubes 20 , 15 to the most desirable position without encountering rough edges which could irritate the skin or tubing diameter changes which snag on clothing . all other aspects of this embodiment of the invention are nearly identical to those described above fig4 a , 4 b , 4 c , 4 d and 4 e . the foregoing described embodiments of the invention are provided as illustrations and descriptions . they are not intended to limit the invention to precise form described . in particular , it is contemplated that functional implementation of the invention described herein may be constructed in various shapes and of different materials . no specific limitation is intended to a particular shape or construction material . other variations and embodiments are possible in light of above teachings , and it is not intended that this detailed description limit the scope of invention , but rather by the claims following herein .	0
[ 0032 ] fig1 shows of a network b 1 two data channels b 2 , an output unit b 3 , and two terminals , a computer terminal b 4 and a telephone terminal b 5 . the terminal b 4 has an output unit b 3 . this output unit b 3 is connected via a data channel b 2 with a network b 1 . the telephone terminal b 5 is as well connected with the network b 1 via a data channel b 2 . the figure describes the scenario for this realization . both terminals b 4 , b 5 , in the role of a receiver , are connected with the network b 1 via data channels b 2 . the terminals receive packets over the data channels and these packets contain streamed data , which has to be reconstructed . to be able to reconstruct the data stream , there might be a special hardware , called output unit b 3 , that alternatively might be integrated in the terminal . the terminal and the output unit are assumed to be controlled by a computer program . although the realization of the reconstruction method could also be implemented in software only . [ 0034 ] fig2 shows a control entity a 1 , a buffer queue a 2 , an input channel a 3 , an output stream a 4 , an input packet sequence a 5 , an output data stream a 6 and an illustration of two time intervals a 7 between two consecutive packets also - known as packet inter - arrival times . the control entity a 1 controls the buffer queue a 2 , i . e . when the queue has to be emptied and filled . the buffer queue a 2 is connected with the input channel a 3 transporting the input packet sequence a 5 . the input packet sequence a 5 consists of a sequence of packets a 5 , where each packet having a packet sequence number 15 , 16 , . . . , 20 . this input packet sequence as needs not coinciding with the packet number sequence as illustrated in the drawing . the figure does not show the packet representation , i . e . header , payload , etc . it is assumed that the payload is already extracted and labeled by the sequence number . the figure shows especially the time intervals a 7 between the consecutive packets 19 and 20 as well as the time intervals a 7 between the consecutive packets 15 and 16 . the buffer queue a 2 is also connected with the output stream a 4 transporting the ordered continuous output data stream a 6 . the output stream is ordered by packet numbers and the time interval between two consecutive packets disappears , by using the previously buffered reservoir . in the illustrated configuration the output stream data carries data from packets 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , the buffer queue a 2 stores packets 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , and the input channel data as consists of the packets 15 , 14 , 16 , 17 , 19 , 18 , 20 . the figure illustrates the functionality of reconstructing a data stream . a jittered input data stream running into a buffer , converted into a continuous output data stream . the arriving packets , each having its number , are translated into an ordered continuous data stream where the data is ordered by the packet numbers and the time interval between the content of two consecutive packets disappears . in the example it is assumed that the packet stream has a jitter and the packets need not arrive in the origin sequence . the network might have additional characteristics , e . g . an asserted delay bound that should be taken into account when implementing the described functionality . in further , it is assumed that there is no packet loss . in case of packet loss additional strategies have to be considered beside buffering , e . g ., reconstruction of packet information on the application layer or depending if network resources and time are available an additional request for retransmission . [ 0038 ] fig3 shows a use case diagram according to the uml notation , from the ‘ unified modeling language user guide ’, g . booch , j . rumbaugh , i . jacobson , addison - wesley , reading mass ., 1999 , pages 233 - 236 , containing the actors “ network ” and “ application ”, as well as a use case “ converter ” and a use case “ control ”. the “ network ” is associated with the “ converter ” by “ data channel ” and the “ application ” is associated with the “ converter ” by “ data stream ”. the “ converter ” is extended by the “ control ”. the diagram shows the problem context , namely the data channel “ data channel ” supporting the jittered packet data stream shown in fig2 and a application “ application ” requesting the reconstructed continuous streamed data . this reconstruction is performed by a controlled converter “ converter ” extended by “ control ”. the control mechanism is explicitly stated . it might be hidden by other use cases as side effects , e . g . a scheduler integrated in an operating system . [ 0041 ] fig4 shows a class diagram according to the uml notation , from the ‘ unified modeling language user guide ’, g . booch , j . rumbaugh , i . jacobson , addison - wesley , reading mass ., 1999 , pages 105 - 108 , containing the data types “ channel ”, “ stream ”, and “ priorityqueue ”; the processes “ receive ” and “ stream ”; and a class “ estimation ”. “ channel ” provides the two methods “ end ” and “ fetch ”. “ stream ” provides the two methods “ append ” and “ read ”. “ priorityqueue ” provides four methods “ add ”, “ get ”, “ isempty ”, and “ size ”. “ estimation ” provides the two methods “ measure ” and “ predict ”. the diagram shows an architecture for streamed data reconstruction . this architecture has a framework character . it is designed for illustration purposes . it allows to substitute the estimation and to simplify the description by abstraction . an architecture of a realization is influenced by the complete product design . the architecture consists of three abstract data types , a channel , a stream and a priority queue , as well as two processes , “ receive ” and “ stream ”. the priority queue is chosen to illustrate the abstract buffering mechanism . it is not necessary to use abstract data types . for instance , a often used technique instead of a priority queue is a straight forward array implementation of a buffer queue . the processes need not to be explicitly designed . instead one might realize the method by threads or operating system services . the data type “ channel ” is aggregated by the process “ receive ”. the data type “ stream ” is aggregated by the process “ stream ”. the data type “ priorityqueue ” and the class “ estimation ” are both associated to both processes “ receive ” and “ stream ”. the method “ end ” of the data type “ channel ” returns the boolean true when the last packet of the packet sequence has arrived , the boolean false otherwise . the method “ fetch ” returns the next received packet . the method “ append ” of the data type “ stream ” appends the argument to the end of this stream . the method “ read ” reads the head of this stream ( destructive ). the method “ add ” of the data type “ priorityqueue ” enters the argument into this priority queue . the method “ get ” returns the least element of this priority queue . the method “ isempty ” returns the boolean true if this priority queue contains no element , the boolean false otherwise . the method “ size ” returns the number of elements contained in this priority queue . the method “ measure ” of the class “ estimation ” collects network performance information and updates network characteristics accordingly . the method “ predict ” returns values for controlling the behavior of the two processes . the two processes are controlled by the class “ estimation ” that measures network behavior and derives network performance predictions . the two processes “ receive ” and “ stream ” use this prediction in order to adapt their behavior , e . g . the use of the buffer queue or the stream speed etc . [ 0052 ] fig5 shows a program implementing the architecture for streamed data reconstruction of fig4 . the abstract notation for the program consists of a declaration part for variables and types , labeled by ‘ declaration ’ and an implementation part labeled by ‘ implementation ’. a data type “ channel ”, framed by ‘ data type channel ’ and ‘ end data type channel ’, a data type “ stream ”, framed by ‘ data type stream ’ and ‘ end data type stream ’, a data type “ priorityqueue ”, framed by ‘ data type priorityqueue ’ and ‘ end data type priorityqueue ’. a process “ receive ”, framed by ‘ process receive ’ and ‘ end process receive ’, and a process “ stream ” framed by ‘ process stream ’ and ‘ end process stream ’, a class “ estimation ”, framed by ‘ class estimation ’ and ‘ end class estimation ’. a method “ end ”, returning the boolean true if the input packet sequence ends , and a method “ append ”, adding a data element at the end of this stream , and a method “ get ”, returning and removing the packet with the least element , i . e . the - packet with the least number , from this priority queue , a method “ isempty ”, returning the boolean true if the priority queue contains no packet , a method “ size ”, returning an integer , the number of packets contained in this priority queue . the process “ receive ” consists of a loop , framed by ‘ while ’ and ‘ end while ’, with the terminating condition ‘ not input . end ( )’, and a body consisting of the statement sequence ‘ packet = input . fetch ( )’; ‘ estimation . measure ( packet )’; ‘ buffer . add ( packet )’. hence , the process iterative reads a packet from the input channel , update the performance statistic of the network and buffers the packet , until the last packet is arrived . the process “ stream ” consists of a main loop , framed by ‘ while ’ and ‘ end while ’, with the terminating condition ‘ not ( input . end ( ) and buffer . isempty ( ))’ and a body consisting of the statement ‘ estimation . predict ( buffersize , delaytime )’ followed by a sequence of further while loops . the first while loop , framed by ‘ while ’ and ‘ wait end while ’ has the terminating condition ‘ buffer . size ( )& lt ; buffersize ’ waits until the buffer is filled according to the predicted value buffer . size . the second while loop , framed by ‘ while ’ and ‘ end while ’, with the terminating condition ‘ not buffer . isempty ( )’ and a body consisting of the statement sequence ‘ output . append ( buffer . get ( ))’; ‘ delay ( delaytime )’, empties the buffer and serves the stream continuously with a homogenous by the estimation predicted delay . the latter two loops are iterated until the complete stream is reconstructed . the kernel of the described program and the control of the processes and the buffer is the class “ estimation ”. this class contains the variable “ meandelay ”. in general this class contains variables for measured network characteristics . furthermore , the class “ estimation ” consists of a set of variables for the statistical observations and two methods , a method “ measure ” that updates the network characteristics by observed events , here a packet arrival , and buffersize and delaytime , based on gathered network characteristics . it should be noted that the methods of the two processes are only a specific option model . beside the stated mode there might be a streaming handshake , forcing faster streams , or an application that might allow a homogenous delay or a smooth increasing delay . [ 0088 ] fig6 shows a program implementing a class estimation introduced in fig5 . the class “ estimation ” is framed by ‘ class estimation ’ and ‘ end class estimation ’ and contains five variables , three reals “ t ”, “ sr ”, and “ tr ”, as well as two integers “ r ” and “ n ”, and two methods . a method “ measure ” that updates the mean delay t by an observed packet delay t , as well as the decrement of the number of remaining packets r and a method “ predict ”, that returns parameters for the conversion , buffer size b and delay time ( the reciprocal of the sample rate ), based on gathered network characteristics . [ 0092 ] fig7 shows three diagrams , labeled by o 1 , o 2 , and o 3 . the x - axis of each diagram is the time and the y - axis are packets . diagram o 1 shows encoding and packetisation , diagram o 2 shows transportation through a network , and diagram o 3 shows the stream resuming at the receiver . the figure depicts an encoding - transmission - decoding scenario . there are three observation points o 1 at the sender , o 2 at the network , and o 3 at the receiver . diagram o 1 consists of a packet p ( 1 , 1 ) and two occurrences of packet p ( 2 , 1 ) . diagram o 2 consists of a waiting packet w ( 2 , 1 ) and two total service time intervals n stag t s for each packet . diagram 03 consists of a de - jittering delay t jit and a decoding delay t dec . the diagrams are connected via three dashed arrows showing a path of packet p ( 2 , 1 ). the horizontal double arrows a 2 shows a time interval until packet p ( 2 , 1 ) arrives . the horizontal arrow w 2 , 1 shows a waiting time interval of packet p ( 2 , 1 ). a horizontal arrow n stag t s shows a service time interval of p ( 2 , 1 ) , and a horizontal arrow d 2 , 1 shows a delay of packet p ( 2 , 1 ) . assumptions for the shown scenario are identical encoding ( e . g . voice activity detection or not ) and packetisation of the arriving calls , with no time stamps and available packet sequence numbers . negative - exponentially distributed connection inter - arrival time a 2 is assumed at the encoder . shown in diagram o 2 a packet - based network delays discontinuously packets with a deterministic service time n stag t s . no priorities , no retransmission , no overtaking , no change in routing , only real - time traffic , and no disturbing data traffic is assumed . the packet p ( 2 , 1 ) is traced through the described scenario . at the sender this packet is created after the time a 2 starting from the creation event of the preceding packet p ( 2 , 1 ) . when the first packet is processed the packet p ( 2 , 1 ) enters the network . there it waits for the time w 2 , 1 . when the waiting time is passed the network transports the packet within time n stag t s to the receiver . at the receiver it is buffered for a time t jit and decoded within a time t dec . the following section contains an example application for a stream transmission scenario where a size of a file to stream is known and a network that delays equally sized packets equally . then considering the following intermediate scenario enabling one to determine the optimal buffer size for continuos streaming , i . e ., the following three events coincide : buffer is empty , the file is completely transmitted , and the buffer is completely streamed . because of the deterministic delay assumption there is no need for prediction . but the example shows the dependence of the scenario parameters and illustrates the adaptive buffer functionality . in an intermediate scenario there is a rest of the stream to transmit at the sender , called rest , of size r , a buffered stream , called buffer , of size b and a played stream at the sender . the above three events coincide when the transmission time for the rest and the time for streaming the rest and buffer is equal . the transmission rate tr is 1 / t , the stream rate is a constant , say sr . then the transmission time for the rest is r / tr and the time for streaming the rest and buffer is ( r + h )/ sr . derived from the equation r / tr =( r + b )/ sr one concludes the optimal buffer size b = sr / tr * r − r . for most packet networks the assumption that each packet is delayed equally is wrong . but one could approximate the real delay with the mean delay of the already transmitted packets instead . the mean delay t ( n ) for n transmitted packets each having its own delay t i is the sum delay t 1 + t 2 +. . . + t n divided by n . for calculation t ( n + 1 ) consider t ( n + 1 )=( t 1 + t 2 +. . . + t n + t n + 1 )/( n + 1 )=(( t 1 + t 2 +. . . + t n )+ t n + 1 )/( n + 1 ), but ( t 1 + t 2 +. . . + t n )= n * t ( n ). hence t ( n + 1 )=( n * t ( n )+ t n + 1 )/( n + 1 ). the above discussion is illustrated as an implementation of class ‘ estimation ’ shown in fig6 . the statistical model can be enhanced by observable properties of the network like packet routing , traffic , or network topology , and of the stream content itself , like length pauses and talk spurts in the case of voice data streams , as well as past transmissions or even past connections . the following section describes a more complex application for the special case of reducing delay jitter for a packetized voice network , with minimal delay , i . e ., small queues in the context and with the assumptions of fig6 . a set of recursive measurement and prediction equations , based on multiple probabilistic models is developed illustrating the claimed method . the main assumptions are a constant inter - arrival time for the packets at the network during active voice , but no constant inter - departure time when arriving at the receiver . for this application additionally a probability function which describes the network packet delay behaviour is missing . the delay of the first arriving packet ( reference packet ) d ref is unknown , as well as the sender clock is unknown and the time stamps are unavailable . the application has the property to be able re - configuring the queue while silence phases . hence this application is an example for a tight coupling of the application layer consuming the transmitted stream . for the detailed description the following notations are used for the encoding and packetisation delay factors for the end - to - end delay we say the delay introduced by encoder , packetizer and decoder : t enc , p , dec = n f t f + t la + t enc + t dec , for the delay in the packet - based network : d = n stag t s + w n , and for the dejittering delay : t jit . the mean number of created packets per call is { overscore ( x )} calculated out of the mean call holding time the following section contains notations used for the described packet delay calculations . amount of packets from calls arriving after the observed connection i until network arrival instant of packet number r . x k m + i , r min ( p r ) . number of additional packet arrivals of previous connections between l th connection arrival instant and network arrival instant of packet r from connection i : x k m + i , r min . probability of j poisson arrivals during packet producing time interval of a single connection : p j , r = ( λ  ( r - 1 )  n f  t f ) j j !   - λ  ( r - 1 )  n f  t f . the following section contains an itemization of the used notations for mean delay calculations mean delay of an arbitrary packet : { overscore ( d )}( n stag , t s , { overscore ( x )}, λ , n f t f ) mean absolute relative delay of an arbitrary packet : { overscore ( δd )}( n stag , t s , { overscore ( x )}, λ , n f t f ) mean delay of the r th packet { overscore ( d r )}( n stag , t s , { overscore ( x )}, λ , n f t f ) average number of cumulative network packet arrivals at network arrival instant of packet number r . { overscore ( q r )}({ overscore ( x )}, n ip , { overscore ( x r min )}, { overscore ( x r min ( p r ) )}) and of an arbitrary packet : { overscore ( q )}({ overscore ( x )}, n ip , { overscore ( x min )}, { overscore ( x min ( p ) )}). average relative number of cumulative network packet arrivals at network arrival instant of packet number r . { overscore ( δq r )}({ overscore ( x min ( p r ) )}) and of an arbitrary packet : { overscore ( δq )}({ overscore ( x )}, { overscore ( x min ( p ) )}). average minimum amount of additional packets from previous connections at network arrival time instant of packet number r . { overscore ( x r min )}({ overscore ( x )}, λ , n f t f ) and of an arbitrary packet : { overscore ( x min )}({ overscore ( x )}, λ , n f t f ). average minimum amount of additional packets from calls arriving after the observed connection until network arrival instant of packet number r . { overscore ( x r min ( p r ) )}({ overscore ( x )}, λ , n f t f ) and an arbitrary network packet arrival instant : { overscore ( x min ( p ) )}({ overscore ( x )}, λ , n f t f ). mean total inter - arrival time of an arbitrary packet : { overscore ( i )}( λ , { overscore ( x )}, n f t f ) the i th call : { overscore ( i i − l )}( λ , { overscore ( x )}, n f t f ), and the r th packet : { overscore ( i r )}( λ , n f t f ). mean value of n ip erlang -( i − l ) distributed time intervals : { overscore ( y )}( λ ) mean values of the relative absolute total inter - arrival time of an arbitrary packet : { overscore ( δi )}( λ , { overscore ( x )}, n f t f ) the l th call : { overscore ( δi i − l )}( λ , { overscore ( x )}, n f t f ), and the r th packet : { overscore ( δi r )}( λ , n f t f ). the following list contains the set of values for initialisation and adaptation . number of packets per active voice period x k m + i hypo - exponential process f d ( t ; t 1 , t 2 ) with mean values t 1 and t 2 . hyper - exponential process f d ( t , p , t 1 , t 2 ) with the mean values t 1 , 2 and probability p . we have two qualities of service bounds , the packet loss restriction pr └ d & gt ; d min + t jit ┘& lt ; p loss , and the delay restriction d max + t jit & lt ; d e2e . the problem of serving continuous streamed voice data is solved by gathering the decoder packet arrival instants t d ref and t d r ; then approximating the delay of the first arriving packet d ref with a pre - calculated mean delay value and calculating the delay of the r th packet out of d r = t d r − t d ref +{ overscore ( d )}−( r − ref )· n f t f , and creating a substitute delay probability function to calculate the maximum tolerated packet delay and consequently the dejittering delay . packets missing the quality of service restrictions for packet loss d r ≦ t d r − t d ref +{ overscore ( d )}−( r − ref )· n f t f , or equivalently t d r ≦ t d ref + t jit +( r − ref )· n f t f and the end - to - end delay d r + t jit & lt ; d e2e are discarded . the following section contains the variables needed for packet delay calculations . the delay of the r th packet produced from the l th connection during busy period m is denoted as d k m + i , r . w k m + i , r denotes the waiting time of packet number k m + i , r . i i − l , r describes the total inter - arrival period from the begin of route busy period m until network arrival instant of the r th packet of the l th connection . the total number of network packet arrivals from the beginning of the busy period m until service beginning of the observed packet is named q k m + i , r i − 1 + r − 1 ++ x k m + i , r min ( p r ) + x k m + i , r min . y 1 − 1 is the erlang distributed time interval of i − 1 negative - exponentially distributed successive call inter - arrival time intervals . δi i − l , r denotes the relative total inter - arrival time of the r th packet produced from the l th call . the negative - exponentially distributed encoder inter - arrival time of the l th connection is named a k m + l . the following section contains a description sample jitter delay algorithm for voice data streams . this prediction is based on gathered the decoder packet arrival instants t d ref and t d r ; via an approximated delay of the first arriving packet d ref with a pre - calculated mean delay value and calculate the delay of the r th packet out of d r = t d r − t d ref +{ overscore ( d )}−( r − ref )· n f t f ; and a substitute delay probability function to calculate the maximum tolerated packet delay and consequently the dejittering delay . there are two quality of service bounds considered , namely , the packet loss restriction pr └ d & gt ; d min + t jit ┘& lt ; p loss and the delay restriction d max + t jit & lt ; d e2e . the “ measure ” method for this example initializes the statistic observations by gathering the following values during call set - up the highest tolerated probability for packet loss due to jitter problems p loss the mean number of created packets per call { overscore ( x )} calculated out of the mean call holding time the initial mean delay of an arbitrary packet { overscore ( d ( 0 ) )}:={ overscore ( d )}( n stag , t s , { overscore ( x )}, λ , n f t f ) the initial mean absolute relative delay of an arbitrary packet { overscore ( δd ( 0 ) )}:={ overscore ( δd )}( n stag , t s , { overscore ( x )}, λ , n f t f ) while the call is active the “ measure ” method gathers the packet arrival instants t d r . then the delay of the r th packet by d r = t d r − t d ref +{ overscore ( d ( 0 ) )}−( r − ref )· n f t f is calculated . the quality of service restriction for streamed voice data are for packet loss requirement t d r ≦ t d ref + t jit ( 0 ) +( r − ref ) n f t f and for delay requirement d r + t jit ( 0 ) & lt ; d e2e . for the shown statistical description it is necessary to count the number packets per active voice period x k m + i , packet losses x loss , and overlong delays x e2e . the route length n stag and the service time n stag t s as well as the mean delay  ( q ) _  : =  ( q - 1 ) _  + 1 x k m + i  ∑ r = 2 x k m + i   t d r - t d r - 1 - n f  t f , δ   ( q ) _  : = δ   ( q - 1 ) _  + 1 x k m + i  ∑ r = 2 x k m + i    t k m + i , r - t k m + i , ref - ( r - ref )  n f  t f  , in “ prediction ” method one calculate d max ( q ) choosing the hypo - exponential probability f d ( t ; t 1 ( q ) , t 2 ( q ) ) function when 0 ≦ c ( q ) ≦ 1 , where t 1 ( q ) ={ overscore ( d ( q ) )}·( 1 − c ( q ) ) and t 2 ( q ) ={ overscore ( d ( q ) )}· c ( q ) . and calculate d max ( q ) from probability function with respect to packet loss probability out of d max ( q ) = f d − 1 ( 1 − p loss ; t 1 ( q ) , t 2 ( q ) ) if c ( q ) & gt ; 1 choose the hyper - exponential probability function f d ( t ; p ( q ) , t 1 ( q ) , t 2 ( q ) ), where t 1 , 2 ( q ) =  ( q ) _  · ( 1 ± ( c ( q ) ) 2 - 1 ( c ( q ) ) 2 + 1 ) - 1 and p ( q ) ={ overscore ( d ( q ) )}/ 2 · t 1 ( q ) . calculate the maximum relative delay d max ( q ) out of the hyper - exponential probability density function with e . g . the decomposition method . the result is used to adapt the stream output respectively by the maximum relative delay : δd max ( q ) := d max ( q ) − d min = d max ( q ) − n stag t s and determine t jit ( q ) according to δd max ( q ) =: t jit ( q ) ≦ d e2e − d max ( q ) during a silence period . the delay of the r th packet of the l th connection during busy period m is the sum of its service time and its waiting time in the network : d k m + i , r = n stag t s + w k m + i , r . the waiting time summarises the complete busy period until packet number k m + i , starts being serviced and reduces it with the time interval i i − l , r : w k m + i , r = n stag t s · q k m + i , r − i i − l , r : i i − l , r starts at the beginning of the busy period until the r th packet network arrival instant : i i - 1 , r = y i − l +( r − 1 ) n f t f , where y i − l denotes an erlang distributed time interval . the total number of network packet arrivals from the begin of the busy period m until service begin of the observed packet is q k m + i , r . the total inter - arrival time of the r th packet of the l th call is i i − l , r = y i − l +( r − 1 ) n f t f the relative total arrival time of the r th packet of the l th call is δi i − l , r =( r − 1 ) n f t f the number of l = 1 , . . . , j and j = 1 , . . . competing packet arrivals between l th connection arrival instant and network arrival instant of packet r from connection l is x k m + i + l , r min  ( p j , r ) = min  { x _  ;  r - ⌊ y l - 1 n f  t f ⌋ } . the number of additional packet arrivals of previous connections between l th connection arrival instant and network arrival instant of packet r from connection j ( j = 2 , . . . , i ) is x k m + j - 1 , r min  ( p j , r ) = min  { x _ - 1  ;  ⌊ y i - j + 1 n f  t f ⌋ + r - 1 } . the amount of additional packets from calls arriving after the observed connection i until network arrival instant of packet number r is x k m + i , r min  ( p r ) = ∑ j = 1 ∞   p j , r  ∑ l = 1 j  x k m + i + l , r min  ( p j , r ) . number of additional packet arrivals of previous connections between l th connection arrival instant and network arrival instant of packet r from connection i is x k m + i , r min = ∑ j = 2 j  x k m + j - 1 , r min . the erlang distributed time interval y i − l ( λ )= σ k = l i − l a k ( λ ) is calculated by composition technique out of i − 1 negative - exponentially distributed successive inter - arrival time intervals by generating u 1 , u 2 , . . . , u i − 1 ( mutually ) independent and uniformly distributed between 0 and 1 , y i - 1  ( λ ) = - 1 λ  ln  ( u 1 · u 2   …   u i - 1 ) . p j , r is the probability of j poisson arrivals during packet producing time interval ( r − 1 ) n f t f of connection l , hence p j , r = ( λ  ( r - 1 )  n f  t f ) j j !   - λ  ( r - 1 )  n f  t f . { overscore ( d )}= n stag t s +{ overscore ( w )}= n stag t s + n stag t s ·({ overscore ( x )}− 1 +{ overscore ( q )})−{ overscore ( i )}. the mean delay of the r th packet is { overscore ( d r )}= n stag t s +{ overscore ( w r )}= n stag t s + n stag t s { overscore ( q r )}−{ overscore ( i r )}. the mean absolute relative delay of an arbitrary packet { overscore ( δd )}={ overscore ( δw )}=\| n stag t s ·{ overscore ( x )}·{ overscore ( δq )}−{ overscore ( δi )}\|. the mean delay of an arbitrary packet is the average over all n ip packet delays observed during m = 1 , . . . , m busy periods : d _ = 1 x _ · n ip  ∑ r = 1 x _   ∑ m = 1 m   ∑ i = 1 n m   d k m + i , r = 1 x _  ∑ r = 1 x _   d _ r = n stag  t s + 1 x _  ∑ r = 1 x _   w _ r = n stag  t s + n stag  t s · 1 x _  ∑ r = 1 x _   q _ r - 1 x _  ∑ r = 1 x _   i _ r = n stag  t s + w _ = n stag  t s + n stag  t s · ( x _ - 1 + q _ ) - i _ . the mean delay of the r th packet is the average over all n ip = ∑ m = 1 m  ( n m )   r th d _ r = 1 n ip  ∑ m = 1 m   ∑ i = 1 n m   d k m + i , r = n stag  t s + 1 n ip  ∑ m = 1 m   ∑ i = 1 n m   w k m + i , r = n stag  t s + 1 n ip  ∑ m = 1 m   ∑ i = 1 n m  n stag  t s · q k m + i , r - 1 n ip  ∑ m = 1 m   ∑ i = 1 n m = n stag  t s + w _ r = n stag  t s + n stag  t s · q _ r - i _ r the mean absolute relative delay of an arbitrary packet is the average over all { overscore ( x )}· n ip relative absolute packet delays observed during m = 1 , . . . , m busy periods is given by δ   d _ = 1 x _ · n ip  ∑ r = 1 x _   ∑ m = 1 m   ∑ i = 1 n m    d k m + i , r - d k m + i , 1  = = 1 x _  ∑ r = 1 x _  δ   d r _ = 1 x _  ∑ r = 1 x _  δ   w r _ =  n stag  t s · 1 x _  ∑ r = 1 x _  δ   q r _ - 1 x _  ∑ r = 1 x _  δ   i r _  = δ   w _ =  n stag  t s · x _ · δ   q _ - δ   i _  average number of cumulative network packet arrivals at network arrival instant of packet number r is { overscore ( q r )}= r − 1 + 1 / 2 ( n ip − 1 )+{ overscore ( x r min ( p r ) )} and for arbitrary network packet arrival instants { overscore ( q )}= 1 / 2 ({ overscore ( x )}− 1 )+ 1 / 2 ( n ip − 1 )+{ overscore ( x min )}+{ overscore ( x min ( p ) )}. average relative number of cumulative network packet arrivals at network arrival instant of packet number r is { overscore ( δq r )}= r − 1 +{ overscore ( x r min ( p r ) )} and at arbitrary packet arrival instants δ   q _ = x _ x _ - 1   q _ - q _ 1  =  x _ 2 - x _ x _ - 1  x min  ( p ) _  . average minimum amount of additional packets from previous connections at network arrival instant of packet number r x r min _ = 1 / n ip   ∑ m = 1 m   ∑ i = 1 n m  x k m + i , r min x min _ = 1 / x _  ∑ r = 1 x _  x r min _ . average amount of additional packets from calls arriving after the observed connection i until network arrival instant of packet number r is x r min  ( p r ) _ = 1 / n ip   ∑ m = 1 m   ∑ i = 1 n m  x k m + i , r min  ( p r ) x min  ( p ) _ = 1 / x _  ∑ r = 1 x _  x r min  ( p r ) _ . i _  ( λ , x _ , n f  t f ) = 1 n ip  ∑ m = 1 m  ∑ i = 1 n m  i i - 1 _ = 1 x _  ∑ r = 1 x _  i r _ = y _  ( λ ) + ( x _ - 1 ) 2 · n f  t f i i - 1 _  ( λ , x _ , n f ′  t f ) = 1 x _  ∑ r = 1 x _  i i - 1 , r = y i - 1  ( λ ) + n f  t f  ( x _ - 1 ) 2 i r _  ( λ , n f  t f ) = 1 n ip  ∑ m = 1 m  ∑ i = 1 n m  i i - 1 , r = y _  ( λ ) + n f  t f  ( r - 1 ) 2 mean value of the relative absolute total inter - arrival time of an arbitrary packet : δ   i _  ( λ , x _ , n f  t f ) = 1 n ip  ∑ m = 1 m  ∑ i = 1 n m  δ   i i - 1 _ = 1 x _ - 1  ∑ r = 2 x _  δ   i r _ = n f  t f  x _ 2 and   the   i th   call  : δ   i i - 1 _  ( λ , x _ , n f  t f ) = 1 x _ - 1  ∑ r = 2 x _  δ   i i - 1 , r = n f  t f  x _ 2 = δ   i _ and   the   i th   packet  : δ   i r _  ( λ , n f  t f ) = 1 n ip  ∑ m = 1 m  ∑ i = 1 n m  δ   i i - 1 , r = n f  t f  ( r - 1 ) . the mean value of n ip erlang -( i − l ) distributed time intervals is given by y _  ( λ ) = 1 n ip  ∑ m = 1 m  ∑ i = 1 n m  y i - 1 . the hypo - exponential process is here used to construct a substitute probability distribution function and consists of a discrete time process d with random variable t l and mean t l ={ overscore ( d )}·( 1 − c ) linked with a negative exponential process m with random variable t 2 and mean t 2 ={ overscore ( d )}· c ftt o for o & lt ; t & lt ; tl fd ( t ; tl 2 )= if e -( t ) l t 2 for t & gt ; t , the probability distribution function of the hyper - exponential process is used to construct a substitute probability distribution function and is given by f d ( t , p , t 1 , t 2 )= 1 − p · e −( t / t 1 ) −( 1 − p )· e −( t / t 2 ) t 1 , 2 = d _ · ( 1 ± c 2 - 1 c 2 + 1 ) - 1  and   probability   p = d _ 2 · t 1 .	7
referring to the drawings and more particularly to fig1 , a drain catheter in accordance with the present disclosure is generally shown at 10 . the drain catheter 10 is used for the drainage of bodily fluids from body cavities . for instance , the drain catheter 10 may be used for the drainage of fluid from cavities within the mediastinum , for instance after cardiac surgery . hence , the drain catheter 10 has a proximal end located outside the body , and a distal end within the body , with the longitudinal body of the drain catheter 10 within a body vessel . the drain catheter 10 has a main proximal drain tube 11 , a tube interface 12 and two or more distal drain tubes 13 . for clarity purposes , the main proximal drain tube 11 is relatively short in fig1 ( e . g ., fragmented ), but may have a substantial length relative to its outer diameter , to extend out of the body . moreover , the length of the main proximal drain tube 11 may be substantially greater than the length of each distal drain tube 13 . the tube interface 12 may be in or out of the body while the distal drain tubes 13 are mostly , if not fully , within the body . the end of the main proximal drain tube 11 located outside the body at end p is configured to be connected to any suitable suction source , fluid collection system , drainage device or accessory , while the free ends of the distal drain tubes 13 at end d of the drain catheter 10 are distributed at various locations of a body cavity to drain . various types of connectors may be located at the proximal end p of the main proximal drain tube 11 . any appropriate medical grade material may be used for the main proximal drain tube 11 . for instance , a silicone such as silastic ® of rx type may be used , with the hardness being selected as a function of the contemplated use , to sustain suction pressures in the range of 20 cm h 2 o without collapsing . the tube interface 12 is inserted into a distal - most end of the main proximal drain tube 11 . the tube interface 12 is the interface between the main proximal drain tube 11 and the plurality of distal drain tubes 13 . the tube interface 12 is connected to the main proximal drain tube 11 . the tube interface 12 may be sealingly connected to the main proximal drain tube 11 , so as to minimize pressure lost at the junction between the tube interface 12 and the main proximal drain tube 11 . the tube interface 12 is described in further details hereinafter . still referring to fig1 , there is illustrated three of the distal drain tubes 13 . the drain catheter 10 has two or more of the distal drain tubes 13 . the amount of distal drain tubes 13 is limited by the minimal dimensions of the distal drain tubes 13 : i . e ., depending on the application , a minimal diameter is required for the distal drain tubes 13 to operate efficiently . according to an embodiment , each of the distal drain tubes 13 is a multi - lumen catheter tube having longitudinal channels 13 a extending the full length of the distal drain tube 13 to maximize the amount of fluid captured by the drain tubes 13 , with a central cross - shaped core 13 b extending along the distal drain tubes 13 to provide structural integrity to the distal drain tubes 13 , and to support the elongated peripheral wall portions 13 c forming the outer periphery of the distal drain tubes 13 . the assembly of the central cross - shaped core 13 b and the elongated peripheral wall portions 13 c defines conduits within the drain tube 13 . for instance , the distal drain tubes 13 may be similar to the flexible drain portion described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 398 , 910 , granted to blake et al . on aug . 16 , 1983 . other distal drain tube configurations are considered as well , with more or fewer of the longitudinal channels 13 a . for instance , perforated tubes and like other tubes may be used . to minimize any pain sustained by the patient , the distal drain tubes 13 are made of a flexible and resilient material , such as silicone . referring to fig1 , the tube interface 12 is shown having a cylindrical body 20 shaped to fill the interstitial space between the inner diameter of the proximal drain tube 11 and the outer diameters of the distal drain tubes 13 , in a generally airtight arrangement . referring to fig2 , the cylindrical body 20 may consist of a plurality of cylindrical body portions 20 a , 20 b and 20 c . the number of body portions is generally equivalent to the number of distal drain tubes 13 . for instance , if the drain catheter 10 has two distal drain tubes 13 , the tube interface 12 has two cylindrical body portions concurrently forming the cylindrical body 20 . an outer diameter 21 of the cylindrical body 20 is sized so as to be received in the distal - most end of the main proximal drain tube 11 . any appropriate type of interconnection between the tube interface 12 and the main proximal drain tube 11 is considered , such as a deformation fit , with or without the use of adhesives , etc . referring to fig1 and 2 , the cylindrical body 20 has canals 22 that will each receive a distal drain tube 13 . accordingly , the cylindrical body 20 has the same number of canals 22 as of distal drain tubes 13 . in another embodiment , the canals 22 converge to a single canal at a proximal end of the tube interface 12 . an inner diameter 23 ( i . e ., lumen ) of each of the canals 22 is sized to accommodate a proximal - most end of the distal drain tubes 13 , with the distal drain tubes 13 extend freely beyond the tube interface 12 . the assembly of the distal drain tubes 13 to the tube interface 12 , and of the tube interface 12 to the main proximal drain tube 11 is strong enough that these components remain connected to each other when the drain catheter 10 is pulled out of the body , despite frictional forces of the drain catheter with surrounding bodily tissue . the cylindrical body 20 is made of a medical grade material . according to an embodiment , the cylindrical body 20 is made from silicone , with a non - negligible level of resiliency . one type of silicone that may be used is silastic ® of rx type . in an embodiment , it is considered to use the same material for the distal drain tube 13 , although differing materials may be used as well . according to an embodiment , the cylindrical body 20 has a greater rigidity than the distal drain tubes 13 . with reference to fig2 , the cylindrical body portions 20 a , 20 b and 20 c are assembled onto the proximal - most ends of the distal drain tubes 13 . this ensures that the peripheral material of the canals 22 properly covers the ends of the distal drain tubes 13 and therefore produces a generally fluid - tight joint . in assembling the distal drain tubes 13 to the tube interface 12 , the length of the distal drain tubes 13 is adjusted by the user . the assembly of the cylindrical body portions 20 a , 20 b and 20 c capturing the ends of the distal drain tubes 13 may then be inserted in the main proximal drain tube 11 , using any appropriate type of manufacturing . for instance , the main proximal drain tube 11 may be resiliently deformed to insert the assembly therein . referring to fig3 , an alternative embodiment of the tube interface 12 is shown , with the cylindrical body 20 having slits 25 in communication with each of the canals 22 . in an embodiment , the slits 25 extend the full length of the canals 22 . in the natural state of the cylindrical body 20 , the slits 25 are closed by the resilience of the material of the cylindrical body 20 . the slits 25 may however be manually opened for the insertion therein of the distal drain tubes 13 . once the distal drain tubes 13 are inserted in the tube interface 12 ( with an appropriate length of the tubes 13 extending beyond the interface 12 ), the assembly may be inserted in the distal - most end of the main proximal drain tube 11 . it is observed that total frictional forces per volume of fluid are relatively lower for fluids circulating in the main proximal drain tube 11 with its single lumen , over the frictional forces for fluids in the plurality of distal drain tubes 13 . hence , the drain catheter 10 benefits from the lower frictional forces of the main proximal drain tube 11 for a substantial portion of the overall length of the drain catheter 10 . therefore , instead of having a plurality of tubes extending from an exterior of the body to the drained cavity , the use of a single proximal drain tube of greater lumenal dimensions connected to a plurality of distal drain tubes of smaller lumenal dimensions enhances the drainage of fluid . moreover , by using distal drain tubes 13 having longitudinal grooves 13 a extending proximally to the tube interface 12 and to the main proximal tube 11 , as in fig1 , the distal drain tubes 13 expose substantial drainage area to drain fluids from the bodily cavities . this may reduce the risk of clogging the various tubes . it is observed that the drain catheter 10 has a circular cross - sectional area . however , the drain catheter 10 may have any appropriate cross - sectional shapes ( oval , etc ), depending on the use of the drain catheter 10 . referring to fig4 and 5a - 5e , the drain catheter is shown at 10 ′ in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure . the drain catheter 10 ′ is similar to the drain catheter 10 shown in fig1 - 3 , whereby like elements will bear like reference numerals . one difference between the drain catheters 10 and 10 ′ is the interface portion 12 ′ of the catheter 10 ′ between the main proximal tube 11 and the distal drain tubes 13 . more specifically , referring concurrently to fig4 and 5e , it is observed that the drain catheter 10 ′ has the main proximal tube 11 with a circular cross - section ( although other section shapes are considered ). the circular cross - section is well suited for the connected of the main proximal tube 11 to a suction source . the distal drain tubes 13 have the longitudinal channels 13 a , the central cross - shaped cores 13 b , and the resulting conduits extending along the drain tubes 13 . the drain catheter 10 ′ is a single integral molded piece that may have an edgeless outer surface , with the interface portion 12 ′ being the transition between the circular shape of the main proximal tube to the specific shape of the distal drain tubes 13 as shown in fig5 e . hence , as shown in fig5 a , the interface portion 12 ′ has three lobes 40 . the number of lobes is in accordance with the number of distal drain tubes 13 . as shown in fig5 b , the interface portion 12 ′ transitions from the three - lobe configuration of fig5 a , to a configuration of three conduits 41 of circular inner diameter . as shown in fig5 c , the three interconnected conduits 41 of fig5 b detach to form three individual tubes 42 , having a diameter generally corresponding to that of the distal drain tubes 13 . then , sequentially to fig5 d , the tubes 42 of fig5 c feature the central cross - shaped core 13 b , but without the longitudinal channels 13 a , to then reach the configuration of fig5 e . in fig5 a to 5e , dimensions are provided as an example . these dimensions can be increased or reduced , proportionally to the outer diameter of the main proximal drain tube 11 of drain tubes 13 . referring to fig6 , various embodiments are provided with dimensions . these dimensions are provided as an example , and the drain catheters 10 / 10 ′ should not be restricted to these dimensions , as other dimensions are also considered . in accordance with a first embodiment , the drain tube 11 has an inner diameter 2 r of about 20 mm , with a thickness d of about 2 mm , for an outer diameter of about 24 mm . the nominal length of the drain tube 11 is up to 1 m . still in the first embodiment , the outer diameter of the tube interface 12 / 12 ′ is of about 20 mm ( i . e ., 2 r ), while the canals 22 have a radius r of about 4 mm . the distance b between the canals 22 is about 2 . 4 mm . the length of the tube interface 12 / 12 ′ is about 40 mm . still in the first embodiment , the outer diameter of the distal tubes 13 is of about 8 mm ( i . e ., 2 r ). the length of the distal tubes 13 is about 700 mm . the inner diameter of the drain tube 11 may range between 10 . 0 mm and 25 . 4 mm . the other dimensions of the drain catheter 10 / 10 ′ are generally proportional to that of the inner diameter of the drain tube 11 . in accordance with a second embodiment , the drain tube 11 has an inner diameter 2 r of about 10 mm , with a thickness d of about 2 mm , for an outer diameter of about 14 mm . the nominal length of the drain tube 11 is up to 1 m . still in the second embodiment , the outer diameter of the tube interface 12 / 12 ′ is of about 10 mm ( i . e ., 2 r ), while the canals 22 have a radius r of about 1 . 66 mm . the distance b between the canals 22 is about 2 . 44 mm . the length of the tube interface 12 / 12 ′ is about 40 mm . still in the second embodiment , the outer diameter of the distal tubes 13 is of about 3 . 3 mm ( i . e ., 2 r ). the length of the distal tubes 13 is about 700 mm . in an embodiment , the outer diameter of the proximal drain tube 11 is greater than a sum of an outer diameter of two of the distal drain tubes 13 . it is observed that the tube interface 12 / 12 ′ is arranged such that there is no increase in diameter from the distal tubes 13 to the main drain tube 11 , the largest outer diameter being that of the main drain tube 11 . whether the main drain tube 11 actually enters the body or not , the arrangement of the figures allows to use a single suction port and a single tube ( 11 ), for two or more distal drains 13 located at different regions of a body cavity . this may result in increased coverage resulting in enhanced drainage .	0
[ 0035 ] fig1 shows a preferred use of an embodiment of a structure 10 of the present invention . the structure 10 in this embodiment is a stent 12 deployed in both the left inferior pulmonary vein ( lipv ) and the left superior pulmonary vein ( lspv ). the stent 12 includes a flared end 14 that is constructed and arranged to extend past the ostium of the the pulmonary vein and into the left atrium ( la ). the stent 12 is preferably constructed and arranged to maintain an outward force on the endothelium of the pulmonary vein and the left atrium , thus keeping the stent 12 in place and operating to prevent electrical communication between the pulmonary vein and the left atrium . the outward force is obtained through the use of an expandable stent , such as a self - expanding or mechanically expanding stent . the outward force necessary is dependent on the principal being practiced to prevent the electrical communication between the pulmonary vein and the left atrium . for example , one method of the present invention for preventing the aforesaid electrical flow is to stretch the endothelium , thereby inducing electrically - resistive fibrosis to occur . in this embodiment , the outward force exerted on the pulmonary vein by the stent 12 holds the pulmonary vein in a stretched condition sufficient to induce fibrosis . another method of the present invention for preventing the aforesaid electrical flow is to cut the current - carrying fibers in the endothelium and then stretching the pulmonary vein sufficiently to prevent the newly created fiber termini from reestablishing contact with each other . it is envisioned that the outward force necessary to keep the incision open would be less than that necessary to maintain the pulmonary vein in a stretched state . if the stent 12 is to include a flared end 14 , the desired shape can be established prior to compressing the stent into a delivery device ( not shown in fig1 but discussed below ). using a flexible bio - compatible material allows the stent to be compressed and released without significantly changing the configuration of the stent 12 . acceptable examples of bio - compatible materials include , but are not limited to , stainless steel , shape memory alloy , shape memory polymers , and stress - induced martensite alloys . elasticity and flexibility can be enhanced using various stent construction variations such as braiding density or fenestrated stent designs . some of the currently marketed self - expanding stents 101 include , but are not be limited to , the schneider wallstent , the scimed radiusô . the medtronic cardiocoil , the johnson & amp ; johnson s . m . a . r . tô stent , and guidant &# 39 ; s dynalinkô . it is understood that the structure 10 of the present invention is not limited to stents 12 . referring now to fig2 there is a shown a preferred use of an embodiment of a structure 10 whereby the structure 10 is a ring 16 deployed in both the left inferior pulmonary vein ( lipv ) and the left superior pulmonary vein ( lspv ). the ring 16 may also include a flared end 18 that is constructed and arranged to extend past the ostium of the the pulmonary vein and into the left atrium ( la ). construction and material considerations for the ring 16 are essentially the same as those considerations for the stent 12 mentioned above . a ring 16 may be preferable to a stent 12 in applications whereby it is desired to maximize the contact area between the endothelium of the pulmonary vein and the structure 10 . the electrical inhibiting effects of placing the structure 10 in the pulmonary vein may be enhanced chemically through the use of various coatings and / or coverings . coatings are herein distinguished from coverings as being non - fibrous chemically bonded materials bonded to the surfaces of the individual elements of the structure 10 . coatings are typically applied via electroplating , dipping or spraying . coverings are typically fabric - like fibrous materials that span any individual interstices of the structure 10 . coverings may be woven , electro - spun , pressed or sprayed . coverings typically cover only the exterior surfaces of the structure 10 whereas coatings may completely encompass all surfaces of the structure 10 , being applied as sparsely or generously as needed to accomplish the desired result . coatings and coverings will be collectively referred to herein as layers . layers envisioned for use with the structures 10 and methods of the present invention include , but are not limited to : conductive layers useable to short - out the natural conductive pathways ; non - conductive layers useable to block the natural conductive pathways ; a layer that includes a hydrophilic thrombus inhibiting polymeric agent such as heparin or heparin - benzalkonium chloride ; a layer of an anti - proliferative agent including but not limited to paclitaxel , rapamycin , discodermolide , or ecteinascidin 743 to help combat in - stent restenosis ; a layer made radioactive using a low level beta , and or , gamma isotope such as but not limited to , 32 - phosphoris or 192 - iridium yttrium 90 , palladium 103 , or strontium 90 , to name a few ; referring now to fig3 there is shown a preferred deployment device 30 of the present invention for use in deploying a self - expanding structure 10 . the deployment device 30 is a catheter assembly including a plurality of concentric elongate tubes of varying diameters . these elongate tubes include , from an exterior of the device 30 to an interior , a retractable sheath 32 , a stop 34 , an exterior balloon catheter 36 , and an interior balloon catheter 38 . the retractable sheath 32 is sliding disposed around the stop 34 . the stop 34 has an outer diameter that is slightly smaller than an interior diameter of the retractable sheath 32 , thereby allowing the two components to slide relative to each other . the stop 34 is shorter than the overall length of the device 30 , allowing room distal of the stop 34 for a self - expanding structure 10 . the retractable sheath 32 functions to prevent the self - expanding structure 10 from expanding until the sheath 32 is retracted . the stop 34 functions to act against the self - expanding structure 10 to prevent the structure 10 from retracting with the sheath 32 . the stop 34 includes a lumen 42 that contains the exterior and interior balloon catheters 36 and 38 . the interior balloon catheter 38 fits within a lumen of the exterior balloon catheter 36 . the interior balloon catheter 38 is longer than the exterior balloon catheter 36 and extends distally farther than any of the other aforementioned elongate tubes 32 , 34 , and 36 . around a distal end of the interior balloon catheter 38 there is disposed an atraumatic tip 44 . the additional length of the interior balloon catheter 38 provides adequate support for the soft atraumatic tip 44 . proximal of the atraumatic tip 44 , a distal end of a tapered balloon 46 is attached to the exterior surface of the interior balloon catheter 38 . a proximal end of the tapered balloon 46 is attached to the distal end of the exterior balloon catheter 36 . a significant difference in the interior diameter of the exterior balloon catheter 36 and the outer diameter of the interior balloon catheter 38 creates a gap 48 therebetween . the gap 48 is in fluid communication with the interior of the tapered balloon 46 and is thus used to send a bio - compatible fluid , such as saline , to and from the tapered balloon 46 for purposes of inflating and deflating the balloon 46 , respectively . also , the interior balloon catheter 38 optionally includes a lumen through which a guidewire 50 is slidingly disposed . in operation , the guidewire 50 may be used in conjunction with a steerable catheter ( not shown ) to place a distal end of the guide wire past the desired target location where the structure 10 is to be placed , such as in the pulmonary vein . once in place , the steerable catheter is retracted off of the guidewire 50 , leaving the guidewire 50 in place . the guidewire 50 is then used to locate the delivery device 30 at the desired location . the distal end 52 of the interior balloon catheter 38 is threaded over a proximal end of the guidewire 50 , and the device 30 is slowly advanced down the guidewire 50 while maintaining a stationary relationship between the guidewire 50 and the patient . while the device 30 is being advanced , the atraumatic tip 44 serves to guide the device 30 into the centers of the various body lumens en route to the desired destination as well as preventing the device 30 from causing any soft tissue damage . notably , the atraumatic tip 44 has a narrow distal end 54 and a wider proximal end 56 . preferably , the wider proximal end 56 has a greater diameter than the diameter of the sheath 32 , to prevent the relatively squared distal end of the sheath 32 from causing any damage . once the atraumatic tip 44 has reached the desired location where the structure 10 is to be deployed , the tip 44 , as well as the interior and exterior balloon catheters 38 and 36 are advanced farther until the balloon 46 extends past the distal end of the retractable sheath 32 and past the distal end of the structure 10 . next , the balloon 46 is inflated by pumping fluid from the proximal end of the device 30 , through the gap 48 , and into the balloon 46 . inflating the balloon 46 not only centers the device 30 in the pulmonary vein , but it also pre - stretches the pulmonary vein , thereby allowing the self - expanding structure 10 to expand to a greater size than if the structure 10 were expanding against the resistive force of the pulmonary vein . most self - expanding structures are more capable of resisting collapse than they are capable of expanding against counteracting forces . once the balloon 46 is inflated , the sheath 32 is retracted until the self - expanding structure 10 is completely exposed . the self - expanding structure 10 immediately deploys , expanding to at least the size of the interior of the pulmonary vein . fig4 shows a device 30 that has been used to deploy a self - expanding structure 10 . a preferred shape of the tapered balloon 46 is shown . the sheath 32 has been retracted past the stop 34 , allowing the structure 10 to expand . the structure 10 has a flared end 14 that hugs the interior wall of the left atrium la , thereby allowing the structure 10 to completely cover the ostium of the pulmonary vein pvo . [ 0053 ] fig5 shows a device 60 of the present invention that is useable with a structure 10 that is balloon - expandable . the structure 10 may be a balloon expandable stent . some of the currently marketed balloon expandable stents 109 include , but are not be limited to , the johnson & amp ; johnson bx velocityâ and entire palmaz - schatzô line of stents ; guidant &# 39 ; s multilinkô and subsequent generations , medtronic &# 39 ; s ave micro stent and subsequent generations , and boston scientific &# 39 ; s nir and express stents to name just a few . the device 60 also includes a plurality of concentric elongate tubes of varying diameters . like the device 30 , these elongate tubes include , from an exterior of the device 30 to an interior , a retractable sheath 32 , a stop 34 , an exterior balloon catheter 36 , and an interior balloon catheter 38 . also included is a deployment tube 62 disposed concentrically between the stop 34 and the exterior balloon catheter 36 . a deployment balloon 64 is attached at a proximal end to the stop 34 and at distal end to the deployment tube 62 . the retractable sheath 32 is sliding disposed around the stop 34 . the stop 34 has an outer diameter that is slightly smaller than an interior diameter of the retractable sheath 32 , thereby allowing the two components to slide relative to each other . the stop 34 is shorter than the overall length of the device 30 , allowing room distal of the stop 34 for the structure 10 and the deployment balloon 64 . the retractable sheath 32 functions to protect the expandable structure 10 and the soft tissue of the patient during insertion of the device 60 . the stop 34 functions to act against the expandable structure 10 to prevent the structure 10 from retracting with the sheath 32 . the stop 34 is also sealed to the proximal end of the deployment balloon 64 . the stop 34 includes a lumen 42 that contains the exterior and interior balloon catheters 36 and 38 , as well as the deployment tube 62 . the deployment tube 62 is small enough to leave a fluid gap 66 between the stop 34 and the deployment tube 62 . the deployment tube 62 is longer than the stop 34 and has sealed to it the distal end of the deployment balloon 64 . the fluid gap 66 is in fluid communication with the interior of the balloon 64 and is used to inflate and deflate the balloon 64 . the deployment tube 62 includes a lumen that houses the exterior balloon catheter 36 and the interior balloon catheter 38 . the interior balloon catheter 38 fits within a lumen of the exterior balloon catheter 36 . the interior balloon catheter 38 is longer than the exterior balloon catheter 36 and extends distally farther than any of the other aforementioned elongate tubes 32 , 34 , 36 , and 62 . around a distal end of the interior balloon catheter 38 there is disposed an atraumatic tip 44 . the additional length of the interior balloon catheter 38 provides adequate support for the soft atraumatic tip 44 . proximal of the atraumatic tip 44 , a distal end of a tapered balloon 46 is attached to the exterior surface of the interior balloon catheter 38 . a proximal end of the tapered balloon 46 is attached to the distal end of the exterior balloon catheter 36 . a significant difference in the interior diameter of the exterior balloon catheter 36 and the outer diameter of the interior balloon catheter 38 creates a gap 48 therebetween . the gap 48 is in fluid communication with the interior of the tapered balloon 46 and is thus used to send a bio - compatible fluid , such as saline , to and from the tapered balloon 46 for purposes of inflating and deflating the balloon 46 , respectively . also , the interior balloon catheter 38 optionally includes a lumen through which a guidewire 50 is slidingly disposed . in operation , the guidewire 50 may be used in conjunction with a steerable catheter ( not shown ) to place a distal end of the guide wire past the desired target location where the structure 10 is to be placed , such as in the pulmonary vein . once in place , the steerable catheter is retracted off of the guidewire 50 , leaving the guidewire 50 in place . the guidewire 50 is then used to locate the delivery device 30 at the desired location . the distal end 52 of the interior balloon catheter 38 is threaded over a proximal end of the guidewire 50 , and the device 30 is slowly advanced down the guidewire 50 while maintaining a stationary relationship between the guidewire 50 and the patient . while the device 30 is being advanced , the atraumatic tip 44 serves to guide the device 30 into the centers of the various body lumens en route to the desired destination as well as preventing the device 30 from causing any soft tissue damage . notably , the atraumatic tip 44 has a narrow distal end 54 and a wider proximal end 56 . preferably , the wider proximal end 56 has a greater diameter than the diameter of the sheath 32 , to prevent the relatively squared distal end of the sheath 32 from causing any damage . once the atraumatic tip 44 has reached the desired location where the structure 10 is to be deployed , the tip 44 , as well as the interior and exterior balloon catheters 38 and 36 are advanced farther until the tapered balloon 46 extends past the distal end of the retractable sheath 32 and past the distal end of the structure 10 . next , the balloon 46 is inflated by pumping fluid from the proximal end of the device 30 , through the gap 48 , and into the balloon 46 . inflating the balloon 46 not only centers the device 60 in the pulmonary vein , but it also helps anchor the device 60 at the desired location so the device 60 doesn &# 39 ; t move axially while the structure 10 is being deployed . once the balloon 46 is inflated , the sheath 32 is retracted until the expandable structure 10 is completely exposed . the structure 10 , once exposed , is next deployed by pumping fluid into the gap 66 to the interior of the deployment balloon 64 . the deployment balloon 64 inflates and acts against an interior surface of the structure 10 , causing the structure 10 to expand . fig6 shows a device 60 that has been used to deploy an expandable structure 10 . a preferred shape of the tapered balloon 46 is shown . the sheath 32 has been retracted past the stop 34 , and the deployment balloon 64 is fully inflated , expanding the structure 10 . the structure 10 has a flared end 14 that hugs the interior wall of the left atrium la , thereby allowing the structure 10 to completely cover the ostium of the pulmonary vein pvo . also shown in fig6 is an incision 70 in the endothelium of the pulmonary vein that was made to inhibit the flow of electrical current between the pulmonary vein and the left atrium . the incision is being held open by the outward force of the structure 10 , thereby preventing the cut conductive fibrils from reestablishing electrical communication . the incision may be made in a variety of ways . in a preferred embodiment , a cutting balloon ( not shown ) is used to make the incision 70 . after the steerable catheter is used to place the guidewire 50 in the desired location , the guidewire 50 is used to deliver a cutting balloon to the target site . the cutting balloon is inflated to make the incision 70 and is then deflated and removed . with the guidewire 50 still in place , a structure 10 , expandable or self - expanding , is placed within the circumferential incision using the aforementioned methods . alternatively , the cutting balloon may be incorporated into either device 30 or 60 . for example , the cutting balloon could replace the tapered balloon 46 on either device . the cutting balloon could thus be located at the desired point of incision , inflated to make the cut , deflated , and then extended distally to allow the structure 10 to be advanced under the incision 70 . the structure 10 is then deployed as described above . although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described in some detail herein , the present examples and embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive . the invention is not to be limited to the details given , but may be modified freely within the scope of the appended claims , including equivalent constructions .	0
detailed descriptions of one or more embodiments of the invention follow , examples of which may be graphically illustrated in the drawings . each example and embodiment is provided by way of explanation of the invention , and is not meant as a limitation of the invention . for example , features described as part of one embodiment may be utilized with another embodiment to yield still a further embodiment . it is intended that the present invention include these and other modifications and variations . aspects of the present invention are described below in the context of packaging within a widget the logic and resources needed to style the widget , in real - time , where it is accessed , and facilitating the inclusion of the widget in another web page . fig1 is a simplified block diagram illustrating how the invention may be employed . similar to other web - based widgets , a widget as defined herein may be embedded in a web page ( as discussed herein ) where it may be accessed by user 105 through a web browser ; the widget may receive , over a network 100 ( e . g ., the internet ), and from server 110 , the information it is to display ( e . g ., stock quotes , weather information , etc .). fig2 illustrates a conventional process by which widgets are customized . there are a number of different ways a user may come across a widget he would like to use , including perusing a site that offers many and various widgets , or seeing a particular widget on another page , etc . once a user has found a widget he likes , he will generally want to customize it in some manner ( e . g ., if the widget reports stock quotes , the user may want to define which companies &# 39 ; information to display , etc .). heretofore , the customization process has generally required the user to visit a web page , not unlike customization page 200 . usually , customization page 200 includes various widget options 205 that may be defined by the user . such options may include variables like height and width , and various other things such as whether to include certain widget elements in the widget ( e . g ., a stock widget may provide an element for displaying a graph of a certain stock &# 39 ; s performance over the past year ), etc . customization page 200 may also include widget preview 210 so that the user may see what the widget will look like with his given settings ( i . e ., the options as the user defines them ). generally , after a user has defined the options the way he wants , he will be presented with yet another page that includes the code he will use to embed the now - customized widget into the web page / site of his choice . in some cases , the user may actually be required to modify the embed code himself ; the widget may have no gui front - end for its customization and so the user may have to edit the embed code and use a kind of trial - and - error approach to get the widget to look / behave the way he wants . if the user does not have much experience modifying such code , he may find himself unable to customize the widget . in contrast , the invention — an inline - customizable widget — allows the user to define the widget options from within the widget itself , and without having to edit code . revisiting the previous examples , the user may come upon an inline - customizable widget he likes in a number of different ways , but instead of being made to search for the widget and then customize it through various pages not necessarily related to the widget &# 39 ; s instantiation ( if customization is available at all ), the user may customize the widget directly from where it was found , and then “ export ” the customized widget to a web page of his choice . for example , if a user comes across a web page with a widget that he likes , an inline - customizable widget may provide a “ button ” ( e . g ., a hypertext link , etc .) through which the user can alert the widget that he would like to begin customizing it ( i . e ., that he will customize the widget he is currently viewing ). fig3 is a flowchart illustrating interaction with widgets according to the present invention , and fig4 a - 4c illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the present invention ; both figures will be referenced together for the remainder of the discussion below . as illustrated at block 300 , a user comes across inline - customizable widget 405 embedded within web page 400 ( see fig4 a ). as discussed above , the user may come across widget 405 while browsing the web , browsing a particular site dedicated to making widgets available for download , or the like . widget 405 may comprise any of a number of widget elements 410 , 415 , and 420 , which display information , control some aspect of the widget , etc . widget 405 may have some text or an image or some other way to signal to a user that the widget is customizable ; the user may then take some action ( e . g ., click on the text , etc .) and begin the customization process , as illustrated at blocks 305 and 310 . unlike other widget customization schemes , the user is not transferred to another page for customization , or given the embed code and told to edit it to his liking ; instead , widget 405 becomes the customization “ page ,” as illustrated in fig4 b . the logic and code needed for the widget &# 39 ; s customization is built into the widget itself . this scheme not only allows for a user &# 39 ; s immediate gratification ( e . g . by not requiring the user to go to some other site to begin the customization process and / or modify any code ), but also reduces the number of interfaces the widget producer has to create and maintain because the customization process is built into the widget itself . for example , and as previously explained , widgets generally require the user to use a separate web page for their customization , and these web pages must be maintained by someone ( e . g ., the widget producer , etc . ); an inline - customizable widget eliminates the additional web page element , and so the widget producer can concentrate on only the widget itself . moreover , the user &# 39 ; s entire experience is simplified , which may facilitate increased adoption and use of the widget . fig4 b is a snapshot of a possible customization process , as built into widget 405 . for exemplification purposes only , customization options 425 are similar to those found in fig2 . it will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that customization options 425 may vary to differing degrees from those shown and will depend largely on the widget &# 39 ; s purpose and function . for example , a widget for displaying the most recent news items from a particular source would have different customization options ( e . g ., how many news items to display , etc .) than would a widget used to display the weather in particular cities ( e . g ., which cities , etc .). customization options 425 may be displayed inside the original boundaries of widget 405 ( i . e ., the footprint widget 425 had when the user originally started interacting with it ); however , if there are more options than can be displayed at once , and within the confines of the widget , the widget can be made to accommodate this in a number of ways . for example , the widget may be programmed to resize itself so that all options can fit , or the options may be “ flipped ” through ( i . e ., after the initial options are set , the user can choose to see more options , etc . ), or the options may be scrolled through within the widget , etc . it will be understood by those of skill in the art that the automatic resizing of the widget may be limited by the markup surrounding it and controlling its presentation . it may be the case that widget 405 contains various “ buttons ” for signaling to the widget that the user would like to preview the widget with the just - defined options , that he is done with the customization phase , etc . for example , widget 405 contains “ buttons ” 430 and 435 for previewing the widget and alerting the widget that the user is done customizing it . depending on the widget producer &# 39 ; s preference , it may be the case that the widget is automatically previewed after each option is changed , instead of requiring the user to explicitly tell the widget to remove the customization options and show the ‘ new ’ widget . once the user is satisfied that the widget looks and acts the way he wants , he may signal to the widget that he is done and for the widget to reveal the code needed for the widget &# 39 ; s use , as illustrated at block 315 and by “ button ” 435 . in one embodiment , widget 405 may then display the required code 440 within the widget itself , as shown in fig4 c . similar to the widget code provided by the usual widget customization pages , code 440 may be plain ascii text to be copied and pasted into the source code of the user &# 39 ; s web page . widget 405 may include a “ button ” 445 that , when pressed , copies code 440 to the clipboard of the user &# 39 ; s operating system . in either case , the widget may revert back to the original state in which the user found it ( e . g ., by clicking on another “ button ” used for this purpose ; or , where the code is automatically copied to the clipboard , automatically reverting to the original state after the code has been placed on the clipboard , etc .). in another embodiment , widget 405 may be able to “ talk ” directly with various online entities ( e . g ., my yahoo !™, myspace ™, facebook ™, etc .) through , for example , an application programming interface ( api ). in such an implementation , the user may simply choose ( through various “ buttons ,” drop - downs , etc .) to which site ( s ) he would like the widget installed . the widget may include further customization options depending on the site / service to which it will be added ( as chosen by the user ). for example , after completing the customization of a widget , the user may wish to add the widget to his my yahoo !™ “ homepage ,” which may allow the user to specify , for example , on which side of the page the widget should be installed , etc . these site - specific options may appear only after the user has decided on a specific site / service on which he would like the widget to persist . the sequence and numbering of blocks depicted in fig3 is not intended to imply an order of operations to the exclusion of other possibilities . those of skill in the art will appreciate that the foregoing systems and methods are susceptible of various modifications and alterations . for example , the widget may not allow the user to embed the widget in a web page of his choosing , but instead may require the user to choose one of various site / services in which it may be embedded ; in such a case , block 315 would not be needed . several features and aspects of the present invention have been illustrated and described in detail with reference to particular embodiments by way of example only , and not by way of limitation . those of skill in the art will appreciate that alternative implementations and various modifications to the disclosed embodiments are within the scope and contemplation of the present disclosure . therefore , it is intended that the invention be considered as limited only by the scope of the appended claims .	6
fig1 , 2 and 12 show a decorative ornament 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention . the decorative ornament 10 generally include at least one anchor portion 20 , at least one support portion 30 and a least one decorative portion 40 . more specifically , the embodiment illustrated in fig1 and 2 indicates three anchor portions 20 having hook 22 and chain 24 assemblies , the anchor portion 20 being positioned approximately equilaterally from one another ( although other orientations are contemplated herein ), in operable connection with a light fixture ( not shown in fig1 and 2 ; shown in fig1 ) and a support portion 30 . the decorative portion 40 , as shown in fig1 , 2 and 12 , includes a plurality of beaded string assemblies 42 affixed hangingly from a support portion 30 . an anchor portion 20 may include any number of materials , designs , shapes and lengths that would serve to secure a decorative ornament 10 to a light fixture ( not shown in fig1 and 2 ; shown in fig1 ) or a surface at or near a light fixture of a home or office exterior or interior ( not shown ), including but not limited to hooks , clips and other fasteners . accordingly , an anchor portion 20 may include a variety of shapes and sizes , including but not limited to l - shaped , u - shaped , arcuate , paper clip - type configurations and other similar shapes that one of ordinary skill in the art would contemplate for use in accordance with the present invention . an anchor portion 20 may include a variety of materials , including but not limited to , plastic , metal , wood , glass , nylon , elastic and any combination thereof . an anchor portion 20 further may include any predetermined length selected to achieve a desired aesthetic and physical result . most preferably , the anchor portion 20 is comprised of material that is heat - and / or flame - resistant or , at a minimum , heat - tolerant . a support portion 30 may include any number of materials and designs that would serve to support a decorative portion 40 of a decorative ornament 10 , while also providing an operable connection with at least one anchor portion 20 . a support portion 30 may include any number of materials and shapes . the types of materials contemplated for use in a support portion 30 would include , but are not limited to , different types of metals ( for example , various gauges of wire , rings , etc ), plastics , wood , glass , nylon and elastic , as well as any number of combinations thereof . the types of shapes contemplated for use in a support portion 30 would include , but are not limited to , rings , circles , squares , rectangles , ellipses , whether such shape ( and / or material ) is contiguous or non - contiguous and / or such shape is occupying one dimensional plane or multi - dimensional planes , in orientation . preferably , a support portion 30 is constructed of materials ( for example , rigid plastic ), shapes , or a combination thereof , such that a predetermined weight of a decorative portion 40 is provided adequate support to achieve a desired aesthetic effect of an installed decorative ornament 10 . most preferably , a support portion 30 is comprised of material that is heat - and / or flame - resistant or , at a minimum , heat - tolerant . a decorative portion 40 may include any number of materials and designs that would serve to provide a desired aesthetic effect of a decorative ornament 10 . such designs of the decorative portion 40 may further include numerous patterns and orientations , whether predetermined or customized , as desired by the consumer . the decorative portion 40 may include beading , chains , ribbons , strings , wires and any combination thereof ( each of various possible shapes , sizes and materials ), of any desired predetermined length contemplated by one of ordinary skill in the art , selected to achieve a desired aesthetic or physical result . materials contemplated for use in the decorative portion 40 may include , but are not limited to , glass , wood , metals , fabric , nylon , plastic , paper and other materials that are known by ordinary persons of skill in the art . most preferably , a decorative portion 40 is comprised of material that is heat - and / or flame - resistant or , at a minimum , heat - tolerant . fig3 and 4 illustrate a decorative ornament 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention , including three anchor portions 20 , removably connected with a light fixture 50 , and also operably connected with a substantially combined support portion 30 and decorative portion 40 . more specifically , the decorative ornament 10 includes three anchor portions 20 having three separate hook 22 and beaded string 26 assemblies , operably connected with the substantially combined support portion 30 and decorative portion 40 . additionally , the combined support portion 30 and decorative portion 40 include a substantially planar support portion 30 which is operably connected with a helical or spring - like decorative portion 40 , the decorative portion 40 including a foundation of memory wire 48 threaded through decorative beads 45 ( as well as optionally affixed additional decorative beaded strings 42 , as shown ) and formed into a desired overall shape . fig5 and 6 illustrate a decorative ornament 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention , including three anchor portions 20 , removably connected with a light fixture 50 , and also operably connected with a substantially combined support portion 30 and decorative portion 40 . more specifically , the decorative ornament includes three anchor portions 20 having three separate hook 22 and chain 24 assemblies , operably connected with the substantially combined support portion 30 and decorative portion 40 , in the form of a substantially bowl shape , all of which produces a desired decorative and lighting effect . fig7 and 8 illustrate a decorative ornament 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention , including three anchor portions 20 , a support portion 30 and decorative portion 40 . more specifically , the decorative ornament 10 includes three anchor portions 20 having three separate hook 22 and beaded string 26 assemblies , operably connected with a support portion 30 including a rigid material ring , which is operably connected with a decorative portion 40 including numerous beaded string assemblies that are gathered at a predetermined region along the length of the strings assemblies , to produce a desired aesthetic effect . fig9 and 10 illustrate two different embodiments of anchor portions 20 contemplated for use with the present invention . namely , fig9 illustrates one embodiment of a hook 22 and beaded string 26 assembly contemplated for use as an anchor portion 20 as described herein . fig1 illustrates one embodiment of a hook 22 and chain 24 assembly as contemplated for use as an anchor portion 20 as described herein . fig1 illustrates a decorative ornament 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention , including three anchor portions 20 , a support portion 30 and decorative portion 40 . more specifically , the decorative ornament 10 includes three anchor portions 20 having three separate hook 22 and beaded string 26 assemblies , and a substantially combined support portion 30 and decorative portion 40 . the combined support portion 30 and decorative portion 40 include a support portion 30 which is operably connected with the anchor portions 20 by a first support ring 32 placed in a substantially perpendicular orientation relative to a light fixture 50 and a second support ring 34 placed in a substantially parallel orientation relative to a light fixture 50 , and decorative portions 40 operably connected with the above - described support portions 32 , 34 . fig1 , 15 and 16 illustrate decorative ornaments 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention , including ( each ) three anchor portions 20 , a support portion 30 and decorative portion 40 . more specifically , the decorative ornaments 10 includes three anchor portions 20 having three separate hook 22 and chain 24 assemblies , operably connected concurrently with a surface of a light fixture 50 and a support portion 30 including a rigid material ring , which is operably connected with a decorative portion 40 including numerous beaded string assemblies 42 that are gathered at a predetermined regions along the lengths of the beaded strings assemblies 42 ( respectively ), to produce desired aesthetic effects . fig1 illustrates a decorative ornament 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention , including three anchor portions 20 , a support portion 30 and decorative portion 40 . more specifically , the decorative ornaments 10 includes three anchor portions 20 having three separate hooks 22 , operably connected with a support portion 30 including a rigid material ring , which is operably connected with a decorative portion 40 which is operably connected with the support portion 30 by first attachment rings 44 at numerous predetermined locations along the support portion 30 and , further , by second attachment rings 46 connected with the first attachment rings 44 and supporting gathered beaded string assemblies 42 , to produce a desired aesthetic effect . fig1 illustrates a decorative ornament 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention , including three anchor portions 20 , a support portion 30 and a decorative portion 40 . more specifically , the decorative ornaments 10 includes three anchor portions 20 having three separate hooks 22 , operably connected with a support portion 30 including a rigid material ring , which is operably connected with a decorative portion 40 . the decorative portion 40 is operably connected with the support portion 30 at numerous predetermined locations along the support portion 30 as shown and , further , the decorative portion 40 is connected by rings 48 supporting beaded string assemblies 42 that are interconnected at predetermined regions along the lengths of the beaded string assemblies 42 , to produce a desired aesthetic effect . fig1 illustrates a decorative ornament 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention , including two anchor portions 20 removably connected with a light fixture 50 , and also operably connected with a substantially combined support portion 30 and decorative portion 40 . more specifically , the decorative ornament includes two anchor portions 20 having hook 22 and chain 24 assemblies , operably connected with the substantially combined support portion 30 and decorative portion 40 , in the form of a substantially cylindrical - shaped plastic piece and having a plurality of plastic strips 43 hangingly affixed thereon , all of which produces a desired decorative and lighting effect . fig1 a illustrates a decorative ornament 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention , including a substantially combined anchor portion 20 and support portion 30 , removably connected with a light fixture 50 , and also operably connected with a decorative portion 40 . as illustrated in fig1 b , the decorative ornament 10 includes a substantially combined anchor portion 20 and support portion 30 is removably affixed at or about a light fixture 50 at its rim 52 , which is also operably connected with a decorative portion 40 . the decorative portion 40 includes the form of a substantially cylindrical - shaped plastic piece and further includes a plurality of plastic strips 43 hangingly affixed thereon , all of which produces a desired decorative and lighting effect . fig2 illustrates a decorative ornament 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention , including three anchor portions 20 removably connected with a light fixture 50 , and also operably connected with a substantially combined support portion 30 and decorative portion 40 . more specifically , the decorative ornaments 10 includes three anchor portions 20 ( only one is shown ) having three separate hook 22 and chain 24 assemblies , operably connected with a substantially combined support portion 30 including a rigid material ring , which is operably connected with a decorative portion 40 . the decorative portion 40 includes a substantially cylindrical , substantially translucent fabric material ( for example , nylon ) operably connected with a weighted ring 47 of predetermined shape and material ( as earlier described herein ) sufficient to hold the decorative portion 40 at a predetermined position and length , sufficient to produce a desired aesthetic effect . although the invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments and applications , one of ordinary skill in the art , in light of this teaching , can generate additional embodiments and modifications without departing from the spirit of or exceeding the scope of the claimed invention . accordingly , it is to be understood that the drawings and descriptions herein are proffered by way of example to facilitate comprehension of the invention and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof .	5
hereinafter , embodiments of the present invention will be described using appended drawings . fig1 illustrates an example of an optical system configuration of an optical pickup 11 in an optical information recording / reproduction device 10 of the present invention . first , a recording process of a hologram will be described . a light beam emitted from a light source 101 , such as a laser , is transmitted through a beam shaping element 104 to be shaped into a perfect circle shape . the light transmitted through a shutter 111 arranged in a focal distance of a relay lens 110 , through a mirror 109 , is prevented from becoming return light to the light source 101 , by an optical isolator 112 . then , the light is incident on a polarization beam splitter ( pbs ) prism 115 , after a polarization direction is controlled such that light quantity ratios of p polarized light and s polarized light become desired ratios by an optical element 113 configured from a ½ wavelength plate and the like . the light beam transmitted through the pbs prism 115 works as signal light 116 , and is transmitted through a phase mask 118 , a relay lens 119 , and a pbs prism 120 , and is incident on a spatial light modulator 121 , after a beam diameter is enlarged by a beam expander 117 . the signal light to which information is added by the spatial light modulator 121 is reflected at the pbs prism 120 , and is propagated in a relay lens 122 and a polytopic filter 123 . after that , the signal light is concentrated on an optical information recording medium 1 by an objective lens 124 . meanwhile , the light beam reflected at the pbs prism 115 works as reference light 125 , and is incident on a galvanometer mirror 130 , after passing through a wedge prism 127 that is an angle adjustment element in a pitch direction , and an aperture 128 for controlling a light flux diameter of the reference light to prevent excess exposure of the optical information recording medium 1 . the galvanometer mirror 130 can adjust an angle by an actuator , and thus can set the incident angle of the reference light incident on the optical information recording medium 1 after passing through a scanner lens 131 to a desired angle . to set the incident angle of the reference light , an element that converts a wavefront of the reference light may be used in place of the galvanometer mirror . by causing the signal light and the reference light to be incident to be overlapped with each other in the optical information recording medium 1 , an interference fringe pattern is formed in the recording medium , and the pattern is written in the optical information recording medium , so that the information is recorded . further , the incident angle of the reference light to be incident on the optical information recording medium 1 can be changed by the galvanometer mirror 130 . therefore , recording by angle multiplexing can be performed . next , a reproduction process of a hologram will be described . a light beam obtained by causing the reference light 125 to be incident on the optical information recording medium 1 , and to be transmitted through the optical information recording medium 1 passes through an optical element 132 configured from a ¼ wavelength plate , is reflected at a galvanometer mirror 130 that can adjust an angle by an actuator , and then passes through the optical element 132 again , so that a polarization state of the reference light is converted , and reproduction reference light is generated . reproduced light reproduced by the reproduction reference light is propagated in the objective lens 124 , the relay lens 122 , and the polytopic filter 123 . following that , the reproduced light is transmitted through the pbs prism 120 and is incident on a photodetector 133 , so that the recorded signal can be reproduced . as the photodetector 133 , an imaging element such as a cmos image sensor or a ccd image sensor can be used , for example . however , any element can be used as long as the element can reproduce the page data . fig2 is a diagram illustrating another configuration of an optical pickup 11 . a light beam emitted from a light source 201 is transmitted through a collimating lens 202 , and is incident on a shutter 203 . when the shutter 203 is open , the light beam passes through the shutter 203 , and is then incident on a polarization beam splitter 205 , after a polarization direction is controlled such that light quantity ratios of p polarized light and s polarized light become desired ratios by an optical element 204 configured from a ½ wavelength plate and the like . the light beam transmitted through the polarization beam splitter 205 is incident on a spatial light modulator 208 through a polarization beam splitter 207 . signal light 206 to which information is added by the spatial light modulator 208 is reflected at the polarization beam splitter 207 , and is propagated in an angle filter 209 having a characteristic of allowing only a light beam with a predetermined incident angle to pass through . after that , the signal light beam is concentrated on an optical information recording medium 1 by an objective lens 210 . meanwhile , the light beam reflected at the polarization beam splitter 205 works as reference light 212 , is set to be in a predetermined polarization direction by a polarization direction conversion element 219 according to at the time of recording or at the time of reproduction , and is then incident on a lens 215 through a mirror 213 and a mirror 214 . the lens 215 serves a function to concentrate the reference light 212 to a back focus surface of the objective lens 210 , and the reference light once concentrated on the back focus surface of the objective lens 210 becomes parallel light again by the objective lens 210 , and is incident on the optical information recording medium 1 . here , the objective lens 210 or an optical block 221 can be driven in a direction illustrated by the reference sign 220 , and the position of the objective lens 210 or the optical block 221 is shifted along a driving direction 220 , so that a relative positional relationship between the objective lens 210 and a concentrated point on the back focus surface of the objective lens 210 is changed . therefore , the incident angle of the reference light incident on the optical information recording medium 1 can be set to a desired angle . note that the incident angle of the reference light may be set to the desired angle by driving the mirror 214 by an actuator , instead of driving the objective lens 210 or the optical block 221 . by causing the signal light and the reference light to be incident to be overlapped with each other in the optical information recording medium 1 , an interference fringe pattern is formed in the optical information recording medium , and this pattern is written in the recording medium , so that information is recorded . further , by shifting the position of the objective lens 210 or the optical block 221 along the driving direction 220 , the incident angle of the reference light to be incident on the optical information recording medium 1 can be changed . therefore , recording by angle multiplexing can be performed . when the recorded information is reproduced , the reference light is incident on the optical information recording medium 1 , and the light beam transmitted through the optical information recording medium 1 is reflected at a galvanometer mirror 216 , so that reproduction reference light is generated , as described above . reproduced light reproduced by the reproduction reference light is propagated in the objective lens 210 and the angle filter 209 . after that , the reproduced light is transmitted through the polarization beam splitter 207 and is incident on a photodetector 218 , and a recorded signal can be reproduced . by configuring the optical system illustrated in fig2 to cause the signal light and the reference light to be incident on the same objective lens , the optical system of fig2 can have an advantage of a substantially decrease in size , compared with the optical system configuration illustrated in fig1 . the present invention can also be applied to the optical system like fig2 . fig3 illustrates a method of detecting angle deviation in the optical pickup 11 of fig1 . for example , when a laser is used as the light source 101 , beam pointing cannot sometimes become constant on a constant basis , due to vibration , temperature , backlash of components , and the like . when the beam pointing is deviated , the incident angle of light to a target component becomes larger as a distance from the laser to the target component becomes larger , and an aberration occurs . such an aberration may become a cause of deterioration of quality of a hologram reproduced image . therefore , in the present embodiment , detection of beam pointing deviation is performed in the photodetector 133 used at the time of reproduction of a hologram . as the photodetector 133 , a camera may be used , for example . as illustrated in fig1 ( a ) , it can be considered that the optical information recording medium can be most efficiently used for recording when an area ( diameter ) of the reference light that covers the signal light on the optical information recording medium is minimized therefore , this state is defined as an ideal state . the ideal state has a profound effect in terms of prevention of unnecessary exposure of the optical information recording medium and high - density recording . however , in this case , if only a little position deviation or angle deviation of the optical component occurs , the signal light and the reference light stop interfering with each other , and reproduction quality is deteriorated . therefore , the area of the reference light is desirably as small as possible although the area is not the minimum area . further , as illustrated in fig1 ( b ) , it is important to perform adjustment to cause the signal light to come to the center of the reference light in the vertical and horizontal directions in a focal position of the signal light , when the optical information recording medium is viewed from directly above , and to complete an optical system in which the reference light and the signal light interfere with each other on an upper surface and a lower surface of a recording layer of the optical information recording medium on a constant basis , at a lowest reference light angle used for recording in design ( a smallest angle in design , which indicates an angle made by the reference light and a normal line of a boundary surface of the optical information recording medium , as illustrated in the lower drawing of fig1 ( a ) ). after constant interference between the reference light and the signal light on the recording layer of the optical information recording medium is confirmed , the position of the photodetector 133 is adjusted so that the center of the beam of the signal light comes to the center of the photodetector 133 . in this case , if an aperture as small as possible to the extent that the light can be temporarily detected after the relay lens 119 is inserted , and the light is focused to make the beam center of the signal light more recognizable , the adjustment can be easily performed . further , as another method , a lens or the like may be inserted in front of the photodetector 133 to concentrate the signal light . further , the position of the photodetector 133 may be adjusted to cause the beam center of the signal light to come to the center of the photodetector 133 when an area where the signal light and the reference light interfere is minimized . note that , here , the upper surface and the lower surface of the recording layer of the optical information recording medium indicate the portions illustrated in fig1 ( a ) . note that it is necessary to cause the p polarized light transmitted through the pbs prism 115 to become the s polarized light in front of the pbs prism 120 in order to cause the p polarized light to be incident on the photodetector 133 . therefore , the ½ wavelength plate is inserted into an optical path from the pbs prism 115 to the pbs prism 120 , to cause the p polarized light to the s polarized light . as another method , when a film of the pbs prism 115 is designed to transmit the p polarized light by 100 % and reflect the s polarized light by 100 %, if a film of the pbs prism 120 is designed to transit the p polarized light by 95 % and reflect the p polarized light by 5 %, and reflect the s polarized light by 100 %, the light can be incident on the photodetector 133 , and can be detected . the above methods are examples . the light is caused to be incident on the photodetector 133 , and the beam pointing is detected , as described above . when the beam pointing deviation occurs , the position of the beam incident on a camera is changed . therefore , the angle of the mirror 114 is adjusted so that the beam comes to the center of the photodetector 133 , and the angle of the light is adjusted so that a maximum value of beam intensity comes to the center of the photodetector 133 . although described below , the optical element arranged between the light source 101 and the relay lens 110 in fig3 performs angle adjustment to cause the aberration to be minimized therefore , it is desirable to adjust the beam pointing , using the mirror 114 arranged in a subsequent stage of these elements . note that this adjustment method is an example in the optical system of fig3 , and the method is not limited to the example . further , in the present invention , the angle of the light is adjusted using the same photodetector as the photodetector used at the time of reproduction . therefore , downsizing of the device can be achieved . note that the present invention may use a photodetector different from the photodetector used at the time of reproduction . fig4 is a graph illustrating sensitivity of the angle deviation with respect to the aberration , of principal optical components through which the reference light is transmitted in the optical pickup 11 of fig1 . the sensitivity to the aberration in the optical information recording medium becomes larger as the distance from the optical component to the optical information recording medium is longer . meanwhile , to secure an snr and obtain a high - quality reproduced image , it is necessary to suppress the aberration except a defocus aberration . when a specification value of the aberration is allocated to four optical components illustrated in fig4 , an angle deviation allowable value of the optical components becomes several mdeg , and highly accurate adjustment is required . fig5 is a graph illustrating sensitivity of the position deviation with respect to the aberration , of principal components through which the reference light is transmitted in the optical pickup 11 of fig1 . the optical components 1 to 4 respectively correspond to the components illustrated in fig4 . similarly to the angle deviation , as a result of allocation of the aberration specification value to these four optical components , the position deviation allowable value becomes several mm . as is clear from the calculation results of fig4 and 5 , to decrease the aberration and obtain a high - quality reproduced image , highly accurate angle adjustment of the optical components is required . fig6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ) are diagrams illustrating the first embodiment for performing optical axis adjustment of the optical pickup 11 of fig1 . as illustrated in fig6 ( a ) , a position adjustment mechanism is provided in the relay lens 110 . the relay lens 110 in the present embodiment is a lens farthest from the optical information recording medium 1 , and having the largest sensitivity of the aberration . the same two lenses are configured to put the focal point therebetween , as illustrated in fig6 ( b ) . by adjusting one - side lens position , the angle of the emitted light can be changed . the angle adjustment of the emitted light is performed such that transmitted light of the relay lens 110 is incident on a measuring device that can measures the aberration of the wavefront sensor or the like , and is adjusted in the position adjustment mechanism to cause the value of the aberration becomes small . as such adjustment by measuring the aberration of the light emitted from the optical component in the middle of the optical pickup 11 , pre - shipment adjustment of a device can be considered . the position adjustment mechanism is driven by an element such as an actuator . further , as illustrated in fig6 ( c ) , the wavefront sensor 152 is arranged in front of the optical information recording medium , and the aberration there is detected at all times , and the actuator is driven in real time , so that not only the aberration at the time of initial assembly of the optical pickup 11 , but also temporal change of the aberration is detected , whereby the aberration can be prevented and the high - quality hologram can be reproduced and recorded . when the temporal change of the aberration is detected , it is necessary to arrange a wavefront sensor in the device . while fig6 ( c ) illustrates an example of an optical system that causes a part of the emitted light of the scanner lens 131 to be reflected at the mirror , and to be incident on the wavefront sensor 152 has been described , the arrangement method and the arranged location of the wavefront sensor are not necessarily the same . further , in reality , the mirror 153 , which is arranged to cause the emitted light to be incident on the wavefront sensor , needs to be arranged in a location where the mirror 153 does not reject the light . therefore , for example , it is necessary to employ a configuration in which the mirror reflects a part of the light only when the aberration is measured . as described above , in the present embodiment , the optical axis adjustment is performed using the optical element having large aberration sensitivity , so that the aberration can be decreased , and the high - quality hologram image can be reproduced and recorded . fig7 is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment for performing optical axis adjustment of the optical pickup 11 of fig1 . an angle adjustment mechanism is provided in the beam shaping element 104 arranged in front of the relay lens 110 having the largest sensitivity of the aberration , so that the angle of the emitted light is adjusted . the angle adjustment mechanism of the beam shaping element 104 may also be driven by an actuator or the like , similarly to the embodiment of fig6 ( a ) to 6 ( c ) . accordingly , the aberration can be decreased , and the high - quality hologram image can be reproduced and recorded . fig8 is a diagram illustrating a third embodiment for performing optical axis adjustment of the optical pickup 11 of fig1 . an optical element 151 that changes the angle of the emitted light , like a wedge prism , is newly inserted in front of the relay lens 110 having the largest sensitivity of the aberration , and an angle adjustment mechanism is provided , so that the angle of the emitted light is adjusted . similarly , this angle adjustment mechanism may also be driven by an actuator or the like . accordingly , the aberration is decreased , and the high - quality hologram image can be reproduced and recorded . fig9 is a diagram illustrating a fourth embodiment for performing optical axis adjustment of the optical pickup 11 of fig1 . as described above , when the sensitivity of the aberration of the relay lens 110 that is farthest from the optical information recording medium 1 is largest , an angle adjustment mechanism is provided in the mirror 109 arranged in front of the relay lens 110 , so that the incident angle to the relay lens 110 is adjusted . similarly , this angle adjustment mechanism may be driven by an actuator or the like . accordingly , the aberration can be decreased , and the high - quality hologram image can be reproduced and recorded . further , according to the second to fourth embodiments , by performing the optical axis adjustment , using the optical element such as the beam shaping element , the wedge prism , or the mirror having smaller aberration sensitivity and arranged at a side closer to the light source 101 than the optical element such as the relay lens 110 having larger aberration sensitivity , fine adjustment can be performed , compared with a case where the optical element having large aberration sensitivity itself is driven . all of the angle adjustment methods in the embodiments illustrated in fig6 ( a ) to 6 ( c ) , to fig9 cause the light transmitted through the optical component such as the relay lens 110 having large aberration sensitivity to be incident on the measuring device that can measure the wavefront aberration , such as the wavefront sensor , and adjusts the angle to cause the value of the aberration to become small . the optical component to which the angle adjustment mechanism is mounted is not limited to the present embodiment , and another component may be employed as long as the component can highly accurately control the incident angle with respect to the component having large aberration sensitivity . the present embodiments are examples . further , all of the adjustment methods of fig6 ( a ) to 6 ( c ) , to fig9 are favorably provided with an aperture so that a correct arrival position of the light beam after the optical element 113 can be recognized . highly accurate angle adjustment is performed within a range where the beam center passes through the aperture , and the aberration is minimized . while , typically , the laser light is emitted with light intensity distribution of gaussian distribution , an optical component for converting the light intensity distribution to a top - hat shape may be introduced to the optical pickup 11 of the present invention . this optical component is a beam homogenizer or an apodizer , for example . when the light intensity distribution of the laser light is uniform , the high - quality hologram can be recorded when the information is added to the signal light in the spatial light modulator 121 . the element for converting the light intensity distribution into the top - hat shape is supposed to be manufactured with an aspherical - shaped lens . typically , such an optical component having an aspherical shape is supposed to have large aberration sensitivity . therefore , by providing the angle adjustment mechanism in this component itself , or in another component arranged in a preceding stage of the component , the high - quality hologram can be reproduced and recorded . fig1 ( a ) and 12 ( b ) illustrate an example of an adjustment flow . fig1 ( a ) is a diagram for describing pre - shipment adjustment . the optical components are installed one by one in order from the light source for performing assembly of the optical pickup 11 ( 1201 ). from a perspective of the aberration , a decrease in the aberration of the reference light is mainly important . therefore , the wavefront aberration of the reference light is measured ( 1202 and 1203 ) by the measuring device such as a wavefront sensor , and whether the aberration falls within the specification value is confirmed ( 1204 ). if the aberration does not fall within the specification value , the angle of the optical component described in fig6 ( a ) to 6 ( c ) , to fig9 is adjusted , and the angle of the optical axis is adjusted and the aberration is decreased ( 1205 ). if the aberration falls within the specification value , the adjustment of the aberration is completed ( 1206 ). next , the position adjustment of the photodetector for beam pointing adjustment is started ( 1207 ). to be specific , the reference light and the signal light interfering with each other on all of an upper surface , an intermediate surface , and a lower surface of the recording layer of the optical information recording medium when the reference light is set to the lowers angle used in recording is confirmed ( 1208 ). when the interference does not occur , the relative position of the signal light and the reference light is adjusted to cause the interference ( 1209 ). when the adjustment has been made , the beam center of the signal light being incident on the center of the photodetector is confirmed ( 1210 ). when the signal light is incident on a position deviated from the center , an installed position of the photodetector is adjusted to cause the beam center to accord with the center of the photodetector ( 1211 ). the pre - shipment adjustment is terminated ( 1212 ). next , adjustment during recording and reproduction processing illustrated in fig1 ( b ) will be described . when a wavefront aberration or deviation of the beam pointing occurs during recording or reproduction , it becomes difficult to obtain a reproduced image with a high snr . therefore , the present adjustment is favorably real time correction . first , the wavefront aberration of the reference light is measured ( 1251 and 1252 ). whether the measured aberration falls within the specification value adjusted before shipment ( 1253 ), and if the measured aberration does not fall within the specification value , the angle of the optical axis is adjusted by the angle adjustment mechanism described in fig6 ( a ) to 6 ( c ) , to fig9 ( 1254 ), and the aberration is measured again . when the aberration falls within the specification value , the adjustment of the aberration is terminated ( 1255 ). next , the beam pointing deviation is detected ( 1256 ). whether the beam center of the signal light is incident on the center of the photodetector , which has been fixed in the pre - shipment adjustment is determined ( 1257 ), and if the beam center is not incident on the center of the photodetector , the angle of the optical component is adjusted , and the angle of the optical axis is caused to be incident on the center ( 1258 ). the above process is repeated every time page recording or page reproduction is terminated during recording or reproduction , so that the optical pickup 11 that can suppress the optical axis deviation and decrease the aberration , and can obtain the high - quality reproduced image can be provided . further , the timing of the adjustment is not limited to the above described timing , and is changed according to an environment where the present recording / reproduction device is used , such as at the time of maintenance of the optical pickup , or at the timing of replacement of the light source . fig1 is a block diagram illustrating a recording / reproduction device of an optical information recording medium that records / reproduces digital information , using holography . the optical information recording / reproduction device 10 is connected with an external control device 91 through an input / output control circuit 90 . when recording is performed , the optical information recording / reproduction device 10 receives an information signal to be recorded from the external control device 91 with the input / output control circuit 90 . when reproduction is performed , the optical information recording / reproduction device 10 transmits a reproduced information signal to the external control device 91 with the input / output control circuit 90 . the optical information recording / reproduction device 10 includes the optical pickup 11 , a reproduction reference light optical system 12 , a cure optical system 13 , a disk rotation angle detection optical system 14 , and a rotation motor 50 . the optical information recording medium 1 is configured to be rotatable with the rotation motor 50 . the optical pickup 11 serves a function to emit the reference light and the signal light to the optical information recording medium 1 and to record digital information in the recording medium , using holography . at this time , the information signal to be recorded is sent to a spatial light modulator in the optical pickup 11 through a signal generation circuit 86 , by a controller 89 , and the signal light is modulated by the spatial light modulator . when the information recorded in the optical information recording medium 1 is reproduced , an optical wave that causes the reference light emitted from the optical pickup 11 to be incident on the optical information recording medium 1 in an opposite direction to the direction of at the time of recording is generated in the reproduction reference light optical system 12 . the reproduced light reproduced with the reproduction reference light is detected by the photodetector described below in the optical pickup 11 , and a signal is reproduced by a signal processing circuit 85 . the position / angle adjustment mechanisms of the present embodiment are associated with the optical component in the optical pickup 11 . the aberration of the reference light is detected by an aberration detection correction circuit 21 from the optical pickup . further , a signal for correcting the position and the angle of the optical component to minimize the value of the aberration is transmitted to a position / angle adjustment mechanism actuator 20 , and the position / angle adjustment mechanisms of the optical component is driven . an irradiation time of the reference light and the signal light irradiated with the optical information recording medium 1 can be adjusted by controlling an open / close time of the shutter in the optical pickup 11 with the controller 89 through a shutter control circuit 87 . the cure optical system 13 serves a function to generate the light beam to be used in pre - cure and post - cure of the optical information recording medium 1 . the pre - cure is a pre - process of irradiating a desired position with a predetermined light beam in advance before irradiating the desired position with the reference light and the signal light , when information is recorded in the desired position in the optical information recording medium 1 . the post - cure is a post - process of irradiating the desired position with a predetermined light beam to disable additional writing to the desired position , after the information is recorded in the desired position in the optical information recording medium 1 . the disk rotation angle detection optical system 14 is used to detect a rotation angle of the optical information recording medium 1 . when the optical information recording medium 1 is adjusted to a predetermined rotation angle , a signal according to the rotation angle is detected by the disk rotation angle detection optical system 14 , and the rotation angle of the optical information recording medium 1 can be controlled by the controller 89 , using the detected signal , through a disk rotation motor control circuit 88 . a predetermined light source drive current is supplied from a light source drive circuit 82 to the optical pickup 11 , the cure optical system 13 , and the light source in the disk rotation angle detection optical system 14 , and each light source can emit the light beam with a predetermined light quantity ratio . then , the optical pickup 11 and the disk cure optical system 13 are provided with a mechanism that can slide its position in a radius direction of the optical information recording medium 1 , and position control is performed through an access control circuit 81 . by the way , the recording technologies using a principle of the angle multiplexing of holography tend to have an extreme small allowable error to the deviation of the reference light angle . therefore , it is necessary to provide a mechanism to detect a deviation amount of the reference light angle in the optical pickup 11 and generate a servo control signal in a servo signal generation circuit 83 , and to provide a servo mechanism to correct the deviation amount through a servo control circuit 84 in the optical information recording / reproduction device 10 . further , some of or all of the optical system configurations of the optical pickup 11 , the cure optical system 13 , and the disk rotation angle detection optical system 14 may be integrated and simplified . fig1 ( a ) to 11 ( c ) illustrate operation flows of recording and reproduction in the optical information recording / reproduction device 10 . here , flows related to recording and reproduction using holography will be especially described . fig1 ( a ) illustrates an operation flow from after the optical information recording medium 1 is inserted into the optical information recording / reproduction device 10 , to when preparation of recording or reproduction is completed , fig1 ( b ) illustrates an operation flow from the preparation completion state to when information is recorded in the optical information recording medium 1 , and fig1 ( c ) illustrates an operation flow from the preparation completion state to when the information recorded in the optical information recording medium 1 is reproduced . when the medium is inserted , as illustrated in fig1 ( a ) ( 1101 ), the optical information recording / reproduction device 10 determines whether the inserted medium is an optical information recording medium that records or reproduces digital information , using holography ( 1102 ). as a result of the determination of the optical information recording medium , when the inserted medium is determined to be the optical information recording medium that records or reproduces digital information , using holography , the optical information recording / reproduction device 10 reads control data provided in the optical information recording medium ( 1103 ), and acquires , for example , information related to the optical information recording medium and information related to various setting conditions at the time of recording and reproduction . after the read of the control data , the optical information recording / reproduction device 10 performs various types of adjustment according to the control data and learning processing related to the pickup 11 ( 1104 ), and completes preparation of recording or reproduction ( 1105 ). the operation flow from the preparation completion state to when information is recorded is to first receive data to be recorded ( 1111 ), and send information according to the data to the spatial light modulator in the optical pickup 11 , as illustrated in fig1 ( b ) . following that , various types of learning processing for recording such as power optimization of the light source 301 , and optimization of an exposure time by the shutter 303 are performed as needed , in advance ( 1112 ) so that the high - quality information can be recorded in the optical information recording medium . following that , in a seek operation ( 1113 ), the access control circuit 81 is controlled , and the optical pickup 11 and the cure optical system 13 are positioned to predetermined positions of the optical information recording medium 1 . when the optical information recording medium 1 has address information , the address information is reproduced , and whether the optical pickup 11 and the cure optical system 13 are positioned to target positions is confirmed . if the optical pickup 11 and the cure optical system 13 are not positioned to the target positions , deviation amounts from the predetermined positions are calculated , and the positioning operation is repeated again . following that , a predetermined region is procured using the light beam emitted from the cure optical system 13 ( 1114 ), and data is recorded using the reference light and the signal light emitted from the pickup 11 ( 1115 ). after the data is recorded , the post - cure is performed using the light beam emitted from the cure optical system 13 ( 1116 ). the data may be verified as needed . the operation flow from the preparation completion state to when recorded information is reproduced is to control the access control circuit 81 in the seek operation ( 1121 ), and to position the optical pickup 11 and the reproduction reference light optical system 12 to predetermined positions of the optical information recording medium 1 , as illustrated in fig1 ( c ) . when the optical information recording medium 1 has address information , the address information is reproduced , and whether the optical pickup 11 and the reproduction reference light optical system 12 are positioned to target positions is confirmed . if the optical pickup 11 and the reproduction reference light optical system 12 are not arranged to the target positions , deviation amount from the predetermined positions are calculated , and the positioning operation is repeated again . following that , the reference light is emitted from the optical pickup 11 , the information recorded in the optical information recording medium 1 is read ( 1122 ), and reproduced data is transmitted ( 1123 ). according to the embodiments , the position deviation and the angle deviation of the optical component arranged in the optical information recording / reproduction device can be adjusted , and as a result , the high - quality hologram can be recorded and reproduced . further , when attachment / detachment of the laser light source becomes necessary at the end of life or at the time of failure , adjustment of the optical axis of the optical system is required . by providing the position / angle adjustment mechanism to the principal optical components , a work time can be reduced . further , the optical axis of the optical system is adjusted during waiting for stabilization of oscillation of the laser light source , so that the time to start recording can be reduced , and efficiency of workability can be improved . the present invention is not limited to the above - described embodiments , and includes various modifications . for example , the above embodiments have been described in detail to explain the present invention in a simplified manner , and the present invention is not necessarily limited to one provided with all described configurations . further , a part of the configuration of a certain embodiment can be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment . further , the configuration of another embodiment can be added to the configuration of a certain embodiment . further , another configuration can be added to / deleted from / replaced with a part of the configuration of each embodiment . further , the above - described configurations , functions , processing units , processing means , and the like may be realized by hardware , by designing a part or the whole of the configurations , functions , processing units , and processing means with an integrated circuit , for example . further , the above - described configurations , functions , and the like may be realized by software , by a processor interpreting and executing a program that realizes the respective functions . information such as programs , tables , and files that realize the respective functions can be placed in a recording device such as a memory , a hard disk , or a solid state drive ( ssd ), or a recording medium such as an ic card , an sd card or a dvd . further , control lines and information lines that are necessary for description have been described , and not all of control lines and information lines necessary for a product are necessarily described . in practice , it may be considered that almost all of the configurations are mutually connected . 1 . . . optical information recording medium , 10 . . . optical information recording / reproduction device , 11 . . . optical pickup , 12 . . . reproduction reference light optical system , 13 . . . cure optical system , 14 . . . disk rotation angle detection optical system , 20 . . . position / angle adjustment mechanism actuator , 21 . . . aberration detection correction circuit , 50 . . . rotation motor , 81 . . . access control circuit , 82 . . . light source drive circuit , 83 . . . servo signal generation circuit , 84 . . . servo control circuit , 85 . . . signal processing circuit , 86 . . . signal generation circuit , 87 . . . shutter control circuit , 88 . . . disk rotation motor control circuit , 89 . . . controller , 90 . . . input / output control circuit , 91 . . . external control device , 101 . . . light source , 104 . . . beam shaping element , 109 . . . mirror , 110 . . . relay lens , 111 . . . shutter , 112 . . . optical isolator , 113 . . . ½ wavelength plate , 114 . . . mirror , 115 . . . pbs prism , 116 . . . signal light , 117 . . . beam expander , 118 . . . phase mask , 119 . . . relay lens , 120 . . . pbs prism , 121 . . . spatial light modulator , 122 . . . relay lens , 123 . . . polytopic filter , 124 . . . objective lens , 125 . . . reference light , 126 . . . mirror , 127 . . . angle adjustment element in pitch direction , 128 . . . aperture , 129 . . . mirror , 130 . . . galvanometer mirror , 131 . . . scanner lens , 132 . . . ¼ wavelength plate , 133 . . . galvanometer mirror , 201 . . . light source , 202 . . . collimating lens , 203 . . . shutter , 204 . . . ½ wavelength plate , 205 . . . polarization beam splitter , 206 . . . signal light , 207 . . . polarization beam splitter , 208 . . . spatial light modulator , 209 . . . angle filter , 210 . . . objective lens , 211 . . . objective lens actuator , 212 . . . reference light , 213 . . . mirror , 214 . . . mirror , 215 . . . lens , 216 . . . mirror , 217 . . . actuator , 218 . . . photodetector , 219 . . . polarization direction conversion element , 220 . . . driving direction , 221 . . . optical block , 230 . . . actuator , 150 . . . ½ wavelength plate , 151 . . . angle change element , 152 . . . wavefront sensor , 153 . . . mirror	6
with reference first to fig1 , a system is illustrated therein for local wireless transmission and reception of digital audio and program information . a delivery system 10 , such as coaxial cable , satellite , the internet , microwave , and etc ., outputs a serial digital audio / program information stream 22 that contains digital audio , program information , and national subscriber information . the transmitter 100 , more fully described with respect of fig2 - 2 a , receives the said serial digital data stream 22 and demultiplexes , decrypts , and decodes the digital audio and program information signal . the digital audio signal and program information are converted to a digital rf carrier frequencies and broadcasted to a plurality of second devices , preferably at least one receiver / tuner unit 200 , more fully described with respect of fig3 - 4 , that outputs the selected audio electronically and displays the corresponding program information of the audio track currently listened to by the subscriber . fig2 is a block diagram of the preferred digital music transmitter ( dmt ) 100 . referring to fig1 - 2 , the serial digital data stream 22 is passed via an established system of digital data distribution 10 , for example , multisystem operators coaxial cable or direct broadcast satellite , and is received by the transmitter input terminal 105 . the transmitter input terminal 105 preferably includes phase - lock loop ( pll ) circuitry . the signal is amplified by an amplifier 110 and filtered by a saw filter 115 before being demodulated by a demodulator 120 . the demodulator 120 converts the selected digital frequency to demodulation intermediate frequency ( if ). the output of the demodulator 120 is quadrature partial response ( qpr ) demodulated to produce a 5 . 6 mbps data stream containing 150 stereo pair of digital audio data to an applications specific integrated circuit ( asic ) 130 . the demodulator 120 provides data to a data clock recovery pll 125 . the data clock recovery pll 125 contains a 33 . 8688 mhz crystal 122 ( about 33 . 9 mhz ) for timing purposes . the asic 130 provides demultiplexing , decrypting , and decoding operations upon the 5 . 6 mbps data stream input by the demodulator 120 to the microprocessor 140 . the asic 130 separates the 5 . 6 mbps data stream to a select one of 150 stereo pairs of digital audio signals . the selected stereo pair is decrypted and separated to provide digital audio signal and a program information signal . the digital audio signal is then decoded according to a variety of known techniques . the asic 130 inputs the digital audio signals , provided at a sampling rate of 44 . 1 kilohertz ( khz ), to a digital rf converter 150 . the audio signals are provided to a f . m . stereo encoder and loudness processor 152 , and then to f . m . band exciter 154 . the output of the exciter 154 is amplified by a high power amplifier 156 and broadcast over the airwaves by an antenna 160 as digital f . m . in the f . m . broadcast for reception by a digital f . m . receiver 201 , such as disclosed in fig3 a receiver 170 for a second controllable device , such as a digital receiver / tuner ( drt ) 200 , coupled to the microprocessor 140 receives instruction or control signals transmitted by the drt 200 to initiate the remote control of selected functions of the transmitter 100 . a clock signal generated internal to the asic 130 is utilized as a carrier signal to switch the output of the drt 200 on or off at a frequency of 44 . 1 khz . the 44 . 1 khz clock from an asic clock generator 130 a may be utilized to generate a carrier signal for rf signals sent by the drt transmitter 160 . the asic clock signal provided by the asic clock 130 a is derived from the about 33 . 9 mhz signal provided to the asic 130 by the data clock pll 125 . the drt 200 operates to control selected function of the transmitter as well as the program information transmitted by the drt transmitter 160 associated with the dmt 100 . the asic clock signal provided by the asic clock 130 is derived from the about 33 . 9 mhz signal provided to the asic 150 by the data clock pll 125 . specifically , the asic clock signal is derived by dividing the 33 . 9 mhz signal by three ( 3 ) to provide a second clock signal having a frequency of 11 . 3 mhz , and by then dividing the 11 . 3 mhz signal to the preferred fixed first frequency for the 44 . 1 khz asic clock signal . the 11 . 3 mhz clock signal is utilized as a clock signal selected operations conducted by the asic 130 . the asic 130 contains a synchronizing circuit 132 which is utilized to provide clock synchronized program information signals to the drt 200 . the synchronizing circuit 132 operated to provide two separate timing alignment functions . first , the synchronizing circuit 132 aligns the program information signal provided by the microprocessor to the 11 . 3 mhz clock signal . second , the synchronizing circuit 132 aligns the 44 . 1 khz asic clock signal to the 11 . 3 mhz clock signal . referring to fig2 - 2 a , the synchronizing circuit 132 includes a first synchronizing element 133 , an , edge detector 134 , and second synchronized element 135 , and gate 136 . the microprocessor 140 provides program information signals in the form of a serial data signal formatted in the appropriate display information protocol to the first synchronizing element 133 . the microprocessor 140 outputs the program information signals to the first synchronizing element 133 at a predefined data rate , preferably 4900 baud . in addition , the 11 . 3 mhz dock signal is provided as another input to the first synchronized element 133 . the first synchronizing element 133 aligns the rising edge of the program information signals to the 11 . 3 mhz clock signal to provide an output signal synchronized with the 11 . 3 mhz clock the second synchronizing element 135 accepts the synchronized output signal of the first synchronizing element 133 and produces a gate signal when the output signal of the edge detector 134 enables the second synchronizing element 135 . the gate signal produced by the second synchronizing element 135 and the asic clock signal of 44 . 1 khz are provided as inputs to an and gate 136 . accordingly , the integral number of cycles of the asic dock signal output by the and gate 136 is effectively determined by the pulse width or pulse duration of the gate signal output by the second synchronizing element 135 . the output of the asic 130 is a carrier - modulated program information signal , produced by an on / off keying technique , and is provided from the synchronizing circuit 130 on line 137 to the drt transmitter 160 . the carrier - modulated program information signal , when formatted with appropriate start bits , stop bits , and other formatting information described below , comprises a display information signal that is ultimately display as alphanumeric characters on the display of the drt 200 . the drt transmitter 160 is responsive to the carrier - modulated program information signal provided on line 137 . the microprocessor 140 initiates a transmission of a program information signal by the dmt 100 . in response to the initiation of a transmission , the asic 130 outputs the synchronized program information signal at the rate defined by the first frequency ( 44 . 1 khz ) to the drt transmitter 160 . the drt receiver 170 includes a demodulator 172 and rf diode 174 . the rf diode 174 is located between an input of the demodulator 172 and the ground . when the rf diode 174 detects a command signal from the drt 200 . the rf diode 174 outputs a detected signal to the demodulator 112 . the demodulator 172 demodulates and filters the detected rf signal and provides an output voltage signal to the receiver input terminal of the microprocessor 140 on line 173 . the demodulator 172 provided the specific functions preamplification , bandpass filtering , and detection of the detected rf signal provided by the rf diode 174 fig4 is a block diagram of the preferred digital receiver / tuner ( drt ) unit 200 . the preferred drt units , not limited to the embodiments in fig3 , include a display for the control of the digital music transmitter ( dmt ) 100 . the top surface of the drt 200 includes an alphanumeric character display and a matrix of contact switches forming a keypad . each contact switch of the keypad is covered by a push button or key that includes a label which defines the function or instruction initiated when the user presses the push button . in addition , selected areas of the tip surface of the drt unit include labels or other indicia that further designate the function or instruction associated with the key or push button . the user can control the functions of the dmt 100 in a manner similar to the use of currently popular wireless transmitter / receiver units that control the functions of consumer products , such as cordless telephones or local audio signal transmitter . specifically , the dmt 100 remains in a dormant mode with a transmitted passive signal that responds to a selected command function from the drt unit 200 . the user can initiate or terminate transmission of the digital audio and program information from the dmt 100 by pressing a selected key . each of the buttons or key of the keypad is labeled to indicate the function associated with the key . for example , by pressing any key or a set of keys labeled with arabic numerals 0 - 9 , a user can select one of the available digital audio and program information channels transmitted by the dmt 100 for the listening pleasure of the subscriber . the keys labeled tune ( up arrow ) and tune ( down arrow ) may be used by the listener to increment or decrement the digital audio and program information channels transmitted by the dmt 100 . in a similar fashion , a volume up ( vol up arrow ) and a volume down ( vol down arrow ) keys can be utilized to control the volume level provided by the dmt 100 . an on / off key with a power indicator light may be utilized by the listener to either power on or off the drt 200 and dmt 100 signal transmission . also , a mute key is useful for eliminating the audible portion of the program provided by the dmt 100 . those persons skilled in the art will appreciate that such control functions are similar to the control function provided by other wireless remote controls for consumer products . other control function related to the control of the dmt 100 by the drt unit 200 include control functions associated with the keys enter / next , preset and mode . by pressing the enter / next key , the user initiates a command function that may be associated with the various functions of the drt unit 200 . the preset key permits the user to store a favorite digital audio channel for future operations by the drt unit 200 . the mode function changes the message field on the lcd viewscreen according to selected function by the user , for example viewing or storing program information for a current music selection , participating in music surveys , or purchase of music via electronic account . the listener can also review the program information associated with a current program by inputting an information request for transmission to the dmt 100 . by pressing the view key , the user initiates the transmission of an information request by the drt unit 200 to the dmt 100 . the dmt processes the information request and initiates a search for program information associated with the current program . if the program information is not found by the dmt within a predetermined timer period , typically about five seconds , the dmt 100 will respond to the transmitted information request by transmitting an error message to the drt unit 200 . if the search by the dmt 100 is successful , the dmt 100 will respond to the transmitted information request by transmitting the program information to the drt unit 200 . with respect to digital audio signals , a typical program message includes information concerning the composer , the track title , the artist , the album associated with the track title , and custom information concerning the current performance . referring to fig4 , the preferred drt unit 200 includes a processor 240 , preferably a microcomputer or microcontroller , having on - board mask programmed memory , such as a read only memory ( rom ) 240 a . the memory 205 a comprises plurality of memory locations for storing parameters associated with different control signal protocols ( in particular , for storing a plurality or parameters associated with different control protocols for different controllable devices ). the preferred drt unit 200 further includes a rf receiver 201 , demodulator 218 , an applications specific integrated circuit asic 230 , digital / audio converter 270 , transmitter 260 , a data clock recovery pll 225 , front panel interface 250 , stereo output amplifier 280 . the output of the demodulator 218 is quadrature partial response ( qpr ) demodulated to produce a 5 . 6 mbps data stream containing 150 stereo pair of digital audio data to the asic 230 . the demodulator provides data to a data clock recovery pll 225 . the data clock recovery pll 225 contains a 33 . 8688 mhz crystal 122 ( about 33 . 9 mhz ) for timing purposes . in the preferred embodiment , the dmt 100 control signal protocols are stored in the rom 240 a . the control protocol includes the properly formatted codes associated with control functions for the dmt 100 . the asic 230 provides demultiplexing , decrypting , and decoding operations upon the 5 . 6 mbps data stream input by the demodulator 218 to the microprocessor 170 . the asic 230 separates the 5 . 6 mbps data stream to a select one of 150 stereo pairs of digital audio signals . the selected stereo pair is decrypted and separated to provide a program information signal and a digital audio signal . the digital audio signal is then decoded according to a variety of known techniques . the asic 230 inputs the digital audio and program information signals , provided at a sampling rate of 44 . 1 khz , to a digital / audio converter 270 , transmitter control 260 , and microprocessor memory 240 a . the demultiplexed control and channel data separated out from the data steam by the asic 230 are provided to a microprocessor 240 which controls the overall operation of the drt unit 200 . a clock signal generated internal to the asic 230 is utilized as a carrier signal to switch the output of the drt 200 on or off at a frequency of 44 . 1 khz . the 44 . 1 khz clock from an asic clock generator 230 a may be utilized to generate a carrier signal for rf signals sent by the drt transmitter 160 . the asic clock signal provided by the asic clock 230 a is derived from the about 33 . 9 mhz signal provided to the asic 230 by the data clock pll 225 . the drt 200 operates to control selected functions of the dmt 100 as well as the program information transmitted by the drt transmitter 260 associated with the dmt 100 . referring to fig2 a , the asic clock signal provided by the asic clock 230 a is similar in function and purpose to that of the aforementioned asic clock 130 a . as result , the 11 . 3 mhz clock signal is utilized as a clock signal selected operations conducted by the asic 230 . referring again to fig4 ., for a first operation mode , digital audio and program information carrier signals are received by the receiver antenna 201 from the dmt transmitter 160 . the received signal is provided to a double tuned tracking filter ( dttf ) with pll circuitry , from there to an amplifier 203 , on to a single tuned tracking filter ( sttf ) 205 , a mixer 207 , and saw filter 209 , and into a demodulator 218 , according to known techniques . the channel selection process is under control of a tuning synthesizer 220 , integrating amplifier 217 , sttf 215 , and amplifier 212 , interconnected as shown and impressing an appropriate signal on a line 211 to the dttf 201 , sttf 205 , and oscillator 210 to effect channel selection , according to known techniques . the program information signal from the asic 230 is sent to the microprocessor 240 where it may be displayed on the front panel interface 250 . the asic 230 also sends the program information signal to the transmitter interface 255 and transmitter control 260 for transmission to the dmt 100 . channel selection is provided by the infrared receiver and / or front panel interface 250 , which information is passed on by the microprocessor 240 to the tuning synthesizer 220 . the asic 230 inputs the digital audio and program information signals , provided at a sampling rate of 44 . 1 khz to a digital / audio converter 270 . the output of the d / a 270 device is provided as a data stream over a bus to a logic circuit 274 with separates the dates stream into control bits and channel indication ( tag bits ) and encrypted digital audio bits ( demultiplexing functions ) and decrypts the digitized audio data into a suitable form for a dolby decoder 278 . the audio data is decrypted into three serial streams per audio channel consisting of basic delta modulation parameters for “ left ” and “ right ” channels . the output of the dolby decoder 278 is provided as “ left and “ right ” audio channels to a stereo amplifier 280 , and to stereo outputs for use with standard audio components . from the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment , it will be appreciated that the present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art and achieves the objects and advantages of the invention recited above . accordingly , the invention improves existing methods of providing digital music by making the service more convenient and accessible to subscribers through wireless transmission of music to remotely located devices . greater recognition among subscribers is gained by similarities of the preferred embodiments to more popular consumer electronic music devices . and , digital music is made more versatile with improved methods of subscriber interaction with the service . the above description of the invention is intended to be illustrative and not limiting . various changes or modifications in the embodiments described may occur to those skilled in the art and these can be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention .	6
with reference to fig1 , it is first shown an elongated single - compartment bag 11 made of two wall sheets having an opening 13 in one of the wall sheets , and a connector 15 that is shown unattached for illustration purposes . in order to place the connector member 15 in the bag , an ancillary member 17 which in this embodiment is of annular shape is positioned at the rim of the opening 13 , which annular member is capable of centrally receiving the connector body 15 within its throat or opening 13 , thus forming a sealing fit . as shown in fig2 , the member 15 comprises a central body 19 having annular ribs 21 , which allow for a firm hold within the opening 13 of the annular member 17 , and two wing - like lateral extensions 23 within which tubes or conduits 25 extend to respectively inject water and remove the solution therethrough . these conduits 25 extend from corresponding apertures 27 in the wing ends 23 , that are configured to allow the attachment and connection to a dialysis machine ( not shown ), having some lengths that form channels 29 that are open on one end on the outer or rear side 31 of the member , then leading into the inner side 33 of the connector , wherein the solution outlet tube has an extremity for the attachment of a suction tube 35 , the terminal edge of which ends in a filter 37 such that , in use , the latter is lodged at the bottom of the bag 11 , at the opposite end of the opening 13 . similarly the inlet tube to inject the water can have a filter element directly at its end in the central body 19 . the filter element can be made by various manufacturing techniques . in one embodiment the orifice of the inlet tube is covered by a non - woven welded sheet which is welded or glued to the central body . the inlet orifice may also have a small extremity pointing into the container and having an enlarged cross - section compared with the outlet tube . for brevity purposes , any further details on the conventional aspects of the disclosure so far are omitted , since they are known from the aforementioned patents . the permanent bond between the annular member and the sheet material the bag 11 is made of , as well as the snap fitting thereto of the central member or the actual nozzle 15 , may have the same characteristics as shown in the above publication ar no 35 , 471 . in accordance with one aspect of the invention , the connector member 15 is molded with a cap 39 attached thereto by two linking flexible strips 41 . such cap 39 has the same transversally elongated configuration as the aforementioned rear side 31 of the wings 23 in the connector 15 , together with internal protuberances 43 replicating the open portions 29 of the tubes . thus , it is easy to understand that , when the cap 39 is folded over the outer side 31 of the connector 15 , thus folding the strips 41 which attach it to the ends of wings 23 , protuberances 43 snap fit within the open channels 29 far enough to seal them , the sealing being guaranteed by ultrasound or laser welding . in the illustrated example , wings 23 have an 87 . 3 mm span to accommodate a 78 . 0 mm length between the central points of the mounting apertures and connection 27 . the open channels 29 have a 4 . 1 mm width , whereas the cap 39 has a 1 . 0 mm thickness , just like protuberances 43 on the inner side of the cap 39 . strips 41 attaching the cap onto the body 15 of the connector are 3 . 0 mm long , 2 . 0 mm wide and 0 . 8 mm thick . fig4 shows the apertures 27 that the channels 29 of the connector 15 lead into , and fig5 shows a reinforcing structure 45 that serves to stiffen the said member . once the central piece 15 of the connector with the cap 39 already welded onto it , as disclosed above , and the bag 11 with the annular member 17 have been made , the powdered product is filled into the bag 11 . the member 15 of the actual connector is then placed on the annular member 17 , by first introducing the suction tube 35 , which serves as an extension of the solution outlet , such that the filter 37 reaches the bottom of the bag 11 . both apertures 27 are sealed as shown in fig6 and 7 by means of a polyester - coated sheet 47 as shown in fig8 , which is bonded by a peel - off hot melt , and then the filled and sealed device containing the substance to be dissolved is ready to be shipped to a point of use , i . e . a hospital , clinic or dialysis center . it is seen that the annular member 17 serves two purposes : as an inlet port for the solid matter to be dissolved and as a sealing mounting and retention member on the central member of connector 15 having the characteristics of a finished plug . when it is time for use , the device is promptly attached to a dialysis machine , after the peel - off sheet 47 has been lifted from apertures 27 , and plugged into the mounting console of the machine , after which the latter will pump pure or distilled water via one of the tubes 25 in order to dissolve the solid matter . after being contacted by water , such solid matter forms a solution with the solid contents that is capable of passing through sieve 37 such that it can be sucked by tube 35 and carried through the outlet tube 21 into the machine for the purifying treatment of the blood taken from the patient to be detoxified and returned by extracorporeal circulation in the case of hemodialysis . when the product in the device bag has been depleted , the connecting apertures 27 are unplugged and the device is disposed of or replaced to perform another treatment with a new device . it will be apparent that various modifications and additions could be introduced into the embodiment disclosed herein , as long as they are consistent with the spirit and scope of the present invention . for instance , while the invention has been described regarding a replaceable device suitable for a hemodialysis machine , it should be apparent that the solution provided could eventually be used in other medical application with analogous problems to solve such as a peritoneal dialysis machine . it should also be apparent that while the described embodiment uses a bag , the concept of the invention is applicable to containers in general , independent of the flexibility of the walls of the container .	0
the present invention relates to a process for the production of low - viscosity , storable amphoteric surfactants in which a ) 1 - hydroxyethyl - 2 - alkyl - 2 - imidazolines corresponding to formula ( i ): ## str4 ## in which r 1 is an alkyl radical containing 5 to 21 carbon atoms , are quaternized or carboxymethylated with halogenated carboxylic acid salts and , at the same time , hydrolyzed with aqueous bases at a ph value in the range from 7 . 5 to 9 and b ) the end reaction products are adjusted to a ph value of 5 to 7 . it has surprisingly been found that the careful control of the ph value both during the production of the imidazolinium betaines and during their storage results in the formation of products which are of low viscosity , even in highly concentrated form , and which show a constant low viscosity , even after storage for several weeks . 1 - hydroxyethyl - 2 - alkyl - 2 - imidazolines are known substances which are obtained , for example , by condensation of fatty acids with aminoethyl ethanolamine . typical examples of imidazolines which may be used as starting materials in the process according to the invention are the condensation products of aminoethyl ethanolamine with caproic acid , caprylic acid , capric acid , lauric acid , myristic acid , palmitic acid , stearic acid , isostearic acid , arachic acid and behenic acid and the technical mixtures thereof obtained , for example , in the pressure hydrolysis of native fats and oils . imidazolines corresponding to formula ( i ), in which r 1 is a c 11 - 17 alkyl radical , based on technical cocofatty or tallow fatty acids are preferably used . halogenated carboxylic acid salts in the context of the invention are the sodium and / or potassium salts of haloacetic acid , halopropionic acid and / or halobutyric acid . sodium chloroacetate is preferably used . the imidazolines and the halogenated carboxylic acid salts may normally be used in molar ratios of 1 : 1 . 5 to 1 : 3 and preferably 1 : 1 . 8 to 1 : 2 . 5 . it has proved to be optimal to carry out the quaternization or carboxymethylation and the hydrolysis simultaneously at temperatures in the range from 70 ° to 85 ° c . and preferably at temperatures in the range from 78 ° to 83 ° c . suitable aqueous bases are sodium hydroxide and / or potassium hydroxide , 5 to 55 % by weight solutions and , more particularly , 30 to 50 % by weight solutions of sodium hydroxide preferably being used . the quantity of base is determined by the content of halogenated carboxylic acid salt . the base and the salt are preferably used in a molar ratio of 0 . 9 : 1 to 1 : 1 . 2 and preferably in a molar ratio of 1 : 1 to 1 : 1 . 1 . the function of the base is to form an inorganic salt , for example sodium chloride , with the halogen component of the carboxylic acid salt . if , nevertheless , it should be of advantage in practice to exceed the equimolar ratio , this may be done when a relatively high concentration of base is necessary to maintain the ph range regarded as critical . in addition , it has proved to be of advantage to add small quantities of citric acid , for example , to the solutions in order to buffer the mixtures . in order to illustrate the findings on which the present invention is based , the process is described by way of example at this juncture : a solution of aqueous sodium chloroacetate and citric acid is initially introduced . beginning at 40 ° c ., the imidazoline is added over a period of 30 minutes , the temperature rising to around 50 ° c . and the ph measured in the mixture to a value of 11 . 65 . the temperature is then rapidly increased to 70 ° c ., the ph value falling . the ph value is then kept constant at 8 . 5 -- as required by the process according to the invention -- by addition of aqueous sodium hydroxide . the hplc analysis of a sample taken at this time shows that monocarboxylate and predominantly dicarboxylate are present alongside one another . after a reaction time of about 7 h and a consumption of 90 % by weight of total quantity of sodium hydroxide required to form the inorganic salt , the chromatogram shows only small amounts of unreacted imidazoline . the remaining quantity of base is added in one portion . analysis of the reaction product , which is adjusted to ph 8 . 5 by addition of acid , shows a ratio of dicarboxylate to monocarboxylate of greater than 6 . the viscosity is below 100 mpa · s . for storage , the ph value is lowered to 6 . if the reaction is carried out at ph values above 9 , it is possible by hplc to show that most of the imidazoline is hydrolyzed before quaternization can take place . the parallel carboxymethylation gives a highly viscous product which mainly contains compounds corresponding to formula ( iia ). if the reaction is carried out at ph values below 7 . 5 , the establishment of an equilibrium between &# 34 ; betainized &# 34 ; and free imidazoline is observed . when sodium hydroxide is added , both species are rapidly hydrolyzed , resulting again in a high percentage of the compound corresponding to formula ( iia ) ( ratio of dicarboxylate to monocarboxylate & lt ; 3 ). if , by contrast , the reaction is carried out under the conditions of the process according to the invention ( ph range 7 . 5 to 9 ), an equilibrium between betainized and free imidazoline is again established , although almost exclusively the betainized imidazoline is ring - opened under the reaction conditions . in accordance with the equilibrium position , betaine is reformed from the free imidazoline and , in turn , can be rehydrolyzed . in overall terms , therefore , the low - viscosity compound corresponding to formula ( iib ) is predominantly formed . the amphoteric surfactant concentrates of the prior art obtained on the basis of imidazoline almost all show a steady increase in viscosity in storage of which the rate is determined by the storage conditions , but especially by the ratio between the monocarboxylates and dicarboxylates ( iia ) and ( iib ). in the case of products corresponding to the prior art , the ratio of dicarboxylate to monocarboxylate typically falls from 3 . 2 to 1 . 4 after storage for 4 weeks at 60 ° c . this results in an increase in viscosity to more than four times the starting value . according to the invention , the sensitivity of ( iib ) to hydrolysis can be counteracted by adjusting the product to a ph of 5 to 7 for storage . hplc investigations have shown that the ratio of dicarboxylate to monocarboxylate and the content of free fatty acid remain constant under these conditions , even in the event of prolonged storage . the amphoteric surfactants obtainable by the process according to the invention have low viscosities and remain stable in storage , even over prolonged periods . they are suitable for the production of surface - active formulations , more particularly dishwashing detergents and cleaning products and also hair - care and personal - hygiene products , in which they may be present in quantities of 0 . 1 to 25 % by weight and preferably in quantities of 0 . 5 to 10 % by weight , based on the particular product . the following examples are intended to illustrate the invention without limiting it in any way . in a 400 ml four - necked stirred reactor equipped with a reflux condenser , thermometer , ph electrode and dropping funnel , 77 . 7 g ( 666 mmoles ) of sodium chloroacetate were dissolved in 170 . 2 g of water . after the addition of 0 . 6 g of citric acid monohydrate , 100 g ( 371 mmoles ) of 1 - hydroxyethyl - 2 - undecyl - 2 - imidazoline were uniformly added over a period of 25 minutes at 40 ° c ., the temperature rising to 50 ° c . and the ph value ( measured in the reaction mixture ) to 11 . 7 . the reaction mixture was then rapidly heated to 70 ° c ., a reduction in the ph value being observed . the ph value was kept constant at 8 . 5 by addition of 38 . 9 g ( 486 mmoles ) of sodium hydroxide in the form of a 50 % by weight aqueous solution and the mixture was stirred for 240 minutes . the ph value was then increased to 9 . 0 and was kept constant for another 180 minutes by addition of sodium hydroxide . the total consumption of naoh up to this time was 47 . 5 g ( 593 . 7 mmoles ). after another 120 minutes ( the ph value had meanwhile fallen to 8 . 3 ), another 5 g ( 62 . 5 mmoles ) of sodium hydroxide were added and the mixture was stirred for 60 minutes . on completion of the reaction , the resulting clear liquid was adjusted to a ph value of 8 . 5 by addition of concentrated hydrochloric acid and water . 73 . 9 g ( 633 mmoles ) of sodium chloroacetate dissolved in 152 . 8 g of water , 0 . 58 g of monohydrated citric acid and 100 g ( 352 mmoles ) of an imidazoline , which had been obtained from a hydrogenated c 12 / 18 cocofatty acid and aminoethyl ethanolamine in accordance with de - a 36 41 871 , were reacted as in example 1 . to control the ph value , a total of 152 . 8 g ( 633 . 8 moles ) of sodium hydroxide in the form of a 50 % by weight aqueous solution was consumed . the end product ( a clear liquid ) was adjusted to a ph value of 6 . 5 with concentrated hydrochloric acid . 1 , 500 g of a product obtained as described in example 1 were divided into 6 portions and adjusted to ph values in the range from 3 to 12 with hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide . equal portions of these products were stored for 2 weeks at temperatures of 5 ° to 60 ° c . the di / monocarboxylate ratio , the fatty acid content and the viscosity were then analyzed . the results are set out in table 1 . 237 . 8 g ( 2 . 04 moles ) of sodium chloroacetate dissolved in 450 g of water were reacted with 268 g ( 1 mole ) of 1 - hydroxyethyl - 2 - undecyl - 2 - imidazoline after addition of 8 . 4 g of citric acid , as described in examples 1 and 9 of de - b 40 38 983 . after the imidazoline had been added , the mixture was stirred for 30 minutes at 80 ° c . 155 . 7 g ( 1 . 95 moles ) of sodium hydroxide in the form of a 50 % by weight aqueous solution were then uniformly added over a period of 120 minutes . after another 180 mins . reaction time , a ph value of 8 . 25 was established by addition of 50 % by weight citric acid and the product was cooled a solids content of 50 0 s by weight was established by addition of water . the results of tests to determine stability in storage are set out in table 2 . table 1______________________________________storage behavior of example 3 according to the invention t fatty acid viscos . ph value ° c . dmr % by weight mpa · s______________________________________3 . 05 5 7 . 2 0 . 24 5100 25 6 . 7 0 . 35 4500 60 4 . 5 2 . 70 163005 . 07 5 8 . 3 0 . 29 280 25 8 . 2 0 . 24 270 60 6 . 6 0 . 40 12107 . 04 5 8 . 3 0 . 22 280 25 8 . 2 0 . 25 250 60 5 . 3 0 . 35 21508 . 59 5 8 . 2 0 . 24 155 25 8 . 1 0 . 27 120 60 3 . 3 1 . 00 1250010 . 46 5 8 . 4 0 . 32 130 25 8 . 4 0 . 34 120 60 4 . 2 2 . 50 2100012 . 0 5 4 . 1 2 . 60 35000 25 3 . 8 3 . 50 n . m . 60 0 . 7 8 . 4 n . m . ______________________________________ legend : t = temperature dmr = di / monocarboxylate ratio viscos . = viscosity cone / plate system at 25 ° c ., carrimed viscosimeter n . m . = not measurable table 2______________________________________storage behavior of comparison example t st . fatty acid viscos . ph value ° c . w dmr % by weight mpa · s______________________________________8 . 25 -- -- 3 . 2 1 . 1 3808 . 10 60 1 2 . 6 2 . 1 160007 . 90 60 4 1 . 4 4 . 3 40000______________________________________ legend : st . = storage time w = weeks	2
in a modern hard disk drive , and with reference to fig1 and 3 , the hsa 40 is pivotally secured to the base of the drive via a pivot - bearing cartridge 42 so that the read / write transducer ( s ) of sliders 44 at the distal end of the suspension assembly ( ies ) may be moved over the recording surface ( s ) of the disk ( s ) 46 . the pivot - bearing cartridge 42 enables the hsa 40 to pivot , and includes a bearing cartridge and a pivot shaft that defines an axis 48 about which the actuator rotates when power is applied to the vcm . the “ rotary ” or “ swing - type ” actuator assembly rotates on the pivot bearing cartridge 42 between limited positions , and the coil assembly 52 that extends from one side of the body portion 50 of the actuator body of the hsa 40 is disposed between and interacts with a first permanent magnet 54 mounted to a bottom vcm plate 56 and a second permanent magnet 58 mounted to a top vcm plate 60 to form the vcm formed by the bottom vcm plate 56 , the first permanent magnet 54 , the coil assembly 52 , the second permanent magnet 58 and the top vcm plate 60 . in operation , when a driving voltage is applied to the vcm , torque is developed that causes the hsa 40 to pivot about the actuator pivot axis 48 and causes the read / write transducer ( s ) of the sliders 44 to sweep radially over the disk ( s ) 46 . most modern drives use a feedback mechanism so that small changes in applied voltage are operative to position the read / write transducer ( s ) of the sliders 44 precisely over the disk ( s ) 46 . the increasing number of disks in the disk pack , in particular , has engendered a corresponding increase in the number of actuator arms ( four such actuator arms being shown in fig1 - 3 ) on the hsa 40 . indeed , fig4 shows a side view of an hsa having six actuator arms that support fully ten sliders comprising read / write actuators configured to read and write data to and from 5 magnetic disks sandwiched therebetween . fig5 is a detail side view of a pair of the hgas and suspension or lift tabs shown in fig4 . fig5 shows two hgas 102 . each hga 102 may comprise a load beam 402 ( best seen in fig4 ), a gimbal 106 and a slider 108 attached to the gimbal 106 . the free distal end of the hga may comprise a suspension tab 502 . the suspension tab 502 may be configured , among other functions , to enable the heads to be loaded ( parked ) onto and unloaded from a ramp 202 ( best shown in fig1 and 2 ) disposed at the outer diameter ( od ) of the disks 46 . the slider 108 comprises a read head for reading and writing data from and to a magnetic disk ( e . g . disk 46 ). the read head includes a slider substrate having an abs ( the label 108 points to this surface ). the slider substrate may comprise aitic , although another ceramic or silicon materials may also be used . the slider substrate of the read head 210 also includes a trailing face that includes a read / write transducer ( too small to be practically shown in the figures ). in certain embodiments , the read / write transducer may comprise an inductive magnetic write transducer merged with a magneto - resistive read transducer . one purpose of the load beam 402 is to provide limited vertical compliance for the read head of the slider 108 to follow the vertical undulations of the surface of a disk ( e . g . disk 46 of fig1 ) as it rotates , and to preload the air bearing surface of the read head against the disk surface by the aforementioned “ gram load .” fig6 shows the gram load spring biasing forces 602 that are imposed upon a slider abs during conventional gram load measurement . as shown , a conventional method of gram load measurement uses the abs as a reference datum for the measurement of the spring force 602 . that is , the load beam , which may be under compression or tension , is made to move ( e . g ., released from a previously constrained initial configuration and position ) such that the abs of the slider 108 is made to contact the opposing surface of a load cell 604 . the resulting force imposed upon the load cell 604 by the abs of the slider 108 is measured and is related to the gram load . such a system presents two major issues ; namely , abs surface damage and contamination . indeed , the abs - to - load cell contact may damage the delicate structures of the abs and / or the facing surface of the load cell 604 may transfer contaminants onto the abs of the slider 108 , potentially negatively affecting operation of the slider 108 above the disks 46 . one embodiment comprises a gram load measurement assembly that does not rely upon the abss of the sliders - to - load cell contact to accurately measure the gram load . fig7 is a diagram of such a gram load measurement assembly 700 , configured for the measurement of hsa gram load without physical contact between the load cell and the sliders of the hsas . as shown , the gram load measurement assembly 700 may comprise , according to one embodiment , a base assembly 702 that supports a top tooling assembly 704 . characteristics and functionality of each is described hereunder and shown in the figures . fig8 is a diagram of a top tooling assembly 704 of the gram load measurement assembly 700 of fig7 , according to one embodiment . fig9 is a diagram of the base assembly 702 of the gram load measurement assembly 700 of fig7 , according to one embodiment . fig8 and 9 are shown at different scales , for clarity of illustration . according to one embodiment , the top tooling assembly 704 may comprise structure configured to clamp and hold captive an actuator assembly and to position the load beams of the hgas thereof in a manner suitable to enable the measurement of the respective gram loads thereof . the base assembly 702 of fig9 may be configured , according to one embodiment , to house a user interface and controls configured to enable a human or machine operator to operate the gram load measurement assembly 700 . the base assembly 702 may also house a load cell assembly that is acted upon by structure of the top tooling assembly 704 and that generates a corresponding output signal from which a gram load measurement may be derived . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of the gram load measurement assembly 700 , along cross - sectional line aa ′ of fig7 . fig1 is a detail cross - sectional view of the base assembly 702 of the gram load measurement assembly 700 . fig1 shows the hsa 802 mounted in and help captive by the top tooling assembly 704 , a load cell tower 804 and a load cell assembly 806 . the top tooling assembly 704 , according to one embodiment , may be configured to measure the force imparted upon a disk simulator assembly by the hgas of the captive hsa . the disk simulator assembly may be coupled to a load cell tower 804 such as to mechanically transmit the imparted force onto the load cell tower 804 . the load cell tower 804 , in turn , may be coupled to load cell assembly 806 in the base assembly 702 , which load cell assembly 806 may be configured to generate an output signal that may be proportional or otherwise related to the gram load being measured . fig1 is a detail cross - sectional view of the base assembly 702 of the gram load measurement assembly 700 . fig1 shows a hsa 802 held captive by the top tooling assembly 704 . in detail , the top tooling assembly 704 may comprise a disk drive actuator clamping assembly comprising a first pivot datum 810 and a second pivot datum 812 . the top tooling assembly 704 may be configured , according to one embodiment , to cause the first pivot datum 810 and the second pivot datum 812 to clamp down on the pivot bearing cartridge 42 ( also readily visible in fig1 and 3 ) of the hsa ( along actuator pivot axis 48 , for example ). the top tooling assembly 704 , in this manner , holds the hsa under test captive , to enable accurate measurement of the gram load forces . fig1 is a perspective view of an hsa mounted in a gram load measurement assembly 700 according to one embodiment . shown in fig1 is the vcm 801 , the actuator body into which the pivot bearing cartridge 42 is fitted , and actuator arms 813 terminated by the respective hgas of the hsa . according to one embodiment , the hsa and the disk simulator assembly are disposed within the gram load measurement assembly 700 such that there is no contact between the respective abss of the sliders ( or the slider in its entirety ) and any surface during the gram load measurement . indeed , according to one embodiment and as shown in fig1 , during the gram load measurement , it is the distal free ends of the hgas of the hsa that are made to selectively contact the disk simulator assembly 808 and / or any load cell bearing surface during the gram load measurement procedure , rather than abss of the sliders . according to one embodiment and as shown in fig1 , it is the suspension tabs 502 ( also called lift tabs ) disposed at the distal free end of the load beams of the hgas that are positioned to bear against corresponding surfaces of the disk simulator assembly 808 , thereby sparing the more proximally - disposed sliders any potentially damaging contact therewith . as shown , each of the suspension tabs 502 faces a bearing surface of the disk simulator assembly 808 against which the suspension tab will bear during the gram load measurement procedure , thereby exerting a force against that bearing surface , which force may be transmitted to and measured by the load cell assembly 806 within the base assembly 702 . as also shown , the sliders 108 and their respective abss are disposed well away from the disk simulator assembly 808 , sparing them from potential contamination and damage . to properly position the suspension tabs of the hsa under test to face the corresponding bearing surfaces of the disk simulator assembly 808 , the load beams thereof ( attached to the distal end of the actuator arms of the actuator assembly ) may be manipulated so as to separate facing sliders 108 away from one another . once separated , the suspension tabs 502 are in a configuration in which they may be inserted within the openings or features of the disk simulator assembly 808 . alternatively , the disk simulator assembly 808 may be moved into position such that the respective suspension tabs of the hgas fit within openings and face their corresponding bearing surfaces . in this configuration , the suspension tabs 502 face corresponding bearing surfaces if the disk simulator assembly 808 . according to one embodiment , a head spreader assembly is configured to separate the facing sliders 108 from one another . fig1 shows aspects of such a head spreader assembly 814 . the head spreader assembly 814 , according to one embodiment , may comprise a plurality of head spreader tabs , one for each of the hgas of the hsa . some of the head spreader tabs are shown in fig1 , at reference numeral 828 . in the implementation illustrated in fig1 , six such head spreader tabs are provided and actuated by a , for example , pneumatic air gripper assembly 816 . the pneumatic air gripper assembly 816 may comprise a plurality of spreader tab actuation elements 818 , each of which may be mechanically coupled to a corresponding one of the head spreader tabs 828 . according to one embodiment , when the gram load of , for example , head 0 ( coupled to the top - most hga in fig1 ) is to be measured , a corresponding one of the spreader tab actuation elements 818 may be actuated by the pneumatic air gripper assembly 816 to cause the head spreader tab coupled thereto move away from the hga with which it was in contact , thereby enabling the corresponding suspension tab 502 to come into contact with and bear against a corresponding surface on the disk simulator assembly 808 , which bearing force may then be measured by the load cell assembly 806 within the base assembly 702 . for example , when it comes time to measure the gram load of head 5 , the corresponding head spreader tab is moved away from the hga to which head 5 is coupled , causing the suspension tab 820 thereof to move towards and bear against a facing surface 822 , as suggested by the up - facing arrow . similarly , when it comes time to measure the gram load of head 6 , the corresponding head spreader tab is moved away from the hga to which head 6 is coupled , causing the suspension tab 824 thereof to move towards and bear against a facing surface 826 of the disk simulator assembly 808 , as suggested by the down arrow . fig1 is a simplified side view of the hgas , the disk simulator assembly 808 the head spreader tabs 828 , according to one embodiment . fig1 illustrates an initial state before or between gram load measurements . in this state , the head spreader tabs 828 have been actuated to spread the sliders of the hsa such that the suspension tabs 502 face , but do not contact , their corresponding facing surface on the disk simulator assembly 808 . as shown , pairs of hgas ( according to one embodiment , pairs thereof that comprise sliders configured to read and write data from separate but immediately adjacent disks 46 ) may be suitably deflected by the head spreader tabs 828 such that may be interdigitated within corresponding openings defined within the disk simulator assembly 808 . other hgas ( such as , for example , those to which the top - most and bottom - most sliders are coupled ) may be , as shown in fig1 , disposed so as to face a top - facing bearing surface and a bottom - facing bearing surface of the disk simulator assembly 808 , respectively . fig1 illustrates the manner in which the suspension tabs acts upon the disk simulator assembly 808 when a head spreader tab 828 is moved away from its associated hga by a corresponding head separator tab actuator coupled thereto , according to one embodiment . as shown therein , when it is desired to measure the gram load of head 0 ( shown as slider 108 0 , coupled to the top - most hga in fig1 ), the pneumatic air gripper assembly 816 may act upon the spreader tab actuation element 818 coupled to head spreader tab 828 0 . this releases the hga to which head 0 ( slider 108 0 ) is coupled , which elastically tends to move from its initial , deflected state in the direction indicated at 832 until the suspension tab 502 0 comes into contact with and bear against the facing surface 808 0 of the disk simulator assembly 808 . this force , illustrated in fig1 at 830 , is transmitted through the load cell tower 804 to the load cell assembly 806 in the base assembly 702 . the load cell assembly 806 may then generate an output related to the exerted force 830 , from which output a quantity representative of the gram load of head 0 may be derived . the gram loads of other sliders may be similarly measured , by moving a corresponding head spreader tab 828 away from the hga to thereby cause the suspension tab thereof to come into contact and bear against a facing bearing surface ( 808 1 , 808 2 . . . ) of the disk simulator assembly 808 . the gram load of the sliders may be measured sequentially or in any order . the measured / derived gram loads and / or other intermediate values may be stored in a memory disposed , for example , in the base assembly 702 and / or exterior thereto . as may be seen from fig1 , at no time do the sliders of the hgas come into contact with the disk simulator assembly 808 or any other surfaces during the gram load measurement procedure , thereby sparing the abss thereof damage or contamination that may otherwise occur had the sliders been the datum against which the gram load was measured . advantageously , one embodiment may be configured to carry out hga gram load measurements using the suspension tabs of the hgas using a top tooling assembly 704 that may comprise individually - actuable head spreader tabs 828 . according to one embodiment , the configuration of the pneumatic air gripper assembly 816 and the number and configuration of the spreader tab actuation elements 818 and that of the head spreader tabs 828 may be modified at will to conform to the structure ( e . g ., size , shape and number of actuator arms ) of different actuator assemblies . likewise , according to one embodiment , the disk simulator assembly 808 may be modular and may be configured for easy removal and replacement with a different disk simulator assembly configured for other actuator assemblies . the base assembly 702 may also be modular and may be configured to accommodate different top tooling assemblies 704 configured for different actuator assemblies . indeed , rather than modifying the top tooling assembly 704 to accommodate different actuator assemblies , different top tooling assemblies 704 may be configured for different actuator assemblies and may be configured to be hot swappable onto a same base assembly 702 . other permutations are possible . for example , the base and top tooling assemblies 702 , 704 may be integrated into a single device . according to one embodiment , precise control over the displacement imposed by the heads spreader tabs 828 on the hgas is desired , to prevent stacking up tolerances of displacement variations during gram load testing . for example , according to one embodiment , the displacement imposed upon the hgas by the head spreader tabs ( see , e . g ., the displacement imposed on head 0 from its state in fig1 to its state in fig1 ) may be controlled such that the stacking up of displacement errors across sliders is kept to less than about 10 % or less . according to one embodiment , the head spreader assembly 814 , comprising at least the pneumatic air gripper assembly 816 , the spreader tab actuation elements 818 and the head spreader tabs 828 , may be configured to minimize external forces applied to the constituent load beams of the actuator assembly in order to eliminate distortion and side effects of machine operation that may impact other parameters of the hsa . toward that end , the head spreader tabs 828 may be configured to have minimal contact with the load beam , with a minimized amount of shock load . fig1 is a flowchart of a method , according to one embodiment . as shown , the method may comprise , as shown at b 181 , clamping and holding captive an actuator assembly of a disk drive , the actuator assembly comprising a plurality of load beams . block b 182 calls for deflecting the plurality of load beams . as further shown in fig1 , block b 183 calls for causing suspension tabs coupled to respective free ends of the load beams to face respective bearing surfaces . as shown at b 184 , one of the deflected load beams may then be released such that the suspension tab coupled to the released load beam contacts and bears against a corresponding one of the bearing surfaces . as shown at block b 185 , the biasing force of the suspension tab bearing against the corresponding one of the bearing surfaces may then be measured . while certain embodiments of the disclosure have been described , these embodiments have been presented by way of example only , and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure . indeed , the novel methods , devices and systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms . furthermore , various omissions , substitutions and changes in the form of the methods and systems described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure . the accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosure . for example , those skilled in the art will appreciate that in various embodiments , the actual physical and logical structures may differ from those shown in the figures . depending on the embodiment , certain steps described in the example above may be removed , others may be added . also , the features and attributes of the specific embodiments disclosed above may be combined in different ways to form additional embodiments , all of which fall within the scope of the present disclosure . although the present disclosure provides certain preferred embodiments and applications , other embodiments that are apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art , including embodiments which do not provide all of the features and advantages set forth herein , are also within the scope of this disclosure .	6
the overall concept of this invention is to integrate ( build in ) an interactive gaming component with exercise and / or fitness equipment ( machines ). at the very least , this provides an entertaining diversion , and if well implemented adds incentive to exercising by making it more fun . the interactive gaming component can be as simple as a standard video game with a display and hand controls built into the machine . this would function as an entertaining diversion unrelated to the exercise activity . in it &# 39 ; s best form , however , the invention correlates the game to the exercise and therefore uses input from the machine such as exercise rate ( e . g ., pedaling speed ) to control a game activity , and outputs game - related feedback to the user such as exercise resistance changes ( e . g ., pedal resistance ) and even sensory virtual reality effects such as vibration , tilt , impact , fan generated “ wind ”, sound effects , seat temperature , etc . thus , for example , the user is on an exercise bicycle ( e . g ., 10 , 10 ′) which controls a virtual bicycle in a race shown real - time on a monitor screen 36 , the user providing both pedaling speed and steering for the virtual bike through the pedals 16 and handgrips 20 of the actual exercise bike / machine 10 , 10 ′. through network communication connections ( e . g ., wired 44 , wireless 66 ), the user can even compete in real time with other exercise machine users in the same fitness center or in remote locations via internet connectivity . furthermore , the competing users can be on different types of game - exercise machines 10 , 10 ′ since the game and game controller 52 are preferably adaptable to work with the different machine types . even further , it is possible to compete between a user on a game - exercise machine 10 , 10 ′ and another user that is playing the same or related game on a non - exercise machine , for example on a commercial game console connected to a television display and a handheld joystick . the game activity does not have to be directly related to the type of exercise machine . for example , a virtual fighter could swing a sword , run , jump etc . with the nature of the activity being selected by a set of push buttons 32 on the machine handgrip ( s ) 20 , while the speed , frequency , and / or force of the sword blows ; the running speed ; the jumping distance / height , and the like being controlled by the user &# 39 ; s exercising speed ; and the virtual direction can be controlled by a thumb - operated joystick 34 on the handgrip 20 or even by directed force applied to the handgrip 20 itself . in another example , a leg - lift weight training machine ( not illustrated ) uses the frequency , timing , height , and / or duration of the lift to control virtual activities in a fighting game . given this teaching , game designers and fitness experts should be able to develop a wide variety of integrated game - exercise machine combinations according to this invention . the illustrated embodiment is a recumbent bicycle exercise machine 10 , 10 ′, shown in two of many possible forms , a first variety 10 being illustrated in fig1 - 7 and a second variety 10 ′ being illustrated in fig8 - 10 . given the teachings herein , it should be apparent that the inventive concept can be applied to a wide range of fitness / exercise machines ; for example , but not limited to : stationary bike , treadmill , stair stepper , rowing machine , elliptical , nordic ski simulator , specific muscle training machines , etc . for each machine , the interactive gaming component can be adapted to a corresponding sport or activity , and / or the various game inputs and outputs can be suitably adapted to a desired game . in general , the interactive gaming component being integrated with an exercise machine comprises : computer / game controller inputs from the user ( e . g ., sensors on the equipment including user - manipulated controls ) game outputs ( feedback ) to the user ( e . g ., visual , audible , sensory ) accessories ( e . g ., music player , multi - user interaction ) referring now to fig1 - 7 , a first embodiment of the inventive exercise - game machine 10 is an enhanced recumbent bicycle exercise machine . as in a standard recumbent bicycle exercise machine , the exercise - game machine 10 has a frame 14 mounted on floor stand feet 26 that extend laterally to prevent tipping over . a seat 12 having at least a seat bottom 24 and preferably a seatback 22 is mounted on the top rear of the frame 14 , preferably with some standard form of fore - aft and / or height adjustment capability . bicycle pedals 16 are appropriately mounted on the frame 14 and attached to a flywheel 58 with an associated braking / resistance mechanism 56 that is adjustable for increasing and decreasing the amount of pedaling resistance . finally , hand grips 20 are provided for the user , mounted on the seat 12 as shown or mounted elsewhere ( e . g ., as a handlebar 20 ). inventive additions to the recumbent bicycle fitness machine 10 , 10 ′ comprise interactive game components including a display 18 mounted on the front of the frame 14 at a position suitable for easy viewing by the user ; one or more pushbuttons 32 positioned in the handgrips 20 for easy actuation by the user &# 39 ; s fingertip ( s ), a joystick 34 positioned for thumb actuation ( optionally replaced on one or both handgrips 20 by a trigger button 34 ); input / output ( i / o ) devices 46 , 48 in the seat back 22 and seat bottom 24 , respectively ; a controller 52 ( including the functions of a game console ); a pedal speed sensor / motor 54 ; electronically controlled brake / resistance control 56 ; and a wireless lan interface 66 . the display 18 has , for example , a color monitor screen 36 that may also be a touchscreen ; a keypad and / or keyboard and / or push buttons 38 ; miscellaneous i / o 40 ( e . g ., switches , buttons , indicator lights , speaker , mike , fan , scent emitter , etc . ); and optionally a cd or dvd player 42 for music , video , and / or game storage and playing . cartridges , removable memory devices , and removable playback units ( mp3 , cd player , etc .) may also be connected via the player 42 . more details are provided hereinbelow . an added convenience feature for exercise machines like the illustrated recumbent bicycle 10 is a set of retractable wheels 28 ( e . g ., two or three on each side of the frame 14 ) that are controlled by a manual lever 30 . when the machine 10 is to be used , the lever 30 is turned to retract / raise the wheels 28 such that the machine 10 is supported on stationary front and back feet 26 as shown in fig1 and 7 . in order to easily roll the machine 10 to a different location , the lever 30 is turned to lower / extend downward the wheels 28 such that the machine 10 is lifted off of the front and back feet 26 and is rollingly supported by the free - rolling retractable wheels 28 , as shown in fig3 . a variant of this convenience feature is shown in fig8 - 10 which illustrate a second embodiment of a recumbent bicycle type of exercise - game machine 10 ′ according to the invention . the second machine 10 ′ utilizes rollers 62 on the front one of the legs 26 , such that to move the machine 10 ′, a person would lift the back end of the frame 14 ( e . g ., by the back one of the legs 26 ) and push or pull the machine 10 ′ as it rolls on the rollers 62 . fig8 - 10 also show some other forms of the interactive game component . a plug cable 44 is a power cord and / or a wired lan cable ( e . g ., ethernet ), and / or a plug cable for connecting external devices ( an audio player , for example ) to the exercise - game machine 10 , 10 ′. fig9 - 10 show speakers 60 mounted above the seat back 22 for stereo sound audible game output / feedback , and / or for entertainment music output ( e . g ., from a music cd player 42 ). fig8 and 10 show a multiple button 32 implementation in the handgrips 20 ( e . g ., buttons for the first and second fingers of each hand ). fig8 - 9 show arrangements and forms of the pedal speed sensor / motor 54 , flywheel 58 , brake / resistance control 56 , and pedals 16 that are different from those shown in fig1 - 7 . with reference to the recumbent bicycle exercise - game machine embodiments 10 , 10 ′ illustrated in the drawings , the interactive game components added to the exercise machine have the following exemplary details : computer / game controller / console 52 : this could be anything from a standard video game box with game cartridges , to a customized computer with lan 44 , wi / fi 66 , and / or internet connections 44 , 66 . the controller 52 is preferably located in or attached to an individual exercise - game machine 10 , 10 ′, but could also be remotely located , such as a central control computer 52 networked to multiple machines 10 , 10 ′ in a fitness center , each exercise - game machine 10 , 10 ′ having an i / o box for directing the input signals and output signals to / from sensors , actuators and the like . user inputs ( to the controller 52 ) include , for example : the pedal speed sensor 54 ; push buttons 32 and / or triggers 34 and / or thumb - operated joysticks 34 built into the handgrip ( s ) 20 ; force sensors 46 , 48 to detect direction and / or magnitude of force applied to the handgrips / handlebar / steering wheel 20 and / or seat bottom 24 and seat back 22 ( effectively making any of them into a joystick , a steering bar / wheel , a bike tilt detector , a flight stick , an isometric force detector , and so on ); a microphone 40 or 60 for detecting voice commands and other sounds ; a temperature sensor ( e . g ., 48 ), an odor sensor ( e . g ., 60 ), a moisture sensor ( e . g ., 48 ), etc . auxiliary inputs include , for example , the keypad / keyboard 38 , a touch screen 36 , buttons , switches , and the like 40 that are associated with general game controls and likely located in or nearby the video display screen / monitor 36 . in non - bicycle embodiments of the present invention , the “ pedal speed sensor 54 ” is a comparable detector ( measurer , sensor ) of exercise effort and / or action achievement ( e . g ., force , rate , speed , frequency , repetition count , tilt angle , etc .). for example , the sensor 54 could measure : isometric force level , nordic ski midpoint horizontal speed or cycle frequency , rowing cycle frequency , and the like . in general , inputs from the exercise machine 10 , 10 ′ are supplied by “ sensors ” that are sensingly attached to suitable parts of the machine 10 , 10 ′ and which are electrically connected ( by wires 50 , or wireless transmission , for example ) to input ports of the controller 52 . the sensors detect and / or measure events , effects and actions occurring outside the controller 52 and thus include things like a rotational speed sensor , microphone , pushbutton and so on . preferably the sensors are built - in , i . e ., integrated with the exercise machine 10 , 10 ′ rather than temporarily attached . feedback outputs ( from the controller 52 ) include , for example : visual images / video on a display screen 36 ; exercise resistance control 56 ( e . g ., magnetic resistance or physical brake force applied to a pedaled wheel 58 ); effects on speed ( e . g ., motor 54 ); vibration , tilt / movement , impact / bump actuators 46 , 48 ; “ wind ” generated by a fan ( e . g ., 40 ), optionally heated or cooled ; seat temperature heating or cooling ( e . g ., 46 , 48 ); lamp heating ( e . g ., 40 ); sounds from a speaker 60 ( which can be headphones ); moisture dispensers ( e . g ., 40 ), scent dispensers ( e . g ., 40 ), etc . in a deluxe embodiment , a closed - box “ simulator ” can provide a virtual reality total immersion environment that requires one or more physical activities ( exercise ) yielding user inputs to the experience . in general , outputs from the controller 52 are supplied by output ports that are electrically connected ( by wires 50 , or wireless transmission , for example ) to “ actuators ” that are actuatingly attached to suitable parts of the exercise machine 10 , 10 ′. the actuators exert physical effects on the machine 10 , 10 ′ and the user , and thus include things such as a display 36 , a motor 54 , a fan 40 , a speaker 60 and the like . preferably the actuators are built - in , i . e ., integrated with the exercise machine 10 , 10 ′ rather than temporarily attached . accessories include , for example , audio ( e . g ., music ) players , speaker ( s ), and / or headphones — built - in and / or provisions for plugging - in external devices , possibly supplied by the user . for example , a built - in cd player 42 is illustrated . audio players 42 include , for example , cd , cassette and mp3 players , radios , etc . appropriate player controls are provided , and for players 42 with removable media ( e . g ., cd ) then provisions are made for the user to load / unload the media . for example , provisions are made for temporarily connecting external audio players to the power and / or sound system of the exercise - game machine 10 , 10 ′. provisions include a pigtail plug - cord 44 for temporarily plugging into the headphone jack of a user &# 39 ; s portable audio player such that the player &# 39 ; s audio output is played through headphones , or amplified and broadcast by premium speakers 60 built into the fitness machine 10 , 10 ′. a suitable shelf or pocket 42 would also be provided for holding the portable player , and power could also be provided , for example with a 12 volt dc “ cigarette lighter ” jack and / or a 120 volt ac receptacle . although the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description , the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character — it being understood that only preferred embodiments have been shown and described , and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected . undoubtedly , many other “ variations ” on the “ themes ” set forth hereinabove will occur to one having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention most nearly pertains , and such variations are intended to be within the scope of the invention , as disclosed herein .	6
referring to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals designate like parts , fig1 of the drawings depicts an embodiment of the invention in which a slope build - up system for flat roofs , such as slag roof 10 , comprises top and bottom crossing perpendicular spanning members 11 and 12 of required lengths to span the existing roof 10 on which the slope build - up system is being installed . the members 11 and 12 are channel members and preferably have hat cross - sections , as shown , to resist bending in all directions . the top spanning members 11 are equidistantly spaced and parallel and occupy a common horizontal plane above and parallel to a horizontal plane in which the bottom spanning members 12 are disposed . the bottom members 12 are upwardly open and rest directly on the existing roof 10 . the top spanning members 11 are downwardly open and their top faces receive and support conventional pre - engineered roof panels 13 utilized in the retrofitted sloped roof being installed . the top and bottom spanning members 11 and 12 are adjustably interconnected by a multiplicity of vertically adjustable stanchions 14 , one of which is shown in detail in fig5 and 6 . each vertically adjustable stanchion 14 includes an interior channel section 15 interfitting with an exterior channel section 16 . the upper end portion of each inner stanchion section 15 is secured within the adjacent top spanning member 11 by a screw 17 engaging within a providing opening 18 in the back web of the stanchion section 15 near its top . similarly , the lower end portion of each outer stanchion section 16 is secured within the adjacent upwardly open bottom spanning member 12 by a screw 19 received through an opening 20 in the back wall of the outer stanchion section 16 . each stanchion 14 of the system is individually adjustable vertically in small increments independently of the other stanchions . to facilitate this fine adjustment , each interior stanchion section 15 is apertured through its side webs to produce a plurality of equidistantly spaced adjustment apertures 21 along its length on 3 / 4 &# 34 ; centers , for example . the mating outer stanchion section 16 is similarly provided in its side webs with adjusting apertures 22 on slightly greater centers , such as 1 &# 34 ; centers . these center distances are variable in the manufacturing of the system and are not critical , and are given as an example only . the arrangement , as best shown in fig5 allows for small increments of vertical adjustment of each stanchion 14 , which small increments could not be obtained if the apertures 21 and 22 were on equal centers in the stanchion sections 15 and 16 . when each stanchion 14 is vertically adjusted a required amount to impart a desired degree of slope to the roof being installed , such stanchion is locked in the selected adjusted position by a screw 23 , fig5 and 6 , placed through a pair of registering apertures 21 and 22 . this fine degree of adjustability of each stanchion 14 , independently of the other stanchions , enables the system to compensate for surface irregularities in the existing roof 10 while supporting the roof panels 13 in proper alignment in a common plane having the desired slope . the pre - engineered roof panels 13 are compatible with conventional roof clips 24 , fig5 which may be provided on the top spanning members 11 , if desired . otherwise , the panels 13 may rest directly on the members 11 and may be attached thereto with suitable fasteners . as shown in fig1 certain stanchions 14 along the margins of the retrofitted sloping roof are equipped at their bottoms with bearing plates 25 because these particular stanchions are beyond the reach of the bottom spanning members 12 . fig1 shows the installed roof above the existing roof 10 sloping from left to right as evidenced by the fact that the stanchions 14 at the left side of fig1 are vertically longer than those near the right side of fig1 . the slope build - up system shown in fig1 provides crossing braces 26 between stanchions 14 in two orthogonal planes . the braces 26 in one plane are above the lower spanning members 12 while those in the other plane are beneath the upper spanning members 11 . the crossing braces 26 beneath the spanning members 11 are provided in the system in rows between an adjacent pair of the lower spanning members 12 , fig1 and likewise the crossing braces 26 above the spanning members 12 are provided in rows between the upper spanning members 11 , fig1 . these rows of crossing braces 26 in two directions in the system are provided preferably at thirty foot intervals , and it is not required to provide the crossing braces between all pairs of the spanning members 11 and 12 . the opposite ends of the braces 26 are fixed to the stanchions 14 near the tops of their inner sections 15 and near the bottoms of their outer sections 16 . as best shown in fig7 each brace 26 is actually comprised of two brace sections 26a and 26b . apertures 26c in brace section 26a are spaced on smaller center distances , such as 3 / 4 &# 34 ; distances in comparison to apertures 26d in brace section 26b which are on 1 &# 34 ; centers , for example . when the two sections 26a and 26b are secured together in side - by - side contacting relationship by fasteners 26e , the same fine incremental length adjustment of the crossing braces 26 is enabled , as described previously for the stanchions 14 having the differently spaced apertures 21 and 22 . end apertures 27 provided near the opposite ends of the brace sections 26a and 26b enable the connecting of the crossing braces 26 to the stanchions 14 by additional screws similar to the screws 23 , as shown in fig7 . the slope build - up system further comprises at approximately thirty foot intervals across the system substantially horizontal braces 30 , fig1 and 2 . these braces underlie the spanning members 11 and 11a adjacent to a row of the stanchions 14 , as shown in the drawings . additionally , all components of the slope build - up system are precut and prepunched and utilize light gage metal for the sake of economy and convenience of installation . it can be seen that the system is highly versatile , readily adjustable to meet the varying irregularities of the existing roof 10 , and lends itself to convenient and fast installation with no necessity for expensive custom cutting and joining of system components , as in the prior art . fig2 of the drawings shows a second embodiment of the invention which differs from the embodiment in fig1 only in that the top spanning members 11a are above and parallel to the bottom spanning members 12a instead of being perpendicular thereto . the same vertically adjustable stanchions 14 , previously described , are connected between the spanning members 11a and 12a in the manner shown in fig5 . in all embodiments of the invention , the prepunched spanning members have openings for the screws 17 and 19 provided along their lengths so that the stanchions 14 can be installed at regular spaced intervals . the arrangement of the cross braces 26 between the stanchions 14 in two orthogonal planes is also the same as previously described for all embodiments of the invention . fig3 shows an embodiment of the invention in which the bottom horizontal spanning members are eliminated and , instead of these members , the bottoms of the adjustable stanchions 14 are equipped with bearing plates 25 . as shown in fig7 each bearing plate 25 carries a pair of spaced upstanding apertured lugs 28 which can receive a screw 29 , also engaging in a lowermost aperture 22 of the outer stanchion section 16 . the top spanning members 11b in fig3 remain as they are in the previous embodiments of the invention as do the cross braces 26 between the stanchions 14 . in all embodiments of the invention , it should now be apparent that the slope build - up system is adjustable not only to provide the desired drainage slope for the roof panels 13 but also to compensate for surface irregularities in the existing roof 10 . this compensation is enabled by the independent adjustability of the stanchions 14 in small increments , such as 1 / 4 &# 34 ;. the simplicity of the system and its adjustability enables quick installation of a sloping roof on an existing flat or nearly flat roof with a minimum of labor and a minimum number of components . it is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same , and that various changes in the shape , size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to , without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims .	4
according to one aspect of the invention , generation and real time manipulation of a test vector includes four main components including : vector tester hardware , appropriate initialization vector for initializing a microprocessor to a known state , an integrated debug trigger , and a test case image vector . to access the microprocessor &# 39 ; s machine information on a particular cycle of the test case vector , the vector initialization code is run on the microprocessor under test , followed by the code to program the integrated debug trigger , and then a partial version of vector initialization code . at this point , the original test case image vector is executed . this partial version of vector initialization code makes the microprocessor state machine behave as if running with the full vector initialization code , without resetting the integrated debug trigger state machine . the partial version of vector initialization code synchronizes the vector with the original test case image vector . therefore , the user may modify the integrated debug trigger vector , allowing the microprocessor to stop at a specific time and enable acquisition of the microprocessor internal state information via an appropriate scan mechanism . the vector tester may include an appropriate digital ic test system , such as the hp 83000 model f330 general - purpose vlsi test system . fig1 is a block diagram of a test system according to the invention . the system includes a state simulator 101 used to simulate test case code 102 to provide a chip interface test vector such as microprocessor test vector 103 . microprocessor test vector 103 is supplied to test vector generator 104 which functions as a vector converter in that it converts microprocessor test vector 103 to produce test case image vector 113 . test case image vector 113 is supplied to test vector integrator and tester controller 105 which manipulates test case image vector 113 together with partial version of initialization vector 114 and debug image template vector 107 in response to input provided by a user via user interface 108 . the user interface 108 may include a processor , a display and appropriate input devices such as keyboard , mouse etc . the debug image template vector 107 includes instructions and data where the data may be modified as required by the user . this modification by the user does not impact the instruction stream sent to the microprocessor 110 . test vector integrator and tester controller 105 also controls vector tester hardware 109 in which unit under test 110 has been placed . test vector integrator and tester controller 105 provide the insertion of image vector 111 to vector tester hardware 109 . whenever the vector tester hardware 109 detects a mismatch between the behavior of the unit under test 110 and the image vector 111 , vector tester hardware 109 sends the mismatch data back to test vector integrator and tester controller 105 . when a mismatch occurs the user can read the mismatched data and manipulate the inputs to test vector integrator and tester controller 105 to create a revised image vector used for subsequent testing . these inputs may be manipulated manually by the user or may be programmed for repeated observations . additionally , the full functionality of the onboard logic analyzer is also available to the user as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 867 , 644 entitled system and method for on - chip debug support and performance monitoring in a microprocessor , issued feb . 2 , 1999 to gregory ranson which has been previously incorporated by reference . referring again to fig1 when power is applied to microprocessor 110 , a portion of the microprocessor is initialized by a reset signal . microprocessor 110 attempts to fetch instructions at a specific address where the instructions are supplied by the part of image vector 111 , which corresponds to initialization vector 106 . each time microprocessor 110 attempts to access additional data , that data is also supplied by the part of image vector 111 which corresponds to initialization vector 106 . this continues until part of the image vector 111 which contains the initialization vector information is consumed . in a non debug mode of operation , microprocessor 110 would run the test case image vector immediately following the part of image vector 111 which corresponds to initialization vector 106 . once this data is consumed , the instructions are supplied by the part of image vector 111 , which contains debug image template vector 107 . these instructions are supplied by the vector tester hardware 109 and are processed by the microprocessor in the same manner as the data from the part of image vector 111 which corresponds to initialization vector 106 . the part of image vector 111 which contains a partial version of initialization vector 114 is consumed similarly . as previously described , this portion of the image vector 111 which contains a partial version of initialization vector 114 makes the microprocessor state machine behave as if running with the full vector initialization code without resetting the integrated debug trigger state machine . the part of the image vector which corresponds to the test case image vector 113 is executed similarly . the operation of apparatus 100 ( fig1 ) is more filly described now in connection with fig2 of the drawings . the method begins at step 201 , and at step 202 , the previously simulated input vector and test case image vector from step 203 are integrated to form an image vector . at step 204 the image vector is loaded into vector tester hardware to test the unit under test . the image vector is run on the unit under test at step 205 , and at step 206 , test output is extracted from the unit under test , via the vector tester hardware . the extracted output is displayed , via user interface 108 , on appropriate display 116 . the user interface 108 works in conjunction with processor 115 and the user interacts with processor 115 via input device 117 . in step 207 , a determination is made by the user as to whether the test is performed again with a modified test image vector . the user may establish various criteria for testing and refinement of the test image vector . for example , if the actual output from the microprocessor is sufficiently close to a precalculated expected output , the user may elect to terminate further testing and processing terminates at step 208 . conversely , if the output obtained from the microprocessor under test is not acceptable , then the user may elect to continue to refine the test image vector in an attempt to converge to an acceptable test image vector result . in another scenario , the user may elect to modify the test image vector to obtain test data from previous or subsequent cycles of the microprocessor under test , running a sequence of tests to obtain a continuum of test outputs and reconstruct the evolving state of the microprocessor . thus , at step 209 , the user , using user interface 108 and display 116 and input device 117 , may modify the test image vector and rerun generation of a new image vector at step 202 . fig3 illustrates computer system 300 adapted to use the present invention . central processing unit ( cpu ) 301 is coupled to system bus 302 . cpu 301 may be any general purpose cpu , such as an hp pa - 8500 or intel pentium processor . however , the present invention is not restricted by the architecture of cpu 301 as long as cpu 301 supports the inventive operations as described herein . system bus 302 is coupled to random access memory ( ram ) 303 , which may be sram , dram or sdram . rom 304 is also coupled to system bus 302 , which may be prom , eprom , or eeprom . ram 303 and rom 304 hold user and system data and programs as is well known in the art . system bus 302 is also coupled to input / output ( i / o ) controller card 305 , communications adapter card 311 , user interface card 308 , and display card 309 . the i / o card 305 connects to storage devices 306 , such as one or more of a hard drive , a cd drive , a floppy disk drive , a tape drive , to the computer system . communications card 311 is adapted to couple computer system 300 to network 312 , which may be one or more of a telephone network , a local ( lan ) and / or a wide - area ( wan ) network , an ethernet network , and / or the internet network and can be wire line or wireless . user interface card 308 couples user input devices , such as keyboard 313 and pointing device 307 , to computer system 300 . display card 309 is driven by cpu 301 to control display device 310 .	6
in fig1 reference numeral 1 denotes a conventional folding box which has lettering , advertising text , advertising figures and the like as is denoted at reference numeral 2 for example . the box is provided with a suspending rail or tag 3 with a hole 4 with whose help the box can be suspended on a projecting pin along with other such boxes . the suspending tag is provided for example with a series of fig5 , 7 as instructions for use for employing the apparatus in accordance with the invention and may also be provided if necessary with further lettering or text as is denoted by reference numeral 8 . on the right - hand side , in the case of the embodiment shown , the box is opened . the folding flap 9 and the two side flaps 10 and 11 , respectively , are opened . a receiving or carrying plate 12 is drawn out of the box , a section of this plate being shown in detail in fig3 . it has openings , as indicated at 13 and 14 in fig3 through which troughs 15 and 16 formed in a sheet of plastic material 12a extend . in these troughs 15 and 16 , capsules 17 and 18 are contained or received . these capsules are just large enough to hold sufficient stain removing agent to clean a typical individual stain . for unusually large stains two or more capsules might be used . one capsule is shown in detail in plan view in fig2 and it will be described in more detail below . the troughs are covered by a further foil 19 . by pressing on the upper side of the troughs 15 and 16 , respectively , it is possible to press the capsules 17 and 18 out through the foil 19 . on one edge 20 of receiving plate 12 , folding flaps 20a are provided on which advertising text and / or instructions for use can be printed . the capsule 17 , shown in fig2 is made of gelatine or other plastic material and has a neck 21 , which is separated from the body of the capsule 17 , preferably , by a zone of weakness 22 . preferably , zone 22 is treated by drawing the neck during formation of the capsule , providing a slightly narrower and thinner walled zone 22 . this is done during the capsule sealing process , after the capsules have been filled . owing to this zone of weakness , it is possible to twist off the neck 21 of the capsule 17 as can be seen in fig4 . it is now possible to apply a pressing force as indicated by the arrows a , b to force the contents of the capsule , that is to say the stain removing agent 22 &# 39 ; in paste form to a strip of textile material 23 , for example . in the embodiment shown , a cutting saw is provided which is in the form of saw teeth at the edge 24 . this can be used to separate neck 21 from the capsule 17 . the cardboard plate 12 creates an edge sufficiently rigid and sharp that saw toothed edge 24 will cut through weakened zone 22 of capsule 17 . the saw teeth can be reinforced by extending the plastic layer and / or the foil layer to the saw teeth edge . instead of this edge with saw teeth , it is also possible to provide a separate cutting device in the package . it is , however , preferred to provide the cutting device in the form of saw toothed edge 24 because the possibility of the cutting device being lost is eliminated . as is known , stain removing agents in the form of paste must be removed after drying with the help of a brush or scraper . since such a brush is not always available , for example on a journey , another edge of the receiving plate 12 is corrugated as is shown by reference numeral 25 . owing to this corrugated construction a structure is produced with which the dried residues of the stain removing agent paste can be brushed off without any difficulties . naturally , the package can also be provided with a small handy brush , or by suitable cutting of one edge of the receiving plate 12 it is possible to provide a brush - like structure of a type other than the corrugated brush or scraper edge . in the embodiment shown only one filled receiving plate 12 is accommodated in the box 1 . it is , however , a matter of course that the apparatus in accordance with the invention can also be so constructed that by making the box 1 larger , several receiving plates or carrying plates filled with capsules 17 and 18 , respectively , can be arranged one on top of the other . the principle of the invention can also be seen to be useful for the reception or vending of liquid stain removing agents . from a cleaning standpoint , agents in paste form are preferred in that liquid stain removing agents do not generally ensure that after drying , no margin remains on the textile material or the like which is cleaned . it is , of course , understood that the above is merely a preferred embodiment of the invention and that various changes and alterations can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention .	1
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 will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts . in fig1 and 2 of the drawings , which show a preferred embodiment according to the present invention , the reference numeral 1 designates a seat including a seat cushion 2 and a seatback 3 . as shown clearly in fig . 2 , a seat cushion bracket 4 is provided on each of both sides of the seat cushion 2 and seatback brackets 5 are fixedly mounted to both sides of a seatback frame 3a extending about the seatback 3 . as shown in fig3 a - 6 , guide members 6 and 7 are fixed to a side surface of the seatback bracket 5 for receiving the seat cushion bracket 4 . a lever 8 is pivoted on a rear surface of the seatback bracket 5 by a pivot pin 9 . a cam member 10 is interposed between the guide member 6 and the lever 8 through a relatively large opening 5a in the seatback bracket 5 . member 10 is guided by a pair of projecting ledge - like portions 6a formed on the guide member 6 ( fig3 and 6 ) in a manner so that up and down movement of the cam member 10 is restricted , whereas left and right sliding movement of the cam member 10 , as presented in fig3 a , is unrestricted by fixed stops . furthermore , the cam member 10 is provided with a projection 10a which extends into an elongated wedge - shaped hole 8a ( fig4 and 7 ) formed on the lever 8 . a follower pin 12 , slidable in an elongated arcuate hole or slot 6b , which is concentric with the pivot pin 9 and formed in the guide member 6 , is mounted on the lever 8 and extends through the opening 5a and slot 6b to ac - ring 11 . the follower pin 12 is engageable with a ramp surface 10b ( figs . 3a and 7 ) of the cam member 10 . a lifting pin 13 is provided on the lever 8and is projected between the seatback bracket 5 and the guide member 6 through a relatively small , generally rectangular opening 5b formed on theseatback bracket 5 . a tensioned coil spring 14 is interposed between the seatback bracket 5 and the lever 8 , one end thereof being engaged with a lug 5c on the seatback bracket 5 and other end thereof being engaged with lug 8c formed on the lever 8 . the spring 14 always urges the lever 8 in the clockwise direction in fig3 a , that is to say , in a direction by which the ramp surface 10b of the cam member 10 and the follower pin 12 are engaged . the seat cushion bracket 4 , as shown in fig3 b , includes a tapered lockingrecess 15 adapted to receive a similarly tapered bolt portion 10c of the cam member 10 , a groove 16a parallel to the insertion direction of the seat cushion bracket 4 to the seatback bracket 5 and engageable with the lifting pin 13 , and an engaging groove 16 having an edge 16b inclined to the above - mentioned insertion direction . as described hereinafter , the seatback 3 is advanced from a position in which it is separated from the seat cushion 1 , as shown in fig2 to an assembled position with the seat cushion as shown in fig1 . when the seatback bracket 5 is assembled with the seat cushion bracket 4 , the latter bracket becomes inserted between the seatback bracket 5 and theguide members 6 and 7 . during such insertion , a top edge 4a ( fig3 b ) of the seat cushion bracket 4 contacts the lifting pin 13 to cause the lever 8 to be pivoted in a counter - clockwise direction against the force of the spring 14 as illustrated in fig3 a . the follower pin 12 is slid along theelongated arcuate slot 6b and the engagement of the follower pin with the ramp surface 10b on the cam member 10 is released by movement of the lever8 to the position shown in fig7 . the cam member 10 becomes slidable in the rightward direction as shown in fig3 a , and is thus slid to the rightalong the projecting portion 6a by an inclined edge of the elongated hole 8a in the lever 8 engaging with the projection 10a of the cam member 10 infig3 a . at the same time , the lifting pin 13 on the lever 8 is released from the top edge 4a of the seat cushion bracket 4 and is received in the groove 16a . the lever 8 is then rotated in the clockwise direction by the force of the spring 14 , as shown in fig7 toward the position shown in fig3 a . however , the lifting pin 13 on the lever 8 contacts with a side edge of the groove 16a to restrict such rotation of the lever 8 . as a result , the cam member 10 remains in the position shown in fig7 because the follower pin 12 remains elevated in the arcuate slot 6b . when the seat cushion bracket 4 is fully received between the seatback bracket 5 and guide members 6 and 7 , the lifting pin 13 on the lever 8 is released from the groove 16a into the groove 16 . the lever 8 pivots in a clockwise direction in fig7 due to the shape of the edge 16b and the force of the spring 14 . the cam member 10 , previously moved to the right position in fig7 by the projecting portion 10a engaging an edge of the elongated hole 8a in the lever 8 , is now moved to the left by another edgeof the hole 8a so that the bolt portion 10c on the cam member 10 moves intothe locking recess 15 of the seat cushion bracket 4 . in addition , the follower pin 12 moves down along the elongated hole 6b to engage the ramp surface 10b of the cam member 10 and retain the cam member 10 against further movement . the seatback bracket 5 is thus supported by the seat cushion bracket 4 , and the assembly of the seatback 3 to the seat cushion 2 is accomplished . in fig8 - 11 , the described components on the respective brackets 4 and 5 are shown in the fully assembled condition . thus , the tapered bolt portion10c of the cam member 10 is shown in fig8 to be firmly engaged in the correspondingly tapered lock recess 15 of the seat cushion bracket 4 by wedging action of the follower pin 12 on the lever 8 , pulled by the spring14 , against the ramp surface 10b of the cam member 10 . also , and as shown in fig9 the projection 10a on the cam member 10 is free of the edges ofthe hole 8a in the lever 8 . finally , as shown in fig1 and 11 , the forceurging the cam member 10 in the direction of the lock recess 15 on one edgeof the seat cushion bracket 4 is opposed by engagement of the opposite sideof the bracket 4 with the guide members 6 and 7 fixed to the seatback bracket 5 . as above - mentioned , the seatback 3 can be assembled to the seat cushion 2 simply by inserting the seatback bracket 5 over the seat cushion bracket 4 . consequently , full assembly of the seatback 3 and the seat cushion 2 can be attained after both have been completely finished separately , thereby assuring the quality of each component of the seat 1 . since the seatback bracket 5 and the seat cushion bracket 4 are located entirely within the seatback 3 in the assembling procedure , it is not required thatthe seatback bracket 5 and the seat cushion bracket 4 be covered by other material . further , the seatback 3 is supported on the seat cushion 2 by the fixed connection of the cam member 10 and the locking recess 15 , so the seatback 3 and the seat cushion 2 can be supported in a predetermined position simply and rigidly without influence by tolerance variations in the locking recess 15 and the cam member 10 . furthermore , since the cam member 10 is maintained in its locking state by the engagement of the rampsurface 10b , the follower pin 12 , and the urging force of the spring 14 , the seatback 3 is prevented from movement with respect to the seat cushion as shown in fig1 and 13 , it is possible to improve the rigidity of the lever 8 by adding sublever 17 to the lever 8 using the pins 9 and 12 by peening the ends of both pins against the sublever 17 , the seatback bracket 5 , and the guide member 6 . other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in theart 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 , with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims .	1
this invention relates to systems for detecting the speed and direction of motion of a moving part by performing logic functions on signal level transitions which are generated as portions of the part travel past a sensor . the system is capable of distinguishing between signals which result from substantially continuous motion of the part and signals which result from intermittent motion reversals or &# 34 ; jitter &# 34 ;. it is known to determine the motion of a part such as a rotating gear , wheel , or shaft by generating a signal exhibiting alternately opposite transitions between two discrete signal levels as a surface of the part travels past a sensor . such a signal may be generated by locating a magnetic pickup adjacent the periphery of a gear such that an electrical signal of varying amplitude is produced in the pickup as the gear teeth rotate . the speed of rotation may be readily determined as a function of rate of occurrence of the signal transition . see for example u . s . pat . no . 4 , 028 , 686 , issued june 7 , 1977 to michael a . wilson et al and the prior art cited therein . in a system of the type described above , signal transitions can result not only from continuous rotation of the gear past the magnetic pickup but also from &# 34 ; jitter &# 34 ;; i . e ., intermittent rotation in alternately opposite directions wherein a given gear tooth simply moves back and forth past the magnetic pickup . to distinguish between continuous motion and &# 34 ; jitter &# 34 ; the aforementioned patent to wilson et al teaches the use of multiple sensors to generate a plurality of phase - shifted signals each representing motion of the same part and the logical combination of those signals to produce a sequence of related signal quantities . true continuous motion is indicated only by the occurrence of a complete sequence of the related signals , a partial sequence being taken as the result of &# 34 ; jitter &# 34 ;. the system of wilson et al described above exhibits the disadvantage of requiring three or more sensors each with its attendant signal paths and magnetic pickup means . moreover , the system of wilson et al does not yield information identifying the direction of part motion or the net travel of a part moving for a significant period of time in one direction and later reversing to move for a significant period of time in the opposite direction . the u . s . pat . no . 4 , 142 , 152 , issued feb . 27 , 1979 to fincher teaches that the direction of movement of a rotating part can be obtained using only two sensors . however , the rotating part must itself be specially constructed so as to exhibit magnetic sections of precise circumferential length such that the two spaced sensors can be simultaneously actuated by a single magnetic section . the present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above . in one aspect of the invention a system is provided for monitoring the motion of a conventional dynamic part such as a rotating gear by generating two phase - shifted signals exhibiting transitions between discrete signal levels . the system distinguishes between continuous motion and &# 34 ; jitter &# 34 ;, and , in addition , yields information pertaining to the direction of motion . in general , this is accomplished in a system which comprises sensor means for generating first and second phase - shifted signals which vary cyclically between opposite signal levels at a rate dependent upon the speed of part motion , decoder means connected to receive the first and second phase - shifted signals for generating a sequence of discrete output quantities representing different relationships between the input signal levels , an up / down counter , and logic means interconnecting the output of the decoder means to the counter in such a fashion as to count up when the decoder output sequence occurs in one order , to count down when the decoder output sequence occurs in the opposite order , and to refrain from counting at all unless and until a complete sequence of decoder outputs occurs . fig1 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention in a system for monitoring the speed and direction of a rotating gear . fig2 is a schematic circuit diagram of a preferred signal generating means for use in the embodiment of fig1 . fig3 illustrates the preferred waveforms which are produced in the embodiment of fig1 . fig4 is a truth table for the decoder which is employed in the embodiment of fig1 . fig1 illustrates an embodiment of the invention which monitors the speed and direction of rotation of a gear 10 having peripheral teeth 12 . the system comprises a pair of magnetic sensors 14a and 14b which are disposed closely adjacent the gear teeth 12 to generate respective first and second signals which alternate between discrete signal levels as the gear teeth 12 rotate past the sensors 14a and 14b . line a of fig3 illustrates the preferred signal waveform produced by the sensor 14a and line b of fig3 illustrates the preferred waveform of the sensor 14b . the phase - shifted relationship between the signals appearing in fig3 is the result of the physical spacing between the sensors 14a and 14b measured along a line tangent to the direction of motion of the gear teeth 12 . the signal output of sensor 14a is connected through a signal shaping network 16 and a low pass filter 18 to the a input of a two - to - four line decoder 20 such as cd 4555 . similarly , sensor 14b is connected through signal shaping network 22 and low pass filter 24 to the b input of decoder 20 . the low - pass filters 18 and 24 protect against high frequency noise . shaping networks 16 and 22 square up the more sinusoidal signals from the pickup coils of sensors 14a and 14b . decoder 20 responds to the levels of the waveforms applied to the a and b inputs thereof and to the relationship between said levels to produce a sequence of four discrete output signals identified in fig1 as s0 , s1 , s2 and s3 . assigning the discrete levels of the waveforms at the a and b inputs of decoder 20 binary signal values of &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, the output state of the decoder 20 is as represented in the truth table of fig4 . the outputs s0 through s3 of decoder 20 are connected through appropriate conductors to logic means which interpret the decoder outputs as well as the order in which said outputs occur to determine the speed and direction of rotation of the gear 10 relative to the sensors 14 . this logic means comprises a first state memory including nor gates 26 and 28 which are cross - connected to form a bistable circuit , a middle state memory comprising flip - flops 30 and 32 and a third state detector comprising and gates 34 and 36 and a third state clock memory including nor gates 38 and 40 which are cross - connected to form a bistable circuit . middle state memory flip - flops 30 and 32 may be implemented using integrated circuits cd 4013 and the combination of gates 34 , 36 and 38 may be implemented using half of integrated circuit cd 4085 . the output of gate 40 is connected to the clock input of counters 42 and 44 , each of which may be implemented using a cd 4029 integrated circuit . counters 42 and 44 are &# 34 ; up / down &# 34 ; counters , meaning that they may be incremented or decremented in accordance with the state of a signal applied to the u / d inputs of said counters by middle state memory flip - flop 30 as hereinafter described . eight outputs of counters 42 and 44 are connected by means of bus 46 to a processor 48 which is programmed to generate read commands and to interpret the 8 - bit counter contents word to determine the net rotational displacement of gear 10 . processor 48 determines the net direction of rotation by the state of &# 34 ; signbit &# 34 ; inverter 114 and the speed of rotation as a function of the binary number represented by the 8 bits of counters 42 and 44 in a given time period . processor 48 produces counter read signals on line 50 , said signals being applied to the pe ( preset ) inputs of counters 42 and 44 by way of line 54 to reset the counters 42 and 44 to their initial state after reading . counter 42 has the &# 34 ; carry - out &# 34 ; pin connected via inverter 121 to the &# 34 ; carry - in &# 34 ; pin of counter 44 . the carry - out of counter 44 is connected directly to the carry - in of counter 42 . it will be appreciated that the output of a conventional magnetic coil sensor does not exhibit a sharp square waveform of the type preferred for digital circuit operation . rather , it is sinusoidal in character and contains noise of a higher frequency super - imposed thereon . signal shapers 16 and 22 square off the sensor waveforms in accordance with a comparison to a dc reference . these square up waveforms still contain unwanted noise pulses of very short duration , such noise pulses being filtered out by circuits 18 and 24 . the detailed interconnections between the components of the embodiments of fig1 will now be described . the s3 output of decoder 20 is used as an initialization signal and is connected by way of line 56 to the reset input of each of the middle state memory flip - flops 30 and 32 to ensure that these flip - flops are reset whenever an input signal condition of &# 34 ; 00 &# 34 ; occurs . the s3 output is also connected by way of line 58 to one of the inputs of third state memory 38 and 40 . the occurrence of a high signal value at s3 thus terminates any previous clock signal and ensures a low output from gate 40 to prevent a clock signal pulse from reaching either of the counters 42 and 44 . the s0 output is connected by way of line 60 to an input of nor gate 26 and by way of line 62 to an input of and gate 36 . the s2 signal is connected by way of line 64 to an input of nor gate 28 and by way of line 66 to an input of and gate 34 . finally , the s1 output of decoder 20 is connected commonly by way of line 68 to the clock inputs of flip - flops 30 and 32 and also by way of line 70 to an input of nor gate 40 . in addition to being cross - coupled as previously mentioned , nor gates 26 and 28 have their outputs connected to the data inputs of flip - flops 32 and 30 respectively to set those flip - flops in accordance with which of the s 0 and s 2 signals occur first after the s 3 signal , the order of occurrence of these two signals being determinative of the direction of gear rotation . flip - flop 30 will be high if s 0 occurs after s 3 indicating forward motion and low if s 2 occurs . the output of flip - flop 30 is connected by way of line 72 to the count direction inputs of counters 42 and 44 and also to one of the inputs of and gate 34 in the third state detector . the output of flip - flop 32 is connected to an input of and gate 36 , the other inputs to both gates 34 and 36 having been previously described . the outputs of and gates 34 and 36 are connected as inputs to nor gate 38 , which acts as a latch circuit , since the output of nor gate 40 is connected back by way of line 74 to the third input of nor gate 38 . the three inputs to nor gate 40 comprise s 1 , s 2 , and the inverted value of its own output via line 74 and gate 38 . the output of nor gate 40 is connected to the clock inputs of counters 42 and 44 . thus the clock goes high on state s 1 if and only if s 0 or s 2 has followed s 3 . the read output signal line 50 is connected through inverter 76 and r / c time delay circuit 78 , 80 to one input of nor gate 82 , and to decoder 20 through inverter 52 . an uninverted read signal is connected to the other input of gate 82 . the output of gate 82 is connected by way of line 54 to the preset enable input of each of the counters 42 and 44 to preset them a time delay after the read has occurred . a preferred implementation of the signal generating sensor 14 is shown in fig2 to comprise an oscillator 90 having a tank circuit 106 in the form of a conductor which is linked through a magnetic core 98 imbedded in a plastic sensor body 102 . as is further and more fully described in copending application , u . s . ser . no . 150 , 252 filed feb . 4 , 1980 , entitled &# 34 ; velocity sensing system &# 34 ;, movement of the gear teeth 12 past the sensor body 102 varies the quantity of flux from permanent magnet source 100 which links the core 98 and hence tunes and detunes the tank circuit 106 of oscillator 90 to produce a recurring and alternating frequency shift between high and low frequency levels . the output of oscillator 90 is connected to an input of phase detector 92 along with a center frequency signal from voltage controlled oscillator 94 . the high and low frequency components from oscillator 90 occur on opposite sides of the center frequency from voltage controlled oscillator 94 and hence produce a substantially digital signal output from phase detector 92 ; i . e ., a signal having substantially the waveform shown in either of lines a or b of fig3 . the output waveform is shaped by shaping circuit 96 to form a square wave or rectangular wave signal which may be applied directly to the a input of decoder 20 as shown in fig1 . core 98 is the counterpart of sensor 14a in fig1 and adjacent core 104 is the counterpart of sensor 14b in fig1 it being understood that the line shown linking core 104 forms the tank circuit for a second oscillator 108 , phase detector 110 , and shaping network 112 and vco 113 which produce a second waveform in accordance with the circuit description already given . the operation of the circuit of fig1 will now be described with reference to application in determining the speed and direction of rotation of a motor drive gear in an hydraulic motor unit for a heavy offroad vehicle . rotation of gear 10 in one direction represents forward motion of one side of the vehicle and rotation of the gear 10 in the opposite direction represents reverse movement of that same side of the vehicle . track vehicles which are steered by different rates and / or directions of rotation of independent left and right drive motors comprise two systems of the type described herein , one on each side of the vehicle . assuming rotation of motor gear 10 in a forward direction , the waveforms illustrated in fig3 of the drawings result . these waveforms are shaped and filtered by circuits 16 , 18 , 22 and 24 and applied as input signals to the a and b inputs of decoder 20 . whenever the &# 34 ; 00 &# 34 ; conditions results , output s3 goes high applying a reset signal to both flip - flops 30 and 32 . in addition , an input is applied to gate 40 to reset the clock memory and prevent the clock signal from reaching either of the counters 42 and 44 . from state s3 decoder may either advance to s0 or regress to state s2 . assuming forward motion the output of decoder 20 advances to state s0 setting the output of gate 28 to a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. this applies a data signal of &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; to the input of flip - flip 30 and &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; to the data input of flip - flop 32 . a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; also appears at one of the inputs to and gate 36 but has no effect since each of the middle state flip - flops 30 and 32 are temporarily reset . again no clock is passed to the counters 42 and 44 since the block memory ( 38 and 40 ) is reset . assuming continued rotation of gear 10 , the decoder advances to state s1 . note that if &# 34 ; jitter &# 34 ; is occurring the decoder would regress to state s3 and the flip - flops 30 and 32 would simply be reset . however , advancing to state s1 clocks the data through flip - flop 30 applying a signal to the direction input ( u / d ) of counters 42 and 44 by way of line 72 . at this point decoder output s0 may reoccur holding all flip - flops 30 , 32 , 26 and 28 in their previous condition . in addition , gate 34 now has both inputs high to cause the clock memory ( 38 and 40 ) to become set . a high signal is transmitted from 40 to the clock inputs of each of the counters 42 and 44 . this causes the counters to increment upwardly since the signal on line 72 is still high . the low order counter 44 counts on each pulse whereas the high order counter 42 counts only when the carry - in ( ci ) input is low ; i . e ., when there is a &# 34 ; carry - out &# 34 ; indicated by a low on carry - out ( co ) of counter 44 . counter 44 is prevented from counting when the counters 42 and 44 are full , by 121 . the maximum count at the circuit output is thus represented by the binary number &# 34 ; 01111111 &# 34 ;, with the high bit inverted by 114 . the sequence for a downcount is the opposite of the sequence for an upcount . s2 following s3 arms flip - flop 32 rather than flip - flop 30 and the transition from decoder output state s2 to s1 causes the output of flip - flop 32 to become a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; while the output of flip - flop 30 remains at zero . this sets the output counters 42 and 44 to the downcount mode by holding the signal on line 72 to the low condition when a transition to decoder output state s0 produces a count signal . to read the counters 42 and 44 it is necessary to disable the counters to the extent of preventing a count change . therefore , whenever a read occurs indicated by the output on line 50 going high , the decoder 20 is disabled due to the enable input via inverter 52 going high and all outputs s0 through s3 go low . this prevents any of the flip - flops from changing state and prevents any clock signals from being transmitted to the counters 42 and 44 . when the signal on line 50 goes low , both inputs to gate 82 are low for a time period determined by the time constant of resistor 78 and capacitor 80 causing the output of gate 82 to pulse high . this presets the counters 42 and 44 to &# 34 ; 1000 0000 &# 34 ; and the circuit output to &# 34 ; 0000 0000 &# 34 ;, the first digit being inverted by inverter 114 . the maximum forward count is &# 34 ; 0111 1111 &# 34 ; and the maximum reverse count is &# 34 ; 1000 0000 &# 34 ;. no counts will be lost during a read operation provided that it occurs rapidly enough to prevent a transition of more than one state from the decoder during the period that line 50 is high . a net direction change can be obtained by eliminating the preset function from gate 82 , if only a fixed plus and minus travel of gear 10 is anticipated such that counter overflow will now occur . the circuit which has been described above is susceptible of application to areas other than vehicle speed and direction determination . it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the system may be applied in any industrial application wherein the position of a gear , shaft or other angularly or linearly translating body must be accurately monitored and wherein it is important to distinguish between substantially continuous movement and &# 34 ; jitter &# 34 ;. examples include position control systems for mass transit vehicles , elevators and similar devices , conveyors , robots , machine tools and article handling systems . in addition , it will be apparent to the skilled artisan that the hardwired circuit of fig1 can be alternatively implemented using a microprocessor with sufficient memory and computational capability to perform the storage and logic functions of the process described herein . other aspects , objects and advantages of this invention can be obtained from a study of the drawings , the disclosure and the appended claims .	6
fig1 shows a block diagram of a prior art secure communications system transmitter . data signal generator 2 provides a time dependent data signal , represented by s ( t ). the data signal , s ( t ) is input into a baseband modulator or encryptor 3 . the baseband modulator converts the data signal , s ( t ), into a phase shift keyed ( psk ) signal e ( t ) by combining e ( t ) with a pseudo - noise &# 34 ; word &# 34 ; or signal from a pseudo - noise generator 4 . a carrier frequency tone from carrier frequency 6 is modulated by the transmitter 5 to produce a varying spread frequency spectrum signal which appears to be ( and may actually be recorded ) noise . the transmission system shown in fig1 produces a noise - like time dependent and encrypted signal , f ( t ), sent to the rf transmitter or transmitting means 7 . fig2 shows a block diagram of a prior art secure communications system receiver . receiving antenna 8 recovers a signal , f &# 39 ;( t ), which is similar to the transmitted signal , f ( t ). the signal f &# 39 ;( t ) is amplified by a mixing operation with a carrier frequency in the rf receiver 9 . the recovered time dependent signal , f &# 39 ;( t ), from receiver 9 ( similar to encrypted signal f ( t ) in fig1 ), is input into a decipher unit 10 which de - encrypts ( removes the pseudo noise signal ) f &# 39 ;( t ) using a pseudo noise generator similar to fig1 to produce a time dependent signal , r ( t ), similar to the base band modulated time dependent signal , s ( t ) from fig1 . the data signal representation s &# 39 ;( t ) similarities to the data signal , s ( t ), depend upon the fidelity of the signal output from transmitter 5 and antenna 7 ( shown in fig1 ), the signal fidelity received at of the receiving antenna 8 , demodulation at receiver 9 and synchronization at the decipher device 10 . any loss in fidelity is in addition to jamming or other losses between antennas 7 and 8 . fig3 shows a block diagram of the preferred embodiment transmission portion of a holographic communications device and method . in essence , the idea is to &# 34 ; phase scramble &# 34 ; ( modulate ) the single frequency or narrow band width data signal or signals . this process is analogous to the holographic diffusion of a single laser frequency signal by means of a ground glass . the spread spectrum signals is transformed into real and imaginary components ( or phase and amplitude component signals ) by a fourier transform or related process ( similar to diffraction and propagation of a single frequency laser radiation from an object to be holographed ), and finally , the separate real and imaginary components ( which comprise the hologram ) are broadcast on disjoint frequency bands . the preferred embodiment of the invention is designed t transmit simultaneously two independent digital data signal ( s ), s 1 ( t ) and s 2 ( t ), which are represented by two signal generators 2 . alternate embodiments may provide from one to four data channels . signal s 1 ( t ) is assigned to the real channel and s 2 ( t ) is assigned to the imaginary channel . these data or information sources are typically in the form of a low frequency ( under 16 kbs ) series of digital pulses over a period of time called a frame . in the preferred embodiment , these frames are of 1 millisecond duration and are produced consecutively . any information or data that was originally in an analog form ( such as voice or compressed video ), is first converted into a digital form for use by generator 2 . each of the time dependent data signals s 1 ( t ) and s 2 ( t ) passes through a baseband modulator 3 where it is converted into a bipolar square waves . a positive part of the square wave corresponds to a binary one . the negative part correspond to a binary zero . the time dependent square wave signals x r ( t ) and x i ( t ) produced by modulators 3 are also called zero - frequency , phase - shift - keyed ( psk ) signals and form the two channels ( real and imaginary channels ) of a complex time dependent signal called x ( t ), where x ( t )= x r ( t )+ ix i ( t ). if four data signals are to be transmitted , the signals are also called zero frequency quadrature phase - shifted - keyed ( qpsk ) signals . the two components of the complex signal , x ( t ) are phase modulated in an encoder 14 by a pseudo random code signal e iq ( t ), produced by a pseudo noise generator 15 . the coverture imparted by the pseudo random signal may not be required in all applications , but is shown in the preferred embodiment . the encoder 14 is represented as a complex multiplier and has a time dependent output which is the complex product signal m ( t ), where m ( t )= x ( t ) e iq ( t ). in the preferred embodiment q ( t ) is a time dependent series of pseudo random , uniformly distributed numbers having values between - pi and + pi . m ( t ) is a series of pseudo random numbers having a zero - mean and uniform amplitude distribution . the frequency bandwidths of m ( t ) is at least 1000 times the bandwidth of the signal x ( t ) and depends upon the rate at which the pseudo random numbers are produced , i . e ., the greater the rate , the greater the bandwidth . the bandwidth of m ( t ) is called the &# 34 ; code spread bandwidth &# 34 ;. the modulated , time dependent signal , m ( t ), is then input to a transformer , 16 using a fourier transform , which can be implemented with a discrete fast fourier transform ( fft ) device . the transformer converts the phase modulated or encoded signal m ( t ) into a real time dependent component , y r ( t ), and an imaginary time dependent component , y i ( t ) which are the real and imaginary coefficients of the fft process . y r ( t ) and y i ( t ) are each a time dependent series of data frames consisting of pseudo random numbers with a zero - mean gaussian amplitude distribution and a rate identical to that of m ( t ). frame times are identical to that of the signals coming from the generators 2 . other embodiments may use other transforms , such as orthogonal transforms ( e . g ., hadamard or a chirp - z or a number theoretic ). the data signals , y r ( t ) and y i ( t ), are converted by a digital to analog ( d / a ) converter 17a to provide the inputs to a conventional radio frequency ( rf ) transmitter 17 . the transmitted signal in the preferred embodiment consists of frame of time dependent data over non - overlapping frequency bands obtained by modulating y r ( t ) and y i ( t ) onto two carriers of frequencies f1 and f2 produced by first and second oscillators 18 and 19 . the rf modulated signals are combined ( added together ) and then carried to the transmitting antenna 7 . the transmitter - 7 uses linear amplifiers with sufficient bandwidth to handle the gaussian amplitude statistics of the input signals . significant amplitude distortion produced by transmitter 17 may be tolerated due to the inherent phase modulation immunity to such distortions . the encrypting unit 3 of the prior art ( fig1 ) has been replaced by the encoder 14 and fourier transformer 16 . alternately , other phase modulation relationships , surface acoustic wave ( saw ) and / or chirp transformers could have been used . additionally , the use of analog devices may allow higher data capacity with wider spread bandwidths and may be smaller in size and weight compared to the digital implementation shown in the preferred embodiment . the transmitted signal is the one dimensional hologram of the phase encoded data signals m ( t ). it is comparable to the two dimensional laser holograms produced with diffuse illumination . it is &# 34 ; covert &# 34 ; because it has noise - like gaussian amplitude statistics over a wide bandwidth and is totally devoid of the clocked signals and &# 34 ; chips &# 34 ; produced by the prior art systems . like the laser hologram , it is also highly information - redundant because the high bandwidth , phase encoder ( a multiplier ) combined with the fft has spread the small bandwidth , data signal information ( the fourier transform &# 34 ; convolution &# 34 ; theorem for 2 signals multiplied in the time domain ). any piece of the transmitted hologram frame chosen at random ( as small as 5 %) may theoretically be used to retrieve the entire data signal frame . this level of redundancy is not found in the prior art . additionally , data signal information is also spread evenly over the two frequency bands . the real and imaginary signal components , y r ( t ) and y i ( t ), contain identical information about the data signals . loss of either frequency band to interference only slightly affects the receiver function , and does not significantly hinder the recovery of the entire transmitted data messages s 1 ( t ) and s 2 ( t ), except for a 3 db loss in the signal to noise ratio . fig4 is a block diagram of the preferred embodiment of a holographic communications receiving device and method . in essence , the receiver retraces the steps of the transmitter with the addition of the frame lockup module 24 and filters 25 . signals from the receiving antenna 20 are fed to the rf receiver 21 . both the antenna 20 and receiver 21 are similar to the prior art antenna 8 and receiver 9 shown in fig2 with the exception that the receiver has two channels to receive the disjoint frequency bands produced by the transmitter 17 of fig3 and the antenna is of wider bandwidth to receive both bands . the receiving antenna and receiver 21 need not faithfully receive all of the frequencies transmitted from the transmitter 17 shown in fig3 or all of the time information within a hologram frame , but only a significant portion . this is because &# 34 ; pieces &# 34 ; of the original data signal are transmitted over many frequencies and at many different times during a frame period as previously discussed . this feature of the holographic communications may be of significant importance for burst communications in the presence of hostile jamming or interference where parts of the frame are lost or portions of the frequency bands are disrupted or missing . the output of the receiver 21 is mixed down to the original spread bandwidths and baseband frequencies by mixer 22 using local oscillators at frequencies fl and f2 from oscillators 18 and 19 corresponding to the oscillators 18 and 19 of the transmitting station shown in fig3 . the two analog outputs of the mixer 22 , representing the real and imaginary channels of the received hologram , are converted to digital numbers using the analog to digital ( a / d ) converter 28 to produce the complex and time dependent digital signal y &# 39 ;( t - t ) = y r &# 39 ;( t - t ) + iy i &# 39 ;( t - t ). y &# 39 ;( t - t ) is then passed through the inverse fourier transform 23 . the quantity t is the unknown transit time delay between transmitter and receiver . transformer 23 uses exactly the same frame size and transformation rate as the fourier transformer 16 in fig3 but is not in frame registration due to the unknown time delay t . the output g ( t &# 39 ;) of the inverse fourier transformer 23 is equal to m ( t &# 39 ;) e . sup . ( i2 [ pi ] tt &# 39 ;), where m ( t &# 39 ;) = x ( t &# 39 ;) e . sup . ( iq ( t &# 39 ;). the signals x ( t &# 39 ;) and e iq ( t &# 39 ;) are not dependent on the delay time t . the signal g ( t &# 39 ;) may be despread ( decoded ) immediately by the complex conjugate phase code modulation provided by complex multiplier 14 . in the preferred embodiment , the conjugate phase code signal is represented by the exponent - iq ( t ) and is produced by generator 27 . the output of the decoder 14 is s &# 39 ;( t &# 39 ;) s1 &# 39 ;( t &# 39 ;) + is2 &# 39 ;( t &# 39 ;) which equals x ( t &# 39 ;) e . sup . ( itt &# 39 ;). since x ( t &# 39 ;) may represent psk or qpsk signals , the frequency modulation caused by the exponent ( i2 [ pi ] tt &# 39 ;) can cause serious bit errors unless removed . the removal of the frequency modulation exponent ( i2 [ pi ] tt &# 39 ;) is the function of the frame lockup module 24 . it is in essence a power spectrum analyzer providing an accurate frequency measurement of the modulation tone represented by the exponent ( i2 [ pi ] tt &# 39 ;). this frequency measurement sets a restart signal for the inverse fourier transformer 23 and puts the transform process into frame registration by causing t to be equal to 0 . the entire process of frame registration takes as little as one frame or one millisecond . this time is 2 to 4 orders of magnitude faster than the seconds or minutes normally required for code synchronization in the prior art . this feature makes the holographic communications particularly well suited for military communications where short transmission time ( bursts ) signals are involved . to facilitate this registration process , special data frames containing all ones may be periodically transmitted with known spreading codes q ( t ). the receiver then sees pure tones in module 24 and can register the frames even in the presence of 20 to 30 db of added link interference . this real signal reconstruction of the data signals is derived from only a portion of the frequency spectrum transmitted and may contain artifacts (&# 34 ; speckle &# 34 ; or false signals at certain frequencies ) caused by the original phase modulation . the complex output of the frame lockup 24 consists of two time dependent signals which are low pass filtered by module 25 and then passed into baseband demodulators 26 which convert the psk and qpsk signals into estimates ( reconstructions ) of the two original data signals r1 ( t &# 39 ;) and r2 ( t &# 39 ;). other embodiments may not require the filtering module 25 , depending upon the type of transformation , frequencies received and quality of the recovered data required . the decipher unit 10 of the prior art ( fig2 ) has been replaced by the inverse fourier transformer 23 and decoder 14 . other embodiments may use other phase decoder relationships , surface acoustic wave ( saw ) and / or chirp inverse transformers for higher frequency data signals and spreading code signals matching the method used in the transmitter . fig5 illustrates graphs of the waveforms on the real and imaginary channels of the transmitter as they exit the baseband modulators 3 in fig3 when qpsk modulation is used on each channel . x r ( t ) or the real channel is represented by the top graph while x i ( t ) or the imaginary channel is represented by the bottom graph . each channel graph represents the result of multiplexing two real digital signals using qpsk modulation . a total of 4 independent data signals are thus being multiplexed onto the holographic signal . the qpsk waveforms representing pairs ( i , j ) of bits from two channels are illustrated in fig5 a , while the signal space representation of these 4 waveforms is shown in fig5 b . there are 64 data bits from 4 channels multiplexed onto the real and imaginary channels in a frame time of 1 millisecond . the horizontal axis of each graph reflects time where 2048 corresponds to 1 millisecond . the bit periods in the graphs are delineated by vertical lines every 128 data points or chips along the time axis . fig6 illustrates a time scale magnification of the signal shown in fig5 . the top half of the figure contains the &# 34 ; real &# 34 ; qpsk waveform containing data signals 1 and 2 , and the lower half contains the &# 34 ; imaginary &# 34 ; qpsk waveform containing data signals 3 and 4 . fig7 illustrates graphs showing the spread spectrum , time dependent signals as they exit the phase modulator ( encoder ) 14 in fig3 . by using a q ( t ) time dependent code signal that has values which vary between - pi and + pi in generator 15 of fig3 the illustrated spread spectrum signals look like uniformly distributed white noise . the top graph portion represents the real channel and the bottom graph portion represents the imaginary channel . fig8 are graphs showing the real and imaginary time dependent signals ( top and bottom portions respectively ) representing the baseband hologram signal as it exits the fourier transformer 16 in fig3 . the periodic vertical lines are part of the graphics display used for reference only and are not part of the hologram signal . these signals have the appearance of white gaussian noise and a total absence of clock references and &# 34 ; chips &# 34 ; that are common to the prior art . because of these characteristics , the hologram signals have a much higher degree of &# 34 ; covertness &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; stealth &# 34 ; compared to the signal outputs from the prior art . fig9 illustrates a graph showing the frequency power spectrum of the time dependent hologram signal shown in fig8 . the spectrum shows no artifacts or spectral lines , just a uniform distribution of energy across the bandwidth . the horizontal axis represents frequency . peak frequency for the example is 1245 . 9 khz , where f 1 = 1 khz and f 2 = 2 . 048 mhz ( supplied by frequency generators 18 and 19 as shown in fig1 and 19 . fig1 illustrates graphs showing the receiver &# 39 ; s estimation of the 2 qpsk signal channels ( real and imaginary ) after they exit the low pass filters 25 in fig4 . bit periods are delineated by the periodic vertical lines on both graphs . y &# 39 ; r ( t &# 39 ;) is represented by the top graph while y &# 39 ; i ( t &# 39 ;) is represented by the bottom graph . each graph contains two data signals multiplexed together by the qpsk waveforms illustrated in fig5 . these graphs were obtained from the entire received hologram frame where zero - mean gaussian link noise was added to the channels to produce a bit signal to noise ratio eb / no = 18 db and s / n = 0 . 7 . the graphs illustrate that no data bits were received in error . fig1 illustrates graphs showing the receiver &# 39 ; s estimation of the same 2 qpsk signal channels discussed and shown in fig1 , but after 50 % of the holograms frame was lost . the graphs illustrate that no data bits were received in error . fig1 illustrates graphs showing the receiver &# 39 ; s estimation of the same 2 qpsk signal channels as shown and discussed in fig1 , but after 75 % of the hologram frame was lost . the graphs illustrate that no data bits were received in error . while the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described , changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention .	7
referring to fig1 - 7 , various views of the wheelchair lift assist mechanism 10 according to at least one embodiment of the present mechanisms disclosed herein is show . a wheelchair 12 or any type of armchair can be manufactured inclusive of a mechanism 10 or the mechanism 10 can be retrofit to any existing wheelchair 12 or armchair . the mechanism 10 includes a seat portion 18 , one or more bars 24 , and one or more handles 26 . the one or more bars 24 are pivotally attached on either side of the seat portion 18 at a pivot point . the one or more handles 26 extend outward from the one or more bars 24 opposite the pivot point . the mechanism 10 further includes at least one attachment mechanism 30 or other means for pivotally connecting the mechanism 10 to the armrest of the wheelchair . in at least one embodiment , the seat portion 18 includes a seat 20 that is made of relatively flexible fabric material . it is understood that the seat 20 may be made of a rigid material or any other suitable material known in the arts . the fabric seat 20 is fastened to one or more tubes or rods 22 extending from the front to the rear of the seat portion 18 . the one or more bars 24 may be pivotally connected to tubes 22 by bolts 28 . while the pivot point could be created at any point along the tube 22 , in the preferred embodiment the pivot point is set slightly off center of the tube 22 toward the back of the mechanism 10 . while in operation this creates the forward tilt of seat 20 when a vertically downward force is applied to the one or more handles 26 , which acts to properly erect the patient 14 with the help of assistant 16 . the one or more bars 24 are also connected to the at least one attachment mechanism 30 , which in one embodiment is a j shaped bracket pivotally attached to the one or more bars 24 with a bolt 28 . the j shaped bracket forms a second pivot point in line with bracket 30 , which is hung from one or more arms of wheelchair 12 . the bracket 30 can conform to a variety of arm shapes and is shown as conforming to a cylindrical shape , in a preferred embodiment . a bolt 28 fixes the bracket 30 to the arm of the wheelchair 12 in an appropriate location , universally adjustable from chair to chair . the bars 24 are positioned at an approximate angle of 45 degrees to the horizontal upward and toward the rear of the mechanism , typical in most installations , and could be within a range of plus or minus 10 degrees . one or more handles 26 are fixed to one or more bars 24 in a secure manor . any type of rigid material such as steel , aluminum , plastic or other materials well known in the arts could be used for this construction . the operation of the mechanism 10 according to at least one embodiment of the mechanisms discussed herein is described with reference to fig8 - 9 . referring to fig8 a patient 14 is sitting at rest in a wheelchair 12 and is being tended by an assistant 16 . the mechanism 10 is in use in a rest position . the seat 20 conforms to the horizontal rest spot of the wheelchair 12 . the bars 24 are positioned at an approximate angle of 45 degrees to the horizontal , typical in most installations , and could be within a range of plus or minus 10 degrees . results are a modest , unobtrusive , simple to install mechanism 10 that is capable of providing comfort for the patient 14 . referring to fig9 a patient 14 is standing , being moved to this position by a vertical downward pressure provided by the assistant 16 via the handles 26 . the pressure is transferred through bars 24 to tubes 22 respectively raising seat 20 which tilts forward raising and ejecting patient 14 to a standing position . results are ease of use by an untrained assistant 16 that is providing a force capable to assist an ambulatory patient 14 to stand . while the foregoing invention has been described in some detail for purposes of clarity and understanding , it will be appreciated by one skilled in the art , from a reading of the disclosure , that various changes in form and detail can be made without departing from the true scope of the invention .	0
fig1 a shows a perspective view of a belleville washer . the washers are manufactured using materials , such as alloy steels , to meet specific material requirements . they should exhibit good fatigue life and minimum relaxation . a high alloy content material is commonly used as the spring steel . fig1 b identifies dimensions of belleville springs commonly used . spring 10 is shown in fig1 a and fig1 b . d 1 is the diameter of the opening , d 2 is the external diameter of the spring , t is the thickness of the spring material , d is the maximum deflection of the spring when it is compressed , and e is the overall thickness of the spring in the uncompressed state . d = e − t . the spring may contain special properties for corrosion or other properties and may be coated with a number of different materials such as phosphate , galvanizing , mechanical zinc plating and electroless nickel plating . it may also be coated with the coating to minimize friction , which is discussed further below . referring to fig2 a , spring stack 20 is shown in cross section , including springs 22 in series configuration on spring carriers 24 , which are guided by mandrel 26 . forces are applied to the springs through load ring 28 ( a ) and load base 28 ( b ). referring to the inset of fig2 a , spring carrier 24 is formed by sleeve 21 and circumferential flange 25 . fig2 b depicts spring stack 20 in the state of maximum compression . springs 22 have been deflected to the point where the cone is collapsed ( i . e ., deflected by the distance “ d ” of fig1 b ). spring carriers 24 are in contact on mandrel 26 . fig2 c shows a perspective view of the washers and spring carrier 24 of fig2 a and 2b . carrier 24 is formed from sleeve 21 and circumferential flange 25 on the outside surface of the sleeve . flange 25 allows the washers to be spaced at a selected location on carrier 24 , normally at an equal distance from each end of the sleeve . spring carrier 24 is adapted to fit slidably on mandrel 26 . the outside diameter of spring carrier 24 is adapted to fit in the inside diameter ( d 1 of fig1 b ) of belleville spring 22 . referring to fig3 a , belleville springs 32 on one side of mandrel 36 are shown in a partial cross - sectional view . spring carrier 34 is placed between mandrel 36 and springs 32 . spring carrier 34 includes sleeve 31 and circumferential flange 35 . in fig3 a , springs 32 are either in a relaxed state or in a compressed state less than maximum compression . fig3 b shows spring 32 in the state of maximum compression allowed when springs are employed on spring carrier 34 . spring carrier 34 has an axial dimension , as measured from flange 34 to an end of sleeve 31 , greater than the maximum deflection (“ d ” of fig1 b ) of spring 32 . when the apparatus is deployed on mandrel 36 and load is applied , spring carrier 34 may serve to limit the deflection and the load applied to springs 32 . this load - limiting feature may be selected over a broad range of load from zero deflection or the relaxed state to maximum deflection of the springs . the width of circumferential flange 35 may also be selected to maintain an optimum spacing of springs 32 . flange 35 serves primarily to control the placement of springs 32 on spring carrier 34 . it preferably has enough width to provide the needed mechanical strength of the flange . referring to fig4 a , springs 42 are deployed on mandrel 46 using spring carriers 44 . as seen more clearly in the center inset , spring carrier 44 is made up of sleeve 41 . the smaller diameter of the inside surface of sleeve 41 is sized to fit slidably over mandrel 46 and the larger diameter of the outside surface of sleeve 41 is sized to fit in the inside diameter of springs 42 . spring carrier 44 has inside and outside surfaces of different diameter on each side of shoulders 47 ( a ) and 47 ( b ), which are placed at selected locations on the outside surface and inside surface , respectively , of carrier 44 . shoulder 47 ( a ) separates a larger and small diameter on the outside surface and shoulder 47 ( b ) separates a larger and smaller diameter on the inside surface of sleeve 41 . circumferential flange 45 may be used to facilitate placing springs 42 on carrier 44 . load ring 48 ( a ) and load base 48 ( b ) may be used to apply load to stack 40 . the outside diameter of one segment of carrier 44 is selected to fit in the inside diameter of another segment of carrier 44 . the carriers are disposed on mandrel 46 such that adjacent carriers overlap and thereby decrease lateral or bucking loads on mandrel 46 as springs 42 are compressed . overlapping of adjacent carriers creates rigidity to the stack of carriers and provides significant friction reduction in stack 40 as it is compressed and decompressed . a hysteresis curve for the compression and decompression will have significantly smaller area in the presence of overlapping carriers 44 than in the absence of such carriers . carriers 44 may be truncated so that an end carrier may allow the end spring to compress against load ring 48 ( a ) or load base block 48 ( b ). truncated carriers 49 ( upper inset and lower inset ) illustrate a preferred configuration of a spring carrier to be placed at the end of a stack . in fig4 b compressive load has been applied to deflect springs 42 to the point where adjacent springs carriers 44 are completely interlocked or overlapping and springs 42 have reached maximum deflection . spring carriers 44 have moved along their axis as each spring has been deflected a distance equal to the maximum deflection (“ d ” of fig1 b ). as discussed above with respect to fig3 a and 3b , the distance from an end of sleeve 41 to shoulder 47 ( a ) or 47 ( b ) may be less than the maximum deflection of spring 42 . in this case , when the apparatus is deployed on mandrel 46 and load is applied , then spring carrier 44 may serve to limit the deflection and the load applied to springs 42 . this load - limiting feature may be selected over a broad range of load from zero deflection or the relaxed state to maximum deflection of the springs . referring to fig4 c , a perspective view is shown of springs 42 on carriers 44 and mandrel 46 . sleeve 41 has shoulder 47 ( a ) on the outside surface and shoulder 47 ( b ) on the inside surface . circumferential flange 45 is placed at a selected position , preferably in the center of the larger diameter surface on the outside surface of sleeve 41 . shoulders 47 ( a ) and 47 ( b ) may be placed equal distances from the opposite ends of sleeve 41 . alternatively , the shoulders may be placed at different distances from the opposite ends of sleeve 41 . these distances will be shown in more detail in fig6 a . referring to fig5 spring stack 50 guided by cylinder 56 is shown . springs 52 are sized to fit the inside diameter of spring carriers 54 . the larger outside diameter of spring carrier 54 is sized to slidably fit inside cylinder 56 . spring carriers 54 are made of sleeve 51 ( see inset ) and have circumferential ledge 55 on the smaller diameter area of the inside surface . carriers 54 also have shoulders 57 ( a ) and 57 ( b ) at selected locations , similar to the carriers to be placed over a mandrel as shown in fig4 a . load blocks 58 ( a ) and 58 ( b ) transmit force to the stack of springs 52 . overlapping spring carriers for use inside a cylinder guide or on a mandrel may be designed to provide complete interlocking or overlapping when springs reach maximum deflection or may be designed to provide load - limiting capabilities by selection of axial dimensions . fig6 a illustrates dimensions of overlapping carriers . as can be noted in the figure , for the carriers to be moved with the springs to maximum spring deflection ( d ) when the carriers are completely overlapping or interlocked , dimensions may be selected such that : where t is spring thickness , w is width of the circumferential ledge , c is the distance between the inside and outside shoulders , l is the overlap of the carriers at the initial deflection of the springs and r is the remaining overlap from the initial deflection of the springs . if we dimension the spring carrier so that r = 2d , then : the carriers then would move from the position shown in fig6 a to that shown in fig6 b ( completely overlapping ) if d and t are spring properties that will be supplied by the manufacturer of the selected spring . c and l are design options for the carriers , which will determine the value of w if the springs are to reach maximum deflection when the carriers are completely interlocked . if load - limiting of the springs is to be provided by the carriers , the value of r ( along the inside surface ) under no - load conditions may be decreased , for example . alternatively , dimensions of the carriers may be adjusted along the outside surface . preferably , the spring carriers disclosed herein are coated with an anti - friction coating . many such coatings are available . a suitable coating is provided by the kolene qpq process , which is a product of kolene corporation . another suitable process is the armorall process . other known friction - reducing coatings , polymers , oils or additives may be used . embodiments disclosed heretofore employed a guide for the springs , either a mandrel or a cylinder . in other embodiments , a guide is not employed and the carriers are placed such that overlapping of adjacent carriers is sufficient to form a rigid structure that prevents sidewise movement of springs or buckling of a stack of springs . fig7 a illustrates such a stack , stack 70 . springs 72 are deployed on spring carriers 74 . note the absence of a mandrel , but adjacent carriers overlap sufficiently to provide a rigid structure , preventing buckling of the stack of springs . overlapping may be provided by pre - loading springs or by adjusting carrier dimensions to allow sufficient overlapping a zero spring deflection . carriers 74 have inside and outside surfaces of different diameter on each side of shoulders , as explained above for fig4 a . circumferential flange 73 facilitates placing springs 72 on carriers 74 . end pieces 78 ( a ) and 78 ( b ) may be used to apply force to the stack and to confine lateral movement of the end pieces of the carriers . fig7 b shows stack 70 in the totally compressed state . stack 70 of fig7 is similar to stack 40 of fig4 , except a mandrel guide is not present in fig7 . fig5 shows a stack using a cylinder as a guide . of course , a stack can be formed using the guides of fig5 without a cylinder guide if carriers are initially overlapped . such a stack may have the guide and spring configuration of fig5 with load blocks at the ends of the stack and no cylinder guide outside . although the present disclosure has been described in detail , it should be understood that various changes , substitutions and alterations can be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims .	5
the epoxy resin composition for fiber - reinforced composite material of the present invention comprises [ a ] an epoxy resin , [ b ] a dicyandiamide , and [ c ] an imidazole compound as its critical components . the component [ a ] of the present invention is an epoxy resin . exemplary epoxy resins include bisphenol a type epoxy resins , bisphenol f type epoxy resins , bisphenol s type epoxy resins , biphenyl type epoxy resins , naphthalene type epoxy resins , novolac type epoxy resins , epoxy resins having fluorene backbone , epoxy resins prepared by using a copolymer of a phenol compound and dicyclopentadiene for the starting material , glycidyl ether type epoxy resins such as diglycidyl resorcinol , tetrakis ( glycidyloxy phenyl ) ethane , and tris ( glycidyloxy phenyl ) methane , and glycidylamine type epoxy resins such as tetraglycidyl diaminodiphenylmethane , triglycidyl aminophenol , triglycidyl aminocresol , tetraglycidyl xylene diamine . of these , the preferred are bisphenol a type epoxy resins , bisphenol f type epoxy resins , bisphenol s type epoxy resins , biphenyl type epoxy resins , naphthalene type epoxy resins , novolac type epoxy resins , epoxy resins having fluorine backbone , epoxy resins prepared by using a copolymer of a phenol compound and dicyclopentadiene for the starting material , glycidyl ether type epoxy resins such as diglycidyl resorcinol , tetrakis ( glycidyloxy phenyl ) ethane , and tris ( glycidyloxy phenyl ) methane , which may be used alone or as a combination of two or more . the component [ b ] of the present invention is a dicyandiamide . the dicyandiamide is a compound represented by the chemical formula ( h 2 n ) 2 c ═ n — cn , and the dicyandiamide is widely used as a curing agent of the epoxy resin in view of its excellent ability to impart the cured resin material composition with high mechanical properties and heat resistance . examples of the commercially available dicyandiamide include dicy7 , dicy15 ( manufactured by mitsubishi chemical corporation ). incorporation of the dicyandiamide [ b ] in the form of a powder is preferable in view of its storage stability at room temperature and stability of the viscosity in the production of the prepreg . preliminary dispersion of the dicyandiamide [ b ] in a part of the epoxy resin in the component [ a ] by using three rolls and the like is also preferable in view of producing a consistent epoxy resin composition to thereby improve physical properties of the cured article . when the dicyandiamide is incorporated as a powder , the average particle size is preferably up to 10 μm , and more preferably up to 7 μm . for example , when the epoxy resin composition is impregnated in the reinforcement fiber bundle by applying heat and pressure in the course of producing the prepreg , impregnation of the epoxy resin composition in the fiber bundle will be facilitated by the use of the dicyandiamide having the average particle size of up to 10 μm . total content of the dicyandiamide [ b ] is preferably a content such that amount of the active hydrogen group is in the range of 0 . 3 to 1 . 0 equivalent weight , and more preferably 0 . 3 to 0 . 6 equivalent weight in relation to the epoxy group in all epoxy resin components in the epoxy resin composition . when the content of the active hydrogen group is in such range , production of the cured resin material having well - balanced heat resistance and mechanical properties will be enabled . the component [ c ] in the present invention is an imidazole compound . in the present invention , the component [ c ] functions as a curing accelerator of the component [ b ]. exemplary imidazole compounds include those represented by the following formula ( i ): wherein r 1 to r 2 are hydrogen or an alkyl group , aryl group or aralkyl group having 1 or more substituents selected from halogen , hydroxy group , and cyano group and r 3 to r 4 are hydrogen or an alkyl group , aryl group or aralkyl group having 1 or more substituents selected from halogen , hydroxy group , and cyano group . the alkyl group as used herein is a substituent derived from a hydrocarbon which may have a straight chain , branched , or cyclic structure . the aryl group is a substituent derived from an aromatic hydrocarbon , and examples include those solely comprising an aromatic ring such as phenyl group and naphthyl group , and also , those containing an aromatic hydrocarbon structure as its moiety as in the case of tolyl group . an aralkyl group is an alkyl group having an aryl group as its substituent , and examples include benzyl group and phenylethyl group . exemplary imidazole compounds include 1 - benzyl - 2 - methyl imidazole , 1 - benzyl - 2 - ethyl imidazole , 1 - cyanoethyl - 2 - methyl imidazole , 1 - cyanoethyl - 2 - ethyl - 4 - methyl imidazole , and 1 - cyanoethyl - 2 - phenyl imidazole , which may be used alone or in combination of two or more . ( analysis of the epoxy resin composition using a differential scanning colorimeter ) in the present invention , curability of the epoxy resin composition is conducted , for example , by using a differential scanning colorimeter . the exotherm that can be observed in the measurement using a differential scanning colorimeter is the one generated by the reaction of the epoxy resin composition . accordingly , the exothermic chart plotted by using x axis for the time and y axis for the heat flow rate in an isothermal measurement represents time dependency of the reaction speed at the temperature of the measurement . therefore , the time of the exothermic peak top appearance is the time when the reaction is most active at the temperature of the measurement , and this time can be used as an index of the reactivity . ( isothermal analysis of the epoxy resin composition at 100 ° c . using a differential scanning colorimeter ) in the present invention , when the epoxy resin composition is isothermally analyzed at 100 ° c . by using a differential scanning colorimeter and time interval between reaching to 100 ° c . and reaching of the heat flow to the top of the peak is designated t ( 100 ), the t ( 100 ) is preferably up to 25 minutes and more preferably up to 24 minutes . use of an epoxy resin composition exhibiting the t ( 100 ) of up to 25 minutes for the matrix resin enables production of the prepreg having excellent high - speed curability . the prepreg produced by using an epoxy resin composition exhibiting the t ( 100 ) of greater than 25 minutes for the matrix resin has insufficient high - speed curability . ( isothermal analysis of the epoxy resin composition at 60 ° c . using a differential scanning colorimeter ) when the epoxy resin composition is isothermally analyzed at 60 ° c . and time interval between reaching to 60 ° c . and reaching of the heat flow to the top of the peak is designated t ( 60 ), the t ( 60 ) is preferably at least 15 hours and more preferably at least 21 hours . use of an epoxy resin composition exhibiting the t ( 60 ) of at least 15 hours minutes for the matrix resin enables production of the prepreg having excellent storage stability . the prepreg produced by using an epoxy resin composition exhibiting the t ( 60 ) of less than 15 hours for the matrix resin has insufficient storage stability . ( ratio of the number of the epoxy group to the number of imidazole ring in the epoxy resin composition ) in addition , the epoxy resin composition of the present invention has the ratio of the number of the epoxy groups to the number of imidazole rings in the epoxy resin composition of at least 25 and up to 90 . when this ratio is less than 25 , proportion of the self - polymerization in the epoxy resin will be increased and the cured resin material becomes brittle , and hence , the carbon fiber - reinforced plastic material prepared by using the epoxy resin composition for its matrix resin will suffer from reduced strength . on the other hand , when this ratio is in excess of 90 , curability of the epoxy resin composition will be insufficient and the cured resin material also becomes brittle , and the carbon fiber - reinforced plastic material prepared by using the epoxy resin composition for its matrix resin will also suffer from reduced strength . the ratio of the number of the epoxy groups to the number of imidazole rings in the epoxy resin composition can be calculated by the procedure as described below from epoxy equivalent weight of the epoxy resin composition and imidazole ring equivalent weight of the epoxy resin composition . when “ n ” types of the epoxy resins are simultaneously used in the epoxy resin composition , total parts by weight of the epoxy resin composition is “ g ”, and “ w x ” parts by weight of the epoxy resin x having the epoxy equivalent weight of “ e x ” ( g / eq ) is incorporated , the average epoxy equivalent weight in the epoxy resin composition can be calculated by the following mathematical equation ( 1 ) ( wherein x = 1 , 2 , 3 , . . . , n ). when the total parts by weight of the epoxy resin composition is “ g ”, and “ w ” parts by weight of the imidazole compound having an imidazole ring equivalent weight of “ i ” [ g / eq ] is incorporated in the epoxy resin composition , the imidazole ring equivalent weight in the epoxy resin composition can be calculated by the following mathematical equation ( 2 ): imidazole ring equivalent weight of the epoxy resin composition [ g / eq ]= g / ( w / i ) ( 2 ) ( iii ) ratio of the number of the epoxy groups to the number of imidazole rings in the epoxy resin composition the ratio of the number of the epoxy groups to the number of imidazole rings in the epoxy resin composition may be calculated by the following mathematical equation ( 3 ) using the values obtained in the ( i ) and ( ii ). ratio of the number of the epoxy groups to the number of imidazole rings in the epoxy resin composition =( imidazole ring equivalent weight of the epoxy resin composition / average epoxy equivalent weight of the epoxy resin composition ) ( 3 ) the epoxy resin composition may preferably have an epoxy equivalent weight of at least 250 g / eq and up to 500 g / eq . when the epoxy equivalent weight is less than 250 g / eq or greater than 500 g / eq , the resulting cured article will exhibit poor balance between the modulus and the deformation , and the carbon fiber - reinforced plastic material prepared by using the epoxy resin composition for its matrix resin may also suffer from reduced strength . the imidazole compound used for the component [ c ] in the present invention is described in further detail . the imidazole compound used in the present invention is not limited for its state . while the imidazole compound may be a solid or a liquid , it is most preferably an imidazole compound which is soluble in the epoxy resin . when an imidazole compound soluble in the epoxy resin is used , the epoxy resin composition will have a reduced t ( 100 ) and the prepreg will have an improved high - speed curability . in addition , the cured resin material will have an improved balance between the modulus and the deformation due to the improved consistency of the epoxy resin composition . in the present invention , solubility and non - solubility of the imidazole compound in the epoxy resin is determined by the procedure as described below . the epoxy resin composition having the dicyandiamide excluded therefrom is first prepared since dicyandiamide in the epoxy resin composition of the present invention is an insoluble latent curing agent , and then , the state of the epoxy resin composition is visually confirmed . the epoxy resin composition is determined “ dissolved ” when the resulting epoxy resin composition is transparent , and “ not dissolved ” when the composition is opaque , namely , turbid or lumpy . an exemplary preferable imidazole compound used in the present invention is the one having the hydrogen at position 1 of the imidazole ring substituted . more preferred is the use of an imidazole compound having position 1 of the imidazole ring substituted with benzyl group or cyanoethyl group . an exemplary such compound is the one represented by the following general formula ( i ) wherein r 1 is benzyl group or cyanoethyl group , and r 2 , r 3 , and r 4 are respectively hydrogen atom , an aliphatic hydrocarbon group containing 1 to 20 carbon atoms , or phenyl group . many imidazole compounds having position 1 of the imidazole ring substituted with benzyl group or cyanoethyl group are liquid with high solubility in epoxy resin . examples of the commercially available imidazole include “ cureduct ” ( registered trademark ) 1b2mz , 1b2pz , 2mz - cn , 2e4mz - cn , and 2pz - cn ( manufactured by shikoku chemicals corporation ). also preferred for the compound having position 1 of the imidazole ring substituted is an adduct produced represented by the following general formula ( ii ) by the reaction of an imidazole compound with an epoxy compound . wherein r 5 , r 6 , r 7 and r 8 are respectively hydrogen atom , an aliphatic hydrocarbon group containing 1 to 20 carbon atoms , or phenyl group and y is single bond , an alkylene group , an alkylidene group , ether group , or sulfonyl group . examples of the commercially available adducts include “ cureduct ” ( registered trademark ) p - 0505 ( shikoku chemicals corporation ) and “ jer cure ” ( registered trademark ) p200h50 ( mitsubishi chemical corporation ). also preferred for the compound having position 1 of the imidazole ring substituted is an adduct produced represented by the following general formula ( iii ) by the reaction of an imidazole compound with an isocyanate compound . wherein r 9 , r 10 , r 11 and r 12 are respectively hydrogen atom , a aliphatic hydrocarbon group containing 1 to 20 carbon atoms , or phenyl group , and z is an alkylene group or an aromatic hydrocarbon group . an example of the commercially available adduct is g - 8009l ( dks co . ltd .). content of the component [ c ] in the composition is preferably 0 . 5 to 8 parts by weight , more preferably 1 to 6 parts by weight , and still more preferably 1 . 5 to 4 parts by weight in relation to 100 parts by weight of the epoxy resin ( component [ a ]). when the content of the component [ c ] is in such range , the cured resin material obtained from the resulting epoxy resin composition will enjoy good balance between the storage stability and the curing speed and exhibit good physical properties . an acidic compound may be added to the epoxy resin composition of the present invention as the component [ d ]. when an acidic compound is added , the epoxy resin composition will have an increased t ( 60 ) value , and the prepreg will enjoy an improved storage stability . the acidic compound used may be a bronsted acid or a lewis acid . the bronsted acid is preferably a carboxylic acid , and the carboxylic acids may be categorized into aliphatic polycarboxylic acids , aromatic polycarboxylic acids , aliphatic monocarboxylic acids , and aromatic monocarboxylic acids . exemplary compounds are as described below . exemplary aliphatic monocarboxylic acid include formic acid , acetic acid , propionic acid , butyric acid , isobutyric acid , valeric acid , caproic acid , enanthic acid , caprylic acid , octyl acid , pelargonic acid , lauryl acid , myristic acid , stearic acid , behenic acid , undecane acid , acrylic acid , methacrylic acid , crotonic acid , oleic acid , and derivatives of these acids . exemplary aliphatic polycarboxylic acid include oxalic acid , malonic acid , succinic acid , glutaric acid , adipic acid , pimelic acid , suberic acid , azelaic acid , sebacic acid , undecanedioic acid , dodecanedioic acid , tridecanedioic acid , tetradecanedioic acid , pentadecanedioic acid , and derivatives of these acids . exemplary aromatic monocarboxylic acids include benzoic acid , cinnamic acid , naphthoic acid , toluic acid , and derivatives of these acids . exemplary aromatic polycarboxylic acids include phthalic acid , isophthalic acid , terephthalic acid , trimellitic acid , pyromellitic acid , and derivatives of these acids . these aromatic monocarboxylic acids and aromatic polycarboxylic acids may be substituted with hydroxy group , a halogen , an alkyl group , an aryl group , or the like . when a bronsted acid is used for the acidic compound in the present invention , pka is preferably up to 4 . 3 . when such bronsted acid having a pka of up to 4 . 3 is used , the resulting prepreg will enjoy an improved storage stability . the pka of the bronsted acid may be measured by titration . in the case of an aromatic carboxylic acid , however , the pka may be roughly estimated by hammett &# 39 ; s rule . exemplary preferable aromatic carboxylic acids having a pka of up to 4 . 3 include benzoic acid , p - hydroxybenzoic acid , p - nitrobenzoic acid , isophthalic acid , 5 - hydroxybenzoic acid , and 5 - nitrobenzoic acid . the lewis acid is preferably boric acid and / or a borate , or the like . examples of the boric acid and / or the borate include boric acid , alkyl borates such as trimethyl borate , triethyl borate , tributyl borate , tri - n - octyl borate , tri ( triethylene glycol methyl ether ) borate , tricyclohexyl borate , trimenthyl borate , aromatic borates such as tri - o - cresyl borate , tri - m - cresyl borate , tri - p - cresyl borate , and triphenyl borate , and tri ( 1 , 3 - butanediol ) biborate , tri ( 2 - methyl - 2 , 4 - pentanediol ) biborate , and trioctylene glycol diborate . the borate used may also be a cyclic borate having a cyclic structure in its molecule . exemplary cyclic borates include tris - o - phenylene bisborate , bis - o - phenylene pyroborate , bis - 2 , 3 - dimethylethylene phenylene pyroborate , and bis - 2 , 2 - dimethyltrimethylene pyroborate . exemplary products containing such borate include “ cureduct ” ( registered trademark ) l - 01b ( shikoku chemicals corporation ) and “ curcduct ” ( registered trademark ) l - 07n ( shikoku chemicals corporation ). content of the component [ d ] as described above used is preferably 0 . 5 to 8 parts by weight , more preferably 1 to 6 parts by weight , and still more preferably 1 . 5 to 4 parts by weight in 100 parts by weight of the epoxy resin ( component [ a ]). when the content of the component [ d ] is in such range , the cured resin material obtained from the resulting epoxy resin composition will enjoy good balance between the storage stability and the curing speed and exhibit good physical properties . the epoxy resin composition of the present invention may also contain a thermoplastic resin as the component [ e ] to the extent not adversely affecting the merits of the present invention . while the thermoplastic resin is not the critical component of the present invention , incorporation of the epoxy resin composition enables control of the viscoelasticity and the cured article will be imparted with toughness . examples of such thermoplastic resin include polymethyl methacrylate , polyvinyl formal , polyvinyl butyral , polyvinyl acetal , polyvinylpyrrolidone , a polymer containing at least 2 members selected from aromatic vinyl monomer , cyanated vinyl monomer , and rubbery polymer as its constituents , polyamide , polyester , polycarbonate , polyaryleneoxide , polysulfone , polyethersulfone , and polyimide . examples of the polymer containing at least 2 members selected from aromatic vinyl monomer , cyanated vinyl monomer , and rubbery polymer as its constituents include acrylonitrile - butadiene - styrene copolymer ( abs resin ) and acrylonitrile - styrene copolymer ( as resin ). the polysulfone and the polyimide may be those having ether bond or amide bond in its backbone chain . the polymethyl methacrylate , polyvinyl formal , polyvinyl butyral , and polyvinylpyrrolidone are preferable since they have good compatibility with many epoxy resins including bisphenol a type epoxy resin and novolac type epoxy resin and they contribute to the efficient control of the flowability of the epoxy resin composition . the most preferred is polyvinyl formal . exemplary commercially available products of these thermoplastic resins include “ denka butyral ” ( registered trademark ) and “ denka formal ” ( registered trademark ) ( manufactured by denki kagaku kogyo kabushiki kaisha ) and “ vinylec ” ( registered trademark ) manufactured by inc corporation . in the case of the polymers of the polysulfone , polyether sulfone , and polyimide , the resin itself has high heat resistance . they are also polymers having a resin backbone having adequate compatibility with the epoxy resins frequently used in the applications requiring heat resistance , for example , structural members of an air craft , for example , glycidylamine epoxy resins such as tetraglycidyl diaminodiphenylmethane , triglycidyl aminophenol , triglycidyl aminocresol , and tetraglycidylxylenediamine . in additions , use of these resins enables efficient control of flowability of the epoxy resin composition . these resins also have the effect of improving impact strength of the fiber - reinforced resin composite material . examples of such polymers include “ radel ” ( registered trademark ) a ( manufactured by solvay advanced polymers ) and “ sumikaexcel ” ( registered trademark ) pes ( manufactured by sumitomo chemical company , limited ) for the polysulfone and “ ultem ” ( registered trademark ) ( manufactured by ge plastics ) and “ matrimid ” ( registered trademark ) 5218 ( manufactured by huntsman ) for the polyimide . in the epoxy resin composition of the present invention , 1 to 60 parts by weight of the thermoplastic resin is preferably incorporated in 100 parts by weight of the epoxy resin . the epoxy resin composition used in the present invention may also contain a coupling agent , thermosetting resin particles , electroconductive particles such as carbon black , carbon particles , or metal - plated organic particles , and an inorganic filler such as silica gel or clay to the extent not adversely affecting the present invention . incorporation of such components has the effect of viscosity adjustment , for example , by improving the viscosity of the epoxy resin composition or reducing the resin flowability , the effect of improving the modulus and heat resistance of the cured resin material , and the effect of improving the abrasion resistance . the epoxy resin composition of the present invention can be produced , for example , by machine kneading using a kneader , planetary mixer , three rolls , or twin screw extruder , or alternatively , by manual blending using a beaker and a spatula if homogeneous kneading is possible . next , the fiber - reinforced composite material is described . the fiber - reinforced composite material containing the cured epoxy resin composition of the present invention as its matrix can be produced by blending and integrating the epoxy resin composition of the present invention with a reinforcement fiber , and curing the blend . the reinforcement fiber used in the present invention is not particularly limited , and examples include glass fiber , carbon fiber , aramid fiber , boron fiber , alumina fiber , and silicon carbide fiber , which may be used in combination of two or more . of these , the preferred is the used of carbon fiber that enable production of a fiber - reinforced composite material having a light weight and high rigidity . with regard to the production of the fiber - reinforced composite material , it is preferable to preliminarily produce a prepreg comprising the epoxy resin composition and the reinforcement fibers in view of the ease of storage and good handling convenience . the prepreg can be obtained by impregnating the epoxy resin composition of the present invention in the reinforcement fibers . exemplary methods used for the impregnation include hot melting method ( dry method ). the hot melting method is a method wherein the epoxy resin composition whose viscosity is reduced by heating is directly impregnated in the reinforcing fibers , or a method wherein after preliminarily forming a film of epoxy resin composition by coating the rein composition on a release paper or the like , the film is laid on one surface or on both surfaces of the reinforcement fibers , and the resin is impregnated in the reinforcement fibers by applying heat and pressure . in the formation of the prepreg laminate , the method used for applying the heat and the pressure is not particularly limited and exemplary methods include press molding , autoclave molding , bucking molding , wrapping tape method , or internal pressure molding . the fiber - reinforced composite material containing the cured product of the epoxy resin composition of the present invention and the reinforcement fibers is well adapted for used in sport applications , general industrial applications , and aerospace applications . more specifically , in the sport applications , the fiber - reinforced composite material is preferable for used in golf shafts , fishing rods , tennis and badminton rackets , hockey sticks and other sticks , and skiing poles . furthermore , in the general industrial applications , fiber - reinforced composite material is preferable for use in structural material of vehicles such as automobiles , bicycles , ships , and railroad vehicles , drive shaft , plate springs , windmill blades , pressure vessel , flywheels , rollers for paper manufacture , roofing materials , cables , and mending / reinforcing materials . next , the present invention is described in further detail by referring to the following examples which by no means limit the scope of the present invention . the components used in the present invention are as described below . [ a ]- 1 “ jer ” ( registered trademark ) 828 ( liquid bisphenol a type epoxy resin having an epoxy equivalent weight of 189 manufactured by mitsubishi chemical corporation ) [ a ]- 2 “ jer ” ( registered trademark ) 1007 ( solid bisphenol a type epoxy resin having an epoxy equivalent weight of 1925 manufactured by mitsubishi chemical corporation ) [ a ]- 3 “ jer ” ( registered trademark ) 154 ( phenol novolac type epoxy resin having an epoxy equivalent weight of 178 manufactured by mitsubishi chemical corporation ) [ a ]- 4 “ hp ” ( registered trademark ) 7200h ( dicyclopentadiene type epoxy resin having an epoxy equivalent weight of 279 manufactured by dic corporation ). [ c ]- 1 “ curezol ” (( registered trademark ) 1b2mz ( imidazole ring equivalent weight , 172 ; 1 - benzyl - 2 - methylimidazole , a compound represented by the general formula ( i ) wherein r 1 is benzyl group , r 2 is methyl group , r 3 and r 4 are hydrogen atom manufactured by shikoku chemicals corporation ) [ c ]- 2 g - 8009l ( imidazole ring equivalent weight , 195 ; a compound represented by the general formula ( ii ) wherein r 5 and r 7 are ethyl group , r 6 and r 8 are methyl group , and a is hexamethylene group manufactured by dks co . ltd .) [ c ]- 3 “ cureduct ” ( registered trademark ) p - 0505 ( imidazole ring equivalent weight , 280 ; a compound represented by the general formula ( iii ) wherein r 9 and r 11 are ethyl group , r 10 and r 12 are methyl group , and b is isopropylidene group manufactured by shikoku chemicals corporation ) [ c ]- 4 “ curezol ” ( registered trademark ) 2pz ( imidazole ring equivalent weight , 144 ; 2 - phenylimidazole manufactured by shikoku chemicals corporation ) [ c ]- 5 “ curezol ” ( registered trademark ) 2e4mz ( imidazole ring equivalent weight , 110 ; 2 - ethyl - 4 - methylimidazole manufactured by shikoku chemicals corporation ). [ c ′]- 2 “ omicure ” ( registered trademark ) 24 ( 4 , 4 ′- methylene bis ( phenyldimethyl urea ) manufactured by pti japan ). [ d ]- 1 p - nitrobenzoic acid ( pka : 3 . 4 , manufactured by tokyo chemical industry co ., ltd .) [ d ]- 2 benzoic acid ( pka : 4 . 2 , manufactured by tokyo chemical industry co ., ltd .) [ d ]- 3 p - methoxybenzoic acid ( pka : 4 . 5 , manufactured by tokyo chemical industry co ., ltd .) [ d ]- 4 acetic acid ( pka : 4 . 8 , manufactured by tokyo chemical industry co ., ltd .) [ d ]- 5 “ cureduct ” ( registered trademark ) l - 07n ( a composition containing 5 parts by weight of a borate compound as the acidic compound manufactured by shikoku chemicals corporation ). [ e ]- 1 “ vinylec ” ( registered trademark ) k ( polyvinyl formal manufactured by jnc corporation ). the imidazole compound [ c ] or the curing accelerator [ c ′] and , when the acidic compound [ d ] is used , the acidic compound [ d ] were added to 10 parts by weight of [ a ]- 1 ( jer828 ) ( a liquid resin ) ( 10 parts by weight of the 100 parts by weight of the epoxy resin [ a ]), and the mixture was kneaded at room temperature by using a kneader . by using three rolls , the mixture was passed twice between the rolls to prepare curing accelerator master batch . after adding the dicyandiamide [ b ] to the curing accelerator master batch , by using a kneader , the mixture was kneaded at room temperature and , by using three rolls , the mixture was passed twice between the rolls to prepare curing agent master batch . after placing 90 parts by weight of the epoxy resin [ a ], namely , the epoxy resin [ a ] excluding the 10 parts by weight of the [ a ]- 1 ( jer828 ) used in the ( 1 ) and the thermoplastic resin [ e ] in a kneader , the mixture was kneaded while raising the temperature to 150 ° c ., and the kneading was continued at 150 ° c . for 1 hour to obtain a transparent viscous liquid . after cooling the viscous liquid to 60 ° c . while kneading , the curing agent master batch prepared in the ( 1 ) was added , and the mixture was kneaded at 60 ° c . for 30 minutes to prepare the epoxy resin composition . blend ratio of components in each example and comparative example is shown in tables 1 and 2 . 3 mg of the epoxy resin composition was weighed and placed on a sample pan , and isothermal measurement for 3 hours was conducted by using a differential scanning colorimeter ( q - 2000 manufactured by ta instrument ) after elevating the temperature from 30 ° c . to 100 ° c . at 100 ° c ./ minute . by using 42 seconds after the start of the temperature elevation for the starting time of the measurement , time interval between the measurement starting time and reaching of the heat flow to the top of the exothermic peak was measured as the time required to reach the peak top in the isothermal measurement at 100 ° c . the measurement was conducted for 3 samples per one measurement level , and their average was used . the average obtained in this measurement is referred as “ t ( 100 )”. 3 mg of the epoxy resin composition was weighed and placed on a sample pan , and isothermal measurement for 30 hours was conducted by using a differential scanning colorimeter ( q - 2000 manufactured by ta instrument ) after elevating the temperature from 30 ° c . to 60 ° c . at 100 ° c ./ minute . by using 18 seconds after the start of the temperature elevation for the starting time of the measurement , time interval between the measurement starting time and reaching of the heat flow to the top of the exothermic peak was measured as the time required to reach the peak top in the isothermal measurement at 60 ° c . the measurement was conducted for 3 samples per one measurement level , and their average was used . the average obtained in this measurement is referred as “ t ( 60 )”. it is to be noted that the value of the t ( 60 ) was indicated as “ at least 30 ” when the top of the peak did not appear after 30 hours . ( 3 ) method for calculating the ratio of the number of epoxy groups to the number of imidazole rings when “ n ” types of the epoxy resins were simultaneously used in the epoxy resin composition , total parts by weight of the epoxy resin composition was “ g ”, and “ w x ” parts by weight of the epoxy resin x having the epoxy equivalent weight of “ e x ” ( g / eq ) was incorporated , the average epoxy equivalent weight in the epoxy resin composition was calculated by the following equation ( 1 ) ( wherein x = 1 , 2 , 3 , . . . , n ). ( ii ) calculation of imidazole ring equivalent weight of the epoxy resin composition when “ w ” parts by weight of the imidazole compound having an imidazole ring equivalent weight of “ i ” [ g / eq ] is incorporated in the epoxy resin composition , the imidazole ring equivalent weight in the epoxy resin composition was calculated by the following equation ( 2 ): imidazole ring equivalent weight of the epoxy resin composition [ g / eq ]= g / ( w / i ) ( 2 ) ( iii ) calculation of the ratio of the number of the epoxy groups to the number of imidazole rings in the epoxy resin composition the ratio of the number of the epoxy groups to the number of imidazole rings in the epoxy resin composition was calculated by the following equation ( 3 ) using the values obtained in the ( i ) and ( ii ). ratio of the number of the epoxy groups to the number of imidazole rings in the epoxy resin composition =( imidazole ring equivalent weight of the epoxy resin composition / average epoxy equivalent weight of the epoxy resin composition ) ( 3 ) since dicyandiamide in the epoxy resin composition is an insoluble latent curing agent , the epoxy resin composition having the dicyandiamide excluded therefrom was prepared to confirm the solubility of the imidazole . more specifically , the imidazole compound [ c ] or the curing accelerator [ c ′] and , when the acidic compound [ d ] is used , the acidic compound [ d ] were added to 10 parts by weight of [ a ]- 1 ( jer828 ) ( a liquid resin ) ( 10 parts by weight of the 100 parts by weight of the epoxy resin [ a ]), and the mixture was kneaded at room temperature by using a kneader . by using three rolls , the mixture was passed twice between the rolls to prepare curing accelerator master batch . after placing 90 parts by weight in total of the epoxy resin [ a ], namely , the epoxy resin [ a ] excluding the 10 parts by weight of the [ a ]- 1 ( jer828 ) used in the preceding step and the thermoplastic resin [ e ] in a kneader , the mixture was kneaded while raising the temperature to 150 ° c ., and the kneading was continued at 150 ° c . for 1 hour to obtain a transparent viscous liquid . after cooling the viscous liquid to 60 ° c . while kneading , the curing agent master batch was added , and the mixture was kneaded at 60 ° c . for 30 minutes to visually confirm the state of the resulting epoxy resin composition . the epoxy resin composition was determined “ dissolved ” when the resulting epoxy resin composition was transparent , and “ not dissolved ” when the composition was opaque , namely , turbid or lumpy . after defoaming the epoxy resin composition in vacuum , the epoxy resin composition was cured in a mold which has been adjusted so that the cured article would have a thickness of 2 mm by using a “ teflon ” ( registered trademark ) spacer having a thickness of 2 mm at a temperature of 130 ° c . for 90 minutes to obtain the cured resin material in the form of a plate having a thickness of 2 mm . a test piece having a width of 10 mm and a length of 60 mm was cut out from this cured resin material , and three point bending was conducted by using instron type universal tester ( manufactured by instron corporation ) at a span of 32 mm and a crosshead speed of 100 mm / minute according to jis k7171 ( 1994 ) to measure the modulus and the deformation . the average when measured at the number of the sample of 5 was used for the values of the modulus and the deformation . the epoxy resin composition produced according to the & lt ; method for producing the epoxy resin composition & gt ; was coated on a release paper by using a film coater to produce a resin film having a metsuke (= a weight of resin / unit area ) of 74 g / m 2 . this resin film was placed in a prepreg producing apparatus , and by applying heat and pressure , the resin was impregnated from both surfaces of the sheet of carbon fiber “ torayca ” ( registered trademark ) t700s ( manufactured by toray industries , inc ., metsuke (= a weight of resin / unit area ) 150 g / m 2 ) prepared by unidirectionally aligning the fibers . the prepreg thereby produced had a resin content 33 % by mass . the high - speed curability of the prepreg was evaluated by cutting a 20 cm square test piece out of the prepreg , sandwiching the test piece between a “ teflon ” ( registered trademark ) sheet having a thickness of 150 μm , pressing the laminate at 150 ° c ., and evaluating the handling convenience when it was taken out . the handling convenience was evaluated by the following criteria , and a and b were evaluated as “ pass ”. a : the prepreg was not deformed when it was taken out after 3 minutes , b : the prepreg was deformed when it was taken out after 3 minutes , while it was not deformed when it was taken out after 5 minutes , c : curing speed was insufficient , and the prepreg was deformed when it was taken out after 5 minutes . the storage stability of the prepreg was evaluated by cutting a 10 cm square test piece out of the prepreg , leaving the test piece at room temperature for 100 days , and measuring increase in the glass transition temperature . the glass transition temperature was measured by placing 8 mg of the prepreg after the storage in a sample pan , and conducting the measurement by using a differential scanning colorimeter ( q - 2000 : manufactured by ta instrument ) and increasing the temperature from − 50 ° c . to 50 ° c . at a rate of 10 ° c ./ minute . middle point of the flexion points in the exothermic curve obtained was used for the tg . the unidirectional laminate used for the evaluation of the cfrp properties was produced by the method as described below . 13 plies of the unidirectional prepregs prepared by the & lt ; method for producing the prepreg & gt ; as described above were laminated by aligning the direction of the fibers . the prepreg laminate was tightly covered with nylon films , and the laminate was cured by applying heat and pressure for 2 hours in an autoclave at a temperature of 130 ° c . and internal pressure of 0 . 3 mpa to produce the unidirectional laminate . a test piece having a thickness of 2 mm , a width of 15 mm , and a length of 100 mm was cut out from the unidirectional laminate produced as described above . three point bending was conducted according to jis k7074 ( 1988 ) by using instron type universal tester ( manufactured by instron corporation ). the measurement was conducted at a span of 80 mm , a crosshead speed of 5 . 0 mm / minute , an indenter diameter of 10 mm , and a span diameter of 4 . 0 mm to obtain the 0 ° flexural strength . the average when measured at the number of the sample of 6 was used for the values of the 0 ° flexural strength . a test piece having a thickness of 2 mm , a width of 15 mm , and a length of 60 mm was cut out from the unidirectional laminate produced as described above . three point bending was conducted according to jis k7074 ( 1988 ) by using instron type universal tester ( manufactured by instron corporation ). the measurement was conducted at a span of 40 mm , a crosshead speed of 1 . 0 mm / minute , an indenter diameter of 10 mm , and a span diameter of 4 . 0 mm to obtain the 90 ° flexural strength . the average when measured at the number of the sample of 6 was used for the values of the 90 ° flexural strength . 40 parts by weight of “ jer ” ( registered trademark ) 828 , 30 parts by weight of “ jer ” ( registered trademark ) 1007 , and 30 parts by weight of hp7200h as the epoxy resin [ a ]; 4 . 0 parts by weight of dicy7 as the dicyandiamide [ b ] ( the curing agent ); 2 . 2 parts by weight of “ curezol ” ( registered trademark ) 1b2mz as the imidazole compound [ c ] ( the curing accelerator ); 3 . 0 parts by weight of p - nitro benzoic acid as the acidic compound [ d ]; 2 . 0 parts by weight of “ vinylec ” ( registered trademark ) k as the thermoplastic resin [ e ] were used , and the epoxy resin composition was prepared according to the & lt ; method for producing the epoxy resin composition & gt ;. this epoxy resin composition was evaluated for t ( 100 ) and t ( 60 ). t ( 100 ) was 24 minutes and t ( 60 ) was at least 30 hours . the ratio of the number of the epoxy groups to the number of imidazole rings in the epoxy resin composition was 26 , and the imidazole was dissolved in the epoxy resin . the epoxy resin composition was cured by the procedure described in the & lt ; method for producing the cured resin material and its evaluation & gt ; to prepare the cured resin material , and the cured resin material was subjected to the three point bending test which is also described in the & lt ; method for producing the cured resin material and its evaluation & gt ;. the cured resin material had good mechanical properties with the modulus of 3 . 5 gpa and the deformation of 7 . 3 mm . in addition , a prepreg was produced from the epoxy resin composition by the method described in & lt ; method for producing the prepreg and its evaluation & gt ;. the resulting prepreg had sufficient tack and drapability . when the resulting prepreg was evaluated for the high - speed curability and storage stability by the method described in & lt ; method for producing the prepreg and its evaluation & gt ;, the prepreg was cured at 150 ° c . to the degree not showing the deformation in 3 minutes , and at 25 ° c ., the prepreg did not show increase in the tg after storage for 100 days , and therefore , the prepreg had sufficient high - speed curability and storage stability . the prepreg was laminated and cured by the method described in the & lt ; evaluation of the carbon fiber - reinforced plastic ( cfrp ) material & gt ; to produce a unidirectional laminate , and when the three point bending test was conducted , the 0 ° flexural strength was 1498 mpa and the 90 ° flexural strength was 111 mpa , demonstrating the good mechanical properties of the cfrp . the epoxy resin composition , the cured resin material product , and the prepreg were prepared by repeating the procedure of example 1 except that the resin composition was changed to compositions respectively shown in table 1 . the resulting prepregs exhibited sufficient tack and drapability as in the case of example 1 . the epoxy resin composition of each example had the t ( 100 ), the t ( 60 ), and the ratio of the number of the epoxy groups to the number of imidazole rings in the epoxy resin composition were as shown in table 1 . when the prepreg was evaluated for the high - speed curability and the storage stability as in the case of the example 1 , the prepreg exhibited sufficient high - speed curability and storage stability in all levels . the cured resin material exhibited good values of the modulus and the deformation , and the cfrp also exhibited good mechanical properties . the epoxy resin composition , the prepreg , and the cured resin material were produced by repeating the procedure of the example 1 except that the curing accelerator was changed to dcmu99 ( 3 . 0 parts by weight ) and the acidic compound was not added . the resin composition and the results of the evaluation are shown in table 2 . the prepreg exhibited good storage stability and good properties of the cured article . the resulting prepreg , however , was insufficient in the high - speed curability with the t ( 100 ) value of the epoxy resin composition of 40 minutes ( namely , longer than 25 minutes ). the epoxy resin composition , the prepreg , and the cured resin material were produced by repeating the procedure of example 1 except that curing accelerator was changed to “ omicure ” ( registered trademark ) 24 ( 3 . 0 parts by weight ) and the acidic compound was not added . the resin composition and the results of the evaluation are shown in table 2 . the prepreg had good high - speed curability and the resulting cured resin material also had good properties . the resulting prepreg , however , was insufficient in the storage stability with the t ( 60 ) value of the epoxy resin composition of 10 hours ( namely , less than 15 hours ). the epoxy resin composition , the prepreg , and the cured resin material were produced by repeating the procedure of example 1 and using the composition of example 2 except that amount of the p - nitrobenzoic acid used was changed to 0 . 5 part by weight . the resin composition and the results of the evaluation are shown in table 2 . the prepreg had good high - speed curability and the resulting cured resin material also had good properties . however , the prepreg was insufficient in the storage stability with the t ( 60 ) value of the epoxy resin composition of 13 hours ( namely , less than 15 hours ). the epoxy resin composition , the prepreg , and the cured resin material were produced by repeating the procedure of example 1 by using the same composition as example 4 except that the amount of the g - 8009l used was 0 . 7 parts by weight and the amount of p - nitrobenzoic acid was 1 . 0 parts by weight . the resin composition and the results of the evaluation are shown in table 2 . the prepreg had good storage stability . however , the resulting prepreg was insufficient in the high - speed curability with the t ( 100 ) value of the epoxy resin composition of 38 minutes ( namely , longer than 25 minutes ). the balance between the modulus and the deformation of the cured resin material was also poor with the ratio of the number of the epoxy groups to the number of imidazole rings in the epoxy resin composition of 93 ( greater than 90 ). the 90 ° flexural strength of the cfrp was also as low as 84 mpa . the epoxy resin composition , the prepreg , and the cured resin material were produced by repeating the procedure of the example 1 by using the same composition as example 8 except that amount of the “ cureduct ” ( registered trademark ) p - 0505 was 4 . 5 parts by weight and the amount of the “ cureduct ” ( registered trademark ) l - 07n was 3 . 0 parts by weight . the resin composition and the results of the evaluation are shown in table 2 . the prepreg had good storage stability and high - speed curability . the balance between the modulus and the deformation of the cured resin material was also poor with the ratio of the number of the epoxy groups to the number of imidazole rings in the epoxy resin composition of 21 ( less than 25 ). the 90 ° flexural strength of the cfrp was also as low as 83 mpa . the epoxy resin composition , the prepreg , and the cured resin material were produced by repeating the procedure of the example 1 except that the curing accelerator was changed to “ curezol ” ( registered trademark ) 2e4mz ( 1 . 2 parts by weight ), and the acidic compound was not added . the resin composition and the results of the evaluation are shown in table 2 . the prepreg had good high - speed curability and the resulting cured resin material also had good properties . however , the prepreg was insufficient in the storage stability with the t ( 60 ) value of the epoxy resin composition of 4 hours ( namely , less than 15 hours ). the epoxy resin composition , the prepreg , and the cured resin material were produced by repeating the procedure of the example 1 except that the resin composition was changed as shown in table 2 . the results of the evaluation are shown in table 2 . while prepreg had good storage stability , it suffered from insufficient high - speed curability with the t ( 100 ) value of the epoxy resin composition of 40 minutes ( longer than 25 minutes ). the resulting cured resin material also suffered from poor balance between the modulus and the deformation . the cfrp also had low 0 ° flexural strength of 1385 mpa . the epoxy resin composition for fiber - reinforced composite material of the present invention is well adapted for use as the matrix resin of the fiber - reinforced composite material since it has high - level storage stability simultaneously with high - level high - speed curability , and the cured resin material after its curing has excellent mechanical properties . the prepreg and the fiber - reinforced composite material of the present invention are preferable for use in sport applications , general industrial applications , and aerospace applications .	2
it will be readily understood that the connection box assemblies of the present invention , as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein , could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations . thus , the description herein is not intended to limit the scope of the invention , but is merely representative of certain presently preferred embodiments of devices and systems in accordance with the invention . those of ordinary skill in the art will , of course , appreciate that various modifications to the details herein may easily be made without departing from the essential characteristics of the invention , as described . thus , the following information is intended only by way of example , and simply illustrates certain presently preferred embodiments consistent with the invention . referring to fig1 , in discussing the figures , it may be advantageous to establish a reliable coordinate system to aid in the description of several of the embodiments in accordance with the present invention . coordinate axes 11 may be defined by longitudinal 11 a , lateral 11 b , and transverse directions 11 c substantially orthogonal to one another . a connection box assembly 10 in accordance with the present invention may provide an apparatus for securing a fixture 12 to a connection box 14 . in a factory manufacturing process , an anchor 16 may be secured to the fixture 12 . the connection box 14 to which the fixture 12 is to be secured may have a receiver 18 associated therewith for admitting and retaining the anchor 16 . thus , the anchor 16 and receiver 18 may be intermediaries in the securement of the fixture 12 to the connection box 14 . a face plate 20 may be provided to cover and hide the wiring and access holes therebehind . a fixture 12 may be any suitable piece for which securement is desired . for example , a fixture 12 may be a power receptacle , power switch , light fixture , telephone jack , network jack , cable connector , stereo system connector , information system connector , or any other unit 12 for which permanent or removable securement to a connection box 14 may be desired . in a similar manner , the connection box 14 may be any box to which a fixture 12 may be secured . a connection box 14 may be constructed of any suitable material . suitable materials may include without limitation metals , polymers , composites , and the like . additionally , a connection box 14 , in accordance with the present invention , may be of any suitable size . for example , a connection box 14 may be a single gang , double gang , triple gang , quadruple gang , quintuple gang , or the like . the concepts presented herein are illustrated as a single gang box , however , the principles and concepts may easily be expanded to multiple - gang connection boxes . embodiments in accordance with the present invention may be particularly well suited to assemblies that may be assembled in the field ( i . e . not in a factory ). such field assemblies need not be limited to connection box assemblies 10 . embodiments in accordance with the present invention may provide convenience and ease of assembly in the field where less than perfect conditions are often encountered . an anchor 16 in accordance with the present invention may be constructed , formed , machined , extruded , molded , cast , or otherwise made from any suitable material . suitable materials may include without limitation metals , polymers , composites , or the like . for example , in certain embodiments , an anchor 16 may be formed of a polymer in a molding process . an anchor 16 may be secured to a fixture 12 in any suitable manner . in certain embodiments , an anchor 16 may be secured to a fixture 12 by a fastener 22 such as a bolt , rivet , screw , engagement prong , engagement hook , or the like . in other embodiments , an anchor 16 may be glued or otherwise bonded to a fixture 12 . additionally , an anchor 16 may be formed as an integral part of the fixture 12 . each form of attachment between the anchor 16 and the fixture 12 may have particular advantages . in certain applications , such as the installation of power receptacles 12 , switches 12 , computer network outlets 12 , cable television outlets 12 , and the like an installer may need to remove a fixture 12 to gain access to something ( e . g . wiring ) tucked therebehind . in such a situation , screws 22 may provide an ideal attachment between the anchor 16 and the fixture 12 . the screws 22 may be removed , thus freeing the fixture 12 . the anchors 16 may maintain engagement with the connection box 14 . after the revisions are complete the fixture 12 may once again be secured to the anchors 16 by the insertion of the screws 22 previously removed . in selected applications , multiple points of securement between a fixture 12 and a connection box 14 may exist . in such situations , an anchor 16 in accordance with the present invention may be applied to all or a subset of the securement locations . for example , power receptacles 12 and switches 12 are typically secured to connection boxes 14 by two screws spaced from each other in a longitudinal direction 11 a . an anchor 16 a , 16 b may be applied to fasteners 22 a , 22 b respectively . similarly , a connection box 14 may have multiple receivers 18 a , 18 b to engage both anchors 16 a , 16 b , respectively . the method of engagement between a receiver 18 and an anchor 14 may be selected to provide a fast , clean securement . by so doing , the fixture 12 may be secured to the connection box 14 in a minimum amount of time . for example , installers ( e . g . electricians , network technicians , cable television installers , and the like ) spend a large portion of their installation time screwing fixtures 12 to connection boxes 14 . in certain embodiments in accordance with the present invention , a fastener 22 ( e . g . screw 22 ) may be introduced to secure an anchor 16 to the appropriate locations on a fixture 12 by a manufacturing machine . thus , the installation of the fastener 22 may be performed in ideal conditions with proper alignment and fast tool speeds . in the field , when an installer installs the fixture 12 , the time consuming screw installation no longer needs to be performed . an anchor 16 may simply be inserted into a receiver 18 . the embodiments of the fixture 12 , connection box 14 , anchors 16 a , 16 b , receivers 18 a , 18 b , and face plate 20 , as illustrated in fig1 may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations that fall within the scope of the present invention . thus , the description hereinabove is not intended to limit the scope of the possible embodiments , but is merely representative of certain presently preferred embodiments of devices and systems in accordance with the invention . the information is intended only by way of example . referring to fig2 , an anchor 16 in accordance with the present invention may have an engagement mechanism 24 configured to provide a mechanical grip with a receiver 18 . if an anchor 16 is to be secured to a fixture 12 by a bolt 22 or screw 22 , a threaded aperture 26 may be formed therein . the threaded aperture 26 may extend completely or only partially through the anchor 16 in a transverse direction 11 c . a length 28 of the engagement mechanism 24 may be selected to provide a desired number of engagement locations 30 . in selected embodiments , each engagement location 30 is a tooth 30 . additionally , the engagement length 28 and the number of engagement locations 30 may be selected to permit insertion of the anchor 16 a desired distance into the receiver 18 . thus , providing a desired alignment of the fixture 12 with respect to the connection box 14 . in selected embodiments , an anchor 14 in accordance with the present invention may include a spacer 32 . the length 34 of the spacer 32 may be selected to provide additional control over the spacing of the fixture 12 in relation to the connection box 14 . in certain embodiments , one end 36 of the anchor 16 may be formed to promote easy insertion into the receiver 18 . for example , an end 36 may be pointed , rounded , tapered , or otherwise formed . an anchor 16 in accordance with the present invention may have any suitable cross - section . for example , the cross - section may be rectangular , circular , triangular , oval , an unconventional shape , or the like . the cross - sectional shape of an anchor 16 may be selected to resist rotation about a transverse axis 11 c once installed inside a receiver 18 . for example , an anchor 16 having a generally circular cross - section may have a key - way formed therein to correspond to a key formed or located in the receiver 18 . the shape and configuration of a receiver 18 may be selected to match and complement the particular shape of a selected anchor 16 . for example , if an anchor 16 having a rectangular cross section is desired , the receiver 18 may be formed to have a generally rectangular shape . thus , the receiver 18 may admit the anchor 16 and hold the anchor 16 securely without motion ( e . g rotation about a transverse axis 11 c ) therebetween . referring to fig3 , in certain embodiments , an anchor 16 may have multiple sliding surfaces 38 to promote ease of insertion and proper alignment . a recessed groove 40 may be formed in one or more surfaces 38 of the anchor 16 to provide a location for disposition of an engagement mechanism 24 . such an engagement mechanism 24 may be recessed to reduce the risk of interfering with proper insertion of the anchor 16 into the receiver 18 . referring to fig4 , an anchor 16 may have a generally circular cross - section . in such an embodiment , the anchor may include a single flat 42 or may include a plurality of flats 42 that provide a location for disposition of an engagement mechanism 24 . the flats 42 may also provide a location for a corresponding receiver 18 to engage the anchor 16 to resist rotation about a transverse axis 11 c . fig4 also illustrates an alternative embodiment of a fastener 22 in accordance with the present invention . opposing engagement hooks 22 may be shaped to promote insertion into a corresponding aperture in a fixture 12 . the engagement hooks 22 may be formed to engage an aperture of any suitable shape ( e . g . circular , oval , triangular , or the like ). the illustrated engagement hooks 22 have been formed in a shape to fit a square aperture . a square aperture may provide a mechanism to resist rotation of the anchor 16 about a transverse axis 11 c with respect to a corresponding fixture 12 . engagement hooks 22 in accordance with the present invention may flex to allow an anchor 16 to be separated from the fixture 12 to which the anchor 16 is attached . once separated , the anchor 16 and fixture 12 may be reattached by reinserting the engagement hooks 22 of the anchor 16 through the corresponding aperture in the fixture 12 . the embodiments of anchors 16 , as illustrated in fig2 - 4 could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations that fall within the scope of the present invention . thus , the description hereinabove is not intended to limit the scope of the possible embodiments , but is merely representative of certain presently preferred embodiments of devices and systems in accordance with the invention . the information is intended only by way of example and not by way of limitation . referring to fig5 - 6 while continuing to refer generally to fig1 - 4 , as discussed hereinabove , an anchor 16 in accordance with the present invention may have multiple sliding surfaces 38 . the sliding surfaces 38 may maintain proper alignment of the anchor 16 with respect to the receiver 18 . in selected embodiments , a receiver 18 in accordance with the present invention may include an engagement mechanism 39 . this engagement mechanism 39 may be configured to engage the engagement mechanism 24 of an anchor 16 . in selected embodiments , an engagement mechanism 39 may comprise hooks 44 or barbs 44 . these barbs 44 may extend from the receiver 18 with a shape selected to engage the teeth 30 of the anchor 16 . the engagement of the hooks 44 and teeth 30 may be selected to provide unidirectional motion so that an anchor 16 may be easily inserted yet resist removal in a transverse direction 11 c . the number of teeth 30 and the incremental distance 46 therebetween may be selected to provide a continuum of possible locking positions between the anchor 16 and the receiver 18 . referring to fig7 - 8 while continuing to refer generally to fig1 - 6 , in an alternative embodiment , an anchor 16 may include a single hook 44 . in selected embodiments , an anchor 16 may include multiple hooks 44 . a flexible region 48 may permit a hook 44 to flex as it “ clicks ” or passes over the teeth 30 of a receiver 18 . as discussed hereinabove and as best shown in fig8 , the number of teeth 30 and the incremental distance 46 therebetween may be selected to provide a continuum of possible locking positions between the anchor 16 and the receiver 18 . referring to fig9 , in selected embodiments , the engagement between an anchor 16 and a receiver 18 may not be incremental , rather a single locking position may be defined . in such an embodiment , the anchor 16 may be inserted into the receiver 18 until a lock 50 is activated . in selected embodiments , a lock 50 may consist of a hook 44 secured on the distal end of a flexible region 48 . a stop 52 may provide a register to correctly position the anchor 16 with respect to the receiver 18 . when the anchor 16 is inserted to the stop 52 , a hook 44 may engage an engagement location 30 of the receiver 18 . referring to fig1 , the length 28 ( see fig2 ) of the engagement mechanism 24 may be selected to best match the particular application to which the engagement mechanism 24 may be applied . for example , the installation of a light fixture 12 may be simplified by employing a comparatively long anchor 16 having a similarly long engagement mechanism 24 . in such an application , two long anchors 16 may be secured to the fixture 12 . the anchors 16 may be introduced into the corresponding receivers 18 a distance sufficient to engage the engagement mechanisms 39 thereof . the anchors 16 may then hold the fixture 12 in place while the installer proceeds to connect the necessary wires 54 . upon completion of the connecting of the wires 54 , the fixture 12 may be pushed in a transverse direction 11 c until a proper position is achieved . thus , the installer need not hold the fixture 12 while connecting wires 54 and tightening terminal screws 56 . referring to fig1 , a receiver 18 may be associated with a connection box 14 in any suitable manner . in selected embodiments , the receiver 18 may be formed as an integral part of the connection box 14 . this forming may be part of a molding process . that is , the receiver 18 may be molded as part of the connection box 14 in its original forming process . fig1 illustrates an embodiment in which the receiver 18 is formed by stamping selected shapes from a metal connection box 14 and then bending the cut portions in a selected direction to form a guide 57 and an engagement mechanism 39 . in an alternative embodiment , a receiver 18 may be formed ( e . g . molded , extruded , cast , machined , stamped , or the like ) and then joined to the connection box 14 . such a joining may be accomplished by bolting , screwing , welding , gluing , bonding , or the like . referring to fig1 , connection boxes 14 are typically installed and wired before the installation of the wall paneling ( e . g ., ceiling paneling and the like ). fixtures 12 and face plates 20 are typically installed after the installation of the wall paneling . the installation of wall paneling often involves the application of dry wall compound . it is very common for clumps of dry wall compound to be inadvertently introduced inside a previously installed connection box 14 . receivers 18 in accordance with the present invention may be formed in a manner to greatly limit the adverse effects of misplaced dry wall compound . for example , if dry wall compound were placed in the receiver entrance 58 , the receiver may be formed to have an open back exit 59 . thus , anchor 16 may be inserted into the receiver 18 and any clump of dry wall compound may simply be pushed out the back 59 of the receiver 18 . the back 59 may be open to the exterior of the connection box 14 . the back 59 may also be configured to open to the interior of the connection box 14 . in such a configuration , a dry wall compound clump will be pushed to the interior of the connection box 14 where it can do no harm . embodiments in accordance with the present invention may be applied to any unit 12 for which permanent or removable securement to a connection box 14 is desired . data terminals such as phone jacks , network jacks , cable connections , and the like may not have a fixture 12 associated therewith . these applications may deliver a transmission line to a jack 60 or connector 60 mounted directly in a face plate 20 . the face plate 20 provides the structure and support for the jack 60 , and indeed may provide many of the same functions as a fixture 12 . typically these face plates have been secured directly to a corresponding connection box by multiple screws . installation of such screws presents difficulties similar to those encountered in the installation of fixtures 12 . fig1 illustrates one embodiment of a jack connection box assembly 10 in accordance with the present invention . interface members 62 a , 62 b may provide an interface between a face plate 20 and anchors 16 a , 16 b . in selected embodiments , the interface members 62 may include an aperture 64 to accommodate securement of an anchor 16 . additional apertures 66 may provide locations for the face plate 20 to engage the interface members 62 . in certain embodiments , extensions 68 or “ dog ears ” 68 may be incorporated to hold each interface member 62 flush with the wall paneling . the interface members 62 may be formed in any suitable shape for providing adequate engagement between an anchor 16 and a face plate 20 . in one embodiment , the interface members 62 are generally flat pieces having multiple apertures 64 , 66 and extensions 68 . the interface members 62 may be constructed of any suitable material . in selected embodiments , interface members 62 may be formed by stamping sheet metal . in alternative embodiments , interface members 62 may be molded from a polymer , a composite , or the like . referring to fig1 - 15 , as discussed hereinabove , after the installation of a fixture 12 , a face plate 20 is typically secured thereto to hide the under workings from view . conventional face plates 20 are often secured by at least one screw . screws and other securement devices may be unsightly . screws used to secure face plates 20 to receptacles and switches are typically painted and are , therefore , exposed to chipping , tarnishing , wear , oxidation , and the like . in such applications , it may be desirable to provide a snap - on assembly to provide fast securement of a face plate 20 without the use of screws . fig1 - 15 illustrate one embodiment of a screwless face plate 20 in accordance with the present invention . in selected embodiments , a face plate 20 may include engagement prongs 70 . the engagement prongs 70 may engage a fixture 12 and maintain the face plate 20 aligned and secured thereto . thus , once a face plate 20 has been attached , a complete fixture 12 assembly may be quickly and easily wired and then secured to a corresponding connection box 14 . selected fixtures 12 in accordance with the present invention may include flanges 72 . flanges 72 a , 72 b may extend away from a main body 74 of a fixture 12 in a longitudinal direction 11 a . in selected embodiments , the flanges 72 may include an aperture 64 to accommodate the securement of an anchor 16 . additional apertures 66 may provide locations for the engagement prongs 70 of the face plate 20 to engage the flanges 72 . in certain embodiments , extensions 68 or “ dog ears ” 68 may be selected to hold the fixture 12 flush with the wall paneling . engagement prongs 70 in accordance with the present invention may be formed to have multiple hooks 76 a , 76 b , 76 c , 76 d . the hooks 76 may be secured to the face plate 20 by flexible necks 78 a , 78 b , 78 c , 78 d , respectively . a flex clearance 80 may be provided between the hooks 76 so that as the prong 70 is inserted through an aperture 66 , the hooks 76 may deflect toward each other , thus , effectively reducing the diameter of the prong 70 . once the prong 70 has passed through the aperture 66 , the hooks 76 may return to their neutral position and engage the edges of the aperture 66 . referring to fig1 and 17 , in selected embodiments , the hooks 76 may be shaped to release at a desired removal loading , thus , once the face plate 20 is removed , the face plate 20 may be used again . for example , the hooks 76 may be provided with an inside taper 82 . the inside taper 82 may allow each hook 76 to gradually flex and bend towards the flex clearance 80 as the face plate 20 is pulled away from the fixture 12 so that the effective diameter of the engagement prong 70 may be reduced and the prong 70 may be removed from the aperture 66 . in an alternative embodiment , a face plate 20 in accordance with the present invention may be removed by applying sufficient force to fail the hooks 66 . a screwless face plate 20 in accordance with the present invention may be formed of any suitable material . this material may be selected based on several characteristics including cost , aesthetics , dielectric constant , thermal capacity , strength , toughness , flexibility , formability , and the like . engagement prongs 70 in accordance with the present invention may have any suitable configuration . the number of prongs 70 may range from one to several and be selected to provide a balanced securement between a face plate 20 and a fixture 12 . the number of hooks 76 making up each prong 70 may also range from one to several depending on a desired engagement strength , ease of manufacture , ease of installation , ease of removal , and the like . in certain embodiments , the engagement strength may be balanced with a desired release loading . the general shape or contour of the prongs 70 may also be selected to provide a desired engagement strength , ease of manufacture , ease of installation , ease of removal , and the like . referring to fig1 - 20 , alternative embodiments in accordance with the present invention may employ alternative methods for securing a screwless face plate 20 to a fixture 12 . in one alternative embodiment , a flange 72 a of a fixture 12 may have an engagement lip 84 formed therein . a extension 86 may be formed in association with a corresponding face plate 20 . the engagement lip 84 may be configured to fit behind the extension 86 to hold the upper portion of the face plate 20 to the flange 72 a . an aperture 66 may be formed in a flange 72 b of the fixture 12 . a corresponding engagement prong 70 may be formed in association with the face plate 20 . the prong 70 illustrated in fig1 - 19 is an example of a single hook , rectangular prong 70 . the aperture 66 may be shaped to correspond to the design of the prong 70 . in selected embodiments , the lip 84 / extension 86 and aperture 66 / prong 70 combinations may cooperate to secure the face plate 20 to the fixture 12 . such an embodiment may be installed by first inserting the lip 84 behind the extension 86 and then rotating the face plate 20 down against the fixture 12 until the prong ( s ) 70 may be inserted into the corresponding aperture ( s ) 66 . the prong 70 engagement may provide a tie to resist the tendency of the lip 84 to disengage from the extension 86 . an engagement lip 84 in accordance with the present invention may be divided into multiple engagement lips 84 . in selected embodiments , an upper flange 72 a may be formed into two lips 84 a , 84 b . the lips 84 a , 84 b may be separated by a notch 88 . a stop 90 may be formed as part of a corresponding extension 86 . the stop 90 may fit into the notch 88 to prevent lateral motion between the upper flange 72 a and the face plate 20 . in certain embodiments , ends 92 may form an enclosure 94 in combination with an extension 86 and corresponding face plate 20 . the ends 92 may function to laterally retain the lip 84 of a flange 72 a , when assembled . in selected embodiments , a face plate 20 in accordance with the present invention may have an access notch 96 . in certain embodiments , an access notch 96 may simply provide a hold to permit the application of force to “ pop ” a face plate 20 from a corresponding fixture 12 . in alternative embodiments , the access notch 96 may provide access behind the face plate 20 to a slender tool . the slender tool may then be used to assist in the release of an engagement prong 70 . referring to fig2 , an alternative embodiment of an engagement between a screwless face plate 20 and a fixture 12 may involve the engagement of an edge 98 of the flanges 72 of the fixture 12 . one or more of the engagement prongs 70 of the face plate 20 may be configured to engage an edge 98 . in selected embodiments , the prongs 70 may be formed to have a hook 76 and a flexible neck 78 . in certain embodiments , a flange 72 may include a formation 100 to resist motion in a longitudinal direction 11 a of a face plate 70 with respect thereto . such a formation 100 may be formed by bending , cutting and bending , notching , or similarly modifying the edge 98 to resist sliding of a prong 70 therealong in a longitudinal direction 11 a . referring to fig2 , an alternative embodiment of an engagement between a screwless face plate 20 and a fixture 12 may involve an engagement between a face plate 20 and an interface 104 of a fixture 12 . typically , the interface 104 of a fixture 12 extends a selected distance 106 to provide a flush joint with a face plate 20 . that is , the interface 104 extends to provide a facing 108 that may be substantially coplanar with a surface 110 of the face plate 20 , thereby improving aesthetic appeal . the area of the facing 108 may be selected to correspond to a selected interface 104 . power outlet plugs 104 provide a relatively large surface area . in contrast , switches 104 typically have a toggle central unit and a thin border providing minimal surrounding facing 108 . the extension distance 106 of the electrical interface 104 provides the surface ( substantially perpendicular to the facing 108 ) of an edge 102 . an edge 112 of an aperture 114 ( the aperture 114 may admit the interface 104 through the face plate 20 ) may be configured to engage the edge 102 of the interface 104 . this engagement may be of any suitable form . for example , the engagement may involve any suitable combination of tabs , recesses , hooks , shoulders , and the like . in selected embodiments , the engagement between the edges 102 , 112 may involve tabs 116 formed on the face plate 20 and recesses 118 formed in the interface 104 . the shape , number , and location of these corresponding pairs may be selected to provide a desired engagement strength , magnitude , and balance . engagement strength refers to the amount of force required to apply and secure the face plate 20 to the fixture 12 or , alternatively , the force required to separate the face plate 20 from the fixture 12 . the engagement strength may be selected to provide fast “ snap - on ” assembly without risking inadvertent removal of the face plate 20 and possible electrical shock resulting therefrom . referring to fig2 and 24 , an adapter 120 may be provided to convert or retrofit a conventional fixture 12 to receive a screwless face plate 20 . in selected embodiments , an adapter 120 in accordance with the present invention may include an aperture 122 corresponding to aperture 64 of a flange 72 . a fastener 22 used to secure an anchor 16 to a fixture 12 may also pass through the aperture 122 to hold an adapter 120 in place against the flange 72 . the adapter 120 may extend to provide apertures 68 for admitting the prongs 70 of a corresponding face plate 20 . in this manner , a snap - on , screwless face plate 20 may be retrofitted to typical power receptacles and switches . an adapter 120 in accordance with the present invention may be formed of any suitable material . in selected embodiments , the adapter 120 may be formed by stamping sheet metal . in an alternative embodiment , the adapter 120 may be a molded polymer or composite . from the above discussion , it will be appreciated that the present invention provides an apparatus and method for fast and simple connection box assembly without screw rotation and the time associated therewith . an embodiment in accordance with the present invention may provide an apparatus for securing a fixture to a connection box . in a factory manufacturing process an anchor may be secured to a fixture . the anchor may have an engagement mechanism formed therewith . a connection box may be provided to house wires proceeding from a source to terminate therein . a receiver may be associated with the connection box . the receiver may have an engagement mechanism formed to receive and retain the engagement mechanism of the anchor . thus , the anchor and receiver may be intermediaries in the securement of the fixture to the connection box . face plates in accordance with the present invention may have engagement prongs . these prongs may be inserted through apertures in a corresponding fixture to maintain the face plate aligned securely thereagainst . a face plate may be installed by simply pressing the engagement prongs through the appropriate apertures in the fixture . once a fixture has been wired and a face plate applied thereto , the resulting assembly may be secured to the connection box by inserting one or more of the attached anchors into corresponding receivers associated with the connection box . the anchor may be inserted a depth into the receiver selected to properly position the face plate . insertion of an anchor into a receiver may be accomplished without the aid of tools . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics . the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative , and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is , therefore , indicated by the appended claims , rather than by the foregoing description . all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope .	7
referring now in more detail to the drawing , there is shown in fig1 a lathe for forming an optical fiber preform by a vapor deposition process wherein chemical reaction products are deposited on the interior surface of a glass preform starter tube 10 . the lathe includes a frame 11 atop which a headstock 12 and a tailstock 13 are mounted . the headstock 12 and its internal mechanisms rotatably support and drive a chuck 15 while the tailstock 13 and its internal mechanisms similar rotatably support and drive chuck 16 about a common axis with that of chuck 15 . each of the chucks is comprised of radially spaced jaws 18 which are adapted to be moved into and out of gripping engagement with the preform tube or with a tubular extension thereof . centrally apertured heat shields 20 are mounted by pendants 21 to both stocks closely adjacent the rotatable chucks . a hydrogen - oxygen torch 23 is mounted atop a carriage 24 for reciprocal movement between the two heat shields 20 as indicated by arrows 25 . the torch 23 is reciprocated by an unshown , automated drive mechanism which can be manually over - ridden and positioned by a handwheel 26 . similarly , the lateral position of the headstock 12 may be adjusted by a handwheel 27 atop a rail 30 while the position of the tailstock may be manually adjusted over the rail by movement of handwheel 28 . a glass &# 34 ; handle &# 34 ; tube 32 fused to the preform tube 10 extends laterally out from the headstock 12 to a sealed rotary joint schematically illustrated at 33 in fig1 . a conduit 34 extends from the rotary joint to an unshown vapor stream supply source while another conduit 36 extends from the joint to a pressurized oxygen tank . an exhaust hose 37 extends from the tailstock to unshown scrubbers while a scraper rod 48 extends into the tailstock for periodic cleaning purposes . in fig2 and 3 the sealed rotary joint is seen to include a nut 40 which is secured by the use of an unshown swagelock or other type of conventional tube connector snuggly to an end of the glass handle tube 32 . a tubular preform extension 42 has a relatively large portion 43 threadedly secured within the nut 42 and an elongated , relatively slender portion 44 positioned within an open ended bore 46 of a stationary end cap 48 . the rotary joint 33 also has an outer ball bearing 51 mounted to the end cap 48 adjacent the open end of bore 46 . an outer bearing race 53 is rigidly secured to the end cap while the inner bearing race 54 is press fitted about the slender portion 44 of the preform extension tube 42 . bearing balls 55 are rotatably held between the two races between two snap - fit , annular dust shields 57 . an inner ball bearing 59 is also mounted about the end cap bore 46 spaced inwardly from the outer ball bearing 51 . again , the outer race of this bearing is mounted to the end cap while its inner race is press fitted to the preform extension slender portion 44 with balls rotatably positioned between the two races . while the balls of both bearings are spherical other shapes may be used such as cylindrical rollers and the like . thus the term &# 34 ; ball bearing &# 34 ; in this application is intended to include such other type bearings having elements rotatably positioned between inner and outer races . to the other end of the end cap is threaded mounted another nut 60 with an o - ring 62 positioned between it and a spacer 49 about the slender portion 44 of the preform extension tube . a flexible , metallic conduit 34 is placed in fluid communication with the interior of the nut 60 and the extension tube by means of a pipe fitting 64 threaded secured to the nut 60 . the other conduit 36 is placed in fluid communication with the end cap bore 44 via a lateral end cap channel 65 by means of another pipe fitting 67 threadedly mounted to the top of the end cap . the junction of the channel 67 with the bore 46 is seen to be at a point between the two ball bearings but substantially closer to the outer bearing 51 than to the inner bearing 59 and above an annular recess 68 formed in the periphery of the preform extension tube . during chemical vapor deposition the preform tube 10 is rotated by chucks 15 and 16 . a stream s 1 of the aforementioned toxic vapors entrained with oxygen as a carrier gas if fed into the preform tube 10 and its handle tube 32 through pipe fitting 64 , nut 60 and the extension tube 42 members of the rotary joint . as the vapor stream is passed through the rotating preform tube the torch 23 is slowly moved along it repeatedly thereby causing a chemical reaction to occur within the band of heat created by the torch and the products of the reaction to be deposited on the interior surface of the preform tube . the carrier gas , along with an undeposited reaction products , is exhausted out of the preform tube 10 through the exhaust tube 37 to which suction is applied . as the vapor stream s 1 is being fed through the rotary joint and into the preform tube a stream of pure oxygen s 2 is also fed into the end cap bore 46 through channel 65 . this oxygen stream initially contacts and flows around the extension tube 42 at recess 68 . from here most of the oxygen stream flows towards the outer ball bearing 51 which is open to ambient atmosphere since the stream is inhibited from flowing towards the inner bearing 59 due to the relative long , small annular path thereto within the bore about the extension tube , and due to the fact that this path is essentially sealed by the bearing and o - ring 62 . the oxygen flowing through the outer bearing passes over the edge of the loosely fitted annular dust shields 57 to ambient atmosphere as indicated by arrows s 2 in fig3 . conversely , the inner bearing 59 is essentially statically filled with oxygen under positive pressure that is established above the pressure of the vapor stream s 1 flowing into the extension tube . this positive pressure differential prevents any of the vapor stream from entering the inner or outer bearing and escaping into the ambient atmosphere . conversely , should any of the oxygen stream manage to seep past the o - ring and enter the vapor stream , it only provides a very slight increase in the oxygen proportion of that stream and does not make a compositional alteration to the vapor stream . with the just described apparatus significant wobbling of the preform does not cause the clearance between the extension tube slender portion 44 and the wall of the end cap bore 46 to change . this is due to the fact that the conduit 34 to which the end cap 33 is mounted is flexible . this permits the end cap to &# 34 ; float &# 34 ; and move in cooperation with any wobbling motion of the preform tube 10 and handle tube 32 plus the fact that the extension tube 42 is journalled through the two mutually spaced ball bearings . this permits the annular spacing between the extension tube and end cap bore wall to be minimized without danger of mutual contact or binding between joint members . this small clearance in turn minimizes the flow of oxygen over the rotating extension tube towards its open end adjacent o - ring 62 . the positive pressure and flow patterns of the oxygen stream also cleans and cools the bearings and prevent either the corrosive and toxic vapors from contaminating the bearings or ambient moisture from entering the bearings during deposition . in this manner , a highly effective sealed rotary joint is provided . it should be undertood that the just described embodiment merely illustrates principles of the invention in one preferred form . many modifications , additions and deletions may , of course , be made thereto without departure from the spirit and scope thereof as set following claims .	2
referring to fig1 and 2 , there is shown an apparel holder of the invention indicated generally at 10 carrying a plurality of neckties 26 . holder 10 can be used to hold other objects such as bow ties , scarves , belts , laces , and the like in convenient and organized locations such as a closet , storage room or box , travel bag , or suitcase . the objects are retained in positions where they can be easily seen and separately removed from and placed on the holder . holder 10 has a generally rectangular base 11 of rigid plate - like material such as plastic , metal , or wood . the wood can be mahogany . base 11 has a generally flat front side 12 and an opposite or flat back side 13 . a hook 14 is connected to the center of the top of base 11 with a generally u - sahped bracket 16 . a pin 17 connects bracket 16 to base 11 . as seen in fig2 hook 14 has an enlarged head 18 located within brackets 16 to allow the hook 14 to swivel relative to bracket 16 . hook 14 has a c - curved shape of a size to fit on a conventional closet rod . hook 14 can have other shapes and sizes to accommodate a support for the holder . holder 10 has a plurality of swinging arms 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , and 24 forming a first set of arms . a second set of swinging arms 19a - 24a are located on the opposite half of the front side of base 11 . the arms 19 - 24 and 19a - 24a are used to support a plurality of neck ties or other garments . each arm can hold two or more neck ties . each arm is movable from a closed position extended away from base 11 . when the arm is in the closed position it holds the garment in a selected position . the arm is moved to the open position to release the garment and allow removal of garment from arm and the placing of another garment on the arm . the arm can be moved back to the closed position and retained adjacent base 11 without supporting a garment . referring to fig4 arm 24 has a generally u - shaped body 27 with an inwardly directed finger 28 at its inner end and a downwardly directed leg or pivot member 29 at its outer end . arm 24 is a single rod or wire with the finger 28 extended normally or horizontal to the vertical leg 29 . the arms 19 - 24 are pivotally connected to the outer side edge of base 11 with a hinge assembly indicated generally at 31 . returning to fig1 and 2 , hinge assembly 31 has a plurality of vertically aligned ears 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , and 37 extended along the right edge of base 11 . a stop 38 is located above top ear 32 . each ear 32 - 37 has a generally rectangular slot 39 , as seen in fig6 and 7 , that rotatably accommodates a leg 29 of an arm . an elongated holding rod or bar 41 having a convex surface 42 retains legs 39 in rotating upright positions in the ears 32 - 37 . the opposite side of base 11 has corresponding ears 32a , 33a , 34a , 35a , 36a , and 37a that accommodates the legs for the arms 19a - 24a . ears 32 - 37 and 32a - 37a allow arms 19 - 24 and 19a - 24a to pivot individually in an outward direction away from base 11 to open positions so that the ties and other garments can be placed on and removed from the u - shaped bodies of the arms . arms 19 - 24 and 19a - 24a are held in their closed position adjacent base 11 by a releasable lock assembly indicated generally at 43 in fig1 and 5 . lock assembly 43 comprises an elongated lock plate 44 that is slidably positioned along the longitudinal axis of the front side 12 of base 11 . plate 44 has an elongated longitudinal slots 46 , 47 , and 48 that accommodates screws 49 , 50 , and 51 . as seen in fig5 screws 49 - 51 extend through slots 46 - 48 respectively and are fastened to base 11 . the screws 49 - 51 can be threaded into base 11 . alternatively , a captured nut can be located within base 11 to accommodate the threads of the screws . also , screws 49 - 51 can be adhesively bonded to base 11 . the upper end of plate 44 has an outwardly directed tab 52 that functions as a finger grip to allow plate 44 to be moved between its up locked position and down unlocked position . a hitch or catch indicated generally at 53 located above plate 44 is used to hold plate 44 in its up or locked position . catch 53 comprises a pin 54 secured to base 11 and a generally c - shaped clamp 56 is adapted to fit around or grip on pin 54 to hold plate 44 in an up or locked position . the arms of the clamp 56 can be biased outwardly to an open position to allow plate 44 to be moved down to its released position . the arms 19 - 24 and 19a - 24a can then be swung forward or away from base 11 so that it can be unloaded or loaded with neck ties and like garments . plate 44 has a plurality of vertically aligned hooks 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , and 62 that hold arms 19 - 23 and 19a - 23a in their in or closed position adjacent base 11 . each hook , as seen in fig5 has an upwardly opened end or mouth laterally spaced from the outside of plate 44 to accommodate the inwardly directed fingers of arms 19 - 24 and 19a - 24a . each hook accommodates two fingers from the laterally spaced arms . the hooks 57 - 62 , as seen in fig5 may be stamped out of the metal plate 44 . alternatively , separate hook structures can be attached to plate 44 . referring to fig3 the back side of base 11 has a plurality of vertical rows of holes 63 , 64 , and 65 . preferably , four holes are located in each row of holes . rows of holes 64 extend down the longitudinal center of base 11 . holes 63 and 65 are transversely aligned and are located on opposite sides of the vertical row of holes 64 . adjacent holes in rows of holes 63 , 64 , and 65 are equally spaced from each other . returning to fig5 the holes 64 have enlarged annular interior rims that provides for an annular lip 66 . the lip 66 is used to accommodate a clamp of a snap tie so that snap ties and bow ties can be attached to the back of base 11 . the traveling of the holder is used to accommodate a plurality of neck ties including bow ties and like garments with either a suitcase or storage in a closet or the like . hook 14 is used to hold the tie holder in place in the suitcase or support to tie holder on a horizontal closet hanger or hook . the ties on arms 19 - 24 and 19a - 24a are maintained in a straight and orderly fashion so they are readily accessible to the user . lock plate 44 is forced down to a released position . this moves the fingers from arms 19 - 24 and 19a - 24a out from under hooks 57 - 62 . the arms can be individually moved to an out position where the tie draped over the arms can be removed or placed thereon . the arms can then be swung back to their closed position . lock plate 44 is then raised by gripping the tab 52 . the c - clamp 56 is forced over pin 54 whereby hitch 53 is in a holding position . the neckties and like garments are retained in a flat position adjacent base 11 since the arms are not free to rotate about the hinges 31 and 31a . while there as been shown and described a preferred embodiment of the holder it is understood that changes in the structure , arrangement in structure , and material used in the holder may be altered by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention . the invention is defined in the following claims .	8
this invention provides elements of improvement over the previous designs for wave adaptive modular vessels ( wam - v ®) of the type described in the foregoing issued patents . one improvement is the addition on top of the inflatable hulls of a longitudinal structural member on each hull that can be rigid or semi - rigid according to the type of boat and its intended use . the degree of rigidity becomes a design parameter that is available to the engineer to be chosen according to boat size , payload weight , speed , expected sea states , etc . this longitudinal member ( the ski ) of each hull could be considered the equivalent of the rim in an automotive wheel : it connects with the inflated part of the hulls — that is now an independent structure — just as a tire is independent and removable from the rim of a wheel ( see ski ( 2 ) in fig1 ). 1 . the rigidity of the ski can be defined at the design stage . 2 . the ski ( 2 ) connects through the spring system ( 10 ) ( fig3 ) with the rest of the boat structure in a fixed manner that does not depend on the pressure of the inflatable hull . 3 . the pressure of the inflated part of the hulls can now be set within a broader range than before . this allows the pressure to be controlled to accommodate for sea state and maximum efficiency of motion through the water . for example , in a choppy sea with short waves , a low inflation pressure allows the inflated hulls to absorb the wave impact before it reaches the payload and the rest of the boat structure . another improvement to the design of a wam - v ® is an improved method of connecting the two hulls with the rest of the structure in such a way that allows the hulls to move semi - independently while following the water surface . fig1 illustrates such a structure connecting two hulls , each having a ski ( 2 ) on top of the inflated hull . the structure is comprised of forward legs ( 9 ) and stern legs ( 1 ) connected by a central body ( 14 ). the two forward legs form the forward arch that is connected with the central body ( 14 ) by a ball joint ( 13 ) so as to be able to rotate as a unit with respect to the central body . in general , the ball joints described herein allow at least limited rotation about at least two axes , and usually about all three axes thereof . the ball joints described with respect to the preferred embodiment actually incorporate balls , though the phrase ball joint is used herein and in the claims in a more general sense to describe or suggest the characteristics of the joint , and not to limit the actual structure thereof . the stern legs are preferably rigidly connected to the central body ( 14 ), though may be somewhat flexible as desired . the ends ( feet ) of the four legs are connected with joints and springs to the hulls skis . the stern leg joints ( a , also see fig2 ) are composed of a transversal pivot ( 4 ) and a vertical pivot ( 3 ), the vertical pivot ( 3 ) being facilitated by the slots in guide rails ( 5 ). the housing of the ball joint ( 6 ) is fastened at its bottom to the plate on which it rests and thus indirectly to the ski ( 2 ). there is some clearance between the top of the housing of the ball joint ( 6 ) and the plate on which the stern leg ( 1 ) is fastened , so that the plate and the stern leg may rotate about the transverse axis pivot ( 4 ), and the stern leg and plate may rotate about the vertical axis pivot ( 3 ). the plate is captured between the guide rails , and thus prevents linear motion along the transverse axis . thus the transversal pivot ( 4 ) allows the stern leg ( 1 ) to rotate about the vertical axis , but holds the hull transversally . the ball joint ( 6 ) allows motion in the vertical and transverse axis but is prevented from rotating about the longitudinal axis of the hull by the guide rails ( 5 ). the guide rails ( 5 ) also limit the rotation around the vertical axis ( 3 ), by means of pins ( 7 ), to allow for a small angle of movement necessary to avoid unwanted torsional stresses transmitted to the structure when the hulls move independently from each other . the forward legs ( 9 ) connection to the skis ( 2 ) ( fig3 ) are ball joints ( 8 ) that allow rotation in all axis . this eliminates torsional stresses and implements the maximum number of degrees of motion freedom . the ball joint ( 8 ) connects the forward leg ( 9 ) to a spring system ( 10 ) that in fig3 is implemented , as an example , with an air spring ( 12 ). the spring system is connected to the ski ( 2 ) by a hinge ( 11 ). the forward legs joint systems ( detail b ) do not prevent the hull systems from twisting around the transversal axis . this rotation is prevented solely by the stern legs joint systems ( a ). the modifications to the joints as described above increase the degrees of freedom for the wam - v ® technology described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 874 , 439 , thereby minimizing stresses due to relative hull motions . each and all improvements described above will result in increased shock mitigation and provide a smoother ride . another aspect of the present invention may be seen in fig4 and 5 . in these figures , the leg connections to the skis may be the same as for the embodiment of fig1 . the wam - v ® watercraft is a very versatile watercraft , and when configured as shown in fig4 and 5 , has still additional advantages . in particular , the basic watercraft is very stable , high speed , shallow draft , and depending on the power plants used , may be beachable . as such , it has many applications wherein transportability by aircraft or over roads is highly desirable . for this purpose the central body ( 14 ) shown schematically in these figures may be lowered by use of leg hinges ( 15 ) between the lower leg section ( 16 ) and the middle leg sections ( 17 ) so that the central forward section ( 18 ), connected to the central body ( 14 ) by a ball joint as in fig1 , is approximately even with the top of the skis . at the same time , the hulls ( 21 ) may be moved closer together to reduce the width of the watercraft for transportation . prior to doing so , however , in accordance with this aspect of the invention , the engine pods ( 20 ) are rotated about vertical hinges ( 19 ) 180 degrees so as to lie adjacent the hulls ( 21 ) between the hulls as shown in section a of fig4 . this substantially shortens the overall length of the watercraft for transport purposes , yet has substantially no effect on the ability to move the hulls ( 21 ) closer together for watercraft width reduction . further details of the hinging of the engine pods ( 20 ) may be seen in fig5 . engine pod vertical hinge ( 19 ) allows the engine pod ( 20 ) to be rotated as shown and locked in the rotated position by the lip and retainer assembly shown on an expanded scale in detail b of fig5 . in particular , the lip ( 25 ) fits between retaining members ( 26 ) on a rigid portion of the hull with a pin ( 27 ) passing through the holes in retainer ( 26 ) and lip ( 25 ) to lock the engine pod ( 20 ) in position . a similar unfolded position locking mechanism ( 23 ) is used to lock the engine pods ( 20 ) in the unfolded position for normal use of the watercraft . particularly as shown in fig5 , the engine pod vertical hinge ( 19 ) is preferably positioned somewhat forward of the double hinged hull section ( 24 ). that is the hull section which also includes the horizontal hinge characteristic of the wam - v ® type watercraft . further details of the horizontal hinge mechanism and its function may be found in u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 874 , 439 and 7 , 562 , 633 and u . s . patent application publication no . us - 2009 - 0178602 - a1 , the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference . alternatively , of course , the vertical hinge ( 19 ) could be aft of the horizontal hinge of the wam - v ® type watercraft , though this is not preferred . thus the present invention has a number of aspects , which aspects may be practiced alone or in various combinations or sub - combinations , as desired . while a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed and described herein for purposes of illustration and not for purposes of limitation , 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 as defined by the full breadth of the following claims .	1
the prior - art integrated suspension unit 100 of fig1 and 2 will be described first , in order to provide a point of departure for better understanding the improvements of the preferred embodiments , which will be described further on . the typical prior - art integrated suspension unit 100 as shown in fig1 and 2 is manufactured by fox racing shox . it is to be understood , of course , that this specific prior - art embodiment is representative only , and that the present air spring arrangement can be applied to other types of suspension units . additionally , the present air spring arrangement can be applied as a separate air spring unit , not integrated with a damper . in fig1 and 2 the integrated suspension unit 100 is comprised of an air spring assembly 110 and a damper assembly 190 . the integration is seamless , with several of the components such as an upper eyelet housing 116 and seal head 194 shared by both assemblies and performing dual functional roles . for example , as part of the damper assembly 190 , the seal head 194 closes and seals off one end of the shock body 197 . at the same time , as part of the air spring assembly 110 , the seal head 194 also seals off the open end of the air cylinder 126 and functions as a piston of the air spring assembly 110 . the air cylinder 126 functions as a body portion of the air spring assembly 110 and the shock body 197 functions as a shaft portion of the air spring assembly 110 . still referring to fig1 and 2 , the ends of the integrated suspension unit 100 , the upper eyelet 114 and the lower eyelet 198 , are connected to the sprung and unsprung portions of the vehicle ( not shown ) in a conventional manner . the air pressure in the positive air chamber 128 creates a force tending to lengthen the suspension unit 100 , while pressure in the negative air chamber 136 tends to shorten it . as is well - known in the art , the net effect of these opposing forces is to create a desirable air spring curve (“ force vs . travel curve ”), especially in that portion of the travel regime where the suspension unit 100 is near full extension . in particular , it is well - known that without the counteracting force produced by the negative air chamber 136 , which rapidly increases as the shock absorber approaches full extension and the volume of the negative air chamber 136 rapidly decreases , the initial portion of the spring curve (“ spring preload ”) would be quite stiff . thus , an undesirably large beginning force would be required to initiate the first portion of travel from full extension . typical spring curves produced with and without the negative air chamber 136 are illustrated in fig3 . curve “ a ” shows a force versus travel spring curve that would be produced by the embodiment of fig2 , which includes the negative air chamber 136 . in contrast , curve “ b ” shows the spring curve that would result if the negative air chamber 136 was removed ( not shown ). on a bicycle , or other vehicle , spring curve “ b ” would generally produce an undesirably harsh ride due to the large initial force required to initiate travel from full extension . the positive air chamber 128 is pressurized via the air valve 112 . as is typical , an air passage ( not shown ) is drilled in the upper eyelet housing 116 , and leads from the air valve 112 to the positive air chamber 128 . the negative air chamber 136 is pressurized via a transfer port 132 . transfer occurs at that pre - determined point near the beginning of suspension travel where the transfer port 132 bridges the positive / negative seal assembly 130 , as depicted in fig2 . this air transfer feature provides an effective and simple means for properly balancing the pressures of the positive air chamber 128 and the negative air chamber 136 , and is more fully described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 135 , 434 . the positive / negative seal assembly 130 provides a moving seal between the positive air chamber and the negative air chamber and seals at all times except when bridged by the transfer port 132 . the inside bore of the air cylinder 126 is burnished or otherwise finished to provide a smooth , low - friction surface which seals well . the negative chamber seal assembly 140 seals the lower side of the negative chamber on the outside of the shock body 197 , which is burnished or otherwise finished to provide a smooth , low - friction surface which seals well . the prior - art integrated suspension unit 100 of fig1 and 2 includes provisions for adjusting the internal damping by rotating a damping adjuster knob 191 which , in turn , rotates the damping adjuster rod 192 which extends down the shaft 193 into the piston assembly 195 . this basic construction , available in many conventional high - performance shock absorbers and well - known to those skilled in the art , enables external adjustability of compression damping , rebound damping , or both . although this damper construction feature is not required for application of the preferred embodiments , it is illustrated here in the prior - art and it is also included in the illustrated embodiment shown in fig6 . if this adjustable damping feature is not included , a somewhat simplified and less costly preferred embodiment , as described later and illustrated in fig1 , is made possible . the rest of the prior - art integrated suspension unit 100 , including the piston assembly 195 of the damper assembly 190 which creates damping as it moves thru the damping fluid 196 , are not illustrated or described in further detail since they are conventional features well - known to those skilled in the art , and are not required for an understanding of the preferred embodiments . external views of a preferred embodiment are shown in fig4 and 5 . suspension unit 200 comprises a damper assembly 190 identical to that of fig1 , and an adjustable air spring assembly 210 . a manually - operable travel adjust lever 252 extends from the upper portion of suspension unit 200 . the travel adjust lever 252 can be rotated 90 - degrees clockwise or counterclockwise between the two positions shown , the “ long - travel mode ” and the “ short - travel mode ”, as will be described more fully further on . fig6 shows a partial sectional view of the suspension unit 200 of fig4 . in comparison to the prior - art device of fig1 and 2 , the damper assembly 190 of fig6 is identical to the damper assembly 190 of fig1 and 2 ; however , the adjustable air spring assembly 210 of fig6 contains additional structure and modified structure as compared with air spring assembly 110 of fig1 and 2 . the additional and modified structure comprises an air cylinder partition 272 sealed within the air cylinder 126 which separates the divided positive air chamber 228 into a first partial volume 227 and a second partial volume 229 , and a travel adjust assembly 250 which enables these two partial volumes to be either connected or separated by rotation of the external travel adjust lever 252 . fig7 and 8 show enlarged views illustrating this additional structure and modified structure , which will now be described in detail . in fig8 and other drawings , various seals ( such as a conventional o - ring seal between the air cylinder 126 and the air cylinder partition 272 ) are included in the drawing , but are not numbered or described , since they are conventional features well - known to those skilled in the art . the detent ball assembly 260 provides a detenting effect such that , after adjustment , the travel adjust lever 252 is held in the selected position . it also provides tactile feedback to the operator to indicate attainment of a new position upon rotation . the travel adjust lever 252 is incorporated into the upper eyelet housing 216 and is secured to an actuating cam shaft 254 by a retaining screw 256 . a surface of the actuating cam shaft 254 has a ball indent 255 spaced every 90 - degrees on its outer surface near one end . a surface of a detent ball 262 , urged by a detent spring 264 which is secured by a detent set screw 266 , engages the ball indent 255 . thus , in an engaged position , the detent ball 262 engages one of the ball indents 255 and a first level of resistance to rotation of the travel adjust lever 252 is provided that , desirably , inhibits unintentional rotation of the lever 252 , while still allowing the lever 252 to be rotated by hand . in an unengaged position , the detent ball 262 contacts a surface of the cam shaft 254 between the indents 255 and , desirably , provides little or no resistance to rotation of the travel adjust lever 252 . in fig8 , the retaining ring 278 serves to secure the axial location of the air cylinder partition 272 on the shaft 193 . in order to facilitate clear visualization of the interface between the upper eyelet housing 216 and the air cylinder partition 272 , fig9 shows an isometric view of the upper eyelet housing 216 , and fig1 shows an isometric view of the air cylinder partition 272 . as shown , the underside of the upper eyelet housing 216 includes a downwardly - projecting upper passage port coupler 217 which engages the upwardly - projecting lower passage port boss 273 thru which the lower passage port 274 passes . this connection is sealed by a lower passage port seal 276 as shown in fig1 . in addition , the upper eyelet housing 216 includes an upper passage port 219 , which preferably extends completely through the upper passage port coupler 217 , in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis thereof , as shown in fig1 . fig1 shows an enlarged partial sectional view of the travel adjust assembly 250 , which is now described in detail . as previously described , the travel adjust lever 252 is secured to the actuating cam shaft 254 by a retaining screw 256 . the actuating cam shaft 254 is retained in the upper eyelet housing 216 by a retaining screw 253 . the actuating cam shaft 254 includes a cam profile 259 . this cam profile 259 consists of 2 flats 259 a 180 - degrees apart as shown here in fig1 , and 2 deeper flats 259 b as shown in fig1 , which also are 180 - degrees apart and are at 90 - degrees from flats 259 a . these flats control the position of the cam follower 258 , as determined by the setting of the travel adjust lever 252 . cam follower 258 is sealed by cam follower seal 257 . with the travel adjust lever 252 in the position shown in fig1 , the cam follower 258 is in contact with the check ball 282 and maintains it in a position out of contact with the check ball seal 283 . as shown by the heavy flow lines drawn , this enables air flow from the first partial volume 227 ( not shown in this view ) thru the lower passage port 274 , past the check ball 282 , thru the upper passage port 219 , and into the second partial volume 229 ( not shown in this view ). this is one direction of air flow . the opposite direction of air flow is also enabled . these flows , of course , provide open communication between the first partial volume 227 and the second partial volume 229 such that their combined volume is available during compression of the suspension unit 200 . fig1 shows the travel adjust lever 252 in the closed position . the cam follower 258 , urged upward by internal air pressure , engages cam profile 259 b and , as shown , moves away from check ball 282 by a distance “ x ”, which is desirably 0 . 040 ″ or more . the check ball 282 , urged upward by the check ball spring 284 engages check ball seal 283 . this seals off any upward air flow from first partial volume 227 to second partial volume 229 . however , this does not seal off flow in the opposite direction , since check ball spring 284 is specified to produce only a small spring force , for example about 0 . 03 to 0 . 05 pounds , with the check ball 282 in the sealed position . accordingly , if the pressure from the second partial volume 229 above the check ball 282 exceeds the pressure below it from first partial volume 227 by approximately 3 to 5 psi , then this pressure differential will overcome the force of check ball spring 284 and check ball 282 will move downward away from sealing contact with check ball seal 283 . in this event , air will flow from second partial volume 229 to first partial volume 227 . this characteristic is desirable in order to prevent unintended entrapment of excess air and pressure in the second partial volume 229 . for correct function of the adjustable air spring assembly 210 , it is preferred that the pressure in second partial volume 229 does not become significantly greater than the pressure in first partial volume 227 . such a situation would result in the pressure within the first partial volume 227 being reduced from its initial , preset level , due to the finite quantity of air within the suspension unit 200 . as a result , the spring rate of the air spring 200 in its short travel mode ( i . e ., only utilizing the first partial volume 227 ) would be undesirably reduced from its initial setting . rather , according to the preferred embodiments , the pressure in the second partial volume 229 preferably remains approximately equal to or less than the pressure in first partial volume 227 , since the check ball spring 284 creates only a small preload force . although the above - described valve assembly is preferred for its simplicity , reliability and low manufacturing cost , other valve arrangements may also be employed . for example , a needle - type valve body may be used in place of the check ball 282 . in an alternative arrangement , the cam surface 259 may directly contact the valve body ( e . g ., the check ball 282 ) and the cam follower 258 may be omitted . further , the above - described functions of the valve assembly do not necessarily have to be performed by a single valve arrangement . for example , a first valve arrangement may selectively connect and disconnect the first partial volume 227 and second partial volume 229 , while another valve arrangement provides the check valve function of preventing the pressure of the second partial volume 229 from becoming substantially greater than the pressure of the first partial volume 227 . fig1 illustrates a typical full - travel position of suspension unit 200 when travel adjust lever 252 is set in the long - travel mode , such that first partial volume 227 and second partial volume 229 are in full communication . similarly , fig1 illustrates a typical full - travel position of suspension unit 200 when travel adjust lever 252 is set in the short - travel mode , such that first partial volume 227 and second partial volume 229 are in not in communication . note that the overall compressed lengths of suspension unit 200 are different , with the length l . sub . 1 in fig1 being shorter than the length l . sub . 2 in fig1 . this will be explained with reference to fig1 . fig1 illustrates an example of the force - versus - travel relationships provided by suspension unit 200 in the two different selectable modes : the short - travel mode and the long - travel mode . in the long - travel mode , as shown by curve “ b ”, the force rises more gradually and reaches , in this example , a value of 750 pounds at a stroke distance of about 1 . 75 inches . in the short - travel mode , as shown by curve “ a ”, the force rises more rapidly and reaches a value of 750 pounds at a stroke distance of only about 1 . 27 inches , almost ½ inch less than the value for curve “ b ”. this relationship , of course , is the basis for describing the two modes as “ long - travel mode ” and “ short - travel mode ”. it should be explained that , although for simplicity in the above example a final external compression force of 750 pounds on the suspension unit 200 is assumed for both cases , this is only an approximation . a rigorous computer motion analysis of a specific situation , centering on the basic equation of motion f = ma ( force equals mass times acceleration ), would show some difference , but this analysis is generally quite complicated and the difference would generally be relatively small . thus , the above is a reasonably close approximation assuming that in both cases the vehicle upon which the suspension unit 200 is mounted is subjected to the same bump ( or other terrain feature ) and other conditions . additionally , it should be noted that at 1 . 27 inches of travel curve “ a ” is rising steeply . thus , even if the final force that occurs in the short - travel mode is somewhat greater than the 750 pounds used in the above example , final travel would still be significantly less than curve “ b ”. for example , even if the final force reached 1000 pounds , final travel would still only be slightly more than 1 . 40 inches . as a preferred embodiment of the present invention is as a shock absorber for a mountain bike , it is desirable that the final force is less than 3000 pounds , desirably , less than 2000 pounds and , more desirably , less than 1000 pounds . such an arrangement allows the air spring to withstand the impact forces resulting from traversing rough terrain with suspension arrangements presently incorporated on mountain bikes ( e . g ., wheel travel / shock travel ratio ). as will be appreciated by one of skill in the art , for other applications or suspension arrangements , the preferred final force may vary from the values recited above . in the context of mountain bike suspension assemblies , preferably , the first partial volume 227 is between about 1 and 8 cubic inches . desirably , the first partial volume 227 is between about 1 . 5 and 6 cubic inches and , more desirably , between about 2 and 4 cubic inches . preferably , the second partial volume 229 is between about 0 . 3 and 4 cubic inches . desirably , the second partial volume 229 is between about 0 . 4 and 3 cubic inches and , more desirably , between about 0 . 5 and 2 cubic inches . such an arrangement provides a desirable spring rate of the suspension unit 200 when utilizing only the first partial volume 227 , as well as when both the first partial volume 227 and second partial volume 299 are used to provide a spring force , for a substantial number of mountain bike applications . in at least a significant portion of mountain bike suspension applications , it is preferable that the suspension unit 200 provides between about 0 . 5 and 3 inches of suspension travel in the short travel mode ( i . e ., utilizing only the first partial volume 227 ). desirably , the suspension unit 200 provides between about 0 . 6 and 2 . 5 inches of travel and , more desirably , between about 0 . 75 and 2 inches of suspension travel in the short travel mode . further , preferably the suspension unit provides between about 0 . 6 and 5 inches of suspension travel in the long travel mode ( i . e ., utilizing both the first partial volume 227 and the second partial volume 229 ). desirably , the suspension unit 200 provides between about 0 . 8 and 4 inches of travel and , more desirably , between about 1 and 3 inches of suspension travel in the long travel mode . the range of values set forth above pertains to the relative movement between the two portions of the suspension unit 200 and the actual travel of the suspended bicycle wheel may vary from the travel of the suspension unit 200 . as described earlier , the differences between curve “ a ” and curve “ b ” result from the differences in initial chamber volume available during compression of the suspension unit 200 . with the travel adjust lever 252 set as in fig1 , the total volume of both the first partial volume 227 and the second partial volume 229 are available . with the travel adjust lever 252 set as in fig1 , only the volume of first partial volume 227 is available . these calculations are based on the well - known ideal gas law for isothermal processes , which is a good first approximation for illustrating the basic principles of the preferred embodiments . this law states that for an enclosed variable volume the internal pressure will vary with volume according to the equation : here is a simple example of this relationship . assuming the initial conditions of a sealed , variable chamber are 10 cubic inches of air at 100 psi , if the volume is then reduced to 5 cubic inches the pressure will increase to 200 psi . considered from another point of view , initial volume divided by final volume equals “ compression ratio ”. in this example the compression ratio is 10 divided by 5 , or a compression ratio of 2 . final pressure can be calculated by multiplying initial pressure times compression ratio : 100 psi times 2 = 200 psi . in the example of fig1 , 14 , and 15 , the initial first partial volume 227 of suspension unit 200 is 3 . 08 cubic inches , and the second partial volume 229 is 1 . 15 cubic inches . thus , their combined volume is 4 . 23 cubic inches , and the volume of first partial volume 227 alone is just 3 . 08 cubic inches . for the configuration of this example , volume displaced by the seal head 194 per inch of stroke is 1 . 65 cubic inches per inch . the following sample calculations are made using these values : for the configuration of fig1 , a compression ratio of 3 . 16 is reached at 1 . 75 inches of travel : for the configuration of fig1 , an almost identical compression ratio of 3 . 14 is reached at 1 . 27 inches of travel : for the configuration used in this example for suspension unit 200 , and assuming an initial pressure of 150 psi , these compression ratios translate to an air spring force in both cases of about 750 pounds . however , the actual air spring force may vary depending on the specific application . preferably , as described above , in the context of mountain bike suspension assemblies , the spring force is less than approximately 3000 pounds at a substantially fully compressed position of the air spring . this example , of course , is by way of illustration only , and a wide spectrum of desired relationships between compression ratio and travel , and of the ratio of travel achieved in the short travel mode with that achieved in the long travel mode , can be attained with the illustrated embodiments by designing a particular variable air spring with appropriate dimensional relationships . preferably , the percentage of travel achieved in the short travel mode with that achieved in the long travel mode is between about 40 and 90 percent . desirably , the percentage of travel achieved in the short travel mode with that achieved in the long travel mode is between about 50 and 85 percent and , more desirably , between about 60 and 80 percent . such a change in travel provides desirable suspension performance in both the short travel and long travel modes for at least a significant portion of typical suspension arrangements presently incorporated on mountain bikes . fig1 shows an alternate preferred embodiment . as discussed previously , this embodiment is somewhat simplified and less costly than the embodiment of fig6 . the embodiment of fig1 is possible for suspension units which are generally similar to that of fig6 , but provided that no thru - shaft damping adjustment feature , such as shown in fig6 , is required . as shown in fig1 , when a thru - shaft damping adjustment feature is not required , then the upper end of the shaft 393 becomes available for incorporation of the travel adjust feature . thus , the travel adjust valve in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 generally extends along a central axis a of the shock shaft 393 , which allows a simpler and more cost - effective structure . in this embodiment , the travel adjust assembly 350 uses the same travel adjust lever 252 as utilized previously . the actuating cam shaft 354 is similar to the previous actuating cam shaft 254 , but is somewhat longer . the upper eyelet housing 316 is similar to the previous upper eyelet housing 216 , but is somewhat simpler and less costly to produce due to elimination of the previously - required off - center upper passage port coupler 217 which was depicted in fig9 . the air cylinder partition 372 is similar to the previous air cylinder partition 272 , but it also is somewhat simpler and less costly to produce due in this case to elimination of the previously - required off - center lower passage port boss 273 which was depicted in fig1 . the lower passage port 374 and the upper passage port 319 , as shown , both consist of a cross - holes drilled in the shaft 393 . the upper passage port 319 further consists of drilled or milled passageways in the lower portion of the upper eyelet housing 316 which communicate with the drilled passageways in the shaft 393 . the other elements of the travel adjust assembly 350 as shown in fig1 are neither numbered nor described here since they are essentially identical to the elements numbered and described in the embodiment of fig6 . the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and various changes may be made within the technical scope of the invention as understood by a person skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope thereof .	1
fig1 a depicts the placement and connection of the alarm report call rerouter in a subscriber &# 39 ; s home alarm system . the tip and the ring of the telephone company are connected respectively to the tipin and the ringin of the call rerouter 2 . the call rerouter 2 is then connected to the alarm system 4 by the loop pair tipalarm and ringalarm . the call rerouter 2 is also connected to the alarm system 4 by the loop pair tiphand and ringhand which corresponds to event detection on the handset 6 lines 8 , 10 . in fig1 reference label tipin designates the tip ( more positive conductor ) of the local loop conductor pair as it enters the subscriber &# 39 ; s home from the telephone company . the local loop current passes through a small resistor ( r 5 b , 68 ohm in the preferred embodiment ). the local loop current level can be measured from the voltage drop across r 5 b . resistors r 3 b and r 4 b form a voltage divider network that attenuates the tipout voltage signal by a fixed ratio . thus the voltage delivered to the inverting input of comparator u 4 b will be { fraction ( 1 / 11 )} th of the original voltage . resistors r 6 b and r 7 b form a voltage divider network with an identical ratio of attenuation . this network attenuates the tipin voltage signal , less 0 . 7v ( volt ) due to the presence of diode d 2 b . this attenuated signal is applied to the noninverting input of comparator u 4 b . the purpose of the twin dividers is to bring the common mode of the two signals being compared down into the common mode range of comparator u 4 b . zener diodes z 3 b and z 4 b protect the inputs of the comparator u 4 b from exceeding the absolute maximum rating of the device in the event that high voltage transients appear on the local loop conductor pair . resistor r 8 b is a pull - up resistor to hold the open - drain output of the comparator u 4 b high to produce a logic high state , typically designated as a digital “ 1 ”. capacitor c 1 b prevents rf oscillation due to any coupling between comparator u 4 b inputs and its output that might occur in the associated printed - circuit layout . given that the comparator u 4 b will change logic state when the voltage present on the inverting input equals the voltage on the non - inverting input , and that the tipin signal is always disadvantaged by 0 . 7v due to the presence of d 2 b , the tipin signal must always be 0 . 7v more positive than tipout at the point of comparator logic state transition . for the component values given in the preferred embodiment , this corresponds to a loop current of approximately 10 ma ( milliampere ). given that typical local loop currents for the off - hook state range from 20 ma - 120 ma , and are typically less than 6 ma in the on - hook state , the above circuit can reliably discern between the on - hook and off - hook line conditions , producing a logic high output when loop current is present and logic low output ( typically digital “ 0 ”) when the line is on - hook . it is this circuit that allows pulse - dialing detection capability as well as on - hook / off hook discrimination in the preferred embodiment of the invention . reference label tiphand from fig2 designates the tip ( more positive conductor ) of the handset 6 conductor pair 8 , 10 . the handset 6 conductor pair 8 , 10 emerges from the alarm system 4 and continues on to connect to the subscriber &# 39 ; s telephones . reference label ringhand designates the ring ( more negative conductor ) of the handset 6 conductor pair 8 , 10 . diodes d 6 and d 7 are arranged such that the junction of their cathodes will be at a voltage equal ( less a 0 . 7v diode drop ) to the more positive of these two signals . this allows normal operation of the circuit even in the case where improper wiring at the alarm system 4 has resulted in the reversal of electrical polarity in the handset 6 conductor pair 8 , 10 . resistors r 5 and r 6 form a voltage divider network that attenuates the resulting signal by a fixed ratio . thus the instantaneous voltage delivered to the inverting input of comparator u 4 a will be ½ of the original signal level for original voltages in the range of approximately 0v - 10v . when the input to the divider network exceeds 10v , zener diode z 3 begins a clamping action that holds the voltage of the inverting input of the comparator substantially constant at the rated zener voltage ( 4 . 7v in the preferred embodiment ). diode d 3 and resistor r 7 are used to establish a reference voltage of approximately 0 . 5v , which develops on the anode of d 3 and is supplied to the non - inverting input of the comparator u 4 a . resistor r 8 is a pull - up resistor to hold the open - drain output of the comparator u 4 b high to produce the logic high state “ 1 ”. given that the comparator u 4 a will change logic state when the voltage present on the inverting input equals the voltage on the non - inverting input , this corresponds to a line voltage of 1v . thus , this circuit is useful for discriminating between normal operating line voltages ( where even in the worst case line voltages never fall below 1v ) and the case in which handset tip and ring conductors have been galvanically isolated from the local loop ( in which case 0v develops on the inverting input of the comparator u 4 a ). such galvanic isolation occurs when a typical alarm system 4 activates , so that household telephones will not disrupt the report call process . thus this circuit can signal the activation of the alarm system 4 , giving a logic high output “ 1 ” during alarm system 4 activation , and logic low output “ 0 ” while in normal operation . fig3 depicts a battery charger and power supply circuit of the present invention . reference labels tipin and ringin designate the tip and ring , respectively , of the local loop conductor pair directly as it enters the subscriber &# 39 ; s home from the telephone company . the conductor pair enters bridge rectifier b 1 b , which protects the battery charging circuitry against accidental tip - ring reversal . the positive tap of the bridge rectifier 12 supplies the input to the series voltage regulator formed by q 1 b , resistor r 1 b , and zener diode z 1 b . this regulator holds the output at the voltage rating of the zener diode z 1 b ( 30v in the preferred embodiment ). the high voltage rating of q 1 b ( 300v in the preferred embodiment ) protects the components of the battery charging system from ring signal voltages and transients on the local loop conductor pair . the output voltage of the serial regulator supplies the current source formed by u 2 b and resistor r 2 b . this current source supplies a substantially constant current ( in the preferred embodiment , approx . 5 . 5 ma ) used to charge battery b 2 b and supply standby current to the quiescent circuitry . battery charging current is typically 3 . 5 ma in the preferred embodiment , with the balance of current going toward quiescent consumption . diode d 1 b protects against battery b 2 b discharge through the charging system in the event the telephone line connection is removed and the battery remains installed . zener diode z 2 b prevents the charging system from producing excessive voltage output in the event the battery b 2 b is removed and the telephone line connection remains ( output will be clamped at 15v in the preferred embodiment ). regulator u 1 b supplies a constant voltage ( 5v in the preferred embodiment ) independent of the fluctuations in battery voltage associated with charging and discharging . fig4 depicts the dialing circuitry . as the tone generator ic chip u 2 in fig4 is a commercial device , it will not be described in detail here . external components have been included as per the manufacturer &# 39 ; s application notes . a bus of four conductors interconnects four output pins of the microcontroller u 1 in fig7 with four tone selection input pins ( r 1 - r 4 ) of the tone generator ic chip u 2 in fig4 . each permutation of this four bit binary word represents a unique dtmf tone to be generated . transistor q 3 and resistor r 9 interface the output of the tone generator to the telephone line . diode d 4 protects q 3 as well as the to output of u 2 from negative - going transients on the tip conductor of the local loop pair . resistor r 10 draws sufficient current to keep the phone line in the off - hook condition . fig5 depicts the switching elements , relays re 1 and re 2 . relay re 1 is used to return the line on - hook briefly to then re - establish dial tone when local loop current is re - established . relay re 2 galvanically isolates the tip conductor of the local loop conductor pair of the incoming phone line from the alarm system . this interrupts the dialing process of the alarm system and allows the invention to dial another number without the dialing activity of the alarm system interfering with the process . the switching action of relay re 1 occurs when the logic state of the microcontroller u 1 output pin rb 5 swings from logic low “ 0 ” to the logic high state “ 1 ”. this causes base current to flow in transistor q 1 through current limiting resistors r 1 and r 3 . the establishment of base current causes q 1 to turn on , allowing current to flow through the coil 12 for energizing the relay re 1 . zener diode z 1 protects the microcontroller u 1 output pin from voltage transients associated with coil deenergization . diode d 1 is an anti - kickback diode designed to clamp the collector voltage of q 1 to the supply rail during de - energization to prevent destructive high - voltage spiking from coil 12 that would otherwise occur . back - to - back zener diodes z 7 and z 8 are designed to limit the transient spikes on the local loop caused by the switching action of the relay re 1 . the diodes z 7 and z 8 are wired across the normally closed contacts of the relay re 1 , and , when these contacts open , allow loop current to decay slowly , thus avoiding the generation of high - voltage spikes on the line . relay re 2 has identical drive components and topologies , and functions likewise , with z 9 and z 10 serving to limit transient spikes . the diode d 5 blocks dc current flow in the reverse direction , thus alerting the user to improper wiring of the system ( tip - ring inversion ), as household telephones will be rendered inoperative as long as this condition persists . capacitor c 10 and resistor r 14 allow ac to bypass diode d 5 , allowing the ring signal to be substantially unaffected by the presence of this blocking diode d 5 . integrated circuit u 3 shown in fig6 serves to detect dtmf tones . operation of the circuit will not be described in detail here , as it is a commercial device and external components have been included as per the manufacturer &# 39 ; s application notes , with the exception of zener diode z 6 , which has been included to protect the detector from excessive voltage imposed by the ring signal . the tip of the local loop conductor pair is capacitively coupled to the detector , and dv pin ( data valid ) output is routed to the input ra 4 of microcontroller u 1 . this output will be logic high whenever any one of the sixteen valid dtmf tones is present on the phone line . integrated circuit u 1 shown in fig7 serves as the microcontroller of the device . it is this component where the software is stored and executed . operation of the circuit will not be described in detail here , as it is a commercial device and external components have been included as per the manufacturer &# 39 ; s application notes . transistor q 4 allows the microcontroller u 1 to have the ability to remove power from the peripheral ic chips ( u 2 and u 3 ). logic low on the rb 3 output of u 1 turns on the 5 v rail to integrated circuits u 1 b , u 2 , and u 3 , and a logic high removes power . this feature allows standby power to the device to be very low ( 2 ma in the preferred embodiment ). the jumpers j 7 and j 8 are used to select any one of four 11 digit pre - programmed telephone numbers to be dialed by the microcontroller u 1 . these jumpers control the logic state of two input pins of the microcontroller u 1 , with each penetration of this 2 - bit binary word corresponding to a unique telephone number to be dialed . fig8 a , 8 b , and 8 c show a flowchart for programming of microcontroller u 1 . although various embodiments of the invention have been shown and described , they are not meant to be limiting . those of skill in the art may recognize certain modifications to these embodiments , which modifications are meant to be covered by the spirit and scope of the appended claims .	7
the radicals r 1 are identical and represent hydrogen atoms or together form a bond , the symbols r 2 are identical and represent phenyl radicals which are optionally substituted by a halogen atom or by a methyl radical in position 2 or 3 , the symbol r 3 represents a halogen atom or a hydroxyl radical and the symbol r 4 represents a hydrogen atom or , together with r 3 , represents a halogen atom . when r 2 carries a halogen substituent , or when r 3 is a halogen atom , the latter may be chosen from chlorine or fluorine . moreover , the products of general formula ( i ) having various stereoisomeric forms , it is understood that the isoindole derivatives of the ( 3ar , 7ar ) form , in a pure state , or in the form of a mixture of the cis -( 3ars , 7ars ) forms , are included within the scope of the present invention . when the radicals r 3 and r 4 are different , it is also understood that the substituent r 3 may be in an axial or equatorial position and therefore that the r and s derivatives as well as mixtures thereof , are also included within the scope of the present invention . according to the invention , the isoindole derivative of general formula ( i ) for which r 3 represents a halogen atom and r 4 represents a hydrogen or halogen atom , may be obtained by halogenation of the isoindole derivative of general formula : ## str4 ## for which r 1 and r 2 are defined as above , r &# 39 ; 3 is a hydroxyl radical , r &# 39 ; 4 is a hydrogen atom if it is desired to obtain a monohalogenated derivative , or r &# 39 ; 3 and r &# 39 ; 4 together form an oxo radical if it is desired to obtain a dihalogenated derivative , followed by the removal of the protective radical r 5 . the protective radical r 5 may be any aminoprotecting group which is compatible with the reaction and whose introduction and removal does not affect the rest of the molecule . alkoxycarbonyl groups , benzyloxycarbonyl groups , optionally substituted benzyl groups , formyl , chloroacetyl , trichloroacetyl , trifluoroacetyl , vinyloxycarbonyl , phenoxycarbonyl , 1 - chloroethoxycarbonyl or chlorocarbonyl groups , may be mentioned by way of example . when it is desired to obtain a product for which r 3 represents a fluorine atom , the reaction is advantageously carried out using a fluorinating agent such as sulphur fluoride ( morpholinosulphur trifluoride , sulphur tetrafluoride ( j . org . chem ., 40 , 3808 ( 1975 )), diethylaminosulphur trifluoride ( tetrahedron , 44 , 2875 ( 1988 )), phenylsulphur trifluoride ( j . am . chem . soc ., 84 , 3058 ( 1962 )], such as hexafluoropropyldiethylamine ( japanese patent 2 , 039 , 546 ) or n -( 2 - chloro - 1 , 1 , 2 - trifluoroethyl ) diethylamine , or selenium tetrafluoride ( j . am . chem . soc ., 96 , 925 ( 1974 ) or such as tetrafluorophenylphosphorane ( tet . let ., 907 ( 1973 ), by carrying out a procedure in an organic solvent such as a chlorine - containing solvent ( for example dichloromethane , dichloroethane ) at a temperature between - 30 and + 30 ° c . it is understood that the use of an alcohol of the ( s ) configuration leads to the fluorine - containing derivative of the ( r ) configuration and that the use of an alcohol of the ( r ) configuration leads to the fluorine - containing derivative of the ( s ) configuration . it is also possible to carry out the procedure using a mixture of alcohols of the ( r ) and ( s ) configurations and to carry out the separation with respect to the derivative of general formula ( i ) thus obtained . when it is desired to obtain the difluorein - containing derivative of general formula ( i ), the reaction is carried out using the isoindolone of general formula ( ii ) ( r &# 39 ; 3 and r &# 39 ; 4 together form an oxo radical ), carrying out the procedure under the conditions defined above , at a temperature between 30 ° c . and the reflux temperature of the reaction mixture . when it is desired to obtain a product for which r 3 represents a chlorine atom , the chlorine - containing derivative of the ( r ) configuration may be obtained by treating the ( s ) alcohol with phosphorus pentachloride under the conditions defined by r . j . cremlyn et al ., j . chem . soc ., 3794 ( 1954 ); the chlorine - containing derivative of the ( s ) configuration may be obtained by treating the ( s ) alcohol with thionyl chloride under the conditions stated by r . j . cremlyn in the reference mentioned above . when it is desired to obtain the dichlorine - containing derivative , the procedure is carried out using the perhydroisoindole of general formula ( ii ), by treatment with phosphorus pentachloride under the conditions stated above . the subsequent removal of the protective radical r 5 is carried out according to the usual methods . in particular , the procedure is carried out according to the methods described by t . w . greene , protective groups in organic synthesis , a . wiley -- interscience publication ( 1981 ), or by mc omie , protective groups in organic chemistry , plenum press ( 1973 ). according to the invention , the isoindole derivative of general formula ( i ) for which r 3 is a halogen atom and r 4 is a hydrogen atom , may also be obtained by halogenation of a perhydroisoindole derivative of general formula : ## str5 ## in which r 1 , r 2 and r 5 are defined as above , followed by the removal of the protective radical r 5 . the halogenation is carried out using a quaternary ammonium halide such as for example tetrabutylammonium fluoride or using an alkali metal halide such as potassium fluoride or caesium fluoride for example , in an anhydrous medium , in an organic solvent such as an ether ( for example tetrahydrofuran , dioxane ), a chlorine - containing solvent ( for example dichloromethane ) or in a mixture of solvents , at a temperature between - 30 ° and 50 ° c . it is understood that the sulphonylated derivative of general formula ( iii ) of the ( s ) configuration leads to a halogenated derivative of the ( r ) configuration and that the sulphonylated derivative of the ( r ) configuration leads to a halogenated derivative of the ( s ) configuration . the removal of the r 5 radical is carried out as described above . the sulphonylated derivative of general formula ( iii ) may be obtained by treating the perhydroisoindole derivative of general formula ( ii ), for which r &# 39 ; 3 is a hydroxyl radical and r &# 39 ; 4 is a hydrogen atom , with a reactive trifluoromethanesulphonic acid derivative . the reaction is generally carried out by reaction of the trifluoromethanesulphonic anhydride in the presence of pyridine , in a chlorine - containing solvent ( for example dichloromethane ), at a temperature between - 30 ° and 20 ° c . according to the invention , the perhydroisoindole derivative of general formula ( i ), for which r 3 is a hydroxyl radical and r 4 is a hydrogen atom , may be obtained by reduction of the perhydroisoindolone derivative of general formula : ## str6 ## in which r 1 and r 2 are defined as above and r &# 39 ; 5 is defined as r 5 or represents a hydrogen atom , followed by the separation of the axial and equatorial isomers and / or followed by the removal of the protective radical when r &# 39 ; 5 is other than a hydrogen atom . the reduction is advantageously carried out using an alkali metal borohydride ( sodium borohydride , lithium tri - s - butylborohydride ), in a solvent such as an alcohol ( for example methanol , ethanol ) or an ether ( tetrahydrofuran ) in a basic medium or using an aluminohydride ( for example aluminium and lithium hydride ), at a temperature between - 20 ° and 50 ° c . the removal of the radical r &# 39 ; 5 is carried out according to known methods which do not affect the rest of the molecule . according to the invention , the hydroxylated perhydroisoindole derivative of general formula ( i ), in which r 3 is a hydroxyl radical and r 4 is a hydrogen atom , may also be obtained by releasing the protective radical r 5 from the corresponding perhydroisoindole derivative of general formula ( ii ) in which r &# 39 ; 3 and r &# 39 ; 4 are defined as above . the removal is carried out according to known methods which do not affect the rest of the molecule , in particular according to the methods stated above . the perhydroisoindole derivative of general formula ( ii ), or the perhydroisoindole derivative of general formula ( iv ) for which r &# 39 ; 5 is defined as r 5 , may be prepared by protecting the amino of the corresponding derivative of general formula : ## str7 ## in which r 1 , r 2 , r &# 39 ; 3 and r &# 39 ; 4 are defined as for the general formula ( ii ). the protection is carried out according to the usual methods , in particular according to the references mentioned above . the isoindole derivative of general formula ( iv ) for which r &# 39 ; 5 is a hydrogen atom , or ( v ) for which r &# 39 ; 3 and r &# 39 ; 4 together form an oxo radical , may be obtained from the corresponding derivative of general formula : ## str8 ## in which r 1 and r 2 are defined as above and r 6 represents an allyl radical or a radical of the structure -- cr a r b r c in which r a and r b are hydrogen atoms or phenyl radicals which are optionally substituted ( by a halogen atom , an alkyl , alkoxy or nitro radical ), and r c is defined as r a and r b or represents an alkyl or alkoxyalkyl radical , at least one of r a , r b and r c being a substituted or unsubstituted phenyl radical and the alkyl radicals containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms in a linear or branched chain , by removing the radical r 6 by any known method which does not affect the rest of the molecule . in particular , when r 1 is a hydrogen atom , and when r 6 is other than an allyl radical , the group r 6 may be removed by catalytic hydrogenation in the presence of palladium . generally , the reaction is carried out in an acidic medium , in a solvent such as an alcohol ( methanol , ethanol ), in water or directly in acetic acid or formic acid , at a temperature between 20 ° and 60 ° c . when r 6 is a benzohydryl or trityl radical , the removal may be carried out by treatment in an acidic medium , by carrying out the procedure at a temperature of between 0 ° c . and the reflux temperature of the reaction mixture , in an alcohol , in an ether , in water or directly in acetic acid , formic acid or trifluoroacetic acid . the group r 6 may also be removed by reaction of vinyl chloroformate , 1 - chloroethyl chloroformate or phenyl chloroformate , a product of general formula : ## str9 ## in which r 1 and r 2 are defined as above , and r 7 is a vinyl , 1 - chloroethyl or phenyl radical , being obtained as an intermediate , and then by removing the radical -- coor 7 by acid treatment . the reaction of the chloroformate is generally carried out in an organic solvent such as a chlorine - containing solvent ( for example dichloromethane , dichloroethane , chloroform ), an ether ( for example tetrahydrofuran , dioxane ) or a ketone ( for example acetone ) or in a mixture of these solvents , by carrying out the procedure at a temperature between 20 ° c . and the reflux temperature of the reaction mixture . the removal of the radical -- coor 7 is carried out by treatment in an acidic medium for example with trifluoroacetic , formic , methanesulphonic , p - toluenesulphonic , hydrochloric or hydrobromic acid in a solvent such as an alcohol , an ether , an ester , a nitrile , a mixture of these solvents or in water , at a temperature between 0 ° c . and the reflux temperature of the reaction mixture . under the conditions for removing the radicals -- coor 7 mentioned above , the expected isoindolone derivative of general formula ( iv ) or ( v ) is obtained in the form of a salt of the acid used , which may be used directly in the subsequent stage . the isoindolone derivative of general formula ( vi ) may be obtained by cycloaddition reaction , by reaction of a silylated derivative of general formula : ## str10 ## in which r 6 is defined is defined as above , ( r °) 3 represents alkyl radicals or alkyl and phenyl radicals and r °° represents an alkoxy , cyano or phenylthio radical , with the cyclohexenone derivative of general formula : ## str11 ## in which r 1 and r 2 are defined as above . the procedure is carried out in the presence of a catalytic amount of an acid chosen from trifluoroacetic acid , acetic acid , methanesulphonic acid or the acids given in the references mentioned below , in an organic solvent such as a chlorine - containing solvent ( for example dichloromethane , dichloroethane ), in an aromatic hydrocarbon , in a nitrile ( acetonitrile ) or in an ether , at a temperature of between 0 ° c . and the reflux temperature of the reaction mixture . the silylated derivative of general formula ( viii ) may be obtained according to the methods described by : it is understood that the perhydroisoindole derivatives of general formula ( i ), ( ii ), ( iii ), ( iv ), ( v ), ( vi ) and ( vii ) have several stereoisomeric forms . when it is desired to obtain a product of general formula ( i ) of the ( 3ar , 7ar ) form , the separation of the isomeric forms may be carried out with respect to the derivative of general formula ( v ) for which r &# 39 ; 3 and r &# 39 ; 4 together form an oxo radical . it may also be carried out with respect to the derivative of general formula ( i ). the separation is carried out according to any known method which is compatible with the molecule . by way of example , the separation may be carried out by the preparation of an optically active salt , by reaction of l (+) or d (-)- mandelic acid , or of dibenzoyltartaric acid , followed by separation of the isomers by crystallization . the desired isomer is released from its salt in a basic medium . the separation of the axial and equatorial isomers of the hydroxylated derivatives or of the halogenated derivatives is advantageously carried out with respect to the products of general formula ( ii ) or ( v ), the procedure being carried out using crystallization and / or chromatography . it is also possible to carry out the procedure with respect to the products of general formula ( i ). according to the invention , the isoindole derivatives of general formula ( i ) may be used for the preparation of derivatives of general formula : ## str12 ## in which the symbol x represents an oxygen atom or an nh radical , the symbol r represents a phenyl radical which is optionally substituted by one or more halogen atoms or hydroxyl or alkyl radicals which may be optionally substituted ( by halogen atoms or amino , alkylamino or dialkylamino radicals ) alkoxy or alkylthio radicals which may be optionally substituted [ by hydroxyl , amino , alkylamino or dialkylamino radicals optionally substituted ( by phenyl , hydroxyl or amino radicals ) or by dialkylamino radicals whose alkyl parts form with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached , a heterocycle with 5 to 6 members which may contain another heteroatom chosen from oxygen , sulphur or nitrogen , optionally substituted by an alkyl , hydroxyl or hydroxyalkyl radical )], or which is substituted by amino , alkylamino or dialkylamino radicals whose alkyl parts may form with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached , a heterocycle as defined above , or represents a cyclohexadienyl , naphthyl or a saturated or unsaturated , mono - or polycyclic heterocyclic radical containing 5 to 9 carbon atoms and one or more heteroatoms chosen from oxygen , nitrogen or sulphur , the symbol r &# 39 ; represents a hydrogen or halogen atom or a hydroxyl , alkyl , aminoalkyl , alkylaminoalkyl , dialkylaminoalkyl , alkoxy , alkylthio , acyloxy , carboxyl , alkoxycarbonyl , dialkylaminoalkoxycarbonyl , benzyloxycarbonyl , amino , acylamino or alkoxycarbonylamino radical , and the symbols r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 are defined as for the general formula ( i ); the abovementioned alkyl or acyl radicals containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms in a linear or branched chain ; when r contains a halogen atom , the latter being chosen from chlorine , bromine , fluorine or iodine ; when r represents a saturated or unsaturated , mono - or polycyclic heterocyclic radical , it being possible for the latter to be chosen from thienyl , furyl , pyridyl , dithiinyl , indolyl , isoindolyl , thiazolyl , isothiazolyl , oxazolyl , imidazolyl , pyrrolyl , triazolyl , thiadiazolyl , quinolyl , isoquinolyl , naphthyridinyl ; when r represents a phenyl which is substituted by a chain carrying a heterocycle , it being possible for the latter to be chosen from pyrrolidinyl , morpholino , piperidinyl , tetrahydropyridinyl , piperazinyl or thiomorpholino . furthermore , when the symbol r &# 39 ; is other than a hydrogen atom , the substituted chain on the isoindole has a chiral center , it is understood that the stereoisomeric forms and mixtures thereof are also included in the general formula ( x ). according to the invention , the perhydroisoindole derivatives of general formula ( i ) may be obtained by reaction of the acid of general formula : ## str13 ## or of a reactive derivative of this acid , in which r and r &# 39 ; are defined as above , with an isoindole derivative of general formula ( i ) in which the symbols r 1 , r 2 , r 5 and r 4 are defined as above , followed , where appropriate , by conversion of the amide obtained to an amidine . it is understood that the amino , alkylamino or carboxyl radicals contained in r and / or r &# 39 ; are preferably protected beforehand . the protection is carried out using any compatible group whose introduction and removal do not affect the rest of the molecule . in particular , the protection is carried out according to the methods described by t . w . greene , by a . wiley or by mc omie in the references mentioned above . the amino or alkylamino groups may be protected with the following radicals : methoxycarbonyl , ethoxycarbonyl , t - butoxycarbonyl , allyloxycarbonyl , vinyloxycarbonyl , trichloroethoxycarbonyl , trichloroacetyl , trifluoroacetyl , chloroacetyl , trityl , benzhydryl , benzyl , allyl , formyl , acetyl , benzyloxycarbonyl or its substituted derivatives ; the acidic groups may be protected with the following radicals : methyl , ethyl , t - butyl , benzyl , substituted benzyl or benzhydryl . furthermore , when r &# 39 ; represents a hydroxyl radical , it is preferable to protect this radical beforehand . the protection is carried out for example using an acetoxy , trialkylsilyl or benzyl radical or in the form of a carbonate using a -- coora radical in which ra is an alkyl or benzyl radical . when the condensation of a reactive derivative of the acid of general formula ( xi ) is carried out , the procedure is advantageously carried out using the acid chloride , the anhydride , a mixed anhydride or a reactive ester in which the ester residue is a succinimido radical , an optionally substituted 1 - benzotriazolyl radical , a 4 - nitrophenyl , 2 , 4 - dinitrophenyl , pentachlorophenyl or phthalimido radical . the reaction is generally carried out at a temperature of between - 40 ° and + 40 ° c . in an organic solvent such as a chlorine - containing solvent ( for example dichloromethane , dichloroethane , chloroform ), an ether ( for example tetrahydrofuran , dioxane ), an ester ( for example ethyl acetate ), an amide ( for example dimethylacetamide , dimethylformamide ), or a ketone ( for example acetone ) or in a mixture of these solvents , in the presence of an acid acceptor such as a nitrogen - containing organic base such as for example pyridine , dimethylaminopyridine , n - methylmorpholine or a trialkylamine ( in particular triethylamine ) or such as an epoxide ( for example propylene oxide ). it is also possible to carry out the procedure in the presence of a condensation agent such as a carbodiimide , [ for example dicyclohexylcarbodiimide or 1 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl )- 3 - ethylcarbodiimide ], n , n &# 39 ;- carbonyldiimidazole or 2 - ethoxy - l - ethoxycarbonyl - 1 , 2 - dihydroquinoline or alternatively in a dilute organic medium in the presence of an alkaline condensation agent such as sodium bicarbonate , and where appropriate the amide obtained is then converted to an amidine as defined above . the conversion of the amide of general formula ( x ) to an amidine for which x is an nh radical is carried out by preparing the isoindolium derivative of general formula : ## str14 ## in which r , r &# 39 ;, r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 are defined as above , y represents a chlorine atom , a methoxy or ethoxy radical and z - represents a chloride , tetrafluoroborate , fluorosulphonate , trifluoromethylsulphonate , methyl sulphate or ethyl sulphate ion , followed by reaction of ammonia with the isoindolium derivative . it is understood that when r 3 is a hydroxyl , y is other than a chlorine atom . the preparation of the isoindolium derivative of general formula ( xii ) in which y is a chlorine atom or a methoxy or ethoxy radical , is carried out by reaction of a reagent such as phosgene , phosphorus oxychloride , phosphorus pentachloride , thionyl chloride , oxalyl chloride , trichloromethyl chloroformate , triethyl - or trimethyloxonium tetrafluoroborate , methyl or ethyl triflate , methyl or ethyl fluorosulphonate or methyl or ethyl sulphate . the reaction is carried out in a chlorine - containing solvent ( for example dichloromethane , dichloroethane ) or in an aromatic hydrocarbon ( for example toluene ) at a temperature between 0 ° c . and the reflux temperature of the reaction mixture . the reaction of ammonia with the derivative of general formula ( xii ) is carried out in an anhydrous organic solvent such as a chlorine - containing solvent ( for example dichloromethane , dichloroethane ) in an alcohol - chlorine - containing solvent mixture , in an ether ( for example tetrahydrofuran ), in an ester ( for example ethyl acetate ), in an aromatic solvent ( for example toluene ) or in a mixture of these solvents , at a temperature between - 20 ° c . and the reflux temperature of the reaction mixture . it is not essential to isolate the isoindolium derivative of general formula ( xii ) in order to use it in this reaction . the isoindole derivatives of general formula ( x ) for which x is an imino radical , may also be obtained from the isoindole derivative according to the invention , by reaction of a product of general formula : ## str15 ## optionally in the form of a salt , in which r and r &# 39 ; are defined as above and r 6 represents an alkoxy radical containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms in a linear or branched chain or a methylthio , ethylthio , benzylthio or alkoxycarbonylmethylthio radical . the reaction is carried out using the derivative of general formula ( xiii ), which is optionally prepared in situ , in an organic solvent such as a chlorine - containing solvent ( for example dichloromethane , dichloroethane ), an ether ( for example tetrahydrofuran ), an aromatic hydrocarbon ( for example toluene ) or a nitrile for example acetonitrile , at a temperature between 0 ° c . and the reflux temperature of the reaction mixture . it is understood that should the radicals r and / or r &# 39 ; of the product of general formula ( xiii ) carry substituents which may interfere with the reaction , these substituents should be protected beforehand . the acids of general formula ( xi ) are prepared according to known methods or according to the methods described in the examples below , or by analogy with these methods . the new isoindole derivatives of general formula ( i ) and the products of general formula ( x ) to which they lead may be purified , where appropriate , by physical methods such as crystallization or chromatography . where appropriate , the new derivatives of general formula ( i ), as well as the products of general formula ( x ) to which they lead and for which the symbols r and / or r &# 39 ; contain amino or alkylamino substituents and / or x represents an nh radical , may be converted to the addition salts with acids . as examples of addition salts with pharmaceutically acceptable acids , there may be mentioned the salts formed with inorganic acids ( hydrochlorides , hydrobromides , sulphates , nitrates , phosphates ) or with organic acids ( succinates , fumarates , tartrates , acetates , propionates , maleates , citrates , methanesulphonates , p - toluenesulphonates , isothionates , or with substituted derivatives of these compounds ). the new isoindole derivatives of general formula ( x ) antagonize the effects of substance p and thus may find an application in the fields of analgesia , inflammation , asthma , allergies , on the central nervous system , on the cardiovascular system , as antispasmodic , or on the immune system , as well as in the domain of the stimulation of lachrymal secretions . indeed , the products according to the invention exhibit an affinity for substance p receptors at doses of between 5 and 2000 nm according to the technique described by c . m . lee et al ., mol . pharmacol ., 23 , 563 - 69 ( 1983 ). furthermore , it has been demonstrated , using various products , that it is a substance p - antagonizing effect . in the technique described by s . rosell et al ., substance p , ed . by us von euler and b . pernow , raven press , new york ( 1977 ), pages 83 to 88 , the products studied proved to be active at doses of between 20 and 1000 nm . substance p is known to be involved in a certain number of pathological domains : agonists and antagonists of substance p , a . s . dutta drugs of the futur , 12 ( 8 ), 782 ( 1987 ); substance p and pain : an updating , j . l . henry , tins , 3 ( 4 ), 97 ( 1980 ); substance p in inflammatory reactions and pain , s . rosell , actual . chim . ther ., 12th series , 249 ( 1985 ); effects of neuropeptides on production of inflammatory cytokines by human monocytes , m . lotz et al ., science , 241 , 1218 ( 1988 ); neuropeptides and the pathogenesis of allergy , allergy , 42 , 1 to 11 ( 1987 ); substance p in human essential hypertension , j . cardiovascular pharmacology , 10 ( suppl . 12 ), 5172 ( 1987 ). moreover , the isoindole derivatives of general formula ( x ) are not toxic , they proved to be nontoxic in mice by the subcutaneous route at a dose of of 40 mg / kg or by the oral route at a dose of 100 mg / kg . the symbols r 2 are identical and represent phenyl radicals , the symbol r 3 represents a fluorine or chlorine atom or a hydroxyl radical , and the symbol r 4 represents a hydrogen atom or , together with r 3 , represents a fluorine atom , and among these products , the following products are more particularly advantageous : the following examples , which are given with no limitation being implied , illustrate the present invention . in the examples below , it is understood , unless specifically stated , that the proton nmr spectra were established at 250 mhz in dimethyl sulphoxide ; the chemical shifts are expressed in ppm . a solution of 7 . 18 g of sodium borohydride in 500 cm 3 of methanol supplemented with 20 drops of a concentrated solution of sodium hydroxide is added over 90 minutes to a solution , cooled to 5 ° c ., of 100 g of ( 3ar , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone in 1000 cm 3 of absolute methanol . after stirring for 2 . 5 hours between 5 and 10 ° c ., the crystals formed are drained and taken up in 900 cm 3 of water and 1000 cm 3 of ethyl ether . the solution is filtered and alkalized with 15 cm 3 of a 4n solution of sodium hydroxide and then stirred for 2 hours at 5 ° c . the crystals formed are drained , washed with ethyl ether and dried to give 28 . 8 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol in the form of white crystals ; melting point 205 ° c ., [ α ] d 20 =- 230 ° ( c = 1 , chcl 3 ). 500 cm 3 of 4n aqueous sodium hydroxide are slowly added with stirring to a suspension of 200 g of ( 3ars , 7ars )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone hydrochloride in 2000 cm 3 of ethyl acetate ; the stirring is continued until dissolution of the starting product . the organic solution is washed with 250 cm 3 of distilled water , with 250 cm 3 of a saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride , dried over magnesium sulphate and filtered . a solution of 92 . 8 g of l (+)- mandelic acid in 1000 cm 3 of ethyl acetate is added with stirring to the solution thus obtained ; after stirring for 4 hours , the crystals obtained are drained , washed with 250 cm 3 of ethyl acetate ( twice ) and dried . the crystals are taken up in 2000 cm 3 of distilled water ; the mixture is refluxed with stirring for 15 minutes ; the insoluble crystals are drained , washed with 100 cm 3 of distilled water ( twice ) and dried . they are recrystallized from a mixture of 1100 cm 3 of acetonitrile and 500 cm 3 of distilled water ; the crystals obtained are drained , washed with 40 cm 3 of acetonitrile ( 3 times ) and dried . 80 g of ( 3ar , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone ( l )- mandelate are obtained ; [ α ] d 20 =- 164 ° ( c = 1 , methanol ). 400 cm 3 of 1n aqueous sodium hydroxide and 600 cm 3 of ethyl acetate are added to 80 g of ( 3ar , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone ( l )- mandelate ; the mixture is stirred at room temperature until dissolution of the starting product ; the organic solution is washed with 250 cm 3 of distilled water , with 250 cm 3 of a saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride , dried over magnesium sulphate and filtered ; it is acidified , with stirring , by the addition of 30 cm 3 of 9n hydrochloric acid ; the crystals obtained are drained , washed with 50 cm 3 of ethyl acetate ( twice ), with 50 cm 3 of isopropyl oxide and dried . 52 . 3 g of ( 3ar , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone hydrochloride is obtained ; melting point 270 ° c ., with decomposition ; [ α ] d 20 =- 282 ° ( c = 0 . 5 , methanol ). 150 g of ( 3ars , 7ars )- 2 - benzyl - 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone , 1500 cm 3 of methanol and 450 cm 3 of 1n hydrochloric acid are added to 15 g of 10 % palladium on carbon ; the reaction mixture is hydrogenated , with stirring , at room temperature and under atmospheric pressure . the theoretical volume of hydrogen is absorbed after reacting for 5 hours ; the reaction mixture is filtered and then concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ); the residue is crystallized from 200 cm 3 of ethanol ; the crystals obtained are drained , washed with 50 cm 3 of ethanol and dried . 110 g of ( 3ars , 7ars )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone hydrochloride are obtained ; melting point 270 ° c ., with decomposition . proton nmr spectrum : 2 . 03 ( mt , 1h , 1h of h in 5 or 6 ); 2 . 3 ( mt , 1h , 1h of -- h in 5 or 6 ); 2 . 48 ( dd , partially masked , 1h of -- ch 2 in 1 ); 2 . 69 ( dd , 1h , 1h of -- ch 2 -- in 1 ); 2 . 8 ( mt , 2h , -- ch 2 -- in 6 or 5 ); 3 . 34 ( dd , partially masked , 1h of -- ch 2 -- in 3 ); 3 . 5 ( mt , 1h , -- ch -- in 3a ); 3 . 82 ( dd , 1h , 1h of -- ch 2 -- in 3 ); 3 . 95 ( mt , 1h , -- ch -- in 7a ); 7 . 15 to 7 . 65 ( mt , 10h , aromatics ); 9 . 43 ( mf , 2h , -- nh 2 + ). infrared spectrum ( kbr ) characteristic bands in cm - 1 : 3600 - 3300 , 3100 - 3000 , 3000 - 2850 , 3100 - 2400 , 1715 , 1595 , 1580 , 1495 , 1470 , 1445 , 775 , 750 , 705 . 5 drops of trifluoroacetic acid are added to a solution of 155 g of 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 2 - cyclohexen - 1 - one and 202 cm 3 of n - butoxymethyl - n - trimethylsilylmethylbenzylamine in 1000 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane and the reaction mixture is refluxed for 45 minutes . 50 cm 3 of n - butoxymethyl - n - trimethylsilylmethylbenzylamine and 3 drops of trifluoroacetic acid are added and the mixture is further stirred for 45 minutes under reflux before again adding 25 cm 3 of n - butoxymethyl - n - trimethylsilylmethylbenzylamine and 3 drops of trifluoroacetic acid . the reaction mixture is stirred under reflux for 45 minutes and then treated with 50 g of potassium carbonate , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is dissolved in 200 cm 3 of isopropyl oxide and the solution is cooled to 0 ° c . for 1 hour . the crystals are drained , washed twice with 15 cm 3 of isopropyl oxide and dried to give 193 g of ( 3ars , 7ars )- 2 - benzyl - 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone in the form of white crystals ; melting point 132 ° c . n - butoxymethyl - n - trimethylsilylmethylbenzylamine may be prepared according to the method of y . terao et al ., chem . pharm . bull ., 33 , 2762 ( 1985 ). a solution of 1 g of sodium borohydride in 200 cm 3 of methanol is added dropwise over 40 minutes to a solution , cooled to + 4 ° c ., of 17 . 8 g of ( 3ar , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone in one litre of methanol , followed by 10 drops of lye . the reaction mixture is stirred for 3 hours at + 4 ° c . and then 2 cm 3 of a 0 . 1n aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid are added and the mixture is concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is dissolved in 350 cm 3 of dichloromethane , washed with 100 cm 3 of water and then with 50 cm 3 of a saturated solution of sodium chloride , dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is crystallized from 40 cm 3 of ethyl ether . the crystals obtained are drained and dried . 8 . 4 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol are obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 190 ° c . the crystallization mother liquors are concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 4 cm , height 33 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 4 bar with a dichloromethane and methanol mixture ( 96 / 4 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 20 cm 3 . fractions 18 to 21 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). 1 . 88 g of ( 3ar , 4r , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol are obtained in the form of a white meringue . fractions 26 to 31 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is crystallized from 5 cm 3 of ethyl ether . 2 . 88 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol are additionally obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 190 ° c . 0 . 74 g of 4 - dimethylaminopyridine and 14 . 7 g of di - tert - butyl dicarbonate are successively added to a solution of 20 g of ( 3ar , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone hydrochloride in 100 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane and 6 . 17 cm 3 of triethylamine . the reaction mixture is stirred for 24 hours at room temperature and then washed with an aqueous solution of citric acid and then with an aqueous solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate , dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is crystallized from 90 cm 3 of ethyl ether . the crystals are drained , washed with 10 cm 3 of ethyl ether and then dried . 14 . 1 g of ( 3ar , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone are obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 119 ° c . 40 cm 3 of a 6 . 3 n solution of hydrochloric dioxane are added to a solution of 2 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar ) 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol in 20 cm 3 of dioxane and the mixture is stirred at room temperature for 5 hours . the reaction mixture is concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ), triturated in acetonitrile , filtered and dried . 1 . 57 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol hydrochloride are obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 266 ° c . ( 3ar , 4r , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol hydrochloride may be prepared by hydrogenation of a suspension of 0 . 70 g of ( 3ar , 4r , 7ar )- 2 - benzyl - 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol in 30 cm 3 of methanol and 2 . 0 cm 3 of 1n hydrochloric acid at atmospheric pressure for 20 hours at 20 ° c . in the presence of 0 . 12 g of 20 % palladium hydroxide on carbon black . the reaction mixture is filtered , concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ), and the oil obtained is concreted with ethyl ether . the suspension is filtered , the solid drained and dried under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). 0 . 52 g of ( 3ar , 4r , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol hydrochloride is obtained in the form of a white solid ; melting point 220 ° c . ( with decomposition ). infrared spectrum ( characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3400 , 3090 , 3050 , 3025 , 3000 - 2800 , 1600 , 1580 , 1495 , 1465 , 985 , 750 , 700 . proton nmr spectrum ( dmso - d 6 , main signals ): 1 . 06 ( broad t , j = 14 , 1h , h in 5 ); 1 . 66 ( broad d , j = 14 , 1h , h in 5 ); 2 . 17 ( broad d , j = 14 , 1h , ch 2 in 6 ); 3 . 8 ( broad s , 1h , h in 4 ); 5 . 3 ( mf , 1h , oh ); 7 . 05 to 7 . 45 ( mt , 10h , aromatics ); 8 . 4 and 9 . 43 ( mf , 2h , nh 2 + ). 4 . 0 cm 3 of a 1m solution of lithium tri - sec - butyl borohydride in tetrahydrofuran is added over 5 minutes to a solution , cooled to 0 ° c ., of 1 . 3 g of ( 3ar , 7ar )- 2 - benzyl - 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone in 6 . 0 cm 3 of tetrahydrofuran . after stirring for 3 hours at 0 ° c ., the reaction mixture is again supplemented with 0 . 5 cm 3 of the 1m solution of borohydride . after 1 hour at 0 ° c . and the addition of 50 cm 3 of water and 50 cm 3 of ethyl acetate , the organic phase is decanted , washed with 20 cm 3 of water , dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the oil obtained is crystallized from 30 cm 3 of diisopropyl oxide , the crystals are drained and dried under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). 0 . 70 g of ( 3ar , 4r , 7ar )- 2 - benzyl - 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol is obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 154 ° c . 7 . 9 cm 3 of benzyl bromide are added to a solution , cooled to 0 ° c ., of 21 . 7 g of ( 3ar , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone hydrochloride in 300 cm 3 of dichloromethane and 18 . 5 cm 3 of triethylamine . after stirring for 1 hour at 0 ° c . and 2 hours at 20 ° c ., the reaction mixture is washed with 50 cm 3 of water , dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 5 cm , height 40 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 6 bar with an ethyl acetate and cyclohexane mixture ( 75 / 25 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 250 cm 3 . fractions 3 to 6 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). 22 . 1 g of ( 3ar , 7ar )- 2 - benzyl - 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone are obtained in the form of a white solid ; melting point 124 ° c . [ α ] 20 =- 279 ° c . a solution of 0 . 37 cm 3 of 4 - trifluorothiomorpholine in 10 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane is added to a solution , cooled to + 5 ° c . of 1 . 0 g of ( 3ar , 4r , 7ar )- 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol in 20 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . after stirring for 2 hours at + 5 ° c ., the reaction mixture is washed with 20 cm 3 of a 5 % aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate and then dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 mm - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 2 . 4 cm , height 35 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure at 0 . 8 bar with a cyclohexane and ethyl acetate mixture ( 90 / 10 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 25 cm 3 . fractions 25 to 34 are pooled and concentrated to dryness . 0 . 27 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoro - 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonylperhydroisoindole is obtained in the form of a white meringue . infrared spectrum ( kbr , characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3090 , 3060 , 3030 , 2975 , 2930 , 2875 , 1695 , 1595 , 1580 , 1495 , 1450 , 1405 , 1365 , 1175 , 755 , 730 , 700 . by carrying out the procedure as in example 8 below , using 0 . 5 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoro - 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonylperhydroisoindole , 0 . 35 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole hydrochloride is obtained in the form of a grey solid . infrared spectrum ( kbr , characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3420 , 3090 , 3050 , 3025 , 2970 , 2800 - 2250 , 1590 , 1580 , 1495 , 1460 , 1445 , 1060 , 750 , 730 , 700 . a solution of 3 . 5 cm 3 of morpholinosulphur trifluoride in 50 cm 3 of dichloromethane is added to a solution , cooled to + 5 ° c ., of 9 . 4 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol in 250 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . the reaction mixture is stirred for 4 hours at + 5 ° c . and then diluted with 300 cm 3 of dichloromethane , washed with 250 cm 3 of an aqueous solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate , dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 3 . 5 cm , height 42 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 5 bar with a cyclohexane and ethyl acetate mixture ( 90 / 10 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 120 cm 3 . fractions 13 to 17 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is crystallized from cyclohexane . 2 . 55 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoro - 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonylperhydroisoindole are obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 202 ° c . 40 cm 3 of a 6 . 3n solution of hydrochloric dioxane are added to a solution of 3 . 7 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoro - 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonylperhydroisoindole in 40 cm 3 of dioxane and the mixture is stirred at room temperature for 2 hours . the reaction mixture is concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ), triturated in diisopropyl oxide , filtered and dried . 3 . 1 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole hydrochloride are obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 200 ° c . with decomposition . 1 . 3 g of calcium carbonate and then 2 g of phosphorus pentachloride are successively added to a solution , cooled to + 4 ° c ., of 1 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol in 60 cm 3 of chloroform , and the mixture is stirred at room temperature for 20 hours . the reaction mixture is then filtered , diluted with 80 cm 3 of chloroform , washed twice with 80 cm 3 of water , dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 2 . 5 cm , height 34 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 4 bar with a cyclohexane and ethyl acetate mixture ( 30 / 70 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 20 cm 3 . fractions 7 to 10 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). 0 . 44 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 7 - chloro - 2 - chlorocarbonyl - 4 , 4 - diphenylperhydroisoindole is obtained in the form of a white solid . infrared spectrum ( ccl 4 solution , characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3090 , 3065 , 3035 , 2930 , 2855 , 1745 , 1600 , 1585 , 1495 , 1450 , 700 . a solution of 0 . 4 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 7 - chloro - 2 - chlorocarbonyl - 4 , 4 - diphenylperhydroisoindole in 6 cm 3 of a 1n aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid and 14 cm 3 of tetrahydrofuran is heated with stirring at 80 ° c . for 9 hours . the reaction mixture is concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). 0 . 35 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 7 - chloro - 4 , 4 - diphenylperhydroisoindole hydrochloride is obtained in the form of a white solid . infrared spectrum ( kbr , characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3055 , 3025 , 3000 , 2250 , 1600 , 1495 , 1580 , 1460 , 1445 , 1435 , 760 , 750 , 735 , 700 . a solution of 1 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol in 10 cm 3 of thionyl chloride is stirred for 3 hours at 80 ° c . the reaction mixture is then concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). 1 . 03 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 7 - chloro - 4 , 4 - diphenylperhydroisoindole are obtained in the form of a solid which is used in the crude state in the following test . 10 cm 3 of a 6 . 3n solution of hydrochloric acid in dioxane are added to a solution of 1 . 03 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 7 - chloro - 4 , 4 - diphenylperhydroisoindole in 5 cm 3 of dioxane . the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 2 hours and then concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). 0 . 84 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 7 - chloro - 4 , 4 - diphenylperhydroisoindole hydrochloride is obtained in the form of a solid which is used in the crude state in the following test . a solution of 5 . 0 g of ( 3ars , 7ars )- 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolone in 30 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane is added to a solution of 3 . 4 cm 3 of diethylaminosulphur trifluoride in 20 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . after stirring for 5 hours under reflux and for 20 hours at 20 ° c . the reaction mixture is washed with 50 cm 3 of a saturated aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate and with 50 cm 3 of water and then dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness . the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 2 . 8 cm , height 35 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 8 bar with a cyclohexane and ethyl acetate mixture ( 95 / 5 followed by 90 / 10 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 25 cm 3 . fractions 24 to 52 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is crystallized in ethyl acetate and diisopropyl oxide , the crystals are drained and dried . 1 . 80 g of ( 3ars , 7ars )- 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 , 7 - difluoroperhydroisoindole are obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 162 ° c . 20 cm 3 of dioxane and 20 cm 3 of 6 . 3n hydrochloric acid are added to 1 . 8 g of ( 3ars , 7ars )- 2 - tert - butyloxycarbonyl - 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 , 7difluoroperhydroisoindole . after stirring for 20 hours at room temperature , the white suspension obtained is concentrated to dryness at 40 ° c . under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is washed with diisopropyl oxide , the solid obtained is drained and then dried . 1 . 51 g of ( 3ars , 7ars )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 , 7 - difluoroperhydroisoindole hydrochloride are obtained in the form of a white solid . infrared spectrum ( kbr , characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3090 , 3050 , 3025 , 2965 , 2935 , 2900 , 2800 - 2250 , 1595 , 1580 , 1495 , 1465 , 1445 , 760 , 730 , 700 . proton nmr spectrum ( dmso - d 6 + cf 3 cood ): 1 . 2 - 1 . 55 and 2 . 12 ( 2 mt , 2 × 1h , ch 2 in 6 ); 3 - 3 . 3 ( mt , 1h , h in 7a ); 3 . 58 ( mt , 2h , ch 2 in 1 ); 3 . 76 ( mt , 1h , h in 3a ); 7 . 1 at 7 . 5 ( mt , 10h , aromatics ). a solution of 4 . 87 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 2 - t - butoxycarbonyl - 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7trifluoromethylsulphonyloxyperhydroisoindole in 150 cm 3 of dry difluoromethane is treated with 22 . 6 cm 3 of a 1m solution of tetrabutylammonium fluoride in tetrahydrofuran and then stirred for 17 hours at 20 ° c and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 2 - 0 . 063 mm , diameter 4 . 5 cm , height 35 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 4 bar with a cyclohexane and ethyl acetate mixture ( 75 / 25 ) and collecting fractions of 20 cm 3 . fractions 28 to 38 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ) to give 1 . 44 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 2 - t - butoxycarbonyl - 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole in the form of white crystals ; melting point 200 ° c ., [ α ] d 20 =- 225 ° c . ( c = 1 , chcl 3 ). a solution of 2 . 25 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 2 - t - butoxycarbonyl - 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole in 25 cm 3 of dioxane is treated with a 5 . 8n solution of hydrochloric acid in dioxane and stirred for 2 hours at 20 ° c . and then concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is concreted by adding 100 cm 3 of isopropyl oxide , the solid is filtered and dried to give 1 . 8 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole hydrochloride in the form of a cream - colored powder . proton nmr spectrum ( dmso - d 6 ): 1 . 0 - 1 . 35 ( mt , 1h of ch 2 in 6 ); 4 . 9 ( broad d , j = 50 , 1h , chf ); 7 . 1 to 7 . 5 ( mt , 14h , aromatics ); 9 . 05 and 9 . 9 ( 2 mf , 2 × 1h , nh 2 + ). 1 . 5 cm 3 of pyridine are added to a solution , cooled to - 30 ° c ., of 6 . 7 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 2 - t - butoxycarbonyl - 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol in 100 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane , followed over 10 minutes by a solution of 3 . 2 g of trifluoromethanesulphonic anhydride in 25 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . the reaction mixture is stirred for 2 hours at - 30 ° c . and then diluted with 250 cm 3 of water and 100 cm 3 of dichloromethane . the organic phase is washed with 200 cm 3 of a saturated solution of sodium bicarbonate and with 200 cm 3 of a saturated solution of sodium chloride and then dried and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ) to give 8 . 6 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 2 - t - butoxycarbonyl - 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - trifluoromethylsulphonyloxyperhydroisoindole in the form of a yellow meringue which is used as it is in subsequent stages of the synthesis . 10 . 55 g of di - tert - butyl dicarbonate are added to a solution of 13 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol and 0 . 5 g of 4 - dimethylaminopyridine in 450 cm 3 of dichloromethane . after stirring for 2 hours at 25 ° c ., the reaction mixture is concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ) and the residue is crystallized in 50 cm 3 of ethyl ether . 9 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 2 - t - butoxycarbonyl - 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol are obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 190 ° c . the products according to the invention may be used for the preparation of the isoindole derivatives of general formula ( x ) as in the examples of use below . a solution of 0 . 5 g of 1 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl )- 3 - ethylcarbodiimide in 50 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane is added over 10 minutes to a solution , cooled to + 4 ° c ., of 0 . 72 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole hydrochloride , 0 . 5 g of 2 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropoxy ) phenylacetic acid , 0 . 03 g of 1 - hydroxybenzotriazole in 75 cm 3 of dichloromethane , followed by 0 . 37 cm 3 of diisopropylethylamine . the reaction mixture is stirred for 3 hours at 0 ° c . and then washed twice with 50 cm 3 of water and twice with 50 cm 3 of a saturated solution of sodium chloride . the organic phase is dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is taken up in 21 cm 3 of 0 . 1n hydrochloric acid , 50 cm 3 of diethyl ether and 30 cm 3 of water . the aqueous phase is separated and freeze - dried to give 0 . 85 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 2 -([ 2 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropoxy ) phenyl ] acetyl )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole hydrochloride in the form of a white freeze - dried product . infrared spectrum ( kbr , characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3060 , 3030 , 2960 , 2890 , 2800 , 2200 , 1635 , 1605 , 1495 , 1460 , 1445 , 1250 , 755 , 705 . proton nmr spectrum ( dmso - d 6 ) ( at room temperature , a mixture of the two rotamers is observed ): 0 . 95 - 1 . 35 and 1 . 8 - 2 . 1 ( 2mt , 2 × 1h , ch 2 in 6 ): 2 . 6 - 2 . 8 ( mt , 6h , n ( ch 3 ) 2 ); 3 . 9 and 4 . 05 ( 2mt , 2 × 1h , och 2 ); 4 . 8 and 4 . 85 ( broad 2d ; j = 50 , 1h , chf ); 6 . 8 to 7 . 5 ( mt , 14h , aromatics ). 0 . 04 g of hydroxybenzotriazole hydrate is added to a solution , cooled to + 5 ° c ., of 1 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole hydrochloride and 0 . 924 g of 2 -{[ 3 -( 1 - pyrrolidinyl )- 2 - propoxy ] phenyl } acetic acid in 40 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane , followed by 0 . 79 g of 1 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl )- 3 - ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride and 0 . 51 cm 3 of diisopropylethylamine . after stirring for 2 . 5 hours at + 5 ° c . and for 20 hours at 20 ° c ., the reaction mixture is washed twice with 50 cm 3 of water , dried over magnesium sulphate and then concentrated to dryness at 40 ° c . under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 2 . 4 cm , height 31 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 5 bar with an ethyl acetate , acetic acid and water mixture ( 60 / 10 / 10 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 25 cm 3 . fractions 11 to 31 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is taken up in 20 cm 3 of dichloromethane , the solution is washed with 20 cm 3 of a 1n aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide and then dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness . this wash with a basic solution is repeated again . 0 . 68 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 2 -{{[ 3 -( 1 - pyrrolidinyl )- 2 - propoxy ] phenyl } acetyl }- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole is obtained in the form of a white solid . infrared spectrum ( kbr , characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3085 , 3055 , 3035 , 2950 , 2875 , 2785 , 1640 , 1600 , 1495 , 1455 , 1440 , 1245 , 750 , 700 . proton nmr spectrum ( dmso - d 6 + cf 3 cood ): 1 . 1 - 1 . 45 ( mt , 1h , 1h in 6 ); 1 . 9 ( mt , 4h , 2ch 2 in 3 and 4 of pyrrolidino ); 2 . 27 ( mt , 1h , 1h in 5 ); 3 . 77 ( d , j = 10 , 1h , h in 1 ); 4 . 03 ( mt , 2h , och 2 ); 4 . 78 ( broad d , j = 50 , 1h , chf ); 7 . 1 to 7 . 5 ( mt , 14h , aromatics ). by carrying out the procedure as in example 9 below , using 0 . 16 g of 2 - dimethylaminophenylacetic acid and 0 . 30 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole hydrochloride , 0 . 11 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 2 -[( 2 - dimethylaminophenyl ) acetyl ] 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole is obtained in the form of a white meringue . infrared spectrum ( kbr , characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3090 , 3060 , 3030 , 2940 , 2875 , 2825 , 2770 , 1645 , 1595 , 1580 , 1495 , 1450 , 1420 , 755 , 730 , 700 . proton nmr spectrum ( at room temperature , a mixture of two rotamers is observed ): 2 . 35 and 2 . 58 ( 2s , 6h , n ( ch 3 ) 2 ), 4 . 2 - 4 . 6 ( mt , 1h , chf ), 6 . 9 - 7 . 5 ( mt , 14h , aromatics ). 0 . 28 cm 3 of triethylamine and 0 . 32 g of carbonyldiimidazole are added to a solution , cooled to 4 ° c ., of 0 . 57 g of ( 2 - pyrrolidinophenyl ) acetic acid hydrobromide in 20 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . the mixture is stirred for one hour at + 4 ° c . and then a solution of 0 . 67 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole hydrochloride in 20 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane and 0 . 28 cm 3 of triethylamine is added . the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 24 hours and then diluted with 100 cm 3 of dichloromethane , washed twice with 50 cm 3 of water , dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 3 . 5 cm , height 38 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 5 bar with a cyclohexane and ethyl acetate mixture ( 70 / 30 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 20 cm 3 . fractions 26 to 54 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is crystallized from an acetonitrile and diisopropyl oxide mixture ( 25 / 75 by volume ). 0 . 16 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoro - 2 -[( 2 - pyrrolidinophenyl ) acetyl ] perhydroisoindole is obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 170 ° c . 0 . 17 g of carbonyldiimidazole is added to a solution , cooled to + 4 ° c . of 0 . 19 g of ( 2 - dimethylaminophenyl ) acetic acid in 15 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . the mixture is stirred for one hour at 4 ° c . and then a solution of 0 . 35 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 7 - chloro - 4 , 4 - diphenylperhydroisoindole hydrochloride in 10 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane is added followed by a solution of 0 . 15 cm 3 of triethylamine in 10 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 20 hours and then diluted with 120 cm 3 of dichloromethane , washed with 80 cm 3 of water and then with a saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride , dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 2 cm , height 22 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 4 bar with an ethyl acetate and cyclohexane mixture ( 75 / 25 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 20 cm 3 . fractions 6 to 9 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the product , which is obtained in the form of a base , is converted to the hydrochloride by dissolving in 25 cm 3 of ethyl ether , followed by the addition of 5 cm 3 of a 3 . 2n solution of hydrochloric acid in ethyl ether , washing with ethyl ether and drying . 0 . 14 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 7 - chloro - 2 -[( 2 - dimethylaminophenyl ) acetyl ]- 4 , 4diphenylperhydroisoindole hydrochloride is obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 190 ° c . 0 . 39 g of carbonyldiimidazole is added to a solution , cooled to + 4 ° c ., of 0 . 43 g of ( 2 - dimethylaminophenyl ) acetic acid in 15 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . the mixture is stirred for one hour at + 4 ° c . and then a solution of 0 . 84 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 7 - chloro - 4 , 4 - diphenylperhydroisoindole hydrochloride in 10 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane is added followed by a solution of 0 . 34 cm 3 of triethylamine in 10 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 20 hours , and then diluted with 100 cm 3 of dichloromethane , washed with 50 cm 3 of water and then with a saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride , dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 3 cm , height 23 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 4 bar with an ethyl acetate and cyclohexane mixture ( 25 / 75 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 80 cm 3 . fraction 2 is concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the product which is obtained in the form of a base is converted to the hydrochloride by dissolving in 4 cm 3 of acetonitrile , followed by the addition of 6 cm 3 of a 3 . 2n solution of hydrochloric acid in ethyl ether , washing with isopropyl ether and drying . 0 . 08 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 7 - chloro - 2 -[( 2 - dimethylaminophenyl ) acetyl ]- 4 , 4 - diphenylperhydroisoindole hydrochloride is obtained in the form of a beige solid . infrared spectrum ( kbr , characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3055 , 3025 , 2950 , 1635 , 1490 , 1460 , 1440 , 760 , 750 , 700 . proton nmr spectrum ( dmso - d 6 ) ( at 403 ° k ., a mixture of the two rotamers is observed , dmso - d 6 + cf 3 cood , main signals ): 3 and 3 . 13 ( 2s , 6h , n ( ch 3 ) 2 ); 4 . 54 and 4 . 63 ( 2 mt , 1h , chcl ); 7 to 7 . 8 ( mt , 14h , aromatics ). 0 . 32 g of carbonyldiimidazole is added to a solution , cooled to + 4 ° c ., of 0 . 36 g of ( s )- 2 -( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) propionic acid in 20 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . the mixture is stirred for one hour at + 4 ° c . and then a solution of 0 . 67 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole hydrochloride in 20 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane and 0 . 28 cm 3 of triethylamine is added . the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 20 hours , diluted with 200 cm 3 of dichloromethane and then washed with 50 cm 3 of water , dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 3 cm , height 20 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 4 bar with an ethyl acetate and cyclohexane mixture ( 60 / 40 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 20 cm 3 . fractions 10 to 15 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is crystallized from 0 . 6 cm 3 of isopropyl oxide . the crystals obtained are drained , washed with isopropyl oxide , and then dried . 0 . 19 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoro - 2 -[ ( s )- 2 -( 2methoxyphenyl ) propionyl ] perhydroisoindole is obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 195 ° c . ( s )- 2 -( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) propionic acid may be prepared by analogy with the methods described by d . a . evans et al ., tetrahedron , 44 , 5525 , ( 1988 ), according to the following procedure : 1 . 52 g of lithium hydroxide are added to a solution , cooled to + 5 ° c ., of 4 . 1 g of ( 4s , 5s )- 4 - methyl - 5 - phenyl - 3 -[( s )- 2 -( 2 - methoxyphenyl )- propionyl ]- 2 - oxazolidinone in 60 cm 3 of tetrahydrofuran and 30 cm 3 of water . the reaction mixture is stirred for 3 hours at this temperature and then , after re - equilibrating to room temperature , ethyl acetate is added , the mixture decanted and the aqueous phase is acidified with a 1n aqueous solution of hydrochloric acid , extracted with ethyl acetate and the organic phase is dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the solid obtained is recrystallized from hexane , drained and dried . 0 . 4 g of ( s )- 2 -( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) propionic acid is obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 102 ° c . [ α ] d 20 =+ 84 . 6 ° ( c = 1 ; chcl 3 ). 19 . 1 g of sodium 1 , 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 , 3 - hexamethyldisilazanate are added to a solution , cooled to - 50 ° c ., of 10 g of ( 4s , 5s )- 4 - methyl - 5 - phenyl - 3 -[( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) acetyl ]- 2 - oxazolidinone in 150 cm 3 of tetrahydrofuran and the mixture is stirred for 45 minutes at this temperature and then 7 . 72 cm 3 of methyl iodide are added . the reaction mixture is then stirred for 15 hours at room temperature and then diluted with ethyl acetate , washed with 50 cm 3 of water and then with 50 cm 3 of a saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride , dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue obtained is crystallized from isopropyl oxide , drained and dried . 4 . 2 g of ( 4s , 5s )- 4 - methyl - 5 - phenyl - 3 -[( s )- 2 -( 2 - methoxyphenyl )- propionyl ]- 2 - oxazolidinone are obtained in the form of a white solid . 9 . 38 g of 2 - methoxyphenylacetic acid are added to a suspension of 1 . 89 g of sodium hydride ( 80 % dispersion in vaseline ) in 200 cm 3 of dry tetrahydrofuran , at room temperature . this suspension is cooled to - 30 ° c . 7 . 77 cm 3 of pivaloyl chloride are added and then a solution , cooled to - 78 ° c ., which is obtained by adding 35 . 27 cm 3 of a 1 . 6m solution of butyllithium in hexane to a solution , cooled to - 78 ° c ., of 10 g of ( 4s , 5s )- 4 - methyl - 5 - phenyl - 2 - oxazolidinone in 200 cm 3 of dry tetrahydrofuran is finally added . the reaction mixture is stirred for 45 minutes at - 30 ° c . and after re - equilibrating to room temperature , 200 cm 3 of a saturated aqueous solution of ammonium chloride are added followed by 500 cm 3 of ethyl acetate ; after decantation , the organic phase is washed twice with 100 cm 3 of water and then twice with 100 cm 3 of a saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride ; dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 4 . 8 cm , height 36 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 6 bar with a cyclohexane and ethyl acetate mixture ( 85 / 15 followed by 80 / 20 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 50 cm 3 . fractions 14 to 31 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). 13 . 6 g of ( 4s , 5s )- 4 - methyl - 5 - phenyl - 3 -( 2 - methoxyphenylacetyl )- 2 - oxazolidinone are obtained in the form of a yellow oil . by carrying out the procedure according to that described in the example of use 9 below , using 0 . 77 g of 2 - dimethylaminophenylacetic acid and 1 . 50 g of ( 3ars , 7ars )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 , 7 - difluoroperhydroisoindole hydrochloride , 1 . 29 g of ( 3ars , 7ars )- 2 -[( 2 - dimethylaminophenyl ) acetyl ]- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 , 7 - difluoroperhydroisoindole are obtained in the form of a white solid ; melting point 189 ° c . 0 . 49 g of n , n &# 39 ;- carbonyldiimidazole is added to a solution of 0 . 52 g of 2 - dimethylaminophenylacetic acid in 20 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . the mixture is stirred for 30 minutes at + 5 ° c . and then a solution of 0 . 93 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol hydrochloride and 0 . 84 cm 3 of triethylamine in 10 cm 3 of dichloromethane is added . the reaction mixture is stirred for 2 hours at + 5 ° c . and then washed with 10 cm 3 of water , dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue obtained is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( 0 . 04 mm - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 2 cm , height 35 cm ), eluting with ethyl acetate and collecting fractions of 30 cm 3 . fractions 8 to 27 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is crystallized from a mixture of 4 cm 3 of acetonitrile and 20 cm 3 of ethyl ether . the crystals are drained and dried under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). 0 . 70 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 2 -[( 2 - dimethylaminophenyl ) acetyl ]- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol is obtained in the form of a white solid ; melting point 160 ° c ., [ α ] 20 d =- 162 ° ( c = 0 . 5 , methanol ). by carrying out the procedure according to that described in the example of use 9 , using 0 . 26 g of 2 - dimethylaminophenylacetic acid and 0 . 50 g of ( 3ar , 4r , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol hydrochloride , 0 . 21 g of ( 3ar , 4r , 7ar )- 2 -[( 2dimethylaminophenyl ) acetyl ]- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol is obtained in the form of a white solid ; melting point 204 ° c ., [ α ] 20 d =- 212 ° ( c = 0 . 5 , methanol ). 0 . 42 cm 3 of triethylamine and 0 . 49 g of carbonyldiimidazole are added to a solution , cooled to + 4 ° c ., of 0 . 86 g of ( 2 - pyrrolidinophenyl ) acetic acid hydrobromide in 20 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . the mixture is stirred for one hour at + 4 ° c . and then a solution of 1 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol hydrochloride and 0 . 42 cm 3 of triethylamine in 10 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane is added . the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 24 hours and then then washed twice with 10 cm 3 of water and then with an aqueous solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate , dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the product , which is obtained in the form of a base , is converted to the hydrochloride by dissolving in a minimum amount of acetone and treating with a solution of hydrochloric acid in ethyl ether and adding ethyl ether . the solid obtained is triturated in ethyl ether and then dried . 0 . 2 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 2 -[( 2 - pyrrolidinophenyl ) acetyl ]- 4 - perhydroisoindolol hydrochloride is obtained in the form of a beige solid . infrared spectrum ( kbr , characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3085 , 3050 , 3025 , 2945 , 2880 , 2750 , 2250 , 1640 , 1600 , 1495 , 1445 , 1060 , 755 , 730 , 700 . proton nmr spectrum ( dmso - d 6 ): 0 . 92 and 1 . 72 ( 2 mt , 2 × 1h , ch 2 -- in 5 ); 2 . 17 ( mt , 4h , 2 ch 2 in 3 and 4 of pyrrolidino ); 7 to 7 . 8 ( mt , 14h , aromatics ). by carrying out the procedure as described in example 9 above , using 1 . 82 g of ( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) acetic acid and 3 . 29 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol hydrochloride , 3 . 9 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 2 -[( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) acetyl ]- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol are obtained in the form of a white solid ; melting point 246 ° c . [ α ] 20 d =- 174 ° ( c = 0 . 37 ); methanol ) 0 . 37 g of carbonyldiimidazole is added to a solution , cooled to + 4 ° c ., of 0 . 41 g of ( s )- 2 -( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) propionic acid in 15 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . the mixture is stirred for one hour at + 4 ° c . and then a solution of 0 . 75 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol hydrochloride is added . the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for 20 hours and then then washed twice with 10 cm 3 of water , dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 3 . 6 cm , height 37 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 5 bar with an ethyl acetate and cyclohexane mixture ( 50 / 50 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 50 cm 3 . fractions 21 to 41 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is triturated in isopropyl oxide and then dried . 0 . 3 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 2 -[( s )- 2 -( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) propionyl ]- 4 - perhydroisoindolol is obtained in the form of a white meringue . infrared spectrum ( kbr , characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3090 , 3060 , 3030 , 2940 , 2875 , 2840 , 1630 , 1600 , 1495 , 1445 , 1245 , 1060 , 755 , 730 , 700 . proton nmr spectrum ( dmso - d 6 ) ( at room temperature , a mixture of the two rotamers is observed ): 0 . 9 - 1 . 8 ( mt , 2h , ch 2 in 5 ); 1 . 14 and 1 . 23 ( 2d , j = 7 , 3h , ch 3 ); 3 . 55 and 3 . 65 ( 2 s , 3h , och 3 ); 3 . 85 and 4 . 23 ( 2 mt , 1h , -- cochch 3 --); 6 . 8 to 7 . 5 ( mt , 14h , aromatics ). 0 , 766 g of 1 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl )- 3 - ethylcarbodiimide is added to a solution , cooled to + 10 ° c ., of 1 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol , 0 . 97 g of 2 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropoxy ) phenylacetic acid , 0 . 05 g of 1 - hydroxybenzotriazole in 50 cm 3 of dichloromethane . the reaction mixture is stirred for 90 minutes 20 ° c . and then washed twice with 50 cm 3 of water and with 50 cm 3 of a saturated solution of sodium chloride . the organic phase is dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 2 - 0 . 063 mm , diameter 2 . 9 cm , height 23 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 7 bar with 1 , 2 - dichloroethane and methanol mixtures ( 1 liter at 90 / 10 by volume , 1 . 5 liter at 70 / 30 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 25 cm 3 . fractions 10 to 84 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ) to give 1 . 1 g of ( 3ar , 7s , 7ar )- 2 -{[ 2 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropoxy ) phenyl ] acetyl } 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol in the form of a cream - colored meringue . infrared spectrum ( kbr , characteristic bands , cm - 1 ): 3080 , 3050 , 3020 , 2940 , 2870 , 2815 , 2765 , 1635 , 1600 , 1490 , 1455 , 1445 , 1245 , 1065 , 750 , 730 , 700 . proton nmr spectrum ( dmso - d 6 ) at 433 ° k : 1 . 06 and 1 . 76 ( 2 mt , 2 × 1h , ch 2 in 5 ); 2 . 27 ( s , 6h , n ( ch 3 ) 2 ); 3 . 9 ( d , j = 11 , 1h , 1h of ch 2 in 3 ); 6 . 8 to 7 . 5 ( mt , 14h , aromatics ) a solution of 100 g of 2 - hydroxyphenylacetic acid , 75 cm 3 of benzyl alcohol and 0 . 5 g of paratoluenesulphonic acid in 1400 cm 3 of toluene is refluxed for 2 hours while removing the water formed . after cooling , treating with 3 g of animal black and filtering , the reaction mixture is concentrated to 150 cm 3 and supplemented with 300 cm 3 of isopropyl oxide . the crystals obtained by cooling to 0 ° c . are drained , washed and dried to give 82 . 5 g of benzyl 2 - hydroxyphenylacetate . 174 g of potassium carbonate are added to a solution of 153 g of this ester in a mixture of 500 cm 3 of 1 , 3 - dibromopropane and 2500 cm 3 of acetonitrile and the mixture is refluxed for 17 hours . the reaction mixture is cooled , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is taken up in 500 cm 3 of ethyl acetate and the organic phase is washed twice with 400 cm 3 of water and twice with 250 cm 3 of a saturated solution of sodium chloride and then dried and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 2 - 0 . 063 mm , diameter 9 cm , height 55 cm ), eluting with a cyclohexane and ethyl acetate mixture ( 95 / 5 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 500 cm 3 . fractions 12 to 18 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ) to give 90 g of benzyl 2 -( 3 - bromopropoxy ) phenylacetate in the form of a yellow oil . a solution of 40 g of this product in 500 cm 3 of acetonitrile is heated in an autoclave with 27 g of sodium iodide and 90 g of dimethylamine for 16 hours at 80 ° c . the reaction mixture is cooled , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is purified by acid - base treatment to give 29 . 3 g of benzyl 2 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropoxy ) phenylacetate in the form of a yellow oil . hydrogenation of this ester at atmospheric pressure at 40 ° c . in ethyl acetate in the presence of palladium hydroxide , followed by crystallization from ethyl acetate , lead to 17 . 5 g of 2 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropoxy ) phenylacetic acid in the form of white crystals ; melting point 98 ° c . a solution of 0 . 6 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoroperhydroisoindole hydrochloride and 0 . 51 cm 3 of triethylamine in 10 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane is added to a solution of 0 . 41 g of ethyl ( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) acetimidate tetrafluoroborate in 10 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane . the reaction mixture is refluxed for 3 hours . it is then treated , after re - equilibrating to room temperature , with 5 cm 3 of a 10 % aqueous solution of potassium carbonate ; the organic phase is washed with 10 cm 3 of distilled water , dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on a silica gel column ( particle size 0 . 04 - 0 . 06 mm , diameter 2 cm , height 20 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 6 bar with an ethyl acetate , acetic acid and water mixture ( 15 / 1 / 1 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 25 cm 3 . fractions 24 to 38 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is taken up in 40 cm 3 of dichloromethane , washed with 10 cm 3 of a saturated aqueous solution of potassium carbonate and then with 10 cm 3 of a saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride . the organic phase is dried over magnesium sulphate and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is crystallized from isopropyl oxide . the crystals are drained and dried . 0 . 18 g of ( 3ar , 7r , 7ar )- 4 , 4 - diphenyl - 7 - fluoro - 2 -[ 1 - imino - 2 -( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) ethyl ] perhydroisoindole is obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 184 ° c ., with decomposition . a solution of 1 . 56 g of ethyl ( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) acetimidate tetrafluoroborate and 0 . 96 cm 3 of triethylamine in 20 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane is added to a solution of 2 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 4 - perhydroisoindolol in 30 cm 3 of dry dichloromethane , and then the reaction mixture is refluxed for 2 hours . 10 cm 3 of a 10 % aqueous solution of potassium carbonate are then added , decanted and then the organic phase is washed with 20 cm 3 of water , dried over magnesium sulphate , filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the residue is chromatographed on an alumina column ( diameter 3 . 6 cm , height 31 cm ), eluting under a nitrogen pressure of 0 . 1 bar with a dichloromethane and methanol mixture ( 95 / 5 by volume ) and collecting fractions of 50 cm 3 . fractions 5 to 30 are pooled and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure ( 2 . 7 kpa ). the solid obtained is washed with isopropyl oxide , drained and dried . 1 . 4 g of ( 3ar , 4s , 7ar )- 7 , 7 - diphenyl - 2 -[ 1 - imino - 2 -( 2 - methoxyphenyl ) ethyl ]- 4 - perhydroisoindolol are obtained in the form of white crystals ; melting point 105 ° c ., with decomposition . although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments , it is evident that many alternatives and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description . accordingly , the invention is intended to embrace all of the alternatives and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . the above references are hereby incorporated by reference .	2
preferred embodiments of this invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawing . [ 0033 ] fig1 illustrates a structural view of a smelting reduction apparatus including three - stage type fluidized bed reactors . as shown in fig1 the smelting reduction apparatus includes a three - stage type fluidized bed reactor and a melter - gasifier 40 . the three - stage type fluidized bed reactors include a pre - heating furnace 10 , a pre - reducing furnace 20 , and a final reducing furnace 30 . the pre - heating furnace 10 is mounted with an ore charging duct 1 on a side wall for charging fine iron ores which fall down from a charging bin 5 , a gas supply duct 28 at a lower part for supplying reducing gas which is discharged from the pre - reducing furnace 20 , and a first cyclone 15 at an upper part . the first cyclone 15 collects fine particles of ores which are included in the exhaust gas discharged via a gas discharging duct 13 and re - supplies the fine ore particles to the lower part of the pre - heating furnace 10 . the exhaust gas from which the fine ore particles are removed is released outside via a discharge duct 16 , which is mounted at an upper part of the cyclone 15 . the pre - reducing furnace 20 is mounted with an ore discharging duct 11 on a side wall for supplying the fine iron ores which are preheated in the pre - heating furnace 10 , a gas supply duct 38 at a lower part for supply reducing gas which is discharged from the final reducing furnace 30 , and a second cyclone 25 at an upper part . the second cyclone 25 collects fine particles of ores which are included in the exhaust gas discharged via a gas discharging duct 23 and re - supplies the fine ore particles to a lower part of the pre - reducing furnace 20 . the exhaust gas from which the fine ore particles are removed is supplied to the lower part of the pre - heating furnace 10 via a gas supply duct 28 which is mounted at an upper part of the cyclone 25 . the final reducing furnace 30 is mounted with an ore discharging duct 21 on a side wall for supplying the fine iron ores which are pre - reduced in the pre - reducing furnace 20 , a gas supply duct 58 at a lower part for supply reducing gas which is discharged from the melter - gasifier 40 , and a third cyclone 35 at an upper part . the third cyclone 35 collects fine particles of ores which are included in the exhaust gas discharged via a gas discharging duct 33 and re - supplies the fine ore particles to a lower part of the final reducing furnace 30 . the exhaust gas from which the fine ore particles are removed is supplied to the lower part of the pre - reducing furnace 20 via a gas supply duct 38 which is mounted at an upper part of the cyclone 35 . as for the shape of the respective fluidized bed reactors as described above , the pre - heating furnace 10 , the pre - reducing reactor 20 and the final reducing reactor 30 has a small diameter in the lower parts 10 a , 20 a , and 30 a , a large diameter in the upper parts 10 b , 20 b , and 30 b , and the slantingly formed cylindrical connection parts 10 c , 20 c , and 30 c . therefore , the whole shape of the respective fluidized bed reactors is formed in the dual - stage cylinder having the narrow lower parts and the wide upper parts . the diameter of the upper parts 10 b , 20 b and 30 b of the respective fluidized bed reactors is formed in the range of 1 . 5 ˜ 2 . 0 times of the diameter of the lower parts 10 a , 20 a and 30 a , such that the velocity of the gas in the upper parts of the respective fluidized bed reactors is decreased for preventing the fine iron ores from being discharged as they are . the whole height of the respective fluidized bed reactors is preferably formed 10 ˜ 20 times of the diameter of the lower parts 10 a , 20 a and 30 a . if the respective fluidized bed reactors are formed in the elongated dual - stage cylindrical shape , a space in which the fine iron ores flow is sufficiently assured and the fine iron ores are prevented from being discharged as they are . further , height of the cylindrical lower parts 10 a , 20 a and 30 a is preferably formed in 1 . 0 ˜ 1 . 5 times of height of the cylindrical upper parts 10 b , 20 b and 30 b , and the inclination of the connecting parts 10 c , 20 c and 30 c is preferably formed inclined by 20 ˜ 30 ° with relation to the central axes of the respective fluidized bed reactors . the fine iron ores which are preliminary reduced in the final reducing furnace 30 of the three - stage type fluidized bed reactors as above , are supplied to the upper part of the melter - gasifier 40 which will be described hereinafter via an ore discharging duct 31 . the exhaust gas , which is discharged from the melter - gasifier 40 , is , however , not directly supplied to the final reducing furnace 30 but via the dust separation device , which will be described hereinafter . the dust separation device according to the present invention is mounted between the melter - gasifier 40 and the final reducing furnace 30 and includes two cyclones and three dust storage bins which are disposed in series . now , the dust separation device will be described in more detail . first , a fourth cyclone 45 , which is a first element of the dust separation device , is connected to the melter - gasifier 40 , through an exhaust gas discharging duct 43 and a first dust supply duct 46 . the fourth cyclone 45 is supplied with high temperature exhaust gas from the melter - gasifier 40 via the exhaust gas discharging duct 43 and primarily separate dusts which are included in the exhaust gas to collect . the dusts collected by the fourth cyclone 45 are supplied to the melter - gasifier 40 via the first dust supply duct 46 . reducing gas from which the dusts are primarily removed in the fourth cyclone 45 is supplied to a fifth cyclone 50 which will be described hereinafter via an exhaust gas discharging duct 47 which is mounted at an upper part of the fourth cyclone 45 . the fifth cyclone 50 separates and collects dusts of an ultra fine particle shape which are included in the reducing gas which is supplied from the fourth cyclone 45 but not separated by the fourth cyclone 45 . the ultra fine dusts collected by the fifth cyclone 50 are supplied to a first dust storage bin 60 via a second dust supply duct 51 which is connected to a lower part of the fifth cyclone 50 , wherein the second dust supply duct 51 is mounted with a two - way valve 52 so that the dusts collected in the fifth cyclone 50 are partially re - supplied to the melter - gasifier 40 via a third dust supply duct 57 as necessary . the third dust supply duct 57 may be directly connected to the melter - gasifier 40 and is more preferably connected to the first dust supply duct 46 . the fifth cyclone 50 is connected to a reducing gas discharge duct 58 at an upper part to supply the reducing gas from which the dusts are removed to the final reducing furnace 30 . the first dust storage bin 60 is mounted with a first nitrogen injection device n 1 at a lower part for conveying the stored ultra fine dusts to a second dust storage bin 70 . the first dust storage bin 60 is connected to the dust storage bin 70 via a dust conveying duct 61 . the second dust storage bin 70 is connected to a third dust storage bin 80 via a fourth dust supply duct 71 , so that the ultra fine dusts collected in the second dust storage bin 70 are supplied to the third dust storage bin 80 via the fourth dust supply duct 71 . a lower part of the third dust storage bin 80 is connected to an upper part of a gas distributor 32 of the final reducing furnace 30 via a fifth dust supply duct 81 . the fifth dust supply duct 81 is mounted with a dust charging feeder 82 at an upper part for controlling the amount of dusts which are supplied to the final reducing furnace 30 . the dust charging feeder 82 is mounted with a second nitrogen - injection device n 2 at a lower part for introducing the ultra fine dusts to the final reducing furnace 30 with high pressure . accordingly , the ultra fine dusts which are injected into the upper part of the gas distributor 32 of the final reducing furnace 30 with the high pressure by the second nitrogen - injection device n 2 are coated on surfaces of the fine iron ores in the final reducing furnace 30 . the dust separation device of the present invention as described above , is mounted with control valves 53 , 63 , 73 , and 83 on the respective dust supply ducts for stopping the flow of the dusts and gas in case of operating or repairing the device if it is necessary . now the method for manufacturing the molten pig iron by melting the fine iron ores of a wide particle size distribution by using the smelting reduction apparatus of the present invention will be described in more detail . first , the fine iron ores fallen down from a charging bin 5 are supplied to a side of the pre - heating furnace 10 via an ore charging duct 1 , the iron ores of fine particles which are collected in the first cyclone 15 are supplied to a side of the pre - heating furnace 10 via a first circulation duct 17 , and the high temperature reducing gas which is discharged from the pre - reducing furnace 20 is supplied to a lower part of the pre - heating furnace 10 via the gas supply duct 28 . the fine iron ores and the iron ores of fine particles , which are supplied to the pre - heating furnace 10 , are preheated by the reducing gas in the pre - heating furnace 10 , forming a bubbling fluidized bed . the pre - reducing furnace 20 is supplied with the fine iron ores preheated by the pre - heating furnace 10 via an ore charging duct 11 to a side , as well as the iron ores of fine particles , which are collected in the second cyclone 25 , via a second circulation duct 27 to a side . further the pre - reducing furnace 20 is supplied with the high temperature reducing gas discharged from the final reducing furnace 30 to its lower part via a gas supply duct 38 . the fine iron ores and the iron ores of fine particles , which are supplied to the pre - reducing furnace 20 , are pre - reduced by the reducing gas in the pre - reducing furnace 20 , forming a bubbling fluidized bed . the final reducing furnace 30 is supplied with the fine iron ores pre - reduced by the pre - reducing furnace 20 via an ore charging duct 21 to a side , as well as the iron ores of fine particles , which are collected in the third cyclone 35 , via a third circulation duct 37 to a side . further the final reducing furnace 30 is supplied with the high temperature reducing gas discharged from the fourth cyclone 50 to its lower part via a gas supply duct 58 . the fine iron ores and the iron ores of fine particles which are supplied to the final reducing furnace 30 are finally preliminary reduced by the reducing gas in the final reducing furnace 30 , forming a bubbling fluidized bed . as above , fine particle sponge iron , which is sequentially preliminary reduced while passing through the three - stage type fluidized bed reactor , are charged into the upper part of the melter - gasifier 40 via the ore discharge duct 31 . the melter - gasifier 40 is supplied with coal and high pressure oxygen in addition to the sponge iron which is supplied from the final reducing reactor 40 so as to finally reduce the sponge iron and melt , thereby producing the molten pig iron . the melter - gasifier 40 generates a lot of exhaust gas of high temperature in the process of melting the sponge iron . the exhaust gas contains ultra fine dusts which contains a lot of carbon and carbonized gas generated in the process of the burning of the charged coal . the dusts contained carbon and carbonized gas are sequentially separated by the dust separation device of the present invention . now , the process for separating the exhaust gas will be described in more detail . the exhaust gas , which is discharged from the melter - gasifier 40 , is supplied to the fourth cyclone 45 via the discharge duct 43 . the exhaust gas supplied to the cyclone is separated into dusts in the particle state and carbonized gas in the gas state by a strong centrifugal force , wherein the separated dusts are fallen down to a lower part in the cyclone and the carbonized gas is gathered to an upper part in the cyclone . the separated dusts collected to the lower part are re - supplied to the melter - gasifier 40 via the first dust supply duct 46 , while the separated carbonized gas is discharged to the fifth cyclone 50 , containing the ultra fine dusts which are not separated . the fifth cyclone 50 secondarily collects the ultra fine dusts included in the supplied carbonized gas the carbonized gas from which the ultra fine dusts are separated is supplied to the final reducing furnace 30 to be used as the reducing gas . the ultra fine dusts collected in fifth cyclone 50 are supplied to the melter - gasifier 40 or the first dust storage bin 60 . the dusts discharged to the first dust storage bin 60 are conveyed to the second dust storage bin 70 by the first nitrogen injection device n 1 and continuously supplied to the third dust storage bin 80 . the dusts stored in the third dust storage bin 80 are injected to the upper part of the gas distributor 32 of the final reducing furnace 30 by the second is nitrogen injection device n 2 and coat the fine iron ore particles which are in bubbling fluidization state in the final reducing furnace 30 . at this time , the pressure of the nitrogen supplied by the first and second nitrogen injection devices n 1 and n 2 is higher than the pressure in the furnace by 2 ˜ 3 times . the dusts are smoothly conveyed and stabled injected in the final reducing furnace 30 by the high pressure of the nitrogen . an amount of the dusts which are introduced into the final reducing furnace 30 is preferably controlled to be 0 . 5 ˜ 1 . 0 wt % with relation to an amount of raw iron ores which are charged into the pre - heating furnace 10 . if the amount of the dusts which are introduced into the final reducing furnace 30 is less than 0 . 5 wt %, sticking prevention effect between the fine iron ores becomes reduced , while if the amount exceeds 1 . 0 wt %, the gas distributor may be clogged by the ultra fine dusts in next process . it is preferable to control a velocity of the reducing gas in the pre - heating furnace 10 , the pre - reducing furnace 20 and the final reducing furnace 30 in the range of 1 . 2 ˜ 1 . 5 time of a minimum fluidizing velocity of the fine iron ores which are staying in the furnaces . by maintaining the velocity of the reducing gas as above , the respective fluidized bed reactors may form a stable bubbling fluidized bed . now , preferred embodiments are suggested to help the apparent understanding of the present invention . the below embodiments are provided for the sake of clear understanding only and the present invention is not limited thereto . the specification and experimental conditions for the smelting reduction apparatus of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is as follows . 1 ) specification of the fluidized bed reactor ( the pre - heating furnace , the pre - reducing furnace , and the final reducing furnace ) height of the lower cylindrical part from the upper part of the gas distributor : 3 m height of the upper cylindrical part from lower part of the inclination part : 3 m t . fe : 63 . 49 wt %, feo : 0 . 37 wt %, sio 2 : 4 . 32 wt %, al 2 o 3 : 2 . 33 wt %, mn : 0 . 05 wt %, s : 0 . 007 wt %, composition : co : 65 %, h 2 : 25 %, co 2 : 5 %, n 2 : 5 % t . fe : 25 - 33 wt %, feo : 10 - 15 wt %, sio 2 : 8 - 10 wt %, m . fe : 10 - 15 wt %, al 2 o 3 : 2 - 5 wt %, cao : 2 - 5 wt %, several experiments were carried out with the smelting reduction apparatus to examine the reduction of the fine iron ores . the experimental results exhibited that reduced fine iron ores was begun to be discharged via the ore discharging duct 31 from the final reducing furnace 30 after 90 minutes from the beginning of the charging of the fine iron ores from the charging bin 5 into the pre - heating furnace 10 . an average reduction degree of the fine iron ores which are discharged from the final reducing furnace 30 was exhibited 86 ˜ 90 %, very excellent . an average gas utilization degree was 30 ˜ 35 %, and the gas consumption rate was 1350 - 1500 nm 3 / t - ore . further , a difference of pressure between the upper part and the lower part of the gas distributor of the final reducing furnace 30 was maintained in the range of 20 - 30 mbar , which was not increased even after a long time . as above , the small difference of pressure between the upper and lower parts of the gas distributor means that the clogging phenomenon of the gas distributor nozzle did not occur . finally , the particle size distribution of the reduced iron which is preliminary reduced and discharged finally was exhibited uniform , which means that the sticking phenomenon between the fine iron ores did not occur in the respective fluidized bed reactors . as shown from the result of the above embodiment , the smelting reduction apparatus according to the present invention may effectively prevent the clogging phenomenon of the gas distributor nozzle due to the dusts which is apt to occur in the related art fludized bed reactors . further , the sticking phenomenon between the reduced iron particles which may occur in the process of the reduction of the fine iron ores may be prevented by supplying the dusts containing a lot of carbon into the fluidizing bed reactors to coat the surfaces of the reduced iron . while the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiment , those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and substitutions can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims .	2
fig2 illustrates the top view of a die 12 that is formed in a conventional manner on a wafer . for purposes of clarity , the wafer and additional dies that may be formed on that wafer have been omitted from fig2 . the sides of die 12 contain input bond pads 15 , to which external lead wires can be bonded . the bond pads 15 connect to operations circuits 14 , such as row address or decoding circuits , within the die 12 . it is understood in the art that a die could contain many such bond pads 15 and operations circuits 14 . duplication of these elements has been limited in fig2 for purposes of clarity . some bond pads 15 are more easily accessible by testing devices than are others . one element 9 accessibility is the spacing between dies 12 . for purposes of distinguishing the accessibility of bond pads as illustrated in fig1 areas where the bond pads are more easily accessible are labeled “ 16 ,” whereas areas where bond pads are relatively inaccessible are denoted by “ 18 .” occasionally , a particular die 12 is configured so that , during a normal operations mode , an operations circuit 14 is connected to an input bond pad 20 that is in an inaccessible area 18 concerning testing devices . given such inaccessibility , it can be difficult to apply signals to the operations circuit 14 during a test mode . this is particularly true during the probe of dies that are still part of a wafer . through the current invention , however , a probe bond pad 22 in an accessible area 16 can be connected to the operations circuit 14 during the test mode , thereby allowing for easy testing . an exemplary testing circuit 24 , described below in detail and ill in fig5 a , is used to connect the probe pad 22 to the operations circuit 14 during the test mode for that circuit the operation of the testing circuit 24 is controlled by an enable signal . in the preferred embodiment , this signal is provided by the testing device through a test mode enable bond pad 26 . thus , during the test mode , the testing device transmits the enable signal by way of the test mode enable bond pad 26 . in response , the testing circuit 24 couples the probe bond pad 22 to the operations circuit 14 , which is normally driven by signals applied to input bond pad 20 . fig5 a is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the testing circuit 24 . the testing circuit 24 contains a first conducting path 28 from the input bond pad 20 to the operations circuit 14 . the first conducting path 28 is also coupled to the drain of a first n - channel transistor q 2 , which has a source coupled to ground . this first n - channel transistor q 2 is also configured for electrostatic discharge ( esd ) protection , as illustrated in fig5 b . as with standard transistors of this type , the first n - channel transistor q 2 is comprised of a first conductive strip 50 , which , in this case , leads to the first conducting path 28 and , ultimately , to input bond pad 20 . a second conductive strip 52 leads to ground , and a gate 54 is interposed between the first and second conductive strips 50 and 52 . further , there exists an n + active area 56 between the gate 54 and the first conductive strip 50 . this n + active area 56 is preferably in a vertical arrangement with said first conductive strip 50 and communicates with that strip 50 via a series of contacts 58 . unlike standard transistors , this n + active area 56 is sufficiently large enough to create a relatively high active area resistance , generally around 1kω , thereby preventing esd damage . returning to fig5 a , a second conducting path 32 connects the probe bond pad 22 with a nor gate 34 . the second conducting path 32 is also coupled to the drain of a second n - channel transistor q 4 . a third conducting path 38 couples the test mode enable bond pad 26 with a first inverter 40 . between these two devices , however , the third conducting path 38 is also coupled with the gate 54 of the fist n - channel transistor q 2 as well as a low - bleed current device , known to those skilled in the art as a long l device 42 . the first inverter 40 has an input coupled to the third conducting path 38 and an output coupled to the gate of the second n - channel transistor q 4 . the nor gate 34 has a first input 44 , which receives an enabling signal for the operations circuit 14 . the nor gate 34 also has a second input coupled to the second conducting path 32 , and an output . finally , the circuit contains a second inverter 46 , which has an input coupled to the output of the nor gate 34 . the output of the second inverter 46 is coupled with the operations circuit 14 . during normal use of the operations circuit 14 , the test mode enable bond pad 26 is not receiving an enabling signal from any testing device . therefore , the long l device 42 serves to bleed to ground any remaining low current within the third conducing path 38 . the lack of current in the third conducting path 38 turns off the first n - channel transistor q 2 . with the first n - channel transistor q 2 off , the first conducting path 28 may freely transmit signals from the input bond pad 20 to the operations circuit 14 . in the schematic illustrated in fig5 a , the signal transmitted by the input bond pad 20 is an external row address strobe ( xras ) signal . further , operations circuit 14 is an input buffer which accepts the industry standard input levels of the transmitted xras a and modifies them to internal v cc and ground levels . it is known that such a circuit may have different configurations . the operations circuit in fig5 c demonstrates an alternate configuration , wherein optional transistors have been omitted , including those used for further tuning the xras * signal . returning to the third conducting path 38 , the lack of current in that path results in a logic 0 value transmitted to the first inverter 40 . it follows that the output of the first inverter is at logic 1 , which turns on the second n - channel transistor q 4 . once activated , the second n - channel transistor q 4 bleeds current from the second conducting path 32 , thereby grounding any signals from probe bond pad 22 . because the second conducting path 32 is at logic 0 during normal operations mode , the signal reaching the operations circuit 14 from the second inverted 46 will match the control logic signals received by the first input 44 of the nor gate 34 . for example , given a logic 1 value received by the first input 44 and the logic 0 of the second input , the output of the nor gate will be a logic 0 , which will be inverted by the second inverter 46 to logic 1 . this logic 1 will serve as an input for the operations circuit 14 . if on the other hand , the first input 44 receives a logic 0 , the two logic 0 inputs for the nor gate 34 result in a logic 1 output , which is inverted by the second inverter to result in a logic 0 being input into the operations circuit 14 . during the test mode of the operations circuit 14 , the test mode enable bond pad 26 is driven with a sufficient voltage to overcome the bleeding effects of the long l device 42 and send a signal of logic 1 to the third conducting path 38 . this signal turns on the first n - channel transistor q 2 , thereby grounding any input signal that would come from the input bond pad 20 . the logic 1 signal of the third conducting path 38 also goes through the first inverter 40 . the resulting logic 0 value turns off the second n - channel transistor q 4 that had been grounding signals from the probe bond pad 22 . as a result , signals such as xras * that once issued from the input bond pad 20 may now be using the more accessible probe bond pad 22 . the nor gate 34 receives both a signal enabling the operations circuit 14 as well as transmissions from the probe bond pad 22 . the nor gate 34 output is inverted by the second inverter 46 , and the result is entered into the operations circuit 14 . in another embodiment illustrated in fig6 a and 6 b , a second input buffer 48 may be used with the probe bond pad 22 in order to preserve a trip point equivalent to that of other bond pads 15 . in this embodiment , the second input buffer 48 has a configuration similar to that of the operations circuit 14 of fig5 c . in a third embodiment , shown in fig7 the signals that passed through the nor gate 34 and the second inverter 46 in earlier embodiments are instead coupled directly into the operations circuit 14 with the addition of one n - channel transistor q 6 and one p - channel transistor q 8 . this embodiment has the benefit of allowing multiple points of access for test signals , rather than requiring all of the test signals to be input at only one location . this is not the most preferred embodiment , however , as the additional transistors q 6 and q 8 require additional die space . one of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate that , although specific embodiments of this invention have been described above for purposes of illustration , various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , the testing circuit could be modified so that a single test mode enable pad could enable a plurality of probe bond pads , while simultaneously grounding the corresponding input bond pads . it is also possible to configure the testing circuit to provide for probe bond pads for measuring the output of an operations circuit in the event the output bond pad is inaccessible . in addition , exemplary embodiments within the scope of the current invention are not limited to those involved with inaccessible or redundant bond pads . rather , the current invention includes within its scope embodiments addressing components including , but not limited to , an access point ; an input ; a terminal ; a pad in general , including one not limited to bondingl and a contact pad . further , exemplary embodiments within the scope of the current invention are not limited to those involved with a long l device . rather , the current invention includes within its scope embodiments addressing components and acts for electrically grounding , as well as others . accordingly , the invention is not limited except as stated in the claims .	6
generally speaking , an electrophoretic display has a plurality of pixels , and an electrophoretic medium and white display particles are respectively disposed in the pixels . moreover , the electrophoretic medium may be single - colored ( e . g ., black , white , or other colors ) or a multi - color mixture . to facilitate description , a data line used for adjusting a gray - level distribution of a white image is referred to as a white data line , and a data line used for adjusting a gray - level distribution of a black image is referred to as a black data line . additionally , since a pixel array in the electrophoretic display may be arranged in a variety of manners , the white data line and the black data line may be a same data line or different data lines , and embodiments of the invention should not be construed as limited thereto . moreover , a common electrode may be disposed on a transparent substrate of a display region surface in the electrophoretic display , and the white and black data lines may be disposed on an array substrate of the electrophoretic display that is configured to control how each of the pixels is displayed . in the description hereafter , driving waveforms are used to describe a driving method of the white display particles in a black fluid . but the actual cases of applying this invention are not limited in only white particle in the black fluid . the driving method of display particles having other colors may be deduced from the following description as well . fig1 a is a schematic view illustrating a driving waveform of an electrophoretic display in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention . referring to fig1 a , in the present embodiment , assume a frame write period is formed by a period t 21 , a period t 22 , and a period t 23 , the display particles are white and positively charged , and the electrophoretic medium is black . however , other embodiments of the invention should not be construed as limited thereto . in the period t 21 , the electrophoretic display applies a positive voltage v + to a common electrode and applies a negative voltage v − to a white data line and a black data line . the positive voltage v + and the negative voltage v − may have a same voltage value . for instance , the positive voltage v + can be + 15 v and the negative voltage v − is − 15 v , although embodiments of the invention should not be construed as limited thereto . at this moment , the white data line and the common electrode form a negative voltage difference ( i . e ., same as applying a negative voltage difference to the white data line ), and accordingly the particles are actived in this period . therefore , the period t 21 may be viewed as a pre - charge period for the white display particles . moreover , the black data line and the common electrode also form a negative voltage difference ( i . e ., same as applying a negative voltage difference to the black data line ), and similarly a charge carried by the white display particles is increased . the period t 21 may therefore be viewed as the pre - charge period for the white display particles . in the period t 22 , the electrophoretic display applies the negative voltage v − to the common electrode and applies the positive voltage v + to the white data line and the black data line . at this moment , the white data line and the common electrode form a positive voltage difference ( i . e ., same as applying a positive voltage difference to the white data line ), and accordingly the positively charged white display particles move towards the common electrode , so that the white display particles appear visible in the electrophoretic medium . a degree of visibility of the white display particles is directly proportional to a forming time of the positive voltage difference formed by the white data line and the common electrode . since the electrophoretic display may display a gray level of a white image according to the visibility of the white display particles , the period t 22 can be viewed as a gray - level write period of the white image . moreover , the black data line and the common electrode also fonti a positive voltage difference ( i . e ., same as applying a positive voltage difference to the black data line ), but since the white display particles are positively charged , the white display particles move towards the common electrode , so that the white display particles appear visible in the electrophoretic medium . since an image clearing effect is achieved for a black image when the white display particles are completely visible , the period t 22 can be viewed as a reset period of the black image . referring to fig1 a , in the present embodiment , particle restore periods p 21 and p 22 are inserted in the gray - level write period of the white image , in which the particle restore periods p 21 and p 22 are not adjacent to each other in timing . moreover , voltages applied to the white data line in the particle restore periods p 21 and p 22 are different from each other , and these voltages are not the same as the positive voltage v + used for writing the gray level . furthermore , in the particle restore period p 21 , the voltage applied to the white data line is the negative voltage v −, and in the particle restore period p 22 , the voltage applied to the white data line is approximately 0 v . in other words , in the particle restore period p 21 , a voltage difference formed by the white data line and the common electrode ( i . e ., same as the voltage difference applied to the white data line ) is the zero voltage difference . in the particle restore period p 22 , a voltage difference form by the white data line and the common electrode ( i . e ., same as the voltage difference applied to the white data line ) is approximately equal to the positive voltage v +, but still smaller than a voltage difference 2v + ( i . e ., v + subtracted by v −) used for writing the gray level . by lowering particles motion speed while approaching the boundaries of the device , the optical reflectance of the epd device can be more stable . therefore , the white display particles may closely approach the transparent substrate , thereby enhancing a reflected light by the white display particles to a maximum , and therefore the whiteness and contrast ratio of the electrophoretic displayed image may be increased . besides , because the particle packing is more stable , the bistability can be increased . in the period t 23 , the electrophoretic display applies the positive voltage v + to the common electrode and the white data line , and applies the negative voltage v − to the black data line . at this moment , the white data line and the common electrode form a zero voltage difference ( i . e ., same as applying a zero voltage difference to the white data line ), so that the white display particles do not move , and a gray - level distribution of the white image displayed by the electrophoretic display is maintained . therefore , the period t 21 can be viewed as a frame follow period of the white image . moreover , the black data line and the common electrode form a negative voltage difference ( i . e ., same as applying a negative voltage difference to the black data line ), and the white display particles move towards black data line , so that the white display particles are gradually immersed in the electrophoretic medium . a degree of immersion of the white display particles is directly proportional to a forming time of the negative voltage difference formed by the black data line and the common electrode . since the electrophoretic display may display a gray level of a black image according to the immersion degree of the white display particles , the period t 23 can be viewed as a gray - level write period of the black image . as shown in fig1 a , in the present embodiment , particle restore periods p 23 and p 24 are inserted in the gray - level write period of the black image . moreover , the particle restore periods p 23 and p 24 are not adjacent to each other in timing , and the voltage differences formed by the black data line and the common electrode in the particle restore periods p 23 and p 24 are not the same . additionally , in the particle restore periods p 23 and p 24 , a voltage difference formed by the black data line and the common electrode is smaller than the voltage difference 2v + ( i . e ., v + subtracted by v −) used for writing the gray level . therefore , the movement speed of the white display particles is likewise slowed . by lowering particles motion speed while approaching the boundaries of the device , the optical reflectance of the epd device can be more stable . accordingly , the white display particles may closely approach the array substrate , thereby decreasing a reflected light by the white display particles to a minimum , and therefore the blackness and the contrast ratio of the electrophoretic displayed image may be increased . next , in the description hereafter , a driving method of a conventional electrophoretic display is compared with a driving method of the electrophoretic display according to an embodiment of the invention . fig1 b is a schematic view illustrating optical tracks of the display particles . referring to fig1 b , a curve 210 is an optical track of the white display particles before the insertion of the particle restore periods in fig1 a , and a curve 220 is an optical track of the white display particles depicted in fig1 a . time t 21 to time t 22 represents the period of t 21 , and time t 22 to time t 23 represents the period of t 22 . moreover , time t 23 to time 24 represents the period of t 23 depicted in fig1 a . as shown in fig1 b , after the insertion of the particle restore periods in fig1 a , the bouncing back of optical intensity after removing the voltage at t 24 is largely decreased . therefore , the performances ( whiteness , darkness , contrast ratio , image updating time , and bistability ) of the display particles may be enhanced . it should be noted that , in the present embodiment , two particle restore periods are inserted for each gray - level write period . in other embodiments of the invention , there may be one , two , three , or more than three particle restore periods inserted in each gray - level write period , in which the adjustment may be made according to a display design . moreover , the insertion time for each of the particle restore periods may likewise be different according to a design demand . referring to fig1 c , besides being inserted in regions a 22 and a 25 ( e . g ., the gray - level write periods of the white and black images ), the particle restore periods may be respectively or concurrently inserted in regions a 21 , a 23 , and a 24 , or between these region s ( e . g ., the pre - charge period , or the reset period of the black image ). more specifically , the particle restore periods may be inserted in a part of or all of the regions a 21 - a 25 . according to the voltage differences corresponding to the periods of insertion ( e . g ., regions a 21 - a 25 ), the voltage differences formed in the particle restore periods are adjusted , such that the display particles closely approach the substrate ( e . g ., the transparent substrate or the array substrate ). although the particle restore periods p 21 and p 22 depicted in fig1 a have a same cycle , in other embodiments of the invention , the cycles of the particle restore periods p 21 and p 22 may be different from each other , and a distance between the particle restore periods p 21 and p 22 may be adjusted according to a design demand . moreover , although the voltage differences formed by the white data line and the common electrode in the particle restore periods depicted in fig1 a are different from each other , in other embodiments of the invention , the voltage differences formed by the white data line and the common electrode in the particle restore periods p 21 and p 22 may be designed to be the same . referring to fig1 d , a voltage applied to the common electrode according to the present embodiment is depicted by a curve w 1 ( e . g ., a square wave ). however , in other embodiments of the invention , the voltage applied to the common electrode may be depicted as a curve w 2 or a curve w 3 . that is , the voltage applied to the common electrode may have a direct current shape or other shapes , and embodiments of the invention should not be construed as limited thereto . fig2 is a schematic view illustrating a driving waveform of an electrophoretic display in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention . referring to fig1 a and 2 , a difference resides in the particle restore periods p 31 , p 32 , p 33 , p 34 , p 35 , and p 36 . with regards to the white data line , the particle restore periods p 31 , p 32 , and p 33 are adjacent in sequence , and the voltage differences formed by the white data line and the common electrode in the particle restore periods p 31 , p 32 , and p 33 are progressively increased , in which the progressive increase begins from the zero voltage difference . with regards to the black data line , the particle restore periods p 34 , p 35 , and p 36 are adjacent in sequence , and the voltage differences formed by the black data line and the common electrode in the particle restore periods p 34 , p 35 , and p 36 are different from each other . fig3 is a schematic view illustrating a driving waveform of an electrophoretic display in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention . referring to fig1 a and 3 , a difference resides in the particle restore periods p 41 , p 42 , p 43 , p 44 , p 45 , p 46 , p 47 , p 48 , and p 49 . with regards to the white data line , the particle restore periods p 41 , p 42 , and p 43 are adjacent in sequence , and the cycles of the particle restore periods p 41 , p 42 , and p 43 are different from each other . moreover , the voltage differences formed by the white data line and the common electrode in the particle restore periods p 41 , p 42 , and p 43 are progressively decreasing , and the voltage difference formed by the white data line and the common electrode in the particle restore periods p 41 is larger than the voltage difference 2v + used for writing the gray level of the white image . however , in the particle restore period p 41 , a larger voltage difference does not quicken the movement of the white display particles . instead , the movement speed of the electric double layer around the white display particles is increased , such that the electric double layer around the white display particles can envelop the white display particles . with regards to the black data line , the particle restore periods p 44 , p 45 , and p 46 are adjacent in sequence , and the particle restore periods p 47 , p 48 , and p 49 are adjacent in sequence . moreover , the particle restore periods p 44 , p 45 , and p 46 are not adjacent to the particle restore periods p 47 , p 48 , and p 49 . the voltage differences formed by the black data line and the common electrode in the particle restore periods p 45 and p 48 are the same , and the voltage differences formed by the black data line and the common electrode in the particle restore periods p 44 , p 46 , p 47 , and p 48 are the same . moreover , the voltage differences formed in the particle restore periods p 45 and p 48 are not the same as the voltage differences formed in the particle restore periods p 44 , p 46 , p 47 , and p 48 . as shown in fig3 , a voltage - alternating frequency of the white data line and the black data line may be different from each other . fig4 is a schematic view illustrating a driving waveform of an electrophoretic display in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the invention . referring to fig1 a and 4 , a difference resides in that the voltages applied in the corresponding periods are opposite . in addition , the periods t 51 , t 52 , and t 53 are respectively , a pre - charge period of the white display particles , a gray - level write period of the black image , and a frame follow period of the black image . moreover , the periods t 51 , t 52 , and t 53 are respectively , a pre - charge period of the white display particles , a reset period of the white image , and a gray - level write period of the white image . since a description of the particle restore periods p 51 and p 52 can be inferred from the description of the particle restore periods p 23 and p 24 , and a description of the particle restore periods p 53 and p 54 can be inferred from the description of the particle restore periods p 21 and p 22 , these descriptions are omitted hereafter . although the invention has been described with reference to the above embodiments , it will be apparent to one of the ordinary skill in the art that modifications to the described embodiment may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention . accordingly , the scope of the invention will be defined by the attached claims not by the above detailed descriptions . fig5 is a schematic view illustrating a driving waveform of an electrophoretic display in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the invention . when the voltage of common electrode is ac ( vcom shown in fig5 ), a ordinary driving scheme would be the trace of data - 1 , which would result in the bad optical bouncing as indicated in the curve 210 of fig1 b . however , if we insert several periods of 0v ( i . e . particle restore periods ) in the data line ( as shown in the traces of data - 2 , data - 3 , data - 4 , or their different combinations in fig5 ), this would result in better optical performance as indicated in the curve 220 of fig1 b . in case that the voltage of common electrode is dc , this method also applicable as long as the voltage difference between the data line and common electrodes would adopt several periods of 0v . the period of 0v is around 1 millisecond to 800 millisecond , preferably 5 millisecond to 300 millisecond , most preferably 10 millisecond to 200 millisecond . the embodiment described in the fifth embodiment contains only three phases . the function of the phases can be used to reset the previous image , increase the gray level accuracy , increase the bistability , enhance the contrast ratio , and improve other image performances . the more the phases , the more the flexibility to improve the image performances . thus , the design philosophy of fifth embodiment can be extended by adopting more phases to get better image performances or less phases to save the image transaction time . besides , based on the common sense of waveform design , the voltage on common electrode can be either alternative ( ac ) or constant ( dc ).	6
the first preferred embodiment according to fig2 of the present invention will be described in detail as follows . fig2 of the present invention shows a layout of an hydraulic anti - skid braking system comprising a master cylinder 1 , a brake 2 , a flow control valve 3 , a solenoid valve 4 , a piston pump 5 , and an expander chamber 6 . the flow control valve 3 in which a spool 7 combined with a spring 9 is allowed to move up and down in the inside of a housing 8 , has a port 13 in communication with the master cylinder 1 on the side of the housing 8 , a port 12 in communication with the piston pump 5 over the housing 8 , and a fluid passage 31 in communication with the brake 2 in the lower end of the housing 8 . a fluid passage 33 through which fluid from the flow control valve 3 is transmitted to the brake 2 is connected to the solenoid valve 4 through a fluid passage 34 and the master cylinder 1 through an one - way valve 28 . a fluid passage 35 located at the outlet of the solenoid valve 4 is connected to the inlet of the piston pump 5 and the expander chamber 6 . the solenoid valve 4 between the fluid passage 34 and the fluid passage 35 fulfills the function of connecting or isolating two fluid passages 34 and 35 by the movements of a plunger 21 in the solenoid valve 4 . during a normal braking operation of the present invention as described above , the hydraulic pressure generated in the master cylinder 1 is applied to the brake 2 via a fluid passage 30 , the port 13 of the flow control valve 3 , and the fluid passage 31 in turn because the spool 7 in the flow control valve 3 is placed at the upper side of the housing 8 by the force in the spring 9 and the port 13 is opened . in this state , if the slip rate of a wheel exceeds a predetermined value , an electric current is initially supplied to a motor 27 driving the piston pump 5 . but , fluid is not immediately directed into the expander chamber 6 because at the initial state the solenoid valve 4 does not open and so the fluid passage 35 directing fluid to the expander chamber 6 is isolated from the master cylinder 1 . accordingly , the motor 27 runs idle because a pump spring 25 does not push a piston 26 . where a decrease in the braking pressure is required due to a continuing slip rate , the plunger 21 is moved away from a valve seat 22 by the activation of a solenoid 20 and the fluid passages 34 and 35 are connected to each other . hence , fluid in the brake 2 flows to the expander chamber 5 so that the braking pressure in the brake 2 begins to be reduced . at the same time , fluid discharged by the operation of the pump 5 increases the pressure in a pressure chamber 11 of the flow control valve 3 through a fluid passage 32 . accordingly , the port 13 is closed by the downward movement of the spool 7 , and the connection between the master cylinder 1 and the brake 2 is isolated , thereby accelerating the pressure decrease in the brake 2 . when the pressure in the brake 2 is sufficiently reduced and the slip rate of the wheel is recovered to a normal level , the fluid passages 34 and 35 are isolated from each other by the deactivation of the solenoid 20 . but , at this state , by the discharging of the fluid accumulated in the expander chamber 5 , the piston pump 5 continues to operate and the spool 7 moves to a position where balance is maintained by the force in the spring 9 and the pressure differential of both pressure chambers 10 and 11 . here , the pressure in the brake 2 is steadily increased because flow rate , which is determined by the pressure differential between both pressure chambers 10 and 11 and the size of the orifice 14 , continues to be supplied to the brake 2 through the fluid passage 32 , the pressure chamber 11 , the orifice 14 , and the fluid passage 31 in turn . and , if the fluid in the expander chamber 6 is totally discharged , the pressure applied to the brake 2 becomes equal to that of the master cylinder 1 . accordingly , the spool 7 is moved upward by the force in the spring 9 so that the system returns back to the normal braking operation . if the pressure decrease in the brake 2 is required again during the recovery of the braking pressure , it is achieved by a decrease in the pressure caused by the activation of the solenoid 20 and the operation of the piston pump 5 as described above . if the pressure in the master cylinder 1 is eliminated by the driver , the braking pressure on the wheels is released because the fluid in the brake 2 is immediately transmitted to the master cylinder 1 through the one - way valve 28 . as described above , because the spool 7 in the flow control valve 3 is moved downward and the port 13 in communication with the master cylinder 1 is closed during the modulation of the braking pressure according to the present invention , the fluid pulses generated by the piston pump 5 are not transmitted to the master cylinder 1 . further , because the internal pressure of a tube 23 in the solenoid valve 4 is maintained equal to that in the brake 2 so that as the pressure in the brake 2 increases , the plunger 21 is pushed in the direction of the valve seat 22 , the solenoid valve 4 used for the present invention can more assuredly seal the fluid passages 34 and 35 . accordingly , another positive effect of this feature allows the size of the solenoid valve 4 to be minimized and allows the solenoid valve 4 to operate at a rapid speed because the spring of the solenoid valve 4 requires only enough force to move the plunger 21 . as illustrated in fig3 the second preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below . the system comprises a master cylinder 1 , a brake 2 , a flow control valve 3 , a solenoid valve 4 , a piston pump 6 , and an expander chamber 5 . the flow control valve 3 comprises a housing 8 , and a movable spool 7 combined with a spring 13 in the housing 8 , and ports 11 and 12 in communication with the master cylinder 1 and the brake 2 respectively on the side of the housing 8 , and a port 14 in communication with the piston pump 6 on the upper side of the housing 8 , and a pressure chamber 21 integrated with the solenoid valve 4 below the housing 8 . the hydraulic pressure applied in the master cylinder 1 is transmitted to the brake 2 through the ports 11 and 12 on the side of the flow control valve 3 . the solenoid valve 4 , integrated with the flow control valve 3 , is connected to the inlet of the piston pump 6 and the expander chamber 5 through a fluid passage 22 . also , the outlet of the piston pump 6 is connected to the port 14 of the flow control valve 3 . during a normal braking operation of the present invention described above , the hydraulic pressure generated in the master cylinder 1 is applied directly to the brake 2 through the ports 11 and 12 in the side of the flow control valve 3 and a fluid passage 32 . at this state , if the slip rate of a wheel exceeds a predetermined value , an electric current is supplied to a motor 30 driving the piston pump 6 . but , fluid is not immediately directed into the expander chamber 5 because at this initial state the solenoid valve 4 is not activated so that the fluid passage 22 is isolated from the master cylinder 1 . therefore , the piston pump 6 runs idle because a spring 33 in the piston pump 6 does not push a piston 31 . however , when the slip rate continues to increase and the pressure in the brake 2 must be reduced , a plunger 35 in the solenoid valve 4 is moved away from a valve seat 36 when a solenoid 34 is energized and , consequently , the pressure chamber 21 is connected to the fluid passage 22 . accordingly , fluid in the pressure chamber 21 flows to the expander chamber 5 and then the pressure in the pressure chamber 21 begins to decrease . at the same time , fluid discharged by the piston pump 6 flows to a pressure chamber 23 through the port 14 and raises the pressure in the pressure chamber 23 . following the above processes , the port 11 is closed by the descending movement of the spool 7 and the connection between the master cylinder 1 and the brake 2 is isolated and , consequently , the pressure decrease in the brake 2 is accelerated by fluid passing through the port 12 and the spool 7 configured to form a fluid passage gradually enlarged . if the pressure in the brake 2 is sufficiently reduced and the slip rate is recovered to certain level , the connection between the pressure chamber 21 and the fluid passage 22 is isolated by the deactivation of the solenoid 34 . but even at this state , the spool 7 is moved to a balanced position by the force in the spring 13 and by the pressure differential between both pressure chambers 21 and 23 because the piston pump 5 continues to discharge fluid accumulated in the expander chamber 5 to the flow control valve 3 . it is noted that the pressure in the brake 2 is gradually increased because the flow rate , which is determined by the pressure differential of both pressure chambers 23 and 21 and by the diameter of the orifice 9 positioned between both pressure chambers 23 and 21 , continues to increase the braking pressure through the pressure chambers 23 and 21 and the port 12 and the fluid passage 32 in turn . when the fluid in the expander chamber 5 has been completely discharged , the pressure in the brake 2 becomes equal to that in the pressure chamber 23 and the spool 7 is moved upward by the spring 13 and the system returns to the normal braking operation . if a decrease in the pressure in the brake 2 is required again during the recovery of the braking pressure , the system converts to the pressure decrease mode with the activation of the solenoid 34 and the operation of the piston pump 6 as described above . if the pressure in the master cylinder 1 is eliminated by the driver , the braking pressure is released because the fluid in the brake 2 is immediately returned to the master cylinder 1 through an one - way valve 17 . in this manner , the fluid pulses generated by the piston pump 6 are not transmitted to the master cylinder 1 because the spool 7 in the flow control valve 3 moves downward and closes the port 11 connecting the master cylinder 1 to the brake 2 during the modulation of the braking pressure according to the present invention . fig4 is another preferred embodiment which organizes an hydraulic anti - skid braking system for automobiles utilizing the first embodiment of fig2 and in which the hydraulic pressure generated in a master cylinder 31 is applied to flow control valves 32 , 33 , 34 , and 35 through two independent fluid passages 60 and 61 braking the front right and left wheels , and the rear right and left wheels respectively . here , the flow control valves 32 , 33 , 34 and 35 have the same configuration as the flow control valve 3 illustrated in fig2 . as illustrated in fig4 because solenoid valves 36 and 37 hold in common an expander chamber 43 , a piston pump 41 and a chamber 49 for decreasing the pressure pulsation , the accidental spinning phenomena of automobiles caused by the rapid braking pressure differential between right and left wheels is prevented . for example , where the rear - right wheel as illustrated in fig4 slips due to the low co - efficient of the friction in the right road surface with respect to the automobile , fluid is directed into the expander chamber 43 by the activation of the solenoid valve 37 and the operation of the piston pump 41 in order to reduce the hydraulic pressure applied to a brake 52 of the rear - right wheel . as the spools of the two flow control valves 32 and 33 are moved downward by the operation of the piston pump 41 , the pressure in the brake 52 is decreased and the rate of the pressure increase in a brake 51 is restricted . accordingly , as illustrated in fig7 the safety of a automobile having the hydraulic anti - skid braking system according to the present invention is assured because the braking pressure differential between the right and left wheels is not abruptly increased . likewise , where the braking pressure of the rear - left wheel is decreased , the increase rate of the braking pressure in the rear - right wheel is restricted . the fluid passage 61 , one of two fluid passages 60 and 61 through which the hydraulic pressure generated in the master cylinder 31 is transmitted to each brake , is designed to produce the same effect as that described above with regard to the front - right and the front - left wheels . a motor 40 drives two piston pumps 41 and 42 making use of an eccentric cam and the piston pumps 41 and 42 are independently connected to the braking system for the two front wheels and the braking system for the two rear wheels respectively . fig5 is another preferred embodiment which organizes an hydraulic anti - skid braking system for automobiles utilizing the second embodiment in fig3 . in the system , the hydraulic pressure produced in a master cylinder 2 is applied to flow control valves 7 , 8 , 9 and 10 which have the same configuration as the flow control valve 3 illustrated in fig3 through two independent fluid passages 41 and 42 , braking the front - left and the rear - right wheels , and the front - right and the rear - left wheels respectively , that is , two wheels connected to each fluid passage are arranged in a diagonal configuration . as a result of that organization , it is possible to carry out a relatively safe braking operation even though one of the two fluid passages 60 and 61 from the master cylinder 2 fails and the braking pressure differential between the right and left wheels is restrained from abruptly increasing so as to avoid the spinning of the automobile as illustrated in fig7 . fig6 is another preferred embodiment showing a hydraulic anti - skid braking system added a traction control system . in the system , a solenoid valve 70 and an one - way valve 71 as shown in the dotted line are added to the hydraulic anti - skid braking system of the present invention so that the system carries out all the functions the same as those of the system illustrated in fig4 and fig5 with the solenoid valve 70 being de - energized . on the other hand , by activating the solenoid valve 70 the system can carry out the traction control function which is able to provide the braking pressure without the operation of the brake pedal by the driver . as described above , the traction control function for automatically modulating the braking pressure of a automobile at accelerating movements and thereby improving the road - holding ability is possible , which permits braking pressure without the operation of the brake pedal by the driver to be selectively applied to each wheel by the operation of the piston pump 5 and the opening and closing of the solenoid valves 6 , 7 , and 70 which is added to the system .	1
fig1 and 2 are views of an example of a secondary wastewater clarifier comprising an upright generally cylindrical tank 10 with an open top and closed bottom , the tank including an upright side wall 12 and a floor 14 which slopes slightly downwardly from its periphery to its center causing the floor to be generally frustoconical . the floor may be flat in connection with the rankin scraper mechanism or other scraper mechanisms if desired . the tank is preferably constructed primarily of concrete , but may be constructed of other water - impervious materials such as steel . a feed line 16 leads to the center bottom of the tank and then vertically through the center of the floor 14 to the top of the tank . the feed line carries influent wastewater to the tank 10 from prior treatment stages . a plurality of ports 18 , through which the influent wastewater enters the tank , are disposed near the top of the feed line 16 at such a height that they are at or near the top wastewater line when the tank is filled and operating . the size and number of ports will vary according to the application , as is known to those skilled in the art . a bridge 20 , constructed of suitably strong and rigid material such as steel , is disposed over the top of the tank from the sidewall 12 to the top of the feed line 16 for access to the center of the tank . a vertically oriented rotatable cage 22 comprising a plurality of steel members is disposed beneath the bridge 20 and is placed coaxially to the vertical portion of the influent feed line 16 . the cage 22 is adapted to rotate around the feed line , and is powered by a drive motor 24 disposed on the access bridge 20 . a generally cylindrical energy dissipating inlet 26 is disposed at the top of the tank around the feed line 16 . the energy dissipating inlet 26 has an open top and a closed bottom 26a by which it is attached to the cage 22 , thereby being adapted to rotate therewith . the inlet 26 extends in the embodiment shown from the top down about one - quarter height of the tank . a plurality of ports and accompanying directional fins 28 are disposed around the periphery of the energy dissipating inlet 26 for passage of wastewater . the inlet 26 reduces energy and currents in influent wastewater introduced into the tank through the feed line ports 18 by containing it and constricting its passage into the tank through the ports and fins 28 . the fins are curved in the same direction of the rotational movement of the cage 22 , shown by arrow 29 in fig1 to reduce rotational current of the wastewater . it is desirable to minimize as much as possible any energy and resulting currents in the tank wastewater with the inlet 26 and other means in order efficiently to clarify the wastewater . nevertheless , a slight outward current from the center to the periphery of the tank is needed for the clarification process to function . alternative inlet constructions and energy dissipation devices will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of this disclosure . rake arms 30 and 32 are disposed near the bottom of the tank . they are attached at a proximal end to the cage 22 and radially extend toward the sidewall 12 . sludge scrapers 34 are attached to the rake arm bottoms and extend to the floor 14 of the tank . the scrapers 34 are preferably tapered curved or spiral scraper blades , as shown , but may comprise other arrangements , such as multiple straight blade scrapers , if desired . the scrapers are preferably tapered in sloped floor clarifiers , i . e ., they increase in depth toward the center to accommodate an increasing sludge depth and thereby uniformly transport it toward the center . as the cage 22 rotates under power of the drive motor 24 , the rake arms and scrapers move along the floor 14 of the tank , continually transporting the collected sludge toward the center of the tank . rake arms 30 and their attached scrapers extend the full length from the center to the sidewall of the tank , while rake arms 32 and their attached scrapers , called secondary scrapers , extend only partially from the center to the wall . secondary scrapers are generally only used in clarifiers more than about 35 meters in diameter , and may extend from the center to 25 to 100 percent of the tank radius . a generally cylindrical influent feedwell 36 extends downwardly from the top to about one - half the height of the tank , and is attached to and supported by the rake arms 30 and 32 by support members 38 . the feedwell 36 forces influent wastewater from the energy dissipating inlet 26 to pass downwardly under the feedwell bottom 36a and outwardly into the clarification zone 40 , thereby minimizing the amount of wastewater passing over the top edge of the clarifier without having had sufficient residence time in the clarification zone 40 . a radial skimmer blade 42 is disposed adjacent the sidewall 12 at the top of the tank and is supported by support members 44 from a rake arm 30 and the feedwell 36 . thus the skimmer 42 moves with the rake arm in a circle around the periphery of the tank skimming floating solids , or scum , from the surface of the wastewater and depositing them into a scum box 46 at the end of each revolution . the scum then travels through an outlet 48 to further processing stages . various designs of skimmers and scum boxes are known in the art . a launder 50 is mounted around the periphery of the tank on the sidewall 12 for the removal of clarified effluent wastewater from the top of the tank . an adjustable weir 52 is provided on the launder to balance the rate of liquid removed from the tank periphery , as is known in the art . referring now generally to fig2 and particularly to fig3 through 5 , an embodiment of a sludge collector according to the present invention is shown . the sludge collector comprises a constant velocity collection chamber 54 disposed on the floor 14 . the chamber 54 comprises a cavity within an exterior housing 55 constructed of suitably strong material such as steel . the chamber 54 is curved around the feed line 16 except in the area 56 , shown in fig3 thereby describing an incomplete circular path preferably 10 to 20 percent of the radial distance from the center of the tank with its focus being at or near the tank center . the chamber has ends 54a in the area 56 to eliminate a dead zone . an outlet pipe 58 at the chamber &# 39 ; s midpoint transports sludge from the chamber . a plurality of preferably relatively small sludge inlets 59 comprising apertures in the housing 55 are disposed around the periphery of the chamber 54 for the uniform withdrawal of concentrated sludge from the bottom of the sludge blanket . the inlets 59 are preferably of uniform size and spacing such that they each withdraw the same amount of sludge , and are placed adjacent or near the floor 14 to limit localized sludge blanket drawdown and short - circuiting and increase collected sludge concentrations . the exact size and spacing of the inlets will vary according to the type , size , shape , and function of the clarifier . the chamber 54 is preferably maintained under a negative pressure produced by a suitable mechanism such as a pump or sludge decanting arrangement ( not shown ), which will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of this disclosure . the negative pressure is adjustable in the preferred embodiment in order to vary the sludge underflow rate removed through the outlet pipe 58 , as desired . in secondary clarifiers , a major portion of the activated sludge is recycled at controlled rates to the biological aerators by conventional means while the remainder is directed to sludge treatment stages . the sludge collected in the chamber 54 will move generally from its ends 54a , increasing in volume of each inlet , to the outlet pipe 58 under the differential pressure of the pump or the decant device . while the height of the chamber 54 , shown by arrows 60 in fig5 is constant , the width , shown by arrows 62 in fig5 preferably increases from the ends 54a of the chamber to the outlet pipe 58 to accommodate the differing amounts of sludge in the chamber . as shown , the width increases continually , but may alternatively be made to increase in stages , e . g ., from inlet to inlet . the increasing size of the chamber 54 as it goes from the ends 54a to the outlet pipe 58 allows the sludge inside to travel from the ends to the outlet pipe at approximately a constant velocity . those skilled in the art will recognize that other constructions of constant velocity chambers are possible , such as , e . g ., increasing the height of the chamber . variants of constant velocity collection chambers have been used in other applications such as rotary distributors for trickling filters and suction header collectors for flat floor sludge removal . though a curvilinear collection chamber is preferred because of hydraulic principles , any collection chamber which bends generally around the central tank column will work , such as square , hectagonal or octagonal designs . a portion 14a of the floor 14 is raised inside the sludge collection chamber 54 . scrapers 64 attached beneath the rake arms 30 remove accumulated sludge from the central portion 14a of the floor and urge it outwardly toward the sludge collector inlets 59 . in the preferred embodiment , the scrapers 64 have a reverse orientation from the main scrapers 34 in order to urge sludge outwardly from the center of the tank instead of inwardly from the sidewall . an inlet scraper 66 , shown in fig4 is provided on one of the rake arms 30 adjacent the periphery of the chamber 54 . the inlet scraper rotates with the rotation of the rake arm 30 to prevent large solids accumulation and blockage of the sludge inlets 59 . fig6 shows the flow path over time of a concentrated sludge particle 67 in the clarifier shown in fig1 through 5 from the tank sidewall 12 to where the particle is adjacent the sludge collection chamber 54 . circles 69 schematically indicate 10 percent radial increments of the tank radius from its center to the sidewall 12 . as shown in fig1 through 4 , the clarifier &# 39 ; s scraper blades are preferably curved or spiral and constructed of sufficient depth to contain the sludge being transported . additionally , the scraper blades are preferably oriented to rotate counter - clockwise , if the sewage treatment facility is located in the northern hemisphere , or clockwise , in the southern hemisphere , to take advantage of the coriolis effect . the transport efficiency and capacity of the spiral scrapers are a function of the mechanism design and operating characteristics , of which some key factors are the number of blades , the angle of blade attack , the tapered depth of the blades , the blade tip speed and the relative depth of sludge to scraper blade depth . the scrapers and sludge collection device shown in fig1 through 5 are designed to be harmonious such that neither component unduly restrains sludge flow along the tank floor 14 through the sludge collection chamber 54 to the outlet pipe 58 . at the same time , the sludge must be retained in the tank long enough sufficiently to concentrate it , about 50 to 80 minutes . the sludge transport time to the collector should not fall below that interval , nor should it exceed it , in order to keep the sludge fresh . in the clarifier embodiment shown in fig1 through 5 , the transport time will be approximately 61 minutes given the following characteristics : ______________________________________tank diameter = 61 mblade tip speed = 4 . 5 m / minangle of blade attack = 30 degreestapered blade depth = 300 to 1000 mmtransport efficiency = 0 . 70______________________________________ fig7 schematically depicts what effect the sludge collector of the present invention has on the depth of the sludge blanket on the tank floor 14 given the above clarifier characteristics . the solid line 84 depicts the calculated depth of the sludge blanket in front of a scraper , schematically depicted by dashed line 34 , without the sludge being withdrawn from the tank . as the accumulated sludge is forced toward the center of the tank and thus a smaller zone , the sludge depth increases geometrically . from this calculation the optimum design of the scrapers and the location and design of the sludge collector can be established . the addition of the sludge chamber 54 creates hydraulic effects which reduce the depth of the resulting sludge blanket 86 near the center of the tank and increase the depth away from the tank &# 39 ; s center . fig8 and 9 show another example of a sludge collection device according to the invention comprising an annular collection chamber 68 of increasing width , similar to the chamber 54 in fig3 through 5 , except that the chamber 68 is completely annular and attached to the underside of the rake arms 30 and 32 , causing it to rotate therewith , instead of attached to the tank floor . additionally , the width of the chamber 68 increases incrementally in stages instead of continuously . a pair of reverse direction center scrapers 70 , corresponding to the scrapers 64 in fig3 and 4 , are disposed under the chamber 68 to urge sludge collected in the center of the tank floor outwardly toward the chamber 68 . a plurality of sludge inlets 72 , of similar spacing and size to the inlets 59 in fig3 and 4 , are disposed on the bottom of the chamber 68 , rather than on its side as in fig3 and 4 , for the collection of concentrated sludge from the sludge blanket on the tank floor . an outlet pipe 74 leads from the widest portion of the chamber upwardly to the center cage 22 , where the collected sludge travels to further processing stages or recycled to the aeration basin . fig8 and 9 illustrate that the sludge collector of the invention need not be located directly on the tank floor , though the sludge inlets should be located near , either above or below , the floor for the collector to operate efficiently . additionally , though the incomplete annular shape of the chamber 54 in fig3 and 4 is preferred and causes more efficient sludge flow to the outlet pipe , the chamber may be a complete annulus as shown in fig8 and 9 , if desired . there may be 2 to 4 uptake pipes 74 utilized in a retrofit improvement , if desired . the inlets 72 may be advantageously grouped together ahead of the scraper 34 to take advantage of the pressure caused by their rotational movement , if desired . referring now to fig1 and 11 , another example of a sludge collector according to the invention is shown which is similar to the collector shown in fig2 through 5 except that its chamber 76 has a uniform cross - section throughout and its sludge inlets 78 are spaced non - uniformly . since the chamber 76 is not a constant velocity collection chamber , the inlets 78 are spaced closer nearer the outlet pipe 58 and farther apart away from the outlet pipe in order to ensure a uniform withdrawal of sludge from the sludge blanket . the positive hydraulic and / or negative supplied pressure urging the sludge in the chamber toward the outlet pipe is greater nearer the outlet . referring now to fig1 and 13 , another example of a sludge collector according to the invention is shown which is similar to the collector shown in fig2 through 5 except that its chamber 80 has a uniform cross - section throughout and its sludge inlets 82 are of non - uniform size . since the chamber 80 , like the chamber 76 in fig1 and 11 , is not a constant velocity collection chamber , the inlets 82 are larger nearer the outlet pipe 58 and smaller away from the outlet pipe in order to ensure a uniform withdrawal of sludge from the sludge blanket . the increasing size of the inlets toward the outlet pipe serves the same function as the decreasing inlet spacing in fig1 and 11 . both inlet sizing and spacing may be varied according to the needs of the specific application . referring now to fig1 and 15 , a sludge collector is shown having a chamber 88 similar to the chamber 54 in fig3 through 5 except that instead of being disposed on top of the floor 14 , the chamber 88 is imbedded in the floor 14 with its top being flush therewith . in this case , the inlets 90 are disposed on top of the chamber for the collection of sludge . a sludge collector of the present invention will tend to remove only the more concentrated sludge and will reduce short - circuiting of mixed liquor to the underflow due to the reduced quantity withdrawn at each inlet . the result is a more concentrated sludge underflow and a lower return flow rate . the collector 54 may also be located in a trench with the top inlets 90 located below the top of floor 14 and provide all the benefits set forth . the following examples demonstrate different configurations of the sludge collector and scraper blades depending on clarifier tank conditions and process requirements . a secondary clarifier tank of 40 m diameter , 4 . 75 m sidewater depth , and 6 . 0 m centerwater depth received 0 . 5 m 3 / s of mixed liquor wastewater having suspended solids ( mlss ) of 3000 mg / l . settling tests demonstrated that solids settle out of the mixed liquor to 12 , 000 mg / l suspended solids in the sludge , producing an underflow sludge volume of 0 . 167 m 3 / s . a sludge collector of the type described in fig1 through 5 had an outside diameter of 0 . 15 percent of the tank diameter , or 6 m . the spiral scraper blades tapered from 200 mm deep at the sidewall to 750 mm deep near the sludge collector . since the depth of concentrated sludge ( as measured near the center of the tank ) could be 1 . 25 m without exceeding the conical zone of the tank , the number of sludge inlets in the sludge collector was minimized and the inlets were made relatively large . eight uniformly spaced inlets were used , each 75 mm high and 275 mm long . each inlet collected sludge at a rate of 0 . 021 m / s . the sludge collection chamber cross - sectional area at its ends was approximately 21 , 000 mm 2 , 275 mm high by 75 mm wide . the collector area increased to approximately 84 , 000 mm 2 , 275 mm high by 300 mm wide , at the fourth inlet on each side of the outlet pipe . the flow volume was about 0 . 083 m 3 / s through the four inlets on each half of the chamber . a secondary clarifier tank of 40 m diameter , 4 . 75 m sidewater depth , 5 . 05 m centerwater depth , and floor slope of 0 . 015 m / m received 0 . 5 m 3 / s of mixed liquor wastewater having suspended solids ( mlss ) of 3000 mg / l . the existing rankin suction header sludge removal system was replaced by spiral scrapers and the central sludge collector of fig1 through 5 . the sludge collector had an outside diameter of 0 . 15 percent of the tank diameter , or 6 m . the spiral scrapers had a depth of 450 mm at the sidewall and 750 mm adjacent the collector . concentrated sludge is thixotropic and tends to flow outward , but the deeper spiral scrapers continuously moved the sludge to the central sludge collector at a rate exceeding the sludge withdrawal rate . the maximum sludge depth at the collector was in the range of 0 . 75 m . while the target sludge underflow density was 12 , 000 mg / l , the design allowed for lower concentrations given the shallow floor slope and limited sludge depth . the sludge collector was designed to remove a sludge volume of 0 . 200 m 3 / s at a 10 , 000 mg / l suspended solids concentration . the sludge collector was fitted with 12 inlets with a total area of about 267 , 000 mm 2 . each opening was 75 mm high by 300 mm wide , 22 , 200 mm 2 area , with a sludge withdrawal velocity of 0 . 75 m / s . the collector had a cross - section of 24 , 000 mm 2 , 300 mm high by 80 mm wide , at its ends , expanding to 134 , 000 mm 2 , 300 mm high by 450 mm wide , at the sixth inlet on each side of the outlet pipe . as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art in light of this disclosure , particularly the different embodiments of the sludge collector described above , various configurations of the collector &# 39 ; s basic design are possible while retaining its advantages and remaining within the scope of the invention . the overall design of the described embodiments of the invention can be modified and varied while remaining within the scope of the invention as embodied in the appended claims .	1
the drug delivery device illustrated in fig1 comprises a main body 14 that extends from a proximal end 16 to a distal end 15 . at the distal end 15 , a removable end cap or cover 18 is provided . this end cap 18 and the distal end 15 of the main body 14 work together to provide a snap fit or form fit connection so that once the cover 18 is slid onto the distal end 15 of the main body 14 , this frictional fit between the cap and the main body outer surface 20 prevents the cover from inadvertently falling off the main body . the main body 14 contains a micro - processor control unit , an electro - mechanical drive train , and at least two medicament reservoirs . when the end cap or cover 18 is removed from the device 10 ( as illustrated in fig1 ), a dispense interface 200 is mounted to the distal end 15 of the main body 14 , and a dose dispenser ( e . g ., a needle assembly ) is attached to the interface . the drug delivery device 10 can be used to administer a computed dose of a second medicament ( secondary drug compound ) and a variable dose of a first medicament ( primary drug compound ) through a single needle assembly , such as a double ended needle assembly . a control panel region 60 is provided near the proximal end of the main body 14 . preferably , this control panel region 60 comprises a digital display 80 along with a plurality of human interface elements that can be manipulated by a user to set and inject a combined dose . in this arrangement , the control panel region comprises a first dose setting button 62 , a second dose setting button 64 and a third button 66 designated with the symbol “ ok .” in addition , along the most proximal end of the main body , an injection button 74 is also provided ( not visible in the perspective view of fig1 ). the cartridge holder 40 can be removably attached to the main body 14 and may contain at least two cartridge retainers 50 and 52 . each retainer is configured so as to contain one medicament reservoir , such as a glass cartridge . preferably , each cartridge contains a different medicament . in addition , at the distal end of the cartridge holder 40 , the drug delivery device illustrated in fig1 includes a dispense interface 200 . as will be described in relation to fig4 , in one arrangement , this dispense interface 200 includes a main outer body 212 that is removably attached to a distal end 42 of the cartridge housing 40 . as can be seen in fig1 , a distal end 214 of the dispense interface 200 preferably comprises a needle hub 216 . this needle hub 216 may be configured so as to allow a dose dispenser , such as a conventional pen type injection needle assembly , to be removably mounted to the drug delivery device 10 . once the device is turned on , the digital display 80 shown in fig1 illuminates and provides the user certain device information , preferably information relating to the medicaments contained within the cartridge holder 40 . for example , the user is provided with certain information relating to both the primary medicament ( drug a ) and the secondary medicament ( drug b ). as shown in fig3 , the first and a second cartridge retainers 50 , 52 comprise hinged cartridge retainers . these hinged retainers allow user access to the cartridges . fig3 illustrates a perspective view of the cartridge holder 40 illustrated in fig1 with the first hinged cartridge retainer 50 in an open position . fig3 illustrates how a user might access the first cartridge 90 by opening up the first retainer 50 and thereby having access to the first cartridge 90 . as mentioned above when discussing fig1 , a dispense interface 200 is coupled to the distal end of the cartridge holder 40 . fig4 illustrates a flat view of the dispense interface 200 unconnected to the distal end of the cartridge holder 40 . a dose dispenser or needle assembly that may be used with the interface 200 is also illustrated and is provided in a protective outer cap 420 . in fig5 , the dispense interface 200 illustrated in fig4 is shown coupled to the cartridge holder 40 . the axial attachment means between the dispense interface 200 and the cartridge holder 40 can be any known axial attachment means to those skilled in the art , including snap locks , snap fits , snap rings , keyed slots , and combinations of such connections . the connection or attachment between the dispense interface and the cartridge holder may also contain additional features ( not shown ), such as connectors , stops , splines , ribs , grooves , pips , clips and the like design features , that ensure that specific hubs are attachable only to matching drug delivery devices . such additional features would prevent the insertion of a non - appropriate secondary cartridge to a non - matching injection device . fig5 also illustrates the needle assembly 400 and protective cover 420 coupled to the distal end of the dispense interface 200 that may be screwed onto the needle hub of the interface 200 . fig6 illustrates a cross sectional view of the double ended needle assembly 402 mounted on the dispense interface 200 in fig5 . the needle assembly 400 illustrated in fig6 comprises a double ended needle 406 and a hub 401 . the double ended needle or cannula 406 is fixedly mounted in a needle hub 401 . this needle hub 401 comprises a circular disk shaped element which has along its periphery a circumferential depending sleeve 403 . along an inner wall of this hub member 401 , a thread 404 is provided . this thread 404 allows the needle hub 401 to be screwed onto the dispense interface 200 which , in one preferred arrangement , is provided with a corresponding outer thread along a distal hub . at a center portion of the hub element 401 there is provided a protrusion 402 . this protrusion 402 projects from the hub in an opposite direction of the sleeve member . a double ended needle 406 is mounted centrally through the protrusion 402 and the needle hub 401 . this double ended needle 406 is mounted such that a first or distal piercing end 405 of the double ended needle forms an injecting part for piercing an injection site ( e . g ., the skin of a user ). similarly , a second or proximal piercing end 406 of the needle assembly 400 protrudes from an opposite side of the circular disc so that it is concentrically surrounded by the sleeve 403 . in one needle assembly arrangement , the second or proximal piercing end 406 may be shorter than the sleeve 403 so that this sleeve to some extent protects the pointed end of the back sleeve . the needle cover cap 420 illustrated in fig4 and 5 provides a form fit around the outer surface 403 of the hub 401 . referring now to fig4 to 11 , one preferred arrangement of this interface 200 will now be discussed . in this one preferred arrangement , this interface 200 comprises : the main outer body 210 comprises a main body proximal end 212 and a main body distal end 214 . at the proximal end 212 of the outer body 210 , a connecting member is configured so as to allow the dispense interface 200 to be attached to the distal end of the cartridge holder 40 . preferably , the connecting member is configured so as to allow the dispense interface 200 to be removably connected the cartridge holder 40 . in one preferred interface arrangement , the proximal end of the interface 200 is configured with an upwardly extending wall 218 having at least one recess . for example , as may be seen from fig8 , the upwardly extending wall 218 comprises at least a first recess 217 and a second recess 219 . preferably , the first and the second recesses 217 , 219 are positioned within this main outer body wall so as to cooperate with an outwardly protruding member located near the distal end of the cartridge housing 40 of the drug delivery device 10 . for example , this outwardly protruding member 48 of the cartridge housing may be seen in fig4 and 5 . a second similar protruding member is provided on the opposite side of the cartridge housing . as such , when the interface 200 is axially slid over the distal end of the cartridge housing 40 , the outwardly protruding members will cooperate with the first and second recess 217 , 219 to form an interference fit , form fit , or snap lock . alternatively , and as those of skill in the art will recognize , any other similar connection mechanism that allows for the dispense interface and the cartridge housing 40 to be axially coupled could be used as well . the main outer body 210 and the distal end of the cartridge holder 40 act to form an axially engaging snap lock or snap fit arrangement that could be axially slid onto the distal end of the cartridge housing . in one alternative arrangement , the dispense interface 200 may be provided with a coding feature so as to prevent inadvertent dispense interface cross use . that is , the inner body of the hub could be geometrically configured so as to prevent an inadvertent cross use of one or more dispense interfaces . a mounting hub is provided at a distal end of the main outer body 210 of the dispense interface 200 . such a mounting hub can be configured to be releasably connected to a needle assembly . as just one example , this connecting means 216 may comprise an outer thread that engages an inner thread provided along an inner wall surface of a needle hub of a needle assembly , such as the needle assembly 400 illustrated in fig6 . alternative releasable connectors may also be provided such as a snap lock , a snap lock released through threads , a bayonet lock , a form fit , or other similar connection arrangements . the dispense interface 200 further comprises a first inner body 220 . certain details of this inner body are illustrated in fig8 - 11 . preferably , this first inner body 220 is coupled to an inner surface 215 of the extending wall 218 of the main outer body 210 . more preferably , this first inner body 220 is coupled by way of a rib and groove form fit arrangement to an inner surface of the outer body 210 . for example , as can be seen from fig9 , the extending wall 218 of the main outer body 210 is provided with a first rib 213 a and a second rib 213 b . this first rib 213 a is also illustrated in fig1 . these ribs 213 a and 213 b are positioned along the inner surface 215 of the wall 218 of the outer body 210 and create a form fit or snap lock engagement with cooperating grooves 224 a and 224 b of the first inner body 220 . in a preferred arrangement , these cooperating grooves 224 a and 224 b are provided along an outer surface 222 of the first inner body 220 . in addition , as can be seen in fig8 - 10 , a proximal surface 226 near the proximal end of the first inner body 220 may be configured with at least a first proximally positioned piercing needle 240 comprising a proximal piercing end portion 244 . similarly , the first inner body 220 is configured with a second proximally positioned piercing needle 250 comprising a proximally piercing end portion 254 . both the first and second needles 240 , 250 are rigidly mounted on the proximal surface 226 of the first inner body 220 . preferably , this dispense interface 200 further comprises a valve arrangement . such a valve arrangement could be constructed so as to prevent cross contamination of the first and second medicaments contained in the first and second reservoirs , respectively . a preferred valve arrangement may also be configured so as to prevent back flow and cross contamination of the first and second medicaments . in one preferred system , dispense interface 200 includes a valve arrangement in the form of a valve seal 260 . such a valve seal 260 may be provided within a cavity 231 defined by the second inner body 230 , so as to form a holding chamber 280 . preferably , cavity 231 resides along an upper surface of the second inner body 230 . this valve seal comprises an upper surface that defines both a first fluid groove 264 and second fluid groove 266 . for example , fig9 illustrates the position of the valve seal 260 , seated between the first inner body 220 and the second inner body 230 . during an injection step , this seal valve 260 helps to prevent the primary medicament in the first pathway from migrating to the secondary medicament in the second pathway , while also preventing the secondary medicament in the second pathway from migrating to the primary medicament in the first pathway . preferably , this seal valve 260 comprises a first non - return valve 262 and a second non - return valve 268 . as such , the first non - return valve 262 prevents fluid transferring along the first fluid pathway 264 , for example a groove in the seal valve 260 , from returning back into this pathway 264 . similarly , the second non - return valve 268 prevents fluid transferring along the second fluid pathway 266 from returning back into this pathway 266 . together , the first and second grooves 264 , 266 converge towards the non - return valves 262 and 268 respectively , to then provide for an output fluid path or a holding chamber 280 . this holding chamber 280 is defined by an inner chamber defined by a distal end of the second inner body both the first and the second non return valves 262 , 268 along with a pierceable septum 270 . as illustrated , this pierceable septum 270 is positioned between a distal end portion of the second inner body 230 and an inner surface defined by the needle hub of the main outer body 210 . the holding chamber 280 terminates at an outlet port of the interface 200 . this outlet port 290 is preferably centrally located in the needle hub of the interface 200 and assists in maintaining the pierceable seal 270 in a stationary position . as such , when a double ended needle assembly is attached to the needle hub of the interface ( such as the double ended needle illustrated in fig6 ), the output fluid path allows both medicaments to be in fluid communication with the attached needle assembly . the hub interface 200 further comprises a second inner body 230 . as can be seen from fig9 , this second inner body 230 has an upper surface that defines a recess , and the valve seal 260 is positioned within this recess . therefore , when the interface 200 is assembled as shown in fig9 , the second inner body 230 will be positioned between a distal end of the outer body 210 and the first inner body 220 . together , second inner body 230 and the main outer body hold the septum 270 in place . the distal end of the inner body 230 may also form a cavity or holding chamber that can be configured to be fluid communication with both the first groove 264 and the second groove 266 of the valve seal . axially sliding the main outer body 210 over the distal end of the drug delivery device attaches the dispense interface 200 to the multi - use device . in this manner , a fluid communication may be created between the first needle 240 and the second needle 250 with the primary medicament of the first cartridge and the secondary medicament of the second cartridge , respectively . fig1 illustrates the dispense interface 200 after it has been mounted onto the distal end 42 of the cartridge holder 40 of the drug delivery device 10 illustrated in fig1 . a double ended needle 400 is also mounted to the distal end of this interface . the cartridge holder 40 is illustrated as having a first cartridge containing a first medicament and a second cartridge containing a second medicament . when the interface 200 is first mounted over the distal end of the cartridge holder 40 , the proximal piercing end 244 of the first piercing needle 240 pierces the septum of the first cartridge 90 and thereby resides in fluid communication with the primary medicament 92 of the first cartridge 90 . a distal end of the first piercing needle 240 will also be in fluid communication with a first fluid path groove 264 defined by the valve seal 260 . similarly , the proximal piercing end 254 of the second piercing needle 250 pierces the septum of the second cartridge 100 and thereby resides in fluid communication with the secondary medicament 102 of the second cartridge 100 . a distal end of this second piercing needle 250 will also be in fluid communication with a second fluid path groove 266 defined by the valve seal 260 . fig1 illustrates a preferred arrangement of such a dispense interface 200 that is coupled to a distal end 15 of the main body 14 of drug delivery device 10 . preferably , such a dispense interface 200 is removably coupled to the cartridge holder 40 of the drug delivery device 10 . as illustrated in fig1 , the dispense interface 200 is coupled to the distal end of a cartridge housing 40 . this cartridge holder 40 is illustrated as containing the first cartridge 90 containing the primary medicament 92 and the second cartridge 100 containing the secondary medicament 102 . once coupled to the cartridge housing 40 , the dispense interface 200 essentially provides a mechanism for providing a fluid communication path from the first and second cartridges 90 , 100 to the common holding chamber 280 . this holding chamber 280 is illustrated as being in fluid communication with a dose dispenser . here , as illustrated , this dose dispenser comprises the double ended needle assembly 400 . as illustrated , the proximal end of the double ended needle assembly is in fluid communication with the chamber 280 . in one preferred arrangement , the dispense interface is configured so that it attaches to the main body in only one orientation , that is it is fitted only one way round . as such as illustrated in fig1 , once the dispense interface 200 is attached to the cartridge holder 40 , the primary needle 240 can only be used for fluid communication with the primary medicament 92 of the first cartridge 90 and the interface 200 would be prevented from being reattached to the holder 40 so that the primary needle 240 could now be used for fluid communication with the secondary medicament 102 of the second cartridge 100 . such a one way around connecting mechanism may help to reduce potential cross contamination between the two medicaments 92 and 102 . fig1 a - d illustrate the production of a y - channel with git / wit . it will only be described with respect to git , but the description can be used for wit in an analogue manner . turning first to fig1 a , one can see a device 300 comprising a mold 302 , and an injection site 304 for molten plastic and a second injection site 306 for gas . in this step of the production , molten plastic 308 is inserted via a first guide 312 into the mold 302 . the outer part of the molten plastic 308 starts to cool down while the inner part is being kept hot . right before or right after the end of the molten plastic injection process , the gas injection via the guide 310 can start . the gas is preferably an inert gas , for example nitrogen . as illustrated in fig1 b , a y - channel 314 is formed within the molten plastic 308 , which is pushed to the walls of the mold 302 and solidifies as a plastic part 316 . after the plastic part 316 has cooled down , it can be taken out of the mold 302 . the produced plastic part 316 with the y - channel 314 as illustrated in fig1 c has a first arm 318 , a second arm 320 and a third arm 322 . these three arms 318 , 320 , 322 each have an end 324 , 326 and 328 , respectively . the two arms 318 , 320 form an angle which is smaller than 180 °. the third arm 322 extends away from said angle . the second arm 320 has at its end 326 an opening 330 due to the gas injection guide 310 . along the lines 332 , 334 , 338 the ends 324 , 326 , 328 are cut off from the plastic part 316 . by this step all three ends 324 , 326 , 328 are opened . this cutting is preferably done with mechanical means , but it can also be done by laser cutting , for example . as can be seen in fig1 d the three arms 318 , 320 , 322 of the plastic part 316 with the y - channel 314 have now defined openings 340 , 342 and 344 , respectively . through the openings 340 and 342 preferably two different medicaments 92 , 102 can enter the y - channel 314 and through the opening 344 a mixture of the two medicaments 92 , 102 can exit the y - channel 314 . fig1 e shows another exemplary embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention . similar to the plastic part 316 shown in fig1 d , the plastic part 316 ′ shown in fig1 e has three ends 324 ′, 326 ′, 328 ′, which have the openings 340 ′, 342 ′ and 344 ′, respectively . the plastic part 316 ′ can be produced in the same way as the plastic part 316 . in contrast to the plastic pat 316 shown in fig1 e , the ends 340 ′ and 342 ′ extend substantially parallel to each other . in this case they also extend parallel to the third end 328 ′, such that if the axis of the third end 328 ′ defines a downward direction , the first end 324 ′ and second end 326 ′ extend substantially in the upward direction . this further facilitates the manufacturing process . moreover , this further facilitates the insertion of needles into the ends 324 ′ and 326 ′. fig1 illustrates a cross - sectional view of a dispense interface 200 similar to the one illustrated in fig9 . the dispense interface 200 illustrated in fig1 shows the plastic part 316 and the y - channel 314 illustrated in fig1 d . the plastic part 316 is integrated via form fit into a first inner body 220 ′. together with a second half of the inner body ( not illustrated ) the plastic part 316 can be fixed in between the inner bodies , for example . the inner body 220 ′ can then be attached to the main outer body 210 in the already described manner . the piercing needle 240 is attached to the opening 340 of the first arm 318 of the y - channel 314 . accordingly the piercing needle 250 is attached to the opening 342 of the second arm 320 of the y - channel 314 . the attachment of the needles 240 , 250 to the y - channel 314 can be realised by any appropriate method , for example form fit or force fit connections , or by adhesive bonding . the third opening 344 of the y - channel 314 is sealed by a pierceable septum 270 . those features shown in fig1 , which are also shown in fig9 , are further described in connection with the description of fig9 .	8
there are two main approaches for incorporating radiohalogens into peptides . the first approach is direct labelling of the parent molecule . tyrosine residues , for example , can be labelled through electrophilic iodination 3 , iodogen 4 , or with the bolton - hunter reagent . 5 the main disadvantage of these strategies is that the regioselectivity and stoichiometry of the labelling reaction is often hard to control . the second approach involves reaction of a labelled precursor bearing an activated ester functionality , which will react with pendent amino groups on the peptide . when attention is paid to reaction conditions , the resulting amide bonds can be formed regioselectively . two of the most common labelling agents are , n - succinimidyl 4 -[ 18 f ] fluorobenzoate ([ 18 f ] sfb ) and n - succinimidyl 3 -[ 131 i ] iodobenzoate ( sib ). 6 , 7 the 18 f - and 125 i - derivatives are typically synthesised by nucleophilic substitution and destannylation reactions , respectively ( scheme 1 ). in order to best illustrate the utility of the fluorous synthesis approach for radiopharmaceutical development , a model compound , which was both useful and amenable to different labelling approaches , was chosen . in this way , the target compound became tris ( perfluorohexylethyl ) tin - 3 or 4 - benzoic acid ( compound 2 . 1 or 2 . 2 ). it was hoped that 2 . 1 and / or 2 . 2 would facilitate labelling with a variety of isotopes including ([ 18 f ] f 2 and [ 125 i ] 2 ), and permit conjugation to a variety of amino terminated compounds and biomolecules both prior to and after labelling . the “ fluorous tag ” used throughout this research was bromo [ tris ( 2 - perfluorohexylethyl ) tin ] ( 2 . 3 ), which was prepared following the method of curran et al . 8 compound 2 . 3 was synthesised via the arylstannyl , 2 . 4 , which in turn was prepared using a grignard reaction of phenyltintrichloride and 2 - perfluorohexyl - 1 - iodoethane ( scheme 2 ). removal of the homocoupled impurity by vacuum distillation and subsequent column chromatography yielded 2 . 4 in 75 % yield . the 1 h nmr of 2 . 4 in cdcl 3 showed a singlet at 7 . 33 ppm ( 5h , aromatic ) along with the triplet at 1 . 23 ppm ( with sn satellites 2 j sn , h = 51 . 7 hz ) and multiplet at 2 . 24 ppm corresponding to the methylene protons α and β to the tin . the 13 c nmr shows three aromatic signals at 129 . 06 ppm , 129 . 65 ppm , 136 . 08 ppm . the 13 c nmr resonances at − 1 . 49 ppm and triplet at 27 . 74 ppm ( 3 j f , c = 23 . 5 hz ) correspond to the carbons α and β to tin respectively . the negative ion electrospray mass spectrum of compound 2 . 4 gave peaks at m / z = 1297 [ m + oac − h ] − and m / z = 1283 . 0 [ m + oac − ch 3 ] − . in addition , the ir spectrum reveals strong absorbances corresponding to the aromatic ring at 2962 , 2928 , 2874 , and 2862 cm − 1 . these findings are consistent with literature values . 8 compound 2 . 4 was subsequently reacted with excess bromine and 2 . 3 was purified through vacuum distillation , yielding the desired product in 97 % yield . conversion of 2 . 4 to 2 . 3 was confirmed through disappearance of aromatic resonances in 1 h and 13 c nmr spectra . in addition , substitution of the electronegative bromine shifts 1 h and 13 c signals for the nuclei α to the tin to lower field . the effect is quite dramatic ; the 1 h α chemical shift increases from 1 . 23 ppm to 1 . 57 ppm with sn satellites ( 2 j sn , h = 54 . 1 hz ), while the 13 c α signal shifts from − 1 . 49 ppm to 6 . 11 ppm . the 13 c resonances for the fluorine bearing carbon atoms appear as highly coupled multiplets from 108 . 86 ppm to 121 . 71 ppm . the negative ion electrospray mass spectrum for 2 . 3 gave a single peak at m / z = 1279 . 5 [ m + oac ] − . these results are also consistent with literature findings . 8 four strategies for the synthesis of 2 . 1 were undertaken ( scheme 3 ). each involves nucleophilic attack of an organometallic reagent onto the tin - bromide compound ( 2 . 3 ). in the first approach , a , the procedure of zalutsky et al . 4 , which was used to prepare n - succinimidyl - 3 -( tri - n - butylstannyl ) benzoate , was employed . reaction of 2 . 3 with excess of the dilithiated species ( 2 . 6 ) successfully generated 2 . 1 . purification of the fluorous material was facilitated through a triphasic extraction into fc - 72 ® from dichloromethane and water . unfortunately , the extent of benzoic acid incorporation into the final product was consistently & lt ; 35 % of total available sites . the extent of product ( aryl - stannane ) formation vs . unreacted starting material ( bromo - stannane ) was determined using 1 h nmr . integration of 1 h α , β signals for the two different chemical environments , with respect to one another and to the aromatic protons provides a reasonable assessment of the extent of incorporation ( fig1 ). purification was attempted though column chromatography in accordance with the methods described by curran et al . 9 due to the similarity in r f values between 2 . 1 and 2 . 3 , no level of separation could be attained . approach b involved modifying the procedure described by lequan et al . for the synthesis of p -( phenylmethylisopropylstannyl ) benzoic acid . 10 the mono - anion of p - dibromobenzene was reacted with 2 . 3 , yielding 2 . 8 quantitatively . unfortunately , repeated attempts to lithiate 2 . 8 were unsuccessful , preventing the successive reaction with co 2 . approach c was based on the method reported by milius et al . for the synthesis of 4 - tri - n - butylstannyl - benzoic acid oxazoline . 11 the appeal of the oxazoline protecting group was its stability to grignard reaction conditions , and , more importantly , its ability to be deprotected under mild , non acidic conditions . the precursor , compound 2 . 9 , was synthesised by treatment of p - bromobenzoic acid with thionyl chloride to give the acid chloride . the acid chloride was subsequently reacted with 2 - amino - 2 - methyl - propanol to afford the amide . treatment of the amide with thionyl chloride in the absence of solvent induced cyclization to the oxazoline ring , generating 2 . 9 in 95 % yield . 1 h nmr of compound 2 . 9 showed a singlet at 1 . 42 ppm ( 6h ), singlet at 4 . 17 ppm ( 2h ) and doublets at 7 . 56 ( 2h ) and 7 . 87 ppm ( 2h ). the 13 c nmr and the electron impact mass spectrum ( m / z = 254 ) for 2 . 9 also agree well with the literature . 12 formation of the grignard was sluggish , and necessitated the addition of 1 , 2 - dibromoethane in order to promote the reaction . eventually , 2 . 3 was quantitatively converted to 2 . 10 , which was purified through a triphasic extraction and isolated in a 90 % yield . the 1 h nmr of 2 . 10 showed the typical shift in h α , β to higher field . the 1 h nmr also revealed peaks at 1 . 40 ppm and 4 . 14 ppm from the oxazoline group , and aromatic signals at 7 . 44 ppm and 7 . 97 ppm . similarly , the 13 c nmr showed the c α signal shift to a higher field of − 1 . 25 ppm , in addition to the appearance of methyl carbons at 28 . 5 ppm and aromatic resonances at 128 . 4 ppm and 136 . 0 ppm . the negative ion electrospray mass spectrum gave a peak at m / z = 1394 [ m + oac ] − . in order to facilitate cleavage of the oxazoline group under basic conditions , it was necessary to convert the oxazoline to the oxazolinium ion . in all instances , reaction with methylodide under mild reaction conditions yielded none of the desired quatemerized product . alternatively , under the vigorous reaction conditions suggested by literature , cleavage of the aryl - stannyl bond occurred . 13 approach d required the initial synthesis of a thiol protected intermediate , tripropyl 4 - bromoorthothiobenzoate 2 . 11 . the reaction pathway for d ( scheme 4 ) was applied originally to the synthesis of the analogous silicon fluorous compound . 9 the synthesis of the precursor 2 . 11 involved reaction of p - bromobenzoic acid with t hionyl chloride to generate the acid chloride , which was then reacted with excess propane thiol in the presence of alcl 3 . despite the fact that a great deal of attention was paid to ensuring reagent quality ( alcl 3 was freshly sublimed and propane thiol was freshly distilled ), the crude reaction product consisted of only one or two condensed propane thiol groups . the orthothiobenzoate was never observed as it was described in the paper by studer et al . 9 the successful methodology , approach e ( scheme 4 ), entailed adaptation of research by xizhen , z et al ., who established the feasibility of synthesising arylstannanes using organozinc reagents . 14 the use of the robust organozinc reagents , rather than organolithium reagents , facilitates the incorporation of compounds with electrophilic functionalities , such as esters , nitriles , and ketones . excess 3 - ethoxycarbonylphenylzinc ( 2 . 13 ), which is commercially available through rieke metals inc ., was reacted with 2 . 3 overnight ( scheme 4 ). the product was isolated through a biphasic extraction between fc - 72 ® and methanol in excellent yield ( 99 %). analysis of 1 h nmr for compound 2 . 14 revealed signals corresponding to the ethylene spacer at 1 . 35 ppm ( t , 6h ), and 2 . 33 ppm ( m , 6h ), in addition to peaks at 1 . 39 ppm ( m , 3h ), 4 . 39 ppm ( q , 2h ), and a meta - disubstituted aromatic from 7 . 47 - 8 . 07 ppm ( m , 4h ). the 13 c nmr for 2 . 14 showed four signals at high field — 1 . 12 ppm , 14 . 15 ppm , 27 . 87 ppm ( 2 j f , c = 23 . 3 hz ), and 61 . 32 ppm . at low field the 13 c nmr had resonances corresponding to carbon atoms with attached fluorines ( 106 . 46 ppm to 121 . 17 ppm ) and aromatic resonances , which have yet to be assigned due to difficulty interpreting the spectrum . the negative ion mass spectrum of 2 . 14 gave peaks at m / z = 1279 . 4 [ m - ethyl ] and m / z = 1369 . 5 [ m + oac ] − . saponification of 2 . 14 was achieved using excess base , despite the fact that the substrate was immiscible in the reaction solvent ( methanol / water 4 : 1 ). small amounts of the transesterification product were occasionally observed ; however , this product was removed by way of a second hydrolysis reaction . isolation of the product from fc - 72 ® following several washings with water yields 2 . 2 , presumably as the sodium salt , in 99 % yield . extraction of the sodium salt of 2 . 2 between fc - 72 ®, dichloromethane , and a 1n hcl solution , produced the free acid . the difference in solubility of the salt vs . the acid in cdcl 3 was pronounced . the acid dissolves in chloroform - d 3 to provide well resolved 1 h and 13 c nmr spectra , while the sodium salt was only sparingly soluble . the free carboxylic acid , 2 . 2 , unlike the sodium salt , crystallised over several days yielding a white solid . the 1 h nmr of compound 2 . 2 ( fig2 ) showed an absence of the signals corresponding to the ester group , but was otherwise unchanged from 2 . 14 . similarly , the 13 c nmr lacked the peaks associated with the ester group and had a corresponded shift of the carbonyl carbon to lower field ( 172 . 61 ppm and 172 . 04 ppm ). the 13 c peaks all have a small shoulder peak similar to the carbonyl carbon , which is perhaps a reflection of the presence of a small amount of sodium salt of compound 2 . 2 . the negative ion electrospray mass spectrum of compound 2 . 2 ( fig3 ) shows a peak at m / z = 1279 [ m − h ] − . the ir spectrum of 2 . 2 importantly showed a strong o — h stretch at 3410 cm − 1 , c ═ o stretch at 1632 cm − 1 , and an aromatic stretch at 2950 cm − 1 . dissolving a small quantity of 2 . 2 in pentane , followed by its slow evaporation , produced long needle - like crystals from which an x - ray crystal structure was obtained . this is significant , as it represents the first reported crystal structure of a perfluorostannane species of any variety . compound 2 . 2 crystallised in the triclinic ρ − 1 space group with two independent molecules in the unit cell ( z = 4 ). the structure proved difficult to solve , in large part due to the high level of disorder in one particular perfluorooctyl chain . this is reasonable considering the low barrier of rotation around the c — c bond , which typically leads to the oily property of these compounds . though additional work is still required prior to publishing the x - ray crystal structure , the current structure verifies the presence of compound 2 . 2 ( fig4 ). fluorination of tris ( perfluorohexylethyl ) tin - 3 - benzoic acid ( 2 . 2 ) was initially performed in perfluorinated hexanes ( fc - 72 ®), rather than the more commonly employed hf , or freons such as cfcl 3 . the use of fc - 72 ® is advantageous , since it readily dissolves the precursor , has a suitable freezing and boiling point range (− 100 ° c . and 65 ° c . respectively ) and is not susceptible to degradation by f 2 . the reaction conditions were worked out and optimised through a number of fluorination reactions , where conditions mimic those of the [ 18 f ] f 2 reaction without having to deal with the risks of radiation - exposure . scheme 5 and fig5 illustrates the reaction and apparatus used in a general fluorination reaction , respectively . in general , the substrate 2 . 2 was diluted in fc - 72 ® ( 1 ml ) and transferred to a dried fluoropolymer vessel . the contents of the vessel were cooled to approximately − 85 ° c . in a meoh / n 2 slush bath , after which 180 psi of a 0 . 5 % f 2 in ne solution were bubbled through the solution over a 20 - 30 minute period . the solvent was transferred to a vial along with methanol , which was used to rinse the reaction vessel . the entire mixture was evaporated by rotary evaporation , dissolved in acetonitrile : water ( 1 : 1 ) and passed down a fluorous column . fractions ( 3 × 3 ml ) were collected and characterised using 19 f nmr , hplc and ms spectroscopy . the 19 f nmr of the reaction product 2 . 15 showed roughly a quartet at − 112 . 00 ppm ( 3 j f , h = 5 . 76 hz ) when run in meoh : chcl 3 , consistent with an authentic m - fluorobenzoic acid standard and literature values . 15 , 16 the negative ion electrospray mass spectrum of compound 2 . 15 gave the requisite peak at m / z = 139 . 1 [ m − h ] − . hplc of the purified reaction mixture produced a single peak at 4 . 22 min , consistent with the authentic standard . the immiscibility of perfluorocarbons with most organic solvents has led to the development of a new approach to synthesis known as the fluorous biphasic system ( fbs ). in this approach , molecules containing appreciable fluorine content ( fluorous compounds ) can be selectively separated from non - fluorinated compounds . common separation techniques include biphasic extraction , triphasic extraction or application of fluorous reversed phase silica gel . the latter technique takes advantage of the tendency of fluorous substrates to interact strongly with the fluorous solid phase thereby dramatically increasing their retention time compared to non - fluorous materials . the fluorous biphasic approach can be used as a means of preparing radiolabeled substrates in high apparent specific activity . the technique entails binding a substrate to a fluorous - support in such a manner that the fluorous component is released upon reaction with the radionuclide of choice . the target radiochemical can then be readily separated from the fluorous support ( and any fluorous byproducts ) by passing the material through a plug of fluorous silica , or other suitable solid material , or by liquid - liquid extraction . this approach can yield iodine and fluorine labelled compounds in high chemical and radiochemical yields in a time and resource efficient manner . in particular , the fluorous approach can be used to prepare iodo and fluoro - labelled benzoic acids , which are important substrates for labelling proteins . initially in this research , fluorous silica synthesised in our laboratory was used in the purification process . it proved , however , to be less effective at retaining fluorous material than commercially available fluorous modified silica manufactured by silicycle ®. the improved retention of the commercial variety , which was attributed to improved loadings , facilitated a more rapid purification . in the case of the “ home - made ” and commercial fluorous silica we also observed that the use of alcoholic solvents as a mobile phase resulted in substantial breakthough of the fluorous impurities . in order to remedy this , an acetonitrile : water ( 1 : 1 ) eluent system was used , and appears to have prevented any migration of the perfluorotin impurity . elution of the product 2 . 15 , however occurs rapidly and is obtained (& gt ; 99 %) within the first 9 ml of eluent . in the initial reaction mixtures , two extraneous peaks were consistently found in the 19 f nmr spectrum (− 74 ppm and − 153 ppm ), in addition to the product peak at − 112 ppm . initially , it was believed that these additional peaks were the result of fc - 72 ®, which is composed of multiple isomers of perfluorinated hexanes . however , subjecting fc - 72 ® to the same fluorination and purification conditions yielded no observable peaks in the fluorine spectrum . it was later found that the peak at − 74 ppm was not present when medical grade sterile water replaced the laboratories own distilled - deionized water . further , the peak at − 153 ppm was found to originate from the use of silicycle ® brand fluorous silica . replacement of this brand of silica with that prepared by fluorous technologies ® proved to remove this peak from the fluorine spectrum . the reaction temperature also proved to influence the products generated in these reactions . when the reactions were carried out at higher temperatures , & gt ;− 65 ° c ., it was found that an occasionally small peak at − 105 ppm ( unresolved coupling ) could be seen in the spectrum . this could be the result of ortho substitution or a di - fluorinated ring , both of which would result in deshielding of the attached fluorine . this small impurity , however , was not seen when the reaction was carried out at lower temperature (− 85 ° c . to − 75 ° c .). in the course of these cold fluorinations , the yield of m - fluorobenzoic acid was optimised . the ratio of substrate to f 2 was varied between 0 . 7 to 3 . 0 in all cases , using 180 psi ( 0 . 5 % f 2 ) which corresponds to 1 . 18 × 10 − 4 mol of f 2 , similar to the amount used in a 18 f [ f 2 ] reaction . the percent yield of 2 . 15 with respect to f 2 decreased from 18 % to 16 % when 0 . 65 and 2 . 9 equivalents were used respectively . the yield analysis was based on comparison with calibration curves . it was found that the yield of 2 . 15 with respect to f 2 reached a maximum at approximately 24 % when the ratio of substrate to f 2 was 1 . 2 : 1 . since the reactions were run in equivalent volumes of fc - 72 ®, the decreasing yield may be a result of a visibly increasing viscosity in the more concentrated samples . the successful cold labelling and purification of 2 . 15 using the precursor 2 . 2 prompted the investigation of [ 18 f ] f 2 labelling . the reaction scheme is shown in scheme 6 . fluorine - 18 was produced at mcmaster university hospital by the 18 o ( p , n ) 18 f nuclear reaction using a siemens rds 112 proton cyclotron operating at 11 mev by the “ double shoot ” method . 17 the “ double shoot ” method entails diluting 18 f , which remains largely bound to the target wall following the 18 o ( p , n ) 18 f reaction with f 2 . irradiation results in fluoride exchange and releases 15 - 20 μmol of carrier - added 18 f [ f 2 ]. the 18 f [ f 2 ] in neon was carried through a teflon tube and was bubbled through the 1 ml solution of 2 . 2 in fc - 72 ® at − 85 ° c . the fluorination reaction was carried out in a fep ( perfluoroethylenepropylene co - polymer ) tube , and the outlet gas was bubbled through a 0 . 1 n naoh solution . assessment of [ 18 f ] f 2 consumed in the reaction was determined by measuring the total radioactivity in the vessel , compared to that in the naoh trap . work - up involved transferring the contents of the vessel to another vial using pressure generated by a syringe . the vessel was then rinsed with hplc grade methanol and the combined solvents were evaporated in a hot water bath under a rapid flow of nitrogen . to the resulting residue was added 3 × 3 ml of acetonitrile : water ( 1 : 1 ), and each aliquot successively transferred to the fluorous column . fractions of 3 ml were collected and characterised . in total , five [ 18 f ] f 2 fluorinations of 2 . 2 were carried out . fig6 shows the typical hplc chromatograms which were generated . analysis was carried out on a c 18 analytical column , eluted with a 1 : 1 acetonitrile : water ( 0 . 2 % tfa ) at 2 ml / min . the uv trace of compound 2 . 16 generated a single peak eluting at 4 . 18 minutes , which is identical to that of an authentic standard . integration of the peak area and comparison to the calibration curve indicates a 19 . 4 % yield of labelled product ( 18 f & amp ; 19 f ). the radioactive trace for compound 2 . 16 shows a single peak eluting at 4 . 99 min . the later elution time is consistent with the time delay between the uv lamp and radiation detector . in the last two reactions , the radiochemical yield and specific activity of 2 . 16 was assessed . in these instances , the decay corrected radiochemical yield of 2 . 16 was 30 . 2 % and 11 . 2 %; the lower yield was attributed to the vial walls not being rinsed effectively prior to purification . the theoretical maximum yield for this synthesis is 50 %, as half of the activity is lost as tris ( perfluorohexylethyl ) tin -[ 18 f ] fluoride . this is comparable to the [ 18 f ] f 2 destannylation reactions where 6 -[ 18 f ] fluoro - l - dopa and 6 -[ 18 f ] fluoro - l - m - tyrosine were generated with radiochemical yields of 33 % and 23 % respectively . 18 , 19 the specific activity of 2 . 16 following purification in the two experiments was 1966 and 2899 mci / mmol , respectively . the discrepancy can , in part , be attributed to the shorter purification times of the second vs . the first ( 27 min . vs 49 min .). the specific activity is dependent on the amount of f 2 mixed in the target gas , and as such it is difficult to make a direct comparison to other fluorodestannylation reactions . however , the obtained specific activities are reasonably high when compared to other electrophilic fluorination reactions . for example , various direct electrophilic fluorination approaches to generate 6 -[ 18 f ] fluoro - l - dopa give specific activities of ≦ 2000 mci / mmol . 20 , 21 though similar specific activities were obtained , this fluorous approach did not require hplc purification . the 19 f nmr spectra of the crude reaction products from an analogous cold fluorination and the purified reaction ( 2 . 16 ) products are shown in fig7 and 8 , respectively . the 19 f nmr was obtained after allowing sufficient time for decay of 18 f - labeled 2 . 16 . in the 19 f nmr of crude reaction , the sensitivity of the fluorine nucleus to detection by nmr is evident in the clarity obtained following only a few scans . the crude spectrum shows six clearly resolved peaks corresponding to the six fluorine containing carbons atoms along three equivalent n - octyl chains . there was no discernible shift in these peaks prior to or following the fluorination reaction . the 19 f nmr spectrum of the purified reaction ( fig8 ) shows only a single peak at − 110 . 10 ppm ( 3 j f , h = 7 . 24 hz ) when run in acetonitrile : water ( 1 : 1 ). the peak position and coupling is consistent with an authentic standard of m - fluorobenzoic acid in which the 19 f - signal appears at − 109 . 8 ppm , and is also consistent with literature values . 16 furthermore , it is important to note the absence of peaks associated with the fluorous “ tag ”, which is a testament of the efficiency of the fluorous purification method . the negative ion electrospray mass spectrum of a crude fluorination reaction and the purified reaction of 2 . 16 are shown in fig9 and fig1 , respectively . the electrospray mass spectrum of the reaction mixture prior to purification shows the product peak at m / z = 139 . 1 [ m − h ] − and the fluorous “ tag ” impurity around m / z = 1319 . 2 , 1345 . 2 . however , the purified reaction ( fig1 ) shows only a single peak corresponding to the product at m / z = 139 . 0 [ m − h ] − , with no trace of any impurity . as mentioned previously , the highest radiochemical yield ( eob ) obtained was 30 . 2 %. however , it should be noted that approximately 20 mci of radioactivity ( or ≈ 11 %) was lost during evaporation of the fc - 72 ® solvent . it is possible that the substitution of h - atoms in fc - 72 ® by [ 18 f ] fluoride accounts for this loss of activity post evaporation . de vries et al . observed a 61 - 73 % loss of radioactivity to the reaction solvent when they switched from cfcl 3 to the more environmentally appropriate chcl 3 or ch 3 cn . 18 this reduced the radiochemical yield of 6 -[ 18 f ] fluoro - l - dopa , obtained through fluorodestannylation , from 33 % to 5 % ( chcl 3 ) and 17 % ( ch 3 cn ). it appears , despite the loss of activity , that fc - 72 ® permits higher overall radiochemical yields compared with other reaction solvents . in developing these [ 18 f ] f 2 reactions , it quickly became evident that a workup procedure needed to be devised to permit a more “ hands - free ” or automated approach . the challenge with this work - up is that the fluorophilic solvent ( fc - 72 ®/ methanol ) needed to be exchanged with a fluorophobic solvent ( acetonitrile / water ). rotary evaporation required too much manual manipulation . alternatively , solvent evaporation in a hot water bath under a rapid flow of nitrogen took too long and often dispersed the product . in an attempt to improve upon these procedures , a u - tube like apparatus was constructed ( fig1 ). following the fluorination reaction , the vessel contents could be transferred to the u - tube via syringe pressure . applying a weak vacuum to the top of the u - tube facilitated removal of the solvent at room temperature within a couple of minutes . addition of 3 × 3 ml of acetonitrile : water ( 1 : 1 ), followed successively with applied syringe pressure , transferred the contents to the fluorous sep - pak and into the collection vial . in a trial cold reaction this apparatus appeared to facilitate a more suitable “ hands - free ” workup . the facile synthesis and purification of 2 . 16 demonstrates that the fluorous strategy shows promise as a convenient route for the preparation of 18 f [ f 2 ] labelled radiopharmaceuticals . there is a complete removal of the fluorous “ tag ” through a quick and simple fluorous column purification , which requires less than a minute . this approach therefore would be appealing in certain applications , as it avoids time intensive purification , reduces exposure , and can increase overall specific activity when compared to standard methods . with the success of the fluorination reactions , we explored labelling benzoic acid with iodine . the cold iodinolysis of the fluorous “ tagged ” model compound ( 2 . 2 ) was carried out in order to assess the capacity for introducing 125 i , 131 i , and 123 i . in addition to being interested in simple product generation , optimising reaction conditions was also an important goal . the iododestannylation reaction of 2 . 2 using excess iodine is shown in scheme 7 . the iodination reaction was carried out using excess 12 dissolved in methanol , which was added to a sizeable ( 1 × 10 − 4 mol ) sample of 2 . 2 . the reaction was allowed to proceed overnight , after which sodium metabisulfite was added to quench any unreacted iodine . methanol was removed under reduced pressure and the residue was dissolved in 5 × 5 ml volumes of hplc grade acetonitrile : water ( 1 : 1 ), and each washing was eluted through a fluorous column . in this case , purification utilised a 3 . 9 g sample of loose fluorous silica ( silicycle ®), packed into a 40 cm narrow column . the 5 ml aliquots were assessed for purity through hplc ( fig1 ) and electrospay mass spectrometry ( fig1 ). the hplc chromatogram contained three peaks , corresponding to salts ( solvent front ) and 2 . 17 ( t r = 9 . 9 min ). the peak at 9 . 9 min was shown to be 2 . 17 through comparison to a standard sample of 3 - iodobenzoic acid . the negative ion electrospray mass spectrum showed a single peak above background at m / z = 246 . 9 [ m − h ] − , which is consistent with the formation of 2 . 17 . there was no evidence of the fluorous “ tag ” which would be seen at m / z & gt ; 1000 . the iodinolysis reactions discussed above used an excess of iodine and 10 − 4 moles of substrate , and are therefore not representative of radioiodination reactions . in order to develop a labelling approach towards 2 . 18 , reactions with cold na 127 i at concentrations that mimic those that would be used with iodine radionuclides were undertaken ( scheme 8 ). in an attempt to optimise the cold iodination reaction a number of reaction conditions were investigated . first , a wide range of oxidants , which are commonly used in radioiododestannylation reactions , were screened . these included chloramine - t ( n - monochloro - p - toluenesulfonamide ), n - chlorosuccinimide , and peracetic acid . peracetic acid showed the highest conversions , which is consistent with literature reports . 22 the choice of solvent can also dramatically impact the radiochemical yields . f or the most part , methanol was utilised because of its ability to dissolve 2 . 2 and has been shown to be compatible with the other reagents and reaction conditions . iodination reactions are also highly dependent on the ph of the solvent , generally being promoted in an acetic medium and sometimes arresting when the ph increases towards neutrality . 23 for this reason , researchers often add small quantities of hcl or acetic acid to the reaction ; however , it was found that the oxidant ( 32 % peracetic acid in acetic acid ) was adequately acidic to promote the aforementioned reaction . in addition to optimising the reaction conditions , detection of the very small quantity of product ( 2 . 18 ) being generated necessitated optimising the hplc conditions . it was found through lengthy trial and error that separation of 2 . 18 from salts in solution could not be exacted using a c - 8 analytical column . this problem was rectified by switching to a c - 18 analytical column which facilitated significant separation . in the end , the optimum reaction involved dissolving compound 2 . 2 ( na + salt ) ( 4 × 10 − 6 mol ) in methanol ( 200 μl ) with stirring . to this solution was added nai ( 4 μl , 1 . 8 × 10 − 7 mol ) in 0 . 1 n naoh , which was followed immediately by the addition of freshly prepared peracetic acid solution ( 2 μl ). the reaction was quenched after 2 hours with excess sodium metabisulfite and diluted to 1 ml with distilled deionized water . the hplc chromatogram of compound 2 . 18 shows two primary peaks with elution times of 4 . 8 - 6 . 3 min . and 10 . 3 minutes , corresponding to salts ( solvent front ) and 2 . 18 respectively ( fig1 ). an authentic standard of 3 - iodobenzoic acid under the same elution conditions produced a peak at 10 . 2 minutes , confirming the peak assignment . the advantage to developing this chemistry using a cold isotope , similar to the case of fluorine , was that reactions could be conducted and handled without risk of exposure . however , the difficulty in developing radiochemical labelling procedures with representative quantities of na 127 i for na 125 i , was that detection had to be based solely on ultraviolet absorption . comparatively , the use of 400 μci ( approx . 1 . 8 × 10 − 7 mol ) na 125 i would result in an extremely intense peak on a gamma detector , although a very small , if visible , ultraviolet absorbance . recall that the maximal incorporation of iodine into the target molecule is ≦ 50 % of the total ; therefore , in an analogous 400 μci reaction , the maximum product yield is ≦ 9 × 10 − 8 moles . the successful cold labeling of 2 . 2 using cold nai prompted the corresponding radioiododestannylation using na 125 i ( scheme 9 ). the reaction was conducted in a similar fashion to the cold iododestannylation reactions . compound 2 . 2 ( na + salt ) ( 9 × 10 − 4 mol ) was dissolved in 200 μl of methanol with stirring , prior to the addition of na 125 i ( 44 μci ) in approximately 200 μl of 0 . 1 n naoh solution , and 2 μl of fresh peracetic acid . the reaction was allowed to stir for 29 min prior to quenching with sodium metabisulfite ( 100 μl ). a 20 μl aliquot of the crude reaction mixture was injected onto the hplc for analysis . the uv trace revealed only a single peak corresponding to the solvent front , while the radioactivity chromatogram showed several peaks ( fig1 ). the peak at 5 . 3 min is coincident with the solvent front and presumably represents free 125 i . the peak at 17 . 1 min was confirmed to be 2 . 19 through injection of the standard 3 - iodobenzoic acid . however , the identity of the other extraneous peaks , particularly the large peak at 24 . 9 min could not be assigned at the time of the reaction . although the quality of the crude reaction mixture containing 2 . 19 is less than ideal , a simple purification was undertaken to illustrate our capacity to remove any unreacted free 125 i in solution . the aforementioned crude reaction mixture was diluted with 500 μl of water and added to a conditioned c 18 sep - pak . the sep - pak was eluted with 2 ml of distilled deionized water to remove unbound 125 i , followed by elution with 1 ml of methanol . hplc analysis of a 20 μl aliquot of the methanol fraction is shown in fig1 . the chromatogram reveals that essentially all of the radioactive impurities up to 2 . 19 ( t r = 16 . 9 min ) are removed by washing the column with water . further , taking into account dilution , most of 2 . 19 was eluted with the 1 ml of methanol . however , the then unidentified peak at 24 . 5 minutes was still present . the less - than favourable results obtained in the above reaction prompted another reaction with a fresh source of na 125 i . in this reaction , compound 2 . 2 ( na + salt ) ( 1 . 1 × 10 − 6 mol ) was dissolved in 200 μl of methanol with stirring , prior to the addition of na 125 i ( 32 μci ) in approximately 5 μl of 0 . 1 mm naoh solution , followed by 2 μl of a freshly prepared solution of peracetic acid . the reaction was allowed to stir for 47 min , prior to quenching with excess sodium metabisulfite ( 20 μl ) and dilution with 300 μl of distilled - deionized water . a 20 μl aliquot of the crude reaction mixture was injected onto the hplc for analysis . the uv trace revealed only a peak representative of the solvent front , while the radioactivity chromatogram showed a peak with a retention time of 16 . 91 min ( fig1 ). the peak is consistent with the formation of 2 . 19 , confirmed by injection of 3 - iodobenzoic acid , which elutes at 15 . 86 min . the difference in retention times is a result of the time delay between the uv and radiation detectors . the radioactivity chromatogram of the crude reaction mixture illustrates that 2 . 19 was essentially generated in quantitative yield with no significant contribution of unbound / unreacted iodine . the radiochemical purity of crude 2 . 19 was ≧ 90 %. this level of incorporation and purity in a crude iododestannylation reactions is uncommon , especially given the short reaction time . although there is a little evidence for the presence of unbound iodine or radiolabelled salts in the reaction mixture , a short purification was undertaken to indicate that they could in the future be removed from the product . the reaction solution was diluted with approximately 1 . 5 ml of water and passed down a c 18 sep - pak column , conditioned with methanol . the column was further washed with 1 . 5 ml of water , and these fractions combined . the sep - pak was then eluted with 2 ml of acetonitrile and collected into a separate vial . the acetonitrile faction contained 72 % of the activity , and further elution of the column with acetonitrile released only small additional amounts of activity . a total of 4 μci was bound to the sep - pak column , likely the more highly retained and radiolabelled fluorous “ tag ” ( r 3 sn 125 i ). the other activity was found in the water ( 3 μci ), the reaction vessel ( 1 μci ), and in an additional 1 ml washing of the sep - pak with acetonitrile ( 1 μci ). hplc analysis of the fraction containing the majority of the activity displayed a single peak in the radiochromatogram corresponding to 2 . 19 at 16 . 59 minutes . the final radiochemical yield of purified 2 . 19 was 75 % with respect to the total na 125 i activity utilised . yields of this magnitude are uncommon , considering that the maximum theoretical radiochemical yield should be less than or equal to 50 %. the results of hunter et al . are fairly representative of a radioiododestannylation reaction . they observed a 50 . 8 % radiochemical yield of [ 131 i ] mibg ; 44 % of the activity was bound to tin and 5 . 1 % was free 131 i − in solution . 23 given the high radiochemical yield , it became important to quantify the purity of [ 125 i ]- 3 - iodobenzoic acid with regards to any labelled or unlabelled precursor 2 . 2 . as mass spectrometry and 19 f nmr are not feasible for 125 i labelled compounds , we had to rely on hplc analysis . elution of the precursor 2 . 2 on a c 18 analytical column with 100 % acetonitrile generated a uw peak at 6 . 61 minutes . similarly hplc analysis of the sep - pak purified faction exhibited peaks at 3 . 19 - 4 . 17 min , corresponding to the solvent front , and 6 . 38 - 6 . 72 min , likely corresponding to 2 . 2 ( fig1 ). the radioactivity chromatogram showed only a single peak at the solvent front , 4 . 46 min , corresponding to the 2 . 19 . a radioactivity peak corresponding to a labelled fluorous “ tag ” product would be predicted to elute in a similar position to 2 . 2 ; however , this is not seen . this indicates that our previous radiochemical yield of 75 % is accurate , though there appears to be some unreacted 2 . 2 present in this reaction solution . it has previously been established that even large quantities (& gt ; 200 mg ) of the “ fluorous tag ” can readily be removed using a fluorous column and an acetonitrile : water ( 1 : 1 ) mobile phase . this system can therefore readily facilitate the removal of the much smaller quantities of substrate ( 1 . 4 mg ) used in this and other typical radioiodination reactions . in order to demonstrate this purification approach , 2 . 19 in acetonitrile was diluted with an equal volume of distilled - deionized water and passed down a conditioned fluorous column . washing the column with an additional 4 μl of acetonitrile : water ( 1 : 1 ) liberated all the activity ( 19 μci ). analysis of an aliquot of this solution showed , upon expansion of the chromatogram , a solvent peak at 3 . 055 min and a small peak at 6 . 53 min ( fig1 ). because we have shown that the fluorous sep - pak can remove large quantities of the fluorous “ tag ”, the peak at 6 minutes likely arose through another source . one possibility is that the fluorous column , which had been recycled from another reaction , might not have been adequately cleaned . alternatively , since fluorous material is prone to sticking to the hplc loop , it is possible that accumulated material was released into this injection . a method was developed to prepare tris ( perfluorohexylethyl ) tin - 3 - benzoic acid and to label this material with fluorine and iodine . the fluorous approach using both hot and cold f 2 and 12 was effective in generating the desired products . additional experiments are needed to optimise the reactions , particularly with respect to purification protocols . initially , the rationale behind the synthesis of 2 . 2 lied in permitting the facile radiolabelling of peptides / biomolecules through coupling to labelled benzoic acid . the successful synthesis and labelling of 2 . 16 and 2 . 19 encouraged the synthesis of more complex compounds . one such approach that would benefit from , and extend the utility of , compound 2 . 2 would be its conversion to biologically active derivatives . radioiodobenzamides , or n - alkyl - iodobenzamides , constitute a new class of important radiopharmaceuticals . 24 exhibiting a high affinity towards σ 1 and σ 2 receptors , radioiodobenzamides are currently the best known radiopharmaceuticals for the diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma and its metastases . 24 this class of compounds have also been found to bind strongly to dopamine receptors , and are therefore effective imaging agents for diagnosis of parkinson &# 39 ; s and schizophrenia . 25 one of the most clinically relevant compounds is [ 123 i ]— n -( 2 - diethylaminoethyl )- 4 - iodobenzamide ( 123 i - bza ), which possesses ideal properties for melanoma scintigraphy . 26 currently , the most facile route to 123 i - bza involves an isotope exchange reaction ( 123 i for 127 i ). this method affords a carrier - added product resulting in reduced image quality . a more ideal strategy , which would lead to a no - carrier - added product , is radioiododestannylation of a trialkyltin precursor , which has been developed by moreau et al 26 with this in mind , the fluorous synthesis approach would seem suited for synthesis of radiolabelled benzamides and would avoid the need for exhaustive purification . the aim of this project was the synthesis of iodobenzamide , 2 . 20 , through an iododestannylation reaction of a corresponding fluorous “ tagged ” precursor ( 2 . 21 ) ( scheme 10 ). the synthesis of 2 . 20 requires the development of a new coupling methodology . the approach towards the synthesis of 2 . 21 concentrated on adapting traditional peptide synthesis procedures . the success of these reactions was qualified through 1 h - nmr and electrospray mass spectrometry . integration of the ethylene protons ( nch 2 ch 2 n ) with respect to the protons positioned α and β to tin served to quantify the extent of derivatization . initially , carbodiimide activating agents such as diisopropylcarbodiimide ( dic ) and edc were employed ; however , they led to little detectable product formation . it was difficult to determine if the lack of reaction was due to the reagent or the reaction solvent . in most instances , good solvents for the coupling reagents proved to be poor solvents for 2 . 2 , and visa versa . while coupling reactions were promoted in polar aprotic solvents such as acetonitrile and dmf , compound 2 . 2 was generally solvated by only extremely non - polar solvents . solvents such as thf , which solvated both 2 . 2 and dic , did not result in conversion to 2 . 21 . edc had another drawback . edc contains an ammonium salt which proved acidic enough to result in the cleavage of & gt ; 30 % of the tin aryl bonds . successful synthesis of 2 . 21 employed the use of the coupling reagent hbtu ( 2 -( 1h - benzotriazol - 1yl )- 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 - tertramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate ) in dmf ( scheme 11 ). hbtu promotes couplings by readily generating an activated intermediate concurrent with the formation of a urea byproduct . this activated complex reacts with amines with the subsequent loss of 1 - hydroxybenzotriazole ( hobt ) ( scheme 12 ). reaction of hbtu and compound 2 . 2 ( na + salt ) was carried out in dmf in the presence of dipea for 5 min , prior to addition of the amine . experiments have shown that this incubation leads to a dramatic improvement in coupling rates and yields . 27 following addition of excess n , n - dimethylethylenediamine in an equivalent of dipea , the reaction was allowed to stir for 16 hours . due to the high solubility of 2 . 21 in dmf , water was added to facilitate extraction of fluorous compounds into dichloromethane and fc - 72 ®. the more organic 2 . 21 could then be selectively extracted into dichloromethane from fc - 72 ®. several more extractions into dichloromethane yielded pure 2 . 21 , while unreacted 2 . 2 remained in fc - 72 ®. compound 2 . 21 , a dark yellow oil , was obtained in satisfactory yield ( 74 %). the substantial difference in r f values between 2 . 21 and 2 . 2 ( 0 ; 0 . 21 ), suggests that chromatographic purification would likely be a more appropriate and higher yielding purification method for the future . the 1 h nmr spectrum of compound 2 . 21 ( fig2 ) revealed a triplet at 1 . 31 ppm with sn satellites ( 2 j sn , h = 54 . 8 hz ) and a partially obstructed multiplet at approximately 2 . 33 ppm , corresponding to the protons positioned α and β to the tin respectively . in addition , the 1 h nmr showed a broad singlet at 2 . 31 ppm ( 6h ), a pseudo triplet at 2 . 59 ppm ( 2h ), a pseudo quartet at 3 . 55 ppm ( 2h ), and the expected aromatic peaks from 7 . 39 - 8 . 01 ppm ( 4h ). the 13 c nmr of 2 . 21 showed at low field peaks at − 1 . 43 ppm , 27 . 55 ppm ( 2 j f , c = 23 . 4 hz ), 37 . 11 ppm , 44 . 87 ppm , and 57 . 75 ppm . the 13 c nmr at higher field had resonances from 104 . 80 ppm to 120 . 03 ppm corresponding to the carbon atoms with attached fluorines and aromatic signals which have yet to be assigned . the ir of compound 2 . 21 showed aromatic stretches at 2900 cm − 1 in addition to the c ═ o absorption at 1650 cm − 1 n — h stretch at 3338 cm − 1 . the mass spectrum of 2 . 21 ( fig2 ) showed , in the positive ion mode , a single peak at m / z = 1353 [ m + h ] + . importantly , the negative ion mass spectrum of the same compound did not show the precursor peak at m / z = 1279 [ m − h ] − . the iododestannylation of compound 2 . 21 and purification of the product 2 . 20 was carried out in a similar manner to that used for compound 2 . 2 ( scheme 13 ). an excess of iodine was added to a small quantity ( 2 . 37 μmol ) of 2 . 21 and the reaction was stirred for 1 hour at room temperature . the reaction solution was quenched with sodium metabisulfite and placed on the rotary evaporator to remove methanol . the vial was washed with 1 ml of acetonitrile : water ( 50 : 50 ) and passed down a conditioned fluorous column . an additional 1 ml was used to rinse the vial and added to the column . the combined fractions were analysed through hplc ( fig2 ) and electrospray mass spectrometry ( fig2 ). the hplc chromatogram for compound 2 . 20 shows three principle peaks eluting at 6 . 6 , 16 . 6 , and 18 . 9 minutes . the earliest peak was assigned as the solvent front , while the later eluting peaks were presumably the protonated and deprotonated states of 2 . 20 , respectively . the positive ion electrospray mass spectrum of compound 2 . 20 showed a peak at m / z = 319 . 0 [ m + h ] + . the purity of the 2 . 20 was again confirmed , as the negative ion mode showed no peak corresponding at m / z = 247 [ m − h ] − , which would be present had unreacted 2 . 2 existed . the cold fluorination of 2 . 21 was undertaken in a similar manner employed for 2 . 2 . preliminary results from the electrospray mass spectrum reveal the product peak m / z = 211 [ m + h ] + ( fig2 ). the negative ion mode did not reveal any of the possible impurity , 3 - fluorobenzoic acid , at m / z = 139 ( m − h ) − . these initial cold experiments clearly indicate the potential to label 2 . 21 with 18 f [ f 2 ] and na 125 i , following the method used to label 2 . 2 . success would provide a facile route to radiolabelled benzamides for both spect and pet , and thereby increase their clinical utility . the development of a coupling procedure will allow us to prepare a diverse array of benzamides and related compounds for future radiolabelling . with the success attained at producing labelled benzoic acid and derivatives , we sought to expand the fluorous synthesis method to benzylamines and related derivatives . this would provide a complementary nucleophilic derivative to the electrophilic halobenzoic acids . in addition it would expand the potential variety of compounds which could be coupled to the fluorous “ tag ” and then radiolabelled . derivatives of benzylamine have been used to label biomolecules , 28 and are precursors to the synthesis of [ 131 i ] and [ 123 i ] meta - iodobenzylguanidine ( mibg ), 29 which is a valuable but synthetically challenging radiopharmaceutical . there are scarce examples in the literature describing the synthesis and / or labelling of trialkyltin bound benzylamine . vaidyanathan , g et al . synthesised 3 -( tri - n - butylstannyl ) benzylamine in a 30 % yield using n - buli , 3 - bromobenzylamine , and a two - fold excess of tributyltin - chloride . 30 this approach was not considered for the synthesis of 3 . 0 , due to the poor yield obtained and the generation of a large excess of fluorous by - products . rather , a method reported by hunter et al . for the preparation of a polymer bound 3 - benzylamine was adapted for the synthesis of 3 . 0 . 31 hunter &# 39 ; s method utilised the precursor , 3 . 1 , an azadisilolidine protected derivative of 3 - bromobenzylamine . this silicon - based protecting group is stable to n - buli , allowing for the synthesis of the corresponding monolithium salt , 3 . 2 . synthesis of 3 . 1 entailed the reaction of 3 - bromobenzylamine in triethylamine with 1 , 1 , 4 , 4 - tetramethyl - 1 , 4 - dichlorosilethylene at room temperature for 1 . 5 hours ( scheme 14 ). pouring the crude solution into aqueous sodium dihydrogen phosphate , followed by distillation of the crude organic extract , provided the product in moderate yield ( 64 %). the 1 h nmr of compound 3 . 1 revealed three singlets at 0 . 00 ppm ( 12h ), 0 . 78 ppm ( 4h ), and 4 . 06 ppm ( 2h ), in addition to the aromatic peaks appearing at 7 . 20 - 7 . 48 ppm ( 4h ). the 13 c nmr of 3 . 1 had resonances at − 0 . 26 ppm , 8 . 01 ppm , 45 . 59 ppm , 122 . 15 ppm , 126 . 10 ppm , 129 . 35 ppm , 129 . 53 ppm , 130 . 69 ppm , and 146 . 01 ppm . the electron impact mass spectrum of 3 . 1 gave a peak at m / z = 312 . these spectra are consistent with data reported in the literature . 4 , 32 the synthesis of 3 . 3 ( scheme 15 ) involved reaction of 3 . 1 with n - buli in thf at − 78 ° c . for a period of 35 minutes to generate 3 . 2 . compound 2 . 3 in thf was then added to 3 . 2 dropwise . the reaction was kept at − 78 ° c . for 2 hours , where upon fc - 72 ® was added and the mixture stirred for 10 minutes . the reaction was subsequently quenched through the addition of methanol ( 30 ml ). following the addition of methanol , the reaction was extracted with fc - 72 ®, water , and dichloromethane . the fc - 72 ® was removed on the rotary evaporator , providing 3 . 3 in 89 % yield . hydrolysis of 3 . 3 ( scheme 16 ) involved stirring the compound overnight in methanol with sufficient 1 m hcl to give a ph ≈ 3 . the product was extracted into fc - 72 ®, and concentrated to give 3 . 0 as a light yellow oil in 97 % yield . the 1 h nmr of compound 3 . 0 ( fig2 ) showed a triplet at 1 . 31 ppm ( 6h ) with sn satellites ( 2 j sn , h = 54 . 2 hz ), a multiplet at 2 . 31 ppm ( 6h ), a singlet at 3 . 88 ppm , and aromatic peaks from 7 . 22 - 7 . 46 ppm . trace amounts of the silicon protecting group can be seen in the baseline from 0 . 1 - 0 . 2 ppm . the 13 c nmr showed a peak at − 1 . 37 ppm ( 1 j sn , c = 347 hz ), 27 . 94 ppm ( t , 1 j f , c = 23 . 4 hz ), and 46 . 62 ppm . the multiplets corresponding to carbon atoms bonded to fluorine were seen from 106 . 17 - 121 . 17 ppm , and the peaks associated with the aromatic region have yet to be definitively assigned . the positive ion electrospray mass spectrum of compound 3 . 0 ( fig2 ) shows a single peak at m / z = 1268 . 5 [ m + h ] + . the ir showed strong absorbances corresponding to c — h stretches at 2850 and 2955 cm − 1 , and for the primary amine at 3354 cm − 1 . these results are all consistent with formation of the desired product . the quantitative conversion of the stannylbromide precursor ( 2 . 3 ) to 3 . 3 proved extremely difficult . early on it was appreciated that the azadisilolidine protected 3 - bromobenzylamine ( 3 . 1 ) was not particularly stable . synthesis and purification of 3 . 1 had to be immediately followed by reaction with n - buli to generate 3 . 2 . if these measures were not taken , incomplete conversion of 2 . 3 would result . hunter and coworkers reported that reaction of 3 . 2 with the chlorostannane polymer for 7 hours at − 78 ° c ., followed by stirring at room temperature for 2 hours , resulted in quantitative functionalization of sn — cl bonds . 4 in contrast with these results , it was found that under similar reaction conditions only 50 - 67 % of sn — br sites were converted to product ( 3 . 3 ). through extensive trials it was appreciated that the product was extremely prone to decomposition if the reaction solution was allowed to warm to room temperature . the complete conversion of 2 . 3 to 3 . 3 , therefore , could only be facilitated if the reaction was kept at − 78 ° c ., prior to immediate extraction into fc - 72 ® and quenching with methanol . iododinolysis of 3 . 0 was carried out in order to further characterise the product bound to the fluorous tag and to ensure its purity ( scheme 17 ). compound 3 . 0 was reacted with an excess of iodine in acetonitrile overnight , followed by quenching with sodium metabisulfite . the solution was diluted with water and passed down a conditioned fluorous column with an acetonitrile : water eluent ( 1 : 1 ). aliquots ( 3 × 5 ml ) were collected and the products characterised using hplc and mass spectrum . the hplc chromatogram ( fig2 ) of the purified solution ( 3 . 4 ) generated two principle peaks at 1 . 78 and 6 . 46 minutes , corresponding to the solvent front and 3 - iodobenzylamine , respectively . an authentic standard of 3 - iodobenzylamine under similar elution conditions produced a peak at 6 . 47 minutes . positive ion electrospray ( fig2 ) mass spectrum of the reaction solution produced a single peak at m / z = 233 . 9 [ m + h ] + , with no evidence of the fluorous impurity at approximately m / z & gt ; 1200 . these results are consistent with formation of 3 . 4 . during the past two decades , radioiodinated mibg ( m - iodobenzylguanidine ) has been used extensively in nuclear medicine . 33 it is used primarily for diagnostic scintigraphy and therapy of neural crest tumours such as phaeochromocytoma and neurblastoma . 34 in addition , it is increasingly being used to assess the status of adrenergic nerves in the heart muscle . 6 the most widely employed synthesis method for production of [ 123 i ] or [ 131 i ] mibg involves the cu + catalyzed exchange process . unfortunately , this method yields a low specific activity product ( 50 mci / mg for [ 123 i ]) necessitating an increased dose , which in turn results in poorer quality images . 4 consequently , several routes to a no - carrier - added product have been investigated ; however , none have found widespread application . 35 a fluorous strategy for the synthesis of mibg may ameliorate the aforementioned synthetic limitations . furthermore , if a convenient labelling method were available , there is substantial interest in generating a positron emitting migb - related radiopharmaceutical . for example , zalutsky et al . synthesised meta -[ 18 f ] fluorobenzylguanidine and para -[ 18 f ] fluorobenzylguanidine in three steps with a fluoro for nitro exchange reaction . they reported lower than desirable radiochemical yields of 10 - 15 % ([ 18 f ] mfbg ) and 50 - 55 % [ 18 f ] pfbg , and difficulty removing impurities . 36 the next section describes the development of a fluorous strategy for the preparation of [* 1 ] mibg and [ 18 f ] mfbg . in order to produce tris ( perfluorohexylethyl ) tin - 3 - benzylguanidine , 3 . 5 , several synthetic routes were attempted . the first approach , approach a ( scheme 18 ), applied the method developed by wieland et al . for synthesis of 3 . 5 . 37 wieland &# 39 ; s method involves the reaction of m - iodobenzylamine with cyanimide at 100 ° c . for 4 hours . unfortunately , the synthesis of 3 . 5 through various adapted procedures would only yield trace amounts of the product , as indicated by electrospray mass spectrometry . the failure of this reaction method to generate 3 . 5 is likely a result of the precursor 3 . 0 not being protonated . although hydrolysis of the silicon - protecting group to generate 3 . 0 occurred at a ph of 3 , the expected benzylammonium chloride was not formed . the benzylammonium chloride is necessary in order to activate cyanimide to nucleophilic attack ( scheme 19 ). any further attempts at protonating 3 . 0 resulted in protodestannylation . similarly , the addition of catalytic amounts of hcl ( 0 . 05 eq ) resulted in protodestannylation under the reaction conditions ( 54 ° c .). these results mirror the findings of vaidyanathan et al ., who were unable to convert 3 -( tri - n - butylstannyl ) benzylamine to the guanidine . 8 rather , they were forced to synthesize [ 131 ] mibg from r adioiododestannylation of ( trialkylstannyl ) benzylamine , followed by its subsequent reaction with cyanimide . approach b entailed the adaptation of research by jursic et al . for their preparation of n - formamidinylamino acids . 38 here , the reaction of formamidinesulfinic acid [ hn ═ c ( nh 2 ) so 2 h ] with a substituted amino acid ( d , l - phenylalanine ) in aqueous sodium hydroxide leads to the generation of d , l - n - formamidinephenylalanine ( scheme 20 ). application of this approach towards 3 . 5 was found to be most successful when 3 . 0 was stirred with 2 . 0 equivalents of foramidinesulfinic acid in methanol overnight at room temperature . the methanol was removed on the rotary evaporator , prior to a triphasic extraction . the white viscous oil obtained following removal of fc - 72 ® was heated in chloroform and subsequently decanted to remove any unreacted 3 . 0 . the product , a viscous white oil , was obtained in good yield ( 86 %). the positive ion electrospray mass spectrum of compound 3 . 5 ( synthesised using foramidinesulfinic acid ) showed a peak at m / z = 1310 . 2 [ m + h ] + , in addition to peaks at m / z = 1325 . 1 and m / z = 1293 . 1 ( fig2 ). the 1 h nmr and 13 c nmr for compound 3 . 5 could not be acquired , as no suitable solvent could be found . compound 3 . 5 was treated with cold i 2 and f 2 , and a similar peak pattern in the elctrospray mass spectrum was found for the cleaved products . the peak associated with the product was typically the most intense , flanked on either side with a peak of +/− 15 mass units . as the resulting peak pattern could not be rationalized , other routes to the synthesis of 3 . 5 were investigated . approach c involved adaptation of the research by mosher et al ., who converted several primary amines to the corresponding guanidines . 39 the conversions were accomplished by reacting aminoimino - methanesulfonic acid with a primary amine for two hours at room temperature to generate the corresponding guanidine in moderate yield ( 22 - 80 %). this method appeared applicable for the synthesis of 3 . 5 , as a free amine could be converted to the guanidine under mild conditions ( ph = 3 . 1 ). aminoiminomethanesulfonic acid ( h 2 n — c (═ nh ) so 3 h ) ( 3 . 7 ) was synthesized in high yield through reaction of foramidinesulfinic acid ( 3 . 6 ) with peracetic acid , following the procedure of mosher ( scheme 21 ). 12 the melting point of compound 3 . 7 was consistent with literature findings of 125 - 126 ° c . 12 compound 3 . 7 was first reacted with m - iodobenzylamine in order to assess the products formed and to obtain a standard sample of mibg ( scheme 22 ). equivalent molar quantities of 3 . 7 and 3 . 8 were combined in methanol and refluxed overnight . the resulting product ( 3 . 9 ) was characterized without further purification . the 1 h nmr showed a singlet at 4 . 22 ppm , and aromatic peaks between 6 . 90 - 7 . 56 ppm . the 13 c nmr showed a peak at 48 . 9 ppm , 99 . 3 ppm , 131 . 6 ppm , 135 . 7 ppm , 141 . 0 ppm , 141 . 9 ppm , 144 . 3 ppm , and 162 . 65 ppm . the positive ion electrospray mass spectrum showed a peak at m / z = 276 . 1 [ m + h ] + corresponding to 3 . 9 , and a extremely small peak at m / z = 233 . 9 [ m + h ] + corresponding to 3 . 8 . the hplc analysis of compound 3 . 9 generated only one principle peak at t r = 24 . 54 minutes ( 86 % of total peak area ). this data is consistent with literature reports , and confirms formation of the desired product . 40 the synthesis of compound 3 . 9 using 3 . 7 prompted the application of this procedure toward the synthesis of 3 . 5 ( scheme 23 , approach c ). compound 3 . 0 was combined with 1 . 1 equivalents of 3 . 7 in methanol and refluxed overnight . incomplete conversion occurred if the reaction was carried out at room temperature as suggested by mosher et al . 12 extraction of the crude reaction mixture into fc - 72 ® from methanol generated the product as a milky white oil in acceptable yield ( 88 %). positive ion electrospray mass spectrometry ( fig3 ) showed a single peak at m / z = 1309 . 9 [ m + h ] + , which is consistent with the formation of 3 . 5 . the electrospray spectrum did not show any peaks that were associated with the precursor ( 3 . 0 ), which had a m / z value of 1268 , nor the peaks corresponding to m / z +/− 15 , which had been seen using approach b . currently , resolved 1 h nmr and 13 c nmr spectra for compound 3 . 5 have not yet been obtained , a result of the compounds poor solubility . the cold iodination of 3 . 5 was undertaken in order to assess the products and reaction conditions for eventual use of na 125 , ( scheme 24 ). a sample of 3 . 5 ( 3 . 90 μmol ), synthesised through approach c , was dissolved in methanol . to the stirring solution was added nai ( 4 . 6 × 10 − 7 mmol ), which was followed promptly by addition of the peracetic acid oxidant . the reaction was stirred for 2 hours and then quenched with 100 μl of a 10 % sodium metabisulfite solution . purification of the dilute reaction solution was not attempted , though it has been established that fluorous material can easily be removed from the cleavage products . the positive ion electrospray mass spectrum of compound 3 . 10 revealed a peak at m / z = 275 . 9 [ m + h ] + which is consistent with the product ( fig3 ). hplc a 100 μl aliquot of compound 3 . 10 showed peaks with retention times of 7 . 2 , 14 . 7 , and 24 . 9 minutes ( fig3 ). the peaks eluting at 7 minutes and 24 . 9 minutes were assigned to the solvent front and product 3 . 10 , respectively . the standard preparation of mibg eluted with a similar retention time of 24 . 5 minutes . the peak at 14 . 7 minutes accounted for & lt ; 1 % of total migb and the nature of the compound giving rise to the peak remains unknown . the encouraging results for the iodine labelling of 3 . 5 prompted us to investigate the possibility of synthesising m - fluorobenzylguanidine ( mfbg ). the fluorodestannylation reaction for the synthesis of mfbg ( 3 . 11 ) is shown in scheme 25 . the cold fluorination reaction of compound 3 . 5 proceeded in a manner analogous to those of previous reactions ( 3 - fluorobenzoic acid and 3 - fluorobenzamide ). to an fep tube containing 3 . 5 dissolved in fc - 72 ® at − 93 ° c . was bubbled approximately 0 . 7 equivalents of f 2 ( 0 . 6 % in ne ). following the reaction , the fc - 72 ® from the reaction along with methanol used to rinse the vessel were removed on rotary evaporator , prior to diluting with acetonitrile : water ( 1 : 1 ) and eluting down a conditioned fluorous column . the positive ion electrospray mass spectrum for compound 3 . 11 showed a single peak at m / z = 168 . 0 [ m + h ] + ( fig3 ). the mass spectrum showed no evidence of any fluorous impurity at m / z = 1000 or evidence of 3 - fluorobenzylamine at m / z = 126 [ m + h ] + . the hplc chromatogram of compound 3 . 11 contains peaks at the solvent front ( t r = 2 - 6 min .) and peaks eluting at 25 . 3 min ., 30 . 3 min ., and 35 . 0 minutes ( fig3 ). there are no peaks corresponding to 3 - fluorobenzylamine which has a retention time of 15 . 8 minutes under these elution conditions . the elution conditions are the same as those used for mibg , and it is therefore surprising that the principle peak ( 61 +%) eluting at 35 minutes is more highly retained than mibg . the longer retention time might suggest a di - fluorinated or a bi - guanidinium species ; however , peaks corresponding to these products are not found in the electrospray mass spectrum . unfortunately , at the time of these experiments , an authentic standard of mfbg was not available to better interpret these results . the 19 f nmr of compound 3 . 11 shows three peaks ( fig3 ). the two principle peaks are centred at − 109 . 5 ppm and − 110 . 3 ppm , with 3 j h , f coupling of 9 . 2 hz and 8 . 7 hz respectively . these peak positions and coupling constants are consistent with a meta or para - fluorinated aryl compound . the smaller coupling constants initially suggest that a 1 . 2 or 1 . 4 difluorinated species is not present . the varying peak positions , rather than being attributed to isomers , could be the results of varying protonation states , which has been shown to markedly affect fluorine shifts . 41 the poor resolution of the spectrum can be attributed to the dilute sample , obtained without further concentrating the eluent . concentration of the sample on the lyophilizer was avoided as it appeared this resulted in loss of product on several occasions . as mentioned in chapter 2 , short peptide sequences have been used to target radionuclides to specific receptors . for receptor specific agents of this type , it is important that all unreacted material is separated from the radiopharmaceutical . it would be advantageous therefore to develop the fluorous approach for labelling peptides . in this chapter preliminary steps towards these goals were taken . in particular , a method of coupling the carboxylic acid terminus of a model oligopeptide to the fluorous “ tagged ” benzylamine was developed . the chemotactic peptide n - formyl - met - leu - phe - gly , 3 . 12 is a bacterial product which binds to polymorphonuclear leucocytes and mononuclear macrophages . fischman et al . have shown that radiolabelled derivatives of this peptide are effective for imaging sites of abscesses and inflammation . 42 the severe toxicity of chemotactic peptides in higher doses has hampered their clinical application ; consequently it is essential that any unlabelled material be removed . the coupling strategy developed for the synthesis of fluorous “ tagged ” benzamide should be applicable to the current objective . in this case , however , the peptides carboxylic acid terminus will be activated ( hbtu ) for nucleophilic attack by benzylamine ( 3 . 0 ). synthesis of compound 3 . 13 ( scheme 26 ) entailed combining 3 . 0 and 3 . 12 in dmf , followed by addition of the acylating reagent ( hbtu ) and base . the reaction was stirred at room temperature overnight , diluted with water , and extracted into fc - 72 ®. the fc - 72 ® layer was found to contain only a small quantity of product 3 . 13 along with unreacted 3 . 0 , as determined by electrospray mass spectrometry . the majority of 3 . 13 was in fact partitioned between fc - 72 ® and dmf / h 2 o . evidently , the polar nature of the peptide is significant enough to make the product no longer completely soluble in the fluorous solvent , while the fluorous “ tag ” prevents the peptide from dissolving in the h 2 o phase . this result is somewhat favourable , as it permits facile purification of the fluorophobic product ( 3 . 13 ) from any unreacted fluorophilic precursor ( 3 . 0 ) by collecting the interfacial emulsion . isolating the resulting white emulsion was followed by re - extraction from fc - 72 ® to remove any unreacted 3 . 0 . the yield ( 33 %) of the resulting thick , gummy , white solid was compromised so as to ensure the isolation of a pure sample . fig3 shows the positive ion electrospraymass spectrum of compound 3 . 13 . the peak pattern is characteristic of the product with m / z = 1744 [ m + h ] + , m / z = 1761 [ m + nh 4 ] + , and m / z = 1766 [ m + na ] + . the spectrum revealed no peak at m / z = 1268 corresponding to the precursor 3 . 0 . in order to characterize the fluorous “ tagged ” compound ( 3 . 13 ) further , it was cleaved through an iodinolysis reaction ( scheme 27 ). a purified sample of 3 . 13 was reacted with excess iodine in methanol and chloroform overnight . the excess iodine was quenched with sodium metabisulfite and the solution was concentrated on the rotary evaporator . the resulting residue was diluted with acetonitrile : water ( 1 : 1 ) and characterised using electrospray ( fig3 ) and hplc ( fig3 ). the positive ion mass spectrum of compound 3 . 14 reveals peaks corresponding to the desired product at m / z = 710 [ m + h ] + , m / z = 727 [ m + nh 4 ] + , and m / z = 732 [ m + na ] + . there is no peak corresponding to the possible impurity , 3 - iodobenzylamine , at m / z = 234 . the hplc chromatogram of compound 3 . 14 shows two sizeable peaks with retention times of 3 . 3 minutes and 19 . 4 minutes , presumably the solvent front and product respectively . the hplc chromatogram of the gflm ( f ) under the same elution conditions has a t r = 13 . 6 and 14 . 8 minutes , while an authentic standard of 3 - iodobenzoic acid has a t r = 6 . 5 minutes . the chromatogram of 3 . 14 therefore seems to confirm product formation , with a longer retention time compared to gflm ( f ) and no indication of the impurity at t r = 6 . 5 minutes . the synthesis of tris ( perfluorohexylethyl ) tin - 3 - benzylamine ( 3 . 0 ) should facilitate the synthesis and labelling of a wider array of biomolecules . initial results appear to confirm the successful synthesis of mibg ( 3 . 10 ) and mfbg ( 3 . 11 ) through the corresponding fluorous “ tagged ” precursor ( 3 . 5 ). further detailed characterisation of the precursor and products is required however , including expanding the labelling experiments to include [ 18 f ] f 2 and na 125 i . the synthesis of fluorous “ tagged ” peptides through compound 3 . 0 , has also been shown using standard coupling methodology . the differences in solubility allow for purification of the peptide coupled product ( 3 . 13 ) from any unreacted fluorous substrate by simple extraction . this coupling protocol should permit for a wide array of short peptides to be coupled to the fluorous support in the future . the preliminary labelling of 3 . 13 with iodine will have to be expanded to [ 18 f ] f 2 and na 125 i in the future . the techniques presented herein can be used as a novel means of preparing radiopharmaceuticals . it allows for the facile synthesis of labelled compounds , without the need for extensive purification , in high radiochemical and chemical yields and in high specific activities . this is particularly important for receptor targeted radioimaging and therapy agents . this approach can also be used in pharmaceutical and radiopharmaceutical discovery research . there are numerous advantages of the reported technology compared to traditional and resin - based labelling methods . the aforementioned techniques can be used to prepare radiolabelled compounds more efficiently , safely and more conveniently than traditional radiolabelling techniques . the approach can be adapted for a wide variety of isotopes including 99m tc , 94m tc , 186 re , 105 rh , 18 f , 11 c , 125 i , 123 i , 131 i , 76 br , and 111 at and is easily automatable . the fluorous - tagged compounds are readily soluble in per - fluorinated solvents . these solvents are particularly useful for carrying out labelling reactions because they are stable to reactive compounds like 18 f - 19 f ( i . e . f 2 ). furthermore , gases , such as 11 co 2 and 11 co , are highly soluble in perfluorinated solvents , which will lead to an increase in product yields compared to reactions carried out in conventional solvents . for example , it is possible to prepare carbon - 11 labelled benzophenone from a fluorous tin substrate as shown in scheme 28 . the reaction was complete in less than five minutes generating labelled benzophenone as the major product . this approach will be particularly applicable to drug development research where pet is being used to perform biodistribution studies . the use of fluorous supports broadens the number of compounds that can be labelled compared to the approach using insoluble polymer supports . conventional synthetic methods can be used to attach compounds to the fluorous supports without the need for forceful reaction conditions . impurities can be removed ( unlike polymer supported methods ) using standard chemical techniques . furthermore , fluorous - labelled substrates can be readily characterized using traditional methods , which is important when getting compounds and / or techniques approved for medical use . the reported approach can also be used to develop libraries of radiopharmaceuticals , which will facilitate the rate and efficiency with which new imaging agents are discovered . the invention now being generally described , it will be more readily understood by reference to the following examples , which are included merely for purposes of illustration of certain aspects and embodiments of the present invention , and are not intended to limit the invention . analytical tlc was performed on silica gel 60 - f 254 ( merck ) with detection by long wavelength ultraviolet light . hplc experiments ( cold ) utilized a varian prostar hplc system with a pda detector and c - 8 or c - 18 reverse phase column ( where mentioned ). hplc analysis of fluorine - 18 labeled 3 - fluorobenzoic acid employed a waters 490e programmable multiwavelength detector and a beckman radioisotope detector ( model 170 ). gradient or isocratic elution was performed as indicated with acetonitrile and distilled - deionized water as the mobile phase ( buffered / acidified where indicated ). 1 h , 13 c and 19 f nmr spectra were recorded on the bruker avance ac - 200 or drx - 500 spectrometers . the x - ray structure was collected using mo kα radiation on a siemens rotating anode instrument fitted with a ccd detector . electrospray mass spectrometry ( esms ) were performed on a fisons platform quadrupole instrument . chemical ionisation mass spectra ( cims ) were measured at 70 ev with a source temperature of 200 ° c . on a vg instruments analytical zab - e mass spectrometer equipped with a vg11 - 250 data system . ir spectra were run on a bio - radfts - 40ft ftir spectrometer . melting points were determined using a fisher - john melting point apparatus . fluorine - 18 labelled f 2 was produced by the 18 o ( p , n ) 18 f nuclear reaction using a siemens rds 112 proton cyclotron operating at 11 mev by the “ double shoot ” method . 18 all commercial reagents were used as supplied with the following exceptions : thf was distilled from sodium and benzophenone ; toluene was distilled from calcium hydride . enriched [ 18 o ] o 2 ( 18 o , 95 . 87 at %, eurisotope , st . aubin , france ), neon ( 99 . 999 %, air products ), 1 % f 2 in neon ( canadian liquid air ), hplc grade solvents ( calcdon ), reagent grade fc - 72 ® ( 3m corporation ), and perfluorooctyliodide , phenyltintrichloride , 3 -( ethoxycarbonyl ) phenylzin solution , and benzotrifluoride were all purchased from aldrich . tris [( 2 - perfluorohexyl ) ethyl ] phenyltin ( 2 . 4 ). the procedure developed by masahide et al . was followed . 43 to magnesium turnings 2 . 308 g ( 94 . 9 mmol ) was added 22 . 501 g ( 47 . 5 mmol ) of perfluorooctyliodide in 10 ml of dry ether . the reaction mixture was stirred at reflux for 25 min and then 1 . 95 ml ( 11 . 9 mmol ) phenyltintrichloride was added in 20 ml of dry toluene . the reaction was stirred at 70 ° c . for 4 h and then at room temperature overnight . the reaction mixture was quenched with a 40 ml of ammonium chloride solution , and washed with three 200 ml portions of a 5 % sodium thiolsulfate solution . the combined aqueous layers were additionally extracted with three 100 ml portions of diethylether . the combined organic fractions were then dried ( mgso 4 ) and concentrated under reduced pressure . vacuum distillation removed the homocoupled impurity at 82 ° c . (≈ 0 . 2 mm hg ) and the residue was purified by flash chromatography on neutral alumina . elution with hexane gave 2 . 4 as a colorless oil : yield 11 . 031 g ( 75 %). tlc r f 0 . 89 ( 6 : 1 hexanes - diethylether ). 1 h nmr ( 200 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 23 ( t , 6h ) with sn satellites ( 2 j sn , h = 51 . 7 hz ), 2 . 24 ( m , 6h ), 7 . 33 ( s , 5h ). 13 c nmr ( 50 . 3 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ − 1 . 49 , 27 . 74 ( t , 3 j f , c = 23 . 5 hz ), 129 . 06 , 129 . 65 , 136 . 08 . ms ( esms ), ( ipa , 2 mm nh 4 oac ): m / z 1297 . 0 [ m + oa − h ] − , m / z = 1283 . 0 [ m + oac − ch 3 ] − . ir ( thin film ): 2962 , 2928 , 2875 , 2862 , 1241 , 1146 , 497 cm − 1 . bromotris [( 2 - perfluorohexyl ) ethyl ] tin ( 2 . 3 ). to a solution containing 15 . 860 g ( 12 . 8 mmol ) of 2 . 4 in 20 ml of diethylether at 0 ° c . was added slowly a solution containing 670 μl ( 13 mmol ) of bromine in 20 ml of diethylether . the reaction solution was stirred at 0 ° c . for 2 h and then at room temperature overnight . the reaction solution was concentrated under diminished pressure . vacuum distillation at 162 ° c . (≈ 0 . 2 mmhg ) gave 2 . 3 as a colorless oil : yield 15 . 487 g ( 97 %). 1 h nmr ( 500 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 57 ( t , 6h ) with sn satellites ( 2 j sn , h = 54 . 1 hz ), 2 . 46 ( m , 6h ). 13 c nmr ( 126 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 6 . 11 with sn satellites ( 1 j sn , c = 374 hz ), 27 . 60 ( t , 3 j f , c = 22 . 9 hz ), 108 . 86 - 120 . 71 ( m , cf 2 , cf 3 ). ms ( esms , ipa 2 mm nh 4 oac ): m / z 1279 . 5 [ m + oac ] − . ir ( thin film ): 3472 , 3417 , 2949 , 1442 , 1146 cm − 1 . synthesis of tris [ 2 - perfluorohexylethyl ] tin - 4 - bromobenzene ( 2 . 8 ). the procedure was adapted from that used by lequan et al . 44 to 37 mg ( 1 . 52 mmol ) of magnesium turnings was slowly added a solution containing 390 mg ( 1 . 66 mmol ) p - dibromobenzene in 8 ml of thf . the reaction mixture was refluxed for 2 h at which time a solution containing 820 mg ( 0 . 662 mmol ) of 2 . 3 in 6 ml of thf was added . the reaction solution was stirred overnight and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was extracted with three ( 3 ml ) portions of fc - 72 ® from dichloromethane and water . the combined fc - 72 ® layers were extracted again from dichloromethane and then concentrated under reduced pressure to give 2 . 8 as a clear colourless oil : yield 0 . 538 mmol ( 81 %). 1 h nmr ( 200 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 30 ( t , 6h ), 2 . 30 ( m , 6h ), 7 . 24 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 56 ppm ( d , 2h ). ms ( esms ): m / z 1375 . 0 [ m + oac ] + , and 1297 . 1 [ m + oac − br ] + . 4 - bromobenzyloxazoline ( 2 . 9 ). the procedure was adapted from that used by hughes , a . et al . 45 a mixture of 4 . 00 g ( 19 . 9 mmol ) in 7 . 0 ml ( 96 mmol ) thionyl chloride was refluxed for 2 h prior to concentration under reduced pressure . to the product dissolved in 10 ml of dichloromethane at 0 ° c . was slowly added 3 . 8 ml ( 40 mmol ) of 2 - amino - 2 - methyl - 1 - propanol in 10 ml of dichloromethane . the reaction solution was allowed to warm gradually overnight , filtered , and extracted from two 10 ml portions of water and dried over mgso 4 . the solution was concentrated under reduced pressure and to 4 . 850 g ( 17 . 82 mmol ) of the solid was added 6 ml ( 80 mmol ) of thionyl chloride . the reaction mixture was stirred for 45 min followed by addition of a large volume of diethylether to precipitate a white solid . the solid was filtered and extracted into diethylether from 3 n naoh , and washed with an additional three 10 ml portions of 3 n naoh . the combined organic layer was dried over mgso 4 , filtered and concentrated under reduced pressure to give 2 . 9 as a clear solid : yield 4 . 810 g ( 95 %). 1 h nmr ( 200 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 42 ( s , 6h ), 4 . 17 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 56 ( d , 2h ), 7 . 87 ( d , 2h ). 13 c nmr ( 50 . 3 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 28 . 26 , 67 . 58 , 79 . 32 , 125 . 99 , 126 . 68 , 129 . 80 , 131 . 53 , 161 . 48 . mass spectra ( ei ): m / z 254 . synthesis of tris [ 2 - perfluorohexylethyl ] tin - benzyloxazoline ( 2 . 10 ). the procedure was adapted from that used by milius et al . 46 to 215 mg ( 8 . 83 mmol ) of magnesium turning was slowly added a solution containing 1 . 122 g ( 4 . 415 mmol ) of 2 . 9 in 18 ml of thf . to the stirring mixture was added 1 , 2 - dibromoethane ( 20 drops ) and allowed to reflux for 1 h . this solution was added to a solution containing 547 mg ( 4 . 415 mmol ) of 2 . 3 in 3 ml of fc - 72 ® and 14 ml of benzotrifluoride . the reaction solution was stirred overnight at room temperature , and then concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was extracted with three ( 3 ml ) portions of fc - 72 ® from dichloromethane and water . the combined fc - 72 ® layers were re - extracted with dichloromethane and concentrated under reduced pressure to give 2 . 10 as a clear colorless oil : yield 528 mg ( 90 %). 1 h nmr ( 200 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 32 ( t , 6h ), 1 . 40 ( s , 6h ), 2 . 30 ( m , 6h ), 4 . 14 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 44 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 2 hz ), 7 . 97 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 1 hz ). 13 c nmr ( 50 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ − 1 . 25 , 27 . 68 ( t , 3 j f , c = 23 . 4 hz ), 28 . 47 , 67 . 71 , 79 . 46 , 128 . 36 , 135 . 97 . ms ( esms ): m / z 1394 . 2 [ m + oac ] + . tris [ 2 - perfluorohexylethyl ] tin - 3 - ethylbenzoate ( 2 . 14 ). to a solution containing 8 . 523 g ( 6 . 879 mmol ) of 2 . 3 in 10 ml of thf at 0 ° c . was slowly added 41 . 2 ml ( 20 . 6 mmol ) of a 0 . 5 m 3 -( ethoxycarbonyl ) phenylzinc solution in thf . the solution was warmed to room temperature over 2 h and stirred overnight at r . t . the reaction solution was concentrated under diminished pressure . the residue was extracted with four 5 ml portions of fc - 72 ® from 20 ml of methanol . the combined fc - 72 ® layers were concentrated under reduced pressure and dried under high vacuum to give 2 . 14 as a colorless oil : yield 8 . 903 g ( 98 . 9 %). tlc r f 0 . 58 ( 6 : 1 hexane : diethylether ). 1 h nmr ( 500 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 35 ( t , 6h ), 1 . 39 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 33 ( m , 6h ), 4 . 39 ( q , 2h , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 7 . 49 ( t , 1h , j = 7 . 0 hz ), 7 . 57 ( d , 1h , j = 7 . 2 hz ), 8 . 05 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 07 ( s , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( 50 . 3 mhz , cdcl 3 ): − 1 . 12 , 14 . 20 , 27 . 87 ( t , 1 j f , c = 23 . 3 hz ), 61 . 17 , 108 . 92 - 118 . 84 ppm ( m , cf 2 , cf 3 ), 128 . 90 , 129 . 54 , 130 . 79 , 131 . 13 , 131 . 84 , 136 . 06 , 136 . 97 , 137 . 34 , 140 . 30 , 143 . 46 , 166 . 67 . ms ( esms , epa 2 mm nh 4 oac ): m / z 1369 . 5 [ m + oac ] − , m / z = 1279 . 4 [ m − oet ] − . tris [ 2 - perfluorohexylethyl ] tin - 3 - benzoic acid ( 2 . 2 ). a mixture of 8 . 903 g ( 6 . 801 mmol ) of 2 . 14 and 34 ml of 1n naoh in 34 ml of methanol was refluxed for 24 h . methanol was removed under diminished pressure and the residue was extracted with four 5 ml portions of fc - 72 ®. the combined fc - 72 ® layers were then extracted twice from 20 ml of dichloromethane and 10 ml of 1n hcl . the combined fc - 72 ® layers were concentrated under diminished pressure to give 2 . 2 as a colourless oil : yield 8 . 584 g ( 98 %). after several days 2 . 2 crystallised as a white solid . dissolving approximately 100 mg of 2 . 2 in 1 ml of pentane followed by slow evaporation over one week gave 2 . 2 as colourless needles . tlc r f 0 . 21 ( 6 : 1 hexane - diethylether ). 1 h nmr ( 200 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 34 ppm ( t , 6h ) with sn satellites ( 2j sn , h = 53 . 4 hz ), 2 . 31 ( m , 6h ), 7 . 51 ( t , 1h , j = 7 . 7 hz ), 7 . 62 ( d , 1h , j = 7 . 1 hz ), 8 . 11 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 12 ( s , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( 126 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ − 1 . 53 - 1 . 06 , 27 . 42 ( t , 1 j f , c = 24 . 40 hz ), 108 . 49 - 118 . 51 ( m , cf 2 , cf 3 ), 128 . 66 , 129 . 02 , 129 . 73 , 130 . 01 , 130 . 39 , 131 . 08 , 131 . 34 , 134 . 00 , 135 . 906 , 136 . 16 , 137 . 53 , 141 . 00 , 141 . 23 , 172 . 61 , 172 . 04 . ms ( esms , ipa ): m / z 1279 . 1 [ m − h ] − . ir ( thin film ): 3410 , 2981 , 2950 , 1631 , 1610 , 1593 cm − 1 . general procedure : 3 - fluorobenzoic acid from f 2 reaction ( 2 . 15 ). to 0 . 191 g ( 0 . 149 mmol ) of 2 . 2 in 1 ml of fc - 72 ® at − 85 ° c . in a fep tube was bubbled 118 μmol of 0 . 5 % f 2 in ne . the f 2 was steadily released into the solution over 35 min . the reaction solution along with three 3 ml portions of methanol used to rinse the vessel were concentrated in a large vial . the residue was washed with three 3 ml portions of 1 : 1 acetonitrile : water and eluted down a conditioned fluorous reverse phase column ( 1 g ) to give 2 . 15 . yield 28 . 2 μmol ( 24 %). hplc analysis was carried out on an analytical ( 250 mm × 4 . 6 mm ) c 8 reversed - phase column . a retention time of 4 . 22 min . consistent with the standard was produced when flow rate = 1 ml / min , eluent : 50 % water ( 0 . 2 % tfa ): 50 % acetonitrile ( 0 . 2 % tfa ), λ = 280 nm . 19 f nmr ( 188 . 16 mhz , meoh : chcl 3 ): δ − 112 . 00 ( d , 3 j f , h = 5 . 65 hz ). ms [ esms , 1 : 1 ipa :( acn : h 2 o )]: m / z 139 . 1 [ m − h ] − . general procedure : [ 18 f ] 3 - fluorobenzoic acid ( 2 . 16 ). to 0 . 124 g ( 97 . 2 μmol ) of 2 . 2 in 1 ml fc - 72 ® at − 85 ° c . in a fep tube was bubbled [ 18 f ] f 2 ( 15 - 20 μmol ) in ne over 10 min . the reaction solution and two 2 ml portions of methanol used to rinse the vessel were combined and evaporated on a hot water bath under a stream of n 2 . the residue was rinsed with three 3 ml portions of 1 : 1 acetonitrile : water and eluted down a fluorous reverse phase column ( 1 g ). hplc analysis was carried out on an analytical ( 250 mm × 4 . 6 mm ) c 8 reversed - phase column . a retention time of 4 . 18 min , consistent with the standard , was produced when flow rate = 1 ml / min , eluent : 50 % water ( 0 . 2 % tfa ): 50 % acetonitrile ( 0 . 2 % tfa ), λ = 280 nm . the chromatogram using a γ detector produced a single peak with a retention time of 4 . 99 min , which is consistent with the delay times between instruments . 19 f nmr ( 188 . 16 mhz , ch 3 cn : h 2 o ): δ − 110 . 10 ( d , 3 j f , h = 7 . 24 hz ). ms [ esms , 1 : 1 ipa :( acn : h 2 o )]: m / z 139 . 0 [ m − h ] − . 3 - iodobenzoic acid ( 12 reaction ) ( 2 . 17 ). to a mixture containing 0 . 127 g ( 99 . 1 μmol ) of 2 . 2 in 2 ml acetonitrile was added 1 ml ( 0 . 1 mmol ) iodine in methanol . the reaction mixture was stirred for 16 hr and then quenched with a crystal of sodium metabisulfite . the reaction was diluted with 2 . 5 ml of distilled deionized water and the total volume added to a fluorous column ( 3 . 9 g ), pre - conditioned with 1 : 1 acetonitrile : water . the column was eluted with 25 ml of 1 : 1 acetonitrile : water to give 2 . 17 in solution . hplc analysis was carried out on an analytical ( 250 mm × 4 . 6 mm ) c 8 reversed - phase column . a retention time of 9 . 90 minutes , which is consistent with a standard of 3 - iodobenzoic acid , was observed when the flow rate = 1 ml / min , eluent : 80 % water ( 0 . 1 % hfba ): 20 % acetonitrile , λ = 254 μm ). alternatively , varying elution conditions to a flow rate = 1 ml / min : 80 % water ( ph = 7 . 4 ): 20 % acetonitrile , λ = 254 nm resulted in elution of 2 . 17 at 2 . 9 minutes , also consistent with the authentic standard . ms ( esms ), m / z 246 . 9 [ m − h ] + . 3 - iodobenzoic acid ( na 127 i reaction ) ( 2 . 18 ). to a solution containing 5 . 4 mg ( 4 . 15 μmol ) of 2 . 2 in 200 μl of methanol was added 4 μl ( 0 . 184 nmol ) nai in 0 . 1 n naoh , followed by 2 μl of peracetic acid ( 32 % in acetic acid ). the reaction was quenched at 2 h with 100 μl of a 10 % sodium metabisulfite solution and diluted to 1 ml with distilled deionized water . hplc analysis was carried out on an analytical ( 250 mm × 4 . 6 mm ) c 18 reversed - phase nucleosil column . hplc analysis of a 100 μl aliquot gave a retention of 10 . 2 minutes , analogous to an authentic standard ( flow rate = 1 ml / min : 50 % water ( 0 . 2 % formic acid ): 50 % acetonitrile ( 0 . 2 % formic acid ), λ = 254 nm ). [ 125 ] 3 - iodobenzoic acid ( na 125 i reaction ) ( 2 . 19 — no impurities ). to a solution containing 1 . 4 mg ( 1 . 07 μmol ) of 2 . 2 in 200 μl of methanol was added 5 μl ( 32 μci ) na 125 i in 0 . 01 n naoh , followed by 2 μl of peracetic acid ( 32 % in acetic acid ). the reaction was stirred for 47 min followed by quenching with 20 μl of a 10 % solution of sodium metabisulfite and dilution with 300 μl of distilled - deionized water . hplc analysis was carried out on an analytical ( 250 mm × 4 . 6 mm ) c 18 reversed - phase nucleosil column . hplc analysis of a 20 μl aliquot gave a retention time of 16 . 91 min on the chromatogram using the γ detector . there was no visible uv absorbance other than the solvent front . the retention time was consistent with an authentic standard of 3 - iodobenzoic acid ( flow rate = 0 . 5 ml / min , 50 % water ( 0 . 2 % formic acid ): 50 % acetonitrile ( 0 . 2 % formic acid ), λ = 254 nm ). the solution was diluted with 1 ml of distilled deionized water and eluted through a waters c 18 sep - pak previously conditioned with water . the column was eluted with an additional 1 . 5 ml of distilled deionized water and the combined fractions showed an activity of 3 μci . the column was then washed with 2 ml of hplc grade acetonitrile and released 23 μci of activity . an additional washing of the column with 1 ml of acetonitrile resulted in only 1 μci of activity being released . the remaining activity was found in the sep - pak ( 4 μci ) and original reaction vessel ( 1 μci ). hplc analysis was carried out on an analytical ( 250 mm × 4 . 6 mm ) c 18 reversed - phase nucleosil column . hplc analysis of a 20 μl aliquot gave a retention of 16 . 586 min on the γ detector and no visible uv peak . the retention time was consistent with an authentic standard of 3 - iodobenzoic acid ( flow rate = 0 . 5 ml / min : 50 % water ( 0 . 2 % formic acid ): 50 % acetonitrile ( 0 . 2 % formic acid ), λ = 254 nm ). modification of the elution conditions to a flow rate = 1 ml / min : 100 % acetonitrile , and λ = 254 nm resulted in a peak at 4 . 458 min on the γ detector and two peaks at 6 . 379 min and 6 . 720 m in on the u v chromatogram . these two peaks have a similar retention time as 2 . 2 , 6 . 613 min , under similar elution conditions . the acetonitrile solution ( approx . 2 ml ) was diluted with 2 ml of distilled deionized water and passed down a fluorous technologies ® sep - pak . a total of 9 μci was released in the eluting volume . washing the column with an additional 4 ml of ( 1 : 1 ) acetonitrile : water yielded a total 19 μci when combined with the previous fraction . no additional activity was found in either the fluorous sep - pak or previous vial . hplc analysis was carried out on an analytical ( 250 mm × 4 . 6 mm ) c 18 reversed - phase nucleosil column . hplc analysis of a 20 μl aliquot gave a small peak at 6 . 532 min v chromatogram ( flow rate = 1 . 0 ml / min : 100 % acetonitrile , and λ = 254 nm ). tris [ 2 - perfluorohexylethyl ] tin - 3 - benzamide ( 2 . 21 ). to a reaction solution containing 294 mg ( 226 μmol ) of 2 . 2 in 2 . 5 ml of dmf was added 0 . 130 g ( 344 μmol ) of hbtu , followed by 90 μl ( 517 μmol ) diisopropylethylamine ( dipea ). the reaction solution was stirred for 5 min prior to addition of 251 μl ( 2 . 29 mmol ) of n , n - dimethylethylenediamine and 400 μl ( 2 . 30 mmol ) of dipea . the reaction solution was then stirred for 16 h . the solution was diluted with 20 ml of water and extracted into 50 ml of dichloromethane and 10 ml of fc - 72 ®. the fc - 72 ® layer was re - extracted with three additional 10 ml portions of dichloromethane . the combined organic layers were re - extracted with 20 ml of water prior to concentration under reduced pressure to give 2 . 21 as a dark orange oil : yield 227 mg ( 74 %). tlc r f 0 . 00 ( 6 : 1 hexane - diethylether ). 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 , 200 mhz ): δ 1 . 31 ( t , 6h ) with sn satellites ( 2 j sn , h = 54 . 8 hz ), 2 . 31 ( 6h ), 2 . 33 ( m , 6h ), 2 . 59 ( dt , 2h ), 3 . 55 ( q , 2h ), 7 . 14 - 7 . 90 ( m , 4h ). 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , 50 . 3 mhz ): δ − 1 . 43 , 27 . 55 ( t , 3 j f , c = 23 . 4 hz ), 37 . 11 , 44 . 87 , 57 . 75 , 104 . 80 - 120 . 03 ( m , cf 2 , cf 3 ), 127 . 04 , 127 . 71 , 128 . 66 , 134 . 70 , 134 . 82 , 136 . 01 , 137 . 53 , 138 . 69 , 167 . 16 , 167 . 41 . ir ( thin film ): 3338 , 2950 , 2831 , 1650 cm − 1 . ms ( esms ), m / z 1353 . 0 [ m + h ] + . 3 - iodobenzamide ( 12 reaction of 2 . 21 ) ( 2 . 20 ). to a solution containing 3 . 2 mg ( 2 . 37 μmol ) of 2 . 21 in 200 μl methanol was added 30 μl ( 3 . 0 μmol ) of 0 . 1 m iodine . the reaction solution was stirred for 1 h prior to quenching with 100 μl of a 10 % solution of sodium metabisulfite . the solution was diluted with 700 μl of distilled - deionized water and analysed on a nucleosil c 18 reversed - phase column . a retention time of 16 . 6 min and 18 . 9 min was observed ( flow rate = 2 ml / min , 80 % h 2 o ( 0 . 01 m nah 2 po 4 ): 20 % ch 3 cn , and λ = 254 nm ). ms ( esms ), m / z 319 [ m + h ] + . 3 - fluorobenzamide ( f 2 reaction of 2 . 21 ). to 180 mg ( 133 μmol ) of 2 . 21 in 1 ml of fc - 72 ® at − 90 ° c . in a fep tube was bubbled 131 μmol of 0 . 5 % f 2 in ne . the f 2 was steadily released into the solution over 25 min . the reaction solution along with two 3 ml portions of fc - 72 ® used to rinse the vessel were concentrated in a large vial . the residue was washed with three 3 ml portions of acetonitrile and eluted down a conditioned fluorous reversed - phase column ( 1 g ). ms ( esms ), m / z 211 . 1 [ m + h ] + , 193 . 1 [ m − f + h ] + . tris [ 2 - perfluorohexylethyl ] tin - 3 - benzylamine ( 3 . 0 ). a mixture containing 3 . 990 g ( 2 . 84 mmol ) of 3 . 3 in 125 ml of 9 : 1 methanol : water with sufficient 0 . 5 n hcl to give a ph = 3 . 07 was stirred overnight . to the reaction mixture was added 20 ml 1 n naoh solution , which was followed by removal of methanol under reduced pressure . the reaction mixture was subsequently extracted with four ( 3 ml ) portions of fc - 72 ®. the fc - 72 ® layers were combined and re - extracted from 5 ml of dichloromethane . the solvent was concentrated under reduced pressure to give 3 . 0 as a light yellow oil : yield 3 . 482 g ( 97 %). tlc r f 0 . 22 ( 6 : 1 hexane - diethylether ). 1 h nmr ( 200 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 1 . 31 ( t , 6h ) with sn satellites ( 2 j sn , h = 54 . 2 hz ), 2 . 31 ( m , 6h ), 3 . 88 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 22 - 7 . 46 ( m , 4h ). 13 c nmr ( 126 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ − 1 . 37 with sn satellites ( 1 j sn , c = 347 hz ), 27 . 94 ( t , 1 j f , c = 23 . 4 hz ), 46 . 62 , 106 . 17 - 121 . 17 ( m , cf 2 , cf 3 ), 128 . 63 , 129 . 19 , 129 . 72 , 134 . 60 , 134 . 90 , 135 . 56 , 135 . 66 , 136 . 96 , 138 . 42 , 140 . 08 , 143 . 89 , 162 . 09 . ir ( thin film ), 3386 , 2944 , 2870 , 1647 , 1250 cm − 1 . ms ( esms , ipa ): m / z 1268 . 5 [ m + h ] + . 1 -( 3 - bromobenzyl )- 2 , 2 , 5 , 5 - tetramethyl - 1 , 2 , 5 - azadisilolidine ( 3 . 1 ). the procedure developed by magnus et al . was followed . 5 to a solution containing 2 . 228 g ( 11 . 98 mmol ) of 3 - bromobenzylamine in 10 ml of dichloromethane was added 3 . 4 ml ( 24 mmol ) of triethylamine . the solution was stirred for 30 min and then treated with a solution containing 2 . 579 g ( 11 . 98 mmol ) of 1 , 1 , 4 , 4 - tetramethyl - 1 , 4 - dichlorosilethylene in 5 ml of dichloromethane . the reaction mixture was stirred for 3 h and then poured into 100 ml of saturated sodium dihydrogen phosphate . the reaction mixture was extracted with three 50 ml portions of dichloromethane , then dried ( mgso 4 ), and concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was distilled at 160 ° c . to give 3 . 1 as a clear colourless oil : yield 2 . 510 g ( 64 %). 1 h nmr ( 200 mhz , acetone - d 6 ): δ 0 . 00 ( s , 12h ), 0 . 78 ( s , 4h ), 4 . 06 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 20 - 7 . 48 ( m , 4h ). 13 c nmr ( 50 . 3 mhz , acetone - d6 ): δ − 0 . 26 , 8 . 01 , 45 . 59 , 122 . 15 , 126 . 10 , 129 . 35 , 129 . 53 , 130 . 69 , 146 . 01 . ir ( thin film ): 3388 , 2953 , 1666 , 1251 , and 1132 cm − 1 . ms ( ci ): m / z = 312 . tris [ 2 - perfluorohexylethyl ] tin -( 3 - bromobenzyl )- 2 , 2 , 5 , 5 - tetramethyl - 1 , 2 , 5 - azadisilolidine ( 3 . 3 ). to a solution containing 4 . 301 g ( 13 . 1 mmol ) of 3 . 1 in 30 ml of thf at − 78 ° c . was slowly added 5 . 24 ml ( 13 . 1 mmol ) of 2 . 5 m n - buli . the reaction solution was stirred for 40 minutes , followed by addition of a solution containing 4 . 3662 g ( 3 . 521 mmol ) of 2 . 3 in 20 ml of thf . the reaction solution was stirred at − 78 ° c . for 2 h and then diluted with 5 ml of fc - 72 ® and 30 ml of methanol . the reaction solution was extraction with three 4 ml portions of fc - 72 ®. the combined fluorous layers were concentrated under reduced pressure to give 3 . 3 as a light yellow oil : yield 4 . 732 g ( 96 %). 1 h nmr ( 200 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 0 . 01 - 0 . 21 ( s , 12h ), 0 . 80 ( s , 4h ), 1 . 34 ( t , 6h , 2 j sn , c - h = 27 . 5 hz ), 2 . 35 ( m , 6h ), 3 . 96 - 4 . 06 ( s , 2h ), 7 . 28 - 7 . 39 ( m , 4h ). ir ( thin film ), 3354 , 2955 , 2849 , 1256 , and 442 cm − 1 . ms ( esms , ipa ): m / z 1268 . 3 [ m -( 2 , 2 , 5 , 5 - tetramethyl - 1 , 2 , 5 - azadisilolidine + h ] + . 3 - iodobenzylamine ( 12 reaction with 3 . 0 ) ( 3 . 4 ). to a mixture of 0 . 164 g ( 129 μmol ) of 3 . 0 in 2 ml of acetonitrile was added 1 . 5 ml of 0 . 1 m iodine in methanol . the reaction mixture was stirred for 16 h prior to quenching with a crystal of sodium thiosulfate and dilution with 3 ml of deionized distilled water . the reaction mixture was purified by flash chromatography using silicycle ® fluorous silica ( 3 . 9 g ). elution with 1 : 1 acetonitrile - water and collection of four 5 ml fractions gave 3 . 4 in solution . hplc analysis was carried out on an analytical ( 250 mm × 4 . 6 mm ) c 8 reversed - phase column . a retention time of 6 . 461 min , consistent with a standard , was generated when the column was eluted with 80 % h 2 o ( ph ≈ 7 . 4 ): 20 % ch 3 cn at a flow rate of 1 . 5 ml / min and λ = 254 nm . ms ( esms ), m / z 233 . 9 [ m + h ] + . tris [ 2 - perfluorohexylethyl ] tin - 3 - benzylguanidine using formamidine sulfinic acid ( 3 . 5 — approach b ). to a mixture containing 1 . 964 g ( 1 . 549 mmol ) of 3 . 0 in methanol ( 15 ml ) was added 0 . 184 g ( 1 . 704 mmol ) of 3 . 7 . the reaction mixture was stirred for 16 h and then methanol was decanted from the resulting viscous oil . the oil was washed with three ( 10 ml ) portions of hot chloroform and then two portions of hot water . the residue was extracted into 5 ml of fc - 72 ® from dichloromethane and residual water . the solvent was concentrated to give 3 . 5 as a clear orange oil : yield 1 . 654 g ( 82 %). mass spectrum ( esms ), m / z 1310 . 2 [ m + h ] + , 1293 . 0 [ m + h − 15 ] + , and 1325 . 0 [ m + h + 15 ] + . tris [ 2 - perfluorohexylethyl ] tin - 3 - benzlguanidine using aminoimino - methanesulfinic acid ( 3 . 5 — approach c ). to a mixture containing 518 mg ( 409 μmol ) of 3 . 0 in 1 ml of methanol was added 55 . 8 mg ( 450 μmol ) of aminoiminomethanesulfonic acid . the reaction mixture was then refluxed for 16 h . the reaction mixture was extracted into 5 ml of fc - 72 ® from 10 ml of methanol . the solvent was concentrated under reduced pressure to give 3 . 5 as an orange oil : yield 468 mg ( 88 %). tlc r f 0 . 25 ( 6 : 1 hexane - diethylether ). ir ( thin film ), 3349 , 3197 , 2946 , 1647 , 1449 , 1239 , 446 cm − 1 . mass spectrum ( esms ), m / z 1309 . 9 [ m + h ] + . aminoiminomethanesulfonic acid ( 3 . 7 ). the procedure developed by mosher et al . was followed . 12 to a mixture containing 0 . 633 g ( 5 . 85 mmol ) of 3 . 6 in 3 . 0 ml of glacial acetic acid at 0 ° c . was slowly added 1 . 56 ml of 32 % peracetic acid . the reaction mixture was then stirred for 16 h at room temperature . the precipitate was filtered and washed with five 5 ml portions of absolute ethanol and dried to give 3 . 7 as a white crystalline solid : yield 596 mg ( 82 %). mp 125 - 126 ° c . 3 - iodobenzylguanidine ( 3 . 9 ). to a solution containing 168 mg ( 721 μmol ) of 3 . 8 in 1 ml of methanol was added 90 . 1 mg ( 726 μmol ) of 3 . 7 . the reaction solution was refluxed for 16 h and then concentrated under reduced pressure to give 3 . 9 as a viscous yellow gum : yield 258 mg . hplc analysis was preformed using a nucleosil c 18 reversed - phase column . a retention time of 24 . 54 min was generated when the column was eluted with 80 % h 2 o ( 0 . 01 m nah 2 po 4 ): 20 % ch 3 cn at a flow rate of 2 . 0 ml / min and λ = 231 nm . 1 h nmr ( meoh , 200 mhz ): δ 4 . 22 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 99 ( t , 1h ), 7 . 22 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 49 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 56 ( s , 1h ). 13 c nmr ( meoh , 50 . 3 mhz ): δ 48 . 95 , 99 . 31 , 131 . 64 , 135 . 72 , 141 . 05 , 141 . 93 , 144 . 30 , 162 . 65 . ir ( thin film ): 3407 , 3192 , 1653 , 1115 cm − 1 . ms ( esms , methanol ), m / z 276 . 1 [ m + h ] + . 3 - iodobenzylguanidine ( nai reaction with 3 . 5 ) ( 3 . 10 ). to a reaction mixture containing 5 . 1 mg ( 3 . 90 μmol ) of 3 . 5 in 200 μl of methanol was added 10 μl ( 0 . 460 nmol ) of nai followed by 2 μl of solution of peracetic acid ( 35 % in acetic acid ). the reaction mixture was stirred for 2 h and then quenched with 100 μl of sodium metabisulfite ( 10 %) solution , prior to dilution to 1 ml with distilled deionized water . hplc analysis was performed with a nucleosil c 18 analytical column . a retention time of 24 . 89 min was observed ( 80 % h 2 o ( 0 . 01 m nah 2 po 4 ): 20 % ch 3 cn at a flow rate of 2 . 0 ml / min and λ = 231 nm ). ms ( esms ), m / z 276 . 0 [ m + h ] + . fluorination of 3 . 5 using [ f 2 ] ( 3 . 11 ). to 0 . 334 g ( 0 . 255 mmol ) of 3 . 5 in 1 ml of fc - 72 ® at − 95 ° c . in a fep tube was bubbled 172 μmol of 0 . 63 % f 2 in ne . the f 2 was steadily released into the solution over 35 min . the reaction solution along with two 3 ml portions of fc - 72 ® used to rinse the vessel were concentrated in a large vial . the residue was washed with three 3 ml portions of 1 : 1 acetonitrile : water and eluted down a conditioned fluorous reversed - phase column ( 1 g ) to give 3 . 11 in solution . hplc analysis was carried out on a nucleosil analytical ( 250 mm × 4 . 6 mm ) c 18 reversed - phase column . a retention time of 34 . 98 min was observed ( 80 % h 2 o ( 0 . 01 m nah 2 po 4 ): 20 % ch 3 cn at a flow rate of 2 . 0 ml / min and λ = 231 nm ). 19 f nmr ( acn : h 2 o , 470 . 493 hz ): δ − 110 . 3 ( 3 j f , h = 8 . 7 hz ), − 109 . 5 ( 3 j f , h = 9 . 2 hz ). ms ( esms ), m / z 168 . 0 [ m + h ] + . tris [ 2 - perfluorohexylethyl ]- 3 - benzylamine - gflm ( f ) ( 3 . 13 ). to a reaction solution containing 137 mg ( 108 μmol ) of 3 . 0 and 84 mg ( 170 μmol ) of gflm ( f ) in 5 ml of dmf was added 71 mg ( 187 μmol ) hbtu . to the reaction solution was added 97 μl of dipea and allowed to stir at for 16 h . the solution was diluted with 20 ml of water and extracted with 5 ml of fc - 72 ®. the emulsion partitioning fc - 72 ® and the aqueous layer was extracted and washed with three 3 ml portions of fc - 72 ®. the residual solvent was removed under reduced pressure to give 3 . 12 as a milky white oil : yield 63 mg ( 33 %). ms ( esms ), m / z 1744 [ m + h ] + , 1761 [ m + nh 4 ] + , 1766 [ m + na ] + . 3 - iodobenzyl - gflm ( f ) ( i 2 reaction with 3 . 13 ) ( 3 . 14 ). to a reaction mixture containing 50 mg ( 28 . 7 μmol ) of 3 . 13 in 3 ml of chloroform was added 1 . 5 ml ( 150 μmol ). the reaction mixture was stirred for 16 h prior to quenching with a sodium thiosulfate solution . the chloroform was removed under reduced pressure , and the mixture was diluted with 10 ml of 5 : 1 acetonitrile : water . the reaction solution was washed with three 1 . 5 ml portions of fc - 72 ® and the aqueous layer was isolated and assessed for the presence of 3 . 14 . hplc analysis was carried out on a nucleosil c 18 reversed - phase analytical column ( 250 mm × 4 . 6 mm ). a retention time of 19 . 4 min was observed ( 80 % h 2 o ( 0 . 01 m nah 2 po 4 ): 20 % ch 3 cn at a flow rate of 2 . 0 ml / min and λ = 254 nm ). ms ( esms ), m / z 319 [ m + h ] + . synthesis and purification of n - hydroxysuccinimidyl 3 - iodobenzoate . the n - hydroxysuccinimidyl tri ( fluoroalkyl ) stannylbenzoate , which was prepared following the method shown below in the scheme , was reacted with 125 i − in the presence of chloramine - t following the method of lindegren et al . lindegren , s . ; skamemark , g . ; jacobsson , l . ; karlsson , b . nuc . med . biol . 1998 , 25 , 659 . the reaction was stopped prematurely to compare the ability of two separate purification methods to remove impurities . the initial method involved extraction with perflourinated hexanes ( fc - 72 ) following dilution of the reaction mixture with water . the hplc trace of the aqueous layer ( fig3 ) showed the desired product , its hydrolysis product m -[ 125 i ] iodobenzoic acid and some unreated 125 i − . the second purification method , which is more convenient and more easily automated than extraction , involved passing the reaction mixture down a commercially available fluorous sep - pak . the purification protocol involved washing with 100 % water to remove unreacted iodide , which was immediately followed with 80 / 20 methanol - water which caused the desired product to elute . the hplc of the methanol - water eluent ( fig4 ) showed one major peak , which corresponds to the desired product . the fluorous labeling method has a number of advantages over traditional labeling methods , including ease of automation , sterilization and the fact that all of the precursors can be purified and characterized by traditional methods . all of the patents and publications cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference . those skilled in the art will recognize , or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation , many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described herein . such equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the following claims . 1 blok , d . ; feitsma , r . i . j . ; vermeij , p . ; pauwels , e . j . k . eur j nucl med . 1999 , 26 , 1511 . 2 krenning , e . p . ; bakker , w . h . ; breeman , w . a . lancet . 1989 , i , 242 . 3 hunter , r . m . ; greenwood , f . c . nature . 1962 , 194 , 495 . 4 fracker , p . j . ; speck , j . c . biochem . biophys . res . commun . 1987 , 80 , 849 . 5 bolton , a . m . ; hunter , r . m . biochem . j . 1973 , 133 , 529 . 6 okarvi , s . m . eur . j . nucl . med . 2001 , 28 , 929 . 7 okarvi , s . m . eur . j . nucl . med . 2001 , 28 , 929 . 8 hoshino , m . ; degenkolb , p . ; curran , d . p . j . org . chem . 1997 , 62 , 8341 . 9 studer , a ; jeger , p . ; wipf , p . ; curran , d . p . j . org . chem . 1997 , 62 , 2917 . 10 lequan , m . ; meganem , f . j . organometallic chem . 1975 , 94 , c1 - c2 . 11 milius , r . a . ; mclaughlin , w . h . ; lambrecht , r . m . ; wolk , a . p . ; carroll , j . j . ; adelstein , s . j . ; bloomer , w . d . appl . radiat . isot . 1986 , 37 , 799 . 12 hughes , a . b . ; melvyn , v . j . chem . soc . perkin . trans . 1989 , i , 1787 . 13 ishibashi , k . ; nakajima , k . ; nishi , t . heterocycles . 1998 , 48 , 2669 . 14 xizhen , z . ; blough , b . e . ; carroll , f . i . tetrahedron letters . 2000 , 41 , 9222 . 15 gutowsky , h . s . ; hoffman , c . j . j . chem . phys . 1951 , 19 , 1259 . 16 taft , r . w . j . phys . chem . 1960 , 64 , 1805 . 17 chirakal , r . ; adams , r . m . ; fimau , g . ; schrobilgen , g . j . ; coates , g . ; gamette , e . s . nucl . med . biol . 1995 , 22 , 111 . 18 devries , e . f . j . ; luurtsema , g . ; brussermann , m . ; elsing a , p . h . ; vallburg , w . appl . radiat . isot . 1999 , 51 , 389 . 19 namavari , m . ; bishop , a . ; satyamurthy , n . ; bida , g . ; barrio , j . r . appl . radiat . isot . 1992 , 43 , 989 . 20 lemaire , c . ; guillaume , m . ; cantineau , r . ; plenevaux , a . ; christiaens , l . appl . radiat . isot . 1991 , 42 , 629 . 21 chirakal , r . ; finau , g . ; garnett , e . s . j . nucl . med . 1986 , 27 , 417 . 22 katsifis , a ; mattner , f . ; zhang , z ., et al . j . labelled compds radiopharm . 2000 , 43 , 385 . 23 hunter , d . h . ; zhu , x . j . labelled cpd . radiopharm . 1999 , 42 , 653 . 24 auzeloux , p . ; papon , j . ; azim , e . m . ; borel , m . ; pasqualini , r . ; veyre , a . ; madelmont , j - c . j . med . chem . 2000 , 43 , 190 . 25 laulumaa , v . ; kuikka , j . t . ; soininen , h . ; bergstrom , k . ; lansimies , e . ; riekkinen , p . arch . neurol . 1993 , 50 , 509 . 26 moreau , m . f . ; labarre , p . ; foucaud , a . ; seguin , h . ; bayle , m . ; papon , j . ; madelmont , j . c . j . labelled cpd . radiopharm . 1998 , xli , 965 . 28 kuhnast , b ; dolle , f ; terrazzino , s . ; rousseau , b . ; loc &# 39 ; h , c . ; vaufrey , f . ; hinnen , f . ; doignon , i . ; pillon , f . ; david , c ; crouzel , c . ; tavitian , b . bioconjugate chem . 2000 , 11 , 627 . 29 wafelman , a . r . ; konings , m . c . p ; hoefnagel , c . a . ; maes , r . a . a . ; beijnen , j . h . appl . radiat . isot . 1994 , 10 , 997 . 30 vaidyanathan , g . ; zalutxky , m . r . ; degrado , t . r . bioconjugate chem . 1998 , 9 , 758 . 31 hunter , d . h . ; zhu , xizhen . j . labelled cpd . radiopharm . 1999 , 42 , 653 . 32 djuric , s . ; venit , j . ; magnus , p . tetrahedron letters . 1981 , 22 , 1787 . 33 amartey , j . k . ; al - jammaz , i . ; lambrecht , r . m . appl . radiat . isot . 2001 , 54 , 711 . 34 vaidyanathan , g . ; affleck , d . j . ; zalutsky , m . r . bioconjugate chem . 1996 , 7 , 102 . 35 vaidyanathan , g . ; zalutsky , m . r . appl . radiat . isot . 1993 , 3 , 621 . 36 grag , p . k . ; garg , s . ; zalutsky , m . r . nucl . med . biol . 1994 , 21 , 97 . 37 wieland , d . m . ; wu , j - i . ; brown , l . e . ; mangner , t . j . ; swanson , d . p . ; beirwaltes , w . h . j . nucl . med . 1980 , 21 , 349 . 38 jursic , b . s . ; neumann , d . ; mcpherson , a . synthesis . 2000 , 12 , 1656 . 39 kim , k . ; lin , y - t . ; mosher , h . s . tetrahedron lett . 1988 , 29 , 3183 . 40 wafelman , a . r . ; konnings , m . c . p . ; hoefnagel , c . a . ; maes , r . a . a . ; beijnen , j . h . appl . radiat . isot . 1994 , 45 , 997 . 41 taft , r . w . ; price ; e . ; fox , i . r . ; lewis , i . c . ; anderson , k . k . ; davis , g . t . j . am . chem . soc . 1963 , 85 , 3146 . 42 fischman , a . j . ; pike , m . c . ; kroon , d . j nucl med . 1991 , 32 , 483 . 43 masahide , h . ; degenkolb , p . ; curran , d . p . j . org . chem . 1997 , 62 , 8342 . 44 lequan , m . ; meganem , f . j . organometallic chem . 1975 , 94 , c 1 - c 2 . 45 hughes , a . b ., sargent , melvyn , v . j . chem . soc . perkin . trans . 1989 , 1 , 1787 . 46 milius , r . a . ; mclughlin , w . h . ; lambrecht , r . m . ; wolk , a . p . ; carroll , j . j . ; adelstein , s . j . ; bloomer , w . d . appl . radiat . isot . 1986 , 37 , 799 .	0
the present invention uses a multi - level screening process which preserves the original halftone structure without introducing distortion , or moiré , into a resultant , second generation halftone image . the method of the invention does not destroy or blur the halftone pattern ; it preserves the original halftone dots by using multi - level tone reproduction , instead of rendering the halftone image by another screen pattern which will likely introduce a second screen pattern . this method renders the original halftone image without introducing any interference pattern , or moire , from the second screen pattern , which normally interferes with the original screen pattern . theoretically , a halftone image is represented by bi - tonal pixels , i . e ., the pixel is either inked , with cmyk ink , or not inked . fig1 shows an ideal halftone dot on paper . a single dot may be comprised of several pixels . however , the ink spread which occurs on virtually all print media , and the printing process , degrade halftone dots away from bi - tonal . there are several causes of dot spread . in the case on an inkjet device , the liquid ink will spread on the media before drying . in the case of a laser device , the heat used to fuse the toner to the media will liquify the ink and cause the ink to spread . in both ink - jet and laser devices , pressure from rollers in the device may cause further spreading . fig2 shows a normal halftone dot on the paper . the halftone dot of fig2 is larger , but less dense than that of fig1 as indicated by the larger breadth and lower height of the trace . because ink spreading contains a great degree of randomness , the bi - tonal reproduction , with a single threshold , is not able to recover the tone smoothness of the original image . lines 10 in fig2 represent a single threshold applied to the dot to make a bi - tonal reproduction of the halftone dot . the single threshold technique will make the resultant , second generation halftone dot either too large , or too small , with reduced density , compared to the original halftone dot . in any given area of a halftone image , many dots are present , all of which have spread , randomly . such random spreading represents noise in both the shape and size of any halftone dot . any attempt to return the halftone dot to its intended size and shape will also require a correction in dot density . the second generation bi - tonal halftone will recover all of the inked pixels to the maximum density . if a cut - off density is not set , the image density will significantly increase because the dot has spread . however , as dot spread is random , if only a single threshold value is used to reduce the size to compensate for the density increase due to dot spread , then both the dot size and the dot density of a single halftone dot will vary . the resulting image will appear noisy and grainy . ideally , an 8 - bit multi - level representation can directly reproduce the scanned 8 - bit separation images , however , the scanning noise is usually amplified greatly by most multi - level printing processes , and results in a noisy output image . therefore , the halftoning process is still required to smooth the image . traditional halftoning uses n × n pixel halftone cells to reproduce local - averaged tone scales . it forces the dots “ on ” in order from the halftone center to the outer edge , with a smooth halftone dot shape . this process smoothes out the random noises because the discrimination of the different threshold levels for different pixel positions in the halftone cell averages the scanning noises . unfortunately , this process produces an addition screen pattern , and usually causes the moire if any original screen pattern remains . in the method of the invention , multi - level halftoning provides a “ soft screening ”, that averages the scanning noises without reconstructing new halftone centers . the details are described as following : determine the number of tone levels required in a pixel . a continuous tone image pixel requires 256 graylevels to provide an accurate representation , however , a halftone image pixel does not require the full 256 graylevels . if , however , there are not enough graylevels , the original halftone dots will not be accurately reproduced . fig3 depicts a halftone dot represented by a 2 - bit halftone , while fig4 depicts a halftone dot the represented by a 4 - bit halftone , for a large , e . g ., 30 × 30 pixels . normally , a 150 line - per - inch ( lpi ) halftone dot scanned and printed in 600 dpi will be about 6 × 6 pixels . in the case of a halftone dot having approximately 6 × 6 pixels , the 4 - bit representation will not be as good as indicated in fig4 however , fig4 still provides a representation of a tone reproduction capability . select a halftone cell size . for example , for 4 - bit halftoning , each pixel may display 15 levels of gray ; therefore , an n × n sized halftone cell is able to display k amount of graylevels , where k = n × n × 15 . for good printing quality , a halftone dot should be able to display 255 graylevels , at least be able to display a number of graylevels close to 255 . arrange the dot growth pattern . if the dot growth pattern begins in the center of the halftone cell , a screen pattern will be visible . if any periodic dot centers can be visually sensed , the screen pattern will also be visible . the method of the invention provides a technique for avoiding the dot centers by growing the halftone dots evenly over the entire halftone cell . “ evenly ” means that , in a tint area for any input graylevel , the maximum sub - pixel level difference among all pixels is 1 . fig5 depicts a typical 4 × 4 4 - bit halftone dot which has a maximum sub - pixel level difference of 8 . fig6 depicts an example of an evenly grown dot with the same total - graylevel , wherein the maximum sub - pixel level difference is only 1 . the human visual system ( hvs ) cannot sense { fraction ( 1 / 15 )} of density difference for , e . g ., a 600 dpi pixel . therefore , the hvs will not sense a dot center which is less than or equal to { fraction ( 1 / 15 )} of a density difference for most printed materials . the detail of the arrangement is that for an n × n halftone cell , the halftone cell is further divided into mxm sized sub - cells in which n = m * i , where i is an integer , as shown in fig7 . all pixels still have their own unique threshold value , however , the dot growth sequence is evenly distributed among the sub - cells . therefore , no new visible screen pattern is perceptible . the tone reproduction curve ( trc ) of this sample has not been adjusted . the preferred embodiment of the method of the invention includes use of a 4 - bit halftone with 4 × 4 halftone cells . this arrangement provides 15 graylevels ( 1 - 15 ) plus white ( 0 ) for each pixel , and is adequate for reproducing scanned halftone dots . in electrophotography printing , pulse - width modulation provides a different signal width for different sub - pixel levels . however , after the toner development process , the ink is melted and spreads to cover nearly the whole pixel . therefore , each pixel on the paper appears different in density , rather than in the width . the sub - cells have a size of 2 × 2 pixels . one example of this halftone cell arrangement is shown in fig8 . this is a 2 - d matrix halftone cell . normally , a halftone matrix indicates the dot growth pattern , and directly or indirectly provides the threshold values for each position . “ indirectly ” means that the matrix values need to be scaled up to the tone range , e . g ., the matrix range 0 and 1 is scaled up to 0 and 255 ; or a “ look - up ” a trc table may be used . however , the numbers in table 1 are the index numbers that lead to the threshold lookup tables . table 1 shows tables for indexes 1 - 3 and 15 ; tables for indexes 4 - 14 are not shown . table values are based on the index number . the second value in the table is always the same as the index number . the following values are always 16 greater than the value before . if the input graylevel is equal to or greater than the threshold table value of the current halftone cell position , the output pixel should be turned on up to that sub - pixel level . the sub - pixel level is the index number in the table ( 0 to 15 ), e . g ., in index table 1 “ 49 ” is the 5th element and its index number is 4 . therefore , four sub - pixel levels should be on . [ 0041 ] fig9 depicts examples in which numbers outside the halftone cell indicate the input graylevels and numbers inside the cell indicate the output sub - pixel levels . the last example has a 45 - degree edge that one side input level is 16 and the other side level is 112 . fig1 - 13 depicts examples of how a halftone dot is mapped by the 4 × 4 halftone matrix . assuming a scanned halftone dot has the graylevels as shown in fig1 , i . e ., the halftone cell is within the circular boundary , the halftone matrix mapping begins at the upper - left corner , as shown by the hatched area , and then moves the halftone matrix window over all of the dot - image . this mapping is based on threshold table 1 . this dot - image is a typical halftone round dot , and is about 65 % gray for a 150 lpi screen for an image scanned in 600 dpi . [ 0043 ] fig1 is the resultant halftoned dot by the matrix of fig8 and the method of the invention . fig1 is the result of a halftoned dot by the matrix of fig1 by a 4 - bit halftone method . this matrix is for a “ double - dot 45 - degree ” screen ; therefore , the output shows a screen pattern as the diagonal lines . thus , a method for screening of halftoned images has been disclosed . it will be appreciated that further variations and modifications thereof may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims .	7
turning now to the drawings , and in particular to fig1 - 3 , the replenishable merchandising display 50 of the invention is illustrated . as shown in fig1 replenishable merchandising display 50 has an upright standing , substantially rigid frame 52 . frame 52 is constructed of a durable material , preferably a corrugated plastic material , such as corrugated polyethylene . skilled artisans will appreciate that frame 52 may also be formed of other durable materials including metals , thermoformable polymeric materials , thermoset materials , and metallic materials . this feature enables the walls 56 , 58 , 60 ( described below ) to withstand fairly frequent product replacement procedures implemented primarily at the retailer . referring to fig1 a plurality of product compartments 54 is formed in frame 52 for accommodating a predetermined quantity of sale units of a product 51 ( shown in fig3 ). each product compartment 54 has a top wall 56 and an opposed bottom wall 58 defining a base . opposed side walls 60 are adjoined to a rear wall 62 and expose an opening 64 to receive and access at least one modular receptacle 66 ( also referred to as a product container ), described in detail below , that contains the product 51 for sale . referring to fig2 - 3 , modular receptacle 66 has a generally polygonal shape , an open face 74 , and is removably stored in one of the plurality of product compartments 54 arranged in merchandising display 50 . an important feature of modular receptacle 66 is its simplistic design and structure . for ease of filling at the product manufacturer &# 39 ; s location , modular receptacle 66 , commonly referred to as a half - slotted container , has minimum folds and no interlocking parts . structurally , modular receptacle 66 may be made of practically any semi - rigid material , such as corrugated paperboard . according to fig4 - 5 , the product manufacturer may , in a variety of ways , protect the product 51 contained in the modular receptacle 66 from shipping damage and pilferage . an open face container 80 similar to modular receptacle 66 may be used to cover the open face 74 of the modular receptacle 66 . preferably , open - faced container 80 has a substantially identical shape and dimension to that of modular receptacle 66 and is fabricated from similar materials . according to fig5 another way to protect product 51 in modular receptacle 66 is to apply a shrink wrap material 82 , such as polyethylene , about the open face 74 and side walls 68 of modular receptacle 66 . such a wrap material will more than adequately secure the product 51 in the modular receptacle 66 . skilled artisans will appreciate that there are numerous other ways to protect the product 51 during shipment that are within the contemplation of the invention . referring to fig6 - 7 , a vertical stabilizer member 70 having a substantially rectangular shape is rotatably associated with the base in frame 52 for accommodating a modular receptacle 66 of a predetermined dimension . more particularly , vertical stabilizer 70 is affixed in frame 52 for pivotable movements between the top wall 56 and bottom wall 58 of the product compartment 54 . according to fig6 and 7 , vertical stabilizer member 70 is made to pivot in product compartment 54 between top wall 56 and bottom wall 58 to accommodate modular receptacles 66 having various dimensions . it is also important that a vertical stabilizer member 70 is present between the horizontal members 72 of the product compartments 54 to help support the weight of the product 51 in the product compartments 54 in the upper part of the merchandising display unit . in fig6 the vertical stabilizer member 70 is in a first position for accommodating a modular receptacle 66 that has an open face dimension that is relatively narrow . according to fig7 vertical stabilizer member 70 is pivoted to a second position to accommodate a modular receptacle 66 that is relatively wide . skilled artisans will appreciate that vertical stabilizer member 70 supports the weight of the product 51 in the product compartments 54 in the upper part of the merchandising display 52 . referring again to fig1 merchandising display 50 may optionally be freestanding or mobile . in the latter embodiment , a plurality of roller members 84 , such as casters , may be rotatably attached to rigid frame 52 . those skilled in the art will appreciate that other means of mobilizing merchandizing display 50 may be used with substantially identical results . referring to fig8 in another embodiment of the merchandising display 50 of the invention , products compartments 54 for receiving modular receptacle 66 is slightly tilted in the merchandising display 50 . slightly tilted product compartments 54 are preferably tilted upwardly towards the top wall of the frame 52 for ease of viewing and removing product 51 from the modular receptacle 66 . product compartments 54 are preferably tilted in frame 52 by angling the base of the frame 52 . referring to fig1 merchandising display 50 may alternatively include a promotional header 90 . promotional header 90 may be conveniently removably attached to a portion of frame 52 that is most visible to the consumer . promotional header 90 , generally made of paperboard , may be attached by tabs ( not shown ) on promotional header 90 that engages corresponding slots ( not shown ) in the frame 52 . referring now to fig9 the process of replenishing product 51 for retail in a merchandising display having at least one modular receptacle 66 is illustrated . according to fig9 from the product manufacturer , the product 51 , such as photographic film product or cameras , is packaged in the modular receptacle 66 for shipment to a retailer ( steps 12 - 16 ). of course the product manufacturer would prepare the product against damage during shipment by either sealing the open portion of the modular receptacle 66 with shrink wrap or covering the opened portion with an appropriate covering before arranging the product in the receptacle for shipment to a designated retailer . skilled artisans will appreciate that the aforementioned process can be achieved manually or with the use of automatic equipment . during the normal course of business , the retailer would either have or would order ( step 28 ) a merchandising display 50 from a fabricator . these fabricators generally assemble the merchandising display 50 ( step 30 ) to meet the needs and specification of the product manufacturer . it is important to this novel and unobvious method that the merchandising display 50 be assembled from durable materials that can withstand long - term use and potentially abnormal handling . we have found that the most durable materials are ones selected from among corrugated plastic , thin molded plastic , or a coated paperboard corrugated material . most preferred among these materials for our application is corrugated plastic . as appropriate , the retailer would order at least one modular receptacle 66 containing the requested product therein . product turnover and inventory are typical factors that may determine when such orders are actually placed . referring again to fig9 in step 18 , once the modular receptacle 66 is received by the retailer , the retailer then removes any outer wrap that may exist to protect the product 51 during shipment and then places the modular receptacle 66 into the product compartment 54 of the merchandising display 50 . with the product 51 stocked in the modular receptacle 66 and placed into the product compartment 54 of the merchandising display 50 , they are now available for sale to a retail customer who can directly remove the product 51 from the merchandising display ( step 20 ). during the normal course of business , product 51 is depleted primarily by sales to retail customers ( step 22 ). according to step 24 , as product from an individual modular receptacle 66 is sold out or depleted , the empty modular receptacle 66 is removed and the merchandising display 50 is replenished with another modular receptacle 66 filled with product 51 . it is expected that the merchandising display unit 50 will eventually wear out or break ( step 26 ). in those instances , the retailer would then place an order for a new merchandising display 50 ( steps 28 ). the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment . however , it will be appreciated that variations and modifications can be effected by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention . 18 step : retailer fills display unit with modular receptacles filled with product 20 step : retailer places filled merchandising display unit on sales floor 24 step : replenish with modular receptacles of product packed by manufacturer	0
while the invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms , there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the invention . it is to be understood that the present disclosure is to be considered only as an example of the principles of the invention . this disclosure is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the illustrated embodiments . the scope of protection should only be limited by the accompanying claims . referring to fig1 the present invention provides a shroud for a pin array 12 of an electrical connector 1 for electrically connecting two circuits boards . the pin array 12 comprises two pin retainers 11 and a plurality of pins 13 . pin arrays are well known in the art and are readily available from a variety of manufacturers including berg electronics corp . and amp , inc . the shroud comprises a first side wall 14 , a second side wall 16 , a third side wall 18 , and a fourth side wall 20 . the first side wall 14 , the second side wall 16 , the third side wall 18 , and the fourth side wall 20 together define an aperture 22 . located within the aperture 22 is a shoulder 24 which defines a shoulder opening 30 ( fig3 ). the shoulder opening 30 is dimensioned such that the pins 13 of the pin array may pass through the shoulder opening 30 but the pin retainers 11 cannot pass through the shoulder opening 30 . on the first and third side walls 14 , 18 are located four resilient fingers 26 which have protuberances 28 located thereon ( see fig2 ). the protuberances 28 are located on each finger 26 such that a dimension a between the protuberance 28 and the shoulder 24 is only slightly greater than a thickness ( dimension b ) of the pin retainer 11 . the pin array 12 , therefore , can be placed within the aperture 22 , urged past the protuberances 28 of the resilient fingers 26 , placing the pin array 12 in a fixed arrangement between the protuberances 28 and the shoulder 24 . additionally , when the pin array 10 is inserted in this manner the pins 13 do not extend outside the aperture 22 . the pin array 12 may be removed from the aperture 22 by urging the pin array 12 past the protuberances 28 of the resilient fingers 26 . alternately , the resilient fingers 26 and the protuberances 28 could be replaced by resilient fingers which fictionally hold the pin array 12 against the shoulder 24 . located on the fourth wall 20 is an alignment pin 32 for aiding in alignment of the pin array 12 with a mating connector as described below . additionally , extensions 34 are attached to the first side wall 14 . the extensions 34 allow the shroud 10 to be optionally supported by a separate structure . additionally , raised portions 36 are located on the first and third side walls 14 , 18 of the shroud 10 and can optionally be used for alignment of the shroud 10 . primarily , however , the raised portions 36 are beneficial for ejection of the shroud 10 from a mold when the shroud 10 is made in an injection molding process . finally , cutout regions 38 are defined by the second and fourth side walls 16 , 20 . at one end of the cutout region , a shoulder 39 is defined . the cutout regions 38 and shoulders 39 allow for the shroud 10 to be maintained in a fixed position in relation to a circuit board as shown in fig5 . resilient shroud retaining fingers 40 maintain the shroud 10 in the fixed position shown by protuberances 42 which assert a force upon the shoulders 39 . referring to fig4 and 5 , the shroud 10 can be used by inserting the pin array 12 into the aperture 22 past the protuberances 28 of the fingers 26 , as described above , thereby locking the pin array 12 within the shroud 10 . next , the pin array 12 and shroud 10 combination is inserted into a female connector 100 which is mounted on a first circuit board 102 by inserting the pins 13 of the pin array 12 into the female connector 100 . the case ( not shown ) in which the circuit boards 102 , 104 will be mounted may optionally contain one or more resilient shroud retaining fingers 108 which prevent the shroud 10 from becoming disassociated from the first circuit board 102 by asserting a force upon the shoulders 39 . next the shroud 10 and pin array 12 combination is inserted into a female connector 103 which is mounted on a second circuit board 104 . the second circuit board 104 defines a through - hole 106 which is designed to accept the alignment pin 32 of the shroud 10 in order to properly align the pins 13 with the female connector 103 . this is especially important when the circuit boards 102 , 104 are so large as to obstruct the view of the person making the connection , thereby preventing him from otherwise aligning the pins 13 with the female connector 103 . additionally , the case ( not shown ) may further provide surfaces for the extensions 34 to abut in order to provide additional support for the shroud 10 . while the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described , numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the invention , and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying claims .	7
structures of solid - state imaging devices ( wafer - level pinhole camera modules ) and methods for manufacturing the same according to embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings . in the following description , like members will be denoted by like reference numerals and process names , and will be described in detail for the first appearance thereof , while omitting redundant description of such like members . a method for manufacturing a wafer - level pinhole camera module according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 ( a ) to fig1 ( f ) . fig1 ( a ) shows an image sensor wafer 1 formed on a semiconductor substrate , with a microlens 2 formed over pixels of a photosensitive portion of the surface of each sensor . in order to manufacture a wafer - level camera module , an adhesive material 3 is formed in areas other than the photosensitive portion of each sensor , and a cover glass wafer 4 is attached to the image sensor wafer 1 via the adhesive material 3 therebetween so as to cover the image sensor wafer 1 . as shown in fig1 ( a ) , the microlens 2 is formed over pixels in the photosensitive portion on the surface of each sensor . the adhesive material 3 is formed in areas other than the photosensitive portion of each sensor , and the cover glass wafer 4 being flat with no surface irregularities , is attached thereto with the adhesive material 3 therebetween so as to cover the chips of the image sensor wafer 1 . the gap portion above the microlens 2 up to the cover glass wafer 4 is normally hollow so as to realize a microlens effect . the infrared cut filter function and the anti - reflection film function may be added to the cover glass wafer 4 . although not shown in the figures , the image sensor wafer 1 includes a through electrode as shown in patent document no . 1 , and a wiring electrode pattern , which connects the electrode to be wired onto the wafer reverse surface via the through electrode , is already formed on the wafer reverse surface . in order to form the through electrode , the image sensor wafer 1 is thinned . in the next step , as shown in fig1 ( b ) , a light - blocking material 5 having a photosensitive function is applied on the cover glass wafer 4 . a light - blocking material having a photosensitive function is , for example , a material such as a color resist including , dispersed therein , a pigment that includes a photosensitive group and has a light - blocking function , and is a material whose post - development remaining thickness varies depending on the amount of light exposure . the disclosure herein assumes and illustrates a positive - type material of which exposed portions are removed by the developer . in the next step , as shown in fig1 ( c ) , the light - blocking material 5 applied on the cover glass wafer 4 is selectively irradiated with light , and the exposed portions of the light - blocking material 5 are removed , thereby forming a pinhole opening ( hereinafter “ opening ”) 6 . this step is performed in a similar step to the transfer exposure onto the resist on the wafer using a glass mask pattern , which is normally employed in a semiconductor manufacturing process , and the opening is formed with a good alignment precision by using an alignment mark on the surface of the image sensor chip ( the total chip area including the dicing area ). the wavelength of light used in the mask alignment may be in the wavelength range where light passes through the light - blocking material , and the visible range of the image sensor was excluded . specifically , it may be ultraviolet light shorter than 400 nm and infrared light longer than 650 nm . in the next step , as shown in fig1 ( d ) , solder balls 7 are formed corresponding to the wiring electrode pattern formed on the reverse surface of the image sensor wafer 1 . thus , the sensor chip can be driven by applying a predetermined voltage or a clock pulse to the solder balls . in the next step , as shown in fig1 ( e ) , blade dicing is done along dicing areas ( not shown ) for severing the image sensor wafer 1 into individual pieces , whereby the image sensor wafer 1 , the adhesive material 3 , the cover glass wafer 4 and the light - blocking material 5 are severed along the same section into individual pieces . in the description below , the image sensor wafer 1 and the cover glass wafer 4 , after being severed into individual pieces , will be denoted with an apostrophe , i . e ., an image sensor chip 1 ′ and a cover glass 4 ′, respectively , in order to distinguish between these members in an individual piece and these members in a wafer form . this similarly applies to an individual piece adhesive material 3 ′ and an individual piece light - blocking material 5 ′, but these members will be denoted as the adhesive material 3 ′ and the light - blocking material 5 ′, omitting the word “ individual - piece ”. those members that are individual pieces even in a wafer form , such as the microlens 2 , the solder ball 7 and the opening 6 , will not be denoted with an apostrophe . the structure of a severed pinhole camera module is as shown in fig1 ( f ) . the image sensor chip 1 ′ with the microlens 2 formed thereon includes the solder balls 7 on the reverse surface thereof , and the severed cover glass 4 ′ is attached to the surface thereof via the adhesive material 3 ′ extending around the photosensitive portion . moreover , the light - blocking material 5 ′ is formed on the surface of the cover glass 4 ′, with the opening 6 of the light - blocking material being located at the center of the photosensitive portion of the image sensor near the center of the light - blocking material 5 ′. a perspective view of the pinhole camera module is as shown in fig1 ( f ) . the light - blocking material 5 ′ is present on the top surface , with the opening 6 formed at the center thereof . the cover glass 4 ′ is placed under the light - blocking material 5 ′, and the image sensor chip 1 ′ is placed under the cover glass 4 ′ via an adhesive material ( not shown ). the solder balls 7 are present on the reverse surface . although the structure , as it is , has an imaging function as a camera module , if there is incident light coming sideway onto the severed surface of the cover glass 8 ′, the light reaches , as stray light , the photosensitive portion of the image sensor chip 1 ′, deteriorating the image quality . in order to prevent the stray light , a severed , final - structure , pinhole camera module 9 is as shown in fig1 ( g ) . a difference from fig1 ( f ) is that a side wall light - blocking coating 8 is applied over the side walls of the cover glass 4 ′ and the image sensor chip 1 ′. a perspective view of the pinhole camera module 9 is as shown in fig1 ( g ′). the light - blocking material 5 ′ is present on the top surface ( this should be referred to as the top surface light - blocking material 5 ′, but it will be referred to as the light - blocking material 5 ′), with the opening 6 formed at the center thereof , and the side wall light - blocking coating 8 is applied to the camera module side wall portion below the light - blocking material 5 ′. therefore , even if there is incident light from the side wall direction of the camera module , it is possible to prevent stray light from reaching the photosensitive portion of the image sensor chip 1 ′. a method for manufacturing a wafer - level pinhole camera module according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig2 ( a ) to fig2 ( j ) . in fig2 ( a ) , as in fig1 ( a ) , the image sensor wafer 1 is formed on a semiconductor substrate , the microlens 2 is formed over pixels in the photosensitive portion on the surface of each sensor , the adhesive material 3 is formed in areas other than the photosensitive portion of each sensor , and the cover glass wafer 4 is attached to the image sensor wafer 1 via the adhesive material 3 so as to cover the image sensor wafer 1 . in the next step , as shown in fig2 ( b ) , a dicing tape 10 is attached to the reverse surface of the image sensor wafer 1 . the dicing tape 10 has an adhesive material ( not shown ) formed thereon for holding the wafer when the wafer is diced . in the next step , as shown in fig2 ( c ) , blade dicing is done along dicing areas ( not shown ) for severing the image sensor wafer 1 into individual pieces , whereby the image sensor wafer 1 , the adhesive material 3 and the cover glass wafer 4 are severed . in this process , it is important to leave the dicing tape 10 unsevered . as shown in fig2 ( c ) , a dicing groove 11 is formed in the gap portion between the severed cover glasses 4 ′, the severed adhesive materials 3 ′ and the severed image sensor chips 1 ′. next , as shown in fig2 ( d ) , a light - blocking material 12 having a photosensitive function is applied to the top surface of the severed cover glasses 4 ′, which are connected together by the dicing tape 10 , and to the opposing walls of the dicing groove 11 in the gap portion between the cover glasses 4 ′, the adhesive materials 3 ′ and the image sensor chips 1 ′. as is the light - blocking material 5 , the light - blocking material 12 having a photosensitive function is a material such as a color resist including , dispersed therein , a pigment that includes a photosensitive group and has a light - blocking function , and is a material that has such coverage that side walls of steps are covered . the light - blocking material 12 is applied so as to form a side wall portion light - blocking material 12 ′ covering the walls of the dicing groove 11 and a bottom portion light - blocking material 12 ″ covering the dicing groove bottom portion . the light - blocking material applied on the cover glass 4 ′ should be referred to as the top surface portion light - blocking material 12 , but it will be referred to as the light - blocking material 12 for the sake of simplicity . in the next step , as shown in fig2 ( e ) , the light - blocking material 12 applied on the cover glass 4 ′ is selectively irradiated with light , and the exposed portions of the light - blocking material 12 are removed , thereby forming the opening g . this step is performed in a similar step to transfer exposure of a pattern onto a resist on a wafer , as shown in fig1 ( c ) , and the opening is formed with a good alignment precision by using an alignment mark on the surface of the image sensor chip . in fig2 ( e ) , it is important that a wafer level process is performed on the cover glasses 4 ′ and the image sensor chips 1 ′, which have been diced into individual pieces but are connected together by the dicing tape 10 to be narrowly kept in a wafer form . in the next step , as shown in fig2 ( f ) , an expand tape 13 is attached onto the top surface of the cover glasses 4 ′, which are narrowly kept in a wafer form by means of the dicing tape 10 . the expand tape 13 may be a dicing tape material . the expand tape 13 has an adhesive material ( not shown ) formed thereon for holding together cover glass top surfaces . the next step , as shown in fig2 ( g ) , is a step of peeling the dicing tape 10 while the cover glasses 4 ′ and the image sensor chips 1 ′ are kept in a wafer form by means of the expand tape 13 . the adhesion of the dicing tape 10 on the reverse surface of the image sensor chip 1 ′ is decreased typically by lowering the adhesive strength through ultraviolet irradiation . in the next step , as shown in fig2 ( h ) , the solder balls 7 are formed so as to correspond to the wiring electrode pattern formed on the reverse surface of the image sensor chip 1 ′ while the cover glasses 4 ′ and the image sensor chips 1 ′ are kept in a wafer form by means of the expand tape 13 . in the next step , as shown in fig2 ( i ) , the expand tape 13 is literally expanded to increase the width of the dicing groove 11 in the gap portion between the cover glasses 4 ′ and the image sensor chips 1 ′, thereby severing the bottom portion light - blocking material 12 ″ on the dicing groove bottom portion . the structure of a severed pinhole camera module is as shown in fig2 ( j ) . the solder balls 7 are present on the reverse surface of the image sensor chip 1 ′ having the microlens 2 formed thereon , and the severed cover glass 4 ′ is attached to the surface of the image sensor chip 1 ′ via the adhesive material 3 ′ extending around the photosensitive portion . moreover , the light - blocking material 12 is formed on the surface of the cover glass 4 ′, with the opening 6 of the light - blocking material being located at the center of the photosensitive portion of the image sensor near the center of the light - blocking material 12 . the side wall portion light - blocking material 12 ′ is present on the side wall portion of the cover glass 4 ′ and the image sensor chip 1 ′, and the severed piece of the bottom portion light - blocking material 12 ″ is attached to the image sensor chip 1 ′ bottom portion . a perspective view of the pinhole camera module is as shown in fig2 ( j ) . the light - blocking material 12 is present on the top surface , with the opening 6 formed at the center thereof , and the side wall portion light - blocking material 12 ′ and the bottom portion light - blocking material 12 ″ are formed on the camera module bottom portion and the side wall portion . therefore , even if there is incident light from the side wall direction of the camera module , it is possible to prevent stray light from reaching the photosensitive portion of the image sensor chip 1 ′. the solder ball 7 is present on the image sensor chip 1 ′ reverse surface . verification for practical use of the pinhole camera module shown in fig1 ( g ) and fig2 ( j ) is done as shown in fig3 and fig4 . fig3 shows an optical path diagram of light incident upon a camera module according to the first and second embodiments . the angle of incidence of light incident upon the opening 6 of the pinhole camera module with respect to the direction normal to the module is denoted as θ . on the other hand , the angle of incidence into the cover glass 4 ′ becomes θ ′ due to the influence of the refractive index , and the outgoing angle from the cover glass 4 ′ into the hollow portion over the microlens returns to θ ( not shown ). the angle of incidence θ when the outgoing light is at the pixel edge is the maximum value of the angle of incidence . fig4 is a graph illustrating the angle of incidence ( the horizontal axis in the figure ) and the amount of shift ( the vertical axis in the figure ) from the center of the photosensitive portion of the imaging element of the camera module according to the first and second embodiments . the thickness of the cover glass is assumed to be 700 um , and three different cases where the adhesive material thickness ( referred to in the figure as “ gap between cover glass reverse surface and image - forming surface ”) is 0 um , 25 um and 50 um are plotted on the graph . the broken lines in fig4 represent the relationship between the position of the edge pixel with respect to the center ( the amount of shift from the center ) and the maximum value of the angle of incidence θ for three different vga ( 640 × 480 pixels ) image sensors whose pixel sizes are 1 . 4 um , 1 . 75 um and 2 . 2 um . the maximum value of the angle of incidence is an angle of view equivalent to that of a camera module using a lens for normal to wide angle applications . a wafer - level pinhole camera module according to a third embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to fig5 ( a ) to fig5 ( d ) . the third embodiment is a wafer - level pinhole camera suitable for stereoscopic camera applications . fig5 ( a ) , as is fig2 ( i ) , is a cross sectional structure diagram after the expand tape 13 is literally expanded to increase the width of the dicing groove 11 in the gap portion between the cover glasses 4 ′ and the image sensor chips 1 ′, thereby severing the bottom portion light - blocking material 12 ″ on the dicing groove bottom portion . a difference from fig2 ( i ′) is that the severing is done as if two adjacent image sensor chips were a single image sensor chip . the structure of the severed pinhole camera module is as shown in fig5 ( b ) . the light - blocking material 12 is present on the top surface , and two openings 6 are formed in the light - blocking material 12 with an interval therebetween that is generally equivalent to the size of an image sensor chip . the openings corresponding to the two image sensor chips 1 ′ are denoted as 6 l and 6 r , respectively . they correspond to right - eye and left - eye camera lenses of a stereoscopic camera . distance measurement is done based on the misalignment between positions of incident light from the same spot on the subject on the image - forming surfaces of the two image sensor chips . the interval is expressed above as being generally equivalent to the size of an image sensor chip because the position of the opening slightly shifts from the center of the photosensitive area of the corresponding image sensor , depending on the position of the subject that is being mainly observed . a perspective view of the pinhole camera module shown in fig5 ( b ) is as shown in fig5 ( c ) . the light - blocking material 12 is present on the top surface , and the openings 6 l and 6 r are formed in the light - blocking material 12 . the side wall portion light - blocking material 12 ′ and the bottom portion light - blocking material 12 ″ are formed on the camera module side wall portion and the bottom portion . therefore , even if there is incident light from the side wall direction of the camera module , it is possible to prevent stray light from reaching the photosensitive portion of the image sensor chip . the solder balls 7 are present on the image sensor chip reverse surface . fig5 ( d ) shows a perspective view of a pinhole camera module with four openings . four image sensor chips are arranged corresponding respectively to the four openings . the application of this camera module is in the field of multi - eye cameras , and this camera module is used in a camera system that obtains distance information from captured view images of the same subject for different incident directions . with conventional multi - eye cameras , distance information is calculated based on view images for different incident directions , and therefore the precision of the interval between images on the substrate is important . the precision of the interval between images is influenced by the camera mounting precision , the lens assembly precision and the image sensor mounting precision , and there is a need to improve these mounting precisions , requiring a high - precision mounting apparatus . even then , in total , a precision of only some tens of um can be realized . according to the third embodiment of the present invention , the interval between image sensor chips and the position of the opening corresponding to the lens are dictated by the mask production precision and the mask alignment precision , and a precision of 1 um or less can be achieved , which is a significant improvement in precision from the conventional art . for example , with the conventional systems , there may be variations by tens of pixels for the pixel size of 1 . 1 um , which is the size of current mainstream minute pixels . according to the present invention , on the other hand , positioning can be done at the center position of the unit pixel area of a 1 . 1 - um pixel , with a high mask alignment precision of about 0 . 1 um . a wafer - level pinhole camera module according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig6 ( a ) to fig6 ( d ) . the fourth embodiment , as is the third embodiment , is a wafer - level pinhole camera suitable for stereoscopic camera applications . fig6 ( a ) , as is fig5 ( a ) , is a cross - sectional structure diagram after the expand tape 13 is literally expanded to increase the width of the dicing groove 11 in the gap portion between the cover glasses 4 ′ and the image sensor chips 1 ′, thereby severing the bottom portion light - blocking material 12 ″ on the dicing groove bottom portion . a difference from fig5 ( a ) is that two openings are formed in one image sensor chip , and the severing is done so that each piece includes one image sensor chip . the structure of a severed pinhole camera module is as shown in fig6 ( b ) . the light - blocking material 12 is present on the top surface of the single image sensor chip 1 ′, and two openings 6 l and 6 r are formed in the light - blocking material 12 . they also correspond to right - eye and left - eye camera lenses of a stereoscopic camera . distance measurement is done based on the misalignment between two positions of incident light from the same spot on the subject on the image forming surface of the single image sensor chip . a perspective view of the pinhole camera module shown in fig6 ( b ) is as shown in fig6 ( c ) . the light - blocking material 12 is present on the top surface , and two openings are formed in the light - blocking material 12 . alight - blocking material is formed on the camera module side wall portion , preventing incident light coming from the side wall direction of the camera module from reaching the photosensitive portion of the image sensor chip . solder balls are present on the image sensor chip reverse surface . fig6 ( d ) shows a perspective view of a pinhole camera module with four openings . the four openings correspond to one image sensor chip . the application of this camera module is also in the field of multi - eye cameras as that of fig5 ( d ) , and this camera is used in a camera system that obtains distance information from captured view images of the same subject for different incident directions . the shape of and around the opening of a wafer - level pinhole camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention and the transmitted light intensity distribution will be described with reference to fig7 ( a ) to fig7 ( d ) . fig7 ( c ) and fig7 ( d ) show a wafer - level pinhole camera corresponding to a fifth embodiment . fig7 ( a ) shows the shape of the opening 6 formed in the light - blocking material 5 according to the first to fourth embodiments . the light - blocking material wall surface portion of the opening 6 is vertical . fig7 ( b ) shows the intensity distribution of the transmitted light shown in fig7 ( a ) . the intensity distribution of the transmitted light is step shaped , corresponding to the shape of the opening . in the figure , the vertical axis is the transmitted light intensity , and the horizontal axis is the position information around the opening . fig7 ( c ) shows the shape of the opening 6 formed in the light - blocking material 5 of the wafer - level pinhole camera module according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention . the light - blocking material wall surface portion of a tapered opening 6 ′ is tapered and sloped . fig7 ( d ) shows the intensity distribution of the transmitted light shown in fig7 ( c ) . the intensity distribution of the transmitted light is tapered , corresponding to the shape of the opening . in the figure , the vertical axis is the transmitted light intensity , and the horizontal axis is the position information around the opening . now , the material of the light - blocking material 5 is selected so that the transmittance changes with the thickness and that an intensity distribution as shown in fig7 ( d ) can be realized . with the transmitted light intensity distribution as shown in fig7 ( d ) , it is similar to an apodization filter , and it is possible to improve the false resolution . the apodization filter can be formed on the cover glass , and the alignment can be done on the wafer level , enabling easy production . a method for manufacturing the shape of and around the opening of the wafer - level pinhole camera module according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention shown in fig7 ( c ) will be described with reference to fig8 ( a ) to fig8 ( d ) . as shown in fig8 ( a ) , the light - blocking material 5 is applied on the cover glass wafer 4 , and a positive - type photosensitive material 14 is further applied thereon . a positive - type photosensitive material is a resist material such that exposed portions are removed by a developer , and is a material having such a characteristic that the post - development remaining thickness varies depending on the amount of light exposure . in the next step , as shown in fig8 ( b ) , the photosensitive material 14 is selectively irradiated with light . in this process , it is important to form an exposed area 14 ′ such that the amount of light exposure is varied across the photosensitive material 14 , corresponding to the tapered shape of the opening . in order to achieve this , the shade of a glass mask used in a semiconductor manufacturing process is varied so that the transmittance is varied at the edge of the opening pattern of the mask , thereby varying the amount of light exposure to be transmitted . in the next step , as shown in fig8 ( c ) , the exposed photosensitive material 14 ′, across which the amount of light exposure is varied , is removed in a development step . the remaining thickness of the photosensitive material varies depending on the amount of light exposure , resulting in a photosensitive material shape 14 ″ having a tapered opening pattern . in the next step , as shown in fig8 ( d ) , the tapered photosensitive material 14 ″ having the tapered opening pattern and the light - blocking material 5 are etched away at the same time . in this process , the etching rate for the photosensitive material and that for the light - blocking material are kept generally equal to each other so that it is possible to transfer the tapered photosensitive material 14 ″ onto the light - blocking material 5 as the tapered opening 6 ′ while maintaining the similarity in shape . in an alternative embodiment , as shown in fig1 ( c ) , the light - blocking material 5 having a light - blocking function is used , and the shade of a glass mask is varied so that the transmittance is varied at the edge of the opening pattern of the mask , thereby varying the amount of light exposure to be transmitted . thus , the amount of light exposure is varied in a tapered pattern across the light - blocking material 5 around the opening . then , the light - blocking material after development can be shaped into the light - blocking material shape 5 having the tapered opening 6 ′ as shown in fig8 ( d ) . a method for manufacturing a structure in which a lens shape is formed in the opening of a wafer - level pinhole camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig9 ( a ) to fig9 ( c ) . fig9 ( a ) corresponds to the fifth embodiment of fig7 ( c ) , showing a structure in which the light - blocking material 5 is applied on the cover glass wafer 4 being flat with no surface irregularities , and the positive - type photosensitive material 14 is further applied thereon . in the next step , the photosensitive material 14 corresponding to the position of the opening is selectively irradiated with light . the photosensitive material 14 can be irradiated with light having an amount of light exposure intensity distribution corresponding to a lens shape so that the photosensitive material 14 after development is shaped into a lens shaped photosensitive material 14 ′″ in the opening as shown in fig9 ( b ) . in order to achieve this , the shade of a glass mask used in a semiconductor manufacturing process is varied so that the transmittance is varied at the edge of the opening pattern of the mask , thereby varying the amount of light exposure to be transmitted , as shown in fig8 ( b ) , and the exposed area , across which the amount of light exposure is varied , can be removed in a development step , thus obtaining the lens - shaped photosensitive material 14 ′″, as shown in fig8 ( c ) . in the next step , as shown in fig8 ( d ) , the lens - shaped photosensitive material 14 ′″ and the cover glass material 4 are etched away at the same time . in this process , the etching rate for the photosensitive material and that for the cover glass material are kept generally equal to each other so that it is possible to transfer the lens shaped photosensitive material 14 ′″ onto the cover glass 4 as the lens shaped cover glass 4 ″. regarding the lens shape of the opening transferred onto the cover glass 4 , it can be transferred into a fresnel lens shaped cover glass 4 ′″ as shown in fig9 ( d ) . a microlens is formed over pixels in the photosensitive portion in embodiments 1 to 4 described above , but the microlens may be absent , and there is a hollow portion over the microlens , but the hollow portion may be filled with a material having a refractive index lower than that of the material of the microlens . moreover , an adhesive material on the image sensor is formed in areas other than the photosensitive portion , but an adhesive material may be applied across the entire surface of the image sensor as long as transparency can be reserved . the light - blocking material is shown in embodiments 1 to 4 described above to be covering the cover glass top surface , the cover glass side wall portion , the adhesive material side wall portion and the image sensor side wall portion , but the light - blocking material may cover only predetermined areas such that the light - blocking property of the cover glass top surface can be ensured , as long as light leakage from the side wall is not problematic in practical use . the cross - sectional shape of the opening in the light - blocking material is shown in embodiment 5 described above to be tapered , but the cross sectional shape may be vertical as shown in fig7 ( a ) . the lens shape in the opening is formed by etching the cover glass as shown in fig9 ( c ) and fig9 ( d ) in embodiment 5 described above , but it may be realized by forming , on the cover glass , a transparent material in a lens shape as shown in the opening of fig9 ( b ) . a light - blocking material is formed on the cover glass wafer and aligned with the alignment mark on the surface of the image sensor chip to form the opening in embodiment 1 and embodiment 2 described above . if the alignment mark on the surface of the image sensor chip cannot be detected due to the light - blocking material , the light - blocking material over the alignment mark may be partially removed by a width that is dictated by the mechanical precision , so as to detect the position of the alignment mark through the portion where the light - blocking material is removed , and the light - blocking material may be removed precisely in the area corresponding to the pinhole opening , thus forming the opening . the removed portion of the light - blocking material over the alignment mark may be coated , as necessary , with a light - blocking coating for blocking light . another possible method is that a step is formed in advance partially on the cover glass wafer surface , and the image sensor wafer is attached thereto by aligning the step with the alignment marker of the image sensor wafer , wherein the position at which the pinhole opening is formed is determined by detecting a step when applying the light - blocking material . a wiring electrode pattern is formed on the image sensor wafer reverse surface via a through electrode , with solder balls formed thereon , in embodiments 1 to 4 described above , but there is no need for the solder balls if there is a way to make an electrical connection between the substrate on which the solid state imaging device is mounted and the reverse surface wiring pattern without using solder balls ( e . g ., socket mounting or mounting via conductive paste ). since the wiring electrode pattern is formed on the image sensor wafer reverse surface via the through electrode , with solder balls formed thereon , an expand tape is attached on the surface , in embodiments 2 to 4 described above , but if the solder balls absent , the image sensor wafer can be divided into individual pieces by stretching the dicing tape without using the expand tape applied thereon . as described above , with a wafer - level pinhole camera module according to the present invention , the light - blocking process on the side surfaces can be done at once on the wafer level , in addition to being able to easily and precisely form pinholes at once in a wafer form , without the need to form pinholes individually as with ordinary pinhole camera modules . with a camera module of the present configuration , there is no lens mounting step , and there is no need for a lens focusing mechanism . the opening portion of the pinhole may be machined into a lens shape . it becomes similar to an apodization filter if the light - blocking property is gradually varied around the opening of the pinhole , thus improving the false resolution . the apodization filter can be formed on the cover glass , and the alignment can be done on the wafer level , enabling easy production . by handing everything on the wafer level , it is possible to provide very inexpensive camera modules .	7
as shown in the drawings , an apparatus 100 constructed in accordance with this invention includes a housing 102 with a wall 104 . the housing 102 can be made in a single piece by molding or can be made from two segments 102 a , 102 b joined together by a screw 106 . the housing can be made of a transparent material or a bottom portion 108 of the housing is transparent window 106 . housing 102 is formed with a front portion 110 including a conical extension 110 having an opening 112 . the opening 112 is preferably circular and has a diameter d . housing 102 further includes a rear wall 120 that is generally flat with a large opening 122 . opening 122 is aligned with opening 112 . the interior of the housing 102 is partitioned into three chambers 124 , 126 and 128 . a top portion 130 of the housing is removable to give access to chamber 124 . chamber 124 is used to house a removable standard battery ( typically an aaa battery ) 132 . also contained within the chamber 124 are a spring terminal 136 and a flat terminal 138 that contact the positive and negative terminals of the battery 132 in the normal manner . chamber 126 houses an electric motor 140 having a shaft 142 with a weight 144 . chamber 126 further includes a switch 148 operated by a switch cover 146 slidably mounted on wall 106 . moving the switch cover 146 in one direction closes the switch 148 which in turn provides power to the motor 140 from battery 132 . moving the switch cover 146 in the opposite direction turns the motor off . the weight 144 is not rotationally symmetrical but instead it is configured so that its center of gravity is offset from the axis of the shaft of the motor 140 . as a result , when the motor 140 is turned on , it causes the weight to rotate and this action causes the front section of the housing 102 , including conical extension 110 to vibrate laterally . preferably , the apparatus is configured so that the motor 140 rotates at about 15000 rpm and causes the conical section to vibrate gently at a small amplitude of less than 1 / 16 ″. chamber 128 houses a portion of a syringe holder 150 . as best seen in fig4 , this syringe holder 150 has an elongated portion 152 having an outer surface 154 . a semi - cylindrical longitudinal channel 156 extends through the holder 150 . the syringe holder 150 further includes an enlarged head 158 attached to one end of portion 152 . a window 160 is formed in the portion 152 adjacent to the head 158 . opposite head 158 , the portion 152 is formed with a tab 162 . the portion 152 is sized and shaped to fit through opening 122 . the tab 162 is provided to trap the portion 152 to insure that the syringe holder 150 does not fall out and get lost . the syringe holder 150 is configured so that its portion 152 can be moved back and forth axially through the chamber 128 . preferably , the channel 156 is sized and shaped to form an interference fit with the barrel of a typical syringe , such as a conventional 1 cc syringe 170 available from becton dickinson . as shown in fig2 , such a conventional syringe 170 includes a barrel 172 terminating with a replaceable needle 174 . the barrel 172 has gradations 176 to indicate the progress of an injection and the amount of fluid that has been expelled from the barrel 172 . disposed inside the barrel is a piston 178 ( see fig3 ) that is attached to a shaft 180 . the shaft 180 is terminated with a thumb pad 182 . the apparatus 100 is operated as follows . first the syringe 170 is loaded with an appropriate drug ( or any other substance that a health care provider desires to inject into a patient ). the loaded syringe is then inserted into syringe holder 150 so that its barrel 172 is held tightly and securely by the channel 156 . in this configuration , the needle 174 is completely contained within the apparatus 100 , and the health care provider , as well as the patient and others around the patient are protected from injury . in addition , the needle is hidden from view of a potentially anxious patient at all times . the barrel 172 and its gradations 176 are visible through the transparent wall 106 . next , the motor 140 is turned on by switch 148 causing the front end and conical section 110 to vibrate transversally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the syringe 170 . the tip of the conical section 110 is placed in contact with the skin of the patient at the site of injection . the vibration of the conical section is transferred to the skin of the patient and the tissues underlying the skin . the health care provider holds the apparatus 100 in this position with two fingers and then pushes the enlarged head 158 with his thumb axially toward the front of the apparatus 100 thereby causing the syringe to move forward with the needle 174 extending outwardly of the conical section 110 . since the conical section is touching the skin at the site of the injection , as the needle is advanced , it penetrates the vibrated skin and the tissues to the predetermined depth . next , the health care provider shifts his thumb from the enlarged head 158 to the thumb pad 182 and starts pushing it inward to inject the contents of the barrel . during this time , the conical section 110 keeps on vibrating thereby confusing the nerve pathways of the skin and tissues and reducing or eliminating pain to the patient . preferably the diameter d of opening 112 is sized so that is large enough to insure that as the conical section 110 vibrates , it does not touch needle 174 and therefore the vibration is not transmitted to the needle itself . the motor can be kept on until the injection is completed and the needle is withdrawn , or can be turned off any time before or after , thereafter stopping the vibration . it should be appreciated that the whole process can be performed with one hand holding the apparatus 100 while the skin can be held and manipulated with the other hand as needed . if multiple sites are injected sequentially , the needle can be retracted first , the conical section 112 can be moved to a new site , and the needle can then be extended again . once the process is completed , the syringe is removed from the holder 150 and at least its tip can be disposed . the conical section 102 is wiped with alcohol or other disinfectant and the apparatus 100 is ready to be used again . the apparatus can be sized and shaped to so that it can be used with several syringes of similar sizes , e . g . 1 , 3 or 5 cc , needles from 18 to 25 gauges and injection depth of up to ½ in or more . an apparatus with somewhat larger housing is needed for syringes of 3 , 5 , 10 , 20 or 60 ccs . as illustrated in the figures , the apparatus can be made with only five parts having special shapes and sizes , the rest of the parts being of standard shapes and sizes . the apparatus can be used for many different procedures including pediatric treatments , anesthesia , cosmetic treatments , drawing blood and blood donations , treatments for diabetes , veterinarian treatments , vaccines , etc . obviously numerous modifications may be made to the claims without departing from its scope as defined in the appended claims . for example the housing can be easily adapted to work with automated injection devices .	0
[ 0034 ] fig1 provides an example of the present invention as implemented on a typical internet environment . the interface logic 100 for the supply chain learning system ( scls ) is contained on a web server 30 that is connected to other computers by networking means 40 , such as the internet , an intranet , or a local area network . the scls interface 100 is structured to receive requests from an end - user computer 60 or 62 for computer - based educational tools ; to compile a personal profile for the user ; and to monitor use of the computer - based , traditional , and distance learning educational tools . the term “ computer ” as used herein includes laptop computers , hand - held computers , computer workstations , main frames , personal digital assistants ( pdas ), or other web - enabled devices . generally , end users may access scls interface 100 directly through network connection 40 or indirectly through an end user &# 39 ; s computer &# 39 ; s local servers 50 a or 50 b . the number of end users of the sclc is limited only by the capacity of the networking means 40 and web server 30 , respectively , or by a customer &# 39 ; s license agreement . end user computers 60 and 62 provide user profile information and requests for educational material , either directly or indirectly , to scls interface 100 . educational content and user profiles are stored in a database 10 that is accessed according to the information provided by each of the end users . upon a request from an end user computer , specific educational content is retrieved from database 10 and delivered via networking means 40 , directly or indirectly through local server 50 a or 50 b , to the requesting end user computer . interface logic 100 supports hosting and delivery of computer based training ( cbt ) modules , recorded presentations , on - demand and live web casts , on - line chat sessions , discussion forums , and various media playback formats . files can be made available and transferred using , for example , hypertext markup language ( html ), various web page creation software , flash ™ file format and java ™ technology , audio playback software , and video playback software . access is obtained through a variety of user platforms including microsoft ® internet explorer ™ and netscape ® navigator ™, or other web browsers including publicly accessible web browsers . in a preferred embodiment , a third party learning services provider can host the present invention , with end user customer accesses to the educational materials in database 10 restricted by license agreements . in such an embodiment , the content that an end user can access through scls interface 100 can be tailored to the needs of individual users or user groups as determined by the licensing customer organization . customer accounts can be designed to accommodate core learning assets or additional licensed assets . similarly , accounts can be structured to allow end users access to learning assets beyond the customer &# 39 ; s license agreement on an individual tuition basis , as shown below in fig3 . the educational content of database 10 may be supplemented for specific end users with additional content 20 provided by any licensing customer group . as shown in fig2 the scls 100 comprises four interrelated components — a training component 200 , a knowledge component 300 , a collaboration component 400 , and a distance learning component 500 — and combines a range of tools within these four components . the combination of tools includes computer - based educational tools , traditional learning educational tools , and distance learning educational tools and provides convenience , cost - effectiveness and a sense of community for the learning experience . computer - based educational tools include those learning assets delivered from scls 100 to an end user &# 39 ; s computer . traditional learning educational tools include , for example , learning assets provided through personal or classroom instruction and team - oriented projects . distance learning educational tools include , for example , pre - recorded audio / video media , telephone conferences , and mailed / faxed materials . the blend of technology for training component 200 includes use of on - line simulations ( for groups or individuals ) 210 , self study web - based training modules 220 , audio / video conference calls 230 , team - oriented assignments 240 , discussion threads 250 , virtual lectures 260 , and traditional seminars 270 . a preferred embodiment includes a comprehensive collection of web - based modules designed to build specific skills and knowledge . these modules provide structure for an overall training program by using compiled groups of topics (“ learning series ”). however , an organization can also customize the learning environment to emphasize particular needs or even eliminate access to particular courses or learning series . also , the invention is structured to accommodate a broad range of education levels among targeted users . thus , the content and delivery format must be tied appropriately to the target audience of each course . on - line simulations 210 present learners with scenarios that are representative of experiences within the supply chain environment . these simulations can be tailored for groups or individuals and may require , for example , discussions , research , meetings or interviews that are conducted off - line . self study web - based training modules 220 comprise a computer based training self - study that allows a user to work through a selected training area at the user &# 39 ; s own schedule . conference calls 230 , both audio and video , provide a means for interactive discussions among peers and with instructors when learning participants are not located in the same geographic area . conference calls are especially effective when used for kick - off sessions for group projects and for providing instructor feedback . team - oriented assignments 240 provide a wide range of learning benefits well - known in the art . use of the distance learning component tools eliminates geographical barriers typically associated with group projects and allows for more flexibility in the selection of participants . for example , senior supply managers in three different states may participate together in a group project ; whereas prior learning systems would be limited to groups within the same geographic area , so that a group project would include possibly a senior manager and employees in other positions . of course , where geographic location and personnel permit , team oriented assignments cam be conducted locally . discussion threads 250 provide series of questions ( typically in conjunction with a previous case study or reading assignment ) for an individual or team to answer to help assimilate the training materials . after completing assigned reading , a learner may access the discussion thread area on - line , review the questions and provide answers . in a group setting , the questions may require a collaborative effort . virtual lectures 260 provide an avenue for traditional instruction without the travel requirements or classroom restrictions . lectures can be conducted , for example , as a live web - cast or recorded for viewing at the user &# 39 ; s convenience . recognizing the limits to the ability to simulate live interaction , traditional seminars 270 are included as an instructional tool where appropriate . the knowledge component 300 includes access to white papers 310 , news feeds 320 , topical web sites 340 , and customer uploads 350 relevant to supply chain management . these knowledge tools can be made available to the learner on demand . the knowledge component can be incorporated into part of a particular training curriculum or it can be used as a continuing education aspect of the invention . the collaboration component 400 provides a forum for discussion among peers and experts within the supply chain field that help to build community among participants . for example , a chat room 410 is used to allow for a continuous environment for participants in the supply chain to exchange ideas and ask questions of peers . additionally , discussion forums 420 are used to provide a scheduled environment to discuss issues with experts and peers alike . discussion forums may be conducted on - line or in a traditional live stetting . distance learning component 500 overlaps with and enables the other scls components . this component includes capabilities such as live web casts audio conferences , and video conferences . also , the scls interface can be used to host events , record them , and make them available electronically as part of a training program or knowledge tool . another feature of the scls generally includes the ability to customize the content ( by company , group , region , etc .) available to the end user . a licensing organization may choose to restrict access to that learning content which specifically aligns with the organization &# 39 ; s involvement in the supply chain . the supply chain management e - course provides a specific embodiment of the invention that utilizes most aspects of the scls . the e - course modifies a typical short - term ( approximately 1 day , or up to a few weeks ) classroom course into a course that attends to the same learning aspects in discrete increments over several weeks or months . traditional educational methods such as lectures , case studies , group projects , and discussion groups are incorporated into a blended learning approach that allows for distance learning while maintaining the personal interaction and community of the traditional format . the e - course exemplifies the scls method with a blend of self - study , conferences , individual tasks , on - line training , group projects , web casts and personal feedback . referring back to fig1 end users ( students ) create a user profile and access scls interface 100 for delivery of course materials , conducting computer - based training , accessing course schedules , participating in web casts or discussion groups , and reporting task progress . the end user &# 39 ; s progress through the e - course is recorded in the respective user profile and stored in database 10 for later retrieval . benefits of the e - course include lower costs and greater retention compared to traditional short - term courses , the convenience and flexibility of distance learning , the community of traditional learning , and reduced disruption of the workforce . an example of the blended learning approach used in the e - course is shown in fig4 . course registration is conducted by logging in to scls interface 100 ( fig1 ) with the appropriate user profile and selecting the desired course . access to the course schedule and materials is provided on a course home page . through the course home page , students access a series of scheduled and unscheduled discussions , presentations in various formats , and reading materials . students also post deliverables and assignments for access by other students and / or the course instructor . group projects are organized and tracked on the home page , but the logistics for each individual group are arranged separately . thus , the e - course includes a combination of scheduled ( synchronous ) and unscheduled ( asynchronous ) elements , as shown in fig5 . as an example , the course could begin with a live ( or live web cast or live audio conference call ) kickoff session that requires the simultaneous attendance by every class member . each student can conduct subsequent reading , complete assignments , or view lectures separately within a set time period to be followed by a scheduled class debrief via web cast or conference call . in addition to individual and class activities , students are assigned into teams for the purpose of conducting simulations and / or case studies . team projects are conducted individually ( i . e ., individual preparation ), as a team ( i . e ., group preparation ), and with the entire class ( i . e ., formal presentations ). completion of individual assignments , “ attendance ” at web casts , team assignments , and other class participation metrics are recorded as part of each student &# 39 ; s user profile . the learning system of the present invention allows members of the same organization — or members of different organizations within the supply chain that have similar learning needs — to participate in the same course regardless of each member &# 39 ; s geographic location . the use of distance learning tools reduces costs and travel commitments that might otherwise prevent or limit participation . the course format allows for the possibility of larger class sizes than traditional interactive seminars ; or , alternatively , specific learning groups can be formed that would not be feasible . for example , in a case where a transportation specialist has learning needs distinct from other workers within his organization , he can be grouped in a learning team with transportation specialists from other organizations . thus , participants receive an educational benefit not only from the course content , but also from the collective insights of similarly - situated actors in the supply chain . [ 0051 ] fig3 illustrates the approval process for a typical system upon which scls 100 may be implemented . the system may be implemented as an internet - based model or within other mediums , such as a local area network . the user goes through an initial logon process 110 that identifies the appropriate corporate identity and collects basic profile information for the user . the personal profile 130 is then created and updated as the user creates preferences while using the system . for subsequent use after the initial logon , the user provides a username and password from the user &# 39 ; s profile in accordance with subsequent logon process 120 , before proceeding to personal profile 130 . one embodiment of the invention includes the ability of the scls interface to interact with a customer &# 39 ; s own learning management system to track enrollment and course completion . reports for individual system users or groups of users can be made available to , for example , a licensing corporation for the purpose of tracking that corporation &# 39 ; s employee training progress . alternatively , the scls can act in a limited capacity as a stand - alone learning management system , collecting real - time course registration / enrollment data , course completion , and completion of traditional and distance learning activities . under the identified personal profile 130 of fig3 the user then accesses the scls portal 140 that contains training materials , a knowledge materials , collaborative resources , distance learning tools , and searching capabilities customized to that personal profile . scls portal 140 can be customized according to user profile information that may incorporate user - specific preferences as well as preferences that may be defined under a group license of which the user is a member . for example , when a user accesses the portal &# 39 ; s homepage through the above - described logon process , the homepage may display news and announcements specific to the user &# 39 ; s group or corporate entity . listings with links to recently completed , current , and scheduled learning activities for the specific user may also be displayed . the portal homepage display can similarly be customized to contain links only to the features identified by the user &# 39 ; s license agreement , selected , for example , from the group of options within the training 200 , knowledge 300 , collaboration 400 , and distance learning 500 components described in fig2 . furthermore , the portal homepage display can be customized by providing a user with access to some , none , or all of the available learning series and the associated components necessary to complete the accessible learning series . in some embodiments , the portal homepage can include a link to the user &# 39 ; s learning management information 140 ( fig3 ). also within the customized portal 140 is the option to access additional learning assets . standard licensed assets 150 are accessible when included as part of the corporate identity created during initial logon 110 . additionally , tuition - based assets 190 may be accessed by having the user complete registration process 160 and then receiving approval from the user &# 39 ; s company in client approval process 170 . once approval process 170 is completed , process 180 generates a billing record for the user that is reported to the service provider &# 39 ; s accounting department for client billing 185 . the user is then granted access to the tuition based learning assets 190 . examples of a user interface for web - based embodiments according to the present invention are contained in fig6 through 11 . fig6 shows a login page . in accordance with subsequent login process 120 ( fig3 ), prior users or those who have been registered through a corporate license may enter their registered username an password in the spaces provided to gain access to scls portal 140 ( fig3 ). [ 0055 ] fig7 is an example of a welcome page for a typical registered user seen after a successful login . the “ my learning assets ” heading provides user - specific links to that user &# 39 ; s currently registered coursework and other learning materials . the listed course include embedded links to the respective course homepage . the “ my scheduled events ” heading provides user - specific links to upcoming courses , presentations and other assets for which the user has already registered . links to other components of the scls portal are included on the right side of the screen . information specific to a user &# 39 ; s organization or information about the learning portal can also be displayed on the welcome page . the “ find learning assets ” link in fig7 provides access to search capabilities of sclc portal 140 , as shown in fig8 . in fig8 a topical search was conducted for the term transportation , with a portion of the search results shown . searches may also be conducted by other criteria using means known in the art . the search results list course titles with links to each respective course &# 39 ; s information / registration page . fig9 shows an example of an information / registration page . also listed with the search results is basic descriptive information about the course including the time required , the type of training each course involves ( i . e ., online self - study , expert on - demand , workshop , e - course , expert audio / web conference , discussion forum , workshop , or other self - study materials ), and whether the course is part of the generally licensed package or a tuition - based asset . the “ eknowledge ” link in fig7 provides access to the knowledge component of the scls portal 140 , as shown in fig1 . the page includes links to topical news groups , white papers , and web sites that may be more timely than , or a supplement to , the course content in the scls . the “ learning series ” link in fig7 provides access to descriptions of a variety of structured topical series . fig1 provides an example of a particular learning series , “ inventory management & amp ; fulfillment ,” with a partial list of representative course that make up that particular learning series . each listed course includes a link to a course information / registration page and a short course description . links to other learning series are included on the right hand side of the screen . similarly , the “ supply chain education program ” link in fig7 provides access to an scls program framework , as shown in fig1 . the available learning assets within the scls are grouped into one of ( for example ) three categories to help structure a user &# 39 ; s learning environment . while exemplary embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art such embodiments are provided by way of example only . numerous insubstantial variations , changes , and substitutions will now be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention disclosed herein by the applicants . accordingly , it is intended that the invention be limited only by the spirit and scope by the claims as they will be allowed .	6
while the present invention may be susceptible to embodiment in different forms , there is shown in the drawings , and herein will be described in detail , an embodiment thereof with the understanding that the present description is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to that as illustrated and described herein . the method and apparatus of the present invention is used to remove rivets which have been installed in work pieces . typically , the method and apparatus of the present invention are used to remove rivets of the self - piercing type . fig1 illustrates a typical self - piercing rivet 10 positioned for installation into a work piece 12 . although the method and apparatus of the present invention can be used to remove rivets from a variety of work pieces , a particular application will be described herein . the work piece 12 shown in fig1 is a drip rail which is used to divert water away from openings in a vehicle , for example , the opening around a window . the work piece 12 consists of three layers , the first layer or outside drip rail 12 a , the second layer or inside drip rail 12 b and the third layer or frame of the vehicle 12 c . the first layer 12 a includes an upwardly directed flange 13 a , the second layer 12 b includes an upwardly directed flange 13 b , and the third layer 12 c includes a downwardly directed flange 13 c . the rivet 10 includes an enlarged head portion 14 and a stem portion 16 . a cavity 18 is provided within the stem portion 16 . the rear side 20 of work piece 12 abuts an anvil 22 which provides resistance upon installation of the rivet 10 . a recess 24 is provided in the anvil 22 . the recess 24 will receive a deformed portion of the work pieces upon installation of the rivet 10 . installation of the rivet 10 will begin as the rivet 10 pierces the front side 26 of the work piece 12 . fig2 illustrates the rivet 10 as installed within the work piece 12 . as shown in fig2 , upon installation , the rivet has pierced the front side 26 of the work piece 12 , the first layer 12 a and the second layer 12 b . the third layer 12 c has not been pierced . as a result of the installation process , a button 28 has been formed which protrudes from the rear side 20 of the work piece 12 . also , upon installation , the cavity 18 of the rivet 10 is filled with material from the work piece 12 . as described above , it may become necessary to remove the rivet 10 from the work piece 12 . in such situations , the apparatus and method of the present invention can be used to effectuate the removal of the rivet 10 . the method of the present invention uses two tools to remove the rivet 10 from the work piece 12 . first , a hand held device or drilling tool 30 ( shown in fig3 – 10 ) is used to remove the button 28 of the rivet 10 , and then a compression tool 32 ( shown in fig1 – 13 ) is used to eject the rivet 10 from the work piece 12 . as shown in fig3 , the drilling tool 30 generally includes a handle portion 34 and tooling or support structure 36 . the handle portion 34 includes a front handle portion 38 and a rear handle portion 40 . a front jaw member 42 extends from the front handle portion 38 and a rear jaw member 44 extends from the rear handle portion 40 . the front and rear handle portions 38 , 40 and the front and rear jaw members 42 , 44 can be , for example , of the type used with a hand - held clamping device , such as the hand - held tool commonly called a vise grips . a u - shaped front tooth 46 extends from the front jaw member 42 and a u - shaped rear tooth 48 extends from the rear jaw member 44 . the front tooth 46 includes an upper prong 50 , a lower prong 52 , and a recess 54 between the upper prong 50 and the lower prong 52 . the rear tooth 48 includes an upper prong 56 , a lower prong 58 , and a recess 60 between the upper prong 56 and the lower prong 58 . as shown in fig4 , the front tooth 46 is aligned with the rear tooth 48 such that the upper prong 50 of the front tooth 46 is aligned with the upper prong 56 of the rear tooth 48 and the lower prong 52 of the front tooth 46 is aligned with the lower prong 58 of the rear tooth 48 . a mouth 62 is provided between the front tooth 46 and the rear tooth 48 . the mouth 62 is enlarged as the front handle portion 38 and the rear handle portion 40 are moved away from each other . the mouth 62 is closed as the front handle portion 38 and the rear handle portion 40 are moved toward each other . a thumb screw 64 is provided for adjusting the drilling tool 30 on the work piece 12 . as the thumb screw 64 is turned in one direction the mouth 62 of the drilling tool becomes smaller and as the thumb screw 64 is turned in the opposite direction , the mouth 62 of the drilling tool becomes larger . as shown in fig5 , the support structure 36 includes a generally t - shaped first member 70 and a generally u - shaped second member 72 . the first member 70 includes the rear tooth 48 , a first pin support 74 extending from one side of the rear tooth 48 , a second pin support 76 extending from the opposite side of the rear tooth 48 , and a collar platform 78 extending from the rear side of the rear tooth 48 . the second member 72 of the support structure 56 includes a base 80 , a first arm 82 , a second arm 84 , a first spring plunger 86 and a second spring plunger 88 . the base 80 is generally parallel to the first and second pin supports 74 , 76 . the first and second arms 82 , 84 extend from either end of the base 80 and are generally perpendicular to the base 80 . the first spring plunger 86 is generally perpendicular to the first arm 82 and extends from the opposite end of the first arm 82 as the base 80 . the second spring plunger 88 is generally perpendicular to the second arm 84 and extends from the opposite end of the second arm 84 as the base 80 . in describing the tool 30 the term proximal will be used to describe items closest to the base 80 and the term distal will be used to describe items closest to the first member 70 . the first member 70 is connected to the second member 72 , through a first pin 90 and a second pin 92 . the first pin 90 extends through an aperture in the first spring plunger 86 and through an aperture in the first pin support 74 . the second pin 92 extends through an aperture in the second spring plunger . 88 and through an aperture in the second pin support 76 . threads are provided on the surface of the apertures in the first and second pin support members 74 , 76 which engage with threads on the surface of one end of each pin 90 , 92 . enlarged portions 91 , 93 are provided on the opposite ends of each of the pins 90 , 92 respectively . a first spring 94 is mounted around the first pin 90 and is seated between the the first spring plunger 86 and the enlarged portion of 91 of the first pin 90 . a second spring 96 is mounted around the second pin 92 and is seated between the second spring plunger 88 and the enlarged portion 93 of the second pin 92 . as shown in fig6 , an aperture 98 is provided in the center of the base portion 80 of the second member 72 of the support structure 36 . an aperture 100 is also provided through the collar platform 78 and the rear tooth 48 of the first member 70 . the aperture 98 is aligned with the aperture 100 . a sleeve 101 is positioned within the aperture 100 and has an enlarged portion 103 which extends beyond the aperture in the collar platform 78 . a drill bit 102 is mounted through the apertures 98 , 100 and through the sleeve 101 such that the rear end of the drill bit 102 extends proximally through the aperture 98 and the cutting end of the drill bit 102 extends distally through the aperture 100 . a conical tip 108 is provided on the cutting end of the drill bit 102 . the diameter of the drill bit 102 is slightly larger than the diameter of the button 28 on the rear side 20 of the work piece 12 and the diameter of the apertures 98 , 100 and the aperture through the sleeve 101 are slightly larger than the diameter of the drill bit 102 . a collar or depth adjuster 104 is mounted on the drill bit 102 between the base 80 of the first member 70 and the sleeve 101 . the collar 104 is designed to slide axially along the drill bit 102 between the sleeve 101 which abuts the collar platform 78 of the first member 70 and the base 80 of the second member 72 . the collar 104 can be , for example , a common split sleeve fastener . once the collar 104 has been correctly positioned , the collar 104 is locked in place by tightening the split sleeve fastener . the collar 104 is used to adjust the distance the drill bit 102 can travel and therefore the depth of the hole to be drilled as will be described herein . the cutting end and conical tip 108 of the drill bit 102 extends through the aperture 100 in the rear tooth 48 . a chip removal slot 106 is provided in the rear tooth 48 for the removal of the drilling debris . the rear end of the drill bit 102 extends beyond the second member 72 of the support 36 . use of the tool 30 begins by the setting a depth l to which the drill bit 102 will cut into the rivet 10 . the collar 104 is loosened to allow the drill bit 102 to be positioned within the drilling tool 30 . the distance the conical tip 108 of the drill bit 102 is positioned beyond the rear tooth 48 will determine the depth l to which the drill bit 102 will cut into the rivet 10 . typically the drill bit 102 is positioned so that the button 28 is removed to a depth which leaves the button 28 generally flush with the rear side 20 of the work piece 12 . after the depth l is set , the collar 104 and the drill bit 102 are forced down to sleeve 101 by a pre - load spring force from springs 94 , 96 . the pre - load spring force of springs 94 , 96 further forces base 80 down against the collar 104 which , in turn , is forced down against the sleeve 101 , thus creating a positive stop between the collar 104 and the enlarged portion 103 of the sleeve 101 . the tool 30 thus generates a pre - load as the springs 94 , 96 have a built in spring force which is present at each step of the rivet removal process , such that users do not have to supply an end load to the tool 30 to get the drill bit 102 to move forward . the jaw members 42 , 44 of the drilling tool 30 are opened by opening the front and rear handle portions 38 , 40 . the front jaw member 42 is positioned near the front side 26 of the work piece 12 and the rear jaw member 44 is placed near the rear side 20 of the work piece 12 . the drilling tool 30 is positioned so that button 28 created upon installation of the rivet 10 is positioned centrally within the aperture 100 and the drill bit 102 is centrally aligned with the button 28 . as shown in fig7 , the mouth 62 of the tool 30 is placed around the work piece 12 and the rear tooth 48 contacts the rear side 20 of the work piece 12 and the conical tip 108 of the drill bit 102 contacts an indentation in the button 28 to assist centering of the tool 30 . pre - loading of the drill bit 102 generated by the springs 94 , 96 , assists and maintains the centering of the drill bit 102 to the button 28 of the rivet 10 . as the drilling tool 30 is fastened on to the work piece 12 , the button 28 of the rivet 10 contacts the conical tip 108 of the drill bit 102 and the drill bit 102 is forced proximally . as the drill bit 102 is forced toward the user , the collar 104 pushes against the base 80 of the second member 72 , and first and second spring plungers 86 , 88 compress the springs 94 , 96 . upon compression of the springs 94 , 96 a gap 107 is provided between the collar 104 and the sleeve 101 . the compression of the springs 94 , 96 provides an increased force to be released , over the pre - load force provided by the springs 94 , 96 , which eliminates the need for an end load to be applied by the user . a drill 109 ( a portion of which is shown in fig7 ) is mounted to the rear end of the drill bit 102 . preferably , the point of the drill bit 102 is sized to a diameter d 1 , which is slightly larger than the rivet body diameter which reduces the push out forces . when power is supplied to the drill 109 , the drill bit 102 will begin to rotate . as shown in fig8 , the conical tip 108 of the drill bit 102 contacts the button 28 , and the button 28 is removed from the remainder of the work piece 12 by the drilling action of the drill bit 102 . debris from the drilling action exits through the chip removal slot 106 ( see fig5 ). as the drill bit 102 advances within the work piece 12 , the increased spring force of the springs 94 , 96 is released and the second member 72 moves toward the first member 70 . the drill bit 102 and the collar 104 move with second member 72 as it advances toward the first member 70 , closing the gap 107 between the collar 104 and the sleeve 101 . the drill bit 102 , collar 104 and second member 72 will continue to advance until the gap 107 has been eliminated and the collar 104 contacts the sleeve 101 , which acts as a positive stop such that no further material can be removed from the rivet 10 . as a result of the drilling action , the conical tip 108 of the drill bit 102 forms a concave recess 110 in the work piece 12 . as shown in fig9 , when the drilling tool 30 is used in connection with a drip rail , the flange 13 a is positioned within the recess 54 , and flanges 13 b and 13 c remain outside of the mouth 62 of the drilling tool 30 . the relative dimensions of the recess 54 , the upper prong 50 of the front tooth 46 , the upper prong 56 of the rear tooth 48 and the work piece 12 allow upper prong 50 to contact the front side 26 of the work piece 12 as the flange 13 a is positioned within the recess 54 . the drilling tool 30 provides precise alignment of the drill bit 102 with the button 28 and provides for stabilization of the drill bit 102 with respect to the work piece 12 . the spring force provided by springs 94 , 96 eliminates the need for end force to be applied by the user . this also reduces the risk of the drill bit 102 slipping off the button 28 and marring the work piece 12 . in addition , unlike the grinding process , the drilling process does not cause dust to spray into the air and therefore eliminates the risk of the user inhaling toxic dust particles . preferably , the drill bit 102 will be positioned within the collar 104 so that upon release of the increased spring force and completion of the drilling process , the button 28 is flush with the rear side 20 of the work piece 12 as shown in fig1 . the diameter d 1 of the conical tip 108 is smaller than a flare diameter d 2 of the rivet 10 at the drilled depth . upon completion of drilling , the stem 16 of the rivet 10 will be exposed and the concave recess 110 will be centrally located in the cavity 18 of the rivet 10 . this concave recess 110 will assist in aligning the compression tool 32 as will be described below . the drilling tool 30 is released from the work piece 12 by releasing the front handle portion 38 and the rear handle portion 40 . the compression tool 32 used to eject the rivet 10 from the work piece 12 will now be described . the compression tool 32 utilizes a conventional tool such as a compression riveter . for example , the compression / squeeze riveter ( model number us114ta ) sold by united states industrial tool & amp ; supply company can be used along with the bits 130 , 132 to be described below , to eject the rivet 10 from the work piece 12 . additional information about the squeeze riveter sold by united states industrial tool & amp ; supply company can be found at www . ustool . com . as shown in fig1 – 13 , the compression tool 32 includes a body 33 , a generally u - shaped first arm 112 and a generally u - shaped second arm 114 . the body 33 contains the components necessary to activate the first arm 112 and the second arm 114 . the first arm 112 includes a first end 116 and a second end 118 . the second arm 114 includes a first end 120 and a second end 122 . the first end 116 of the first arm 112 is joined to the first end 120 of the second arm 114 by a pin 124 which allows the arms 112 , 114 to rotate relative to one another . as shown in fig1 , a pushing bit 130 is mounted to the first arm 112 . the pushing bit 130 includes an elongated mounting portion 134 and an elongated pushing end 136 . a conically shaped tip 138 extends from the pushing end 136 . the conically shaped tip 138 matches the recess 110 of the work piece 12 due to the conical tip 108 of the drill bit 102 which formed the recess 110 . the matching of the conically shaped tip 138 and the recess 110 assists and maintains the centering of the compression tool 32 so that the rivet 10 can be removed with little or no distortion to the hole in the work piece 12 . a passageway 126 is provided in the second end 118 of the first arm 112 . the mounting portion 134 is positioned within the passageway 126 and a spring is placed within a groove 140 on the mounting portion 134 and retains the pushing bit 130 within the passageway 126 . a catching bit 132 is mounted to the second end 122 of the second arm 114 . the catching bit 132 includes an elongated mounting portion 142 and an enlarged cup shaped catching end 144 . a catching recess 146 is provided within the catching end 144 . a passageway 128 is provided in the second end 122 of the second arm 114 . the mounting portion 142 is positioned within the passageway 128 and a spring is placed within a groove 148 on the mounting portion 142 and retains the catching bit 132 within the passageway 128 . to remove the rivet 10 from the work piece 12 , the work piece 12 is placed between the pushing bit 130 and the catching bit 132 . the work piece 12 is aligned such that the front side 26 of the work piece 12 is proximate to the catching bit 132 and the rear side 20 of the work piece 12 is proximate to the pushing bit 130 . as shown in fig1 , the tip 138 of the pushing bit 130 is placed within the recess 110 of the work piece 12 and the catching bit 132 is aligned such that the head 14 of the rivet 10 is aligned with the recess 146 of the catching bit 132 . as shown in fig1 , when the compression tool 32 is activated , the second end 118 of the arm 112 is driven toward the second end 122 of the second arm 114 . the pushing end 136 of the pushing bit 130 is then driven through the layers 12 c , 12 b , 12 a of the work piece 12 and the rivet 10 is ejected from the work piece 12 . the ejected rivet 10 is captured within the recess 146 of the catching end 144 . as the rivet 10 is pushed out of the work piece 12 , an extremely high amount of energy is built up due to the fit between the rivet 10 and the work piece 12 , such that when the rivet 10 starts to move , the stored up energy is released and the rivet 10 is ejected from the work piece 12 with a great amount of force . thus , it is important that the rivet 10 is captured within the recess 146 to prevent injury to the user or another individual standing by . ejection of the rivet 10 from the work piece 12 using the compression tool 32 allows for efficient removal of the rivet without damage to the surfaces of the work piece 12 . upon removal of the rivet 10 , the work pieces can be properly aligned and a new rivet can be installed . while an embodiment of the present invention is shown and described , it is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devise various modifications of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims . for example , it is to be understood that the present invention can be used with a work piece with any number of layers or with a variety of shaped work pieces including simply flat work pieces . as shown in fig9 and 10 for example , the dimensions of the front tooth 46 and the rear tooth 48 can be modified to accept these various shaped work pieces . also , for example the drilling tool 30 and the compression tool 32 could be adapted for automation rather than hand activated .	8
according to present invention , techniques for processing semiconductor integrated circuit devices are provided . more particularly , the present invention provides a method and an apparatus for a lithography process for manufacture of integrated circuits . merely by way of example , the invention has been applied to a wafer edge expose step in a lithography process . in a specific embodiment , an apparatus for a lithography process for fabricating semiconductor integrated devices is provided . the apparatus includes providing a process chamber . the process chamber may be configured for a track tool for lithography process . the apparatus includes an illumination system , the illumination system provides a light source to expose photoresist material on selected regions on a semiconductor substrate . as an example , the light source can be a arf laser emitting a ultraviolet light at a wavelength of 193 nm . the apparatus includes a fiber optic to direct light from the light source to the semiconductor substrate . the apparatus may also include a shutter to control exposure of the photoresist material on selected regions on the semiconductor substrate . the apparatus includes an optical element . for example , the optical element can be a lens to expose portions of the semiconductor substrate and may comprise material such as calcium fluoride in a specific embodiment . the optical element is positioned at an end of the fiber optics and at a distance from the semiconductor substrate . this distance may range from about 0 . 3 - 0 . 5 mm in accordance with certain embodiments . the apparatus also includes an enclosure having a first opened ending and a second opened ending . the first opened ending is coupled to the optical element and the second opened ending is positioned above the semiconductor substrate . the enclosure is perforated and may be substantially cylindrical . the apparatus includes a gas delivery system to provide a gas to flow through the enclosure . the gas is provided to isolate the optical element from a vapor component of the photoresist material during exposure in the lithography process and eliminates a solid material from depositing on the optical element , thereby maintaining the intensity of light transmitted through the optical element at a desired level . the apparatus may also include a gas control system . the gas control system includes a solenoid valve to provide opening / shutting of the shutter , a air - spring valve to control the gas flows through the enclosure , and a three way valve . the three way valve is coupled in common to the solenoid valve and the air - spring valve and provides a mean to simultaneously flow the gas through the enclosure and to open the shutter for exposure of the photoresist material . in a specific embodiment , a method for fabricating semiconductor integrated circuits is provided . the method includes providing a semiconductor substrate . the semiconductor substrate has a surface and may have devices partially fabricated on it . a photoresist material is deposited overlying the surface of the semiconductor substrate . the method includes disposing the semiconductor substrate on a pedestal of a track tool . the method includes directing a ultraviolet light onto the surface of the semiconductor substrate to expose the photoresist material in a pre - select region of the semiconductor substrate . other region of the semiconductor substrate is masked . in a specific embodiment , the pre - select region of the semiconductor substrate includes a peripheral region . the peripheral region ranges from 3 to 5 mm from wafer edge in certain embodiments . the ultraviolet light may be transmitted from a source using a fiber optic . a lens is coupled to an end of the fiber optic to expose the wafer . the lens comprises calcium fluoride in certain embodiment . the ultraviolet light may be provided using an arf laser at a wavelength of 193 nm in certain embodiments . the ultraviolet light interacts with the exposed photoresist material in the peripheral region of the semiconductor substrate and thereby causes a vapor to form . due to the vicinity of the lens to the wafer , the vapor cannot be removed effectively by exhaust , and may condense on the lens as a salt to form a crystalline material . the crystalline material reduces intensity of the light transmitted through the lens . the method includes providing a gas flowing through an enclosure coupled to the lens simultaneously with the exposing step . the enclosure is perforated and substantially cylindrical . the gas removes the vapor from the photoresist material during exposure and prevents the crystal material to form on the lens . the intensity of the ultraviolet light transmitted through the lens can be maintained at a desired level . many benefits are achieved by ways of the present invention . for example , the present invention provides a method and an apparatus to prevent contamination of optical components used in lithography process . additionally , the method and apparatus are compatible to conventional process technology without substantial modification to conventional processes . depending on the embodiment , one or more of the benefits may be achieved . these and other benefits will be described in more detail throughout the specification and more particularly below . fig1 ( a )-( c ) illustrate a wafer edge expose step in a lithography process . a semiconductor substrate 100 is provided . the semiconductor substrate may have devices partially fabricated thereon . a photoresist material 102 is deposited overlying the semiconductor substrate . as shown in fig1 ( c ), a wafer edge expose region 101 is defined in a peripheral region of the semiconductor substrate . the wafer edge expose region has a predetermined width from wafer edge . the predetermined width ranges from 3 mm to 5 mm in certain embodiment . the wafer edge expose region is exposed to an ultraviolet light while other region of the semiconductor substrate is masked using a photomask . illustrated in fig1 ( a ) is an apparatus according to a conventional method for a wafer edge expose step for a lithography process for manufacturing integrated circuits . as shown , an illumination system 10 for a wafer edge expose process is provided . the illumination system comprises of a ultraviolet light source ( not shown ). the ultraviolet light source may be a arf laser emitting light at a wavelength of 193 nm . the ultraviolet light is transmitted using a fiber optic ( not shown ). semiconductor wafer 100 including photoresist material 102 is disposed on a pedestal 104 . a lens 106 coupled to an end of the fiber optic waveguide is positioned at a distance of about 0 . 5 ± 0 . 2 mm from the wafer surface . illustrated in fig1 ( b ) is a schematic diagram showing use of the conventional apparatus of fig1 ( a ). when the photoresist material is exposed to the ultraviolet light in a wafer edge expose process , a vapor component of the photoresist is evaporated . due to the proximity of the lens to the substrate , the vapor component cannot be removed effectively by exhaust system . the vapor component condenses as a solid crystal on the lens . the solid crystal reduces an intensity of light transmitted through the lens . the lens would need to be cleaned or even replaced if the deposit on the lens too severe . these and other limitations are described in more detailed throughout the specification . specifically , fig2 ( a ) is a simplified schematic diagram illustrating performance of a conventional apparatus for processing a semiconductor integrated circuit device . fig2 ( b ) is a simplified plot illustrating light intensity transmitted through lens 106 of the conventional apparatus after 2700 hours of use , for ten consecutive exposures performed prior to lens cleaning , and ten consecutive runs performed after lens cleaning . the vertical axis illustrates intensity of light passing through the optical element . as shown in plot 202 , light intensity remains at a relatively low level ( 930 - 949 units ) due to solid deposited on the lens . by contrast , as shown in plot 204 , after cleaning the light intensity increases to 1100 - 1800 units . such deposit on the lens and corresponding loss of intensity of transmitted light may eventually become severe enough to require replacement of the lens . fig3 ( a ) is a simplified schematic diagram showing an apparatus for processing semiconductor integrated circuits according to an embodiment of the present invention . this diagram is merely an example , which should not unduly limit the scope of the claims herein . one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize many variations , alternatives , and modifications . as shown , a semiconductor substrate 301 is provided . the semiconductor substrate may have devices partially fabricated thereon . a photoresist material 303 is deposited on a surface of the semiconductor substrate . shown in fig3 ( b ) is a simplified cross - sectional view of an illumination system 30 for lithography process . the illumination system is configured for wafer edge expose process in a specific embodiment . the wafer edge expose process exposes photoresist material in a peripheral region of the semiconductor substrate while other region is being masked . the peripheral region has a width of about 3 - 5 mm from the wafer edge in certain embodiments . the illumination system includes a fiber optic waveguide to direct a light from a radiation source onto the semiconductor substrate . the light may be ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 193 nm or other wavelengths , as may be provided by an arf laser in one specific embodiment . other sources of radiation such as krf laser or a mercury arc lamp may also be used . a lens 305 coupled to the fiber optic waveguide is used to expose desired regions of the semiconductor substrate , for example an edge exclusion region , to light . lens 305 comprises calcium fluoride in certain embodiments . other materials such as fused quartz may also be used depending on the application . as shown in fig3 ( a )-( b ), a hood 306 is provided . the hood includes an enclosure 307 and a gas delivery line 309 . fig3 ( c ) is a simplified elevational view of one embodiment of an enclosure in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the gas delivery line provides a purging gas to flow through the enclosure when the semiconductor substrate including a portion of the photoresist material is being exposed . the purging gas can be compressed air in a specific embodiment . other examples of purging gas includes nitrogen or an inert gas mixture . the enclosure is substantially cylindrical and perforated . the perforations 309 facilitate movement of gas or vapor through the enclosure thereby preventing a vapor from the photoresist material to condense on the lens upon exposure to the ultraviolet light . in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention , the purge gas line in fluid communication with the optical element comprises a distinct system separate from the gas system utilized to purge process gases from the chamber . further details of the gas delivery line and mechanism of operations are provided below . fig4 ( a ) is a simplified cross - sectional view of an apparatus for a lithography process for fabricating integrated circuits according an embodiment of the present invention . fig4 ( b ) is a simplified schematic view of the apparatus of fig4 ( a ). a semiconductor substrate is disposed on a chuck 403 . a photoresist material is deposited on the surface of the semiconductor substrate . also shown in fig4 ( a )-( b ) is a fiber optic waveguide 405 to direct light from light source 420 for exposing the photoresist material in predetermined area on the semiconductor substrate . as merely an example , the predetermined area is a wafer edge expose area . a lens 421 to expose the wafer to light is provided at an end of the fiber optic . the lens is positioned at a predetermined distance from the semiconductor wafer . the distance measures 0 . 5 ± 0 . 2 mm in a specific embodiment . the apparatus includes a shutter 409 to allow exposure of the photoresist material . the shutter is controlled by a solenoid valve 411 . the apparatus also includes an air - spring valve 415 coupled to a gas source 417 . the air - spring valve controls a flow of the purging gas to flow through enclosure 407 . the purging gas can be compressed air in a specific embodiment . other examples of purging gas gases includes nitrogen or an inert gas . the apparatus also includes a three way valve 413 , coupled in common with air - spring valve 415 and solenoid valve 411 . when a wafer is positioned for a wafer edge expose process , the three way valve opens and triggers solenoid valve 411 to open shutter 409 thereby exposing photoresist material on the semiconductor substrate . simultaneously , the three way valve triggers air spring valve 415 to open , allowing the purging gas to flow . the purging gas together with a vapor from the photoresist material during wafer edge expose process is removed using existing exhaust system on the tool . this prevents a solid to crystallize on the lens and eliminate steps of cleaning the lens . although the above has been illustrated according to a specific embodiment , there can be other modifications , alternatives , and variations . for example , while the above embodiments has been described in connection with fabrication of devices on a semiconductor substrate , the present invention is not limited to this particular application . in accordance with alternative embodiments , the present invention could be employed in connection with the fabrication of other than semiconductor substrates , including but not limited to magnetic hard disk materials , optical hard disk materials such as are used for dvds , cds , and cd - roms , and flat panels comprising glass or other insulating materials . moreover , while the above embodiment has been described as preventing contamination during the development of photoresist , the present invention is not limited to this particular application . in accordance with alternative embodiments , contamination during other processes can be reduced or eliminated , for example during the development of electron beam resist materials . and while the embodiments of the present invention illustrated above relate to prevention of contamination of an optical element in a photoresist developer tool , the present invention is not related to this particular embodiment . for example , vapor may continue to be produced by the resist material even after the exposure step . accordingly , optical elements of other types of tools , including but not limited to the objective lenses of after develop inspection ( adi ) tools or review optical microscope ( om ) tools employed to inspect the exposed resist , may also be shielded from contamination by vapors utilizing alternative embodiments of the present invention . it is also understood the embodiments and examples described herein are for illustrative purposes only and that various modifications or changes in light thereof will be suggested to person skilled in the art and are to be included with the spirit and purview of this application and scope of the appended claims .	6
referring to fig1 - 5 , an apparatus or osteotome 100 is shown that is configured for accessing the interior of a vertebral body and for creating a pathway in vertebral cancellous bone to receive hone cement . in one embodiment , the apparatus is configured with an extension portion or member 105 for introducing through a pedicle and wherein a working end 110 of the extension member can be progressively actuated to curve a selected degree and / or rotated to create a curved pathway and cavity in the direction of the midline of the vertebral body . the apparatus can be withdrawn and bone fill material can be introduced through a bone cement injection cannula . alternatively , the apparatus 100 itself can be used as a cement injector with the subsequent injection of cement through a lumen 112 of the apparatus . in one embodiment , the apparatus 100 comprises a handle 115 that is coupled to a . proximal end of the extension member 105 . the extension member 105 comprises an assembly of first ( outer ) sleeve 120 and a second ( inner ) sleeve 122 , with the first sleeve 120 having a proximal end 124 and distal end 126 . the second sleeve 122 has a proximal end 134 and distal end 136 . the extension member 105 is coupled to the handle 115 , as will be described below , to allow a physician to drive the extension member 105 into bone while contemporaneously actuating the working end 110 into an actuated or curved configuration ( see fig6 ). the handle 115 can be fabricated of a polymer , metal or any other material suitable to withstand hammering or impact forces used to drive the assembly into bone ( e . g ., via use of a hammer or similar device . on the handle 115 ). the inner and outer sleeves are fabricated of a suitable metal alloy , such as stainless steel or niti . the wall thicknesses of the inner and outer sleeves can range from about 0 . 005 ″ to 0 . 010 ″ with the outer diameter the outer sleeve ranging from about 2 . 5 mm to 5 . 0 mm . referring to fig1 , 3 and 4 , the handle 115 comprises both a first grip portion 140 and a second actuator portion indicated at 142 . the grip portion 140 is coupled to the first sleeve 120 as will be described below . the actuator portion 142 is operatively coupled to the second sleeve 122 as will be described below . the actuator portion 142 is rotatable relative to the grip portion 140 and one or more plastic flex tabs 145 of the grip portion 140 are configured to engage notches 146 in the rotatable actuator portion 142 to provide tactile indication and temporary locking of the handle portions 140 and 142 in a certain degree of rotation . the flex tabs 145 thus engage and disengage with the notches 146 to permit ratcheting ( rotation and locking ) of the handle portions and the respective sleeve coupled thereto . the notches or slots in any of the sleeves can comprise a uniform width along the length of the working end or can comprise a varying width . alternatively , the width can be selected in certain areas to effectuate a particular curved profile . in other variation , the width can increase or decrease along the working end to create a curve having a varying radius . clearly , it is understood that any number of variations are within the scope of this disclosure . fig4 is a sectional view of the handle showing a mechanism for actuating the second inner sleeve 122 relative to the first outer sleeve 120 . the actuator portion 142 of the handle 115 is configured with a fast - lead helical groove indicated at 150 that cooperates with a protruding thread 149 of the grip portion 140 of the handle . thus , it can be understood that rotation of the actuation portion 142 will move this portion to the position indicated at 150 ( phantom view ). in one embodiment , when the actuator portion 142 is rotated a selected amount from about 45 ° to 720 °, or from about 90 ° to 360 °, the inner sleeve 122 is lifted proximally relative to the grip portion 140 and outer sleeve 120 to actuate the working end 110 . as can be seen in fig4 the actuator portion 142 engages flange 152 that is welded to the proximal end 132 of inner sleeve 122 . the flange 152 is lifted by means of a ball bearing assembly 154 disposed between the flange 152 and metal bearing surface 155 inserted into the grip portion 140 of the handle . thus , the rotation of actuator 142 can lift the inner sleeve 122 . without creating torque on the inner sleeve . now turning to fig5 . ga and 6 b , it can be seen that the working end 110 of the extension member 105 is articulated by cooperating slotted portions of the distal portions of outer sleeve 120 and inner sleeve 122 that are both thus capable of bending in a substantially tight radius . the outer sleeve 120 has a plurality of slots or notches 162 therein that can be any slots that are perpendicular of angled relative to the axis of the sleeve . the inner sleeve 122 has a plurality of slots or notches indicated at 164 that can be on an opposite side of the assembly relative to the slots 162 in the outer sleeve 120 . the outer and inner sleeves are welded together at the distal region indicated at weld 160 . it thus can be understood that when inner sleeve 122 is translated in the proximal direction , the outer sleeve will be flexed as depicted in fig6 . it can be understood that by rotating the actuator handle portion 142 a selected amount , the working end can be articulated to a selected degree . fig4 , 5 , 6 a and 6 b further illustrate another element of the apparatus that comprises a flexible flat wire member 170 with a proximal end 171 and flange 172 that is engages the proximal side of flange 152 of the inner sleeve 122 . at least the distal portion 174 of the flat wire member 170 is welded to the inner sleeve at weld 175 . this flat wire member thus provides a safety feature to retain the working end in the event that the inner sleeve fails at one of the slots 164 . another safety feature of the apparatus comprises a torque limiter and release system that allows the entire handle assembly 115 to freely rotate — for example if the working end 110 is articulated , as in fig6 b , when the physician rotates the handle and when the working end is engaged in strong cancellous bone . referring to fig4 , the grip portion 142 of the handle 115 engages a collar 180 that is fixed to a proximal end 124 of the outer sleeve 120 . the collar 180 further comprises notches 185 that are radially spaced about the collar and are engaged by a ball member 186 that is pushed by a spring 188 into notches 185 . at a selected force , for example a torque ranging from greater than about 0 . 5 inch * lbs but less that about 7 . 5 inch * lbs , 5 . 0 inch * lbs or 2 . 5 inch * lbs , the rotation of the handle 115 overcomes the predetermined limit . when the torque limiter assembly is in its locked position , the ball bearing 186 is forced into one of the notches 185 in the collar 180 . when too much torque is provided to the handle and outer sleeve , the ball bearing 186 disengages the notch 185 allowing the collar 180 to turn , and then reengages at the next notch , releasing anywhere from 0 . 5 inch * lbs to 7 . 5 inch * lbs of torque . referring to fig6 a and 611 . it can be understood that the inner sleeve 122 is weakened on one side at its distal portion so as to permit the inner sleeve 122 to bend in either direction but is limited by the location of the notches in the outer sleeve 120 . the curvature of any articulated configuration is controlled by the spacing of the notches as well as the distance between each notch peak . the inner sleeve 122 also has a beveled tip for entry through the cortical bone of a vertebral body . either the inner sleeve or outer sleeve can form the distal tip . referring to fig7 a - 7c , in one variation of use of the device , a physician taps or otherwise drives a stylet 200 and introducer sleeve 205 into a vertebral body 206 typically until the stylet tip 208 is within the anterior ⅓ of the vertebral body toward cortical bone 210 ( fig7 a ). thereafter , the stylet 200 is removed and the sleeve 205 is moved proximally ( fig7 b ). as can be seen in fig7 b , the tool or osteotome 100 is inserted through the introducer sleeve 205 and articulated in a series of steps as described above . the working end 110 can be articulated intermittently while applying driving forces and optionally rotational forces to the handle 115 to advance the working end through the cancellous bone 212 to create path or cavity 215 . the tool is then tapped to further drive the working end 110 to , toward or past the midline of the vertebra . the physician can alternatively articulate the working end 110 , and drive and rotate the working end further until imaging shows that the working end 100 has created a cavity 215 of an optimal configuration . thereafter , as depicted in fig7 c , the physician reverses the sequence and progressively straightens the working end 110 as the extension member is withdrawn from the vertebral body 206 . thereafter , the physician can insert a bone cement injector 220 into the path or cavity 215 created by osteotome 100 . fig7 c illustrates a bone cement 222 , for example a pmma cement , being injected from a bone cement source 225 . in another embodiment ( not shown ), the apparatus 100 can have a handle 115 with a luer fitting for coupling a bone cement syringe and the bone cement can be injected through the lumen 112 of the apparatus . in such an embodiment fig9 , the lumen can have a . lubricious surface layer or polymeric lining 250 to insure least resistance to bone cement as it flows through the lumen . in one embodiment , the surface or lining 250 can be a fluorinated polymer such as teflon ® or polytetrafluroethylene ( ptfe ). other suitable fluoropolymer resins can be used such as fep and pfa . other materials also can be used such as fep ( fluorinated ethylenepropylene ), ectfe ( ethylenechlorotrifluoro - ethylene ), etfe , polyethylene , polyamide , pvdf , polyvinyl chloride and silicone . the scope of the invention can include providing a polymeric material having a static coefficient of friction of less than 0 . 5 , less than 0 . 2 or less than 0 . 1 . fig9 also shows the extension member or shaft 105 can be configured with an exterior flexible sleeve indicated at 255 . the flexible sleeve can be any commonly known biocompatible material , for example , the sleeve can comprise any of the materials described in the preceding paragraph . as also can be seen in fig9 , in one variation of the device 100 , the working end 110 can be configured to deflect over a length indicated at 260 in a substantially smooth curve . the degree of articulation of the working end 100 can be at least 45 °, 90 °, 135 ° or at least 180 ° as indicated at 265 ( fig9 ). in additional variations , the slots of the outer 120 and inner sleeves 120 can be varied to produce a device having a radius of curvature that varies among the length 260 of the device 100 . in another embodiment of the invention , the inner sleeve can be spring loaded relative the outer sleeve , in such a way as to allow the working end to straighten under a selected level of force when pulled in a linear direction . this feature allows the physician to withdraw the assembly from the vertebral body partly or completely without further rotation the actuating portion 142 of handle 115 . in some variations , the force - limiter can be provided to allow less than about 10 inch * lbs of force to be applied to bone . in another embodiment shown in fig8 , the working end 110 is configured with a tip 240 that deflects to the position indicated at 240 ′ when driven into bone . the tip 240 is coupled to the sleeve assembly by resilient member 242 , for example a flexible metal such as stainless steel or niti . it has been found that the flexing of the tip 240 causes its distal surface area to engage cancellous hone which can assist in deflecting the working end 110 as it is hammered into bone . in another embodiment of the invention ( not shown ), the actuator handle can include a secondary or optional ) mechanism for actuating the working end . the mechanism would include a hammer - able member with a ratchet such that each tap of the hammer would advance assembly and progressively actuate the working end into a curved configuration . a ratchet mechanism as known in the art would maintain the assembly in each of a plurality of articulated configurations . a release would be provided to allow for release of the ratchet to provide for straightening the extension member 105 for withdrawal from the vertebral body . fig1 and 11 illustrate another variation of a bone treatment device 400 with a handle 402 and extension member 405 extending to working end 410 having a similar construction to that fig1 to 6b . the device 400 operates as described previously with notched first ( outer ) sleeve 120 and cooperating notched second ( inner ) sleeve 122 . however , the variation shown in fig1 and 11 also includes a third concentric notched sleeve 420 , exterior to the first 120 and second 122 sleeves . the notches or slots in sleeve 420 at the working end 410 permit deflection of the sleeve as indicated at 265 in fig1 . fig1 also illustrates the treatment device 400 as including a luer fitting 412 that allows the device 402 to be coupled to a source of a filler material ( e . g ., a bone filler or bone cement material ). the luer can be removable from the handle 402 to allow application of an impact force on the handle as described above . moreover , the bier fitting 402 can be located on the actuating portion of the handle , the stationary part of the handle or even along the sleeve . in any case , variations of the device 400 permit coupling the filler material with a lumen extending through the sleeves ( or between adjacent sleeves ) to deposit filler material at the working end 410 . as shown by arrows 416 , filler material can be deposited through a distal end of the sleeves ( where the sharp tip is solid ) or can be deposited through openings in a side - wall of the sleeves . clearly , variations of this configuration are within the scope of those familiar in the field . in some variations , the third notched sleeve 420 is configured with its smooth ( non - notched ) surface 424 disposed to face inwardly on the articulated working end ( fig1 ) such that a solid surface forms the interior of the curved portion of the working end 410 . the smooth surface 424 allows withdrawal of the device 110 into a cannula or introducer 205 without creating a risk that the slots or notches become caught on a cannula 205 ( see e . g ., fig7 b ). as shown in fig1 - 11 , the third ( outermost ) sleeve 420 can extend from an intermediate location on the extension member 405 to a distal end of the working end 410 . however , variations of the device include the third sleeve 420 extending to the handle 402 . however , the third sleeve 420 is typically not coupled to the handle 402 so that any rotational force or torque generated by the handle 402 is not directly transmitted to the third sleeve 420 . in one variation , the third sleeve 420 is coupled to the second sleeve 120 at only one axial location . in the illustrated example shown in fig1 , the third sleeve 420 is affixed to second sleeve 420 by welds 428 at the distal end of the working end 410 . however , the welds or other attachment means ( e . g ., a pin , key / keyway , protrusion , etc .) can be located on a medial part of the sleeve 420 . the sleeve 420 can be fabricated of any bio - compatible material . for example , in one variation , the third sleeve is fabricated form a 3 . 00 mm diameter stainless steel material with a wall thickness of 0 . 007 ″. the first , second and third sleeves are sized to have dimensions to allow a sliding fit between the sleeves . fig1 a is a sectional view of extension member 405 of another variation , similar to that shown in fig1 - 11 . however , the variation depicted by fig1 a comprises non - round configurations of concentric slidable sleeves ( double or triple sleeve devices ). this configuration limits or prevents rotation between the sleeves and allows the physician to apply greater forces to the bone to create a cavity . while fig1 a illustrates an oval configuration , any non - round shape is within the scope of this disclosure . for example , the cross - sectional shape can comprise a square , polygonal , or other radially keyed configuration as shown in fig1 b and 12c . as shown in fig1 c the sleeves can include a key 407 and a receiving keyway 409 to prevent rotation but allow relative or axial sliding of the sleeves . the key can comprise any protrusion or member that slides within a receiving keyway . furthermore , the key can comprise a pin or any raised protrusion on an exterior or interior of a respective sleeve . in this illustration , only the first 122 and second 120 sleeves are illustrated . however , any of the sleeves can be configured with the key / keyway . preventing rotation between sleeves improves the ability to apply force to bone at the articulated working end . fig1 - 14 illustrate another variation of a working end 410 of an osteotome device . in this variation , the working end 410 includes one or more flat spring elements 450 , 460 a , 460 b , 460 c , 460 d , that prevent relative rotation of the sleeves of the assembly thus allowing greater rotational forces to be applied to cancellous bone from an articulated . working end . the spring elements further urge the working end assembly into a linear configuration . to articulate the sleeves , a rotational force is applied to the handle as described above , once this rotational force is removed , the spring elements urge the working end into a linear configuration . as shown in fig1 , one or more of the spring elements can extend through the sleeves for affixing to a handle to prevent rotation . furthermore , the distal end 454 of flat spring element 450 is fixed to sleeve assembly by weld 455 . thus , the spring element is fixed at each end to prevent its rotation . alternate variations include one or more spring elements being affixed to the inner sleeve assembly at a medial section of the sleeve . as shown in fig1 - 14 , variations of the osteotome can include any number of spring elements 460 a - 460 d . these additional spring elements 460 a - 460 d can be welded at either a proximal or distal end thereof to an adjacent element or a sleeve to allow the element to function as a leaf spring . in an additional variation , the osteotome device can include one or more electrodes 310 , 312 as shown in fig1 . in this particular example , the device 300 includes spaced apart electrodes having opposite polarity to function in a bi - polar manner . however , the device can include a monopolar configuration . furthermore , one or more electrodes can be coupled to individual channels of a power supply so that the electrodes can be energized as needed . any variation of the device described above can be configured with one or more electrodes as described herein . fig1 illustrates an osteotome device 300 after being advanced into the body as discussed above . as shown by lines 315 representing current flow between electrodes , when required , the physician can conduct rf current between electrodes 310 and 312 to apply coagulative or ablative energy within the hone structure of the vertebral body ( or other hard tissue ). while fig1 illustrates rf current 315 flow between electrodes 310 and 312 , variations of the device can include a number of electrodes along the device to apply the proper therapeutic energy . furthermore , an electrode can be spaced from the end of the osteotome rather than being placed on the sharp tip as shown by electrode 310 . in some variations , the power supply is coupled to the inner sharp tip or other working end of the first sleeve . in those variations with only two sleeves , the second pole of the power supply is coupled with the second sleeve ( that is the exterior of the device ) to form a return electrode . however , in those variations having three sleeves , the power supply can alternatively be coupled with the third outer sleeve . in yet additional variations , the second and third sleeves can both function as return electrodes . however , in those devices that are monopolar . the return electrode will be placed outside of the body on a large area of skin . fig1 to 20 illustrate another variation of an articulating probe or osteotome device 500 . in this variation , the device 500 includes a working end 505 that carries one or more rf electrodes that can be used to conduct current therethrough . accordingly , the device can be used to sense impedance of tissue , locate nerves , or simply apply electrosurgical energy to tissue to coagulate of ablate tissue . in one potential use , the device 500 can apply ablative energy to a tumor or other tissue within the vertebra as well as create a cavity . fig1 , 18 a , 18 b and 19 , illustrate a variation of the device 500 as having a handle portion 506 coupled to a shaft assembly 510 that extends along axis 512 to the articulating working end 505 . the articulating working end 505 can be actuatable as described above . in addition , fig1 shows that handle component 514 a can be rotated relative to handle component 514 b to cause relative axial movement between a first outer sleeve 520 and second inner sleeve 522 ( fig1 ) to cause the slotted working ends of the sleeve assembly to articulate as described above . the working end 505 of fig1 shows two sleeves 520 and 522 that are actuatable to articulate the working end , but it should be appreciated that a third outer articulating sleeve can be added as depicted above . in one variation , the articulating working end can articulate 90 ° by rotating handle component 514 a between ¼ turn and ¾ turn . the rotating handle component 514 a can include defeats at various rotational positions to allow for controlled hammering of the working end into bone . for example , the detents can be located at every 45 ° rotation or can be located at any other rotational increment . fig1 depict an rf generator 530 a and rf controller 530 b connectable to an electrical connector 532 in the handle component 514 a with a plug connector indicated at 536 . the rf generator is of the type known in the art for electrosurgical ablation . the outer sleeve 520 comprises a first polarity electrode indicated at 540 a (+). however , any energy modality can be employed with the device . fig1 a and 18b illustrate yet another variation of a working end of a device for creating cavities in hard tissue . as shown , the device 500 can include a central extendable sleeve 550 with a sharp tip 552 that is axially extendable : from passageway 554 of the assembly of first and second sleeves 520 and 522 ( fig1 ). the sleeve 550 can also include a second polarity electrode indicated at 540 b (−). clearly , the first and second electrodes will be electrically insulated from one another . in one variation , and as shown in fig1 , the sleeve assembly can carry a thin sleeve 555 or coating of an insulative polymer such as peek or ceramic to electrically isolate the first polarity electrode 540 a (±) from the second polarity electrode 540 b (−). the electrode can be deployed by rotating knob 558 on the striking surface of handle component 514 a ( fig1 ). the degree of extension of central sleeve 550 can optionally be indicated by a slider tab 557 on the handle . in the illustrated variation , the slider tab is located on either side of handle component 514 a ( fig1 ). sleeve 550 can be configured to extend distally beyond the assembly of sleeves 520 and 522 a distance of about 5 to 15 mm . referring to fig1 , the central extendable sleeve 550 can have a series of slots in at least a distal portion thereof to allow it to bend in cooperation with the assembly of first and second sleeves 520 and 522 . in the embodiment shown in fig1 , the central sleeve 550 can optionally include a distal portion that does not contain any slots . however , additional variations include slots on the distal portion of the sleeve . fig1 further depicts an electrically insulative collar 560 that extends length a to axially space apart the first polarity electrode 540 a (+) from the second polarity electrode 540 b (−). the axial length a can be from about 0 . 5 to 10 mm , and usually is from 1 to 5 mm . the collar can be a ceramic or temperature resistant polymer . fig1 also depicts a polymer sleeve 565 that extends through the lumen in the center of electrode sleeve 550 . the polymer sleeve 565 can provide saline infusion or other fluids to the working end and / or be used to aspirate from the working end when in use . the distal portion of sleeve 550 can include one or more ports 566 therein for delivering fluid or aspirating from the site . in all other respects , the osteotome system 500 can be driven into bone and articulated as described above . the electrodes 540 a and 540 b are operatively coupled to a radiofrequency generator as is known in the art for applying coagulative or ablative electrosurgical energy to tissue . in fig2 , it can be seen that rf current 575 is indicated in paths between electrodes 540 a and 540 b as shown by lines 575 . rf generator 530 a and controller 53011 for use with the devices described herein can include any number of power settings to control the size of targeted coagulation or ablation area . for example , the rf generator and controller can have low or power level 1 ( 5 watts ), medium or power level 2 ( 10 watts ) and high or power level 3 ( 25 watts ) power settings . the controller 530 b can have a control algorithm that monitors the temperature of the electrodes and changes the power input in order to maintain a constant temperature . at least one temperature sensing element ( e . g ., a thermocouple ) can be provided on various portions of the device . for example , and as shown in fig1 , a temperature sensing element 577 can be provided at the distal tip of sleeve 550 tip while a second temperature sensing element 578 can be provided proximal from the distal tip to provide temperature feedback to the operator to indicate the region of ablated tissue during the application of rf energy . in one example , the second temperature sensing element was located approximately 15 to 20 mm from the distal tip . fig2 illustrates another variation of articulating osteotome 600 with rf ablation features . variations of the illustrated osteotome 600 can be similar to the osteotome of fig1 - 188 . in this variation , the osteotome 600 of has a handle 602 coupled to shaft assembly 610 as described above . the working end 610 again has an extendable assembly indicated at 615 in fig2 that can be extended by rotation of handle portion 622 relative to handle 602 . the osteotome can be articulated as described previously by rotating handle portion 620 relative to handle 602 . fig2 a - 22b are views of the working end 610 of fig2 in a first non - extended configuration ( fig2 a ) and a second extended configuration ( fig2 ). as can be seen in fig2 a - 22b , the extension portion 615 comprises an axial shaft 624 together with a helical spring element 625 that is axially collapsible and extendible . in one embodiment , the shaft can be a tube member with ports 626 fluidly coupled a lumen 628 therein . in some variations , the ports can carry a fluid to the working end or can aspirate fluid from the working end . in fig2 a - 22b . it can be seen that axial shaft 624 , helical spring element 625 together with sharp tip 630 comprise a first polarity electrode (+) coupled to electrical source 530 a and controller 530 b as described previously . an insulator 632 separates the helical spring 625 electrode from the more proximal portion of the sleeve which comprises opposing polarity electrode 640 (−). the rf electrodes can function as described above ( see fig2 ) to ablate tissue or otherwise deliver energy to tissue . in one variation , the extension portion 615 can extend from a collapsed spring length of 2 mm , 3 mm , 4 mm or 5 mm to an extended spring length of 6 mm , 7 mm , 8 mm . 9 mm 10 mm or more . in the working end embodiment 615 in fig2 b , the spring can comprise a flat rectangular wire that assists in centering the spring 625 about shaft 624 and still can collapse to short overall length . with the flat surfaces of rectangular wire oriented for stacking . however , other variations are within the scope of the variations described herein . 100901 of particular importance , it has been found that ability of the osteotome 600 to ablate tissue is greatly enhanced over the embodiment 500 of fig2 by utilizing the helical spring . the use of the spring 625 as an electrode provides significant improvements in delivering energy . this spring provides ( i ) greatly increased electrode surface area and ( ii ) a very greatly increased length of relatively sharp edges provided by the rectangular wire — which provides for edges from which rf current can jump . because the edges provide low surface area the concentration or density of rf current is greater at the edges and allows for the rf current to jump or arc . both these aspects of the invention — increased electrode surface area and increased electrode edge length — allow for much more rapid tissue ablation . in one aspect of the invention , the surface area of the spring electrode 625 can be at least 40 mm 2 , at least 50 mm 2 , or at least 60 mm 2 over the spring electrode lengths . described above . in another aspect of the invention , the total length of the 4 edges of rectangular wire spring can be greater than 50 mm , greater than 100 mm or greater than 150 nun over the spring electrode lengths described above . in one example used in testing , an osteotome 600 as in fig2 - 22b was configured with a helical spring that had a collapsed length of 1 . 8 mm and an extended length of 7 . 5 mm . in this embodiment , the surface area of the spring electrode 625 when extended was 64 . 24 mm 2 and the total length of the electrodes edges was 171 . 52 mm ( four edges at 42 . 88 mm per edge ). in a comparison test , a first osteotome without a helical electrode was compared against a second osteotome 600 with a helical electrode as in fig2 b . these devices were evaluated at different power levels and different energy delivery intervals to determine volume of ablation . the working ends of the devices had similar dimensions excepting for the helical spring electrode . referring to fig2 c , rf energy was delivered at a low power setting of 5 watts . it can be seen in fig2 c that at a treatment interval of 120 seconds and 5 w , the volume of ablation was about 3 times faster with the helical electrode compared to the working end without the helical electrode ( 1 . 29 cc vs . 0 . 44 cc ). another comparison test of the same first osteotome 500 ( fig1 b ) and second osteotome 600 with a helical electrode ( fig2 b ) were evaluated at higher 15 watt power level . as can be seen in fig2 d , rf energy at a treatment interval of 25 seconds and 15 w , the volume of ablation was again was about 3 times faster with the helical electrode compared to the working end without the helical electrode ( 1 . 00 cc vs . 0 . 37 cc ). referring to fig2 d , the device without the helical electrode impeded out before 60 seconds passed , so that data was not provided . the testing shows that the helical electrode is well suited for any type of tissue or tumor ablation , with a 60 second ablation resulting in 1 . 63 cc of ablated tissue . fig2 schematically illustrates the osteotome 600 in use in a vertebral body , wherein the rf current between the electrodes 625 and 640 ablate a tissue volume indicated at 640 . fig2 is an enlarged sectional view of a working end 710 of ablation osteotome similar to that of fig2 - 22b . in this embodiment , shaft or introducer sleeve assembly 712 has an outside diameter of 4 . 5 mm or less , or 4 . 0 mm or less . in one embodiment , the diameter of introducer 712 is 3 . 5 mm and comprises outer sleeve 715 a , intermediate sleeve 715 b and inner sleeve 715 c all of which are slotted to permit articulation of a portion of the working end as can be seen in phantom view in fig2 a . in fig2 , the extendable element or sleeve 720 is shown in an extended configuration which extends helical spring element 725 as described above . in this embodiment , the sleeve 720 and helical spring element 725 together with sharp tip 730 comprises a first polarity electrode coupled to an rf source 530 a and controller 530 b as described previously . an insulator 732 separates the helical spring 725 electrode from the distal portion 734 of the sleeve which comprises opposing polarity electrode 740 . it can be seen that extendable sleeve 720 has a distal portion that is slotted to permit bending as the working end is articulated . the rf electrodes can function as described above ( see fig2 ) to ablate tissue . in one aspect of the invention , the electrode surface portion of the extendable assembly 735 ( sleeve 720 and helical element 725 ) is moveable from a non - extended position to an extended position during which the electrode surface area varies less than 10 % between said non - extended and extended positions . in another embodiment , the electrode surface area varies less than 5 % between said non - extended and extended positions . this aspect of the invention allows for similar ablation volumes per unit time no matter the dimension of the extendable assembly 735 since the surface are of the helical element 725 accounts for nearly all of the electrode surface area . the extendable element can have an electrode surface area of at least 40 mm 2 , at least 50 mm 2 , or at least 60 mm 2 . fig2 further illustrates another aspect of the invention which includes at least one temperature sensor , referred to as a temperature detecting element , in the working end for controlling or terminating rf energy delivery when tissue adjacent the temperature reaches a predetermined level . in one variation , as shown in fig2 , a temperature detecting element 745 can be disposed between first and second dielectric sleeves 746 and 748 that insulate the introducer sleeve assembly 712 from the extendable sleeve 720 . in an embodiment , the rf energy can be activated to ablate tissue until the boundary of ablated tissue adjacent the temperature detecting element 745 reached a predetermined temperature and the temperature detecting . element signal can then be coupled to the controller to terminate rf energy delivery . in on embodiment , the temperature detecting element 745 can be disposed between first and second layers of a thin wall dielectric material , 746 and 748 , such as peek that is used to insulate the opposing polarity electrodes from each other . in fig2 , the temperature detecting element 745 can be positioned dimension aa from the distal end of the introducer sleeve assembly 712 which can range from 5 mm to 15 mm . fig2 depicts a second temperature detecting element 750 that can be positioned dimension bb from the first temperature detecting element 745 which can be a distance ranging from 5 mm to 15 mm . as shown fig2 , a temperature detecting element 745 can be disposed on an outer radius of an articulated distal portion of the working end . in another embodiment , the temperature detecting element ( s ) can be disposed on an inner radius of the articulated distal portion of the working end . in fig2 , it can be seen that the helical element 725 has a distal end coupled , for example by weld 752 , to the distal tip element 730 of the extendable assembly 735 . fig2 further shows that helical element 725 has a proximal end coupled to a safety wire 760 that extends proximally and is bonded to the introducer assembly , for example being secured with adhesives or other means between the first and second layers of dielectric material , 746 and 748 . in one embodiment shown in fig2 , a conductive fluid source 765 communicates with a lumen 770 extending through the extendable sleeve 720 to provide saline infusion through ports 772 into the region of tissue targeted for treatment . in general , a method corresponding to the invention comprises introducing an elongated introducer sleeve comprising return electrode into targeted tissue , articulating a distal region of the introducer sleeve and extending an extendable member from the introducer sleeve , wherein the extendable member comprises an active or first polarity electrode having an electrode surface area that varies less than 10 % between non - extended and extended positions , and activating an rf source , such that when activated , current flows between the extendable member and the introducer sleeve to apply energy to the targeted tissue . the method includes terminating activation of the rf source when a temperature sensor spaced apart from the first polarity electrode reaches a predetermined temperature . the temperature sensor can be spaced apart from the first polarity electrode by at least 5 min , 10 mm or 15 mm . the method can target tissue in or near a bone such as a vertebra or long bone . the targeted tissue can be a tumor . another method of the invention comprises treating a tumor in or near bone which includes providing an elongated shaft with an articulating working end carrying first and second polarity electrodes , utilizing articulation of the working end to navigate the working end to a position in or near a bone tumor , activating an rf source , such that when activated , current flows between the first and second polarity electrodes to ablate the tumor ; and terminating activation of the rf source when a temperature sensor spaced apart from the second polarity electrode reaches a predetermined temperature , in this method , the temperature sensor spacing from an active electrode is configured to provide a predetermined tissue ablation volume . as shown in fig2 , the working end can carry a plurality of axially spaced apart temperature sensors , and each sensor can be used to indicate a particular dimension of ablated tissue as each sensor reaches a predetermined temperature based on the expanding volume of ablated tissue . in another embodiment , the medial and proximal regions of the outer sleeve can be covered with a thin - wall insulative material to provide an distal electrode surface having a predetermined surface area that matches the surface area of the helical element 725 . the sleeve 720 at the interior of the helical element also can be covered with a thin - wall dielectric material . in use , the device then would operate in a truly bi - polar manner since the opposing polarity electrodes would have an equal surface area no matter the length of extension of the extendable assembly 735 . in general , a device corresponding to the invention would comprise an elongate introducer having a distal end , wherein a surface portion of the introducer comprises an electrode , an extendable member including a helical element comprising an second electrode moveable from a non - extended position to an extended position from the introducer wherein the electrode surface area of the first electrode and the second electrode match no matter the non - extended or extended position of the second electrode . in another variation of the invention under the present disclosure , the devices , systems and methods described herein can include the use of one or more temperature sensors ( also called temperature detecting elements ) to monitor , control , and / or otherwise provide a physician with the information needed to ensure a desired treatment . the temperature sensor / temperature detecting element can comprise any element that can measure temperature of the adjacent tissue or measure temperature of the device immediately adjacent to tissue provide this information to a controller or other portion of the system as described herein . in most variations of the device , the temperature detecting element is used to assess temperature of the tissue before , during , or after application of energy . examples of temperature detecting elements include thermocouples , resistance temperature detectors ( rtds ), optical temperature measurement sensors , pyrometers . in addition , the present disclosure can include any type of temperature measurement device capable of determining a temperature of tissue or even parts of the device that would otherwise indicate a relative temperature of the tissue . fig2 a illustrates a device similar to that shown in fig2 where a temperature detecting element 745 is disposed between first and second dielectric sleeves 746 and 748 that insulate the introducer sleeve assembly 712 from the extendable sleeve 720 . as shown the temperature detecting element 745 can be disposed on an outer radius of an articulated distal portion of the working end . in addition , fig2 a shows a second temperature detecting element 750 positioned proximally from the first temperature detecting element 745 where spacing of such temperature detecting elements allows for control and / or monitoring a region of heated tissue as described below . however , variations of the devices allow for any number of temperature detecting elements to be used in any number of positions . for example , fig2 b illustrates two temperature detecting element 245 , 250 positioned on an exterior sleeve 715 a of the device . in an additional variation , the temperature detecting elements can be positioned in between the slots of the exterior sleeve 715 a . fig2 c shows another variation of a device having a plurality of temperature detecting elements 745 , 750 , 754 , 756 , 758 spaced along the shaft . clearly , the temperature detecting elements could be located on an interior of the device , similar to that shown in fig2 a . alternatively , as shown in fig2 d , temperature detecting elements can be included . both on an interior and exterior of the device . fig2 e illustrates temperature detecting elements 745 , 750 . 754 located on both sides of the device . alternatively , the temperature detecting element can comprise a ring type element that measures temperature adjacent to a mil or partial circumference of the device . as noted herein , the temperature detecting elements can be evenly spaced along the shaft . alternatively , the spacing of the elements can vary depending upon the intended application of the device . in addition , in most variations of the devices described herein , the temperature detecting elements are located proximally to the heating element of the device . however , additional variations include temperature detecting elements positioned distal to or adjacent to the heating element . the components of the various temperature detecting elements , such as wires , fibers , etc . are not illustrated for purposes of clarity . furthermore , one or more temperature detecting elements can be positioned on sleeves that move axially relative to the energy transfer portion . fig2 a to 27c illustrate a concept of using temperature sensing element to guide a treatment where the temperature sensing elements are placed away from the energy transfer unit . fig2 a shows an example of a treatment device 800 having energy transfer portion 802 at a distal portion of a shaft 804 . as discussed above , one effective variation of a device includes the use of rf energy configuration , either monopolar or bi - polar , that serves . as the energy transfer portion . however , any number of energy transfer modes can be employed in the methods , systems and devices described herein where such modalities produced heated tissue . such modalities can include , but are not limited to , resistive heating , radiant heating , coherent light , microwave , and chemical . in yet another variation , the devices can use radioactive energy modalities as well . alternatively , variations of devices employing temperature based detection can employ cryosurgical energy configurations that rely upon the application of extreme cold treat tissue . clearly , in such cases the methods ,. devices , and systems would monitor regions of cooled tissue rather than heated tissue . turning back to fig2 a , the treatment device 800 includes at least a first temperature detecting element 806 located axially relative to an energy transfer element 802 . in some variations , the energy transfer element 806 is located proximally along an axis of the shaft from thee energy transfer unit . 802 . however , as described above , variations of the devices include placement of the temperature detecting elements as needed . fig2 a also shows a second temperature detecting element 808 located proximally to the first temperature , detecting element 806 . again , the methods and procedures described herein can employ any number of temperature detecting elements . the devices and methods also optionally include conveying temperature information on a controller 830 . variations of the controller 830 allow for display or conveyance of temperature information specific to each temperature detecting element . for example , in the variation shown in fig2 a , the first temperature detecting element can be coupled to display 832 while the second temperature detecting element 808 can be coupled to display 834 . the controller can also optionally allow a physician to set temperature limits based on readings from each temperature sensing element . in such a case , if a measured temperature at a respective temperature sensing element exceeds the temperature limit , the system can end delivery of the energy or provide any other auditory or visual alert . the control unit 830 can be separate from a power supply of can be integrated into the power supply . additional variations also include a control unit that can be integrated into a handle or other portion of the device 800 . in a first variation , a physician can position the distal end of the shaft 804 containing the energy transfer element 802 within a tumor 12 . clearly , the methods and procedures are not limited to treatment of a tumor . instead , the device can be positioned in any target region that a physician seeks to treat . once the device 800 and energy transfer element 802 are properly positioned , the physician can begin to apply energy to the energy transfer portion to cause an effect as shown by arrows 14 ) in tissue that produces a region of affected tissue , e . g ., a temperature of the tissue increases or decreases ( as described above based on the energy modality used ). for convenience , the method shall be discussed with respect to an area of heated tissue . clearly , alternate variations of the device involve regions of cooled tissue . fig2 b illustrates continued application of energy , which results in expansion of the region of heated tissue 16 . the continued application of energy can occur intermittently or continuously . as the physician operates the device 800 , the temperature detecting elements 806 , 808 can monitor temperature of adjacent tissue . fig2 b depicts the region of heated tissue 16 as not having yet reached the first or second temperature sensing element 806 , 808 . the temperature measurements can occur intermittently , continuously , during application of energy , or in between intermittent applications of energy . likewise , the temperature . information 832 , 834 can optionally be relayed to the controller 830 . fig2 c shows the heated region of tissue 16 expanded sufficiently such that it encompasses the desired region of tissue 12 or tumor . fig2 also depicts the heated region of tissue 16 as being easily visually identified . however , during an actual treatment , the physician simply cannot observe the actual perimeter of the zone of heated tissue 16 . instead , the temperature detecting elements 806 , 808 will be able to detect the heated region of tissue 16 as the temperature of the tissue adjacent to the temperature detecting elements 806 , 808 rises . the temperature measured by the temperature detecting elements 806 , 808 can also provide the physician with the ability to monitor the progression of the region of heated tissue 16 . for instance , the volume , length , area , or other characteristic of the region of heated tissue can be approximated by obtaining a temperature that is associated with the perimeter of the region . analytic correlation of this associated temperature to the physical characteristic of the heated tissue can be determined from bench testing , animal testing , cadaver testing , arid / or computer analysis . such analytic correlation allows the volume of an area of heated tissue to be approximated based on the temperature of the outer perimeter of that region . in the illustrated example of fig2 c , there exists a pre - determined temperature associated with an area of heated tissue having known dimension . once the measured temperature at temperature detecting element 808 reaches this associated temperature , the physician can stop the treatment . alternatively , or in addition , the system or controller 830 can include safety algorithms to automatically warn the physician to cease treatment or even to perform a safety shutoff of the system if a . given temperature is reached or if the temperature remains constant while power is applied to the electrode . in additional variations , the monitoring of the size or profile of the region of heated tissue can be used to control the application of applied energy . for example , as the measured temperature approaches the associated temperature , the controller can reduce power to prevent any lags in measurement from overshooting the target treatment zone . the variation described above in fig2 a to 27c can also be used to position the device 800 relative to a desired target region 12 . for example , the temperature detecting elements 806 , 808 , can be radiopaque ( or can have radiopaque markers ) so that a physician can place the appropriate temperature detecting element in a target area or at a perimeter of the target area . in the example shown in fig2 a , a physician could position the second temperature detecting element 808 just outside of a tumor or as otherwise desired . once the measured temperature reaches the associated temperature the physician can stop application of energy and reposition the device as needed or stop treatment . e . g . a physician may choose to use 50 c or 55 c as a target temperature for a specific temperature detecting element based on pre - planning . once that temperature reaches the desired level ; e . g . 50 c or 55 c then the physician may stop delivering any further energy to the tissue by turning off energy delivery . in another embodiment , controller will have an algorithm where a physician inputs the desired temperature for a specific temperature detecting element and controller will apply energy . energy delivery will stop once the desired temperature is achieved . further enhancement to the controller may also allow physician with an ability to set desired amount of time associated with each target temperature where controller will maintain energy level sufficient to control the temperature for desired amount of time and then turn of the energy delivery . fig2 a also depicts a variation of the device as having visible markers 814 , 816 , and 818 located on a shaft . the markers can be used to assist the physician in positioning of the energy transfer elements and / or temperature detecting elements . for example , in the illustrated variation , the device can be used with an introducer cannula of a known size so that marker 814 informs the physician that the distal tip or energy transfer element is positioned at the opening of the cannula . likewise , markers 816 and 818 can inform the physician that energy transfer elements 806 and 808 are respectively located at the opening of the cannula . although particular embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail , it will be understood that this description is merely for purposes of illustration and the above description of the invention is not exhaustive . specific features of the invention are shown in some drawings and not in others , and this is for convenience only and any feature may be combined with another in accordance with the invention . a number of variations and alternatives will be apparent to one having ordinary skills in the art . such alternatives and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the claims . particular features that are presented in dependent claims can be combined and fall within the scope of the invention . the invention also encompasses embodiments as if dependent claims were alternatively written in a multiple dependent claim format with reference to other independent claims .	0
fig1 shows a motor vehicle 10 , such as an automobile , having an engine 12 for powering the vehicle 10 . included in the vehicle 10 is a computer ( or microcomputer ) 14 for providing functions useful in the driving of the vehicle 10 . sensors 16 and 18 of outside temperature are located respectively in front and rear bumpers 20 and 22 of the vehicle 10 . a sensor 24 of engine coolant temperature and a sensor 26 of engine oil temperature are mounted to the engine 12 . a vehicle speed sensor 28 connects mechanically or electromagnetically with a wheel 30 of the vehicle 10 . an interface circuit 32 having an analog / digital converter 34 provides for coupling of signals from the sensors 16 , 18 , 24 , 26 and 28 to the computer 14 , the coupling being indicated diagrammatically in fig1 . a delay unit 36 within the computer 14 is employed , in accordance with the invention , for presentation of outside temperature upon a display 38 in the vehicle 10 . while four temperature sensors 16 , 18 , 24 and 26 are shown for purposes of explaining the practice of the invention , it is to be understood that a lesser number of temperature sensors may be employed as will become apparent from the following description of the operation of the invention . a rapid outside - temperature sensor such as the sensor 16 or 18 located in the bumper of the motor vehicle supplies an outside - temperature signal t a . in this connection , the sensor also converts the extreme temperature fluctuations produced by the heat of radiation of the engine , which may amount to up to ± 10 ° c ., into correspondingly rapid signals . furthermore , a temperature sensor , such as the sensor 24 or the sensor 26 , for the measurement of the temperature of the engine is present in the vehicle for supplying corresponding signals concerning the existing engine temperature t m . the engine temperature t m can preferably be determined indirectly via the cooling - water temperature provided by the sensor 24 . determination via the temperature of the engine oil is available via the sensor 26 . in accordance with fig1 and 2 , the outside - temperature and engine - temperature sensors are connected to the analog / digital ( a / d ) converter 34 . the signals t a , t m provided to the analog / digital converter 34 as well as the frequency signal v representing the speed of the vehicle which is supplied by the speed sensor 28 are sent to the microcomputer ( μc ) 14 which controls the display of the outside temperature . in the method shown in fig3 the outside - temperature sensor supplies an electric signal t a which corresponds to the temperature in the vicinity of the sensor . the sensor signal t a is displayed with a different time delay , provided by the delay unit 36 , depending on whether the outside temperature is decreasing or increasing within a given period of time . upon decreasing or constant temperature a constant damping - time constant τ f applies while with increasing outside temperatures a variable damping - time constant τ s is applied . the delay time represented by the damping - time constant τ s is determined as a function of the temperature t m of the engine and the speed v of the vehicle . if the engine is cold ( t m ≦ 35 ° c . ), the delay time assumes a fixed lower limit value τ smin . if the engine temperature t m is more than 35 ° c ., the delay time τ s is still determined as a function of the speed v of the vehicle . the damping - time constant τ s is in this case smaller the higher the speed v . in the direction of decreasing temperature , a small time constant ( for instance τ f ˜ 1 to 30 sec ) is provided as damping of the display . in the direction of increasing temperature , with hot engine and low speed of travel v , an extremely long time constant ( τ . sub . s ˜ 1 to 5 min ) will be active in order also to display actual increases in temperature in contrast to the temperature fluctuations coming from the engine . in one variant of the invention which does not take the speed of the vehicle into account , the damping - time constant τ s is selected at 30 seconds up to an engine temperature t m of 35 ° c . after this , there is a linear increase to 5 minutes in the case of an engine temperature t m of 120 ° c . in the simplest case , the engine temperature t m of 35 ° c . constitutes a threshold value which permits selection between two different constant damping - time constants .	6
turning now to fig2 , there is shown a power cycling / power shutdown system architecture ( 200 ) in accordance with one embodiment of the invention . the structure and operation of the generally known per se cpu ( 21 ), north bridge ( 22 ), system memory ( 23 ), controller ( 24 ), south bridge ( 25 ), and acpi module referred to also with reference to fig1 will not be further described herein . the acpi module outputs an onctl # signal ( 27 ) that is fed to power supply module ( 28 ) in response to the appropriate system internal state as reflected by the state machine of the acpi ( 26 ) module . by one mode of operation , an embedded controller ( e . g . bmc ) outputs a “ 0 ” on its pwrbtn # output ( 31 ) that is fed to the acpi in response to an event . note that a sequence of “ 0 ” output and release may be used for a sequence of operations . the event is , for example , an operation of the power button ( 29 ), an external sensor input ( 29 a ) or lan command ( 29 b ). note that in contrast to the prior art where the output of the bmc ( 30 ) was fed to the or gate ( 8 ) with the output of the acpi state machine , in accordance with this embodiment , the output of the bmc ( 30 ) is fed directly to the acpi state machine input . by another embodiment , the power button switch ( 29 ) is coupled through wired and ( 33 ) directly to the acpi module ( 26 ), instead of being coupled to the bmc input . a wired and ( 33 ) can be implemented , e . g . by using an open drain driver on the bmc output and the power button ( 29 ) being able to pull the signal low when pushed . there is further provided a resistor coupled to the standby supply that will take the signal high when neither the bmc ( 30 ) nor the power button ( 29 ) drives it low . as is also shown , a pwrgood feedback signal ( 32 ) is also fed to the bmc ( 30 ). the latter indicates to the bmc ( 30 ) if the power has been shut down . the operation of the bmc ( 30 ) in accordance with this embodiment will now be explained with reference also to fig3 . thus , in response to an event ( 41 ) ( typically , although not necessarily , a power button ( 29 ) being pressed , a remote lan command ( 29 b ) or sensor input ( 29 a ) in fig2 ) the value of the pwrgood signal ( 32 ) is sampled ( step 42 ). in the case that the value is “ 0 ” ( indicating that the system is in shutdown state ), no operation is required and the system reverts to idle state ( 44 ), awaiting an event . if , on the other hand , the value in step ( 42 ) is “ 1 ”, indicating that the power is on , then a pwrbtn # signal (“ 0 ”) is triggered ( 43 ) and fed to the acpi module (( 26 ) in fig2 ). the latter , depending upon its operational state , will trigger an onctl # signal de - asserted . in the common case when the system is functional this will be done via a call to the cpu ( 21 ) that will handle the shutdown process and will give the proper turn - off command . when the system is not functional this will be done by the acpi state machine directly after 4 - seconds . note that in another embodiment , the bmc ( 30 ) uses the power supply on / off command ( e . g . the onctl # signal ) as indication to the power supply state instead of being responsive to the pwrgood . in such case the system may fail to respond directly to power supply failures , requiring , thus , supplemental means ( e . g ., measure the power supply outputs ). reverting now to the previous embodiment , a sampling procedure of pwrgood now commences for up to 4 seconds . to this end , a counter is set ( 44 ′). if during the 4 sampling seconds a pwrgood signal is sampled (“ 0 ”) ( 45 ) indicating that a power shutdown has occurred ( implicitly suggesting that onctl # signal ( 27 ) in fig2 was delivered to the power supply module ( 28 ) causing it to shut down the power ), then the pwrbtn # signal “ 0 ” should no longer be fed to the acpi module , and its state is changed to inactive “ 1 ” ( 46 ). note that had pwrbtn # been fed to the acpi module , notwithstanding the fact that a power shutdown had been encountered ( i . e . pwrgood =“ 0 ”) this would have caused that the system will - restart as the button is released . reverting now to step ( 47 ), if the entire 4 sampling seconds have elapsed without sensing pwrgood , then , in accordance with the normal operation of the acpi module , a power shutdown will definitely occur and the need to further sample the pwrgood feedback signal ( 32 ) and to feed the pwrbtn # signal ( 31 ) are obviated and accordingly , the latter signal is disabled ( step 46 ). by this embodiment , the net effect is , thus , that in the case that the pwgood signal ( 32 ) is sensed within the 4 - second time interval ( starting from the starting event , 29 , 29 a or 29 b ) the pwrbtn # signal ( 31 ) is then disabled , and , in the case that the 4 seconds have elapsed , the pwrbtn # signal is disabled , even if pwgood has not yet been sensed . the acpi state machine guarantees that onctl # is released when pwbtn # is held low for 4 - second and accordingly any delay on the feedback to pwgood should not affect the operation . by another embodiment , the power button switch ( 29 ) is coupled to the acpi module through the wired and connection ( 33 ). in this case , it would not be possible to disable the operation of the switch , as would be the case had the power button switch been coupled to the bmc module . put differently , if the power button switch is operated , it feeds a shutdown signal to the acpi ( through the wired and ), irrespective of the operation of the bmc . by this embodiment , the triggering of the shutdown event through the embedded controller would only be by means of the lan input or sensors ( 29 a and 29 b ), and the sampling of the feedback signal pwrgood is as discussed above , with reference to fig2 . note that unlike the prior art , in accordance with the specified embodiment of the invention , the bmc is employed whilst maintaining the acpi module in a consistent state , since the onctl # signal ( that will lead to power shutdown ) is produced only through the acpi module , leaving , thus , the latter module aware of the command given to the power supply . the operation as described above with reference to few non limiting embodiments is reflected in the timing charts of fig4 a – b . fig4 a corresponds to the short power shutdown mode ( less or equal to 4 seconds ) and fig4 b corresponds to the long power shutdown mode ( more that 4 seconds ). thus , in response to an event , say pressing power button ( 51 ) [( 29 ) in fig2 ], the pwbtn # signal [( 31 ) in fig2 ] is activated ( 52 ) and shortly afterwards , the onctl # signal [( 29 ) in fig2 ] is triggered ( 53 ), giving rise to the pwgood signal ( 54 ) [( 32 ) in fig2 ] and in response thereto , to disabling the pwrbtn # signal ( 55 ). note that the entire duration of operation of the pwrbtn # signal is less than 4 seconds ( 56 ). in fig4 b , the power button is activated ( 61 ) and the pwrbtn # signal ( 62 ) follows suit , however , in contrast to fig4 a , the onctl # activation by the acpi is delayed ( 63 ) and the power shutdown ( 64 ) will occur after the elapse of the 4 - second time interval . note that the invention is not bound by the specific architecture of fig2 and the operational steps of fig3 . for example , the feedback may be applied utilizing the onctl # signal rather than the pwrgood signal . obviously , the invention is not bound by the use of onctl and / or pwrgood signals . by another example , the 4 second - time interval may be modified , depending upon the specification of the specific system that employs the technique of the invention compensating for timing differences or variation over the standard . by yet another example , other triggering events are used in addition or instead of those depicted in fig2 . in accordance with an embodiment of another aspect of the invention , a power up mode is implemented . if the power on mode is implemented following the specified power down operation , power cycling is brought about . the operation of the power on mode will be described with reference to fig2 and to the timing chart of fig5 . turning at first to the mode of operation where the power button switch 29 is coupled to the bmc , in response to power on event ( 71 in fig5 ) ( by , e . g ., any of the sources 29 , 29 a and 29 b ), the pwrgood signal is sensed . if it indicates that the system is already on , then no action needs to be taken . if , on the other hand , it indicates that the system is off ( pwpgood =“ 0 ”), then a pulse of pwrbtn # signal is generated for pre - defined duration ( say , 0 . 1 seconds 72 ), and , in response , the acpi asserts (“ 1 ”) the onctl # signal ( 73 ) which gives rise to power supply output indicated by pwrgood going high . if the configuration of the system of fig2 is such that the power button is coupled through wired and to the acpi , then the operation of the power on function is as described above , except for the fact that in addition to sensing the state of the pwrgood signal ( which , as may be recalled , should indicate that the system is down ), the state of the power button needs to be sensed in order to ascertain that it is open and not closed ( the latter signifies that the system should be turned off ). the invention is not bound by the specific embodiment of the power on function as described with reference to fig2 and 5 . some remote command may call for an operation called ‘ power cycle ’ in this case the machine is turned off and back on again . this operation is preformed by the bmc by combining the ‘ turn - off ’ and the ‘ turn - on ’ operation with a pause of a few seconds between . powergood may be an output indicating when the power supply power outputs are active , or may use reverse logic indicating when they are inactive . it is also possible to generate powergood via monitoring of the power supply power outputs state . the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity , but those versed in the art will readily appreciate that various alterations and modifications may be carried out , without departing from the scope of the following claims .	6
referring first to fig1 , a shelving system 11 comprises six essentially horizontal shelves 13 mounted on two vertical supports 15 mounted on horizontal base members 16 . in fig1 three of the shelves 13 are mounted to one side of the support 15 and three to the opposite side of those supports 15 . it will be appreciated that the number and placement of shelves 13 may vary . each support 15 comprises four surfaces 17 arranged in a rectangle . each surface 17 includes a spaced array of openings 19 ( shown in more detail in fig2 a and 2 b ). each opening 19 includes a vertical slot portion 21 and a horizontally wider upper portion 23 communicating with the vertical slot portion 21 ( shown in more detail in fig2 a and 2 b ). as seen in fig1 , the shelves 13 have at their ends brackets 25 which , at the rear of the end brackets 25 have hooks 27 that are engaged in the openings 19 to secure the shelf 13 on the support . in this embodiment , wall 24 in between the backs of shelves 13 and in between the supports 15 . wall 24 includes four wall brackets 26 which secure the wall 24 to the supports 15 . in this embodiment , wall 24 is not connected to shelves 13 , but may abut the rear of one or more of shelves 13 . in some embodiments , one or more shelves 13 may be further connected to wall 24 . it will be appreciated that components other than shelves 13 may be attached to the supports 15 in addition to wall 24 . it will further be appreciated that wall 24 may include information , advertising , and / or other content . for example , wall 24 may display a product layout to assist the user in knowing where to place products on the shelves . the product layout may further include advertising for the selected product . fig2 a and 2 b show in detail the configuration of openings 19 in the supports 15 and of the hooks 27 that engage in the slots . as described above , each opening 19 includes a vertical slot portion 21 and a horizontally wider upper portion 23 communicating with the vertical slot portion 21 . hook 27 includes a horizontally wide portion that engages the horizontally wider upper portion 23 of the opening 19 . in some embodiments , hook 27 may also include additional portions that may be inserted into openings 19 and engage supports 15 . for example , hook 27 may further include a vertical distal end under the horizontally wider portion . as will be appreciated , unlike the converted slot hook shape , the horizontally wider upper portion 23 of the opening 19 and of the distal end of the hook 27 gives a larger area of contact between the bracket and the support than the conventional configuration and provides greater support for horizontal components carried by the vertical supports 15 . in the embodiment shown in fig2 a and 2 b , bracket 25 included two vertically displaced hooks 27 . the use of two vertically displaced hooks 27 increases the structural support provided by bracket 25 by increasing the area of contact and spreading the load distribution of the bracket 25 across a larger area . it will be appreciated that other embodiments of the brackets 25 may use one or more hooks 27 . the design and selection of brackets 25 may be based in part upon the expected use and load bearing requirements . fig3 shows a table 31 constructed using the supports of the present disclosure as the legs 33 of the table 31 , illustrating the versatility of the disclosed system . in this embodiment , the table 31 comprises four legs 33 each formed by a four sided support similar to the support 15 described with respect to fig1 and 2 . in this embodiment , each side of the leg 33 is provided with a vertical array of openings 35 substantially similar to the openings 19 described with respect to fig1 and 2 . in some embodiments , openings 35 may only be located near the top of legs 33 and / or in a vertical array along only two adjacent sides of legs 33 . the legs 33 are connected at their upper ends to the ends of four horizontal support members 37 . at each end of each support member 37 is a hook dimensioned to connect into the openings 35 near the top of each leg 33 . it will be appreciated that each support member 37 may include one or more hooks that connect into the openings 35 . a top 39 for the table 31 is disposed on the support members 37 . in some embodiments , additional surfaces and / or compartments may be built into the table 31 . for example , two additional horizontal support members 37 may be connected between opposite pairs of legs 33 such that an additional surface ( like top 39 ) may be supported at a lower level than top 39 . fig4 depicts an embodiment of a hanger system 41 comprising an essentially horizontal hanger bar 43 which may be mounted on one or more vertical supports 45 . it will be appreciated that the number and placement of hanger bars 43 may vary . in this embodiment , each support 45 is generally round in shape , and includes four vertically spaced arrays of openings 49 . it will be appreciated that the number and arrangement of openings 49 , and / or arrays of openings 49 may vary . each opening 49 includes a vertical slot portion 51 and a horizontally wider upper portion 53 communicating with the vertical slot portion 51 . as seen in fig4 , the hanger bar 43 has at one end bracket 55 and at the other end plate 63 . bracket 55 includes hooks 57 that may be inserted into and engage the openings 49 and secure the hanger bar 43 on the support 45 . in this embodiment , bracket 55 also includes extensions 59 which may provide additional contact area against the rounded support 45 in this embodiment . this embodiment further includes tab 61 with a hole at the bottom of bracket 55 . in some embodiments , tab 61 may provide be used to provide additional support through the use of a bolt , pin , screw , or other extension that may be inserted and / or secured to support 45 . tab 61 may be used as a guide in other embodiments . hooks 57 include horizontally wide portions which engage the horizontally wider upper portion 53 of the opening 49 . in some embodiments , hooks 57 may also include additional portions that may be inserted into openings 49 and engage supports 45 . for example , hook 57 may further include a vertical distal end under the horizontally wider portion . as will be appreciated , unlike the converted slot hook shape , the horizontally wider upper portion 53 of the opening 49 and of the distal end of the hook 57 gives a larger area of contact between the bracket and the support than the conventional configuration and provides greater support for horizontal components carried by the vertical supports 45 . in the embodiment shown , bracket 55 included two vertically displaced hooks 57 . the use of two vertically displaced hooks 57 increases the structural support provided by bracket 55 by increasing the area of contact and spreading the load distribution of the bracket 55 across a larger area . it will be appreciated that other embodiments of the brackets 55 may use one or more hooks 57 . the design and selection of brackets 55 may be based in part upon the expected use and load bearing requirements . in some embodiments , plate 63 located at the other end of hanger bar 43 prevents one or more items from sliding off hanger bar 43 . in some embodiments , plate 63 is utilized to provide information , advertising , and / or other content . in some embodiments , plate 63 may be used to attach hanger bar 43 to a wall , another hanger , or another apparatus . for example , plate 63 may include four holes whereby four bolts , screws , and / or other connectors may be used to secure plate 63 to a wall . fig5 depicts a top view of a round support 45 attached to hanger system 41 on one side and an alternative attachment 65 on the opposite side . in this embodiment , support 45 includes at least two arrays of openings on opposite sides wherein hooks 57 and 67 may be inserted and engaged with support 45 . hanger system 41 includes elements described above with regard to fig4 . as seen in fig5 , in this embodiment bracket 55 and extensions 59 thereof provide three points of contact with the round support 45 when hanger system 41 is inserted in support 45 . the alternative attachment 65 includes hook 67 which is shown inserted in support 45 . in this embodiment , alternative attachment 65 also includes a curved end with hook 67 extending from a central area of the curve . the curve of the end is designed to compliment the curve of support 45 to provide additional contact area and sufficient structural support for alternative attachment 65 . it will be appreciated that alternative attachment 65 may comprise any type of attachable component , including shelves , hanger bars , table top supports , drawer rails , advertising or content display , supports , and / or other components . one skilled in the art will recognize that the design of the brackets used in conjunction with the hooks may vary and remain within the scope and spirit of the disclosure . in some embodiments , hanger bar 43 may include brackets 55 at each end and not include a plate 63 . in such embodiments , hanger bar 43 may be disposed between two supports 45 . in some embodiments , hanger bar 43 is used to display informational , advertising , and / or other content . in other embodiments , hanger bar 43 is used to display and / or hold hanging clothes . it will be appreciated that some embodiments may include sections with hanger bars 43 and others with shelves 13 as described above . it will further be appreciated that additional designs of tables and other types of shelving , furniture , and display apparatus may be constructed using variations on these components and / or additional components which are compatible with the hooks and opening disclosed herein . for example , stools , chairs , steps , clothing racks , drawers , and other furniture may be constructed .	0
the improved defect mapping system 10 of this invention is illustrated schematically in fig1 . an x - y translation stage 12 is provided for supporting a crystalline sample or substrate 14 positioned for defect detection and mapping according to this invention . a laser beam generator 16 , such as a hene laser system capable of generating a laser beam 18 of light with a wavelength of approximately 6 , 382 å , is positioned above the stage 12 and preferably oriented to direct a laser beam 18 perpendicularly onto the exposed surface 20 of crystalline material or sample 14 . a light integrating sphere 22 , has two diametrically opposed apertures 24 , 26 positioned to allow transmission of the laser beam 18 through the light integrating sphere 22 , when it is positioned between the laser generator 16 and the sample 14 . however , the light integrating sphere 22 captures light rays 30 that are scattered by the surface 20 of sample 14 through the bottom aperture 26 . the interior surface 28 of the integrator 22 is coated with a material , such as magnesium oxide , that enhances uniform scattering and integrated distribution or diffusion of light rays 30 captured therein through the bottom aperture 26 , as illustrated at 32 . a first photodetector 40 positioned in the side of the light integrating sphere 22 detects the intensity of diffused light 32 in the light integrating sphere 22 and produces an analog signal on lead 42 indicative of the diffused light 32 intensity . as illustrated in the graph in fig8 and as will be discussed in more detail below , the intensity of the diffused or integrated scattered light 32 in fig1 thus the amplitude of the signal produced on lead 42 , is a direct measure of etched pit dislocation density ( epd ) on the position of surface 20 of sample 14 that is illuminated by laser beam 18 . at the same time , the near specular components 34 , 36 of light scattered by etched grain boundaries ( not shown in fig1 but described below ) in the surface 20 of a polycrystalline sample 14 , along with specular light component 38 , are allowed by bottom aperture 26 and top aperture 24 to pass through the light integrating sphere 22 , as illustrated in fig1 . the specular light component 38 , which is primary comprised of light reflected by smooth portions , i . e ., nondefect portions , of the surface 20 of sample 14 , is blocked and eliminated by an opaque center 46 of a center blocking aperture 44 , while the near specular light components 34 , 36 are passed to a convex converging lens 48 and to a second photodetector 50 . since most of the light that reaches this second photodetector 50 is the near specular component of light scattered by etched grain boundaries , as will be described in more detail below , a strong electric signal produced on lead 52 by photodetector 50 indicates the presence of a grain boundary in the portion of the surface 20 of sample 14 that is illuminated by the laser beam 18 . the signal processing and control unit 60 shown in fig1 processes and stores the signals from the photodetectors 40 and 50 in conjunction with x - y position information of the stage 12 , as the stage 12 rasters the sample 14 under the laser beam 18 . therefore , visual displays or other outputs of etch pit density ( epd ) or grain boundary mapping can be produced for all or any desired portion of the surface 20 of sample 14 . referring now to fig3 a and 3b , a crystalline sample 14 with etch pits 70 in the surface 20 where dislocation defects occur is shown illuminated by a laser beam 18 . when properly etched , as will be described in more detail below , the etch pits 70 scatter the light in a definite and repeatable pattern 72 illustrated in fig3 b . the pattern 72 in fig3 b is the projection of the scattered light beams in fig3 a on the plane 74 . essentially , the etch pits 70 scatter most of the incident light from beam 18 in a conical pattern , as show in fig3 a , between about five degrees ( 5 °) and twenty degrees ( 20 °) from normal . the beams 76 illustrate the inner boundary of this range , and the beams 78 illustrate the outer boundary . corresponding boundaries 76 and 78 define the primary high intensity light ring 80 of the resulting pattern 72 in fig3 b . a fringe ring 82 of less intensity surrounds the primary ring 80 , as depicted by scattered fringe rays 84 . the center circle 73 of pattern 72 is essentially devoid of scattered light from the etch pitted surface 20 . all of the scattered light in the primary ring 80 and the fringe ring 82 of pattern 72 is collectively designated as the etch pit scattered light 30 for convenience in describing this invention . fig3 d is an illustration of a pattern 72 produced scattered light from the substantially circular shaped etch pits in fig3 c . such circular shaped etch pits indicate dislocation defects that are oriented substantially normal to the surface , and , when etched as described below for this invention , will always produce the characteristic circular pattern of etch pit scattered light shown in fig3 d and depicted in fig3 b . in contrast , dislocation defects that are oriented oblique to the surface produce elliptical shaped etch pits , as shown in fig3 e . such elliptical etch pits produce an elliptical shaped pattern of etch pit scattered light , as shown in fig3 f . a mixed set of etch pits comprising both circular and elliptical shapes in close proximity , as shown in fig3 g , will produce an irregular shaped etch pit scattered light pattern , as shown in fig3 h . referring now momentarily to fig1 and 2 , the bottom aperture 26 of the light integrating sphere 22 is sized and positioned to admit most of the etch pit scattered light 30 , for example , about 20 to 40 degrees from normal . the top aperture 24 is preferably sized and positioned to not allow light rays 30 scattered from the surface 20 wider than about five degrees from normal to pass therethrough . in other words , the top aperture 24 preferably coincides substantially with the void center circle 73 of the etch pit uttered light pattern 72 of fig3 b . consequently , most of the etch pit uttered light 30 is captured and retained by light integrating sphere 22 , where it is integrated to produce intense diffuse light 32 to induce a strong signal from photodetector 40 . at the same time , very little of the etch pit uttered light 30 escapes through top aperture 24 to reach the second photodetector 50 , so any signal produced by photodetector 50 is not influenced significantly by etch pit uttered light 30 . referring now primary to fig4 a and 4b , a grain boundary 90 in a polycrystalline material , when etched as described below , will produce a v - shaped groove 92 that is essentially one - dimensional and runs the length of the grain boundary 90 along the surface 20 of the sample 14 . light incident on such etch grain boundaries 90 is uttered in a substantially fan - shaped distribution 94 in a plane that is perpendicular to the surface 20 . when the fan - shaped uttered light distribution 94 is projected onto a plane 96 that is parallel to surface 20 , it forms a pattern , 98 of diverse elongated spots 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 . . . as illustrated in fig4 b . the circular center spot 100 is substantially specular reflection or retroreflection from the v - shaped groove 92 or surface 20 . referring again to fig2 a polycrystalline sample 14 is illustrated on x - y stage 12 with a grain boundary 90 and a v - shaped etch groove 92 where the grain boundary 90 intersects the surface 20 , similar to that illustrated in fig4 a and described above . the surface 20 also has etch pits 70 where dislocations intersect the surface 20 ; however , the size and density proportions are not illustrated to scale because of limitations inherent in these kinds of illustrations for microscopic features . as shown in fig2 a fairly wide or large diameter beam 18 is used to illuminate a sufficiently large portion of the surface 20 to obtain a good statistical sample of etch pits . therefore , there is no attempt to focus the beam 18 to a point on the surface 20 . in fact , it is preferred that a point focus is avoided . generally , it is preferred to include at least two hundred etch pits in the illuminated area , which usually requires a beam 18 diameter of about 500 to 1 , 000 μm . as also shown in fig2 for purposes of illustrating additional features of this invention , the v - shaped grain boundary etch groove 92 is positioned in the area illuminated by beam 18 . consequently , both an etch pit scattered light pattern , such as one of the patterns illustrated in fig3 a through 3h , and a grain boundary etch scattered light pattern , such as the pattern 98 illustrated in fig4 a and 4b , are produced together . the result is a combination etch pit light scattered pattern , such as pattern 72 of fig3 a and 3b , combined with a grain boundary etch pattern 98 of fig4 a and 4b . the combination of these patterns 72 and 98 is illustrated in fig5 . the specular light components 38 of fig2 and 4a that produce center spot 100 of fig4 b and 5 , and the near specular light components 34 and 36 of fig2 and 4a that produce the inside spots 101 and 102 , respectively , of fig4 b and 5 deviate from specular normal for the most part less than five degrees ( 5 °). therefore , as best illustrated in fig2 and 5 , those light components 34 , 36 , and 38 and their corresponding spots 100 , 101 , and 102 are for the most pan confined in the center area 73 that is substantially devoid of etch pit scattered light 30 . therefore , as shown in fig2 the top aperture 24 of the light integrating sphere 22 allows the light components 34 , 36 and 38 scattered or reflected by the grain boundary etch groove 92 to pass out of the light integrating sphere 22 . therefore , the limited pattern shown in fig6 comprising only spots 100 , 101 , and 102 reach the plane 112 of the center block aperture 44 in fig2 . the specular light component 38 is subsequently blocked and eliminated from the system 10 by the center block aperture 44 as mentioned above . consequently , only the near specular light components 34 and 36 scattered by the grain boundary etch groove 92 pass through the light integrating sphere 22 and reach the second photodetector 50 . substantially all of the etch pit scattered light 30 is captured in the light integrating sphere 22 , as described above , and is detected only by the first photodetector 40 . as a result , the signal produced by the second photodetector 50 is essentially the result of a grain boundary 90 in the area of illumination by beam 18 . this signal on lead 52 , therefore , can be processed , discriminated , and used for detecting and mapping grain boundaries in polycrystalline materials as distinct from dislocation defects . in fig2 the light components 34 , 36 , and 38 that pass through the top aperture 24 of light integrating sphere 22 are collimated by a lens 114 , reflected out of the normal path by beam splitter or partially silvered mirror 116 , and directed to the center block aperture 44 . as mentioned above , the projected light components 34 , 36 , and 38 and which forms spots 100 , 101 , 102 that reach plane 112 of aperture 44 are substantially as shown in fig6 . the aperture 44 has an annular opening 45 large enough to pass substantial portions of the near specular components 34 and 36 and a center block 46 large enough to block the specular light component 38 . the convex lens 48 converges and focuses the near specular light components 34 and 36 onto the second detector 50 , so that the projection of the light , essentially comprising the near specular light components 34 and 36 , appears as the near spots 101 and 102 , illustrated in fig7 without the specular light component 38 and circular center spot 100 . it is important to eliminate the specular light component 38 , because a substantial portion of the specular light component 38 can be , and probably is , light reflected from smooth , nondefect areas of the surface 20 of the polycrystalline material 14 adjacent the grain boundary 90 , thus could also be present in the signal from the second photodetector 50 , even if there is no grain boundary in the area of illumination . elimination of the central or specular light component 38 insures that the only signal from photodetector 50 is from a grain boundary defect . it may be noted that the more diverse components of the grain boundary scattered light 94 that produce the intermediate spots 103 - 108 in the pattern 98 , as illustrated in fig4 a , 4b , and 5 , will not pass through the top aperture 24 of light integrating sphere 22 , thus will be captured along with the etch pit scattered light 30 inside the light integrating sphere 22 of fig2 . if those intermediate components of the grain boundary scattered light 94 are intense enough , they can affect and cause erroneous signals of etch pit density ( epd ) from the first photodetector 40 . in fact , if the beam 18 was narrowed to a point , and if the point was focused on the grain boundary etch 92 , the resulting grain boundary scattered light 94 intensity inside the light integrating sphere 22 would probably predominate and could even swamp out any etch pit scattered light intensity . actually , the first photodetector 40 could operate as a grain boundary 90 detector in that configuration . on the other hand , the effect of the intermediate components of grain boundary scattered light 94 can be minimized in several ways . first , the incident beam 18 can be operated with a wide diameter , thus illuminating a larger area of etch pit defects 70 on the surface 20 of the polycrystalline material 14 . such wide area illumination increases substantially the intensity of etch pit scattered light 30 inside the light integrating sphere 22 as compared to the grain boundary scattered light 94 . further , since the problem of the grain boundary scattered light 94 is essentially one dimensional , while the pattern of the etch pit scattered light 30 is two dimensional , a larger area illumination can minimize the effect of the grain boundary scattered light 94 inside the light integrating sphere 22 that is detected by the first photodetector 40 . additional electronic signal conditioning and processing , as described below , can further minimize the residual effects of the grain boundary scattered light 94 detected by first photodetector 40 . another adjustment that can minimize the effects of diverse components of grain boundary scattered light 94 is to increase the distance between the bottom aperture 26 of the light integrating sphere 22 and the surface 20 of the polycrystalline material 14 . increasing this distance can allow the furthest - out components of the grain boundary scattered light 94 , which spread at a large angle to normal , i . e ., a smaller angle to the surface 20 , to pass beneath the light integrating sphere 22 and avoid capture by the bottom aperture 26 . of course , raising the light integrating sphere 22 to an even larger distance off the surface 20 could cause the outer fringes of the etch pit scattered light 30 to be excluded , too , which could be counterproductive . widening the bottom aperture 26 along with increasing the distance between the light integrating sphere 22 and the surface 20 could help to capture the outer fringes of the etch pit scattered light 30 , but wider apertures can also allow diffuse light inside the light integrating sphere 22 to escape , thus lowering intensity and signal strength from the first photodetector 40 . therefore , there is a balance that can be found and maintained between incident beam 18 size , distance between light integrating sphere 22 and surface 12 , and sizes of apertures 24 and 26 that provides optimum results and signals for a particular system 10 used in conjunction with a particular polycrystalline material 14 . a larger beam 18 size can also increase the size of the raster increments needed to scan a sample 14 as well as increasing the statistical base of the method used in this invention , which detects statistical defect densities instead of detecting and counting individual etch pits . therefore , the larger raster increments along with the increased statistical base of defect densities that result from a larger sized beam 18 , as described above , can combine to increase substantially the defect mapping speed and efficiency according to this invention . referring again to fig1 the etch pit density ( epd ) signal on lead 42 is directed to a first amplifier circuit 120 , where it is conditioned , filtered , cleaned up , and amplified . likewise , the grain boundary signal on lead 52 is directed to a second amplifier circuit 122 , where it is also conditioned , filtered , cleaned up , and amplified . both signals are then directed via leads 124 , 126 , respectively , to an algebraic summing circuit 128 , where the etch pit or dislocation signal is algebraically summed with ( subtracted from ) the product of an empirically determined constant times the grain boundary signal to produce a new signal that is indicative of grain boundary for mapping purposes . initialization can be made on a location that is known to be all dislocation defects and no grain boundary defects . in the opposite mode , the grain boundary signal can be algebraically summed with the product of a constant times the dislocation signal to produce a net signal that is indicative of dislocation density . the dislocation density and grain boundary signals are fed into a computer 130 along with x - y position information from the stage 12 via connection 132 . the data is stored in a high - speed buffer memory . commercially available computer software , such as &# 34 ; lab view ,&# 34 ; produced by national instruments , of 6504 bridgepoint parkway , austin , tex . 78730 , and &# 34 ; delta graph ,&# 34 ; produced by deltapoint , inc . of 2 harris court , suite b - 1 , monterey , calif . 93940 , can be used , with appropriate modifications for particular system hardware and other parameters that would be within the capabilities of persons skilled in this art , to make a map of the dislocation densities and grain boundaries in the material 14 , and detailed analysis or displays can be made on the monitor 134 and by a color printer or plotter 136 . for example , a defect density map produced with the system 10 according to this invention is shown in fig9 . alternatively , the grain boundary data can be used to produce a grain boundary map . for example , the grain boundaries shown in the microscopic photograph of fig1 a was scanned with the system 10 of this invention , and the grain boundary map in fig1 b was produced with the data . alternatively , analog signals from the photodetectors 40 and 50 can be processed by the analog display controller 138 to directly display the dislocation and grain boundary distributions on a storage oscilloscope 140 or an x - y recorder 142 . the preferred etching process for use with this invention is a variation of the chemical etching procedure published by the inventor in b . l . sopori , &# 34 ; a new etch for polycrystalline silicon ,&# 34 ; j . electrochem ,: solid - state science and technology , vol . 131 , no . 3 , page 667 ( 1984 ), which produces substantially equal volume etch pits , regardless of dislocation orientation , which is incorporated herein by reference . the following mixtures are used in defect etching : 1 ) 1 : 1 of hydrofluoric acid ( i - if ) to water , referred to as the hf rinse . 2 ) 1 : 1 of nitric acid ( hno 3 ) to water , referred to as the hno 3 rinse . 3 ) 36 : 15 : 2 of hydrofluoric acid to acetic acid ( ch 3 cooh ) to nitric acid , referred to as sopori etch . 4 ) 2 : 1 of sulfuric acid ( h 2 so 4 ) to hydrogen peroxide ( h 2 o 2 ), referred to as piranha . a ) make sure the sample to be etched is dean by checking it under the microscope . if the sample is not clean ( there are blobs visible on the surface ), it should be cleaned . b ) heat the piranha on a hot plate ( not shown ) to 80 ° c . ( a setting of &# 34 ; low &# 34 ;). it should take approximately 15 - 20 minutes to heat the piranha . it is hot enough when it begins to gently bubble . do not let the piranha reach a full boil . if the piranha was just mixed it does not need to be heated ; the heat generated in mixing the h 2 so 4 and h 2 o 2 is adequate . c ) place the sample in a teflon sample holder and then let the sample sit in the piranha for 15 to 30 minutes . the piranha cleans off any remaining small bits of wax or dirt on the surface of the sample . after the sample has soaked , rinse it off with a stream of deionized ( di ) water and blow it dry with an air gun ( not shown ). d ) the hf rinse , the hno 3 rinse , and the etch should be poured into separate , labeled , plastic one - liter beakers . fill a two - liter beaker with di water for rinsing the samples after etching . e ) dip the sample into the etch and gently wave it back and forth for approximately 30 seconds after bubbles begin to form . remove the sample from the etch and immediately dip it into the beaker of di water . gently wave the sample back and forth for several seconds and then risen it with a stream of di water . dry the sample with the air gun . f ) dip the sample in the hno 3 rinse and gently wave it back and forth for approximately 15 seconds . remove the sample and dip it into the beaker of di water for several seconds . rinse the sample in a stream of di water and then dry it with the air gun . g ) dip the sample in the hf rinse and wave it back and forth for approximately 15 seconds . remove the sample and dip it into the beaker of di water for several seconds . rinse the sample in a stream of di water and then dry it with the air gun . a second embodiment system 200 is shown in fig1 . in this embodiment , the light integrating sphere 22 is positioned far enough away from the surface 20 to accommodate the collimating lens 114 and beam splitter 116 between the light integrating sphere 22 and surface 20 . the beam splitter 116 diverts part of the grain boundary scattered light 96 and etch pit scattered light 30 toward the second photodetector 50 before reaching the light integrating sphere 22 . in this embodiment , the blocking aperture 244 passes only the outer portions 210 and 212 of the grain boundary scattered light 96 to the second detector 50 and blocks everything else . the bottom aperture 26 of light integrating sphere 22 is large enough to admit the etch pit scattered light 30 , but small enough to block the outer portions of grain boundary scattered light 96 that passes through beam splitter 116 . the near specular portions 34 and 36 of grain boundary scattered light 96 that pass through the beam splitter 116 also pass out the aperture 24 of light integrating sphere 22 . therefore , it is only the intermediate portions of grain boundary scattered light that enter and are captured in the light integrating sphere 22 along with the etch pit scattered light 30 . these intermediate portions of grain boundary scattered light , as in the embodiment 10 described above , are not sufficient to swamp or degrade the intensity signal for etch pit scattered light 30 as long as the incident beam 18 illuminates a wide enough area on surface 20 . a third embodiment of a system 300 is shown in fig1 . the system 300 is similar to the system 10 shown in fig1 with like components referenced with a prime designation a first laser 16 &# 39 ; provides a beam 18 &# 39 ; of light at a relatively long wavelength , preferably greater than 8000 å , for example approximately 9000 å . a second laser 302 provides a beam 306 of light at a wavelength different from the first laser 16 &# 39 ;, preferably less than 7000å , for example 6382 å . a lens 304 establishes the width of the beam 306 from the second laser 302 . a lens 308 establishes the width of the beam 18 &# 39 ; from the first laser 16 &# 39 ;. a beam splitter 310 is placed between the light integrating sphere 22 &# 39 ; and the first laser 16 &# 39 ; in such a position as to allow the beam 306 from the second laser to be positioned substantially parallel with the beam 18 &# 39 ; from the first laser 16 &# 39 ; and directed toward the crystalline material or sample 14 &# 39 ;. the beam splitter 310 has a central portion 311 which is reflective while the remaining portion is not . consequently , the specular portion of the light reflected from the surface 20 &# 39 ; of the material 14 &# 39 ; is reflected back toward the second laser 302 while the near specular light components 34 &# 39 ; and 36 &# 39 ; pass by the beam splitter 310 and are directed to the second photodetector 50 &# 39 ;. a signal 312 is provided from the first laser 16 &# 39 ; to the computer 130 &# 39 ; containing information related to the total transmitted power in the beam 18 &# 39 ;. similarly , the second laser 302 provides a signal 314 to the computer 130 &# 39 ; containing information related to the total transmitted power in the beam 306 . a third photodetector 316 is positioned in the opposite side of the light integrating sphere 22 &# 39 ; from the first photodetector 40 &# 39 ;. a first filter 318 is positioned in front of the first photodetector 40 &# 39 ; to allow reflected light from laser beam 18 &# 39 ; to pass therethrough but with transmission characteristics which cause reflected light from laser beam 306 not to pass therethrough . similarly , a second filter 320 is positioned in front of the third photodetector 316 and allows reflected light from laser beam 306 to pass therethrough while blocking reflected light from laser beam 18 &# 39 ;. the third photodetector 316 produces a signal 322 indicative of the intensity of the diffused light 32 &# 39 ; which is of the wavelength of laser beam 306 . this signal 322 is transmitted to the signal processing and control unit 60 &# 39 ; where a third amplifier circuit 324 conditions , filters , cleans - up and amplifies the signal 322 before supplying a third amplified signal 326 to the analog display controller 138 &# 39 ; and the computer 130 &# 39 ;. the lens 304 is chosen so that the beam 306 is preferably of a width similar to the width of a grain boundary etch , or 0 . 1 mm . this relatively small beam width produces a sharper grain boundary definition since the sharpness of the grain boundary image is determined by the convolution of the grain boundary groove size and the beam width . the lens 308 is chosen so that the beam 18 &# 39 ; is preferably in the range of 0 . 5 - 1 . 0 mm to provide a sufficient statistical sample of dislocation defects . in this way , this embodiment can be optimized separately for each of the type of defects rather than selecting a compromise beam width . the use of two light beams , each having a different wavelength , provides another advantage . namely , variations in the size of the etch pits can be corrected for by the use of the dual wavelength system . the variations can occur from variations in the time duration of the etching process or the exact composition and cleanliness of the etchant solution . fig1 shows graphs of the normalized signal received from the diffuse light reflected off the material 14 &# 39 ; as a function of etch pit density . it can be seen that this function is also dependent on the etch pit size and the wavelength of the light . curve 400 shows the relationship between the etch pit density and the normalized signal , with a first etch pit size and a relatively long wavelength . curve 402 shows the relationship , with the first etch pit size and a relatively shorter wavelength . at a particular etch pit density 403 , a difference 404 or a ratio can be calculated between the curve 400 and the curve 402 . curve 406 shows the relationship between the etch pit density and the normalized signal , with a second etch pit size ( which is larger than the first ) and the relatively long wavelength . curve 408 shows the relationship , with the second etch pit size and the relatively shorter wavelength . at the same particular etch pit density 403 , a difference 410 or a ratio can be calculated between the curve 406 and the curve 408 . it can be seen that the difference 410 is smaller than the difference 404 . this relationship between the differences 404 and 410 can be exploited to determine and correct for variations in etch pit size . it is also possible to obtain maps of reflectance and photoresponse for a photovoltaic device or solar cell ( also referenced as 14 &# 39 ;) which has been produced from crystalline material 14 &# 39 ;. with the system 300 ( fig1 ) the signals from the photodetectors are summed to obtain total reflectance . by translating the x - y table 12 &# 39 ;, a reflectance map can be produced . maps of diffuse , specular , and total reflectance can be produced for each wavelength produced by the lasers 16 &# 39 ; and 302 . to perform light beam induced current ( lbic ) measurements on the photovoltaic device 14 &# 39 ; the light integrating sphere 22 &# 39 ; is mounted in such a manner as to allow it to be moved laterally away from the x - y translation stage or table 12 &# 39 ;. a pair of electrical leads 328 and 330 are attachable to opposite sides of the photovoltaic device 14 &# 39 ;. the leads 328 and 330 are also connected to the respective input terminals of a low - input - impedance amplifier 332 which supplies a signal 334 to the analog display controller 138 &# 39 ; and the computer 130 &# 39 ; indicative of the current flowing through the leads 328 and 330 and the photovoltaic device 14 &# 39 ;. the reflected power is subtracted from the total transmitted power as communicated by the signal 312 to the computer 130 &# 39 ;. from this difference , the total absorbed power ( by the photovoltaic device 14 &# 39 ;) can be calculated . the current induced through the device 14 &# 39 ; by the incoming light is measured by the amplifier 332 and an optical energy - to - electrical energy conversion efficiency ( photoresponse ) can be calculated . these calculations can be repeated as the material 14 &# 39 ; is rastered by the x - y table 12 &# 39 ; so as to create a two - dimensional &# 34 ; map &# 34 ; of photoresponse . external photoresponse is a measure of the electrical power produced as a function of the total transmitted optical power . internal photoresponse is a measure of the electrical power produced as a function of the total absorbed optical power . dual wavelengths provide several advantages to the lbic measurements . the longer wavelength light tends to penetrate deeper into the material 14 &# 39 ; than the shorter wavelength light , and thus the longer wavelength light can be used to provide information about the property of the material such as the minority carrier diffusion length . this parameter is the length an electron ( which is the minority carrier in p - type material ) can go toward the n - p junction without combining with a hole . on the other hand , the shorter wavelength light provides information relating to the near - surface features of the material 14 &# 39 ;. these features may include grain boundaries and n - p junction characteristics . it is important to examine the nonuniformities in the material or photovoltaic device because the inefficient portions of the material are a sink to the power generated by the more efficient portions of the material . the nonuniformities may be due to the growing process , other defects , the junctions or the anti - reflective coating on the material . among the many possible alternatives which could be used in the above - described embodiments are the substitution of a non - laser light source for the laser . the light source need not be coherent . however , with the third embodiment it is desirable for the light source to have a relatively narrow color output . in addition , it would be possible to use mirrors or a separate light source to provide the beam for lbic to a remote section of the material 14 &# 39 ; as an alternative to moving the light integrating sphere 22 &# 39 ;. the foregoing description is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention . furthermore , since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and process shown as described above . accordingly , all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to failing within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims which follow .	6
a variety of casing heating systems has been proposed and some have been field tested with mixed results . to date , none of these systems take into account the heterogeneous nature of the oil deposit . nor do they properly address the fundamentals of even an idealized casing heating process . some of these ignored factors will be discussed . in fig1 the casing heating processes are characterized by a heated perforated casing 61 , that transfers heat into the deposit by thermal diffusion as suggested by the black arrows 62 . the in - flowing liquids by convection transfer the heat back into the perforated casing as indicated by the open arrows 63 . thermal diffusion is slow and convection heat transfer can be more rapid . because the ingressing liquids can more rapidly transfer heat back into the wellbore , the diameter of the heated zone around the perforated casing would be small , thereby limiting the size of the pay zone where the viscosity is substantially reduced by the increased formation temperature . however , the cooling effects by ingressing liquids on the production from casing heated wells can be mitigated by maintaining the temperature of the casing at the maximum allowable value . production from casing heated wells that exhibit a skin effect near the well bore will also be less affected by ingressing cool liquids . in addition to the external diffusion and convection , there are internal heat transfer mechanisms within the perforated production casing . these include mixing of the heat in liquids in region 67 from different segments of the perforated casing as suggested in fig2 . also noted is that the heated casing also diffuses heat , as suggested by 65 into the upward flowing liquids 66 . these upward flowing liquids may be already heated , and may be also further heated in the upper portion of the perforated casing . this suggests that even for an idealized uniform deposit and a casing system that is uniformly heated , that the upper portion of the perforated casing might rise to greater temperatures than the lower portions . fig3 illustrates the case where the perforated casing penetrates a slowly producing zone , such as a shale streak 71 that overlays a high producing zone 72 . after a few weeks of heating only a small proportion of heat 75 from the casing near the shale streak will be transferred into the shale . this is due , in part , because the ingressing liquids fail to transfer all of the heat back into the wellbore . the shale formation will tend to perform as a thermal insulator , and will rise in temperature such that most of the heat flow 74 from the casing will be re - directed back into the upward flowing liquids 66 . this excess temperature rise is partially moderated by the upward flowing liquids from the more productive zones below the shale streak . assuming that higher casing temperatures the greater will be the increase in production . on this assumption , the optimum heating profile is one where the maximum allowable temperature is determined by the characteristics of the apparatus . in our case , this would be about 125 ° c . all along the eddy - current heating tool , assuming a 150 ° c . upper limit . on the other hand , economic factors may dominate in the event that the cost of additional heating is not offset by increased production . one solution would be to conduct a detailed reservoir analysis that included heating of the casing . this would permit tailoring the heating profile along the casing to mitigate the above noted problems . this step can be time consuming and require a programmable method or a connection arrangement within the tool to fit the heating profile to the deposit . further , well log data may be missing and may be unreliable . the broader goal would be to increase the spatial distribution of the temperature of the casing to a predetermined spatial distribution . in the case of deposits that have about the same temperature viscosity characteristics , the temperature of the perforated casing could be uniformly increased throughout the deposit to the maximum allowable temperature , such as 125 ° c . or a smaller value as determined by economic considerations . to do this , a temperature - sensing array along the casing heating system would be needed . each sensor along or within the casing heating tool would sense the temperature of a short segment of the tool . this sensed temperature would then control the heating for that segment . by so doing , the temperature of each segment would not rise above a predetermined value . further , it would modulate the dissipation in the casing in proportion to the ingressing liquids and the heat capacity of the liquids . a simple way would be to use temperature - sensing switches , such as shown in fig4 . for illustration purposes , we show three coils 81 a , 81 b , and 81 c of an eddy - current casing heating system . ( alternatively , the three coils could be the primary of downhole transformers used to supply ohmic - heating current to the casing walls .) a voltage source , v 82 , excites cables 83 a and 84 . the switches 85 a , 85 b , and 85 c are thermally actuated , to energize or de - energize the adjacent coil . for example , if switch 85 a is connected to 86 a , if coil 81 a is to be excited . if the sensor 88 a on the tool near coil 81 a exceeds 125 ° c ., then the switch 85 a switches to position 87 a thereby de - energizing coil 81 a , while at the same time permitting coils 87 b and 87 c to be energized or de - energized by switches 85 b and 85 c as controlled by sensors near 87 b and 87 c . the switches could either be mechanical or semiconductor . the semiconductor switches could either be switched on or off , similar to mechanical switch . or they could be time modulated in a way that results in continuous feedback control . several other factors are needed to make this work . first , the heating capacity of each coil should be up to several times that required based on a simple average overall flow rate . this is necessary in the case where much of the production comes from just a few zones . in addition , consideration should be given to the thermal diffusion properties of the barren formations above and below the pay zone . such formations can have a very high electric conductivity and may also have a very high thermal conductivity . in the case of a thin low - conductivity pay zone sandwiched between tow very high thermal conductivity barren layers , it may be advantageous to heat the casing just within the barren layers . because of the high thermal conductivity of the barren zones , additional heat could be transferred into the pay zone via the high thermal conductivity barren zone . the liquids that flow within the casing can be used to transfer heat from the coils . this can be enhanced by having flow pathways both outside of the coils and within the coils . in addition , pathways into the interior of the coils from liquids adjacent the casing can be provided by inserting flow spaces between short length coils . this has not been considered before and will help cool the coils while enhancing the flow and mixing patterns . the design of the power conversion unit must also be able to accommodate the expected variations in the load . such variations would occur as each switch is turned on or off or where most of the production comes from just a few zones . the optimized casing system should be far more effective than one without the optimization . the effectiveness will be sensitive to the heterogeneity of the deposit . it will be more reliable provided that suitable temperature switches or controllers can be installed for each coil group in the casing heating system . the implementation of the above will be considered next in more detail . the ohmic heating apparatus will be first described in terms of heating just a single segment of the casing , this will be followed by showing how this is modified to heat different segments of the casing in a controlled manner . fig5 illustrates a vertical cross - section of a vertical oil well with a transformer matching arrangement which matches the characteristics of the current flowing on the casing in the vicinity of the reservoir to the characteristics of the power delivery system . shown here , the cross - section of an oil well originally completed using conventional means and a conventional recovery system without the casing system . the surface of the earth 2 , the overburden 3 , the reservoir 4 , and the underburden 5 are penetrated by the conventional production casing system 6 . also shown is the surface casing 7 . conventional production tubing 8 along with the pump rod 9 are deployed from the upper part of the well system . the lower part of the tubing 8 is modified to accommodate the transformer matching system 18 , 20 , 21 and 23 in the lower part of the wellbore . the power is delivered via the tubing 8 and casing 6 by exciting these from a source 10 via cables 11 connecting the source to the casing 6 and the tubing 8 . non - conducting centralizers 12 are employed to prevent the tubing 8 from contacting the casing 6 , which would otherwise short - out the circuit . the pump 15 is located below the surface 13 of the reservoir fluids . to prevent the conducting reservoir fluids from shorting out the tubing with respect to the casing , the tubing below the surface of the reservoir fluids is covered by an insulating layer 14 . just above the reservoir 4 , the tubing 8 is interrupted by a tubular non - metallic ( non - conducting ) isolation section 16 . the characteristics of this isolation section are such that the normal flow of fluid is not interrupted but the length of the isolation section serves to isolate the energized tubing from the conducting packer 18 . the current is taken from the energized tubing 8 via a conductor 17 which is attached to one of the conductors of the toroidally wound transformer assembly 20 . the current flows via conductor 17 through the primary of the toroidally wound sections and then flows via cable 23 into the lower conducting packer 22 . fig6 provides conceptual details on how the toroidally wound cores form a transformer action which drives current into the casing ( or screen ) 6 in the immediate vicinity of the reservoir . the voltage appearing between the lower portion of the tubing 32 and casing 6 drives the current into the toroidal winding assemblies via conductors 17 and 23 . the cores are toroids formed from thin ferromagnetic sheets ( e . g ., 5 mil . thickness ), such as selectron , manufactured by allegheny - ludlum , and rolled into the form of a toroid 31 . the windings 30 on the toroid 31 are chosen to have sufficient number of turns so as to transfer the impedance of the casing wall to a value appropriate for high delivery efficiency and design robustness . within the inner portion of the toroids , as shown in fig5 the single - turn secondary of the transformer is formed by the highly conducting tubing such as an aluminum tube coated with a resistant corrosion surface . this conducting tubing 32 is then in direct ohmic contact with the upper conductive packer 18 and the lower conductive packer 22 ( fig2 ). the conductive packers 18 and 22 contact the casing 6 just below the overburden 3 and just above the underburden 5 ( fig5 ). the single - turn secondary of the transformer 20 is therefore formed by the aluminum tube 32 , the conducting packers 18 and 22 , and the walls of the casing 6 in the immediate vicinity of the wellbore . the surface electrical impedance of the casing 6 between the packers is larger than the impedance of the packers and tubing , but does present a very low impedance to the secondary winding . this low impedance must be transformed up to an impedance in the order of a few ohms or more so as to obtain suitable power delivery efficiency . this is done by properly choosing the number of turns on the primary of the toroidal winding . fig7 illustrates the electrical circuit equivalent for the transformer conceptually illustrated in fig6 . the voltage source 32 , via the conductors 17 and 23 energizes the primary of the transformer , which is comprised of a leakage inductance 35 and a mutual primary inductance 33 which couples to the mutual secondary winding inductance 34 via the changing flux 36 . the single - turn secondary loop is comprised of the secondary winding 34 , a leakage inductance 36 , the resistance 37 of the tubing , the resistance 38 of the conductive packers , and the resistance 39 of the casing . in order to obtain a proper match between the electrical characteristics of the secondary circuit which is dominated by the impedance of the casing , and the power delivery system , the very low impedance of the casing 6 near the reservoir 4 , ( fig5 ) must be transformed up to a value in the order of a few ohms or greater . this can be done by employment of silicon steel tape wound cores 31 which have a very high permeability and a relatively high electrical resistance ; by virtue of being wound as a tape , such cores are also laminated to ensure reduction of eddy - current losses . the use of the high permeability of the steel core with a small air - gap causes the flux that links the primary of the transformer to link the secondary , thereby minimizing the leakage inductances 35 and 36 , ( fig7 ). should the leakage inductance be too high , excessive reactance would be introduced into the input leads 17 and 23 , which would result in a poor power factor . however , the design , as previously discussed , avoids the poor power factor problem by the use of high permeability silicon type steel cores . the impedance of the casing 6 , as measured for typical installations of about ten to twenty feet , would probably be in the order of a few tenths of a milliohm up to a few milliohms , depending on the length of the casing to be heated and the operating frequency . this low impedance has to be transformed up to something in the order of a few ohms , at least greater than one ohm to assure an adequate power delivery efficiency with typical commercial cables or tubing power delivery arrangements . since the transformed impedance is proportional to the square of the turns ratios , the number of turns on the primary should be approximately twenty to five hundred turns , depending on the desired operating impedance levels . a ( single - segment ) system as described in fig5 and 7 can be retrofit into existing wells as well as being installed in new wells of conventional design . to retrofit a well , the existing tubing system is removed and a downhole tubing system arrangement like that shown in fig5 is lowered into the well . the system is installed by positioning the transformer assembly and casing heating system in the immediate vicinity of the wellbore as illustrated in fig1 with a conducting packer 18 near the top of the zone to be heated and a conducting packer 22 in the immediate vicinity of the lower portion of the zone to be heated . these conducting packers are then installed by expanding the steel teeth of the tubing anchor into the steel of the casing 6 . depending on the amount of power to be transferred and the length of the zone to be heated , one or more of such toroidal transformers , as shown in fig2 would be needed to provide the necessary energy to conduct the heating . fig8 provides a three - dimensional conceptual drawing wherein a portion of the casing 6 , has been removed to show the principal downhole portions of the system , which include the upper conducting packer 18 , one of the primary transformer assemblies 30 , 31 , and 20 , and the lower conducting packer 22 . the tubing 8 , as it enters into the immediate vicinity of the reservoir , is insulated by an insulating sheath 14 . however , as this sheath approaches the vicinity of the wellbore , the metallic portion of the tubing and the sheath is replaced by a non - conducting fiber - reinforced tubing 16 which is attached to the upper conducting packer 18 . the conductor 17 , which is attached to the metallic portion of the tubing 8 at 17 a , is routed through the fiberglass tube 16 to attach to one of the primary leads of the toroidal transformer . the second lead 23 from the transformer is attached to the lower conducting packer 22 . a highly conducting tube 32 is ohmically attached to the upper conducting packer 18 and the lower conducting packer 22 . the tubing 21 , the packer 18 and 22 , and the casing wall 6 comprise the components in the secondary circuit of the transformer 20 . fig9 is a three - dimensional characterization of how a multi - segment ohmic casing heating system could be implemented . the components 20 b , 22 b , 23 b , 25 b , 26 b , 27 b , 28 b , 30 b , 31 b and 32 b are duplicates of similar numbered components in the upper portion of the fig9 . insulated conductor 17 is used to connect with first - lead to the winding on the toroidal core . insulated conductor 26 is used to connect the upper insulated terminal of the switch 28 to conductor 17 . insulated conductor 27 is used to connect the lower insulated terminal of the switch 28 to the second - lead to the winding 25 on the toroidal core 20 . similarly , the first - lead to the winding 25 b is connected to the upper part of switch 28 b via insulated cable 26 b . the second - lead 23 b to the winding on toroidal core 20 b is connected to the lower port of switch 28 b via insulated cable 27 b and also to conducting packer 22 b . temperature sensitive switches 28 and 28 b present an open circuit to the switch terminals when the temperature is below the critical limit . if the temperature exceeds the limit , for example the switch 28 will close , thereby de - energizing the primary on core 20 but at the same time allowing the winding on core 20 b to remain energized . the cable 18 and the sensor package 49 are attached to the uppermost conducting packer . similar installations of sensor and cables can be inserted on other conducting packers as well . these sensor could supply auxiliary temperature data or pressure data to assist in the operation of the apparatus . fig1 and 11 illustrate another version of the casing wall heating system of this invention . this version again relies on a combination of a downhole casing wall heater system which is integrated with the power delivery system such that good efficiency is realized . fig1 presents a conceptual design of an eddy - current casing wall heater 47 . this system is comprised of a power cable delivery system including the cables 41 and 44 , a matching system such as a capacitor 42 , and the windings 43 on a field pole 46 . the field pole 46 is like the rotor from a synchronous motor / generator . by energizing the windings 43 on the field pole system 46 , magnetic flux is created which tends to pass through the casing wall , from one pole to the other . this creates a flow of eddy - currents in the wall , which in turn converts the energy in the electrical field into thermal energy in the wall of the casing 6 . fig1 is another schematic of a vertical cross - section of a conceptual design of the eddy - current heating system as applied to a cased - hole completion . this shows a conventional oil well which penetrates the surface 2 of the earth , through the overburden 3 , into the reservoir 4 , and then into the underburden 5 . this well is conventionally installed with the emplacement of the surface casing 7 and then subsequently boring a hole of sufficient diameter to lower the production casing 6 into the well . this production casing is then cemented to the earth , and the well is completed by means of a perforating gun to form perforations 19 into the reservoir . to install the retrofit system , the conventional tubing system may be unaltered and the eddy - current heating tool slipped down the tubing as shown in fig1 . a source of electrical power 10 is connected via cable 11 to the production casing 6 and to an insulated cable 41 . this cable 41 is attached to a matching element 42 , usually a capacitor , which in turn is connected to the windings 43 on a field pole 46 . a space between the pole piece 46 and the casing 6 exists to allow insertion of the tool . a conducting packer 45 is used to terminate the well tubing 8 and to anchor it . the other winding 44 can be attached to the conducting packer 45 or , as an alternative ( not shown ), can be returned by an additional conductor in cable 41 to the surface and grounded at the casing head . fig1 illustrates a three - dimensional characterization of a multi - segmented eddy - current casing heating system . this was derived from the arrangement shown in fig1 . similar to fig1 , additional windings 43 b and 43 c and cores 46 b and 46 c are added . in addition , three single - pole temperature controlled switches 44 , 44 b , and 44 c were added . insulated cable 41 that is energized from the surface is attached to the first lead to the winding on the magnetic core 47 . the second lead from the winding on the core 47 is attached via an insulated cable 57 to the first lead to the winding on the second magnetic core 47 b . similarly , the second lead from the winding on the core 47 b is attached via an insulated cable 57 b to the first lead to the winding on the core 47 c . similarly , the second lead from the winding on the core 47 c is attached via an insulated cable 57 c to a conducting packer 55 . current is supplied from the power conditioning unit ( pcu ) on the surface via insulated cable 41 and flows through all of the windings and then into the conducting packer 55 . the current then returns to the surface via the casing . the upper insulated terminal and the single pole temperature controlled switches 51 , 51 b and 51 c are connected via insulated cables 56 , 56 b and 56 c to the first lead to the windings on cores 57 , 57 b and 57 c . the second insulated terminal on the switches 51 , 51 b and 51 c is connected via insulated cables 44 , 44 b and 44 c to the second lead from the windings on cores 57 , 57 b and 57 c . in the event that an excessive temperature is sensed by one of the switches , this switch will close , thereby de - energizing the associated winding . at the same time , current will still be supplied to the remaining windings that are not experiencing excessive temperatures . the single pole switch shown in fig9 and 12 can result in placing a short circuit to the pcu at the surface , if all switches are activated by excessive temperatures . this can be tolerated if the pcu has short circuit sensing cutoff controls and a pre - programmed restart procedure . the cable 18 and the sensor package 49 are attached to the uppermost conducting packer . similar installations of sensor and cables can be inserted on other conducting packers as well . these sensors could supply auxiliary temperature data or pressure data to assist in the operation of the apparatus . alternatively , the activation of control switches 28 and 28 b could be made via hardwire telemetry controls located at the surface . fig1 illustrates a functional diagram of the single - pole switch . the switch terminals 81 and 82 are connected to high current insulated conductors 84 and 85 . these conductors carry the excitation current through the switch element 93 , when this switch is closed in response to excessive temperature . the switch 93 could be a simple bi - metallic switch which closes when experiencing excessive temperatures . the switch would also open after the switch material cooled down . the difficulty is that the switch may have limited life and may introduce high voltage transients if open during the peak of the current flow . rapid opening and closing of these switches can be reduced by adding metal around the bi - metallic switch . this would increase both the heat - up time to open the switch as well as the cool - off time needed to allow the switch to re - close . these difficulties can be addressed by using semiconductor devices , such as a triac or the scr ( silicon controlled rectifier ) equivalent to the triac . in either case , these devices interrupt the current during the zero crossing of the current flow , when the current is very small . this eliminates the transient impulse and these devices can be interrupted or switched on or off many times . to provide gate on or firing signals to close the switch 93 , an electronic power supply 90 provides operational power , via cable 87 , to a firing circuit 91 . the firing circuit is controlled by the temperature sensor 92 via cable 89 . via cable 88 , firing or gate on signals are supplied to switch 88 . when the switch is off , the power for the firing circuit is supplied from a small coil 95 that picks up the leakage fields from the nearby eddy - current coil and this pickup is used to energize the power supply 90 via cable 96 . if the switch is closed , the fields from the eddy - current coils are absent , but current now flows through cables 84 and 85 because the switch 93 is closed . by means of the current transformer 83 , some of the power from the current flowing in cable 84 can be used to provide an energy source via cable 86 for the power supply circuit 92 . if good reservoir data is available , the heating profile of the producing zone can be pre - programmed for the initial start up phase . existing reservoir software programs that embody electrical heating effects can be used for this purpose . these take into account the traditional reservoir properties , the energy dissipation in the casing , screen or adjacent formations . these also take into account the thermal properties , such as heat capacity , diffusion and convection . from such data the power requirement to each segment can be estimated in terms of the heat transfer capacity of the adjacent formation and of the liquids recovered over a defined segment at a given temperature and measurement point . a simple case is where the temperature measurement point is at the wellhead . here the temperature of the produced liquids would be monitored and used to control the overall power such that the calculated temperature at any given point is within expected limits . or , a more complex series of temperature measurements points along the producing zone could be used , where the temperature of the liquids is aggregated from two or more distinct regions that have different reservoir characteristics . in this case , the power to the group segments would be controlled by measuring the temperature at one point within the grouped segments . by so doing , it may be possible to combine the number of independent heating segments and thereby simply the design . fig9 can be used to show how this technique can be implemented . the thermal transfer characteristics for the section of the reservoir between conducting packers 18 and 22 are estimated based on reservoir data . next , the thermal transfer characteristic of this section are calculated to achieve a given temperature increase . from this , the rate of the ingressing liquids , the rate of heat lost to the ingressing liquids and rate of heat lost by diffusion into the reservoir are calculated . the sum of these heat rates is the power required to heat the section between packers 18 and 22 for a flow rate equal to the rate of the ingressing liquids . next the turn ratio of the windings 30 on the toroidal core 31 are adjusted to supply the required power dissipation in the casing for a specific primary voltage excitation tot he transformer . this process is repeated for the section between conducting packers 22 and 22 b . from these data , the total flow rate and power input can be estimated for a given temperature rise along the casing . by combining two or more sections , the number of temperature measurement points can be reduced . for example , the temperature measurement point 49 measures the temperature of the liquids from both sections , thereby reducing the complexity of the down hole equipment . since the fraction of the liquids produced from the lower section is reasonably predictable based on the reservoir analyses , measuring the temperature in the top packer is a reasonable method to control the electrical power input to realize a given temperature increase . this technique may be valuable for long completions . this may be especially true , in the case of many long , 500 foot or more long horizontal completions , where the variations of the reservoir properties are small over many long intervals . over the length of such horizontal wells , there may be rare but abrupt discontinuities in the formation . these may require different heating rates on either side of such a discontinuity . to simplify , it should be possible to combine the smaller segments into longer but not always equal segments that span formations with similar properties . by so doing , the number of discrete segments can be reduced , thereby simplifying the design . on the other hand , such simplification may not always be practical . consider a 50 foot vertical completion in a formation where the heat into and out of the formation can vary widely over any 10 foot interval as a function of depth . hence , the length of each controllable section of the casing should be in the order of 10 feet . where such a wide variation over short intervals occurs , it is imperative to measure the temperature near each 10 foot segment so as to realize a predetermined temperature distribution along the well bore . to one skilled in the art other versions are possible . for example , the on - off function of the circuit shown in fig1 , can be replaced by one that can continuously control the current to the eddy - current excitation coils . alternatively , power to each of the eddy - current coils can be controlled at the surface via telemetry systems that monitor the temperatures along the tool and use these data to control the current supplied to each of the eddy - current coils . if good reservoir data is available , such as for a new horizontal well , the heating profiles can be pre - programmed for the initial start up phase . in addition , it should be noted that the spatial distribution of temperature along the casing will be different than the spatial distribution of the temperature along the tool . such variations will tend to be suppressed by the application of the design criteria discussed here . if needed , sensors could be placed in contact with the casing to assure that the temperature of the casing does not exceed a predetermined value .	4
exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings . hereinafter , an electric field according to exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to the attached drawings . like reference numerals in the drawings denote like elements . the term “ unit ”, as used herein , indicates , but is not limited to , a software or hardware component , such as a field programmable gate array ( fpga ) or application specific integrated circuit ( asic ), which performs certain tasks . a unit may advantageously be configured to reside on the addressable storage medium and configured to be executed on one or more processors . thus , a unit may include , by way of example , components , such as software components , object - oriented software components , class components and task components , processes , functions , attributes , procedures , subroutines , segments of program code , drivers , firmware , microcode , circuitry , data , databases , data structures , tables , arrays , and variables . the functionality provided for in the components and units may be combined into fewer components and units or further separated into additional components and units . in addition , the components and units may be implemented such that they execute one or more computers in a communication system . fig1 is a structural view of a recording medium 100 and an electric field read / write head 110 according to an exemplary embodiment . the recording medium 100 may be a ferroelectric recording medium , and may be a structure including a substrate , an electrode and a ferroelectric layer which are sequentially stacked . in this case , the substrate may be formed of si , glass , etc . the electrode may be formed of a metal such as pt , al , au , ag , cu , etc . or metal oxide such as lacoo , and may be grounded . the ferroelectric layer is formed of a ferroelectric material such as pbtio 3 , pbzro 3 , etc . information is recorded in the recording medium 100 using an electric field . in the recording medium 100 , a plurality of electric domains polarized in a first direction or a second direction ( here , the first direction is an opposite direction to the second direction ) are formed on a surface of the recording medium 100 . information of “ 0 ” or “ 1 ” is recorded in these electric domains . the electric field read / write head 110 may read information written to the recording medium 100 or may write information to the recording medium 100 while floating above a surface of the rotating recording medium 100 with a given space therebetween . the electric field read / write head 110 is attached to a head suspension 120 . the head suspension 120 is disposed at a tip of a swing arm 130 . the swing arm 130 is moved by a voice coil motor 140 . by virtue of the rotation of the swing arm 130 , the electric field read / write head 110 can be positioned over a desired location of the recording medium 100 . fig2 a is a perspective view of the electric field read / write head 110 illustrated in fig1 , according to an exemplary embodiment . fig2 b is a front view of the electric field read / write head 110 illustrated in fig1 , according to the exemplary embodiment . referring to fig2 a and 2b , the electric field read / write head 110 is embodied on a semiconductor substrate 210 formed of a p - type or n - type semiconductor material . the semiconductor substrate 210 includes a first surface 211 facing the recording medium 100 and a second surface 212 abutting the first surface 211 . the first surface 211 and the second surface 212 may be perpendicular to each other . an air bearing surface ( abs ) pattern 230 may be formed on the first surface 211 of the semiconductor substrate 210 . the abs pattern 230 functions such that the electric field read / write head 110 may float above a surface of the recording medium 100 . a channel c that is a low concentration impurity region and a source region s and a drain region d that are high concentration impurity regions are formed on the semiconductor substrate 210 . the source region s and the drain region d are disposed on opposite sides of the channel c . a source electrode e 1 is electrically connected to the source region s . a drain electrode e 2 is electrically connected to the drain region d . when the semiconductor substrate 210 is formed of a p - type semiconductor , the channel c is an n − impurity region , and the source region s and the drain region d are n + impurity regions . on the other hand , when the semiconductor substrate 210 is formed of an n - type semiconductor , the channel c is a p − impurity region , and the source region s and the drain region d are p + impurity regions . a first insulating layer 221 is disposed on the channel c . a writing electrode wr is disposed on the first insulating layer 221 . a second insulating layer 222 is disposed on an exposed portion of the source region s and an exposed portion of the drain region d . the channel c provides a path through which a current flows between the source region s and the drain region d . a resistance of the channel c varies according to at least one of a polarization direction and an electric charge of an electric domain facing the channel c . the electric field read / write head 110 detects the resistance of the channel c to read information written in the electric domain facing the channel c . thus , a writing operation of the electric field read / write head 110 will be described for reference . when a positive voltage (+) or negative voltage (−) whose absolute value is equal to or greater than a threshold voltage is applied to the writing electrode wr of the electric field read / write head 110 , particular information of “ 0 ” or “ 1 ” is recorded in the electric domain facing the channel c . for example , when a positive (+) voltage equal to or greater than the threshold voltage is applied to the writing electrode wr , the electric domain facing the channel c is polarized in a first direction , and the information of “ 0 ” is recorded in the electric domain . in addition , when a negative (−) voltage whose absolute value is equal to or greater than the threshold voltage is applied to the writing electrode wr , the electric domain facing the channel c is polarized in a second direction , and thus information of “ 1 ” is recorded in the electric domain . fig3 is a block diagram of an electric field read / write apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment . the electric field read / write apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment may include a modulation unit 310 , a detection unit 320 , a read unit 330 and a demodulation unit 340 . in this case , the modulation unit 310 , the read unit 330 and demodulation unit 340 may be provided outside of the electric field read / write head 110 illustrated in fig1 , and the detection unit 320 may be disposed inside of the electric field read / write head 110 illustrated in fig1 . the modulation unit 310 modulates an electric field generated from the recording medium 100 by using a modulation signal . since the recording medium 100 operates while data is being read , the electric domain facing the channel c of the electric field read / write head 110 continuously varies . thus , the modulation unit 310 modulates an electric field variation transition ( i . e ., an electric field value based on a time sequence ) of the electric field which is generated from the electric domain facing the channel c of the electric field read / write head 110 by using the modulation signal . the modulation signal has a given frequency , and is applied to the writing electrode wr of the electric field read / write head 110 . the size of the modulation signal may be less than a threshold voltage . the detection unit 320 detects the electric field variation ( more specifically , the electric field variation transition ), which is modulated by the modulation unit 310 . in particular , the detection unit 320 detects a resistance variation ( more specifically , a resistance variation transition ) of the channel c occurring due to the electric field modulated by the modulation unit 310 . the read unit 330 outputs a voltage signal determined according to the electric field variation ( more specifically , the electric field variation transition ), which is detected by the detection unit 320 . the read unit 330 is embodied by a plurality of circuitry devices ( e . g ., a resistor and an amplifier ) including the electric field read / write head 110 . in addition , the read unit 330 receives a given voltage to output a voltage signal determined according to the electric field variation detected by the detection unit 320 . in this case , the circuit devices constituting the read unit 330 may be arranged according to a given design . thus , the read unit 330 outputs the voltage signal determined according to the electric field variation ( more specifically , the electric field variation transition ) detected by the detection unit 320 by using a given method . the demodulation unit 340 demodulates the voltage signal input from the read unit 330 by using the modulation signal used by the modulation unit 310 to generate the electric field from the recording medium 100 . according to a demodulation result , the demodulation unit 340 determines information written in the recording medium 100 . the demodulation unit 340 demodulates the voltage signal input from the read unit 330 by using the modulation signal , performs low pass filtering ( lpf ) with a filter coefficient with respect to the demodulation result , and then determines the information written in the recording medium 100 according to an lpf result . at this time , by performing the lfp with respect to the demodulation result , the demodulation unit 340 may extract only a direct current ( dc ) component from the lpf result to determine the information written in the recording medium 100 according to the extracted dc component . the demodulation unit 340 may remove an offset contained in the demodulation result , and may determine the information written in the recording medium 100 according to the demodulation result from which the offset is removed . in short , the information written in the recording medium 100 is reproduced by detecting a resistance variation of the channel c of the electric field read / write head 110 floating above a surface of the recording medium 100 . a resistance of a resistor can be determined by a voltage or a current of a circuit including the resistor . in this regard , when a voltage signal ( or , a current signal ) having information regarding a resistance of a resistor is obtained , noise in the circuit may interfere with the voltage signal . thus , when a voltage signal at a given point of a circuit including a resistor is obtained in order to correctly determine a resistance of the resistor , as much noise as possible in the circuit must be prevented from interfering with the voltage signal . accordingly , in order to correctly reproduce the information written in the recording medium 100 , a resistance variation of the channel c , dependent on an electric field generated in the recording medium 100 , needs to be correctly detected . to achieve this , a voltage signal ( or , a current signal ) of a circuit including the channel c , which has information regarding the resistance variation of the channel c , needs to be correctly obtained so that as much noise as possible in the circuit can be prevented from interfering with the voltage signal . according to the present exemplary embodiment , the electric field read / write apparatus according to the present exemplary embodiment does not simply use a voltage signal containing information regarding a resistance variation of the channel c occurring due to an electric field generated in the recording medium 100 , in order to reproduce information recorded in the recording medium . instead , in the present exemplary embodiment , the electric field is first modulated by a modulation signal . next , a voltage signal containing information regarding a resistance variation of the channel c occurring due to a modulation result is demodulated using the modulation signal , and then information written in the recording medium 100 is reproduced according to a demodulation result . a frequency of the modulation signal is much higher than that of the electric field generated in the recording medium 100 , and accordingly , the modulated electric field is nearly completely unaffected by noise . thus , according to the present exemplary embodiment , since the voltage signal containing information regarding the resistance variation of the channel c occurring due to the electric field modulated by the modulation signal is obtained as a voltage signal that is nearly completely unaffected by the noise in a circuit constituting the read unit 330 , the information written in the recording medium 100 may be correctly reproduced . fig4 is a reference view illustrating an operation of the modulation unit 310 illustrated in fig3 , according to an exemplary embodiment . fig4 illustrates a source region s , a drain region d and a channel c of the electric field read / write head 110 illustrated in fig1 . referring to fig4 , a current may flow from the drain region d to the source region s through the channel c having width w , thickness t and length l . the width w of the channel c is determined according to an electric field 410 generated from the recording medium 100 . accordingly , a resistance of the channel c is determined according to the electric field 410 generated in the recording medium 100 . similarly , since a writing electrode wr is disposed above the first insulating layer 221 disposed above the channel c , the thickness t of the channel c is determined by the modulation signal 420 applied to the writing electrode wr . that is , the resistance of the channel c is affected by the modulation signal 420 . thus , the resistance of the channel c is given by equation 1 as follows : where r f is the resistance of the channel c , ρ is the resistivity of the channel c , a is a cross section of the channel c , l is the length of the channel c , w is the width of the channel c , t is the thickness of the channel c , w is the variation in width of the channel c occurring with respect to change in carrier distribution in the channel c due to an electric field generated in the recording medium 100 , and t is the variation in thickness of the channel c occurring with respect to carrier distribution in the channel c due to a modulation signal . when only a component r ω having a frequency w of the modulation signal is extracted from among components of r f of equation 1 , the component r ω can be given by equation 2 : fig5 is a circuit diagram of a modified version of the read unit 330 and the demodulation unit 340 illustrated in fig3 , according to an exemplary embodiment . referring to fig5 , a read unit 330 a includes a wheatstone bridge circuit and an instrumentation amplifier . the instrumentation amplifier may be implemented using a plurality of ideal operational amplifiers ( op amps ) to perform a given operation . in fig5 r f is a resistance of the channel c , v ss is a given voltage input to the read unit 330 a , r is a resistance , v 1 is a voltage of a non - inverting terminal of the instrumentation amplifier , and v 2 is a voltage of an inverting terminal of the instrumentation amplifier . the instrumentation amplifier amplifies and outputs v o , which is a ( a is a positive integer ) times a difference between v1 and v2 . at this time , v o represents the voltage signal determined according to the electric field variation ( more specifically , the electric field variation transition ) detected by the detection unit 320 as described above . as illustrated in fig5 , a demodulation unit 340 a demodulates v o by using a modulation signal v t , performs lpf with respect to a demodulation result v om ), and determines information written in the recording medium 100 according to a result v out of the lpf . in particular , v 1 , v 2 , v o , v om and v out , as illustrated in fig5 , are each given by equation 3 as follows : where r o is a dc component of r f , r 2ω is a component having a frequency 2ω that is twice the frequency ω of the modulation signal , extracted from among the components of r f . in components of v om , ( r o * v t ) has only a component of ω , ( r * v t ) has only a component of ω , ( rω * v t ) has only a dc component and a component of 2ω , and a dc component of ( r 2ω * v t ) has only components of ω and 3ω . thus , the demodulation unit 340 a may perform lpf with respect to the demodulation result v om to extract only a dc component from the demodulation result v om . that is , the demodulation unit 340 a may perform lpf with respect to the demodulation result v om to obtain only information regarding ( r ω * v t ) from among information regarding ( r o * v t ), ( r * v t ), ( r ω * v t ) and ( r 2ω * v t ), and may reproduce information written in the recording medium 100 according to the obtained information . fig6 is a circuit diagram of a modified version of the read unit 330 and the demodulation unit 340 illustrated in fig3 , according to another exemplary embodiment . as illustrated in fig6 , a read unit 330 b is embodied using an ideal op amp including a closed - loop . referring to fig6 , is a resistance of the channel c , v ss is a given voltage input to read unit 330 b , r is a resistance , i 1 is a current flowing through the resistance r connected to a non - inverting terminal of the op amp , v 1 is a voltage of a non - inverting terminal of the op amp and v o is the voltage signal determined according to the electric field variation ( more specifically , the electric field variation transition ) detected by the detection unit 320 as described above . as illustrated in fig6 , a demodulation unit 340 b demodulates v o by using the modulation signal v t , performs lpf with respect to the demodulation result v om , and determines information written in the recording medium 100 according to a result v out of the lpf . in particular , v 1 , v 2 , v o , v om and v out , as illustrated in fig6 are each given by equation 4 as follows : where r o is a dc component of r f and r 2ω , is a component having a frequency 2ω that is twice the frequency ω of the modulation signal , extracted from among the components of r t . in components v om , ( r o * v t ) has only a component of ω , ( r * v t ) has only a component of ω , ( r ω * v t ) has only a dc component and a component of 2ω , and a dc component of ( r 2ω * v t ) has only components of ω and 3ω . thus , a demodulation unit 340 b may perform lpf with respect to the demodulation result v om to extract only a dc component from the demodulation result v om . that is the demodulation unit 340 a may perform lpf with respect to the demodulation result v om to obtain only information regarding ( r ω * v t ) from among information regarding ( r o * v t ), ( r * v t ), ( r ω * v t ) and ( r 2ω * v t ), and may reproduce information written in the recording medium 100 according to the obtained information . fig7 is a flow chart of an electric field read / write method , according to an exemplary embodiment . the method according to the present exemplary embodiment may include correctly detecting a resistance of a channel , which varies according to an electric field generated from a recording medium in which information is written by an electric field , to correctly reproduce information written in the recording medium ( operations 710 through 730 ). the method of fig7 will be described with reference to fig1 , 2 a , 2 b , and 3 . the modulation unit 310 modulates an electric field generated from the recording medium 100 by using a given modulation signal ( operation 710 ). next , the detection unit 320 detects a variation in the modulated electric field ( operation 720 ). in particular , the detection unit 320 detects a variation in the resistance of the channel c occurring due to the modulated electric field . the demodulation unit 340 then demodulates a voltage signal determined according to the detected variation by using the modulation signal , and determines information written in the recording medium 100 according to a demodulation result ( operation 730 ). computer programs for executing the electric field read / write method according to the exemplary embodiments in a computer can be stored in a computer readable recording medium . examples of the computer readable recording medium include magnetic storage media ( e . g ., rom , floppy disks , hard disks , etc . ), and optical recording media ( e . g ., cd - roms , or dvds ). the exemplary embodiments can also be transmitted through a transmission medium , which include carrier waves transmitted through the internet or various types of communication channel . the computer readable recording medium can also be distributed over network - coupled computer systems so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion . while the present disclosure has set forth various exemplary embodiments , it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope as defined by the following claims .	1
referring to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout , fig1 and 2 illustrate a pair of installed bifold doors each having hinged folding sections 20 and 21 . each folding door section 20 is pivotally mounted on top and bottom coaxial pivot pin cartridge assemblies 22 and 23 forming a part of the main subject matter of this invention . similarly , each folding door section or panel 21 is provided at its top and bottom and near its free edge with a pair of identical guide pin cartridge assemblies 24 forming the remainder of the main subject matter of the invention . it may be noted that the previously mentioned top pivot pin cartridge assembly 22 shown in fig2 and 4 is constructed identically to the guide pin assembly 24 except for the fact that the molded nylon cylindrical guide cap 25 of the assembly 24 is not utilized . with particular reference to fig5 and 7 , the guide pin cartridge assembly 24 is shown in detail and comprises an elongated rectangular cross section tough molded nylon housing 26 which has one side open between a pair of parallel side walls 27 and also includes a third side wall 28 at right angles to the walls 27 . the housing 26 has a rectangular head 29 at one end and is tapered at its opposite end as shown at 30 in the drawings . the opposite end walls 31 and 32 of the housing 26 have coaxial circular apertures 33 formed therethrough for the sliding and rotatable reception of a rigid cylindrical folding door pivot pin 34 which has the aforementioned guide cap 25 fixedly secured to the end thereof adjacent the head 29 . as previously noted , the upper pivot pin cartridge assembly 22 is identical to the assembly 24 minus the guide cap 25 , so that the present description of the assembly 24 will serve as a description of the assembly 22 . a biasing expansion coil spring 35 is mounted on and surrounds pivot pin 34 in the housing 26 , with one end of the spring bearing on end wall shoulders 36 and its opposite end bearing on and restrained by small radial stop lugs 37 on the pin 34 . another radial lug 38 projecting from the pin 34 near and inwardly of the cap 25 is adapted to pass through an opening 39 of like shape in the end wall 31 , whereby the pin 34 and cap 25 can be releasably locked in the retracted spring - loaded state shown in fig5 with the spring 35 tightly compressed between the lugs 37 and shoulders 36 . this is accomplished by pushing on the cap 25 while holding the housing 26 and causing the lug 38 to pass inwardly through the opening 39 , followed by twisting or rotating pin 34 on its axis to lock the lug 38 against the interior of the end wall 31 , as shown in fig5 and 7 . by virtue of this arrangement , the guide pin cartridge assembly 24 and the similar upper pivot pin cartridge assembly 22 can be installed as a unit with the pin 34 retracted in the housing 26 . after insertion of the assembly in the door panel , as will be further described , manual twisting of the pin 34 in the opposite direction to align the locking lug 38 with the opening 39 allows the spring 35 to thrust the pin 34 and cap 25 to the active use position shown in phantom lines in fig5 and also shown in fig3 . this is a major convenience feature over the prior art in the process of installing the assemblies 24 and 22 . another important feature of the invention common to the assemblies 24 , 22 and 23 is the provision on the wall 28 of housing 26 immediately inwardly of the enlarged head 29 of an integral resilient locking tang 40 . this identical tang 40 on the assembly 22 is also clearly shown in fig6 and the construction and operation of this element in the three assemblies 24 , 22 and 23 is identical , as stated . in connection with the top and bottom guide pin cartridge assemblies 24 shown in fig3 after assembly with the sliding panel 21 of a bifold door , top and bottom hat cross section braces 41 of the door panel 21 have coaxial square apertures formed therethrough to allow easy insertion of the housings 26 downwardly and upwardly on the door panel to their assembled and securely locked positions , fig3 . the resilient locking tangs 40 yield inwardly and pass through the openings in the top and bottom walls of the braces 41 and then snap outwardly under and above these walls 42 to snap lock the assemblies 24 securely in place with the heads 29 of housings 26 abutting the walls 42 and the tapered ends 30 projecting through the far walls 43 of the braces 41 . in this manner , the entire assembly 24 is firmly held on the brace member 41 of the sliding door panel 21 , but can be removed if this is ever desired by depressing the tang 40 with a screwdriver . following insertion and snap locking of each assembly 24 in the above - described manner , the installer merely rotates the pin 30 , as already described , to align the lug 38 with opening 39 , thus allowing the spring 35 to project the pin 34 and cap 25 to the use position shown at the top and bottom of fig3 . in such position , each cap 25 guidingly engages an overhead or bottom door guide track 44 or 45 , as illustrated . no adjustment of the guide pin cartridge assembly 24 is provided for and none is necessary . the proper height adjustment of the folding door is made through the assembly 23 , now to be described . after such height adjustment , it is only necessary to insert and snap lock the assemblies 24 on the sliding door panel and release the spring tension , as described , and the guide pin assembly is ready for use . the identical simple installation of the top pivot pin cartridge assembly 22 , fig4 is made possible by the invention . when the assembly 22 is installed and its spring tension released in the described manner , the top end portion of the top pivot pin 34 is received in an overhead fixed pivot bearing 46 held within the track 44 in a conventional manner . the bottom adjustable pivot pin cartridge assembly 23 comprises a molded nylon housing 47 of rectangular cross section like the housing 26 and having basically the same outside dimensions so as to be insertable in a rectangular opening of the lower brace member 48 on the pivotal door panel 20 of each bifold door . like the housing 26 , the housing 47 has the already - described snap locking tang 40 near its enlarged head 49 which is arranged lowermost during use , fig4 in abutment with the bottom web 50 of brace member 48 . the far end of the molded housing 49 is slightly recessed on two side faces as at 51 , fig6 to receive two parallel legs 52 of a u - shaped lock clip or nut 53 which in effect straddles the adjacent end portion of the housing 47 . the legs 52 have in - struck tangs 54 which snap lock into detents 55 formed in the opposite sides of the housing 47 near one end . a transverse end wall 56 of the lock clip 53 has a central threaded opening 57 which threadably receives an adjustable screw - threaded pivot pin 58 having a screwdriver slot 59 in one end and a smooth cylindrical pivot extension 60 at its other end for the reception during use in a bearing 61 of bottom track 45 , fig4 . the lock clip 53 is of the same width as the housing 47 in two coordinate directions and thus is insertable with the rectangular housing as a unit upwardly through the rectangular openings of the brace member 48 . it can be noted in fig4 that the upper web 62 receives the lock clip 53 within its opening and thus lateral forces are directed to the hardened steel lock clip and not directly to the nylon housing 48 and this is a strength and durability feature of the invention . the tang 40 serves to lock the assembly 23 in place on the door panel 20 securely in the manner already described for the two assemblies 24 and 22 . as best shown in fig6 and 9 , the housing 47 is internally screw - threaded at the head 49 as indicated at 63 . it is also screw - threaded at its far end portion adjacent the lock clip 53 , as at 64 , and between these two locations , the housing is further internally threaded at longitudinally staggered cross bars 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 and 69 on opposite sides of the housing . collectively , these internally threaded portions of the molded nylon housing 47 provide more than one and one - half inch of full threads along the axis of the threaded pin 58 for security plus the threaded connection with the lock clip 53 which in effect is a nut . a cooperating lock nut 70 is provided on the assembly for locking abutment against the end face of steel lock clip 53 following adjustment of the pin 58 relative to the remainder of the assembly . the height adjustment of each bifold door is properly attained through adjustment with a screwdriver of the threaded pin 58 on assembly 23 , followed by tightening of the lock nut 70 with the assembly arranged as in fig4 . as in the case of assembly 22 and 24 , the bottom pivot pin cartridge assembly 23 is insertable as a unit and can be removed if this is ever necessary . the double thread lock arrangement prevents the threaded pin 58 from ever loosening during use and the hardened steel lock clip 53 adds strength , as described . it should now be apparent that the three similar assemblies 24 , 22 and 23 provide full pivotal and guiding support for each pair of panels 20 and 21 forming the bifold door . factory fabrication of the doors is rendered less expensive and installation on the job site is rendered simpler and more convenient . in these aspects , the invention is a significant advance over the prior art . one other feature of the invention is that all bifold doors are non - handed as shipped from the factory and stocked in a customer warehouse . only at installation does the door become either right or left handed by virtue of the way in which the handle 71 is attached to the pivot panel 20 of the door assembly . it is believed that the advantages of the invention over the prior art should now be apparent to those skilled in the art without the necessity for any further description herein . it is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same , and that various changes in the shape , size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to , without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims .	4
the present invention described herein is a washable multi - component magnetic floor mat . the mat is comprised of a textile component and a base component . the textile component and the base component are attached to one another via magnet attraction . the base component of the floor mat may be partially or wholly covered with a textile component . typically , the textile component will be lighter in weight than the base component . inversely , the base component will weigh more than the textile component . as shown in fig1 a , textile component 100 may be comprised of tufted pile carpet 125 . tufted pile carpet 125 is comprised of primary backing layer 117 and face yarns 115 . the primary backing layer 117 is typically included in the tufted pile carpet to give stability to the face yarns . the materials comprising face yarns 115 and primary backing layer 117 may independently be selected from synthetic fiber , natural fiber , man - made fiber using natural constituents , inorganic fiber , glass fiber , and a blend of any of the foregoing . by way of example only , synthetic fibers may include polyester , acrylic , polyamide , polyolefin , polyaramid , polyurethane , or blends thereof . more specifically , polyester may include polyethylene terephthalate , polytrimethylene terephthalate , polybutylene terephthalate , polylactic acid , or combinations thereof . polyamide may include nylon 6 , nylon 6 , 6 , or combinations thereof . polyolefin may include polypropylene , polyethylene , or combinations thereof . polyaramid may include poly - p - phenyleneteraphthalamide ( i . e ., kevlar ®), poly - m - phenyleneteraphthalamide ( i . e ., nomex ®), or combinations thereof . exemplary natural fibers include wool , cotton , linen , ramie , jute , flax , silk , hemp , or blends thereof . exemplary man - made materials using natural constituents include regenerated cellulose ( i . e ., rayon ), lyocell , or blends thereof . the material comprising face yarns 115 and primary backing layer 117 may be formed from staple fiber , filament fiber , slit film fiber , or combinations thereof . the fiber may be exposed to one or more texturing processes . the fiber may then be spun or otherwise combined into yarns , for example , by ring spinning , open - end spinning , air jet spinning , vortex spinning , or combinations thereof . accordingly , the material comprising face yarns 115 will generally be comprised of interlaced fibers , interlaced yarns , loops , or combinations thereof . the material comprising face yarns 115 and primary backing layer 117 may be comprised of fibers or yarns of any size , including microdenier fibers or yarns ( fibers or yarns having less than one denier per filament ). the fibers or yarns may have deniers that range from less than about 0 . 1 denier per filament to about 2000 denier per filament or , more preferably , from less than about 1 denier per filament to about 500 denier per filament . furthermore , the material comprising face yarns 115 and primary backing layer 117 may be partially or wholly comprised of multi - component or bi - component fibers or yarns in various configurations such as , for example , islands - in - the - sea , core and sheath , side - by - side , or pie configurations . depending on the configuration of the bi - component or multi - component fibers or yarns , the fibers or yarns may be splittable along their length by chemical or mechanical action . additionally , face yarns 115 and primary backing layer 117 may include additives coextruded therein , may be precoated with any number of different materials , including those listed in greater detail below , and / or may be dyed or colored to provide other aesthetic features for the end user with any type of colorant , such as , for example , poly ( oxyalkylenated ) colorants , as well as pigments , dyes , tints , and the like . other additives may also be present on and / or within the target fiber or yarn , including antistatic agents , brightening compounds , nucleating agents , antioxidants , uv stabilizers , fillers , permanent press finishes , softeners , lubricants , curing accelerators , and the like . the face yarns 115 may be dyed or undyed . if the face yarns 115 are dyed , they may be solution dyed . the weight of the face yarn , pile height , and density will vary depending on the desired aesthetics and performance requirements of the end - use for the floor mat . in fig1 a , face yarns 115 are illustrated in a loop pile construction . looking to fig1 b , textile component 100 is shown with face yarns 115 in a cut pile construction . of course , it is to be understood that face yarn constructions including combinations of loop pile and cut pile may likewise be used . the primary backing layer 117 can be any suitable primary backing material . the primary backing layer 117 may be comprised of a woven , nonwoven or knitted material , or combinations thereof . the general purpose of primary backing layer 117 is to support the tufts of face yarns 115 . in one aspect , primary backing layer 117 is a nonwoven polyester spunbond material . one commercially available example of the polyester spunbond material is lutradur ® from freudenberg nonwovens of weinheim , germany . in another aspect , flat woven polyester tapes , such as isis ™ from propex of chattanooga , tenn ., may be utilized . also , colback ® nonwoven backing material may also be suitable for use . if needed , a primary backing layer made of a woven tape with either staple fibers or nonwoven fabrics affixed can be used . also , stitch bonded and knitted polyester fabrics may be used . the tufted pile carpet 125 that includes face yarns tufted into a primary backing layer may be heat stabilized to prevent dimensional changes from occurring in the finished mat . the heat stabilizing or heat setting process typically involves applying heat to the material that is above the glass transition temperature , but below the melting temperature of the components . the heat allows the polymer components to release internal tensions and allows improvement in the internal structural order of the polymer chains . the heat stabilizing process can be carried out under tension or in a relaxed state . the tufted pile carpet is sometimes also stabilized to allow for the yarn and primary backing to shrink prior to the mat manufacturing process . in one aspect of the present invention , the tufted pile carpet is comprised of yarn tufted into fabric , which is then injection or fluid dyed , and then bonded with a rubber layer or washable latex backing . the carpet yarn may be selected from nylon 6 ; nylon 6 , 6 ; polyester ; and polypropylene fiber . the yarn is tufted into a woven or nonwoven substrate . the yarn can be of any pile height and weight necessary to support printing . the tufted pile carpet may be printed using any print process . in one aspect , injection dyeing may be utilized to print the tufted pile carpet . printing inks will contain at least one dye . dyes may be selected from acid dyes , direct dyes , reactive dyes , cationic dyes , disperse dyes , and mixtures thereof . acid dyes include azo , anthraquinone , triphenyl methane and xanthine types . direct dyes include azo , stilbene , thiazole , dioxsazine and phthalocyanine types . reactive dyes include azo , anthraquinone and phthalocyanine types . cationic dyes include thiazole , methane , cyanine , quinolone , xanthene , azine , and triaryl methine . disperse dyes include azo , anthraquinone , nitrodiphenylamine , naphthal imide , naphthoquinone imide and methane , triarylmethine and quinoline types . as is known in the textile printing art , specific dye selection depends upon the type of fiber and / or fibers comprising the washable textile component that is being printed . for example , in general , a disperse dye may be used to print polyester fibers . alternatively , for materials made from cationic dyeable polyester fiber , cationic dyes may be used . the printing process of the present invention uses a jet dyeing machine , or a digital printing machine , to place printing ink on the surface of the mat in predetermined locations . one suitable and commercially available digital printing machine is the millitron ® digital printing machine , available from milliken & amp ; company of spartanburg , s . c . the millitron ® machine uses an array of jets with continuous streams of dye liquor that can be deflected by a controlled air jet . the array of jets , or gun bars , is typically stationary . another suitable and commercially available digital printing machine is the chromojet ® carpet printing machine , available from zimmer machinery corporation of spartanburg , s . c . in one aspect , a tufted carpet made according to the processes disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 678 , 159 and u . s . pat . no . 7 , 846 , 214 , both to weiner , may be printed with a jet dyeing apparatus as described and exemplified herein . viscosity modifiers may be included in the printing ink compositions . suitable viscosity modifiers that may be utilized include known natural water - soluble polymers such as polysaccharides , such as starch substances derived from corn and wheat , gum arabic , locust bean gum , tragacanth gum , guar gum , guar flour , polygalactomannan gum , xanthan , alginates , and a tamarind seed ; protein substances such as gelatin and casein ; tannin substances ; and lignin substances . examples of the water - soluble polymer further include synthetic polymers such as known polyvinyl alcohol compounds and polyethylene oxide compounds . mixtures of the aforementioned viscosity modifiers may also be used . the polymer viscosity is measured at elevated temperatures when the polymer is in the molten state . for example , viscosity may be measured in units of centipoise at elevated temperatures , using a brookfield thermosel unit from brookfield engineering laboratories of middleboro , mass . alternatively , polymer viscosity may be measured by using a parallel plate rheometer , such as made by haake from rheology services of victoria australia . after printing , the tufted pile carpet may be vulcanized with a rubber backing . the thickness of the rubber will be such that the height of the finished textile component will be substantially the same height as the surrounding base component when the base component is provided in a tray configuration . once vulcanized , the textile component may be pre - shrunk by washing . the textile component 100 further comprises a magnetic coating layer 110 . the magnetic coating layer 110 is present on the surface of the textile component 100 that is opposite face yarns 115 . application of magnetic coating layer 110 to the tufted pile carpet 125 will be described in greater detail below . the resulting textile component 100 is wash durable and exhibits sufficient tuft lock for normal end - use applications . in one alternative embodiment of the invention , the textile component may be a disposable textile component that is removed and disposed of or recycled and then replaced with a new textile component for attachment to the base component . after the textile component has been made , it will be custom cut to fit into the recessed area of the base component ( for instances in which the base component is in the form of a tray ) or onto the base component ( for instances wherein the base component is substantially flat / trayless / without recessed area ). the textile component may be cut using a computer controlled cutting device , such as a gerber machine . it may also be cut using a mechanical dye cutter , hot knife , straight blade , or rotary blade . in one aspect of the invention , the thickness of the textile component will be substantially the same as the depth of the recessed area when the base component is in the form of a tray . fig2 a illustrates one embodiment of the base component of the floor mat of the present invention . referring to fig2 a , base component 200 contains recessed area 260 surrounded by border 270 . border 270 slopes gradually upward from outer perimeter 280 to inner perimeter 290 , to create recess 210 within base 200 , corresponding to the recessed area of 260 . fig2 a illustrates that the recessed area 260 of base component 200 possesses a certain amount of depth , thereby defining it as “ recessed .” the depth of recessed area 260 is illustrated by 210 . the base component is a planar - shaped tray , which is sized to accommodate the textile component . the base component may also include a border surrounding the tray , whereby the border provides greater dimensional stability to the tray , for example , because the border is thicker , i . e . greater in height relative to the floor . additionally , the border may be angled upward from its outer perimeter towards the interior of the base component , so as to provide a recessed area where the tray is located , thereby creating a substantially level area between the inner perimeter of the border and the textile component , when the textile component overlays the tray . additionally , the gradual incline from the outer perimeter of the border to the inner perimeter of the border minimizes tripping hazards and the recess created thereby protects the edges of the textile component . it can be understood that the base component may be subdivided into two or more recessed trays , by extending a divider from one side of the border to an opposite side of the border , substantially at the height of the inner perimeter . accordingly , it would be possible to overlay two or more textile components in the recesses created in the base component . the base component , including the border , may be formed in a single molding process as a unitary article . alternatively , the border and the tray may be molded separately and then bonded together in a second operation . the tray and border may be made of the same or different materials . examples of suitable compositions for forming the border and the tray are elastomers , such as natural and synthetic rubber materials , thermoplastic and thermoset resins and metal . the rubber material may be selected from the group consisting of nitrile rubber , including dense nitrile rubber , foam nitrile rubber , and mixtures thereof ; polyvinyl chloride rubber ; ethylene propylene diene monomer ( epdm ) rubber ; vinyl rubber ; thermoplastic elastomer ; and mixtures thereof . in one aspect , the base component is typically comprised of at least one rubber material . the rubber material may contain from 0 % to 40 % of a recycled rubber material . in one aspect , the base component may be formed into a tray shape according to the following procedure . rubber strips are placed overlapping the edges of a metal plate . the metal plate is to be placed on top of a sheet rubber and covered on all 4 sides by strip rubber . as the mat is pressed , it will bond the sheet rubber to the strips . this process may be completed , for example , at a temperature of 370 ° f . and a pressure of 36 psi . however , depending upon the rubber materials selected , the temperature may be in the range from 200 ° f . to 500 ° f . and the pressure may be in the range from 10 psi to 50 psi . using the recommend settings , the mat may be completely cured in 8 minutes . after the rubber strips are bound to the rubber sheet , the metal plate is removed leaving a void ( i . e . a recessed area in the base component ) in which to place the textile component . the textile component has the ability to be inserted and removed from the base component multiple times . as seen in fig2 b , floor mat 1 is present in an arrangement wherein textile component 100 overlays recessed area 260 of base component 200 . a corner of textile component 100 is turned back to further illustrate how the two components fit together within border 270 . as previously discussed herein , the base component of the floor mat may be in the form a tray . however , in one alternative embodiment , the base component of the floor mat may be flat and have no recessed area ( i . e . the base component is trayless ). a flat base component is manufactured from a sheet of material , such as a rubber material , that has been cut in the desired shape and vulcanized . fig2 c illustrates a multi - component floor mat 1 wherein textile component 100 is combined with base component 200 ′ that is flat and has no recessed area ( i . e . trayless ). fig2 d shows the multi - component floor mat 1 wherein both textile component 100 and base component 200 ′ are assembled together . fig3 a and 3b illustrate one embodiment of the back surface of the base component . the back surface of the base component is the surface which lies on the floor and therefore has direct contact with the surface of the floor . various patterns and / or protrusions on the back surface of the base component may be present so as to facilitate the base component &# 39 ; s adherence to the floor . as illustrated in fig3 a and 3b , protrusions 360 may be present on the back surface of base component 300 . the protrusions 360 may be present in a repeating pattern such that a three dimensional array of protrusions is formed having a uniform pattern . the textile component and the base component are attached to one another by magnetic attraction . magnetic attraction is achieved via application of a magnetic coating to the textile component and / or base component or via incorporation of magnetic particles in a rubber - containing layer prior to vulcanization . alternatively , magnetic attraction can be achieved using both methods such that a magnetic coating is applied to the textile component and magnetic particles are included in the vulcanized rubber of the base component . the inverse arrangement is also contemplated . the magnetic coating may be applied to the textile component and / or the base component by several different manufacturing techniques . exemplary coating techniques include , without limitation , knife coating , pad coating , paint coating , spray application , roll - on - roll methods , troweling methods , extrusion coating , foam coating , pattern coating , print coating , lamination , and mixtures thereof . fig4 illustrates one embodiment of the manufacturing process of the textile component of the present invention . the uncoated tufted pile carpet 425 is fed to laminating belt 410 . the belt moves through the coating zone to lamination zone of the lamination press . a magnetic coating 420 is fed transversely to laminating belt 410 . as magnetic coating 420 is fed to laminating belt 410 , it passes under coating knife 430 . the coating knife 430 is adjusted so that the desired coating thickness is achieved . for example , a magnetic coating thickness of 25 mil may be desirable . after magnetic coating 420 passes under coating knife 430 , it comes into contact with tufted pile carpet 425 . the magnetic coating 420 and tufted pile carpet 425 then move transversely to laminating press 440 . laminating press 440 is located above laminating belt 410 . the laminating press 440 is lowered onto laminating belt 410 , pressing tufted pile carpet 425 and magnetic coating 420 together . the laminating press 440 is heated and therefore provides both heat and pressure to the lamination process . providing heat at this point of the lamination process further serves to cure any materials ( e . g . binder materials ) that may be contained within the magnetic coating . after a pre - determined amount of time , laminating press 440 is lifted from laminating belt 410 . the magnetic coating 420 is now laminated to tufted pile carpet 425 to form textile component 450 . in one aspect , the laminating press may be operated at a temperature in the range from 200 ° f . to 500 ° f . and at a pressure in the range from 10 psi to 50 psi , or even at 300 ° f . and a pressure of 36 psi . in instances wherein magnetic attraction is achieved by incorporating magnetic particles in a rubber - containing layer , the following procedure may be utilized : ( a ) an unvulcanized rubber - containing material is provided ( such as nitrile , sbr , or epdm rubber ), ( b ) magnetic particles are added to the unvulcanized rubber , ( c ) the particles are mixed with the rubber , and ( d ) the mixture of step “ c ” is formed into a sheet and attached to the bottom of the textile component and / or represents the base component . mixing in step “ c ” may be achieved via a rubber mixing mill . fig5 is provided in order to illustrate some of the terms used herein with respect to various types of magnets and magnetization properties . in this application , magnetizable is defined to mean the particles present in the coating or vulcanized rubber layer are permanently magnetized or can be magnetized permanently using external magnets or electromagnets . once the particles are magnetized , they will keep their magnetic response permanently . the magnetizable behavior for generating permanent magnetism falls broadly under ferromagnets and ferrimagnets . barium ferrites , strontium ferrites , neodymium and other rare earth metal based alloys are non - limiting examples of materials that can be applied in the magnetic coatings and / or vulcanized rubber layer . as used herein , magnetically receptive is defined to mean the particles present in the coating and / or vulcanized rubber layer are only magnetically responsive in the presence of external magnets . the component that contains the magnetic particles is exposed to a magnetic field which aligns the dipoles of magnetic particles . once the magnetic field is removed from the vicinity , the particles will become non - magnetic and the dipoles are no longer aligned . the magnetically receptive behavior or responsive magnetic behavior falls broadly under paramagnets or superparamagnets ( particle size less than 50 nm ). this feature of materials being reversibly magnetic is shown in fig5 whereby the dipoles of the superparamagnetic or paramagnetic materials are not aligned , but upon exposure to a magnet , the dipoles line up and point in the same direction thereby allowing the materials to exhibit magnetic properties . non - limiting examples of materials exhibiting these features include iron oxide , steel , iron , nickel , aluminum , or alloys of any of the foregoing . further examples of magnetizable magnetic particles include bafe 3 o 4 , srfe 3 o 4 , ndfeb , alnico , cosm and other rare earth metal based alloys , and mixtures thereof . examples of magnetically receptive particles include fe 2 o 3 , fe 3 o 4 , steel , iron particles , and mixtures thereof . the magnetically receptive particles may be paramagnetic or superparamagnetic . the magnet particles are typically characterized as being non - degradable . in one aspect of the invention , particle size of the magnetically receptive particles is in the range from 1 micron to 10 microns . particle size of the magnetically receptive particles may be in the range from 10 nm to 50 nm for superparamagnetic materials . particle size of the magnetically receptive particles is typically greater than 100 nm for paramagnetic and / or ferromagnetic materials . magnetic attraction is typically exhibited at any loading of the above magnetic materials . however , the magnetic attraction increases as the loading of magnetic material increases . in one aspect of the invention , the magnetic field strength of the textile component to the base component is greater than 50 gauss , more preferably greater than 100 gauss , more preferably greater than 150 gauss , or even more preferably greater than 200 gauss . in one aspect , the magnetic material is present in the coating composition in the range from 25 % to 95 % by weight of the coating composition . in another aspect , magnetic particle loading may be present in the magnetic coating applied to the textile component in the range from 10 % to 70 % by weight of the textile component . the magnetic particle loading may be present in the magnetic coating applied to the base component in the range from 10 % to 90 % by weight of the base component . the magnetically receptive particles may be present in the vulcanized rubber layer of the textile component in a substantially uniform distribution . in another aspect of the present invention , it is contemplated that the magnetically receptive particles are present in the rubber layer of the textile component in a substantially non - uniform distribution . one example of a non - uniform distribution includes a functionally graded particle distribution wherein the concentration of particles is reduced at the surface of the textile component intended for attachment to the base component . alternatively , another example of a non - uniform distribution includes a functionally graded particle distribution wherein the concentration of particles is increased at the surface of the textile component intended for attachment to the base component . the magnetic attraction between the textile component and the base component may be altered by manipulation of the surface area of one or both of the textile and / or base components . the surfaces of one or both of the components may be textured in such a way that surface area of the component is increased . such manipulation may allow for customization of magnetic attraction that is not directly affected by the amount of magnetic particles present in the floor mat . for instance , a substantially smooth ( less surface area ) bottom surface of the textile component will generally result in greater magnetic attraction to the top surface of the base component . in contrast , a less smooth ( more surface area ) bottom surface of the textile component ( e . g . one having ripples or any other textured surface ) will generally result in less magnetic attraction to the top surface of the base component . of course , a reverse arrangement is also contemplated wherein the base component contains a textured surface . furthermore , both component surfaces may be textured in such a way that magnetic attraction is manipulated to suit the end - use application of the inventive floor mat . as discussed previously , the magnetic particles may be incorporated into the floor mat of the present invention either by applying a magnetic coating to surface of the textile component or by including the particles in the rubber material of the textile material and / or the base component prior to vulcanization . when incorporation is via a magnetic coating , a binder material is generally included . thus , the magnetic coating is typically comprised of at least one type of magnetic particles and at least one binder material . the binder material is typically selected from a thermoplastic elastomer material and / or a thermoplastic vulcanite material . examples include urethane - containing materials , acrylate - containing materials , silicone - containing materials , and mixtures thereof . barium ferrites , strontium ferrites , neodymium and other rare earth metal based alloys can be mixed with the appropriate binder to be coated on the textile and / or base component . in one aspect , the binder material will exhibit at least one of the following properties : ( a ) a glass transition ( t g ) temperature of less than 10 ° c . ; ( b ) a shore a hardness in the range from 30 to 90 ; and ( c ) a softening temperature of greater than 70 ° c . in one aspect , an acrylate and / or urethane - containing binder system is combined with fe 3 o 4 to form the magnetic coating of the present invention . the ratio of fe 3 o 4 : acrylate and / or urethane binder is in the range from 40 - 70 %: 60 : 30 % by weight . the thickness of the magnetic coating may be in the range from 10 mil to 40 mil . such a magnetic coating exhibits flexibility without any cracking issues . following application or inclusion of the magnetic particles into the textile and / or base component , the particles need to be magnetized . magnetization can occur either during the curing process or after the curing process . curing is typically needed for the binder material that is selected and / or for the rubber material that may be selected . during the curing process , the magnetizable particles are mixed with the appropriate binder and applied via a coating technique on the substrate to be magnetized . once the coating is complete , the particles are magnetized in the presence of external magnets during the curing process . the component that contains the magnetic particles is exposed to a magnetic field which aligns the dipoles of magnetic particles , locking them in place until the binder is cured . the magnetic field is preferably installed in - line as part of the manufacturing process . however , the magnetic field may exist as a separate entity from the rest of the manufacturing equipment . alternatively , the magnetic particles may be magnetized after the curing process . in this instance , the magnetizable particles are added to the binder material and applied to the textile and / or base component in the form of a film or coating . the film or coating is then cured . the cured substrate is then exposed to at least one permanent magnet . exposure to the permanent magnet may be done via direct contact with the coated substrate or via indirect contact with the coated substrate . direct contact with the permanent magnet may occur , for example , by rolling the permanent magnet over the coated substrate . the magnet may be rolled over the coated substrate a single time or it may be rolled multiple times ( e . g . 10 times ). the permanent magnet may be provided in - line with the manufacturing process , or it may exist separately from the manufacturing equipment . indirect contact may include a situation wherein the coated substrate is brought close to the permanent magnet , but does not contact or touch the magnet . depending upon the pole size , strength and domains on the permanent magnet ( or electromagnet ), it can magnetize the magnetizable coating to a value between 10 and 5000 gauss or a value close to the maximum gauss value of the magnetizing medium . once the coating is magnetized , it will typically remain permanently magnetized . it is further contemplated to be within the scope of the present invention that the base component of the multi - component floor mat is comprised of any substance that includes a magnetic material . the base component does not have to be comprised of vulcanized rubber . instead , the base component may be comprised of concrete , cellulose - containing materials ( e . g . wood ), metal , thermoplastic materials , thermoset materials , and the like , and combinations thereof . in one instance , the base component may be the floor itself where the textile component is to be installed . herein , the floor would include at least one magnetic material that is used to adhere the textile component to the floor . the textile component can then be laid directly on the floor which has at least one magnetic material applied thereto . suitable magnetic materials include any of those described previously herein . in one aspect , the magnetic materials may be incorporated into a paint composition and applied to the floor . or , an electromagnetic force may be applied to the area where the textile component is to be installed . any of these magnetic features will provide the necessary adherence of the textile component to the floor without the need for a vulcanized rubber base component . floor mats of the present invention may be of any geometric shape or size as desired for its end - use application . the longitudinal edges of the floor mats may be of the same length and width , thus forming a square shape . or , the longitudinal edges of the floor mats may have different dimensions such that the width and the length are not the same . alternatively , the floor mats may be circular , hexagonal , and the like . as one non - limiting example , floor mats of the present invention may be manufactured into any of the current industry standards sizes that include 2 feet by 4 feet , 3 feet by 4 feet , 3 feet by 5 feet , 4 feet by 6 feet , 3 feet by 10 feet , and the like . the washable floor mat of the present invention may be exposed to post treatment steps . for example , chemical treatments such as stain release , stain block , antimicrobial resistance , bleach resistance , and the like , may be added to the washable mat . mechanical post treatments may include cutting , shearing , and / or napping the surface of the washable multi - component floor mat . the performance requirements for commercial matting include a mixture of well documented standards and industry known tests . tuft bind of pile yarn floor coverings ( astm d1335 ) is one such performance test referenced by several organizations ( e . g . general services administration ). achieving tuft bind values greater than 4 pounds is desirable , and greater than 5 pounds even more desirable . resistance to delamination of the secondary backing of pile yarn floor covering ( astm d3936 ) is another standard test . achieving resistance to delamination values greater than 2 pounds is desirable , and greater than 2 . 5 pounds even more desirable . pilling and fuzzing resistance for loop pile ( itts112 ) is a performance test known to the industry and those practiced in the art . the pilling and fuzzing resistance test is typically a predictor of how quickly the carpet will pill , fuzz and prematurely age over time . the test uses a small roller covered with the hook part of a hook and loop fastener . the hook material is hook 88 from velcro of manchester , n . h . and the roller weight is 2 pounds . the hook - covered wheel is rolled back and forth on the tufted carpet face with no additional pressure . the carpet is graded against a scale of 1 to 5 . a rating of 5 represents no change or new carpet appearance . a rating of less than 3 typically represents unacceptable wear performance . an additional performance / wear test includes the hexapod drum tester ( astm d - 5252 or iso / tr 10361 hexapod tumbler ). this test is meant to simulate repeated foot traffic over time . it has been correlated that a 12 , 000 cycle count is equivalent to ten years of normal use . the test is rated on a gray scale of 1 to 5 , with a rating after 12 , 000 cycles of 2 . 5 = moderate , 3 . 0 = heavy , and 3 . 5 = severe . yet another performance / wear test includes the radiant panel test . some commercial tiles struggle to achieve a class i rating , as measured by astm e 648 - 06 ( average critical radiant flux & gt ; 0 . 45 = class i highest rating ). the textile component of the floor mat may be washed or laundered in an industrial , commercial or residential washing machine . achieving 200 commercial washes on the textile component with no structural failure is preferred . the following alignment and deployment techniques may be used for installing the multi - component floor mat : in the first case , it has been found that if the top half is rolled up in a fairly tight roll — face in — and then placed down on the base , that the total attraction force is so reduced that an installer can slide the roll enough to be able to get a good alignment with the base using the exposed end of the roll as a guide to align to the base . this method is mainly envisioned for small two part mats . alignment marks can be put on the base to assist the top alignment . the second method is to use the first method but coupled with a removable temporary “ mask ” that reduces the attractive force . this can be accomplished by using film or paper that is placed down on the base between the rolled up top and the base only in the area where the rolled up top will touch . now that the total area is greatly reduced by the roll and the force per unit area is reduced by the mask , then the ease of moving the roll around to achieve alignment is now even greater . once alignment is achieved , the film or paper is slid out . a third method , that is a refinement of the removable mask method , is to use a mask that is permanently installed and that selectively masks only the most critical area — i . e . the area directly below the roll , and leaves the area near the mat edge alone . for example , if using a magnetic base and iron containing top , one can use a thin magnetically receptive material known as “ flexiron ”. this material has the ability to significantly reduce the magnetic force while at the same time strongly sticks to the magnetic base and thus will not move ; the result is a permanently installed “ mask ”. this mask is sized and positioned so as to only mask the magnetic force directly below the roll , but leaves the edges alone so as to keep the force high where the edges must resist kicking up . one still manually aligns the roll and its edge to the base , but now the alignment is relatively easy and can be done quickly . additionally , the base component can be selectively magnetized so that a masking section is not magnetized . the perimeter around the masking section , as well as the perimeter that attracts the edge of the top piece , can be selectively magnetized . a fourth method can be used in concert with any of the above methods or alone . this method relies on an alignment pins or grommets that can capture two or more of the carpet corners . the pins are located in either the base or top and associated with the pins are complementary holes in the top or base . once inserted , the pins capture the other half of the carpet requiring such that the two halves cannot be separated without substantial force . once captured , the top mat can be picked up and gently laid down in alignment with the base . if a mat top should become disturbed or misaligned in the field , it is relatively easy to realign by simply picking the top up and laying it back down . if used in concert with 1 - 3 above , alignment now becomes not only easy , but quick and precise . furthermore if care is taken to ensure that the masked area is always below the alignment pins and is sufficient size so that if the top is picked up that where it drapes is masked , then alignment / deployment is always easy . a fifth method is a refinement of number 4 whereby the attachment pins are hidden and not visible from the face of the mat top . methods to accomplish this are tightly fitting grommets or strong magnets molded into or glued to the back of the top mat , or grommets with strong magnets — all associated with complimentary holes with or without magnets in the base . this method can also be used in association with any of the 1 - 3 methods . another variation includes a line or pattern of magnetic pairs on one end of the textile component that “ snap ” the textile component and base component together . these pairs can be spaced such that a single alignment is highly favorable over any other attraction . the magnet pairs may be arranged with opposing poles and the different pairs in the line or pattern have alternating spacing to prevent misalignment . the invention may be further understood by reference to the following examples which are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention . some samples were evaluated on a “ pass ” or “ fail ” basis . a “ pass ” rating indicates that the textile component did not fall apart , but rather maintained its structural integrity and was suitable for use in its intended purpose . a “ fail ” rating indicates that one or more layers of the textile component came apart , that the textile did not maintain its structural integrity , and / or the textile was not suitable for use in its intended purpose . a torture wash is intended to be equivalent to 10 commercial washes . the amount of movement in a floor mat is measured using the lateral movement test . first a location on the floor is marked usually using a piece of tape . next a floor mat is placed at that mark . for a lateral movement walk test , the person conducting the test walks over the test piece 150 times . each pass must be in the same direction to ensure accurate measurement movement . once this is done 150 times in the same direction , the person conducting the test must measure how far the test piece is from the original location . this should be done on both of the front corners . once a walk test is completed , a second lateral movement cart test is run . this test involves the same process , but requires a cart holding a 100 lb . load to roll over the test piece 50 times . the distance is then measured and recorded . the thickness of each sample was measured using a starrett pocket dial gauge . the specific model was the starrett no . 1010 . the pocket dial that was used came with an inspection certificate ( form 804 ) to ensure accuracy . the tuft lock test was conducted by cutting out a sample of finished textile component approximately 6 ″× 10 ″. once the sample was cut out , it was placed in a tensitech tensile testing machine . a tensile testing program was then run allowing the machine to grasp on to a single tuft in the carpet . once the machine locked on to a single tuft , it recorded how much force was required to pull the tuft out of the rubber backed textile component . this data was then recorded and run 4 more times for a total of 5 pulls . then , once all tests were complete the data was evaluated making sure all pulls recorded a value higher than 4 . 0 lbf . the body tear test was conducted by cutting out a sample of finished textile component approximately 4 ″× 7 ″ with a 2 ″ slit at one end of it . once the sample was cut out , it was placed in a tensitech tensile testing machine with one side of the slit in the top clamp , and the other side of the slit in the bottom clamp . a tensile testing program was then run pulling the top clamp upwards . the force required to pull the top clamp up was recorded as the sample ripped in half . this data was then recorded and run 2 more times for a total of 3 pulls . then , once all tests were complete the data was evaluated making sure all pulls recorded a value higher than 13 . 0 lbf . the magnetic hold strength test was conducted by cutting out a 8 ″× 8 ″ sample of finished textile component with smooth magnetically responsive backing . once the sample was cut out , it was clamped in the top clamp of the instron tensile testing machine such that the full width of the mat was in the 9 inch wide top clamp to a length of at least 1 ″ inch . a 6 ″× 2 ″ magnetic strip with a magnetic strength of 200 gauss was mounted on a stiff metal plate measuring 10 ″× 8 ″ with the long side oriented in the vertical direction . the metal plate was mounted in an immobile fixture on the base of the machine and aligned parallel to the textile component in such a manner that the magnetic strip was in intimate contact with the magnetically responsive backing of the finished textile component . a testing program was then run pulling the top clamp upwards . the force required to pull the top clamp up was recorded as the sample traversed across the length of the magnetic strip . this data was then recorded and run 2 more times for a total of 3 pulls . then once all tests were complete the data was evaluated at 0 . 1 ″ traverse to assess the magnetic hold strength in lbf / inch . a tufted face assembly was prepared comprising a nylon 6 , 6 yarn tufted into a pre - shrunk lutrador 52 nonwoven primary backing . the nylon 6 , 6 yarn was ⅛ th inch gauge and was tufted at 8 . 70 stitches per inch . tufts were sheared to a pile height of 18 / 64 th inch , resulting in a fabric weight of 20 . 0 oz / sq . yard . the tufted roll measured 145 inches from outside tuft row to outside tuft row . the tufted roll was then printed using a millitron ® digital printing machine . the tufted face assembly was run down the millitron ® digital printing machine at a speed of 25 feet / minute . a combination of 12 gun bars was utilized to distribute dye to the tufted face assembly with the dye flow set to 36 . the tufted face assembly was then exposed to a first steam step in a steamer at 209 ° f ., and then again in a post steam / stain blocker step at 150 ° f . the printed tufted face assembly was then dried at 240 ° f . the printed tufted face assembly was then slit into 3 . 2 ′ wide rolls . these rolls were placed on top of 0 . 130 ″ ( thickness ) nitrile rubber . the uncured nitrile rubber was then sent into a press with the printed tufted face assembly on top . the press heated up to 365 ° f . from the bottom as soon as the printed assembly entered the press area . the press then applied pressure at 35 psi to the top of the printed tufted face assembly to push it into the rubber . the printed tufted face assembly was then held in the press for 8 minutes before it was removed . after it was removed , it was preshrunk in a drier at 290 ° f . to form a washable carpet in roll form . the washable carpet in roll form was then cut into the desired shape and / or size . in another example , a mat was made with a 0 . 030 ″ thick magnetically responsive filler loaded nitrile rubber backing . the mat had solution dyed yarn ( sdn ) yarn tufted in a polyester non - woven primary backing layer . it was bonded to the backing at 370 ° f . under 35 psi pressure and cured for 4 minutes . no further preshrinking was done . however , the backing layer was then exposed to a needling process to make it porous . a smooth rubber backing has no protrusions on the rubber surface of the mat ( e . g . the surface of the mat that comes in contact with the magnetic base ). in other words , the smooth backing is free from protrusions . protrusions are typically added to the magnetic base to aid in preventing unintended lateral movement of the mat . the construction of the washable mat was identical to the mat produced in example 1 . when the nitrile rubber was placed on the press , it was put on a teflon coated belt that had no indentions in it . the top of the belt was smooth which allowed the bottom of the rubber to have a smooth surface as well . the nitrile rubber for the base was constructed by layering of the magnetic rubber and the rubber without any magnetic fillers with the latter one forming the gripper base . a gripper rubber backing was characterized by having ( 1 ) a grid pattern on the rubber surface that was free from protrusions and ( 2 ) protrusions on the interior spaces between the protrusion free areas . the protrusions were present in a square pattern . thus , the gripper backing contained a repeating pattern of small protrusions in areas that were ⅞ ths inch by 1 inch square . the protrusions were approximately 1 / 16 th inch high . the protrusions covered approximately 70 percent of the surface of the rubber backing . the construction of the washable mat was the same as the mat produced in example 1 . when the nitrile rubber was placed on the press , it was put on a teflon coated belt that had 1 / 16 th inch indention in it in small square patterns . when the press reached 365 ° f ., it caused the rubber to become very soft . once the pressure of 35 psi was applied to the top of the washable mat assembly , it pushed the soft rubber into the indentions forming the “ gripper ” pattern . the nitrile rubber for the base was constructed by layering of the magnetic rubber and the rubber without any magnetic fillers with the latter one forming the megahold base . a megahold rubber backing was characterized by having fewer and larger indentations on the rubber surface , when compared to the gripper backing . the indentations were present in groups of four that and were spaced in a square pattern . thus , the megahold pattern contained a repeating pattern of four large indentations in areas that were 3 . 625 inches by 3 . 875 inches square . the indentations were approximately ⅛ inch deep . the indentations covered approximately 40 percent of the surface of the rubber backing . the construction of the washable mat was the same as the mat produced in example 1 . before the rubber was placed on to the teflon belt , the operator placed a metal plate on the belt . the metal plate contained circles on the top surface . the circles included a hole drilled in the center to allow rubber to form on the inside . the nitrile rubber was then placed on top of the metal plate , with the fabric / carpet on top . when the press reached 365 ° f ., it caused the rubber to become very soft . once the pressure of 35 psi was applied to the top of the washable mat assembly , it pushed the soft rubber around and into the metal plate forming the “ megahold ” backing . the magnetic backcoating layer thickness was varied . samples were prepared with 20 mils , 25 mils and 30 mils of magnetic backcoating . the backcoatings were applied to forever ® mats from milliken & amp ; company of spartanburg , s . c . these mats were then subject to the standard wash and body tear test and a magnetic shear hold test . to perform the magnetic shear hold test a test set - up was created where the bottom grip of an instron was replaced by a vertical aluminum plate with a permanent magnet sheet attached . the permanent magnetic sheet was similar in construction and in magnetic strength ( measured in gauss ) to the magnetic base component that the magnetic backcoated textile component was installed on . the magnetic backcoated textile component was gripped on the top jaw of the test frame such that the magnetic backcoating was attached to the permanent magnet sheet . the assembly was adjusted to ensure that the backcoated textile component moved parallel to the face of the magnetic sheet on the aluminum plate when the top jaw was moved at a rate of 12 inches / minute . the force on the load cell after a 1 ″ traverse was recorded as the magnetic shear force . the results from testing the backcoated textile at 1 ×, 10 × and 20 × torture washes is presented in table 1 below . all references , including publications , patent applications , and patents , cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein . the use of the terms “ a ” and “ an ” and “ the ” and similar referents in the context of describing the subject matter of this application ( especially in the context of the following claims ) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural , unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context . the terms “ comprising ,” “ having ,” “ including ,” and “ containing ” are to be construed as open - ended terms ( i . e ., meaning “ including , but not limited to ,”) unless otherwise noted . recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range , unless otherwise indicated herein , and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein . all methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context . the use of any and all examples , or exemplary language ( e . g ., “ such as ”) provided herein , is intended merely to better illuminate the subject matter of the application and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the subject matter unless otherwise claimed . no language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non - claimed element as essential to the practice of the subject matter described herein . preferred embodiments of the subject matter of this application are described herein , including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the claimed subject matter . variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description . the inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate , and the inventors intend for the subject matter described herein to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein . accordingly , this disclosure includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law . moreover , any combination of the above - described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the present disclosure unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context .	3
fig1 and 2 illustrate one form of the invention . in this form the sheath member 10 is in the form of a cylindrical sleeve having cut - out slots 10a in the forward end thereof to form a pair of sheath elements 10b on both sides of the slots 10a . an intravenous ( iv ) tube 12 is illustrated having a main supply tube 12a and a branch tube 12b . the supply tube 12a may be received in one of the cut out slots 10a between the two sheath elements 10b as shown in fig1 when an injection is made into the branch tube 12b . a conventional sealing cap 12c normally closes the end of the branch tube 12b . the cylindrical body of the sheath 10 is slidably mounted on the outside of a conventional syringe 15 which has a tubular body portion 15a and a plunger unit 15b slidably mounted within the body . the tubular body portion 15a forms a mounting hub for the sheath 10 . the outside of the body 15a is provided with grooves 15c and the cylindrical mounting portion of the sheath 10 is provided with knobs 10d on the inside thereof . the inwardly extending knobs 10d are received in the respective grooves 15c for sliding engagement therein to permit the sheath 10 to be retracted to expose substantially the full length of the syringe needle for use . the cut out slots 10a are wide enough to receive the supply tube 12a so that the sheath 10 will not interfere with a syringe injection into the branch tube 12b . the grooves 15c are provided with circumferentially extending locking portions 15d so that when the sheath 10 is in fully extended maximum protection position , the knobs 10d will be shifted to the forward ends of the groove portions 15c . in this position the cylindrical sheath portion 10 may be rotated to seat the knobs 10d against the closed ends of the circumferential slot portions 10d . in this form of the invention it will be seen that the protective sheath assembly is mounted on the injection syringe 15 to work in conjunction therein . fig3 , and 5 show a modified form of the invention wherein a sheath 22 is mounted on a needle unit 20 . the needle 20 has a hub portion 20a adapted to be connected to the discharge end of an iv tube or to the discharge end of a syringe ( not shown ). the sheath 22 is provided with a pair of spaced attachment arms 22a which are pivotally connected to opposite sides of the hub 20a as by pivot pins 20b mounted on said hub and extending through registered apertures in the arms 22a . the protective end portion side of sheath 22 has generally u - shaped cross section with an open side 22b extending the full length thereof . an elongated slot 22c extends longitudinally through a major portion of the opposite side of sheath member 22 to permit usage with an iv tube assembly such as the supply tube 12a and branch tube 12b ( shown in fig1 ). the slot 22c permits the needle 20 to be inserted through the iv cap 12c without retraction of the sheath 22 . the longitudinal openings 22b and 22c of the sheath 22 are only sufficiently wide to permit the sheath to remain in protective position , while the needle is inserted into the iv branch tube 12b , and prevent the finger of an operator from contacting the needle . means are provided for releasably holding the needle in aligned protective position as shown in fig4 and 5 , such as suitable retaining knobs 20c provided on the outside of the needle hub 20a and a pair of stop bars or projections 22d provided on the inside of the arms 22a . the knobs 20c engage the stop bars 22d to positively maintain the sheath 22 in aligned protective position surrounding over the needle 20 . fig6 shows a form of the invention which is somewhat similar to the form of the invention shown in fig1 and 2 except that the sheath 25 is pivotally mounted on the outside of a syringe tube 26 which has a needle 27 attached thereto . the syringe tube has a pair of pivot pins 26a attached thereto near the discharge end thereof to pivotally connect the bifurcated attachment arms 25a of the sheath 25 to the syringe 26 . a pair of stop pins 26b are also formed on the outside of the syringe 26 in spaced relation to the pins 26a and stop ribs 25b on arms 25a frictionally engage the surface of the syringe 26 and abut the pins 26a . the protector sheath 25 is also provided with an open end 25c and an elongated access slot 25d to facilitate use with an iv branch tube arrangement such as previously described . fig7 , and 9 illustrate a needle protective sheath assembly adapted for use in the installation of an iv catheter into a patient &# 39 ; s blood vessel . the pointed inserting end of a needle 30 is illustrated in fig7 . the needle 30 is surrounded by a catheter 31 of an iv tube . the catheter 31 has a connecting hub 31a and slidably receives the needle 30 therethrough for initial insertion of the catheter 31 into the patient &# 39 ; s blood vessel . the needle 30 has a connecting hub 30a on the rear end thereof connected to a spindle 32 which is fixed to a mounting cylinder 34 . the mounting cylinder 34 is provided with a track 34a along the top side thereof and a positioning slide 35 is slidably mounted in said track as illustrated in fig7 and 9 . a sheath 37 open along one longitudinal side thereof forms an opening 37a as best shown in fig8 . the sheath is pivotally mounted on the outside of the mounting cylinder 34 as by pivot pins 37b . a camming pin 35a extends through the upper portion of the slide 35 above the track 34a and is slidably mounted in cam slots 37c formed in the side wall portions of the sheath 37 . to insert the catheter 31 of the iv tube into the patient &# 39 ; s blood vessel the sheath is elevated into raised full - line position as shown in fig7 and the needle 30 and catheter 31 are initially inserted into the patient &# 39 ; s blood vessel . the catheter 31 has a hub 31a with a collar 31b formed therearound for engagement with the end of slide 35 . after initial or partial insertion of the needle and catheter assembly into the blood vessel , the end of the catheter is then projected farther into the blood vessel by pushing forwardly on the finger grip 35b which moves the end of the slide 35 and the collar 31b forwardly . this forward movement of the catheter into the vein may be combined with a rearward retraction of the cylinder 35 which retracts the needle from the catheter to expose the outer end of the catheter hub 31a for a conventional connection to the end of an iv delivery tube . in order to provide a protective covering for the needle after withdrawal , the sheath is automatically lowered into dotted position by the forward movement of on the slide 35 . the camming pin 35a travels in the cam slots 37c to produce the lowering of the sheath 37 into protective position around the needle 30 .	0
the present invention provides a non - peptidic amino derivative having the general structure of formula i , r 1 , r 3 , r 4 and r 5 are each independently hydrogen , c 1 - c 10 alkyl , c 1 - c 10 alkyl substituted with one or more substituents , c 2 - c 10 alkenyl , c 2 - c 10 alkenyl substituted with one or more substituents , c 2 - c 10 alkynyl , c 2 - c 10 alkynyl substituted with one or more substituents , c 1 - c 8 alkoxy , c 1 - c 8 alkoxy substituted with one or more substituents , c 2 - c 8 alkoxycarbonyl , c 2 - c 8 alkoxycarbonyl substituted with one or more substituents , c 1 - c 8 thioalkyl , c 1 - c 8 thioalkyl substituted with one or more substituents , c 2 - c 8 acyl , c 2 - c 8 acyl substituted with one or more substituents , c 2 - c 8 acyloxy , c 2 - c 8 acyloxy substituted with one or more substituents , aryloxy , aryl , aryl substituted with one or more substituents , c 3 - c 7 cycloalkyl , c 3 - c 7 cycloalkyl substituted with one or more substituents , c 3 - c 7 heterocycle , or c 3 - c 7 heterocycle substituted with one or more substituents , or any of these rings fused or spiro - fused to a cycloalkyl , heterocyclic or aromatic ring ; r 2 is hydrogen , straight or branched c 1 - c 6 alkyl or c 3 - c 7 cycloalkyl or c 3 - c 7 cycloalkyl substituted with one or more substituents , c 3 - c 7 heterocycle , c 3 - c 7 heterocycle substituted with one or more substituents , aryl , aryl substituted with one or more substituents , heteroaryl , heteroaryl substituted with one or more substituents , or any of these rings fused or spiro - fused to a cycloalkyl , heterocyclic or aromatic ring ; or r 2 together with r 1 forms a c 2 - c 7 heterocycle , c 2 - c 7 heterocycle substituted with one or more substituents , heteroaryl , or heteroaryl substituted with one or more substituents ; w is carbonyl ( c ═ o ), amido ( nh ( c ═ o )), amidoalkyl ( nh ( c ═ o ) ch 2 —), imino ( c ═ nh ), thiocarbonyl ( c ═ s ), sulfonyl ( so 2 ), methylene ( ch 2 ), or methylene substituted with one or more substituents ; z is carbonyl ( c ═ o ), amino ( nh ), imino ( c ═ n ), sulfonyl ( so 2 ), or ( c ═ o ) nh ; or z , together with r 1 , n , w , x , and y , forms a c 5 - c 7 heterocyclic ring in which r 1 is a direct bond or a c 1 - c 2 alkylene . with reference to formula i , preferred fsh agonists are cyclic compounds wherein z together with r 1 , n , w , x , and y form a c 5 - c 7 heterocyclic ring in which r 1 is a direct bond or a c 1 - c 2 alkylene and which is substituted with one or more substituents , also with reference to formula i , additional preferred fsh agonists are cyclic compounds wherein r 2 and r 3 form a c 5 - c 7 heterocycle substituted with one or more substituents : r 1 , r 2 , r 4 , r 5 , w , y , and z are as defined for formula i ; and r 3 and r 9 are each independently hydrogen , halogen , cyano , oxo , carboxy , formyl , nitro , amino , amidino , guanidino , c 1 - c 5 alkyl or alkenyl or arylalkyl imino , azido , mercapto , carboxamido , hydroxy , hydroxyalkyl , alkylaryl , arylalkyl , c 1 - c 8 alkyl , c 1 - c 8 alkenyl , c 1 - c 8 alkoxy , c 1 - c 8 alkoxycarbonyl , c 2 - c 8 acyl , c 1 - c 8 alkylthio , arylalkylthio , arylthio , c 1 - c 8 alkylsulfinyl , arylalkylsulfinyl , arylsulfinyl , c 1 - c 8 alkylsulfonyl , arylalkylsulfonyl , arylsulfonyl , c 1 - c 6 n - alkyl carbamoyl , c 2 - c 15 n , n - dialkylcarbamoyl , c 1 - c 5 alkyl or alkenyl or arylalkyl ester , c 1 - c 7 cycloalkyl , aroyl , aryloxy , benzyloxy , benzyloxy substituted with one or more substituents , aryl , aryl substituted with one or more substituents , c 3 - c 7 heterocycle , or any of these rings fused or spiro - fused to a cycloalkyl , heterocyclic or aromatic ring , — nr 6 r 7 where r 6 and r 7 are as defined for formula i , or —( ch 2 ) s nr 6 r 7 where s is 1 - 6 and r 6 and r 7 are as defined for formula i . additional preferred fsh agonists are compounds in which r 3 and r 9 of formula iv - a together form a substituted or unsubstituted c 3 - c 7 cycloalkyl or c 3 - c 7 heterocycle spiro ring , or such a ring fused to a cycloalkyl , heterocyclic or aromatic ring : wherein r 3 and r 4 together with the c and y to which they are bound , respectively , form a substituted or unsubstituted aryl , substituted or unsubstituted c 3 - c 7 cycloalkyl or c 3 - c 7 heterocycle , or any of these rings fused or spiro - fused to a cycloalkyl , heterocyclic or aromatic ring , and r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 5 , r 9 , w , y , and z are as defined for formula i . also with reference to formula i , additional preferred fsh agonists are cyclic α - aminocarboxamides wherein x = ch , y = n , and r 3 and r 4 together with the carbon and nitrogen atoms to which they are attached form a heterocyclic or heteroaromatic ring , r 1 , r 2 , r 5 , w and z are as defined for formula i ; a and b are each independently — ch 2 —, — ch ( r 10 )—, — o —, — s —, — nh —, or — nr 10 —, where r 10 is hydrogen , hydroxy , amino , amino substituted with one or more substituents , c 1 - c 6 alkoxy , c 1 - c 6 alkyl , c 1 - c 6 alkyl substituted with one or more substituents , c 1 - c 6 alkoxycarbonyl , cyano , c 1 - c 6 aminoalkyl , or —( ch 2 ) s nr 6 r 7 , where s , r 6 , and r 7 are as defined for formula i . wherein r 3 and w form a substituted or unsubstituted aryl , substituted or unsubstituted c 3 - c 7 cycloalkyl , c 3 - c 7 heterocycle , or any of these rings fused or spiro - fused to a cycloalkyl , heterocyclic or aromatic ring , and r 1 , r 2 , r 4 , r 5 , x , y , and z are as defined for formula i . with reference to formulae iii and v , or v and vii , preferred fsh agonists are compounds wherein rings are combined to form fused bicyclic rings , wherein the rings in viii - a and viii - b are defined the same way as the corresponding rings in formulae iii , v , and vii . with reference to formulae i and v , additional preferred fsh agonists include compounds wherein y = n and r 3 and r 4 together with the carbon and nitrogen atoms to which they are attached form a heterocyclic or heteroaromatic ring , r 1 , r 2 , r 5 , r 9 , w , and z are as defined for formula i ; r 11 , r 12 and r 13 are defined the same way as r 9 , and additionally , each of r 9 , r 11 , r 12 , and r 13 either independently or in combination are capable of forming a spiro or fused or bridged ring ; l and m are independently ch , n , o , or s , provided l and m are not both heteroatoms and when l is o or s there is no r 13 and when m is o or s there is no r 12 . with reference to formulae i and iv , preferred fsh agonists also include acyclic α - aminocarboxamides and spiro - ring containing α - aminocarboxamides of formula x , wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 9 , z and the spiro ring are as defined for formulae i and iv . with reference to formulae i and vii , preferred fsh agonists also include 2 , 3 - diamino aryl or heteroaryl groups substituted with one or more substituents that are optionally fused to a cycloalkyl , heterocyclic , or aryl ring substituted with one or more substituents , r 1 , r 2 , r 4 , r 5 , r 6 , r 11 , r 12 , r 13 , b , y and z are as defined for formulae i and ix ; and especially preferred fsh agonists are cyclic alpha - amino carboxamides that contain a heterocyclic or heteroaromatic ring , wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 5 , n , a , and b are as defined for formala vi . especially preferred fsh agonists based on formula ix are cyclic alpha - amino carboxamides that contain a heterocyclic or heteroaromatic ring , wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 5 , r 9 , r 11 , r 12 , r 13 , n , l , and m are as defined for formula ix , and additionally , r 11 and r 12 together may form a fused substituted or unsubstituted aromatic ring . additional especially preferred fsh agonists based on formula ix are cyclic compounds wherein w is amido rather than carbonyl ( formula xiii - a ): especially preferred fsh agonists based on formula xiii - a are compounds of formula xiii - b , wherein r 14 and r 15 are defined the same way as r 9 in formula iv - a and r 16 is defined the same way as r 2 in formula i . especially preferred fsh agonists related to compounds of formula xiii - b are compounds of formula xiii - c , wherein r 14 and r 16 are as defined for formula xiii - b and r 17 is defined the same way as r 2 in formula i . especially preferred fsh agonists based on formula x are acyclic alpha - amino carboxamides or spiro - ring substituted alpha - amino - carboxamides , wherein either r 3 or r 9 is not hydrogen , wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 4 , r 5 , and z are as defined for formulae x - a and x - b , and r 11 , r 12 , r 13 , and m are as defined for formula ix . especially preferred fsh agonists based on formula xi are 2 - amino - 3 - carboxamido pyridines or the bicyclic analogs thereof , wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 4 , r 5 , r 6 , r 11 , r 12 , r 13 , and b are as defined for formulae xi - a and xi - b . specific examples of compounds represented by formula xiii include the following : which can exist in two enantiomeric forms ( the asterisk denotes the chiral center ); which can exist in two enantiomeric forms ( the asterisk denotes the chiral center ); specific examples of compounds represented by formula xiv include the following : specific examples of compounds represented by formula xv include the following : it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that compounds of the invention may contain a chiral center , and thus will exist in two enantiomeric forms . the present invention includes the use of the individual enantiomers and mixtures of the enantiomers . the enantiomers may be resolved by methods known to those skilled in the art , for example by formation of diastereomeric complexes or derivatives which may be separated , for example , by crystallization or chromatographic separation . alternatively , specific enantiomers may be synthesized by asymmetric synthesis using optically active reagents , substrates , catalysts or solvents , or by converting one enantiomer to the other by asymmetric transformation . the non - peptidic amino derivatives of the present invention represent small molecule substitutes for fsh for the treatment of infertility . the invention therefore comprises a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of any of formulas i - xxvii and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier , diluent , or excipient thereof . the invention further comprises a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of any of formulas i - xxvii and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier , diluent , or excipient thereof in combination with fsh . the invention further comprises a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of any of formulas i - xxvii and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier , diluent , or excipient thereof in combination with the antiestrogen compound clomiphene citrate ( cassidenti et al . ( 1992 ) hum . reprod ., 7 : 344 - 348 ). the invention further comprises a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of any of formulas i - xxvii and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier , diluent , or excipient thereof in combination with human chorionic gonadotropin ( hcg ) or human pituitary leutenizing hormone ( lh ) ( breckwoldt et al . ( 1971 ) fert . steril ., 22 : 451 - 455 ; diedrich et al . ( 1988 ) hum . reprod ., 3 : 39 - 44 ). the invention further comprises use of a compound of formulas i to xxix for the preparation of a medicament . the invention further comprises a method for treating infertility comprising administering an effective fsh agonistic amount of any of said pharmaceutical compositions . as fsh agonists , the compounds of the invention are also useful research tools to study the role of fsh and the fsh receptor in biological processes in vitro . the invention provides such processes for the preparation of the compounds of formula i , which are described hereinafter , which processes comprise reacting a compound of formula xxviii , wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 , x , y , and z are defined as for formula i and e represents a functional group such as so 2 cl , cho , cooh , cocl , nco , cn , n ═ c — cl , ch 2 cl , or ch 2 o - tosylate . the compounds of the invention may be prepared by the methods described below and in examples 1 - 5 . the synthetic schemes displayed in fig1 - 5 illustrate how compounds according to the invention can be made . those skilled in the art will be able to routinely modify and / or adapt the methods and schemes presented herein to synthesize any compound of the invention . pharmaceutical compositions comprising a compound of formulas i to xxix and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier , diluent or excipient therefore are also within the scope of the present invention . thus , the present invention also provides compounds for use as a medicament . in particular , the invention provides the compounds of formulas i to xxix for use as fsh agonists , for the treatment of infertility , either alone or in combination with other medicaments . in in vitro assays these compounds were found to mimic the actions of fsh since they exhibit positive log dose response in the screening assay ( cho luciferase fshr ) and are negative in the control assay ( cho luciferase ). accordingly , the compounds of the invention are useful research tools for studying the role of fsh in biological processes . the representative compounds also show activity in the primary rat granulosa cell bioassay , which is used to detect the conversion of testosterone to estradiol in the presence of fsh or an fsh agonist . the cho luciferase assay and the rat granulosa cell bioassay are described in detail hereinafter . the compounds of the invention , together with a conventional adjuvant , carrier , diluent or excipient may be placed into the form of pharmaceutical compositions and unit dosages thereof , and in such form may be employed as solids , such as tablets or filled capsules , or liquids such as solutions , suspensions , emulsions , elixirs , or capsules filled with the same , all for oral use , or in the form of sterile injectable solutions for parenteral ( including subcutaneous use ). such pharmaceutical compositions and unit dosage forms thereof may comprise ingredients in conventional proportions , with or without additional active compounds or principles , and such unit dosage forms may contain any suitable effective amount of the active ingredient commensurate with the intended daily dosage range to be employed . tablets containing 10 milligrams of active ingredient or , more broadly , 0 . 1 to 100 milligrams , per tablet , are accordingly suitable representative unit dosage forms . the following paragraphs provide definitions of the various chemical moieties that make up the compounds of the invention and are intended to apply uniformly throughout the specification and claims unless expressly stated otherwise . ( a ) halogen , cyano , oxo , carboxy , formyl , nitro , amino , amidino , guanidino , c 1 - c 5 alkyl or alkenyl or arylalkyl imino , carbamoyl , azido , carboxamido , mercapto , hydroxy , hydroxyalkyl , alkylaryl , arylalkyl , c 1 - c 8 alkyl , c 1 - c 8 alkenyl , c 1 - c 8 alkoxy , c 1 - c 8 alkoxycarbonyl , aryloxycarbonyl , c 2 - c 8 acyl , c 1 - c 8 alkylthio , arylalkylthio , arylthio , c 1 - c 8 alkylsulfinyl , arylalkylsulfinyl , arylsulfinyl , c 1 - c 8 alkylsulfonyl , arylalkylsulfonyl , arylsulfonyl , c 1 - c 6 n - alkyl carbamoyl , c 2 - c 15 n , n - dialkylcarbamoyl , c 3 - c 7 cycloalkyl , aroyl , aryloxy , arylalkyl ether , aryl , aryl fused to a cycloalkyl or heterocycle or another aryl ring , c 3 - c 7 heterocycle , or any of these rings fused or spiro - fused to a cycloalkyl , heterocyclic , or aromatic ring ; or ( b ) nr 6 r 7 , where r 6 and r 7 are each independently hydrogen , cyano , oxo , carboxamido , amidino , c 1 - c 8 hydroxyalkyl , c 1 - c 3 alkylaryl , aryl - c 1 - c 3 alkyl , c 1 - c 8 alkyl , c 1 - c 8 alkenyl , c 1 - c 8 alkoxy , c 1 - c 8 alkoxycarbonyl , aryloxycarbonyl , aryl - c 1 - c 3 alkoxycarbonyl , c 2 - c 8 acyl , c 1 - c 8 alkylsulfonyl , arylalkylsulfonyl , arylsulfonyl , aroyl , aryl , aryl fused to a cycloalkyl or heterocyclic or another aryl ring , c 3 - c 7 cycloalkyl , c 3 - c 7 heterocycle , or any of these rings fused or spiro - fused to a cycloalkyl or heterocyclic or aromatic ring ; or where r 6 and r 7 are taken together to form —( ch 2 ) m b ( ch 2 ) n where b is — c ( h )( r 8 )—, — o —, — n ( r 8 )—, or — s ( o ) r —, where m and n are independently 1 to 3 , r is 0 to 2 , and r 8 is defined the same way as r 6 ; or ( c ) —( ch 2 ) s nr 6 r 7 where s is 1 - 6 and r 6 and r 7 are defined as in section ( b ) of the definition of substituent , above . the term “ substituted ” refers to the moiety substituted with one or more substituents . the term “ alkyl ” refers to a univalent c 1 to c 8 saturated straight , branched , or cyclic alkane moiety and specifically includes methyl , ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , butyl , isobutyl , t - butyl , pentyl , cyclopentyl , isopentyl , neopentyl , hexyl , isohexyl , cyclohexyl , 3 - methylpentyl , 2 , 2 - dimethylbutyl , and 2 , 3 - dimethylbutyl . the alkyl group can be optionally substituted with any appropriate group , including but not limited to one or more moieties selected from the group consisting of halo , hydroxyl , amino , alkylamino , arylamino , alkoxy , aryloxy , nitro , cyano , sulfonic acid , sulfate , phosphonic acid , phosphate , or phosphonate , either unprotected , or protected as necessary , as known to those skilled in the art or as taught , for example , in greene , et al ., “ protective groups in organic synthesis ,” john wiley and sons , second edition , 1991 . the term “ cycloalkyl ” refers to a monocyclic c 3 - c 7 ring . the terms “ arylalkyl ” and “ alkylaryl ” refer to groups in which the alkyl consists of between 1 and 3 carbons . the term “ alkoxy ” refers to an alkyl moiety having a terminal — o — with free a valence , e . g ., ch 3 ch 2 — o —. the term “ alkenyl ” refers to a univalent c 2 - c 6 straight , branched , or in the case of c 5 - 6 , cyclic hydrocarbon with at least one double bond , optionally substituted as described above . the term “ alkynyl ” refers to a univalent c 2 to c 6 straight or branched hydrocarbon with at least one triple bond ( optionally substituted as described above ) and specifically includes acetylenyl , propynyl , and — c ≡ c — ch 2 ( alkyl ), including — c ≡ c — ch 2 ( ch 3 ). the term “ aryl ” refers to a mono - or bi - or tri - cyclic aromatic ring system that may optionally be substituted with one or more substituents . the term “ heterocycle ” refers to a cyclic alkyl , alkenyl , or alkynyl moiety wherein one or more ring carbon atoms is replaced with a heteroatom ; a cm - cn heterocycle is a ring that contains m to n members wherein one or more of the members is a heteroatom . the term “ heteroaryl ” refers to a aryl moiety wherein one or more ring carbon atoms is replaced with a heteroatom . when a substituent defined as a monovalent radical becomes incorporated into a ring ( e . g ., r 2 and r 3 on formula iii ), it is understood that the substituents become the corresponding divalent radicals . the term “ pharmaceutically acceptable salts or complexes ” refers to salts or complexes that retain the desired biological activity of the above - identified compounds and exhibit minimal or no undesired toxicological effects . examples of such salts include , but are not limited to acid addition salts formed with inorganic acids ( for example , hydrochloric acid , hydrobromic acid , sulfuric acid , phosphoric acid , nitric acid , and the like ), and salts formed with organic acids such as acetic acid , oxalic acid , tartaric acid , succinic acid , malic acid , ascorbic acid , benzoic acid , tannic acid , pamoic acid , alginic acid , polyglutamic acid , methanesulfonic acid , naphthalenesulfonic acid , naphthalenedisulfonic acid , and polygalacturonic acid . the compounds can also be administered as pharmaceutically acceptable quaternary salts known by those skilled in the art , which specifically include the quaternary ammonium salt of the formula — nr + z —, wherein r is hydrogen , alkyl , or benzyl , and z is a counterion , including chloride , bromide , iodide , — o - alkyl , toluenesulfonate , methylsulfonate , sulfonate , phosphate , or carboxylate ( such as benzoate , succinate , acetate , glycolate , maleate , malate , citrate , tartrate , ascorbate , benzoate , cinnamoate , mandeloate , benzyloate , and diphenylacetate ). the term “ pharmaceutically active derivative ” refers to any compound that upon administration to the recipient , is capable of providing directly or indirectly , the compounds disclosed herein . the following examples flirter illustrate specific aspects of the present invention . it is to be understood , however , that these examples are included for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any respect and should not be so construed . synthesis of 1 -[( 2 - oxo - 6 - pentyl - 2h - pyran )- 3 - carbonyl ]- pyrrolidine - 2 - carboxylic acid - 3 -( 9 - ethyl carbazolyl ) amide ( formula xvi ) ( fig1 ; scheme 1 ) to a solution of boc - l - proline ( 5 mmol , advanced chemtech , louisville , usa ) in dichloromethane ( 20 ml ) cooled to 0 ° c . were added dropwise a solution of di - isopropyl carbodiimide ( dic , 2 . 5 mmol ). after the solution had been stirred at 0 ° c . for 30 min , the solid by - product ( dic urea ) was filtered out . to the filtrate were added 3 - amino - 9 - ethylcarbazole ( 5 mmol , aldrich chemical company , milwaukee , usa ) in dmf and triethyl amine ( 5 mmol ) and the solution was stirred at room temperature for 16 h . the reaction was monitored by tlc for completion . the solution was evaporated to dryness under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in ethyl acetate ( 250 ml ) and washed successively with 10 % aqueous sodium carbonate , 10 % aqueous citric acid , water , and saturated brine . the organic layer was dried on anhydrous sodium sulfate , filtered and ethyl acetate was evaporated to give an oily product 1 -( t - butoxycarbonyl )- n -[ 3 -( 9 - ethylcarbazolyl )]- 2 - pyrrolidinecarboxamide ( 75 % yield ); hplc purity : 90 %; mass : desired m + h found ( perceptive biosystem &# 39 ; s voyager - maldi tof ). this compound was used in the next step without further purification . the n - boc - pyrrolidine carboxamide obtained from step a was dissolved in 50 % trifluoroacetic acid / dichloromethane ( 25 ml ) and stirred for 30 min at room temperature . the tfa solution was evaporated under vacuum . the dry residue was dissolved in dmf and two equivalents of triethyl amine was added , followed by one equivalent of a symmetrical anhydride ( generated in situ from 2 - oxo - 6 - pentyl - 2h - pyran - 3 - carboxylic acid and diisopropylcarbodi - imide ) and the solution was stirred for 14 h . dmf was evaporated under high vacuum . the residue was dissolved in ethyl acetate . this organic layer was washed with 10 % aqueous sodium carbonate , 10 % aqueous citric acid , water and saturated brine . the organic layer was dried on anhydrous magnesium sulphate . the organic layer was decolorized with charcoal evaporated under vacuum to result in light brown gummy material . this crude material was purified on preparative reverse phase hplc using 1 % tfa - acetonitrile and water as the mobile phase . hplc purity & gt ; 95 %. %; mass : calculated for c 30 h 33 n 3 o 4 : 499 . 6 ; found : 500 . 6 ( m + h ) ( perceptive biosystem &# 39 ; s voyager - maldi tof ). synthesis of 1 -[( 2 - oxo - 6 - pentyl - 2h - pyran )- 3 - carbonyl ]- piperidine - 2 - carboxylic acid - 3 -( 9 - ethyl carbazolyl ) amide ( formula xvii ) was achieved using the same procedure as above by using n - boc - pipecolinic acid made from dl - pipecolinic acid ( aldrich chemical company , milwaukee , usa ) in place of boc - l - proline . synthesis of 2 -( 2 - ethyl - n - hexyl )- n -[( 1 - carboxamido - 2 - terazolyl ) ethyl ]- 3 - isoquinolinecarboxamide ( formula xviii ) ( fig2 ; scheme 2 ) fmoc - amino rink amide resin ( 1 . 0 g , 0 . 45 mmol / g substitution ), available from novabiochem ( san diego , usa ), was swollen with dichloromethane for 10 min . the resin was further washed with dimethyl formamide three times . the fmoc - group was removed with 20 % piperidine in dmf for 30 min . further repeated washings were done with dmf ( 3 × 2 min ), dichloromethane ( dcm , 3 × 2 min ), dmf ( 1 × 1 min ). then n - fmoc - d - histidine ( available from advanced chemtech , louisville , usa ) in dmf [ 10 ml , 2 . 0 mmol ( 4 equivalents with respect to the resin loading )], 2 mmol of o -( 7 - azabenzotriazol - 1 - yl )- 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 - tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate ( hatu ) and 4 mmol of diisopropylethylamine ( diea , 640 μl ) were added to the resin to make a slurry . this slurry was stirred at room temperature for 2 h . the small resin sample was subjected to sarin - kaiser test for the completion of reaction . the resin was then filtered and washed with dmf ( 3 × 2 min ), meoh ( 2 × 2 min ), dichloromethane ( 2 × 2 min ) and dmf ( 2 × 2 min ). the compound obtained from step a was deprotected by removal of the fmoc - group with 20 % piperidine in dmf for 30 min . further resin washings were done with dmf ( 3 × 2 min ), dichloromethane ( dcm , 3 × 2min ), dmf ( 1 × 1 min ). then ( s )-(−)- 1 , 2 , 3 , 4tetrahydro - 3 - isoquinolinecarboxylic acid ( available from advanced chemtech , louisville , usa ) in dmf [ 10 ml , 2 . 0 mmol ( 4 equivalents with respect to the resin loading )], 2 mmol of hatu and 4 mmol of diisopropylethylamine ( diea , 640 μl ) were added to the resin to make a slurry . this slurry was stirred at room temperature for 2 h . the small resin sample was subjected to sarin - kaiser test for the completion of reaction . the resin was then filtered and washed with dmf ( 3 × 2 min ), meoh ( 2 × 2 min ), dichloromethane ( 2 × 2 min ) and dmf ( 2 × 2 min ). the fmoc - group on the tetrahydroisoquinoline nitrogen was removed by treatment with 20 % piperidine in dmf for 30 min . the resin was then washed with dmf ( 3 × 2 min ), dichloromethane ( 3 × 2 min ), and dmf ( 1 × 1 min ). then a 0 . 2 m stock solution of 2 - ethylhexanal ( aldrich chemical company , milwaukee , usa ) in 2 % acetic acid in trimethyl ortho formate ( tmof ) ( 10 ml / g of resin ) was added and reaction was carried out for 2 h to form an imine derivative in situ . then a 0 . 2 m stock solution of sodium cyanoborohydride ( nacnbh 3 ) in tmof was added to the above reaction mixture to get the final concentration to 0 . 1 m and the reaction was continued at room temperature for 14 h . the resin was washed with tmof ( 3 × 2 min ), dmf ( 3 × 2 min ), meoh ( 3 × 2 min ), dichloromethane ( 2 × 2 min ) and dried under vacuum for 4 h . pre - cooled cleavage reagent ( trifluoroacetic acid : dimethylsulfide : triisopropylsilane : h 2 o ; 90 : 2 . 5 : 2 . 5 : 5 ; v / v ) was added ( 10 ml / g ) to the dried resin and allowed to stir for 2 h at room temperature . the tfa cocktail was filtered into a 20 ml vial and tfa was evaporated on a rotavapor under vacuum . diethyl ether was added to precipitate the compound along with trityl alcohol . the mixture was dissolved in 20 % acetonitrile before purification on reverse phase hplc . the crude compound from step d was dissolved in 10 % aqueous acetonitrile and loaded onto the c18 column on delta preparative hplc . a linear gradient with 1 % tfa acetonitrile and water was used as mobile phase . hplc purity & gt ; 95 %; mass ( perceptive biosystem &# 39 ; s voyager - maldi tof ): calculated for c 24 h 35 n 5 o 2 : 425 . 6 ; found : 426 . 6 ( m + h ). synthesis of 1 -[( 2 - oxo - 6 - pentyl - 2h - pyran )- 3 - carbonyl ]- 4 - hydroxypyrrolidine - 2 - carboxylic acid -[ 3 -( 9 - ethyl carbazolyl )] amide ( formula xix ) ( fig3 ; scheme 3 ) to a solution of n - boc - trans - hydroxy - l - proline ( 5 mmol , sigma chemical company , st . louis , usa ) in dichloromethane ( 20 ml ) at ambient temperature were added at 5 min intervals 2 -( 1h - benzotriazol - 1 - yl )- 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 - tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate ( hbtu , 5 mmol ), diisopropyl ethyl amine ( diea , 10 mmol ) followed by 3 - amino - 9 - ethylcarbazole ( 5 mmol , aldrich chemical company , milwaukee , usa ). after stirring for 1 h , the solution was evaporated to dryness under vacuum . the residue was dissolved in ethyl acetate ( 250 ml ) and washed successively with 10 % aqueous sodium carbonate , 10 % aqueous citric acid , water , and saturated brine . the organic layer was dried on anhydrous sodium sulfate , filtered and ethyl acetate was evaporated to give an oily product 1 -( t - butoxycarbonyl )- 4 - hydroxypyrrolidine - 2 -[ 3 -( 9 - ethyl carbazolyl )] carboxamide ( 85 % yield ); hplc purity : 90 %. this compound was used in the next step without further purification . the 1 -( t - butoxycarbonyl )- 4 - hydroxypyrrolidine - 2 -[ 3 -( 9 - ethyl carbazolyl )] carboxamide obtained from step a was dissolved in 50 % trifluoro acetic acid / dichloromethane ( 25 ml ) and stirred for 30 min at room temperature . the tfa solution was evaporated under vacuum . the dry residue was dissolved in dichloromethane and added to the activated ester of 2 - oxo - 6 - pentyl - 2h - pyran - 3 - carboxylic acid ( generated in situ from 5 mmol 2 - oxo - 6 - pentyl - 2h - pyran - 3 - carboxylic acid , 5 mmol hbtu and 10 mmol diisopropylethylamine ) and the solution was stirred for 1 h . the solvent was evaporated under vacuum and the residue was dissolved in ethyl acetate . this organic layer was washed with 10 % aqueous sodium carbonate , 10 % aqueous citric acid , water and saturated brine . the organic layer was dried on anhydrous magnesium sulphate and then evaporated in vacuo to result in light brown gummy material . this crude material was purified on preparative reverse phase hplc using 1 % tfa - acetonitrile and water as the mobile phase . hplc purity & gt ; 95 %. %; mass : calculated for c 30 h 33 n 3 o 5 : 415 . 6 ; found : 516 ( perceptive biosystem &# 39 ; s voyager - maldi tof ). synthesis of 2 -[( 1 - carboxamido - 2 - terazolyl ) ethylcarbamoyl ]-( d , l )- 2 -( 2 - ethyl - n - hexylamino ) tetraline ( formula ) ( fig4 ; scheme 4 ) fmoc - anino rink amide resin ( 1 . 0 g , 0 . 45 mmol / g substitution ), available from novabiochem ( san diego , usa ), was swollen with dichloromethane for 10 min . the resin was further washed with dimethyl formamide three times . the fmoc group was removed with 20 % piperidine in dmf for 30 min . further repeated washings were done with dmf ( 3 × 2 min ), dichloromethane ( dcm , 3 × 2 min ), dmf ( 1 × 1 min ). then n - fmoc - d - histidine ( available from advanced chemtech , louisville , usa ) in dmf [ 10 ml , 2 . 0 mmol ( 4 equivalents with respect to the resin loading )], 2 mmol of o -( 7 - azabenzotriazol - 1 - yl )- 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 - tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate ( hatu ) and 4 mmol of diisopropylethylamine ( diea , 640 ul ) were added to the resin to make a slurry . this slurry was stirred at room temperature for 2 h . the small resin sample was subjected to sarin - kaiser test for the completion of reaction . the resin was then filtered and washed with dmf ( 3 × 2 min ), meoh ( 2 × 2 min ), dichloromethane ( 2 × 2 min ) and dmf ( 2 × 2 min ). the compound obtained from step a was deprotected by removal of the fmoc group with 20 % piperidine in dmf for 30 min . further resin washings were done with dmf ( 3 × 2 min ), dichloromethane ( dcm , 3 × 2 min ), dmf ( 1 × 1 min ). then fmoc -( d , l )- 2 - aminotetraline - 2 - carboxylic acid ( available from acros ) in dmf [ 10 ml , 2 . 0 mmol ( 4 equivalents with respect to the resin loading )], 2 mmol of hatu and 4 mmol of diisopropylethylamine ( diea , 640 μl ) were added to the resin to make a slurry . this slurry was stirred at room temperature for 2 h . the small resin sample was subjected to sarin - kaiser test for the completion of reaction . the resin was then filtered and washed with dmf ( 3 × 2 min ), meoh ( 2 × 2 min ), dichloromethane ( 2 × 2 min ) and dmf ( 2 × 2 min ). the fmoc group on the aminotetraline nitrogen was removed by treatment with 20 % piperidine in dmf for 30 min . the resin was then washed with dmf ( 3 × 2 min ), dichloromethane ( 3 × 2 min ), and dmf ( 1 × 1 min ). then a 0 . 2 m stock solution of 2 - ethylhexanal ( aldrich chemical company , milwaukee , usa ) in 2 % acetic acid in trimethyl ortho formate ( tmof ) ( 10 ml / g of resin ) was added and the reaction was carried out for 2 h to form an imine derivative in situ . then a 0 . 2 m stock solution of sodium cyanoborohydride ( nacnbh 3 ) in tmof was added to the above reaction mixture to get the final concentration to 0 . 1 m and the reaction was continued at room temperature for 14 h . the resin was washed with tmof ( 3 × 2 min ), dmf ( 3 × 2 min ), meoh ( 3 × 2 min ), dichloromethane ( 2 × 2 min ) and dried under vacuum for 4 h . pre - cooled cleavage reagent ( trifluoroacetic acid : dimethylsulfide : triisopropylsilane : h 2 o ; 90 : 2 . 5 : 2 . 5 : 5 ; v / v ) was added ( 10 ml / g ) to the dried resin and allowed to stir for 2 h at room temperature . the tfa cocktail was filtered into a 20 ml vial and tfa was evaporated on a rotavapor under vacuum . diethyl ether was added to precipitate the compound along with trityl alcohol . the mixture was dissolved in 20 % acetonitrile before purification on reverse phase hplc . the crude compound from step d was dissolved in 10 % aqueous acetonitrile and loaded onto the c18 column on delta preparative hplc . a linear gradient with 1 % tfa acetonitrile and water was used as mobile phase . hplc purity & gt ; 95 %; mass ( perceptive biosystem &# 39 ; s voyager - maldi tof ): calculated for c 25 h 37 n 5 o 2 : 439 . 6 ; found : 440 . 6 ( m + h ). synthesis of 3 -( 9 - ethylcarbazolyl ) amino - pyridin - 2 - yl - 3 -( 2 - oxo - 6 - pentyl - 2h - pyran - 3 - carboxamide ) ( formula xxvi ) ( fig5 ; scheme 5 ) to a solution of 2 - chloro - 3 - nitropyridine ( 5 mmol , aldrich chemical company , milwaukee , usa ) in toluene ( 10 ml ) at ambient temperature were added 3 - amino - 9 - ethylcarbazole ( 5 mmol , aldrich chemical company , milwaukee , usa ). the mixture was heated to reflux for a period of 16 h . after cooling to room temperature , the mixture was diluted with ethyl acetate and washed successively with saturated sodium bicarbonate and brine . the organic layer was collected , dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate and concentrated in vacuo to give an oily product . this product was purified by chromatography over silica gel ( eluent : 1 : 1 ethyl acetate : hexane ) to give 2 -[ 3 -( 9 - ethylcarbazolyl ) amino ]- 3 - nitropyridine ( 68 % yield ); hplc purity : & gt ; 95 %. this compound was then used in the next step . to a methanolic solution of 2 -[ 3 -( 9 - ethylcarbazolyl )] amino - 3 - nitropyridine obtained from step a were added 10 % palladium over carbon ( 10 % w / w ), and the mixture was subjected to hydrogenation using a parr hydrogenator at 40 psi for a period of 12 h . then the slurry was filtered over celite to remove the catalyst and the methanolic filtrate was evaporated to dryness to afford an oily product , 2 -[ 3 -( 9 - ethylcarbazolyl ) amino ]- 3 - aminopyridine . this was used as such in the next step . to a solution of 2 - oxo - 6 - pentyl - 2h - pyran - 3carboxylic acid ( 3 mm , aldrich chemical company , milwaukee , usa ) in 10 ml dichloromethane at ambient temperature were added 2 - 1h - benzotriazol - 1 - yl )- 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 - tetramethyluronium hexafluorophosphate ( hbtu ; 3 mm ; advanced chemtech , louisville , usa ) followed by 6 mm of diisopropylethylamine ( diea ; aldrich chemical company , milwaukee , usa ). after 10 minutes , a solution of 3 mm of 2 -[ 3 -( 9 - ethylcarbazolyl )] amino - 3 - aminopyridine ( obtained from step b ) in 10 ml dichloromethane was added dropwise , and the resulting mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 h . the crude product mixture was washed with brine , dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate and chromatographed over silica gel ( eluent : 1 : 1 ethyl acetate : hexane to 100 % ethyl acetate ) to afford 71 % of pure compound xxvi . hplc purity & gt ; 95 %. %; mass : calculated for c 30 h 30 n 4 o 3 : 495 ; found : 496 ( m + h ) ( finnigan lcq ). all compounds were stored in 96 - well deepwell plates in dmso at a nominal concentration of 10 mm ( assuming perfect synthesis and yields ). compounds were screened for agonist activity at the fsh receptor using the recombinant fsh receptor stably transfected and expressed in chinese hamster ovary cells ( cho cells ) essentially as described in the work by kelton , et al . ( molecular and cellular endocrinology , 1992 , 89 , 141 - 151 ). since the fsh receptor is known to act via a g - protein ( gs ) to activate adenylyl cyclase and hence raise intracellular levels of camp , the high throughput screening ( hts ) assay used a gene reporter system consisting of the camp response element coupled upstream to the reporter gene , which in this case encoded the enzyme luciferase . an agonist at the fsh receptor increases camp in the cell , which results in activation of creb ( camp response element binding protein ). this molecule interacts with the cre element upstream of the gene and results in increased transcription of the genes downstream of the element . the substrate for luciferase ( packard instrument company , meriden , conn ., usa ) was added to the cells after appropriate incubation with the compounds of the invention or fsh ( used as a positive control ). the amount of luciferase expressed was measured by quantitating the luminescence produced by the enzyme using a topcount scintillation / luminescence counter running in single photon counting mode . a compound that acts as an agonist at the receptor should produce light from the treated cells in proportion to its concentration within the incubation . luminescence should be saturable at high concentrations of the compound . the compounds of the invention , in deepwell plates ( master plates ) were loaded on the robotic deck along with the appropriate number of assay plates and daughter plates . a 10 μl aliquot from each master plate was transferred to the corresponding daughter plate and 90 μl of dme / f12 was added and mixed within each well . 20 μl was then removed from the daughter plate and dispensed into the assay plate . after addition of an aliquot of fsh ( equivalent to an ec 100 response for this hormone [ final concentration of 5e - 11 m ]) to each of three wells on the plate , 80 μl of media ( dme / f12 + 2 % serum ) and 100 μl aliquot of cells ( 4 × 10 5 / ml in the same media ) were added and the plate incubated at 37 ° c . for 3 h 30 min . at this time the plate was removed from the incubator and media in each well was aspirated and the cells adhering to the bottom of the plate washed with 300 μl pbs containing 1 mm ca 2 + and 1 mm mg 2 + . the pbs was aspirated and 100 μl pbs added to each well . 100 μl of luclite ( prepared as described by the manufacturer ) was added to each well and the plate was shaken gently for 40 s prior to placement in the topcount plate reader . after allowing 3 . 5 min for the plate to dark - adapt within the machine , the amount of luminescence generated was quantitated using single photon counting mode . the data was transmitted electronically from the topcount to the robot processing computer terminal and was renamed with an id corresponding to the original master plate id . data were evaluated using an excel macro and compounds showing activity comparable to that produced by an ec 100 of fsh itself were further analyzed in the same assay at differing concentrations . ldr ( log - dose - response ) curves were generated for these compounds in cho cells containing the fsh receptor and these curves were also compared with those in either cells expressing a different gs - linked receptor or in cells lacking any transfected receptor ( to confirm receptor specificity ). compounds that showed receptor specificity and activity at low concentrations were progressed to secondary assays that included dose - response curves in y1 cells co - expressing the human fsh receptor or in isolated rat granulosa cells . fig6 displays results of the fsh assay for compounds xvi , xvii and xix . for comparison , results for fsh are also shown . dose - response curves for each compound were generated and are displayed . from the graph , fsh has a ec 50 of 1 . 47 pm , compound xvi has a ec 50 of 38 . 8 nm , compound xvii has a ec 50 of 3 . 9 nm , and compound xix has a ec 50 of 1 . 12 μm . a best - fit line is drawn for fsh . results of the assay using media only and foreskin are also shown . the assay was performed using duplicate samples of each compound . the primary rat granulosa cell bioassay for fsh was performed essentially as described ( dahl et al . ( 1989 ) methods enzymol ., 168 : 414 - 423 ). conversion of testosterone to estradiol in the presence of low nanomolar concentrations of fsh was detected using this assay . in this in vitro assay , conversion of androstendione to estrogen by granulosa cells in the presence of fsh was measured for compounds xvi and xvii . for comparison , fsh was also tested in the assay . cells were plated at 5000 , 8000 , 10 , 000 and 20 , 000 cells / well / 200 μl of gab medium on poly - d - lysine - coated 96 - well tissue culture plates . plates were incubated at 37 ° c . in a 5 % co 2 / 95 % air incubator for 3 days . cultures were washed prior to stimulation with fsh or lh . 50 μl of 4 × concentrations of rhfsh , rhlh or forskolin was added to the cultures . to define the range of the dose response curve the rhfsh was diluted so that the final concentration on the cells was between 10 − 7 to 10 − 15 m with three doses per log at 1 , 2 and 5 . forskolin was diluted so that the final concentration on the cells was 1 μm . cells were incubated @ 37 ° c . in 5 % co 2 . three days later , cell supernatants were collected and diluted 1 : 100 in gab medium for measurement of estradiol by ria . the ria was performed according to manufacturer &# 39 ; s directions except that an estradiol standard was prepared in absolute ethanol at 100 ng / ml and then further diluted in gab medium , instead of kit buffer . the concentration of hormone was plotted on the x - axis against the amount of estradiol produced by the cells on the y - axis using origin graphics software . as displayed in fig7 compounds xvi and xvii show increasing estradiol production with increasing dose at concentrations between 200 nm and 5 μm . above this concentration the compound showed a decrease in production — presumably since it caused a desensitization of the fsh receptors to further stimulation . the results show that compounds xvi and xvii stimulated estradiol production with ec 50 of 1 . 4 μm and 1 . 2 μm , respectively . results of the assay using media only are also shown .	0
it will be readily understood that the components of the present invention , as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein , may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations . thus , the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the apparatus , system , and method of the present invention , as presented in fig1 through 6 , is not intended to limit the scope of the invention , as claimed , but is merely representative of selected embodiments of the invention . reference throughout this specification to “ one embodiment ” or “ an embodiment ” means that a particular feature , structure , or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention . thus , appearances of the phrases “ in one embodiment ” or “ in an embodiment ” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment . furthermore , the described features , structures , or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments . in the following description , numerous specific details are provided , such as examples of materials , fasteners , sizes , lengths , widths , shapes , etc ., to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention . one skilled in the relevant art will recognize , however , that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details , or with other methods , components , materials , etc . in other instances , well - known structures , materials , or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention . fig1 is a schematic block diagram depicting one embodiment of an apparatus 100 for differential pressure measurement across a fluid conduit flow area change in accordance with the present invention . the apparatus 100 may comprise a first fluid conduit portion 102 which may be an exhaust pipe for an internal combustion engine . the apparatus 100 may further comprise a second fluid conduit portion 104 . the first 102 and second 104 fluid conduit portions may comprise differing cross - sectional areas , or flow areas . in one embodiment , as depicted in fig1 , the flow area of the first conduit portion 102 may be smaller than the flow area of the second conduit portion 104 . the apparatus 100 may further comprise an aftertreatment component 106 , which may be configured with a flow inlet 108 and a flow outlet 110 . the flow inlet 108 may accept flow from the first fluid conduit portion 102 , and the flow outlet 110 may emit flow to the second fluid conduit portion 104 . the apparatus 100 may further comprise a first sensor port 112 fluidly connected to the first fluid conduit portion 102 , and a second sensor port 114 fluidly connected to the second fluid conduit portion 104 . in one embodiment , the aftertreatment component 106 may comprise a particulate filter 106 . the apparatus 100 may further comprise a coupler fluidly connecting a second sensor port 114 to the second fluid conduit 104 at a uniform flow region 116 . the coupler may comprise a tube 118 with an opening 114 inserted such that the second sensor port 114 is in fluid communication with the uniform flow region 116 . the uniform flow region 116 may comprise a three - dimensional region defined cross - sectionally by the aftertreatment component 106 , and defined axially by a region from the aftertreatment component 106 downstream a distance equal to one - half an average width of the aftertreatment component 106 . in one embodiment , the shaded region 116 shown in fig1 may comprise the uniform flow region 116 . for example , if the aftertreatment component 116 comprises a cylinder of 12 - inch diameter , the uniform flow region 116 may comprise a cylindrical region beginning at the downstream face 110 and continuing 6 inches into the second fluid conduit 104 , and further defined by an equivalent cross - sectional region to the aftertreatment component 106 . the apparatus 100 may further comprise a sensor 120 configured to measure the differential pressure across the aftertreatment component 106 . the apparatus 100 may further comprise an electronic control module ( ecm ) 122 . the ecm 122 may be configured to correlate a parameter ( not shown ) with the measured differential pressure from the sensor 120 . for example , the ecm 122 may be configured to estimate a soot loading on the aftertreatment component 106 , to set a fault code for excess backpressure on an engine ( not shown ), or to estimate soot distribution on the aftertreatment component 106 , based on the measurement of the differential pressure across the aftertreatment component 106 . the ecm 122 may further comprise a software calibration or the like which may comprise the software , algorithms , and data to correlate the measured differential pressure with the correlated parameter . fig2 is a schematic block diagram depicting an alternate embodiment of an apparatus 200 for differential pressure measurement across a fluid conduit flow area change in accordance with the present invention . the apparatus 200 may comprise a first fluid conduit portion 102 which may be an exhaust pipe for an internal combustion engine . the apparatus 200 may further comprise a second fluid conduit portion 104 . the first 102 and second 104 fluid conduit portions may comprise differing cross - sectional areas , or flow areas . in one embodiment , as depicted in fig2 , the flow area of the first conduit portion 102 may be greater than the flow area of the second conduit portion 104 . the apparatus 200 may further comprise an aftertreatment component 106 , which may be configured with a flow inlet 108 and a flow outlet 110 . the flow inlet 108 may accept flow from the first conduit portion 102 , and the flow outlet 110 may emit flow to the second fluid conduit portion 104 . the apparatus 200 may further comprise a first sensor port 112 fluidly connected to the first fluid conduit portion 102 , and a second sensor port 114 fluidly connected to the second fluid conduit portion 104 . in the embodiment of fig2 the coupler may comprise a tube 118 with an axial portion 204 , a capped end 208 , and holes 114 in the sides 206 such that the second sensor port 114 is in fluid communication with the uniform flow region 116 . the apparatus 200 may further comprise a tube 118 , which may include an axial portion 204 . referring to fig2 a , the axial portion 204 may comprise sides 206 , and a capped end 208 . the capped end 208 may point toward the downstream face 110 , or flow outlet 110 , of the aftertreatment component 106 . the second sensor port 114 may comprise a plurality of openings in the sides of the axial portion 204 of the tube 116 . a tube 118 with an axial portion 204 similar to that shown in fig2 a may be called a “ pitot tube .” the second sensor port 114 may be fluidly connected to the second fluid conduit portion 104 such that the second sensor port 114 fluidly connects to the second fluid conduit portion 104 at a uniform flow region 116 of the second fluid conduit portion 104 . the second sensor port 114 may comprise an opening in a tube 118 inserted into the second fluid conduit portion 104 such that the opening 114 is within the uniform flow region 116 . fig3 is a schematic block diagram depicting an alternate embodiment of an apparatus 300 for differential pressure measurement across a fluid conduit flow area change in accordance with the present invention . in one embodiment of the apparatus 300 shown in fig3 , the uniform flow region 116 may comprise a three - dimensional region defined cross - sectionally by the aftertreatment component 106 , and defined axially by a region from one - tenth inch downstream of the aftertreatment component 106 to one inch downstream of the aftertreatment component 106 . the one - tenth inch limitation of the uniform flow region 116 may be defined by sheet metal fabrication tolerances , and in some embodiments the uniform flow region 116 may be closer to the aftertreatment component 106 or include the downstream face 110 of the aftertreatment component 106 . the relatively smaller uniform flow region 116 of an embodiment as shown in fig3 may provide greater accuracy of differential pressure measurement for applications requiring greater such accuracy . in one embodiment , a larger uniform flow region 116 similar to fig2 may correct over 50 % of the offset between the theoretical differential pressure and a conventionally measured differential pressure . in one embodiment , the smaller uniform flow region 116 similar to fig3 may correct over 90 % of the offset between the theoretical differential pressure and a conventionally measured differential pressure . fig4 is a schematic block diagram depicting an alternate embodiment of an apparatus 400 for differential pressure measurement across a fluid conduit flow area change in accordance with the present invention . one embodiment of the apparatus 400 may comprise a perforated ring 402 coupled to the downstream end 110 of the aftertreatment component 106 , wherein the uniform flow region comprises a region defined cross - sectionally by the ring 402 , and defined axially by an axial extent of the ring 402 . the second sensor port 114 may fluidly connect the sensor 120 to the uniform flow region 116 through a hole 114 in the tube 118 , wherein the tube 118 is inserted into the side of the ring 402 . the uniform flow region 116 may further comprise an area defined cross - sectionally by the ring 402 , and extending axially downstream of the ring 402 one - half of the diameter of the aftertreatment component 106 . in the embodiment of fig4 the apparatus may comprise a perforated ring 402 , and the coupler may comprise a tube 118 inserted such that the tube opening 114 is in fluid communication with the uniform flow region 116 described by the internal volume of the ring 402 . the coupler may comprise a tube 118 inserted such that the tube opening 114 is in fluid communication with the uniform flow region 116 comprising the cross - section area of the ring 402 , and an axial extent from the downstream face of the aftertreatment component 106 to one - half the diameter of the aftertreatment component downstream of the ring 402 . fig5 is an illustration of one embodiment of a perforated ring 402 in accordance with the present invention . the ring 402 may comprise an axial extent 502 and a diameter 504 defining a cross - sectional area . in one embodiment , the uniform flow area 116 may comprise the area defined by the axial extent 502 and cross - sectional area of the ring 402 . the ring 402 may comprise shapes other than a circle . for example and without limitation , the ring 402 may comprise a hexagonal , square , or elliptical shape . the ring 402 may be a perimeter extension of any shape , wherein the shape in a typical embodiment corresponds to the shape of the aftertreatment component 106 . in one embodiment , an apparatus to measure differential pressure across a conduit flow area may comprise a first 102 and second 104 fluid conduit portion comprising differing cross - sectional areas , an aftertreatment component 106 configured with a flow inlet 108 and a flow outlet 110 . the flow inlet 108 may accept flow from the first fluid conduit portion 102 , and the flow outlet 110 may emit flow to the second fluid conduit portion 104 . the apparatus may further comprise a first sensor port 112 fluidly connected to the first fluid conduit portion 102 . the schematic flow chart diagrams herein are generally set forth as logical flow chart diagrams . as such , the depicted order and labeled steps are indicative of one embodiment of the presented method . other steps and methods may be conceived that are equivalent in function , logic , or effect to one or more steps , or portions thereof , of the illustrated method . additionally , the format and symbols employed are provided to explain the logical steps of the method and are understood not to limit the scope of the method . although various arrow types and line types may be employed in the flow chart diagrams , they are understood not to limit the scope of the corresponding method . indeed , some arrows or other connectors may be used to indicate only the logical flow of the method . for instance , an arrow may indicate a waiting or monitoring period of unspecified duration between enumerated steps of the depicted method . additionally , the order in which a particular method occurs may or may not strictly adhere to the order of the corresponding steps shown . fig6 is a schematic flow chart illustrating one embodiment of a method 600 for differential pressure measurement across a fluid conduit flow area change in accordance with the present invention . the method 600 may include a practitioner locating 602 an aftertreatment component 106 within an exhaust fluid conduit 102 , 104 and a differential pressure sensor 120 configured to measure the differential pressure across the aftertreatment component 106 . the cross - sectional area of the upstream fluid conduit portion 102 may differ from the cross - sectional area of the downstream fluid conduit portion 102 . the practitioner may disconnect 604 a downstream port ( not shown ) of the differential pressure sensor 120 coupled to the exhaust fluid conduit 104 on the downstream side of the aftertreatment component 106 . the practitioner may then insert 606 a tube 118 into the downstream port , the tube 118 comprising at least one opening 114 , and the tube 118 configured such that the at least one opening 114 is within a uniform flow region 116 of the exhaust fluid conduit 104 . for example , an application may comprise a differential pressure sensor 120 connected to the downstream fluid conduit 104 . a conventional system will have the sensor 120 tap into the fluid conduit 104 at the outer wall and read the pressure from the edge of the conduit 104 . a practitioner may disconnect the sensor 120 from the fluid conduit 104 wall , insert a tube 118 with an opening 114 into the previous opening in the fluid conduit 104 wall , where the tube 118 is configured such that the opening 114 will be within the uniform flow region 116 when the tube 118 is inserted . the practitioner may then reconnect 608 the downstream port of the differential pressure sensor 120 to the tube 118 such that the second sensor port 114 comprises the hole 114 in the tube 118 fluidly connected to the uniform flow region 116 . the practitioner may update 610 a software calibration on an ecm 122 to update a correlation between a parameter and the differential pressure across the aftertreatment component 106 . for example , the software on the ecm 122 may be configured to estimate a soot loading on the aftertreatment component 106 based on the differential pressure across the filter 106 . the characteristics of the pressure versus the soot loading may change after a practitioner installs the sensor 120 upgrade , and an upgrade to the software calibration on the ecm may improve the soot loading estimate . in one embodiment , the software on the ecm 122 may trigger a fault code when a differential pressure across the aftertreatment component 106 exceeds a threshold . the practitioner may change this threshold after installing the tube 118 such that the fault code occurs when a similar amount of soot estimated to be trapped within the aftertreatment component 106 triggers the fault code prior to installing the tube 118 . the changes in the pressure characteristic depend upon the particular application and installation , and are simple measurements within the skill of one in the art . the changes required in the software calibration may involve code changes or simple variable value changes , depending upon the particular application , and these changes are mechanical steps for one of skill in the art . in one embodiment , the tube 118 may comprise a bent tube with a capped end 208 and a plurality of holes 114 on the sides 206 of the tube . inserting 606 the tube 118 may further comprise orienting the tube such that the capped end 208 of the tube points axially toward the aftertreatment component 106 . from the foregoing discussion , it is clear that the invention provides a system , method , and apparatus for differential pressure measurement across a fluid conduit area change . the invention overcomes previous limitations in the art by providing improved differential pressure measurement in situations where the flow area changes induce differential pressure offsets in the conventional art . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics . the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is , therefore , indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description . all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope .	1
a simplified airplane electrical system , such as the one illustrated in fig1 , generates power in a generator 20 which is mechanically connected to an engine 10 . the power created by the generator 20 is then sent to an inverter / conditioner 30 . the inverter / conditioner 30 modifies the electrical power output of the generator 20 to make the electrical power have more constant power attributes . after the electrical power has been conditioned the power is then sent through the aircraft &# 39 ; s electrical distribution system 40 to onboard electrical devices / drives ( such as sensors , gauges , meters , pumps , fans , etc .). the introduction of the inverter / conditioner 30 may also introduce a common mode choke . as described above , a common mode choke has the practical effect of limiting the possible current , which can potentially interfere with known ground fault detection schemes . the effect of the common mode choke on a ground fault detector can be addressed by introduction of a controller 50 and a voltage sensor 60 to the electrical system . the controller 50 can determine if a ground fault condition exists based on the total root mean square ( rms ) voltage of the inverter / conditioner 30 ac input . an electrical system without a ground fault condition is a balanced system . in a balanced system the magnitude of each ac signal is identical , and each signal is phase shifted from the nearest phase by 360 / n where n is the number of phases . by way of example , in a balanced three phase system the power output of phase a will not be shifted , phase b will be shifted by 120 degrees , and phase c will be shifted by 240 degrees . as a result of the equal magnitude and proportional phase shifting at any given time the sum of phases a , b , and c will be equal to zero in a theoretical balanced system . when a phase to ground fault is present in a power system , the system is thrown out of balance since one phase will have a direct connection to ground , while the other phases must still pass through a load and return to the generator . as a result of the imbalance , the total rms voltage on the phase with a ground fault will be significantly greater than zero . a controller 50 and voltage sensors 60 may thereby be utilized to monitor the sum of the phase voltages to determine if the sum is above a certain threshold . when the sum exceeds the threshold , a ground fault is determined to be present on one of the phases . the generator with the phase to ground fault can then be identified and isolated from the electrical system . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of the above described method for detecting a phase to ground fault based on rms voltage . in the first step of the method , the voltage sensor 60 measures the inverter / conditioner 30 ac input voltage and sends the voltage measurements to the controller 50 ( step 102 , fig2 ). in order to make a ground fault determination based on the voltage measurements , the controller 50 then calculates an rms voltage for each phase ( step 104 , fig2 ). after the phase rms voltages are calculated , the controller 50 calculates a sum of all of the phase voltages for the electrical system and derive its rms value , referred to as “ total vrms ” ( step 106 , fig2 ). in most applications the electrical system will have three phases ; however it is known that an alternate number of phases could be used . once a total rms voltage value has been calculated , the controller 50 compares the total rms voltage value to a threshold value ( step 108 , fig2 ). if the total rms voltage exceeds the threshold then a phase to ground fault is found ( step 110 , fig2 ). when a phase to ground fault is found , the controller 50 then either takes a predefined action ( such as isolating the faulty inverter ), or transmits a ground fault detected signal to a second controller 70 , which then allows the second controller 70 to take any necessary actions ( step 112 , fig2 ). in another embodiment , the rms voltage value of each phase ( i . e ., step 104 ) can be determined by the method illustrated in fig3 . in the embodiment of fig3 , step 1104 first filters the raw voltage to remove harmonic frequencies ( step 1104 ( a )). the harmonic frequencies are removed because the harmonic frequencies are unnecessary in the determination of the phase rms voltage , and can cause miscalculations when the phase voltages are summed . the filtered voltage is then squared ( step 1104 ( b )) and passed to a second filter . in the second filter the signal is again filtered ( step 1104 ( c )) to remove harmonic frequencies . since the second filter is after the squaring operation , any harmonics that were too small to be filtered in the first filter step 1104 ( a ) will have been squared and thus are large enough to be filtered by the second filter step 1104 ( c ). the signal is then square rooted ( step 1104 ( d )), which returns the signal to its original amplitude without the harmonics . the signal is then sent to step 1106 of fig3 where the remainder of the method is identical to the method described in the first embodiment , and illustrated in fig2 . in another embodiment the total rms voltage is computed for step 2106 of fig5 with the sub - steps illustrated . in the embodiment of fig5 , a raw voltage for each phase is received from step 2104 and initially filtered ( step 2106 ( a )). the filtered voltages of each phase are then added together ( step 2106 ( b )) and sent to a divider . the divider then divides the sum of the phase voltages by the total number of phases in the system ( step 2106 ( c )). next the output of the divider is squared ( step 2106 ( d )) in order to make any harmonics that were too small for the first filter ( 2106 ( a )) larger . after being squared , the signal is again filtered ( step 2106 ( e )). the output of the second filter ( step 2106 ( e )) is square - rooted ( step 2106 ( f )). finally the total rms voltage value is output ( step 2106 ( g )) and sent to step 2108 ( fig5 ). fig6 illustrates a logic circuit 200 for a voltage summer which is capable of performing the steps shown in block 2106 of fig5 , and described above . the total rms voltage evaluator 200 accepts a voltage input 206 of all three phases . the voltage inputs 206 are then filtered in low pass filters 202 to remove harmonics and leave a cleaner ac signal . the filtered voltage signals 232 are then sent to a summer 204 . the summer 204 combines the filtered voltage signals 232 and outputs a single raw combined voltage signal 234 . due to the nature of the summer 204 the raw combined 3 - phase voltage signal 234 is larger than zero in the event of a ground fault . the raw combined voltage signal 234 , is sent to a divider 212 . the divider 212 additionally has a second input 236 equal to k . the divider 212 then divides the raw combined voltage by k and outputs a combined voltage value 238 . the k value for input 236 is the number of phases and may be determined by a signal from the controller 50 , the secondary controller 70 , predefined within the divider 212 , or set using any other known technique . for the combined voltage value 238 to be properly interpreted by the controller 50 , harmonics that survived the initial filter 202 , and that were introduced as a result of the summer 204 and the divider 212 operations , must be removed from the signal 238 . to remove the remaining harmonics the signal 238 is squared ( in multiplier block 214 ), then sent through a filter 218 , and then square - rooted ( in square - root block 222 ). the square root block 222 outputs a total rms voltage signal 230 which is in a format that can be accepted and interpreted by the controller 50 . these operations remove the minor harmonics in the same manner as described in the second embodiment . the output 230 is then passed to step 2108 of fig5 . another embodiment of the ground fault detection method combines the phase rms voltage calculations ( step 104 , fig2 ) with the total rms voltage calculations ( step 106 , fig2 ), resulting in the method illustrated in fig7 , 8 . after the raw measurements are received ( step 3102 , fig7 ), the measurements are filtered ( step 502 ) to remove harmonic frequencies . next the filtered signals are copied at junction 504 and separate operations are performed on the signals simultaneously ( as illustrated in fig8 ). the first operation , used to calculate phase voltage , of the embodiment of fig7 squares the phase voltages ( step 506 ) from junction 504 . then , the voltage signals are again filtered ( step 508 ). after the second filter the signal is combined with the output of the second operation and square rooted ( step 510 ). after being square rooted the voltage signals are output to step 3108 of fig7 ( step 512 ). the second operation , used to calculate total rms voltage of the embodiment of fig7 , sums the filtered signals from junction 504 ( step 514 ). the summed signal is then divided by the total number of phases in the system ( step 516 ), and the resulting signal is squared ( step 518 ). after being squared the signal is again filtered ( step 520 ) and combined with the output of the first operation where the signal is square - rooted ( step 510 ) and output to step 3108 of fig7 ( step 512 ). while it is known that the above described methods can be performed using a number of different controllers and logic circuits , disclosed below are sample logic circuits which could be used by the controller 50 to perform the above described methods . the logic circuit 400 of fig4 is capable of performing step 1104 of the embodiment of fig3 . the logic circuit initially accepts raw ac phase voltage measurements 402 from the sensor 60 and passes them through a low pass filter 404 . the signal is then sent to a multiplier 406 . the multiplier 406 accepts the filtered ac input signal twice and multiplies them together , resulting in a squaring operation . the squaring operation additionally squares minor harmonics that were too small to be removed by the initial low - pass filter 404 . the signal is then sent through a second low - pass filter 408 where the remaining harmonics are removed , resulting in a clean signal that can be properly read by a controller 50 . finally the signal is square rooted in logic block 410 , which results in an output signal 412 equal to the phase rms voltage without additional harmonics . a logic circuit which is a combination of the logic circuits of fig4 and fig6 , and capable of performing the method of fig7 , 8 , is disclosed in fig9 . the logic circuit of fig9 utilizes a combined first low pass filter 404 , and then separates into two separate sub - circuits corresponding to each of the logic circuits 400 , 200 of fig4 and 6 . these circuits have identical components and operate in the same manner as the logic circuits 200 , 400 described above . the foregoing description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense . a worker of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that certain modifications , such as utilizing a different logic circuit within a controller , would come within the scope of this invention . for that reason , the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention .	7
referring in detail now to the drawings wherein like or similar parts of the invention are identified by like reference numerals throughout the various views , fig1 illustrates an inner collecting means generally comprising a rigid flat inner collecting surface 10 and a plurality of known art silicon solar cells 18 attached to the collecting surface 10 in order to collect impinging solar radiation and convert the solar radiation into electrical energy . solar cells 18 are generally encapsulated and covered with a transparent elastomeric surface known in the art . the lower end of inner collecting surface 10 is pivotally mounted to a main base , generally illustrated as 12 , so as to be capable of pivotation about a mounting axis from about 0 ° to about 90 ° above the horizontal . as depicted in fig4 the mounting axis may comprise a pivot rod 15 , one end of pivot rod 15 is inserted through main base 12 , the other end of pivot rod 15 is inserted through fixed shoe 27 ; fixed shoe 27 is fixedly mounted to main base 12 . returning to fig1 movement of collecting surface 10 through a 90 ° arc is necessary in order to place it at the proper angle to maximize the amount of solar rays impinging upon collector cells 18 . main base 12 defines an aluminum or lightweight rigid frame to pivotally support collecting surface 10 and solar cells 18 . the size and number of inner collecting means mounted to main base 12 will depend upon both the power requirements and the size of main base 12 . typically , two collecting surfaces measuring four feet by eight feet will be sufficient to meet most power requirements . an inner support member , generally illustrated as 16 , is used to support inner collecting surface 10 when inner collecting surface 10 is raised from the horizontal or storage position ( depicted in fig2 ) to the collecting position depicted in fig1 . at least one inner support member 16 for each inner collecting surface 10 is required , however additional support members may be used to provide further support and stability to collecting surface 10 . one end of inner support member 16 is pivotally attached in proximity to the upper end of inner collecting surface 10 at 11 to allow the angular position of collecting surface 10 to be easily changed . pivotal attachment point 11 may be located generally on the upper half of inner collecting surface 10 . in addition , pivotal attachment of inner collecting surface 10 to inner support 16 allows inner support member 16 to generally align with the plane of collecting surface 10 for easy storage when collecting surface 10 is in the horizontal position . the other end of inner support member 16 is connected to main base 12 such that the inner collecting means may be positioned at an angle between about 0 ° and about 90 ° above the horizontal plane . as depicted in fig3 in one preferred embodiment of the invention , inner support member 16 may comprise an inner stanchion 17 having a plurality of holes 26 between each end thereof . a prong 24 is fixedly mounted to main base 12 . any one of the holes 26 may be mated with prong 24 in order to determine the angle of the inner collecting surface 10 relative to the horizontal . pivotal attachment point 11 and prong 24 must be mounted sufficiently toward pivot rod 15 such that the free end of inner support member 16 will clear the rear portion of main base 12 when inner collecting surface 10 is placed in a low angular position relative to the horizontal . in order to store collecting surface 10 as shown in fig2 inner stanchion 17 is removed from prong 24 and pivoted underneath and aligned with the collecting surface 10 ; the combined aligned stanchion 17 and collecting surface 10 is subsequently pivoted into the storage position . in another preferred embodiment of the invention as depicted in fig4 inner support member 16 may comprise a two - piece stanchion including an inner leg 28 and an outer leg 30 which are made of a lightweight material such as aluminum having sufficient strength to support collecting surface 10 . inner leg 28 slidably mates within outer leg 30 such that the longitudinal axis of inner leg 28 is longitudinally aligned with the longitudinal axis of outer leg 30 . the length of inner support member 16 is changed by sliding inner leg 28 within outer leg 30 along their respective longitudinal axes . by changing the length of inner support member 16 , the angular position of inner collecting surface 10 is also changed . inner leg 28 and outer leg 30 also respectively include a plurality of holes 32 and 33 along their respective longitudinal axes that are capable of being collimated with respect to each other . holes 32 and 33 are sized to accept a removable prong 34 when at least one of the holes 32 in inner leg 28 is concentrically aligned with at least one of the holes 33 in outer leg 30 , thereby fixing the position of inner leg 28 relative to outer leg 30 along their respective longitudinal axes . inner support member 16 is mounted to an inner sliding shoe generally illustrated as 31 . the inner sliding shoe 31 is slidably mounted onto an inner guide member , generally illustrated as 29 , for movement of the inner sliding shoe 31 on and along the inner guide member 29 between the front and back of main base 12 . as depicted in fig4 the inner guide member 29 may comprise a base rod 36 having two ends , one end which mates within opening 25 of fixed shoe 27 , the other end which is attached to the back of main base 12 at 41 . the inner sliding shoe 31 may comprise a hollow cylinder 38 axially aligned on and along the longitudinal axis of rod 36 and pivotally connected to support member 16 . rod 36 includes a plurality of holes 35 along its longitudinal axis . cylinder 38 includes a hole 37 through its top and bottom . upon concentrical alignment of hole 37 with any one of holes 35 , removable prong 39 is inserted within holes 37 and 35 to fix the position of cylinder 38 longitudinally along rod 36 . movement of cylinder 38 on and along rod 36 in combination with the sliding of inner leg 28 within outer leg 30 allows the angular position of inner collecting surface 10 to be fixed between about 0 ° and about 90 ° above the horizontal without having to detach inner support member 16 from main base 12 . when storage of inner collecting surface 10 is desired , prong 34 is withdrawn from inner support member 16 and inner leg 28 is slid into outer leg 30 . at the same time prong 39 is withdrawn from cylinder 38 and cylinder 38 is moved longitudinally along base rod 36 toward pivot rod 15 resulting in inner collecting surface 10 pivoting into the horizontal position . when the length of inner support member 16 is less than the length of inner collecting surface 10 , however ; inner leg 28 need not be telescoped into outer leg 30 in order to store inner collecting surface 10 . for placement of collecting surface 10 in the collecting position , the above process is simply reversed . movement of inner collecting surface 10 between the collecting position and the storage position may be accomplished manually or by a solar powered motor . a covering device such as a tarpaulin ( not shown in the drawings ) may be placed over main base 12 and collecting surface 10 to protect the apparatus when the collecting means is in the storage position . the invention also comprises means for storing electrical energy received from the collecting means and supplying this energy to an external receptacle . the components of the storage / supply means are known in the art and shown schematically in fig5 including a storage battery 40 wired to collecting surface 10 , and voltage regulators 42 connected between battery 40 and collecting surface 10 to regulate the voltage output from solar cells 18 . the size of the battery 40 will depend upon the reserve power necessary for night use or for day use when clouds obscure the sun . a battery storage system having a 1500 ampere - hour capacity would supply approximately one week of reserve power under a 100 watt electrical load . the storage / supply means may also include an inverter 44 to convert direct current into alternating current , and various other electrical components which are well known in the art . as depicted in fig6 a pair of external receptacles 47 and 49 are mounted on the front of main base 12 for providing alternating current and direct current respectively . the invention also comprises means for transporting the inner collecting means , inner support member , main base and storage / supply means . the transportation means may comprise a two - wheel trailer 46 as depicted in fig6 or it may include trucks , skids , rail cars , water surface craft , or the like . in another embodiment of the invention , as depicted in fig7 a retractable base generally illustrated as 48 is retractably mounted to main base 12 so as to allow retractable base 48 to move between a position exterior from and in proximity with main base 12 to a position inside main base 12 through main base opening 57 . retractable base 48 may be mounted on rollers ( not shown in drawings ) which are affixed to main base 12 in order to allow easy movement of retractable base 48 in and out of main base 12 . the outer collecting means comprising collecting surface 10 and silicon cells 18 is pivotally mounted on retractable base 48 such that collection surface 10 may pivot about a mounting axis between about 0 ° and about 90 ° above the horizontal . as depicted in fig9 the mounting axis may comprise a pivot rod 15 , one end of pivot rod 15 is inserted through retractable base 48 , the other end of pivot rod 15 is inserted through fixed shoe 27 ; fixed shoe 27 is fixedly mounted to retractable base 48 . returning to fig7 it is important to note that outer collecting surface 10 must be in the horizontal or storage position within retractable base 48 before retractable base 48 can be retracted inside main base 12 . the outer collecting means will generally have identical size , shape , and collecting characteristics as the inner collecting means , the main difference being that the inner collecting means is mounted to main base 12 , and the other collecting means is mounted to retractable base 48 . the outer support member 16 is used to support outer collecting surface 10 when outer collecting surface 10 is raised to the collecting position as depicted in fig7 . one end of outer support member 16 is pivotally connected in proximity to the upper end of outer collecting surface 10 at 51 . pivotal attachment point 51 may be located generally on the upper half of outer collecting surface 10 . the other end of outer support member 16 is connected to retractable base 48 such that the outer collecting means may be positioned at any angle between about 0 ° and about 90 ° above the horizontal plane . as depicted in fig8 outer support member 16 may comprise an inner stanchion 17 having a plurality of longitudinally displaced holes 26 between each end thereof . a prong 24 is fixedly mounted to retractable base 48 . any one of holes 26 may be mated with prong 24 in order to determine the angle of outer collecting surface 10 relative to the horizontal . pivotal attachment point 51 and prong 24 must be mounted sufficiently toward pivot rod 15 such that the free end of outer support member 16 will clear the rear of retractable base 48 when outer collecting surface 10 is placed in a low angular position relative to the horizontal . in order to store outer collecting surface 10 , outer stanchion 17 is removed from prong 24 and pivoted to align with the plane of outer collecting surface 10 . outer collecting surface 10 is then pivoted into the horizontal position and base 48 is retracted inside main base 12 . in a preferred embodiment as depicted in fig9 outer support member 16 comprises a two - piece stanchion including an inner leg 28 slidably mated within outer leg 30 such that the longitudinal axis of inner leg 28 is longitudinally aligned with the longitudinal axis of outer leg 30 . the length of outer support member 16 is changed by sliding inner leg 28 within outer leg 30 along their respective longitudinal axes . by changing the length of outer support member 16 , the angular position of outer collecting surface 10 is also changed . inner leg 28 and outer leg 30 also respectively include a plurality of holes 32 and 33 along their respective longitudinal axes that are capable of being collimated with respect to each other . holes 32 and 33 are sized to accept a removable prong 34 when at least one of the holes 32 in inner leg 28 is concentrically aligned with at least one of the holes 33 in outer leg 30 , thereby fixing the position of inner leg 28 relative to outer leg 30 along their respective longitudinal axes . in addition , outer support means 16 is pivotally mounted to the outer sliding shoe 31 . the outer sliding shoe 31 is slidably mounted to the outer guide member 29 for movement of the outer sliding shoe 31 on and along the outer guide member 29 between the front and back of retractable base 48 . as further depicted in fig9 the outer guide member 29 may comprise a base rod 36 having two ends , one end which mates with opening 25 of fixed shoe 27 , the other end which is attached to the back of retractable base 48 at 55 . the outer sliding shoe 31 may comprise a hollow cylinder 38 axially aligned on and along the longitudinal axis of rod 36 and pivotally connected to outer support member 16 . rod 36 includes a plurality of holes 35 along its longitudinal axis . cylinder 38 includes a hole 37 through its top and bottom . upon concentrical alignment of hole 37 with any one of holes 35 , prong 39 is inserted within holes 37 and 35 to fix the position of cylinder 38 longitudinally along rod 36 . movement of cylinder 38 on and along rod 36 in combination with the sliding of inner leg 28 within outer leg 30 allows the angular position of outer collecting surface 10 to vary between about 0 ° and about 90 ° above the horizontal without having to detach outer support member 16 from retractable base 48 . when storage of outer collecting surface 10 is desired , prong 34 is withdrawn and inner leg 28 is slid into outer leg 30 . at the same time prong 39 is removed from cylinder 38 and cylinder 38 is moved toward the front of retractable base 48 along base rod 36 resulting in outer collecting surface 10 pivoting into the horizontal position . retractable base 48 is then retracted into main base 12 . when the length of inner support member 16 is less than the length of inner collecting surface 10 , however ; inner leg 28 need not be telescoped into outer leg 30 in order to store inner collecting surface 10 . movement of outer collecting surface 10 between the collecting position and the storage position as well as movement of retractable base 48 between the interior and exterior of main base 12 may be performed manually or by solar powered motor . additional retractable bases may be located exterior to and in proximity with the remaining three sides of main base 12 as depicted in fig1 . in order to provide storage spaces inside main base 12 for the retractable bases and outer collecting means , the retractable bases may be stored inside main base 12 in a stair step manner as depicted in fig1 . when retractable bases 48 are rolled out of main base 12 and the outer collecting means are placed in their collecting positions , the outer collecting means will be at different levels relative to each other , however there will be little effect on the operational efficiency of the outer collecting means or inner collecting means because collecting surfaces 10 do not block each other from impinging solar radiation during most daylight hours . additional collecting means may require additional voltage regulators 42 and a larger capacity battery 40 . the requirements of the transportation means will not change with the increase in the number of collecting means and accompanying apparatus since the size and weight changes are comparatively small . while the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular embodiments thereof , a latitude of modification , various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure , and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth .	7
embodiments of the present invention may provide a method , apparatus , and system for enabling a secure platform . more specifically , embodiments of the present invention may provide an architecture providing memory access policies based on associated identifiers . various aspects of the illustrative embodiments will be described using terms commonly employed by those skilled in the art to convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art . however , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that alternate embodiments may be practiced with only some of the described aspects . for purposes of explanation , specific devices and configurations are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the illustrative embodiments . however , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that alternate embodiments may be practiced without the specific details . in other instances , well - known features are omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the illustrative embodiments . further , various operations will be described as multiple discrete operations , in turn , in a manner that is most helpful in understanding the present invention ; however , the order of description should not be construed as to imply that these operations are necessarily order dependent . in particular , these operations need not be performed in the order of presentation . the phrase “ in one embodiment ” is used repeatedly . the phrase generally does not refer to the same embodiment ; however , it may . the terms “ comprising ,” “ having ,” and “ including ” are synonymous , unless the context dictates otherwise . the phrase “ a and / or b ” means “( a ), ( b ), or ( a and b ).” the phrase “ at least one of a , b and c ” means “( a ), ( b ), ( c ), ( a and b ), ( a and c ), ( b and c ) or ( a , b and c ).” fig1 illustrates a platform 100 having dual execution environments to secure memory accesses , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the platform 100 may have a host execution environment , e . g ., host environment 104 , an auxiliary execution environment , e . g ., auxiliary environment 108 , a main memory 112 , and an auxiliary memory 116 , coupled with each other as shown . the auxiliary memory 116 may have a number of access policies relating to the access of content stored in the main memory 112 . these access policies may be maintained / managed by one or more components of the auxiliary environment 108 . the auxiliary environment 108 may be securely partitioned from the host environment 104 , and may include , e . g ., a service processor , a virtual partition using a virtual machine manager , or an embedded microcontroller . in an embodiment , the auxiliary environment 108 may be configured to execute code independently and securely isolated from the host environment 104 . in some embodiments , the auxiliary environment 108 may be further configured to prevent components of the host environment 104 from performing operations that would alter , modify , read , or otherwise affect the components of the auxiliary environment 108 . in various embodiments , the auxiliary environment 108 may be partitioned from the host environment 104 via a variety of different types of partitions , including an entirely separate hardware partition ( e . g ., utilizing active management technologies ( amt ), “ manageability engine ” ( me ), platform resource layer ( prl ) using sequestered platform resources , system management mode ( smm ), and / or other comparable or similar technologies ) and / or a virtualized partition ( e . g ., a virtual machine in a virtualization technology ( vt ) scheme ). in various embodiments , a virtualized host may also be used to implement amt , me , and prl technologies ( as described in further detail below ). in an embodiment , the main memory 112 and the auxiliary memory 116 may be sequestered from one another in a manner to provide different levels of access to components operating in the host environment 104 and components operating in the auxiliary environment 108 . for example , in some embodiments components operating in the auxiliary environment 108 may have read - only access to the main memory 112 and may have read - write access to the auxiliary memory 116 to facilitate management of access policies . furthermore , in some embodiments components operating in the host environment 104 may have read - write access to the main memory 112 and read - only access to the auxiliary memory 116 . this restriction of components operating in the host environment to modify the access policies found in the auxiliary memory 116 may facilitate maintenance of security on the platform 100 . it may be noted that the above access levels may refer to generic environmental access levels with the potential of having more particular access policies being applied to particular components operating in each environment . for example , the host environment 104 may include an operating system ( os ) 120 for control and / or management of other components including the mediation of information flow between higher - level components , e . g ., user apps 124 , and lower - level components , e . g ., a loader 128 , a subject component 132 , a memory manager 136 , and / or a target component 140 . in some embodiments , the subject component 132 and the target component 140 may be software components operating in the same privilege level , or architectural ring . in some embodiments the os 120 may have no access to the auxiliary memory 116 , while certain other components of the host environment 104 , e . g ., subject component 132 , may be provided limited access . as used herein , the term “ component ” is intended to refer to programming logic that may be employed to obtain a desired outcome . the term component may be synonymous with “ module ” and may refer to programming logic that may be embodied in hardware or firmware , or in a collection of software instructions , possibly having entry and exit points , written in a programming language , such as , for example , c ++. a software component may be compiled and linked into an executable program , or installed in a dynamic link library , or may be written in an interpretive language such as basic . it will be appreciated that software components may be callable from other components / modules or from themselves , and / or may be invoked in response to detected events or interrupts . software instructions may be embedded in firmware , such as an electrically erasable programmable read - only memory ( eeprom ), or may be stored on a readable medium such as a magnetic or optical storage device . it will be further appreciated that hardware components may be comprised of connected logic units , such as gates and flip - flops , and / or may be comprised of programmable units , such as programmable gate arrays or processors . in one embodiment , the components described herein are implemented as software modules , but nonetheless may be represented in hardware or firmware . furthermore , although only a given number of discrete software / hardware components may be illustrated and / or described , such components may nonetheless be represented by additional components or fewer components without departing from the spirit and scope of embodiments of the invention . in an embodiment , the loader 128 , the subject component 132 , the memory manager 136 , and / or the target component 140 may be supervisory - level components , e . g ., kernel components . in various embodiments , kernel components may be services ( e . g ., loader , scheduler , memory manager , etc . ), extensions / drivers ( e . g ., for a network card , a universal serial bus ( usb ) interface , a disk drive , etc . ), or a service - driver hybrid ( e . g ., intrusion detectors to watch execution of code ). in some embodiments the main memory 112 may organize content stored therein into a number of groups of memory locations . these organizational groups , which may be fixed - and / or variable sized , may facilitate virtual memory management . the groups of memory locations may be pages , segments , or a combination thereof . a virtual memory utilizing paging may facilitate the emulation of a large logical / linear address space with a smaller physical memory page . therefore , the host environment 104 may provide a virtual execution environment in which the components may operate , which may then be mapped into physical pages of the main memory 112 . the os 120 may maintain page tables to map the logical / linear addresses provided by components of the host environment 104 to physical address of the main memory 112 . more details of the implementation of paging in accordance with embodiments of the present invention may be given below . in an embodiment , the loader 128 may receive a load request , e . g ., from the os 120 , to load content into one or more pages of the main memory 112 , e . g ., subject pages 144 . the loaded content may include , e . g ., data pages , having static content , and / or code pages , having executable content . the subject pages 144 may be used for providing processor instructions to a host processor in the execution of the subject component 132 . the loader 128 may make a request to the memory manager 136 to allocate subject pages 144 . the loader 128 may then load the content into the allocated subject pages 144 . the content , upon execution in the host environment 104 may be manifested as the subject component 132 . in an embodiment , the auxiliary environment 108 may include a code location component 148 to identify the location of the subject pages 144 in the main memory 112 . the code location component 148 may use the capability of the auxiliary environment 108 to access the main memory 112 to read and locate the subject pages 144 in the main memory 112 . the code location component 148 may receive images , e . g ., complete images or hashes , of the images or specific subject pages 144 , from the host environment 104 and / or a third - party trusted entity , to facilitate their location and / or state verification in the main memory 112 . a comparison , e . g ., byte - by - byte or through cryptographic hashes , may be done between the image received and the subject pages 144 from the perspective of the auxiliary environment 108 . in various embodiments , the code location component 148 may search for the location of the subject pages 144 directly in the main memory 112 , e . g ., through a direct memory access and / or a messaging system between the auxiliary environment 108 and the host environment 104 . a messaging system , for example , may search for the location of the subject pages 144 by using the memory mapped registers of a host processor of the host environment 104 . a read of the registers of the host processor may take place through a system management interrupt ( smi ), for example . as shown in fig1 , the code location component 148 is located in the auxiliary environment 108 ; however , in some embodiments , the code location component 148 , or portions thereof , may be located elsewhere . furthermore , in some embodiments , the code location component 148 may additionally / alternatively cooperate with components , e . g ., agents , in other execution environments . in an embodiment utilizing virtualized memory , the location of the subject component 132 may be reported to the code location component 148 as its linear address . the code location component 148 may receive this linear address and access host page tables setup by the host environment 104 to perform a virtual - to - physical address mapping to determine the physical location of the subject page 144 in main memory 112 . in an embodiment , the code location component 148 may optionally fetch additional information from the subject component 132 to verify the location and / or state , e . g ., through hashes , relocation fix - ups , etc . in an embodiment , the determination of the location of the subject page 144 may be facilitated by having the subject pages 144 pinned in main memory 112 . in an embodiment , the code location component 148 may report the location and / or state of the subject pages 144 to an auxiliary memory manager , e . g ., a micro - context manager 152 . the micro - context manager 152 may assign an identifier , or micro - context ( uc ), to the subject pages 144 and store the assigned uc in the auxiliary memory 116 , e . g ., subject - uc 156 . the subject - uc 156 may facilitate storage and subsequent retrieval of various meta - data associated with the subject page 144 . for example , in an embodiment , the subject - uc 156 may include access control policies that apply to the content stored in the subject pages 144 of the main memory 112 . in various embodiments , these access control policies may be referenced by components of the host environment 104 to control various memory accesses to the subject pages 144 and / or by the subject component 132 . the various management components of the auxiliary environment 108 , e . g ., the code location component 148 and the uc manager 152 , may operate independently from the os 120 of the host environment . therefore , management provided by such components may be referred to as os - agnostic or “ out - of - band ” ( oob ) management . in an embodiment , one or more pages , e . g ., target pages 160 , storing data relating to the target component 140 may be located and assigned a target - uc 164 in a manner similar to that discussed above relative to the subject page 144 . in an embodiment , the subject component 132 may issue a request to access , e . g ., to read / write from / to , content stored in target pages 160 . the processor of the host environment 104 may perform an access control check , to determine whether to grant / deny this request , based at least in part on reference to the subject - uc 156 and / or a target - uc 164 stored in the auxiliary memory 116 . if the access control check fails , e . g ., the subject - uc 156 and the target - uc 164 are incompatible , the processor may issue a page fault exception and / or interrupt the uc manager 152 . if the access control check passes , e . g ., the subject - uc 156 and the target - uc 164 are compatible , no faults may be issued and the processor may access the requested content . fig2 illustrates data structures of the auxiliary memory 116 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment , an array 200 may include micro - context numbers , e . g ., uc1 204 - ucn 208 , associated with physical pages in the main memory 112 . it may be noted that the correspondence between physical pages and micro - contexts may not be one - to - one , e . g ., multiple physical pages may have the same micro - context . the micro - context numbers of the array 200 may , in turn , be associated with a corresponding array 212 of micro - context data . a micro - context data entry , e . g ., ucn 216 may include access policy fields for data such as permissions 220 ( e . g ., readable / nonreadable , writeable / nonwriteable , hidden / visible , etc .) and / or relational access data 224 ( e . g ., other micro - contexts that may access this micro - context if marked readable , etc .). in some embodiments the relational access data 224 may facilitate a number of different components having access to the same pages in the main memory 112 . this may be achieved by storing one or more micro - contexts in addition to the primary micro - context associated with the particular page . such a page may then be accessed by any of the micro - contexts listing in its associated access control data structure in the auxiliary memory 116 . this shared access may allow privileged code to be chained together in a chain - of - trust model . for example , if a layered software component a exchanges data with another layered software component b , the auxiliary environment 108 may assign micro - contexts to the layered software components and setup access control policies such that the data pages for a are also marked with a shared micro - context for b - uc . therefore , when b - uc code accesses a &# 39 ; s data , the accesses may be allowed . in some embodiments , this type of shared access may provide some level of assurance that only packets that traverse a firewall or vpn intermediate driver are delivered to the device driver . likewise , it may provide some level of assurance that only the device driver can access the frame buffer data segments and so on . this may prevent circumvention of security software by network traffic leaving / entering the system . in an embodiment ucn 216 may also include fields for data to facilitate context switches , e . g ., component entry point data 228 and / or stack state data 232 . utilization of the information stored in these fields may be further described below in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention . fig3 illustrates a platform 300 having dual processors to provide dual execution environments in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the platform 300 may have a host processor 304 to execute components within the host environment 104 , and a service processor 308 to execute components within the auxiliary environment 108 described and discussed with reference to fig1 . operational phases , noted herein by numerals in parentheses , may refer to host operations illustrated in fig4 and / or auxiliary operations illustrated in fig5 . each processor may have associated resources on the platform 300 and may share one or more other resources . thus , as illustrated in this example , host processor 304 and dedicated processor 308 may each have portions of memory dedicated to them , e . g ., main memory 112 and auxiliary memory 116 , respectively , and may share other resources , e . g ., a network interface 310 , to communicatively couple the device to a network . in various embodiments , a variety of other dedicated and / or shared resources may be included in the platform 300 . for example , in an embodiment , the host processor 304 may be communicatively coupled to a peripheral storage device , e . g ., disk drive 314 , which may include a digital versatile disk drive ( dvd ), a compact disk ( cd ) drive , a floppy disk drive , etc . in an embodiment , the os 120 may configure and load a page table 312 with the virtual - to - physical mapping of one or more components to be run on the host processor 304 , e . g ., subject component 132 ( 404 ). the page table 312 may have page entries 320 , offsets 324 , and / or flags 328 to facilitate this mapping . the page table 312 , or parts thereof , may be stored in a processor cache , e . g ., a translation lookaside buffer ( tlb ) 332 . the host processor 304 may also use its read - capability of the auxiliary memory 116 to access and load the subject - uc 156 into the tlb 332 ( 408 ). the host processor 304 may utilize the page table 312 for subsequent accesses to the subject pages 144 ( 412 ), pursuant to access control policies associated with the subject - uc 156 . execution instructions 336 , of the subject component 132 , may be processed by the host processor 304 upon a successful access and loading of the subject pages 144 . the host processor 304 may record a micro - context of the page from where the host processor 304 is executing code , e . g ., subject - uc 156 , in a uc - register 340 ( 416 ). in an embodiment , the code location component 148 , operating in the auxiliary environment 108 , e . g ., by being executed by the service processor 308 , may determine that the subject component 132 is executing in the host environment 104 ( 504 ). in an embodiment , the code location component 148 may determine which component is executing in the host environment 104 by reference to the uc - register 340 . in an embodiment , service processor 308 may be prevented from accessing the register directly . therefore , in this embodiment an smi may facilitate the provision on this information to the service processor 308 . an smi may be issued by a system management mode ( smm ) component operating in the host environment 104 , the auxiliary environment 108 , or another execution environment . an smi may cause the host processor 304 to enter the smm by swapping out the execution instructions 332 for processing instructions related to an interrupt service routine . the host processor 304 may provide data including the state of the uc - register 340 , e . g ., the micro - context of the code that was executing prior to the interrupt , to an smm handler . the smm handler may provide the state of the uc - register 340 to the service processor 308 via main memory 112 , for example . the code location component 148 may locate the subject pages 144 in main memory 112 and verify the state of the subject pages 144 ( 508 ) as described above with reference to fig1 . the uc manager 152 may then associate a micro - context with the subject page 144 and save the associated micro - context in the auxiliary memory 116 based at least in part on said location and verification of the subject pages 144 ( 512 ). in an embodiment , the subject pages 144 may include a data page , or reference to a data page , which may be added to the page table structure for the subject component 132 . this data page may be assigned a micro - context of 0 , e . g ., not protected , by default . if the subject component 132 intends for the data page to be assigned the same micro - context as the subject component 132 , the subject component 132 may make an assignment request to the service processor 308 . in an embodiment , this request may be made via an smi handler . the service processor 308 may assign the data page with the requested micro - context if it is determined that a number of assignment preconditions are met . these assignment preconditions may be met if , e . g ., the subject component 132 has the same micro - context as it is requesting be assigned to the data page , and the data page does not already have another micro - context assigned to it . in an embodiment , a request to remove , or de - assign , a micro - context assignment from a data page , e . g ., reassign a protected data page with an unprotected micro - context , may be handled in a similar way . for example , a de - assignment request may be granted by the service processor 308 if a number of de - assignment preconditions are met . these de - assignment preconditions may be met if , e . g ., the page was added to the micro - context and / or the data page has the same micro - context as the requestor . in an embodiment , if the host processor 304 is to access a mapping to a component &# 39 ; s pages , along with any associated micro - context , from the tlb 336 , the host processor 304 may additionally access the auxiliary memory 116 to determine if any updates to the micro - context have occurred . in various embodiments , updates to the micro - contexts may also be periodically provided to the tlb 336 . provision of the periodic updates may be as a result from a specific request from the host processor 304 and / or may be pushed into the tlb 336 . fig6 illustrates an access operation from the host environment 104 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . in an embodiment , the execution instructions 332 may include instructions for the host processor 304 to access content stored in the target pages 160 ( 604 ). when the host processor 304 is in a protected mode , the processing instructions may access memory using logical / virtual addresses . an initial lookup may be performed in the tlb 332 to determine if a mapping to the data sought and an associated micro - context are stored therein ( 608 ). if a mapping to the corresponding physical address of the target pages 160 and associated micro - context are found , the host processor 304 may perform uc access control check ( 612 ). if no uc access violation is present , the host processor 304 may access the target data based on the physical address from the tlb 332 ( 616 ). if a uc access violation does result from the access operation , an exception may be raised , e . g ., a processor page - fault exception ( 620 ). in an embodiment , these exceptions may be handled by firmware to ensure appropriate alerts and / or events are logged . however , in other embodiments alerts and / or events may be handled by hardware and / or software implementations . in an embodiment , for instructions that access data in the main memory 112 , the host processor 304 may compare the micro - contexts of the executing code with the micro - context of the page where the address specified in the instruction lie for compatibility . in an embodiment , accesses across micro - contexts may be generally disallowed , with the exception for shared or remapped pages where a list of micro - contexts may be associated with the same physical page . if the virtual - to - physical address mapping is not found in the tlb 332 , the host processor 304 may perform a page walk and cache the mapping to the target pages 160 in the tlb 332 ( 624 ). the host processor 304 may additionally cache the target uc 164 , from the auxiliary memory 116 , in the tlb 332 ( 628 ). the host processor may check for uc access violation ( 612 ). fig7 illustrates a context - switching operation in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . in some embodiments , a number of processes may share the computational resources of the host processor 304 . this sharing of resources may be provided through context switches . context switches may be precipitated by a switching event 704 . an implicit context switch may have a switching event such as an interrupt . an explicit context switch may have a switching event such as a call opcode issued from the executing component explicitly calling another component . as discussed herein , a context switch may involve an exiting component , e . g ., the component executing prior to context switch , and an entering component , e . g ., the component executing following the context switch . at the switching event , the host processor may determine whether the exiting component is protected , e . g ., is the exiting component associated with a non - zero uc ( 708 ). if the exiting component is protected , the host processor 304 may perform a micro - context save interrupt by saving an entry point , which may be the physical address where the last instruction was fetched from when the context switch occurred , and data for subsequent verification of the stack - state ( 712 ). the entry - point and the stack - state verification data may be saved in the exiting component &# 39 ; s micro - context associated space in the auxiliary memory 116 . in various embodiments , data for stack - state verification may include a copy of the entire stack state or an integrity check value ( icv ) calculation . an icv may be calculated on the in parameters of a stack frame by setting the out parameters to default values . likewise , an icv may be calculated on the out parameters by setting the in parameters to default values . an icv calculation and / or verification may be done by the host processor 304 using a key provisioned by the service processor 308 via an smi , for example . following the micro - context save interrupt , the host processor 304 may switch from the exiting component to the entering component ( 716 ). if it is determined that the exiting component is not protected , e . g ., has a micro - context of zero , the components may be switched out without a micro - context save interrupt . fig8 illustrates a context switching operation on an entering component , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment , a context switch from an exiting component to an entering component may occur ( 804 ). a determination may be made as to whether the entering component is protected ( 808 ). if the entering component is protected , the host processor 304 may perform a micro - context recover interrupt ( 812 ). a micro - context recover interrupt may include accessing the stack - state verification data and the entry point location from the entering component &# 39 ; s micro - context . the host processor 304 may verify the state of the stack and , if the stack is verified , resume processing opcodes from the stored entry point location ( 816 ). verification of the stack - state from data stored in protected memory may provide some level of assurance that the stack has not been modified . in some embodiments , the host processor 304 may look ahead in the pipeline by an instruction , e . g ., during decode , to determine that the next instruction belongs to a micro - context other than the current one to facilitate the timely issuance of a micro - context save / restore interrupt . while the above embodiments , refer generically to implicit and explicit context switches , some embodiments may have a particular rule set governing each type of context switch . for example , in the anticipation of an explicit context switch , entry - point opcodes may be added to verify that the entering component is being executed from special entry points identified in the component &# 39 ; s code . if an entry - point opcode is being decoded by the entering component in response to a call opcode from the exiting component , no more checks may be needed . if , however , in response to a call opcode from exiting component , the next opcode is not an entry - point opcode , then an exception may be raised . this may be particularly useful in a situation where the exiting component is unprotected and the entering component is protected . in some embodiments fixed entry points may be stored with micro - contexts to allow controlled flow from one uc to another . for example , a component of a first uc may jump into or call a component of a second uc at one of these entry points . at these expected entry points , proper control flow may be achieved . a policy for the component may define where the proper entry points are located . controlled flow transitions from one component to another at a proper entry point may not generate an exception or interrupt a uc manager . in some embodiments , fixed entry points may also be referred to as “ static entry points ” while entry points saved at various switching events , e . g ., those saved as a result of a uc save interrupt , may also be referred to as “ dynamic entry points .” fig9 illustrates a platform 900 utilizing virtualization to provide dual execution environments in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the platform 900 may include only a single processor 904 but a virtual machine monitor ( vmm ) 908 on the device may present multiple abstractions and / or views of the device , such that the underlying hardware of the platform 900 appears as one or more independently operating virtual machines ( vms ), e . g ., a host vm 912 and an auxiliary vm 916 to provide the host environment 104 and the auxiliary environment 108 , respectively . the vmm 908 may be implemented in software ( e . g ., as a stand - alone program and / or a component of a host operating system ), hardware , firmware and / or any combination thereof . the vmm 908 may manage allocation of resources on the platform 900 and perform context switching as necessary to cycle between the host vm 912 and the auxiliary vm 916 according to a round - robin or other predetermined scheme . although only processor 904 is illustrated , embodiments of the present invention are not limited to only one processor . in various embodiments , multiple processors may also be utilized within a virtualized environment . for example , if the platform 900 includes two processors the auxiliary vm 916 may be assigned a dedicated processor while the host vm 912 ( and other host vms ) may share the resources of a host processor . while the platform 900 shows two vms , e . g ., host vm 912 and auxiliary vm 916 , other embodiments may employ any number of vms . vms may function as self - contained partitions respectively , running their own components hosted by vmm 908 , illustrated as host components 920 and auxiliary components 924 . the host components 920 and auxiliary components 924 may each operate as if the were running on a dedicated computer rather than a virtual machine . that is , host components 920 and auxiliary components 924 may each expect to control various events and have access to hardware resources on the platform 900 , e . g ., a wireless network interface card 928 . a physical hardware partition with a dedicated processor ( as illustrated in fig3 , for example ) may provide a higher level of security than a virtualized partition ( as illustrated in fig9 , for example ), but embodiments of the invention may be practiced in either environment and / or a combination of these environments to provide varying levels of security . embodiments of the present invention shown and described above may facilitate association and management of targeted access policies from an auxiliary environment with respect to the physical pages found in main memory . although the present invention has been described in terms of the above - illustrated embodiments , it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a wide variety of alternate and / or equivalent implementations calculated to achieve the same purposes may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention . those with skill in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention may be implemented in a very wide variety of embodiments . this description is intended to be regarded as illustrative instead of restrictive on embodiments of the present invention .	6
when transmitting digital information according to the nmra standard from a control unit 10 to a decoder or consumer 20 ( locomotive decoder or stationary decoder according to fig3 ), the schemata in fig1 is used to code the bit values 0 and 1 in which possible time points t [ send ] for return signals according to the invention are indicated . a data packet transmitted in that manner is shown in fig2 . the preamble is a header for a data packet and consists of a sequence of at least ten “ 1 ” bits . the packet start bit is the first “ 0 ” bit which follows the preamble . it concludes the preamble and signals that the next bits represent an address byte . after transmission of the address byte , there is another “ 0 ” bit as indication for a following data byte in the form of a data byte start bit . the error detection byte serves to recognize transmission errors . the packet end bit at the end of a data byte denotes the end of the data packet and generally belongs to the preamble of the following packet . in the example , the evaluation unit 30 receives the track signal shown in fig1 and 2 from the control unit 10 . the consumer 20 constantly detects and evaluates the track signal in a principally known manner and evaluates and carries out the control information contained in the data packets addressed to it . in this way , both the evaluation means 30 and the consumer 20 can use the square wave in the track to trigger and time the generation and detection of the return signal . the evaluation unit 30 supplies the return of feed - back information in the track signal detected by it to the central control unit 10 for further processing . [ 0032 ] fig2 shows a possible return or feed - back transmission of a byte according to the track format in fig1 . if a consumer 20 has fully received a data packet addressed to it , this consumer can feed back information via the evaluation unit 30 to the control unit 10 in the following data packet . for this purpose , the consumer 20 modulates the above mentioned higher frequency on the data packet , which the evaluation means 30 then demodulates again and in thereby detects a bit information of the return or feed - back signal . in the present example , a frequency of 1 mhz is used for the return signal which is far higher than the frequency of the track signal of 5 to 10 khz . moreover , the return signal according to fig1 is sent during the second signal half of a zero information (“ 0 ” bit ), since during this period , the digital track signal modulated by the control unit for a longer period of time does not exhibit a change in signal level , whose signal edges could lead to incorrect evaluation . by means of this triggering when producing the return signal and particularly when detecting the return signal , the signal distortions and interference present in the track signal itself are eliminated and inhibited from reaching the detection oscillating circuits , detection filters and detection counters in the evaluation means , which are sensitively tuned to the 1 mhz return signal . the available signal edge free periods between alternating polarities in the form of the second half of the zero information is long enough , compared to the short periods of the return signal , so that the return of feedback signal can reliably be detected in oscillating circuits used in the evaluation means 30 . the oscillating circuits have enough time to oscillate to the main frequency and to detect the bit value 1 which represents a return signal according to the present embodiment . the bit value 0 represents that the transmission frequency of the sender frequency in the consumer &# 39 ; s return signal is not present . besides , another allocation of the detection and non - detection of the return signal to the bit values 0 or 1 can be freely set . in order to achieve the highest quality , the nmra track format has the possibility to introduce stretched “ 0 ” bits as indicated in fig1 . thereby , the period of the second zero bit half can even be lengthened . in order to implement the described method , it is necessary that all consumers which momentarily do not send a return signal have a high impedance for the selected transmission frequency ( here , for 1 mhz ). depending upon the detection means in the evaluation means , it is also possible to select considerably lower frequencies , for example , down to 300 khz or even lower , for the return signal . in this case hardware expenditure may be higher and it might be necessary to lengthen the signal edge free periods between alternating polarities being used for transmission and detection of the return signal . alternatively , frequencies higher than 1 mhz are also possible for the return signal . the track signal format in fig1 and 2 shows at least eleven zero bits due to the use of the error correction byte in a valid data packet . thus it is possible to transmit from the consumer more than only 1 - bit information as a return signal which , in the simplest case , represents confirmation of receipt of the control signal . allowing for the synchronisation bit , at least ten data bits can be transmitted in the return signal to the control unit . of these , only eight bits corresponding to one byte are suitably used . therefore , it is possible , provided corresponding sensors are installed in the locomotives and other consumers , to transmit information about the current speed , acceleration , temperature and energy consumption of the driving motor or the energy consumption of stationary consumers and the like to the control unit . according to fig4 a 1 mhz oscillator 40 is provided in consumer 20 . the oscillator receives an oscillation enable signal from a scanning device 50 which scans the track signal and produces a synchronising signal to the predefined track signal period used . in this example , this period is the second half of the zero bits in the data packet following the data packet addressed to the consumer 20 . upon receipt of the oscillator enable signal , the oscillator 40 drives an otherwise open transistor switch 60 with 1 mhz . the switch 60 is connected to the track in series via a working impedance z . in the diagram , the impedance is provided behind a rectifier 70 which serves to supply energy to the consumer 20 as in known in the art . the series circuit of impedance z and switch 60 can also be directly connected to the track . in the example shown in fig4 the track voltage is superimposed by means of a current modulation with the return or feedback signal . this solution is technically simple and space - saving . the aforementioned necessary high impedance of a non - sending consumer for the return signal frequency is guaranteed by the inherent hardware of the consumer which is realized when switch 60 is open , i . e . disabled . according to fig5 the evaluation means 30 includes a detector 31 in the power circuit , which is supplied with the track signal . the square wave signal according to fig1 generated by the control unit is represented in fig6 a and indicated in fig5 . the track signal exhibits a number of signal distortions and interference as explained above , as well as a possibly existing return or feedback signal . in fig6 a , the return signal is located in the signal edge free periods between alternating polarities marked r of the modulated control voltage from the control unit 10 . the detector 31 obtains a detection signal from the track signal according to fig6 b . a subsequent signal limiting and pre - amplifying circuit 32 provides the normalized detection signal according to fig6 c , in which the return signal already occurs more clearly . a gate switch 34 connected to the signal limiting and pre - amplifying circuit 32 is provided in the form of an analogue switch , and filters out the time periods r used for the return signal from the normalized detection signal according to fig6 c . for this , the control contact of the gate switch 34 receives a synchronisation signal from a synchronisation device 33 . the synchronisation device 33 has the same principle construction as a sensor device 50 and receives the control signal sent to the track by the control unit 10 according to fig1 . alternatively , the track signal according to fig6 a can also be sensed by the synchronisation device 33 . as a result of this synchronisation , it is ensured that a filter amplifier 35 , here in the form of a high quality active band pass , which is tuned to 1 mhz , receives the reduced signal according to fig6 d . the output signal of the filter amplifier 35 according to fig6 e is demodulated in a demodulator 36 . the demodulated signal according to fig6 f is compared in a comparator 37 with a threshold value and the output signal according to fig6 g is supplied to the control unit 10 . [ 0041 ] fig7 shows a preferred embodiment for the detector 31 , according to which a measuring resistance is provided in a connection line from the control unit 10 to the track . the measuring resistance converts the existing track signal with or without superimposed return signal to a proportional voltage . the voltage measured over the measuring resistance is pre - filtered in a band pass and supplied to the signal limiting and pre - amplifying circuit 32 , which has been provided as a differential amplifier . otherwise , fig7 corresponds to fig5 . [ 0042 ] fig8 shows an alternative in which a detector 31 ′ is a measuring sensor which , for example , contains a differentiator which converts the square wave return signal contained in the detected signal into a pulse series . a counter 38 synchronized to the signal periods r by the switch 34 counts the pulses in each time period r . furthermore , the counter 38 is controlled by the synchronisation device 33 such that it is set to zero outside the time periods r , and counts the pulses during the time period r . for this purpose a gate switch is used . apart from the pulse series resulting from the return signal , the counted pulses can also be various interference pulses . as a consequence of the predefined high frequency of the return signal &# 39 ; s pulse series , these interference pulses , however , can be neglected in case of a sufficiently high count value . in this way , if the counter has counted , for example , up to 64 pulses , it can reliably be concluded that the counted pulses mainly result from the return signal and are not caused by interference and other sporadic signal distortions . besides , considerably lower frequencies for the return signal are also sufficient to “ lift ” the count value resulting from the return signal above contributions of the interference signals in the overall count value . a subsequent digital comparator 39 compares the count value of detector 30 with a set point value at the end of the time period r . if the count value exceeds the set point value , the comparator 39 generates a signal which represents a detected return signal during the time period r . the comparison control in the example is performed such that a possible detected return signal is transmitted to the control unit as long as the comparison control no longer transmits a release signal to the comparator 39 . as another alternative , it is also conceivable not to use a high frequency square wave modulation as return signal according to fig4 . instead , a correspondingly high frequency pulse series generated by the consumer as return or feed back signal can be directly coupled to the track and then detected using principle of fig8 . in the implemented embodiments the following hardware components and parameters have been used : control unit 10 : lz100 with an amplifier lv101 , both of lenz elektronik gmbh ; while there has been shown and described what are at present considered the preferred embodiment of the invention , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims .	0

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