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fig1 illustrates a toilet flush valve 10 which controls the flow of water from a water closet 12 in the direction of arrow 14 to a toilet bowl ( not shown ) to flush waste out of the bowl . the valve includes a valve seat device 16 that forms a seat 18 and a pivot mount 20 that is spaced largely horizontally from the seat . a valve member 22 includes an arm 24 with an inner end 26 pivotally mounted about an axis 28 on the pivot mount of the valve seat device . the valve member also includes a seal portion 30 that can seal against the valve seat 18 , and a tank ball 21 lying within the seal portion . the tank ball forms a chamber 34 and is closed at the top 36 and sides , but the chamber has an open bottom end 40 . a closing delay cup device 42 can be mounted on the top 36 of the tank ball . in the absence of the cup device 42 , the flush valve 10 is of generally the same configuration and operates in substantially the same manner as a prior art flush valve . to flush the toilet 44 which includes the water closet and toilet bowl , a user pivots a handle ( not shown ) to lift strap 46 that pivots open the valve member 22 by a limited angle . the high degree of buoyancy of the tank ball 32 causes it to rapidly rise , or &# 34 ; pop &# 34 ; up , despite the forces of water rapidly emptying through the valve seat 16 and a mounting conduit 50 that tend to push down the valve member . the valve member pivots to the position 22a at which the open bottom end 40a of the tank ball faces primarily horizontally rather than vertically down . in the open position 22a of the valve number , a stop portion 52a on the valve member abuts a limitor 54 on the pivot mount 22 of the valve seat device . during such opening of the valve member , about half of the air trapped in the tank ball 32a is lost . however , the tank ball and valve member are still positively buoyant because of trapped air above level 55 . as water empties from the water closet and reaches a first level 56 , the tank ball starts to fall while it floats on the water surface ( in the absence of the cup device 42 ). when the water reaches a second lower level 58 , the water rushing out of the valve seat drags the valve member down until it seats on the valve seat 18 . water from an inlet valve ( not shown ) gradually fills the water closet again to its original level . when the above flush valve ( without the cup device ) is used in a common older water closet containing about 5 to 7 gallons of water , it is not generally detrimental that a substantial amount of water lies along the height h between a rim 60 around the valve seat and the second water level 58 . actually , with water conservation now generally being desirable , leaving this amount of water is advantageous . however , when this flush valve is used in some more recently - installed water closets which may have a capacity of about 31 / 2 gallons , to conserve water and / or allow a water closet of reduced height to be used , the fact that substantial water remains after flushing may sometimes be deleterious . depending upon the size of the toilet bowl , the size and configuration of the pipes leading to and from it , and the type and quantity of waste most commonly to be flushed , the flush valve ( without the cup device ) may or may not flush properly . it is often not possible to determine this until after the flush valve is installed and has been used for a while . improper flushing generally leads to double flushing , which wastes a considerable amount of water . in accordance with the present invention , if the flush valve , without the cup device 42 thereon , has been installed in a smaller water closet and is found to not flush properly because of insufficient flush water discharged in each cycle , the closing delay cup device 42 can be installed to enhance flushing . the cup device 42 includes a cylindrical lower portion 62 that amount at the top 36 of the tank ball , and an upper portion forming a cup 64 . the basic idea of a closing delay cup is known in the prior art , as shown in u . s . pat . nos . 2 , 773 , 268 ; 3 , 142 , 846 ; and 4 , 365 , 365 . when the valve member pivots to the open position 22a , the cup at 64a can hold water and also lies on a second horizontal side 67 of a vertical plane 68 passing through the pivot axis 28 , which is opposite a first side 69 on which the valve seat 18 lies . as the water lever rapidly drops in the water closet during flushing , water is left in the cup at 64a and drains out through a drainage hole 66a more slowly than the water level falls in the water closet . the weight of water in the cup at 64a prevents the valve member from pivoting to the closed position until some of the water has drained out through the drain hole 66a . when the valve member then closes , the height of water above the valve seat rim 60 will be less than h , and generally will be substantially zero . as shown in greater detail in fig3 - 5 , the lower portion 62 of the cup device is substantially cylindrical and centered on a generally vertical axis 71 of the tank ball . the middle 64 m of the cup lies substantially on this vertical axis . the lower portion of the cup device has a radially outwardly - extending flange 70 at its lower end . the flange in annular and extends around almost the entire periphery of the cylindrical lower portion 62 , being interrupted only at a slot 72 . the tank ball 32 ( fig5 ) includes an upwardly projecting tubular extension 74 that forms a radially - extending groove 76 that can closely receive the annular flange 70 on the cup device . to install the cup device on the tank ball , a person aligns the slot 72 ( fig4 ) in the cup device with a stop 80 ( fig2 ) formed at one side of the tubular extension , and deforms the tubular extension 74 to seat the flange 70 in the annular groove 76 . the tank ball 32 ( and the rest of the valve member ) is formed of a soft resilient material , preferably rubber of low shore hardness such as 55 . the cup device 62 is formed of a stiffer material such as a molded rigid plastic , and once installed on the tank ball will reliably remain in place . it may be noted that the slot 72 ( fig4 ) is wider than the stop 80 , which facilitates installation by allowing a person to radially squeeze the bottom of the tubular portion 62 of the cup device to slightly reduce its diameter during installation of the flange in the groove . thereafter , the bottom of the cup device tends to return to its expanded position . any water lying in the lower portion 62 of the cup device can drain out through slot 72 at the same time as water drains out of the cup 64a ( fig1 ), the lower portion 62 being provided with another hole 73 above slot 72 that can allow air to enter the lower portion as water drains out of slot 72 . the valve member 22 is a one - piece integral molded part of soft rubber , that includes the tank ball 32 , the seal portion 30 , and the arm 24 , which includes three vertical beams 81 - 83 . since the tank ball 32 has a fairly large diameter and its largely vertical center line or axis 71 lies far from the horizontal pivot axis 28 , the mounting of the cup device 42 on top of the tank ball provides several advantages . only a small tubular extension 74 has to be added at the top of the tank ball to provide a wide mounting platform for the cup device . the tubular extension has a diameter more than half the tank ball diameter at the widest point of its chamber . at the mounted position the cup device lies far from the pivot axis 28 . by forming the cup device with the cup 64 spaced above the top of the tank ball ( by its lower portion 62 ) by over half the horizontal distance of the pivot axis 28 to the cup middle 64m , the cup moves a considerable distance horizontally when the valve member opens and the cup moves to the position 64a ( on the side 67 of the pivot axis 28 ). the fact that the cup device is a separate part that can be detachably mounted in the field , without the need for screws or other fasteners , reduces the number of parts and simplifies installation . applicant provides three stop portions 52 ( fig2 ) on the arm of the arm of the valve member , to limit the angle by which the valve member pivots in moving to its open position . the stop portions 52 are located on a cross beam 86 of the valve member and project upwardly therefrom . the projecting parts of the stop portions 52 can be easily trimmed with a scissors or knife to increase the angle of pivoting of the tank ball . the angle a of pivoting is generally over 45 ° and may be adjustable from 60 ° ( seen in fig1 ) to a maximum of 85 ° . in some toilets the valve seat 18 must be mounted with its sealing surface inclined from the horizontal , and trimming of the stop portions enables some control of the angle of the open valve member to assure proper operation for such water closets . the trimmable stop portions which enable control of valve member pivoting , are preferably trimmed only after the cup device 42 is installed . when the cup device is installed , it is desirable to close the flush valve very close to the time when the water level in the water closet drops to the level of the top of the seat rim 60 . if there is a further delay , then new water entering the water closet to refill it will be drained out of the valve seat . such new water flows slowly enough that it does not really aid flushing , and yet causing wastage of water from a water closet intended to save water . although it would be possible to enable a change in the size of the drainage hole 66a ( fig1 ) of the cup to control the time when the valve closes , this is difficult to do properly in the field . instead , by trimming the stop portions 52 , a person can control the torque or moment ( weight of the cup device with water in it times the horizontal distance between the center of gravity of the cup and the pivot axis 28 ) applied by the cup device to keep the valve member . the cup device is constructed so that when the stop portions 52 are not trimmed the valve member will close slightly before the water drops to the level of the seat rim . if it is found that in a particular installation the valve is closing too early and additional flush water is required , the top parts of the stop portions 52 can be trimmed away to keep the valve open longer ( the valve will close when there is still some water in the cup at 66a ). thus , the invention provides a flush valve which can be constructed reliably and at low cost to operate well in larger water closets and some smaller water closets , but which enables a controllable delay in closing for smaller water closets where such delay is necessary to increase the flushing water for proper flushing . this is accomplished by providing a cup device that is field - installable on a valve member that operates reliably but leaves a moderate amount of water in the tank without the cup device . the tank ball of the valve member is provided with an upwardly projecting tubular extension with a groove that receives a flange at the bottom of the cup device . the cup device includes a cylindrical lower portion that holds the cup a distance above the top of the tank ball so the cup moves to an opposite side of the axis when the valve member pivots open . although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein , it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art and consequently it is intended to cover such modifications and equivalents .
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viewing the drawings and particularly fig1 to 3 , an illuminated membrane switch matrix assembly 10 is illustrated generally including a cup - shaped transparent housing 11 with an indicia bearing graphics overlay 12 attached to its outer surface , a plurality of transparent plungers 14 mounted in recesses in the housing 11 , a forward flexible membrane film 16 and a rear flexible membrane film 17 , normally separated by a spacer film 18 , and a rigid backing plate 20 that supports light bulb units 22 , 23 , 24 and 25 with their bulb axes centered in recesses 26 in the side walls of the cup - shaped housing 11 . as seen in the exploded fragmentary view of fig3 each switch in the membrane switch sub - assembly includes portions of the forward membrane film 16 , the spacer membrane film 18 and the rear membrane film 17 . conductors are deposited on the rear surface of the forward film 16 and forward surface of the rear film 17 . the conductors may be formed by a plurality of metallic deposition techniques such as electro - chemical deposition or sputtering . the conductors on the forward surface of the rear film 17 include parallel conductor fingers 29 , 30 , 31 and 32 connected together by a common semi - circular conductor 33 , all positively biased by an input conductor 35 fed from a positive d . c . source . the inner surface of film 17 has a second set of conductor fingers 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 and 40 interconnected by a common semi - circular conductor 41 having an output conductor 43 . conductors 29 , 30 , 31 and 32 are interleaved with but spaced from conductors 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 and 40 . the rear surface of the forward film 16 has a plurality , in this case five , of parallel conductor bars 46 , 47 , 48 and 49 thereon each having a length approximately equal to the diameter of the conductive area defined by the arcuate conductors 33 and 41 on film 17 and having a cummulative width slightly less than that diameter . the conductor bars 46 , 47 , 48 and 49 are sometimes referred to as &# 34 ; short bars &# 34 ; since when the switch is depressed engaging bars 46 , 47 , 48 and 49 with the conductive area on film 17 the conductors 29 , 30 , 31 and 32 are shorted to the conductors 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 and 40 making the switch and causing an output at conductor 43 . the spacer 18 has an aperture 52 therein for each switch as seen in fig5 usually circular , somewhat greater in diameter than the conductive areas on the films 16 and 17 so that it normally spaces film 16 from film 17 but permits engagement therebetween upon relatively small movement of the forward film 16 under finger pressure applied to graphic overlay 12 . as seen in fig2 there is an input conductor 35 and an output conductor 43 provided for each of the nine switches shown in the matrix . as seen in this view there are three input conductors , each for one of the three horizontal lines of conductive switches , and three output conductors each for one of the three vertical rows of switches , making a total of six conductors that extend through a flexible terminal strip 56 . housing 11 is constructed of a rigid clear plastic such as an acrylic or polycarbonate . as seen in fig4 and 5 , the housing 11 includes a forward flat plate portion 53 with depending side walls 54 , 55 , 56 and 57 . the forward plate portion 53 has a plurality of rectangular apertures 15 aligned with the switches on the membrane films that slidably receive the plungers 14 for short reciprocating movement . the apertures 15 and the plungers 14 are arranged in grid fashion aligned with the nine switches but there may be any number of switches depending upon the application desired . the flexible graphic overlay 12 may be a flexible vinyl or polycarbonate sheet that is opaque except for the functional symbols shown in fig2 and their rectangular borders and these are translucent areas which pass light so that the functional indicia and the borders are illuminated . sheet or overlay 12 is bonded pressure sensitive adhesive on the rear surface of the film to the forward face of the housing front plate 53 using a pressure sensitive adhesive on the rear surface of the overlay . the backing plate 20 is a rigid flat plastic plate fixed within the housing by fasteners ( not shown in the drawings ) and it serves to hold membrane films 16 , 17 and 18 in position within housing 11 with the forward surface of membrane 16 against the rear surface of the forward housing plate 53 as shown clearly in fig5 . backing plate 20 also supports the bulb units 22 , 23 , 24 and 25 by brackets 58 fixed to the rear surface of the backing plate 20 . the bulb units 22 , 23 , 24 and 25 are positioned on the backing plate 20 so that the optical axes of the bulbs are aligned with the center of the side walls 54 , 55 , 56 and 57 in recesses 26 . the housing 11 acts as an optical conductor to transmit light from the bulb units to the interior of the plungers 14 . as seen in fig5 light is transmitted forwardly in the direction of arrow 60 in the side walls and is reflected transversely by an opaque oblique corner surface 61 at each of the junctures between the side walls 54 , 55 , 56 and 57 and the front plate 53 . the oblique surfaces 61 may be coated for example with a white paint or other reflective coatings . light reflected transversely by the surfaces 61 , as well as light bent through the housing corner itself without impinging on the reflective surfaces 61 , is transmitted transversely in the direction of arrow 63 throughout the forward face of the front plate 53 into and around all of the plungers 14 . the plungers 14 are constructed of a rigid , clear plastic such as an arcylic or polycarbonate and they are bonded to the rear surface of the graphic sheet 12 by a suitable adhesive . plungers or pistons 14 are preferably rectangular or circular in configuration but can be any geometric shape and are complementary to the housing apertures 45 and each has a rear surface 65 that is frosted , roughed or serrated or painted white to diffuse light passing transversely through the body of the plunger generally in a forward axial direction to improve the indicia illumination . the pistons 14 as shown are rectangular and have light transmissive side walls 66 that do not inhibit light passing into the plunger body . for the purpose of defining the conductive areas on films the conductive areas shown in fig3 on the forward face of rear film 17 are designated area 68 while the conductive areas defined by the short bars on the 46 , 47 , 48 and 49 on the rear surface of the forward film 16 are designated area 69 and both are seen to be slightly less in the width than the plunger 14 . as seen in fig6 the intensity of light across the plunger may be varied by modifying the rear surface of the plunger . the switch and its plunger illustrated in fig6 are identical to that illustrated in fig5 except for the rear surface of plunger 70 . plunger 70 as seen in both fig6 and 7 has a plurality of circular serrations 71 arranged in a cup - shaped semi - spherical recess 72 in the rear surface of the plunger 70 . serrations 71 concentrate the diffusion of light toward the center forward surface of the plunger 70 . this becomes necessary because the middle button ( plunger ) gets robbed of some of the light by the buttons on either side of it . other configurations of the rear surface of the plungers will concentrate light on other portions of the forward surface of the plungers and will be dictated by the type of indicia on the graphic sheet 12 . a somewhat modified form of the invention shown in fig1 to 5 is illustrated in fig7 . in this embodiment the housing has a front plate 74 and depending sides 75 , and the front plate 74 has an integral coplanar portion 76 that extends outwardly from the side walls with a plurality of recesses 77 therein which receive the bulb units 78 mounted on the outside of the side walls 75 , with the optical axes of the bulbs on the centerline of the front plate 74 . in this embodiment light is transmitted in a straight line through front wall 74 into the side walls of the plungers 14 . another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in fig9 to 13 and is generally similar to the embodiments ( prime invention ) illustrated in fig1 to 8 except that the switches are illuminated from the rear through the membrane films . as seen in fig9 to 12 , an illuminated membrane switch assembly 80 is illustrated consisting of a cup - shaped housing 81 identical to housing 11 described in connection with the fig1 to 8 embodiments , a graphic indicia bearing overlay 82 carried on the forward surface of the housing 81 identical to the film 12 described above , a plurality of light transmissive plungers 83 reciprocable in apertures in the housing 81 , a membrane switch sub - assembly 84 , a rigid wear backing plate 85 , and a bulb assembly 86 mounted behind the membrane switch 84 . the plungers 83 are bonded to the rear surface of the graphic overlay or film sheet 82 as in the fig1 to 8 embodiments . as seen in fig1 , the bulb assembly 86 has a clip 88 press - in socket in metal case that clamps on housing side wall 89 positioning its bulb 90 centrally in the rear of the housing 81 just to the rear of the backing plate 85 . the bulb 90 and clip 88 assembly will actually be further behind the rigid backing plate 85 than is shown in fig1 so that the proper amount of light can be evenly dispersed to all plungers 83 . the membrane switch sub - assembly 84 is identical to that described above with respect to fig2 and 5 and includes a forward film 92 , a rear film 93 and a spacer film 94 all of which are transparent except for the conductive areas . the rear surface of the forward film 92 has a conductive area 96 identical to conductive area 69 in fig5 and the forward surface of film 94 has a conductive area 97 identical in size and configuration to conductive area 68 in the fig5 embodiment . the plungers 83 are constructed of a rigid clear light transmissive plastic such as a transparent acrylic or polycarbonate and as seen in fig1 and 13 are frusto - pyramidal in configuration and received in complementary recesses 99 in the housing 81 . plungers 83 have a square rear surface 100 and a smaller front surface 101 interconnected by oblique side walls 103 , 104 , 105 and 106 that each have an included angle of approximately 45 degrees with the rear wall 100 . it should be understood that the backing plate 85 is constructed of a clear plastic material so that light from the bulb 90 may pass freely therethrough and through the films 92 , 93 and 94 , except of course in the area of the conductive areas 96 and 97 . the rear surfaces 100 of the plungers 83 are significantly wider than the conductive areas 96 and 97 so that light may pass peripherally directly around the conductive areas 96 and 97 from the light source in the direction of arrows 108 and 109 illustrated in fig1 directly into the rear surface of the plunger and the body of the plungers . after axially entering the plungers , light is reflected or diffused transversely within the plunger by the oblique side walls 103 , 104 , 105 and 106 which may have a reflective coating applied thereto . the rear surfaces 100 of the plungers have a square opaque , preferably white in color , reflective layer 110 applied thereto which masks any shadowing that might be caused by light rays passing partly through the conductive areas 96 and 97 , and also serves to diffuse light passing generally transversely through the body of the plunger forwardly toward the indicia to be illuminated on the graphic overlay 82 .
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referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for purposes of illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention only and not for purposes of limiting same , the figures show a rejection apparatus or pin a formed of a dielectric or electrically non - conductive material such as a glass - filled nylon or a suitable plastic . more particularly , the rejection apparatus is adapted for insertion into a female sleeve type electrical socket b , which is adapted for mating contact with a compatible pin - type male plug c . with particular reference to fig3 the female socket b includes an outer shell or housing 10 having a dielectric or electrically non - conductive material 12 disposed at one end thereof . the housing and dielectric material define a receiving or end face 14 adapted to receive the pin - type male plug c . an opening or aperture 16 extends from the end face 14 completely through the dielectric material 12 to define a plug receiving means . as shown , the opening 16 is of stepped configuration having a narrowed diameter section 18 adjacent the end face and wide diameter section 20 extending rearwardly therefrom . the female socket includes a contact sleeve 26 that is rigidly mounted in the housing with end 28 extending into the wide diameter section 20 of the opening . a second end 30 is provided with means , such as terminal screw 32 , to allow it to be connected to an associated electrical lead line . the male plug c includes an outer housing 38 having a dielectric or electrically non - conductive material 40 disposed therein . the housing 38 and dielectric material define an end face 42 adapted for facing , mating relation with a compatible female socket b . the male plug includes an aperture or opening 44 extending through the dielectric material that closely receives and rigidly mounts a contact member 46 . the inner end 48 of contact member 46 carries a terminal screw 50 for permitting connection to an associated electrical lead line . a contact member second end 52 extends generally normally outward from the end face 42 for potential mating relation with a female socket . in a mating connection , the female socket b , particularly contact sleeve 26 , closely receives the male plug c , particularly contact member 46 . the contact member 46 has a cross - sectional dimension slightly less than the opening narrowed diameter section 18 of the female socket . additionally , a contact sleeve first end 28 of the female socket has an inner dimension adapted to closely and frictionally receive the contact member second end 52 of the male plug . in a compatible female socket / male plug connection , the contact sleeve 26 and contact member 46 establish a secure mechanical , as well as electrical , connection . the end faces 14 , 42 are disposed in facing relation and define the innermost receipt of the male plug in the female socket . with continued reference to fig3 and additional reference to fig1 and 2 , the rejection apparatus a of the subject invention will be described in greater detail . the rejection apparatus includes an elongated body 60 having a first or retaining end 62 at one end thereof . the body is preferably generally cylindrical and has a blocking or rejection end 64 defined at the opposed end of the apparatus . the first end 62 includes a generally cylindrical section 66 of slightly greater diameter than the body 60 . a generally tapered section 70 extends between cylindrical section 66 and a generally spherical head portion 76 . the merging area between the tapered section and the spherical head portion defines a radially extending shoulder 78 . the spherical head portion 76 is arranged to be radially compressible and for this purpose the subject embodiment comprises four segment portions 80 , 82 , 84 and 86 ( see fig2 ). each segment portion has a pair of radially extending faces 88 , 90 . the first radially extending face 88 of one segment portion is parallel and in spaced relation with the second radially extending face 90 of an associated segment portion . moreover , axially extending and radially intersecting grooves 96 , 98 extend between the parallel faces 88 , 90 of the segment portions . as particularly seen in fig1 the grooves extend axially from the spherical head portion 76 into the tapered cylindrical section 70 of the rejection apparatus . fig2 particularly illustrates the radial intersection of the grooves 96 , 98 as well as u - shaped portions 100 . the segment portions of the spherical surface 76 permit radial inward compression of the segment portions when forced axially into contact sleeve 26 . in its normal , relaxed position the spherical head portion 76 has a diameter greater than the inner diameter of contact sleeve 26 . as shown in fig3 and 5 , the rejection apparatus a is centered and retainingly inserted into a female socket b . the rejection apparatus material is sufficiently resilient to allow the segment portions to move radially toward one another upon exertion of a compressive force , for example , as imposed by the reduced diameter of the contact sleeve 26 . the contact sleeve also has an inner end surface 102 adapted for operative engagement with the radial shoulder 78 of the rejection apparatus . upon sufficient , relative axial movement between the rejection apparatus and the contact sleeve , the segment portions snap radially outwardly after passing inner end surface 102 . the resiliency of the rejection apparatus material , coupled with the release of the compressive force , urges the segment portions to generally return to their original , unstressed condition . the tapered section 70 tightly engages the inner diameter of the contact sleeve once the spherical segment portions have generally attained their original configuration . the abutting engagement between shoulder 78 and end surface 102 of the contact sleeve defines a retaining means that prevents axial removal of the rejection apparatus from the contact sleeve once inserted . the u - shaped portions 100 of the spherical head portion cooperate with the threads of terminal screw 32 at one end while the shoulder 78 abuts the inner end surface 102 of the contact sleeve . in this manner , movement of the rejection apparatus longitudinally is prohibited without requiring disassembly of the female socket b . as illustrated in fig3 a compatible male plug c is adpated for mating mechanical and electrical connection with the female socket b . the inner diameter of the contact sleeve 26 and the elongated rejection end 64 of the apparatus a define a generally annular opening 104 therebetween . it is contemplated that a compatible male plug , particularly contact member 46 , may assume any of a number of configurations adapted for free receipt between the rejection apparatus and contact sleeve of the female socket . of course , one preferred form for the compatible contact member is an annular shape having an outer diameter slightlyless than the inner diameter of the contact sleeve 26 . the inner diameter of the contact member 46 , in turn , must have a dimension slightly greater than the diameter of elongated body 60 of the rejection apparatus . close fitting mechanical and electrical contact is thereby achieved between compatible members . the surface 68 of the rejection apparatus defines the innermost insertion of the male plug c into the contact sleeve 26 . accordingly , in order that complete mating of the components can take place , shoulder or surface 68 must be located inwardly of the end face 14 a distance greater than the maximum length of contact member 46 extending outwardly from face 42 . fig4 a and 4b exemplify non - compatible contact members of associated male plugs . in fig4 a , the contact member 46 &# 39 ; is shown as a solid pin - like construction that , in the absence of the rejection apparatus , would be closely received in the contact sleeve 26 of the female socket . more particularly , the contact sleeve 26 is disposed a first predetermined axial dimension from the end face 14 . as shown in fig3 the contact member 46 of a compatible male plug c must extend outwardly from end face 42 a second dimension greater than the first dimension of contact sleeve 26 relative to its end face . additionally , the cross - sectional dimension of contact member 46 must be less than the narrow diameter section 18 of the female socket as well as the contact sleeve 26 inner diameter . to prevent mating electrical connection between incompatible male and female connectors , the rejection end 64 of the rejection apparatus should preferably extend outwardly past the contact sleeve end 28 . the apparatus rejection end 64 could conceivably extend beyond end face 14 to prevent any axial insertion of contact member 46 &# 39 ; into opening 16 , but in the preferred embodiment the rejection end 64 is axially disposed between the contact sleeve and end face . the rejection end of the apparatus , therefore , abuttingly engages the contact member 46 &# 39 ; of a non - compatible connector and prevents further insertion into the female socket . fig4 b shows an alternative contact member 46 &# 34 ; having a generally rectangular cross - sectional configuration . once again , in the absence of the rejection apparatus a , this contact member 46 &# 34 ; could be received in contact sleeve 26 of the female socket . since the cross - sectional configuration of contact member 46 &# 34 ; does not satisfy the dimensional constraints of the rejection apparatus and contact sleeve , i . e ., annular opening 104 , mating connection is prevented . still other cross - sectional configurations are prevented from establishing electrical , as well as mechanical , connection between non - compatible connectors . as indicated above , only compatible connectors having a cross - sectional configuration that matches the dimensional parameters defined by the contact sleeve and rejection apparatus will be received in the female socket . a further modification of the rejection apparatus is directed to a ready visual indication means of the rejection apparatus in a female socket . the rejection end 64 may be provided with a visual indication means such as a color coding 106 or the like . preferably , the visual indicating means is distinct or easily contrasted with the color of the end face 14 of the female socket . for example , a female socket may utilize a material of dark brown or black color coding so that a white - tipped color coding 106 on the rejection apparatus will be easily distinguished therefrom . this readily signifies to a consumer that only a compatible male plug may be used with this female socket . insertion of the rejection apparatus a into an electrical connector , such as a female wall socket , is facilitated through use of an installation tool d as shown in fig5 - 9 . the installation tool d is formed from a dielectric or electrically insulated material . the tool includes an elongated generally cylindrical handle 110 having a releasable grasping means 112 defined at one end thereof . a tapered neck portion 114 is disposed intermediate to the handle 110 and the releasable grasping means 112 of the tool . in the embodiment of fig6 and 7 , the releasable grasping means includes a tubular portion 116 having an inner diameter closely approximating the outer diameter of the elongated body 60 of the rejection apparatus . the tubular portion forms a cavity 118 adapted to releasably grasp the rejection apparatus while an outer end 120 abuts the stop surface 68 of the rejection apparatus . a worker can insert a rejection apparatus into the releasable grasping means of the tool whereupon the spherical head portion 76 is thereafter aligned with an opening in the female socket b . exertion of a predetermined force positions the rejection apparatus in retaining engagement with the contact sleeve 26 as described above . the insertion tool may thereafter be removed for repeated use . an alternative insertion tool embodiment is shown in fig8 and 9 wherein like elements are identified by like numerals and new elements are identified by new numerals . the tool includes a handle 110 &# 39 ; at one end and a releasable grasping means 112 &# 39 ; at its opposed end . the releasable grasping means is modified and includes a depression or groove 12 formed on a tubular portion 116 &# 39 ; of the releasable grasping means . the depressions require a predetermined force for insertion and withdrawal of the rejection apparatus into the cavity 118 &# 39 ; of the tool . in all other respects , the alternative insertion tool embodiment is identical to the embodiment of fig6 and 7 . typically , an electrical wall socket will have three openings or terminals . namely , hot 132 , neutral 134 , and ground 136 ( fig5 ). the ground terminal 136 is oftentimes of different cross - sectional configuration than the hot and neutral terminals to assure proper orientation of the plug and socket connectors . it is possible , therefore , to use predetermined patterns to inhibit mechanical and electrical connection between incompatible connectors . for example , only the hot terminal 132 and / or the neutral terminal 134 may be provided with a rejection apparatus . the combinations may be increased through provision of a rejection apparatus for the ground terminal . alternatively , the size and configuration of the rejection apparatus may be altered to further assure a mating connection between only compatible connectors . the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment . obviously , modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification . it is intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof .
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the present invention relates to a process for preparing oligomers comprising the steps of : ( a ) preparing vegetable oil derivative by reacting vegetable oil with a peroxyacid ; ( b ) reacting the product from step ( a ) with an alcohol to form oligomer ; ( c ) esterification said oligomer of step ( b ) with an acid to form polyester oligomer . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , said vegetable oil is palm oil comprising any one or combination of palm oil , palm sterin , palm olein , palm kernal oil , palm kernal stearin , palm kernal olein , or all of which could be refined or crude . the alcohol of step ( b ) is a monohydric or polyhydric alcohol including ethylene , glycol , propylene glycol , glycerol , diethylene glycol , diproylene glycol , dipropylene glycol , trimethylopropene and pentaerythritol . the peroxyacid of step ( a ) is peroxyacetic acid and butyl methacerylic acid . in another embodiment of the present invention , the process may further comprising the step of adding catalyst to accelerate the process of oligomer forming . the process may be used to produce oligomers with different combination of alcohol and acid . further , the present invention relates to a composition for lowering the pour point and cloud point of fatty alkyl esters comprising of ( a ) about 95 % to about 99 % by weight of hydrocarbon fluid preferably fatty alkyl esters ; and ( b ) about 1 % to about 5 % by weight of any one or combination of oligomer a , oligomer b , oligomer c and oligomer d according to the aforementioned process . oligomer a , oligomer b , oligomer c and oligomer d is produced with the same process but different on the type of alcohol and the acid used for esterification . in another embodiment of the present invention , the composition may further comprising about 0 . 5 to 1 % by weight of co - additive preferably pour point depressant and cloud point reducer . further , the present invention relates to a method for lowering the pour point and cloud point of fatty alkyl esters by mixing of afore - mentioned composition at a temperature in the range of about 25 ° c . to about 90 ° c . the fatty alkyl esters in the present invention are derived from vegetable oil , mineral oil or marine oil which containing 8 to 20 carbon atoms . the following examples are intended to further illustrate the invention , without any intent for the invention to be limited to the specific embodiments described therein polyhydric alcohol , ph ( 1 mole equivalent , gm ) and phenothiazine ( 1 ppm ) were placed in a liter multineck reactor with an attached mechanical stirrer . the reactor was heated in an oil bath . 1 % ( mole equivalent weight ) of catalyst bf3 was added dropwise to reaction mixture . at the same time , this resulted the temperature increased . peroxyacid reacted palm oil ( equivalent weight , gm ) was slowly added in reaction mixture into the reactor once the temperature reached about 80 ° c . the completion of reaction time took 4 hours . the reaction mixture was allowed to cool , thin and purified . purification method was performed by reaction mixture was washed with hot water to remove unreacted polyhydric alcohol , phenothiazine and the catalyst . the obtained oligomer was viscous liquid . the oligomers were produced in pilot plant scale . peroxyacid reacted palm oil was prepared by reacting appropriate amount of refined bleached palm oil or palm olein with tn - situ prepared peracetic acid or performic acid at about 45 - 60 ° c . the oligomers were then produced by reacting the peroxyacid reacted palm oil and the pre - mixed polyhydric alcohols and bf3 at about 60 - 90 ° c . after which esterified with methacrylic acid . the products were then labeled as oligomer a , oligomer b , oligomer c and oligomer d , depending on the type of alcohol and the acid used for esterification . typical properties of these oligomers are : light yellow liquid to paste appearance ( at 25 ° c . ), specific gravity ranging from 0 . 93 - 0 . 96 , acid value ranging from 0 . 5 to 8 . 0 and hydroxyl value ( mgkoh / g ) ranging from 5 to 280 . 7 in the present invention , the palm oil methyl ester consists of methyl esters of chain length of fatty acyl groups are in the range of about 14 to about 20 carbon atoms , preferably containing 16 to 18 carbon atoms . typical composition of these esters are shown in table 1 . about 95 to 99 % by weight of any one or combination of palm oil methyl esters and palm kernel methyl esters as described in example 2 is mixed with about 1 to 5 % by weight of at least one of the oligomers and co - additive described below the components may be mixed purely mechanically . for example , no chemical reaction takes place in stirring . mixtures having particularly good low temperature properties . pour point tests were done according to astm method d97 showed that addition of oligomers is effective in depressing the pour points of fatty alkylesters . for example , addition of 2 % of one of the oligomers signifantly reduced the pour point of palm oil methyl from 15c to about − 24c . the pour point of the methyl esters can be further depressed by increasing the dosage of one of the oligomers and a coadditive selected from sorbitan esters . with these , the pour point of methyl esters could be successfully reduced by about 45 ° c ., from 15 c to about minus 30 ° c . and cloud point from 9c to 2c . it is to be understood that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms and is not limited to the sole embodiment described above . however modification and equivalents of the disclosed concepts such as those which readily occur to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the claims which are appended thereto .
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referring to fig1 and 2 of the drawings , the reactor of the present invention is shown , in general , by the reference numeral 10 and includes a vertically extending rectangular upright furnace enclosure 12 defined by a front wall 14 , a rear wall 16 , and two side walls 18 and 20 ( fig2 ). the walls 14 , 16 , 18 and 20 are formed by a plurality of panels of finned tubes extending vertically from a perforated grate 22 to a penthouse , or roof 24 . an air plenum 26 is disposed immediately below the grate 22 and receives air from an external source ( not shown ), which air passes upwardly through the grate for reasons to be described in detail . a partition 28 divides the enclosure 12 into two chambers 12a and 12b and extends into the air plenum 26 to divide it into two portions 26a and 26b . two beds of particulate material 30a and 30b are disposed in the chambers 12a and 12b , respectively , and extend from the grate 22 to a point intermediate the height of the furnace 12 , with the beds being separated by the partition 28 . it is understood that the particulate material contains a fuel material such as coal , and an absorbent for absorbing the sulphur generated during combustion of the coal , which absorbent could be in the form of limestone or the like . it is also understood that a feeder , or the like , ( not shown ), is associated with the enclosure 12 to distribute fresh particulate material into the chambers 12a and 12b to replace the particulate material burned and used during operation , and that a burner , or the like , can be provided for igniting the combustible material , all in a conventional manner . an opening 28a is provided in the partition 28 at a point just above the upper surface of the beds 30a and 30b to permit the air and gaseous products of combustion in the chamber 12b to pass to the chamber 12a for reasons that will be described . in a similar manner , an opening 28 is provided in the upper portion of the partition 28 to permit the air and gaseous products of combustion to pass from the chamber 12b to the chamber 12a , also for reasons to be described in detail later . a pair of banks 32 and 34 of heat exchange tubes are disposed in the chamber 12a and a bank 36 of heat exchange tubes are disposed in the chamber 12b . a screen 40 is disposed in the chamber 12b below the tube bank 36 , and a solid partition 42 is disposed in the chamber 12b below the screen 40 . the screen 40 and the partition 42 extend at a angle to the horizontal and their corresponding end portions define an opening 16a in the wall 16 . a vertical duct 44 is disposed adjacent the wall 16 in communication with the opening 16a , and connects to a horizontal duct 46 extending above the penthouse 24 in a slightly spaced relation thereto . as shown in fig2 two cyclone separators 50 and 52 extend adjacent the rear wall 16 , while two separators 54 and 56 extend adjacent the front wall 14 . the separators 52 and 56 are connected to the respective ends of the duct 46 and a pair of multi - louver control dampers 58 and 60 are disposed in the end portions of the duct 46 , respectively , to control the flow through the duct and into the separators 52 and 56 as will be described further . an outlet duct 62 extends above the separators 52 and 56 and is connected thereto by vertical duct sections 64 and 66 associated with the separators 52 and 56 , respectively . a shutoff damper 68 is disposed in each of the vertical duct sections 64 and 66 . it is understood that vertical ducts and horizontal ducts identical to the ducts 44 , 46 and 62 and the components associated therewith are provided for the separators 50 and 54 in a manner identical to that discussed in connection with the separators 52 and 56 . as shown in fig3 the separator 52 includes a separating section 52a and two hopper sections 52b and 52c extending integral with , and downwardly from , the separating section 52a . a pair of diplegs 70 and 72 extend from the hopper portions 52b and 52c and are connected to a pair of seal pots 74 and 76 , respectively . a pair of injection needles 78 and 80 extend from the seal pots 74 and 76 , and through the wall 16 and into the bed 30b in the chamber 12b at spaced locations as shown in fig2 . since the separators 50 , 54 and 56 are constructed identically to the separator 52 and have identical diplegs , seal pots and injection needles associated therewith , they will not be described in any further detail . the operation of the reactor 10 will be described in connection with its use as a steam generator in which water is passed through the finned tubes forming the walls 14 , 16 , 18 and 20 , and through the tube banks 32 , 34 and 36 . the heat generated in the furnace enclosure 12 is thus added to the water as it passes through the system , it being understood that suitable piping ( not shown ) can be provided to provide for the circulation of the water in a conventional manner . pressurized air is introduced into the plenum 26 whereby it passes upwardly through the plenum sections 26a and 26b , through the grate 22 and into the chambers 12a and 12b , whereby it fluidizes the particulate material forming the beds 30a and 30b . the gaseous products of combustion from each fluidized bed 30a and 30b combine with the air passing through the beds and the mixture entrains the relatively fine particulate material from the beds . the mixture of air , gas and entrained material from the bed 30b passes through the opening 28b and into the chamber 12a whereby it combines with the mixture of air , gas and entrained material from the bed 30a . the resulting mixture passes upwardly in the chamber 12a , over the tube banks 32 and 34 , through the opening 28b in the partition 28 , and then downwardly across the tube bank 36 . from the tube bank 36 , the mixture continues to pass downwardly in the chamber 12b and over the screen 40 before exiting , via the opening 16a , and into the vertical duct 44 . the portion of the mixture in the duct 44 then passes upwardly into the horizontal duct 46 whereby it passes through the control dampers 58 and 60 , and into the separators 52 and 56 , respectively . the separators 52 and 56 operate to separate the fine particulate material from the mixture of air and gas , with the latter mixture passing upwardly through the vertical outlet ducts 64 and 66 and into the horizontal outlet duct 62 , whereby it is discharged to an economizer or the like ( not shown ). the remaining portion of the mixture passes through the vertical and horizontal ducts and associated components ( not shown ) associated with the separators 50 and 54 and is separated and then treated in the manner described in connection with the separators 52 and 56 . the fine particulate material separated in the separator 52 , passes downwardly through the hopper sections 52b and 52c , the diplegs 70 and 72 , the fluidized seal pots 74 and 76 , and the injection needles 78 and 80 , before being injected into the fluidized bed 30b . in the chamber 12b . air or gas may be provided to assist the flow of material through the injection needles . the operation of the separators 50 , 54 , and 56 are identical to that of the separator 52 and , as a result , the particulate material from the separators 50 and 52 are injected at four spaced points ( fig2 ) in the fluidized bed 30b , while the separated particulate material from the separators 54 and 56 are injected at four spaced points into the bed 30a . several advantages result from the foregoing . for example , a uniform distribution of particle material in the fluidized beds is achieved along with a resulting higher total fuel burn - up efficiency . also this multiple reinjection is achieved utilizing fewer moving parts and lower air and power consumption , while almost eliminating material clogging . it is understood that several variations may be made in the foregoing without departing from the scope of the invention . for example , the injection points in the respective fluidized bed portions can be made above the upper surface of the beds rather than into the beds as shown in the drawings . also , it is understood that fluidizing air or gas can be provided to each seal pot by a distribution grid ( not shown ) so that , at any time during operation , the free space pressure in the seal pot is equal to the back pressure exerted by the fluidized bed plus the resistance in the transfer line . also the pressure drop across each of the separators can be measured and then equalized by a control system with the help of the dampers 58 and 60 in the horizontal duct 46 to ensure equal gas flow to each of the separators . further the reinjection needles associated with the separators can be protected from the high temperature of the bed by a refractory - covered air - cooled jacket arrangement , with the cooling air being obtained from the air plenum 26 or another suitable source . other modifications , changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and , in some instances , some features of the invention can be employed without a corresponding use of other features . accordingly , it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention therein .
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referring again to the drawings , wherein like features are designated by like reference characters , fig3 is a circuit diagram schematically illustrating a preferred embodiment 20 of rf amplifier circuitry in accordance with the present invention . circuitry 20 is similar to circuitry 10 of fig1 with a major difference being that dc power is connected at the high impedance ( 50ω ) output side of the impedance matching network formed by inductor l 1 and capacitor c 1 instead of being connected directly to the low impedance ( typically about 12ω ) output ( drain d ) of mosfet q 1 . inserting the dc power at the 50 ohm output side of the l 1 - c 1 matching network has several benefits . one benefit is that the dc power supply is now rendered relatively insensitive to the rf output of the mosfet by decoupling rfc l 2 and by - pass capacitor c 3 from the drain of the mosfet . another advantage is that capacitor c 1 can function as a composite capacitor which can serve both to tune the impedance matching network to the required value , here , nominally 50ω , and to resonate the rfc inductor l 2 to the operating frequency of the amplifier . by resonating the rfc to the amplifier frequency , the inductance of the rfc can be less than that required in the prior - art circuitry , which means that the choke can be correspondingly smaller , lighter and less expensive , in addition to providing performance advantages such as reduced pulse ringing and spurious oscillation . normal convention is to select an inductance reactance for the rfc to be , say 20 times 50ω , i . e ., 1000ω . at a frequency of 81 mhz ( see fig2 ), for example , the inductance required to obtain an impedance of 1000 ohms is approximately 2 micro - henrys ( μhy ). there is a high probability that this value of inductance would be self resonant at a frequency other than the desired operating frequency , wherever the mosfet has gain . each undesired resonance can lead to spurious oscillation or amplifier instability . at 81 mhz an inductor of 100 nano henrys ( nhy ) has a reactance of 50ω which is equal to the design impedance of the preamplifier . the desired impedance of the matching network is obtained by adjusting the value of the composite capacitor c 1 once the inductance of inductor l 1 is selected . the capacitor c 1 is tuned to be in resonance with the choke at the rf frequency which helps to minimize any unwanted resonances . by way of example at 81 mhz , a 69 . 7 picofarad ( pf ) capacitor is required to resonate with a value of 42 . 0 nhy selected for inductor l 1 of the impedance matching network . optionally , an additional capacitance can be added in parallel to c 1 so that the composite c 1 capacitor can also resonate with the rfc at the amplifier operating frequency while still providing variable matching for the l 1 - c 1 impedance matching circuit . by way of example , for a value of l 2 equal to 100 nhy , the amount of added capacitance is 38 . 8 pf for a total capacitance of 108 . 5 pf for c 1 . fig4 is a graph schematically illustrating transmission in db as a function of frequency in mhz for one example ( bold curve ) of a , 40 w - output preamplifier stage constructed according to the inventive circuit arrangement of fig3 and having an operating frequency chosen as 81 mhz represented by circle 1 . a dashed curve shows , for comparison , the performance of the prior art example of fig2 . the transmissions at the second harmonic ( 162 mhz - circle 2 ) and third harmonic ( 243 mhz - circle 3 ) are attenuated by approximately − 11 . 5 and − 19 . 7 db respectively . these vales are an appreciable improvement over the − 9 db and − 16 . 75 db values obtained for the prior - art example . at 1 mhz the transmission for the inventive circuitry was found to be − 25 . 8 db compared with − 18 db for the prior - art circuitry . the bandwidth of the inventive circuitry is somewhat less than that of the prior - art circuitry but is still more than adequate for most applications , such as dual frequency discharge ignition and maintenance , where some limited tunability of the output frequency is desirable . in table 1 are listed assumed values for components and parameters used to generate the graphs of fig2 and 4 . of particular note is the 2 . 5 times reduction in inductance of the rfc for the inventive circuitry . the value of the tuning capacitor ( c 1 ) is approximately 45 % larger when compared with the value for the prior - art invention circuitry . the advantages incurred by c 1 resonating both with l 1 and the rfc at the operating frequency of the amplifier , however , are an excellent trade - off with the increased value of c 1 in the inventive circuitry . a comparison of the transmission versus frequency improvements between the prior - art circuitry and the inventive circuitry of table 1 is provided in table 2 . it can be seen that the inventive circuitry provides a 27 . 8 % improvement in transmission reduction at the second harmonic of 81 mhz , namely 162 mhz ; a 17 . 6 % improvement at the third harmonic ( 243 mhz ); and a 43 . 3 % improvement at 1 mhz . these performance improvements are obtained while also providing lower costs and smaller size for the rfc and more stable amplifier characteristics attendant on that smaller size . those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will recognize that while the circuitry in accordance with the present invention is discussed in the context of a pre - amplifier stage of an rf power supply , the circuitry can also be used as a stand alone rf power stage to drive a laser having sufficiently low output power . those skilled in the art will also recognize that any single electronic component of the above - described inventive circuitry may be replaced with a combination of two or more like components to provide a particular value or function . in summary present invention is described above in terms of a preferred embodiment . the invention is not limited , however , to the embodiment described and depicted . rather , the invention is limited only by the claims appended hereto .
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fig1 illustrates a motorcycle front end 10 including a pair of telescopic forks 12 rotatably coupled to a frame steering tube 14 by an upper triple clamp 16 and a lower triple clamp 18 . the forks include trail adjustment blocks 20 which secure the front axle 22 to the forks at a predetermined offset with respect to the axis of the steering tube , which in turn dictates a predetermined amount of trail . a wheel 24 and tire 26 are coupled to the front axle . fig2 – 4 illustrate the front end with three different trail blocks installed , producing three different amounts of trail . in fig2 , the fork 12 is equipped with a first trail adjustment block 20 a which provides a first amount of trail . for the sake of convenience , the trail is represented simplistically as the distance from the axial center of the front axle to the back of the trail adjustment block , rather than as a distance on the ground , but the reader will readily appreciate that the two are interrelated . in the instance of fig2 , the trail block offset is 1 . 37 inches , corresponding to 3 . 5 inches of trail . the brake caliper 28 is mounted to the fork with a set of first caliper mounts 30 a , which are sized to provide a particular distance from the center of the front axle to the brake pads ( not shown ). in fig3 , the fork 12 is equipped with a second trail adjustment block 20 b with a trail block offset of 1 . 58 inches , corresponding to 3 . 75 inches of trail . the brake caliper 28 is mounted with a set of second caliper mounts 30 b which are sized to provide the same distance from the center of the front axle , which has been moved forward relative to its position in fig2 , to the brake pads , so the brake pads maintain the same relative position with respect to the brake rotors ( not shown , but which will have moved forward along with the front axle ). in fig4 , the fork 12 is equipped with a third trail adjustment block 20 c with a trail block offset of 1 . 83 inches , corresponding to 4 . 0 inches of trail , and the brake caliper is mounted with a set of third caliper mounts 20 c to keep the same distance from the axle to the brake pads . it should again be noted that , in one embodiment , the trail adjustment blocks and their mating surface of the fork lower are configured such that the front axle is moved , by the various trail adjustment blocks , in a direction parallel to the ground , such that the front ride height is not changed by swapping out the different trail adjustment blocks . in one embodiment , this is accomplished by providing the trail adjustment block with a top surface and a bottom surface which are parallel , and by positioning the front axle hole at various positions , for the various trail adjustment blocks , which are a same distance from the bottom surface , for example . in other embodiments , other geometries may accomplish the same result . the trail adjustment block may be tightened onto the axle , and the fork lower may be tightened onto the trail adjustment block , by one or more pinch bolts ( not shown ) which may advantageously be inserted upward through the bottom end of the fork lower through coaxial holes ( not shown ) through the portion of the fork lower which is below the trail adjustment block , the portion of the trail adjustment block which is below the pinch split , the portion of the trail adjustment block which is above the pinch split , and the portion of the fork lower which is above the trail adjustment block . in this instance , only the topmost or two topmost of these need to be threaded . in one embodiment , the brake caliper is mounted not only “ radially ”, but also with its radius parallel to the plane in which the various trail adjustment blocks move the front axle , to maintain a constant positioning of the brake pads and the brake rotor across the various trail settings . in one embodiment , the radius of the brake caliper mount is parallel to the ground . fig5 illustrates further details of the trail adjustment block 30 and the lower end of the fork 12 , specifically illustrating one mechanism by which axial alignment can be achieved . the fork is illustrated in a truncated fashion , for simplicity . the trail adjustment block includes a top surface 40 and a parallel bottom surface ( not visible ) which , respectively , mate with a top surface ( not visible ) and a parallel bottom surface 42 of the fork . the back surface 44 of the trail adjustment block mates with a back surface 46 of the fork lower . these matings provide up - and - down and forward - backward alignment of the trail adjustment block with respect to the fork lower . in one embodiment , in order to provide positive and consistent lateral alignment ( with respect to the front axle , not shown , but centered in the axle mounting hole 48 ), the upper and lower surfaces of the trail adjustment block are adapted with parallel grooves 50 which mate with corresponding parallel ridges 52 on the lower and upper surfaces of the fork . other embodiments are certainly viable , such as swapping the grooves and the ridges , or one of each , or by using mounting pins and holes , or simply by using the corresponding pinch bolt holes 54 , and the pinch bolt ( not shown ). fig6 and 7 illustrate yet another advantageous feature of this front end . the brake caliper 28 is mounted to the fork 12 by a pair of caliper mounts 30 which can pivot with respect to the fork . nuts 60 fasten the brake caliper onto the caliper mounts . in fig6 , the brake caliper is shown in a “ straight back ” configuration , such as it would be when the wheel and brake rotor are in place and the brake caliper is engaged with the rotor . in fig7 , the brake caliper is shown in a “ swung out ” configuration , which enables removal of the wheel / tire assembly ( not shown ), which will typically be wider than the distance between the left and right ( not shown ) brake calipers . to install the wheel / tire / rotor assembly , the calipers are swung outward , the wheel / tire assembly is inserted from the front of the motorcycle ( in a direction coming out of the page in fig6 and 7 ) until the tire and / or wheel have cleared the rearward edge of the calipers but the rotors have not yet reached the calipers , the calipers are swung back straight , and the wheel / tire / rotor assembly is inserted the rest of the way into position , with the rotors correctly entering the calipers between the pads , until the trail adjustment blocks encounter the back of their mating surface on the fork lowers . then the pinch bolts can be inserted and tightened , and the assembly is complete . fig8 illustrates one exemplary embodiment of a caliper mount 30 . the caliper mount includes a first cylindrical post 70 which mates with a corresponding hole in the fork ( not shown ) up flush with the face 72 , and a second cylindrical post 74 which mates with a corresponding hole in the brake caliper ( not shown ) up flush with the face 76 . in one embodiment , the two posts are at right angles to each other . in one embodiment , the brake caliper includes two parallel holes for accepting the posts 74 of two caliper mounts , and the fork lower includes two coaxial holes for accepting the posts 70 of the two caliper mounts , to facilitate pivoting of the brake caliper about the common axis of the posts 70 of the two caliper mounts . the post 74 may be adapted with threads or other suitable mechanism for retaining the caliper mount in engagement with the brake caliper , such as with the nut ( not shown ) mentioned above . the distance from the axis of the first post 70 to the flush mounting surface 76 of the second post dictates the trail adjustment provided by the caliper mount . in the example shown , the distance is 1 . 26 inches . when a “ longer trail ” adjustment block is used , such as when swapping from fig2 to fig4 , a correspondingly shorter caliper mount will be used , to maintain correct alignment of the pads and rotor . the skilled reader will readily appreciate that the various components of the caliper mount are not necessarily shown to any particular scale , and that they may be resized and adapted according to the needs of the application at hand . for example , the two posts need not necessarily be of the same diameter , or the post 70 could be made longer than shown , and so forth . fig9 illustrates one embodiment of a motorcycle 100 equipped with a front end 10 having forks 12 equipped with the trail adjustment mechanism of the present invention , including the fork trail adjustment block 20 . while the invention has been described with reference to its use in a motorcycle , the invention is not limited to motorcycles , but can be used in bicycles , automobiles , and other vehicles . and while the invention has been shown as using an “ upside - down ” fork , it may alternatively be used with a “ right - side - up ” fork . some components have been illustrated as being of monolithic construction , while other components have been illustrated as being separate components coupled together . the skilled reader will readily appreciate that the designer may elect , within the scope of this invention , to split some components into separate sub - components , or to combine various components into a monolithic whole . the skilled reader will further appreciate that the invention may be practiced in a “ single - sided ” front end , such as that found on some bicycles which have only a single fork . the term “ triple clamp ” should not necessarily be interpreted to mean that two forks are required with the steering tube . the presence of one or more suspension components coaxial with the steering axis does not necessarily prohibit the additional presence of one or more suspension components elsewhere , such as within the forks . the fork and the trail adjustment block have been illustrated in a configuration in which the trail adjustment block slips into the front of the fork . in other embodiments , a different mating system could be employed . for example , instead of a void or indentation formed into the front of the fork , the fork could have a hole extending laterally through it , or , in other words , there could be fork material in front of the void , and the trail adjustment block would be inserted laterally rather than longitudinally . when one component is said to be “ adjacent ” another component , it should not be interpreted to mean that there is absolutely nothing between the two components , only that they are in the order indicated . the various features illustrated in the figures may be combined in many ways , and should not be interpreted as though limited to the specific embodiments in which they were explained and shown . those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure will appreciate that many other variations from the foregoing description and drawings may be made within the scope of the present invention . indeed , the invention is not limited to the details described above . rather , it is the following claims including any amendments thereto that define the scope of the invention .
| 1 |
meixnerite of the present invention is synthesized from a metal hydroxide compound or a layered double hydroxide compound . more specifically , the meixnerite is a mixed magnesium - aluminum oxide prepared from one or more hydrotalcite compounds . a preferred way of comparing such materials uses the brunauer - emmett - teller ( or b . e . t .) surface area measurement method . this invention provides an activated synthetic meixnerite having a b . e . t . surface area of about 290 m 2 / g or greater and an unactivated synthetic meixnerite having an ability to adsorb co 2 at a high rate . typical activation of a hydrotalcite material between about 500 ° to 1000 ° c . produces a material with a b . e . t . surface area in the range of about 140 to 230 m 2 / g . the following table lists actual b . e . t . surface area measurements of one of the hydrotalcites used in the examples of this invention . table 1______________________________________hydrotalcite a activation surface areas activation b . e . t . temperature surface area (° c .) ( m . sup . 2 / g ) ______________________________________ 100 26 150 24 200 25 . 5 300 30 . 5 400 83 425 134 450 139 . 5 500 178 550 213 . 5 600 210 . 5 650 220 . 5 700 226 . 5 800 231 . 5 900 202 . 5 1000 140______________________________________ the method of this invention includes first activating the hydrotalcite to about 600 ° c . and then hydrating the activated material in a substantially carbon dioxide - free environment . the resulting material is then activated at one or more temperatures between about 500 ° and 800 ° c . in a substantially carbon dioxide - free environment to produce a mixed metal oxide having a surface area that exceeds about 290 m 2 / g . during the first step of hydrotalcite activation , most of the physi - sorbed and chemi - sorbed water and carbon dioxide from the hydrotalcite structure are desorbed or removed . this reaction preferably proceeds at one or more temperatures between about 500 ° and 850 ° c . when this activated material is hydrated in a substantially carbon dioxide - free environment , the reaction which is believed to take place may be summarized by the following formula : mixed metal oxide + h . sub . 2 o !→ mg . sub . ( l - x ) al . sub . x ( oh ). sub . 2 ! ( oh ). sub . x · y h . sub . 2 o ( meixnerite ). following hydration , the resulting meixnerite is activated to yield a high surface area mixed metal oxide , that is , an activated meixnerite . experiments were conducted using two representative hydrotalcites ; namely , hydrotalcites a and b for starting material when processed by the preferred hydration mechanisms summarized above . both materials were synthesized by alcoa . hydrotalcite a , as manufactured by the process set forth in u . s . reissue no . 34 , 164 , the disclosure of which is fully incorporated by reference herein , has an mg / al molar ratio of 2 . 0 . hydrotalcite b , as manufactured by the process set forth in u . s . application ser . no . 290 , 220 , filed aug . 15 , 1994 ( abandoned ) the disclosure of which is fully incorporated herein by reference , has an mg / al molar ratio of 1 . 9 . both of these hydrotalcites resulted in a meixnerite - based end product with a b . e . t . surface area greater than 300 m 2 / g . other hydrotalcites may also be suitable as a base material . at elevated temperatures , these high surface area meixnerites should have excellent catalytic activity because of the large surface area . such properties make the products of this invention suitable for many end uses . for example , these meixnerites may be used as co 2 gas adsorbents or for catalytic reactions . the hydrotalcites for the following examples were activated by heating . various hydration methods were also employed using both vapor and liquid mediums for the substantially carbon dioxide - free environments employed herein . for comparison purposes , examples 1 through 6 were conducted using alternate base materials as well as varying hydration mediums . as demonstrated in the experiments reported by e . dimotakis et al in inorganic chemistry , vol . 29 , no . 13 ( 1990 ), when using a liquid hydration medium , the material prior to hydration had a solid weight ratio of 2 %. however , it is expected that other weight ratio percentages will also work in accordance with this invention . hydrotalcite a was activated to about 600 ° c . activation was performed in air in a fisher scientific ashing furnace with a ramp rate of 10 ° c ./ minute . after reaching a temperature of 600 ° c ., the material was held for one additional hour at 600 ° c . the activated material was then cooled to room temperature in a substantially carbon dioxide - free environment . once cooled , the material was hydrated in a vapor phase environment that was also substantially carbon dioxide - free . this was accomplished by placing cooled activated hydrotalcite in a closed , carbon dioxide - free vessel filled with a nitrogen or argon gas saturated with water vapor . this resulted in a flowable meixnerite material . the xrd pattern of the resulting material is shown in fig1 . on an activated weight basis , this meixnerite material readsorbed approximately up to 120 % of its original weight in water . following hydration , the meixnerite material was activated to a temperature of 600 ° c . and held there for 10 minutes using an altamira instruments ami - 1 (&# 34 ; ami - 1 &# 34 ;). in this device , the activated sample is not exposed to air between activation and taking of surface area measurements . fig2 shows a temperature programmed reaction ( tpr ) scan done on the ami - 1 using a 10 ° c ./ min ramp rate . from this scan , the significant difference between hydrated original hydrotalcite and meixnerite can be seen . specifically , the meixnerite gives up water at a substantially lower temperature than the hydrotalcite . the activated meixnerite &# 39 ; s b . e . t . surface area was measured after cooling to be 334 m 2 / g using the ami - 1 . experiments were performed varying the time of vapor hydration . the surface area was also measured on three of the samples . results are presented in table 2 . table 2______________________________________vapor rehydration dataactivated rehydration % water % chemisorbedhydrotal - length pickup act . water act . wt . post 600 ° c . cite used ( hrs .) wt . basis basis surface area______________________________________a 2 17 11a 8 25 . 5 18 274a 24 43 30a 50 53 41a 100 64 63 293a 200 76 . 5 58 . 5a 300 93 66a 600 124 75 335______________________________________ for this variation on example 1 , a substantially carbon dioxide - free , liquid phase environment was used for hydrating the activated material produced in accordance with the procedure described above . this liquid phase hydration involves plunging 600 ° c . activated hydrotalcite material into a container of double deionized water which is treated deionized water that is virtually carbon dioxide - free . the hydration was allowed to continue for 16 hours after which time the sample was filtered and dried by evaporation in a substantially carbon dioxide - free environment . the xrd pattern of the resultant meixnerite is shown in fig3 . the meixnerite was activated to 600 ° c . and held for 10 minutes , cooled on the ami - 1 without exposure to co 2 , after which its surface area was measured . the resulting activated meixnerite had a measured b . e . t . surface area of 344 m 2 / g . the experiment of example 1 was repeated using hydrotalcite b as a base material rather than hydrotalcite a . the xrd of the resulting meixnerite is shown in fig4 . the activated meixnerite had a measured b . e . t . surface area of 341 m 2 / g . for this variation on example 3 , a substantially carbon dioxide - free , liquid phase environment was used for hydration of the activated material . liquid phase hydration involves plunging the cooled activated hydrotalcite material into a container of double deionized water . the hydration process was performed for 16 hours after which time the sample was filtered and allowed to dry at room temperature in an evaporating dish in a substantially carbon dioxide - free environment . the xrd pattern of the meixnerite is shown in fig5 . the meixnerite was activated to 600 ° c . and had its surface area measured after cooling on the ami - 1 . the b . e . t . surface area of the resulting material was measured at 349 m 2 / g . the meixnerite of example 4 was activated to 800 ° c . rather than 600 ° c . the resulting meixnerite had a measured b . e . t . surface area of 333 m 2 / g . the same experiment as that conducted in example 5 was rerun except that the meixnerite material was held for 120 minutes rather than 10 minutes at an activation temperature of about 800 ° c . even with such a drastic increase in activation soak hold time , there was very little effect observed on the final b . e . t . surface area of the activated meixnerite , which was measured at 319 m 2 / g . examples 1 through 6 are summarized in the following table 3 . table 3______________________________________surface area summary b . e . t . normalex - hydro - hydra - activation activation surface hydrotalciteam - talcite tion temp . soak hold area sa afterple used method (° c .) ( min .) ( m . sup . 2 / g ) activation______________________________________1 a vapor 600 10 334 2112 a liquid 600 10 344 2113 b vapor 600 10 341 190 - 2104 b liquid 600 10 349 190 - 2105 b liquid 800 10 3336 b liquid 800 120 319______________________________________ hydrotalcite b was activated to 600 ° c . for 60 minutes . the activated material was then cooled to a room temperature in a substantially carbon dioxide - free environment . once cooled , the material was hydrated in a substantially carbon dioxide - free glycerol solution for 16 hours . as in the dimotakis et al experiments , two volumes of glycerol were added to the carbon dioxide - free double deiorized water directly before hydration commenced . following hydration , the resulting material was filtered to remove excess water , then dried to a powder at room temperature in a evaporating dish using a substantially carbon dioxide - free environment . the material was then reactivated to 600 ° c . within the ami - 1 machine . the resulting activated material had a b . e . t . surface area measured at 288 m 2 / g . thus , it appears that using a glycerol solution as the medium for hydration negatively affects the b . e . t . surface area of the resulting material . four samples utilizing hydrotalcite b were packed in beds and analyzed with the ami - 1 . the samples were sized 15 - 30 mesh and packed in a 0 . 25 inch diameter tube . pure 50 cc per minute helium flow was replaced with a 5000 ppm ( 50 cc per minute ) co 2 in helium certified gas blend . carbon dioxide adsorption amounts were then determined . all four samples totally adsorbed the 5000 ppm of co 2 initially . adsorption results are tabulated in the following table 4 . the first sample was original hydrotalcite b . the second sample was hydrotalcite b tested after a 600 ° c . activation . the third sample was a meixnerite sample prepared according to the method described in example 4 without activating the meixnerite . the fourth sample was prepared according to the method described in example 4 including the 600 ° c . activation of the meixnerite before co 2 adsorption was commenced . the last column of table 4 shows that the unactivated meixnerite picked up significantly more co 2 than the other three samples . however , the activated meixnerite also picked up significantly more co 2 than either the unactivated or activated hydrotalcite . the purpose of these experiments was to determine if the meixneritic structure would facilitate the adsorption of co 2 or like gases . the results indicate that this is indeed the case . the fact that the activated and unactivated meixnerite also adsorbed more co 2 than either the hydrotalcite or activated hydrotalcite demonstrates that the carbon dioxide - free rehydration does produce a unique layered double hydroxide ( meixnerite ). this layered double hydroxide thus could be used to adsorb trace amounts of co 2 from process gas streams . also , it is expected that other dioxides may also be adsorbed in similar fashion . it should be noted that while the invention picked up co 2 from a fluid consisting essentially of a helium gas stream in the aforementioned example , it is expected that co 2 removal from liquid streams or solutions would also be accomplished hereby . meixnerite made via vapor rehydration of hydrotalcite a was packed as a powder in a 0 . 25 inch diameter tube . the pure 20 cc per minute helium flow was replaced with a 5000 ppm ( 20 cc per minute ) co 2 in helium certified gas blend . carbon dioxide adsorption amounts were then determined . the sample initially adsorbed the 5000 ppm co 2 . adsorption results are tabulated in table 4 . the sample was prepared according to the method described in example 1 , except for further reactivation . thus , the unactivated meixnerite , as also shown in example 8 , had a high co 2 adsorption rate . note that the adsorption rate is affected by both the particle size and the co 2 - helium flow rate . thus , this material could be used , for example , as a secondary co 2 adsorber when residual co 2 needs to be adsorbed . this would be economically beneficial when a less expensive primary co 2 scrubber could be used to adsorb most of the co 2 , and this type of material could be used as the tail - end co 2 scrubber to trap any co 2 residual . table 4______________________________________co . sub . 2 adsorption data co . sub . 2 co . sub . 2 pickup charge post ad - activated particle wt . activation sorbed wt . material size ( gms ) wt . ( gms ) ( ml ) ( ml / g ) ______________________________________hydrotalcite b 15 - 30 0 . 4752 0 . 2509 0 . 5304 2 . 113 meshhydrotalcite b 15 - 30 0 . 4803 0 . 2757 1 . 379 5 . 001activated to mesh600 ° c . meixnerite from 15 - 30 0 . 4826 0 . 286 4 . 2432 14 . 84hydrotalcite b meshmeixnerite from 15 - 30 0 . 4992 0 . 2836 2 . 1236 7 . 841hydrotalcite b meshactivated to600 ° c . meixnerite from 1 - 5 0 . 1248 0 . 0734 1 . 803 24 . 56hydrotalcite a microns______________________________________ having described the presently preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the appended claims .
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the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for remote calibration of electrofusion controllers , as described in detail below with reference to fig1 - 11 . as used herein , the term “ control box ” is also used to refer to an electrofusion controller . furthermore , the terms “ remote ” and “ portable ” are used interchangeably throughout the application . fig1 is a block diagram showing a typical electrofusion control system implemented in a typical installation , indicated generally at 10 . the installation 10 includes an input power source 12 connected via a input cable 14 to a electrofusion controller 16 , which is connected via an output cable 18 to fitting adaptors 20 a - 20 b placed on a fitting 22 . of course , the arrangement and number of components shown in fig1 could be varied as desired without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention . the electrofusion controller 16 provides the required energy to properly heat the element embedded in the fitting 22 . as described below , the electrofusion controller 16 could be programmed to output a certain voltage and current , or it could select the appropriate outputted voltage and current based on programmed instructions . the appropriate outputted parameter could be a function of , among other variables , ambient temperature . fig2 is a block diagram showing the portable calibration system of the present invention , indicated generally at 30 . the calibration device 30 includes an enclosure 32 ( which could be in the form of a plastic , durable , suitcase - style enclosure , a metal enclosure , etc . ), an aluminum enclosure 34 positioned within the enclosure 32 , a power supply sub - system 36 , a power receptacle and / or battery connector 38 , a cooling fan 40 , a data port 42 , an ethernet connection 44 , a microcontroller sub - system 46 , a measurement sub - system 48 , and a high - power load enclosure 50 . it is noted that the enclosures 34 and 50 need not be manufactured from aluminum , and that other materials could be used , such as materials with high temperature resistances . aluminum is advantageous because it facilitates cooling the calibration device 30 . the electronics , specifically the measurement sub - system 48 need to be kept cool . the power supply sub - system 36 is connected to a standard wall plug 52 ( e . g ., 120 or 240 volts ac ) via the a power supply input cable 56 , to provide power to the system . the electrofusion controller 16 is connected to the power receptacle 38 through the input cable 14 , and is further in communication with the data port 42 . the electrofusion controller 16 is also connected to a control box adaptor 54 via the output cable 18 . the control box adapter is further connected with the measurement sub - system 48 via input cable 58 . the data port 42 could be an rs232 serial connection , or any other suitable type of data connection ( e . g ., parallel cable , twisted pair wire , coaxial cable , etc .) which allows for bidirectional communication between the system 30 and the controller 16 . fig3 is a block diagram showing the power supply sub - system 36 of fig2 in greater detail . the power supply sub - system 36 includes a fuse 72 connected to power supply input cable 56 and further connected to cooling fan 40 , the transformer having a primary winding 62 and power receptacle 38 b . primary winding 62 is further connected to secondary winding 64 of the transformer which is connected to a full wave bridge rectifier 66 which , in turn , is connected to voltage regulator 68 which is further connected to the measurement sub - system 48 to provide power to the measurement sub - system 48 . secondary winding 64 is further in communication with the measurement sub - system so that measurement sub - system 48 can measure the input voltage for calibration . additionally , the full wave bridge rectifier 66 is connected to a voltage regulator 68 for providing dc power ( e . g ., 3 . 3 volts dc ) to the microcontroller sub - system 46 . optionally , a battery connector 38 a can be connected to measurement sub - system 48 , so that the voltage of control box battery 74 can be measured if required for calibration . the battery connector 38 a is also used to provide power to a dc control box 70 during the calibration process . fig4 is a block diagram showing the microcontroller sub - system 46 of fig2 in greater detail . the microcontroller sub - system 46 includes an embedded computer 80 ( e . g ., a microcontroller , microprocessor , etc .) receiving various supply voltages from the power supply sub - system 36 and connected to a memory 82 , a real - time clock 84 , the ethernet connection 44 , the data port 42 , and an lcd touchscreen 86 . in one embodiment embedded computer 80 may be coldfire derivative mcf52223caf80 microprocessor manufactured by freescale semiconductor , inc . the memory 82 could be in the form of non - volatile memory , such as eprom , eeprom , flash memory , etc ., and could be programmed to include the processing logic discussed below in connection with fig9 as well as the calibration history of calibration device 30 . alternatively , such logic could be coded directly into the embedded computer 80 . the embedded computer 80 is in communication with the measurement sub - system 48 and executes the processing logic stored in the memory 82 . data port 42 allows for bidirectional communication between the electrofusion controller 16 and the calibration device 30 . ethernet connection 44 allows for bidirectional communication with an external computing device such as a pc , pda , etc . additionally , ethernet connection 44 allows the calibration device 30 to be interconnected with a communications network if desired , for downloading or logging of data from the system as well as for allowing remote access to , and control of , the calibration device 30 . lcd touchscreen 86 directs the operator of the calibration device 30 through the calibration process , for example , by directing the operator to connect different components together , turn on the control box , etc . in an alternate embodiment of the present invention , the microcontroller sub - system 46 maybe substituted with an external computer ( e . g ., a stand alone computer , personal digital assistant , or any other suitable device , etc .). fig5 is a block diagram showing the measurement sub - system 48 of fig2 in greater detail . the measurement sub - system 48 includes a first independent measurement device 92 and a second independent measurement device 94 , both of which could be in the form of analog - to - digital ( adc ) converters . the first independent measurement device 92 includes a voltage and current measurement device 104 , resistance measurement circuit 120 , temperature gage 106 , ac input voltage 112 in communication with secondary transformer connector 64 a , and , battery voltage 114 in communication with battery connector 38 a . the second independent measurement device 94 contains a voltage and current measurement device 102 , wire resistance measurement device 120 , 1 - wire resistance 108 , ac input voltage 110 in communication with secondary transformer connector 64 a , and battery voltage 116 in communication with battery connector 38 a . the 1 - wire resistance 108 is further in communication with id resistance standards 100 , which are pre - defined standards stored in memory . the voltage current measurement devices 102 and 104 connected with various resistors , described below , positioned in high power load enclosure 50 , which operate as dummy loads to mimic resistive elements of fitting 22 . microcontroller sub - system 46 directs the electrofusion controller 16 to fuse an appropriate resistor based on the electrofusion controller &# 39 ; s fusing capacity . wire resistance measurement device 120 is connected with fitting resistance standards 98 . the high power load 50 , fitting standard 98 , and id resistance standard 100 are further connected with computer controlled switching relays 96 . the switching relays 96 are controlled by the microcontroller sub - system 46 . the microcontroller sub - system 46 also directly communicates with the first independent measurement device 92 and the second independent measurement device 94 . fig6 is a drawing showing a perspective view of the calibration unit of the present invention . the calibration unit includes an enclosure 32 having an upper housing portion 132 , a touchscreen 86 , a temperature gage 106 , ethernet connection 44 , data port 42 , power supply input connection 56 a , the power receptacle 38 b ( shown with an optional cover plate in position over the receptacle 38 b ), the control box adapter connection 54 a , a fuse holder 138 , and an on / off switch 136 . the fuse holder 138 houses a fuse that prevents overloading of the power supply sub - system 36 . a lower housing portion 134 is also provided , which includes the cooling fans 40 used to cool the high power load resistors enclosed in the lower housing portion 134 ( not visible in this view ). fig7 is a drawing showing the lower housing portion 134 . the lower housing portion 134 includes a plurality of high power load resistors 140 , 142 , 144 and 146 within the high power load enclosure 50 . as discussed above , the load resistors 140 , 142 , 144 and 146 provide dummy fusion loads for use in calibrating an electrofusion controller . as can be seen in fig8 , air flow vents 148 are provided in lower housing portion 134 to facilitate cooling of the load resistors 140 , 142 , 144 and 146 . fig9 is a flowchart showing processing steps according to the present invention , indicated generally at 150 , for controlling calibration . in step 152 , the calibration system 30 is connected with the electrofusion controller 16 , power is turned “ on ,” and the calibration system 30 communicates with the electrofusion controller 16 to determine the fusion load that the electrofusion controller 30 requires . in step 154 , the calibration system 30 selects the appropriate high power load resistor 140 , 142 , 144 or 146 which matches the fusion load required by the electrofusion controller 16 . in step 156 , the microcontroller sub - system 46 directs the electrofusion controller 16 to fuse the high power load resistor selected in 154 . in step 158 , the first independent measurement device 92 measures a selected output parameter and in step 160 , that measured parameter is stored in flash memory 82 . in step 162 , the embedded computer 80 calculates the difference between the value of the parameter stored in step 160 and the electrofusion controller &# 39 ; s preset parameter value . in step 164 , if the calculated value in step 162 is greater than allowable error , a pre - defined error threshold established by the manufacturer of the control box 16 and programmed into the nonvolatile memory of the calibration device 30 , step 166 is performed , alternately step 168 is performed . in step 166 , the microcontroller sub - system 46 communicates with the electrofusion controller through data port 42 and calibrates the electrofusion controller &# 39 ; s circuitry to match the stored value for the parameter . in step 168 , the microcontroller sub - system 46 directs the electrofusion controller 16 to fuse the high power load resistor of step 154 . in step 170 , the second independent measurement device 94 measures the previously selected output parameter and stores that measured parameter is stored in flash memory 82 . in step 172 , the embedded computer 80 calculates the difference between the value of the parameter stored in step 168 and the electrofusion controller &# 39 ; s preset value . in step 176 , if the calculated value in step 172 is greater than allowable , step 174 is performed and the operator receives an error message on lcd touchscreen 86 informing them that there was an error in the calibration process and suggesting that the device be sent to its manufacturer for calibration . fig1 is a block diagram showing the wire resistance measurement device 120 of fig5 in greater detail . in this embodiment , the wire resistance measurement device 120 uses a standard 4 - wire resistance measurement system to calibrate control box &# 39 ; s 16 resistance measurement device . the wire resistance measurement device 120 attaches to fitting adaptors 20 a and 20 b and includes switches 182 , 184 , 186 , 188 and 190 , standard resistors 192 , 194 , and 196 , 198 and 200 , an excitation voltage 68 a , and ground 210 . the values of the standard resistors 192 , 194 and 196 and resistor 198 are stored in nonvolatile memory . switches 182 , 184 and 186 each connect with standard resistors 192 , 194 , and 196 respectively . resistors 198 and 200 in combination with the excitation voltage 68 a and ground 210 by the 4 wire resistance measurement system to independently measure the standard resistors 192 , 194 and 196 and verify the values stored in nonvolatile memory are correct . initially , switches 182 , 184 or 186 are then closed to , one at a time , present standard resistors 192 , 194 or 196 , one at a time , to control box 16 to measure . control box 16 is calibrated to ensure its measured resistance matches that stored in nonvolatile memory . switch 190 and 180 are then closed to allow independent measurement device 92 and 94 to measure the standard resistors 192 , 194 or 196 . when switches 190 and 188 are closed , current flows from the excitation voltage 68 a through resistors 200 , 198 and one of the standard resistors that is selected in turn 192 , 194 and 196 to ground 210 . the voltage drop across the resistance standard that is selected 192 , 194 or 196 ( v std ) is measured directly by independent measurement device 94 . the electrical current flowing through the resistance standard that is selected 192 , 194 or 196 ( i std ) is calculated by the embedded computer 80 using the value of resistor 198 and the voltage measurement supplied by independent measurement device 92 . the value of the standard resistor that is selected 192 , 194 or 196 ( r std ) is then calculated by the embedded computer 80 using the formula r std = v std / t std . each of the standard resistors , 192 , 194 and 196 are measured by the above process . fig1 shows the 1 - wire resistance 108 used to produce id resistance standard 100 of fig5 in greater detail . if needed , the 1 - wire resistance 108 measures and calibrates the control box &# 39 ; s 16 ability to measure an additional resistor in fitting 22 through fitting adaptor 20 a . 1 - wire resistance 108 attaches to fitting adaptor 20 a and includes switches 222 , 224 , 226 , 228 and 230 , standard resistors 232 , 234 , 236 and 238 , an excitation voltage 68 b and ground 240 . the values of the standard resistors 232 , 234 , 236 and 238 are stored in nonvolatile memory . switches 222 , 224 , 226 and 230 connect to standard resistors 232 , 234 , 236 and 238 respectively . resistor 238 in combination with excitation voltage 68 b and ground 240 are used by the 1 - wire resistance measurement system to independently measure the standard resistors 232 , 234 and 236 and verify the values stored in nonvolatile memory are correct . initially switches 222 , 224 or 226 are closed in turn to present one of standard resistors 232 , 234 or 236 to control box 16 to measure . control box 16 is then calibrated to ensure its measured resistance matches that stored in nonvolatile memory . switch 230 and 228 are then closed to allow independent measurement device 94 to measure the standard resistors 232 , 234 or 236 . when switches 238 and 228 are closed , current flows from the excitation voltage 68 b through resistor 238 and standard resistor 232 , 234 or 236 to ground 240 . the voltage drop across the resistance standard 232 , 234 or 236 ( v std ) is measured directly by independent measurement device 94 . the electrical current flowing through the resistance standard 232 , 234 or 236 ( i std ) is calculated by the embedded computer 80 using the value of resistor 238 and the voltage measurement supplied by independent measurement device 94 . the value of the standard resistor 232 , 234 or 236 ( r std ) is then calculated by the embedded computer 80 using the formula r std = v std / i std . it should be noted that excitation voltage 68 a and 68 b of fig1 and 11 could be supplied from voltage regulator 68 . the controller may be programmed to calibrate different parameters in the following sequence : resistance , ac input voltage and / or battery voltage , output current , output voltage , temperature , and id resistance . it should be noted that the sequence of calibration could be varied , or other parameters could be included , without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention . having thus described the invention in detail , it is to be understood that the foregoing description is not intended to limit the spirit or scope thereof . what is desired to be protected by letter patent is set forth in the appended claims .
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throughout this description , embodiments and variations are described for the purpose of illustrating uses and implementations of the invention . the illustrative description should be understood as presenting examples of the invention , rather than as limiting the scope of the invention . fig1 a is an isometric view of a binocular system or loupes 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . fig1 b is a sectional view of the binocular loupes 10 shown in fig1 a taken along the line aa . fig1 c is a top view of the binocular loupes 10 shown in fig1 a . the binocular loupes 10 include a telescope or barrel pair 20 , a housing 50 , a right barrel to housing arm 30 , a left barrel to housing arm 40 , an ipd adjustment mechanism 60 , and a mount 80 . the loupes 10 may adorned by a user via the mount 80 where the mount 80 is coupled to device ( s ) that enable the user to place the loupes 10 in their vision pathway , e . g ., the devices may include spectacles or a head band . the mount 80 is coupled the housing 50 . in an embodiment the mount 80 may be incorporated in the housing 50 . in an embodiment each barrel 20 has a front 22 , a back 24 , and a housing arm extension 26 , and screw openings 28 . the barrel or telescope 20 may include one or more lens located between , near , or at the barrel or telescope front 22 and back 24 . in fig1 a , a lens 21 is shown in right barrel front 22 and in fig1 b a lens 23 is shown in the right barrel rear 23 . lens are not shown in the left barrel in these figures for the sake of clarity . the right barrel to housing arm 30 moveably couples a barrel 20 via its extension 26 to the housing 50 . the left barrel to housing arm 30 moveably couples the other barrel 20 via its extension 26 to the housing 50 . in an embodiment the right arm 30 includes a rail having an end 32 , a gear rack 38 , a partial radial screw slot 34 , and a pivot screw slot 36 . in this embodiment the left arm 40 also includes a rail having an end 42 , a gear rack 48 , a partial radial screw slot 44 , and a pivot screw slot 46 . in this embodiment 10 the barrel extension 26 includes a rear and a front screw hole 28 . as shown in fig1 c , the right rail 30 partial radial screw slot 34 is oriented to a barrel front 22 to engage the barrel 20 extension 26 front screw hole 28 . the right rail 30 pivot screw slot 36 is oriented to a barrel rear 24 to engage the barrel 20 extension 26 rear screw hole 28 . similarly , the left rail 40 partial radial screw slot 44 is oriented to a barrel front 22 to engage the barrel 20 extension 26 front screw hole 28 . the left rail 40 pivot screw slot 46 is oriented to the barrel rear 24 to engage the barrel 20 extension 26 rear screw hole 28 . in another embodiment the pivot screw slot 36 , 46 may be oriented to a barrel front 22 or adjacent the slot 34 , 44 to engage the barrel 20 extension 26 front screw hole 28 and the partial radial screw slot 34 , 44 may be oriented to a barrel rear 22 or adjacent the slot 36 , 46 to engage the barrel 20 extension 26 rear screw hole 28 . in an embodiment different mechanical elements may be employed in the slots 34 , 36 , 44 , 46 and the extension 26 holes 28 including a threaded bolt and the screw or bolt could be coupled to a cam based element that is rotated from a free , non - compressive state to an active , compressive state . the radial section of the slot 34 and 44 of the arms 30 , 40 is selected to permit about 4 to 8 degrees of movement of the barrel front 22 relative the barrel rear 24 via the pivot slot 36 , 46 . this enables a user to adjust or set the convergence angle between the barrel or telescope pair 20 and then stably lock each barrel 20 via its extension 26 to an arm 30 , 40 via a first screw passing the arm 30 , 40 pivot screw slot 36 , 46 into the barrel extension 26 screw hole 28 and a second screw passing through the arm 30 , 40 partial radial screw slot 34 , 44 into the barrel extension 26 other screw hole 28 . in an embodiment the binocular loupes 10 ipd adjustment mechanism 60 includes an adjustment knob 62 having a plurality of teeth 74 , a pinion gear 64 coupled to the knob 62 , spring 66 , washer 68 , and spring retaining screw 72 . the pinion gear 64 simultaneously engages the right arm 30 gear rack 38 and the left arm 40 gear rack 48 . in an embodiment the right and left gear racks have the same gear spacing . in this embodiment rotation of the pinion gear 64 via the knob 62 in either direction causes both arms 30 , 40 to move approximately equal distances relative to the knob , inward to outward to change the distance between the barrels and effective ipd for a user adorning the loupes 10 . in this embodiment both the housing 50 and knob 62 have mating teeth 56 , 74 respectively . in an embodiment each have 20 teeth spaced 18 degrees apart . in the loupes 10 the spring 66 is biased against the housing 50 bottom 54 and washer 68 where the washer is coupled to the knob 62 via the retaining screw 72 . in stasis the spring 66 causes the knob teeth 74 to stably mate to the housing teeth 56 to lock the ipd between the barrel or telescope pair 20 . to change the ipd , a user pulls the knob axially upward relative to the spring 66 axis to disengage the knob teeth 74 from the housing teeth 56 , rotates the knob 62 about the axis in a direction to cause the arms 30 , 40 to move inward or outward approximately equal distances simultaneously , and then releases the knob 62 . the spring 66 bias then exerts sufficient axial downward force to reengage the knob teeth 74 to the housing teeth 56 , securing the selected ipd distance and preventing unintentional ipd modification . in an embodiment the spring constant is about 9 to 11 pounds per inch . fig2 a is an isometric view of a partial binocular system 100 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention and fig2 b is a sectional view of the partial binocular system or loupes 100 shown in fig2 a . the binocular system 100 includes an ipd mechanism 160 and housing 150 according to another embodiment of the present invention . the barrel pair 20 is not shown for clarity . in this embodiment the ipd mechanism 160 includes a locking lever 166 with at least one locking tab 168 . the housing 150 includes support arms for rotatably holding the locking lever 166 and at least one housing opening 159 that corresponds with the at least one locking tab 168 . in this embodiment the arms or rails 30 , 40 each include sleeves 39 , 49 where arms 30 , 40 may slide within each other . similar to the ipd mechanism 60 , the mechanism 160 also includes a pinion gear 164 coupled to a knob 162 . the ipd mechanism 160 may also include teeth and the housing 150 corresponding mating teeth such as shown in fig1 a . when the locking lever 166 of the ipd mechanism 160 is engaged by moving toward the barrel rear 24 , the tabs 168 engage the lower , right arm 30 causing the right arm to move upward and compress against the upper , left arm 40 and housing 150 . in this embodiment , after lever 166 engagement the ipd between the arms 30 , 40 is stably fixed . the adjustment knob 162 would also be substantially immovable . when the locking level 166 of the ipd mechanism 160 is disengaged by moving it toward the barrel front 22 , the tabs 168 via the housing 150 openings 159 release their compression force against the arms 30 , 40 . a user may then adjust the ipd via the adjustment knob 162 and lock the ipd by moving the lock lever 166 toward the rear . fig3 a is an isometric view of another partial binocular system 200 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention and fig3 b is a sectional view of the partial binocular system or loupes 200 shown in fig3 a . the binocular system 200 includes an ipd mechanism 260 and housing 250 according to another embodiment of the present invention . the barrel pair 20 is not shown for clarity . in this embodiment the ipd mechanism 260 includes a radially activated locking lever 268 . the housing 250 includes a radial cam 258 that engages the radially activated locking lever 268 . the locking lever 268 is coupled to the pinion gear 264 via a retaining screw 272 . the ipd mechanism 260 may also include teeth and the housing 250 corresponding mating teeth such as shown in fig1 a . when the locking lever 268 of the ipd mechanism 260 is engaged by rotating the lever about the pinion gear axis , the lever 268 engages the housing cam 258 causing a downward force on the retaining screw 272 and thereby compressing the adjustment knob 262 against the housing 250 top 252 . after lever 268 engagement , the adjustment knob 262 is substantially immovable . when the locking level 268 of the ipd mechanism 260 is disengaged by radially moving lever 268 away from the housing cam 258 , the compression against the adjustment knob 262 is released . a user may then adjust the ipd via the adjustment knob 262 and lock the ipd by radially moving the lock lever 268 toward the housing cam 258 . fig4 a is a view of a partial binocular system 300 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention and fig4 b is a sectional view of the partial binocular system or loupes 300 shown in fig4 a . the binocular system 300 includes an ipd mechanism 360 and housing 350 according to another embodiment of the present invention . the barrel pair 20 is not shown for clarity . in this embodiment the ipd mechanism 360 includes a locking cam lever 368 and rail locking member 376 . the housing 350 includes support arms 358 for rotatably holding the locking cam lever 368 . in this embodiment the arms or rails 30 , 40 each include sleeves 39 , 49 where arms 30 , 40 may slide within each other . similar to the ipd mechanism 60 , the mechanism 360 also includes a pinion gear 364 coupled to a knob 362 . the ipd mechanism 360 may also include teeth and the housing 350 corresponding mating teeth such as shown in fig1 a . when the locking lever 368 of the ipd mechanism 360 is engaged by moving toward the right arm 30 , the cam lever 368 pushes the rail locking member upward against the lower , right arm 30 causing the right arm to move upward and compress the upper , left arm 40 against the housing 350 . in this embodiment , after cam lever 368 engagement the distance between the arms 30 , 40 is stably fixed and thus , the ipd . the adjustment knob 362 would also be substantially immovable . when the locking cam level 368 of the ipd mechanism 360 is disengaged by moving toward the left arm 40 , the rail locking member 376 is released , releasing its compression force against the arms 30 , 40 and housing 350 . a user may then adjust the ipd via the adjustment knob 362 and lock the ipd by moving the locking cam lever 368 toward the right arm 30 . while this invention has been described in terms of a best mode for achieving the objectives of the invention , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations may be accomplished in view of these teachings without deviating from the spirit or scope of the present invention . for example in another embodiment a single user rotatable screw may be coupled to the housing top 52 or bottom 54 so that upon rotation the screw tip may engage the right or left rail 30 , 40 with sufficient force to prevent accidental movement of the rails 30 , 40 .
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the present invention will now be described more fully in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which the preferred embodiments of the invention are shown . this invention should not , however , be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein ; rather , they 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 . the present invention pertains to a system and method for demagnetization of a magnetic structure region . certain described embodiments may relate , by way of example but not limitation , to systems and / or apparatuses comprising magnetic structures , methods for using magnetic structures , magnetic structures produced via magnetic printing , magnetic structures comprising arrays of discrete magnetic elements , combinations thereof , and so forth . example realizations for such embodiments may be facilitated , at least in part , by the use of an emerging , revolutionary technology that may be termed correlated magnetics . this revolutionary technology referred to herein as correlated magnetics was first fully described and enabled in the co - assigned u . s . pat . no . 7 , 800 , 471 issued on sep . 21 , 2010 , and entitled “ a field emission system and method ”. the contents of this document are hereby incorporated herein by reference . a second generation of a correlated magnetic technology is described and enabled in the co - assigned u . s . pat . no . 7 , 868 , 721 issued on jan . 11 , 2011 , and entitled “ a field emission system and method ”. the contents of this document are hereby incorporated herein by reference . a third generation of a correlated magnetic technology is described and enabled in the co - assigned u . s . patent application ser . no . 12 / 476 , 952 filed on jun . 2 , 2009 , and entitled “ a field emission system and method ”. the contents of this document are hereby incorporated herein by reference . another technology known as correlated inductance , which is related to correlated magnetics , has been described and enabled in the co - assigned u . s . pat . no . 8 , 115 , 581 issued on feb . 14 , 2012 , and entitled “ a system and method for producing an electric pulse ”. the contents of this document are hereby incorporated by reference . material presented herein may relate to and / or be implemented in conjunction with multilevel correlated magnetic systems and methods for producing a multilevel correlated magnetic system such as described in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 982 , 568 issued jul . 19 , 2011 which is all incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . material presented herein may relate to and / or be implemented in conjunction with energy generation systems and methods such as described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 12 / 895 , 589 filed sep . 30 , 2010 , which is all incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . such systems and methods described in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 681 , 256 issued mar . 23 , 2010 , u . s . pat . no . 7 , 750 , 781 issued jul . 6 , 2010 , u . s . pat . no . 7 , 755 , 462 issued jul . 13 , 2010 , u . s . pat . no . 7 , 812 , 698 issued oct . 12 , 2010 , u . s . pat . nos . 7 , 817 , 002 , 7 , 817 , 003 , 7 , 817 , 004 , 7 , 817 , 005 , and 7 , 817 , 006 issued oct . 19 , 2010 , u . s . pat . no . 7 , 821 , 367 issued oct . 26 , 2010 , u . s . pat . nos . 7 , 823 , 300 and 7 , 824 , 083 issued nov . 2 , 2011 , u . s . pat . no . 7 , 834 , 729 issued nov . 16 , 2011 , u . s . pat . no . 7 , 839 , 247 issued nov . 23 , 2010 , u . s . pat . nos . 7 , 843 , 295 , 7 , 843 , 296 , and 7 , 843 , 297 issued nov . 30 , 2010 , u . s . pat . no . 7 , 893 , 803 issued feb . 22 , 2011 , u . s . pat . nos . 7 , 956 , 711 and 7 , 956 , 712 issued jun . 7 , 2011 , u . s . pat . nos . 7 , 958 , 575 , 7 , 961 , 068 and 7 , 961 , 069 issued jun . 14 , 2011 , u . s . pat . no . 7 , 963 , 818 issued jun . 21 , 2011 , and u . s . pat . nos . 8 , 015 , 752 and 8 , 016 , 330 issued sep . 13 , 2011 , and u . s . pat . no . 8 , 035 , 260 issued oct . 11 , 2011 are all incorporated by reference herein in their entirety . various methods for printing maxels are described in u . s . parent application ser . no . 13 / 240 , 355 , field sep . 22 , 2011 and titled magnetic structure production , which is incorporated by reference herein it its entirety . in accordance with the present invention , a region of a magnetic structure is demagnetized ( or erased ) by successive overwriting of the region with magnetic sources having alternating polarities and decreasing field strengths . more specifically , the magnetic field sources , which are often called maxels , are produced using a pulsed magnetizer where a very short current pulse is passed through a magnetizing coil located adjacent to a location on the surface of a magnetizable material . each maxel has a size , shape , depth , polarity , field strength , angle relative to the magnetization surface , and various other maxel characteristics that are in accordance with material characteristics such as material type ( e . g ., nib ), grade , thickness , shape ( e . g ., flat ), etc ., magnetizing coil characteristics such as metal type , layer thickness , number of turns , aperture width , coil width , coil shape , aperture shape , etc ., and magnetizing characteristics such as the amount of current passed through the coil , and the direction of the current through the coil , distance between the coil and the surface , angle of the coil relative to the surface , etc ., where one skilled in the art will understand that any of these magnetizing coil characteristics and / or magnetizing characteristics can be varied to effect demagnetization in accordance with the invention . as such , one or more magnetizer coils having the same or different magnetizing coil characteristics can be used with the same or different magnetizing characteristics to overwrite and demagnetize one or more regions on one or more magnetic structures . fig2 depicts exemplary discreet current values 202 of current used to drive a magnetizer coil in order to produce ( or write ) overwrite alternating polarity maxels at a given location on a material , where each discreet current value 202 has a corresponding discreet flux value 204 of magnetic flux produced by the magnetizer coil . as shown , the current values 202 used to drive the magnetizer coil change polarity and decrease with each printed maxel to produce a sequence of alternating polarity maxels with decreased field strength in order to demagnetize the location on the material . the discrete current values 202 and flux values 204 , for example , correspond to the peak current and peak flux values of the current and flux curves 104 and 106 of fig1 . however , the discrete current values 202 can decrease in accordance with some other desired decrement pattern such as a uniform decrement pattern . generally , the starting discrete current value 202 of a demagnetization process can be selected based on the field strength of the region of the magnetic structure as determined prior to demagnetization . for example , a measurement of the field to be erased could be made , and a current value 202 could be selected such that the starting demagnetizing magnetic field would be of opposite polarity of the field being erased and somewhat lower in field strength . however , an alternate approach would be to select a starting current value 202 based on material characteristics that will result in a near saturating field . however , if only partial demagnetization is desired , the starting demagnetizing field may be selected that is substantially lower than the field strength of the region of the magnetic structure prior to demagnetization . because the printing of each maxel is substantially a discreet event as opposed to demagnetization using a continuous alternating current , all sorts of combinations are possible for demagnetizing a region on a magnetic structure including use of multiple print heads to demagnetize one or more regions on one or more magnetic structures , where characteristics of a given print head and the use of such print head can be controlled to control the demagnetization process . for example , one or more print heads can be used to demagnetize a region on a magnetic structure , where the location of at least one print head is fixed . alternatively , one or more movable print heads may be used . combinations of different print head sizes ( e . g ., aperture diameters ), maxel shapes , maxel depths , and the like can be used . many patterning choices are available such as maxel print order , the amount of overlapping of maxels ( or spatial density ), the spacing between maxels , etc . moreover , instead of alternating polarity with each overwriting maxel , multiple maxels of the same polarity may overwrite successively . in other words , a region may be overwritten one or more times with a magnetizing field having the same polarity before being overwritten one or more times with a magnetizing field having the opposite polarity . generally , one skilled in the art will recognize that all sorts of variations of the invention are possible . fig3 a through 3d are provided to illustrate an exemplary demagnetization process for demagnetizing a region 306 on a magnetic structure 303 corresponding to its outer boundary ( i . e ., outer edge or outer perimeter ). referring to fig3 a , a first maxel pattern 300 a of first polarity maxels 302 a and second polarity maxels 304 a have been printed onto a magnetizable material 303 having an outer boundary 306 . the maxels 302 a and 304 a have been printed in columns from the bottom of the magnetizable material 303 to the top of the magnetizable material 303 and from the left side to the right . as such , the first maxel printed is in the lower left corner and the last maxel printed is in the upper right corner . a field scan 308 a shows the resulting magnetic field , where the outer boundary 306 of the magnetizable material 303 is shown . fig3 b shows a second maxel pattern 300 b comprising overlapping first polarity maxels 302 b having a first field strength that are printed by magnetizing coils 305 ( and a pulsed magnetizer 307 ) along the outer boundary 306 , which corresponds to a demagnetization region 310 on the magnetizable material 303 . the resulting field scan 308 b shows the outer boundary 306 and demagnetization region 310 of the magnetizable material 303 . in fig3 c , a third maxel pattern 300 c comprising overlapping second polarity maxels 304 c having a second field strength less than the first field strength that are printed by magnetizing coils 305 ( and a pulsed magnetizer 307 ) along the outer boundary 306 , which corresponds to a demagnetization region 310 c on the magnetizable material 303 . as seen in the field scan 308 c of fig3 c , the demagnetization region 310 c is becoming more and more demagnetized on the magnetizable material 303 . in fig3 d , a fourth maxel pattern 300 d comprising overlapping first polarity maxels 302 d having a third field strength that are printed by magnetizing coils 305 ( and a pulsed magnetizer 307 ) along the outer boundary 306 , which corresponds to a demagnetization region 310 c on the magnetizable material 303 . as seen in the field scan 308 d of fig3 d , the demagnetization region 310 is substantially demagnetized on the magnetizable material 303 . in accordance with one method 400 shown in fig4 , a maxel can be demagnetized by successively printing maxels having reversing polarity and decreasing field strength at the same location . at step 402 , the demagnetizing process is started . at step 404 , establish first magnetizing polarity . at step 406 , establish first magnetizing field strength . at step 408 , move material and / or magnetizing coil to location coordinate for demagnetization . at step 410 , magnetize maxel with established magnetizing field having established magnetic field strength . at step 412 , determine if region has been demagnetized . if result of step 412 is no , then at step 414 reverse established magnetizing polarity and decrease established magnetizing field strength then return to step 410 . if result of step 412 is yes , then at step 416 stop the demagnetizing process . in accordance with another demagnetizing method 500 shown in fig5 , the demagnetization of a region can involve magnetization of an entire region by printing a plurality of maxels of the same polarity and field strength over the region , rewriting the region with opposite polarity maxels having a lesser field strength , and repeating the previous two steps until the region is demagnetized . at step 502 , the demagnetizing process is started . at step 504 , establish first magnetizing polarity . at step 506 , establish first magnetizing field strength . at step 508 , move material and / or magnetizing coil to first location coordinate for demagnetization . at step 510 , magnetize maxel with established magnetizing polarity with magnetizing field having established magnetic field strength . at step 512 , determine if all locations have been demagnetized . if result of step 512 is no , then at step 514 move material and / or magnetizing coil to next location coordinate for demagnetization and then return to step 510 . if result of step 512 is yes , then at step 516 determine if region has been demagnetized . if result of step 516 is no , then at step 518 reverse established magnetizing polarity and decrease established magnetizing field strength then return to step 508 . if result of step 516 is yes , then at step 520 stop the demagnetizing process . yet another demagnetizing method 600 is shown in fig6 , this demagnetizing method 600 involves demagnetizing a region by demagnetizing each maxel location one at a time . at step 602 , the demagnetizing process is started . at step 604 , establish first magnetizing polarity . at step 606 , establish first magnetizing field strength . at step 608 , move material and / or magnetizing coil to first location coordinate for demagnetization . at step 610 , magnetize maxel with established magnetizing polarity with magnetizing field having established magnetic field strength . at step 612 , determine if region has been demagnetized . if result of step 612 is no , then at step 614 reverse established magnetizing polarity and decrease established magnetizing field strength then return to step 610 . if result of step 612 is yes , then at step 616 determine if all locations have been demagnetized . if result of step 616 is no , then at step 618 move material and / or magnetizing coil to next location coordinate for demagnetization and then return to step 604 . if result of step 616 is yes , then at step 620 stop the demagnetizing process . in accordance with the invention , a material can be demagnetized on one side and then demagnetized on the other , or both sides may be demagnetized at the same time . under another arrangement , only one side may be demagnetized . the depth of demagnetization may or may not correspond to the depth that a material was previously magnetized . demagnetization can involve printing maxels of alternating polarity with a different magnetization direction then a material was originally magnetized . in accordance with the invention , maxels of a given polarity may overwrite a given region a plurality of times before the polarity of the overwriting maxels is changed . the maxels of the given polarity may be printed by the same print head or multiple print heads as necessary to efficiently overwrite the region . a region to be demagnetized may correspond to an outer boundary of a material such as depicted in fig3 a - 3d , which might be done to limit side interaction between two magnetic structures in which case the width of the demagnetized region can be selected to achieve a desired minimum attractive force between the two structures . a region may be internal to the structure . more generally , demagnetization of a region in accordance with the invention does not have to be complete demagnetization . instead , the demagnetization process may be used to partially magnetize so as to lower the field strength of a given region . as such , the present invention enables a way of weakening a maxel or a group of maxels . demagnetization in accordance with the invention can enable conveyance of information , where a sensor can detect demagnetized regions , which can be in accordance with a predefined pattern corresponding to the information . while particular embodiments of the invention have been described , it will be understood , however , that the invention is not limited thereto , since modifications may be made by those skilled in the art , particularly in light of the foregoing teachings .
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fig1 is a schematic plan view of a windshield wiper support frame 10 wherein highly compliant , integrally formed coupling portions 11 - 16 are utilized for interbeam coupling , as will be described hereinbelow . a primary beam 20 is coupled to a secondary beam 21 via coupling portion 13 . similarly , the primary beam is coupled to a further secondary beam 22 via coupling portion 16 . coupling portion 11 couples secondary beam 21 to a tertiary beam 23 . similarly , on the other half of the windshield wiper support frame , coupling , portion 14 couples secondary beam 22 to a further tertiary beam 26 . coupling portions 12 and 15 are shown to couple their respectively associated secondary beams 21 and 22 to tertiary beams 24 and 25 . in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention , output forces , which correspond to predeterminable proportions of an input force that is represented by vector 30 , are provided at tertiary beams 23 - 26 , and at secondary beams 21 and 22 . more specifically , the output forces , that are represented by vectors 31 - 36 , sum up to the magnitude of vector 30 . vectors 31 - 36 therefore represent a distribution of the input force represented by vector 30 . the force represented by vector 30 is supplied in this embodiment by a windshield wiper actuator arm ( not shown ) that is conventionally coupled to the windshield wiper motor ( not shown ) of a vehicle ( not shown ) and to the windshield wiper support frame , illustratively al aperture 40 through primary beam 20 . although not specifically shown in this figure , the terminations of the secondary and tertiary beams where the output forces are provided are adapted ( not shown in this figure ) in a conventional manner to be coupled to a windshield wiper blade . the windshield wiper blade may be of the conventional single blade type , or of the dual blade type as indicated , the primary , secondary , and tertiary beams , along with their respectively associated compliant coupling portions , are formed integrally with one another . the coupling portions , such as coupling portions 13 and 16 , permit their respectively associated secondary beams to pivot . moreover , terminations of the secondary and tertiary beams where the output forces are produced are translatable along paths that are parallel to the input force vector . persons of skill in the art will readily recognize that the magnitudes of the forces represented by vectors 31 - 36 can be made not to be equal to one another , as required by the particular application . proportions of the force magnitudes amongst the vectors are responsive to the location of the coupling portions along the respective beams , the mechanical properties of the compliant coupling portions , and the mechanical properties of the beams themselves . persons of skill in the art can configure these characteristics in light of the teaching herein . fig2 is a schematic plan view of a windshield wiper support frame 50 wherein resilient , hinge - like portions 51 - 56 are integrally formed with the beams , there being provided eight equally spaced force distribution points . as shown , a primary beam 60 is resiliently coupled via integrally formed resilient coupling portions 52 and 55 to respective secondary beams 61 and 62 . each secondary beam is coupled via respective integrally formed resilient coupling portions 51 and 53 , and 54 and 56 , to respective tertiary beams 64 - 67 . in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention , the tertiary beams are coupled to a windshield wiper blade , which is schematically represented in the figure by structural element 69 . the windshield wiper blade can , in certain embodiments , be coupled to the force output points of the tertiary beams using any of several known wiper blade coupling arrangements ( not shown ), or it can be formed integrally with the windshield wiper support frame . fig3 is a schematic plan representation of the configuration of a small resilient , hinge - like portion 70 which corresponds to coupling portions 51 , 53 , 54 , and 56 , shown in fig2 . fig4 is a schematic plan view of the configuration of a larger resilient , hinge - like portion 80 , which corresponds to coupling portion 55 in fig2 . coupling portion 52 in fig2 is the mirror image of coupling portion 55 . referring once again to fig3 hinge - like portion 70 is formed with first and second resilient members 71 and 72 , that couple beams 74 and 75 resiliently to one another . when beam 75 is urged in the direction of arrow 77 , first resilient member 71 is subjected to a compression force , and second resilient member 72 is subjected i : o tension . conversely , when beam 75 is urged in the direction of arrow 78 , first resilient member 71 is subjected to a tensile force , and second resilient member 72 is subjected to compression force . in this regard , without limitation , the present invention is distinguishable from the mere pivoting function of the interbeam couplers of the conventional windshield wiper support frames . the larger resilient , hinge - like portion 80 of fig4 that corresponds to coupling portion 55 in fig2 functions in a manner similar to the hinge - like portion described with respect to fig3 . more specifically , when beam 85 is urged in the direction of arrow 87 , first resilient member 81 is subjected to a compression force , and second resilient member 82 is subjected to tension . conversely , when beam 85 is urged in the direction of arrow 88 , first resilient member 81 is subjected to a tensile force , and second resilient member 82 is subjected to compression force . fig5 is a schematic plan view of a windshield wiper support frame 100 embodiment of the invention wherein resilient , hinge - like portions are integrally formed with the beams , with eight equally spaced force distribution points , and with greater flexibility than the embodiment of fig2 . as shown in this figure , windshield wiper support frame 100 is provided with resilient , hinge - like portions 101 - 106 are integrally formed with the beams . a primary beam 110 is resiliently coupled via integrally formed resilient coupling portions 102 and 105 to respective secondary beams 111 and 12 . each secondary beam is coupled via respective integrally formed resilient coupling portions 101 and 103 , and 104 and 106 , to respective tertiary beams 114 - 117 . the embodiment of fig5 achieves a greater degree of compliance over that of fig2 in that the resilient coupling portions are not only longer , but thinner . thus , when materials having relatively high stiffness characteristics are employed in the manufacture of the product , desired compliance characteristics can be achieved by controlling the size and thickness of the resilient coupling portions . in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention , the force output portions ( not specifically designated in this figure ) are shown schematically to be coupled to a windshield wiper blade 120 . as previously noted , the windshield wiper blade can , in certain embodiments , be coupled to the force output points using any of several known wiper blade coupling arrangements , or it can be formed integrally with the windshield wiper support frame . fig6 is a schematic plan view of a windshield wiper support frame 130 , which is a specific illustrative embodiment of the invention wherein resilient , hinge - like portions 131 , 132 , 133 , and 134 are integrally formed with the beams . in this embodiment , there are provided an odd number of unequally spaced force distribution points for each half of the support frame . more specifically , a primary beam 136 is resiliently coupled via integrally formed resilient coupling portions 132 and 133 to respective secondary beams 137 and 138 . each secondary beam is coupled via respective integrally formed resilient coupling portions 131 and 134 to respective tertiary beams 140 and 141 . in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention , the tertiary beams are coupled to a windshield wiper blade , which is schematically represented in the figure by structural element 143 . as previously stated , the windshield wiper blade can , in certain embodiments , be coupled to the force output points of the tertiary beams using any of several known wiper blade coupling arrangements ( not shown ), or it can be formed integrally with the windshield wiper support frame . fig7 is a schematic plan view of an illustrative embodiment of a windshield wiper support arrangement 150 constructed in accordance with the invention as shown , a primary beam 151 which in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention is curved is shown to be coupled resiliently to a flexible working beam 153 by a plurality of resilient coupling elements 161 - 167 . in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention flexible working beam 153 functions to support a windshield wiper blade ( not shown ). the resilient coupling elements are distributed over the length of the primary beam and are coupled thereto on the concave side of the curvature . flexible working beam 153 is shown in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention to be straight when undisturbed . the variations in the distance between the curved primary beam and the straight flexible working beam is accommodated by employing resilient coupling elements of varying sizes . thus , resilient coupling , elements 161 and 167 are smaller than resilient coupling elements 162 and 166 , etc ., resilient element 164 being the largest in this embodiment . fig8 is a schematic plan view of the embodiment of fig7 showing the flexure of the resilient coupling elements 161 - 167 in response to a bending flexure in the central region of flexible working beam 153 toward primary beam 151 . as shown , as the distance between the primary beam and the flexible working beam is decreased by the application of force ( not shown ) on the flexible working beam toward the primary beam , resilient coupling elements 16214 166 are shown to become compressed and somewhat elongated along the direction of the primary beam . in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention , the flexible working beam separates away from the primary beam at its extremities as it is urged toward the primary beam in its central region . in the embodiment of fig7 and 8 , primary beam 151 is formed so as to be fairly rigid , i . e ., that it will not bend significantly in response to the forced contemplated by the designer to be applied thereto and to flexible working beam 153 . resilient coupling elements 161 - 167 are formed of a resilient material , such as polypropylene , polystyrene , and polyethylene , as described above . fig9 is a schematic plan view of a further illustrative embodiment of a windshield wiper support arrangement 180 constructed in accordance with the invention as shown , a primary beam 181 which in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention is curved is shown to be coupled resiliently to respective first ends of a plurality of resilient coupling elements 183 - 188 . in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention , the resilient coupling elements are distributed over the length of the primary beam and are coupled thereto on the concave side of the curvature of primary beam 181 . each of the resilient coupling elements is coupled at a second end thereof to a respective one of end pads 190 - 195 , shown from the side thereof in this figure . each of the end pads has extending therefrom , in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention , a pair of blade engagement members , such as engagement members 200 and 201 , which will be described in greater detail hereinbelow with respect to fig1 . in the embodiment of fig9 each of end pads 190 - 195 , shown from the side thereof in this figure , is coupled to a sequentially adjacent one of the end pads by a coupling element , in the form of , for example , coupling element 203 which is connected at one end to end pad 192 , and at its other end to end pad 193 . primary beam 181 has a first end 205 and a second end 206 . in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention , the respective ends are coupled to their inwardly proximal end pads by coupling elements 208 and 209 , respectively . that is , coupling element 208 couples first end 205 to end pad 190 , and coupling element 209 couples second end 206 to end pad 195 . the end pads are shown in this embodiment to be arranged in a substantially straight - line relation to one another . as shown in fig9 coupling elements 203 , 208 , 209 , and other such coupling elements disposed between end pads 190 - 191 , 191 - 192 , 193 - 194 , and 194 - 195 ( all of which coupling elements are not specifically designated in the figure ), with their respectively associated ones of end pads 190 - 195 form a continuous elongated compliant support element ( not specifically designated ) that is fixedly coupled at its distal ends ( i . e ., at the distal most ends of coupling elements 208 and 209 ) to respective distal ends 205 and 206 of continuous primary beam 181 . this facilitates installation of conventional windshield wiper blades . however , curved arrangements for specialized windshield contours can be provided within the scope of the invention . in such specialized embodiments , the windshield wiper blades can themselves be fabricated to have a predetermined curvature that easily would be installed in the correspondingly curved windshield wiper support arrangement . the variations in the distance between the curved primary beam and the straight flexible working beam is accommodated by employing resilient coupling elements of varying sizes . thus , resilient coupling elements 183 and 188 are smaller than resilient coupling elements 184 and 187 , which are smaller than resilient coupling elements 185 and 186 which are the largest in this embodiment . fig1 is an enlarged , fragmented schematic isometric representation of a portion of the embodiment of fig9 showing certain illustrative details of end pad 190 with blade coupling elements 200 and 201 extending therefrom . as shown , end pad 190 , as arc the other end pads in this embodiment , is wider than the coupling elements , illustratively coupling element 208 which couples end pad 190 to first end 205 of primary beam 181 . the blade coupling elements are shown in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention to be arranged axially offset from one another on the end pad , and are provided with respective inwardly directed protuberances 210 and 211 which engage with an elongated support ( not shown ) of a conventional windshield wiper blade ( not shown ). resilient element 183 is shown to have a substantially v - shaped configuration , wherein a first end thereof is coupled to primary beam 181 , and a second end is coupled to end pad 190 . the structure of the resilient element of this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention is comprised of two resilient beams 213 and 214 which are resiliently coupled to one another at a resilient coupling 215 . as end pad 190 is displaced toward primary beam 181 by the application of a force in the direction of arrow 220 , resilient beams are urged toward one another , effectively counter - rotating about their respective couplings to the primary beam and the end pad . the effective displacement path ( not shown ) of the end pad in response to the application of the force is substantially linear . in this embodiment , the entire structure is integrally formed by any of a variety of known manufacturing techniques , such as injection molding . a practicable embodiment has been formed of xenoy , a compound that is commercially available from ge plastics . fig1 is an enlarged fragmented schematic isometric representation of a portion of a further specific embodiment of the invention showing certain details of the end pads with the blade coupling elements extending therefrom and a single - beam resilient element . elements of structure that are analogous to those discussed hereinabove with respect to fig1 are similarly designated . fig1 shows , as does fig1 , certain illustrative details of end pad 190 with blade coupling elements 200 and 201 extending therefrom . as shown in fig1 , end pad 190 as are the other end pads ( not shown ) in this embodiment , is wider than the coupling elements , illustratively coupling element 208 which couples end pad 190 to first end 205 of primary beam 181 . as previously discussed , the blade coupling elements are shown in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention to be arranged axially offset from one another on the end pad , and are provided with respective inwardly directed protuberances 210 and 211 which engage with an elongated support ( not shown ) of a conventional windshield wiper blade ( not shown ). in the various embodiments of the invention , a plurality of apertures , such as aperture 250 , are be provided through primary beam 181 to permit high speed air to flow therethrough during vehicle operation . such air flow will impinge upon the windshield wiper blade urging same toward the windshield ( not shown ). a resilient element 241 is shown in the embodiment of fig1 to have a substantially s - shaped configuration , wherein a first end thereof is coupled to primary beam 181 , and a second end is coupled to end pad 190 . the structure of the resilient element of this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention is comprised of two resilient bends 243 and 244 which are resiliently interconnected by a resilient beam 246 . as end pad 190 is displaced toward primary beam 181 by the application of a force in the direction of arrow 220 , resilient beam 246 is caused to bend resiliently . in this embodiment , the entire structure is integrally formed , as previously noted . in addition , persons of skill in the art can configure multiple - tier resilient beam arrangements , similar in appearance to the embodiment shown in fig2 but instead of relying on the integrally formed resilient coupling portions ( e . g ., 51 and 53 ) to provide the necessary compliance to the relatively firm subordinate beams ( e . g ., 61 and 64 ), resilient beams of the type described in connection with fig9 - 11 can be tiered ( not shown ), whereby , as previously stated , the overall compliance characteristic of the windshield wiper blade support arrangement is responsive to the resilience characteristics of the beams themselves . in still further embodiments , the resilient coupling elements , such as coupling element 208 which couples end pad 190 to first end 205 of primary beam 181 in fig9 - 11 , can themselves be configured to distribute force to the windshield wiper blade ( not shown ), in regions intermediate of the end pads . in such embodiments , the resilient connectors between the end pads , or between an end pad and an end of the primary beam , has a preformed curvature that applies a resilient force to the windshield wiper blade . although the invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments and applications , persons skilled in the art can , in light of this teaching , generate additional embodiments without exceeding the scope or departing from the spirit of the claimed invention . accordingly , it is to be understood that the drawing and description in this disclosure are proffered to facilitate comprehension of the invention , and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof .
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the following provides exemplary embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a block diagram showing a channel data setting circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention . with reference to fig1 , a channel data signal as shown in ( a ) of fig2 is input into a counter 11 from an input terminal 10 . a clock having a pulse speed sufficiently faster than the channel data setting signal is also input into the counter 11 . the counter 11 counts the clock pulses to measure a low level period and a high level period , and outputs the measured data to t 1 detector 12 a - t 4 detector 12 d of four channels . the t 1 detector 12 a generates a reset signal upon detecting a low level period of a length tsd ( e . g . 2 msec or more ), generates a countdown signal upon detecting a low level period of a length t 1 ( e . g . within a range of 1 - 125 μsec ), and generates a preset signal upon detecting a high level period of a length t 4 ( e . g . within a range of 750 - 875 μsec ) or greater . the signals generated by the t 1 detector 12 a are supplied to a counter 13 a . the t 2 detector 12 b generates a reset signal upon detecting the low level period of the length tsd ( e . g . 2 msec or more ), generates a countdown signal upon detecting a low level period of the length t 2 ( e . g . within a range of 250 - 375 μsec ), and generates a preset signal upon detecting the high level period of the length t 4 or greater . the signals generated by the t 2 detector 12 b are supplied to a counter 13 b . the t 3 detector 12 c generates a reset signal upon detecting the low level period of the length tsd , generates a countdown signal upon detecting a low level period of the length t 3 ( e . g . within a range of 500 - 625 μsec ), and generates a preset signal upon detecting the high level period of the length t 4 or greater . the signals generated by the t 3 detector 12 c are supplied to a counter 13 c . the t 4 detector 12 d generates a reset signal upon detecting the low level period of the length tsd , generates a countdown signal upon detecting a low level period of the length t 4 ( e . g . within a range of 750 - 875 μsec ), and generates a preset signal upon detecting the high level period of the length t 4 or greater . the signals generated by the t 4 detector 12 d are supplied to a counter 13 d . the counters 13 a - 13 d , which are 2 - bit counters , reset the count to “ 0 ” upon receiving the reset signal , preset the count to “ 4 ” upon receiving the preset signal , and decrement the count by “ 1 ” upon receiving the countdown signal . accordingly , in response to the channel data setting signal as shown in ( a ) of fig2 , the count of the counter 13 a is preset to “ 4 ” upon detection of a high level period of the length t 4 or greater , sequentially decremented every time a low level period of the length t 1 is detected , and then preset to “ 4 ” upon detection of a high level period of the length t 4 as shown in ( b ) of fig2 . referring to ( c ) of fig2 , the count of the counter 13 b is preset to “ 4 ” upon detection of the high level period of the length t 4 or greater , sequentially decremented every time a low level period of the length t 2 is detected , and then preset to “ 4 ” upon detection of the high level period of the length t 4 . similarly , as shown in ( d ) of fig2 , the count of the counter 13 c is preset to “ 4 ” upon detection of the high level period of the length t 4 or greater , sequentially decremented every time a low level period of the length t 3 is detected , and then preset to “ 4 ” upon detection of the high level period of the length t 4 . referring to ( e ) of fig2 , the count of the counter 13 d is preset to “ 4 ” upon detection of the high level period of the length t 4 or greater , sequentially decremented every time a low level period of the length t 4 is detected , and then preset to “ 4 ” upon detection of the high level period of the length t 4 . in this way , data items corresponding to four channels can be set in the counters 13 a - 13 d , respectively , in accordance with the signal input from the single input terminal 10 . in an alternative embodiment , the counters 13 a - 13 d may have the count unchanged while the high level period does not exceed tsd , and preset the count when the high level period reaches tsd . further , the counters 13 a - 13 d may increment the count instead of decrementing the count . fig3 is a block diagram showing a light emitting element drive circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention . the light emitting element drive circuit uses the channel data setting circuit of fig1 . in fig3 , components identical to those in fig1 bear the same reference numerals . with reference to fig3 , a boosting circuit 20 increases a voltage supplied from a battery 21 to about 5v , and supplies the increased voltage to each of current control circuits 22 a - 22 d . the current control circuits 22 a - 22 d determine current values to be applied to corresponding white light emitting diodes 23 a - 23 d in accordance with the counts supplied from the corresponding counters 13 a - 13 d . the white light emitting diodes 23 a - 23 d emit light with luminances that are generally in proportion to the applied current values . a channel data signal as shown in ( a ) of fig2 is input to a counter 11 from an input terminal 10 . a clock having a pulse speed sufficiently faster than the channel data setting signal is also input to the counter 11 . the counter 11 counts the clock pulses to measure a low level period and a high level period , and outputs the measured data to t 1 detector 12 a - t 4 detector 12 d of four channels . the t 1 detector 12 a generates a reset signal upon detecting a low level period of the length tsd ( e . g . 2 msec or more ), generates a countdown signal upon detecting a low level period of the length t 1 ( e . g . within a range of 1 - 125 μsec ), and generates a preset signal upon detecting a high level period of the length t 4 ( e . g . within a range of 750 - 875 μsec ) or greater . the signals generated by the t 1 detector 12 a are supplied to a counter 13 a . the t 2 detector 12 b generates a reset signal upon detecting the low level period of the length tsd ( e . g . 2 msec or more ), generates a countdown signal upon detecting a low level period of the length t 2 ( e . g . within a range of 250 - 375 μsec ), and generates a preset signal upon detecting the high level period of the length t 4 or greater . the signals generated by the t 2 detector 12 b are supplied to a counter 13 b . the t 3 detector 12 c generates a reset signal upon detecting the low level period of the length tsd ( e . g . 2 msec or more ), generates a countdown signal upon detecting a low level period of the length t 3 ( e . g . within a range of 500 - 625 μsec ), and generates a preset signal upon detecting the high level period of the length t 4 or greater . the signals generated by the t 3 detector 12 c are supplied to a counter 13 c . the t 4 detector 12 d generates a reset signal upon detecting the low level period of the length tsd ( e . g . 2 msec or more ), generates a countdown signal upon detecting a low level period of the length t 4 ( e . g . within a range of 750 - 875 μsec ), and generates a preset signal upon detecting the high level period of the length t 4 or greater . the signals generated by the t 4 detector 12 d are supplied to a counter 13 d . the counters 13 a - 13 d , which are 2 - bit ring counters , reset the count to “ 0 ” upon receiving the reset signal , preset the count to “ 4 ” upon receiving the preset signal , and decrement the count by “ 1 ” upon receiving the countdown signal . accordingly , in response to the channel data setting signal as shown in ( a ) of fig2 , the count the counter 13 a is preset to “ 4 ” upon detection of a high level period of the length t 4 or greater , sequentially decremented every time a low level period of the length t 1 is detected , and then preset to “ 4 ” upon detection of a high level period of the length t 4 as shown in ( b ) of fig2 . referring to ( c ) of fig2 , the count of the counter 13 b is preset to “ 4 ” upon detection of the high level period of the length t 4 or greater , sequentially decremented every time a low level period of the length t 2 is detected , and then preset to “ 4 ” upon detection of the high level period of the length t 4 . similarly , as shown in ( d ) of fig2 , the count of the counter 13 c is preset to “ 4 ” upon detection of the high level period of the length t 4 or greater , sequentially decremented every time a low level period of the length t 3 is detected , and then preset to “ 4 ” upon detection of the high level period of the length t 4 . referring to ( e ) of fig2 , the count of the counter 13 d is preset to “ 4 ” upon detection of the high level period of the length t 4 or greater , sequentially decremented every time a low level period of the length t 4 is detected , and then preset to “ 4 ” upon detection of the high level period of the length t 4 . the counts of the counter 13 a - 13 d are supplied to the corresponding current control circuits 22 a - 22 d . the current control circuit 22 a applies current to make the luminance of the white light emitting diode 23 a 100 % when the count is “ 4 ”, applies current to make the luminance of the white light emitting diode 23 a 75 % when the count is “ 3 ”, applies current to make the luminance of the white light emitting diode 23 a 50 % when the count is “ 2 ”, applies current to make the luminance of the white light emitting diode 23 a 25 % when the count is “ 1 ”, and applies no current when the count is “ 0 ”. the current control circuits 22 b - 22 d operate in the same manner as the current control circuit 22 a . in this way , data items corresponding to four channels can be set in the counters 13 a - 13 d , respectively , in accordance with the signal input through the single input terminal 10 . the luminances of the white light emitting diodes 23 a - 23 d are thus set and adjusted individually . in an alternative embodiment , a channel data signal as shown in fig4 may be supplied to the input terminal 10 . in this case , the t 1 detector 12 a generates a reset signal upon detecting a low level period of the length tsd ( e . g . 2 msec or more ), generates a countdown signal every time the t 1 detector 12 a detects a low level period of the length td ( e . g . within a range of 1 - 50 μsec ) after detecting a low level period of the length t 1 ( e . g . within a range of 1 - 125 μsec ), and generates a preset signal upon detecting a high level period of the length tsd or greater . the signals generated by the t 1 detector 12 a are supplied to the counter 13 a . the t 2 detector 12 b generates a reset signal upon detecting a low level period of the length tsd , generates a countdown signal every time the t 2 detector 12 b detects a low level period of a length td after detecting a low level period of the length t 2 ( e . g . within a range of 250 - 375 μsec ), and generates a preset signal upon detecting a high level period of the length tsd or greater . the signals generated by the t 2 detector 12 b are supplied to the counter 13 b . the t 3 detector 12 c generates a reset signal upon detecting a low level period of the length tsd , generates a countdown signal every time the t 3 detector 12 c detects a low level period of the length td after detecting a low level period of the length t 3 ( e . g . within a range of 500 - 625 μsec ), and generates a preset signal upon detecting a high level period of the length tsd or greater . the signals generated by the t 3 detector 12 c are supplied to the counter 13 c . the t 4 detector 12 d generates a reset signal upon detecting a low level period of the length tsd , generates a countdown signal every time the t 4 detector 12 d detects a low level period of the length td after detecting a low level period of the length t 4 ( e . g . within a range of 750 - 875 μsec ), and generates a preset signal upon detecting a high level period of the length tsd or greater . the signals generated by the t 4 detector 12 d are supplied to the counter 13 d . with this configuration , the number of low level periods t 1 , t 2 , t 3 , and t 4 is reduced by a partial replacement by the low level period td , which is shorter than each of the low level periods t 1 , t 2 , t 3 , and t 4 . it is therefore possible to reduce the time required for setting the multiple channel data items . although the above described embodiments focus on the operations for setting the data items in four channels , the number of channels is not limited to four . further , light emitting elements other than the white light emitting diodes may be used . the above embodiments employ the counter 11 as a component corresponding to a clock unit in the appended claims , the counters 13 a - 13 d as components corresponding to counter units , the t 1 detector 12 a - t 4 detector 12 d as components corresponding to period detector units , and the current control circuits 22 a - 22 d as components corresponding to current control units . the present application is based on japanese priority application no . 2005 - 071546 filed on mar . 14 , 2005 , with the japanese patent office , the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference .
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one category of down hole equipment is artificial lift systems , for use in wells where there is insufficient pressure in the reservoir to lift the well &# 39 ; s fluid ( e . g . oil , water or gas ) to the surface . types of artificial lift systems include hydraulic pumps , rod pumps , electric submersible pumps ( esps ), jet pumps , progressing - cavity pumps ( pcps ) and gas lift . reference is initially made to fig1 of the drawings which illustrates a typical esp completion in a wellbore . an esp motor 10 is coupled through a seal 12 to a centrifugal pump 14 and used to lift the fluids through a tubing 16 to a surface 18 of the well 20 in a manner known to those skilled in the art . in order to monitor the operation , sensors or gauges 22 are located below the esp 10 . typically , the motor 10 is a three phase y configuration . the motor is driven by a variable speed drive system 24 and is connected via a three phase power cable 26 having three connectors . the system can be considered to comprise two distinct parts , a surface system , generally indicated by reference numeral 28 , and a down hole system , generally indicated by reference numeral 30 . these two parts 28 , 30 communicate using the esp power cable 26 . surface equipment relating to the gauge system is shown in fig1 where there is a hv unit 13 connected directly to the three phase power supply and to the down hole motor . there is a further lv or low voltage unit 8 which is safely isolated from the high voltage system . the lv system is primarily for data recovery and processing and data display etc . the hv unit is used to inject ac power and also make recovery of raw data from the three phase power system . referring now to fig2 of the drawings there is illustrated a functional block diagram of a data transmission system , generally indicated by reference numeral 40 , according to an embodiment of the present invention . in this arrangement data can be transmitted onto the three phase power cable 26 in either direction between the surface equipment 28 and subsurface or down hole equipment 30 . at surface 28 the equipment is divided into a high voltage side 32 and a low voltage side 34 . the high voltage side 32 provides the power to the down hole system 30 . tuned high - voltage ac coupling 36 is used to connect to each of the phases in the power cable 26 . thus a tripling of circuitry is used in the high - voltage equipment 32 . a microprocessor 38 controls the power distribution on to the three - phase cable 26 and is linked to a corresponding microprocessor 41 on the low voltage side 34 . additionally the high - voltage side 32 uses tuned high - voltage ac coupling 35 c , in parallel to pick off the data signals on the three - phase cable 26 . these signals are then filtered 42 and de - modulated 44 by known methods . data signals then pass via the microprocessor 41 for display 46 or transport to a data logger or scada system . additionally , the process can work in reverse where microprocessor 41 provides data on to the power lines 26 via the tuned high - voltage ac coupling 36 on the high - voltage side 32 as is known in the art . this can be achieved by modulation of the power frequency with a data pattern ( fm ), it could also be achieved with amplitude modulation of the power supply , and can be further enhanced by start and stop sequences of different amplitude and / or frequency to indicate start and end of messages . frequency of surface power could be sequenced through a particular frequency pattern to differentiate the commands from normal power frequency adjustments . simple communication could be achieved by short interruptions to the power supply creating power pulses , which can be of differing pulse widths ( pwm ) or alternatively arranged in a particular pattern to signify particular commands . power interruptions can be long enough to be detected at the down hole location but short enough so that power is not lost at the gauge . down hole an esp system 48 is provided as described herein with reference to fig1 . like parts have the same reference numerals to aid clarity . below the motor 10 is a standard y - point connector 50 . at the y - point connector 50 is arranged a down hole system 52 . the down hole system 52 provides monitoring in the form of measurement devices sensors or gauges 54 , hooked up via a microprocessor 56 . power to drive the gauges 54 is provided via tuned hv ac coupling circuits 37 to a power regulator 58 . similarly , data from the measurement devices 54 is processed in the microprocessor 56 . using a signal driver 60 and tuned hv ac coupling circuits 39 , the data is transmitted on to the power line 62 for transmission to the y - point 50 and onward transmission up the three - phase power cable 26 to the surface units 28 . in the present invention , a first ac power signal is generated at the drive system 24 . this is a three phase power signal which is typically large e . g . 2 - 3000 volts and 70 - 100 amps and at a low frequency , in the range 20 to 60 hz . it is used to power the motor 10 . a second ac power signal is generated at the power driver 33 in the surface hv system 32 . this second ac power signal is modulated with any required data signal and passed onto each of the three conductors of the power cable 26 . the second ac power signal is at a single phase in contrast to the three phase first ac power signal . the second ac power signal is of a lower voltage and current with a higher frequency in the range 500 hz to 5 khz . the second ac power signal will pass through the wye point 50 and pass into the down hole system 52 . a tuned hv ac coupling circuit 37 at the input is tuned to prevent transmission of the first ac power signal which could damage the down hole instrumentation 54 . the power regulation circuit 58 will convert the second ac power signal into an appropriate form for powering the instrumentation 54 . using this power , sensors and gauges 54 monitor conditions at and below the motor 10 . data collected from the sensors and gauges 54 is modulated back onto each conductor of the cable 26 for return to the surface . reference is now made to fig3 of the drawings which illustrates an isolation unit 71 incorporated in the drive system 33 according to an embodiment of the present invention . drive system 33 provides the first ac power signal 64 onto the three cable conductors 26 a , 26 b , 26 c of the three phase power cable 26 via a star point 70 . this is a three phase supply as is known in the art . each conductor 26 a , 26 b and 26 c is provided with a current sensor 72 a , 72 b , 72 c , an isolator mechanism 74 a , 74 b , 74 c which in this case are each a relay , and coupling components 76 a , 76 b , 76 c respectively before being input to create high voltage cable connection 26 . in addition , to enable signal recovery , the conductors 26 a , 26 b and 26 c each feed into a signal recovery system 34 via independent passive tuned circuits 35 a , 35 b and 35 c respectively . the signal recovery system 35 , 42 , 44 may comprise components such as filters , amplifiers and demodulators ( not shown ) as is appropriate . in use , a first ac power signal sufficient to power the motor 10 , is applied as a voltage at a selected frequency from the drive system 24 . also coupled to each conductor 26 a , 26 b , 26 c is a second ac power signal , tuned to a second frequency and applied as a voltage from the power driver 33 . this is a single phase supply . the surface star point 70 enables the gauge system voltage 64 to be applied to each conductor 26 a , 26 b and 26 c of the cable 26 . the current sensors 72 a , 72 b , 72 c measure the current fed into each conductor 26 a , 26 b , 26 c of the cable 26 . this second ac power signal is used to drive the gauges and sensors 54 down hole . the voltage applied will be identical on each conductor 26 a , 26 b , 26 c . further the surface low voltage system 34 is also connected to each conductor 26 a , 26 b , 26 c via tuned hv coupling circuits 35 a , 35 b , 35 c . system 34 recovers the data from the gauges and sensors 54 . the data signal is modulated onto each conductor of the cable 26 downhole , via coupling circuits 39 and demodulated at surface as described herein before with reference to fig2 . if a fault in the esp power system , such as a fault in the ground insulation , exists , an excessive load can be created on one of the conductors 26 a , 26 b or 26 c . upon detection of such an excessive load by current sensors 72 a , 72 b and 72 c the associated isolator mechanism 74 a , 74 b or 74 c is activated thus isolating the associated conductor 26 a , 26 b or 26 c which the fault is affecting . in doing so , power is still provided to the sensors and gauges 54 and a data signal is still provided to signal recovery system 34 via the remaining two conductors from 26 a , 26 b or 26 c and sufficient data is carried on the remaining two conductors to enable a data signal to be recovered whilst damage to the esp system from the occurrence of an excessive load is minimised if not eliminated . indeed , as the second ac power signal and the data signal is identical on each conductor 26 a , 26 b , 26 c data can still be recovered if only a single conductor is operational . such data could be important in determining the effect of the fault in the down hole environment . as the signal recover circuit 34 and power driver 33 are provided with independent passive tuned circuits 76 , 35 , the power and data signal coupling can be optimised for the frequency in use thus minimising interference between the power and data signal systems ensuring sufficient data signal is present to be recovered and converted into data . the current sensors 72 a , 72 b and 72 c may further be arranged to detect the occurrence of an insulation fault prior to the actual current levels of the system being affected . the current sensed 73 is also recorded at the microprocessor 38 so that the operation of an isolation mechanism 74 a , 74 b or 74 c is recorded as an alert that a fault has occurred . such an isolation unit 71 is of particular use if an insulation fault is low resistance creating a ground short on one conductor effectively . when such a fault occurs , the load across the down - hole signal driver 60 increases thus attenuating the power and recovered data signal resulting in the gauge power failing and / or signal level dropping below a recoverable level . by detecting an effect of the shorting action occurring at the star point 70 , the appropriate conductor connection 26 a , b , c can be isolated by isolator mechanism 74 a , 74 b or 74 c thus reducing demand on the power supply and improving signal amplitudes and thus recoverable signal . the principle advantage of the present invention is that it provides a system and method of data transmission over a three phase power system where isolating a conductor on which a system overload or ground fault has occurred can be implemented to protect the system whilst maintaining system operation . a further advantage of the present invention is that it provides a system and method of data transmission over a three phase power system where system overload or ground fault occurrences are detected and isolation of the associated conductor is actioned to ensure ongoing operation of the system even in fault conditions . various modifications may be made to the invention herein described without departing from the scope thereof , for example whilst the isolation mechanism has been detailed as being a relay , it will be appreciated that a solid state switch or other similar component or components may be used . while the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention . in addition , many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof . therefore , it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention , but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims .
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fig1 and 2 show perspective views of the present invention , with a box portion 2 situated below a car body portion 4 . the box portion 2 is preferably similar to a conventional mailbox with a lid portion 6 on one end that is hinged so that it can be opened and closed in a conventional manner . inside box portion 2 is preferably a compartment 5 , partially shown in fig3 , in which mail , including envelopes , letters , packages , etc ., can be placed . the lid portion 6 is preferably designed so that it can be closed and stay shut without accidentally being opened . this can be accomplished by any conventional means . for example , lid portion 6 can be made to have a friction fit around an opening 8 extending around one end of box portion 2 , so that friction prevents lid portion 6 from inadvertently opening . a handle ( not shown ) or any other means for holding lid portion 6 to make it easier to grasp can be provided . the hinges ( not shown ) can be located on any side - wall of box portion 2 , to allow lid portion 6 to be opened and closed . the box portion 2 can be like any conventional mailbox , and is preferably rectangular in shape , although not necessarily so . the embodiment shown has a rectangular shaped box portion 2 extending longitudinally in the fore and aft direction , with lid portion 6 located on one end ( which preferably faces the street ). box portion 2 preferably has side walls 10 , 12 , an end wall 14 at the front , and a bottom wall 16 , along with opening 8 on the back end on which lid portion 6 is located . box portion 2 also preferably has an upper wall or portion 18 , on which the car body portion 4 can be mounted , as will be discussed . bottom wall 16 preferably has means for providing rigidity and stability , such as ribs 22 extending horizontally across the bottom thereof , as shown in fig3 . it also preferably has connecting means ( not shown ), to allow the mailbox to be mounted onto a conventional mailbox post . preferably , multiple wheel - like formations 20 are extended from upper portion 18 of box portion 2 , and along parts of the side walls 10 , 12 . in this respect , each wheel - like formation 20 is preferably extended up from upper portion 18 of box portion 2 so that about one half of each wheel - like formation 20 extends above the upper portion 18 . from a top view , each wheel - like formation 20 preferably extends above the top surface of upper portion 18 , so that the top half of each formation 20 is visible . the other lower half of each wheel - like formation 20 is preferably extended downward , along side walls , 10 , 12 , such that the exterior portion or side of each wheel - like formation 20 extends outward from the sides of side walls 10 , 12 , beyond the exterior dimension of box portion 2 , and the lower interior portion of each wheel - like formation 20 is hidden from view . in this last respect , each wheel - like formation 20 is preferably located on box portion 2 such that they have the appearance of having the lower interior portion embedded or otherwise buried inside box portion 2 . in the embodiment shown , box portion 2 is molded from plastic , and the wheel - like formations 20 are molded directly into box portion 2 , as an integral part thereof for example , a single injection mold can be used to form box portion 2 , along with wheel - like formations 20 , which are incorporated into box portion 2 . this allows the wheel - like formations 20 to be easily formed and molded , at the same time that box portion 2 is formed and molded , which simplifies the manufacturing steps , and therefore , has the potential of reducing the manufacturing costs thereof . in the embodiments shown in fig4 - 9 , the car body portion 4 is also capable of being separated from box portion 25 , but in these embodiments , wheel - like formations 30 are formed separately and adapted to be snapped into or otherwise connected to the box portion 25 . each wheel - like formation 30 can essentially be identical and formed from a single mold . the box portion 25 , in such case , is preferably designed with attachment means 32 , as shown in fig7 - 9 , which allow wheel - like formations 30 to be easily snapped in or connected thereto . for example , attachment means 32 can be a round peg - like formation extending from box portion 25 , and a reciprocal hole or bore can be provided on the inside surface of wheel - like formations 30 , such that they can easily be mounted thereon . any conventional means of mounting the wheel - like formations 30 onto box portion 25 is contemplated . car body portion 4 is preferably in the shape of a miniature vehicle , such as a nascar racing car , although any wheeled vehicle , such as a standard automobile , truck , van , motorcycle , etc ., can be replicated . when other types of vehicles are contemplated , the present invention preferably incorporates the appropriate number of wheel - like formations , 20 or 30 , on box portion , 2 or 25 , to match the particular type of vehicle involved . for example , if a motorcycle is used , box portion , 2 or 25 , would have only two wheel - like formations , 20 or 30 , extending from the middle of upper portion 18 . car body portion 4 is preferably formed in the shape of a car body , but without wheels , to allow car body portion 4 to be mounted on top of box portion , 2 or 25 , above the wheel - like formations , 20 or 30 , such that the wheel - like formations , 20 or 30 , have the appearance of being connected to car body portion 4 . the car body portion 4 preferably has open fender areas 24 with the appropriate size and spacing , which are lined up to match the four wheel - like formations , 20 or 30 , such that when car body portion 4 is mounted on box portion , 2 or 25 , the wheel - like formations , 20 or 30 , are positioned respectively within the appropriate open fender areas 24 . this way , when car body portion 4 is mounted on box portion , 2 or 25 , there is the appearance that the wheel - like formations , 20 or 30 , form the wheels that are part of the car body portion 4 . a plurality of connectors 26 , as shown in fig3 , are preferably provided on the inside of car body portion 4 , which allow car body portion 4 to be easily mounted onto box portion 2 and removed when necessary . for example , the four connectors 26 can be extended vertically down from inside car body portion 4 , wherein each connector 26 can be provided with a female screw mounting hole 27 for mounting onto the upper portion 18 of box portion 2 . a male screw mount with a hole ( not shown ) can be extended up on reciprocal areas from upper portion 18 , so that a screw can be inserted from inside box portion 2 and into the mounting holes 27 on connectors 26 , to mount car body portion 4 onto box portion 2 , i . e ., by tightening the screws from inside compartment 5 . fig5 - 9 show upper portion 18 of box portion 25 with connecting surfaces 34 extended thereon , wherein the connecting surfaces 34 are adapted to enable car body portion 4 to be mounted thereon at a predetermined height and position . any conventional means of mounting car body portion 4 onto box portion 25 is contemplated . in these embodiments , it can be seen that the four connecting surfaces 34 are situated on extended areas 35 on top of box portion 25 , wherein the extended areas 35 are adapted to form the four attachments means 32 , on which the four wheel - like formations 30 can be secured . car body portion 4 is preferably formed from plastic , although not necessarily so , from a single injection mold . because there are no wheels that have to be formed with car body portion 4 , the car body portion 4 is easier to manufacture , i . e ., than had the wheels been formed on car body portion 4 . this way , the cost of producing replacement car body portions 4 is reduced , to make it easier for car body portions to be replaced , such as when a fan wants to place a new car on the mailbox . in the preferred nascar embodiment , the car body portion 4 is preferably provided with the same logos , emblems , and / or other designs that would normally be found on a real nascar racing car . for example , they can be provided with not only the driver &# 39 ; s name and car number , but also the typical forms of printed advertisements that are normally found on nascar cars , such as those sponsored by stp , honda , goodyear , etc . in this respect , any sponsor or promoter who ordinarily uses nascar racing cars to promote their products and services could also use the mailboxes of the present invention to promote their products and services , using similar promotional methods , but on mailboxes in miniature form .
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referring to the drawings and particularly fig1 and 2 there is shown a framework system 11 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , which is particularly for use in construction of a climbing frame or play enclosure for children by a final consumer on behalf of the children . the framework system comprises a number of lengths of circular cross sectional hollow cylindrical rods and novel connectors . the fingers are sized to fit within the end of hollow ended connecting cylindrical rods . the rods have a circular cross section and the fingers are formed to fit within the circular cross section . in particular the framework system 11 has a plurality of first cylindrical connector rods 31 having a first length ; a plurality of second cylindrical connector rods 32 having a second length ; and a plurality of third adjustable connector rods 33 having an adjustability of length around a third length . the framework system also includes a plurality of connectors including first connectors 21 with six ( 6 ) equi - angular spaced radially extending fingers ; a plurality of second connectors 22 being interconnection connectors with angular spaced radially extending fingers ; a plurality of third connectors 23 being base connectors having a plurality of angular spaced radially extending fingers emanating from one side of the connector ; and a plurality of fourth connectors 24 being top connectors having a plurality of angular spaced radially extending fingers . each connector has a central shaped body which is a substantially hollow hemispherical shape having a plurality of emanating fingers with each finger having a shape able to interfit with the end of a connecting cylindrical rod . from above such as in fig3 each finger appears to protrude from a circumferential part of the central circular shaped body . however , from below as shown in fig4 the fingers include a portion of ribbing extending radially from a central opening of the inner side of the hemispherical shape . in this way the linear radially extending fingers including the ribbing and the hemispherical shape form a strong low weight connector with strength both along the radial direction and between the radial directions of the fingers . the various connectors have various angularly spaced radially extending fingers . the angles ( to the nearest degree ) between them are as follows : the fingers further extend at a constant camber angle to a plane normal to the axis of the connector , the fingers allowing connection to the connector rods . as shown in fig3 each of the fingers extends partially downwards at a constant angle . that camber angle is about 20 degrees . there are other ancillary connectors 25 , 26 27 and 28 , which perform ancillary functions . for example ancillary connector 25 is an elbow joint such as shown in fig9 and in effect only comprises the camber angle and allows for insertion in central body opening as shown in fig8 for providing an extension element . that extension element can be an addition of a box on top of the shaped framework 12 as shown in fig1 . other ancillary connectors can complete the addition of triangular or rectangular extensions . each finger further has a spring mounted detent allowing for sliding of the finger into engagement with the end of the connecting cylindrical rod and receiving of the detent into a recess or opening at the end of the connecting cylindrical rod for selectively retaining the connection of the connecting cylindrical rod with the connector . the detent means will prevent the connector rod slipping off the finger to cause accidental disassembly . therefore the connector allows construction of a safe climbing frame for children . the detent is achieved by means of a resilient means mounted between radially extending ribbing of the fingers and connected to the protruding button which extends outwardly from the cylindrical circumferential extremities of the finger to engage an opening in the side of a hollow cylindrical end of connecting rod , thus preventing relative sliding movement of the rod and finger of the connector for accidental disassembly . the resilient means is a spring means in the form of a folded plastic element having an acute expanded angle as the rest position but the material allowing resilient compression to a compressed angle until released . each finger can include a ribbing structure for receiving therebetween in sliding mode said folded plastic element . in use the final consumer uses the framework system to form a framework shape 12 by the following steps : 1 . a plurality of first connector rods of first constant length are attached to a first 6 fingered connector with each finger equally radially separated but with constant camber to form a spider arrangement ; 2 . two of the second base connectors connect to two separate adjacent unattached distal ends of the connected spider arrangement to form a ground engaging base of the spider arrangement ; 3 . two of the third interconnecting 5 finger connectors connect to the two laterally opposite unattached distal ends of the connected spider arrangement to allow attachment to adjacent spider arrangements ; 4 . and two of the fourth top connectors connect to the ends of adjacent top unattached distal ends of the connected spider arrangement ; 5 . six of the first connector rods having second length are connected between the connectors at the unattached distal ends of the connected spider arrangement to form a geometric hexagonal shaped unit with connectors able to interconnect with other adjacent connector rods ; 6 . steps 1 to 5 are repeated to form an identical structure ; 7 . the two structures are leant back to back such that the camber forms two concave shapes closing together like a clam shell but remaining spaced at the top 8 . the spaced tops are connected together by two first connector rods to maintain the two concave shapes a fixed distance at the top ; 9 . steps 1 and 2 are repeated twice more to form two further spider forms with concave forms ; 10 . the two adjacent base connectors of each spider are each respectively joined by a second connector rod of second length to form ground engaging base ; 11 . the two separate adjacent unattached top distal ends of each of the connected spider arrangements are attached to opposite top connectors of the first and second joined geometric hexagonal shaped units ; 12 . the two separate adjacent unattached lateral distal ends of each of the connected spider arrangements are attached to opposite lateral interconnecting connectors of the first and second joined geometric hexagonal shaped units to thereby form four concave geometric hexagonal shaped units leaning towards each other and joined at a top position in a rectangular shape and joined at a lateral mid point to each other ; 13 . the spaced bases of each of the four concave geometric hexagonal shaped units due to the lean are then joined by third connectors of third length to form a continuous base ; however to ensure tightness of the link and not rely on the flexibility of the connector rods the third connectors are extendible to be able to be placed between base connectors and then expanded ; 14 . other ancillary shapes can be added . the connectors each include an opening for receiving a plug or extension member , centrally located in the connector body with peripherally emanating fingers . the plug as shown in fig1 is inserted into the connector opening and has a cover disc mounted on a neck portion that can frictionally interfit in the centrally located connector opening . the plug further has a cylindrical body sized smaller than the cover disc and the frictional engaging neck and having spaced longitudinal slits to form resilient deformable legs . the legs can assist in resiliently holding material in the connector opening such that the framework provides a skeleton , which is covered and provides shaped play enclosure for children . by particular printed material a theme structure can be readily constructed . it can be seen in this embodiment that the fourth connector uses the second connector with an extension joiner from the centre . further the third base connectors have a left or right orientation dependent on whether the large angle is to the left or right . the base connectors in this embodiment need to be fitted alternatively with either a left or right orientation third base connectors around the base . it should be understood that the above description is of a preferred embodiment and included as illustration only . it is not limiting of the invention . clearly variations of the framework system would be understood by a person skilled in the art without any inventiveness and such variations are included within the scope of this invention as defined in the following claims .
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the thin film transistor controlled display panel 10 is seen in fig1 and 2 . the display panel 10 is fabricated on an insulating substrate 12 , which is here a planar glass plate . a matrix of rows and columns of display elements 14 is arrayed on the insulating substrate . the exact details of the display elements 14 will be described later with respect to fig3 and 4 . each of the display elements 14 constitutes a separate video information point . the size or area of the panel is more a function of the fabricating equipment , i . e . vacuum deposition equipment , than an inherent characteristic of the panel structure . the panel which is illustrated here has been fabricated as a 6 inch by 6 inch size panel with the size of the display elements 14 such as to provide 20 line per inch resolution . the display elements 14 are disposed between intersections of the parallel information signals buses 16 , and the switching signal buses 20 . the information signal buses 16 are spaced apart parallel conductors with an individual bus for each column of display elements . the power buses 18 are parallel spaced apart conductors which are also parallelly disposed relative to the information buses 16 again with one bus per column of display elements . the switching signal buses 20 are parallel spaced apart conductors which are disposed orthogonal to the information buses 16 and the power buses 18 . one switching bus is provided per row of display elements . the information signal buses 16 as seen as being fed from the top periphery of panel 10 , with connection to the video signal input means 22 via individual bus connectors . the video signal input means is here shown as analog video signal register 24 and line write scan means 26 to which the video information signal is fed . the video signal input means 22 can be varied in complexity depending upon the video . for alpha - numeric information requiring only on - off operation of the individual display elements the input means 22 can be relatively simple , while for grey scale video at tv rate the input means 22 is a complex of conventional elements . the power buses 18 are brought out at the bottom periphery of the panel and are here shown as connected to a common ground . the switching signal buses 20 are brought out the right hand side of the display panel and are connected to the vertical scan control means 30 . the display panel 10 structure can be more readily appreciated by reference to fig2 - 4 . the addressing thin film circuitry 32 is deposited at each display element upon the glass substrate 12 by vacuum depositing in sequence selected thin layers of semiconductive material , conductive drain , source , and gate electrodes , insulating material , conductive capacitor members , and electroluminescent electrode . the deposition sequence and arrangement of the deposits is such as to form the repetitive elemental circuit layout as seen in fig3 and 4 , with the electrical elements being interconnected to each other and to the bus bars . the bus bars in fact are just overlapped conductive layers of adjacent elementary circuits . also deposited on the substrate within the area defined by each unit cell defined by the intersection of the information bus 16 , power bus 18 , and switching bus 20 is a conductive electrode 34 . an insulative layer 36 is disposed over each thin film circuitry array at each display element with openings provided in layer 36 over electrodes 34 . a relatively thick electroluminescent phosphor layer 38 covers the entire display panel area over the electrodes 34 and the insulative pads 36 . the top surface of the electroluminescent phosphor layer 38 is planar and a thin semi - transparent conductive layer 40 is disposed atop the phosphor to serve as a common front electrode for the electroluminescent phosphor . a transmissive insulative faceplate 42 of glass may be provided over the common electrode for protection and to permit hermetic sealing of the display panel at the peripheral edges , with the faceplate 42 sealed to the substrate 12 . the electroluminescent ( el ) phosphor layer 38 may typically be about 0 . 7 mils thick , with a thin 0 . 2 mil sprayed methylmethacrylate film over the layer 38 to ensure a smooth top surface for deposition of the conductive thin electrode 40 . the elemental thin film circuit is seen in detail in fig3 and 4 . the thin film switching transistor t 1 has its source connected to the information signal bus x i for the column of that particular display element . the gate of t 1 is connected to the switching signal bus y j for the row of the particular display element . the drain of t 1 is connected to one side of capacitor c s and also to the gate of power transistor t 2 . the other side of capacitor c s is connected to the power bus 18 . the source of power transistor t 2 is also connected to the power bus 18 . the drain of t 2 is connected to the lower conductive electrode 34 for the electroluminescent phosphor layer . the common top electrode layer 40 is connected to the high frequency power supply 28 . the thin film transistors t 1 and t 2 comprise thin layers of cadmium selenide semiconductive rectangular blocks with conductive source and drain contacts of indium - copper as described more fully in copending application ser . no . 609 , 139 , filed aug . 29 , 1975 now abandoned . the bus bars and gate electrodes as well as the capacitor conductive members and the lower electrode for the electroluminescent material are all aluminum . the aluminum thickness depends on the conductor function , being typically about 600 angstroms thick for low current uses , with all buses being about 3 mils wide . the aluminum layer for the power bus is about 1000 angstroms thick . the capacitor conductors and the lower el electrode are about 600 angstroms thick . the top el planar common electrode is lead oxide - gold composite . the electroluminescent phosphor layer is first smoothed with an organic surface coating and then lead oxide is laid down about 300 angstroms thick , and gold laid down atop the lead oxide about 50 angstroms thick . it is essential to accurate operation of the display panel that the electroluminescent layer be excited only by the electrodes provided for this purpose . the top electrode is a common electrode and the excitation signal is applied between it and the bottom electrode 34 which is connected to the drain of the power transistor t 2 . it is important that the entire thin film circuitry and the bus bars be well insulated from the electroluminescent phosphor layer to prevent unwanted phosphor excitation . a unique way of insulating the thin film circuitry has been devised which contributes to the ease of panel fabrication . at this stage of fabrication the panel is as seen in fig4 with the thin film circuit elements t 1 , t 2 , c s interconnected by the buses 16 , 18 , 20 . the lower electrode 34 for each display cell is deposited directly on the glass substrate and the circuit elements t 1 , t 2 , c s and portions of the buses are built up some distance from the substrate because of the successive layers of materials . the problem then is to effectively insulate the electrical components from the electroluminescent phosphor layer which must now be deposited , and at the same time ensure good contact of the phosphor layer with the bottom electrode 34 . after the thin film circuitry 32 and lower electrode 34 are deposited upon the substrate 12 , the partially fabricated panel has a laminated photoresist layer pressed over the circuitry and electrode . the laminated photoresist by way of example comprises &# 34 ; riston ,&# 34 ; a dupont trademarked material . the laminated photoresist is a three layer structure which is a carrier or support sheet of 1 mil thick polyester film , a layer of photoresist which is from 0 . 5 to 5 mils thick , and a cover - separator layer of 1 mil polyolefin . the unexposed photoresist is soft and plastic so that it is easily deformed into the uneven surface presented by the thin film circuitry . the polyolefin cover layer is peeled off and the photoresist is pressed over the entire panel with the planar carrier or support sheet facilitating this operation . the photoresist is laminated under pressure by heating to about 220 ° f . a photomask is used to expose the photoresist only over the thin film circuitry areas . the photoresist is negative acting and thus polymerizes under ultraviolet with the exposure time being several minutes . after exposure the protective polyester carrier sheet is removed . the unexposed area above the bottom electrode 34 is then removed by developing the panel in a 1 , 1 , 1 - trichloroethane bath for several minutes . this leaves in place the polymerized photoresist as a thick insulator layer covering the thin film circuitry and conforming to the uneven surface of such circuitry . the operation of the display panel will now be explained . a portion of the x - y addressable tft - el matrix circuit is illustrated in fig3 . transistor t 1 functions as a voltage - controlled &# 34 ; switch ,&# 34 ; the on impedance of this &# 34 ; switch &# 34 ; being controlled by the potential applied to the gate bus bar y j . the drain electrode of t 1 is connected to bus bar x i . the devices are biased such that t 1 conducts when positive potential is applied to the gate . video information appearing at x i is then transferred to a storage capacitor c s , located at ( x i , y j ), when t 1 conducts . transistor t 2 functions as a voltage - controlled &# 34 ; resistor ,&# 34 ; in that its impedance is determined by the potential stored on c s . the value of this impedance determines the level of ac excitation appearing across the electroluminescent element , denoted c el . a sketch of the elemental matrix circuit layout is illustrated in fig4 . the thin - film transistors which utilize cdse as the semiconductor , along with the storage capacitor , metal interconnects , and bus bars are vacuum deposited . the electroluminescent layer is applied after the tft matrix circuit is completed . each active picture element occupies an area of approximately 40 mils × 40 mils located on 50 mil centers and the entire 6 inch × 6 inch panel contains an array of about 100 × 100 elements or more . the addressing system shown is a line - at - a - time system . in contrast to normal &# 34 ; raster &# 34 ; type addressing in which each element in the display field is scanned in sequence at megahertz rates , line - at - a - time addressing permits the display of video information at conventional tv rates , but with only modest performance requirements imposed upon the tft devices . with this method video signals ( grey scale ) for an entire line of display elements are first stored sequentially in an analog video register . the outputs of this register are supplied to the display panel on the vertical information buses ( x i ) and transferred to the corresponding element storage capacitors , all at one time , when a switching pulse on the selected horizontal bus ( y j ) actuates all the element signal gates in that line . introduction of the intermediate storage register relaxes the bandwidth requirements of the display element signal gates , as well as that of the information buses , by a factor approximately equal to the number of elements in a display line . the vertical scan frequency may be 60 hz and thus each horizontal line is then refreshed every 16 . 7 ms , corresponding to the field scan time in normal tv format . the analog video register cycle period is 127 μs ; one half this period being allocated for entering sampled video information into the register and the other half for transferring the video levels to the storage capacitors in a given line on the display panel . the following sequence of events describes the complete line - at - a - time addressing process : ( 1 ) sample brightness information at a 2 mhz rate for 60 microseconds and enter in all 120 analog video register stages . ( 2 ) disable sampling circuit and apply a 60 microsecond switching pulse on the corresponding horizontal bus ( y j ). this transfer stored potential levels from vertical information buses ( x i &# 39 ; s ) to the element storage capacitors ( c sj &# 39 ; s ). ( 3 ) sample brightness information for the next horizontal line and continue the sequence until the whole field is stored . returning to the circuit schematic associated with each elemental picture &# 34 ; point &# 34 ; is given in fig3 the video storage capacitor c s , connected between the gate and source of t 2 , has a capacitance of 20 pf . at an excitation frequency of 10 khz , the electroluminescent element can be modeled as a pure capacitance ( c el ) of value 8 pf . the parasitic capacitance , c p , appearing in the drain circuit owing to gate overlap , etc . is approximately 0 . 1 pf . the power bus supplies a 150 volt peak - to - peak ac signal at 10 khz to the panel . the electroluminescent phosphor exhibits increased brightness at increased applied voltage . in simplest terms , the function of t 1 is to transfer the potential v x appearing at its drain electrode to the storage capacitor c s , whenever the gate potential v y is positive . the potential v s stored on c s then controls the conduction level of t 2 , which in turn modulates the effective ac potential across the electroluminescent layer . the resultant ac component appearing across the electroluminescent layer is a complex function . it has been found that the grey scale is essentially only a function of the effective on resistance of t 2 , while the on - off contrast ratio depends upon both the t 2 on resistance and the off - leakage current . the display panel and its operation is more fully described in &# 34 ; a 6 × 6 - in 20 - lpi electroluminescent display panel ,&# 34 ; published in ieee transactions on electron devices , vol . ed - 22 , no . 9 , september 1975 . operation of the display panel as an alpha - numeric display device is described therein in detail .
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in the drawings , fig1 shows a side plate 10 formed according to the principles of the present invention . the plastic side plate 10 is adapted for inclusion as a side member in a modular plastic conveyor belt , particularly such a belt as used in a spiral conveyor belt system . the side plate 10 as conventionally used on a spiral conveyor belt system provides a surface 12 for engagement against the driving cage bars of the driving cage or driving tower . in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 901 , 844 , for example , these side plates were disclosed as having recesses or countersink bores for receiving the plastic rod heads of the modular conveyor belt , in order to prevent excessive wear on the rod heads in the spiral system . in the present invention , as shown in fig1 the rod bore 14 of the side plate 10 also has a countersink or recess 16 . this is formed in the outer cage - engaging surface 12 , which is on an outer leg 18 of the side plate as shown . a second leg 20 is inwardly offset and has a slot 22 which provides for expansion and collapse of the plastic conveyor belt in straight and curving paths . a central angled portion 24 of the side plate 10 connects the two offset legs 18 and 20 together . in the side plate and system of the present invention , a groove o slot 26 is formed generally vertically in the driving engagement face 12 of the side plate , i . e . generally transverse to the length of the side plate . as indicated , the groove 26 preferably is formed on a common center with the rod bore and countersink 16 . preferably the groove is rounded as illustrated , for smooth entry and exit of a cage bar protrusion or a protrusion or ridge formed on a cage bar cap . it should be understood that one or more additional grooves or slots 26 , similar to the groove 26 shown , can be provided in the outer surface 12 of the side plate 10 . such additional groove would be spaced from and parallel to the groove 26 , although not formed at the location of any bore or countersink . the groove not located at the countersink could be the sole groove . fig2 shows another side plate 30 in accordance with the principles of invention . the side plate 30 , which may be of a longer length or pitch than the side plate 10 of fig1 is shown with a groove or slot 32 similar to that of the side plate 10 , that is , the groove 32 is formed on a common center with a rod bore 34 and countersink or recess 36 . however , fig2 also shows an additional groove or slot 38 , similar in shape , spaced from and parallel to the groove 32 . this groove 38 , as mentioned above , is not formed at the location of any bore or countersink . the groove 38 could be the only groove if desired , or several grooves can be located outside the countersink . fig3 is a sectional plan view , showing a series of side plates 10 of the type shown in fig2 engaged against a cage bar 40 according to the present invention . the side plates 10 are part of a modular plastic conveyor belt , the remainder of the belt not being shown in fig3 . the side plates 10 are at the inside of a curve of the conveyor belt , i . e . that side of the belt which engages against the driving tower or cage as the conveyor progresses in a curving and spiral path around the driving tower . in fig3 a driving cage bar is shown generally identified by the reference number 40 . the cage bar 40 has one or more bumps or vertical extending protrusions or ridges 42 , which may advantageously be formed in a cage bar cap 44 which is fitted over and secured to a metal cage bar 46 inside . as indicated , the protrusions 42 of the cage bars engage in the generally vertical grooves 26 of the side plates 10 , which may be rounded as shown . generally , the spacing between cage bars 40 is greater than the spacing between successive side plates 10 in the conveyor belt ; thus , not every side plate 10 will be engaged by a driving cage bar at any given instant . often even a pair of successive cage bars such as the cage bar 40 and the cage bar 40a shown in fig3 will have bumps 42 that do not both engage side plate grooves simultaneously . however , a sufficient number of the bumps or ridges 42 will be engaged in side plate grooves at any given instant , that a significant driving engagement assistance results . since the driving cage is used in an &# 34 ; overdrive &# 34 ; condition , wherein the driving cage rotates slightly faster than the movement of the spiral conveyor belt itself , the bumps 42 will engage in grooves 26 only momentarily , and will engage in different side plate grooves successively over time . this momentary engagement is different from the engagement over a prescribed dwell time as in the roinestad patents described above , with the resulting tension forces such dwell induces in an overdriven belt . in fig3 two grooves 26 and 48 are shown in each side plate . in this case , the cage bar cap 44 can have either one or two ridges or protrusions 42 . if two are included they should be at the same spacing as the grooves 26 and 48 . the cage bar caps 44 may be produced from plastic , for optimum frictional engagement with minimum wear . however , other appropriate plastics may be used if desired . fig4 shows another embodiment of the invention , wherein integral side plates 50 of conveyor belt modules 52 are used and are each provided with at least one cage bar driving engagement groove 54 . the module 52 with the integral side plate 50 may be as described in copending application ser . no . 594 , 623 , filed oct . 9 , 1990 and commonly owned with the present invention , now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 181 , 602 . the module 52 includes oppositely extending projections 53 and 55 . it should be understood that &# 34 ; side plate &# 34 ; as used herein and in the claims refers to the side plate 10 or 30 , or the side plate 50 . as indicated , the generally vertical grooves 54 on the integral side plates 50 are preferably positioned across and concentrically with rod bores 56 and countersink recesses 58 . the operation of the embodiment of fig4 is similar to that described above . the groove 54 may be located other than over the countersink bore if desired , provided the side plate has sufficient thickness at the selected location . fig5 shows another spiral conveyor driving arrangement involving a belt with similar side plates 10 to those shown in fig1 with a single groove 26 positioned concentrically with the rod bore . in this driving arrangement , the cage bars 60 of the driving cage are positioned angularly , such that a vertical edge 62 of each bar acts as a protruding ridge for engagement with the conveyor belt . the protruding edge 62 may be rounded or radiused ( as shown at 62a ) for engagement in the side plate grooves 26 of the conveyor , in accordance with the principle of momentary engagement and smooth entry and exit of the edges or driving protrusions in the grooves . the angling of the driving cage bars 60 eliminates the need for any cage bar capping having ridges or protrusions . fig6 shows a cage bar cap 44 in perspective , indicating that the protrusions 42 may be in the form of continuous vertical ridges , formed by extrusion of the cap 44 . as noted above , these ridges have smooth , generally rounded exterior contours in the lateral direction , i . e . as viewed from above or in sectional plan view . this in combination with the generally rounded grooves in the side plates 10 or 50 assures smooth entry and exit of the ridges with the grooves , for momentary engagement , without hard snagging and with a simplicity and smoothness of operation . even if the cage bar ridges or protrusions are used with a belt not having the illustrated grooves the rounded contour of the ridges will engage gaps between successive side plates or plastic modules ( see the gap 64 in fig3 ) with smooth , non - snagging entry and exit . fig7 shows in perspective an alternative form of cage bar cap 65 , similar to the cap 44 of fig6 but having a single vertical ridge or protrusion 66 . it is therefore seen that the improved cage bar and cage bar cap construction and the system of the invention , including both the side plates and the cage bar caps , significantly improve the driving engagement between a driving cage and a modular plastic spiral conveyor belt . the engagement apparatus of the invention is used in an overdriving spiral system , and it makes less critical the speed relationship between the overdriven cage and the belt . overdrive is required , but the degree of overdrive is more flexible with the system of the invention . the above described preferred embodiments are intended to illustrate the principles of the invention , but not to limit its scope . other embodiments and variations to these preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims .
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in the following figures , the same reference numerals are used to refer to the same components . in the following description , various operating parameters and components are described for one constructed embodiment . these specific parameters and components are included as examples and are not meant to be limiting . several technologies exist to provide the same general function of provided early pelvis engagement in side impacts . many of these existing technologies are mounted in the door trim and structure . door mounted side impact technologies have limitations on the position and coverage of the countermeasure to the occupant due to the multitude of occupant sizes and seating positions along the seat track . in general , the solution presented by the disclosed invention as shown in the various figures and as discussed in relation thereto offers advantages over other technologies because it is resettable and because it maintains the same position and coverage relationship to the occupant , being mounted to the seat and not the door trim . with particular reference to fig1 through 4 , a reversible pelvic bolster seating system , generally illustrated as 10 , is shown . the system 10 includes a vehicle seat 12 which includes a vehicle seat back 14 and a vehicle seat base 16 . it is to be understood that the vehicle seat 12 is only provided for illustrative purposes and is thus not intended as being limiting . the system 10 of the disclosed invention may find multiple applications , such as use in conjunction with vehicle bench seats ( not shown ). the reversible pelvic bolster seating system 10 includes a reversible ( and resettable ) side impact pelvic bolster 18 . the pelvic bolster 18 includes a first end 20 which is pivotably attached to the vehicle seat 12 ( preferably but not necessarily to the vehicle seat back 14 ) and a second end 22 generally opposite the first end 20 . the configuration of the reversible pelvic bolster 18 may be generally an elongated oblong shape as shown in fig1 or may have a more oval shape as shown in fig2 , 3 and 4 as a reversible pelvic bolster 18 ′. in any event , the general oblong shape of the reversible side impact pelvic bolster 18 as illustrated is a preferred shape due to the rotational deployment path and the package space available for this particular embodiment , but it is to be understood that other shapes may be adapted while still providing an effective absorber of pelvic loads under lateral crash conditions . with reference to fig2 , 3 and 4 , the pelvic bolster 18 ′ includes a first end 20 ′ attached to the vehicle seat 12 ( preferably but not necessarily to the vehicle seat back 14 ) and a second end 22 ′ generally opposite the first end 20 ′. as shown in fig2 , the pelvic bolster 18 ′ is in its stowed or generally upright position with respect to the vehicle seat back 14 . in the event of a sensed impact , the pelvic bolster 18 ′ is rotated forward to its deployed position as shown in fig3 and 4 . in this position the pelvic bolster 18 ′ is positioned generally between the occupant &# 39 ; s pelvic area and the vehicle door ( not shown ). as shown in fig4 , a recessed area 40 is formed in the side of the vehicle seat back 14 . the pelvic bolster 18 ′ substantially fits within the recessed area 40 when in its stowed position . regardless of the shape of the reversible pelvic bolster as illustrated in the figures , its general function is the same . particularly , the occupant protection strategy behind side impact tends to promote early engagement combined with load limiting , in order to reduce potentially injurious peak forces . the reversible side impact pelvic bolster 18 ( or 18 ′ as the case may be ) may enhance occupant performance in side impacts by enabling positioning of a countermeasure prior to impact for improved occupant coverage / positioning and improved control of strength / stiffness characteristics . by nature of its shape , size and location , the reversible side impact pelvic bolster 18 fills the empty space between an occupant &# 39 ; s pelvis and the door trim ( as shown in fig5 and discussed in relation thereto ), enabling early engagement of the pelvis . the reversible nature of this technology allows for conservative deployment thresholds for maximum benefit with minimal risk / inconvenience because the reversible side impact pelvic bolster 18 automatically resets itself to the design position once a threat condition has passed . referring to fig5 , a diagrammatic front view of the reversible pelvic bolster seating system 10 is illustrated in relation to a vehicle door and an impacting force “ f .” a motor 30 is provided to move the reversible side impact pelvic bolster 18 between the stowed position shown in fig2 and the deployed position shown in fig1 , 3 , 4 and 5 . the motor 30 includes a motor drive shaft 32 . due to the package space and occupant seating comfort , a 4 - bar linkage ( not shown ) may be used to connect the motor drive shaft 32 with the reversible side impact pelvic bolster 18 . however , it is to be understood that the reversible pelvic bolster seating system 10 may alternatively rely up the seat recline motor located in the same general vicinity as the motor 30 required to power the reversible pelvic bolster 18 . the seat 10 is shown in relation to a vehicle door trim 34 and an outer door sheet metal 36 . a pelvic bolster 38 is provided between the vehicle door trim 34 and the outer door sheet metal 36 as is known in the art . upon a voltage signal from a seat controller ecu 42 , the reversible side impact pelvic bolster 18 will rotate into position so that the bolster 18 will be pre - deployed prior to impact . if an impact occurs , the reversible side impact pelvic bolster 18 will provide early contact to the occupant , providing a more effective pelvic push and reducing peak forces . cae modeling showed that loading the pelvis early could reduce the peak pelvic loads by ˜ 39 %. in addition to its described function to absorb pelvic loads during a side impact event , the reversible side impact pelvic bolster 18 can also serve as an armrest when in its deployed position as shown in fig1 , 3 and 4 . as most clearly illustrated in fig3 , the top of the reversible side impact pelvic bolster 18 is at an acceptable height for an armrest . this surface can be used by an occupant ( not shown ) as the armrest . if it is desired that the reversible side impact pelvic bolster 18 be used as an armrest , an arrangement would be required such that the operator could selectively effect movement of the reversible side impact pelvic bolster 18 by such means as a switch which would override the deployment system and specifically the voltage signal from the seat controller ecu 42 . the reversible side impact pelvic bolster 18 is intended to deploy when a threat condition is detected . detection of threat conditions may be made with sensor information from existing technologies ( rsc or high yaw ) or with future sensor technologies ( radar , cv sensors , camera , etc .). the reversible nature of this technology allows for conservative deployment thresholds for maximum benefit . unlike conventional airbags , the reversible side impact pelvic bolster 18 will retract into its stowed position after the threat passes . should an occupant out - of - position ( oop ) situation arise , the reversible side impact pelvic bolster 18 will contact the occupant and retract . the reversible pelvic bolster seating system 10 disclosed herein provides an early pelvic push , lowering peak load on the occupant . the reversible pelvic bolster seating system 10 uses available motors and fastening locations , thus minimizing assembly cost and time . the foregoing discussion discloses and describes an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . one skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion , and from the accompanying drawings and claims that various changes , modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the true spirit and fair scope of the invention as defined by the following claims .
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the disk drive apparatus according to the present invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings . as shown in fig2 and 3 , a rotary shaft 25 is vertically mounted on an upper surface of a substrate 20 , via a bearing 22 inserted onto a lower end of the rotary shaft 25 . a turntable 35 having an upper surface on which a disk may be mounted is inserted onto an upper end of the rotary shaft 25 . therefore , the rotary shaft 25 and the turntable 35 are integrally rotatable . a clamp 30 which fixes the disk is installed at an upper portion of the turntable 35 . a ring shaped ball casing 50 is extended from a lower end portion of the turntable 35 on a lower surface of the turntable 35 and is bent and extended inwardly toward the center of the turntable 35 and is bent back upwardly toward the lower surface of the turntable 35 and is extended to the lower surface of the turntable 35 for implementing an auto balancing operation which is capable of automatically balancing the disk . the ball casing 50 defines a space 51 into which a plurality of balls 52 which form an auto balancing unit together with the ball casing 50 are provided , and the space 51 formed in the interior of the ball casing 50 is rounded at its outer lateral portions , so that a smooth movement of the balls 52 is implemented . the balls 52 are made of a metal , magnetic material , ceramic , etc . and are movable in the space 51 . the balls 52 are moved in a radial direction in the space 51 for thereby balancing the disk when an unbalanced state occurs during rotation of the disk . the space 51 has a width which does not exceed two times the diameter of each of the balls 52 , and an outer side inner surfaces serves as a racing face 51 i which guides the flow of the balls 52 during the auto balancing operation . a spindle motor 40 is installed at a lower center portion of the turntable 35 for rotating the turntable 35 . the spindle motor 40 is formed of a stator 45 , and a rotor 41 which is rotated based on an electromagnetic co - operation with the stator 45 . the rotor 41 includes a yoke 42 which is formed to surround a region from a part of the lower portion of the ring shaped ball casing 50 to a part of the lower surface of the turntable 35 via an inner outer surface of the ball casing 50 and contacts with the above - described region , and a magnet 43 engaged to a portion which is parallel to an inner outer portion of the ball casing 50 at the inner surface of the yoke 42 and installed opposite the stator 45 . as shown in fig2 the yoke 42 is fixed to a lower surface of the turntable 35 by a caulking work . the ball casing 50 is installed integrally with the yoke 42 which forms the rotor 41 of the spindle motor 40 and is rotated together with the rotor 41 , and the balls 52 are rotated together with the rotor 41 . an outer upper end portion of the ball casing 50 is inserted into a shoulder 37 of the turntable 35 , so that the turntable 35 and the ball casing 50 are integrally rotated . the stator 45 is installed at an outer surface of the bearing 22 and is opposite to the magnet 43 . the magnet 43 is positioned laterally horizontal to the balls 52 , so that when the apparatus is driven at a low speed , or the apparatus is not driven , the balls 52 are prevented from freely moving in the interior of the space . the engaging portion structure of the turntable 35 and the ball casing 50 will be further explained . as shown in fig3 as a roundness maintaining portion for maintaining a roundness of the ball casing 50 , there are provided a first shoulder portion 55 formed at an outer upper portion of the ball casing 50 , and a second shoulder portion 37 formed at an outer lower portion of the turntable 35 and engaged with the first shoulder portion 55 . the second shoulder portion 37 of the turntable 35 which is formed by cutting a portion formed of a metallic material ( for example , brass ) supportedly contacts with the first shoulder portion 55 of the ball casing 50 fabricated by molding , so that the ball casing 50 which is fabricated by molding is not deformed . fig4 illustrates another engaging portion structure of the turntable and the ball casing according to the present invention . an engaging groove 137 is formed in a lower surface of the turntable 135 , and an outer upper portion of the ball casing 150 is inserted into the engaging groove 137 . as shown in fig4 the outer end portion of the ball casing 150 is tightly inserted into the engaging groove 137 of the turntable 135 for thereby preventing any deformation of the ball casing 150 , so that it is possible to maintain a roundness at an outer wall of the space 51 formed in the interior of the ball casing 150 . in the thusly constituted disk drive apparatus according to the present invention , the balls 52 are directed to compensate for any unbalanced state of the disk which may occur during the high speed rotation of the turntable 35 for thereby implementing a balanced state of the disk drive . in more detail , when the above - described disk unbalance state occurs at the disk , the balls 52 are moved in the space 51 to the portion opposite to the portion which is deflected in the upward direction for thereby balancing the disk . in the present invention , the ball casing 50 is installed radially outwardly of the spindle motor 40 for thereby decreasing the distance between the substrate 20 and the turntable 35 compared to the conventional art in which the ball casing is provided between the spindle motor and the turntable . in addition , since the ball casing 50 for the auto balancing operation and the rotor 41 of the spindle motor 40 are integrally formed , the installation structure is cooperatively used . since the size of the ball casing 40 is small , the total weight of the elements which are driven by the spindle motor 40 is decreased . as an example of the cooperative - use of the installation structure , the upper surface of the ball casing 50 is formed by the lower surface of the turntable 35 . therefore , the load applied to the spindle motor 40 is decreased , and the power consumption is decreased , so that the present invention is well applicable to a portable apparatus which uses a disk drive . in addition , since an outer upper portion of the ball casing 50 is stably fixed by the shoulders 37 and 55 or the engaging groove 137 , the outer portion of the ball casing 50 , in particular the shape of the racing face 51 i is not easily deformed . in other words , since the roundness of the racing face 51 i is maintained , it is possible to accurately control the movements of the balls 52 for thereby implementing an accurate auto balancing operation of the disk . the ball casing 50 which is formed by molding is stably supported by the metallic turntable 35 formed by a cutting process for thereby preventing any deformation of the ball casing so . in another embodiment of the present invention , the auto balancing unit may be installed radially inwardly of the spindle motor 40 . in the disk drive apparatus according to the present invention , since the ball casing including the balls for implementing an auto balancing operation is installed at a lower portion of the turntable corresponding to an outer portion of the spindle motor , the space occupied by the turntable , ball casing and spindle motor is decreased . in addition , since the installation structure is cooperatively - used by the above - described elements , the load applied to the spindle motor is decreased . therefore , the disk drive apparatus may be fabricated to be light and compact , and the power consumption is decreased . since the outer upper portion of the ball casing which is formed by molding is supported by the turntable which is formed by the cutting process , it is possible to implement a roundness of the racing face of the ball casing which is capable of guiding the movements of the balls for the auto balancing operation , so that it is possible to effectively prevent any unbalance of the disk which is rotated at a high speed . although the preferred embodiment of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes , those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications , additions and substitutions are possible , without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as recited in the accompanying claims .
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embodiments of the invention relate to the positive effects of applying filters to tightly organize and label web visit log data as a necessity to automating communications and incrementing lead and prospect quality scores based visits to user websites . real time url unification ( rtuu ) is the process of automatically combining a multitude of redundant url instances that occur from web logging into a single easily understood link name and assigning them to a category . redundant urls commonly occur in web logs due to application of tracking codes or other information appended to linking url &# 39 ; s syntax . rtuu is achieved with a filtering tool . the work of unifying urls into a link name , page type , and quality score is used by a connected marketing automation system that allows businesses to automatically send email , direct mail , sales alerts and increment quality scores based on web visit profiles . marketing automation relies heavily on real time url unification because the redundant instances of urls that occur in visitor tracking and web logging cause automation execution orders to be missed . for example , if a business user wants to automatically trigger a direct mail piece to be sent to a visitor to “ www . mybusiness . com / products ”, the trigger will be missed if the visitor &# 39 ; s visit to the page is tracked and logged as “ www . mybusiness . com / products & amp ; k87 ”. with rtuu , the business user applies a rule that specifies any tracked url containing “ www . mybusiness . com / products ” be logged and assigned a link name “ products ”. what &# 39 ; s more , they can categorize link names under a page type and further specify the quality score of visitors to page types be incremented or decremented . the visit activity of that individual is automatically stored to their web activity record . the capability to assign link names and page types give the business users full assurance that the automation triggers they set , such as sending email , direct mail , sales alerts , and incrementing lead scores when a particular web page is visited , will not be missed . this results in improved business performance . for example , emails that are triggered based on visitor actions can be over 100 % more effective than emails that are sent as part of a general non - triggered broadcast . what &# 39 ; s more , businesses save on resources when not having to manually compile segmented lists of individuals who meet preferred behavior profiles and broadcast to those lists . with regard to direct mail , users of this system can automatically order direct mail advertisements to be produced and sent to any qualifying visitor without the expense of minimum print runs and manual labor associated with tracking what visitors should receive the direct mail and processing the individual pieces for mailing . luxury real estate , inc . in new york , n . y . may wish to send a 12 page color brochure to individuals that visit a web page featuring luxury rentals and increase the individual &# 39 ; s quality score , for example , by 300 points . the web page is located at the url www . luxuryrealestate . com / luxuryrentals . by sending a brochure quickly after a visit to a luxury rentals page , luxury real estate may be able to make a positive impression on the individual . and by maintaining a quality score for the individual , luxury real estate may be able to trigger multiple other actions , such as sending an alert to a sales agent and sending an email to the individual requesting an appointment . luxury real estate may advertise luxury rentals it offers by purchasing keywords on google and affiliate networks . the company tracks which traffic sources work best by providing each source a “ tracking code ” that is added to the end of linking urls . the results of applying a tracking codes to linking urls and having multiple sources of visitor traffic to www . luxuryrealestate . com / luxuryrentals may cause many different instances of the page www . luxuryrealestate . com / luxuryrentals to occur in web logs . for example , the web visits they see in their logs are www . luxuryrealestate . com / luxuryrentals ? pmc = 123 and www . luxuryrealestate . com / luxuryrentals ? pmc = 345 . the consequence may be that luxury real estate &# 39 ; s marketing team cannot ensure that all visitors to www . luxuryrealestate . com / luxuryrentals will be sent a brochure because if they set an automation rule to “ send brochure to a visitor to www . luxuryrealestate . com / luxuryrentals ” a visitor who &# 39 ; s visit is logged as www . luxuryrealestate . com / luxuryrentals ? pmc = 123 may not be recognized as visiting “ www . luxuryrealestate . com / luxuryrentals ”. to address this problem the company may access a marketing automation solution that is equipped with the invention via the internet and applies a link filter to apply a link name to the page www . luxuryrealestate . com / luxuryrentals . the filter enables allow luxury real estate to assign all visits to that page , regardless of source and url syntax , to a single link name . what &# 39 ; s more , they can assign that link name to a page type and increment quality scores for individuals who visit pages assigned the page type . the luxury real estate user applies a link filter that assigns all visits to any page containing “/ luxuryrentals ” to the link name “ luxury rentals ”. and , they use the link filter to further specify that a visit to any pages with the link name “ luxury rentals ” be categorized as a “ high value ” page type and that an individual who visits a “ high value ” page have their score incremented by 300 . the score increase will bring the score for that individual to greater than 200 , which may be a trigger point for sending an automated email to individuals that invite them to tour properties . in addition , the sales agent assigned to the individual may automatically be sent an alert that the tour request email has been sent and instructs him to call the individual . positive commercial impact of real time url unification , scoring , and marketing automation the result of filtering is that all visitors who visit the luxury rentals web page will have their visit logged and stored as having visited the link name “ luxury rentals ”. therefore the marketing team is assured any visit that &# 39 ; s logged as a permutation of the www . luxuryrealestate . com / luxuryrentals will be associated with the “ luxury rentals ” link name and will not be missed by rules specified in their automation . this in turn assures the marketers that the quality score of the individual visitor will incremented , an email requesting a tour request will be sent , and a brochure will be sent . certain details are set forth below to provide a sufficient understanding of embodiments of the invention . however , it will be clear to one having skill in the art that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these particular details . moreover , the particular embodiments of the present invention described herein are provided by way of example and should not be used to limit the scope of the invention to these particular embodiments . in other instances , well - known hardware and / or software operations have not been shown in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention . the block diagram of fig1 provides a high level system architecture according to an embodiment of the present invention . the server 120 may include one or more processing units 121 and computer readable media 130 , 150 . herein , the term computer readable media is used to refer to a single computer readable medium in some embodiments , and in other embodiments multiple computer readable media in communication with one or more processing units , such as the one or more processing units 121 . the computer readable media 130 may be configured to store executable instructions for a data analysis and write model 121 ( hereinafter “ write model ”) and executable for a mailing , emailing , sms , or lead score increment request engine 124 ( hereinafter “ request engine ”). the executable instructions for a data analysis and write module 121 may include instructions for identifying a visitor , determining what user table 152 and visitor profile 154 to write visit activity data to , and whether identification data corresponding to a visitor meets certain criteria , further examples of which are provided below . although the executable instructions for the data analysis and write module 122 and the executable instructions for the mailing , emailing , sms , and lead score increment engine 124 are shown on a same computer readable media 130 , in some embodiments any or all sets of instructions may be provided on multiple computer readable media , and may not be resident on the same media . computer readable media herein may include any form of computer readable storage or computer readable memory , including but not limited to externally or internally attached hard disk drives , solid - state storage ( such as nand flash or nor flash media ), tiered storage solutions , storage area networks , networked attached storage , and / or optical storage . a user 106 may access the write model by logging into an application executing on the server 120 . the user 106 may , for example , access the application through the tcp / ip network 110 . in at least one embodiment , the tcp / ip network 110 may comprise the internet . moreover , the client may include a graphical user interface , such as a pc running a web browser 107 . embodiments of the present invention relate to a url consolidation , organization and labeling functions whereby a user may use the write model to enter and store instructions 134 , in order to create a single labeled representation 135 , and / or assign a group 136 , and / or increment / decrement lead quality score values 137 of multiple redundant url web log entries 132 stored on computer readable media 130 . when a web visitor 105 visits a user &# 39 ; s website 170 and / or web page 171 containing a behavior tracking code 172 through the internet 110 using a client that may include a graphical user interface such as a pc running a web browser 107 , to the write model may log the visit into storage 132 , then apply the rules created and / or stored in the write model . the write model may further query stored instructions 134 to analyze , label and write the visit information to the visitors profile 154 in the appropriate user table 152 of the database 150 . the block diagram 200 of fig2 provides a high - level architecture of an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure for creating url unification , normalization and scoring instructions that may , for instance , be used to implement the instructions of 134 and / or 135 and / or 136 and / or 137 of fig1 . the user 210 logs into a web application 221 , for example , through the tcp / ip network 205 . the client may include a graphical user interface , such as a pc running a web browser 211 . the user navigates to a link filter wizard 230 and chooses to add a new filter 232 . the web application 221 has the user &# 39 ; s login session stored in running memory 260 and will write ensuing instructions to the users account 250 . the user 210 may then enter text for a link name 236 , group 238 , score value 240 , and filter criteria 242 . per the aforementioned example , if the user 210 wanted to consolidate and label web log visits to a luxury rental web page 271 on his website 270 and containing a web tracking snippet 272 , the user 210 would enter link name 236 “ luxury real estate ” then assign a visit to that link name to a group 238 “ high value visit ” apply a lead score value 240 of “ 500 ” and then set filter criteria 242 to be “ any url ” “ containing ” “ luxury rentals ”. the user 210 may click a save link 244 and the criteria set in the link filter wizard 230 is written into storage 250 . if the user 210 wishes to edit the setting created in the link filter wizard 230 , he may do so by clicking a link name 236 that is displayed and choose to edit 246 . this enables the user 210 to modify settings 236 , 238 240 , 242 previously applied . upon completing the edit , the user 210 clicks a save link to write the new instructions into storage 250 . the block diagram of fig3 provides a high - level system architecture for applying url unification and normalization to automate marketing communication and increment lead scores using a workflow automation engine 315 . the user 350 logs into a web application 311 through the tcp / ip network 301 . the client may include a graphical user interface , such as a pc running a web browser 351 . the user 350 then accesses a workflow automation engine 315 . the web application 311 has the user &# 39 ; s login session stored in running memory 370 and will write ensuing automation instructions for that user &# 39 ; s account 371 in on a machine readable drive dedicated to storing the automation instructions 385 . the user 350 may specify the number of action steps in an automation routine 320 , and further may specify a link name 325 for when actions , such as sending email from an email delivery engine 386 and / or ordering production and postage of a direct mailing from a print and post partner 390 , should be triggered for delivery to a member 355 stored in the users 350 database 370 . for example , the criteria may be to trigger a luxury real estate direct mail piece to a member 355 who made a web visit through a tcp / ip network 301 to the user &# 39 ; s web page 365 on the user &# 39 ; s website 360 and has an assigned link name “ luxury real estate ” 365 . during the process of creating the automation flow , the user 350 chooses from an assortment of actions 331 to take when link name visit criteria 325 is met . these actions include send email 332 and / or direct mail 333 and / or update lead score 334 . the user 350 will save the workflow 340 and click a “ play ” icon to activate the workflow rules and automation . when a visitor 355 visits a “ luxury real estate ” page 365 which contains a web tracking snippet 366 , the web tracking engine logs the visit and run a query against the url filter criteria 380 that &# 39 ; s held in machine readable memory and will write the visit to the visitor &# 39 ; s 355 record 356 in the database 370 . after the visit is recorded in the visitor &# 39 ; s record , the workflow automaton engine 315 will query the automation rules 385 to determine if an automated action should be executed against the vistor &# 39 ; s 355 web visit activity . if there is a rule to send a direct mail piece 333 to the individual 355 stored in the user automation instructions 385 , the system will trigger an order 333 to a print and post vendor 390 to print and post the mail piece . the direct mail order 333 instruction includes contact information of the individual 355 , a catalog number to identify which piece to print , and any variable data about the individual 355 that should be printed on the direct mail piece . the flow chart diagram 400 in fig4 provides a method for creating url unification , normalization and scoring instructions and using rules to trigger lead score updates and / or generate automated direct mailings according to an embodiment of the present invention . the system receives a log file 405 then makes a query to determine if the logged url matches a link filter rule . if not , the process ends . if there is a match with a link filter rule 410 , the system writes the visit activity to that link name page to the visitor record 410 . the system will also write the page type visited to the visitor &# 39 ; s record 415 . the system then updates the visitors lead score 420 . they system then makes a query to determine if a visit matching that link name is set to trigger an automated mailing 430 . the screen shot diagram 500 shown in fig5 is a screen shot of execution of a workflow automation wizard according to an embodiment of the present invention . users of the system may choose if they will send email 501 and / or increment lead scores 502 and / or send direct mail 503 when criteria are met . the user can specify when the email action 506 and / or direct mail order 507 will be triggered . the user elects to create and apply an advanced filter 505 to specify a link name as provided in diagram 600 in fig6 . when the user has completed the workflow setup , he clicks a play button 510 to activate the workflow for ongoing processing of queries with web site visits . the screen shot diagram 600 shown in fig6 is a screen shot of where a user specifies that a link filter 610 and link name 620 be used to trigger actions specified in diagram 500 in fig5 . the screen shot diagram 700 in fig7 provides a screen shot of where a user specifies link name 701 , then group / page type 702 , then lead score increment value 703 . the assignment rules are setup by using a comparison operator / match type 705 that will be used to compare the syntax of the url written in the web log to the text provided at 710 . if the combined setting rule of 705 and 710 are met , then the visit will be labeled according to the instruction in 701 , assigned to the group specified at 702 , and the lead score of the member / visitor will increment by the value provided 703 . a summary of current link filters is provided to the user 715 for review and editing 720 . fig8 illustrates a flow diagram 800 according to an embodiment of the present invention . the intention is to provide further context and how embodiments of the invention may be applied in broad marketing context . from the foregoing it will be appreciated that , although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration , various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims .
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a crossbar array includes an upper set of parallel wires which is placed perpendicular to a lower set of parallel wires . an intersection where an upper wire intersects a lower wire within the crossbar array is called a “ crosspoint ” or simply an “ intersection .” at each crosspoint , a programmable electrical component is interposed between the upper and lower wires at each cross point . according to one illustrative embodiment , the programmable electrical component is designed to hold a data value . that data value can be read or written by applying various programming or reading voltages across the programmable electrical component . one component able to a store a value which has been used is a memristor . a memristor is a programmable resistor which utilizes the motion of dopants within a matrix to change the value of its resistance and hold that value until it is changed again . thus it retains a memory of experienced electrical conditions . there are several challenges to implementing a crossbar array using memristive junctions at the cross - points . the cross - point resistance cannot be too small or a large electrical current will cause joule heating and electromigration when even a moderate voltage difference is applied across the memristor . the resistance cannot be too large as higher resistance will cause a higher reading or writing latency in the crossbar system . the present specification relates to principles and methods for using nonlinear capacitors between the junctions of a crossbar array . nonlinear capacitive junctions have a number of advantages over resistive junctions , including reduced power loss and heating . these nonlinear capacitors exhibit an increased capacitance as the applied reading voltage is increased . a number of nonlinear capacitors with various geometries and configurations could be used within the crossbar array . for example , micro electrical mechanical system ( mems ) capacitors could be used . these mems capacitors can mechanically move conductive plates closer together as a function of applied voltage , thereby generating the desired nonlinearity within the capacitors . additionally or alternatively , solid state capacitors could be used which exhibit capacitive nonlinearity . throughout the specification , a capacitor which contains mobile dopants in a semiconducting matrix ( a “ memcapacitor ”) is used as an illustrative example of a nonlinear solid state capacitor . memcapacitors are non - linear capacitive components which are able to alter and retain the value of their capacitance based on experienced electrical conditions . according to one illustrative embodiment , the use of memcapacitors in a crossbar array can reduce power consumption and improve the speed at which the circuitry is able to operate . in the following description , for purposes of explanation , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present systems and methods . it will be apparent , however , to one skilled in the art that the present apparatus , systems and methods may be practiced without these specific details . reference in the specification to “ an embodiment ,” “ an example ” or similar language means that a particular feature , structure , or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least that one embodiment , but not necessarily in other embodiments . the various instances of the phrase “ in one embodiment ” or similar phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment . fig1 a is a diagram of an illustrative crossbar array ( 100 ) with nonlinear capacitive junctions ( 106 ). a crossbar array comprises an upper set of parallel wires ( 104 ) which cross a lower set of parallel wires ( 102 ) at a nonzero angle . according to one illustrative embodiment , the nanowires of the upper layer ( 104 ) are roughly perpendicular , in orientation , to the nanowires of the lower layer ( 102 ), although the orientation angle between the layers may vary . at each cross - point , a two terminal capacitive device is interposed between the intersecting wires . for purposes of illustration , only the memcapacitor ( 106 ) on the bottom right of the crossbar array ( 100 ) is labeled in the figure . one terminal ( 110 ) of the capacitor is attached to a wire which is among the lower set of parallel wires ( 102 ). the other terminal ( 108 ) of the capacitor is attached to a wire which is among the set of upper parallel wires ( 104 ). though only four wires are shown in each set of parallel wires ( 102 , 104 ), there will typically be a much greater number of wires in each set . between any set of conducting material including wires , there will be a stray capacitance ( 112 ), even if that capacitance is very small . the stray capacitance ( 112 ) between parallel wires will typically be much smaller than the capacitance of the capacitors used at each cross - point . as a result , any stray capacitance ( 112 ) between parallel wires will be neglected in the following description . in circumstances where stray capacitance is significant , the principles described below can be utilized to determine an optimum operating state for the device . the capacitive junctions ( 106 ) may be used to store a value . in one simple example , a high capacitive state could represent a value “ 0 .” similarly , a low capacitive state could represent the value “ 1 .” as discussed above , one embodiment of a nonlinear capacitor is a memcapacitive junction . the internal operation of a memcapacitive junction is described in more detail in fig3 a and 3b . in order to set a specific memcapacitive junction to a particular state , a certain electrical condition may be applied to the junction . throughout this specification and appended claims , electrical conditions applied to a memcapacitive junction to change its state will be referred to as programming conditions . in one embodiment , the programming condition could be a voltage pulse . one technique for applying a programming voltage may be referred to as the half bias technique . this technique involves the application of a voltage pulse ( 114 ) which is half the intended strength to one wire in the first set of parallel wires ( 102 ) and a similar voltage pulse ( 118 ) but with opposite polarity applied to a wire in the second set of parallel wires ( 104 ). all other wires in both sets of parallel wires ( 102 , 104 ) which have not been selected will have a zero voltage bias . according to one illustrative embodiment , a buffer amplifier ( 116 ) may be used on the input end . this could be a standard op - amp ( operational amplifier ) having unity gain . when reading the state of a specific memcapacitive junction , an electrical condition which is different from the programming condition may be applied . throughout this specification and appended claims , the electrical condition applied to read the capacitive state of a memcapacitive junction will be referred to as a reading condition . in one embodiment , the reading condition may be a sinusoidal or ac ( alternating current ) voltage with the amplitude of the full read voltage , for example specified below for the considered device , which is applied to one input end of a wire ( 103 ). an inverting op - amp ( 120 ) may be placed on an output end of a wire ( 102 ). in one embodiment , the op - amp will provide virtual ground to the wire ( 102 ) with a negative value of the half read voltage and may have a feedback loop ( 122 ). all wires which were not selected are biased at zero voltage . when the sinusoidal voltage runs through a selected wire ( 103 ) and into memcapacitors attached to the selected wire ( 103 ), an electrical current is generated on the intersecting wire ( 105 ). the electrical current has characteristics which are determined by the capacitive state of the memcapacitor which links the two intersecting wires ( 103 , 105 ). the inverting op - amp ( 120 ) receives this electrical current from the upper wire ( 105 ). the voltage across the resistor is proportional to the current passing through the resistor multiplied by the resistance of the resistor . in this case , the resistance in the feedback loop ( 122 ) is constant while the current varies . thus , the voltage across the feedback loop ( 122 ) will vary proportionately to the current generated in the upper line ( 105 ). this voltage may be measured to determine the state of the nonlinear capacitor ( 106 ). fig1 b is a diagram of an illustrative crossbar array ( 100 ) with memcapacitive junctions ( 106 ). for purposes of description and clarity , it is useful to distinguish between what will be referred to throughout this specification and appended claims as selected and semi - selected devices . when an electrical condition is applied to a wire ( 103 , 105 ) from each set of parallel wires ( 102 , 104 ), there will be other devices along those wires which are not at the crosspoint . throughout the specification and appended claims , devices which are connected to active wires but not at the crosspoint will be referred to as semi - selected devices ( 124 , 126 ). there will typically be two groups of semi - selected devices ( 124 , 126 ), one group ( 124 ) along a wire ( 103 ) from the lower set of parallel wires ( 102 ), and the other group ( 126 ) along a wire ( 105 ) from the upper set of parallel wires ( 104 ). it will be readily apparent to those familiar with the relevant art that a set of capacitive devices in parallel will be equivalent to the sum of the capacitances of each individual device . for reasons which will be detailed below , in order for the crossbar array circuit to function properly , it is desirable for the total capacitance of the semi - selected devices ( 124 , 126 ) to be much smaller than the capacitance of the selected device ( 106 ). fig2 is an illustrative depiction of a circuit diagram ( 200 ) modeling a path through selected ( 106 , fig1 ) and semi - selected ( 124 , 126 ; fig1 ) devices in a crossbar array ( 100 , fig1 ). the circuit diagram ( 200 ) described below is a simplified model . it does not take into account every electrical characteristic which may be present in the crossbar array ( 100 , fig1 ). the circuit diagram ( 200 ) models the path between an input end ( 214 ) and an output end ( 216 ) on a capacitive crossbar array ( 100 , fig1 ). as mentioned above , a buffer op - amp ( 116 ) may be placed on the input end ( 214 ) of a selected wire ( 103 ) to be used as a buffer . every conducting element , including the selected wire ( 103 ) will have some resistance even if that resistance is very small . the resistors ( 204 ) in the circuit diagram ( 200 ) represent the resistance of the lower active wire ( 103 ). similarly , the resistors on the left ( 205 ) represent the resistance of the upper active wire ( 105 ). the capacitor ( 206 ) on the left represents the lumped capacitance of the first group of semi selected devices ( 124 , fig1 ) which are attached to the lower active wire ( 103 ). the middle capacitor ( 106 ) represents the capacitance of the selected device ( 106 , fig1 ). the capacitor ( 210 ) on the right represents the lumped capacitance of the second group of semi - selected devices ( 126 , fig1 ) which are attached to the upper active wire ( 105 ). an op - amp ( 120 ) may be placed on the output end ( 216 ) to be used as a buffer . according to one illustrative embodiment , the lumped capacitances ( 206 , 210 ) of the semi - selected devices ( 124 , 126 , fig1 b ) are less than the capacitance ( 208 ) of the selected device ( 106 , fig1 ). as discussed above , nonlinear capacitors are used at each crosspoint . the lumped capacitance of the semi - selected devices ( 206 , 210 ) are less than the capacitance of the selected device because the selected devices are biased to zero , then voltage equal to the negative of one half of the maximum reading voltage is applied on the upper line ( 105 ). the sinusoidal reading voltage is then applied to the input line ( 214 ). this generates a maximum voltage across the semi - selected devices ( 206 , 210 ) of one half the reading voltage , while the maximum bias across the selected capacitor ( 106 ) will be the full reading voltage . because the capacitance is nonlinear , the capacitance at one half the reading voltage can be much smaller than the capacitance at the full bias . in one embodiment , a memcapacitor could be used between the cross - points on a crossbar array . a memcapacitor is a capacitor which is able to change and hold its state based on experienced electrical conditions . in one illustrative embodiment , the capacitance of the memcapacitors is nonlinear as a function of applied voltage . although memcapacitors may take any of a number of possible embodiments , one illustrative description of basic operational principles of memcapacitors is presented in this specification for purposes of explanation . a typical capacitor comprises two conducting surfaces with a dielectric material in between . one equation for capacitance is as follows : c = capacitance measured in farads , ∈ r = relative permittivity , ∈ 0 = permittivity of free space , a = area of conducting surfaces measured in square meters , and d = distance between conducting surfaces measured in meters . fig3 a is an illustrative diagram of a memcapacitor ( 300 ) in a low capacitive state . the memcapacitor ( 300 ) is made up of a memcapacitive matrix ( 304 ) interposed between with two electrodes ( 314 , 315 ). according to one illustrative embodiment , the left and right electrodes ( 314 , 315 ) are intersecting wires within a crossbar array . the memcapacitive matrix ( 300 ) is a semiconducting material which contains a number of mobile dopant ions ( 306 ). the ions ( 306 ) are considered mobile because they can be repositioned throughout the semiconducting region ( 304 ) as a result of an applied programming condition . throughout the specification and appended claims , the term “ memcapacitor ” or “ memcapacitive ” is used to describe a combination of an insulating / semiconductor matrix and a dopant which exhibits dopant motion in the presence of a programming electrical field and the desired long term dopant stability within the matrix when the programming field is removed . the memcapacitive effect is most strongly evident in nanometer scale devices and allows the device to “ remember ” past electrical conditions . throughout the specification and appended claims , the term “ memcapacitive matrix ” describes a weakly ionic conductive material which is capable of transporting and hosting ions that act as dopants to control the flow of electrons through the memcapacitor . the definition of a weakly ionic conductive material is based on the application for which the memcapacitive device is designed . in general , it is desired for the memcapacitive device to stay in a particular state , either low or high capacitance , for an amount of time that may range from a fraction of a second to years , depending on the application . thus , the diffusion constant for such a device is , in one embodiment , low enough to ensure the desired level of stability . at the same time the mobility of the ions can be greatly enhanced ( with respect to the mobility given by einstein - nersnt relation ) by increasing internal temperature , e . g . due to joule heating , or applying very high electric fields during write operation . this desired level of stability avoids inadvertently turning the device from low capacitance to a high capacitance state or vice versa via ionized species diffusion , but allows the intentionally setting the state of the switch with a voltage pulse . therefore , a “ weakly ionic conductor ” is one in which the ion mobility , and thus the diffusion constant , is small enough to ensure the stability of the state of the device for as long as necessary under the desired conditions ( e . g ., the device does not change state because of diffusion of the dopants ). in contrast , “ strongly ionic conductors ” would have large ionized species mobilities and thus would not be stable against diffusion . a number of matrix / dopant combinations may be used , depending on the manufacturing process and the application . for example , silicon may be used as a memcapacitive matrix and lithium ions may be used as the mobile dopant species . alternatively , titanium dioxide may be used as the memcapacitive matrix and oxygen vacancies may be used as the mobile dopant species . in a memcapacitor , the two electrodes ( 314 , 315 ) act as the capacitive plates and the mobile dopants ( 306 ) effectively alter the distance d between the plates by creating a highly conductive region which extends from one of the electrodes into the matrix ( 304 ). the farther the mobile dopants ( 306 ) extend from the electrode into the matrix , the smaller d becomes and the greater the capacitance of the memcapacitor . a graph ( 312 ) shows the density of mobile dopants ( n d ) through the memcapacitor matrix ( 304 ). in the low capacitive state illustrated in fig3 a , the mobile dopants ( 306 ) are concentrated in the right hand portion of the semi - conducting matrix ( 304 ). this dramatically increases the electrical conductivity of the matrix ( 304 ) where the mobile dopants ( 306 ). in this state , the effective distance d in eq . 1 is fairly large , leading to a lower overall capacitance of the memcapacitor ( 304 ). at the interface between the undoped portions of the matrix ( 304 ) and the electrode ( 314 ), there is a large difference in the electrical conductivity and other properties of the across the interface . this creates an interface which exhibits behavior similar to a schottky barrier . a schottky barrier is a potential barrier which forms at a metal - semiconductor interface and has diode - like rectifying characteristics . schottky interfaces are different than a p - n interface in that it has a much smaller depletion width in the metal . in multilayer thin films , the interface behavior may not be exactly the same as a traditional schottky barrier . consequently , various interfaces between the illustrative thin films are described as “ schottky - like .” at moderate voltages , the schottky - like barrier ( 309 ) allows electrical current to flow in only one direction . the characteristics of the schottky - like barrier ( 309 ) are dependent on a number of factors , including the metal &# 39 ; s work function , the band gap of the intrinsic semiconductor which makes up the memcapacitive matrix , the type and concentration of dopants in the semiconductor , and other factors . the bottom graph ( 316 ) shows the electrical potential ( 307 ) through the matrix ( 304 ). a schottky barrier ( 309 ) exists at the interface ( 309 ). because the mobile dopants ( 306 ) are concentrated in the right side of the matrix ( 304 ), the potential barrier is high and wide at the interface between the left electrode ( 314 ) and the matrix ( 304 ). as discussed above , this produces a relatively low capacitance junction ( 300 ) because the conducting surface of the mobile dopants ( shown by a dotted line which extends across the matrix ) is relatively far away from the left electrode ( 314 ). as shown above in eq . 1 , the larger the distance between conducting surfaces ( all other factors remaining constant ) the lower the capacitance will be . fig3 b is an illustrative diagram of a memcapacitor ( 300 ) in a high capacitance state . the mobile dopants ( 306 ) have been distributed through the matrix ( 304 ) by a programming voltage or condition such that the mobile dopants ( 306 ) are much closer to the left electrode ( 314 ). this brings the conducting surfaces of the capacitor ( 300 ) much closer together . the middle graph ( 318 ) of fig3 b shows a more uniform distribution of mobile dopants ( 306 ) through the matrix . the bottom graph ( 320 ) shows that the schottky barrier ( 309 ) is much narrower and possibly lower at the interface . as discussed above , once the mobile dopants have been distributed by the application of a programming condition , they remain stable for a desired duration and through one or more read cycles . according to one illustrative embodiment , the programming conditions may include a voltage which exceeds the breakdown voltage of the schottky barrier . the barrier then becomes conductive and allows current to flow through the matrix . this heats the matrix and increases the mobility of the dopants . this breakdown process is non - destructive and reversible , so long as the amount of current flowing does not reach levels that cause the semiconductor material to overheat and cause thermal damage . the dopants then move under the influence of an applied electrical field to the desired location . the programming condition is removed and the matrix cools . the mobile dopants then remain in substantially the same position . according to one illustrative embodiment , the memcapacitive junctions exhibit significant nonlinear capacitance in the high capacitance state . this nonlinear capacitance is generated by the interaction of the schottky barrier with the reading voltage . the schottky barrier ( or other interface , such as p - n junction or metal - oxide - semiconductor interface ) creates a depletion region . the depletion region is empty of conducting electrons and holes , but may contain a number of mobile dopants . the depletion region with its dopants inside behaves like a capacitor . by varying the voltage applied to the interface it is possible to vary the depletion width , and consequently the capacitance of the interface . the nonlinear capacitance across a schottky barrier ( or other interface containing a depletion region ) is nonlinear and is given by eq . 2 below . c ( n d , v ) = ɛ r ɛ 0 n d q ( v bi - v ) eq . 2 c = capacitance measured in farads , ∈ r = relative permittivity of the insulator between the charged plates , ∈ 0 = permittivity of free space , n d = the number of dopants , q = charge , which is a function of applied voltage , v bi = built in voltage of the schottky barrier , and v = applied voltage fig4 is a graph which shows an illustrative nonlinear relationship between charge and applied voltage across a schottky interface within a memcapacitor . the horizontal axis represents voltage applied to the interface . the vertical axis represents the resulting charge . two curves are shown , a dash - dot curve ( 414 ) represents the charge as a function of voltage for the low capacitance state and a solid curve ( 420 ) represents the charge as a function of voltage for the high capacitance state . these two curves ( 414 , 420 ) correspond to the states shown in fig3 a and 3b , respectively . the arrows between the dash - dot line and the solid line illustrate the change in the charge / voltage relationship as the mobile dopants are reconfigured from the low capacitance state to the high capacitance state . the low capacitance curve ( 414 ) shows little non - linearity and less sensitivity to changes in applied voltage . however , the high capacitance curve ( 420 ) shows significant nonlinearity in the number of charges present at a particular voltage applied voltage . for example , a relatively small charge is present when a voltage of v r / 2 is applied to the interface , but a much greater charge is present when a voltage of v r is applied . as discussed above , a voltage of v r / 2 is applied across a first intersecting line and a second voltage of − v r / 2 is applied over the second intersecting line . the memcapacitive junction which is interposed between the two intersecting line then sees a voltage of v r . the vertical dashed line labeled v bi represents the breakdown voltage ( or built - in voltage ) of the memcapacitive junction . according to one illustrative embodiment , the breakdown voltage ( 410 ) may be approximately three volts . when the applied voltage exceeds the breakdown voltage , the memcapacitive junction becomes conductive and electrical current passes through the junction . as discussed above , this can result in resistive heating of the matrix and a corresponding increase in the mobility of the mobile dopants . consequently , the reading voltage across any given junction does not typically exceed the breakdown voltage . however , in some circumstances it can be desirable for the programming conditions to be such that the breakdown voltage is exceeded . this can significantly reduce the write time of the device because of the increase in dopant mobility . similar to the application of the reading voltage above , the programming voltage is applied by dividing the programming voltage into two portions , v / 2 and − v / 2 . these voltages are applied to two intersecting lines so that only the selected device which is at the intersection is reprogrammed by the programming voltage v +. fig5 is a graph depicting a nonlinear relation between applied voltage and capacitance of a memcapacitor . in general , the capacitance of the memcapacitor is related to the slope ( the derivative ) of the charge / voltage curve shown in fig4 . in the graph , the horizontal axis represents voltage ( 404 ) while the vertical axis represents capacitance ( 402 ). the curve ( 420 ) showing the capacitance as a function of voltage is shown on the graph ( 400 ). it can be seen that for most voltage values , the capacitance curve is relatively constant . only as the applied voltage approaches v r does the capacitance get higher in value . the label “ v r / 2 ” refers to half of the voltage applied to a selected memcapacitor ( 106 , fig1 ). likewise , the label “− v r / 2 ” refers to a negative polarity of half of the voltage applied to a selected memcapacitor ( 106 , fig1 ). as mentioned above , it is desirable that the lumped capacitance of semi - selected devices ( 124 , 126 ; fig1 ) be less than the capacitance of the selected memcapacitor ( 106 , fig1 ). this statement may be summed up in the following relation : n = the number of semi - selected memcapacitors , c j = the capacitance of the memcapacitors in the crossbar array as a function of voltage v r = the reading voltage the left side of the eq . 3 represents the lumped capacitance of the semi - selected memcapacitors at one half the reading voltage and the right side represents the capacitance of the selected device at the full reading voltage . as mentioned above , a half - bias technique may be used in which “ v r / 2 ” is applied to one wire on the first set of parallel wires and “− v r / 2 ” is applied to one wire on the second set of parallel wires . this will ensure that all semi - selected devices have only half the voltage applied to them as is applied to the selected memcapacitor . as can be seen from fig5 , the capacitance of the junction in the high capacitance state ( 420 ) is relatively small at v r / 2 compared with the capacitance at v r due to the nonlinearity of the capacitance / voltage behavior of the memcapacitor . this nonlinearity allows eq . 3 to be satisfied with a larger number of semi - selected devices . consequently , larger crosspoint arrays can be built . the exact number of semi - selected devices able to be placed into a crossbar array may vary depending on various characteristics of the crossbar array and memcapacitive junctions . fig6 is an illustrative diagram ( 600 ) depicting an exemplary frequency window within a memcapacitive crossbar array ( 100 , fig1 ) could operate in . as mentioned above , to read the state of a selected memcapacitive junction ( 106 , fig1 ), a sinusoidal voltage could be applied through the system . due to its electrical characteristics , the selected memcapacitor acts as a high pass filter , allowing only higher frequencies through while cutting off lower frequencies . the semi - selected devices act as a low pass filter , allowing lower frequencies to pass while cutting off higher frequencies . when the relationship given by eq . 3 is satisfied there will always be a frequency window in which a selected nonlinear capacitor in a high capacitance state passes the reading pulse from one of the intersecting wires to another . conversely , the low capacitance state would not exhibit this window of transparency . this allows the state of the nonlinear capacitor to be determined through the application of voltage pulse or pulses which have a given frequency . each graph in fig6 has a horizontal axis denoting frequency . the vertical axis illustrates the strength of the signal transmitted through the filter . the top graph ( 604 ) shows a high pass filter ( 610 ). as mentioned above , the high pass filter cuts off the lower frequencies ( 616 ). according to one illustrative embodiment , this high pass filter may formed by the resistance in the wires and the capacitance of the selected memcapacitor ( 106 , fig1 ). the cutoff frequency of the filter is based upon a time constant . the time constant is determined by the equation below : t = the time constant , r = the resistance of the wires in the cross bar array , and c j = the capacitance of the memcapacitors in the crossbar array as a function of voltage v r = the reading voltage the middle graph ( 606 ) shows a low pass filter ( 612 ). as mentioned above , a low pass filter ( 612 ) cuts off the higher frequencies ( 618 ). the time constant for the low pass filter is determined by the following equation : t = the time constant , r = the resistance of the wires in the cross bar array , and c j ( v r / 2 )= the capacitance of the semi - selected devices as a function of half the applied voltage , n = number of semi - selected devices . the bottom graph ( 608 ) shows the frequency window ( 614 ) which is the result of combining the filters shown in the upper and middle graphs . this window is between the cutoff frequency of the high pass filter and the cutoff frequency of the low pass filter . according to one illustrative embodiment , the sinusoidal reading voltage has a frequency within the frequency window ( 614 ). eq . 6 describes the frequency of the reading voltage as a function of the nonlinear capacitances of the memory devices which are within the crossbar array . 1 /( r * c j ( v r ))≦ f ≦ 1 /( r * n * c j ( v r / 2 )) eq . 6 r = the resistance of the wires in the cross bar array , c j ( v r )= the capacitance of the selected device as a function of applied voltage . f = the frequency of an applied sinusoidal signal , and c j ( v r / 2 )= the capacitance of the semi - selected devices as a function of half the applied voltage . n = number of semi - selected devices . in one illustrative example , the high pass filter formed by the selected memcapacitor may cut off all frequencies below 900 mhz ( megahertz ) and the low pass filter formed by the semi - selected memcapacitors will cut off all frequencies above 1 ghz ( gigahertz ). this means that the applied sinusoidal signal used to read the capacitive state of the selected memcapacitor should be above 900 mhz and below 1 ghz . fig7 is an illustrative flow diagram ( 700 ) depicting the process for writing and then reading values in a memcapacitive crossbar array . first , whatever addressing method used by the system employing a crossbar array identifies a nonlinear capacitive device to store a particular value ( step 702 ). that value is set by altering the capacitive state of the nonlinear capacitive device . the programming voltage needed to alter the capacitive state of a memcapacitor already known by the system . to set the capacitive state , a voltage pulse half the needed strength is applied to a wire from a first set of parallel wires , the wire being connected to the selected nonlinear capacitor ( step 704 ). next , a voltage pulse opposite in polarity and half the needed strength is applied to a wire from a second set of parallel wires , the wire being connected to the other side of the selected nonlinear capacitor ( step 706 ). the combined voltage from both directions alters the capacitive state of the selected nonlinear capacitor ( step 708 ). the programming voltages are then removed and the recently programmed nonlinear capacitor will remain in a stable state and hold its value for a period of time ( step 710 ). to read the value stored by a memcapacitive device , a sinusoidal signal may be applied to a wire from the first set of parallel wires , the wire being connected to the device intended to be read ( step 712 ). the same half biasing scheme similar to write operation is applied to ensure the proper reading of the selected device , as described above . the frequency of the sinusoidal signal should be within a range specified by the characteristics of the crossbar array . the sinusoidal signal is then measured from a wire on a second set of parallel wires , the wire being connected to the other side of the nonlinear capacitor . the signal may be measured through any appropriate means . the value stored in the intended memcapacitor can then be determined ( step 714 ). in sum , a variety of nonlinear capacitance devices may be interposed between intersecting wires in a crossbar array . these nonlinear capacitive devices may be memcapacitors , mems capacitors , p - n junction devices , mosfet devices or other suitable devices . the nonlinear capacitance of the devices allows the state of a selected junction to be read without being obscured by capacitance of semi - selected devices . the advantages of using nonlinear capacitive junctions may include a reduction in power consumption ( compared to resistive crossbar arrays ) and improvement in operational speed . the preceding description has been presented only to illustrate and describe embodiments and examples of the principles described . this description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit these principles to any precise form disclosed . many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching .
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the present invention is applicable to monitoring a fiber transmission system , and is believed to be particularly suited to monitoring challe wavelength and power in a wavelength division multiplexed ( wdm ) optical communication system . the system may also permit the monitoring of interchannel noise levels . [ 0094 ] fig1 shows a cross - sectional sketch of a ray - tracing simulation of a single channel including a transparent body 31 in a preferred transmission spectrometer embodiment . the transmission signal guiding means 15 ( here an optical fiber connected to the optical transmission system ) is positioned in front f of the transparent body 31 and is guiding transmission signal to the transmission signal entrance aperture means 30 , positioned at the entrance surface 311 . in this example the entrance aperture means is defined by the circular aperture of the core of the end face of the optical fiber 15 . inside the transparent body 31 the transmission signal propagates towards a reflecting surface 313 of the back side at which a diffractive optical element 32 ( here a blazed grating ) diffracts the transmission signal towards a reflective surface 312 of the front side , in this preferred embodiment an aspheric mirror 33 . the aspheric mirror focuses the diffracted wavelengths across the plane of the transmission signal detecting means 34 , in this example comprising an array detector ( here a linear array detector of type su512lx - 1 . 7t30250 supplied by sensors unlimited ) and placed opposite the entrance means at the back side b of the transparent body . the transmission signal detecting means is placed at a distance from the exit surface 314 , which is tilted to correct for chromatic aberrations . the array detector is configured to define pixels for transmission signals of predefined wavelength and pixels for optical noise at wavelengths therebetween . this apparatus was used for monitoring transmission signal wavelength , power and noise , both alone and in combination . [ 0097 ] fig2 shows a cross - sectional sketch of a ray - tracing simulation of a single channel including a transparent body 31 in a preferred transmission spectrometer embodiment . the transmission signal guiding means 15 ( here an optical fiber connected to the optical transmission system ) is positioned in front f of the transparent body 31 and is guiding transmission signal to the transmission signal entrance aperture means 30 , positioned at the entrance surface 311 . in this example the entrance aperture means is defined by the circular aperture of the core of the end face of the optical fiber 15 . inside the transparent body 31 , the transmission signal propagates towards a further reflecting surface 313 b of the back side at which a planar mirror 35 a directs the transmission signal towards a further reflective surface 312 b of the front side at which a planar mirror 35 b directs the transmission signal towards the reflective surface 313 a of the back side , at which a diffractive optical element 32 ( here a blazed grating ) diffracts the transmission signal towards the reflective surface 312 a of the front side , in this preferred embodiment an aspheric mirror 33 . the aspheric mirror 33 focuses the diffracted wavelengths across the plane of the transmission signal detecting means 34 , in this example comprising an array detector and placed opposite the entrance means at the back side b of the transparent body . the transmission signal detecting means is placed at a distance from the exit surface 314 a . in this preferred embodiment the diffractive optical element 32 and the transmission signal detecting means 34 are arranged in parallel planes or coinciding planes . also , the entrance surface 311 a and the exit surface 314 a are parallel . other preferred transmission spectrometer geometry &# 39 ; s will be shown in the following , but will not be substantiated by ray - tracing simulations . [ 0100 ] fig3 a shows a three dimensional sketch of a preferred embodiment in which the reflective surfaces ( i . e ., the planar mirrors 35 a , 35 b , the diffractive optical element 32 , and the aspheric mirror 33 ) are positioned below the respective surfaces of the front side and back side . this is clearly illustrated in fig3 b , which shows a cross - sectional sketch taken at the plane c from fig3 a . the principle of the ray - tracing simulations is illustrated in fig2 with the exception that that the aspheric mirror 33 now focus the diffracted wavelengths across the detecting means 34 which is now positioned at the exit surface . [ 0102 ] fig4 shows a three dimensional sketch of a preferred embodiment in which the spectrometer body is a composed body ( 31 a , 31 b ) and in which light absorbing material 315 is placed between said composed bodies . the spectrometer is similar to the transmission spectrometer illustrated in fig3 and described above . the composed body comprising a front part 31 a and a back part 31 b . the front part is incorporating a transmission signal entrance aperture means 30 , a further planar mirror 35 b , and the focusing means 33 . the back part is incorporating a further planar mirror 35 a , the diffractive optical element , and the exit surface . this preferred embodiment is composed of two parts ( 31 a , 31 b ). in another preferred embodiment , the transparent composed body further comprises an intermediate part . [ 0106 ] fig5 shows a three dimensional sketch of a preferred embodiment that consists of two parallel spectrometer channels . in the preferred embodiment shown in fig5 the dual channel spectrometer comprises a first channel 41 a to monitor transmission signals from the first transmission signal guiding means 15 a from an optical transmission system and a second channel 41 b to monitor transmission signals from the second transmission signal guiding means 15 b from the optical transmission system . the transmission signal enters each spectrometer channel through an aperture , in this example defined by the cores of end faces of the optical fibers ( 40 a , 40 b ), and each channel is an independent transmission spectrometer working according to the ray - tracing simulation illustrated in fig1 with the exception that that the aspheric mirrors ( 43 a , 43 b ) now focus the diffracted wavelengths across the transmission signal detecting means ( 44 a , 44 b ) which is now positioned at the exit surface . the transmission signals from the first channel 41 a are focused onto the transmission signal detecting means 44 a whereas the transmission signals from the second channel are focused onto the transmission signal detecting means 44 b . preferably the transmission signal detecting means ( 44 a , 44 b ) comprises a dual line sensor , said line comprising an array sensor . multiple channels with 2d array image sensor to provide for a cost effective solution . as noted above , the present invention is applicable to methods and apparatus for monitoring the output from a fiber communications system . it is believed to be particularly useful for monitoring the wavelength and power of different channels in a multiple channel system , such as a wavelength division multiplexed ( wdm ) system . the present invention should not be considered limited to the particular examples described above , but rather should be understood to cover all aspects of the invention as fairly set out in the attached claims . various modifications , equivalent processes , as well as numerous structures to which the present invention may be applicable will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art to which the present invention is directed upon review of the present specification . the claims are intended to cover such modifications and devices .
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the disclosure comprises a hollow plastic ball . the ball is adapted to be thrown and hit . one ball is about the size of a regulation baseball , which is approximately 2 . 86 inches in diameter . a second ball has a very similar design but is about the size of a softball , approximately 3 . 775 inches in diameter . the balls could be smaller or larger than this . the balls have two hemispheres . there are a plurality of depressions in one hemisphere , and no depressions in the second hemisphere . the depressions cause the ball to curve , sink , and move erratically like a knuckleball , and exhibit other movements when thrown that cannot be accomplished with a ball with a smooth outer surface . two exemplary , non - limiting examples of the ball are described . the two balls are both hollow and made from plastic , and have essentially the same design , but different dimensions . the relative dimensions of the depressions of the two balls are preferably but not necessarily the same ( relative to the overall size of the ball ). ball 8 includes a number ( preferably , but not necessarily , eight ) of identical elongated depressions ( only depressions 13 , 14 , and 16 are numbered ) symmetrically arranged about the center of one hemisphere 50 . preferably , but not necessarily , all of the depressions are in one hemisphere , and there are no depressions in the other hemisphere 60 . hemispheres 50 and 60 are delineated by diameter 14 . the depressions preferably but not necessarily fall along circumferential planes ( circumferences ) that intersect the center of the hemisphere in which the depressions reside . for example , depressions 13 and 14 fig2 are bilaterally symmetric about circumference 12 that passes through hemisphere 50 center 10 . in this non - limiting example , each of the depressions has a length along the circumference on which it lies of about 1 and 1 / 16 inch , which is about 1 / 8th of the approximate nine - inch circumference of the ball . this length is labeled “ b ” in fig2 . in this example , the depression begins at a distance “ a ” from hemisphere center 10 of about 11 / 16th inch . each depression has a width “ c ” of about 1 / 4 ″, and a maximum depth of about 1 / 8 ″. as can be seen in the section ( fig4 ), the depressions at their bottom have a relatively straight wall section 18 ( which follows the spherical contour of the outer wall of the ball ), and an upwardly - curved distal end wall section 20 . this contour gives the depressions a gradually increasing depth along their length , moving away from center 10 . preferably , but not necessarily , the depressions are most shallow closest to the hemisphere center , and deepest very close to their distal ends , which are farthest from the hemisphere center . also , preferably but not necessarily , the depressions are equally spaced radially about the center of the hemisphere . for example , as best shown in fig2 , the eight depressions are equally spaced radially about center 10 , with one depression every 45 degrees about the center . the inventive ball is preferably blow molded of a polyethylene plastic material . because the ball is blow molded ( and thus integral ), the ball is relatively strong and is less likely to tear or crack than is a ball with openings in it , or one that is made of two hemispheres welded together . also , because the ball has depressions rather than openings , it is less affected by the air as it travels , which increases the distance over which it can be thrown and hit . at the same time , however , the depressions , and the pattern of depressions , still provide the types of movement that can be accomplished in a ball with openings rather than depressions . as shown in the drawings , the depressions are preferably equally spaced radially about hemisphere center 10 . however , the depressions do not need to be equally spaced . the ball can comprise two or more depressions , preferably equally spaced radially about the hemisphere center . the number , size , location , arrangement , and shape of the depressions are not limitations of the disclosure , however . rather , two or more depressions in one hemisphere of a hollow molded plastic ball will accomplish at least some aspects of the disclosure , and thus are considered to be within the scope of the invention . a number of implementations have been described . nevertheless , it will be understood that additional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the inventive concepts described herein , and , accordingly , other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims .
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in general , the instant invention relates to a remotely - controllable retractable covering for architectural openings 10 . as depicted in fig1 and 1a , the apparatus comprises a control system mounted in a head rail 12 for extending , retracting , and otherwise adjusting a covering 14 attached between the head rail 12 and a bottom rail 16 , wherein the control system mounted in the head rail may be operated using a remote control 18 . in a preferred embodiment , two main mounting brackets 20 attach the head rail 12 to a desired mounting surface ( e . g ., a wall above the opening ), two battery pack mounting brackets 22 attach a power supply 24 to the head rail 12 , and two limit stops 26 prevent over - retraction and over - extension of the covering 14 . a particularly preferred covering 14 for use with the present invention comprises a first flexible sheet 28 and a second flexible sheet 30 with vanes 32 attached between these first and second flexible sheets 28 , 30 , respectively . the first and second flexible sheets 28 , 30 , respectively , are secured to the bottom rail 16 . left and right end caps 34 , 34 ′, respectively , support components , aesthetically shield various internal components from view , and include auxiliary support pockets 36 that may be used in select applications to position the head rail 12 above an architectural opening to be covered . as depicted in fig2 the power supply 24 is hidden from view in the preferred embodiment when the head rail 12 is attached to a mounting surface . referring next to fig3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , and 8 , details concerning the elements comprising each main mounting bracket 20 are described . fig3 depicts the main mounting bracket 20 supporting the right end of the apparatus as depicted in fig1 . as shown in fig3 and 4 , each main mounting bracket 20 includes an upper break away tab 38 and a lower break away tab 40 . these upper and lower break away tabs 38 , 40 , respectively , may be used to properly distance the head rail 12 from the mounting surface . if the tabs 38 , 40 are not required , they may be broken away from the remainder of the main mounting brackets 20 . as shown to best advantage in fig3 each main mounting bracket 20 comprises four adjustable mounting slots 42 , two on a top surface 43 and two on a back surface 45 . mounted in the center of each main mounting bracket 20 is a pressure strip 44 , which , in the preferred embodiment , is metallic . the pressure strip 44 is shown to best advantage in fig5 and 8 . in fig8 it is clearly shown that the pressure strip 44 includes a pair of holes including a locking tab hole 46 and a second hole 48 . near a distal end 50 of the pressure strip 44 , a notch 52 is formed on each side of the pressure strip 44 , and the pressure strip 44 is slightly bent downward adjacent the notches 52 on the side of the notches 52 closest to the second hole 48 . fig8 also includes an isometric view of a retention clip 54 . the retention clip 54 comprises a downward projecting portion 56 , which snaps over the front of a top edge 58 of an arcuate cover 60 ( fig1 ) when the mounting bracket 20 is positioned on the arcuate cover 60 ( see fig3 , and 6 ). the retention clip 54 also includes a first upper guide 62 , a second upper guide 64 , and a lower guide 66 . when the retention clip 54 is slid onto the distal end 50 of the pressure strip 44 , the portion of the pressure strip 44 between its distal end 50 and the notches 52 is guided into the slot defined between the lower guide 66 , and the first and second upper guides 62 , 64 , respectively , ( see fig5 and 6 ). fig5 shows the first and second upper guides 62 , 64 , respectively , in position over the top surface of the section between the distal end 50 and the notches 52 . fig6 shows the same relationship between the first and second upper guides 62 , 64 , respectively , and the section between the distal end 50 and the notches 52 ; and fig6 also depicts the lower guide 66 of the retention clip 54 riding on the bottom surface , as depicted , of the pressure strip 44 between its distal end 50 and the notches 52 in the pressure strip 44 . as seen to best advantage in fig5 and 8 , a pair of detents 68 are formed in the retention clip 54 beneath the first upper guide 62 . when the pressure strip 44 is inserted into the retention clip 54 , these detents 68 snap into the notches 52 in the pressure strip 44 . once the retention clip 54 is thereby retained on the distal end 50 of the pressure strip 44 , the opposite end of the pressure strip 44 is inserted under a retention bridge 69 and into a slot 70 formed in the top surface 43 of the main mounting bracket 20 . this slot 70 in the top surface 43 of the main mounting bracket 20 may be seen to best advantage in fig3 and 5 . when the pressure strip 44 is inserted completely into the slot 70 in the top surface 43 , a locking tab 72 snaps through the locking tab hole 46 in the pressure strip 44 ( see fig3 and 7 ), thereby retaining the pressure strip 44 in the slot 70 in the top surface 43 of the main mounting bracket 20 . once the main mounting bracket 20 is assembled by slipping the distal end 50 of the pressure strip 44 into the retention clip 54 , and then slipping the opposite end of the pressure strip 44 into the slot 70 in the top surface 43 of the main mounting bracket 20 , the main mounting bracket 20 may be attached to the head rail 12 . as may be seen to best advantage in fig4 and 6 , the main mounting bracket 20 attaches to a mounting lip 74 of the arcuate cover 60 . each main mounting bracket 20 includes an upper leg 76 and a lower leg 78 defining a slot 80 therebetween ( fig6 ). as seen to best advantage in fig5 both the upper leg and the lower leg ( shown in phantom ) extend laterally from side - to - side of the main mounting bracket 20 . when the main mounting bracket 20 is forced onto the arcuate cover 60 , it snaps into and retains its position thereon . in order to more clearly understand how each main mounting bracket 20 snappingly attaches to the arcuate cover 60 , several features of the arcuate cover 60 must first be described . referring to fig4 , and 21 , the elements of the arcuate cover 60 ( labeled in fig1 ) are described . each of these figures shows the cross section of the arcuate cover 60 . the arcuate cover 60 includes a top edge 58 that is substantially perpendicularly joined to a front surface 82 that is curved toward the covering 14 at the arcuate cover &# 39 ; s 60 bottom edge 84 . moving toward the rear of the head rail 12 ( to the right in fig4 , and 21 ) from the intersection of the top edge 58 with the front surface 82 of the arcuate cover 60 along the bottom or inside portion of the top edge 58 , a downward ridge 86 is first encountered . continuing toward the rear of the head rail 12 , the top edge 58 slopes downward at a shoulder 88 to the mounting lip 74 , which extends along the full longitudinal length of the back side of the top edge 58 of the arcuate covering 60 . the lowest point of the downward ridge 86 and the under side of the mounting lip 74 are substantially coplanar as seen to best advantage in fig6 . moving downward , as depicted , along the front surface 82 of the arcuate cover 60 from the intersection of the front surface 82 with the top edge 58 , a support ledge 92 is encountered on the inside , as depicted , of the front surface 82 . continuing substantially horizontally from the support ledge 92 , a support ridge 94 is next encountered . the support ledge 92 and the support ridge 94 are substantially coplanar . a sloped channel 96 is defined between the support ledge 92 and the support ridge 94 . an upper trough 98 is defined below the support ledge 92 between the back side of the front surface 82 and one side of the sloped channel 96 . near the bottom edge 84 of the front surface 82 of the arcuate cover 60 a lower trough 100 is defined . the left and right end caps 34 , 34 ′, respectively , each has an arcuate portion ( not shown ) defined on its inside surfaces that engages the upper and lower troughs 98 , 100 , respectively , on the inside of the front surface 82 of the arcuate cover 60 . thus , the end caps 34 , 34 ′ are frictionally held onto the arcuate cover 60 by the upper and lower troughs 98 , 100 , respectively . referring again to fig4 and 6 , attachment of the main mounting brackets 20 to the arcuate cover 60 is now described . the lower leg 78 of each main mounting bracket 20 includes a split tongue 102 having a compression slot 104 across its entire width . in other words , the compression slot 104 shown in cross section in fig4 and 6 extends through the lower leg 78 from one lateral edge of the lower leg 78 to the other lateral edge . when the mounting bracket 20 is forced onto the arcuate cover 60 , the split tongue 102 portion of the lower leg 78 is inserted into the “ pocket ” formed by the underside of the mounting lip 74 , the downward ridge 86 , the support ledge 92 , and the support ridge 94 . since the top - to - bottom thickness of the split tongue 102 of the lower leg 78 is slightly greater than the vertical distance between the plane defined by the downward ridge 86 and the inside of the mounting lip 74 , and the plane defined by the support ledge 92 and the support ridge 94 , the split tongue 102 is compressed slightly as it is inserted into the previously defined pocket . the compression slot 104 thereby decreases in size as the split tongue 102 is forced into the pocket . since the upper and lower portions of the split tongue 102 resist this compression , this resistance helps maintain the main mounting bracket 20 in position . while the split tongue 102 is being inserted into the above - defined pocket , the slot 80 defined between the upper leg 76 and the lower leg 78 of the main mounting bracket 20 slides over the mounting lip 74 on the top edge 58 ( see fig6 ). when the mounting lip 90 is completely seated into the slot 80 , the downward projecting portion 56 of the retention clip 54 snaps over the corner of the top edge 58 . the main mounting bracket 20 is thus held securely in position by the split tongue 102 , slot 80 , and retention clip 54 . in particular , the main mounting bracket 20 cannot move further leftward in fig6 because the base of the mounting lip 74 is pressing against the bottom of the slot 80 , and the main mounting bracket 20 will not move rightward in fig6 because of the downward projecting portion 56 of the retention clip 54 . similarly , up - and - down motion of the main mounting bracket 20 is inhibited by the interaction between the lower leg 78 , the upper leg 76 , the retention clip 54 , and the arcuate cover 60 . if it becomes desirable to remove the main mounting bracket 20 from the arcuate cover 60 , the downward bias generated by the pressure strip 44 that keeps the retention clip 54 clipped over the arcuate cover 60 may be overcome by lifting upward on the retention clip 54 , for example , by pressing a thumb upward against the downward projecting portion 56 of the retention clip 54 to force it onto the top edge 58 of the arcuate cover 60 . when the downward projecting portion 56 of the retention clip 54 is thus disengaged from the arcuate cover 60 , the main mounting bracket 20 may be pulled rightward in fig4 and 6 with sufficient force to completely remove the main mounting bracket 20 from the arcuate cover 60 . referring next to fig1 , 9 a , 9 b , 21 , 22 , 23 , and 24 , construction of a limit stop 26 and attachment of the limit stop 26 to the arcuate cover 60 is described next . as clearly depicted in the preferred embodiment of fig1 and 3 , the present invention includes two limit stops 26 that prevent over - retraction and over - extension of the covering 14 . fig9 a is an exploded , isometric view of one limit stop 26 . as shown in this figure , each limit stop 26 comprises four main components : a mounting half 106 , a working half 108 , a biasing spring 110 , and a hinge pin 112 . looking first at the working half 108 , one edge comprises a plurality of alternating hinge portions 114 . in the preferred embodiment , these hinge portions 114 each comprise approximately half of a hinge section . corresponding hinge portions 116 are located on the mounting half 106 . the hinge portions 114 on the working half 108 interlock with the hinge portions 116 on the mounting half 106 , thereby forming a hinge channel to accommodate the hinge pin 112 . when the mounting half 106 and the working half 108 of the limit stop 26 are assembled , the hinge pin 112 is slid through the channel defined by the hinge portions 114 , 116 , and the hinge pin 112 is slid through a loop in the central portion of the biasing spring 110 to maintain the spring &# 39 ; s position between the mounting half 106 and the working half 108 . a spring groove 118 is cut in the top portion , as depicted , of the main body 113 of the working half 108 , and a similar spring groove ( not shown ) may be formed in the middle one of the retention fingers 122 on the mounting half 106 . two pivot stops 124 are mounted on the working half 108 of the limit stop 26 . these pivot stops 124 comprise plate - like surfaces near the hinge edge of the working half 108 . two of the hinge portions 116 on the mounting half 106 comprise extensions 126 that impact the pivot stops 124 if the assembled limit stop 26 starts to flex too greatly in one direction about the hinge pin 112 . for example , in fig9 a and 21 , if the mounting half 106 were held stationary and the working half 108 were rotated far enough counter - clockwise , the extensions 126 on the mounting half 106 would impact the pivot stops 124 on the working half 108 of the limit stop 26 , thereby preventing excessive upward or counter - clockwise rotation of the working half 108 of the limit stop 26 . referring to fig9 a , the mounting half 106 of the limit stop 26 includes three retention fingers 122 in the preferred embodiment . the retention fingers 122 are suspended above the main body 128 , thereby forming a “ pocket ” between the main body 128 and the retention fingers 122 . on a distal edge of the main body 128 is a substantially vertical projection 130 . referring now to fig2 , when the mounting half 106 of the limit stop 26 is slid onto the top edge 58 of the arcuate cover 60 , the substantially vertical projection 130 on the distal edge of the main body 128 snaps into an upper channel 132 ( clearly visible in fig4 and 6 ) defined by the front surface 82 of the arcuate cover 60 and the downward ridge 86 on the underside of the top edge 58 of the arcuate cover 60 , while the retention fingers 122 frictionally engage the top surface of the mounting lip 74 and the main body 128 slides under the mounting lip 74 and the downward ridge 86 . the limit stop 26 is thereby attached to the arcuate cover 60 in close frictional engagement therewith . as shown in fig9 a , 9 b , and 21 , the working half 108 of the limit stop 26 includes two bottom rail stop arms 134 . the function of the bottom rail stop arms 134 will be described further below with reference to fig2 . the underside of the working half 108 ( see fig9 b ) includes two curvilinear portions 136 , which ride on the outer surface of the covering 14 as it is rolled onto a roll bar 138 ( see fig2 ). where these curvilinear portions 136 intersect the main body 113 , a pocket 140 is defined ( most clearly visible on the right - hand edge of fig9 a ). as shown in fig2 , this pocket 140 helps prevent over - rotation of the roll bar 138 and over - extension of the covering 14 . if , for some reason , the apparatus attempts to over extend the covering 14 , a forward extending stop rib 142 of the roll bar 138 gets trapped in the pocket 140 defined behind the curvilinear portions 136 ( fig2 ). when the forward extending stop rib 142 is thus captured by the pocket 140 , a motor 144 ( fig1 ) rotating the roll bar 138 is stalled , preventing over - rotation of the roll bar 138 . from the direction depicted in fig2 , the roll bar 138 rotates clockwise during extension of the covering 14 and counter - clockwise during retraction of the covering 14 . starting from the position shown in fig2 , when it is time to retract the covering 14 , the roll bar 138 is caused to rotate counter - clockwise by the gear motor 144 ( the gear motor is clearly visible in fig1 , for example ). the curvilinear portions 136 of the working half 108 of the limit stop 26 are designed to permit retraction of the covering 14 even after the apparatus has attempted to overly extend the covering 14 . the shape of the forwarding extending stop rib 142 also helps in this regard since it has an arched back surface that impacts the curvilinear portions 136 during retraction of the covering 14 ( i . e ., during the first counterclockwise rotation of the roll bar 138 as depicted in fig2 ). referring now to fig1 , 11 a , 11 b , 11 c , and 11 d , attachment of the power supply 24 to the head rail 12 is described next . referring first to fig3 a , and 11 b , the portions of each battery pack mounting bracket 22 that mounts it to the arcuate cover 60 are described next . first and second upper legs 146 , 148 , respectively , extend over a substantially longer tongue 150 having a substantially rectangular port or window 152 in it ( fig1 a ). a pair of slots 154 are formed where the first and second upper legs 146 , 148 , respectively , intersect the base of the tongue 150 ( fig1 a ). a flexible arm 156 ( fig1 b ) extends from the side of the port 152 nearest the base of the tongue 150 and substantially fills the port 152 . near the free end of the flexible arm 156 , a pair of ridges 158 , 160 on the underside of the flexible arm 156 define a channel 162 . when the battery mounting bracket 22 is in position on the arcuate cover 60 , the tip 151 ( see fig1 a ) of the tongue 150 extends into the “ pocket ” defined by the downward ridge 86 , the underside of the mounting lip 74 , the support ledge 92 , and the support ridge 94 ( the support ledge 92 and the support ridge 94 are clearly shown in fig6 ). the two slots 154 between the first and second upper legs 146 , 148 , respectively , and the tongue 150 frictionally engage the mounting lip 74 , and the channel 162 in the flexible arm 156 captures the support ridge 94 , with the second ridge 160 of the flexible arm 156 being accommodated by the sloped channel 96 integrally formed in the arcuate cover 60 ( fig1 b ). referring next to fig1 , 10 , 11 a , 11 c , and 11 d , the power supply 24 and hardware for mounting it to the head rail 12 are next described . as shown to best advantage in fig1 and 2 , the power supply 24 is mounted on the back side of the head rail 12 and is thereby substantially hidden from view . fig1 a is an exploded view of the components comprising the power supply 24 . the battery pack mounting brackets 22 are attached to the arcuate cover 60 as previously described . the appropriate distance , which is a function of the length of the battery tube ( or battery pack ) 206 which itself is a function of the energy requirements of the control system , is established between the mounting brackets 22 using a distancing strip 164 ( see fig1 and 11 a ). as shown in fig1 and 11a , the distancing strip 164 has a lip 166 on each end of it and a hole 168 near each end of it . the lip 166 on one end of the distancing strip 164 clips over one mounting bracket 22 , while the lip 166 on the opposite end of the distancing strip 164 clips over the edge of the other battery pack mounting bracket 22 . the distancing strip 164 in position with the lips 166 so arranged with respect to the battery pack mounting brackets 22 is most clearly shown in fig1 . a strip bed 170 ( fig1 a ) is defined in the bottom of each battery pack mounting bracket 22 , and a placement pin 172 projects from the bottom of the strip bed 170 . the strip bed 170 is approximately as deep as the distancing strip 164 is thick . thereby , when the distancing strip 164 is properly placed , the placement pin 172 in each battery pack mounting bracket 22 is accommodated by the holes 168 in the distancing strip 164 , and the strip bed 170 in each battery pack mounting bracket 22 is substantially filled by the distancing strip 164 . once the first and second battery pack mounting brackets 22 are attached to the arcuate cover 60 , and are arranged the appropriate distance apart by the distancing strip 164 , the remainder of the power supply 24 may be assembled . a first conductor terminal plate 174 is attached to a conductor plate bed 176 in an adjustable , conductor - end anchor piece 178 ( fig1 a and 11 c ). the first conductor terminal plate 174 is metal , while the adjustable , conductor - end anchor piece 178 is plastic in the preferred embodiment . the first conductor terminal plate 174 may be snapped onto pins extending from the conductor plate bed 176 , or it may be bolted onto the conductor plate bed 176 , or the first conductor terminal plate 174 may be glued directly onto the conductor plate bed 176 . subsequently , a battery tube support piece 180 is attached to the adjustable , conductor - end anchor piece 178 ( best seen in fig1 c ). in the preferred embodiment , the battery tube support piece 180 snaps onto the adjustable , conductor - end anchor piece 178 . the battery tube support piece 180 includes a conductor port 182 ( fig1 a ). a second conductor terminal plate 184 is riveted to the battery tube support piece 180 in the preferred embodiment ( see fig1 c ). once the adjustable , conductor - end anchor piece 178 and the battery tube support piece 180 are fixed to one another in the manner described further below , a first locking lug 186 is attached to the adjustable , conductor - end anchor piece 178 . the locking lug 186 is inserted into a lug hole 188 in the adjustable , conductor - end anchor piece 178 . the first locking lug 186 includes a screwdriver slot 190 in a cylindrical portion 192 , and an irregular , enlarged portion 194 is adjacent the cylindrical portion 192 . the lug hole 188 includes an expansion slot 196 through the center of it . when the first locking lug 186 is rotated using a screwdriver inserted into the screwdriver slot 190 , the enlarged portion 194 of the first locking lug 186 tends to expand the expansion slot 196 , thereby preventing the adjustable , conductor - end anchor piece 178 from sliding in the first battery pack mounting bracket 22 . the adjustable , conductor - end anchor piece 178 includes a first lip 198 and a second lip 200 near its bottom surface ( fig1 c ). once the first locking lug 186 is inserted into the lug hole 188 in the adjustable , conductor - end anchor piece 178 , and after the first conductor terminal plate 174 has been attached to the adjustable , conductor - end anchor piece 178 , and the battery tube support piece 180 has been attached to the adjustable , conductor - end anchor piece 178 , the first lip 198 may be slid into a first groove 202 of the first battery pack mounting bracket 22 , while the second lip 200 is slid into a second groove 204 of the first battery pack mounting bracket 22 . when the adjustable , conductor - end anchor piece 178 is thus slid into the first battery pack mounting bracket 22 , the anchor piece 178 rides on top of the distancing strip 164 , thereby keeping the distancing strip 164 in its strip bed 170 , and keeping the first locking lug 186 in the lug hole 188 in the anchor piece 178 . once the anchor piece 178 is positioned at a desired location , the first locking lug 186 may be rotated to expand the expansion slot 196 and thereby nonpermanently fix the anchor piece 178 to the first battery pack mounting bracket 22 . the power supply 24 on the preferred embodiment also includes a side - by - side battery tube 206 , which , in the preferred embodiment , holds eight aaa batteries 208 . one end of the battery tube 206 includes a fixed end cap 210 having two external conductor strips on it . the second external conductor 212 is visible in fig1 a . the opposite end of the battery tube includes a removable end cap 214 having a conductive strip 216 on its inner surface to connect the four batteries 208 in one side of the battery tube 206 in series with the four batteries 208 on the opposite side of the battery tube 206 . the removable end cap 214 also includes a figure eight portion 218 , which fits into an end of the side - by - side battery tube 206 until the conductive strip 216 contacts the batteries 208 in the battery tube 206 . the removable end cap 214 also includes a cylindrical portion 220 that is cradled by a compression spring slider piece 222 ( see fig1 d ). when the fixed end cap 210 of the battery tube 206 is properly inserted into the battery tube support piece 180 , the external conductors on the fixed end cap 210 make electrical contact with the first and second conductor terminal plates 174 , 184 , respectively ( both may be seen in fig1 c ). in particular , the second external conductor 212 on the fixed end cap 210 makes electrical contact with the second conductor terminal plate 184 , which is riveted to the conductor port 182 in the battery tube support piece 180 . similarly , the first external conductor on the fixed end cap 210 makes electrical connection with the first conductor terminal plate 174 mounted in the conductor plate bed 176 of the adjustable , conductor - end anchor plate 178 . as shown in fig1 c , a first wire lead 224 is soldered to the first conductor terminal plate 174 , and a second wire lead 222 is soldered to the second conductor terminal plate 184 . the cylindrical portion 220 of the removable end cap 214 is supported by the compression spring slider piece 222 ( fig1 and 11 d ). the compression spring slider piece 222 includes an arcuate support surface 228 that cradles the cylindrical portion 220 of the removable end cap 214 . an arcuate outer wall 230 also engages the cylindrical portion 220 of the removable end cap 214 . an abutment surface 232 extends between the arcuate support surface 228 and the arcuate outer wall 230 , and this abutment surface 232 presses against the end of the removable end cap 214 , holding it in position . one side of the compression spring slider piece 222 includes a range - limiting bracket 234 . the range - limiting bracket 234 extends around and behind an upright wall 236 of a compression spring anchor piece 238 . a compression spring 240 maintains pressure between the compression spring anchor piece 238 and the compression spring slider piece 222 . the compression spring slider piece 222 and the compression spring anchor piece 238 each includes a spring - mounting pin 242 having an outside diameter that is substantially the same size as the inside diameter of the compression spring 240 . the compression spring 240 may be thereby slid onto the spring - mounting pins 242 . to assemble the three primary components that support the removable end cap 214 , a second locking lug 244 ( which is the same as the first locking lug 186 in the preferred embodiment ) is inserted into a lug hole 246 in the compression spring anchor piece 238 . this lug hole 246 ( visible in fig1 a and 11d ) similarly is divided by an expansion slot 248 in the base of the compression spring anchor piece 238 . the compression spring anchor piece 238 includes a first lip 250 and a second lip 252 . the first lip 250 is slidably engaged in a first groove 254 of the second battery pack mounting bracket 22 , while the second lip 252 of the compression spring anchor piece 238 is slidable engaged in a second groove 256 of the second battery pack mounting bracket 22 . since the first and second battery pack mounting brackets 22 are the same in the preferred embodiment , the first groove 254 of the second battery pack mounting bracket is the same as the first groove 202 of the first battery pack mounting bracket . similarly , the second groove 256 of the second battery pack mounting bracket is the same as the second groove 204 of the first battery pack mounting bracket . when the anchor piece 238 is thus slid into the second battery pack mounting bracket 22 , the underside ( not labeled ) of the anchor piece 238 keeps the distancing strip 164 in the strip bed 170 of the second battery pack mounting bracket 22 , and the second locking lug 244 is held in the lug hole 246 . the compression spring slider piece 222 also includes a first lip 258 and a second lip 260 . the compression spring 240 is slid over the mounting pin 242 of the anchor piece 238 , and then the first and second lips 258 , 260 , respectively , of the compression spring slider piece 222 are slid into the first and second grooves 254 , 256 , respectively , of the second battery pack mounting bracket 22 , while ensuring that the range - limiting bracket 234 is placed around the upright wall 236 of the compression spring anchor piece 238 . once the anchor piece 238 and the slider piece 222 are each inserted into the grooves 254 , 256 of the second battery pack mounting bracket 22 , and the compression spring 240 is properly placed between these two pieces 238 , 222 , they may be placed in a desired position along the first and second grooves 254 , 256 , respectively . once the anchor piece 238 is properly positioned , a screwdriver blade is inserted into the screwdriver slot of the second locking lug 244 , and the second locking lug 244 is rotated to spread the expansion slot 248 and thereby hold the compression spring anchor piece 238 in the desired position in the first groove 254 and second groove 256 of the second battery pack mounting bracket 22 . the compression spring anchor piece 238 thereby also keeps the compression spring slider piece 222 from falling out of the first groove 254 and second groove 256 of the second battery pack mounting bracket 22 . if the slider piece 222 slides in a first direction , it eventually compresses the compression spring 240 enough that the slider piece 222 cannot slide any further in the first direction . if , on the other hand , the slider piece 222 slides in the opposite direction , the range - limiting bracket 234 eventually gets caught by the upright wall 236 of the compression spring anchor piece 238 . when the removable end cap 214 is properly mounted to the end of the battery tube 206 , it may be slid into the compression spring slider piece 222 . in order to insert the battery tube 206 into position , it may be necessary to manually force the slider piece 222 toward the anchor piece 238 , thereby compressing the compression spring 240 to provide sufficient space to slip the cylindrical portion 220 of the removable end cap 214 into frictional engagement with the arcuate support surface 228 and the arcuate outer wall 230 of the compression spring slider piece 222 . when the compression spring 240 is permitted to force the compression spring slider piece 222 away from the compression spring anchor piece 238 , the pressure generated by the spring 240 maintains the battery tube 206 in the desired position between the battery tube support piece 180 and the compression spring slider piece 222 . fig1 c and 11d show details concerning the hardware that support the ends of the battery tube 206 depicted in fig1 a . referring first to fig1 c , details concerning the adjustable , conductor - end anchor plate 178 and the battery tube support piece 180 are described next . fig1 c shows details of the two pieces that support the fixed end cap 210 of the battery tube 206 , namely the adjustable , conductor - end anchor piece 178 and the battery tube support piece 180 . the conductor - end anchor piece 178 includes a conductor plate bed 176 integrally formed therein ( see fig1 a for a clear view of the conductor plate bed 176 ). as shown in fig1 c , the first conductor terminal plate 174 is mounted in the conductor plate bed 176 , and a first wire lead 224 is soldered to the first conductor terminal plate 174 . near the mid section of the conductor end anchor piece 178 are two upright support arms 262 , each having a hole in its distal end ( see fig1 c ). these substantially vertical upright support arms 262 flex outward slightly so that the holes in the support arms 262 will snap over the mounting pins 264 on the battery tube support piece 180 when the battery tube support piece 180 is snapped into position . on the left end of the conductor - end anchor piece 178 , as depicted in fig1 c , is a lug hole 188 and expansion slot 186 , which are both integrally formed in the conductor - end anchor piece 178 . the lug hole 188 rotatably accommodates the cylindrical portion 192 of the first locking lug 186 . the bottom side ( not shown ) of the conductor - end anchor piece 178 , below the lug hole 188 shown in fig1 c , is cut out to accommodate the enlarged portion 194 of the first locking lug 186 . the cylindrical portion 192 has a screwdriver slot 190 formed therein . when the first locking lug 186 is positioned in the lug hole 188 and a screwdriver is used to rotate the locking lug 186 , the enlarged portion 194 of the locking lug 186 expands the expansion slot 196 in a known manner to force the first lip 198 and second lip 200 apart . thus , when the first lip 198 of the conductor - end anchor piece 178 is in the first groove 202 of the first battery pack mounting bracket 22 and the second lip 200 is in the second groove 204 of the first battery pack mounting bracket 22 , rotation of the locking lug 186 nonpermanently fixes the position of the conductor - end anchor plate 178 relative to the first battery pack mounting bracket 22 . the battery tube support piece 180 includes a pair of mounting pins 264 that are pivotally accommodated by the substantially vertical upright support arms 262 of the conductor - end anchor piece 178 . the mounting pins 264 are positioned below the conductor port 182 ( visible in fig1 a ) of the battery tube support piece 180 . the mounting pins 264 , which define the pivot axis of the battery tube support piece 180 are also mounted below the center of the abutment surface 266 of the support piece 180 ( the center of the abutment surface 266 roughly corresponds to the position of the conductor port 182 , which has the second conductor terminal plate 184 riveted to it in fig1 c ). thus , when the fixed end cap 210 of the battery tube 206 is positioned against the abutment surface 26 of the battery tube support piece 180 , pressure exerted by the fixed end cap 210 against the abutment surface 266 tends to rotate the battery tube support piece 180 , if at all , counterclockwise about the mounting pins 264 depicted in fig1 c . this counterclockwise rotation of the battery tube support piece 180 in the holes in the upright support arms 262 of the conductor - end anchor piece 178 rotates the trailing edge 268 of the support piece 180 against the surface of the conductor - end anchor piece 178 . as clearly shown in fig1 c , the second conductor terminal plate 184 is riveted in the conductor port 182 ( visible in fig1 a ), and the second wire lead 226 is soldered to the second conductor terminal plate 184 , which is visible in fig1 c . when the battery tube 206 is correctly positioned in the battery tube support piece 180 , and the battery tube support piece 180 is snapped into position in the conductor - end anchor piece 178 , the batteries 208 in the battery tube 206 are connected in series with the first wire lead 224 and the second wire lead 226 . the first and second lead wires 224 , 226 , respectively , are then connected to a plug 270 , which may be seen in fig3 . once the power supply 24 is positioned on the back of the head rail 12 , the plug 270 on the end of the first wire lead 224 and the second wire lead 226 is plugged into a power connection port 272 visible in , for example , fig3 and 14 . focusing now on fig1 d , the details concerning the hardware components that support the removable end cap 214 of the battery tube 206 are described next . the compression spring anchor piece 238 includes a lug hole 246 divided by an expansion slot 248 . the lateral edges of the bottom portion of the anchor piece 238 comprises a first lip 250 and a second lip 252 . when the anchor piece 238 is correctly positioned in the second battery pack mounting bracket 22 ( fig1 a ), the first lip 250 rides in the first groove 254 and the second lip 252 rides in the second groove 256 . once the anchor piece 238 is correctly positioned in the second battery pack mounting bracket 22 , the locking lug 244 is rotated in the lug hole 246 to expand the expansion slot 248 and frictionally bind the anchor piece 238 in the second battery pack mounting bracket 22 . the anchor piece 238 also includes a substantially vertical upright wall 236 that has a spring mounting pin 242 integrally formed thereon . once the anchor piece 238 is properly positioned , the compression spring 240 may be slipped onto the spring mounting pin 242 of the anchor piece 238 . the spring mounting pin 242 is designed to frictionally fit into the inside of the compression spring 240 . the compression spring slider piece 222 is next positioned in the second battery pack mounting bracket 22 by placing the range - limiting bracket 234 around the upright wall 236 of the compression spring anchor piece 238 and slipping the first lip 258 and the second lip 260 on the bottom lateral edges of the slider piece 222 into the first groove 254 and second groove 256 on the second battery pack mounting bracket 22 . the side of the abutment surface 232 that is not visible in fig1 d has a spring mounting pin like the pin 242 integrally formed on the compression spring anchor piece 238 . this spring mounting pin rides inside the opposite end of the compression spring 240 , thereby trapping the compression spring 240 between the compression spring anchor piece 238 and the compression spring slider piece 222 . when thus mounted , the compression spring slider piece 222 is prevented from sliding off the second battery pack mounting bracket 22 by the interaction between the range - limiting bracket 234 and the upright wall 236 , and the interaction between the first lip 258 and second lip 260 of the slider piece 222 in the first groove 254 and second groove 256 , respectively , of the second battery pack mounting bracket 22 . the slider piece 222 may , however , slide toward and away from the compression spring anchor piece 238 a predetermined amount by applying varying amounts of pressure to the abutment surface 232 and thereby compressing the compression spring 240 or permitting it to expand . the arrangement depicted in fig1 d thereby maintains longitudinal pressure on the battery tube end caps 210 , 214 , which enhances the battery tube &# 39 ; s ability to maintain a complete electrical circuit . fig1 shows a cross - sectional view of the gear motor 144 and the circuit board housing 274 , which protects a circuit board 276 ( see fig1 ) that controls operation of the gear motor 144 . in the preferred embodiment , the gear motor 144 , which is powered through first and second power terminals , 145 , 147 , respectively , is a reversible , direct current ( dc ) motor . also shown in fig1 is a signal receiver 278 and a manual operation switch 280 . as shown in fig1 , the circuit board housing 274 includes ports that accommodate the signal receiver 278 and a plug 282 . depending upon the particular mounting of the retractable covering 14 , the signal receiver 278 and the plug 282 may be interchanged to facilitate the clearest line of sight from the remote control 18 to the signal receiver 278 . referring now to fig1 and 15 , additional details concerning the drive end of the head rail 12 are visible . a power connection port 272 is visible in fig1 . when the power supply 24 is properly mounted on the head rail 12 as previously described , a plug 270 ( visible in fig3 ) connected to the first wire lead 224 and the second wire lead 226 is plugged into the power connection port 272 shown adjacent the circuit board housing 274 in fig1 . the power connection port 272 is connected by a ribbon cable 284 to the circuit board 276 inside of the circuit board housing 274 . the gear motor 144 shown in fig1 has a gear shaft 286 attached to it . the gear shaft 286 is clearly visible in fig1 . the distal end of the gear shaft includes a pair of locking tabs 288 . surrounding a portion of the gear shaft 286 is a motor gear 290 . in the preferred embodiment , the motor gear 290 comprises fifteen teeth or splines . in the preferred embodiment , three orbiting transfer gears 292 slide onto corresponding dowels or pivot pins 294 mounted at equal intervals around the motor gear 290 so as to meshingly engage the motor gear 290 . in the preferred embodiment , the orbiting transfer gears 292 each comprises twenty - one teeth or splines . subsequently , an internal gear 296 is slid over the orbiting transfer gears 292 so that the internal gear 296 meshes with the three orbiting transfer gears 292 . in the preferred embodiment , the internal gear 296 comprises fifty - eight teeth or splines . when the internal gear 296 is sufficiently slid onto the orbiting transfer gears 292 , the pair of locking tabs 288 on the distal end of the gear shaft 286 retain the internal gear 296 in position . as shown to good advantage in fig1 and 15 ( see also fig2 and 22 ), the internal gear 296 has extended ribs 297 on its outer surfaces 299 . these extended ribs 297 ride in an alignment channel 301 comprising part of the roll bar 138 . thus , when the gear motor 144 drives the internal gear 296 , that in turn drives the roll bar 138 through the interaction between the extended ribs 297 and the alignment channel 301 . a plurality of smaller ribs 303 ride on the inner surface of the roll bar 138 when it is mounted on the internal gear 296 . fig1 is an exploded isometric view of the circuit board 276 in the circuit board housing 274 . clearly visible in fig1 is the signal receiver 278 and the signal receiver wiring 298 shown in two selectable positions . the signal receiver 278 may be mounted in either side of a circuit board housing cover 300 , depending upon the intended mounting location for the covering 14 . in the preferred embodiment , the signal receiver wiring 298 has a plug 302 soldered to it that plugs into an appropriate socket 304 on the circuit board 276 . the ribbon cable 284 that joins the circuit board 276 to the power connection port 272 ( fig1 ) may be seen in fig1 . also , a rotator counter 306 that provides required position information to the electronics may be seen in fig1 . fig1 , 18 , 19 , and 20 show the primary features of the remote control 18 . fig1 is an isometric view of the top surface of the remote control 18 . clearly visible in fig1 is a frequency selection switch 308 . in the preferred embodiment , it is possible to select one of two control frequencies so that more than one retractable covering 14 may be separately controlled by a single remote control 18 . mounted just below the frequency selection switch 308 , as depicted , is a control rocker switch 310 . also shown in fig1 is a control signal 312 emanating from the end of the remote control 18 . fig1 is an exploded isometric view of the back side of the remote control 14 showing a battery housing cover 314 and a locking tab 316 that holds the battery housing cover 314 in position over the three aaa batteries 318 used by the remote control 18 in the preferred embodiment . fig1 is a top view of the remote control 18 and shows further details of the control switches . in particular , the control rocker switch 310 includes a raised up arrow 320 and a recessed down arrow 322 . since the up arrow 320 is slightly raised and the down arrow 322 is slightly recessed , it is possible to use the remote control 18 in low light or no light conditions . also visible in fig1 is a transmission indicator led 324 . when the up arrow 320 or down arrow 322 on the rocker switch 310 is pressed , the transmission indicator led 324 lights so that the user knows that the remote control 18 is attempting to transmit a signal 312 to the receiver 278 mounted in the head rail 12 . finally , fig2 shows an end view of the remote control 18 along line 20 — 20 of fig1 . clearly visible in fig2 is the control signal transmitter port 326 ( this port is also shown in phantom in fig1 ). the control signal 312 emanates from the transmitter port 326 . thus , the transmitter port 326 must be aimed at the receiver 278 during transmission . fig2 depicts the limit stop 26 operating to prevent the roll bar 138 from over - rotating and thereby over - extending the covering 14 . as previously discussed , if the gear motor 144 attempts to over - extend the covering 14 , the forward extending stop rib 142 will engage the pocket 140 defined by the main body 113 and the curvilinear portion 136 of the working half 108 of the limit stop 26 . the locking engagement between the forward extending stop rib 142 and the pocket 140 prevents the roll bar 138 from continuing to rotate . when the roll bar 138 is thus stopped from rotating , the electronics continue to command the drive motor 144 to rotate the roll bar 138 , but no rotation results . after a short duration , the electronics realize that the gear motor 144 is stalled and command the gear motor 144 to stop attempting to extend the covering 14 . fig2 also clearly shows a first sheet - retention channel 305 retaining the first flexible sheet 28 , and a second sheet - retention channel 307 retaining the second flexible sheet 30 . when the control system is commanded to retract the covering 14 , the forward extending stop rib 142 is easily rotated out of engagement ( counterclockwise in fig2 ) with the pocket 140 on the underside of the limit stop 26 and , as the covering 14 is wound around the roll bar 138 , it rolls over the top of the forward extending stop rib 142 , thereby covering it . when the covering 14 is not fully extended , the forward extending stop rib 142 is covered or concealed by the covering 14 . thus , if the system is commanded to extend the covering 14 , and the covering 14 is not yet fully extended , the curvilinear portions 136 of the stop limit 26 slide over the exterior surface of the covering 14 , and the forward extending stop rib 142 does not and cannot become trapped in the pocket 140 behind the curvilinear portions 136 . when the control system is operating properly , the forward extending rib 142 does not get caught in the pocket 140 since the control system commands extension of the covering 144 to stop before it attempts to over - rotate the roll bar 138 and over - extend the covering 14 . this latter , more typical , operation of the control system is shown in fig2 . the general operation of the remotely - controllable the retractable covering 10 of the present invention is described next . the covering 14 may be in the configuration depicted in fig2 , which is in its most retracted configuration . from this fully retracted configuration , the operation of the remotely - controllable retractable covering 10 proceeds as follows . if the down arrow 322 on the remote control 18 is pressed and released one time , the gear motor 144 begins to drive the roll bar 138 to extend the covering 14 ( i . e ., clockwise as depicted in fig2 - 24 ). if no additional buttons are pressed on the remote control 18 , the motor 144 continues to drive the roll bar 138 until the covering 14 is fully extended , but in a minimum transmissivity configuration ( i . e ., the vanes 32 between the first flexible sheet 28 and the second flexible sheet 30 are blocking the maximum amount of light and air transmission through the covering ). this configuration is not shown separately in the figures , but the bottom rail 16 would be in a position similar to that depicted in fig2 , and the covering 14 would be otherwise filly extended . then , if the down arrow 322 is pressed and released a second time while the covering 14 is in the fully extended configuration , the gear motor 144 again rotates the roll bar 138 ( clockwise as depicted in fig2 ) until the bottom rail 16 is horizontal and the transmissivity through the covering 14 is at a maximum ( i . e ., the vanes 32 between the first flexible sheet 28 and the second flexible sheet 30 are in a substantially horizontal configuration ). this configuration of the covering 14 is shown in fig2 . when the blind is in the resulting “ fully opened ” configuration , any further pressing of the down arrow 322 on the remote control 18 has no effect on the configuration of the covering 14 . if , instead , the up arrow 320 on the remote control 18 is pressed and released one time while the covering 14 is in its fully opened configuration ( the fig2 configuration ), the gear motor 144 rotates the roll bar 138 until the covering 14 is in its “ fully closed ” configuration ( i . e ., until the vanes 32 between the first flexible sheet 28 and the second flexible sheet 30 are substantially vertical and block the maximum amount of light or air attempting to pass through the covering 14 ). this latter configuration change involves rotating the roll bar 138 in a counterclockwise direction as depicted in fig2 . the covering 14 then remains in its fully extended but minimally transmissive configuration until another button 320 , 322 is pressed on the remote control 18 . if the up arrow 320 is again pressed and released , the gear motor 144 is commanded to drive the roll bar 138 until the covering 14 is in its fully retracted configuration ( shown in fig2 ), which is the configuration from which operation of the retractable covering commenced in this example . whenever the covering 14 is in motion , that motion may be interrupted by pressing and releasing either the up arrow 320 or the down arrow 322 on the remote control 18 . the up - and - down operation of the covering 14 and the transmissivity - adjustment of the covering 14 may both be interrupted by pressing either the up arrow 320 or the down arrow 322 on the remote control 18 . for example , if the gear motor 144 has been commanded to extend the covering 14 , and the bottom rail 16 is traveling downward but has not yet reached its lowest point of travel ( see fig2 ), if either the up arrow 320 or the down arrow 322 on the remote control 18 is pressed and released , the gear motor 144 is commanded to cease all motion of the covering 14 . if the down arrow 322 is then pressed and released , the gear motor 144 will be commanded to continue extending the covering 14 . if , on the other hand , the up arrow 320 is pressed and released after the covering 14 was stopped , the gear motor 144 will be commanded to reverse the direction of rotation of the roll bar 138 , and will begin to retract the covering 14 onto the roll bar 138 ( i . e ., the roll bar 138 will be rotated in the counterclockwise direction as depicted in fig2 - 24 ). similarly , if the covering 14 is being retracted and the up arrow 320 or the down arrow 322 is pressed and released , retraction of the covering 14 stops . then , if the up arrow 320 is pressed and released again , retraction of the covering 14 commences . if , on the other hand , the down arrow 322 is pressed and released after stopping the retraction of the covering 14 , the gear motor 144 will begin to rotate the roll bar 138 so as to extend the covering 14 . transmissivity of the extended covering 14 is also fully adjustable using the remote control 18 . when the covering 14 is in its fully extended configuration , the transmissivity of the covering 14 ( i . e ., the amount of light or air that is permitted to pass through the covering 14 ) may be adjusted by selectively pressing and releasing either the up arrow 320 or the down arrow 322 . when the covering 14 is in its fully extended configuration , the gear motor 144 operates in a second , slower speed . therefore , the transmissivity adjustments take place at the slower speed . the counter 306 used to determine the position of the covering 14 commands the gear motor 144 to operate at the slower speed for a predetermined number of counts from the fully extended configuration of the covering 14 . the counter 306 is thus able to inform the gear motor 144 via the circuit board 276 when the covering 14 is configured for maximum transmissivity , minimum transmissivity , or any desired level of transmissivity between the maximum and the minimum . the control system of the present invention uses counting as a primary means of controlling the position and orientation of the bottom rail 16 relative to the head rail 12 . in certain situations , the control system may place the gear motor 144 into a stall as a means of determining what configuration the covering 14 is in . for example , if the gear motor 144 attempts to over - extend the covering 14 , as depicted in fig2 , the forward extending stop rib 142 on the roll bar 138 will engage the pocket 140 behind the curvilinear portion 136 of the working half 108 of the limit stop 26 . if such capture of the forward extending stop rib 142 occurs , the gear motor 144 is thereby placed in a stall , which informs the circuitry that the gear motor 144 is attempting to over - rotate the roll bar 138 and over - extend the covering 144 . after being in a stall for a short period , the gear motor 144 is instructed to stop attempting to rotate the roll bar 138 . a second scenario where the gear motor 144 may be placed into a stall occurs when the covering 14 is fully retracted , as shown in fig2 . as shown , in the fully retracted configuration , an edge of the bottom rail 16 strikes the bottom rail stop arms 134 on the working half 108 of the limit stop 26 . this interaction between the bottom rail 16 and the stop arms 134 accomplishes two goals . first , when the gear motor 144 rotates the roll bar 138 sufficiently to drive an edge of the bottom rail 16 into the stop arms 134 , the curvilinear portions 136 on the underside , as depicted in fig9 b , of the working half 108 of the limit stop 26 are thereby raised off the roll bar 138 and the covering material 14 that has collected thereon . second , when the bottom rail 16 is captured by the bottom rail stop arms 134 , the gear motor 144 ultimately goes into a stall , and the control electronics recognize the stall and shut down the gear motor 144 . thus , the covering 14 takes on its fully retracted configuration , wherein the bottom rail 16 holds the working half 108 of the limit stop 26 off of the actual covering material 14 , which prevents the curvilinear portions 136 which ride on the covering material 14 as it is retracted or extended from creasing or denting , which may otherwise occur if the covering 14 is kept in a fully retracted configuration over an extended period of time . it is also possible to control the retractable covering apparatus of the present invention without using the remote control 18 . a manual operation switch 280 is mounted to the circuit board housing 274 and circuit board housing cover 300 ( see fig1 and 13 , for example ). selective pressing of the manual operation switch 280 permits a user to configure the covering 14 in any desired configuration that is obtainable through use of the remote control 18 . in general , with each press of the manual operation switch 280 , the control electronics on the circuit board 276 treat each press of the manual operation switch 280 as first a press of the up arrow 320 on the remote control 18 followed by a press of the down arrow 322 on the remote control 18 , or vice versa . in other words , each time the manual operation switch 280 is pressed , the control electronics interpret that as alternating presses of the up arrow 320 and down arrow 322 on the remote control 18 . an exception to this general rule by which the control electronics interpret the presses of the manual operation switch 280 occurs when the covering 14 is in its fully extended configuration . when the covering 14 is in the fully extended configuration , the control electronics must determine whether the user is attempting to retract the covering 14 or merely adjust the transmissivity of the fully extended covering 14 . for example , if the covering 14 is in its fully extended configuration and its minimally transmissive configuration ( i . e ., the covering 14 has just reached its fully extended configuration and stopped ), a subsequent press of the manual operation switch 280 is interpreted by the control electronics as a command to “ open ” the extended covering 14 , increasing the transmissivity thereof by rotating the roll bar 138 to move the vanes 32 to a more horizontal configuration . if the manual operation switch 280 is again pressed during adjustment of the transmissivity , the gear motor 144 is signaled to stop movement . if the covering 14 is thus placed in a configuration somewhere between its maximally transmissive configuration and its minimally transmissive configuration , a subsequent press and release of the manual operation switch 280 will either increase the transmissivity or decrease the transmissivity depending upon whether the transmissivity was increasing or decreasing when the manual operation switch 280 was pushed to stop motion of the gear motor 144 . if the transmissivity was being increased when the gear motor 144 was commanded to stop rotating the roll bar 138 , a subsequent press and release of the manual operation switch 280 will instruct the control electronics to command the gear motor 144 to continue increasing the transmissivity as long as the maximum transmissivity configuration had not yet been achieved . if , on the other hand , the transmissivity was being reduced when the manual operation switch 280 was pressed to stop rotation of the roll bar 138 , a subsequent press and release of the manual operation switch 280 will cause the control electronics to instruct the gear motor 144 to rotate the roll bar 138 to continue decreasing the transmissivity until the minimum transmissivity configuration is obtained or the manual operation switch 280 is again pressed , whichever occurs first . in summary , if the manual operation switch 280 is pressed while the gear motor 144 is rotating the roll bar 138 and the covering 14 has not yet reached a fully extended or fully retracted configuration , the gear motor 144 will be commanded to stop rotating the roll bar 138 . a subsequent press and release of the manual operation switch 280 will reverse the direction of rotation of the roll bar 138 . for example , if the covering 14 was being extended before the gear motor 144 was instructed to stop rotating the roll bar 138 , a subsequent press and release of the manual operation switch 280 will result in the gear motor 144 rotating the roll bar 138 so as to retract the covering 14 . on the other hand , if the gear motor 144 was driving the roll bar 138 so as to retract the covering 14 when the manual operation switch 280 was pressed to stop retraction of the covering 14 , a subsequent press and release of the manual operation switch 280 will cause the control electronics to command the gear motor 144 to rotate the roll bar 138 so as to extend the covering 14 . when the covering 14 is in the fully extended configuration ( see fig1 and 22 ), pressing and releasing the manual operation switch 280 does not necessarily reverse the direction of rotation of the roll bar 138 . the direction of rotation of the roll bar 138 is only reversed if the transmissivity has reached a maximum before the manual operation switch 280 is pressed and released two times . for example , if the transmissivity is being increased , but has not yet reached the maximum transmissivity configuration , when the manual operation switch 280 is pressed and released , rotation of the roll bar 138 stops . if the manual operation switch 280 is again pressed and released , the roll bar 138 is rotated in the same direction that it was previously rotating until the maximum transmissivity configuration is obtained . thus , the direction of rotation of the roll bar 138 is not always reversed following an interruption or stopping of the motion of the roll bar 138 while adjusting transmissivity ( i . e ., while the covering 14 is in its fully extended configuration ). fig2 a is a block diagram of the control system electronics . fig2 b and 25c are schematic diagrams of the control system electronics . the electronics are described next using fig2 a , 25 b , and 25 c . input power for the electronics is supplied by one or more batteries 208 connected in series . connected between the battery 208 and the microprocessor 328 is circuitry 330 that provides battery reversal protection , a voltage regulator , noise filters , and a fuse to an h bridge . the voltage regulator is always on , and the quiescent current for the regulator is about one micro amp . a resistor r 1 and two capacitors c 2 and c 5 together filter motor noise and prevent it from affecting the voltage regulator . a third capacitor c 3 provides additional power filtering . finally , the fuse f 1 provides fault protection to the h bridge circuit . the microprocessor 328 has a built in “ watch dog ” timer that is used to wake up the microprocessor from sleep mode . resistor r 2 and capacitor c 4 form an oscillator at nominally 2 . 05 mh (± 25 %). resistor r 0 allows for in - circuit programming . the receiver 278 in the preferred embodiment is a 40 khz infrared receiver connected to terminals p 3 and p 4 . power is supplied to the receiver directly from the microprocessor 328 . the output from the receiver 278 ( high when idle , low when a valid signal is being received ) is connected to the microprocessor 328 . an external photo - eye may be connected to terminal p 2 ( to board via jumper j 1 - 2 ). it is automatically used as soon as it is connected ( and the internal photo - eye is then ignored ). switch s 1 is the manual operation switch 280 , which is shown , for example , in fig1 . a slotted optical sensor 306 is mounted for rotation with the roll bar 138 . a light emitter used in conjunction with the slotted optical sensor 306 is on only when the microprocessor 328 needs to check the sensor 306 , and is driven by the microprocessor 328 with current limiting resistor r 3 . the output of the sensor ( an open collector transistor ) is connected to a microprocessor pin with an internal pull - up resistor . three leads from the microprocessor 328 control the h bridge : left ( left n mosfet ), right ( right n mosfet ), and run ( which turns on the appropriate p mosfet ). the n mosfets ( q 1 a and b ) are turned on by placing five volts on the gate . a p mosfet ( q 2 a or b ) will be turned on when the run signal is high and either left or right is low . when this happens , q 3 a or b will turn on and pull the gate of q 2 a or b to ground , which turns it on ( r 4 a or b pulls the gate to the same level as the source , and keeps the p mosfet off ). this setup only allows a p mosfet to be on if the n mosfet on the same side is off . if both left and right are low when run is active , then both p mosfets will turn on and act as a brake . diodes internal to the p mosfets provide protection from back emf from the motor . the output of the h bridge connects to the motor via jumper j 3 - 4 , then via connector p 5 or p 6 depending on left versus right - hand operation . capacitor c 5 filters some of the high frequency noise from the motor . all times discussed in the present specification are nominal ; actual times vary by ± 25 %. also when the ir receiver is turned on , during the first millisecond ( msec ) of the interval the output is ignored to allow the unit to settle . the following discusses the modes of operation of the microprocessor 328 . normal sleep / wake operation : microprocessor 328 wakes up and checks the override button . if it is not pushed , the ir receiver 278 is turned on for 5 . 5 msec . any active ir signal will cause the receiver 278 to be turned on again for 55 msec looking for a valid signal . in sleep , the n mosfets are both on ( brake ), the p mosfets are off , the opto - sensor led is off , the ir receiver 278 power and signal leads are driven low , and the option and manual switches are driven low . this is the minimal power state . sleep lasts nominally 300 msec ( 210 minimum - 480 maximum ). this time is set by an rc timer inside the microprocessor 328 and is independent of the clock . if the override button was pushed , then the ir receiver 278 is not turned on yet . the motor will be activated in the opposite direction from the last movement , and then the ir receiver 278 will start cycling ( see below ). if any signals are present during the 5 . 5 msec test interval , then the receiver 278 stays off for 9 . 5 msec ( during this time no other components are on besides the microprocessor 328 ). then the receiver 278 is turned on for 55 msec . during this time , the receiver 278 is checked every 160 μsec . this data is checked by a state machine . at the end of the interval , the receiver 278 is shut off . if a valid sequence ( our channel either up or down ) was not received , then the microprocessor 328 goes back to a sleep mode . if a valid up ( down ) command was received , and the upper ( lower ) limit has not been reached , then the motor 144 is turned on going up ( down ). if the command was up ( down ), and the upper ( lower ) limit has been reached , then the remote button is checked to determine if it is held for more than 1 . 7 seconds . if so , then the limit is over - ridden and the motor 144 starts in the appropriate direction . if it later stalls , a new limit will be set . during this check , the microprocessor 328 stays on the entire time , and the receiver 278 is cycled 9 . 5 msec off , 55 msec on . motor running : the receiver 278 is cycled 9 . 5 msec off , 55 msec on . after the on time , the status is checked : ( 1 ) the button is still held from when the motor 144 started ( leave motor running ); ( 2 ) the button has been released ( leave motor running ); or ( 3 ) the button has been re - pushed which means stop ( see below ). in a similar fashion the manual override button is checked every cycle . if the opto - sensor 306 changes state , then the stall timer is reset and the revolution counter is updated depending on the direction the motor 144 and hence the covering are moving . if the covering is moving up , then it is checked to determine if it reached the upper limit , and if so , then the motor 144 is stopped . if the lower limit is reached and the covering is moving down , then the motor 144 is stopped . finally , the stall timer is checked . if it expires , then the motor is stopped and a new limit is set . stop : the p mosfets are turned off , and after 1 msec , the n mosfets are both turned on ( brake ), then the manual pushbutton and the ir remote are checked to determine that they are no longer pushed , then the microprocessor 328 reverts to a sleep mode . fig2 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , and 32 together comprise a flow chart representation of the logic used by the control system of the present invention . the logic may be implemented in software or firmware for execution by the microprocessor 328 . all times shown in the flow chart are nominal . actual times may vary in the preferred embodiment by ± 25 %. items in a box are actions that are performed . items in a diamond are tests that are made and the possible outcomes are written next to the arrows leaving the diamond . an arrow to a number goes to that number on another figure . the following ten scenarios provide insight into how the control system electronics follow the logic depicted in fig2 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , and 32 . batteries 208 first inserted , no buttons pushed . execution starts with item 400 in fig2 , then 402 to initialize the system . the system then stays in the idle loop with items 404 , 410 , 416 , and 420 . covering 14 not fully closed , motor 144 is stopped , the down button 322 on the transmitter 18 is pushed and released , and the user lets it go to the transition point . we are somewhere in the idle loop 404 , 410 , 426 , 420 when item 412 completes , the result of the test will be yes , moving to condition 2 ( i . e ., from element 414 on fig2 to element 432 on fig2 . item 434 ( fig2 ) will cycle the ir sensor 278 , which will decode the button , and we move to condition 4 ( i . e ., from element 448 on fig2 to element 458 on fig2 ), which executes items 460 and 462 , which starts the motor 144 going down , full speed , and we move to condition 7 ( i . e ., from element 464 on fig2 to element 490 on fig3 ). we are now in a loop doing item 492 . as the motor 144 turns , the rotating sensor 306 will change , causing us to go to condition 8 ( i . e ., from element 496 on fig3 to element 512 on fig3 ), and item 520 where we decrement the rotation counter . assuming we do not reach the transition point , we move back to condition 7 ( i . e ., from element 546 on fig3 to element 490 on fig3 ) and the loop doing item with the motor 144 running at full speed . task number 1 in item 492 will cause the system to check if the button 310 on the transmitter 18 is still pushed . when it is released , this is noted . the motor 144 continues , and we go back to the loop doing item 492 . finally , the covering 14 reaches the transition point . we go through items 514 , 520 , 524 , 532 , 536 ( fig3 ) and condition 10 ( i . e ., we move from element 542 of fig3 to element 506 of fig3 ), and item 508 which stops the motor 144 and puts us back in the idle loop 404 , 410 , 416 , 420 ( fig2 ). covering 14 not fully closed , motor 144 is stopped , the down button 322 on the transmitter 18 is pushed then released , and the user lets it go awhile , then pushes the button 322 again to stop the covering 14 partially closed . we got to the loop doing item 492 ( fig3 ) the same as scenario 2 . task number 1 in item 492 will cause the system to check if the button 322 on the transmitter 18 is still pushed . when it is released , this is noted . the motor 144 continues , and we go back to the loop doing item 492 . when the button 322 is re - pushed , this same task takes us to condition 10 where we go to item 508 , where we stop the motor 144 . we stay in item 508 until the button is released . then we go back to the idle loop 404 , 410 , 416 , 420 ( fig2 ). covering 14 not fully closed , motor 144 is stopped , the up button 320 on the transmitter 18 is pushed and released , and the user lets it go to the top limit . we are somewhere in the idle loop 404 , 410 , 416 , 420 ( fig2 ). when item 410 completes , the result of the test in item 412 will be “ yes ,” moving to condition 2 ( i . e ., we move from element 414 of fig2 to element 432 of fig2 ). item 434 will cycle the ir sensor 278 , which will decode the button 320 , and we move to condition 3 ( i . e ., we move from element 452 in fig2 to element 454 of fig2 ), which executes items 456 and 462 , which starts the motor 144 going up , full speed , and we now transfer from element 464 of fig2 to element 490 of fig3 . we are now in a loop doing item 492 . as the motor 144 turns , the rotation sensor will change , causing us to go to condition 8 ( i . e ., from element 496 of fig3 to element 512 of fig3 ) and item 518 , where we increment the rotation counter 306 . assuming we do not reach the top , we go back to the loop doing item 492 ( fig3 ) with the motor 144 running at full speed . task number 1 in item 492 will cause the system to check if the button 320 on the transmitter 18 is still pushed . when it is released , this is noted . the motor 144 continues and we go back to the loop doing item 492 . finally , the covering 14 reaches the upper limit . we go through items 514 , 518 , 526 ( fig3 ) and condition 10 ( i . e ., from element 530 of fig3 to element 506 in fig3 ), and item 508 , which stops the motor 144 and puts us back in the idle loop 404 , 410 , 416 , 420 . covering 14 not fully open , motor 144 is stopped , the up button 320 on the transmitter 18 is pushed then released , and the user lets it go awhile , then pushes the button 320 again to stop it partially open . we get to the loop doing item 492 ( fig3 ) the same as scenario 4 . task number 1 in item 492 will cause the system to check if the button 320 on the transmitter 18 is still pushed . when it is released , this is noted . the motor 144 continues , and we go back to the loop doing item 492 . when the button 320 is re - pushed , this same task takes us to condition 10 where we go to item 510 , where we stop the motor 144 . we stay in item 510 until the button 320 is released . then we go back to the idle loop 404 , 410 , 416 , 420 ( fig2 ). covering 14 at top limit , motor 144 is stopped , the up button 320 on the transmitter 18 is pushed and held until the limit is over - ridden , and the user lets it go to the top stall ( or stalls it partially open to set a new upper limit ). we are somewhere in the idle loop 404 , 410 , 416 , 420 ( fig2 ). when item 410 completes , the result of the test in item 412 will be “ yes ,” moving to condition 2 ( i . e ., from element 414 in fig2 to element 432 in fig2 ). item 434 will cycle the ir sensor 278 , which will decode the button 320 , and we move to condition 4 ( i . e ., from element 448 in fig2 to element 458 in fig2 ), which executes item 460 and 462 , which starts the motor 144 going down , full speed . we are now in a loop doing item 492 ( fig3 ). as the motor 144 turns , the rotation sensor will change , causing us to go to condition 8 ( i . e ., from element 496 on fig3 to element 512 on fig3 ) and item 520 , where we decrement the rotation counter 306 . assuming we do not reach the bottom , we go back to the loop doing item 492 with the motor 144 running at full speed . when the motor 144 reaches the top , or for any other reason stops rotating ( stalls ), the stall timer will time - out , and we go to condition 9 ( i . e ., from element 500 in fig3 to element 548 in fig3 ). we execute item 552 to set the new upper limit , then go to item 508 ( fig3 ), where we stop the motor 144 . then we go back to the idle loop 404 , 410 , 416 , 420 ( fig2 ). task number 1 in item 492 ( fig3 ) will cause the system to check if the button on the transmitter 18 is still pushed . when it is released , this is noted . the motor 144 continues and we go back to the loop doing item 492 . brand new covering 14 not at bottom , motor 144 is stopped , the down button 322 on the transmitter 18 is pushed and released , and the user lets it go to the bottom stall . we are somewhere in the idle loop 404 , 410 , 416 , 420 ( fig2 ). when item 410 completes , the result of the test in item 412 will be “ yes ,” moving to condition 2 ( i . e ., from element 414 in fig2 to element 432 of fig2 ). item 434 will cycle the ir sensor 278 , which will decode the button 322 , and we move to condition 4 ( i . e ., from element 448 of fig2 to element 458 of fig2 ) which executes item 460 and 462 , which starts the motor 144 going down , full speed . we are now in a loop doing item 492 ( fig3 ). as the motor 144 turns , the rotation sensor will change , causing us to go to condition 8 ( i . e ., from element 496 of fig3 to element 512 of fig3 ) and item 520 , where we decrement the rotation counter 306 . assuming we do not reach the bottom , we go back to the loop doing item 492 ( fig3 ) with the motor 144 running at full speed . when the motor 144 reaches the bottom , or for any other reason stops rotating ( stalls ), the stall timer will time - out , and we go to condition 9 ( i . e ., from element 500 of fig3 to element 548 of fig3 ). we execute item 554 ( fig3 ) to set the new lower limit and transition point , then go to item 508 ( fig3 ) where we stop the motor 144 . then we go back to the idle loop 404 , 410 , 416 , 420 ( fig2 ). task number 1 in item 492 ( fig3 ) will cause the system to check if the button 322 on the transmitter 18 is still pushed . when it is released , this is noted . the motor 144 continues and we go back to the loop doing item 492 . covering 14 fully closed , motor 144 is stopped , the down button 322 on the transmitter 18 is pushed unintentionally and released quickly . we are somewhere in the idle loop 404 , 410 , 416 , 420 ( fig2 ). when item 410 completes , the result of the test in item 412 will be “ yes ,” moving to condition 2 ( i . e ., from element 414 of fig2 to element 432 of fig2 ). item 434 will cycle the ir sensor 278 , which will decode the button 322 , and we move to condition 5 ( i . e ., from element 446 of fig2 to element 466 of fig2 ), which starts the loop running item 468 . when the user realizes the covering 14 is already down and releases the button 322 , we go to the idle loop 404 , 410 , 426 , 20 ( fig2 ). covering 14 fully open , motor 144 is stopped , the up button 320 on the transmitter 18 is pushed unintentionally and released . we are somewhere in the idle loop 404 , 410 , 416 , 420 ( fig2 ). when item 410 completes , the result of the test in item 412 will be “ yes ,” moving to condition 2 ( i . e ., from element 414 of fig2 to element 432 of fig2 ). item 434 will cycle the ir sensor 278 , which will decode the button 320 , and we move to condition 6 ( i . e ., from element 450 in fig2 to element 478 in fig2 ), which starts the loop running item 480 . when the user realizes the covering 14 is already down and releases the button 320 , we go to the idle loop 404 , 410 , 416 , 420 ( fig2 ). same as scenarios 2 - 6 but the manual button 280 is pushed instead of the ir button 310 . instead of moving to condition 2 we go to condition 1 ( i . e ., from element 408 in fig2 to element 422 in fig2 ). we then go the opposite way that we moved last time . we then go to condition 3 ( i . e ., from element 428 in fig2 to element 454 in fig2 ) or 4 ( i . e ., from element 430 in fig2 to element 458 in fig2 ) just like we pushed the appropriate button on the remote 18 . we get to loop doing item 492 ( fig3 ), and the scenarios are the same except we note the manual button 280 is released instead of the remote button 310 . if the manual button 280 is re - pushed ( as in scenario 3 or 5 ), then we execute item 508 , which stops the motor 144 , and then we go to the idle loop 404 , 410 , 416 , 420 ( fig2 ). although preferred embodiments of this invention have been described above , those skilled in the art could make numerous alterations to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention . further , all directional references ( e . g ., up , down , leftward , rightward , bottom , top , inner , outer , above , below , clockwise , and counterclockwise ) used above are to aid the reader &# 39 ; s understanding of the present invention , but should not create limitations , particularly as to the orientation of the apparatus . it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting .
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a pulse generator 9 provides various timing pulses to other elements of the system , including a master pulse which determines the frequency and duration of the power pulses . an automatic relay control 10 generates outputs responsive to the period of the master pulse . a pulse amplifier 11 responds to the master pulse to energize pulse drivers 13 . these drivers transmit power from a source 14 to turn on power output transistors in a power output control 15 . the power output control delivers d . c . pulses to the workpiece 17 and and tool 18 . the energy level of the pulse is controlled by resistor banks in the power output control inserted into the circuit by relays energized by relay drivers 19 , which are in turn controlled by signals from the relay control 10 . the emf across the tool - workpiece gap 21 is transmitted through lines 22 , 23 and 25 to a servo control 26 and the current cutoff control 27 . the current cutoff control also receives the master pulse from the pulse generator 9 and control signals from the relay control 10 . it acts through the pulse amplifier 11 to control power feed to the gap in the event of abnormal conditions . the servo control 26 may incorporate an electrohydraulic valve controlling a cylinder in the head feed 29 , which is mechanically connected to the tool 18 . the servo controlled feed may be interrupted by an interrupt circuit 30 responsive to a signal from the power output control . the interrupt circuit 30 also acts through a job circuit 31 to move the tool to or from working position . a transistor fail - pulse loss control 33 is provided to safeguard the machine and work against damage due to electrical system failures . this receives inputs from the pulse generator , the relay control , and the power output control and acts through a shutdown control 34 to put the system on stand - by , shutting off delivery of power from the output control 15 . this general description of a preferred edm control system should provide sufficient background for understanding the preferred environment of the servo control . referring now to fig2 this is a diagram of the preferred embodiment of the servo control circuit . this responds primarily to inputs of desired gap emf , actual gap emf , and the master pulse which controls the timing of the machining pulses . in the preferred embodiment , it delivers a variable reversible emf to a coil controlling a servo valve which directs hydraulic fluid to a tool feed cylinder . lines 22 and 23 connected respectively to the negative and positive sides of the machining gap enter fig2 at the upper left to provide an input of gap emf . line 22 provides a floating servo common for circuits to be described . line 23 is connected through 1 kilohm resistor 50 , 220 ohm resistor 51 , and 100 kilohm resistor 52 to the base of a transistor 54 and to common line 22 , as shown . the collector of this transistor is energized from plus 100 v . d . c . through 10 ohm resistor 55 , and its emitter is connected to common line 22 through 47 kilohm resistor 56 . a diode 58 is a clamp to protect the emitter - base circuit . emitter follower transistor 54 provides a stiff signal of increased power to a junction 59 . gap emf line 25 to the current cutoff control 27 is taken off from this junction . it also provides the input to a second emitter follower circuit which scales the signal down to about 1 / 3 level for the servo control . junction 59 connects through 10 kilohm resistor 60 , diode 62 , and 1 kilohm resistor 63 to the base of transistor 64 . the collector of 64 is energized from + 35 v . d . c . ( referred to line 22 ) through a 10 ohm resistor 66 , and the emitter connects to line 22 through a 4 . 7 kilohm resistor 67 . diode 68 protects the transistor . the input is filtered by 750 picofarad capacitor 70 and 10 kilohm resistor 71 . a 22 kilohm resistor 72 grounds the cathodes of diodes 62 and 68 to line 22 . the output of emitter follower 64 , at a junction 74 , is a stepped - down reproduction of gap emf . this control emf at junction 74 is directed through several circuits . that leading to the servo valve control runs through a diode 75 , type 1n4935 , having a maximum drop of 0 . 6 volts , and a 47 ohm resistor 76 to a 0 . 05 microfarad ceramic capacitor 78 the other side of which is grounded to common line 22 . the plus side of this capacitor is coupled through a 47 kilohm resistor 79 to a terminal 80 . this feeds into a high - impedance input of servo circuits to be described , which can drain the capacitor at a rate of only about 4 to 12 microamperes . it should be emphasized that small capacitor 78 is not an integrating device . it provides for temporary storage of the gap emf signal , and holds a relatively constant emf during the &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; or zero emf portion of the pulse cycle . in the event of abnormal gap conditions , it is very quickly drained , as will be explained after the description of the servo control output circuits . lines 80 and 22 are continued in the lower part of fig2 . the gap emf responsive potential between these lines proceeds through two concatenated emitter follower stages including transistors 82 and 83 . these are very small transistors , type 2n3903 . transistor 82 is a low drain emitter follower , transistor 83 is a signal power boost emitter follower . the collectors of these are energized from + 35 v . through 10 ohm resistor 84 . the base of 82 is directly connected to line 80 , and its emitter is grounded to line 22 through 33 kilohm resistor 86 and connected to the base of transistor 83 through 1 kilohm resistor 87 . diode 88 acts as an emitter - base clamp . the emitter of transistor 83 is grounded through 4 . 7 kilohm resistor 90 . the emitter provides a stiff master control signal to the input of differential output circuits , to be described , through a diode 91 and a 100 ohm resistor 92 . this control signal input goes to the base of an emitter follower transistor 93 . transistor 93 and a transistor 94 are in identical parallel circuits of a differential output control . transistor 93 receives a gap emf signal , transistor 94 a desired gap emf command signal . the output control energizes the tool feed control servo to maintain a match between these signals . the collectors of transistors 93 and 94 are energized in parallel from + 35 v . through a 10 ohm 1 / 2 watt resistor 95 . the base of transistor 93 receives a feedback signal as described above . the base of transistor 94 receives a potential representing a command input from a potentiometer 96 settable by the machine operator . this potentiometer is energized from + 35 v . through the potentiometer and a 5 . 1 volt zener diode 98 to common line 22 . the diode provides a 5 . 1 volt floor to the voltage taken from the slider of the potentiometer . this command signal is fed through 100 ohm resistor 99 and a diode 100 to the base of transistor 94 . as previously stated , transistors 93 and 94 are connected in identical parallel emitter follower circuits , energized from + 35v . through resistor 95 . the emitters of these transistors are connected through diodes 103 and 104 and 1 . 5 kilohm resistors 105 and 106 , respectively , to a junction 107 . this junction is grounded to common line 22 through the collector - emitter circuit of a transistor 108 and a diode 110 when gap conditions are normal . the emitters are connected to the bases through 10 kilohm resistors 111 and 112 . obviously , the emitters of transistors 93 and 94 follow the inputs on their bases , so the difference between potential levels at the emitters reflects the discrepancy or error between the control signal and the command signal . this is the output of the circuit . it is fed from line 114 through valve controlling solenoid 115 to the movable tap of a 2 . 5 kilohm potentiometer 116 connected between line 114 and line 117 . potentiometer 116 serves to attenuate the output under control of the machine operator to adjust the speed and acceleration of the tool feed servomechanism to the requirements of the particular machining operation . the potentiometer and coil are located on the machine remote from the control circuits . clearly the potential across coil 115 is substantially proportional to the difference between the inputs to transistors 93 and 94 . solenoid 115 , which is a 1200 ohm coil , drives a servo valve 120 , which may be of suitable known type , and which controls operation of a hydraulic cylinder ( not illustrated ) in head feed 29 which drives the tool 18 . what has been described would suffice as a servo control . however , this invention overcomes substantial defects of such a basic servo control by incorporation of circuits responsive to reverse bias on either diode 103 or 104 to provide a relatively low resistance shunt to the resistor 105 or 106 in the other side of the differential output control . referring first to the circuit through transistor 93 , its emitter is connected to the input circuit of an opto - coupler 125 of type til - 119 , the input circuit being completed to line 117 through a 10 ohm resistor 126 . the emitter is also connected through 100 ohm resistor 128 to the output of the opto - coupler , which is also connected to junction 107 . the other terminal of the output is connected through 100 ohm resistor 130 to line 117 . opto - coupler 125 is a known device commercially available from texas instruments , inc . it incorporates an infra - red emitting diode in the input circuit and a phototransistor in the output circuit . the connections to it are as indicated on fig2 . the opto - coupler acts as a transducer without any electrical coupling between input and output circuits . an identical opto - coupler is connected in the same way in the circuit of transistor 94 , through resistors 137 , 138 and 140 . in each case , terminals 1 and 2 connect to the anode and cathode , respectively , of the diode , and terminals 4 and 5 to the emitter and collector , respectively , of an npn phototransistor circuit . thus , the diode is forward - biased away from line 114 or line 117 . now , to explain the operation of this circuit , let us assume that the command signal fed to the base of transistor 94 is constant , which it normally is unless the machine operator adjusts potentiometer 96 to change the gap voltage setting . now , if gap voltage increases above the setting , base voltage on transistor 93 increases , becoming greater than the input to transistor 94 . the higher base voltage is followed by the emitter , increasing accordingly the potential on line 117 and the drop through resistor 105 . the higher potential feeds through potentiometer 116 and solenoid 115 to line 114 . with emitter potential of transistor 94 remaining substantially constant , diode 104 is backbiased , and the light - emitting diode in 136 is forwardbiased and conducts current from line 114 through resistors 137 and 138 to junction 107 . this turns on the transistor dircuit from line 114 through resistor 140 and the opto - coupler to junction 107 . as a result , 1500 ohm resistor 106 is shunted by 100 ohm resistor 140 and the output circuit of the coupler , which has a low drop . therefore , solenoid current flows through a roughly 100 ohm path to junction 107 instead of a 1500 ohm path , the heat losses are much reduced , and small resistors may be used . in the preferred embodiment , resistors 112 , 137 , and 140 are 1 / 4 watt , and resistors 106 and 105 are 2 watt . besides reducing heat generation in the solenoid control circuit , the reduction in resistance increases the flow through the solenoid 115 for a given differential between the two inputs at transistors 93 and 94 , increasing sensitivity and performance . if the control signal decreases below the command signal , operation will be obvious from the foregoing , since the circuits are symmetrical . in either case , the solenoid 115 operates through valve 120 to increase , decrease , or reverse the tool feed as required . it will be clear that the servo control circuit just described is usable with other types of servomechanisms which respond to an electrical input as , for example , electric motor servos . we now consider further refinements of the gap emf feedback circuit which provides the input to transistor 93 . as previously stated , a small capacitor 78 is charged through circuits including transistors 54 and 64 . the emf on this capacitor is fed to transistor 93 through transistors 82 and 83 . capacitor 78 is charged during machining cycle &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; period , and normally retains most of the charge during &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; time of the cycle . it is discharged rapidly to reverse servo feed if gap voltage during the &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; period becomes abnormally low . for these purposes , the servo control receives an input of the master pulse developed by pulse generator 9 , which master pulse also controls the duration of machining pulse on and off time . the master pulse enters the servo control at terminals 160 and 162 , which connect through 330 ohm resistor 163 to the input ( light - emitting diode ) terminals of a high - frequency opto - coupler 164 type 6n137 available from hewlett - packard . this coupler receives five volt energization from + 35 v . through a conventional circuit of resistors 166 and 167 and zener diode 168 . terminal 8 of the opto - coupler is connected to the output terminals through 1 kilohm resistor 170 and 0 . 01 mfd capacitor 171 as shown . output terminal 5 connects directly to the floating ground 22 and output terminal 6 to line 172 and thence through 2 . 2 kilohm resistor 174 and 10 kilohm resistor 175 to the floating ground . this provides an input through line 176 to the base of a transistor 177 , to be explained . line 172 also provides an input to logic circuits including four type dm7400 nand gates 180 , 182 , 184 and 186 . the signal on lines 160 and 162 is high when the machining gap is &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, low when it is &# 34 ; off &# 34 ;. coupler 164 inverts this signal . gate 180 re - inverts the signal , which it receives through a 100 ohm resistor 187 . the output of gate 180 is grounded through one kilohm resistor 188 and connected through 220 ohm resistor 190 to one input 191 of nand gate 184 . junction 74 , which carries the stepped - down gap emf signal , is connected by line 192 , resistors 193 ( 3 . 3 kilohm ), 194 ( 4 . 7 kilohm ) 195 ( 220 ohms ) and 196 ( 1 kilohm ) and zener diode 198 , as shown , to both inputs of gate 182 and to ground at 22 . the zener limits the input to gate 182 to 5 volts . gate 182 is an inverter . during the &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; portion of the pulse cycle its input is high , and during the &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; period its input is low . it provides the inverse signal to the input 201 of nand gate 184 . a 1 kilohm resistor 202 connects this input to ground . since the input on line 191 to gate 184 is high during the pulse &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; period , and the input on line 201 is high when gap emf is low , gate 184 delivers a high signal except when gap emf is low during the &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; portion of the cycle . this output is then inverted by gate 186 , which delivers a high signal only when gap emf is low during the &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; portion of the cycle . gate 184 is connected to the inputs of gate 186 by a 470 ohm resistor 204 , and the inputs are grounded through 2 . 2 kilohm resistor 205 . this input is also connected through a 100 picofarad capacitor 206 to the inputs of inverter 180 . this feedback improves the output wave form of the logic circuits . the output from inverter 186 , which is high when gap emf is low during the machining pulse , is conducted through line 210 and diode 211 to a junction 212 for a purpose to be described . line 210 is grounded through 4 . 7 kilohm resistor 214 . this brings us to circuits involving transistors 177 and 217 for affecting the emf stored in capacitor 78 in response to abnormal gap conditions . the inputs to these circuits are ; first , stepped - down gap emf at junction 74 ; second , a signal on line 176 to transistor 177 , which is high when the master pulse is &# 34 ; off &# 34 ;; and third , one on line 210 from the logic circuits , which is high when gap emf is low . junction 74 is connected through 3 . 3 kilohm resistor 220 to the collector of transistor 177 , the emitter of which is grounded through diode 221 . this transistor acts as a clamp when the master pulse is &# 34 ; off &# 34 ;. the high signal to the base turns this transistor on to pull the potential at its collector down . this turns transistor 217 off . the collector of transistor 177 is connected through diode 224 and 2 . 2 kilohm resistor 225 to junction 212 . a 200 picofarad capacitor 226 bridges components 224 and 225 . junction 212 is grounded through 10 kilohm resistor 228 and coupled to the base of transistor 217 through a 470 ohm resistor 230 . junction 212 also receives an input from the logic circuits through diode 211 . therefore , if either of the inputs to junction 212 is high , transistor 217 is turned on . current then flows from a junction 234 through 4 . 7 kilohm resistor 236 , transistor 217 , and diode 238 to common line 22 . if transistor 217 is turned off , small storage capacitor 78 may discharge only slowly into the transistor 82 . however , when transistor 217 conducts , there is a low - resistance discharge path for capacitor 78 through resistor 236 . transistor 217 conducts when gap emf is low during the &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; time of the cycle . it is held off during the &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; time of the cycle . thus , if gap voltage drops to an abnormally low level during the metal - removing portion of the cycle , capacitor 78 is drained to cause the servo to back off ; but the normal drop in gap voltage during the &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; time of the cycle does not affect the capacitor which loses only a slight portion of its charge . since a drop in potential of capacitor 78 indicates to the servo valve control circuits that the tool is too close to the work , the servo circuits will react to stop or back off the tool in this case . however , when conditions at the gap are stable and satisfactory , the input to transistor 93 remains nearly constant . the machine operator may set the desired gap voltage at potentiometer 96 , and the servo will maintain it , responding when needed to low gap emf which may be caused by chips in the gap . gap emf may be indicated to the operator by a slowresponse voltmeter ( not shown ) connected to the emitter of transistor 83 . now to an additional feature of the servo control , which relates to control during traverse of the tool head . in brief outline , this involves means operative during traverse or jogging of the machine tool head to turn off the differential emitter follower circuit control of the servo valve 120 , and also means responsive to abnormally low gap emf to re - establish servo control . such abnormally low gap emf could be due to control between the tool and workpiece . a line 250 leading from the emitter of transistor 83 conducts a gap emf signal through a blocking diode 251 and 6 . 8 kilohm resistor 252 to the base of a transistor 254 , which is grounded to the common through 10 kilohm resistor 256 . the collector is energized from + 35 v . through 2 . 2 kilohm resistor 257 . the base is connected through diode 258 to the base of transistor 94 . a diode 259 connects the emitter of transistor 254 to the base . the emitter is connected to common through the input circuit of another opto - coupler 260 , type til - 119 , for a reason to be explained . if gap voltage is high , transistor 254 will turn on and pull its collector voltage down to about 2 volts , lower than can be set on potentiometer 96 . however , low gap voltage , turning the transistor off , sends a substantially 35 v . signal through diode 258 , overriding the signal from potentiometer 96 . this tells the servo control that gap emf is too low , and the servo will retract the tool . the maximum signal from transistor 254 or from the potentiometer is higher than the maximum input to transistor 93 , so that the machine is instructed that the gap is too short . the above assumes that the differential servo control circuit is operative . it is only when transistor 108 is conductive to allow flow to the floating common through the differential control circuit . transistor 108 normally is held conductive by an input from + 35 v . through a 1500 ohm resistor 264 , a blocking diode 265 , and a 100 ohm resistor 266 to its base . a 1 kilohm resistor 268 normally couples this base circuit to common . however , the base of transistor 108 is normally grounded during head traverse by an input from the cycle interrupt circuit 30 ( fig1 ). this circuit proceeds from an input connection 270 through the output circuit of opto - coupler 260 , a 100 ohm resistor 271 , a line 272 , and the input circuit of opto - coupler 274 of type til - 119 to ground . line 276 is a current return line to the cycle interrupt circuit 30 . capacitors 278 and 280 are 0 . 1 mfd and 6 . 8 mfd , respectively . these filter the circuits to ground . when the input of opto - coupler 274 is energized , its output circuit grounds the base of transistor 108 , turning it off and thus disabling the servo control valve 120 . this occurs in response to the input on line 270 from the cycle interrupt circuit . however , transistor 108 is turned back on during head traverse if a short circuit or other abnormally low gap condition occurs . if transistor 254 turns off in response to low gap emf , it deenergizes the input circuit of opto - coupler 260 , thereby opening its output circuit . this opens the input circuit of opto - coupler 274 , and thus breaks the ground on the base of transistor 108 . the differential circuit is thus restored to control of the servo valve . this function is very useful to terminate traverse of the tool to the work at the moment a proper machining gap is established . the utility , novelty , versatility , and economic practicability of the servo control system described above should be apparent to those skilled in the relevant arts . the precise description of the preferred embodiment is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the invention .
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there are generally two types of waves in the tow cable : transverse waves and longitudinal waves . the transverse waves tend to have very short wavelengths since their propagation speed is approximately where t is the tension , w is the weight per unit length , and g = 9 . 81 m / s 2 . in many applications , the tow cable is often very long ( a mile or more ) to reduce the noise radiated from the tow ship so that there are typically on the order of hundreds to thousands of transverse wavelengths in a tow cable . because of this large number of wavelengths , there is a tremendous amount of damping on any individual wave as it travels from one end of the cable to the other . this damping prevents the establishment of standing waves ( except in localized regions near reflective boundaries ) because each wave will be almost completely attenuated by the time it is reflected back to its original location . therefore , tuning the tow cable on the basis of transverse waves is all but impossible . longitudinal waves , on the other hand , have wavelengths that are much longer by virtue of a propagation speed governed by where e is the cable young &# 39 ; s modulus and ρ is the cable density . for longitudinal waves , there are only on the order of 1 to 10 wavelengths contained by a typical tow cable . because of this fact , standing waves over the length of the cable should be easily established , and therefore , tuning should be easily achieved . the amplitude of vibration at a towed streamer , array , or any other component is usually dominated by the longitudinal vibration component , which can be generated along the tow cable in two ways . the first way involves cable curvature : on any point on the cable , curvature causes some of the transverse component of motion to be converted into the longitudinal component and vice versa . the second way occurs due to the fact that the transverse component creates a localized region of curvature in the cable , which shortens the cable . this shortening , which generates longitudinal waves , occurs twice for each transverse wave cycle . therefore , the frequency of the longitudinal wave is double that of the transverse wave . note that the second wave of generating longitudinal waves usually leads to much greater amplitudes than the first . this fact is especially true for “ critical angle tow ” in which there is essentially no curvature since virtually the entire tow cable is at its critical angle ( the angle that the weight and drag balance ). the boundary conditions seen by the cable longitudinal waves are the winch ( which can be modeled as a rigid boundary ) and the towed component on the other end ( which can be modeled as a free boundary ). at the free boundary , the displacement is maximized while the tension approaches zero . if there are approximately an integral number of longitudinal wavelengths contained in the cable , the vibration at the aft end will be minimized . if , on the other hand , there are approximately an odd integral number of half wavelengths contained in the cable , the longitudinal vibration at the aft end will be maximized . referring to fig1 the generation of transverse waves according to this invention is illustrated in which a tow cable is shown at 10 . there is also shown the direction of tow 12 and a transverse wave 14 . the maximum positive and negative amplitudes of the transverse wave are shown at 16 and 18 , and another maximum positive amplitude is shown at 20 . directions of propagation are respectively at 22 and 24 in opposite directions coaxial with tow cable 10 . referring to fig2 a , there is shown a tow cable 26 and the direction of tow 28 . compressed region 30 is shown in which the strain is negative . a stretch region 32 is also shown where the strain is positive . referring to fig2 b , a graph of amplitude of the longitudinal wave against position is shown . the longitudinal wave 34 has a maximum positive amplitude 36 , a maximum negative amplitude 38 and another maximum amplitude 40 . directions of propagation are coaxial with the cable at opposite directions 42 and 44 . referring to fig3 a ship 46 is shown as well as a body of water 48 and atmosphere 50 . mounted on the deck of the ship 46 there is a winch 52 . tow cable 34 extends from winch 52 from a rigid boundary 56 and its proximate end to a free boundary 58 at its distal end . beyond the free boundary 58 there is a tow component 60 and an accelerometer 62 . the accelerometer 62 is in communication with a display 64 , which is in communication with a processor 66 which controls the operation of the winch 52 to let out or take in additional tow cable 34 . a display at the stop shows acceleration levels . the cable length can be changed at the winch in predetermined amounts ( e . g ., 100 feet ). a history of acceleration levels at each length is built up until the optimal length is obtained which minimizes the acceleration seen by the towed component . the entire process can easily be automated with a personal computer ( pc ) or some other processor that contains an algorithm that stores the history of acceleration levels vs . cable length and controls the winch to change the cable length until the optimal length is reached . it will be appreciated that a method has been provided which effectively reduces strum in tow cables . while the present invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments of the various figures , it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used or modifications and additions may be made to the described embodiment for performing the same function of the present invention without deviating therefrom . therefore , the present invention should not be limited to any single embodiment , but rather construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the recitation of the appended claims .
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referring now to the figures , wherein like reference numerals represent like parts throughout the several views , exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail . throughout this description , various components may be identified having specific values , these values are provided as exemplary embodiments and should not be limiting of various concepts of the present invention as many comparable sizes and / or values may be implemented . application ser . no . 62 / 168 , 250 filed may 29 , 2015 entitled “ automated helmet air bladder maintenance system and method ” is incorporated by reference in its entirety . application ser . no . 62 / 318 , 851 filed apr . 6 , 2016 also entitled “ automated helmet air bladder maintenance system and method ” is also incorporated by reference in its entirety . it should be further understood that the present invention is preferably directed to gas bladders used in football helmets . however , it is within the broadest scope of the invention to include any helmet that utilizes gas bladders to fit properly on a wearer &# 39 ; s head . fig2 shows the key components of the first embodiment system 120 of the present invention . in particular , the system 120 comprises a hand - held electrical pump 122 having wireless ( e . g ., bluetooth , ultra wideband , induction wireless , etc .) capability for communication 123 ( see fig2 h ) with a conventional wireless device 124 ( e . g ., a smartphone , a computer tablet , etc .) that is physically received within an adjustable wireless device cradle 122 b . the wireless device 124 comprises a software application ( as will be discussed in detail later ) that permits the operator to interface with the pump 122 to effect helmet air bladder inflation and maintenance . the wireless device 124 comprises a touch screen display 124 a that may include a variety of virtual buttons , keys and other icons that suffice for user input / output . it should be noted that it is within the broadest scope of the present invention that the wireless device 124 may also comprise a “ hard ” keypad as alternative , or in addition to , the touch screen display 124 a . the important feature is the ability to provide user input / output at the wireless device 124 . the pump 122 comprises a housing 122 a ( e . g ., an injection - molded pump enclosure ) that contains the pump hardware and electronics ( see fig2 h ). a keypad 122 c is included on the housing 122 a that is used by the operator , in conjunction with the wireless device 124 , to control the pump 122 , as will also be discussed later . a pump hose 122 d and related inflation needle 122 e for inserting into the gas bladder valve 3 is pneumatically interfaced with the pump hardware . the pump hose 122 d can be stowed on the back side of the cradle 122 b for compactness ( see fig2 d ). indicators ( generally shown by reference number 122 f ) provide the operator with general purpose status ( e . g ., bluetooth paring , pumping , key presses , battery status , etc . ; these may comprise 1 - 2 × led indicators ( rgb color )). as shown in fig2 a - 2c , the present invention 120 utilizes the accelerometer function of the wireless device 124 to determine the labels to be associated with the keys k 1 - k 4 on the keypad 122 c . in particular , fig2 a depicts a “ right - handed use ” whereby the operator holds the pump 122 in his / her left hand and operates the keypad 122 c using his / her right hand ; conversely , fig2 b depicts a “ left - handed use ” whereby the operator holds the pump 122 in his / her right hand and operates the keypad 122 c using his / her left hand . as shown most clearly in fig2 c , the keypad 122 c itself has no labels ; instead the labels appear in the corresponding display keypad 122 c ′ on the wireless device touch screen 124 a . the keys k 1 - k 4 are hard - wired to a microcontroller 130 ( see fig2 h , discussed later ). the microcontroller 130 also receives a variable from the wireless device 124 indicative of the orientation of the wireless device display 124 a . as such , depending on which key ( k 1 - k 4 ) is activated by the user and depending on the orientation of the display 124 a , the microcontroller 130 is able to assign the function to be achieved by the depression of the particular key . as such , if the pump 122 a and wireless device 124 are held in the orientation for right - handed use , depression of any key , k 1 - k 4 , will cause the microcontroller 130 to implement the function indicated in the display 124 a . if , on the other hand , the pump 122 a / wireless device 124 assembly are inverted as shown by the left - handed use orientation in fig2 c , the microcontroller 130 will implement the functions assigned to keys k 1 - k 4 shown in the display 124 a . as such , the upper key , whether its key k 1 in the right - handed orientation , or key k 2 in the left - handed orientation , the “ upper - oriented ” key will always implement an “ up ” or “ inflate ” function . the other keys k 3 - k 4 operate similarly . thus , no matter how the wireless device 124 is mounted within the cradle 122 b , the keys of the keypad 122 c always have the functions indicated , as shown in fig2 c . the keypad 122 c ( e . g ., 4 × tactile user interface buttons , momentary - on ) is centered and symmetric such that the pump 122 can be held by the left or right hand . fig2 d - 2e show the reverse side and front sides , respectively , of the present invention 120 without the wireless device 124 coupled thereto . in particular , as shown most clearly in fig2 e , the cradle 122 b comprises a platform section 122 h that couples to the pump housing 122 a . the platform 122 h comprises a raceway 1221 in which a displacement element 122 j slides in order to permit the cradle 122 b to accommodate differently - sized wireless devices 124 . a pair of springs 122 l / 122 m are secured within the raceway 1221 at their looped ends over platform hooks 122 q / 122 r and hooks 122 s / 122 t on the displaceable element 122 j ( see fig2 d ). to open the cradle 122 b , or to release the wireless device 124 therefrom , the operator displaces the element 122 j in the direction of the arrow 122 k in opposition to the springs &# 39 ; 122 l / 122 m bias ; the spring - bias ( e . g ., 5 lbs . of spring force ) then captures the right side of the wireless device 124 to hold the device securely in the cradle 122 b . fig2 d shows the reverse side of the pump housing 122 a and the cradle 122 b . as can be seen , the reverse side of the cradle 122 b also comprises air hose hooks 122 g that permit the gas hose 122 d to be wrapped therearound and , as such , stowed against the reverse side of the cradle 122 b ; a compartment 122 p stores the inflation needle 122 e therein . a spare inflation needle 122 n is also stored in a portion on the back of the platform 122 h , as shown in fig2 d . fig2 f shows an alternative wireless device 124 , i . e ., a computer tablet , releasably secured within the cradle 122 b , thereby demonstrating the versatility of the present invention 120 in that it is adjustable for a variety of wireless device sizes . moreover , the wireless device cradle 122 b comprises a modular subassembly that permits air hoses of different types to used and stowed against the reverse side of the cradle 122 b but to also stow additional items , e . g ., needle lubrication containers ( not shown ). fig2 g shows the present invention 120 coupled to an example gas bladder valve 3 on a conventional football helmet and the operator using the invention 120 accordingly . it should be understood that the operator would connect consecutively to each air bladder valve 3 on the helmet 1 until all the bladders are filled properly . in addition , the present invention 120 may further comprise a remote database 1000 ( e . g ., icloud , etc .) for storing and retrieving particular helmet gas bladder data for different players . for example , gas bladder data for every player may be remotely stored whereby the operator &# 39 ; s wireless device 124 communicates 1002 with the remote database 1000 via the wireless link 1000 b coupled to the database 1000 a . the database 1000 a not only stores / retrieves air bladder - related data but a variety of analytics can be performed on the air bladder data for not only optimizing the readiness of each player &# 39 ; s helmet , but trends in player head injury , reduction in player head injuries , etc . all of this can then be transmitted back to the operator for display on his / her wireless device 124 . by way of example only , each team may have an account and each player on the team have a sub - account with respective user logins / passwords , and various hierarchies , where the coaches may have administrative authority to enter each player &# 39 ; s account . thus , all of the bladder preferred levels , as well as all associated data , can be stored in respective player accounts or sub - accounts . it should be further noted that , as will be discussed later , all of the data related to the team , players , the gas bladder preferred fill levels for each player &# 39 ; s helmet , etc . can be stored in the software application of the wireless device 124 , or it can be remotely - stored in the remote database 1000 and retrieved when required . all of this data can be organized by the software application into spreadsheets for the team , individual players , etc . fig2 h is a block diagram of the electronic pump 122 . the control portion of the electrical pump 122 is a microcontroller 130 ( e . g ., arm cortex m0 ) including analog - to - digital ( a / d ) converters and a real - time clock . the microcontroller 130 communicates with a wireless interface module 132 ( e . g ., bluetooth smart / ble module ) for communicating with the wireless device 124 . it should be understood that the microcontroller 130 and wireless interface module 132 may comprise an integrated ic 130 a , as indicated by the dotted line . the microcontroller 130 controls a motor driver 134 ( e . g ., a power field effect transistor ( fet )) for activating and deactivating a positive displacement pump 150 ( pdp , e . g ., dc motor - operated , ajk - b1201 pdp ). the pump 150 is controlled to a maximum pressure of 20 psi to prevent injuries to the head of the helmet wearer . the output of the pdp 150 is pneumatically coupled to the hose 122 d ( e . g ., 12 - 24 ″ length , ¼ ″ diameter flexible hose ) at a first end and the inflation needle 122 e is coupled to the other hose 122 d end ( in a manner discussed previously with regard to the hose 4 / inflation needle 5 ). with regard to the third embodiment ( fig4 a - 4c ) discussed later , the output of the pdp 150 is pneumatically coupled to the inflation needle 325 since no hose is used in that embodiment . furthermore , gas bladder pressure is monitored using a pressure sensor 136 ( e . g ., a combined absolute pressure and temperature sensor , with an onboard a / d converter , such as the te connectivity ms5637 - 02ba03 pressure / temperature sensor ). the pressure sensor 136 is pneumatically coupled to the output of the pdp 150 and electrically coupled to the microcontroller 130 . in addition , a gas valve 138 ( a solenoid air valve , two position , one way ; e . g ., ajk - f0501 valve ) is pneumatically coupled between the output of the pdp 150 and an exhaust / inlet 140 . this valve 138 provides a path to vent air in case the pressure becomes too high in the helmet 1 . the exhaust / inlet valve 140 is necessary so that air can be supplied to the pump 122 , as well as relieving air from the pump casework when the solenoid air valve 138 is active ; alternatively a hydrophobic vent may be used . the air valve 140 is activated / deactivated by a solenoid driver 142 ( e . g ., a power fet ) which in turn is controlled by the microcontroller 130 to which the driver 142 is electrically coupled . the pdp 150 is also pneumatically - coupled to the exhaust / inlet valve 140 . the pump 122 also includes a power management integrated circuit ( pmic ) 144 which includes circuitry for battery charging and voltage regulation of a battery 146 ( e . g ., rechargeable battery , such as 3 . 7 vdc , 2000 mah , li - ion 18650 battery ). a power input 148 ( e . g ., a through - hole mount , usb connector , etc .) is coupled to the pmic 144 . the electronic portion of the pump 122 is located on a circuit board cb . fig3 depicts a second embodiment 220 of the present invention . in particular , the wireless interface between the pump 122 and the wireless device 124 is replaced with a wired connection ( e . g ., wire 222 , such as an iphone lightning cable , etc .). as a result , the pump 122 and the wireless device communicate over the wired connection 222 . fig3 a depicts the block diagram of the second embodiment electronic pump 122 . other than the wired interface 222 , the second embodiment 220 operates similarly to the first embodiment 120 . fig4 a - 4c depict a third embodiment 320 of the present invention . in the third embodiment 320 , the hose 122 d is eliminated and replaced with an inflation needle 325 that is coupled to the output of the positive displacement pump 150 . as such , the pump portion 322 a of the third embodiment 320 is manipulated to align the needle 325 with the valve 3 on the helmet 1 and inserted therein . the pump 322 a is similar in all aspects to pump 122 a except that no hose 122 d is used and there is no keypad 122 c on the pump 322 a housing . as such , as is described below , virtual keys that appear on the wireless device 124 display are used to control the pump 322 a . furthermore , because the pump 322 a needs to be manipulated in order to insert the inflation needle 325 into the valve 3 , there is no cradle 122 b . it should be noted that the inflation needle 325 is similar in operation to the inflation needle 122 e of the first embodiment 120 but is longer since it forms the only passageway between the positive displacement pump 150 and the valve 3 . in addition , to protect the inflation needle 325 when the pump 322 a is not being used , a displaceable needle guard 327 is slidably positioned on the pump 322 a . fig4 b shows the needle guard 327 deployed over the inflation needle 325 whereas fig4 c depicts the needle guard 327 displaced downward along the pump housing body to expose the inflation needle 325 for coupling to the port 3 . other than that , the third embodiment 320 operates similarly to the first embodiment 120 . a fourth embodiment 400 of the present invention is to eliminate the need for the wireless device 124 . in particular , as shown in fig5 a - 5b , the pump 400 comprises a pump housing 404 having a display 402 and the keypad 122 c . unlike the first and second embodiments , the keypad 122 c is not centered on the pump housing 404 in order to accommodate the display 402 . fig5 c provides a block diagram of the pump 400 hardware that is similar to hardware of fig2 h except that the short range wireless interface module 132 is replaced with a communications processor 406 and rf transceiver 408 ( including a wifi interface 410 ) to replace the wireless device 124 communication capability , e . g ., to the remote database 1000 . in addition , the microcontroller 130 ′ also functions as an application processor to support the user interface and control the touch screen 402 and backlighting 412 for the display 402 . furthermore , the microcontroller 130 ′ includes the software application and controls the display 402 accordingly . as with the wireless device 124 , the display 402 is a touchscreen , thereby allowing the operator to make selections and enter data as described earlier with regard to the previous embodiments . the reverse side of the pump housing 404 ( fig5 b ) includes the hose hooks 122 g for stowing the air hose 122 d . unlike the first two embodiments , because there is no wireless device 124 used with the fourth embodiment , the keypad 122 c does not reconfigure during use and thus keys k 1 - k 4 do not change function based on orientation of the pump housing 404 . the user interface of the present invention is now discussed . it should be understood that the user interface is operational in any of the previously disclosed embodiments . as such , the following detailed discussion of the user interface uses the first embodiment 120 only by way of example , it being understand that the software application is also applicable to the second , third and fourth embodiments . as mentioned previously , the wireless device 124 comprises a software application that configures the device 124 for interaction with the pump 122 . it should be understood that , as discussed below , the user interface prompts / instructs the operator on what to do . when the pump 122 is to be operated , the user interface may instruct the user to use the pump keypad 122 c to effect an operation . alternatively , as in the third 320 and fourth 400 embodiments , the virtual keys in the wireless device touch screen 124 a or pump display touch screen 402 , may also operate the pump 322 a . thus , the verb “ control ” is meant to convey the meaning that where the operator is being instructed by the user interface to use the keys on the keypad 122 c , or the virtual keys 122 c ′ ( or any other virtual keys / icons shown in the touch screen display 124 a / 402 ), the user interface is considered “ controlling ” the pump 122 a / 220 / 322 a / 400 operation . the administrative mode 500 comprises a pair wireless device with pump module 502 , a team setup module 504 , a player setup module 506 and a settings module 508 . the operator interacts with these modules using the wireless device 124 alone in the first , second and third embodiments ; with respect to the fourth embodiment , the operator uses the display 402 to interact with these modules . in particular , the pairing module 502 prompts and guides the user through the pairing process so that the wireless device 124 and the pump 122 communicate with each other . the team setup module 504 and the player setup module 506 basically provide for data entry pertinent to the team or individual player . by way of example only , the team setup module 504 or the player setup module 506 may comprise data fields such as those shown in fig6 a - 6b that permit the operator to add a team player and then to enter pertinent information about the player . as shown in fig6 b , those modules also permit the operator to enter particular data about a player &# 39 ; s helmet . the user is provided with a plurality of manufacturer &# 39 ; s football helmets to choose from ( see fig6 c ) and can select which particular helmet is about to be checked / filled ( viz ., in this case the ridell x model football helmet has been selected ). in particular , entry of the player &# 39 ; s particular helmet causes the software application to generate a graphic ( fig6 d ) which identifies the particular air bladder / valve configuration for that helmet . thus , as can be seen fig6 e , the graphic informs the operator of the particular air valve locations ( i . e ., “ 1 ”, “ 2 ” and “ 3 ”) for that manufacturer &# 39 ; s helmet ; the graphic even indicates where no air valve ( i . e ., “ na ” for “ not applicable ”— see fig6 d ) is present that may be present in other manufacturer &# 39 ; s helmets . it should be understood that the software application comprises the details of the various football helmet manufacturers &# 39 ; air bladder ports and thereby generates the graphic of fig6 d . in addition , should a new helmet come on the market whose gas valve locations are not available in the software application , the software application comprises a function that allows the operator to enter each gas valve location for that “ new helmet ” and thereby store those locations for that helmet , as shown most clearly in fig6 e . the settings module 508 is a catch - all module that includes such functions as user login / logout , reminder preferences or any other type of user customizable settings . the functional mode 600 effects the actual air bladder inflation and helmet adjustments . the fit helmet module 602 and the adjust helmet module 604 are used to initially set the player &# 39 ; s helmet to his or her optimal respective air bladder settings ; the fit helmet module 602 is a linear process that steps the operator through each air bladder to ensure none are missed . once the respective air bladder settings are saved for a particular player &# 39 ; s helmet , any subsequent maintenance of the air bladders is accomplished using the measure off - head module 606 or the inflate helmet module 608 . it should be noted that in fig7 - 7z where a virtual button is shown with hatched indicia , this means that the user has selected that particular virtual button . when the player has been given his football helmet and he / she is present with the operator , the player places his helmet on and the operator attaches the wireless device 124 within the cradle 122 b . the device 124 is turned on and communication with the pump 122 is verified by the operator . the operator unwraps the cord and lubricates the inflation needle 122 e . the operator then selects the particular player that is present ( fig7 ) and selects the fit helmet module 602 . this action then prompts the operator to insert the needle into the indicated air bladder valve / port , as shown in fig7 a . once the inflation needle 122 e is inserted , the device 124 display indicates the current pressure in that air bladder ( fig7 b ), along with accompanying guidance as to how the related portion of the helmet should be optimally positioned if that particular air bladder is optimally filled . it should be noted that the displayed pressure ( viz ., 0 . 2 psi ) is psi gauge pressure for consistent user experience ( no variation with altitude ). the user then uses the “ up / inflate ” hard key ( fig2 c ) or the “ down / deflate ” hard key to adjust the displayed pressure until that particular air bladder is filled to its proper level ( fig7 c ); or , alternatively , where the virtual keys 122 c ′ are active in the display 124 a / 402 , the appropriate virtual keys are used . this can be achieved by asking the player “ how it feels ” and depending on whether the player responds “ too loose ” or “ too tight ” the operator can use the up / inflate key or the down / inflate keys ( fig2 c ) on the keypad 122 c ( or virtual keys 122 c ′) to adjust the gas pressure level to the preferred level . it should be noted that by pressing and holding either key a continuous inflation or deflation is provided , whereas a momentary activation of either key results in an interval inflation or deflation . if the inflation level is satisfactory to the player , the operator selects the option of “ confirm ” and that air bladder &# 39 ; s proper inflation level ( hp level , meaning “ head pressure level ” in that the proper pressure level is set with the player wearing the helmet ) is now set in the wireless device 124 , indicated as shown in fig7 d . once confirmed , the module 602 then sends the operator to the next air bladder valve or port as shown in fig7 e . the operator then removes the inflation needle 122 e from the air bladder valve of fig7 a and inserts it into the air bladder valve indicated in fig7 e . the operator then goes through the same series of steps as shown in fig7 f - 7h to save the hp level setting for the second air bladder . once this last air bladder hp level is stored , the operator removes the inflation needle from that valve 3 . the fit helmet module 602 then brings the operator to the last air bladder valve / port , as shown in fig7 i . the operator then removes the inflation needle 122 e from the second port and inserts it into the third air bladder valve / port as instructed in fig7 i . again , the operator then goes through the same steps as shown in fig7 j - 7l . once the hp level setting for the last air bladder is set , the fit helmet module 602 allows the operator several options ( fig7 m ) at this point . the operator can exit the module 602 altogether and move to the next player ; or , the operator can go back and adjust a hp level for a particular air bladder ( via the adjust fit module 604 ) without having to go through each air bladder again ; or , the operator can move to another option : measure off - head module 606 . after removing the inflation needle 122 e from the last air bladder valve 3 , the operator can physically manipulate the helmet 1 on the player &# 39 ; s head to verify a proper fit . if the fit is good , the operator selects the “ done ” button ( fig7 m ) and moves to the next player . however , if the manipulation has the operator or player requiring a further adjustment of a particular air bladder hp level , the operator can select the “ adjust fit ” virtual button ( fig7 m ) which brings the operator to a menu ( fig7 n ) that allows the operator to select one of the air bladders to operate on . by way of example only , the operator has chosen to revisit the second air bladder in fig7 n . the operator is then brought to the display shown in fig7 o instructing the operator to insert the inflation needle 122 e in the appropriate air bladder valve / port . at that point , the operator goes through a process similar to the one in the fit helmet module 602 , discussed above . once the new hp level setting ( e . g ., 1 . 2 psi ) is saved , the operator is brought to a completion display ( fig7 p ). at that point , the operator removes the inflation needle 122 e from that air bladder valve / port and the device 124 display returns to fig7 m . once all of the hp level values are set in every air bladder of a particular helmet , the operator can select the measure off - head module 606 . this module allows the operator to measure the air pressure in each bladder with the helmet removed from the player . as can be appreciated , with the helmet removed , the air pressure in each air bladder will be slightly reduced than when it was being worn . this off - head pressure ( ohp ) level can be stored and associated with the previously - stored hp level when the helmet was worn . as such , if the helmet air bladders need to be re - inflated when the player is not available , the operator can inflate each bladder to the associated ohp level . because this module is only detecting an ohp level , all inflation / deflation keys are not active to the operator . in particular , fig7 q - 7t show the sequence of displays on the wireless device 124 ( or display 402 ) that are occur as the operator moves through the measure off - head module 606 . as can be seen in fig7 q , the operator removes the helmet from the player and is instructed to insert the inflation needle 122 e into a particular air bladder valve / port . once inserted , the ohp level is displayed below the associated hp level when the helmet is worn . once this ohp level is confirmed , the operator is moved to the next air bladder and the procedure is repeated until an ohp level is associated with every air bladder in the helmet . once both the hp level and its associated ohp level are stored for each air bladder in every player &# 39 ; s helmet , any subsequent or periodic checking and maintenance of the air bladder pressure levels can be implemented using the inflate helmet module 608 . this can be accomplished with the player wearing the helmet or without the player wearing the helmet . in particular , by selecting this inflate helmet module 608 , the device 124 displays the choice shown in fig7 u - 7v . if the operator selects the option “ inflate on player ”, the operator is instructed to insert the inflation needle 122 e in the proper air bladder valve / port and goes through the shown in fig7 w - 7x . as shown by the center display in fig7 w - 7x , when the inflation needle 122 e is inserted into the top port , the currently - detected hp level is only 0 . 9 psi , which below the previously - stored hp level of 1 . 3 psi . the operator need only select the “ inflate to fit ” button and the pump 122 automatically restores that air bladder to the proper hp level . it should be noted that if , for some reason , the player wants to change the proper hp level at that point , instead of selecting the “ done ” button in the display of fig7 x , the operator can use the hard keys on the keypad 122 c to adjust the hp level up or down , accordingly . by doing so , the device 124 then displays what is shown in fig7 y , allowing the operator to save a new hp level . therefore , after operator either selects the “ done ” button , or alternatively , saves a new hp level , the user is stepped through the other air bladder valve / port maintenance in accordance with what was just described for the first air bladder valve / port until all the air bladders for that helmet are checked . if , on the other hand , the operator selects the “ inflate off player ” selection ( fig7 u ) in the inflate helmet module 608 , the same sequence of displays are provided as shown in fig7 w - 7x . however , the option of fig7 y is not available in the “ inflate off player ” selection because the player is not wearing the helmet . as such , the up / inflate and down / deflate keys are not active in this mode . thus , using the “ inflate off player ” selection , only permits the operator to refill each air bladder in accordance with the previously - stored ohp levels . once the hp levels / ohp levels are established for a particular player &# 39 ; s helmet , or where the subsequent check / maintenance of that player &# 39 ; s helmet is completed , the software application moves the display on the wireless device 124 ( or display 402 ) to the next player in the team roster , as shown in fig7 z . the software application implements a time and date stamp for each use of the various functional modes 602 - 608 and various analytics can be performed by the software application , e . g ., how much air was released between each measurement and variables such as time , weather , ambient air pressure can be used to even predict when refills may need to be done . the software application can be programmed to provide the user with reminders of when to check the various players &# 39 ; helmets &# 39 ; air bladders . as mentioned earlier , the air bladder data can be transmitted to a remote database 1000 which comprises the database itself 1000 b via wireless communication link 1002 . in particular , players &# 39 ; air bladder helmet data is transmitted via a wireless signal 1002 to the remote database 1000 a . similarly , the data can be recalled from the remote database 1000 a when required , such as for carrying out a re - inflation of the teams &# 39 ; helmets . as a result , the remote database 1000 a acts as a remote storage , similar to the function of the icloud ® database . furthermore , the remote database 1000 a comprises a greater processing power to support more complex analyses than is resident in the software application on the wireless device 124 ; as such , the remote database 1000 a can carry out the analyses and then transmit that analyzed data back to the wireless device 124 . for example , the remote database 1000 a can also conduct analytics on the air bladders of the helmets on the overall team , not just for individual players , and then provide the operator with customized adjust fit helmet module 604 implementations . for example , the collected data may have special teams not requiring air bladder checks as often as defensive linemen or offensive linemen . an even further variation 800 ( fig8 ) on the present invention is the positioning of respective pressure sensors 802 within each bladder of the helmet 1 that transmit pressure data on a frequent basis to a remotely located receiver ( e . g ., the wireless device 124 , or pump 400 ). in particular , a pressure sensor 802 is located within each helmet bladder . the pressure sensors 802 are coupled to a power supply ps ( e . g ., battery ) within the helmet 1 along with a transmitter 804 . the pressure sensors provide respective pressure levels within each air bladder to the transmitter 804 which then transmits the air bladder data on a regular basis . the wireless device 124 , upon receiving this data , alerts the user with visual and or audible warnings . the user can then plan to take appropriate actions to refill particular bladders when the opportunity permits and in accordance with procedures discussed above . it should also be understood that the specification makes reference to air pressure sensors and helmet bladders being filled with air . it is within the broadest scope of the present application to include any other type of gas that is used to fill these bladders and that air is being used by way of example only . it should be noted that the hose 122 d / inflation needle 122 e and the needle 325 each form a “ coupling means ” which is meant to cover any known way of pneumatically coupling the electronic pumps 122 a , 322 a , 404 to the helmet valve 3 . while the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific examples thereof , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof .
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a calculator constructed in accordance with a preferred aspect of the invention is illustrated in fig6 and generally designated 10 . the calculator includes a body or housing 12 supporting a keypad 13 and a display 14 . the display includes a number section 16 , a numerical display section 18 , a letter grade section 20 , and a plurality of annunciator / indicators . the calculator 10 is illustrated in block form in fig7 in a configuration that is conventional in the art . specifically , the keypad 13 and the display 14 are both connected to a processor 15 . a storage device 17 is also connected tot he processor 15 . the processing and / or conversion functions described in this application are carried out by the processor 15 ; and storage functions are accommodated in storage device 17 . the keys supported within the body of the calculator are as follows : ______________________________________ designatingkey numeral______________________________________on / ce / c 22set 24whole grade only 26grade scale 28off 30grade display 32enter number grade 34individual letter grades 36student average 38subtotal average 40maximum points 42minimum points 44individual numbers 46 % 48class average 50m + 52m [ r / c ] 54 / 56 × 58 + 60 - 62 · 64 = 66no grade 68weight 70______________________________________ the function of these keys is explained in conjunction with the flow charts of fig1 - 5 . internally , the calculator includes a weight table that will store the weight of up to seven grades . the weight table is used to accommodate test scores that are of varying importance . for example , the user may program the calculator to make a final exam worth five times the weight of a weekly quiz . by appropriately adjusting the weight table , the user can cause the calculator to automatically process the grades accordingly . to adjust the weight table the set 24 and weight 70 keys must be depressed in succession . the first entry in the weight table will be displayed by the calculator . to traverse through the table the set key 24 must be depressed . an individual entry can be adjusted by entering the desired weight before depressing the set key 24 . each entry in the weight table has a default setting of one , thereby assigning each grade equal value unless modified by the user . also internally , the calculator includes a break point table . this table is used to store the break points between the individual letter grades . each letter grade is assigned a numerical break point that represents the lowest numerical score that will achieve that particular letter grade . by reference to this table , the calculator can easily convert between letter and numerical grades . the default setting of this table is based on a hundred point scale with one hundred being the maximum points and sixty being the minimum points ( table 1 ). the break points are derived by dividing the range defined by the high and low score into four subranges . these subranges define the whole grade break points . for example , the default whole grade break points are : 90 for an a , 80 for a b , 70 for a c , and 60 for a d . the subranges are further divided into three segments . these segments define the signed grade break points . for example , the signed grade break points for an a become : 96 . 66 for an a +, 93 . 33 for an a , and 90 . 00 for an a -. table 1______________________________________letter grade break point______________________________________a + 96 . 6a 93 . 3a - 90 . 0b + 86 . 6b 83 . 3b - 80 . 0c + 76 . 6c 73 . 3c - 70 . 0d + 66 . 6d 63 . 3d - 60 . 0______________________________________ although these break points are permanently embodied in read - only memory ( rom ), the user can edit them to implement his own linear or non - linear scale using the nonvolatile area of random - access memory ( ram ) by incorporating the set 24 and grade scale 28 keys or the set 24 and seven ( 7 ) keys 46 . the set 24 and grade scale 28 keys are used to edit only the whole grade break points . when depressed , the calculator will display a whole grade and its corresponding break point . if that break point requires adjustment , the desired break point is entered followed by depression of the set key 24 . this stores the new break point and displays the next default whole grade break point for editing . to store the next displayed default break point without adjusting the displayed break point , only the set key 24 should be depressed . the calculator automatically separates the whole grade ranges into three equal segments . these segments represent the signed grade ranges . for example , if the whole grade break point for an a is 92 and the whole grade break point for a b is 80 , the signed grade break points become : 80 for a b -, 84 for a b , and 88 for a b +. the signed grade break points can be adjusted in a manner identical to one discussed immediately above , except that the set 24 and seven ( 7 ) 46 keys should be depressed rather than the set 24 and grade scale 28 keys . the user - implemented break points table constitutes a second separate table from the default break points table . in addition , if the user alters either the maximum points ( default 100 ) or minimum points ( default 60 ), the calculator creates a third break point table to reflect that change . the new break points are computed in such a manner that the new grade ranges are proportionately equal to the user break point table , if implemented , or the default break point table . the following formula is used to convert the break points to the new break points of the third scale : ## equ1 ## program flow of the main routine 100 is illustrated in fig1 . the calculator is powered on by depressing the on / ce / c key 22 . likewise , the calculator is powered off by depressing the off key 30 . the weight table is reset to the default values , and the max and min values are reset to the ( a ) user defined values , if implemented , or ( b ) the default values ( 100 , 60 ) each time the calculator is powered on . however , the user - defined break point table containing any modified break points is not reset to default , and the display format is not reset , unless the batteries are removed or the user performs a hard reset . a hard reset is performed by depressing the set key 24 immediately followed by the times ( x ) 58 key . the main routine 100 will process letter grades , numerical grades , or standard calculator functions . in order to facilitate a precise description of the operation of the calculator , the following internal variables will be used : ______________________________________variable description______________________________________maxpts maximum points achievable on a testminpts minimum points acceptable on a testwttot individual student weight factor totalgptot individual student grade point totalave individual student grade point averagegd - pts current grades total grade points ( after weighting ) wf weight factor ( internal table ) no - gds individual student number of gradesno - st number of students processedcl - pts summation of the grade points earned by each studentnum numerical representation of the current gradelet - gr letter grade corresponding with to cur - rent grade______________________________________ the main routine 100 transfers control to the numerical grade subroutine 200 when the enter number grade key 34 is depressed . this subroutine processes the number stored in the key register . if the key register does not contain a number the control is immediately returned to the main program 209 . the calculator permits the entry of numeric grades or points off / negative grading . to accommodate the negative grading aspect of this invention , the subroutine compares the number in the key register to zero 205 . if the number entered was negative , then that number is subtracted from maxpts to produce the corresponding grade point score 208 . if the number in the key register is not negative then that number is determined to be the grade point score . at this point , the calculator weights the grade point score by multiplying the grade point score by the appropriate weight factor 206 . this product is the current grade &# 39 ; s total grade points , gd - pts . the appropriate weight factor is either retrieved from the weight table or manually entered . an individual student &# 39 ; s first seven grades will automatically be weighted according to the internal weight table . however , the weight factor of a single entry can be altered by inputting the desired weight factor and depressing the weight key . this feature also allows the user to weight grades beyond the seven entries in the weight table . the numerical grade subroutine 201 processes the grades by storing a summation of the current student &# 39 ; s weight factors in wttot and total grade points in gptot 206 . the subroutine also stores the number of grades entered for the current student in no - gds 206 . these summations are retained until the student average key 38 or off key 30 is depressed . the subroutine displays the number of grades for the current student , the current grade &# 39 ; s numerical score , and the current grade &# 39 ; s letter score 206 . finally , control is returned to the calling routine 211 . the main routine 100 transfers control to the letter grade subroutine 301 when any of the letter grade keys are depressed . this subroutine utilizes the internal break point table to convert each letter grade to a numerical grade . the break point for the current letter grade and the break point for the next highest grade are retrieved from this table 302 . if the current letter grade is the highest grade achievable , maxpts is deemed to be the upper break point . the subroutine computes the median of these two scores by summing them and then dividing this sum by two 302 . this median score is treated as the numerical grade representation of the letter grade and is processed by the numerical grade subroutine 303 . in a preferred embodiment of the present calculator a means for processing a missing grade is included . the no grade key 68 allows a user to advance through the weight table in the event that a particular grade is missing . upon depression of the no grade key 68 , the main routine 100 simply increments no - gds 114 . grade weights are retrieved from the internal weight table using no - gds as an index . therefore , incrementing no - gds results in skipping an entry in the weight table . the calculator will display the student &# 39 ; s subtotal average , the student &# 39 ; s final average , and the class average . the main routine 100 transfers control to the subtotal average subroutine 400 when the subtotal average key 40 is depressed . this subroutine will display the current student &# 39 ; s average numerical grade , average letter grade , and number of grades entered 403 . this subroutine differs from the student average subroutine in that it does not signal the end of the current student &# 39 ; s processing . therefore , subsequently entered grades are processed as a continuation of the previously entered grades . depressing the subtotal average key 40 also has the effect of depressing the enter number grade key 34 . immediately upon entering the subtotal average routine 401 , control is temporarily passed to the numerical grade subroutine 200 . if the key register is not empty its contents will be processed and included in the current output . in any case , control returns to the subtotal average subroutine 400 . after return from the numerical grade subroutine 200 , the calculator displays the number of grades processed for the current student , no - gds ; the average numerical grade , gptot divided by wttot ; and the average letter grade , retrieved from the internal break point table based on the average numerical grade 403 . immediately following display , control is returned to the calling program 404 . the student average subroutine 500 performs several functions . first , it indicates that the last grade for the current student has been entered . secondly , it maintains the class average variables . and finally , it displays the current student &# 39 ; s total number of grades , average numerical score , and average letter score . the student average subroutine 500 is called by the main routine 100 when the student average key 38 is depressed . the student average subroutine 500 transfers control to the subtotal average subroutine 400 . the subtotal average subroutine 400 processes any grade in the key register , displays the proper output 403 , and then returns control to the student average subroutine 404 . subsequently , the student average subroutine 500 maintains the class average variables . no - st is incremented to reflect the number of students in the class 503 . the student average , or gptot divided by wttot , is added to cl - pts to facilitate later calculation of the class average 503 . lastly , the current student variables are cleared ; gptot , wttot , and nogds 503 . the class average subroutine is called by the main routine 100 when the class average key 50 is depressed . this subroutine displays the total number of students processed , the average numerical grade , and the average letter grade of those students . the number of students processed is stored in the variable no - st . the numerical grade average is calculated by dividing cl - pts by no - st and the letter grade average is retrieved from the internal break point table . the calculator accommodates the following grading systems : raw score (&# 34 ; pts &# 34 ;), 4 point (&# 34 ; 4 &# 34 ;), 5 point (&# 34 ; 5 &# 34 ;), 12 point (&# 34 ; 12 &# 34 ;), percent (&# 34 ;%&# 34 ;), and scaled grade percent (&# 34 ; g %&# 34 ;). the user selects the appropriate display format by repeatedly depressing the grade display key 32 to cycle through the stated display formats . the current display format is identified by one of a series of annunciators present in the display window . internally , the calculator processes grades based on a raw score . therefore , unless raw score format has been selected , the grade must be converted prior to display . the conversion between grading systems is achieved by the following algorithms : in addition , the following foreign grading systems can be incorporated into the calculator based on the following algorithms : the present calculator quickly and easily processes student grades in either numerical or letter format . the calculator is powered on by depressing the on / ce / c key 22 . the weight table is reset to default automatically , and the student and class counters are cleared . as example 1 , a maximum score of 100 and minimum score of 60 establish the break points listed above in table 1 . the entry of the following scores results in the following display : table 2______________________________________numberofgrades % g % 4 5 12 pts ltr______________________________________86 1 86 86 3 . 10 4 . 10 9 . 3 86 ba 2 95 95 4 5 12 95 a - 25 3 75 75 2 3 6 75 c74 4 74 74 2 3 6 74 c - 39 5 61 61 0 . 6 1 . 6 1 . 8 61 d - b + 6 88 . 33 88 . 33 3 . 33 4 . 33 10 88 . 33 b + avg 6 79 . 88 79 . 88 2 . 49 3 . 49 7 . 47 79 . 88 c + ______________________________________ all grades are converted to numeric form before processing . once processed , the numeric scores are converted to the desired display format . as example 2 , a test having a maximum score of 65 and a minimum acceptable score of 25 results in the following break points and illustrates the scaling up of the grade from true % ( a -= 87 . 18 %) to grade % ( a -= 91 . 67 g %) due to the fact that minimum points is below 60 % ( the default scale minimum %): table 3______________________________________letter grade break point______________________________________a + 61 . 6a 58 . 3a - 55 . 0b + 51 . 6b 48 . 3b - 45 . 0c + 41 . 6c 38 . 3c - 35 . 0d + 31 . 6d 28 . 3d - 25 . 0______________________________________ table 4______________________________________ % g % 4 5 12 pts letter______________________________________a - 1 87 . 18 91 . 67 3 . 67 4 . 67 11 56 . 67 a -- 12 2 81 . 53 88 . 00 3 . 30 4 . 30 9 . 90 53 . 00 b + 39 3 60 . 00 74 . 00 1 . 90 2 . 90 5 . 70 39 . 00 cno grade 4c + 5 66 . 66 78 . 33 2 . 33 3 . 33 7 . 00 43 . 33 c + avg 5 73 . 84 83 . 00 2 . 80 3 . 80 8 . 40 48 . 00 b - ______________________________________ in example 3 , the user has offered 4 tests , each of varying weight : to automatically process the grades based upon the above - listed weights , the user depresses the set key 24 and wt key 70 in succession . next , each weight is individually entered , followed by depression of the set key 24 . once the weights are entered , the calculator automatically weights the corresponding grades . the following table demonstrates the processing of weighted grades based on maximum points = 100 and minimum points = 60 . table 6______________________________________ ( max pts = 100 and min pts = 60 ) numberofgrades % g % 4 5 12 pts ltr______________________________________b + 1 88 . 33 88 . 33 3 . 33 4 . 33 10 . 00 88 . 33 b + c - 2 71 . 67 71 . 67 1 . 67 2 . 67 5 . 00 71 . 67 c -- 15 3 85 . 00 85 . 00 3 . 00 4 . 00 9 . 00 85 00 b98 4 98 . 00 98 . 00 4 . 30 5 . 30 12 . 90 98 . 00 a + avg 4 88 . 58 88 . 58 3 . 36 4 . 36 10 . 08 88 . 58 b + ______________________________________ table 7 demonstrates the use of the no grade key 68 in conjunction with the internal weight table described in table 5 . table 7______________________________________ ( max pts = 100 and min pts = 60 ) numberofgrades % g % 4 5 12 pts ltr______________________________________b + 1 88 . 33 88 . 33 3 . 33 4 . 33 10 . 00 88 . 33 b + no 2grade - 15 3 85 . 00 85 . 00 3 . 00 4 . 00 9 . 00 85 00 b98 4 98 . 00 98 . 00 4 . 30 5 . 30 12 . 90 98 . 00 a + avg 4 94 . 22 94 . 22 3 . 92 4 . 92 11 . 77 94 . 22 a______________________________________ as example 4 , a negative grading model is demonstrated . a 5 - page test has been graded by determining the points off per page . to automatically compute the total points off and process this score , the user simply depresses the minus (-) key 62 followed by the points off for each page . after entry of the final page &# 39 ; s points off , the enter number grade key 34 is depressed to process the test score . the following table demonstrates points off grading and its appropriate displays . the maximum points = 100 and minimum points = 60 : table 8__________________________________________________________________________ ( max pts = 100 and min pts = 60 ) points off total % g % 4 6 12 pts ltr__________________________________________________________________________ - 3 , - 2 , - 5 , - 1 , - 0 1 - 11 89 89 3 . 4 4 . 4 10 . 2 89 b +- 7 , - 6 , - 5 , - 8 , - 1 2 - 27 73 73 1 . 8 2 . 8 5 . 4 73 c -- 1 , - 0 , - 0 , - 2 , - 1 3 - 4 96 96 4 . 10 5 . 10 12 . 30 96 a - 9 , - 13 , - 4 , - 8 , - 4 4 - 38 62 62 0 . 7 1 . 7 2 . 10 62 d - __________________________________________________________________________ the above description is that of a preferred embodiment of the invention . various changes and alterations can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as set forth in the appended claims , which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law , including the doctrine of equivalents .
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reference is first made to fig1 to 3 , which show a building brick 10 having an upper face 12 , a lower face 14 , side faces 16 and 18 , and end faces 20 , 22 . these faces are all substantially rectangular , except for the interlocking features to be described . the upper face 12 has a pair of longitudinally extending engagement ridges 24 which extend the entire length of the brick , one at each side of the brick . the ridges 24 are triangular in shape and define between them a flat recessed area 26 . the lower face 14 has a pair of depressed surfaces 28 , one at each side of the brick and each also extending the entire length of the brick . located between the depressed surfaces 28 is a raised or projecting portion 30 having a flat lower surface 32 and sides 33 which slope at the same angle as the angle of the interior sides of the ridges 24 . as shown in fig3 the ridges 24 and depressed surfaces 28 are complementary . when one brick 10 is placed atop another , the ridges 24 of the lower brick engage within the depressed surfaces 28 of the upper brick . the sides 33 of the raised portion 30 lie against the inner surfaces 34 of the ridges 24 and the flat depressed surfaces 28 rest and are supported on the tips of the ridges 24 . this aligns the side faces of the bricks and prevents sideways movement of one brick relative to the other . in addition , the forces exerted by one brick on another are substantially purely compressive . it will also be seen , as best shown in fig3 that the projection d1 of the portion 30 beyond the depressed surfaces 28 is less than the projection d2 of the ridges 24 beyond the recessed surface 26 . this provides a space 36 between the bricks . the space 36 helps to prevent small particles present during the laying of the bricks from causing misalignment of the assembled bricks . for this purpose the width d3 of the space 36 is quite large , typically at least 40 percent of the width of the brick . the space 36 is also useful for containing mortar to bind the bricks together , and for this purpose the space 36 should be at least 0 . 3 cm deep . preferably the space 36 is at least 0 . 5 cm deep , and will commonly be 0 . 8 cm or more deep . when the bricks are assembled , a recess 38 is visible extending along the sides of the bricks at the locations where they join . the recess 38 is produced by the sloping outer surface of the ridges 24 , which diverge from the flat depressed surfaces 28 . the recess 38 provides an apparent visual gap between the rows of bricks , for decorative purposes . mortar or sealant may be inserted into the recess 38 if desired . as shown in fig1 to 3 , one end face 20 may be flat and the other end face 22 may be recessed as shown at 40 , to provide a space for mortar between the ends of the bricks , to bond the end faces together . reference is next made to fig4 to 6 , which show a brick similar to that of fig1 to 3 . in fig4 to 6 , primed reference numerals indicate parts corresponding to those of fig1 to 3 . the differences between the brick 10 &# 39 ; of fig4 to 6 and the brick 10 of fig1 to 3 are as follows . firstly , the recessed area 26 &# 39 ; has been recessed more deeply , so the inner faces 34a &# 39 ; of the ridges 24 &# 39 ; are now longer than the outer faces 34b &# 39 ; of the ridges . the angles &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; remain ( as in the brick 10 ) 45 °. this provides a deeper space 36 &# 39 ; for mortar . the outer faces 34b &# 39 ; of the ridges 24 &# 39 ; have not been deepened since too deep a recess 38 &# 39 ; is undesirable ( typical dimensions will be given shortly ). secondly , a flat strip 42 is provided at the top of each ridge 24 &# 39 ;. the flat strip 42 , although narrow , reduces the likelihood of chips occurring at the apices of the ridges 42 . thirdly , the end faces 20 &# 39 ;, 22 &# 39 ; are now formed almost exactly like the upper and lower faces 12 &# 39 ;, 14 &# 39 ;. the end face 22 &# 39 ; has a pair of vertical ridges 44 one at each side thereof , each having a sloping inner surface 46a . the ridges 44 are exactly the same as the ridges 34 &# 39 ;, except that their outer surfaces 46b do not slope fully like surfaces 34b &# 39 ;, but instead have only a bevel 48 at their edges . located between the ridges 44 is a recessed area 49 . the end face 20 &# 39 ; has a pair of vertically oriented depressed surfaces 50 one at each side thereof , with a projecting portion 52 therebetween . the end face 20 is exactly like the lower face 14 , except that its side edges are bevelled as indicated at 54 . when two bricks 10 &# 39 ; are placed end to end as shown in fig5 the combined width of the two bevels 48 , 54 , is equal to the depth of the recess 38 &# 39 ;. this provides a recess of uniform width ( as viewed from the side ) around each brick in a wall formed from the bricks . the end faces 20 &# 39 ;, 22 &# 39 ; also define between them a space 56 for mortar . the space 56 has the same cross - sectional dimensions as the space 36 &# 39 ;. it will be seen that since end face 20 &# 39 ; is complementary to top face 12 &# 39 ;, and end face 22 &# 39 ; is complementary to bottom face 14 &# 39 ;, an end face can be placed against its complementary top or bottom face while preserving the interlocking features of the bricks . the final difference between the bricks 10 , 10 &# 39 ; is that the projecting portion 30 &# 39 ; on the bottom face 14 &# 39 ; is divided in two by a transverse valley 58 having sides 60 which slope outwardly and downwardly the same as the side surfaces of the portion 30 &# 39 ;. with this feature , one brick can be placed crosswise atop another brick and will still interlock therewith . the two parts of the bottom portion 30 &# 39 ; are each identical and each have a central vertical axis of symmetry 61 . for slightly curved walls , the two parts of the bottom portion 30 &# 39 ; may be circular , as indicated in dotted lines 61a . typical dimensions for the fig4 to 6 brick are as follows : it will be appreciated that the above dimensions can of course be varied , but the feature described above ( at least 0 . 3cm thick spaces 36 &# 39 ;, 56 &# 39 ; for mortar and as wide as possibe , and wide spacing of the support points at which one brick rests on another ) should be retained . in addition , the angle b can be varied , although a substantial slope is preferred , and angles b and b1 can also be different ( i . e . angle b1 can be less than angle b ), if desired . a corner brick 62 is shown in fig7 to 9 for use with the brick 10 &# 39 ;. the corner brick 62 is the same as brick 10 &# 39 ; except for the following differences . one side ridge 24a &# 34 ; and one depressed surface 28a &# 34 ; are extended along one end face 20 &# 34 ; of the brick . the end face 20 &# 34 ; between the ridge 24a &# 34 ; and depressed surface 28a &# 34 ; is flat . in addition at the other side of the brick , a receiving face 64 is formed in side face 18 &# 34 ;. the receiving face 64 is the same as end face 20 &# 39 ; of brick 10 &# 39 ;, having a pair of ridges 44 &# 34 ; and a recessed area 49 &# 34 ; therebetween . the receiving face 64 is therefore complementary to the end face 20 &# 39 ; of brick 10 &# 39 ; so that a brick 10 &# 39 ; can be laid with its end face 20 &# 39 ; interlocked in the receiving face 64 . the corner brick 62 is a right hand brick ( the receiving face 64 opens to the right as viewed looking toward the flat end face 20 &# 34 ;, and left hand corner bricks 66 are also provided , as shown in fig1 . the corner brick 66 is the same as corner brick 62 except that its receiving face 68 opens to the left as viewed looking toward the flat end of brick 66 . if desired , a corner brick may also be made having its receiving face 68 formed exactly like end face 20 &# 39 ;, i . e . having a projecting portion the same as portion 52 , projecting from side face 18 &# 34 ; in place of the recessed area 49 &# 34 ;. however this is less desirable for manufacturing , shipping and storage purposes . in use , the corner bricks are assembled as shown in fig1 , with left and right hand corner bricks 62 , 66 alternating vertically , and with ordinary run bricks 10 &# 39 ; abutting the end faces of each corner brick . a wall shown at 70 in fig1 is thus formed . in the construction of a wall such as wall 70 , each brick can be mortared when it is laid . because the space 36 or 36 &# 39 ; is wide , if it is necessary to adjust the height of the wall under e . g . a windowsill , this can be done by adding thick mortar in the space 36 , 36 &# 39 ; to raise the upper brick slightly . the width of sapce 36 , 36 &# 39 ; is sufficient that enough mortar can be placed in it to support the weight of the upper brick . alternatively a substantial portion of a wall can be assembled ( the bricks will hold together since they interlock ) and then a low viscosity mortar mixture can be poured down one of the spaces 56 between the end faces of two of the bricks in the wall . as shown in the sectional view of fig1 , all of the vertical spaces 56 and the horizontal spaces 36 &# 39 ; inteconnect . tests have shown that a thin mortar mixture 72 poured down a vertical space 56 will fill the horizontal spaces 36 &# 39 ;, 56 in a large portion of the wall . if pumped under pressure , the fill range may be extended further . thus , a large section of a wall may be assembled without mortar , and may then be mortared in a single simple operation . provided that the bricks are laid tightly together in end to end relation , little or no mortar will leak out , because it will be seen that the spaces 36 , 36 &# 39 ; are sealed at their sides by engagement of the ridges 24 against the surfaces of the next brick , and the spaces 56 at the ends of the bricks are similarly sealed . if no mortar is used , any water which penetrates the wall will run out of the interconnecting spaces , so the wall is self - weeping . further variations of the brick of the invention are shown in fig1 , 14 and 15 . in fig1 the recessed portion 100 between the ridges 102 is curved , and the sides of the raised portion 104 on the lower face of the brick are similarly curved . in fig1 the bevel 105 to provide an edge recess is located at the edges of the depressed surfaces 106 instead of at the edges of the ridges 108 . in fig1 the angle &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; of the inner surface of the ridges 110 has been steepened to increase the width of the space 112 between the bricks . fig1 and 17 show a corner brick 120 similar to that of fig7 and 8 , the only difference being that the bevel 122 ( which forms the exterior side recess between adjacent rows of bricks ) is located on the major contact face which contains the raised portion 124 , instead of being on the other major contact face 126 . fig1 , 19 and 20 show a pillar brick 130 according to the invention . the pillar brick 130 is similar to the brick 10 &# 39 ; but is formed so that it can be stacked in pairs ( as shown in fig2 ) about a pillar 132 . the pillar brick 130 has one side face 134 which may be simply flat , and which contains a semi - circular opening 136 for the pillar 132 . the upper major contact face 138 of brick 130 contains ridges 140 ( which are the same as ridges 24 &# 39 ; of brick 10 &# 39 ;) along its remaining three edges , with a recessed surface 142 between the ridges . the lower major contact face 144 of brick 130 contains depressed surfaces 146 along all of its sides , with raised portions 148 within the depressed surfaces 146 . the interlocking fit of the pillar bricks is exactly the same as that of the bricks 10 previously described , and the assembly produces a square with the pillar 132 at its centre .
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as illustrated in fig1 an electron beam controlled switch 10 according to the present invention includes a block 12 of semiconductor material with ohmic contacts 15 - 16 operatively connectable to the electrical conductors 17 and 18 . a space of a micron to a few centimeters may be used to separate contact 15 from contact 16 . an electron beam 20 is used to initiate and maintain conductivity in the switch 10 . the electron beam 20 may be generated in a vacuum tube diode 22 which emits electrons from a cathode 24 through an anode foil 26 . the electron beam 20 passes through the vacuum chamber wall and strikes the surface of the semiconductor block 12 through contact 15 . energization of the diode 22 may be controlled in a conventional manner . a pulsing circuit 30 as illustrated in fig1 as including a spark gap switch 32 , pulse forming network 34 and pulse transformer 36 . a pulsing circuit like that illustrated in fig1 has been used to produce a one microsecond pulse . when the block 12 of semiconductor material is formed of a highly resistive direct semiconductor material , such as semi - insulating gallium arsenide ( gaas ), the electron beam 20 has a maximum energy for gaas of approximately 200 kev since gaas can suffer damage if the electron energy exceeds 220 kev . the lower limit of the electron energy in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 is determined by the fact that the electron beam has to pass through the anode foil 26 and the contact 15 . however , where the semiconductor contact 15 forms the anode of the electron beam diode 26 , electrons with much lower energies , even as low as 10 kev can potentially be used . low energy electron beams are more easily used if , as illustrated in fig2 a and 2b , a ring - shaped contact 15 &# 39 ; is used instead of the solid contact illustrated in fig1 . use of a ring - shaped contact requires that the highly conductive region formed by the electron beam at the surface of the block 12 of semiconductor material be able to serve as the inner portion of contact 15 . the range of electron energy for a device constructed according to the present invention is between the range of electron beams used in diffuse discharge switches ( 150 - 300 kev ) and those used in electron - bombarded semiconductor ( ebs ) devices ( 10 - 15 kev ). the capabilities of an electron - beam controlled bulk semiconductor switch according to the present invention is more similar to a diffuse discharge switch than an ebs device , because the space charge limited current condition is exceeded . the space charge limitation is overcome in the present invention by converting the electron energy in the electron beam 20 into photon energy and x - rays ( bremsstrahlung ). the photon energy is produced by band edge radiation due to radiative recombination of electron hole pairs produced by the electron beam . the x - rays and photon energy is then used to ionize the bulk of the semiconductor instead of only a shallow surface layer . the electron beam 20 penetrates the semiconductor material 12 to a relatively shallow depth . for example , a 10 kev electron beam will penetrate silicon to a depth of 1 . 5 micrometers . however , the x - rays and photon energy which is produced by higher energy electron beams can penetrate to a depth of one - half to one millimeters or more . the majority of the ionization in the semiconductor material 12 outside the electron - beam activated layer is preferably caused by photon energy . unlike bremsstrahlung which produces x - rays in a linear relationship to electron energy , photon energy produced by cathodoluminiscence is independent of the energy of the electron beam 20 . preferably , the semiconductor material is a highly resistive direct semiconductor material such as semi - insulating gallium arsenide ( gaas ). a shallow donor or acceptor layer 40 ( fig2 b ) may be formed at the surface of the semiconductor material 12 adjacent to the electrode 15 to increase the number of photons produced by the electron beam 20 . the depth of doped layer 40 should be approximately equal to the depth the electrons penetrate the semiconductor 12 . for example , a gaas wafer 0 . 5 millimeter thick can be doped by diffusing zinc for 20 minutes at a temperature of 750 ° c . to produce a p - type layer of about 10 micrometers with an acceptor concentration of 10 19 / cm 3 . in experiments performed using semiconductor material 12 formed as described above , the undoped semi - insulating gaas exhibited current densities far above the space charge limited current density for a trap free insulator which represents the optimum condition for space charge limited current flow . the characteristics exhibited by the undoped semi - insulating gaas indicate that the bulk of the semiconductor was ionized due to x - ray bremsstrahlung . the experimental results using zinc - doped gaas had a slower rise time than the undoped semi - insulating gaas , but had approximately twice the current gain of the undoped semi - insulating gaas . the concentration , depth and composition of the doped layer can be varied to produce switches with varying characteristics using known semiconductor technology . in comparison to a diffuse discharge switch , the present invention is capable of higher current density in the switch , e . g ., 10 3 to 10 4 a / cm 2 , compared to less than 100 a / cm 2 in a diffuse discharge switch . also , the forward voltage during conduction may be less than 100 volts , while the minimum forward voltage in a diffuse discharge switch is 1 , 000 volts and over 100 volts in an ebs device . most importantly , the current gain of an electron - beam controlled bulk semiconductor switch according to the present invention is 10 4 to 10 5 , depending upon the source function and recombination rate of the semiconductor material 12 . the source function s b defines the number of electron - hole pairs created per volume and time by the electron beam and is defined by equation ( 1 ). in equation ( 1 ), dw / dx is the differential energy loss , j b is the electron - beam current density , e is the electron charge and w i is the effective ionization energy which is 4 . 3 ev for gaas . many of the features and advantages of the present invention are apparent from the detailed specification , and thus , it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages which fall within the spirit and scope of the invention . a switch constructed according to the present invention has many possible applications , a few of which include high power switching in , e . g ., an inductive storage unit , and a bistable electronic device in , e . g ., a high power circuit . further , since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art , from the disclosure of the invention , it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described . accordingly , suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to , all falling within the scope and spirit of the invention .
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the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention is configured to tin the bonding surfaces 12 of 40 lead frame units such as are shown at 10 in fig1 . fig5 is illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the invention . fig2 shows a typical cross section of the apparatus of fig5 . lead frame assembly 10 is shown positioned with bonding pads 12 in close contact with heater block 20 . heater block 20 is heated by heaters 21 which may be electric heaters . total assembly 22 may be considered to comprise two basic parts ; heater block 20 assembly together with the remainder of the structure as shown in fig2 . backplate 24 is slideably mounted ( not shown ) so that it may slide in the vertical directions shown by arrows 25 . solder spools 26 are mounted on axle 28 which is supported from backplate 24 . in the preferred embodiment of the invention there are 40 solder spools 26 , each feeding one of 40 bonding pads 12 which are part of lead frame assembly 10 . solder wire 30 is fed from spool 26 between block 32 and switch 34 . in the absence of solder wire 30 the actuator of switch 34 is allowed to move into the recess of block 32 thereby turning on switch 34 and actuating alarm 36 . solder wire 30 proceeds through holes in mounting block 31 for blocks 32 and switches 34 to pinch roller pair 38 , 40 . pinch roll 38 is a relatively soft rubber roller . pinch roller 40 is a metal roller with 40 grooves therein ( not shown ) for guiding each of the solder wires 30 respectively . solder wire 30 is then fed into the upper end of one of 40 tubes 44 which is shaped to guide solder wire 30 onto one of the bonding pads 12 . it will be clear that only two of 40 bonding pads 12 are shown in fig2 . these bonding pads are fed by solder wires 30a and 30b through tubes 44 . of course it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the position of the lower end of tube 44 may be adjustable in order to assure that solder wire 30 is properly guided to the center of bonding pad 12 , in each case . gear motor 42 drives pinch roller 40 . pinch roll 38 is an idling roller and requires no separate drive . gear motor 42 , in turn , is controlled by control timer 52 . backplate 24 which supports all of the solder wire 30 feed mechanism is vertically positioned by cam 46 . as before stated , backplate 24 may be raised and lowered in the directions of arrows 25 by cam 46 . cam 46 is driven by gear motor 48 . gear motor 48 is controlled by control timer 52 . the excentricity of cam 46 controls the distance and position of backplate 24 , and in turn , the rest of the solder feed mechanism . in operation , an operator positions lead frame 10 beneath feed mechanism 22 . the operator may be aided by a stop detent ( not shown ). the operator then begins operation of the preferred embodiment of the invention by initiating start mechanism 50 . start mechanism 50 starts control timer 52 . control timer 52 first energizes gear motor 42 for a predetermined length of time to feed a predetermined length of solder wire 30 into tubes 44 . initial apparatus set up assures that solder wires 30 do not contact the surfaces of bonding pads 12 . when gear motor 42 is timed off by control timer 52 , gear motor 48 starts to turn . when one - half cycle of cam 46 is accomplished , the solder wire previously advanced by gear motor 42 contacts and is driven into the hot surface of each of bonding pads 12 . fig3 shows a top view of bonding pads 12 , part of lead frame 10 assembly . short fingers 60 which are mounted on flat sided rotating shaft 62 are driven downward against bonding pads 12 by air operated actuator 64 . long fingers 66 , also driven by flat shaft 62 , are driven down between bonding pads 12 , thereby having no effect . the clamping action of short fingers 60 holds bonding pads 12 tight against heating block 20 during the soldering cycle . ( see also fig4 a .) when the soldering cycle is complete as determined by control timer 52 and gear motor 48 , fingers 60 and 66 are rotated 67 upward away from bonding pads 12 . this is accomplished by deactuating air actuator 64 . air actuators 70 are then used to drive flatted shafts 62 in direction b of arrows 68 . this longitudinal motion of flatted shaft 62 carries fingers 60 and 66 with it . the total distance travelled is equal to approximately one - half the spacing between adjacent bonding pads 12 . this positions long fingers 66 over bonding pads 12 . actuators 64 are then again actuated to rotate long fingers 66 down into the hot solder area of bonding pads 12 . ( see also fig4 b .) long fingers 66 are made of a material to which solder will not adhere . long fingers 66 thereby perform a patting action on the surfaces of bonding pads 12 , thus spreading out and flattening the solder on bonding pads 12 . at the conclusion of the patting cycle of long fingers 66 control timer 52 deactuates air actuators 64 to release lead frame assembly 10 from heated block 20 . air actuators 70 are then operated by control timer 52 to return flatted shafts 62 to their original position denoted by arrow 68a . meanwhile the operator physically removes lead frame assembly 10 from the apparatus and replaces it with a new lead frame 10 . the operator then begins the cycle again by initiating start activation mechanism 50 . this completes the operational and structural description of the preferred embodiment of the invention . it may be seen that the preferred embodiment of the invention provides for tinning 40 bonding pads 12 of lead frames 10 ( see fig1 ) simultaneously . feeding of solder wire 30 may be accomplished during a portion of the cylce usually used for loading the machine with lead frame 10 assemblies . solder wire 30 is accurately measured by the mechanism of the invention . an empty solder wire spool 26 is brought to the attention of the operator by means of alarm 36 . various other modifications and changes may be made to the present invention from the principles of the invention described above without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as encompassed in the accompanying claims .
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as shown in fig1 and 2 , a three - port ( one input , two output ) optical switching arrangement 10 ( fig1 ) or 20 ( fig2 ) has a mirror m which is positioned either out of the optical path ( fig1 ) or in the optical path ( fig2 ). in both situations ( fig1 and 2 ), the switching arrangement 10 , 20 has first , second and third optical ports p1 , p2 , and p3 , which are formed by respective proximate ends of first , second , and third optical fiber segments f1 , f2 , and f3 . the switching arrangement 10 , 20 further comprises first , second and third lenslets l1 , l2 , and l3 which serve to collimate the respective optical beams emanating from the first fiber f1 , entering into the second fiber f2 ( fig1 ), or entering into the third fiber f3 ( fig2 ). optical radiation for the optical beams is supplied by a light source l and is collected by utilization means u1 ( fig1 ) or u2 ( fig2 ). the mirror m ( fig2 ) has a frontal planar reflecting surface msi and may also have another reflecting surface parallel thereto , such as rear planar reflecting surface ms2 . the switching arrangement 10 , 20 can advantageously be integrated in a silicon workbench technology assembly , to form an optical switching assembly 30 ( fig3 ). here the same reference labels are used as were used in fig1 and 2 to refer to the same or similar elements or piece - parts . on a major planar surface ps of a silicon substrate s , for alignment purposes there is a plurality of recesses ( indentations or grooves ) that are cut into the substrate s , including a mirror recess mr into which fits the mirror m . other recesses cut into the substrate s include : first , second , and third fiber recesses fr1 , fr2 , fr3 ; first , second , and third lenslet recesses lr1 , lr2 , and lr3 ; and first and second substrate ball recesses sbr1 and sbr2 for receiving and holding in place a pair of identical ball - bearings b1 and b2 . the mirror m is integral with a silicon header ( holder ) h . this header has a pair of mirror ball - bearing recesses mbr1 and mbr2 that are registerable with a pair of identical substrate ball - bearing recesses sbr1 and sbr2 for receiving and holding in place the ball - bearings b1 and b2 . to prevent scratching of the mirror surface ms1 , the mirror recess mr is made sufficiently wide to prevent the reflecting surface ( s ) of the mirror from touching the sides of this mirror recess mr especially when the mirror moves in and out of this recess . the mirror recess mr and the ball - bearing recesses sbr1 , sbr2 , mbr1 , and mbr2 are all mutually located for desired mutual alignment of the mirror surface ms1 , the lenslets l1 , l2 , and l3 , and the fiber segments f1 , f2 , and f3 . fig4 is a cross section view of the portion the header h and substrate s indicated by the line 4 - 4 in fig3 . here in fig4 the front header surface cross section fhs is typically a & lt ; 110 & gt ; plane of a mono - crystalline silicon body of which the header h is composed , and the mirror m is an integral part of the same silicon body , as formed by known lithographic masking and anisotropic etching techniques . the front substrate surface fss cross section of the substrate s is typically a & lt ; 100 & gt ; plane of a monocrystalline silicon body of which the substrate s is composed . the header h can move in a rotary motion about the axis formed by joining the centers of the ball - bearings b1 and b2 . hence the planar surface ms1 ( and ms2 ) of the mirror m is constrained to move parallel to itself , i . e ., with no lateral displacement . thus the right - hand edge of the mirror m ( fig3 and 4 ) can move smoothly into an out of the mirror recess mr , depending upon a suitable force g ( or distribution of forces ) applied at a point ( or region ) at the top of the header h located to the left of the aforementioned axis through the ball - bearings b1 and b2 . this force g is applied in accordance with a function of time that is suitable for the desired switching . the force g gives rise to a counterclockwise torque when g is directed downward as shown in fig4 and hence tends to move the relevant part of the mirror m ( where the light beam is incident ) out of the optical path in the switching arrangement 10 , 20 ; and this force g gives rise to a clockwise torque when g is directed upward ( not shown ), and hence tends to move the mirror m into the optical path . thus , during switching operations , the direction of g determines the movement of the mirror m to produce the condition of the switching arrangement 10 vs . 20 ( fig1 vs . fig2 ). it should be noted that jittering ( random ) motion of the mirror m upward or downward does not impair optical alignment , because the alignment is completely determined by the identical ball - bearings b1 and b2 fitting into the identical recesses sbr1 and sbr2 which are located and aligned such that the mirror is constrained to move in a direction perpendicular to the place defined by the fibers f1 , f2 , and f3 . in this way , mechanical vibrations which tend to produce relative motion between the substrate and the mirror do not adversely affect the optical transmission , because the otherwise adverse transverse relative motion is suppressed by the rigidity of ball - bearings b1 and b2 in the recesses sbr1 and sbr2 . the lenslets l1 , l2 , and l3 are typically made of sapphire ( n = 1 . 7 ) or of high index ( about 1 . 7 to 1 . 9 ) glass . the ball bearings b1 and b2 are conveniently made of the same material as are the lenslets . fig5 shows an assembly view of a four - port ( two input , two output ) optical switching assembly 50 suitable for use in a lan . the assembly 50 can be viewed as being derived from the previously described optical switching assembly 30 by the addition of a fourth port formed by fiber segment f4 fitting into fiber recess fr4 , together with lenslet l4 fitting into lenslet recess lr4 , plus a second mirror surface ms2 of the mirror m parallel to the first surface ms1 . fig6 shows a top view of the assembly 50 when the mirror m is out of the optical path ( off - line , by - pass mode ). as indicated in fig6 when the mirror m is located in a position which is thus outside of the optical path , optical radiation exiting from the first fiber segment f1 then passes the switching arrangement 60 into the second fiber f2 . at the same time , an optical beam propagating in the fourth fiber segment f4 from another light source ( not shown ) passes into the fiber segment f3 but with an attenuated optical intensity ( indicated by a dotted line ), owing to a deliberately selected offset distance d of fiber segment f3 relative to fiber segment f4 ( together with the same offset in their respective lenslets l3 and l4 ). the thus attenuated beam entering into the fiber segment f3 , is useful for self - testing operations as more fully described below . an absorber a can be added , if need be , to absorb the ( excess ) light coming from the fiber segment f4 , i . e ., to absorb the light which does not enter into the fiber segment f3 . fig7 shows a top view of the switching assembly 50 ( fig5 ) when the mirror is in the path of the optical beam ( active mode ). as indicated in fig7 when the mirror m is thus moved into the optical path , the optical beam exiting from the fiber segment f1 is passed into the switching arrangement 70 where it is reflected by the first surface ms1 of the mirror m and directed into the third fiber segment f3 . at the same time , light exiting from the fiber segment f4 is reflected by the second surface ms2 of the mirror m and enters into the fiber segment f2 . by making the thickness ( distance between frontside and backside ) of the mirror m equal to d /√ 2 (= d cos 45 ° ), if the arrangement 60 is aligned properly , so also will the arrangement 70 be aligned properly . in particular , in fig6 substantially all of the beam exiting from f1 will enter into f2 , and only a portion of the cross section of the beam exiting from f4 will enter into f3 ; whereas in fig7 substantially all of the beam exiting from f1 will enter with f3 ; and substantially all of the beam exiting from f4 will enter into f2 . fig8 shows a lan loop 800 composed of a plurality of similar local stations exemplified by a typical local station composed of node 80 together with the four - port optical switching assembly 50 described above . for example , there are a total of six such local stations interconnected by six fiber segments . one of the stations may typically function as a main station , but in any event it operates in similar manner as the others insofar as relevant here . fig9 shows a typical local station which is in the off - line condition ( by - pass mode ). as indicated in fig9 when the mirror ( not shown ) in the switching assembly 50 is not in the optical path , a transmitter tx , such as a light emitting diode ( led ), sends a light beam into fiber segment f4 which is partially propagated by the switching assembly 50 ( as per fig6 ) into fiber segment f3 and ultimately to a utilization means , such as a pin photodiode receiver rx , whereas optical radiation propagating through fiber segment f1 passes through the switch 50 undisturbed and enters into the fiber segment f2 . the beam thus propagating from f1 to f2 goes on to the next local station , whereas the beam propagating from f4 to f3 can be used for testing the photo - electronics of the node 80 . thus the situation of the node 80 in fig9 is the off - line ( by - pass ) mode . fig1 shows the typical local station in its on - line condition ( active mode ), i . e ., with the mirror in the optical path . as indicated in fig1 , when the mirror m ( not shown ) is moved into the optical path , the optical beam emanating from fiber segment f1 enters into the receiver rx , whereas the optical beam emanating from the transmitter tx enters into the fiber segment f2 . thus , the situation depicted in fig1 is the on - line mode of the node 80 , wherein the electronics of the node 80 utilizes and processes the information on the beam emanating from the fiber segment f1 , and in response thereto the node 80 then transmits its own processed information to the fiber segment f4 . fig1 is a design of an optical coupling arrangement , for coupling together a pair of fiber segments , such as f1 and f2 , to their respective lenslets l1 and l2 in the above - described switching arrangements . more specifically , for example , the space between the fiber segment f1 and its lenslet l1 is filled with a transparent medium r1 , such as silicone rubber , having a refractive index which is approximately equal to that of the segment f1 , typically about 1 . 5 . in this way , unwanted reflections at the interface of f1 with r1 are avoided . at the same time the more desirable collimated beam optics ( parallel beam between l1 and l2 ) is achieved rather than converging beam optics ( rays coming to a focus between l1 and l2 ). similarly , the space between l2 and f2 is filled with a similar transparent medium r2 . note that in fig6 and 7 , the offset distance d arises in the switching assembly 60 because of the non - vanishing thickness of the mirror m . this offset causes optical loss into the absorber a , which can be undesirable in cases where the redirection of optical intensity , as is desired in self - testing , is not desired . to avoid this possibly undesirable situation , the optics of the assembly can be modified , for example , as shown in fig1 - 13 or 14 or 15 - 16 or 17 - 18 or 19 - 20 . in all these figures , the same reference labels are used to denote elements that are similar to those described above . in particular , all the lenslets are set in respective recesses in the substrate s ( fig5 ) as are the associated fibers , the recesses being located at respective positions that are determined by silicon workbench technology . fig1 - 13 depict the lenslets l1 , l2 , l3 , and l4 in a configuration for use in a switching assembly of the kind described above ( fig5 ). the remainder of the assembly ( not shown in fig1 - 13 ) should be understood to be the same as the switching assembly 50 shown in fig5 . here in fig1 - 13 , a pair of auxiliary mirrors am1 and am2 are fixedly attached either to the substrate s ( fig5 ) or to the header h and are oriented parallel to the mirror m , whereby the optical path between the fibers f4 and f3 does not suffer from any offset , as is desired . fig1 depicts a mirror 140 which , when used as the mirror m attached to the header h in the switching assembly 50 ( fig5 ), likewise avoids the offset . here in fig1 , the mirror 140 includes a silicon parallel slab 144 having its front surface ms1 coated with a thin layer 141 made of suitable transparent material , typically silicon dioxide , having a thickness such that it acts as an anti - reflection coating . the bottom half of the rear surface ms2 of the slab 144 is likewise coated with a similarly thin layer 142 of the transparent material , whereas the top half of the rear surface ms2 is coated with a thin reflecting layer 143 , made of suitable optically reflecting material , such as a metal having a thickness of about 100 nm . this mirror 140 can then be used in the switching assembly 50 in the following manner . to put the assembly with the mirror 140 into the by - pass mode depicted in fig6 the mirror 140 is moved upward into a position such that the optical paths among the lenslets pass through bottom ( transparent ) half of the mirror 140 . in this way , the dielectric portion of merely the mirror deflects ( refracts ) the beam slightly and directs the beam along the appropriate optical path . to achieve the active mode ( fig7 ), the mirror 140 is moved downward such that the optical paths pass through the top ( reflecting ) half of the mirror 140 -- while the bottom half of the mirror is situated in the mirror recess mr ( fig5 ). in this way the mirror 140 reflects the optical beams incident upon the front and rear surfaces of the reflecting layer 142 , which has negligible thickness and hence introduces negligible offset . fig1 - 16 depict an arrangement of lenslets and fibers to avoid the offset , in accordance with yet another embodiment . here in fig1 - 16 , the fibers f1 , f2 , f3 , and f4 serve the same respective functions as in fig6 - 7 , but they are all located on the same ( front ) side of mirror m . on the other ( rear ) side of the mirror m , auxiliary fibers af1 , af2 , and af3 -- together with auxiliary lenslets al1 , al2 , and al3 -- are located ( fig1 ) in respective alignment with these fibers f1 , f2 , and f3 . note that only three main lenslets l1 , l2 , and l3 are required , the lenslet l1 doing double duty by passing two mutually orthogonal beams simultaneously . the auxiliary fiber af1 is connected at its rear end by a connecting fiber cf1 to the rear end of the auxiliary fiber af3 , and the auxiliary fiber af2 is connected at its rear end by a connecting fiber cf4 to the rear end of the auxiliary fiber af4 . in this way , when the mirror m is moved into a position located in the paths of the optical beams , as shown in fig1 , the by - pass ( off - line ) mode is obtained . in particular , light exiting from f1 goes to f2 by way of path through l1 , reflection by mirror m , and through l2 ; and light exiting from f4 goes to f3 by way of a path through l1 , reflection by mirror m , and through l3 . and when the mirror m is moved into a position located outside of the paths of the optical beams , as shown in fig1 , the active ( on - line ) mode is achieved . that is , light exiting from f1 goes to f3 via l1 , al1 , af1 , cf1 , af3 , al2 , and l3 ; and light exiting from f4 goes to f2 via l1 , al4 , af4 , cf2 , af2 , al2 , and l2 . it should be understood that the location of all the lenslets and fibers shown in fig1 - 16 again are determined by recesses in the substrate s ( fig5 ), advantageously in accordance with silicon workbench technology , and that the position of the mirror m in fig1 - 16 is determined by ball - bearings ( not shown in fig1 - 16 ) located in recesses , i . e ., in the same way as the position of the mirror m in fig5 . it should also be understood that in fig1 - 16 the positions of the fibers f2 and f3 can be interchanged , and at the same time the respective lenslets l2 and l3 are interchanged . in that case , the active ( on - line ) mode is obtained in the configuration shown in fig1 , whereas the by - pass ( off - line ) mode is obtained in the configuration shown in fig1 . instead of the reflecting mirror m , an optically refracting element can be used , for example , in the form of a parallel refracting slab ( plate ) rs , i . e ., a parallel plate composed of an optically refracting medium -- as illustrated , for example , in the three - port configuration shown in fig1 - 18 ( fibers f1 , f2 , f3 not shown ) and in the four - port configuration shown in fig1 - 20 ( fibers f1 , f2 , f3 , f4 not shown ). it should be understood here that optical fibers ( not shown in fig1 - 18 or fig1 - 20 ) should be aligned as shown in fig3 and 5 . in particular ( fig1 - 18 ), refracting slab rs is designed -- for example , as to thickness and refractive index -- such that , when it is moved into the optical path as constrained by ball - bearings b1 and b2 in their respective recesses ( fig4 ), it refracts the optical beam by an amount sufficient to deliver the beam to a different lenslet -- e . g ., to the lenslet l3 ( fig1 ) instead of l2 ( fig1 ). note that the front and rear planar surfaces of the refracting slab rs are both constrained to move parallel to themselves , respectively . in fig2 , al1 and al2 are auxiliary lenslets connected by a connecting fiber cf , whereby the arrangement ( fig1 - 20 ) can be used in a four - port optical switching assembly similar to the one depicted in fig6 - 7 . notice that in connection with all cases described above , the position and orientation of the mirror m or 140 ( fig1 ), or of the parallel refracting slab rs ( fig1 ), is determined by the positions of ball - bearings b1 and b2 which fit into the recesses sbr1 and sbr2 . these positions of these ball - bearings in these recesses reliably determine an axis around which the mirror m rotates in response to the applied force ( s ) g indicated in fig4 . the silicon workbench technology , in which the recesses for the mirror , ball - bearings , fibers , and lenslets are all simultaneously formed by reliable lithography , ensures precise relative alignment of all fibers , lenslets , and the mirror on a mass productive basis -- i . e ., the simultaneous manufacture of a plurality of substrates with all their recesses aligned by means of conventional lithographic techniques . likewise it should be understood that the position and orientation of the refracting slab rs ( fig1 and 20 ) is similarly determined by ball bearings ( not shown ) which fit into recesses in the substrate s as depicted in fig3 - 5 , for example . although the invention has been described in detail in terms of specific embodiments , various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention . for example , the lenslets can be omitted by making the edges of the fiber segments spherical , rather than flat , to collimate the exiting optical beam . also , a single mirror m or refracting slab rs can simultaneously be used in conjuction with more than the single set of three ( or four ) ports -- i . e ., with an array of fibers containing a plurality of sets of such fibers , each set comprising three ( or four ) fibers operating similarly to f1 , f2 , f3 ( and f4 ). instead of offsetting ( fig6 and 7 ) the fiber segments f3 and f4 ( together with lenslets l3 and f4 ) by the distance d , the ( center of the ) mirror could be offset , in order to reduce the amount of optical radiation entering into the fiber segment f3 from the fiber segment f4 during the off - line mode . at some sacrifice of long - term stability , reliability , and optical insertion loss , the header h can be a stamped metal or molded plastic body having projections that fit into recesses in the silicon substrate , while the ball - bearings are omitted . instead of optical signals , other forms of electromagnetic radiation signals can be used , spanning from optical to millimeter waves with appropriate changes in the materials of the lenslets , mirror , and waveguides .
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referring now to the drawings , wherein like components are identified by similar numbers , a preferred embodiment of the improved golf club shaft and grip are shown in fig1 - 12 . as illustrated in fig7 a typical golf club 75 comprises a head 45 , a hosel 55 and a shaft 65 . the shaft 65 has a top end 67 and a bottom end 69 . the bottom end 69 of the shaft 65 is attached to the hosel 55 . the club head 45 is attached to the hosel 55 opposite the shaft 65 . a grip 85 surrounds a portion of the shaft 65 , generally starting at the top end 67 of the shaft 65 and extending along the shaft 65 to a position intermediate the top end 67 and the bottom end 69 of the shaft 65 . as shown in fig1 a golfer 25 typically holds the golf club 75 by grasping the golf club 75 at the grip 185 . the club shaft 165 shown in fig1 - 6 comprises three parts : an upper part u , a lower part b and a middle part m intermediate that upper and lower parts u , b . the upper and lower parts u , b comprise cylinders having circular cross - sections of a defined and uniform diameter . the middle part m of the shaft 165 comprises a plurality of alternating rectangular 165 b and circular 165 a and cross - sectional areas . the circular cross - sections 165 a are uniformly cylindrical and have the same diameter as that of the upper and lower parts u , b of the shaft 165 . the rectangular cross - sections 165 b have a length l , a width w and a height h . as seen in fig4 and 5 , the length l of the rectangular cross - sections 165 b is approximately the same as the diameter of the circular cross - sections 165 a . the width w of the rectangular cross - sections 165 b is less than the length l . further , the width w and the height h of the rectangular cross - sections 165 b are of a size to allow a golfer to easily position the rectangular cross - sections 165 b between two fingers , as shown in fig2 . the grip 185 covers the upper part u , the middle part m , and a portion of the lower part b of the shaft 165 , as shown in fig2 - 6 . within the middle part m of the shaft 165 , the grip 185 has a convex profile relative to the circular cross - sectional areas 165 a . such a profile allows the portions of the grip 185 covering the circular cross - sectional areas 165 a in the middle part m of the shaft 165 to have the same outer diameter as the portions of the grip 185 covering the upper part u and the portion of the lower part b , hence providing a familiar gripping area for the golfer . as illustrated in fig4 and 5 , the portions of the grip 185 covering the rectangular cross - sectional areas 165 b of the middle part m of the shaft 165 are less dense than those portions of the grip 185 covering the circular cross - sectional areas 165 a . this lack of density provides a level of comfort and security to the golfer without impeding the placement of the rectangular cross - sectional areas 165 b between two fingers of the golfer &# 39 ; s hand , as shown in fig2 . in a preferred embodiment , transitions between the circular cross - sectional areas 165 a and the rectangular cross - sectional areas 165 b of the middle part m and the transitions between the upper u and lower b parts with the middle part m may be conical shaped to prevent excessive wear or abrasion at the transitions . [ 0032 ] fig7 as discussed above , illustrates and typical golf club 75 with a shaft 65 and grip 85 . in other preferred embodiments , as illustrated in fig8 - 11 , the shaft 65 ( as shown in fig7 ) maintains a uniform , cylindrical , shape from the top end 67 to the bottom end 69 while the grip 85 changes contour . in fig8 - 11 , the grip 285 , 385 , 485 , 585 comprises a first part 287 , 387 , 487 , 587 and a second part 289 , 389 , 489 , 589 . the first parts 287 , 387 , 487 , 587 of each grip 285 , 385 , 485 , 585 comprise a contour similar to a conventional grip of a golf club 75 , as shown in fig7 . the second parts 289 , 389 , 489 , 589 of each grip 285 , 385 , 485 , 585 comprises at least one contoured area having a profile different than that of a conventional grip . as shown in fig8 the first part 287 of the grip 285 covers the shaft 65 starting at the top end 67 and extending to abut the second part 289 of the grip 285 . the second part 289 of the grip 285 extends between the abutting - first part 287 and the bottom end 69 of the shaft 65 . the second part 289 of the grip is convex . [ 0034 ] fig9 and 10 illustrate grips 385 , 485 in which the second parts 389 , 489 each has a conventional portion 389 a , 489 a and a protruding portion 389 b , 489 b . in fig9 the conventional portion 389 a of the second part 389 is located intermediate the first part 387 of the grip 385 and the protruding portion 389 b of the second part 389 of the grip 385 . the protruding portion 389 b surrounds the shaft 65 in a uniform , geometric shape . in fig9 the protruding portion 389 b resembles a vertical hexagonal . in fig1 , the protruding portion 489 b is intermediate the conventional portion 489 a of the second part 489 and the first part 487 of the grip 485 . the protruding portion 489 b surrounds the shaft 65 in a uniform , geometric shape . in fig1 , the protruding portion 489 b is convex . as shown in fig1 , the second part 589 b of the grip 585 may include multiple contours . the first part 587 of the grip 585 extends from the top end 67 of the shaft 65 to abutting proximity to the second part 589 . the second part 589 extends from a terminus of the first part 587 toward the bottom end 69 of the shaft 65 . the second part comprises protruding portions 589 b connected by a short conventional portion 589 a . the protruding portions 589 b may be the same or different shapes . in fig1 , the protruding portions 589 b are the same shape . further , the protruding portions 589 b may be of any geometric shape . in fig1 , the protruding portions 589 b are barrel shaped . [ 0037 ] fig1 illustrates a preferred embodiment combining elements of the contoured golf club shaft 665 as shown in fig1 - 6 , and of the contoured grip 685 , as shown in fig8 . the shaft 665 comprises three sections : an upper section u and a lower section b , both of which have a conventionally cylindrical shape ; and a middle section m intermediate the upper and lower sections u , b of the shaft 665 . the middle section m of is cylindrically shaped with a circular cross - section having a diameter between about 0 . 25 and 0 . 5 that of the diameter of the upper and lower sections u , b . transitions between the sections may be abrupt or gradual . as illustrated in fig1 , the transition between the upper section u and the middle section m is substantially an abrupt , square - edged demarcation , while the transition between the middle section m and the lower section b is a gradual , conically shaped transition . the grip 685 comprises a first part 687 and a second part 689 . the first part 687 comprises a contour similar to a conventional grip of a golf club 75 , as shown in fig7 . the second part 689 of the grip 685 comprises at least one contoured area having a profile different than that of a conventional grip . as shown in fig1 , the first part 687 of the grip 685 covers the shaft 665 starting at the top end 667 and extending to abutting engagement with the second part 689 . the second part 689 of the grip 685 extends between the abutting first part 687 and the bottom end 669 of the shaft 665 . the second part 689 of the grip 665 may have any geometric shape . the second part 689 of the grip 665 shown in fig1 is convex . fig1 - 18 illustrate a preferred method for gripping the golf club 75 shown in fig1 - 6 . the golfer 25 first positions the golf club 75 with the head 45 of the golf club 75 adjacent to a striking surface ( e . g ., a greens area on a golf course ) and a golf ball 35 and perpendicular to the golfer 25 , as shown in fig1 . the golfer 25 positions a first hand 27 in proximity to the golf club 75 , fingers of the first hand 27 oriented toward one of the rectangular cross - sectional areas 165 b of the shaft covered by and identified by the corresponding grip 185 b , as illustrated in fig1 . the golfer then inserts the rectangular cross - sectional area 185 b of the shaft 165 between two fingers of the first hand 27 , as illustrated in fig1 and 25 . as shown in fig1 , 16 and 17 , the rectangular cross - sectional area 185 b of the shaft 165 is insertable between any two fingers of the first hand : between index and middle fingers ( fig1 ); between middle and ring fingers ( fig1 ); and between ring and little fingers ( fig1 ). once the shaft 165 is properly positioned between fingers of the first hand 27 , the fingers of the first hand are closed about the shaft 165 , enclosing the shaft 165 within a fist made of the first hand 27 , as shown in fig1 . fingers of a second hand 29 are wrapped around the shaft 165 , at least partially overlapping the first hand 27 . a thumb of the first hand 27 may be covered by the second hand 29 or situated atop the second hand 29 after the second hand 29 is wrapped around the shaft , as illustrated in fig1 and 18 . once the first and second hands 27 , 29 are properly positioned , the golfer 25 may address the golf ball 35 , as shown in fig1 and prepare for swinging the golf club 75 . another embodiment of the method described above is shown in fig1 , wherein the shaft 165 is positioned between fingers of the first hand 27 and of the second hand 29 . the first and second hands 27 , 29 may either utilize the same rectangular cross - sectional area 185 b ( illustrated in fig1 ), or different rectangular cross - sectional areas 185 b . after properly positioning the shaft between fingers of both hands , the first and second hands 27 , 29 are closed about the shaft 165 , completing the gripping method . another embodiment of the method of gripping a golf club is illustrated in fig2 and 21 , wherein the first hand 27 is positioned as discussed above and illustrated in fig1 - 18 . the second hand 29 is closed about the shaft 165 at a position spaced apart from the first hand 27 . preferably , the second hand 29 is positioned intermediate the first hand 27 and the top end 67 of the shaft 165 . a feature of the method as described above is illustrated in fig2 - 24 , wherein any of the above grips is employed with a conventional golf club ( shown in fig7 ). it will therefore be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible of broad utility and application . many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other than those herein described , as well as many variations , modifications and equivalent arrangements , will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and the foregoing description thereof , without departing from the substance or scope of the present invention . accordingly , while the present invention has been described herein in detail in relation to its preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is made merely for purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention . the foregoing disclosure is not intended or to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwise to exclude any such other embodiments , adaptations , variations , modifications and equivalent arrangements , the present invention being limited only by the claims appended hereto and the equivalents thereof .
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a preferred embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings . the external structure of a text processing system to which the preferred embodiment of the invention is applied as shown in fig5 and was described above prior to the detailed description of the display supporting device of the related art . therefore , another explanation will be omitted . fig1 is a partially cutaway sectional view of the text processing system provided with a display supporting device 30 in the preferred embodiment according to the invention . fig2 is an exploded perspective view of the display supporting device 30 . referring to fig1 a generally u - shaped frame 10 of the display supporting device 30 is fixed by screws 9 to a lower cover 8 of a body 5 of the text processing system . an arm shaft 6 is fixed to the frame 10 . a joint 2 is rotatably supported on the arm shaft 6 and a display 1 is supported , through an arm pipe 3 , on the joint 2 . the joint 2 is prevented from axially disengaging from the arm shaft 6 by inserting a screw 40 through the joint 2 into a circumferential groove 41 formed on the arm shaft 6 . a first friction plate 22 is rotatably supported on the arm shaft 6 to the immediate left of and adjacent to ( as viewed in fig1 ) the joint 2 . as shown in fig2 the first friction plate 22 is provided at its central portion with a through hole through which the arm shaft 6 is inserted . the first friction plate 22 is further provided , at its outer peripheral portion , with two through holes 31a , 31b through which shoulder bolts 25 , to be described later , are inserted . the two through holes 31a , 31b are located at diametrically opposite positions with respect to the central portion of the first friction plate 22 . a left side surface of the first friction plate 22 , adjacent to a first cork plate 12a to be hereinafter described , is recessed at its central portion around the central through hole . owing to the recess of the first friction plate 22 , only the outer peripheral portion of the left side surface of the first friction plate 22 is maintained in frictional contact with the first cork plate 12a , the recess not being in frictional contact with first cork plate 12a . a right side surface of the first friction plate 22 , adjacent to the joint 2 , is provided with four projections 28 . as shown in fig1 the four projections 28 are respectively engaged with four holes formed through a left end of the joint 2 so that the first friction plate 22 is rotatable together with the joint 2 . the first friction plate 22 is provided at its outer periphery , near the through hole 31a , with a rotation stopper 29 projecting leftwardly so as to be able to contact the frame 10 . an angle of rotation of the first friction plate 22 , in association with rotation of the joint 2 , is limited to about 100 degrees between a position where the rotation stopper 29 contacts an upper portion of the frame 10 , above the arm shaft 6 , and another position where the rotation stopper 29 contacts a lower portion of the frame 10 below the arm shaft 6 . the limitation of the rotational angle of the first friction plate 22 permits a limited movement of the display 1 , connected through the joint 2 and the arm pipe 3 to the first friction plate 22 , between a first position where a display surface of the display 1 faces an upper cover 19 of the body 5 at a substantially central portion thereof and a second position where the display 1 is located above and just behind the body 5 ( see fig3 dash - dot line ). the first cork plate 12a , having an annular shape , is rotatably mounted on the arm shaft 6 between the first friction plate 22 and a right vertical portion of the frame 10 . an axial stopper 27 is fixed by a screw 18 to the arm shaft 6 between the right and left vertical portions of the frame 10 . a second friction plate 23 and a second cork plate 12b , having an annular shape , are rotatably supported on the arm shaft 6 between the axial stopper 27 and the right vertical portion of the frame 10 . as shown in fig2 the second friction plate 23 is provided at its central portion with a through hole through which the arm shaft 6 is inserted . the second friction plate 23 is further provided at its outer peripheral portion with two through holes 32a and 32b through which the shoulder bolts 25 are respectively inserted . the through holes 32a and 32b are located at diametrically opposite positions with respect to the central portion of the second friction plate 23 so as to be respectively aligned with the through holes 31a and 31b of the first friction plate 22 . a right side surface of the second friction plate 23 , adjacent to the second cork plate 12b , is recessed at its central portion around the central through hole . owing to the recess of the second friction plate 23 , only the outer peripheral portion of the right side surface of the second friction plate 23 is maintained in frictional contact with the second cork plate 12b , the recess not being in frictional contact . the frictional force generating portion , according to the invention , comprises the contact surfaces of the first friction plate 22 and the first cork plate 12a , the contact surfaces of the second friction plate 23 and the second cork plate 12b , the contact surfaces of the frame 10 and the first cork plate 12a , and the contact surfaces of the frame 10 and the second cork plate 12b . as shown in fig1 one of the shoulder bolts 25 is inserted through the through hole 31a of the first friction plate 22 and the through hole 32a of the second friction plate 23 , and the other shoulder bolt 25 is inserted through the through hole 31b of the first friction plate 22 and the through hole 32b of the second friction plate 23 . a compression spring 26 is mounted on each shoulder bolt 25 in such a manner as to be interposed between a head portion of each shoulder bolt 25 and the first friction plate 22 . each shoulder bolt 25 is tightened at its tip portion with a nut 24 to be fixed to the second friction plate 23 . accordingly , the second friction plate 23 is rotatable together with the first friction plate 22 . the first friction plate 22 is normally biased by a known biasing force of the two compression springs 26 in the axial direction of the arm shaft 6 toward the second friction plate 23 . the biasing force of the compression springs 26 defines the strength of maximum frictional force to be generated between the contact surfaces ( the frictional force generating portion ) of the frame 10 and the first cork plate 12a , between the contact surfaces ( the frictional force generating portion ) of the frame 10 and the second cork plate 12b , between the contact surfaces ( the frictional force generating portion ) of the first cork plate 12a and the first friction plate 22 , and between the contact surfaces ( the frictional force generating portion ) of the second cork plate 12b and the second friction plate 23 . the frictional force generated acts in a direction opposite to any rotating direction of the display 1 as rotated by the user , thus preventing undesired rotation of the display 1 . the arm shaft 6 is provided at its right end portion with external threads 14 . a knob 4 having internal threads is fastened to the external threads 14 so as to axially urge the joint 2 leftwardly via a washer 15 . by adjusting the degree of screw fastening of the knob 4 to the external threads 14 , the first friction plate 22 , the first cork plate 12a , the frame 10 , the second cork plate 12b and the second friction plate 23 can be maintained in frictional contact with each other by a fastening force produced by the knob 4 which is larger than the biasing force of the compression springs 26 . the fastening force of the knob 4 defines the strength of frictional forces to be generated between the contact surfaces of the frame 10 and the first cork plate 12a , between the contact surfaces of the frame 10 and the second cork plate 12b , between the contact surfaces of the first cork plate 12a and the first friction plate 22 , and between the contact surfaces of the second cork plate 12b and the second friction plate 23 . the frictional force generated upon fully screw fastening the knob 4 are larger than those due to the biasing force of the compression springs 26 and enough to fix the display 1 in position . the biasing means according to the invention is comprised of the nuts 24 , the shoulder bolts 25 , the compression springs 26 , the axial stopper 27 , the external threads 14 of the arm shaft 6 , the internal threads of the knob 4 , the washer 15 , and the joint 2 . the operation of the display supporting device 30 having the above structure will now be described . fig3 is a side view of the text processing system in the condition where the display 1 is located in a forward tilted position over the text processing system body 5 which is disposed horizontally , that is , in a working posture , on a surface 21 . fig4 is a side view of the text processing system in the condition where the display 1 is located at the forward tilted position over the body 5 which is disposed vertically , that is , in a storing posture , on the surface 21 . it is assumed that the display supporting device 30 is in an initial condition where the knob 4 is fully fastened in a direction as depicted by an arrow a of fig5 . in this condition , the fastening force of the knob 4 is greater than the biasing force of the compression springs 26 that is applied to the contact surfaces of the frame 10 and the first cork plate 12a , the contact surfaces of the frame 10 and the second cork plate 12b , the contact surfaces of the first cork plate 12a and the first friction plate 22 , and the contact surfaces of the second cork plate 12b and the second friction plate 23 . accordingly , even when external force for rotating the display 1 is applied by the user to the display 1 , the display 1 is kept non - rotatable relative to the body 5 by the frictional force generated in the display supporting device 30 owing to the fastening force of the knob 4 . the contact surfaces of the first friction plate 22 and the first cork plate 12a and the contact surfaces of the second friction plate 23 and the second cork plate 12b are formed as annular surfaces because of the recesses of the first and second friction plates 22 and 23 . therefore , assuming the fastening force of the knob 4 is fixed , the frictional force to be generated between the contact surfaces of the invention acts as resistance against rotation of the display 1 about the arm shaft 6 more effectively than would be generated in the case where the friction plates 22 , 23 would have circular , or complete , contact surfaces contacting the cork plates 12a , 12b . when the knob 4 is rotated in a direction reverse to the direction of the arrow a , shown in fig5 by the user , the fastening force of the knob 4 applied to the contact surfaces of the frame 10 and the first cork plate 12a , the contact surfaces of the frame 10 and the second cork plate 12b , the contact surfaces of the first cork plate 12a and the first friction plate 22 , and the contact surfaces of the second cork plate 12b and the second friction plate 23 is reduced down to the biasing force produced by the compression springs 26 alone . accordingly , the frictional force generated on all the contact surfaces is reduced so that the display 1 may be rotated about the arm shaft 6 by the operator . when the proper external force is applied by the user to rotate the display 1 , the display 1 is rotated about the arm shaft 6 within the given rotatable range mentioned previously and may be located at a desired position . after thus obtaining a desired position for the display 1 , the user may operate the text processing system to perform text processing . if no appropriate external force is applied by the user , or any other source , to the display 1 , the display 1 will remain held in the desired position by the frictional force generated by the biasing force of the compression springs 26 . alternatively , the user may tighten the knob 4 in the direction of the arrow a ( fig5 ) and tightly fix the display 1 at the desired position . after completing text processing , it is assumed that the body 5 is set on a surface 21 , with its front , or keyboard , end oriented upward , that is it is stored vertically , as shown in fig4 . in this case , should the operator forget to store the display 1 in the forward position shown in fig3 the display supporting device 30 continues to support the display 1 relative to the body 5 and keeps the previous position of the display 1 owing to the frictional force generated by the biasing force of the compression springs 26 or , even more securely , by the fastening force of the knob 4 . that is , a rotation moment w1 toward the surface 21 due to the weight of the display 1 and the arm pipe 3 and the force exerted by torque spring 16 is at least in balance with a moment f1 due to the frictional force of the compression springs 26 . therefore , the display 1 does not rapidly rotate toward the surface 21 . accordingly , the display supporting device 30 can prevent striking of the display 1 against the surface 21 and possible breakage of the display 1 when moving or storing the text processing system . it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment illustrated above , but various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention . for example , the cork plates 12a and 12b employed in the above preferred embodiment may be replaced with rubber plates having a shape similar to that of the cork plates 12a and 12b . as is apparent from the above description , in the display supporting device according to the invention , even in the condition where the display is movable relative to the body of the text processing system , the display can be prevented from rapidly moving in any direction to thereby avoid possible breakage of the display due to the rapid movement thereof .
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in the following discussion , reference will be made to mi - cmc &# 39 ; s . however , the present invention is not limited to melt - infiltration cmc &# 39 ; s , and is applicable to all cmc &# 39 ; s , regardless of their processing . in addition , while the discussion below refers to silicon - containing fibers , for example silicon carbide , it will be understood that the invention is not limited to such fiber materials . thus , other materials with high temperature resistance and properties may be used . examples include oxides , carbides and nitrides of silicon , tungsten , chromium , iron , titanium , boron , zirconium and aluminum . fibers fabricated from mullite may also be employed . referring to the drawings , fig1 shows , generally , the sealing concept of the invention , with four options for seal attachment ( described in more detail in fig2 , 3 , 4 and 5 ). in fig1 , a metallic mounting structure i is shown for a stage 1 turbine shroud component , including an outer shroud connected to the casing ( not shown ) of a turbine and an inner shroud 7 connected to the outer shroud . the outer shroud 1 is attached to a damper block 2 which acts as a loading feature and a gas path pressure pulse damping mechanism onto the inner shroud component 7 . the inner shroud is made of mi - cmc material . fig2 shows silicon carbide fibers ( coated and / or uncoated ) 8 attached to the damper block 2 by a metallic seal attachment device 3 using a bolt 4 that is threaded and retained ( typically by staking ) onto the seal attachment device 3 . another high temperature bolt ( a ) mechanically retains the fiber seal 8 into the seal attachment device 3 . the over - arch of the fiber seal e between adjacent inner shrouds 7 prevents the gas turbine hot gases that are flowing between the inner shroud 7 from entering the cavity behind the inner shroud 7 and coming into contact with the lower temperature capable metal components ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ). the attachment device 3 also functions to provide structural support , as well as compliance with manufacturing tolerances , shroud damping due to blade passing and loading of shroud onto the attachment , and pressure ( hot gas ) containment rather than seal actuation . the &# 39 ; device 3 in intended to cover various bonding techniques for sealing the fibers , typically silicon carbide fibers , within a metallic structure which can be mounted to turbine structure 2 . thus , in an alternative embodiment , device 3 may be configured to guide a shaped fiber packs circumferentially within grooves identified by “ b ” ( see fig3 ). in such an embodiment , along the circumference of device 3 , sections are provided between fiber packs which provide structural support for device 3 and the fiber packs . the fiber packs are bonded in place with a silicon carbon matrix to insure full sealing within the device . fig3 shows an alternative seal attachment mechanism 5 . this alternative is a bonded approach , which chemically bonds the fiber seal 8 ( sic ) into the seal attachment 5 , which is then mechanically attached to the damper block 2 using a bolt 6 similar to that shown in fig2 . the seal attachment device 5 may be fabricated from monolithic ceramic or another block of mi - cmc using minimal fibers . the seal 8 may be bonded into the attached device 5 in situ or by using any interface block b . fig4 is similar to fig3 except that , in fig4 , dissimilar material is employed for the interface block c and the attachment device 5 which could be metal or another appropriate material . the embodiment of fig5 employs a different approach for the fiber seal 8 attached to the seal attachment device 3 . this approach is very similar to conventional metal brush seal design where bristles 9 are mechanically pressed and retained by a seal holder d and a bolt 4 into the seal attachment device 3 . the unique aspect of this embodiment in fig5 uses fibers 9 to not only touch the inner shroud 7 on the backside , but also in between the adjacent shrouds . this further reduces the amount of hot gases that can bypass the turbine bucket and go down the area between adjacent shrouds 7 . this improved sealing helps to improve gas turbine efficiency and also facilitates shroud damping mentioned above . the basic operation of the seal of the invention is similar to conventional metallic brush seals . a unique feature of the present invention when mi - cmc components are involved is the material compatibility of sic fibers sealing against the sic matrix surface of the mi - cmc components . a further unique feature relates to the method of manufacture of these sic fibers into a mounting structure in view of the material capability ( sic versus metal ) of the fibrous seal , the cmc component - sealing surface and the seal mechanism mounting structure . careful control of silicon carbide to metal contact and / or interaction is critical in minimizing cost , and forming ease of sic components which may be in contact with metal . fig2 - 5 discussed above relate to static applications . however , the invention is not limited to static applications , and also contemplates high speed rotation sealing between static and rotating components . many static components within combustion turbomachinery such as nozzles or diaphragms or vanes typically have sealing mechanisms on their inner diameter which is in close proximity to rotating components such as blades , buckets and / or turbines . these vital seals prevent the cooling flow intended to cool the rotating blades from . escaping into the main hot gas path flow before fulfilling their cooling objective . the alternative of hot gases leaking into the cavities between blades and vanes and causing detrimental damage to components which are not specifically designed to have high temperature hot gas path flow directly on their surfaces is clearly not desired . the invention additionally contemplates an intra - seal ( between fibers ) structure , which provides support and seal integrity and would , advantageously , be placed inside the fiber pack , thereby improving sealing and structural support . fig5 may represent a more complex departure from conventional static seal design since it embeds the sealing fibers directly into a cavity requiring the seal due to the necessity of material compatibility with sic fibers sealing on sic matrix components . this embodiment effectively traps all of the deleterious hot gases within the high temperature components which are specifically designed to accommodate the hot gases without active cooling flow . the only challenge will this embodiment rests in the relatively large about of exposed fiber surface contact with metallic components d and 3 . while the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment , but on the contrary , is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims .
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according to the embodiment shown in the drawings , the firearm replica of the invention is in the form of an automatic pistol 1 , with a removal magazine 2 . the firearm replica 1 comprises a fixed frame 3 constituted by an elongated body 4 extending rearwardly , with a downwardly elbowed portion 5 , which serves as a grip . a trigger guard 6 extends between the lower surface of the elongated body 4 and the front surface of the grip 5 , to receive a trigger 7 . the upper portion of the elongated body 4 is surmounted by a longitudinally movable slide 8 . the elongated body 4 of the frame 3 comprises a guide rod 9 which extends forwardly . a return spring 10 is mounted coaxially on the guide rod 9 and bears , with one end turn , on a fixed abutment 4 a on the frame 3 , and by the opposite end turn against a tongue 11 which projects downwardly from the slide 8 . the elongated body 4 and the frame 3 carry , above the guide rod 9 , the barrel 12 to eject the projectiles . the barrel 12 can be provided in metallic material . in rearward prolongation of the barrel 12 , there is provided an ejection mechanism 13 for projectiles in the form of small light plastic balls 14 . the ejection mechanism 13 comprises within the elongated body 4 of the frame 3 , a piston 15 , at the center of which is provided a pressure pin 16 which projects in the direction of the barrel 12 . a helicoidal ejection spring 17 bears , on the one hand , against the surface of the piston 15 opposite the pin 16 , and on the other hand , against a flange 18 which projects above the elongated body 4 . a guide pin 19 extends longitudinally from this projecting flange 18 to serve to guide the ejection spring 17 , in the course of its cocking , and in the course of ejection . as in a real firearm , the slide 8 has on its upper surface a rear sight 21 and a front sight 22 . to simulate a real firearm , an indentation 23 is provided on the other side of the slide 8 , substantially at its center , said indentation 23 serving , in a real firearm , to eject cartridge cases after firing . of course , in this case the slide 8 does not undergo a recoil movement during firing , because the ejection energy of the projectiles is too low . in the elongated body 4 is also provided an actuating mechanism connected , on the one hand , to the trigger 7 , and , on the other hand , to the ejection mechanism 13 . this actuating mechanism comprises a lever 24 secured to the trigger 7 , at its articulation axle 25 on the frame 3 . the opposite end of the lever 24 is articulated to a bar 26 which is adapted to move substantially in its longitudinal direction under the actuation of the trigger 7 . as shown in fig3 the bar 26 is secured by an articulated connection 26 b to a leg 27 a of a sear 27 , to cause the sear 27 to swing about its pivot point 27 c ( see fig3 ) during movement of the bar 26 . the sear 27 comprises another leg 27 b which is adapted to coact with a notch 50 of a tongue 51 secured to the piston 15 , to retain the piston 15 in its retracted position , shown in fig2 . the leg 27 a of the sear 27 moreover comprises a hook adapted to coact with a hammer 28 which is articulated at the rear of frame 3 . the hammer 28 hooks onto the leg 27 a of the sear 27 , when the hammer 28 is swung downwardly , under the action of the rear edge of the slide 8 which is moved rearwardly in the direction of the arrow f , as shown in fig2 . the hammer 28 in this case has only the function of giving a sound , because the firearm replica does not use percussion . the grip 5 of the firearm replica 1 is hollow and open at its base to define a receptacle for receiving the magazine 2 . the grip 5 comprises a pushbutton 29 extending transversely and adapted to coact with a notch 30 in the magazine 2 to block it in the receptacle of the grip . one of the surfaces of the grip 5 comprises a slot 31 ( see fig3 ) of substantially inverted l shape , in which engages a lug 26 a projecting from the bar 26 . the projecting lug 26 a is adapted to move substantially longitudinally in the base of the l , during actuating movement of the trigger 7 . a safety 32 is articulated on said surface of the grip 5 and is provided with an angular return spring 33 at the level of its axle of articulation 32 a . the safety 32 comprises a lug 32 b which projects into the slot 31 and is adapted to move along the substantially vertical leg of the l . in the upper position of the safety 32 , the projecting lug 32 b blocks the movement of the lug 26 a projecting from the bar 26 , which prevents movement of the trigger 7 . the grip 5 is covered on each of its surfaces with a protective cover 34 . one of the covers 34 covers the safety 32 , except its free end 35 which extends beyond the cover 34 to permit swinging of the lever between an active position blocking the trigger 7 and a lower inactive position . a retaining tongue 36 is provided on each side of the frame 3 to retain the upper edge of each cover 34 . once assembled , the two covers 34 define along the rear edge of the grip 5 a substantially vertical recess 5 a in which is disposed a metallic counterweight 37 . each cover 34 is fixed on the grip 5 by two small screws 38 . the magazine 2 comprises a body 39 extending substantially vertical with a slight inclination to correspond to that of the grip 5 , and a substantially horizontal base 40 , which is adapted to close the open bottom of the receptacle of the grip 5 . the body 39 of the magazine 2 comprises a substantially u shaped recess 41 extending substantially in the plane of symmetry of the firearm replica , a compression spring 42 being disposed within the recess 41 , so as to be able to occupy all the internal space of this recess . the recess 41 opens at its upper front end through an opening 41 a , to permit the introduction of balls 14 into the magazine 2 and the exit of the balls during the cocking of the firearm replica . the balls 14 contained in the recess 41 press back the spring 42 and are urged by the spring 42 toward an upper flange 43 of the magazine 2 which is in line with the outlet opening 41 a , which prevents the untimely exit of the balls 14 . a proportion of the magazine 2 comprises a longitudinal slot in which an active portion of the slide 8 engages during recoil , said active portion thus pressing back the balls into the recess 41 , to cause the uppermost ball to coincide with the outlet opening 41 a , thereby permitting the loading of a ball 14 into the barrel 12 . a guide ramp 44 is provided in the elongated body 4 of the frame 3 , to guide the ball 14 between the outlet opening 41 a of the magazine 2 and the inlet of the barrel 12 . the slide 8 moreover comprises a pressing ramp 20 , seen in fig2 which is adapted , during return of the slide 8 toward its rest position , to press the ball 14 toward the ramp 44 , until the ball 14 reaches the inlet of the barrel 12 . as seen in fig1 between the legs of the u shaped recess 41 of the magazine 2 , is disposed a metallic counterweight 45 . similarly , a metallic counterweight 46 is disposed in the elongated body 4 of the frame 3 , substantially in vertical alignment with the trigger guard 6 . the counterweights 37 , 45 and 46 have the purpose of balancing the firearm replica 1 , so as to simulate real firing conditions and the heft of a real firearm . in general , the mass of the firearm replica is less than that of a real firearm , but it tends to approach it . an essential characteristic of the invention is that the assembly of the frame 3 , the slide 8 , the magazine 2 and the protective covers 34 is a transparent plastic material . thus , the user can control the good operation of the actuating mechanism and of the ejection mechanism of the firearm replica , and particularly , immediately locate the site of possible blockage of a ball 14 in the slide and / or the frame . moreover , the user can immediately determine the size and number of balls available in the magazine 2 . the fact of providing the firearm replica 1 in transparent plastic material also permits visualizing the animation of the mechanisms of the firearm replica . of course , as a modification , it could be provided that only a portion of the firearm replica 1 be in transparent plastic material , to obtain the desired effects of controlling possible malfunction and the identification of the number and size of the balls . finally , it will be noted that the ejection mechanism of the firearm replica can be of the compressed air type , with gas , or with electrical actuation , with or without a spring . by way of example , the balls can have a dimension of the order of 6 mm . the operation of the firearm replica will now be described with reference to fig1 and 2 . in the rest position shown in fig1 with the magazine 2 engaged in the receptacle of the grip 5 , the safety 32 is in a downwardly swung position to permit operation of the trigger 7 . then , a longitudinal force is exerted in the direction of the arrow f in fig2 to press rearwardly the slide 8 relative to the frame 3 , which has the effect of uncovering the forward portion of the barrel 12 , and free end of the guide rod 9 . simultaneously , the piston 5 is pressed rearwardly against the ejection spring 17 and the hammer 28 is swung downwardly . the hammer 28 is maintained in downwardly swung position by the sear 27 which retains the piston 15 in retracted position by means of the tongue 51 . the rearward movement of the slide 8 also causes the ejection of a ball 14 as shown in fig2 . the return of the slide 8 to its rest position is ensured by the return spring 10 at the level of the guide rod 9 . this return movement of the slide 8 moves the ball 14 along the ramp 44 to the inlet of the barrel 12 , under the action of the pressure ramp 20 . in this position , the pin 16 of the piston 15 is spaced from the ball 14 , because the piston 15 is retained by the sear 27 . when the user pulls the trigger , the bar 26 is driven forwardly , by means of the lever 24 , which causes the sear 27 to pivot and frees the tongue 51 from the piston 15 which is propelled forwardly under the action of the ejection spring 17 . the swinging of the sear 27 also frees the hammer 28 which strikes the rear of the frame 3 with a clapping sound . the piston 15 is projected forwardly , until its pin 16 strikes the ball 14 which is ejected through the barrel 12 to the exterior . it should be noted that during firing ball 14 , a ball 14 does not automatically replace the ball which has been projected . it is necessary , for this purpose , again to retract the slide 8 . although the invention has been described in connection with a particular embodiment , it is evident that it is in no way thereby limited and that it comprises all technical equivalents of the means described , as well as their combinations if the latter enter into the scope of the invention . the firearm replica of the invention can particularly be adapted for its use as a plaything .
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cross - sectionally illustrated in schematic form in fig1 is a fuel - fired heating appliance , representatively a gas - fired water heater 10 , embodying principles of the present invention . water heater 10 rests upon a horizontal support surface , such as the illustrated floor 11 , and has a vertically oriented tubular inner wall structure 12 . inner wall structure 12 defines , along an upper portion thereof , a tank 14 adapted to hold a quantity of water 16 to be heated and having a domed bottom end wall 18 , a combustion chamber 20 extending downwardly from a peripheral portion of the end wall 18 , and an annular skirt wall 22 extending downwardly from the periphery of the combustion chamber 20 to the floor 11 and circumscribing a plenum 24 disposed beneath the combustion chamber 20 . a circumferentially spaced series of air transfer openings 26 extend through the skirt wall 22 into the plenum 24 . extending upwardly from the bottom tank end wall 18 , through the stored water 16 , is a flue pipe 28 that communicates at its lower end with the interior of the combustion chamber 20 . a vertically oriented tubular metal outer wall structure , representatively in the form of a metal jacket 30 , outwardly circumscribes the inner wall structure 12 and forms therewith an annular space , an upper portion of which is filled with a suitable insulation material 32 , and a lower end portion of which forms an annular air inlet or receiving space 34 which outwardly circumscribes the skirt wall 22 . a circumferentially spaced series of combustion air inlet openings 36 extend through a lower end portion of the jacket 30 into the annular space 34 . water heater 10 also includes a radiant gas burner 40 , the hollow body of which is formed from abutting upper and lower metal pan structures 42 , 44 having circular peripheral edge flange portions supportingly received in a circumferentially rolled portion 46 of the inner wall structure 12 . as can be seen in fig1 , a peripheral flange portion of the burner 40 defines the bottom wall of the combustion chamber 20 , with an upper or outlet portion of hollow body of the burner 40 projecting upwardly from such bottom wall into the interior of the combustion chamber 20 , and a lower or inlet portion of the hollow body of the burner 40 projecting downwardly from such bottom wall into the skirt plenum 24 . on the top side of the burner 40 is a metal mesh burner screen structure 48 ( see . fig1 – 4 ) which functions as a perforate flame - holding surface or wall structure during firing of the burner . the screen structure 48 may be removed from the balance of the burner 40 and withdrawn from the combustion chamber , for inspection and cleaning purposes , through suitable aligned access openings ( not illustrated herein ) formed in the outer wall structure 30 and a vertical side wall portion of the combustion chamber 20 . during firing of the burner 40 , as later described herein , the burner generates hot combustion products which flow upwardly through the flue 28 and heat the stored water 16 to maintain it at a predetermined heated temperature . as can best be seen in fig2 – 4 , the removable screen structure 48 ( which may be of an alternative perforate construction such as a porous ceramic material ), has a partially annular configuration as viewed from the top , and has opposite , circumferentially spaced apart ends 50 , 52 . removable screen 48 circumscribes a generally circular , non - screened central area 56 of the upper burner pan structure 42 that underlies the open lower end of the flue 28 , with the screen 48 sloping downwardly and radially inwardly toward the non - screened central area 56 . in this manner , scale falling from the interior of the flue 28 tends to land in the central area 56 and thus does not tend to plug the screen 48 . additionally , scale landing on the screen 48 tends to fall down its inwardly sloped surface onto the non - screened central area 56 . the burner screen 48 provides the water heater 10 with flammable vapor ignition resistance ( fvir ) to substantially prevent flames within the combustion chamber 20 ( caused , for example , by ignition of extraneous flammable vapors ingested into the combustion chamber ) from downwardly exiting the combustion chamber 28 , the various small openings in the screen area 48 serving as flame quenching openings that permit fuel and air to upwardly traverse the screen , but preclude the passage of flames downwardly therethrough . as illustrated in fig1 , the lower burner pan structure 44 forms within the skirt plenum 24 a burner venturi inlet opening 58 that is an integral portion of the burner 40 and communicates the interior of the plenum 24 with the interior of the burner 40 . a fuel gas supply tube 60 is connected to a thermostatic gas valve 62 and extends downwardly therefrom through a portion of the combustion chamber 20 and into the interior of the burner 40 . a suitable gas discharge nozzle 64 is connected to the lower outlet end of the tube 60 within the interior of the burner 40 adjacent its integral inlet opening 58 . during firing of the burner 40 , fuel gas 66 is discharged from the nozzle 64 into the interior of the burner 40 , and combustion air 68 from outside the water heater 10 sequentially flows inwardly through the combustion air inlet openings 36 into the annular space 34 , from the annular space 34 into the skirt plenum area 24 via the skirt wall openings 26 , and from the skirt plenum area 24 into the interior of the burner 40 through its integral venturi inlet opening 58 . combustion air 68 entering the interior of the burner 40 in this manner is mixed with the discharged fuel gas 66 to form a fuel / air mixture that passes upwardly through the removable burner screen 48 and is suitably ignited to form the previously mentioned hot combustion products within the combustion chamber 20 and heat the stored tank water 16 . as can be seen , all of the primary combustion air supplied to the burner 40 comes from outside the water heater 10 . accordingly , the nox emissions generated by the burner 40 are quite low . thus , the representatively illustrated water heater 10 , in a simple , efficient and economical manner , integrates a low nox fuel burner with a flammable vapor ignition resistance structure . a first alternate embodiment 10 a of the previously described water heater 10 is schematically shown in fig5 and 6 . for ease in comparing the water heaters 10 and 10 a , components in the water heater 10 a similar to those in the previously described water heater 10 have been given the same reference numerals to which the subscripts “ a ” have been added . water heater 10 a is similar in construction and operation to the previously described water heater 10 with the following exceptions . in the water heater 10 a , the removable burner screen 48 a has a fully domed configuration , and the combustion air inlet openings 36 a formed in the jacket wall 30 a are particulate filtering perforations operative to filter out , for example , lint , dirt and oil from combustion air 68 a entering the annular space 34 a to reduce potential clogging of the burner screen 48 a . as an alternative to these filtering perforations in the jacket wall 30 a , a separate filtering structure could be appropriately installed in a suitable mounting opening in the jacket wall 30 a . the integral burner venturi inlet opening 58 a disposed within the skirt plenum 24 a faces downwardly and forms a portion of a combustion shutoff system 70 incorporated in the water heater 10 a . the combustion shutoff system 70 functions to terminate combustion in the combustion chamber 20 a , representatively by precluding further combustion air flow to the burner 40 a , in response to the detection of an undesirably high temperature in the combustion chamber 20 a which may be caused , for example , by the combustion therein of ingested extraneous flammable vapors from outside the water heater 10 a . combustion shutoff system 70 representatively includes a temperature sensing structure 72 disposed within the combustion chamber 20 a and linked to a spring - loaded shutoff damper assembly 74 which is normally held in its indicated open position in which it permits combustion air 68 a to flow into the interior of the burner 48 a through its integral venturi inlet opening 58 a . upon detecting a predetermined , undesirably high temperature within the combustion chamber 20 a , the temperature sensing structure 72 permits the damper structure 74 to be spring - driven upwardly in a manner causing the damper structure 74 to close off the burner inlet opening 58 a . the temperature sensing structure 72 is located over a perforated arrestor plate 76 ( see fig6 ) inset into peripheral portions of the upper and lower burner pan structures 42 , 44 . the perforated arrestor plate 76 serves to prevent outflow of flames from the interior of the combustion chamber 20 a ( augmenting the flame outflow prevention of the burner screen 48 a ), and additionally functions to provide combustion chamber pressure relief during normal ignition and operation of the burner 40 a . temperature sensing structure 72 and its associated spring - loaded shutoff damper structure 74 may be similar in construction and operation to any of those shown in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 715 , 451 which is hereby incorporated by reference herein . like the previously described water heater 10 , the water heater 10 a desirably integrates a low nox fuel burner with an fvir platform in a simple , efficient and economical manner . cross - sectionally illustrated in schematic form in fig7 and 8 is a second alternate embodiment 10 b of the previously described water heater 10 shown in fig1 . water heater 10 b , with the exceptions noted below , is similar in construction and operation to the previously described water heater 10 a shown in fig5 and 6 . to facilitate the comparison of water heaters 10 b and 10 a , components in the water heater 10 b similar to those in water heater 10 a have been given identical reference numerals to which the subscripts “ b ” have been added . water heater 10 b representatively does not incorporate the previously described combustion shutoff system 70 therein , and , compared to the water heater 10 a , has a somewhat modified burner configuration . specifically , as shown in fig7 and 8 , the burner 40 b has a generally horizontally extending venturi inlet conduit 78 formed as an integral portion of the bottom burner pan 44 b and disposed within the skirt plenum area 24 b , the venturi inlet conduit 78 having , at its horizontally outer end , the inlet opening 58 b as illustrated in fig7 . the fuel gas tube 60 b extends horizontally into the conduit 78 through its inlet opening 58 b . the removable burner screen structure 48 b is withdrawable from the combustion chamber 20 b , for inspection and cleaning , through an appropriately covered combustion chamber side wall access opening 80 and a corresponding jacket side wall access opening ( not visible ). like the previously described water heaters 10 and 10 a , the water heater 10 b desirably integrates a low nox fuel burner with an fvir platform in a simple , efficient and economical manner . a third alternate embodiment 10 c of the previously described water heater 10 shown in fig1 is schematically depicted in cross - sectional form in fig9 . water heater 10 c , with the exceptions noted below , is similar in construction and operation to the previously described water heater 10 b shown in fig7 and 8 . to facilitate the comparison of water heaters 10 c and 10 b , components in the water heater 10 c similar to those in water heater 10 b have been given identical reference numerals to which the subscripts “ c ” have been added . in the water heater 10 c shown in fig9 , the burner 40 c does not have peripheral portions which are supportingly received in the roll portion 46 c . instead , the body of the operatively installed burner 40 c extends downwardly through a central circular opening 82 formed in a separate circular metal plate 84 forming the bottom wall of the combustion chamber 20 c and having a peripheral edge portion supportingly received in the roll portion 46 c . diametrically opposite notches 86 are formed in the plate 84 and extend radially outwardly from the periphery of its central opening 82 . a pair of corresponding diametrically opposite tabs 88 project radially outwardly from an upper peripheral portion of the burner 40 c . horizontally extending outwardly from a lower portion of the burner 40 c which projects downwardly into the skirt plenum area 24 c is a venturi conduit 90 having , at its outer end , the venturi inlet 58 c . conduit 90 extends outwardly through an access opening 92 in the skirt wall 22 c , with an outer end portion of the conduit 90 being fixedly secured within a removable access cover 94 extending across the access opening 92 . as illustrated , the inlet opening 58 c of the venturi conduit 90 is disposed within the annular space 34 c for receiving fuel 66 c from the discharge orifice 64 c . an access opening 96 is formed through the jacket 30 c , in alignment with the combustion chamber access opening 92 , with a removable cover 98 extending across the access opening 96 . with the covers 94 , 98 removed , the burner 40 c is installed within the water heater 10 c by inserting the burner body inwardly through the aligned access openings 96 , 92 in an orientation in which the burner tabs 88 underlie the plate notches 86 and the access cover 94 is closely adjacent the access opening 92 . the burner 40 c is then moved upwardly to place an upper burner portion within the combustion chamber 20 c and move the burner tabs 88 upwardly through the plate notches 86 . finally , the inserted burner 40 c is rotated about the indicated vertical axis 100 to cause the tabs 88 to overlie the plate 84 and operatively support the burner 40 c within the water heater 40 c . this also brings the cover member 94 into a covering relationship with the access opening 92 . the other removable cover 98 is then installed over the jacket access opening 96 . to remove the installed burner 40 c for inspection and cleaning , this process is simply reversed . the wire mesh top side section 102 of the installed burner 40 c , in conjunction with the indicated perforated flame arrestor plates 76 c installed in the plate 84 , provides the water heater 10 c with flammable vapor ignition resistance . the indicated particulate filtering perforations 68 c formed in the jacket 30 c are positioned diametrically oppositely from the venturi conduit inlet 58 c and communicate with an enclosed passageway 104 extending through annular space 34 c and opening into the skirt plenum area 24 c . during firing of the water heater 10 c , combustion air 68 c from outside the water heater 10 c flows sequentially through the combustion air inlet perforations 36 c into the interior of the skirt plenum area 24 c via the enclosed passageway 104 , outwardly from the skirt plenum area into the annular space 34 c through the air transfer openings 26 c , and then into the venturi conduit inlet 58 c for mixture with fuel 66 c being discharged from the fuel nozzle 64 c to form the fuel / air mixture ignited by the burner 40 c . like the previously described water heaters 10 , 10 a and 10 b , the water heater 10 c desirably integrates a low nox fuel burner with an fvir platform in a simple , efficient and economical manner . while various principles of the present invention have been representatively illustrated and described herein as being incorporated in a fuel - fired water heater , it will be readily appreciated by those of skill in this particular art that the present invention is not limited to water heaters , but could also be advantageously incorporated in other types of fuel - fired heating appliances such as , for example , boilers and fuel - fired air heating furnaces . additionally , while the various water heater embodiments representatively illustrated and described herein have been indicated as incorporating radiant fuel burners therein , it will also be readily appreciated by those of skill in this particular art that other types of fuel burners could alternatively be utilized if desired without departing from principles of the present invention . the foregoing detailed description is to be clearly understood as being given by way of illustration and example only , the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited solely by the appended claims .
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the embodiments of the invention , described in detail below , use the same numbers shown in the fig1 drawing of the prior art connector to designate similar elements or structures . moreover , similar elements or structures shared with adapters , as shown in fig4 , are also designated with the same numbers used for the connectors shown in fig2 and 3 . fig2 shows one embodiment of the present invention applied to a computer cable connector assembly . a conventional connector plug 12 , with pins or pin receptacles ( not shown ), is designed to be plugged into a conforming port in a component ( not shown ). the connector plug 12 is attached to the housing 14 . the housing 14 is most commonly a metal structure intended to provide electromagnetic shielding to the electrical conductors 21 within . conventional housings are sometimes formed from more than one piece , such as upper and lower halves ( not shown ), or as one piece . the embodiment shown in fig2 shows a single - piece , molded metal housing 14 . a cable 13 , having several electrical conductors or wires 21 , enters the housing 14 through a back end 19 . the drawings show only two conductors 21 , but this is merely illustrative ; usually , more conductors 21 are involved . the conductors 21 are connected to the inward projections 23 of the pins or receptacles ( not shown ) by soldering or crimping . a raised portion 17 of the housing 14 extends above the outer surface of the housing 14 . in the embodiment shown in fig2 , the raised portion 17 is formed as part of the molded metal housing 14 . it is also contemplated that the raised portion 17 could be applied to the housing 14 in other ways . for example , the raised portion 17 could be glued or soldered to the housing 14 , or the raised portion 17 of the housing 14 could be formed as part of a stamping process . in any event , persons skilled in the art will recognize that a raised portion 17 may be incorporated into or formed onto a housing 14 . once the connector 12 , housing 14 , and cable 13 are assembled , plastic is usually injection molded over the assembly to form an outer plastic covering 11 . according to the present invention , the raised portion 17 will not be covered by the injection molded plastic covering 11 , but will be exposed . the raised portion 17 may be higher than the outer covering 11 , or it may even be a little lower , but the idea is that it is exposed after the outer covering 11 is placed over the housing . the raised surface 17 provides a place where logos or information may be placed . for example , fig3 shows a completed cable connector with a logo 18 molded into the raised portion 17 . thus , after manufacturing and assembly , the cable connector will have a clearly visible area on the raised portion 17 , not covered by the injection molded plastic covering 11 , where a logo or information may be seen . also , the raised portion 17 can also provide a surface , above the injection molded plastic covering 11 , for a gripping surface ( not shown ). fig4 shows one embodiment of the present invention applied to a computer adapter assembly . adapters are used for many purposes in the computer industry , such as adapting one plug configuration to a different plug configuration , or as “ gender changers ”, or to provide adapting circuitry or electronics . an adapter is shown generally at 27 . a first conventional connector plug 12 , with pins or pin receptacles ( not shown ), is designed to be plugged into a conforming port in a component or cable ( not shown ). the first connector plug 12 is attached to the housing 14 . the housing 14 is most commonly a metal structure intended to provide electromagnetic shielding to the electrical conductors 21 within . conventional housings are sometimes formed from more than one piece , such as upper and lower halves ( not shown ), or as one piece . a second conventional connector plug 26 is attached to the other end 25 of the housing 14 . conductors or wires 23 are connected , usually by crimping or soldering , to extensions 23 from the pins or receptacles ( not shown ) of the first connector 12 . the conductors 23 are then connected , directly or indirectly , to extensions 24 from the pins or receptacles ( not shown ) of the second connector 26 . in the embodiment shown , the conductors 23 are wires connected directly from the first connector 12 to the second connector 26 . however , conventional adapters use many different methods of for making these connections . for example , one common method is to use a printed circuit board ( not shown ) between the connectors . additionally , adapters sometimes have more than two connectors . the present invention does not concern the method for providing an electrical connection between plug connectors of adapters or cable connectors , and the structures shown are merely illustrative . a raised portion 17 of the housing 14 extends above the outer surface of the housing 14 . in the embodiment shown in fig4 , the raised portion 17 is formed as part of the molded metal housing 14 . it is also contemplated that the raised portion 17 could be applied to the housing 14 in other ways , as mentioned above . once the connectors 12 and 26 , housing 14 , and conductors 23 are assembled , plastic is usually injection molded over the assembly to form an outer plastic covering 11 . according to the present invention , the raised portion 17 will not be covered by the injection molded plastic covering 11 , but will be exposed . the raised portion 17 may be higher or a little lower than the outer covering 11 , as described above . as with the cable connector 10 described above , the raised portion 17 of the adapter 27 , shown in fig4 , may be used as a surface for molded logos or designs 18 , labels ( not shown ), or a gripping surface ( not shown ). the drawings and description set forth here represent only some embodiments of the invention . after considering these , skilled persons will understand that there are many ways to make an electrical connector or adapter structure according to the principles disclosed . the inventor contemplates that the use of alternative structures , which result in an electrical connector or adapter structure using the principles disclosed and the invention claimed , will be within the scope of the claims .
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referring first to fig3 - 5 in order to understand the parts with which the present tool is used , a section of flexible conduit is shown at 11 . the internally threaded nut 12 fits closely around the exterior of the conduit 11 , and the metal ferrule 13 is placed on the end of the conduit after the nut has been slipped onto the conduit as shown in fig4 . at its rear end , the nut 12 has an inwardly directed radial flange extending circumferentially around the periphery of the conduit 11 in close proximity thereto , the inner edge of this flange being rounded as illustrated in fig3 so that when the nut is forcibly pressed axially against the rear end of the ferrule 13 , the rounded flange 15 of the nut will crimp the rear end of the ferrule inwardly tightly against the material of the conduit 11 , deforming it from the position shown in fig4 to the position shown in fig5 . by this action the material of the conduit is tightly clamped between the inner and outer portions of the metallic ferrule , which thereby becomes firmly fastened to the end of the conduit . this construction of the parts illustrated in fig3 - 5 , together with the crimping action above described in connection therewith , are well known and form no part of the present invention . the conduit may be , for example , what is known in the industry as a &# 34 ; sealtite &# 34 ; conduit , with &# 34 ; appleton &# 34 ; connectors ( nut and ferrule ) although the present invention is applicable to other makes or brands of conduits and connectors which operate in approximately the same way . referring now to fig1 , and 6 - 9 , the tool of the present invention comprises two elongated members 21 and 22 pivoted to each other at 23 . when viewed as in fig1 and 2 , the lower portions of the members 21 and 22 , below the pivot 23 , constitute elongated handle portions , and the upper portions , above the pivot 23 , constitute the jaw portions which perform the work on the nut and ferrule to provide the crimping action , when manual pressure is applied to the lower or handle portions . convenient grip portions 25 and 26 may be applied to the handle portions of the members 21 and 22 , respectively , for comfortably fitting the hand of the user . above the pivot 23 one of the two main members , such as the member 21 , is expanded laterally to form a hollow or box - like structure with a bottom wall 31 , sidewalls 32 , and top wall 33 , enclosing a central opening or space 34 , as illustrated especially in fig2 . in the particular form here shown , this structure is of approximately square outline , although it could be circular or of any other desired shape , so long as it had sufficient open space in the center . a pivot 36 extends across this structure , from one side wall 32 to the other , the axis of this pivot 36 being parallel to the axis of the pivot 23 which pivots the two main arms to each other . pivotally mounted on this pivot 36 , for limited swinging movement thereon , is a fixture 37 having the shape best shown in fig7 . this fixture 37 has a central plug - like portion or extension 38 of cylindrical shape and of proper size to fit snugly within the ferrule as indicated in fig8 and 9 . around this plug - like portion 38 is an annular recess 39 shaped to receive and fit closely against the curved forward end of the ferrule , as illustrated . a flange 40 on the fixture 37 snugly surrounds the outer wall of the ferrule but terminates short of the rear end of the ferrule , so as not to interfere with the crimping action of the nut on the rear end of the ferrule . the outer surface of this flange 40 is of slightly smaller diameter than the internal threads on the nut , as seen in fig9 so the threads do not make appreciable contact with the fixture 37 . a shoulder 41 on the fixture forms a stop for the forward end of the nut , limiting the extent to which the nut can move relative to the ferrule during the crimping operation . the other arm 22 of the tool has its upper end formed as a fork or yoke with a bottom wall 51 and two sidewalls 52 ( fig6 ) spaced from each other just far enough to admit the diameter of the conduit between them . these arms 52 of the yoke will engage the rear face of the nut when the end of the conduit , with the nut and ferrule mounted thereon , is placed in proper position in the tool , and then the clamping action of the tool , when the handles are brought together to cause the jaw portion to tend to close , will press the yoke arms 52 against the rear face of the nut , forcing the nut against the ferrule and causing the inwardly extending flange 15 of the nut to crimp the ferrule in the desired manner . if the manipulating arms of the tool are spread apart or swung from the position shown in fig1 to an open position , this will open the jaw end of the tool from the closed position shown in fig9 to the open position shown in fig8 . in this open position , the end of the conduit with the ferrule loosely applied thereto , is placed on the plug portion 38 of the fixture 37 , in the loading position shown in fig8 . at this time , the nut is loose on the conduit , fairly close to the ferrule , as illustrated . this assembly of conduit end and ferrule and nut is swung down , counterclockwise from the position shown in fig8 toward the position shown in fig9 and the handle portions of the tool are then brought together by manual force applied by the person using the tool , so that the upper end or jaw end of the member 22 swings clockwise on its pivot 23 relative to the other member 21 , engaging the rear face of the nut and forcing the nut rightwardly to crimp the ferrule in the desired manner . when the crimping operation has proceeded far enough , the forward face of the nut comes in contact with the shoulder 41 on the fixture 37 , as illustrated in fig9 and the nut can move no further . the operator feels this contact , while performing the operation , and thus is made aware , through the sense of feeling , that the motion has been completed and the crimping action is finished . the tool may then be opened up by swinging the members 21 and 22 on the pivot 23 , to the open position , whereupon the end of the conduit may be removed from the tool , and is now ready to have the nuts screwed onto a nipple or junction box or any other part to which it is to be attached . it is to be noted that the mounting of the fixture 37 on a pivot , rather than mounting it rigidly on an arm of the tool , is advantageous for two reasons . first , it enables easier loading of the conduit into the tool and removal of the completely crimped conduit from the tool , since the fixture 37 can pivot or swing upwardly to a position where the conduit and the nut thereon has minimum interference with the pressure yoke 52 . second , the pivoting is advantageous because it enables the pressure of the yoke 52 to be applied to the nut evenly in a line along the axis of the conduit and the nut , with the line of pressure properly centered . it avoids eccentric loading or offset loading which would be likely to occur if the fixture were not pivoted , since in that case the pressure would be applied at first near the bottom of the rear face of the nut , with a tendency to skew or twist the axis of the nut relative to the axis of the conduit , thereby producing more crimping on one side of the ferrule than on the opposite side , and resulting in a faulty joint . it will be noted from fig2 that where the two arms 21 and 22 of the tool cross each other in the vicinity of the pivot 23 , they are arranged side by side , but both above and below the pivot the arms are offset laterally so as to be in the same plane with each other , for smoothly aligned operation of the jaw portion and for easy and convenient grasping of the handle portion . a conduit made of plastic material has been mentioned as an example . the invention is equally useful in crimping ferrules on conduits of the ferrule metallic type .
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while the present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which particular embodiments and methods of implantation are shown , it is to be understood at the outset that persons skilled in the art may modify the invention herein described while achieving the functions and results of this invention . accordingly , the descriptions which follow are to be understood as illustrative and exemplary of specific structures , aspects and features within the broad scope of the present invention and not as limiting of such broad scope . like numbers refer to similar features of like elements throughout . first , the patient spine is exposed through an anterior approach ( i . e . the surgeon creates an access hole which permits direct interaction with the anterior and / or anterio - lateral portion of the intervertebral bodies ). in the case of scoliosis , as well as in other disorders in which the intervertebral space requires distraction and / or repositioning , the surgeon removes the intervertebral disc material , usually leaving some portion of the annulus ( the cylindrical weave of fibrous tissue which normally surrounds and constrains the softer cartilage cushion of the disc material ). the surgeon then , in succession , inserts a series of intervertebral trial spacers of defined width . each of the series of spacers is of a progressively wider thickness , resulting in the continual widening of the space until restoration of the proper disc height has been achieved . proper disc height restoration is determined by surgical experience , and by observation of the annulus . ( often , the tightening of the annulus indicates that the proper disc height has been reached , inasmuch as the annulus is much less likely to be distorted by the same disruption that caused the intervertebral disc to collapse in the first place .) more particularly , with respect to the specific instruments disclosed herein , a series of solid trial spacer elements and an instrument for their insertion and removal is now provided . each trial spacer is a generally cylindrical disc having a deep annular groove at its midpoint , which forms a central trunk and radial flanges at each end of the trunk . stated alternatively , two cylindrical upper and lower halves of the disc are held in a closely coaxial spaced apart association by the central trunk , which forms a coaxial bridge between the upper and lower halves . the annular groove is particularly useful for holding the spacer using the spacer insertion instrument of the invention , described below , in that the holding end of the insertion instrument fits within the groove . a variety of features of embodiments of the trial spacer elements are disclosed . in some embodiments , such as the first and second embodiments described below , support portions ( the portions that are in contact with the adjacent vertebral bodies when the spacer is disposed between the bodies ) of the top and bottom surfaces are parallel . spacers having this feature are generally described herein as “ constant thickness ” trial spacers . in other embodiments , such as the third and fourth embodiments described below , the support portions are not parallel , providing an overall taper to the spacer at an angle . spacers having this feature are generally described herein as “ tapered thickness ” trial spacers . the tapered thickness trial spacers are particularly useful for treating scoliosis , as described below . other features of embodiments of the trial spacer elements include beveled flanges and non - parallel annular groove walls . more specifically , in some embodiments , such as the second and fourth embodiments described below , the flanges are radially beveled in that an outer edge of the top surface of the disc is tapered toward an outer edge of the bottom surface of the disc . in other embodiments , such as the first and third embodiments described below , the flanges are not radially beveled in this manner . the radial beveling feature can be particularly useful for easing the insertion of the spacer in between collapsed vertebral bodies , as described below . further , in some embodiments , such as the first and third embodiments described below , the walls of the annular groove are parallel , such that the floor of the groove is as wide as the opening of the groove . in other embodiments , such as the second and fourth embodiments described below , the walls of the annular groove are tapered toward one another with the increasing depth of the groove , such that the floor of the groove is narrower than the opening of the groove . each type of annular groove is useful , depending on the particular surgical application and on the particular embodiment of the spacer insertion instrument that is used to insert the spacer . collections of trial spacer elements are provided by the invention . preferably , each spacer in a particular set maintains the same diameter as the other spacers in the set . ( it shall be understood that different collections of spacers may be provided such that the diameter of the selected collection of trial spacers is appropriate for the specific patient being treated . for example , the diameters of the trial spacers in a collection that is suitable for use with pediatric patients would be smaller than the diameters of the trial spacers in a collection that is suitable for use with adult patients .) also preferably , each spacer in a particular set has a predetermined depth that differs from the depth of the other spacers in the set . the predetermined depth is provided in that while each spacer in the set shares the same annular groove dimensions ( so that each can be held by the same insertion instrument ), each spacer has a different flange thickness ( in sets where the spacers are constant thickness spacers ). for sets of tapered thickness spacers , the predetermined maximum depth and predetermined minimum depth ( the two depths providing the overall taper ) are provided in that while each spacer in the set shares the same annular groove dimensions ( so that each can be held by the same insertion instrument ), each spacer has a different maximum flange thickness and a different minimum flange thickness . preferably in sets of tapered thickness spacers , the overall taper angle is the same for each spacer in the set . the usefulness of providing sets of spacers similar in most respects except for the depth dimension will be described in greater detail below . referring now to fig1 a - c , a first embodiment of an intervertebral trial spacer 100 of the invention is illustrated in side , top and side cutaway views , respectively . the spacer 100 is a cylindrical disc with an annular groove 102 that forms a central trunk 103 and radial flanges 104 , 106 at each end of the trunk 102 . in this embodiment , support portions 108 , 110 of the top and bottom surfaces 112 , 114 of the disc are parallel . further in this embodiment , the walls 120 , 122 of the annular groove 102 are parallel , such that the floor 124 of the groove 102 is as wide as the opening 126 of the groove 102 . further in this embodiment , the spacer 100 has a central bore 128 . referring now to fig1 d , a set of intervertebral spacers 100 a - l of the invention are illustrated in a side view . each spacer 100 a - l is formed generally similarly to the intervertebral spacer 100 of fig1 a - c , except that each spacer 100 a - l has a predetermined depth ( denoted by the preferred dimension identified adjacent each spacer ) provided in that while each spacer 100 a - l shares the same annular groove dimensions as the other spacers , each spacer 100 a - l has a different flange thickness dimension . for example , the flanges 104 l , 106 l are thicker than the flanges 104 a , 106 a . referring now to fig2 a - c , a second embodiment of an intervertebral spacer 200 of the invention is illustrated in side , top and side cutaway views , respectively . similarly to the spacer 100 , the spacer 200 is a cylindrical disc with an annular groove 202 that forms a central trunk 203 and radial flanges 204 , 206 at each end of the trunk 202 . however , in this embodiment , the flanges 204 , 206 are radially tapered in that support portions 208 , 210 of the top and bottom surfaces 212 , 214 of the disc are parallel , while an outer edge 216 of the top surface 212 is tapered toward an outer edge 218 of the bottom surface 214 . further in this embodiment , in contrast to the spacer 100 , the walls 220 , 222 of the annular groove 202 are tapered toward one another with the increasing depth of the groove 202 , such that the floor 224 of the groove 202 is more narrow than the opening 226 of the groove . further in this embodiment , the spacer 200 has a central bore 228 . referring now to fig2 d , a set of intervertebral spacers 200 a - l of the invention are illustrated in a side view . each spacer 200 a - l is formed generally similarly to the intervertebral spacer 200 of fig2 a - c , except that each spacer 200 a - l has a predetermined depth ( denoted by the preferred dimension identified adjacent each spacer ) provided in that while each spacer 200 a - l shares the same annular groove dimensions as the other spacers , each spacer 200 a - l has a different flange thickness dimension . for example , the flanges 204 l , 206 l are thicker than the flanges 204 a , 206 a . with regard to the instrument for the insertion and removal of the trial spacer elements , a first embodiment ( particularly useful for inserting constant thickness trial spacers ) of a spacer insertion tool includes an elongated shaft and a handle at one end of the shaft . the distal end of the shaft includes semi - circular hook that is adapted to hold a trial spacer within an enclosure formed by the hook . the angle swept out by the hook is slightly greater than 180 degrees , but the inner diameter of the hook is only slightly larger than the central trunk of the trial spacer . therefore , the trial spacer may be snapped into the enclosure , but maintains complete rotational freedom within its grasp . a loading tool may be provided to assist in the loading and unloading of the trial spacer from the trial spacer insertion instrument of this embodiment . this loading tool comprises a forked hook having two tines separated by a notch that engages the shaft of the insertion tool as the tines engage the flanges of the trial spacer , to force the trial spacer into the enclosure . alternatively and / or additionally , the same device may be utilized to remove the spacer from the enclosure , by reversing the position of the forked hook relative to the insertion tool and the spacer . referring now to fig5 a , a first embodiment of a spacer insertion tool 500 of the invention is illustrated in a side view . the insertion tool 500 includes an elongated shaft 502 and a handle 503 at one end of the shaft 502 . at the other end of the shaft 502 , the insertion tool 500 includes a semi - circular hook 504 that is adapted to hold an intervertebral spacer of the invention within an enclosure 506 of the hook 504 . the central trunk of the spacer can be snapped into the enclosure 506 of the hook 504 so that the extent of the hook 504 fits loosely within the annular groove of the spacer and is flanked by the flanges of the spacer . the central trunk of the spacer can also be snapped out of the enclosure 506 . in this regard , the hook 504 has an opening 508 that temporarily expands when the central trunk of the spacer is forced through the opening 508 . that is , the outer diameter of the central trunk is greater than the width of the opening 508 , so that the central trunk cannot pass through the opening 508 without force . the application of a force sufficient to cause the opening 508 to expand when confronted with the central trunk causes the central trunk to pass through the opening 508 . after the central trunk has cleared the opening 508 , the opening 508 will contract . the temporary expansion in this embodiment is provided by the hook 504 being formed of a material having a low elasticity and the hook 504 being provided with a stress notch 510 on the extent ( preferably located opposite the opening 508 for maximum efficiency ) to ease the expansion . once the spacer is loaded into the enclosure , the opening 508 , having contracted back to its resting width , prevents the central trunk from exiting the enclosure radially through the opening , because , as stated above , the outer diameter of the central trunk is greater than the width of the opening 508 . further , by flanking the extent of the hook 504 , the flanges of the spacer prevent the spacer from exiting the enclosure laterally . the hook 504 therefore holds the spacer loosely in the enclosure so that the spacer can rotate about the cylindrical axis of the central trunk while being held by the hook 504 . referring now to fig5 b , a cutaway view of the insertion tool 500 of fig5 a holding the spacer 100 of fig1 a - c shows the extent of the hook 504 in cross - section and fitting within the annular groove of the spacer . it can be seen that to enable the spacer 100 to be loosely held in the enclosure , the width of the extent is smaller than the width of the annular groove , and the depth of the extent is less than the depth of the annular groove if it is desirable for the flanges to fully flank the extent . preferably , as shown , the outer diameter of the hook 504 is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the spacer 100 . referring now to fig6 a - b , an embodiment of a loading accessory 600 for a spacer insertion tool of the invention is illustrated in side and top views , respectively . the loading accessory 600 can be used to ease the passing of the central trunk of the spacer through the opening of the spacer insertion tool , both for loading the spacer into the enclosure and unloading the spacer from the enclosure . the loading accessory 600 includes an elongated shaft 602 and a forked hook 604 at an end of the shaft 602 . a notch 606 having a base 608 separates the tines 610 , 612 of the forked hook 604 . the width of the notch 608 separating the tines 610 , 612 is wide enough to accommodate the width of the hook 504 of the insertion tool 500 and the width of the shaft 502 of the insertion tool 500 , but narrow enough so that the tines 610 , 612 can engage the edges of the flanges of the spacer . preferably , as shown , the curvature of the tines 608 , 610 follows the curvature of the edges of the flanges . referring now to fig6 c , the loading accessory 600 of fig6 a - b is shown in operation to load the spacer 100 of fig1 a - c into the spacer insertion tool 500 of fig5 a . initially , the spacer 100 is positioned adjacent the opening 508 of the insertion tool 500 . then , the tines 610 , 612 of the loading accessory 600 are passed on either side of the shaft 502 of the insertion tool 500 such that the notch 606 accommodates the shaft 502 and until the base 608 of the notch 606 contacts the shaft 502 . then , the loading accessory 600 is rotated , using the contact between the shaft 502 and the base 608 as a fulcrum , to cause the tines 610 , 612 to engage the flanges 104 , 106 of the spacer 100 and push them into the enclosure 506 of the tool 500 . applying a force to the rotation , sufficient to cause the opening 508 of the tool 500 to expand when confronted with the central trunk of the spacer , causes the central trunk to pass through the opening 508 . referring now to fig6 d , the loading accessory 600 of fig6 a - b is shown in operation to unload the spacer 100 of fig1 a - c from the spacer insertion tool 500 of fig5 a . initially , with the spacer 100 held by the tool 500 , the tines 610 , 612 of the loading accessory 600 are passed on either side of the shaft 502 of the insertion tool 500 such that the notch 606 accommodates the shaft 502 and until the base 608 of the notch 606 contacts the shaft 502 . then , the loading accessory 600 is rotated , using the contact between the shaft 502 and the base 608 as a fulcrum , to cause the tines 610 , 612 to engage the flanges 104 , 106 of the spacer 100 and push them out of the enclosure 506 of the tool 500 . applying a force to the rotation , sufficient to cause the opening 508 of the tool 500 to expand when confronted with the central trunk of the spacer , causes the central trunk to pass through the opening 508 . the width of the notch 606 accommodates the width of the hook 504 as the spacer 100 is being pushed out of the enclosure 506 . the insertion tool of this first embodiment can be used to insert a series of constant thickness trial spacers ( some of which may have beveled flange edges for easing the insertion between the collapsed bones and into the space to be distracted ). more specifically , thinner trial spacers can initially be inserted into the spacer , followed successively by thicker trial spacers until the desired spacing is achieved . once the appropriate spacing has been achieved , immobilization of the spine by fixation , fusion , or non - fusion techniques and devices , such as those set forth in co - pending u . s . patent application ser . nos . 09 / 906 , 117 and 09 / 906 , 118 , entitled “ an intervertebral spacer device having a wave washer force restoring element ” and “ an intervertebral spacer device having a spiral wave washer force restoring element ”, respectively , as well as u . s . pat . no . 5 , 989 , 291 , entitled “ an intervertebral spacer device ”, may be desirable . while simple distraction to a constant height across the intervertebral space is appropriate for standard disc compression pathologies , in the case of scoliosis , simple constant thickness distraction is insufficient to remediate the pathological condition . what is necessary is the distraction of the sequence of spaces , each to an appropriate angle and height , such that the overall spinal configuration is anatomically correct . tapered trial spacers , such as those disclosed in the present application , are the first such distraction tools to provide such a tailored correction of the misangulation of the spinal bones . more particularly , the surgeon inserts the tapered trial spacers into the intervertebral space ( presumably from the anterior , or anterio - lateral , approach ) with the narrow edge of the trial spacer forming a wedge and sliding between the adjacent bones . by utilizing either a second or third embodiment of the spacer insertion tool , described more fully hereinafter with respect to fig7 a - c and 8 a - c respectively , the surgeon may turn the spacer around its axis within the intervertebral space to find the most appropriate rotational position ( corresponding to the most desirable straightening effect on the spinal column ). stated alternatively , each of the tapered trial spacers has an overall wedge shape that generally corresponds to the pathological tapering of the adjacent bones that characterizes scoliosis . by rotating the wedge - shaped spacer after it has been placed between the adjacent bones , the overall disc alignment may be compensated , restoring appropriate anatomical status . it should be understood that additional rotation of the spacer may restore lordosis to the spine , and that over - rotation ( if the particular spine is flexible enough ) of the spacer would result in a pathological curvature in the opposite direction . referring now to fig3 a - c , a third embodiment of an intervertebral spacer 300 of the invention is illustrated in side , top and side cutaway views , respectively . similarly to the spacer 100 , the spacer 300 is a cylindrical disc with an annular groove 302 that forms a central trunk 303 and radial flanges 304 , 306 at each end of the trunk 303 . however , in this embodiment , support portions 308 , 310 of the top and bottom surfaces 312 , 314 of the disc are not parallel , providing an overall taper to the spacer 300 at an angle . still , similarly to the spacer 100 , the walls 320 , 322 of the annular groove 302 are parallel , such that the floor 324 of the groove 302 is as wide as the opening 326 of the groove 302 . further in this embodiment , the spacer 300 has a central bore 328 . referring now to fig3 d , a set of tapered intervertebral spacers 300 a - j of the invention are illustrated in a side view . each spacer 300 a - j is formed generally similarly to the intervertebral spacer 300 of fig3 a - c , except that each spacer 300 a - j has a predetermined maximum depth ( denoted by the preferred maximum depth dimension identified adjacent each spacer ) and a predetermined minimum depth ( denoted by the preferred minimum depth dimension identified adjacent each spacer ), each provided in that while each spacer 300 a - j shares the same annular groove width dimension as the other spacers , each spacer 300 a - j has a different maximum flange thickness dimension and a different minimum flange thickness dimension . for example , the flanges 304 j , 306 j have a thicker maximum flange thickness dimension and a thicker minimum flange thickness dimension than the flanges 304 a , 306 a . referring now to fig4 a - c , a fourth embodiment of an intervertebral spacer 400 of the invention is illustrated in side , top and side cutaway views , respectively . similarly to the spacer 200 , the spacer 400 is a cylindrical disc with an annular groove 402 that forms a central trunk 403 and radial flanges 404 , 406 at each end of the trunk 403 . however , in this embodiment , support portions 408 , 410 of the top and bottom surfaces 412 , 414 of the disc are not parallel . still , similarly to the spacer 200 , the flanges 404 , 406 are radially tapered in that an outer edge 416 of the top surface 412 is tapered toward an outer edge 418 of the bottom surface 414 . further in this embodiment , similarly to the spacer 200 , the walls 420 , 422 of the annular groove 402 are tapered toward one another with the increasing depth of the groove 402 , such that the floor 424 of the groove 402 is more narrow than the opening 426 of the groove . further in this embodiment , the spacer 400 has a central bore 428 . referring now to fig4 d , a set of tapered intervertebral spacers 400 a - j of the invention are illustrated in a side view . each spacer 400 a - j is formed generally similarly to the intervertebral spacer 400 of fig4 a - c , except that each spacer 400 a - j has a predetermined maximum depth ( denoted by the preferred maximum depth dimension identified adjacent each spacer ) and a predetermined minimum depth ( denoted by the preferred minimum depth dimension identified adjacent each spacer ), each provided in that while each spacer 400 a - j shares the same annular groove width dimension as the other spacers , each spacer 400 a - j has a different maximum flange thickness dimension and a different minimum flange thickness dimension . for example , the flanges 404 j , 406 j have a thicker maximum flange thickness dimension and a thicker minimum flange thickness dimension than the flanges 404 a , 406 a . it should understood that the various features of the different embodiments of the intervertebral spacer of the invention discussed above can be used in various combinations and permutations to form the illustrated embodiments and other embodiments of the intervertebral spacer of the invention . in some embodiments , the walls of the annular groove are parallel . in other embodiments , they are not parallel . in some embodiments where they are not parallel , they are tapered toward one another with the increasing depth of the groove . in other embodiments where they are not parallel , they are tapered toward one another with the decreasing depth of the groove . in some embodiments , the support portions of the top and bottom surfaces are parallel . in other embodiments , they are not parallel . in some embodiments , the flanges are radially tapered in that the outer edge of the top surface is tapered toward an outer edge of the bottom surface . in other embodiments , the flanges are not radially tapered . in some embodiments , the spacer has a central bore . in other embodiments , the spacer does not have a central bore . it should be understood that while in the illustrated embodiments where spacers in a set have an overall taper , the angle of the overall taper of each spacer in the set is the same as the angle of the overall taper of the other spacers in the set , the invention encompasses a set of spacers in which the angle of the overall taper of each spacer in the set is different than the angle of the overall taper of at least one other spacer in the set . it should be understood that while in the illustrated embodiments where the spacer has an overall taper , the angle of the overall taper can be predetermined , such that the maximum flange thickness and the minimum flange thickness can be selected to achieve a desired overall taper angle . it should be understood that while in the illustrated embodiments the spacers are shown as having a cylindrical shape , it should be understood that in other embodiment , the spacers can have oval , square , or rectangular cross - sections , or cross - sections of other shapes , provided that any corners are rounded as necessary to prevent damage to surrounding tissue . as suggested previously , the insertion , rotation and removal of the tapered trial intervertebral spacers requires an alternate spacer insertion tool . this second embodiment of the spacer insertion tool includes a handle and an elongated dual shaft , the dual shaft culminating in a trial spacer grasping pincer , rather than the simple hook of the first embodiment . this pincer differs from the hook of the first embodiment of the trial spacer insertion tool described above , inasmuch as the dual shaft includes a fixed shaft and a selectively engagable shaft which , together , form pincer . more specifically , the fixed shaft includes a semicircular hook portion of the pincer at its distal end , having an enclosure within which a trial spacer can be placed . the selectively engagable shaft includes the complementary portion of the pincer , which moves toward the hook portion to grasp and hold the trial spacer when the engagable shaft is engaged , and moves away from the hook portion to release the trial spacer when the engagable shaft is disengaged . ( the spacer can be unloaded and loaded when the engagable shaft is disengaged .) the engagement action prevents the spacer from moving relative to the tool , and therefore permits the surgeon to rotate the tapered spacer in between the vertebral bodies ( by contrast , the first embodiment of the trial spacer insertion instrument permitted the spacer to rotate freely in the enclosure of the hook ). referring now to fig7 a , another embodiment of a spacer insertion tool 700 of the invention is illustrated in a side view . the insertion tool 700 includes an elongated shaft 702 and a handle 704 at one end of the shaft 702 . the insertion tool 700 further includes a compression assembly that is adapted to hold an intervertebral spacer of the invention at the other end of the shaft 702 so that the spacer cannot move when held . the insertion tool 700 further includes a release assembly that is adapted to release the spacer from being held . the compression assembly includes a semicircular hook 706 at the other end of the shaft 702 and a compression surface 708 adjacent the hook 706 . the hook 706 has an enclosure 709 defined by the extent of the hook 706 and an opening 710 through which the central trunk can pass freely to be placed into the enclosure 709 . that is , the width of the opening 710 is greater than the diameter of the central trunk . when the central trunk is placed within the enclosure 709 , the extent of the hook 706 fits loosely within the annular groove of the spacer . the compression assembly further includes a compression trigger 712 mechanically connected to the hook 706 such that as the compression trigger 712 is placed in an engaged position , the hook 706 is pulled toward the compression surface 708 . the mechanical connection includes a rod 714 connected at one end to the hook 706 and at the other end to a plate 716 . a rod 718 protruding from the plate 716 is engaged by a slot 720 in a lever 722 attached to the compression trigger 712 . when the compression trigger 712 is engaged , the rod 714 of the lever 722 pulls the plate 716 by the slot 720 . the plate 716 in turn pulls the rod 714 , which in turn pulls the hook 704 toward the compression surface 708 . when the hook 706 is pulled toward the compression surface 708 when the central trunk of the spacer is in the enclosure 709 , the central trunk is compressed within the enclosure 709 between the hook 706 and the compression surface 708 so that the spacer cannot move . the release assembly includes a spring 724 biasing the compression trigger 712 to a disengaged position . therefore , after the compression trigger 712 is released , it moves to the disengaged position . however , so that the central trunk remains compressed within the enclosure even after the compression trigger 712 is released ( e . g ., so that the surgeon does not need to continue holding the compression trigger 712 to effect the compression ), the compression assembly further includes teeth 726 on the rod 714 and corresponding teeth 730 that confront the rod teeth 726 to prevent the rod 714 from retreating , to maintain the compression . the release assembly further includes a release trigger 732 that can be engaged to release the rod teeth 726 from the corresponding teeth 730 to allow the rod 714 to return to its rest position , thereby alleviating the compression . more specifically , the release trigger 732 has the corresponding teeth 730 and the release assembly further includes a spring 734 that biases the release trigger 732 toward a position in which the corresponding teeth 730 engage the rod teeth 726 . this arrangement allows the release trigger 732 to be engaged by pressing the release trigger 732 with a force great enough to overcome the bias of the spring 734 , so that the corresponding teeth 730 are disengaged from the rod teeth 726 . therefore , when the release trigger 732 is pressed , the compression is alleviated , and the central trunk of the spacer can be freely passed through the opening 710 to be taken out of the enclosure 709 . referring now to fig7 b , a cutaway view of the insertion tool 700 of fig7 a holding the spacer 400 of fig4 a - c shows the extent of the hook 706 in cross - section and fitting within the annular groove of the spacer as the spacer is compressed between the compression surface 708 and the hook 706 . it can be seen that the width of the extent of the hook 706 is smaller than the width of the annular groove , and the depth of the extent is less than the depth of the annular groove if it is desirable for the flanges to fully flank the extent . preferably , as shown , the outer diameter of the hook 706 is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the spacer 400 . referring now to fig8 a - b , yet another embodiment of a spacer insertion tool 800 of the invention is illustrated in open and closed side views , respectively . the insertion tool 800 includes an elongated shaft 802 and a handle 804 at one end of the shaft 802 . the insertion tool 800 further includes a compression assembly that is adapted to hold an intervertebral spacer of the invention at the other end of the shaft 802 so that the spacer cannot move when held . the insertion tool 800 further includes a release assembly that is adapted to release the spacer from being held . the compression assembly includes a claw 806 at the other end of the shaft 802 having opposing pincers 807 a , 807 b , each providing one of opposing compression surfaces 808 a , 808 b . the claw 806 has an enclosure 809 defined by the extents of the pincers 807 a , 807 b and an opening 810 through which the central trunk can pass freely to be placed into the enclosure 809 when the claw 806 is open ( i . e ., when the opposing pincers 807 a , 807 b are separated ). that is , the width of the opening 810 is greater than the diameter of the central trunk when the claw 806 is open . when the central trunk is placed within the enclosure 809 , the extents of the pincers 807 a , 807 b fit loosely within the annular groove of the spacer . the compression assembly further includes a compression slide 812 that when moved to an engaged position ( here , a forward position shown in fig8 b ) closes the claw 806 . the closure of the claw 806 by the compression slide 812 is effected as follows . one of the pincers 807 a is in a fixed position relative to the elongated shaft 802 whereas the other pincer 807 b is adapted to rotate about an axis transverse to the shaft 802 . in this embodiment , the rotation is provided by a pin 813 passing through each pincer at a rotation point along the transverse axis . one position of the movable pincer 807 b along the rotation path ( shown in fig8 a ) defines the opened claw 806 in that the pincers 807 a , 807 b are separated . another position of the movable pincer 807 b along the rotation path ( shown in fig8 b ) defines the closed claw 806 in that the pincers 807 a , 807 b are brought together . when the pincers 807 a , 807 b are separated , an engagement surface 814 of the movable pincer 807 b is placed in an available compression path of an engagement surface 816 of the compression slide 812 . the engagement surface 814 is tapered so that when the compression slide 812 is moved to the engaged , the engagement surface 816 of the compression slide 812 moves along the available compression path and engages the tapered surface 814 to push the surface 814 aside and thereby cause a rotation of the movable pincer 807 b to the position defining the closed claw 806 . when the pincers 807 a , 807 b are thereby brought together to close the claw 806 when the central trunk of the spacer is in the enclosure 809 , the compression surfaces 808 a , 808 b come to bear on the central trunk to compress it within the enclosure 809 so that the spacer cannot move . the release assembly includes a spring 818 biasing the movable pincer 807 b to the rotation path position defining the open claw 806 . therefore , when the compression slide 812 is moved to a disengaged position ( here , a backward position ), the engagement surface 816 of the compression slide 812 moves along an available release path ( here , a backtracking along the compression path ) and frees the engagement surface 814 of the movable pincer 807 b to allow the engagement surface 814 to return to a place in the available compression path by the biasing action of the spring 818 . when the claw 806 is open , the compression is alleviated and the central trunk of the spacer can be freely passed through the opening 810 to be taken out of the enclosure 809 . the release assembly further includes at least one barrier 820 a , 820 b that limits the biasing action of the spring 818 by preventing the movable pincer 807 b from rotating beyond the position that places the engagement surface 814 in the available compression path . in this embodiment , confrontation surfaces 822 a , 822 b on the movable pincer 807 b confront the barriers 820 a , 820 b as the pincer 807 b rotates toward the rotation path position defining the open claw 806 under the biasing force of the spring 818 . when the engagement surface 814 is returned to the place in the available compression path , the barriers 820 a , 820 b prevent the confrontation surfaces 822 a , 822 b from advancing further . the spring 818 and the barriers 820 a , 820 b maintain the movable pincer 807 b in this position until the compression slide 812 is advanced toward the engaged position by a force great enough to overcome the biasing force of the spring 818 . referring now to fig8 c , a cutaway view of the insertion tool 800 of fig8 a - b holding the spacer 400 of fig4 a - c shows the extents of the pincers 807 a , 807 b in cross - section and fitting within the annular groove of the spacer as the spacer is compressed between the compression surfaces 808 a , 808 b . it can be seen that the width of each extent is smaller than the width of the annular groove , and the depth of each extent is less than the depth of the annular groove if it is desirable for the flanges to fully flank the extents . preferably , as shown , the outer diameter of the claw 806 is substantially equal to the outer diameter of the spacer 400 . there are alternative insertion and rotating instruments that may be designed , so long as they selectively and alternatingly release or hold the trial spacer securely against rotation ( the spacer can &# 39 ; t rotate freely if it is to be turned in the intervertebral space ). the tapered trial spacers themselves can include angle markers that clearly indicate to the surgeon the amount of rotation that was necessary for the correction of the spinal deformity . such angle markers can also serve as a guide for the implantation of a secondary bone graft ( e . g ., a femoral ring ) or another intervertebral spacer device . once the surgeon has determined the appropriate geometry for the surgical implants via the trial spacers , he or she is ready to immobilize the spine in that position . while multiple ways for immobilizing the spine are disclosed in the prior art , any one of which may be suitable for the specific surgical patient &# 39 ; s treatment , three alternative ways are herein described . first , the trial spacers may be left in the patient while rod fixation apparatuses ( anterior or posterior ) are mounted to the spine , thereby holding the spine in its desired orientation even after the trial spacers are subsequently removed . alternatively , surface plating and / or intervertebral cage devices may be mounted to the spine to promote fusion without the need for bulky rod assemblies . ( while this approach may seem more surgically desirable , questions regarding the long - term stability of these constructs have led to some surgeons to choose combinations of rodding and cages .) a third approach to immobilizing the corrected spine is to insert a shaped bone graft , or suitably contoured porous metal spacer , into the properly distracted intervertebral space , and either plating or using rod fixation to hold the construct stable as the spine fuses . the insertion of a femoral ring allograft , or porous metal implant , into an intervertebral space is described more fully in co - pending u . s . patent application ser . nos . 09 / 844 , 904 and 09 / 906 , 123 , entitled “ a porous interbody fusion device having integrated polyaxial locking interference screws ” and “ porous intervertebral distraction spacers ”. the tapered trial spacers may also serve as precursors ( measuring instruments ) for another spacer ( e . g ., a porous metal spacer ), similarly shaped , which is inserted into the intervertebral space by the same instrument . although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments , it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention . it is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims .
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referring now to the drawing there is shown the preferred embodiment of the present invention . various other embodiments may be constructed without departing from the spirit of the invention . as best seen in fig1 a conventional furnace 10 has a central cavity 12 surrounded by a front wall , a rear wall and two opposed side walls . the side walls ( not shown ) are disposed in spaced relationship and join the front wall and the rear wall . each of these walls is a waterwall 11 comprising a plurality of substantially parallel , substantially coplanar tubular members . the furnace 10 is vertically disposed and has an outlet for combustion gases at its upper end extending from the rear wall thereof . extending from this outlet is a lateral gas pass 13 which connects with the upper end of a vertically extending gas pass 15 that extends downwardly in parallel relation with the cavity 12 . combustion gases sequentially pass through the cavity 12 , the lateral gas pass 13 , the vertically extending gas pass 15 and a stack ( not shown ). it will be understood the present invention may be incorporated in a wide variety of furnace structures and that the illustrated furnace 10 is only one such furnace . the furnace 10 includes windbox assemblies 14 at each of the four corners of the central cavity 12 . adjacent windbox assemblies are coupled by a plenum 16 . thus , the entire furnace includes four such plenums 16 coupling adjacent windbox assemblies 14 . each such plenum is coupled by a duct 25 which is coupled to a fan ( not shown ) which supplies air for the combustion process in the cavity 12 . an object of the invention is to provide modules that weigh three tons or less and which have an envelope small enough to allow passage of individual modules through a fossil fuel power plant structure without having to make temporary changes to the power plant structure . for example , the size of individual modules must not require changes in the furnace and building openings . the arrangement of components within individual modules as well as the relative positions of different modules requires arrangements of particular components that differs from the usual and customary arrangement to achieve the noted object . one technique to achieve the stated object is the elimination of auxiliary air that would customarily be fed along the sides of the coal nozzle . instead auxiliary air is fed either from above or below each coal nozzle . referring now to fig2 - 6 there is shown , in partially schematic form , the construction of one of the windbox assemblies 14 . each such windbox assembly includes five modules in the illustrated embodiment . the five modules are : first and second air modules 18 , 20 ; first and second ignition and coal compartment modules 22 , 24 and an air compartment 21 . the first and second air modules 18 , 20 are identical . each of the air modules 18 , 20 includes two air compartments 21 , 21 that are substantially identical . in each of the air modules 18 , 20 the air compartments 21 , 21 are separated by a removable division plate 23 that is constructed to permit removal from the nonfurnace side of the compartment . the first and second ignition and coal compartment modules 22 , 24 are identical . each of these modules 22 , 24 includes first and second coal compartments 26 . 26 and an ignitor and an auxiliary air compartment 28 . each ignitor and auxiliary air compartment 28 includes a central conduit 30 for oil or gas . in the conventional manner the oil or gas is fed through the conduit 30 during start up of the boiler . as in the conventional tangential fired boiler a fireball is produced in the cavity 12 . the conduit 30 is concentric with a pipe 32 for auxiliary air . tilting nozzles 36 face the cavity 12 to direct auxiliary air into the cavity 12 . disposed at the very bottom of the windbox assembly 14 is the fifth module that is referred to herein as a third air module 25 . that third air module 25 is merely a single air compartment 21 . ( although there may be minor differences between the air compartment 21 in the third air module 25 and the air compartments 21 in the first and second air modules 18 , 20 , the difference is not material to describing the invention so that one skilled in the art can understand the invention .) it will be seen that each coal nozzle 36 is in between at least one air compartment 21 and one pipe 32 supplying auxiliary air . although the illustrated embodiment is a preferred embodiment of the invention , those skilled in the art will recognize that various other modular forms and numbers of various module types may be utilized in other embodiments of the invention . as best seen in fig3 - 6 the windbox assembly 14 includes a vertically elongated truss assembly 44 . the truss assembly 44 has a triangular cross - section as will be apparent from fig3 - 5 . those skilled in the art will recognize that the truss assembly 44 is a rigid framework capable of supporting a substantial load . in the apparatus in accordance with a preferred form of the invention the truss assembly 44 provides substantially all of the support for the windbox assembly 14 . a small part of the total support for the windbox assembly 14 is provided by the waterwall 11 . the preferred form of the invention does not rely on spring hangers ( not shown ) extending from the very top of the boiler structure to support the waterwall 11 . the truss assembly 44 is particularly advantageous for support of the windbox assembly 14 because the support inherently must extend through the windbox assembly 14 . the truss assembly 44 is preferably dimensioned to be disposed close to the walls of the windbox assembly 14 that the truss assembly 44 supports . the relatively small size of the members in the truss assembly 44 minimizes the restriction of fluid flow in the windbox assembly 14 . the truss assembly 44 directly supports the duct work of the windbox assembly 14 . in the conventional manner each plenum 16 is coupled to two windbox assemblies 14 as shown in fig1 . the body 48 of the windbox assembly 14 acts as a plenum to direct air entering from the duct 25 and passing through the plenum 16 to ( 1 ) the first and second air modules 18 , 20 ; ( 2 ) respective pipes 32 in the auxiliary air compartments 28 in the ignitor and auxiliary air compartments 22 , 24 and ( 3 ) the third air module 21 . as best seen in fig6 the coal compartments 26 are each connected to respective coal pipes 31 . each of the coal compartments 26 has a coal nozzle inlet and a coal nozzle outlet section mounted on a thick walled ignitor box of the ignitor and auxiliary air modules . the inlet and outlet portions are coupled by a coupling 37 which is constructed to provide both coupling and an intermediate gap to limit transfer of forces due to coal pipe loading . similarly , the ignitor and auxiliary air modules 22 are each connected to an air pipe 32 . the support provided by the truss assembly 44 to the housing of the windbox assembly 14 inherently is a support for the air modules 18 , 20 , the first and second ignitor and auxiliary air compartments 28 and the first and second ignition and coal compartment modules 22 , 24 . more specifically , a flange 34 on each ignitor and auxiliary air compartment 28 is carried on the truss 44 as best seen in fig4 . as best seen in fig2 and 5 each ignitor and auxiliary air compartment 28 includes four legs 46 extending upwardly and four legs 46 extending downwardly . the four legs 46 extending upwardly are connected to a coal compartment 26 as are the legs 46 that extend downwardly . thus , the truss assembly 44 also supports each ignitor and auxiliary air compartment 28 . each of these compartments 28 supports two coal compartments 26 , 26 . in the preferred embodiment the support for the ignitor and auxiliary air compartment 28 is almost completely provided by the truss assembly 44 . there is however some slight support provided by a connection 42 between the ignitor module 20 and the waterwall 11 . referring specifically to fig3 and 6 it will be further seen that the truss assembly 46 passes directly through the portion of the windbox 14 that directs air to the air modules 18 , 20 . accordingly the truss supports the air modules 18 , 20 . in a typical embodiment dampers 40 are provided within the windbox assembly 14 to allow modulation of the flow through the air modules 18 , 20 . the location is closer to the cavity 12 than in conventional apparatus . although the invention has been described in terms of a truss to support the windbox and other elements of the apparatus , it will be understood that other support structure may be provided without departing from the invention . the invention has been described with reference to its illustrated preferred embodiment . persons skilled in the art of such devices may upon disclosure to the teachings herein , conceive other variations . such variations are deemed to be encompassed by the disclosure , the invention being delimited only by the following claims .
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embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings . fig1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a torque control device according to the present invention . the torque control device according to the present invention includes a common power supply 1 , a controller 2 , a first motor control unit 3 , a second motor control unit 4 , a first motor 5 , a second motor 6 , a first mechanical unit 7 , a second mechanical unit 8 , and connecting members 9 . the controller 2 generates a first reference and a second reference by executing stored programs according to a command from a host system . the first motor control unit 3 controls the first motor 5 according to the first reference . the second motor control unit 4 controls the second motor 6 according to the second reference . the first motor 5 drives the first mechanical unit 7 . the second motor 6 drives the second mechanical unit 8 . the connecting members 9 connect the first mechanical unit 7 to the second mechanical unit 8 . the common power supply 1 generates direct - current power by rectifying three - phase alternating - current power to supply electrical power to the first motor control unit 3 and the second motor control unit 4 . moreover , the controller 2 includes a reference generation unit , a first communication unit , a second communication unit , and programs . the first communication unit receives a command from the host system and sends a response . the reference generation unit generates the first reference for the first motor control unit 3 and the second reference for the second motor control unit 4 on the basis of the stored programs and the command from the host system . the second communication unit converts the first and second references to commands to send the commands to the first motor control unit 3 and the second motor control unit 4 and receives a response from each of the first motor control unit 3 and the second motor control unit 4 . each of the first and second references generates a control mode reference that defines which of position control , speed control , and torque control a corresponding one of the first motor control unit 3 and the second motor control unit 4 performs , a position reference , an external speed reference , and an external torque reference . fig2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of each of the first motor control unit 3 and the second motor control unit 4 in the torque control device according to the present invention . each of the first motor control unit 3 and the second motor control unit 4 includes a position control unit 31 , a speed reference add unit 32 , a speed control unit 33 , a torque reference add unit 34 , a current reference generation unit 35 , a current control unit 36 , an electrical power conversion unit 37 , a speed signal generation unit 38 , and a communication unit 39 . moreover , the first motor control unit 3 and the second motor control unit 4 drive a motor 51 that includes a position detector 52 . the communication unit 39 receives , using serial communication , a command generated by the controller 2 and sends the status of the motor control unit as a response . position control , speed control , or torque control is selected on the basis of the control mode reference of the command . when position control is defined , the position control unit 31 generates a speed reference by performing a proportional - integral - derivative ( pid ) control operation on position variation that is the difference between the position reference and a position signal . the speed reference add unit 32 generates a new speed reference by adding the speed reference to the external speed reference . the speed control unit 33 generates a torque reference by performing a pid control operation on speed variation that is the difference between the speed reference and a speed signal . the torque reference add unit 34 generates a new torque reference by adding the torque reference to the external torque reference . the current reference unit 35 generates a current reference by dividing the torque reference by the torque constant of the motor 51 . the current control unit 36 generates a voltage reference by performing a pid control operation on current variation that is the difference between the current reference and a current signal . the electrical power conversion unit 37 generates a pulse - width modulation ( pwm ) signal from the voltage reference to drive an inverter ( not shown ). the inverter generates modulated voltage from direct - current voltage supplied from the common power supply 1 , using the pwm signal , and applies the modulated voltage to the motor 51 . the position detector 52 generates a position signal of the motor 51 . the speed signal generation unit 38 generates a speed signal by obtaining the time difference of a position signal . fig3 is a time chart showing the speed profile of a position reference in the torque control device according to the present invention . the control mode is the position control mode . in this time chart , in order to improve the accuracy of tightening torque by eliminating the influence of static friction torque in a state in which a nut and a bolt are rotated and tightening the bolt and the nut against each other with low relative rotational speed difference between the nut and the bolt , several revolutions per minute , the nut and the bolt in a state in which the bolt is screwed into the nut are first synchronously accelerated to predetermined rotational speed . subsequently , when the predetermined rotational speed is reached , the rotational speed of the nut or the bolt is increased to predetermined rotational speed to produce tightening torque between the nut and the bolt . subsequently , when the tightening torque reaches a predetermined value , the higher rotational speed is reduced in response to the torque to be synchronized with the initial rotational speed . then , after a predetermined time period elapses , the rotational speed is reduced , so that the rotation is stopped . assuming that first rotational speed time is t , the first and second references accelerate the rotation to first rotational speed with acceleration α . when the first rotational speed is reached at a time t 1 , the first rotational speed is kept until a time t 2 . at the time t 2 , only the second reference accelerates the rotation to second rotational speed with acceleration α . when the second rotational speed is reached at a time t 3 , the second rotational speed is kept . when the torque reference reaches first torque at a time t 4 , the rotation is decelerated to third rotational speed with deceleration β . when the third rotational speed is reached at a time t 5 , the third rotational speed is kept . when the torque reference reaches second torque at a time t 6 , the rotation is decelerated to fourth rotational speed with the deceleration β . when the fourth rotational speed is reached at a time t 7 , the fourth rotational speed is kept . when the torque reference reaches third torque at a time t 8 , the rotation is decelerated to the first rotational speed with the deceleration β . when the first rotational speed is reached at a time t 9 , the first rotational speed is kept . after a predetermined time period elapses , the rotation is decelerated to be stopped . in this case , since torsional torque is almost proportional to the phase difference between the first motor 5 and the second motor 6 , instead of the speed profile , the profile of the phase difference between the first motor 5 and the second motor 6 may be used . for example , the first motor 5 and the second motor 6 are first synchronously accelerated . when the first rotational speed is reached , torsional torque is produced by changing the phase difference between the first motor 5 and the second motor 6 according to a predetermined profile by setting the rotational speed of the second motor 6 higher than the first rotational speed . subsequently , when the torsional torque reaches the first torque , the phase difference between the first motor 5 and the second motor 6 is changed according to the predetermined profile . subsequently , when the third torque is reached , the phase difference between the first motor 5 and the second motor 6 is fixed . after a predetermined time period elapses , the respective rotational speeds of the first motor 5 and the second motor 6 are synchronized with each other and then reduced , so that the first motor 5 and the second motor 6 are stopped . a result of a simulation in the torque control device according to the present invention will next be described . fig4 is a simulation block diagram . fig5 is a simulation control block diagram . fig6 shows the result of the simulation . members that have a tightening torque of zero until an angle θ and have spring properties when the angle θ is exceeded are used as the connecting members 9 . moreover , it is assumed that the moment of inertia on the first motor 5 side is j 1 , the moment of inertia on the second motor 6 side is j 2 , and the spring constant of a connecting portion is ks . the conditions of the simulation are as follows : the position control gain kp = 200 ( s − 1 ), the speed control proportional gain kv = 1 ( nms / r ), and the speed control integral time constant tvi = 10 ( ms ) for each of the first motor control unit 3 and the second motor control unit 4 , the first - motor - side moment - of - inertia j 1 = 0 . 001 ( kgm 2 ), the second - motor - side moment - of - inertia j 2 = 0 . 001 ( kgm 2 ), and the connecting portion spring constant ks = 10 ( nm / r ). the speed profile is as follows : the first rotational speed n 1 = 1260 ( rpm ), the second rotational speed n 2 = 1386 ( rpm ), the third rotational speed n 3 = 1283 ( rpm ), the fourth rotational speed n 4 = 1268 ( rpm ), and the angular accelerations α = 1320 ( rad / s 2 ) and β =− 1320 ( rad / s 2 ). the first torque tq 1 = 11 ( nm ), the second torque tq 2 = 14 ( nm ), and the third torque tq 3 = 15 ( nm ) are given . as is clear from the result of the simulation in fig6 , the first motor 5 produces braking torque in reaction to torque produced by the second motor 6 and functions as an electric generator . in this case , in order to cancel driving power and generated power , direct - current power supplied to the inverter of the electrical power conversion unit 37 is common . the controller 2 receives torque references from the first motor control unit 3 and the second motor control unit 4 as response information at each control time . thus , the inversion value of the torque reference of the first motor control unit 3 ( for example , when the torque reference of the first motor control unit 3 is a negative torque reference , the inversion value represents a positive torque reference ) or the torque reference of the second motor control unit 4 may be used as detected torsional torque . moreover , when the moment of inertia of the first motor 5 and the first mechanical unit 7 is substantially the same as the moment of inertia of the second motor 6 and the second mechanical unit 8 , the respective torques of the first motor 5 and the second motor 6 during acceleration and deceleration are offset against each other by using a value obtained by subtracting the torque reference of the first motor control unit 3 from the torque reference of the second motor control unit 4 and then dividing the result by two , and thus torsional torque can be detected . the detected torsional torque in fig6 has a value obtained by subtracting the torque reference of the first motor control unit 3 from the torque reference of the second motor control unit 4 and then dividing the result by two . when further accurate torsional torque needs to be detected , a non - contact torque sensor may be provided in the first mechanical unit 7 or the second mechanical unit 8 to directly detect torsional torque . fig7 is a block diagram showing another configuration of the torque control device according to the present invention . this is an example in which a non - contact torque sensor 10 and a non - contact torque sensor 11 are respectively provided in the first mechanical unit 7 and the second mechanical unit 8 . the first motor control unit 3 or the second motor control unit 4 receives a torsional torque signal and sends the torsional torque signal to the controller 2 . methods according to the present invention for controlling a torque control device will next be described . a method according to the present invention for controlling a torque control device performs processing in the following steps : the first motor 5 and the second motor 6 are synchronously accelerated ( step 1 ), when the first rotational speed is reached , the rotational speed of the second motor 6 is changed according to a predetermined speed profile in which the rotational speed of the second motor 6 is higher than the first rotational speed to produce torsional torque in the connecting members 9 ( step 2 ), when the torsional torque reaches a predetermined value , the second motor 6 is decelerated to the first rotational speed ( step 3 ), and after a predetermined time period elapses , the first motor 5 and the second motor 6 are synchronously decelerated to be stopped ( step 4 ). moreover , another method according to the present invention for controlling a torque control device performs processing in the following steps : the first motor 5 and the second motor 6 are synchronously accelerated ( step 10 ), when the first rotational speed is reached , the rotational speed of the second motor 6 is increased to the second rotational speed , which is higher than the first rotational speed , to produce torsional torque ( step 11 ), when the torsional torque reaches the first torque , the second motor 6 is decelerated to the third rotational speed where the first rotational speed & lt ; the third rotational speed & lt ; the second rotational speed ( step 12 ), when the torsional torque reaches the second torque , the second motor 6 is decelerated to the fourth rotational speed where the first rotational speed & lt ; the fourth rotational speed & lt ; the third rotational speed ( step 13 ), when the torsional torque reaches the third torque , the second motor 6 is decelerated to the first rotational speed ( step 14 ), and after a predetermined time period elapses , the first motor 5 and the second motor 6 are synchronously decelerated to be stopped ( step 15 ). the torque control device and the methods for controlling the same according to the present invention can control torque even when a motor is rotating and thus can be applied to not only a screw tightening device but also a testing device , such as a motor testing device , a machine testing device , or a simulated load device . moreover , the torque control device according to the present invention can perform highly accurate control of torsional torque by eliminating the influence of static friction torque and setting relative rotational speed difference between connecting members to low speed , several revolutions per minute .
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the fig1 is a section view of a lateral double - diffused field effect transistor , or ldmos , in accordance with one embodiment of the invention . field oxide 1 defines a device region in the surface of a p + substrate 2 . a n + source region 3 is formed in a p + base region 4 by double - diffusion processing with base region 4 having a p − doped extension 5 which defines a channel region of the transistor . n − doped region 6 and n + doped region 7 define the drain of the transistor . an active gate 8 is formed over channel 5 with a gate oxide 9 electrically separating the active gate 8 from channel 5 and substrate 2 . in accordance with the invention , a dummy gate 10 is provided between active gate 8 and the n + doped region 7 of the drain , on top of the n − region 6 . the gate oxide 9 is electrically isolating the dummy gate 10 from the n − region 6 . the active gate 8 and the dummy gate 10 are composed of a stack having a first layer of polysilicon 11 , 12 . on top of this polysilicon layer , metal contacts 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 and metal layers 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 are alternatively disposed . dielectric material 21 ( e . g ., silicon - nitride ) is provided on the surface of the device with openings there through for forming a source contact 22 , a gate contact 23 and a drain contact 24 . superimposed on the section view of the structure , the equivalent electrical circuit is represented in fig2 . the equivalent electrical circuit of this structure is composed of the transistor 30 with its source s , gate g and drain d . by providing the dummy gate 10 between the active gate 8 and the n + doped region 7 of the drain , i . e . on top of the drain region 6 , the dummy gate 10 and the active gate 8 form a capacitance 31 . therefore , the dummy gate 10 is being electrically connected to the active gate 8 through this capacitance 31 . the dummy gate 10 and the n − region 6 are forming a second capacitance 32 with the gate oxide 9 forming the dielectric part of the capacitance 32 . the n − region 6 is equivalent , fig2 or 3 , to a variable resistor 33 controlled by the capacitance 32 as it is explained below . in an igfet , the electrical conduction is normally from drain to source , in a conduction direction which is transverse to the direction of elongation of the gate conductor 8 . therefore , in a ldmos such as the one described here , the source voltage is always at the lowest voltage , generally at ground level and the drain voltage is , in dc mode , at the supply voltage v cc . in a static view of operation of this transistor , two modes can be distinguished : a first mode where the voltage v g applied to the active gate 8 is higher than the threshold voltage v t of the transistor and a second mode where the voltage v g applied to the active gate 8 is below this threshold voltage v t . in the first mode , fig4 , the channel region is electrically conducting . due to the capacitive coupling between the capacitors 31 and 32 , the voltage applied to the n − region 6 by the dummy gate 10 is of the same order of magnitude as the drain voltage v d . therefore , the dummy gate 10 has almost no effect on the electrical conduction of the n − region 6 . in the second mode , fig5 , the channel region 5 is electrically open . the voltage applied to the n − region 6 by the dummy gate 10 is roughly at ground level and substantially different to the drain voltage v d . this voltage difference induces an increase of the depleted area 40 of the n − region 6 . consequently the electrical sectional area of this n − region 6 , in which conduction takes place , is reduced and the resistance is increased . advantageously , the resistance of the n − region 6 is varying with the gate voltage : the resistance is low when the gate voltage v g is above the threshold voltage v t and the transistor is conducting and the resistance is high when the gate voltage v g is below the threshold voltage v t and the transistor is open . a classical ldmos structure is described , for instance , in m . d . pocha , a . g . gonzales , and r . w . dutton , ieee trans . on electron devices , ed - 21 , 778 ( 1974 ). compared to this structure , the variable resistance of the above described transistor boasts high - frequency operation as the transistor has a low resistance between drain and source when it is conducting . at the same time , the transistor has a high drain - breakdown voltage as the resistance is high when the transistor is open . fabrication of the device of fig1 requires no complex or costly processing and is based on standard mosfet technology . the fig6 is a section view of the device with the basic transistor structures already implemented . conventional polysilicon fabrication processes are used to obtain this structure . the first layer 12 of the dummy gate and first layer 11 of the active gate are made simultaneously of polysilicon . the fig7 is a section view of the device at the next step of the manufacturing process . metal contacts 13 , 15 are formed on top of the layers 11 , 12 after the deposition and planarization of a dielectric material 21 . then a metal layer is deposited and etched , fig8 , to form the first level of metal interconnection as well as a first metal stack 17 , 19 on the metal contacts 13 , 15 . a dielectric material 21 is deposited , fig9 , and planarized to protect the underlying structure and prepare the structure to receive a new metal interconnection level . depending on the technology used , more than 2 metal interconnection layers are commonly manufactured . from the description here above , the person skilled in the art understands that any standard mos technology with two or more conductive interconnection layers such as aluminum , copper or polysilicon layers and the like , can be used to implement the invention . the choice of technology defines the number of metal layers which can be stacked as well as the distance between the layers of the active gate and the layers of the dummy gate . these two parameters and the characteristics of the dielectric material define the value of the capacitance formed by the active gate and the dummy gate and , consequently , the behavior of the transistor . for instance , a 0 . 18 μm technology sees an improvement of the breakdown capability in rf from 7 volts to over 12 volts . for a 0 . 13 μm , an improvement is from 3 or 4 volts to 8 volts . the description of this embodiment of the invention is based on a ldmos transistor . however , the invention is not limited to this type of field - effect transistors but is useful in all types of igfet . for instance , another embodiment of this invention is illustrated in fig1 with a mosfet in which the dummy gate 10 is implemented along the drain region 7 , where the n - region is realized with the nwell implantation . for illustrative purposes , the stack of contacts and metal layers has been represented on top of each other above the transistor active area . however , some design rules for specific technologies forbid the implementation of a contact , or a via , directly above the polysilicon gate . the person skilled in the art understands that the shift of the contacts used to create the active and dummy gates outside the active area will not modify the operation of the transistor . such an implementation is illustrated in fig1 . in the fig1 , only the polysilicon layers 11 , 12 and the first contacts 13 , 15 on top of the gate oxide 9 and the field oxide 1 are shown with an objective of clarity . the person skilled in the art understands that the figures were drawn to illustrate the different embodiments and are not representative of the real dimension of the transistors or of the specificity of a particular technology . for instance , the gate oxide 9 of fig1 could be limited to the area under the gate polysilicon without modifying the operation of the transistor . the description is illustrative of the invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention . various modifications and applications may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention as defined in the claims .
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referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference numerals have been used throughout the various figures to designate like elements , there is shown in fig1 an antenna raising and lowering device constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and designated generally as 10 . antenna raising and lowering device 10 is comprised of a substantially box - shaped housing including upstanding side walls 12 and 14 , real wall 16 and front wall 18 . a cover member 20 is secured to the upstanding walls by way of a plurality of screws 22 . both front wall 18 and the cover 20 have a substantially rectangularly - shaped cutout portion therein as shown at 24 and 26 , respectively . each of the cutout portions are formed adjacent the corner of the housing and in line with each other so that the housing is open at the front and top thereof as is clearly shown in fig1 . mounted within this opening in the housing in a manner to be more clearly described hereinafter is a metal antenna mounting plate 28 . plate 28 is mounted so as to be pivotable between a first position wherein the same is substantially vertically oriented ( fig1 ) to a second position wherein the plate 28 is substantially horizontal ( fig2 ). secured to the central part of mounting plate 28 is a two - way communication antenna 30 . antenna 30 is shown to be of the bottom loading type including a loading coil 32 and a whip element 34 extending therefrom . it should be understood , however , that this is by way of example only and that the present device may be used for raising and lowering numerous other types of antennas . as is well known in the art , two - way mobile communication antennas normally need a ground plane for proper operation . normally if the antenna is mounted directly on the top of a vehicle , the vehicle itself functions as the ground plane . however , if the antenna is mounted a distance above the top of the vehicle , the ground plane effect of the vehicle itself is lost . with respect to the present invention , if the housing is comprised of metal and the same is mounted directly on the top of a vehicle , the housing and vehicle , in most cases , would function as a ground plane . there may , however , be instances when the ground plane effect from the vehicle would not be present . this would be particularly true if the housing of the present invention were constructed from a nonconductive material . in order to ensure an adequate ground plane , the present invention includes ground plane elements . these are comprised of a plurality of elongated rigid wire or tubular members 36 which are arranged around the opening 26 in the cover member 20 and are oriented so as to extend outwardly from the opening 26 parallel to the cover 20 . ground plane elements 36 are secured to the cover 20 by way of metallic clips 38 . the lowermost part of the clips 38 extend downwardly into the interior of the housing . as shown most clearly in fig2 when the plate 28 is pivotted into its uppermost horizontal position , i . e . when the antenna 30 is in its operative mode , the upper surface of plate 28 contacts the clips 38 thereby completing the electrical circuit between the ground plane elements 36 and the plate 28 for effecting a proper ground plane . as should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art , the length , diameter and number of ground plane elements 36 will be selected so as to be compatible with the particular antenna 30 and so as to provide a proper ground plane . the mechanism for moving the plate 28 from its inoperative vertical position to its operative horizontal position is most clearly shown in fig3 and 4 . it can there be seen that plate 28 is connected to hinge element 40 which , in turn , is pivotally associated with rod 42 which extends between left side wall 24 and intermediate wall 44 . intermediate wall 44 is a partial wall which separates the housing into two basic compartments : the antenna compartment and the motor mechanism compartment . mounted in the housing in the motor mechanism compartment is a reversible electric motor 46 . as shown in fig1 a grill 48 may be provided in the side wall 14 adjacent the motor 46 for cooling purposes . mounted adjacent the motor 46 and extending lengthwise of the housing between front wall 18 and rear wall 16 is an elongated screw 50 . screw 50 is mounted to the walls 16 and 18 by way of bearings 52 or the like so as to allow free rotational movement of the screw . securely attached to the end of the screw 50 is a gear 54 which is engaged by gear 56 attached to the drive shaft of motor 46 . screw 50 is thereby caused to rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction depending on the selected rotational direction of motor 46 . a substantially rectangularly - shaped block 58 has a bore there through in which is formed an internal screw thread complementary to the screw 50 . block 58 is threaded onto the screw 50 with the bottom surface of block 58 in close proximity to the bottom wall 60 of the housing . adjacent the block 58 on the side near the motor 46 is an upstanding guide rail 62 secured to the bottom wall 60 . guide rail 62 and the bottom wall 60 , being in close proximity to the block 58 , prevent rotational movement of the block and guide the same longitudinally . it should be readily apparent that as a result of the threaded engagement between screw 50 and block 58 , block 58 moves linearly forwardly or backwardly depending on the direction of rotation of screw 50 . securely attached to the block 58 and on the side thereof remote from motor 46 and adjacent intermediate wall 44 is a second block 64 . the forward edge of block 64 has a cam surface 66 formed thereon . in the embodiment shown , the cam surface 66 is continuous and convex arcuately formed . block 64 , being secured to block 58 , moves linearly as block 58 is moved linearly . intermediate wall 44 being in close proximity to block 64 also functions as a guide for the block . secured to the outer edge of the plate 28 and at a position remote from the hinge 40 is a tab 68 . tab 68 extends from the plate 28 through the opening in the intermediate wall 44 and into the motor mechanism compartment . the free end of tab 68 lies in front of and is engageable with the cam surface 66 . fig3 shows the antenna raising and lowering device 10 of the present invention with the antenna 30 in its inoperative position and with plate 28 substantially vertically oriented . it can there be seen that block 64 is in its rearwardlymost position and tab 68 engages the lowermost portion of cam 66 . when the motor is energized , screw 50 rotates and block 58 moves linearly forwardly carrying with it block 64 and cam 66 . tab 68 , therefore , functions as a cam follower and moves upwardly staying in contact with the surface of cam 66 . upward movement of tab 68 also causes upward or rotational movement of plate 28 . this movement of block 64 , tab 68 and plate 28 continues until the antenna is in its raised position as shown in fig4 . as shown most clearly in fig3 and 4 , limit switches 70 and 72 are positioned at the remote ends of screw 50 and function to interrupt the electrical circuit to the motor 46 when the antenna is in its full operative or full inoperative position . the complete electrical system for controlling operation of motor 46 should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and accordingly it is not believed that a detailed description is necessary . an example of such a system is shown in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 224 , 003 . however , any equivalent system could also be used . the advantages of the present antenna raising and lowering device 10 over the prior art are manifold . in addition to the ground plane feature described above , the antenna 30 of the present invention can be raised manually in the event that a defect occurs in the motor , electrical system or gears . in other words , if the antenna is in the down position shown in fig1 and 3 and the motor fails to operate to move the cam surface 66 for raising the antenna , all that is necessary is to manually lift the antenna and plate 28 and temporarily rest some support beneath plate 28 for maintaining the same at its upwardly position . furthermore , although the linear movement of blocks 58 and 64 may be constant with constant rotation of screw 50 , the speed of upward movement of plate 28 can be varied , if desired , by changing the shape of the cam surface 66 . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and , accordingly , reference should be made to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention .
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in the preferred exemplary embodiments of the present invention , the order book display tool for trading financial instruments is implemented on a computer or a fixed electronic terminal . the computer communicates with the market exchange host computer to receive various market information including prices and volumes of the different bids and offers . an exemplary and illustrative embodiment of the order book display tool comprises two main components . the order book display tool comprises a market order book display component and an order display component . fig1 shows an illustrative and exemplary embodiment of a market order book display component . the orders outstanding in the market order book display component are represented as a histogram chart . the y - axis represents volume of contracts currently outstanding in the market . the x - axis represents the price . each individual bar , therefore , represents the volume of contracts available in the market at a particular price . each individual bar is dynamically updated as the market condition fluctuates due to multiple traders simultaneously placing and executing orders . as mentioned above , fig1 is only an illustrative and exemplary embodiment of a market order book display component , and therefore , the histogram chart can be represented in other illustrative ways . for example , alternatively , the histogram chart can be represented with the vertical y - axis indicating the price and the horizontal x - axis indicating the volume of contracts available in the market . further , the y - axis representing the volume of contracts may be represented in a non - linear manner . for example , the y - axis volume can be represented in a logarithmic scale to accommodate different magnitude of volumes depending on the scale of magnitude of trade volumes in the market . in the illustrative and preferred embodiment of the market order book display component , buy orders and sell orders are distinguishingly color - coded . for example , buy orders can be represented in blue , and sell orders can be represented in red . in the illustrative and preferred embodiment of the market order book display component , solid bars are used to represent orders in the market from participants other than the trader - user , and outline bars are used to represent the trader - user &# 39 ; s own orders . for example , an outline bar stacked on top of a solid bar represents that the trader - user &# 39 ; s own orders and orders from other participants exist at the same price level . as stated previously , the market order book display component is dynamically updated to reflect the current status of the market . fig2 shows an illustrative and exemplary embodiment of an order display component . the order display component displays the volume of orders that have been placed with the broker either directly by the client or on behalf of a client . as it was the case for the market order display component , a histogram is used to intuitively represent the volume of orders for each client . in the illustrative and preferred embodiment of the order display component , the horizontal x - axis indicates individual client identification , and the vertical y - axis indicates the volume of orders outstanding for each client . each individual bar , therefore , represents the volume of orders for a particular client , and the order display component is dynamically updated as the volume of orders changes over time . fig3 shows an exemplary illustration of the order book display tool showing the relative positions of the market order book display component and the order display component on a computer screen of the trader . as a way of an example , the order display component can be placed on the top - half of the trader - user &# 39 ; s computer screen and the market order book display component can be place on the bottom - half of the trader - user &# 39 ; s computer screen . whenever the electronic trader decides to place an order in the market , the order can be placed in the market by moving it from the order display component to the market order book display component . more specifically , the placing of orders involves the following operations : 1 ) moving the user &# 39 ; s mouse to the order display component and particularly to the desired orders to be placed in the market ; 2 ) clicking the user &# 39 ; s mouse button on the order ; 3 ) moving the user &# 39 ; s mouse to the desired price - level location in the market order book display component (“ drag ”); 4 ) releasing or clicking the user &# 39 ; s mouse button to place and execute an order at the desired price - level within the market order book display component (“ drop ”). the operations described above can accommodate a process known as “ click and stick .” in such process , a trader can click on a desired order in the order display component with his or her mouse , and the order clicked on remains anchored to the mouse pointer (“ click ”). in other words , the clicked and anchored order moves with the mouse movement of the trader and is released only when the mouse button is pressed again (“ stick ”). therefore , the trader placing the order utilizing such “ click and stick ” process does not need to continually press down on the mouse once having clicked on the order . it is to be noted that the “ stick ” operation is the equivalent of the aforementioned “ drop ” operation in that they both place the selected order in the market order book display component . the particular price level at which the order is “ dropped ” indicates the limit price at which the order will be entered into the market . prior to the “ drop ” operation of placing an order , there is provided a “ preview ” of the order being placed . when the order is placed on top of the desired price level within the market order book display component prior to the “ drop ” operation , the order volume bar of the particular price level is automatically reflected to preview how the bar would appear in case the placement of orders is executed . a number of different scenarios can potentially play out while placing orders in the market using the order book display tool . electronic markets typically support a number of execution styles for orders . for example , styles including but not limited to , “ good until cancelled ,” “ immediate or cancel ( fill or kill ),” “ complete volume ”, “ stop loss ”, “ profit lock ”, one order cancels another ( oco ) can be implemented . an aspect of the order book display tool is to afford the user - trader a range of choices regarding which execution style he or she wises to apply prior to placing orders into the market . both the preview displayed when an order is dragged over the market order book window , and the execution of that order once it is placed in the market will intelligently reflect both the selected execution style and the size of the order relative to the volume available in the market . differences particularly pertaining to three exemplary execution styles (“ good until cancelled ,” “ immediate or cancel ,” and “ complete volume ”) will now be described in detail . for illustrative purposes , a situation where an order for 1000 lots is placed over a market price level where only 800 lots are available is assumed . for an execution style of “ good until cancelled ,” a preview display will redraw the price level bar as a hatched area equivalent to 800 lots , topped by an outline bar for the 200 lots that will remain working in the market after the order has executed . subsequent to the market order execution , the remaining 200 lots will be displayed as an outline bar at the selected price level . for an execution style of “ immediate or cancel ,” a preview display will redraw the price level bar as a hatched area equivalent to 800 lots . however , no outline bar will be shown as any remaining volume will automatically be pulled from the market after the order has executed . therefore , subsequent to the market order execution , the unfilled order of 200 lots will be left attached to the user &# 39 ; s mouse pointer , allowing the user to continue to trade the remainder of the order . for an execution style of “ complete volume ,” a preview will leave the price level bar unchanged as the market volume is insufficient to completely fill the order . no order will be executed in the market , and the 1000 lots will be continuously attached to the user &# 39 ; s mouse pointer , thereby allowing the user to continue to trade the entire 1000 lots . now , following exemplary scenarios are described in detail with reference to fig4 - 8 . it is to be noted that there can be other potential scenarios facing the trader while placing an order using the order book display tool , and that the scenarios described herein are exemplary and illustrative in nature . for illustrative purposes , an execution style of “ good until cancelled ” is assumed . fig4 shows an exemplary illustration of a scenario where a trader is adding an order as a limit order to the market order book at a single price level . there is no pre - existing volume in the market at the particular price level of 102 . 5 at which the trader is placing an order of 800 . once the trader clicks and drags the order over to the market order book display component at the desired price level of 102 . 5 , the order of 800 volume can be previewed in the price level of the market order book display component . once the trader drops and thereby executes the placement of order , the order volume of 800 is summarily added as a limit order to the market order book display component at the price level of 102 . 5 . fig5 shows an exemplary illustration of a scenario where a trader is adding an order , and the order fully matches and executes against a single best price level shown in the market order book display component . the matching volume at the price level of 102 . 00 is shown as a hatched area on the matching market order . the portion of the market volume that will remain after the execution of the order ( trade ) is previewed as a solid bar with a numerical value within the bar representing the precise remaining market volume . as it is the case with all other scenarios , the expected price and volume of the resultant trade are previewed prior to the actual execution of orders and “ drop ” operation by the trader . fig6 shows an exemplary illustration of a scenario where a trader is adding an order , and the order partially matches and executes against a single best price level shown in the market order book display component . as it is shown in the market order book display component , the price level of 104 . 5 had 937 pre - existing outstanding market orders . therefore , if the order volume of 1800 orders are to be placed at the price level of 104 . 5 , a volume of 863 would be left unfilled by the market . again , the matching volume that can be met by the market is displayed as a hatched area of the bar at the price level of 104 . 5 . the portion of the order volume unable to be filled by the market and remaining after the execution of the order is shown as an outline bar with a numerical value within the bar representing the precise unfilled order volume ( e . g ., 863 ). as it is the case with all other scenarios , the expected price and volume of the resultant trade are previewed prior to the actual execution of orders and “ drop ” operation by the trader . fig7 shows an exemplary illustration of a scenario where a trader is adding an order , and the order fully matches and executes against multiple best price levels shown in the market order book display component . as it is shown in the market order book display component , the price level of 104 . 5 had 937 pre - existing outstanding market orders . therefore , if the order volume of 1800 orders are to be placed at the price level of 104 . 5 , 863 orders would still be left unfilled by the market . however , such unfilled orders may be met by market offers at a higher price level . for example , the trader may elect to fill the remaining 863 orders at a higher price level of 105 . 00 . the trader can simply drag the order volume of 1800 to the right from the price level of 104 . 50 to 105 . 00 , once the hatched area appears during the preview at the price level of 104 . 50 . the matching volume is shown as a hatched area on the matching market order . any portion of the pre - existing market volume remaining after the execution of the order is shown as a solid bar with a numerical value within the bar representing the precise remaining market volume . as it is the case with all other scenarios , the expected price and volume of the resultant execution of orders are previewed prior to the actual execution of orders and “ drop ” operation by the trader . fig8 shows an exemplary illustration of a scenario where a trader is adding an order , and the order partially matches and executes against multiple best price levels shown in the market order book display component . the matching volume is shown as a hatched area on the matching market order . any portion of the order volume unfilled and remaining after the execution of the order is shown as an outline bar . as it is the case with all other scenarios , the expected price and volume of the resultant trade are previewed prior to the actual execution of orders and “ drop ” operation by the trader . in addition to all the illustrative scenarios described above , it is to be noted that once an order has been entered , but has not yet been executed , in the market order book display component , the trader may later elect to move the order to a different price level within the market order book display component . a trader may effect such change by simply clicking and dragging the previously entered order to a new price level within the market order book display component as long as the previously entered order has not yet been executed . further , a previously entered order may be removed from the market by clicking and dragging the order to the area outside the histogram chart of the market order book display component . prior to the execution of either of the operations , the market order book display component can be previewed to see how it would appear in case the operation is executed . in addition , the user will be able to create a virtual market order book that combines the bids and offers of two different instruments such as a derivative contract and its corresponding asset ( e . g . microsoft stock with an microsoft future or options contract ). this type of trading is sometimes referred to as pairs trading or synthetic strategies . when configured this way , the trader / user manipulates and executes such pairs or synthetic strategies in the same way as if they were individual orders . while the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments and illustrations thereof , it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in forms and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims .
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as illustrated in fig5 , a device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a substantially cylindrical support surface 30 coupled to an elastic ring 8 . a central bore 3 which extends through the support surface 2 and the elastic ring 8 , in operation , receives the distal end of an endoscope 6 . a plurality ( 8 in this case ) of ligating bands 4 are received around the support surface 30 with a trigger line 20 wrapping around each of the ligating bands 4 in a repeating pattern . the support surface 30 and the support surface 30 ′ of fig7 for receiving 8 ligating bands 4 thereon will preferably be between 0 . 5 and 0 . 8 inches in length and may preferably be between 0 . 65 and 0 . 75 inches in length . while the support surface 30 ″ of fig8 may preferably be between 0 . 45 and 0 . 65 inches in length and is more preferably between 0 . 5 and 0 . 6 inches in length . of course , those skilled in the art will understand that the length of the support surface may need to be varied depending on the thickness of the ligating bands ( in a direction distal to proximal ) received thereon . the ligating bands 4 are received on the support surface 30 so that a distal - most band 4 is separated from a distal end 14 of the support surface 30 by an area 15 which is , except for the trigger line 20 , substantially free from visual obstructions . the support surface 30 is preferably substantially transparent . however , those skilled in the art will understand that at least the area 15 , which preferably extends 0 . 2 – 0 . 3 ″ should be transparent . the trigger line 20 extends from a proximal end accessible to a user , through a lumen 22 in the endoscope 6 to pass through the centralbore 3 and out to the support surface 30 via a first one of a plurality of grooves 24 . the trigger line 20 then extends across the support surface 2 , passes over the distal - most of the ligating bands 4 and wraps underneath this ligating band 4 to extend back into the first groove 24 . the trigger line 20 then loops under the distal end 14 of the support surface 30 and passes through a second groove 24 adjacent to the first groove , passes under the distal - most band 4 , wraps around this band 4 and passes under and around a second band immediately proximal to the distal - most band 4 . the trigger line 20 continues over the second band 4 and passes back under the distal - most band 4 to extend to the second groove 24 , returning from the second groove 24 to wrap over and around the second band 4 , under the third band 4 , etc . this pattern is repeated until the trigger line 20 extends around each of the ligating bands 4 received on the support surface 30 . of course , the arrangement of the trigger line 20 may be varied substantially so long as it is arranged so that a user is permitted to release each of the plurality of ligating bands 4 one at a time at each of a corresponding plurality of locations within the patient . thus , for example , a separate trigger line 20 may be provided for each of the ligating bands 4 or a single line 20 may be divided at some point between the user and the support surface 30 into a plurality of filaments each of which is coupled to a respective ligating band 4 . the endoscope 6 extends past the juncture between the ring 8 and the support surface 30 to a shoulder 10 formed at a portion of the central bore 3 within the support surface 30 . this shoulder 10 may preferably be located beneath one of the distal - most of the ligating bands 4 and is most preferably located so that , prior to releasing any ligating bands , the shoulder is beneath the third ligating band ( counting distal to proximal ) preferably between 0 . 35 and 0 . 5 ″, and more preferably approximately 0 . 38 ″ from the distal end of the support surface 30 . this shoulder 10 prevents the endoscope 6 from moving past a distal - most position within the central bore 3 , to create a substantially unobstructed space 18 extending from the distal end 14 proximally to the distal end of the endoscope 6 . this space 18 , which is dimensioned similarly to that of the support surface 2 described above , is separated at the shoulder 10 from an increased diameter endoscope receiving portion 31 of the bore 3 which preferably has a diameter of between 0 . 4 and 0 . 5 inches depending upon the diameter of the endoscope 6 which is to be received therein . the space 18 provides an area into which tissue to be ligated may be drawn so that a ligating band 4 released from the support surface 30 will encircle and grip the tissue to the extent necessary for the band 4 to be maintained in position on the tissue after the tissue has been released . that is , the tissue is drawn into the space 18 by known means such as , for example suction or a gripping mechanism ( not shown ) provided via the lumen 22 . thus , the placement of the endoscope 6 within the rigid support surface 30 and the extension of the support surface 30 distally beyond the distal - most ligating band 4 allow the space 18 to extend distally of the distal - most band 4 . as noted above , the distal end of the endoscope 6 includes an optical device 16 and a light source 26 which allow a user to view the area adjacent to the distal end of the device 1 . the placement of the endoscope 6 within the rigid support surface 30 and the consequent placement of the tissue receiving space 18 distally toward the distal - most band 4 ( or distally past all of the ligating bands 4 ), allows the field of vision of the optical device 16 ( shown by the dotted lines in fig6 ) to be increased relative to that obtained with an endoscope 6 seated proximal to the juncture between the ring 8 and the support surface 30 . those skilled in the art will understand that an increase of nearly 2 to 1 over prior placement positions of the endoscope may be obtained with this arrangement . of course , this increase of the field of vision is achieved only when the support surface 30 is formed of a transparent material which may preferably be polycarbonate . as described above , the elastic ring 8 of the support surface 30 grips the endoscope 6 to prevent if from becoming separated from the support surface 30 . however , those skilled in the art will understand that in order to maintain a proper fit of the endoscope 6 within the rigid support surface 2 , or to accommodate larger endoscopes 6 , sizing the endoscope receiving portion 31 of the central bore 3 to correspond to the diameter of the distal end of a particular endoscope 6 will provide a more secure and stable mating with the support surface 30 . in operation , a plurality of ligating bands 4 are placed on the support surface 30 with the trigger line 20 threaded between the bands 4 as described above . then an endoscope 6 is passed into the endoscope receiving portion 31 of the central bore 3 via an opening formed in the proximal end of the elastic ring 8 until a distal end of the endoscope 6 contacts the shoulder 10 and the trigger line 20 extended from the proximal end of the endoscope 6 through the central bore 3 to the ligating bands 4 ( preferably via the lumen 22 ). the endoscope 6 is then inserted into a patient and advanced , under visual observation ( via optical device 16 ) until the distal end 14 of the support surface 30 is adjacent to a portion of tissue to be ligated . the user then draws the tissue into the space 18 by , for example , advancing a gripping device ( not shown ) through the lumen 22 and grasping the tissue , or by applying suction through the lumen 22 . when the tissue is in a desired position within the space 18 , a user draws the trigger line 20 proximally through the lumen 22 until the distal - most ligating band 4 is released from the support surface 30 to ligate the tissue . as described in the zaslavsky patent , the trigger mechanism of a ligating device incorporating a support surface according to the present invention will preferably provide the user with a tactile indication that a band 4 has been released . thereafter , the user releases the tissue by withdrawing the gripping device or stopping application of the vacuum pressure and then visually guides the endoscope 6 to a second location within the patient . when the support surface 30 is located adjacent to a second portion of tissue to be ligated , the user repeats the process described above , releasing a second of the plurality of ligating bands 4 . the second of the plurality of ligating bands 4 is preferably , after release of the first of the plurality of ligating bands 4 , the distal - most ligating band 4 received on the support surface . the remaining ligating bands 4 may then be released one at a time , starting with the distal - most remaining ligating band 4 and progressing to the proximal - most band 4 . thus , the device 1 allows a user to ligate 8 or more portions of tissue without removing the device 1 from the patient while providing the user with improved control of the endoscope 6 resulting from the expanded visual field . the support surface 30 ″ of fig8 differs from the support surfaces 30 and 30 ′ only in that it is shorter as it is intended to receive only 5 ligating bands thereon . of course , those skilled in the art will understand that increased numbers of ligating bands 4 may be received on a support surface as described simply by lengthening the endoscope receiving portion 31 of support surface to the extent that the increase in length of the support surface does not result in excessive irritation to the patient or to difficulties in inserting the device into a body lumen . there are many modifications of the disclosed embodiments which will be apparent to those of skill in the art . it is understood that these modifications are within the teaching of the invention which is to be limited only by the claims appended hereto .
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the present invention is described in the environment of a processor that maps instructions of a first instruction set to a predetermined instruction width format (“ piwf ”) that is sufficiently wide to , and does , accommodate two or more instruction sets . in a first embodiment , the piwf is wider than the instruction width formats of the plurality of instructions sets supported by the host computer system . the extra width may be used to support functionality that is unique and exclusive to each respective instruction set . that is , a first instruction set may have unique functionality not available in one or more other instruction sets . further , a second instruction set may have unique functionality that is not available in the first instruction set . in a second embodiment , the piwf is the same width as at least one of the instruction width formats of the instruction sets supported by the computer system . in this embodiment , the piwf could be identical to one of the supported instruction sets . for example , if one of the supported instruction sets has an instruction width of 32 bits , the piwf would be identical to such set if the piwf also had a width of 32 bits and had the same encoding ( with no additions or deletions ) as the supported instruction set . the piwf is a format with a sufficient number of bits to provide a corresponding representation for each instruction in the plurality of instruction sets supported by the host computer system . each instruction in the plurality of instruction sets is mapped to a piwf configuration representing that instruction . the piwf may itself be an instruction set ( if identical to a supported instruction set ) or it may be an intermediate instruction representation ( if different from all the supported instructions sets ). in either case , a decoder is required to decode the piwf for execution by a processor core . in an exemplary embodiment described below , 16 - bit instructions are mapped to a 34 - bit piwf configuration that support 16 - bit and 32 - bit instructions . however , in alternative embodiments , the piwf may have fewer or more than 34 bits . this environment is used for purposes of illustration . the invention , however , is not so limited . a person skilled in the art will recognize that the invention has applicability for mapping instructions ( or , more generically , “ data ”) from any first format to any piwf configuration . additionally , although not discussed below , each 32 - bit instruction in the exemplary embodiment must also be mapped to a piwf configuration . this may be achieved through a mapper scheme ( as described below ), bit stuffing , or any other mapping method known to those skilled in the art . the invention is now described with reference to fig1 - 5 . referring first to fig1 the system architecture of a traditional serial mapping system utilized by a processor executing a computer instruction fetch operation is shown . as an example , consider a read operation executed by a processor or central processing unit ( cpu ) 100 . in a typical read operation executed by cpu 100 , a cache set is accessed from a cache memory 102 by a cache controller 110 . in this example , each cache set is comprised of a set of sixteen byte fields or lines plus respective tag components . in this example , the cache set includes four cache lines . each cache line comprises a data component 140 a - d and a tag component 145 a - d . for example , data component 140 a and its corresponding tag component 145 a combine to form one cache line . data component 140 b and tag component 145 b combine to form a second cache line . data component 140 c and tag component 145 c combine to form a third cache line . data component 140 d and tag component 145 d combine to form a fourth cache line . this configuration is present for each line in the cache . in each data component 140 of a cache line , an instruction is stored , i . e . an opcode value and operand description . thus , for example , data component 140 a contains instruction 0 . data component 140 b contains instruction 1 ; data component 140 c contains instruction 2 ; data component 140 d contains instruction 3 , and so forth . note , however , that instructions in multiple lines of the same set ( i . e ., instructions 0 - 3 ) are not sequential instructions . the numbering convention 0 , 1 , 2 and 3 is used simply for convenience and does not imply an ordering . memory management unit ( mmu ) 160 generates a sought address . a tag component of the sought address is used to determine if the instruction being sought is actually stored in cache memory 102 . if the instruction sought resides in cache memory 102 , the cache is said to contain a “ hit .” if not , a miss occurs and the instruction sought must be read into cache memory 102 from main memory 104 . for example , tag component 145 a contains tag 0 . tag 0 represents the tag associated with instruction 0 , stored in data component 140 a ; tag 1 represents the tag associated with instruction 1 , stored in data component 140 b ; tag 2 represents the tag associated with instruction 2 , stored in data component 140 c ; and tag 3 represents the tag associated with instruction 3 , stored in data component 140 d , etc . as explained above , each sixteen bit instruction must be mapped to a piwf configuration . to accomplish this mapping feature , the cache controller 110 of the serial mapping system depicted in fig1 contains a mapper 120 for mapping each instruction of a first instruction set to a corresponding piwf configuration ; a multiplexor 115 ; and a tag comparator 125 . continuing with the example of the read operation , the cache line comprising data component 140 a and tag component 145 a is accessed . instruction 0 , stored in data component 140 a is read into multiplexer 115 . likewise , instruction 1 , stored in data component 140 b is read into multiplexor 115 . instruction 2 , stored in data component 140 c is read into multiplexor 115 . instruction 3 , stored in data component 140 d is read into multiplexor 115 , and so forth . tag comparator 125 performs a tag comparison operation on all of the tags stored in the tag components 145 . more specifically , tag comparator 125 compares tag 0 , associated with instruction 0 , to the address generated by mmu 160 , the “ sought address .” likewise , tag comparator 125 compares tag 1 , associated with instruction 1 , to the tag of the sought address . tag comparator 125 compares tag 2 , associated with instruction 2 , to the tag of the sought address . tag comparator 125 compares tag 3 , associated with instruction 3 , to the tag of the sought address . these tag comparison operations are executed in parallel . if the tag of the sought address does not match any of the tags associated with the instructions stored in data components 140 of the cache memory , the cache does not contain a hit , and the value sought must be read from main memory . if the tag of the sought address matches a tag associated with any data stored in any particular cache line , the cache contains a hit . for example , if the sought address is equal to tag 2 , the cache contains a hit because tag 2 is the value stored in tag component 145 c , which is associated with data component 140 c . thus , instruction 2 , stored in data component 140 c , is the desired instruction because its associated tag , tag 2 , matches the tag of the sought address . tag comparator 125 then transmits an indicator signal to multiplexor 115 to select the desired instruction . multiplexor 115 then selects the desired instruction . in the above referenced example , where the tag comparison device located instruction 2 , the desired instruction , tag comparator 125 transmits an indication to multiplexor 115 to select instruction 2 . multiplexor 115 receives the indicator signal from tag comparator 125 , selects the desired instruction , and then transmits the desired instruction to mapper 120 . mapper 120 maps the desired instruction of the first instruction set to a piwf configuration and transmits a mapped instruction 150 to a decoder 152 . decoder 152 decodes the mapped instructions and provides control signals to execution core 155 for execution . in one embodiment , fill buffer 130 is present and serves as a staging point for cache memory . fill buffer 130 comprises a tag component 131 and its associated data component or instruction 132 . if the processor determines that there was a “ miss ” upon reading instruction cache 102 , the processor accesses bus interface 103 to obtain instruction 132 from memory 104 ( interconnection of bus interface 103 and memory 104 not shown ). the processor supplies the memory address 133 of the instruction that was not identified in the cache memory 102 to memory 104 via bus interface 103 . next , just as a cache line is accessed upon the data read operation , fill buffer 130 is accessed . tag 131 of fill buffer 130 is compared to the tag of the sought address . if there is a hit , tag comparator 125 transmits a signal to multiplexor 125 to select data 132 because its associated tag 131 was the hit . multiplexor 125 then passes the selected instruction to be processed to mapper 120 and transmits it downstream to the execution core , just as if the selected instruction had been stored in cache memory . the term “ downstream ” is used throughout this document to reference the direction that data flows through processor 100 over time ( i . e ., heading away from the cache controller to the execution core , etc .). thus , the term “ upstream ” is used to reference the reverse direction ( i . e ., heading away from the execution core to the cache controller ). [ 0036 ] fig2 illustrates the system architecture of a parallel mapping system utilized by a cpu or processor 200 initiating a computer instruction fetch operation . in a typical read operation executed by cpu 200 , a cache set is accessed by cache controller 210 . each cache set is comprised of four sixteen byte lines or fields plus respective tag components . each cache line comprises a data component and a tag component , as described above . instruction fetch begins as described above with respect to fig1 . however , the mapping and selection processes are different . continuing with the example of the read operation , each of the data components 140 is read in parallel into a corresponding one of a plurality of mappers 211 - 214 . for example , instruction 0 stored in data component 140 a is read into corresponding mapper 211 . simultaneously , instruction 1 stored in data component 140 b is read into corresponding mapper 212 . instruction 2 , stored in data component 140 c , is simultaneously read into corresponding mapper 213 . instruction 3 stored in data component 140 d is simultaneously read into mapper 214 . as further described below , an instruction is provided to mapper 215 via line 244 . thus , each instruction of a first instruction set stored in cache memory 102 is read into a corresponding one of the plurality of mappers 211 - 214 in parallel . each of the plurality of mappers 211 - 214 maps an instruction of a first instruction set to a piwf configuration . each of the mapped instructions is then provided to multiplexer 220 for selection . in parallel with the mapping operation , tag comparator 125 performs a tag comparison operation on all of the tags stored in tag components 145 . more specifically , tag comparator 125 compares tag 0 , associated with instruction 0 , to the tag of the sought address . likewise , tag comparator 125 compares tag 1 , associated with instruction 1 , to the tag of the sought address . tag comparator 125 compares tag 2 , associated with instruction 2 , to the tag of the sought address . tag comparator 125 compares tag 3 , associated with instruction 3 , to the tag of the sought address . these tag comparison operations continue until the tag associated with the last line of data in the cache is compared to the tag of the sought address . if the tag of the sought address does not match any of the tags associated with the instructions stored in the cache lines , the cache does not contain a hit , and the value sought must be read from main memory . if the tag of the sought address matches the tag associated with the instruction stored in any particular cache line , the cache contains a hit . for example , if the tag of the sought address is tag 2 , the cache contains a hit because tag 2 is the value stored in tag component 145 c , which is associated with data component 140 c . thus , instruction 2 , stored in data component 140 c , is the desired instruction because its associated tag , tag 2 , matches the tag associated with the instruction sought . tag comparator 125 provides an indicator signal to multiplexor 115 to select the value located in the cache ( i . e ., the desired instruction ). multiplexor 115 then selects the desired instruction . in the above referenced example , where tag comparator 125 identified instruction 2 , the desired instruction , tag comparator 125 transmits an indicator signal to multiplexor 115 to select instruction 2 . multiplexor 220 selects the desired instruction and transmits the selected instruction to the execution core for further processing ( i . e ., for instruction decoding and execution ). it should be noted that the operations of mapping , tag comparing , and selecting a desired instruction each occur in a single pipeline stage in the present invention . by performing tag comparison in parallel with mapping , processing time is improved . in one embodiment , fill buffer 130 is present and serves as a staging point for cache memory 102 . fill buffer 130 comprises a tag component 131 and its associated data component 132 . if the processor determines that there was a “ miss ” upon reading instruction cache 102 , the processor accesses bus interface 103 to obtain instruction 132 from memory 104 ( interconnection of bus interface 103 and memory 104 not shown ). the processor supplies the memory address of the instruction that was not identified in the cache memory 102 to memory 104 via bus interface 103 . next , just as a cache line is accessed upon the data read operation , fill buffer 130 is accessed . thus , data 132 is read into corresponding mapper 215 . data component 132 , containing an instruction , is then mapped to a piwf configuration . tag comparator 125 compares tag 131 of fill buffer 130 to the tag of the sought address . if there is a hit , tag comparator 125 transmits a signal to multiplexor 115 . multiplexor 115 then selects data 132 if its associated tag 131 is the hit . multiplexor 115 then passes the selected instruction to be processed downstream to the execution core , just as if the instruction was stored in a cache line of cache 102 . [ 0046 ] fig3 is a timing diagram comparing timing of the serial system ( processor 100 ) in fig1 with timing of the parallel system ( processor 200 ) of fig2 . fig3 shows three time lines , t 1 , t 2 , and t 3 . time line t 1 illustrates the timing tag comparison by tag comparator 125 . time line t 2 illustrates the timing of instruction fetch and mapping operations by cache controller 110 of processor 100 ( i . e ., the serial system ). time line t 3 illustrates the timing of instruction fetch and mapping operations by cache controller 210 of processor 200 ( i . e ., the parallel system ). referring now to time line t 1 , a tag of an instruction is fetched during period p 1 ( between t 0 and t 1 ). tag comparison then occurs during period p 2 ( between t 1 and t 3 ). during period p 3 ( between t 3 and t 5 ), instruction selection occurs . that is , during period p 3 , comparator 125 produces the select signal and provides it to multiplexor 115 . note that the data path through multiplexor 115 is much faster than the select path through comparator 125 . if data arrives at multiplexor 115 prior to arrival of the select signal , the data will wait for the select signal . referring now to time line t 2 ( illustrating the timing of instruction fetch and mapping operations in the serial system ), note that the data or instructions are fetched during period p 4 ( between t 0 and t 2 ). then , during period p 5 ( between t 2 and t 4 ), selection by multiplexor 115 awaits completion of tag comparison at period p 2 . eventually , the select signal is generated at time t 5 and selection occurs . mapping then occurs during period p 6 ( between t 5 and t 8 ) and ends by time t 8 in contrast to time line t 2 , note the absence of a wait state in time line t 3 . in time line t 3 ( illustrating the timing of instruction fetch and mapping operations in the parallel system ), data or instructions are fetched during period p 7 ( between t 0 and t 2 ). then , during period p 8 ( between t 2 and t 6 ), mapping occurs . note that mapping occurs substantially in parallel with tag comparison . thus , while tag comparison is being done , mapping is also being done . mapping may complete before or after tag comparison is complete . in the example depicted in fig3 mapping ends at time t 6 after completion of tag comparison . after mapping is complete , the select signal is used during a period p 9 ( between t 6 and t 7 ) to select the appropriate data / instruction fed to multiplexor 115 . as illustrated , time line t 3 is shorter than t 2 . because of the wait period p 5 in the serial system , valuable time is wasted while the system waits for the tag comparison operation to complete . the time saved by the parallel system of the invention is illustrated in fig3 as the difference in time between t 7 and t 8 . this time can be significant . [ 0052 ] fig4 is a flowchart representing the general operational flow of the steps executed in the parallel mapping system of the present invention . in a step 410 , each sixteen bit instruction and its corresponding tag of the first instruction set is read from the instruction cache into a corresponding one of a plurality of mappers and tag comparator , respectively . in a step 420 , each sixteen bit instruction of the first instruction set is mapped to a 34 - bit piwf configuration . in a step 430 , while the mapping of step 420 is occurring , the tag comparator compares a tag of each sixteen bit instruction to the tag of the address being sought . in a step 440 , the tag comparator transmits a signal to the multiplexor indicating the desired instruction to be selected . in step 450 , the multiplexor selects the desired instruction and transmits it to the execution core . specifically , fig5 shows a cpu 500 that is substantially identical to cpu 200 of fig2 . however , mappers 211 - 215 of fig2 have been replaced with partial mappers 511 - 515 in fig5 . furthermore , a mapper 520 has been added to fig5 . each of partial mappers 511 - 515 maps only a portion of an instruction to a portion of a mapped instruction of a piwf configuration . for example , the mapped portion may be only the portion necessary to identify operand registers . other , less time critical , mapping can occur later . the partially mapped instructions are then provide to multiplexor 115 for selection . once the desired instruction is selected , mapper 520 completes the task of mapping the remainder of the selected instruction to a piwf configuration . an advantage of this partial - mapping embodiment of the invention is that each of partial mappers 511 - 515 can be implemented in silicon so that it occupies only a fraction of the area required to implement a full mapper . this can result in a savings of total area required to implement the mapper function as compared with the previously described embodiment which requires five full mappers . while various embodiments of the present invention have been described above , it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example , and not limitation . it will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art ( s ) that various changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , in addition to mapping system implementations using hardware ( e . g ., within a microprocessor or microcontroller ), implementations also may be embodied in software disposed , for example , in a computer usable ( e . g ., readable ) medium configured to store the software ( i . e ., a computer readable program code ). the program code causes the enablement of the functions or fabrication , or both , of the systems and techniques disclosed herein . for example , this can be accomplished through the use of general programming languages ( e . g ., c or c ++), hardware description languages ( hdl ) including verilog hdl , vhdl , and so on , or other available programming and / or circuit ( i . e ., schematic ) capture tools . the program code can be disposed in any known computer usable medium including semiconductor , magnetic disk , optical disk ( e . g ., cd - rom , dvd - rom ) and as a computer data signal embodied in a computer usable ( e . g ., readable ) transmission medium ( e . g ., carrier wave or any other medium including digital , optical , or analog - based medium ). as such , the code can be transmitted over communication networks including the internet and intranets . it is understood that the functions accomplished and / or structure provided by the systems and techniques described above can be represented in a core ( e . g ., a microprocessor core ) that is embodied in program code and may be transformed to hardware as part of the production of integrated circuits . also , the system and techniques may be embodied as a combination of hardware and software . thus , the present invention should not be limited by any of the above - described exemplary embodiments , but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents .
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fig1 a thru fig1 c show a longitudinal cross section of the apparatus of the present invention , as the major components . the outer case or main housing 1 , which may include multiple sections 1 ′, 1 ″ and 1 ′″ along its length , is shown to have a threaded tubular connection 2 at its upper end , for connection to other elements of a drill string above this apparatus indicated generally at 2 a . a stator 3 and a rotor 4 for a “ moineau ” or progressive - cavity type motor operated by the flow of drilling fluids pumped down through the drill string from the surface , are shown . see also u . s . pat . no . 1 , 8982 , 217 to moineau . a torsion bar or flexible shaft 6 is used to connect the eccentric output motion of the motor rotor 4 to the lower elements of the apparatus . see shaft connection 6 a . the lower end of the shaft 6 is connected as at 6 b to a rotary tubular shaft 10 which drives a bit attached to the threaded connection 11 at the lower end of the apparatus . the bit is diagrammatically indicated at 40 and receives drilling fluid via passages 80 , 81 , 82 and 83 . a bent tubular subassembly including tubular members 7 and 8 houses a radial and thrust bearing assembly 9 that transfers load from the bit at the lower end of the assembly , and shaft 10 , to the case 8 ′. bending of the torsion shaft 6 as shown accommodates both the eccentric motion of the motor rotor 4 and the bend angle between the axis 41 of the housing 1 , and the bent axis 42 of the bent subassembly 7 , 8 and 8 ′. case 8 ′ is connected to member 8 via a pin 85 and box 86 connection . as shown , axis 42 is concave toward axis 41 , and convex radially away from axis 42 . for suitable drilling operations , the bend angle a , ( delta ), between the housing axis 41 and the bent subassembly axis 42 typically lies in the range of 0 to 3 degrees . one major objective is to combine these features in a downhole adjustable direction defining mechanism that can be drilling directional control initiated at the surface to command the drilling motor by means of short range transmission while drilling is in process , permitting full control of the motor to drill straight ahead , or by articulation , cause the drive of the motor rotary output to initiate a precision rate of turn achieving a planned drilling direction programmed into the control computer , without requiring extraction of the tool from the hole for external adjustment . during the directional drilling , drilling control parameters from near bit sensors indicated schematically at 89 and 89 ′ may typically be transmitted real time to the surface by a short range data transmission , if provided , allowing for fine and precise incremental control adjustments in the bend angle of the mechanism , resulting in changes in the drill path as deemed necessary . features of the adjustable bend angle subassembly are shown in fig1 b . the upper housing 7 is connected to the lower housing 8 by a flexure or hinge member 45 at one side by axis 41 . a hydraulic ram assembly 46 is shown at the opposite side of axis 41 , as having three pistons 22 in mechanical force series and in hydraulic input pressure parallel to drive actuator 22 ′ linearly . see also fig2 . this mechanism provides a mechanical force to bend the flexure or hinge member 45 , and also the shaft 6 . the number of such series pistons and their diameter can be selected to obtain the desired force within an allowable diameter . in effect , the force of the shown three pistons is three times the force that a single piston of the same diameter would provide . as shown , one of the two housings 7 and 8 defines an axis , as for example at 41 , and the other member defines axis 42 as during bending ; the flexure 45 extends at one side of that axis , and force exerting means includes the hydraulic ram assembly 46 located at the opposite side of that axis , and is carried by said one housing member 7 . the torsion bar extends within said one housing member . also , the ram assembly includes a linear actuator 21 operatively connected 21 a to the other of the two sections 7 and 8 ( for example section 8 ), to effect controlled relative pivoting of section 8 relative to section 7 , at or proximate the flexure . a highly compact , reliable assembly of elements is thereby provided . the control system for the hydraulic ram 46 is shown in fig2 , and includes a piston assembly 20 driving an output linear actuator or rod 21 , three pistons 22 , a solenoid electrically controlled valve 23 , a fill valve 24 and a piston position transducer 25 . the control input pressure port is labeled p 1 . the fill valve 24 is a normally open valve , that remains open until high ( standpipe ) pressure ( p 1 ) provided by mud pumps at the surface is applied . it remains open until the high pressure fluid primes or fills the lines and both cavities of the hydraulic ram piston assembly 20 . when there is no more fluid flow , the pressure on the fill valve piston 29 overcomes the force of spring 32 holding the valve open . oil is slowly pumped out of the spring cavity around a controlled fitting shaft ( orifice ) into an expanding bladder shown diagrammatically at 30 a connected to port 30 . as long as there is standpipe pressure applied , the differential piston configuration keeps the spring 32 compressed , forming a shut - off valve at the seat 27 a . the oil is used as an “ hydraulic fuse ” and the expansion bladder also acts as a temperature expansion compensator . when the fill valve shuts off , with p 1 in all lines , the closed loop pressure is now designated as p 2 . when the solenoid valve 23 is activated ( opened ) using solenoid coil 31 , it dumps the pressure p 2 into the bypass line p 3 , forcing the ram pistons to move to the right . this motion of the pistons is sensed by the position transducer 25 . when the desired linear motion distance of 21 ( corresponding to controlled bending of 8 relative to 7 ) has been achieved , the solenoid valve 23 is closed and the piston position remains fixed , having achieved the desired bend angle of the housings 7 and 8 at the flexure or hinge member 45 . the fill valve also acts as a failsafe safety device . when pumps are shut down ( i . e . no standpipe pressure ), the spring 23 ′ opens the valve 23 , returning the hydraulic ram to neutral . this happens even if there is an electrical , signal or battery failure . thus , there is no problem in trying or having to withdraw a bent angle mechanism from the borehole in a bent condition . the fig2 control assembly is typically located in association with the ram assembly . although the flexure or hinge member 45 accommodates the bend angle of the assembly , mechanisms are required to support both the axial and torsional forces between the upper housing 6 an the lower housing 7 in fig1 b . fig3 shows the upper housing 6 , the lower housing 7 , flexure or hinge member 45 and interlocking sliding fingers or pins 50 and 51 to provide axial and torsional load capability and guiding of bending . fig4 a and fig4 b show the relationship of the parts of fig1 b for both a straight , non - bent condition and a bent condition . a surface control electronics assembly is employed to accomplish the controlled functions needed for the bend angle mechanism . see box 90 in fig2 . the required functions for this assembly are to receive a desired bend angle command from the surface or other equipment and to control the solenoid valve that controls the bend angle . further , various sensors may be added near the drill bit at the bottom of the bent - angle mechanism to sense and transmit data to the surface . the transmission of bend angle commands from the surface to the downhole mechanism may be performed as by a series of links , some from the surface to intermediate locations and then others for a final link . see representative links 91 . one example for a final link in such a chain is shown in another application for a reduced - length measure while drilling apparatus using electric field short range date transmission as described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 820 , 790 filed jun . 21 , 2007 and published as u . s . patent application publication no . us2008 / 0034856 on fig1 , 2008 . electrical details of the short hop communication method are provided in u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 353 , 364 , electric field communication for short range date transmission in a borehole . similarly , the published u . s . patent application , publication no . us2008 / 0034856 , describes the use of a number of sensor types that may be provided in a sensor and data transmission element for the present invention . these applications and publications are incorporated herein , by reference . accordingly , the invention provides preferred highly effect method of sub - surface directional drilling that includes : b ) providing and operating a sub - surface drilling fluid driven motor for rotating the bit , c ) providing and operating a fluid pressure responsive bit deflector assembly carried by the string proximate the bit location , to locally and controllably increase and decrease the angularity of bit deflection relative to the string . b ) a sub - surface drilling fluid driven motor having an eccentric output , c ) a torsion shaft rotated by the rotor to rotate the bit , d ) a tubular housing for the motor and shaft , the housing having sections , and there being a flexure inter - connecting two of the sections , e ) and a ram assembly for angularly deflecting a lower one of the sections relative to an upper section , to angularly deflect the bit , the steps that include , and the steps of the method include f ) operating the ram assembly in one mode to angularly deflect the lower housing and the bit to one position for rotary drilling a relatively wider hole , and g ) operating the assembly in another mode to enable operation of the bit at a relatively reduced angular deflection for rotary drilling of a less wider hole .
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one embodiment of a distributed network resistive film attenuator element , generally indicated by the numeral 10 , is shown in fig2 . the attenuator element 10 comprises a dielectric substrate 12 . the dielectric substrate 12 , which may be sapphire , is preferably rectangular and has a substantially flat surface . still referring to fig2 the attenuator element 10 further comprises a resistive film 14 on the dielectric substrate 12 . the resistive film 14 is provided on the surface of the dielectric substrate 12 in spaced relationship along an axis 17 . a distributed element attenuation ladder network is provided by configuring the resistive film 14 on the dielectric substrate 12 in the conventional pattern described earlier in conjunction with fig1 . the resistive film 14 may be selectively deposited on the dielectric substrate 12 in the indicated pattern . alternatively , the indicated pattern may be etched into a continuous deposited film . preferably , the resistive film 14 may be formed of a metal , such as tantalum nitride , on the surface of the dielectric substrate 12 using known thin or thick film techniques . a nominal value of attenuation is provided by selecting an appropriate length &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; of series portions 14a of the resistive film 14 . because the resistivity of the resistive film 14 then varies proportionally with the ratio of the width &# 34 ; w &# 34 ; of series portions 14a to the width &# 34 ; ww &# 34 ; of shunt portions 14b thereof , the resistivity may be adjusted by varying the ratio of the widths &# 34 ; w &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; ww &# 34 ; of the resistive film deposited to provide an exact desired attenuation value . however , the widths &# 34 ; w &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; ww &# 34 ; also affect the impedance of the attenuator element 10 when it is incorporated into a fixed coaxial line attenuator or cascade attenuator , and , accordingly , the widths &# 34 ; w &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; ww &# 34 ; may also be further adjusted by an equal percentage amount to provide a desired impedance , for example , 50 ohms . the resistive film 14 is contiguously interposed between two pairs of highly conductive electrodes 16 and 18 provided on the surface of the dielectric substrate 12 . the outboard longitudinal edges of the shunt portions 14b of the resistive film 14 are disposed in electrical contact with the pair of conductive electrodes 16 . the pair of conductive electrodes 18 is disposed along the axis 17 and has a width &# 34 ; www .&# 34 ; the second pair of conductive electrodes 18 is in electrical connection with the outboard lateral edges of the series portions 14a of the resistive film 14 . the conductive electrodes 16 and 18 may be formed by deposition of a thin layer of a conductive metal , such as gold , on the dielectric substrate 12 prior to deposition in contact therewith of the metal which preferably forms the resistive film 14 . the attenuator element 10 further comprises tuning stubs 20 . the tuning stubs 20 are disposed on the surface of the dielectric substrate 12 intermediate the shunt portions 14b of the resistive film 14 . the tuning stubs 20 are connected at one end to the conductive electrodes 16 to which the shunt portions 14b of the resistive film 14 are connected and extend toward the respective series resistive film portions 14b of the resistive film . the frequency response of the attenuator element 10 is adjusted by varying the length &# 34 ; 11 &# 34 ; of the tuning stubs 20 . the tuning stubs 20 are selectively deposited on the dielectric substrate 12 . thereafter , adjustment of the length of the tuning stubs 20 can be achieved by scratching away the deposited material with a diamond scribe , for example . the tuning stubs 20 can be formed from the same material as the resistive film 14 , such as tantalum nitride . alternatively , the tuning stubs 20 can be formed from a thin layer of a conductive metal , such as gold , on the dielectric substrate 12 as extensions of the conductive electrodes 16 . the attenuator element 10 in accordance with the invention can be incorporated into a fixed coaxial line attenuator , as shown in fig3 . referring now to fig3 there is shown a fixed coaxial attenuator 100 comprising a cylindrical outer conductor 110 with the attenuator element 10 supported therein . the dielectric substrate 12 is sufficiently wide so that the lengthwise edges thereof are contiguous with substantially diametrically opposed portions on the outer conductor 110 . the axis 17 ( see fig1 ) of the dielectric substrate 12 is aligned with the central axis 117 of the sections of coaxial inner conductor 120 . the conductive electrodes 16 are disposed between the outer conductor 110 and the outboard longitudinal edges of the shunt portions 14b of the resistive film 14 along the full length thereof to provide a good electrical signal connection between the resistive film and outer conductor 110 . the conductive electrodes 18 are disposed between the sections of coaxial inner conductor 120 and central portions of the outboard lateral edges of the series portions 14a of the resistive film 14 to provide a good electrical signal connection between these central portions and the sections of the coaxial inner conductor for forming a continuous conductive path between inner conductor sections 120 . the attenuator element 10 in accordance with the invention can also be incorporated into a cascade attenuator , as shown in fig4 . referring now to fig4 there is shown a body 209 which forms the ground plane conductor of a strip line . coaxial connectors 211 , 213 at the ends of the body 209 each include a center conductor 215 which is matched coupled to a strip line conductor 217 and an outer conductor 219 which is connected to the body 209 . the strip line conductor 217 is supported on a dielectric slab 221 which is mounted in longitudinal grooves in the side walls of the body 209 . at selected intervals along the length of the strip line conductor 217 , a parallel pair of signal conductive elements 225 and 227 are disposed within the body 209 above and below the plane of the strip line conductor 217 . the lower conductive element 225 forms a straight - through transmission path and includes a conductive strip line 229 supported by a dielectric slab 231 which is mounted in the longitudinal grooves in the side walls of the body 209 . the width of the strip line 229 is decreased to maintain the characteristic impedance of the transmission line which is formed with closer spacing to the ground plane conductor . the upper conductive element 227 forms an attenuating transmission path and includes the attenuator elements 10 mounted in additional longitudinal grooves in the side walls of the body 209 and which is connected to the body 209 along its longitudinal edges . the strip line conductor 217 includes a flexible portion 247 at each side of the parallel pair of signal transmission paths , which serves as a switching element . the switching element 247 is actuated either magnetically by suitable electromagnetic means 249 and programming power source 250 or mechanically by an actuator 251 and programming cam assembly 253 . the actuator 251 may be any dielectric material which passes through an aperture in the body 209 that has dimensions which cause the aperture to operate as a waveguide beyond cutoff at the frequencies of signal applied to the attenuator so that signal leakage is negligible . a selected step of attenuation is provided by switching the strip line conductor 247 at both ends of the parallel pair of signal transmission paths to the attenuator element 10 path . when a plurality of such paths are provided , each with an attenuator element 10 of selected value , such as 5 db , 10 db , 20 db , and 40 db , a number of attenuation steps in 5 db increments from 5 db to 75 db may be provided by selectively switching in either an attenuation transmission path or a straight - through transmission path . this selection is provided in a conventional manner either by the programmed power supply 250 ( used with the magnetic actuators ) or the cam assembly 253 ( used with the mechanical actuator 251 ) in response to the positions of an attenuation selector dial 255 . fig5 a illustrates the frequency response of a conventional cascade attenuator set at 40 db . fig5 a evidences a decrease in attenuation with increasing frequency . fig5 b illustrates the frequency response of the cascade attenuator shown in fig4 set at 40 db with the attenuator elements 10 having tuning stubs 20 at a maximum length , such that the tuning stubs have a minimum clearance from the series portions 14a of the resistive film 14 . fig5 b evidences reversal of the trend toward decreasing attenuation illustrated in fig5 a , such that attenuation can be increased with increasing frequency by providing the tuning stubs 20 . finally , fig5 c illustrates the frequency response of the cascade attenuator shown in fig4 set at 40 db with attenuator elements 10 having tuning stubs 20 at a length adjusted to provide an optimally flat response characteristic . the foregoing description is offered primarily for purposes of illustration . while a variety of embodiments has been disclosed , it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous other modifications and variations not mentioned above can still be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed below .
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before proceeding with the detailed description of the preferred embodiments , several comments should be made about the applicability and the scope of the present invention . first , while venetian - type blinds are shown in certain of the figures , the types of materials from which the blinds are made or the relative widths , heights and the configuration of the headrail , bottom rail and slats may vary widely . the present invention has applicability to a variety of such blinds . the present invention is also useful with window shades of various types since many shade designs also use lifting cords and would benefit from the features of this invention . whenever blinds are mentioned herein , shades should be considered a suitable alternative . second , while preferred types of springs are shown , one varying in width , another varying in thickness and a third being of constant cross - section , a combination of the three could be employed . other spring configurations could also be used , in addition to those having a rectangular cross - section . for example , springs with round or oval cross - sections , decreasing along its length ( for a variable force spring ) or a laminated spring could also be employed . third , while one example is given of how to interconnect a plurality of spring motors , other techniques can be employed . for example , a gear system can be employed instead of the illustrated bar . the object of illustrative fig3 is to show how the spring motors can be made to operate in unison for level raising or lowering of the blind or shade , even if the lifting forces are applied off center . ideally , however , the user should be instructed to apply the lifting or lowering force at , or relatively near , the center of the bottom rail to maintain desirable balance and to prevent slack from being created in the lifting cords . proceeding now to a description of the figures , fig1 is a perspective view of one storage drum 10 useful in the preferred embodiment . storage drum 10 includes an axial hole 12 , a cylindrically - shaped spring storage area 14 , and a pair of walls 16 and 18 which taper upwardly and outwardly from area 14 . this particular storage drum is especially suitable for a spring which varies in width , as will be described later in this specification . drum 10 will be referred to herein as a storage drum , i . e . the drum on which the spring is initially coiled . the drum 10 would have parallel walls 16 and 18 for other embodiments such as for the springs illustrated in fig5 a , 5 b , 8 a , and 8 b . proceeding next to fig1 b , an output drum is shown generally at 20 to include an axial hole 22 , a cylindrical body 24 , and a pair of walls 26 and 28 . a hole 29 is provided on body portion 24 , the purpose of which will become apparent shortly . output drum 20 also includes a cord spool 30 having a central aperture ( not shown ) coaxial with hole 22 , a body portion 32 , and a pair of parallel side walls 34 and 36 defining an area therebetween for storage of the lifting cords . proceeding next to fig2 the arrangement of the devices in fig1 a and 1b in a spring motor unit 40 is shown . motor unit 40 includes a bracket having a planar back wall 42 onto which the storage drum 10 and output drum 20 are rotatably mounted in a spaced apart orientation . axles 43 and 44 pass respectively through the apertures 12 and 22 of the drums 10 and 20 . from fig2 it will be appreciated that output drum 20 is located adjacent wall 42 , with the cord spool 30 located outwardly therefrom . a spring is illustrated at 45 and is coupled between storage drum 10 and output drum 20 . the spring itself will be described later . the spring motor unit 40 also includes a pair of surfaces 46 and 47 , which are parallel to one another and perpendicular to surface 42 , defining a generally u - shaped enclosure for the two drums and the cord spool . a hole 49 is provided in surface 46 and a hole 50 is provided in surface 47 , with lifting cords 52 shown passing through each toward the cord spool 30 . the illustrated motor unit 40 also includes another bracket component 55 spaced apart from surface 47 and including a plurality of slots 56 in its upper edge . solid and dashed lines illustrate how the slots 56 may be used to increase the tension on the cord 52 traveling through portion 47 toward cord spool 30 . finally , two attachment areas 57 and 59 are shown in fig2 with holes 58 and 60 , respectively . the latter are used for attachment of the bracket to the blind head bracket . obviously , the location of the mounting holes can vary widely , depending on the overall configuration of the blind with which the spring force motor unit 40 is to be used . before proceeding to more detailed descriptions of the springs 45 , reference should now be made to fig3 showing schematically how a plurality of spring motor units 40 may be coupled together , e . g . by an elongate bar 62 rotatably coupled to each of the respective cord spools 30 ( or by gearing on the drums 10 and 20 , not shown ). it will be appreciated from this drawing , which is from a reverse perspective compared to that shown in fig2 that the three spring motor units 40 will work in unison and the bar 62 will compensate for minor variations in spring forces which may exist for the individual springs 45 and ensure an even winding of the cords 52 , even if the force to raise or lower the blind is applied off - center . proceeding next to the descriptions of fig4 a and 4b , a preferred spring 70 is shown , again in perspective form . spring 70 includes a first narrower end 72 , a second wider end 74 and a coupling extension 75 having a hole 76 therein . the illustrated spring has a constant thickness . spring 70 , in use , is wound onto the storage drum in the configuration illustrated in fig4 b , i . e . with its narrower end coupled to body portion 14 , and its wider end toward the outside . the extension 75 is attached to the body portion 24 of output drum 20 using hole 76 and any suitable fastener . the spring is wound from one drum to the other in an opposite coil orientation . in other words , as spring 70 is transferred from the storage drum 10 to the output drum 20 , the width of the spring 70 between the two drums will decrease and the spring will be wound oppositely to its original coil shape . another embodiment of a spring useful in the invention is shown in fig5 a and 5b , i . e . a spring 80 having a varying thickness . spring 80 has a thinner first end 82 , a thicker second end 84 having a width equal to that of end 82 , and a coupling extension 85 having a hole 86 therein . the preferred coil orientation for spring 80 is shown in fig5 b , this time with the thinner end 82 at the core of the storage drum 10 and the thicker end 84 extending onto and around the output drum 20 , using coupling extension 85 and hole 86 . again , the orientation of the spring , as it is transferred from the storage drum 10 to the output drum 20 , is reversed . while it has been mentioned earlier that springs of different configurations may be employed for variable force spring motors , it will now be more fully appreciated that one variation would be to use a spring which varies both in width and thickness . also , a coil spring of circular cross - section or a laminated spring could be employed . the cross - section increasing from the end attached to the storage drum 10 to the end attached to the output drum 20 . proceeding now to fig6 the use of a spring motor unit 40 for a blind system 90 is shown . blind system 90 includes a bottom bar 92 , a headrail 94 , and a plurality of slats 95 located therebetween . the ladders are not illustrated in these figures but are conventional and , in and of themselves , do not form part of the present invention . the cords for raising and lowering bottom bar 94 are illustrated at 96 and 97 and are shown extending through the slats and toward the cord spool 30 , which will be fully wound with cord when the blind is in the position illustrated in fig6 . moreover , the storage drum would be wound with most of spring 45 and the output drum would be wound only to the extent desirable to attach its end and to provide the desired holding force . referring now to fig7 the bottom bar 92 is shown in its fully lowered position with the individual slats 95 spaced from one another and with the cords 96 and 97 unwound from cord spool 30 . at this point , the slats would be individually suspended from ladders ( not shown ) attached to the headrail 94 , so that their weight is not being carried by the spring motor unit 40 . it can be observed that the spring 45 has been substantially transferred from the storage drum 10 to the output drum 20 , thereby decreasing the amount of force exerted on the bottom bar . in an ideal situation , the spring force will be just sufficient to prevent bottom bar 92 from self - raising . when it is desired to open blind system 90 , the bottom bar 92 is urged toward headrail 94 , resulting in a spring driven rotation of the cord spool to wind cords 96 and 97 . the spring will rewind back to storage drum 10 , with an ever increasing level of force as the weight of the bottom bar 92 and accumulating slats 95 continues to increase . the operation is completed when the fig6 configuration is achieved . while the present invention has been described in connection with several illustrated embodiments , further variations may now be apparent . for example , instead of using only two cords ( illustrated as 96 and 97 in fig6 - 7 ), additional cords could be used for wider blinds , as required . in connection with experiments done to date , one suitable spring is made from type 301 high - yield stainless steel and has a length of 87 inches and a constant thickness of 0 . 005 inches . its width increased from 0 . 110 inches at its narrow end to 0 . 312 inches at its wide end . for a coil diameter of 0 . 540 inches , a theoretical maximum torque of 0 . 650 pounds per inch was created , and the theoretical torque minimum was 0 . 230 pounds per inch . in another example , a spring strip of the same length and material varied in thickness from 0 . 0029 inches to 0 . 0054 inches with the same coil diameter . the theoretical maximum torque was 0 . 819 pounds per inch , while the torque at the bottom ( minimum ) is reduced to 0 . 140 pounds per inch . it can be seen from these examples that the spring motor provides a variable force which is consistent in application , depending upon the particular position of the bottom rail or member with respect to the headrail . the theoretical forces may be readily calculated using formulas which are available from spring manufacturers in which the output force is determined by the formula : f = e · b · s 3 24 · r 2 it then becomes apparent that as the width or thickness varies from end to end of the strip , so also will the resultant force . fig8 a and 8b show yet another embodiment of the present invention , this time where the spring 45 is a constant cross - section spring 110 having a first end 112 , a second end 114 , an extension 115 extending from the second end , and a hole 116 in the extension . the coiled form of spring 110 is shown in fig8 b . it has been found that in some applications , for example applications where the blinds are short , or are made from very light materials , or where friction imparting devices are used with the cords that a constant force spring may be entirely suitable . this is true because while the weight exerted on the lifting cords 94 and 96 will vary as the blind is raised and lowered , frictional forces are present which can be sufficient to maintain the shade in any desired position without free fall . this particular embodiment could be enhanced using the friction imparting devices discussed in connection with fig2 . accordingly , it can be readily seen that the present invention has extremely wide application and that the designer may make numerous choices depending upon the particular size of the blind , its construction materials , etc . as with the other embodiments , several spring motors employing springs 110 can be coupled together , e . g . as is shown in fig3 . alternatively , a plurality of such motors may be used which are not interconnected to one another . fig9 is a view , similar to fig6 showing in schematic form a motor system for raising and lowering a blind . in order to facilitate understanding of the invention , like elements will be identified by like reference numerals in fig9 and fig6 . accordingly , in fig9 a blind system 90 is illustrated having a spring motor unit 40 and cords 96 , 97 for raising and lowering bottom bar 92 . also shown in fig9 are a drive motor 110 , and a control unit 112 for controlling operation of drive motor 110 . drive motor 110 is preferably an electrical motor which can drive in two directions and is operatively coupled with spring motor unit 40 by a coupling 111 to apply a drive force in either of two directions to move bottom bar 92 up or down . it is advantageous to use both spring motor unit 40 and drive motor 110 so that the force applied to blind system 90 by spring motor unit 40 augments and assists drive motor 110 . drive motor 110 may be operatively coupled anywhere in the driving mechanism of blind system 90 . by such an arrangement a smaller , cheaper , and more energy - efficient drive motor 110 may be more advantageously employed with blind system 90 than could be employed alone without spring motor unit 40 . control commands may be provided to control unit 112 for controlling operation of drive motor 110 from a remote position by hard - wired connection ( not shown in fig9 ) to a remote control unit such as remote control unit 114 . in the alternative , remote control unit 114 may wirelessly communicate with control unit 112 by any of several methods , such as sonic coded signal patterns or optic coded signal patterns . the coding patterns may be coded transmission patterns , or coded frequency patterns , or combinations of such patterns . in environments where there are a plurality of blind systems 90 which should be individually wirelessly controllable by one or more remote control units 114 , respective blind systems 90 must be individually addressable . the required distinction among such a plurality of blind systems 90 may be encoded in each respective control unit 112 and recognized by remote control unit ( s ) 114 in any of several manners . for example , respective control units 112 may be user - coded by individual digital switches to assign a user - determined code to each respective blind system 90 . further , similar coding may be effected by embedding code in a read only memory ( rom ) in each respective control unit 112 , or by programming a code into a random access memory ( ram ) in each control unit 112 . a pin grid array or a jumper wire arrangement would also accomplish the desired coding , but such arrangements are susceptible to error and occupy large amounts of space . remote control unit 114 may similarly be encoded to selectively address a particular blind system 90 : digital switch coding , rom , ram , and jumper - wiring may all be appropriate . yet another approach involves factory preprogramming of systems . for example , a factory - provided library of codes may be programmed into a rom in a remote control unit 114 . a user may select a code from the library of codes for assignment to a respective blind system 90 by any of the above - described encoding mechanisms : e . g ., digital switches , ram , or the like . the user - selection may involve merely a two - digit entry or selection to identify an eight - digit ( for example ) digital code . by such an arrangement , the security of eight - digit coding and its protection against inadvertent operation of blinds is achieved with significantly less opportunity for errors in user - coding since the user needs only to enter two digits to identify / encode a particular blind system 90 . so while the invention has been described in connection with certain illustrative examples , it is not to be limited thereby but is to be limited solely by the scope of the claims which follow .
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the currently preferred embodiments of the invention are now described with reference to the figures where like reference numbers indicate like elements . also in the figures , the left most digit of each reference number corresponds to the figure in which the reference number is first used . while the invention is described in the context of an electronic fare collection system for rapid transit or toll applications , it would be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art that the principles of the invention have considerably broader applicability to other systems in which contactless proximity information / data / message is exchanged , collected , or otherwise used . the improved target and tag of the invention can be used advantageously in a fare collection system similar to that described in international application number pct / us92 / 08892 , titled “ non - contact automatic fare collection system ,” filed oct . 19 , 1992 , wo 93 / 09516 , which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . thus , only the features of the invention that differ from the system disclosed in wo 93 / 09516 are described in detail herein . fig1 is a high level block diagram of a contactless proximity automated data collection system 100 in accordance with the principles of the invention . system 100 includes a plurality of hosts 102 , targets 104 , and tags 106 . as would be apparent to one skilled in the art , the number of these devices depends on the requirements of the application . target 104 communicates with both host 102 and tag 106 . target 104 and tag 106 communicate messages and data over rf signals 110 and 112 . in operation , target 104 responds to commands from host 102 and acts primarily as a simple serial data pass - through with bit rate conversion and collision resolution between host 102 and tag 106 . in this embodiment , host 102 is positioned at a point of sale machine . alternatively , for this type of application , host 102 can be located at an entrance / exit gate of a train station at a ticket vending or issue machine . in general , host 102 can be located remotely or locally with respect to target 104 . host 102 communicates with target 104 over a standard rs - 232 serial link 108 , but any known links ( e . g ., a rs422 link ) can be used with the invention . in this preferred embodiment , host 102 is an intel ® pentium ® based computer system running windows nt ®. however , any sufficiently powerful computer system ( e . g ., intel ® pentium ® pro or pentium ® ii based computer systems ) and operating system ( e . g ., microsoft ® windows ®) can be used . for example , a dedicated controller using a motorola ® 68332 microprocessor with a real - time operating system or any other appropriate microprocessor can be used . host 102 contains predetermined executable programs ( software or code ) that achieve the functionality of the specific application . these programs correspondingly invoke ( call ) functions within a carcg go card ® subroutine library , provided by cubic corporation . the subroutine library provides the necessary control to facilitate low level message and data input / output processing . fig2 is a block diagram of target 104 in accordance with the principles of the invention . target 104 includes an antenna 200 , a modulator / demodulator 202 , a microcontroller 204 , and a rs - 232 serial interface port 208 . microcontroller 204 receives a clock signal from quartz crystal ( not shown ). in this embodiment , microcontroller 204 is a ds87c520 microcontroller commerically available from dallas semiconductor , interface port 208 is a rs - 232 interface from linear technology , and antenna 200 is a 3 μhy , pc board coil , which are all available from numerous sources . any commercially available parts , however , can be employed for these components . as with host 102 , microcontroller 204 has predetermined programs , residing therein , to facilitate the overall functionality of target 104 . that is , the predetermined programs are written in suitable code with any known programming language , to implement the logic carried out in the protocols discussed below ( including the collision resolution protocol ) with reference to fig4 a - c , 6 a - b , and 7 a . in general , host 102 controls and coordinates the exchange of messages / data between target 104 and tag 106 . these exchanges are conducted with a half - duplex communication protocol . rf signals 110 and 112 have a carrier frequency of 13 . 56 mhz per iso / iec 14443 standard and are amplitude modulated at 115 . 2 kbps for data transmission . as would be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the relevant art , other well known protocols , transmission rates , and various modulation techniques can be utilized with the invention . in operation , target 104 receives modulated tag messages / data over rf signals 112 . antenna 200 receives these messages / data and conveys them ( over interconnection 210 ) to modulator / demodulator 202 for demodulation . in turn , each tag message / data is conveyed ( over interconnection 212 ) to microcontroller 204 , whereupon , depending on the message / data type , it is either processed or relayed ( over interconnection 214 ) to serial interface port 208 and then to host 102 ( via serial link 108 ). in similar manner , target 104 transmits modulated target messages / data to tag 106 over rf signals 110 . target messages / data can originate solely from microcontroller 204 or from microcontroller 204 in conjunction with host 102 . modulator / demodulator 202 modulates the messages / data , and antenna 200 transmits the corresponding rf signals 110 to tag 106 . microcontroller 204 and host 102 process the tag and target messages / data in accordance with the particular configured application ( e . g ., in this embodiment , a rapid transit application ). fig3 is a high level block diagram of tag 106 in accordance with the principles of the invention . in this preferred embodiment , tag 106 includes an antenna 300 and a tag application specific integrated circuit ( asic ) 302 ( tag asic 302 ), which will be commercially available from cubic corporation . the following discussion includes only a very high level discussion of tag 106 with respect to the system level features of the invention . the tag detailed description section below provides a more detailed discussion of tag 106 . tag asic 302 is partitioned into a digital subsystem 304 and an analog subsystem 306 . digital subsystems 304 includes a controller 308 and a data memory bank 310 . analog subsystem 306 includes a modulator / demodulator 312 . similar to the operation of target 104 , messages / data are transmitted to and from tag 106 via rf signals 110 and 112 , respectively . target messages / data ( modulated on rf signals 110 ) are received by antenna 300 . once received , target messages / data are conveyed ( via interconnection 314 ) to modulator / demodulator 312 for demodulation . each target message / data is then conveyed via interconnection ( interface ) 316 to controller 308 and processed in accordance with the configuration of controller 308 . data memory bank 310 is used to hold application data which is accessed over interconnection 318 . tag messages / data ( modulated on rf signals 112 ) are transmitted from antenna 300 . controller 308 provides both message generating and data accessing functions . each message / data is then conveyed to modulator / demodulator 312 for modulation . messages are finally conveyed to antenna 300 , whereupon they are transmitted to target 104 as rf signals 112 . although the invention has many other applications , an overriding performance requirement imposed on a go card ® system when used for automatic fare collection , especially in a transit environment ( e . g ., subway , bus , parking lot , toll road , etc . ), is that a fare transaction must be completed in less than approximately 0 . 1 second . this requirement has been established as the result of human factors studies and extensive field trials . as such , the 0 . 1 second transaction period does not allow the extra time required to insert a tag into a target so that it can be captured until the transaction is complete . if the tag cannot be captured , the system must be able to handle the withdrawal of the tag from the vicinity of the target at any time during the transaction without the tag non - volatile data being corrupted . the invention satisfies this and other requirements by utilizing a high communication rate ( 115 . 2 kilobits / second ), an efficient communication protocol ( including implied acknowledgments ), ensured state transitions ( after transmitting a message , the tag enters a predetermined state and is prepared to receive the next incoming byte without the overhead of any extra synchronization bytes ), an intelligent collision avoidance protocol ( which includes sending application type information within an “ imawake ” message to avoid the extra overhead of a separate request message from the target ), and fram for non - volatile tag buffer and permanent data memory ( 0 . 6 μs write time verses up to 10 , 000 μs for eeprom ). the use of fram for non - volatile data buffering also reduces transaction time ( and memory required ) when used to prevent data corruption . preventing data corruption is addressed by the use of fram for tag non - volatile buffering of received write - data ( including automatic write completion on power - up ), by the tag &# 39 ; s monitoring of its available rf and dc power ( to guarantee that any write to the fram will complete before power can be lost ), using a combination of missing clock detection , hysteresis , and pulse stretching in the reset circuit to provide a fast , sufficiently wide and stable reset ( to avoid unstable or inadvertent fram writes and also avoid the size and power inefficiencies of a phase - locked loop ), and by using a message digest as a check of the integrity of the received message . additional operational constraints / regulatory requirements imposed on the system are that there be no cross - talk between adjacent targets ( because of the required close placement of targets in some fare collection systems ) and that the system be capable of being certified ( fcc and other regulatory requirements ). cross - talk between adjacent targets is eliminated by using impedance ( or load ) modulation from tag to target . for example , the tag must be close to the target which has powered it up and only modulates the rf field of that target . the rf field provided by the target to the tag decreases as the cube of the distance between them when that distance is greater than the radius of the target antenna . regulatory certification is aided by the target using a small amount less than 20 %) of amplitude modulation ( am ) for communicating with the tag ( thus producing small amplitude sidebands ) and by increasing rather than decreasing the carrier amplitude during modulation ( thus reducing the required average carrier power ). the target also has the capability of operating at significantly reduced average carrier power ( either by detecting the presence of a tag and only operating at full power for the 0 . 1 second transaction time or by pulsing the rf carrier to full amplitude with a short duty cycle until a tag responds for the 0 . 1 second transaction time ). several other operational factors determine whether a system can meet the above requirements . they include : the complexity of the transaction and the amount of data that must be updated , the time required for the tag to write the received data to non - volatile memory , the overhead involved in assuring that no data corruption can occur , the overhead involved in authenticating that a valid tag is being used , fig1 - 3 illustrate a high level block diagram of a host - target - tag system in accordance with he principles of the invention the host - target - tag protocol includes a series of predetermined message exchanges . in general , target messages are generated by either a microcontroller 204 or a host 102 and tag messages by a controller 308 in accordance with the software or logic residing therein . a message is typically , but not necessarily , approximately one byte or greater in length , and may represent control information for controlling the operation of a target 104 or a tag 106 , message identification information , authentication information , or other information desired for each particular application in which the invention is employed . the messages / data are exchanged to provide the following general functionality : allow host 102 to set the operating mode of target 104 and / or determine the current state of target 104 ; allow target 104 to detect initial entry of tag 106 into the rf field and mediate between multiple tags that enter the rf field simultaneously ; and allow host 102 to exchange data with tag 106 in a manner that provides resistance to tampering . table 1 summarizes the general function of each field for particular messages . fig4 a illustrates a typical host - to - target message exchange . host - to - target message exchanges occur when host 102 has need to modify the operating state of target 104 . host 102 may initiate this type of exchange at any time , assuming the previous exchange has either completed or a time - out has occurred . host 102 sends two message types (“ command ” and “ wakeup ”) to target 104 . in response , target 104 sends a “ status ” message type to host 102 . host 102 may optionally send a third message type (“ diagreq ”) to target 104 . in response , target 104 will reply with a “ diagrsp ” message type to host 102 . host 102 sends the “ command ” message to target 104 to set the operating state of target 104 . upon receiving a valid , correctly addressed “ command ” message , target 104 takes the actions specified by the various data fields of the “ command ” message . host 102 also sends the “ wakeup ” message type to direct target 104 to begin broadcasting “ wakeup ” messages into the rf field . target 104 sends the “ status ” message to host 102 to confirm correct reception of either a “ command ” or a “ wakeup ” message . the “ status ” message contains the same data fields that are present in the “ command ” message . the “ status ” message reports the current setting of these data fields in the target 104 memory , which were set by the previously received “ command ” and / or “ wakeup ” messages . host 102 also sends the “ diagreq ” message type to direct target 104 to perform one of several diagnostic routines , then report the result in a “ diagrsp ” message . in response , target 104 sends the “ diagrsp ” message to host 102 to confirm correct reception and report the results of processing the “ diagreq ” message . target - to - tag message exchanges generally fall into two cases : a single tag attempting communication with a target ( a normal case 500 ); and two or more tags concurrently attempting communication with a target ( collision resolution case 514 ). fig4 b illustrates a target - to - tag exchange for both cases . target - to - tag message exchanges occur after host 102 has sent a valid “ wakeup ” message to target 104 , as described above . target 104 sends three message types (“ wakeup ,” “ pongvalid ,” and “ ponginvalid ”) to tag 106 , and tag 106 sends two message types (“ ping ” and “ imawake ”) to target 104 . target 104 forwards the “ imawake ” message to host 102 . fig5 a illustrates a single tag 502 attempting to communicate with a single target 504 before fare data is transferred between target 504 and tag 502 ( normal case 500 ). before target 504 establishes communication with tag 502 , target 504 lies in a pulsing mode in which it periodically transmits , under the control of microcontroller 204 , a “ wakeup ” message ( modulated on an rf signal 506 ). fig6 a illustrates a flow diagram for a communication protocol between target 504 and tag 502 for normal case 500 depicted in fig5 a . at powerup , host 102 engages target 504 ( step 602 ). host 102 then sends the “ wakeup ” message type to direct target 504 to begin broadcasting “ wakeup ” messages into the rf field . the “ wakeup ” message contains a sync or start of message character , a message identification character , a random number ( generated by host 102 and previously sent to target 104 ), and error check bytes . target 504 transmits “ wakeup ” signals periodically ( step 604 ) and waits for a “ ping ” ( step 606 ). when tag 502 is presented in proximity to target 504 , tag 502 powers up ( step 603 ) and then awaits the next “ wakeup ” message from target 504 ( step 605 ). after receiving the “ wakeup ” message and a random wait period , tag 502 responds with a “ ping ” message ( step 608 ). the random wait period of tag 502 is a random multiple of a “ slot time ,” preferably , but not limited to , an integer from 0 - 3 . the slot time is typically chosen to be greater than the round - trip communication time , from tag 502 and back to tag 502 , of the “ ping ” and “ pongvalid ” messages discussed below . a “ ping ” message may be two characters ( bytes ) in length and contains a randomly generated number followed by its duplicate exclusive - ored ( xored ) with the value hexadecimal 55 ( binary “ 01010101 ”). although this specification is not limited to such a method of creating a collision check , this method is preferred because it can detect collision of any two tags so long as they send different random numbers . microcontroller 204 verifies that the “ ping ” message contains a random number followed by its check byte ( step 610 ), and generates a “ pongvalid ” message ( step 612 ). the “ pongvalid ” message may be one character in length . target 504 then awaits the “ imawake ” message from tag 502 ( step 618 ). meanwhile , tag 502 awaits the “ pongvalid ” message from target 504 ( step 613 ). upon receiving this message , tag 502 checks its validity ( step 614 ) and responds with an “ imawake ” message ( step 616 ). the “ imawake ” message includes a synchronizing or start of message character , a message identification character , a tag identification number and directory of blocks , a pseudo - random number generated by tag 502 for authentication , and a message digest . communication between host 102 and tag 502 is established . thereafter , fare data residing in the memory of tag 502 is read and transmitted to an application program of host 102 , which manipulates the fare data in accordance with its software and generates new fare data to be written onto the memory of tag 502 . fig5 b illustrates two or more tags 502 , 510 attempting to establish communication with a single target 504 ( collision resolution case 514 ). in other words , multiple tags 502 , 510 are placed in proximity to a target 504 at or near the same time . for example , this may occur if two train passengers exit or enter a station and present their respective tags 502 , 510 to target 504 at the same time , or if a single passenger is carrying two or more tags 502 , 510 in a wallet or purse . because rf signals 506 from target 504 are capable of providing power to multiple tags 502 , 510 , such simultaneous attempts to communicate with target 504 are possible . each tag 502 , 510 transmits rf signals 508 , 512 that may collide with each other and prevent successful communication . in this scenario , target 504 , in accordance with the principles of the invention , detects potential collisions and performs resolution . the collision resolution feature of the invention is also discussed in related , commonly owned , co - pending u . s . application ser . no . 08 / 825 , 940 , filed apr . 1 , 1997 , which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . target microcontroller 204 is programmed to administer the collision resolution protocol of the invention . fig6 b illustrates a flow diagram for the execution of the collision resolution protocol by target 504 and tag 502 , 510 for collision resolution case 514 depicted in fig5 b . before communications are established between target 504 and any tag ( e . g ., 502 , 510 ) ( step 602 ), microcontroller 204 controls target 504 to periodically generate and transmit a “ wakeup ” message ( step 604 ) originating from host 102 , via rf signals 506 ( shown in fig5 b ). target 504 then awaits a “ ping ” message from any tag ( step 606 ). if multiple tags 502 , 510 are in the proximity of target 504 , each tag 502 , 510 powers up ( steps 603 , 603 a ) and awaits a “ wakeup ” message ( steps 605 , 605 a ). upon receiving the “ wakeup ” message , each tag 502 , 510 independently responds ( steps 608 , 608 a ), after a random wait period , with a “ ping ” message via rf signals 508 , 512 , respectively ( shown in fig5 b ). the random wait period of each tag 502 , 510 , is a random multiple of a “ slot time ,” preferably , but not limited to , an integer from 0 - 3 . the slot time is typically chosen to be greater than the round - trip communication time , from a tag and back , of the “ ping ” and “ pongvalid ” messages discussed above . in this preferred embodiment , the slot time is 0 . 35 milliseconds . the value of the first byte of the “ ping ” message is also chosen randomly by each tag 502 , 510 . if tags 502 , 510 generate equivalent random wait periods , but different random “ ping ” values , and collide by responding simultaneously and transmitting a response in the form of a “ ping ” message via rf signals 508 , 512 , target 504 does not receive a coherent “ ping ” message ( step 610 ). as discussed above , this should consist of a random number followed by its “ inverse .” the incoherent “ ping ” message resulting from the simultaneous reception of two “ ping ” messages ( rf signals 508 , 512 ), is not recognized as valid by microcontroller 204 of target 504 . in the case of non - recognition , microcontroller 204 directs target 504 to transmit , via rf signal 506 , a “ ponginvalid ” message to tags 502 , 510 ( step 612 ). in this preferred embodiment the “ ponginvalid ” message is one character in length . target 504 then awaits a “ ping ” message ( step 616 ). the colliding tags 502 , 510 await a “ pongvalid ” message ( steps 613 , 613 a ). upon receiving the “ ponginvalid ” message ( steps 614 , 614 a ), each tag 502 , 512 again prepares to transmit a “ ping ” message via rf signals 508 , 512 , after another randomly generated random wait period ( step 615 ). if microcontroller 204 of target 504 receives a recognizable “ ping ” message ( step 618 ), it immediately replies with a “ pongvalid ” message ( step 620 ), via rf signal 506 . then target 504 waits the “ imawake ” signal ( step 624 ). both tags 502 , 510 await a “ pongvalid ” message ( steps 622 , 622 a ). upon receiving the “ pongvalid ” message , tags 502 , 510 check its validity ( steps 626 , 630 ). any tag that has yet to transmit a “ ping ” message as a result of its randomly generated wait period , remains silent ( step 632 ). the tag that transmitted the “ ping ” message engages in communication with host 102 by responding with an “ imawake ” message ( step 628 ). finally , if host 102 does not recognize the “ imawake ” message transmitted by the chosen tag , collision is again assumed and host 102 transmits a “ wakeup ” message to be transmitted by target 504 periodically , under control of microcontroller 204 . collision in this instance is caused by both tags 502 , 510 selecting the same random slot number and the same random “ ping ” value . when both tags receive a “ wakeup ” message after transmitting simultaneous “ imawake ” messages , both tags select new random slot times and “ ping ” values and wait for another “ wakeup .” host 102 recognizes this type of collision by detecting an incorrect message digest on the received “ imawake ” message , the digest of which results from the two tags &# 39 ; individual “ imawake ” messages merging in the rf field . because each tag includes both its unique eight byte identification value and a randomly generated six byte number , the six byte message digest will not be correct on arrival at host 102 . tag 106 sends the “ imawake ” message once only , after the successful completion of the collision avoidance exchange described above . fig7 a illustrates the collision resolution protocol for a target state machine . after start up ( step 702 ), target 104 transmits a “ wakeup ” message ( step 704 ) and waits for a “ ping ” message ( step 706 ). if a timeout occurs ( step 708 ), target 104 transmits another “ wakeup ” message ( step 704 ). if a “ ping ” arrives before a timeout , then target 104 checks to make sure the “ ping ” message is valid ( step 710 ). if the “ ping ” is invalid , target 104 sends a “ ponginvalid ” message ( step 712 ) and again waits for a “ ping ” message . if the “ ping ” is valid , target 104 sends a “ pongvalid ” message ( step 714 ) and awaits an “ imawake ” message ( step 716 ). upon receiving a valid “ imawake ,” target 104 enters a pass - through mode ( step 718 ). in pass - through mode , target 104 passes data or instructions between host 102 and tag 106 while waiting for a command from host 102 ( step 720 ). host - to - tag message exchanges are illustrated in fig4 c . host - to - tag message exchanges begin when a target - to - tag exchange , including the collision resolution process described above , results in tag 106 sending an “ imawake ” message to target 104 . target 104 passes the “ imawake ” message on to host 102 , then simply passes all bytes received from host 102 through to tag 106 and all bytes received from tag 106 through to host 102 . this continues until host 102 sends another “ wakeup ” message to target 104 to start searching for another tag . assuming host 102 receives a valid “ imawake ,” the serial number and directory information from the “ imawake ” message is passed to the application logic , which will decide to read one or more tag pages , and optionally write one or more tag pages . host 102 reads tag 106 data pages by transmitting a “ readpage ” command to tag 106 , and expects to receive a “ sendingpage ” response containing the requested data . host 102 sends the “ readpage ” message to tag 106 to request the current contents of a specific 16 - byte page of tag 106 &# 39 ; s memory . tag 106 sends the “ sendingpage ” message to host 102 to satisfy a received “ readpage ” request . host 102 writes tag 106 data pages by transmitting a “ writepage ” command to tag 106 containing the new data , and expects to receive an “ ack ” response confirming receipt by tag 106 . tag 106 responds with a “ nak ” message if a “ readpage ” or “ writepage ” command is received with an incorrect mac . with the first several “ nak ” reply , the host can assume the message was received with error and was not accepted . beyond this the host may be using the wrong key . if tag 106 receives a “ wakeup ” message at any time after transmitting its “ imawake ” message and receiving at least one “ readpage ” or “ writepage ”( with either correct or incorrect mac ), tag 106 will enter a dormant state . this allows any other tags in the rf field to begin their own target - to - tag and host - to - tag message exchanges . if tag 106 receives a “ wakeup ” message after transmitting its “ imawake ” message , but before a “ readpage ” or “ writepage ” message is received , tag 106 will revert to waiting for a “ wakeup ” message as though it had just entered the rf field . this allows the system to deal gracefully and transparently with the collision avoidance described above . the preferred emobodiment of the invention also includes features such as linked data page writes and message authentication . in this preferred embodiment of the invention , host 102 may execute as many as four “ writepage ” commands and specify that the several requested data page writes be executed as a single logical write by tag 106 . however , the invention can be practiced with a larger number of linked writes . host 102 specifies this linking of data page writes by inserting non - zero values in the “ write sequence number ” field of all but the last “ writepage ” command , and inserting the zero value in the last “ writepage ” command . tag 106 uses the “ write sequence number ” to determine which of four temporary buffers the “ writepage ” commands will be stored in , and maintains validity flags for each of the four temporary buffers . when a “ writepage ” command with a non - zero value in the “ write sequence number ” field is received by tag 106 , the mac is checked , and an “ ack ” or “ nak ” response message is sent to host 102 based on the results of the check , but the data bytes of the “ writepage ” command are not transferred to the designated page number . if the mac was correct , the validity bit for the temporary buffer is set before the “ ack ” message is sent . when a “ writepage ” command with the zero value in the “ write sequence number ” field is received , tag 106 again checks the mac . if the mac is incorrect , tag 106 responds with a “ nak ” message . if the mac is correct , tag 106 sets the validity bit for temporary buffer numbered zero and copies the data bytes from the temporary buffer numbered zero to the addressed page . then , if the validity bit for the temporary buffer numbered one is set , tag 106 copies the data bytes from the temporary buffer numbered one to the page number addressed by that command . the same check is applied to temporary buffers numbered two and three , in that order , until a temporary buffer with its validity bit not set is encountered , or until all four temporary buffers have been copied , at which time tag 106 clears all four validity bits and responds to host 102 with the “ ack ” message . if tag 106 is removed from the rf field at any time after setting the validity bit for temporary buffer zero , but before completing the transfer ( s ) of data from the temporary buffer ( s ) to the designated page ( s ) and clearing the validity bits , tag 106 will complete the transfer ( s ) on its next entry into the rf field , before beginning the collision resolution process . host 102 can therefore assume that either all of the linked “ writepage ” commands will be completed , or none will be started , relieving host 102 of substantial overhead to accomplish the equivalent multiple page write coherence through other techniques , and ensuring that the data in the linked pages of tag 106 will be in either the original condition or in the completely updated condition . thus , a declining balance in one page , for instance , can be linked positively with a transaction record in another page , such that if tag 106 is removed from the rf field at any arbitrary point in the life of a transaction , its linked pages will either reflect the new ( decremented ) balance and the associated transaction detail or the original ( undecremented ) balance and no record of the incomplete current transaction . in the absence of the foregoing technique , host 102 typically would reserve multiple data pages for storage of successive versions of each of the linked pages , then alternate in the use of the pages . host 102 is then required to perform additional data page reads at the start of a transaction to discern which of the linked data pages are the most current versions and additional data page writes to update the currency information . the use of temporary buffers in tag 106 is made practical by the speed at which the fram data memory of tag 106 may be written . if tag 106 were implemented with a memory technology with a relative long write time , such as eeprom , the use of temporary buffers in tag 106 would add substantial delays to every “ writepage ” command processed five of the six message types exchanged between tag 106 and host 102 (“ imawake ,” “ readpage ,” “ sendingpage ,” “ writepage ,” and “ ack ”) end with a message authentication code ( mac ), which performs two functions . any size of mac can be used depending upon the security required . in the preferred embodiment , the mac is a six byte value computed from the preceding message content , the two random numbers ( from the “ wakeup ” and “ imawake ” messages exchanged during collision resolution ), the appropriate secret key ( except in the “ imawake ” message ), and a message sequence number . the properties of the mac computation result in a mac value that will , statistically , change half of its bits if one bit of any of the input bits is changed . due to this property , the mac is used both to check for transmission errors and to check for message authenticity . an incorrect mac can be due to either corruption of message bits during transmission from sender to receiver or due to sender and receiver not supplying the same data to the mac computation algorithm . if an incorrect mac is received due to corruption of message bits during transmission , a retry of the failed exchange will result in a correct mac . if an incorrect mac is received due to the sender or receiver not providing the correct inputs to the mac computation algorithm , all retries of the failed exchange will continue to fail . host 102 can therefore deduce the cause of a mac failure by retrying the failed operation enough times to rule out transmission error as the cause of the problem . if an incorrect mac is received due to the sender or receiver not providing the correct inputs to the mac computation algorithm , all retries of the failed exchange will continue to fail . from the foregoing , it can be appreciated that the invention also constitutes a protocol for providing contactless proximity automated data collection . fig7 b shows a flow diagram illustrating the tag &# 39 ; s side of a protocol 721 in accordance with the principles of the invention . in this preferred embodiment , upon release of the reset , the tag clears its flags ( step 724 ), checks for and completes any valid but uncompleted writes to tag memory ( step 726 ), checks whether it has received a “ wakeup ” message ( step 728 ) ( it has not ) and proceeds to begin the wakeup procedure . for this procedure , tag 106 chooses a random number ( step 730 ) and awaits a valid “ wakeup ” message from the target ( step 732 ). a “ wakeup ” message is deemed valid if both copies of the target random number sent in “ wakeup ” match . if the “ wakeup ” was invalid , tag 106 continues to wait until a valid “ wakeup ” is received . following reception of a good “ wakeup ,” tag 106 resolves any collisions in the rf channel ( step 734 ) by methods previously explained . assuming tag 106 has won any collision resolution , tag 106 sends an “ imawake ” message ( step 736 ). at this point , tag 106 is ready to receive authenticated read or write messages from the target ( step 738 ). tag 106 receives the next message from target 104 . tag 106 checks if the message is a “ wakeup ” ( step 740 ). if it is , tag 106 assumes that target 104 is trying to communicate with a different tag . if target 104 has not yet done a successful read or write to tag 106 ( step 742 ), tag 106 participates again in the wakeup procedure . otherwise , tag 106 goes to sleep to avoid blocking the communication channel ( step 744 ). assuming the message is a “ readpage ” or “ writepage ,” tag 106 stores the full message in scratch non - volatile memory ( step 746 ). tag 106 calculates its own mac and compares it to the mac of the message ( step 748 ). this result is checked ( step 750 ). if the message contained a bad mac , a nak message is sent to target 104 ( step 752 ) and tag 106 goes back to waiting for a message from target 104 ( step 738 ). if the mac is valid , the awake flag is set , the sequence number is incremented , and the message is checked for whether it is a “ readpage ” or “ writepage ” ( step 752 ). if a “ writepage ,” a validity flag is set ( step 754 ) according to the conventions of the multi - page write capability described earlier . next this flag is checked ( step 726 ) and the write completed if necessary . then the awake flag is checked ( 728 ). because tag 106 is now awake , control passes to the send ack or page ( step 756 ) where an acknowledge signal is sent to target 104 and control passes to wait for another message ( step 738 ). if the message was a “ readpage ” ( step 752 ), the writepage loop is skipped and control goes to the send ack or page ( step 756 ) where the requested page is sent to target 104 . control then passes to host 102 while tag 106 waits for another message ( step 738 ). the architecture of tag 106 , particularly tag asic 302 , is instrumental in realizing many of the overall advantages of the invention . that is , tag 106 communication protocol and hardware / software implementation have been specifically designed for fast transaction rates , low power consumption , improved security , and ensured data integrity , while providing application flexibility . in addition , the tag &# 39 ; s compact circuitry advantageously leads to a low profile . as discussed with reference to fig4 tag 106 includes tag asic 302 and antenna 300 . in this embodiment , tag asic 302 was designed using a full - custom design methodology to implement the specific circuit features discussed below . that is , each feature was implemented using very large scale integration ( vlsi ) polygons to define the requisite operation of each circuit separately and in such a way as to optimize the area of each circuit . circuit interconnections were also minimized through custom placement and routing . as indicated above , tag asic 302 is partitioned into digital subsystem 304 and analog subsystem 306 . fig8 illustrates signal interconnection ( interface ) 316 , between digital subsystem 304 and analog subsystem 306 in greater detail . interface 316 includes clock signal 800 , a reset signal 802 , a from_target signal 804 , and a to_target signal 806 . v dd 810 and v ss 812 are also provided by analog system 306 for power ( i . e ., 5 volts for this embodiment ) and ground , respectively . clock 800 is derived by analog subsystem 306 from the rf signals received over interconnection 314 and is used to drive the digital logic of digital subsystem 304 . in this embodiment , clock 800 is derived from the carrier frequency of 13 . 56 mhz . reset 802 is also controlled by analog subsystem 306 . reset 802 is asserted at power - up and de - asserts once the rf power conditions are suitable for communication with target 104 . from_target 804 and to_target 806 signals convey the target and tag message / data , respectively . in the preferred embodiment , the normal marking ) state is a binary “ 1 ” for from_target signal 804 . digital subsystem 304 is particularly optimized in terms of transaction speed , chip area , power consumption , data integrity , security , and cost . in general , digital subsystem 304 utilizes serial techniques to transfer ( move ) messages / data throughout digital subsystem 304 to realize significant savings in chip area . while such an approach generally requires longer transfer and process times than a bit parallel approach , the invention provides a dual speed clocking feature ( discussed below ) for compensation . fig9 is a detailed schematic diagram of digital subsystem 304 . digital subsystem 304 includes a state machine memory 900 , a data memory 902 operably interconnected via a 1 - bit bus 904 to a transmitter 905 , a receiver 906 , a flag register 912 , a validity register 914 , a checker circuit 916 , a message authentication code ( mac ) register 918 , and a key stream register 946 . bus 904 is used to transfer information ( messages / data ) throughout digital subsystem 304 . digital subsytem 304 also includes a clock circuit 930 . state machine memory 900 provides the overall control for tag 106 . as is well known , a finite - state machine is generally a circuit whose outputs at any given time are a function of external inputs ( typically stimuli from circuits being controlled by the state machine or other inputs ), as well as of the stored information at that time ( or its state ). state machines have been conventionally implemented with discrete digital circuits , programmable logic arrays ( pla ), and general purpose microprocessors with program memory . in this embodiment , however , state machine memory 900 is primarily implemented as a predetermined lookup table stored in read only memory ( rom ) to further optimize chip area utilization . as such , each rom address is a “ state ” of the machine , and the data stored at the addressed ( indexed ) location defines the corresponding outputs . additionally , because roms are sexed ( asymmetrical for power consumption and speed purposes where either ones or zeros are the preferred state ), this preferred embodiment was optimized to only 19 . 85 % binary ones within the state machine . alternatively , state machine memory 900 can be implemented in other well known nonvolatile memory technologies such as programmable read only memory ( prom ), erasable programmable read only memory ( eprom ), and ferroelectric random access memory ( fram ), etc . in this embodiment , state machine memory 900 is implemented as a 256 × 32 - bit ( 4 bytes ) rom and is addressed by an 8 - bit state address register 922 by an 8 - bit connection 936 . state machine memory 900 outputs to a 32 - bit connection 938 operably connected to a 32 - bit control register 920 . as would be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art , varies sized roms , buses , and registers can be utilized in accordance with the invention . another feature of the invention is that state address register 922 is implemented as a linear feedback shift register ( lfsr ) circuit . the addressing functionality of state machine memory 900 is thus achieved with less chip area and cost than a conventional incrementer ( counter ). in addition , the critical path of the resulting circuit is reduced by an order of magnitude over such conventional circuits . in general , an lfsr is a n - bit right - shifting register with taps at m of the n bit locations . these bit locations are identified as position “ 0 ” being the least significant bit ( lsb ) of the address and n - 1 being the most significant bit ( msb ). at the beginning of a clock cycle ( i . e ., clock signal 934 ), all of the taps input to a m - way exclusive - nor ( xnor ) circuit . at the next corresponding clock cycle , the output of the xnor circuit is shifted into the n − 1 bit location . in operation , if initialized correctly , the lfsr will generate a repeating sequence of bit patterns , the period of which is dependent upon n , m , and the location of the taps . fig1 illustrates a detailed schematic diagram of state address register 922 , which includes an lfsr 1000 , an xnor circuit 1002 , and a two - to - one multiplexor ( mux ) 1004 . in this embodiment , an 8 - bit ( n = 8 ) lfsr with 4 taps ( m = 4 ) is used . mux 1004 receives input from signal 944 driven by state machine memory 900 ( ivalue field 1120 , discussed below ) or xnor circuit 1002 via a feedback signal 1008 . feedback signal 1008 is determined as the inverse of the parity of the values in specific positions in state address register 922 . in operation state address register 922 , once initialized ( to state “ 00000000 ”), will cycle through all possible 8 - bit values except one (“ 11111111 ”). this extra state is used as a “ sleep ” state . when the state address register 922 is in the sleep state it will always step back to the sleep state . with reference to fig9 the contents of each addressed ( indexed ) location of state machine memory 900 is a 32 - bit very long instruction word ( vliw ) that is loaded into control ( register 920 via connection 938 . in this embodiment , the overall control of tag 106 is achieved using only 256 32 - bit state instructions . fig1 illustrates a state instruction word 1100 in accordance with invention . state instruction word 1100 is partitioned into distinct instruction fields including istep 1102 , icntl 1104 , iflag 1106 , itcd 1108 , itna 1110 , imac 1112 , ikey 1114 , ibus 1116 , ispeed 1118 , and ivalue 1120 . each field controls one or more circuits ( i . e ., registers and bus drivers ) of digital subsystem 304 . table 2 summarizes the general function of each field of instruction word 1100 . in general , each instruction word 1100 is executed in three phases . first , requisite data movements are made among the registers ( including state address register 922 and data address register 926 ). if required , data memory 902 and / or state machine memory 900 are accessed . any data from data memory 902 or state machine memory 900 is then latched into data register 924 or control register 920 , respectively . the operation of digital subsystem 304 is now discussed with reference to instruction 1100 . with respect to state machine memory 900 , indexing is provided by state address register 922 and icntl 1104 . table 3 illustrates the values of the icntl field 1104 and their effect primarily on the next access of state machine memory 900 . state address register 922 normally increments in accordance with its predetermined lfsr pattern ( as discussed above ). when a branch condition occurs , however , a new 8 - bit address , from ivalue 1120 , is serially loaded ( requiring eight steps or clock cycles ). conditional branches are based upon data values or events , such as a time - out condition or a loop expiration . as will be discussed below , checker circuit 916 , timer register 908 , and counter register 910 are used in conjunction with conditional branching . as illustrated in fig9 clock circuit 930 generates a system clock 934 , which is operably interconnected with all digital subsystem 304 registers and other clocked circuitry . clock circuit 930 is controlled by ispeed 1118 which is received over interconnection 935 . in this embodiment of the invention , clock circuit 930 provides a dual speed clocking feature . clock circuit 930 receives clock signal 800 ( 13 . 56 mhz ) from analog subsystem 306 and generates system clock signal 934 with a frequency of 1 . 7 mhz ( fast clock mode ) or a frequency of 115 . 2 khz ( slow clock mode ) in accordance with particular operation of digital subsystem 304 . however , other clock rates can be used with the invention . fast mode ( ispeed 1118 =“ 0 ”) is normally used for all instruction words 1100 execution and processing other than conducting communications with target 104 . as such , 1 . 7 million state instructions 1100 are executed per second ( assuming istep 1102 = 1 ). slow mode ( ispeed 1118 =“ 1 ”) is used for data communication between target 104 and tag 106 . that is , digital subsystem 304 operates at the same transmission rate as the 115 . 2 kbps data communication rate between target 104 and tag 106 . accordingly , data can be transferred to / from tag 106 with the identical circuitry as normally used in the fast mode . this dual speed clocking feature further eliminates the need for special purpose circuitry , such as a conventional universal asynchronous receiver transmitter ( uart ). a related feature of the invention is the getedge field ( see table 3 ) of instruction word 1100 . the getedge field , in conjunction with timer register 908 , suspends operation of digital subsystem 304 until a falling edge is received from the start bit of each asynchronous incoming byte ( from target 104 ). digital subsystem 304 can thus synchronize itself to each incoming byte . for transmission , digital subsystem 304 sends a start bit , message byte ( serially ), and all stop bits required for communications of each transmitted byte . timer register 908 runs even throughout the suspension of state machine memory 900 and causes an associated timeout event if no edge is detected . timer register 908 is an lfsr - based down counter . checker circuit 916 serially compares data value on bus 904 with ivalue 1120 and stores the resulting condition for branching on the next state instruction word 1100 . repeat counter register 910 is a down counter used to control loop execution ( one level of nesting ). in this embodiment , repeat counter register 910 , like state address register 922 and timer register 908 , is implemented as a lfsr . repeat counter register 910 can be both decremented and checked explicitly by state machine memory 900 for branch control . in operation , istep 1102 controls how many bits are operated upon with each state instruction word 1100 . with each instruction word 1100 access , the 5 - bit value of istep 1102 is loaded from the state machine memory 900 ( via control register 920 ). with each subsequent clock cycle , this value is lfsr - shifted to another value . upon reaching a predetermined value , the next state instruction word 1100 is fetched . istep 1102 can effect from 1 to 31 steps thus causing the machine to execute a given instruction word 1100 up to 31 times . as illustrated in fig9 bus 904 has eight bus drivers . each bus driver is associated with a source ( e . g ., control register 920 , data register 924 , receiver 906 , etc .) for proper operation , only one bus driver , at any given time , is enabled by its respective driver_enable signal 944 . state instruction word 1100 the corresponding ibus 1116 field determines which bus driver is enabled . as would be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art , driver_enable signals 944 can be generated by an appropriate address decoder circuit implemented in combinatorial logic or a conventional 1 - out - of - 8 decoder functionally similar to the commercially available lntel ® 8205 decoder . the following is an example of a typical data flow . when eight bits from data register 924 are to be copied ( not moved ) to temporary address register 928 , the ibus 1116 field specifies that data register 924 will drive bus 904 . concurrently , field itcd 1108 also specifies that data register 924 loads from bus 904 ( thus data will cycle out of data register 924 and back around into data register 924 to restore the value that was just shifted out ). itna 1110 field is also loaded into temporary address register 928 with data ( from data register 924 ) on bus 904 . the operation of a digital subsytem 304 often depends upon process status ( or flags ). in this embodiment , the process status system occupies the data path for operational flexibility and efficiency . there are two registers dedicated to process status , flag register 912 and validity register 914 . flag register 912 is used for general purpose status ( e . g ., true or false conditions ) and validity register 914 for application specific status . data memory 902 is the nonvolatile storage area for application data ( e . g ., passenger fare data , image data , medical records , etc .). in this embodiment , data memory 902 is implemented with a 2048 × 8 - bit ( 1 byte ) fram interfaced with 11 - bit data address register 926 and 8 - bit data register 924 via interconnections 940 and 942 , respectively . the contents of data register 924 are loaded from / to data memory 902 for read / write operations , respectively . data memory 902 is controlled by field itna 1110 , which controls the operation of both data address register 926 and temporary address register 928 . fig1 illustrates a memory map 1200 for data memory 902 for independent multi - purse transit applications . the memory is organized into 128 16 - byte pages 1202 ( pages “ 0 ”-“ 127 ”). in operation , host 102 ( via target 104 ) facilitates transfers to / from data memory 902 on a page basis ( i . e ., a page is the smallest unit of memory accessed by host 102 ). pages 1202 are further organized into 16 blocks 1204 ( blocks “ 0 ”-“ 15 ”). each block 1204 consists of eight pages 1202 . in this embodiment , block “ 0 ” 1204 ( pages “ 0 ”-“ 7 ”) is reserved for tag 106 internal use only . in particular , block “ 0 ” 1204 includes a tag identifier buffer 1206 , a tag random number buffer 1208 , a host random number buffer 1210 , a temporary variables buffer 1212 , and a temporary data buffer 1214 . temporary data buffer 1214 consists of four pages 1202 to accommodate the mac and header data . the remaining 15 blocks 1204 ( blocks “ 1 ”-“ 15 ”) are available for storage of data by the applications running on host 102 . for each block 1204 , one page 1202 is reserved , which includes an application type buffer 1216 , a read key 1218 , and a write key buffer 1220 . the secret keys , stored in buffers 1218 and 1220 , are needed to read or write the other seven data pages 1202 of the same block 1204 . the significance of each of these elements is discussed above . data integrity and security is further enhanced with the message authentication features of the invention . for each transaction , host 102 and tag 106 must authenticate each other in a given transaction . in this embodiment , message authentication code ( mac ) register 918 is controlled by field imac 1112 and the keystream generator 946 is controlled by field ikey 1114 . together , these registers are utilized to create / check the authentication macs that pass back and forth during a transaction . analog subsystem 306 contains the power supply circuitry and rf communication mechanisms for tag asic 302 . fig1 and 14 illustrate a detailed block diagram and a detailed schematic of analog subsystem 306 , respectively . in general , analog subsystem 306 generates a 5v supply for digital subsystem 304 and analog subsystem 306 , generates a 13 . 56 mhz clock signal ( clock signal 800 ) from rf signal 110 ( from target 104 ), demodulates incoming am messages / data on rf signal 110 and passes the data in bit - serial form to digital subsystem 304 ( digital subsystem 304 performs all data framing and other processing of the data ), modulates data from digital subsystem 304 onto rf carrier signal 112 using impedance modulation techniques , and generates reset signal 802 to ensure correct start - up and shut - down operation of digital subsystem 304 and analog subsystem 306 . with reference to fig1 , analog subsystem 306 includes an antenna 300 , a full wave bridge rectifier 1300 , a dock recovery circuit 1380 , a power - up circuit 1390 , an 8v shunt regulator ( shunt 8 ) 1310 , a series regulator 1320 , a 5v shunt regulator ( shunt 5 ) 1330 , a transmitter 1340 , a receiver 1350 , a reset generator 1360 , and a reference generator 1370 . antenna 300 receives energy from rf field 110 ( from target 104 ) and transmits two signals v a 1302 and v b 1304 to bridge rectifier 1300 and dock recovery circuit 1380 . full wave bridge rectifier 1300 receives ac input signals , v a 1302 and v b 1304 , from antenna 300 and generates a dc output voltage ( v raw 1306 ) to power tag 106 . rectifier 1300 also connects to v ss 812 . clock recovery circuit 1380 also monitors v a 1302 and v b 1304 and generates clock 800 ( 13 . 56 mhz ) which is an input to digital subsystem 304 . as is well known in the relevant art , various logical gate circuits can be used to implement clock recovery circuit 1380 . this preferred embodiment uses a cross coupled nor latch circuit for clock recovery and prevention of short clock pulses . clock recovery circuit 1380 also provides a noclk 1440 signal ( missing carrier signal ) for use by reset generator 1360 . noclk 1440 is generated using a retriggerable one shot , which is one of many methods known by those skilled in the art . reference generator 1370 ( a bandgap voltage reference ) produces a v ref signal 1470 as well as reference currents for other analog circuits of analog subsytem 306 . in operation , tag asic 302 is held in a reset state until v ref 1470 has stabilized . power - up circuit 1390 ensures that regulators 1310 , 1320 , and 1330 do not start operating before v ref 1470 has reached approximately its final value . if regulators 1310 , 1320 , and 1330 start shunting early , it is possible that v dd 810 might be held to a voltage at which v ref 1470 cannot rise to its true value . it would then be possible to achieve a stable state where v dd 810 is held to a low voltage at which point the chip would not function . power - up circuit 1390 prevents this from happening . power - up circuit 1390 , during power - up , disables regulators 1310 , 1320 , and 1330 and shorts the dc input voltage , v raw 1306 , to v dd 810 until v raw 1306 has reached approximately the power - up threshold voltage . this ensures that v dd 810 is charged as fast as possible , so that v ref 1470 stabilizes before the regulator control loops are enabled . digital subsystem 304 is held in a reset state when v raw 1306 is below the power - up threshold voltage . if v raw 1306 exceeds the power - up threshold voltage , an output signal , pwrupl 1442 , is de - asserted ( active low ). once v ref 1470 stabilizes , v raw 1306 rises to a voltage near the breakdown voltage of asic 302 . the invention thus provides as wide a modulation voltage step as possible for message / data transmission , because it operates reliably near the breakdown voltage of tag asic 302 . this embodiment of the invention creates the wide step using transmitter 1340 . the 8v shunt regulator ( shunt 8 1310 ) detects incoming messages / data and protects the tag asic 302 from short term over - voltage transients . fabricated silicon devices , such as tag asic 302 , inherently have breakdown voltages . accordingly , it is necessary that the operating voltage kept from exceeding the tag asic 302 breakdown voltage while receiving am signals from target 104 . a well known clamping device designed to allow slow amplitude variations can be placed across tag 106 antenna to overcome voltage breakdown problems . this solution , however , assumes that tag 106 enters rf field ( rf signal 110 ) of target 104 at a slow enough rate so that the slow - responding clamp circuit can effectively respond . this is usually true if a person is holding tag 106 and moving it into target 104 &# 39 ; s rf field . there are , however , other applications where it is advantageous to have tag 106 mechanically positioned at a fixed location near target 104 and where its rf field 110 is electrically switched on and off (“ pulsed rf ”). in such instances , rf field 110 changes much faster than the slow clamp circuit can effectively respond , and an asic ( such as tag asic 302 ) can experience over - voltage and latch - up . while this is unlikely to permanently damage , it can keep tag 106 from operating in the desired pulsed rf scheme . in order to overcome this voltage breakdown problem , as well as providing other benefits , the invention teaches the use of shunt 8 1310 . shunt 8 1310 removes am voltage fluctuations and is fast enough to react to switched / pulsed rf . shunt 8 1310 also removes the am voltage fluctuation from the rectified carrier . a second benefit of shunt 8 1310 is that the clamping voltage can be accurately determined and adjusted slightly below the asic breakdown voltage , allowing for a smaller tag asic 302 with lower breakdown processes . more specifically , shunt 8 1310 operates as follows in this embodiment . when tag 106 is not transmitting messages / data , shunt 8 1310 regulates v raw 1306 to 8v . in so doing , shunt 8 1310 generates a ctl 8 1412 signal ( shunt 8 control voltage ) by dividing v raw 1306 with a resistive divider 1414 and generating a s ref 1416 signal . a data recovery comparator 1418 ( a transconductance amplifier ) compares s ref 1416 with reference voltage v ref 1470 ( nominally 1 . 25v ) and outputs ctl 8 1412 . if s ref 1416 is greater than v ref 1470 , ctl 8 1412 increases , thereby causing more current to flow through shunt 8 1310 and , in turn , causes v raw 1306 to decrease . similarly , if s ref 1416 is less than v ref 1470 , ctl 8 1412 and the shunt current are reduced , allowing v raw 1306 to increase once again . this control loop has a very small time constant of approximately 2 μs to ensure proper operation . in this embodiment , series regulator 1320 monitors ctl 8 1412 signal ( which contains am messages / data ) to ensure that shunt 8 1310 pulls a minimum of 100 μa . this is desirable , because during reception of long bursts of modulation , the series impedance adapts in an attempt to maintain 500 μa through shunt 8 1310 . without ensuring a minimum shunt 8 current , when incoming modulation stops , shunt 8 may turn off completely , making reception of subsequent messages / data difficult . ctl 8 1412 is used for several other purposes as further described below . in particular , series regulator 1320 controls the ratio of currents dissipated by shunt 8 1310 and shunt 5 1330 . series regulator 1320 monitors the current through shunt 8 1310 and adjusts the series impedance , so that the average current in the steady - state ( no modulation ) through shunt 8 1310 is about 500 μa . the series control loop has a longer time constant of approximately 1 ms , so that the average shunt currents do not substantially change during message / data reception . this ensures that incoming data causes ctrl 8 1412 to provide the best possible signal to receiver 1350 . during message / data transmission from tag 106 to target 104 , transmitter 1340 shorts out series impedance 1420 , and a series impedance control circuit 1422 is disabled , so that the series impedance will return to its previous value when outgoing modulation ends . the controlled voltage difference between v raw 1306 ( 8v ) and v dd 810 ( 5v ) provides a fixed 3v modulation depth for transmitting messages / data from tag 106 to target 104 . a resistor 1424 , in parallel with series regulator 1320 , ensures that ample current flows into v dd 810 from v raw 1306 . shunt 5 1330 regulates v dd 810 to 5v . v dd 810 powers digital subsystem 304 and most of the analog circuits . shunt 5 1330 dissipates most of the excess current coming into tag asic 302 with a fast control loop and can rapidly respond to 2 ma load transients on v dd 810 within approximately 10 to 15 μs ( with a 10 nf fram reservoir capacitor across the supply ). shunt 5 1330 operates as follows in this embodiment . a comparator 1430 of shunt 5 1330 compares v dd 810 ( sampled through a resistive divider 1482 to generate a sv dd 1432 signal ) with the bandgap reference voltage , v ref 1470 , to produce a ctrl 5 1434 signal . ctrl 5 1434 , in turn , controls the current flowing through shunt 5 1330 so as to maintain a constant voltage at v dd 810 . if sv dd 1432 is less than v ref 1470 , ctrl 5 1434 decreases and the current through shunt 5 1330 decreases , thereby allowing v dd 810 to increase . similarly , if sv dd 1432 increases beyond v ref 1470 , ctrl 5 1434 increases and shunt 5 1330 pulls more current . if pwrupl 1442 is high ( i . e ., de - asserted ), ctrl 5 1434 is shorted to ground , disabling any shunt action . this prevents shunt 5 1330 from operating before the v ref 1470 has reached steady - state . shunt 5 1330 also includes a comparator 1436 that detects when the rail of v dd 810 drops below a low voltage threshold ( about 4 . 7v in this embodiment of the invention ). comparator 1436 compares v dd 810 ( sampled through a resistive divider 1484 to generate a sv dd lo 1435 signal ) with v ref 1470 and generates a lowv dd 1438 signal . the lowv dd 1438 signal indicates that v dd 810 is too low to allow fram access by the digital subsystem 304 and triggers a rstl 1460 signal . transmitter 1340 shorts out the series impedance for outgoing messages / data ( from tag 106 to target 104 ) in accordance with a txd 1446 signal ( to_target 806 ). when input signal , txd 1446 , is taken low , v raw 1306 shorts to v dd 810 as indicated above . as v raw 1306 shorts to v dd 810 , shunt 8 1310 and series regulator 1320 are disabled so that their control voltages do not change , allowing the steady state point to be maintained once modulation ends . series impedance control circuit 1422 monitors ctl 8 1412 and adapts accordingly , so that shunt 8 1310 shunts only 500 μa . when an input signal , outen 1444 ( output enable ), is de - asserted , the output drive to ctl 8 1412 is disabled . ctl 8 1412 is therefore held at its current value by the stray capacitance on this node . when outen 1444 is asserted , shunt 8 1310 operates normally . in operation , outen 1444 is connected to txd 1446 signal , which signal enables modulation from tag 106 to target 104 by shorting v raw 1306 to v dd 810 as explained above . during modulation from tag 106 to target 104 , ctl 8 1412 is held constant . when the modulation ceases , ctl 8 1412 returns to approximately the same value it had before modulation started . receiver 1350 detects incoming messages / data ( from target 104 to tag 106 ) by monitoring ctl 8 1412 . ctl 8 1412 increases as rf field 110 increases and decreases when rf field 110 falls back into an idle state . in this embodiment , ctl 8 1412 typically varies by 150 to 200 mv as messages / data are received . receiver 1350 extracts messages data by comparing ctl 8 1412 to the average value of ctl 8 1412 . as would be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art , the average value of ctl 8 1412 can calculated by several well known circuit configurations . txd 1446 resets comparator 1418 during periods when tag 106 is modulating to ensure that receiver 1350 remains in the correct state after transmission from tag 106 to target 104 . comparator 1418 is reset when ctl 8 1412 is low ( i . e ., while outgoing modulation is occurring ). a rxd signal 1450 ( from_target 804 ), goes low when ctl 8 1412 increases from steady - state ( i . e ., when the rf field 110 increases in strength ) and goes high when ctl 8 1412 decreases ( i . e ., when the rf field 110 falls back to its idle state ). reset generator 1360 produces two reset signals , a rstl 1460 signal and reset 802 signal . rstl 1460 is active low and used by the analog circuitry . rstl 1460 is de - asserted after power - up when shunt 5 1310 begins to pull current ( if v ref 1470 is powered - up ) and is asserted when the v dd 810 rail drops below about 4 . 7v , or when v raw 1306 drops below the power - up threshold ( approximately 3v ). while rstl 1460 is asserted , clamp circuit of shunt 8 1310 is disabled ( i . e ., the minimum current pulled by shunt 8 1310 can be zero ). when rstl 1460 is de - asserted , clamp circuit or comparator 1418 is enabled , and shunt 8 1310 will pull at least the 100 μa minimum current . reset 802 is active high and output to digital subsystem 304 . reset 802 is asserted during power - up so that digital subsystem 304 does not begin to operate until the circuit has reached a stable state . reset generator 1360 monitors ctl 8 1412 and asserts reset 802 until shunt 8 1310 starts to pull current when v raw 1306 reaches 8v . when shunt 8 1310 begins to draw current , comparator 1418 of shunt 8 1310 asserts ctl 8 1412 , which in turn de - asserts reset 802 . after reset 802 is de - asserted , shunt 5 1330 monitors v dd 810 during operation with comparator 1436 . when v dd 810 drops below 4 . 7 volts , comparator 1436 asserts lowv dd 1438 , which in turn asserts reset 1462 to again inhibit operation of digital subsystem 304 . reset generator 1360 also monitors the state of noclk 1440 . if rf field 110 from target 104 is interrupted , causing noclk 1440 to be asserted , reset 802 is generated . this guarantees a fast reset 802 when used in conjunction with a target operating in the “ pulsed rf ” mode . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to several preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the relevant art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims .
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many of the problems of growing high temperature superconducting materials , and especially single crystal materials , are addressed by the process of the present invention . a first embodiment of the new process uses novel ceramic powders produced using a combustion spray pyrolysis process as starting materials for the growth of htsc . this combustion spray pyrolysis ( csp ) process is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 061 , 682 . the overall csp process consists of four main steps : ( 1 ) solution preparation , which involves formulation of a metal / fuel solution of appropriate concentration and composition , ( 2 ) spray pyrolysis , which includes solution atomization , droplet dehydration , and fuel combustion to produce partially reacted precursor powders , ( 3 ) calcination , which involves reaction of the precursor powder constituents to form the desired final oxide composition ( s ), and ( 4 ) milling , which deagglomerates the calcined powders to yield a fine - particle product . the high degree of molecular homogeneity and the precisely controlled stoichiometry make these powders well suited as starting materials for the growth of large htsc single crystals . an advantage over previous csp produced powders is the incorporation of a platinum source within the solution . sources of barium , copper , and the lanthanide metals include , but are not limited to , their nitrates , oxides , organometallics such as formates and acetates , and carbonates . in order to improve the mixing in y - 123 + y - 211 + pt powders for example , excess yttrium was included in the spray pyrolysis solution so as to form both y - 123 and y - 211 during pyrolysis . the platinum source can be pt metal , pto 2 hydrate or ptcl 2 . fuels are selected from carbohydrates including mono -, di -, and poly - saccharides , alcohols , peg , peo , pva , and other combustable organics . for some ybco samples , powders manufactured by combustion spray pyrolysis were obtained from seatle specialty ceramics ( currently known as praxair specialty ceramics of praxair surface technologies , inc .). the csp produced ybco powders were calcined at temperatures between 926 ° and 944 ° c . samples grown with powders calcined at about 942 ° c . displayed significantly lower (& lt ; 8 wt %) liquid losses during crystal growth . differential thermal , x - ray diffraction and optical microscopic characterizations indicate that along with higher temperature calcination , platinum is reacted with the 123 and 211 particles and thus achieving a higher degree of homogeneity . calcination was performed in a box furnace with bed depths of less than one inch in magnesia trays . calcination temperatures for lanthanide - bco powders are optimized to obtain a desirable balance between high phase purity and small particle size . powders containing platinum added as the metal or pto 2 hydrate were indistinguishable in appearance from the other powders without pt . for platinum containing powders fabricated using ptcl 2 , however , the calcined powders were a bluish - green color rather than the normal black color . a second embodiment of the present invention is a process for producing htsc crystals in which the compact of starting materials is placed on a setting powder having the formula : ba 4 cu 2 pto x . the setter powder is placed on the substrate , for example mgo , on which the htsc material will be grown . the setter powder - covered substrate is then pre - soaked in heptane at 1035 ° c . for about 16 hours , eliminating moisture from the setter powder . a compact of starting powders is then placed on the layer of setter powder . this assembly is then placed in the furnace for growth . the setter powder was made by the reaction of y - 123 + pt at 1035 ° c . the mixtures are first made by suspending y - 123 in heptane . platinum at 25 wt % is then added to the suspension and the mixed powders are allowed to dry . after drying , the powders are pressed into small pellets . the pellets are heated to 1035 ° c . and held at that temperature for one hour , the pellets are then rapidly cooled to room temperature . the pellet is ground and the powder is then pressed into a pellet , reheated at 1035 ° c . for about 17 hours , and then cooled . the quenched pellets were ground into a coarse powder and this powder was used as the bed powder . the setter powder was used for crystal growth experiments and problems with the nucleation of crystals from the base of samples and with sample adherence to substrates were minimized . following a crystal growth experiment , the setter powder that did not stick to the bottom of the sample was removed and reused . a third embodiment of this invention incorporates an isothermal growth method for single crystals ; such an approach is more amenable to mass production , a critical consideration in promoting commercialization of the technology for many applications . the ideal isothermal growth temperature would allow for the heterogeneous nucleation of the crystal on a seed while keeping the probability of homogeneous nucleation in the melt to a minimum . the probability of homogeneous nucleation is dependent on the extent of undercooling of the sample ( i . e ., the difference between the equilibrium solidification temperature and the actual temperature at which the sample is crystallized ). for example , within the phase field for y - 123 solidification , decreasing the temperature of the melt would increase the free energy difference between the y - 211 + liquid mixture and y - 123 . large undercoolings thus provide a greater driving force for crystallization . when nuclei begin to form homogeneously in the melt , their stability is decreased by the large number of imperfectly coordinated atoms near the edge of the nucleus compared to the relatively small number of stably coordinated atoms near the center of the nuclei . small nuclei will be unstable with respect to the melt , but as the nuclei grow larger the boundary effects become less important compared to the free energy change of forming the equilibrium solid phase . the nuclei will thus become stable if they reach some critical size during growth . heterogeneous nucleation on a seed with a small lattice mismatch will require a smaller undercooling than is necessary to promote homogeneous nucleation because the seed provides appropriate order to the liquid and there will be fewer unstably coordinated atoms in small nuclei . as an example , the lattice mismatch between y - 123 and sm - 123 is about 1 %, the y - 123 should form a nearly epitaxial layer over a sm - 123 seed , resulting in a very low lattice strain . the energy difference between the heterogeneous nucleation process and homogeneous nucleation of y - 123 in the melt should therefore be significant , and it should be possible to find a range of temperatures where heterogeneous nucleation takes place but the rate of homogeneous nucleation is very small . 1008 ° c . evidently represents an upper limit of the desired temperature range for y - 123 . for proper implementation of the isothermal growth process , a furnace must first be calibrated for the process . this calibration is performed individually for each furnace used and then again for each compact size and powder composition , as the calibration results will differ for different compacts . the calibration process is used to determine the isothermal hold temperature for crystal growth . a compact of the desired size and composition is prepared and placed in the furnace to be calibrated . the compact is then heated to about 5 ° c . to about 25 ° c ., preferably about 25 ° c ., above the peritectic temperature of the powders in the compact and held at this temperature for about 15 minutes to about 1 hour , preferably about 1 hour . the sample is then cooled at a rate of about 0 . 2 ° c ./ hour to about 1 . 0 ° c ./ hour , preferably from about 0 . 5 ° c ./ hour to 0 . 7 ° c ./ hour . during the cooling process the sample is monitored by a video camera . the video camera must be capable of high contrast expansion , preferably a dage nuvicon or plubicon . the cooling process is then monitored and observed to determine when crystallization begins . this temperature , the crystallization initialization temperature , is then used as the holding temperature for the calibrated furnace when growing crystals incorporating the starting products in the size compact used in the calibration process . a preferred monitoring method uses a recording means for preserving the monitoring on video tape to allow for &# 34 ; time - shifted &# 34 ; observation . the recording means must be capable of providing enough information to determine the temperature at which crystallization in the sample commences . this can range from simple elapsed time indication -- where the temperature is then calculated based on the cooling rate -- or may incorporate a means of recording the furnace temperature on the video tape itself . one such recording means is a dedicated time lapse video recorder which includes an elapsed time reference and allows the user to set the period , for example from 2 to 48 hours , for which recording will take place . changes in the furnace , the make up of starting powders , or the size of the compact require new calibration . the crystallization initialization temperature determined by the calibration designates the upper range of the holding temperature and can vary plus or minus 5 ° c . the isothermal growth process also incorporates monitoring to determine the actual hold time . the temperature in the furnace is held at the crystallization initialization temperature until it is determined by monitoring that the crystal has fully formed . a preferred method of monitoring uses an optical monitoring , preferably via video camera . thus , a video camera can be set up for the calibration step and left in position for crystal growth monitoring . precise determination of crystal growth completion is not as important . extra time , up to 48 hours , at the crystallization initialization temperature will not effect crystal growth , whereas premature cooling from the crystallization initialization temperature will result in incomplete growth of the htsc crystal . a number of samples were prepared using various combinations of the novel embodiments of this invention . some of these are illustrated in the following examples . these samples are provided for illistration only , and are not a limitation on the scope of the invention . process batches calculated to produce stoichiometric 123 and 211 ybco compositions after calcining , as well as composite two - phase 123 / 211 materials containing up to 16 wt % excess 211 , both with and without additions of platinum in various forms , were prepared using the following raw materials : ______________________________________y . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 : 99 . 99 % yttrium oxideba ( no . sub . 3 ). sub . 2 : acs gradecuo : acs gradehno . sub . 3 : 70 % by wt , electronic gradept metal : 0 . 2 - 0 . 45 micron particle size , 99 . 9 % ptpto . sub . 2 hydrate : & lt ; i micron particle size , 99 - 9 % pto . sub . 2 hydrateptcl . sub . 2 solution : 1 mg / ml in 20 % hci solutionsucrose : carbohydrate fuel______________________________________ a ) solution preparation : solutions were prepared by digesting the batched raw materials in a mixture of nitric acid ( hno 3 ) and water . the solution was stirred until all of the main constituents were fully dissolved and present as cations in solution . for solutions containing platinum added in an insoluble powder form as pt metal or pto 2 hydrate , the powders were dispersed by mixing for a period of at least 12 hours prior to spray drying . solutions containing pt were added as a soluble salt ( ptcl 2 ) and the required platinum addition was made in liquid form . after all of the metallic constituents were completely digested or dispersed , the carbohydrate fuel was added and dissolved . the solutions were then diluted to a standard concentration of 0 . 4m based on the total dissolved metal cation content , or to half the standard concentration for some batches to evaluate any effects of such a change in concentration on certain characteristics of the powders produced . in solutions containing either excess nitrates or carbohydrates -- additional batch variations made to evaluate the effects on powder characteristics -- the total dissolved metal concentration was always 0 . 2m , half the standard concentration . this concentration was dictated by the limited solubility of barium in the presence of excess nitrate ion . batches having the following solution variations were formulated and used in subsequent powder preparation experiments : ( 1 ) solution concentrations of 0 . 4m ( the standard ) and 0 . 2m , ( 2 ) hno 3 oxidizer content at standard and 2 × standard amounts , and ( 3 ) carbohydrate fuel at standard and 2 × standard amounts . solutions containing pt additions had pt contents of 0 . 1 %, 0 . 5 %, or 1 . 0 % by weight . b ) spray pyrolysis : following solution preparation and mixing , the liquid was spray pyrolyzed in a commercial spray dryer . solution atomization was accomplished using an air driven rotary atomizer with a solution feed rate of 4 liters / hour . during this step , the atomized droplets are rapidly dehydrated in a large chamber continuously fed with heated dry air ; dryer inlet temperature ranged from 295 °- 310 ° c . the dehydrated granules that form ( typically 10 60 microns in diameter ) are entrained in the hot air stream and subsequently dispersed in a cyclone separator . the dispersed powder is then routed into a furnace operating at 350 ° c . to induce combustion of the fuel ; promote initial reaction of the powders to form oxide , carbonate , and nitrate phases ; and induce particle fragmentation . the only process parameter varied in this step was the atomizer air pressure : values of 5 . 1 kg / cm 2 ( standard pressure and atomizer maximum capability ) and 4 . 0 kg / cm 2 were used . c ) calcination : the precursor powders recovered from the spray dryer were placed in mgo trays and calcined in a small box furnace ( lindberg , model 51828 ) at a temperature of about 940 ° c . for 6 hours to produce fully reacted ybco materials . for all of the batches produced the powder mass per tray was held constant . d ) milling : calcined powders were ball milled using polyethylene jars and stabilized zirconia milling media . milling time was 12 hours for all of the powders , and mill powder loads were held constant in all cases . the resulting powders were characterized after spray pyrolysis , after calcining , and after milling using standard x - ray diffraction analysis , scanning electron microscopy ( jeol model 5200 ), and bet surface area measurements ( quantichrome quantisorbe qs - 10 ). selected ybco powders were subsequently used in single crystal experiments . characterization of the various powders at the same three stages of formation using standard xrd analysis provided analogous results . for all of the powders , xrd characterization data revealed the main byproducts of the reactions occurring during spray drying to be y 2 o 3 , baco 3 , and cuo , together with lesser amounts of ba ( no 3 ) 2 . no significant variations in the intensities of individual peaks attributable to the imposed process variations were noted . after calcining , only the desired htsc oxide phases were detected ( 123 or 211 in single phase powders , and both 123 and 211 phases in composite powders ). examination of the appearance of a composite 123 / 211 composition ( 7 % excess 211 by weight ) containing 1 . 0 wt % platinum added to the batch solution as metal powder shows particles which are individual oxide , carbonate , or nitrate grains that typify the initial reaction products of the csp process . numerous small ( up to about 20 microns in diameter ) unexploded spherical granules formed during the spray drying process were evident . the irregular particles comprising most of the material are the byproducts of combustion - induced fragmentation of the many other , larger spherical granules that formed during droplet dehydration . in the examination of a similar composite powder ( 15 % excess 211 by weight ; 1 . 0 wt % platinum introduced as pto 2 hydrate ) after calcining ( 940 ° c ., 6 hours ) all of the spherical granules have disintegrated during the calcining reactions to form the desired 123 and 211 oxide phases . the individual particles appear to be smaller than about 5 microns , but clustered as hard agglomerates . after milling , most of these agglomerates are reduced to individual 123 and particles ranging from sub - micron size to a few microns . three setter powders were made . the three powders consisted of 123 + 25 wt % pt with no added 211 , 123 + 10 wt % pt with no added 211 , and 123 + 7 wt % 211 + 10 wt % pt . the powders were pressed into pellets , heated to 1035 ° c . for one hour , cooled , and then ground back into powders . the reground powders were placed back in the furnace and heated to 1035 ° c . again for approximately 17 hours . crystal samples were processed using the 25 wt % pt with no 211 , 10 wt % pt with no 211 , and 10 wt % pt + 7 wt % 211 setter powders . no crystals grew from the bottom of samples using the 25 wt % pt with no 211 powder and the crystal did not stick to the substrate , while crystal did grow from the bottom of samples using the 10 -% pt with no 211 powder and samples using the 10 wt % pt and 7 wt % 211 powder stuck to the substrate . sm - 123 seed crystals , used for growing ybco crystals , were prepared by pressing sm 123 powder into pellets . sm - 123 pellets were loaded into a horizontal tube furnace . the pellets were heated at 2 ° c ./ min to 1085 ° c . and held for one hour . pellets were then cooled at 0 . 02 ° c ./ min to 1040 ° c . to form sm - 123 seeds crystal . the ybco powders were formed into cylindrical compacts by pouring approximately 25 grams of starting material into a 1 - inch steel die and lightly compressing it by hand . a small sm - 123 crystal was then placed in the center of the compact and pressed into the soft powder until it was flush with the top surface . the seeded compact was subsequently pressed to 19 , 000 psi in a carver uniaxial hand press , then further compacted at a pressure of 30 , 000 psi using a cold isostatic press . the compact was then placed on a relatively inert mgo substrate to protect it from contamination during the crystal growth process ; an additional barrier to contamination was provided using a setter powder consisting of coarse (& gt ; 0 . 5 mm ) powder . this layer also facilitated removal of the sample from the substrate after the growth process was completed . the mgo substrate was placed on a circular porous alumina base plate and suspended in a vertically oriented tube furnace ( lindberg model 51314 ; 3 - inch diameter ) using nickelchromium wires . two different melt processes were then employed to grow 123 single crystals : ( 1 ) a slow - cooling , temperature - gradient process , and ( 2 ) an isothermal growth process . for the temperature - gradient process , the sample was heated in the tube furnace at a rate of 2 ° c ./ min to a maximum temperature of 1035 ° c . after holding at 1035 ° c . for one hour to ensure the complete incongruent melting of the 123 material , the sample was slowly cooled at a rate of 0 . 01 &# 39 ; c ./ min to a temperature of 950 ° c . the cooling rate was then increased to 2 ° c ./ min for cooling to room temperature . an initially similar schedule was followed for the isothermal process . however , on cooling from 1035 ° c ., the slow cooling was terminated at temperatures of 1008 ° c ., 990 ° c ., 980 ° c ., and 970 ° c . and held at the chosen temperature for 24 to 60 hours . following this isothermal hold , slow cooling at a rate of 0 . 01 &# 39 ; c ./ min was continued until the sample temperature reached 950 ° c . ; subsequent cooling to room temperature was at the faster rate of 2 ° c ./ min . a furnace ( lindberg model 51314 ; 3 - inch diameter ) was calibrated for the growth of ybco crystals . the crystalization initiation tempeature was determined to be 1008 ° c . a ybco sample was held at 1008 ° c . for 24 hours . and a crystal began to grow a the center of the sample but did not grow completely . another sample was held at 1008 ° c . for 48 hours , but the crystal still did not grow completely . additonal growing crystals were monitored with a video camera and the cooling step did not begin until the single crystal had fully formed . samples were processed and monitored and the central crystal grew to the full dimensions of the sample . monitoring was performed using a 1175 mm shallow watch glass ( fischer ) and a cold mirror ( for reflecting vis and transmitting ir ) ( edmund scientific ). the watch glass should be replaced due to bax coating after the 1035 ° c . hold . a dage video camera with a nuvicom or plubicon tube was used to observe the samples . crystal growth begins near 1008 ° c . and the sample is held between 1008 ° and 1003 ° c . until the crystal is fully grown . liquid losses from powder samples containing different levels of platinum ( 0 , 0 . 1 , 0 . 5 , and 1 . 0 wt %) were measured by comparing the mass of quenched samples with the pre - melt values . the samples were quenched following four different treatments at temperatures above the y - 123 peritectic temperature (˜ 1010 ° c .). the first quench was after heating for 5 min at 1035 ° c . the homogenization temperature used for crystal growth experiments . the second quench was made after an isothermal dwell at 1035 ° c . for 1 hour . the final two quenches were made after cooling from 1035 ° c . for 1000 and 2000 minutes at a rate of 0 . 01 ° c ./ min , which gave quench temperatures of 1025 ° c . and 1015 ° c ., respectively . results of these experiments showed that the rate at which the barium cuprate liquid is lost from the samples is dependent on the concentration of platinum in the sample . for samples containing 0 or 0 . 1 wt % pt , liquid losses were found to occur rapidly after reaching the 123 peritectic temperature . the initial rate of weight loss for these samples was 0 . 45 % per minute ; at this rate , more than 25 % of the sample mass would be lost in one hour . for samples containing 0 . 5 wt % pt , however , a much lower initial liquid - loss rate of 0 . 1 % per minute was observed . measurement of the initial liquid loss rate for samples containing 1 wt % pt was not made , but a further reduction in the rate seems likely . additional liquid - loss experiments made using platinum containing powders produced by the csp process showed a dramatic advantage compared to mechanically mixed materials in this regard . for the solution - mixed csp powders , a significantly lower liquid losses were observed over the same range of pt additions . in a series of experiments made using solution - mixed composite csp powders containing 7 wt % excess 211 and 1 . 0 wt % platinum ( added as the metal or pto 2 hydrate ), the total sample weight lost during processing was found to be between 4 % and 8 %, which is much lower than the corresponding 30 % loss associated noted with mechanically mixed powders . using improved precursor powders fabricated by the csp process , liquid losses have been reduced dramatically compared to losses occurring during crystal growth from powders prepared by mechanical mixing . ebma analysis of samples quenched from 1035 ° c . shows that once the platinum - doped samples pass the 123 peritectic temperature , ba 4 cu 2 pto x becomes the major platinum - bearing , phase and very little ba 2 . 6 cupto x or y 2 ba 3 cu 2 pto 10 can be identified . dta evidence for the conversion of ba 2 . 6 cupto x and y 2 ba 3 cu 2 pto 10 to ba 4 cu 2 pto x is obscured by the 123 melting peak . as the samples are cooled back below the 123 peritectic temperature and the 123 crystal starts to grow , it traps pt -- ba rich particles as well as 211 particles . the final single crystal will thus consist of a 123 matrix containing 211 and pt -- ba rich inclusions . the pt -- ba rich inclusions in the 123 crystals mostly consist of ba 4 cu 2 pto x , but small amounts of ba 2 . 6 cupto x , and y 2 ba 3 cu 2 pto 10 are also present . as the melt is cooled and ba 4 cu 2 pto x comes into contact with solidifying 123 , the reverse of the ba 4 cu 2 pto x - forming reaction may occur . this would account for the presence of ba 2 . 6 cupto x , and y 2 ba 3 cu 2 pto 10 in the trapped platinum - bearing inclusions . ebma data collected from 123 csp crystal growth samples indicate that in addition to large platinum - rich inclusions in the 123 matrix , both 123 and 211 particles also contain trace amounts of platinum . a measured magnetization hysteresis loop for a ybco - 123 single crystal sample containing 0 . 1 wt % platinum was determined . the large magnetic fields ( up to 5 t ) used in the measurements and the high magnetization of the sample ( up to 800 emu / cm3 ) exerted torques on the small crystal specimen that were large enough to fracture the plastic sample holder and allow the sample to rotate during the measurements . although this rotation ( may have ) caused anomalous results at high sample magnetization , the results obtained in applied fields above 2 t were reproducible . estimates of the critical current densities ( jc ) in the small samples were made by applying bean &# 39 ; s theory 32 to the magnetization measurements . critical current densities of over 20 , 000 a / cm 2 were calculated for fields up to 4 t . thus , the existence of pt -- ba rich inclusions does not appear to have adversely effected the superconducting properties of the 123 matrix . in fact , the sample maintains a high magnetization level even in large applied fields . all embodiments of the invention may be incorporated individually or in combination in the htsc growth process a preferred improved htsc growth process incorporates all three embodiments in combination , producing vast improvements in htsc products produced by earlier processes and especially in the growth of single crystal htsc products .
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an embodiment of the present invention provides a method for processing a “ raw ” or filtered intracardiac signal , which may be unipolar or bipolar . typically the processing comprises fitting the intracardiac signal to a predetermined waveform , and deriving an annotation time of the signal from the fitted signal , rather than from the raw signal . typically , a unipolar signal is fitted to an equation representative of a single complete oscillation . a bipolar signal may be fitted to an equation representative of a difference of two single complete oscillations , typically separated by a temporal difference . in some embodiments the single complete oscillation corresponds to a differential of a gaussian function . an asymmetry factor may be applied to the differential , and in some embodiments the asymmetry factor corresponds to a gaussian function . the inventors have found that fitting raw or filtered signals to a predetermined equation , and measuring an annotation time from the fitted signals , reduces variation of the annotation times , as compared to annotation times determined directly from the raw or filtered signals . reference is now made to fig1 , which is a schematic illustration of an electrocardiograph ( ecg ) analysis system 20 , according to an embodiment of the present invention . system 20 receives at least one , and typically a plurality , of electrical signals from one or more electrodes positioned within an organ of a human patient . typically , the signals are received from a multiplicity of electrodes placed on one or more probes in the organ . for example , during an invasive procedure on a heart , a first probe with one or more electrodes may be positioned in a reference region of the heart , and used to sense a reference ecg signal from the region . a second probe having multiple electrodes may be used to detect and record other ecg signals from other regions of the heart . for simplicity and clarity , the following description , except where otherwise stated , assumes an investigative procedure that senses electrical signals from a heart 34 , using a single probe 24 . furthermore , a distal end 32 of the probe is assumed to have two substantially similar electrodes 22 a . 22 b . electrodes 22 a , 22 b , may be referred to herein as electrodes 22 . those having ordinary skill in the art will be able to adapt the description for multiple probes having one or more electrodes , as well as for signals produced by organs other than a heart . typically , probe 24 comprises a catheter which is inserted into the body of a subject 26 during a mapping procedure performed by a user 28 of system 20 . in the description herein user 28 is assumed , by way of example , to be a medical professional . during the procedure subject 26 is assumed to be attached to a grounding electrode 23 . in some embodiments , electrodes 29 may be attached to the skin of subject 26 , in the region of heart 34 . system 20 may be controlled by a system processor 40 , comprising a processing unit 42 communicating with a memory 44 . processor 40 is typically mounted in a console 46 , which comprises operating controls 38 . controls 38 typically include a pointing device 39 , such as a mouse or a trackball , that professional 28 uses to interact with the processor . the processor uses software , including a probe navigation module 30 and an ecg module 36 , stored in memory 44 , to operate system 20 . ecg module 36 comprises a reference ecg sub - module 37 and a map ecg sub - module 41 , whose functions are described below . results of the operations performed by processor 40 are presented to the professional on a display 48 , which typically presents a graphic user interface to the operator , a visual representation of the ecg signals sensed by electrodes 22 , and / or an image of heart 34 while it is being investigated . the software may be downloaded to processor 40 in electronic form , over a network , for example , or it may , alternatively or additionally , be provided and / or stored on non - transitory tangible media , such as magnetic , optical , or electronic memory . ecg module 36 is coupled to receive electrical signals from electrodes 22 . the module may also be coupled to receive signals from one or more of electrodes 29 . the ecg module is configured to analyze the signals and may present the results of the analysis in a standard ecg format , typically a graphical representation moving with time , on display 48 . probe navigation module 30 tracks sections of probe 24 while the probe is within subject 26 . the navigation module typically tracks both the location and orientation of distal end 32 of probe 24 , within the heart of subject 26 . in some embodiments module 30 tracks other sections of the probe . the navigation module may use any method for tracking probes known in the art . for example , module 30 may operate magnetic field transmitters in the vicinity of the subject , so that magnetic fields from the transmitters interact with tracking coils located in sections of the probe being tracked . the coils interacting with the magnetic fields generate signals which are transmitted to the module , and the module analyzes the signals to determine a location and orientation of the coils . ( for simplicity such coils and transmitters are not shown in fig1 .) the carto ® system produced by biosense webster , of diamond bar , calif ., uses such a tracking method . alternatively or additionally , navigation module 30 may track probe 24 by measuring impedances between electrode 23 , electrodes 29 and electrodes 22 , as well as the impedances to other electrodes which may be located on the probe . ( in this case electrodes 22 and / or electrodes 29 may provide both ecg and tracking signals .) the carto3 ® system produced by biosense webster uses both magnetic field transmitters and impedance measurements for tracking . fig2 shows schematic graphs of typical ecg signals processed by system 20 , according to an embodiment of the present invention . graphs 100 , 102 show exemplary potential vs . time plots of “ raw ” ( i . e ., unprocessed ) bipolar intracardiac ecg signals . the signals are assumed to be derived from the potential differences between electrode 22 a and electrode 22 b while the electrodes contact a wall of the heart . as is known in the art , intracardiac ecg signals are noisy , the noise typically being generated by a number of factors , such as line radiation , the proximity of other electrical equipment , and other electrical sources derived from patient 26 , such as patient muscular contraction ( apart from heart muscles ). the noise typically causes problems in making quantitative measurements of annotation times from the raw signals . for example , an annotation time , t p , comprising the time of the “ r ” peak of the signal , may be required , the time being measured from the onset of the signal . graph 100 illustrates that t p is measured to be approximately 30 ms , whereas graph 102 illustrates that t p is measured to be approximately 25 ms . as is illustrated in the graphs , the measured value of t p varies . as stated above , graphs 100 , 102 illustrate bipolar graphs generated by difference signals between electrode 22 a and 22 b . the signal on each electrode 22 a or 22 b , when measured relative to a common reference electrode , is a unipolar signal , so that the bipolar signal may be considered as a difference between two unipolar signals . the reference electrode may be any convenient electrode , such as grounding electrode 23 , and / or one or more of skin electrodes 29 , and / or one or more other electrodes in contact with the heart . fig3 and 4 show schematic graphs produced by equations used for fitting to ecg signals , according to embodiments of the present invention . embodiments of the present invention fit a predetermined equation to signals such as the ecg signals illustrated in fig2 . the equation corresponds to a predetermined oscillating waveform , typically a waveform that is in the form of a single complete oscillation , i . e ., a waveform that has beginning and end points that have a substantially zero signal level , and that encompasses all the electrical activity between the two points . typically , the graph of a single complete oscillation has a single local minimum and a single local maximum . the local maximum and local minimum may be separated by a single inflection . in some embodiments , and as exemplified herein , the predetermined equation fitted to the signals is derived from the first differential of a gaussian function , skewed by an asymmetry factor . thus , for unipolar ecg signals received from electrodes 22 a or 22 b , processor 40 fits an equation having the general form given by equation ( 1 ) below to the signals : where v unipolar ( t ) represents the varying unipolar potential signal measured at the electrode at a time t ; t i is a temporal displacement of the signal , with respect to the time t = 0 . t i corresponds to the time when an activation wave passes through the electrode position ; t s is a parameter defining an asymmetry of the signal ; and inspection of equation ( 1 ) shows that the asymmetry factor provided by the equation corresponds to a gaussian function . thus , equation ( 1 ) sums a gaussian function and a first differential of a gaussian function . in the description below , parameters t i1 , a 1 , t s1 , and w 1 , are also referred to collectively as the unipolar fitting parameters of equation ( 1 ). graphs 110 , 112 , and 114 ( fig3 ) illustrate the effects of values of parameters t s and w on the waveform generated by equation ( 1 ). for simplicity , the units of the ordinate and the abscissa of each graph are assumed to be arbitrary . as shown by graph 110 , for t s = 0 , the graph has two - fold symmetry , having a center of symmetry at ( 3 , 0 ). ( in other words , under a rotation of 180 ° in the plane of the graph the graph transforms into itself .) graph 112 shows that for a positive value of t s = 3 , the graph becomes asymmetric . the asymmetry increases with increasing t s . as shown by graph 114 , the value of w changes the overall width of the graph , so that increasing the value of w reduces the width . if the ecg signal is a bipolar signal , it may be assumed to be generated by the difference between a unipolar signal v unipolar ( t ) 1 on electrode 22 a and a unipolar signal v unipolar ( t ) 2 on electrode 22 b . for bipolar signals such as these the processor fits an equation ( 2 ), derived from equation ( 1 ), to the signal : where v bipolar ( t ) represents the varying bipolar potential signal measured at the electrode at a time t ; v unipolar ( t ) 1 , v unipolar ( t ) 2 , also termed v 1 and v 2 , are as defined above for equation ( 1 ); t i1 , t i2 are temporal displacements of v 1 , v 2 ; t s1 , t s2 define asymmetries of v 1 , v 2 ; and for a bipolar signal there is a temporal difference , δt i = t i1 − t i2 , equal to a difference between the temporal displacements of the two unipolar signals v unipolar ( t ) 1 and v unipolar ( t ) 2 . the temporal difference between the two unipolar signals is typically a function of the spatial separation of the two electrodes generating the bipolar signal , and of an electrode orientation relative to a propagation direction of the activation wave . thus , in the case of two electrodes , at least a component of the propagation direction of the activation wave may be determined from the temporal difference of the unipolar signals . it will be appreciated that for more than two electrodes , the temporal differences between the respective unipolar signals detected by the more than two electrodes , as well as the positions of the electrodes , typically allow multiple components of the propagation direction to be found . from the multiple components , the propagation direction ( not just a component ) of the activation wave may be estimated . in the description below , parameters t i1 , t i2 , a 1 , a 2 , t s1 , t s2 , and w 1 , w 2 are also referred to collectively as the bipolar fitting parameters of equation ( 2 ). graphs 120 , 122 , and 124 ( fig4 ) illustrate the application of equation ( 2 ). graphs 120 and 122 are graphs of two unipolar equations of voltage vs . time , respectively having temporal displacements ( in arbitrary units ) of t = 3 and t = 4 . 5 , and widths of 4 and 2 . graph 124 is the graph of the difference of the two expressions , illustrating a bipolar voltage vs . time function having a temporal difference of δt = 4 . 5 − 3 = 1 . 5 . generated intracardiac unipolar and bipolar signals depend , inter alia , on the positions of the electrodes used to measure the signals . the generated signals also depend on the condition of the heart being measured , i . e ., whether the heart is functioning in a healthy or unhealthy manner . if a heart is unhealthy because of a specific defect , it also produces standard intracardiac signals , different from those of a healthy heart ( similar differences may be used in diagnoses using skin ecg signals , i . e ., body surface signals ). in the case of a specific defect , the unhealthy heart generates standard deficient unipolar or bipolar signals , the deficiency in the signals being caused by the respective heart defect . fig5 is a flowchart 200 showing steps performed by processor 40 in analyzing intracardiac signals , according to an embodiment of the present invention . in the following description the signals are assumed to comprise bipolar signals . those having ordinary skill in the art will be able to adapt the description , mutatis mutandis , for unipolar signals . in an initial step 202 , professional 28 inserts probe 24 into heart 34 , so that electrodes 22 a and 22 b are in contact with a section of the heart wall . processor 40 acquires intracardiac bipolar ecg signals from the electrodes , each ecg signal comprising ordered pairs of potentials v and times t : {( v , t )}. in a heartbeat selection step 204 , one complete heartbeat is selected . thus , if the duration of the selected heartbeat is t , and the acquisition in step 202 is performed at a sample rate samplerate , there are approximately t / samplerate samples of bipolar signals in the selected heartbeat . in an analysis step 206 , the processor fits equation ( 2 ) to the selected heartbeat to derive a set of values of the fitting parameters of equation ( 2 ) that give a best fit to the selected heartbeat . in a comparison step 208 , the processor uses navigation module 30 to check if electrodes 22 a and 22 b are in the same position with respect to the heart . if the comparison returns a positive result , so that the electrodes are in the same position , then in an averaging step 210 the processor averages the fitting parameters for all the heartbeats at the position , to generate a set of averaged fitting parameters . the flowchart then continues at an annotation time step 212 . if the comparison returns a negative result , so that the electrodes have moved , then no averaging is performed , and the flowchart continues directly to step 212 . in annotation time step 212 , the fitting parameters derived either in step 210 ( if averaging has occurred ) or in step 206 ( if there has been no averaging ) are used to estimate an annotation time . the annotation time is a reference time of occurrence of a characteristic of the ecg signal . the annotation time may be defined with respect to the body surface ecg , or with respect to an intracardiac reference ecg , for example from a catheter placed in the coronary sinus . typical signal characteristics used to define the reference annotation time include , but are not limited to , the time at which the r - peak maximum of the qrs complex occurs , the time at which the minimum derivative of the qrs complex occurs , the time at which a center of energy of the complete signal occurs , or the time at which a first indication of the complete signal occurs . the reference annotation time is typically dependent on the position in the heart at which the signal is measured . definitions for the reference annotation times and their values are stored in reference ecg sub - module 37 . in a map building step 214 , the processor constructs a point of an electro - anatomical map of heart 34 . to construct the map point , the processor incorporates the difference of annotation times estimated in step 212 and the relevant reference annotation time ( stored in sub - module 37 ) into a map of the heart ( using navigation module 30 ) ( fig1 ). sub - module 41 is also used in this step . the repetition of steps 202 - 214 is indicated by a continuation condition 216 returning a positive result . if condition 216 returns a negative result , typically by professional 28 deciding to stop the mapping procedure of step 214 , the flowchart ends . as stated above , steps 202 - 214 can be typically performed for different situations comprising different positions of the electrodes in healthy hearts and in unhealthy hearts with known defects . fig6 shows schematic graphs illustrating the results of applying the methods described above , according to an embodiment of the present invention . intracardiac ecg signals were recorded from several different cases , to create a data pool . approximately 5 , 900 heartbeats were extracted from the data pool . all heartbeats were organized into eleven groups , each group containing a heartbeat with an amplitude less than a pre - determined threshold . the threshold is a measure of the noise of the signal , so that signals having lower thresholds have higher noise levels . for each heartbeat in a specific group the time of occurrence t rk of the r - peak maximum , and the time of occurrence t ck of the passing of the activation wave , were estimated . k is an index representing a number of the heartbeat being measured . t ck was estimated using a fitting analysis similar to that described for flowchart 200 , herein also referred to as a fit annotation method . the method for estimating t rk is also referred to herein as the maximum annotation method . where σ ( δt ) is a standard deviation of all δt values , and the expressions of equations ( 4 ) give a measure of the variability of the annotation times by the maximum annotation method or by the fit annotation method of heartbeats within a given group . a graph 300 plots the variability var r vs . the threshold of a group , and a graph 302 is a linear regression of graph 300 . a graph 310 plots the variability var c vs . the threshold of a group , and a graph 312 is a linear regression of graph 310 . by comparison of the two sets of graphs , it is apparent that for low values of the threshold , i . e ., for signals with high noise values , the variability of the signals processed according to methods described herein , i . e ., using the fit annotation method , is less than the variability of signals that have not been processed with these methods . it will be appreciated that the embodiments described above are cited by way of example , and that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove . rather , the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of the various features described hereinabove , as well as variations and modifications thereof which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not disclosed in the prior art .
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preferred embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings hereinafter . a photorefractive material such as linbo3 crystal doped with tb is transparent with no coloring . this photorefractive crystal exhibits the light induced absorption ( photochromism ) by illuminating with an ultraviolet ray with a wavelength of about 313 nm at the irradiated portion thereof and resulting in coloring . in this time , the illuminated hologram portion is erased or initialized because the distribution of electric charges is homogenized by the ultraviolet rays in the recording material . when a visible light having a wavelength of 436 nm is irradiated to the colored portion of the recording material , then a light induced absorption or recording sensitivity appears in the near infrared ray band . on the other hand , when no light irradiation of wavelength of 436 nm , the recording sensitivity is extremely reduced with respect to the near infrared light . therefore such a visible light beam is so called gate light beam , and the ultraviolet light beam which is previously illuminated is so called pre - irradiation light . in addition , the near infrared ray beam used for the recording is used for signal light and reference light . therefore an operation that the gate light beam or the pre - irradiation light is used properly realizes a development of the recording sensitivity or the initialization in only a specific portion of the recording material , so that the recording channel and the reproduction channel are formed distinctly in separate portions of the medium . the present invention includes such a memory system in that , by using two kinds of light having different wavelengths from each other , the holographic recording is carried out within the recording material made of the photorefractive material exhibiting the photochromism . this recording is so called two - color holographic recording . in the two - color holographic recording , the gate light beam of the second wavelength different from the first wavelength of the signal and reference light beams is introduced into the medium for increasing the photo - sensitivity thereof , while the signal and reference light beams are irradiated thereto , so that interference fringes of refractive index are recorded at a site in which the signal and reference light beams as well as the gate light beam intersect with each another . as shown in fig2 a laser light source 11 of e . g ., a wavelength of 532 nm for generation of signal light and reference light is a combination of a yag laser and a shg device . the laser light beam 12 emitted from the light source 11 is split into a signal light beam 12 a and a recording reference light beam 12 b by a beam splitter 13 . the signal light beam 12 a and the recording reference light beam 12 b are irradiated to the same position p in a recording medium 10 by way of different optical paths , respectively . on the optical path of the signal light beam 12 a , arranged are a shutter 31 a , mirrors 111 and 112 , a beam expander 14 , an slm 15 e . g ., a transparent lcd device , a half mirror 310 , and a fourier transforming lens 16 e . g ., a converging lens . the shutter 31 a is provided to open and close the optical path of the signal light beam 12 a , and also shutters 31 b and 31 c are provided to open and close the optical paths of light beams 12 b and 12 c , respectively . these shutters are driven to open and close by the corresponding drivers ( not shown ) in response to signals forwarded from a controller 32 . the beam expander 14 magnifies the diameter of the signal light beam 12 a which passes through the shutter 31 a and mirrors 111 and 112 to make a collimated ray to be incident at a predetermined angle e . g . right angle on the slm 5 . the slm 5 is connected to the controller 32 including an encoder to receive the electric data in a unitary page series corresponding to a two - dimensional page received by the latter , and then forms a bright and dark dot pattern on its plane panel corresponding to the image data . the passed signal light beam 12 a is optically modulated by the slm 5 , to contain data as a dot - matrix component . the fourier transforming lens 16 performs fourier transformation on the dot - matrix component of the signal light beam 12 a passing through the half mirror 310 and focuses it slightly in the front or back of a recording channel at a position p in the recording medium 10 . the slm 5 is disposed at the other focal point of the fourier transforming lens 16 . the optical path on which the beam expander 14 , the slm 15 , the half mirror 310 and the fourier transforming lens 16 are disposed is so - called a recording optical path . a beam splitter 177 , a shutter 31 b and a galvanic mirror 18 are disposed on the optical path of the recording reference light beam 12 b split by the beam splitter 13 . the recording reference light beam 12 b reflected through the beam splitter 177 is guided by the galvanic mirror 18 into the position p of the recording medium 10 in a similar manner as the signal light beam 12 a . the galvanic mirror 18 regulates the recording axis of the recording reference light beam 12 b . the shutter 31 b is driven to open and close by a driver in response to a signal sent from the controller 32 . as shown in fig2 the irradiation light source 21 including a filter replaceable system , e . g ., photocure 200 ( hamamatsu - photomics ltd .) is used for both the pre - irradiation light in the ultraviolet ray wavelength - band and the gate light beam in a shorter wavelength of the visible light wavelength - band . the irradiation light source 21 generates ultraviolet light of a wavelength of 313 nm with a sufficient power to develop light induced absorption , i . e ., coloring of the recording medium 10 by its irradiating light , by exchanging the filter . light 22 generated from the irradiation light source 21 is irradiated through an optical fiber 412 to the recording channel of the recording medium 10 , i . e ., the recording position p . the irradiations of the gate light beam and the pre - irradiation light 22 are on / off controlled in response to a signal sent by a controller 32 . the gate light beam is limitedly irradiated to the position p within the recording material at which the signal and reference light beams intersect with each another . alternatively the pre - irradiation light source 21 may be a light source capable of converge the light beam onto the position p within the entire recording medium 10 while decreasing the diameter of its light spot . in the recording medium 10 illuminated with the pre - irradiation light 22 , a light interference pattern is formed by the reference light and the signal light in a region at the position p within the recording medium 10 , and information is recorded therein as a change in refractive index . a shutter 31 c and a galvanic mirror 44 are disposed on the optical path of the reproducing reference light beam 12 c in which the beam splitter 177 splits the reproducing reference light beam 12 c from the recording reference light beam 12 b to guide it to the shutter 31 c . the shutter 31 c is driven to open and close by a driver in response to a signal sent from the controller 32 . the galvanic mirror 44 guides the passed reproducing reference light beam 12 c into the position p of the recording medium 10 . the galvanic mirror 44 regulates the reproduction axis of the reproducing reference light beam 12 c . during the holographic recording and rewriting , the shutter 31 c is opened and the reproducing reference light beam 12 c is irradiated to the recording medium 10 with a predetermined orientation . in the reproducing method using a phase conjugate wave , there is a need to make the recording and the reproducing reference light beams 12 b and 12 c in a symmetric nature . for the both the two light beams , planar waves or spherical waves are used which symmetrically propagates opposite to each other in an axis . thus , the reproducing reference light beam 12 c is supplied so as to illuminate the region p of the recording medium 10 at the opposite side of the recording medium 10 through the optical path of the shutter 31 c and the galvanic mirror 44 . namely , the reproducing reference light beam 12 c is made incident on the recording medium 10 by the galvanic mirror 44 so as to propagate in the reverse propagating direction and parallel to the recording reference light beam 12 b , thereby causing a phase conjugate wave from the refractive - index grating of region p corresponding to the light interference pattern of the medium . consequently , reproductive light from the region p appears at the same side of the recording medium 10 as the side illuminated by the signal light beam 12 a . the interference pattern light ( phase conjugate wave ) propagates to a fourier transforming lens 19 of a receiving lens . the fourier transforming lens 19 receives and forwards the interference pattern light through the half mirror 320 to the photoelectric converting elements of a photodetector 20 using a ccd 20 on which the bright and dark dot pattern is reproduced . the fourier transforming lens 19 is disposed in the reproduction axis so that focuses light slightly in the front or back of the reproduction channel at a position pa in the recording medium 10 . that is , the fourier transforming lens 19 reconstructs the bright and dark dot pattern on the ccd 20 . the ccd 20 converts the dot pattern into an electric digital data signal . then the ccd 20 forwards the data to the decoder 26 by which the original data is reproduced . the half mirror 320 is disposed in a reproduction optical path so as to divide a parallel light beam of the phase conjugate wave converted by the fourier transforming lens 19 into two beams , i . e ., one half being introduced to the ccd 20 , the half being reflected back to the reproduction optical path through a common image - formation plane 201 . in the reproduction optical path , the fourier transforming lens 19 , the half mirror 320 and the ccd 20 are aligned . the fourier transforming lenses 16 and 19 and the half mirrors 310 and 320 are disposed such that the common image - formation plane 201 becomes an image - formation plane of the fourier transforming lens 19 reflected by the half mirror 320 and , at the same time , also an image - formation plane of the fourier transforming lens 16 reflected by the half mirror 310 . that is , the recording optical path in which the signal light beam propagates to the recording position rc of the recording material and the reproduction optical path in which the phase conjugate wave generated from the reproduction position pc propagates back to the ccd 20 are disposed to be symmetric with respect to the common image - formation plane 201 to each other together with optical components thereof . in the case that the recording material has a parallel plate shape which has a front and rear major surfaces parallel to each other defining the medium form , the recording optical path and the reproduction optical path are disposed to be parallel to each other . thus , in a single piece type light pickup head constructed for the holographic recording , the fourier transforming lenses 16 and 19 are fixed in the same plane on a lens support , and the slm 15 and the ccd 20 are fixed in the same plane on the opposite support parallel to the lens support . the half mirrors 310 and 320 are fixed in the recording optical path and the reproduction optical path respectively in such a manner that the half mirror 310 between the fourier transforming lens 16 and the slm 15 and the half mirror 320 between the fourier transforming lens 19 and the ccd 20 are inclined at angles of 45 degrees to the corresponding optical paths such that the one piece type light pickup head has a plane of symmetry with respect to the common image - formation plane 201 . there will be described the steps of recording , reproducing and partially rewriting of data in the holographic recording and reproducing method . [ 0048 ] fig3 shows the recording step in which the recording medium 10 is mounted to the n - axis movable stage device 30 ( where n denotes 1 or 2 ) serving as a support portion , and a target recording channel rc thereof is moved to a recording position p in response to a control signal forwarded from the controller 32 . the pre - irradiation light beam is sufficiently converged to prevent the pre - irradiation light from leaking to an undesired portion of the recording medium . upon providing a light shielding member and mask made of the absorbing material absorbing the pre - irradiation light , the light shielding member is mounted around the light outlet portion of the irradiation light source 21 and also the recording material is masked so as to avoid unnecessary illuminating of the pre - irradiation light . a 313 nm bandpass filter ( not shown ) is mounded on the irradiation light source 21 to generate a pertinent light beam for the pre - irradiation light . the irradiation of the pre - irradiation light for 30 sec . to the recording material performs an initialization of the recording channel to make the photochromism appear . then , the 313 nm bandpass filter is replaced with a 436 nm bandpass filter ( not shown ) for the gate light beam in the irradiation light source 21 . the controller 32 forwards the desired two - dimensional digital data to the slm 15 , at the same time or after a predetermined time delay for the illumination of the gate light beam 22 , the shutter 31 a for the signal light beam and the shutter 31 b for the recording reference light are opened to irradiate the signal light beam 12 a and the recording reference light beam 12 b into the recording medium 10 to start on the two - holographic recording to form an interference pattern of changes in refractive index within the light intersected portion thereof . after that , both the shutters are opened for a recording time period in accordance with the scheduling and at the same time the gate light beam is irradiated to the medium . last , both the shutters are closed and the irradiation of the gate light beam is ended . in this way , a holographic recording on a first page is finished for a certain incident angle . as a matter of course , the shutter 31 c for reproducing reference light is kept close during the recording . in carrying out of angle - multiplexed holographic recording , the galvanic mirror 18 is rotated a predetermined angle and parallel moved in position a predetermined amount so that the incident angle of the recording reference light beam 12 b on the recording medium 10 is changed and both the shutters are opened for desired recording time every incident angle . in this way , the angle - multiplexed holographic recordings are carried out one after another at one of the recording channels . next , fig4 shows the reproduction step in which the shutters 31 a and 31 b are closed but the shutter 31 c for the reproducing reference light is opened to irradiate the reproducing reference light beam 12 c to the recording medium 10 at the reproduction position . the recording medium 10 mounded on the n - axis movable stage device 30 is moved with a parallel displacement to the predetermined position by the controller 32 such that the reproduction channel pc having data to be reproduced is disposed face to face with the pickup head . in this time , the rotation and the parallel movement of the galvanic mirror 44 are previously controlled in a such manner that the reproducing reference light beam 12 c is incident on a position immediately opposite to the recording light beam 12 b upon recording the page to be reproduced . namely , the reproducing reference light beam 12 c is made incident on the recording medium 10 so as to propagate in the reverse propagating direction of the recording reference light beam 12 b , since the reproducing and the recording reference light beams 12 c and 12 b are parallel to each other . as a result , a phase conjugate wave ( diffraction light ) appears from the refractive - index grating of region p and propagates through the same side of the recording medium 10 as the side illuminated by the signal light beam 12 a in the opposite propagating direction of the signal light beam 12 a to the fourier transforming lens 19 . the fourier transforming lens 19 receives the phase conjugate light and images a real image on the ccd 20 through the half mirror 320 . that is , the fourier transforming lens 19 reconstructs the recorded bright and dark dot pattern on the ccd 20 . the ccd 20 converts the dot pattern into an electric digital data signal . then the ccd 20 forwards the data to the controller 32 by which the original data is reproduced . in addition , the reflecting plane of the half mirror 320 partly reflects the phase conjugate light to the common image - formation plane 201 on which another real image is reconstructed . in other words , the phase conjugate wave reflected by the half mirror 320 is partly provided to the recording channel rc of the medium . however there is no damage of recorded data of the recording channel rc on the medium due to the phase conjugate wave . this because the gate light beam and recording reference light for the two - color holographic recording are not illuminated to the medium , so that the photorefractive phenomenon of the recording medium 10 does not occur with only the irradiation of the phase conjugate wave . furthermore , a shutter ( not shown ) controlled by the controller 32 may be provided between the half mirrors 310 and 320 to prevent the phase conjugate wave from leaking to the recording optical path during the reproduction step . this configuration is useful for the two - color holographic recording without using the gate light beam in another embodiment of the invention . next , fig5 shows a rewriting step in which the recorded data in a channel is rewritten to another channel . the n - axis movable stage device 30 is driven by the controller 32 so that the recording medium 10 moves and the reproducing reference light beam 12 c is incident on the recording channel rc to be rewritten . then the ultraviolet rays of pre - irradiation light is illuminated to a predetermined portion adjacent to the recording channel rc to form a recording channel rc 2 initialized so as to face the lens 16 . as shown in fig5 only the shutter 31 a is closed to cut of f light entering the slm 15 and the galvanic mirror 44 is driven in the same manner as the reproduction step . through the shutter 31 c opened , the reproducing reference light beam 12 c is irradiated to the reproduction channel pc to generate the phase conjugate wave to reconstruction a real image on the common image - formation plane 201 . the reproduced real image is used for an input image and provided through the half mirror 310 and the fourier transforming 16 to the initialized channel rc of the recording medium 10 . namely , light appearing from the reproduced real image on the common image - formation plane 201 is used as a signal light and is incident on the recording medium 10 similar to the recording step , so that an interference pattern of changes in refractive index in the recording channel rc 2 is formed within the light intersected portion of the reproduced signal light and the recording reference light beam 12 b supplied through the shutter 31 c opened . those conditions are kept until a predetermined target page i . e ., the target image data to be rewritten appears . in this way , the real image reconstructed from the reproduced phase conjugate wave is used as modulated light for the holographic recording instead of the slm 15 . when the target page appears , the operation is switched by the controller 32 to a condition that the shutter 31 c is closed to cut off the reproducing reference light beam 12 c and the shutter 31 a is opened in the same manner as shown in fig3 . in this case , the slm 15 displays a new image data to be rewritten . modulated light supplied from the slm 15 is used as a signal light beam . in this way , the original and new image data are continuously recorded on the recording channel rc 2 . after recording the new image data on the target page , the operation is switched again by the controller 32 back to the first stage to close the shutter 31 a and open the shutter 31 c as shown in fig5 so that the remaining data is recorded on the basis of the reproduced real image obtained from the phase conjugate wave in succession . the image data supplied from the slm 15 is used for the data to be rewritten and the data supplied from the reproduced real image by the phase conjugate wave is used for the data not to be rewritten i . e ., original settled data as it is . in this embodiment , since the recording material has a high response speed , the recording is processed from light to light at a high speed response . therefore , the user will recognizes the random access of data in the holographic recording and reproducing apparatus photoelectric conversion while reducing the required volume per channel and increasing the total number of the channels in a recording material with a constant volume , the recording capacity per channel decreases . the embodiment of the invention provides the reduction of the refresh operations required for the rewriting and the convenient usage equal to a general recording system capable of random access such as a hard disk and an optical disk . further , the reduction of the required volume per channel may be obtained by the magnification of numerical apertures of the fourier transforming and inverse fourier transforming lenses in the invention . in addition , a tag corresponding to the type of a particular of photo - refractive crystal may be previously attached to the recording medium 10 , such that the tag is automatically read by a suitable sensor as the recording medium 10 is mounted on the movable stage device to allow the controller 32 to control predetermined movements and rotation of the recording medium 10 . the signal processing from light to light provides a direct rewriting operation in holographic recording and reproducing apparatus of the invention . therefore the device configuration is simplified because any buffer memory is required for unnecessary data to be rewritten by the invention . since there is no need to the conversion path of from light to electricity or from electricity to light in the invention , a high speed processing is achieved for the holographic rewriting . therefore , the users enjoy the convenient usage equal to other general recording systems capable of random access in the holographic recording and reproducing apparatus of the invention though it is a sequential recording system . it is understood that the foregoing description and accompanying drawings set forth the preferred embodiments of the invention at the present time . various modifications , additions and alternative designs will , of course , become apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing teachings without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed invention . thus , it should be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but may be practiced within the full scope of the appended claims . this application is based on a japanese patent application no . 2000 - 332825 which is hereby incorporated by reference .
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fig1 a to 1 f illustrate the steps of connection between a chip 10 and an antenna 6 . the interconnection assembly formed by the chip 10 and antenna 6 is intended to be inserted in a contactless smart card with ultrafine thickness less than the standard iso thickness , or in any other electronic device having an antenna . for reasons of clarity , the figures and the description which follow refer to a chip and an antenna . however , the present invention also applies to a method of manufacturing a contactless inset circuit containing a plurality of chips and a plurality of antennae . referring to fig1 a , an impression 3 is produced in an insulating support 1 , with a size slightly greater than the size of a chip . the insulating substrate 1 can consist , for example , of plastic sheets made of polyvinyl chloride ( pvc ) or polyethylene ( pe ). according to the embodiment , this impression 3 can be machined in the insulating support 1 or created by gluing or laminating two insulating sheets 1 and 2 on each other , the sheet 1 having an impression 3 in it . these sheets 1 and 2 are preferentially cut to the format of the card or circuit which it is wished to produce . fig1 b illustrates the transfer of a chip 10 into the impression 3 in the sheet 1 . this transfer is effected , with the active face upwards , according to any known technique . the contacts 11 of the chip 10 appear on the surface of the insulating sheet 1 . a preliminary step of the manufacturing method according to the invention consists of forming metallised protrusions 10 on contact pads 11 of the chip 10 . the protrusions 12 are intended to provide the electrical connection between the chip 10 and the antenna 6 . they are consequently necessarily produced from a conductive material . they can for example be produced from gold , or from a polymer material loaded with metallic particles . preferably the protrusions 12 are produced on the two contact pads 11 of the chip 10 in order to be able to produce a connection on conductive areas of the antenna 6 situated at its ends . given that the protrusions 12 are intended to be embedded in the thickness of the antenna 6 , they preferably have a thickness approximately equal to , or slightly less than , that of the antenna . in addition , to allow good penetration of the protrusions 12 into the thickness of the antenna 6 , it is preferred that they have a substantially conical shape . if the edge of the chip 10 is conductive , it is advantageous to effect an insulation of its sides . this step is not necessary when a type of chip 10 is used whose edges are not conductive by nature , and are consequently already insulated . fig1 c and 1 d illustrate a particular method for effecting the insulation of the sides of the chip 10 . according to this embodiment , a sheet 4 is hot laminated on the assembly consisting of insulating sheets and chip . this sheet 4 is advantageously of such a nature as not to adhere to the insulating sheets 1 and 2 defining the impression 3 . it may be envisaged using a lamination mat in place of the sheet 4 . according to a particularity of the invention , the hot lamination on the assembly consisting of insulating sheets and chip , effected by a mat or by a sheet 4 , makes it possible to assist the spreading of the partially melted material of the insulating sheet 4 so as to insulate the sides of the chip 10 . this is because a pouring 13 of the material of the sheet 1 makes it possible to block the gap left between the chip 10 and the impression 3 , slightly larger than the latter . the chip 10 is thus embedded in an insulating substrate consisting of the two sheets 1 and 2 , with the contact pads 11 and its protrusions 12 appearing on the surface of the sheet 1 . according to a variant embodiment , it is possible to effect the insulation of the sides of the chip 10 by the distribution or spraying of an insulating material filling the gap between the edges of the impression 3 and the sides of the chip 10 . referring to fig1 e , an antenna 6 is produced on an insulating support 5 . the insulating support 5 consists for example of a plastic sheet to a format of the smart card or of the circuit to be produced . it may for example be composed of polyvinyl chloride ( pvc ) or polyethylene ( pe ). the antenna 6 is produced from a conductive material able to be softened at the time it is connected to the chip 10 , to allow better penetration of the protrusions 12 . its shape is of little importance , and may for example represent a spiral or any other pattern . a first embodiment consists of producing the antenna 2 from a thermoplastic material containing metallic particles . the antenna is formed in this case by screen printing with conductive ink based on thermoplastic . the metallic particles consist for example of small balls of silver . the sheet 5 is hot laminated on the sheets 1 and 2 the addition of heat softens the thermoplastic material constituting the antenna 6 , and the lamination facilitates the penetration of the protrusions 12 in the thickness of the antenna with a view to effecting the connection of the chip 10 to the antenna 6 . when the lamination operation is terminated , the interconnection assembly obtained is left to cool in ambient air to enable the material of the antenna to regain its solid state and its initial shape . the thermoplastic antenna generally has adhesive properties during its softening which make it possible to fix the chip . in a variant embodiment , the antenna 6 is produced from a conductive thermosetting polymer material , that is to say one containing metallic particles . in this case , it is ensured that the antenna material is not polymerised before the step of connecting the chip to the antenna , so that this material is in a viscous state . the hot lamination then on the one hand facilitates the penetration of the protrusions 12 into the thickness of the material of the antenna 6 , and on the other hand polymerises the thermosetting material constituting the antenna 6 in order to harden it . fig1 f illustrates the interconnection assembly obtained by the method according to the present invention . by virtue of the manufacturing method according to the invention , it is possible to manufacture electronic devices such as labels or contactless smart cards with ultrafine thickness . the thickness of the device obtained is in fact equal to the sum of the thicknesses of the three plastic sheets 1 , 2 and 5 , and of the antenna 6 , the chip 10 being embedded in the sheet 1 , and the protrusions 12 being embedded in the thickness of the antenna 6 . in addition , the protrusions 12 being completely embedded in the thickness of the antenna 6 , there is no risk of their being damaged by mechanical stresses . the interconnection assembly obtained therefore has very good mechanical strength and increased life . in addition , it is possible , using the method of the present invention , not to work solely to the format of a card , but to a larger format and then to cut out a plurality of cards . it is thus possible , in a single operation , to connect a matrix of chips to a matrix of antennae and to effect their insetting . the method according to the invention , implemented using large insulating sheets 1 , 2 , 5 , allows a precise positioning of the sheets with respect to each other , and therefore a precise positioning of the contact pads on the chips with respect to the connection pads on the antennae .
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other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description , with reference to the figure of the appended drawing . this description is given purely as an illustration and is not limiting . the sole figure is a flowchart summarizing the steps of a particular implementation of a method according to the invention . for simplification , the term “ image ” is used to denote the photographic images captured by the camera and also to denote the digital data or digital file corresponding to the image . a first step 10 of the method comprises the capture of a first image 12 . the image is captured in response to a shot release and corresponds to a framing and shooting field defined by the user . the framing , more or less fortuitous , can be controlled using the camera &# 39 ; s viewer or a small control screen . the shooting field is also determined by the user who can move closer or further from the scene to be photographed or can use the adjustment of the camera &# 39 ; s zoom . the zoom acts on the focal length , based on the lens &# 39 ; s field of view . the image supplied by the camera &# 39 ; s image sensor 13 is sent to a central processing unit 14 where it is analyzed to extract the interest zones 16 a , 16 b . as previously mentioned this means determining zones having strong spatial gradients of light intensity in the image , to detect faces , or predetermined forms , etc . however , it is also possible to look for zones 19 of uniform color or low contrast , and to retain zones complementary to these as interest zones . the step of automatically looking for interest zones is shown on the figure as reference 20 . it enables , in the illustrated example , two interest zones to be determined corresponding to a face and a tree . the zones are shown on the figure by a dot - and - dash line . for each of the interest zones detected , additional shots 22 a and 22 b , respectively , are made automatically . the second images captured have references 24 a and 24 b . although the frame of second images does not necessarily correspond with the whole field of the image supplied by the sensor , it surrounds the interest zone which thus profits from larger optical enlargement because of the increase in focal length and the reduction of the field of view of the lens . indeed , the camera 13 is equipped with a lens 26 with variable focal length and possibly variable optical axis . this lens is controlled by the central processing unit 14 , in response to the detection of interest zones , so as to tighten the framing , and thus the shooting field , around each of the interest zones detected . the second images 24 a , 24 b are captured . actuators modifying the lens axis or the orientation of an optical wedge can also be controlled by the central processing unit 14 . the purpose of this is to point the optical axis to the interest zones , so as to center the framing on these zones during the capture of the second images . as far as the maximum focal length available allows , the interest zones are captured “ full frame ” so as to occupy the greatest possible surface area on the image sensor . this measure enables the maximum useful digital data corresponding to the interest zones to be obtained . the data of the first image 12 and the second images 24 a and 24 b are collected by the central processing unit 14 to establish in a last step 30 a composite image 32 in which the digital data of the interest zones 16 a , 16 b of the first image are replaced by the digital data of the second images 24 a and 24 b . the replacement is performed following the adjustment of the dimensions of the images 24 a , 24 b . the composite image 32 finally obtained thus has zones of lower resolution and zones of higher resolution . the latter correspond to the interest zones . when the composite image finally obtained is enlarged , it remains highly detailed in the interest zones . thus , and despite a more limited resolution around the interest zones , enlargement of the image 32 does not prejudice its overall apparent quality . thus the image can be displayed on a large screen , or be the subject of a photographic hardcopy . an appropriate analysis of the geometrical and / or colorimetric differences between the images 16 a and 24 a as well as 16 b and 24 b enables , if necessary , the images 24 a and 24 b to be modified to produce a composite image 32 of optimal quality . indeed , an additional step 28 , prior to creating the final composite image , can comprise various formatting operations of the data of the second images captured . one of these operations consists , for example , in recalculating a prior position of the iconic content of the second images to correct any movement due to the displacement of the iconic content or any movement by the camera user . the operation comprises , for example , the establishment of displacement vectors obtained from the two images , adjusted to the same baseline and resolution , representing the same interest area and corresponding respectively to one of the second images and the related area in the first image . there then follows a point - by - point correction phase of the second images , or possibly the first image . the degree of correction depends directly on the amplitude and direction of the previously estimated displacement vectors . the operation can also comprise the shift of the iconic elements of the second images en bloc in order to best superimpose them on the corresponding iconic elements of the interest zones of the first image . this can take place by minimizing a correlation function between the interest zones of the first and second images . the additional step 28 can also be used to possibly remove second images which turn out to be accidentally out - of - focus or whose iconic contents are accidentally too different from that of the first image to allow insertion . in this case the data of the corresponding interest zone of the first image are conserved in the final image . in the figure , the camera 13 is represented as a photographic camera . however , it can be replaced by any digital camera equipment and especially by a phonecam that includes the functions mentioned . ( 4 ) “ super - resolution image reconstruction ” ieee signal processing magazine 1053 / 5888 / 03 may 2003 pages 21 - 36 ( 6 ) ming - hsuan yang , david kriegman , and narendra ahuja , “ detecting faces in images : a survey ”, ieee transactions on pattern analysis and machine intelligence ( pami ), vol . 24 , no . 1 , pp . 34 - 58 , 2002 . ( 7 ) jiebo luo , amit singhal , stephen r etz , robert t gray , “ a computational approach to determination of main subject regions in photographs ”, image and vision computing , 2001
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in the following description , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . however , it will become obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details . the descriptions and representations herein are the common means used by those experienced or skilled in the art to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art . in other instances , well - known methods , procedures , components , and circuitry have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the present invention . reference herein to “ one embodiment ” or “ an embodiment ” means that a particular feature , structure , or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the invention . the appearances of the phrase “ in one embodiment ” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment , nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments . further , the order of blocks in process flowcharts or diagrams representing one or more embodiments of the invention do not inherently indicate any particular order nor imply any limitations in the invention . to facilitate the description of the present invention , it deems necessary to provide definitions for some terms that will be used throughout the disclosure herein . it should be noted that the definitions following are to facilitate the understanding and describe the present invention according to an embodiment . the definitions may appear to include some limitations with respect to the embodiment , the actual meaning of the terms has applicability well beyond such embodiment , which can be appreciated by those skilled in the art : design variable is defined as any quantity or choice directly under the control of the designer . in structural design , plate thickness , loading direction , dimension of a components are the exemplary design variables . design experiment is defined as a structural configuration with specific combination of design variables . it usually denotes the specific combination as follows : x =& lt ; x 1 , x 2 . . . x n & gt ;. bifurcation is defined as a solution splitting into two or more valid solutions . buckling is a structure failure due to instability . buckling is a well known bifurcation in structural mechanics . metamodel is an approximation to the behavior of a model such as fea model . it may be derived from a number of techniques such as least squares fitting , taylor series expansion , neural net , kriging approximations , etc . the present invention uses least squares fitting to create a metamodel or a response surface . outlier is defined as an observation whose value differs from the value expected or predicted for the specific combination of design variable values ( i . e ., a specific design experiment ). the expected or predicted value of the observation is computed using a metamodel . the actual value of the observation is computed using fea software . standard deviation is the standard statistical term used to represent the dispersion of the sample . range is the difference between the maximum and minimum value of a fea response of an outlier . embodiments of the present invention are discussed herein with reference to fig1 - 7 . however , those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes as the invention extends beyond these limited embodiments . referring now to the drawings , fig1 shows a flow chart for the present invention . at 110 , a plurality of finite element analyses ( fea ) is conducted for a plurality of structural design experiments each with a specific combination of design variables values ( e . g ., a set of different car crash simulations with different crash angles , a set of different wall thickness of a tubular column ). at 120 , a plurality of metamodels is constructed using the fea solutions obtained in 110 . any fea solution components can be used to construct a metamodel . in one embodiment , the metamodels are based on the nodal displacement . in another embodiment , the metamodels are based on the acceleration time history . the metamodel constructed with the least squares fitting technique is called a response surface . at 130 , the outliers are identified . the fea solutions that are not expected or predicted by the metamodel are classified as outliers . outliers are the high likelihood candidates for bifurcation . finally , one can verify the bifurcation by examining the fea solutions . in one embodiment , two following tasks are performed to verify the existence of bifurcation in a fea solution : 1 ) identify the region having high standard deviation has the higher likelihood of solution bifurcation by plotting the indicating quantity of the fea responses of the outliers on a fea model mesh at 160 ; 2 ) examine the fea solution for the maximum and the minimum outlier — the bifurcation can be identified easily with the fea solutions of two extreme cases at 170 . in one embodiment , the indicating quantity may be the standard deviation . in another embodiment the indicating quantity is the range . fig2 shows an exemplary plot of a plurality of design experiments 230 basing on two design variables , x 1 210 and x 2 220 . each design experiment 230 has a specific combination of design variables x =& lt ; x 1 , x 2 & gt ; in this case . there is no limit on the number of the design variables . the general form of design variable is as follows : x =& lt ; x 1 , x 2 , . . . x n & gt ;. the finite element analysis ( fea ) is conducted for each of all design experiments 230 . the corresponding fea responses obtained from a plurality of design experiments are plotted in fig3 . the exemplary x - y plot has a vertical axis 360 to represent the fea responses and a horizontal axis 370 representing a design variable value . in one embodiment , the fea response may be one of the six components of the nodal displacement . in another embodiment , the fea responses may be acceleration time history . referring now to fig4 , the metamodel 410 and outliers 420 are illustrated and superimposed on the exemplary x - y plot in fig3 . the enlarged circle 430 shows that outliers 420 are those design experiments whose value are not predicted by the metamodel 410 . in one embodiment , the metamodel is called a response surface which is constructed using the least squares fitting technique . the metamodel is used to approximate average expected fea responses . depending on which fea responses of interest , the metamodel may be nodal displacement or acceleration time history . the fea responses of outliers are far away from the expected value predicted by the metamodel ; therefore outliers are the high likelihood candidates for bifurcation . one can plot an indicating quantity of the fea responses of outliers to identify the region of bifurcation . the indicating quantity may be standard deviation of particular fea responses of the outliers in one embodiment . in another embodiment , the range of particular fea responses may be the quantity . we now refer to fig5 , which shows a nodal displacement plot of standard deviation of outliers on a three dimensional fea mesh model . the region 510 shows high standard deviation indicating high likelihood of bifurcation , while the region 520 shows the responses are due to design variable changes because the standard deviation is in a normal range . engineers may examine the fea results of two extreme cases to verify the bifurcation . to show an exemplary maximum outlier , we now refer back to fig4 . the fea response at 420 is a maximum outlier in this case . the minimum outlier is one of the responses on the metamodel 410 . to further illustrate the different buckling modes for two extreme cases , fig6 shows one buckling mode in maximum outlier 610 and another one in minimum outlier 620 . with reference now to fig7 , a block diagram illustrates a computing device 700 in which the present invention may be implemented , and in which code or instructions implementing the processes of the present invention may be located . the exemplary computer system in fig7 is discussed only for descriptive purposes . it should not be considered a limitation of the invention . although the following descriptions related to a particular computer system , the concepts apply equally to other computer systems that are dissimilar to that shown in fig7 . computer system 700 includes at least one processor 710 and main random access memory ( ram ) 720 connecting to a local bus 705 through a bridge 715 . additional connections to local bus 705 may be made through direct component interconnection or through add - in boards . in the depicted example , network adapter 725 , small computer system interface ( scsi ) adapter 730 , and expansion bus interface 735 are directly connected to local bus 705 . in contrast , audio adapter 740 , graphics adapter 745 , and video adapter 750 are connected to local bus 705 by add - in boards inserted into expansion slots . expansion bus interface 735 provides a connection for a keyboard and mouse adapter 755 , modem 760 , and additional memory 765 . scsi adapter 730 provides a connection for hard disk drive 770 , tape drive 775 , and cd - rom drive 780 . in order to communicate with other computer systems via a network , the computer system 700 connects to the network via network adapter 725 . the network , internet or intranet , connects multiple network devices utilizing general purpose communication lines . those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the hardware shown in fig7 may vary depending on the implementation . other internal hardware or peripheral devices , such as flash rom ( or equivalent nonvolatile memory ) or optical disk drives and the like , may be used in addition to or in lieu of the hardware depicted in fig7 . also , the processes of the present invention may be applied to a multiprocessor computer system . in general , computer system 700 is controlled and coordinated by operating system ( os ) software , which performs tasks such as process scheduling , memory management , networking and i / o services . exemplary os includes linux ™, microsoft windows ™. although an exemplary embodiment of invention has been disclosed , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made to achieve the advantage of the invention . it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that some components may be substituted with another component providing same function . the appended claims cover the present invention .
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as shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration , the present invention is concerned with a protective shield , generally referred to in fig1 by the reference number 10 , in fig2 - 4 by the reference number 12 , and in fig5 - 6 by the reference number 14 . the shield 10 , 12 , 14 is designed to overly a top face of a keyboard assembly 16 to prevent the entry of particles , liquids and other contaminants within the keyboard assembly 16 , while providing the natural feel of the keys to the greatest extent possible and being universal in nature so that it can be applied to any commercially available keyboard . keyboard assemblies 16 are well known in the art and have become an integral part of many machines including word processing devices and computers . such keyboard assemblies 16 include a rigid frame 18 defining a top deck 20 , side walls 22 , and a rear or obverse face 24 of the keyboard assembly 16 . the keyboard assembly 16 also includes a plurality of keys 26 which are generally formed into rows and columns having a predetermined configuration and collectively forming a two - dimensional array 28 . each key 26 of the array 28 extends through the deck 20 of the frame 18 and by depression operate , either electronically or mechanically , through intervening means ( not shown ), so as to generate a signal to the device with which the keyboard assembly 16 is associated . the various keys 26 may be of varying size , but all keys 26 generally include a relatively planar top surface 30 and side walls 32 which extend from the top surface toward the frame deck 20 . the side walls 32 generally have a small degree of taper , as illustrated in the drawings . it will be appreciated that there exist openings between the frame deck 20 and the individual keys 26 so that the keys 26 can be depressed into the frame 18 to generate the appropriate signal . as described above , a common problem with keyboard assemblies 16 is that liquids , particles and other contaminants enter through these openings and adversely affect the typically electronic intervening means within the keyboard . with reference to fig1 a protective shield 10 embodying the present invention is illustrated which is comprised of a one - piece resiliently flexible membrane , such as polyurethane , plastic or rubber material , which is transparent or translucent so as to enable a user of the shield 10 to view the keys 26 through the shield 10 . alternatively , the shield 10 can be opaque to facilitate keyboard memorization . the shield 10 is manufactured using conventional thermo - forming , vacuum molding , or any other suitable method of molding and formation . the shield 10 includes a generally planar base 34 which overlays the deck portion 20 of the keyboard assembly 16 . although the planar base 34 is shown in the drawings as attached to an obverse face 24 of the keyboard assembly 16 in the various figures , it should be understood by the reader that the planar base 34 may be attached directly to the deck 20 , frame sidewalls 22 , or obverse face 24 by hook and loop tape , adhesive , or any other suitable means to hold the shield 10 in place on the keyboard assembly 16 . a raised bubble 36 is formed in the flexible membrane and configured to envelope the key array 28 . the bubble 36 is defined by a raised wall 38 which approximates the heights of the key side walls 32 and extends around an outer periphery of the key array 28 so as to encircle the key array 28 . a generally planar cover 40 extends from the raised wall 38 of the bubble 36 and overlays the top surface 30 of the plurality of keys 26 comprising the key array 28 . thus , a single bubble 36 is formed which substantially envelopes the key array 28 . the bubble 36 is positioned immediately adjacent to the side walls 32 of the peripheral keys 26 of the key array 28 so that the planar base 34 of the membrane substantially rests upon the deck portion 20 of the frame 18 . the shield 10 as described above protects the keyboard assembly 16 from water , dust and other contaminants while universally fitting over the key array 28 of any commercially available keyboard assembly 16 . with reference now to fig2 the key array 28 can actually be divided into a number of key clusters . for example , a top row of keys 26 comprising the “ escape ”, “ functions 1 - 12 ”, “ print screen ”, “ scroll ”, “ pause break ”, and in certain models “ number lock ”, “ caps lock ”, and “ scroll lock ” are aligned with one another and form what is referred to collectively in this application as a function - key cluster 42 . the spacing between the keys 26 of the function - key cluster 42 varies from keyboard assembly manufacturer , with some manufacturers including the number lock , caps lock or scroll lock keys , while others not including these raised keys . all commercially available keyboard assemblies 16 also include a 10 - key cluster 44 comprising a “ numbers lock ”, “/”, “*”, “−”, “ 7 ”, “ 8 ”, “ 9 ”, “+”, “ 4 ”, “ 5 ”, “ 6 ”, “ 1 ”, “ 2 ”, “ 3 ”, “ 0 ”, “.”, and “ enter ” keys 26 . all commercially available keyboard assemblies 16 also include what is referred to in this application as a cursor - key cluster 46 comprising the “ insert ”, “ home ”, “ page up ”, “ delete ”, “ end ”, “ page down ”, and directional arrow or cursor keys . each commercially available keyboard assembly 16 also includes what is referred to in this application as an alpha - numeric and format / command key cluster 48 comprising the alphabetical , numeric , punctuation and symbols ( including “−”, “ _ ”, “+”, “=”, “{”, “[”, “}”, “]”, “:”, “;”, “″”, “′”, “& lt ;”, “,”, “& gt ;”, “.”, “?”, “/”), “ back space ”, “ tab ”, “ caps lock ”, “ enter ”, “ right and left shift ”, “ control ”, “ alt ”, “ space bar ” and “˜/” keys . different manufacturers may place additional keys within the alpha - numeric and format / command key cluster 48 which are specific in use to the keyboard assembly 16 and machine to which it is operably connected . these unique keys are typically placed on either side of the “ space bar key ”. thus , the “ space bar key ” can be of varying lengths depending upon the keyboard assembly 16 type . with continuing reference to fig2 a shield 12 embodying the present invention is shown which is similar to that described in fig1 but having a plurality of key cluster bubbles 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 . a function - key cluster bubble 50 includes a raised wall 38 which encircles the function - key cluster 42 keys 26 . a cover 40 extends from the raised wall 38 so that the bubble 50 envelopes the keys 26 of the function - key cluster 42 . it will be noted that the function - key cluster bubble 50 extends across the entire length of the function - key cluster 42 , whether there are any number , caps , or scroll lock keys or not so as to accommodate keyboard assemblies 16 having such raised keys . similarly , a 10 - key cluster bubble 52 envelopes the keys 26 of the 10 - key cluster 44 . with reference to fig4 raised walls 38 of the bubble 52 encircle the outer periphery of the 10 - key cluster 44 , and a cover 40 extends from the raised wall 38 so as to envelope the 10 - key cluster keys 26 . likewise , a cursor - key cluster bubble 54 , and alpha - numeric and format / command key cluster bubble 56 envelope the cursor - key cluster 46 and alpha - numeric and format / command key cluster 48 , respectively . as shown in fig4 the planar base 34 of the shield membrane overlays the deck portion 20 between the various key clusters 42 - 48 . the planar base 34 also preferably extends over the frame sidewalls 22 for attachment to the obverse face 24 of the frame 18 with adhesive or double - sided tape 58 or other appropriate attachment means . however , the planar base 34 can extend only to the farthest edge of the desk 20 and be secured there or on the sidewalls 22 . referring back to fig3 the function - key cluster bubble 50 and alpha - numeric and format / command key cluster bubble 56 are shown with the shield membrane forming a “ v ” instead of lying substantially parallel to or on the deck 20 between these bubbles 50 and 56 . this is due to the fact that there is a variable distance of a fraction of an inch between the function - key cluster 42 and the other key clusters 44 - 48 between makes and model of keyboard assemblies 16 , necessitating the “ v ” configuration . the “ v ” configuration provides maximum width for bubbles 52 - 54 which permits optimal , lateral space to the left or right of the key clusters 44 - 46 covered by these bubbles . it has also been found that there are slight variations in distance between the 10 - key cluster 44 and cursor - key cluster 46 between the various brand names and models . thus , as illustrated in fig2 a similar “ v ” configuration in the shield 10 between the key clusters 44 and 46 can be utilized to accommodate for this variable distance . alternatively , a single bubble 62 could envelop the keys 26 of both the 10 - key cluster 44 and the cursor - key cluster 46 referred to herein as a combined 10 - key and cursor - key cluster , as shown in fig7 . although the spacing between the cursor - key cluster 46 and the alpha - numeric and format / command key cluster 48 is fairly standard , such a “ v ” configuration could be formed between the bubbles 54 - 56 enveloping these key clusters 46 - 48 as well if found necessary . with reference now to fig5 yet another shield 14 embodying the present invention is illustrated , wherein the shield 14 includes function - key cluster bubble 50 overlying the function keys 42 , and a single bubble 57 overlying the 10 - key cluster 44 , cursor - key cluster 46 , and alpha - numeric and format / command key cluster 48 . grooves 60 are formed in the alphanumeric and format / command key cluster 48 so that the bubble 57 substantially surrounds and form - fits only to the alphabetical , numeric , and punctuation and symbol keys 26 . the form - fitted keys comprise what is known in the art as the four alpha - numeric rows . that portion of the bubble 57 being grooved to form - fit the alpha - numeric keys is designated by the reference number 59 in fig5 and 6 . regardless of the keyboard assembly 16 type , the four rows of alpha - numeric keys are of the same size and configuration . thus , no matter the model or brand of the computer keyboard , the alpha - numeric rows including the keys 26 illustrated can be substantially form - fitted within the bubble 57 . it will be noted that the “ backspace ” key , “˜−′”, “ enter ”, “ tab ”, “ shift ”, “ ctrl ”, “ alt ”, “ space bar ”, and other formatting and command keys are not form - fitted as these keys vary in size , configuration , and placement between the various keyboard assemblies 16 . thus , the bubble 57 forms a uniform bubble having a generally planar cover 40 over the 10 - key cluster keys 44 , cursor - key cluster keys 46 , and format and command keys of the alpha - numeric and format / command key cluster 48 , with the alpha - numeric and punctuation keys being form - fitted . of course , the bubble 57 could be altered so that not all of the alpha - numeric or punctuation keys are form - fitted . for example , the punctuation and symbol keys could underlie the generally planar cover 40 and not be form - fitted . however , it is preferable that the alpha - numeric and punctuation and symbol keys which are universally common between the various model and brand keyboard assemblies 16 be form - fitted so as to preserve their “ touch ” and “ feel ”. of course , the four alpha - numeric rows in any of the previously described and illustrated embodiments could be form - fitted as well while retaining the configuration of the bubble ( s ) 50 - 56 . aside from providing a natural feel to the keystroke of each of these keys 26 , these alpha - numeric and punctuation keys can be covered by the opaque , one - size - fits - all computer keyboard cover disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 050 , 825 by nichol et al ., which facilitates memorization of these keys . thus , this shield 14 when covered by the opaque cover of nichols et al . can be used to facilitate memorization of the alphabetical , numerical , and punctuation keys , as well as providing a protective cover which can be used universally on all commercially available keyboard assemblies 16 . it will therefore be appreciated that the present invention provides a protective shield 10 - 14 for a keyboard assembly 16 which totally prevents contamination of the keyboard assembly 16 by completely encapsulating a top surface keyboard array 28 and deck 20 . the present invention also permits the retention , to varying degrees , of the “ touch ” or “ feel ” of the individual keys 26 by the operator of the keyboard assembly 16 . of particular importance , the shields 10 - 14 of the present invention are configured such that they can be used on any commercially available keyboard assembly 16 , eliminating the expensive requirement to manufacture and pre - order very specific keyboard covers according to model and brand type . ultimately , the invention could be manufactured as a disposable cover for use in hospitals , doctor and dentist offices . these could be manufactured very thin so as to become a single - use , disposable product . such a cover would be particularly advantageous due to the concern for hazardous bio - waste which routinely contaminates keyboards in these settings . additionally , the invention could be manufactured as an inexpensive , disposable cover for use in school classrooms , libraries , and offices in order to minimize the spread of contagious viruses and bacteria . although several embodiments have been described in detail for purposes of illustration , various modifications may be made to each without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . accordingly , the invention is not to be limited , except as by the appended claims .
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fig1 shows a semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the present invention , wherein ( a ), ( b ) and ( c ) are a schematic diagram of the semiconductor device in a plane view , a sectional view taken along the line x - x ′ in ( a ) and a sectional view taken along the line y - y ′ in ( a ), respectively . ( a ) is a top plan view in which some part is hatched for distinguishing regions . some components are hatched in a plane view for distinguishing regions . only two sectional views of the semiconductor device are shown for the easy of viewing . the semiconductor device according to this embodiment comprises : a first inverter 237 arranged at an intersection of the 1st row and the 1st column , wherein the first inverter 237 includes a first island - shaped silicon layer 137 , a first gate dielectric film 187 ( a ) surrounding a periphery of the first island - shaped silicon layer 137 , a first gate electrode 178 surrounding a periphery of the first gate dielectric film 187 ( a ), a second gate dielectric film 187 ( b ) surrounding a part of a periphery of the first gate electrode 178 , a first arc - shaped silicon layer 141 in contact with a part of a periphery of the second gate dielectric film , a first p +- type silicon layer 161 arranged on a top of the first island - shaped silicon layer 137 , a second p +- type silicon layer 162 arranged underneath the first island - shaped silicon layer 137 , a first n +- type silicon layer 154 arranged on a top of the first arc - shaped silicon layer 141 , and a second n +- type silicon layer 156 arranged underneath the first arc - shaped silicon layer 141 ; a second inverter 240 arranged at an intersection of the 2nd row and the 2nd column , wherein the second inverter 240 includes a second island - shaped silicon layer , a third gate dielectric film surrounding a periphery of the second island - shaped silicon layer , a second gate electrode 181 surrounding a periphery of the third gate dielectric film , a fourth gate dielectric film surrounding a part of a periphery of the second gate electrode 181 , a second arc - shaped silicon layer in contact with a part of a periphery of the fourth gate dielectric film , a third p +- type silicon layer arranged on a top of the second island - shaped silicon layer , a fourth p +- type silicon layer arranged underneath the second island - shaped silicon layer , a third n +- type silicon layer arranged on a top of the second arc - shaped silicon layer , and a fourth n +- type silicon layer arranged underneath the second arc - shaped silicon layer ; a first selection transistor 239 arranged at an intersection of the 1st row and the 2nd column , wherein the first selection transistor 239 includes a third island - shaped silicon layer 138 , a fifth gate dielectric film 188 surrounding a periphery of the third island - shaped silicon layer 138 , a third gate electrode 179 surrounding a periphery of the fifth gate dielectric film 188 , a fifth n +- type silicon layer 155 arranged on a top of the third island - shaped silicon layer 138 , and a sixth n +- type silicon layer 157 arranged underneath the third island - shaped silicon layer 138 ; a second selection transistor 242 arranged at an intersection of the 2nd row and the 1st column , wherein the second selection transistor 242 includes a fourth island - shaped silicon layer 139 , a sixth gate dielectric film 189 surrounding a periphery of the fourth island - shaped silicon layer 139 , a fourth gate electrode 180 surrounding a periphery of the sixth gate dielectric film 189 , a seventh n +- type silicon layer 158 arranged on a top of the fourth island - shaped silicon layer 139 , and an eighth n +- type silicon layer 156 arranged underneath the fourth island - shaped silicon layer 139 ; a fifth p +- type silicon layer 143 arranged underneath the second p +- type silicon layer 162 , the second n +- type silicon layer 156 and the eighth n +- type silicon layer 156 ; a sixth p +- type silicon layer 144 arranged underneath the fourth p +- type silicon layer , the fourth n +- type silicon layer and the sixth n +- type silicon layer 157 ; a first silicon - metal compound layer 204 formed on a part of respective sidewalls of the second n +- type silicon layer 156 and the fifth p +- type silicon layer 143 ; a second silicon - metal compound layer 201 formed on the eighth n +- type silicon layer 156 and the fifth p +- type silicon layer 143 ; a third silicon - metal compound layer 205 formed on a part of respective sidewalls of the fourth n +- type silicon layer and the sixth p +- type silicon layer 144 ; a fourth silicon - metal compound layer 198 formed on the sixth n +- type silicon layer 157 and the sixth p +- type silicon layer 144 ; a fifth silicon - metal compound layer 197 formed on the first p +- type silicon layer 161 ; a sixth silicon - metal compound layer 196 formed on the first n +- type silicon layer 154 ; a seventh silicon - metal compound layer formed on the third p +- type silicon layer ; an eighth silicon - metal compound layer formed on the third n +- type silicon layer ; a ninth silicon - metal compound layer 199 formed on the fifth n +- type silicon layer 155 ; a tenth silicon - metal compound layer 200 formed on the seventh n +- type silicon layer 158 ; a first contact 209 connecting the first gate electrode 178 and the fourth silicon - metal compound layer 198 ; and a second contact 210 connecting the second gate electrode 181 and the second silicon - metal compound layer 201 . a contact 221 is formed on the fifth silicon - metal compound layer 197 . a contact 220 is formed on the sixth silicon - metal compound layer 196 . a contact 226 is formed on the seventh silicon - metal compound layer . a contact 227 is formed on the eighth silicon - metal compound layer . a contact 222 is formed on the ninth silicon - metal compound layer 199 . a contact 225 is formed on the tenth silicon - metal compound layer 200 . a contact 223 is formed on the third gate electrode 179 . a contact 224 is formed on the fourth gate electrode 180 . a first level metal 228 is formed on the contact 220 . a first level metal 229 is formed on the contact 221 . a first level metal 230 is formed on the contact 222 . a first level metal 231 is formed on the contact 223 . a first level metal 232 is formed on the contact 224 . a first level metal 233 is formed on the contact 225 . a first level metal 234 is formed on the contact 226 . a first level metal 235 is formed on the contact 227 . in the above manner , an sram memory cell is formed . the above semiconductor device is configured to satisfy the following condition : wp 1 ≈ 2wn 1 , wherein wp 1 is an outer peripheral length of the first island - shaped silicon layer 137 , and wn 1 is a length of an arc of the first arc - shaped silicon layer 141 in contact with a part of the periphery of the second gate dielectric film 187 ( b ). thus , a gate width of a pmos transistor can be set to be twice as large as that of an nmos transistor . in this case , it is preferable to satisfy the following condition : ln 1 ≈ lp 1 , wherein ln 1 is a channel length of the first arc - shaped silicon layer 141 , and lp 1 is a channel length of the first island - shaped silicon layer 137 . the above semiconductor device is also configured to satisfy the following condition : wp 2 ≈ 2wn 2 , wherein wp 2 is an outer peripheral length of the second island - shaped silicon layer , and wn 2 is a length of an arc of the second arc - shaped silicon layer in contact with a part of the periphery of the fourth gate dielectric film . thus , a gate width of a pmos transistor can be set to be twice as large as that of an nmos transistor . in this case , it is preferable to satisfy the following condition : ln 2 ≈ lp 2 , wherein ln 2 is a channel length of the second arc - shaped silicon layer , and lp 2 is a channel length of the second island - shaped silicon layer . with reference to fig2 , one example of a production process for forming a structure of the semiconductor device according to this embodiment will be described below . in these figures , the same elements or components are defined by a common reference numeral or code . each of fig2 to fig6 shows a step in the example of the production process , wherein the figure suffixed with ( a ), the figure suffixed with ( b ) and the figure suffixed with ( c ) are a top plan view , a sectional view taken along the line x - x ′ in the figure suffixed with ( a ), and a sectional view taken along the line y - y ′ in the figure suffixed with ( a ), respectively . ( a ) are top plan views in which some part is hatched for distinguishing regions . referring to fig2 , boron ( b ) is implanted into a p - type or non - doped silicon layer 103 formed on an oxide layer 101 to form a p +- type silicon layer 102 therein . referring to fig3 , a resist 104 for forming an n - type silicon layer is formed . in cases where after - mentioned silicon layers 105 , 106 are formed as a non - doped type , this step is unnecessary . referring to fig4 , two n - type silicon layers 105 , 106 are formed by implantation of phosphorus ( p ). in cases where these silicon layers 105 , 106 are formed as a non - doped type , this step is unnecessary . referring to fig5 , the resist 104 is stripped away , and then a heat treatment is performed . in cases where the silicon layers 105 , 106 are formed as a non - doped type , this step is unnecessary . referring to fig6 , an oxide film 107 is deposited , and then a nitride film 108 is deposited . referring to fig7 , four resists 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 for forming four ( first , second , third , and fourth ) island - shaped silicon layers is formed . referring to fig8 , the nitride film 108 and the oxide film 107 are etched to form four nitride films 113 , 114 , 115 ( one of the nitride films is indicated by the reference numeral 116 in fig9 , etc .) and four oxide films 117 , 118 , 119 ( one of the oxide films is not indicated by a reference numeral ). referring to fig9 , the resists 109 , 110 , 111 , 112 are stripped away . referring to fig1 , an oxide film 121 is deposited . referring to fig1 , the oxide film 121 is etched to form four oxide film - based sidewalls 122 , 123 , 124 , 125 . referring to fig1 , a nitride film 126 is deposited . referring to fig1 , the nitride film 126 is etched to form four nitride film - based sidewalls 127 , 128 , 129 , 130 . referring to fig1 , four resists 131 , 132 , 133 , 134 are formed . referring to fig1 , the nitride film - based sidewalls 127 , 128 , 129 , 130 are etched to form two nitride film - based hard masks 127 ( one of the nitride film - based hard masks is indicated by the reference numeral 130 in fig1 , etc .) for forming first and second arc - shaped silicon layers . referring to fig1 , the oxide film - based sidewalls 122 , 123 , 124 , 125 are etched . referring to fig1 , the resists 131 , 132 , 133 , 134 are stripped away . referring to fig1 , two resists 135 , 136 for forming a diffusion - layer interconnection section is formed . referring to fig1 , the silicon layer 103 is etched to form a diffusion - layer interconnection section thereon . referring to fig2 , the resists 135 , 136 are stripped away . referring to fig2 , the oxide film - based sidewalls 122 , 123 , 124 , 125 are etched away . referring to fig2 , the silicon layer 103 and silicon layers 105 , 106 are etched to form a first island - shaped silicon layer 137 , a third island - shaped silicon layer 138 , a fourth island - shaped silicon layer 139 , a second island - shaped silicon layer ( indicated by the reference numeral 140 in fig2 , etc ), a first arc - shaped silicon layer 141 , a second arc - shaped silicon layer ( indicated by the reference numeral 142 in fig2 , etc ), and fifth and sixth p +- type silicon layers 143 , 144 . referring to fig2 , the nitride films 113 , 114 , 115 , 116 and the oxide films 117 , 118 , 119 are stripped away . referring to fig2 , a nitride film 145 is deposited . referring to fig2 , the nitride film 145 is etched to form six nitride film - based sidewalls 146 , 147 , 148 , 149 , 150 , 151 for protecting channel regions during ion implantation in a subsequent step . referring to fig2 , two resists 152 , 153 for forming an n +- type silicon layer are formed . referring to fig2 , arsenic ( as ) is implanted to form a first n +- type silicon layer 154 , a second n +- type silicon layer 156 , a third n +- type silicon layer 159 , a fourth n +- type silicon layer 157 , a fifth n +- type silicon layer 155 , a sixth n +- type silicon layer 157 , a seventh n +- type silicon layer 158 and an eighth n +- type silicon layer 156 . referring to fig2 , the resists 152 , 153 are stripped away . referring to fig2 , a resist 160 for forming a p +- type silicon layer is formed . referring to fig3 , boron ( b ) is implanted to form a first p +- type silicon layer 161 , a second p +- type silicon layer 162 , a third p +- type silicon layer 163 and a fourth p +- type silicon layer 164 . referring to fig3 , the resist 160 is stripped away , and then a heat treatment is performed . referring to fig3 , an oxide film 165 is deposited , and then subjected to flattening and etching - back to expose the first n +- type silicon layer 154 , the third n +- type silicon layer 159 , the fifth n +- type silicon layer 155 , the seventh n +- type silicon layer 158 , the first p +- type silicon layer 161 and the third p +- type silicon layer 163 . referring to fig3 , a resist 166 for forming a gate section is formed . referring to fig3 , a portion of the oxide film 165 corresponding to the gate section is etched . referring to fig3 , the resist 166 is stripped away . referring to fig3 , the nitride film - based sidewalls 148 , 149 , 150 , 151 are etched away . referring to fig3 , a high - k ( high - dielectric constant ) film 167 is deposited , and then a metal 168 , such as titanium nitride ( tin ), is deposited . referring to fig3 , a nitride film 169 is deposited . referring to fig3 , four resists 170 , 171 , 172 , 173 for forming a gate pad is formed . referring to fig4 , the nitride film 169 is etched to form four nitride film - based hard masks 174 , 175 ( two of the nitride film - based hard masks are indicated by the reference numerals 176 , 177 in fig4 , etc .) referring to fig4 , the resists 170 , 171 , 172 , 173 are stripped away . referring to fig4 , the metal 168 is etched to form first to fourth gate electrodes 178 , 181 , 179 , 180 . referring to fig4 , a nitride film 182 is deposited . referring to fig4 , the nitride film 182 is etched to form four nitride film - based sidewalls 183 , 184 , 185 , 186 . referring to fig4 , the high - k film is etched to form first to six high - k films ( gate dielectric films ) 187 ( a ), 187 ( b ), 190 , 190 , 188 , 189 . referring to fig4 , for resists 191 , 192 , 193 , 194 for etching the oxide film 165 is formed . referring to fig4 , the oxide film 165 is dry - etched . referring to fig4 , the resists 191 , 192 , 193 , 194 are stripped away . referring to fig4 , the oxide film 165 is wet - etched . referring to fig5 , a nitride film 195 is deposited . referring to fig5 , the nitride film 195 is etched to form nitride film - based sidewalls 195 . referring to fig5 , the oxide film 165 is dry - etched . referring to fig5 , the oxide film 165 is wet - etched to expose the nitride film - based sidewalls 146 , 147 . referring to fig5 , the nitride film - based sidewalls 195 are etched , and a part of the nitride film - based sidewalls 146 , 147 is etched , to expose a part of respective sidewalls of the second n +- type silicon layer 156 , the fifth p +- type silicon layer 143 , and a part of respective sidewalls of the fourth n +- type silicon layer 157 and the sixth p +- type silicon layer 144 . referring to fig5 , a metal , such as nickel ( ni ) or cobalt ( co ), is deposited . subsequently , a heat treatment is performed , and then an unreacted metal film is removed , to obtain a first silicon - metal compound layer 204 formed on a part of the sidewalls of the second n +- type silicon layer 156 and the fifth p +- type silicon layer 143 , a second silicon - metal compound layer 201 formed on the eighth n + silicon layer 156 and the fifth p +- type silicon layer 143 , a third silicon - metal compound layer 205 formed on a part of the sidewalls of the fourth n +- type silicon layer 157 and the sixth p +- type silicon layer 144 , a fourth silicon - metal compound layer 198 formed on the sixth n +- type silicon layer 157 and the sixth p +- type silicon layer 144 ; a fifth silicon - metal compound layer 197 formed on the first p +- type silicon layer 161 , a sixth silicon - metal compound layer 196 formed on the first n +- type silicon layer 154 , a seventh silicon - metal compound layer 202 formed on the third p +- type silicon layer 163 , an eighth silicon - metal compound layer 203 formed on the third n +- type silicon layer 159 , a ninth silicon - metal compound layer 199 formed on the fifth n +- type silicon layer 155 , and a tenth silicon - metal compound layer 200 formed on the seventh n +- type silicon layer 158 . referring to fig5 , an interlayer film 206 , such as an oxide film , is formed . referring to fig5 , a contact hole 207 is formed to expose a part of the first gate electrode 178 and the fourth silicon - metal compound layer 198 , and a contact hole 208 is formed to expose a part of the second gate electrode 181 and the second silicon - metal compound layer 201 . referring to fig5 , a metal , such as tungsten ( w ), is deposited to form first and second contacts 209 , 210 . referring to fig5 , an interlayer film 211 is formed . referring to fig6 , a contact hole 212 is formed on the third gate electrode 179 , and a contact hole 213 is formed on the fourth gate electrode 180 . referring to fig6 , a contact hole 214 is formed on the sixth silicon - metal compound layer 196 , and a contact hole 215 is formed on the eighth silicon - metal compound layer 203 . referring to fig6 , four contact holes 216 , 217 , 218 , 219 are formed on the fifth silicon - metal compound layer 197 , the ninth silicon - metal compound layer 199 , the tenth silicon - metal compound layer 200 and the seventh silicon - metal compound layer 202 , respectively . referring to fig6 , a metal , such as tungsten ( w ), is deposited to form eight contacts 220 , 221 , 222 , 223 , 224 , 225 , 226 , 227 . referring to fig6 , eight first level metals 228 , 229 , 230 , 231 , 232 , 233 , 234 , 235 are formed on respective ones of the eight contacts . referring to fig6 , an interlayer film 236 is formed . in the above manner , an sram memory cell is formed . with reference to fig6 to 72 , one example of a semiconductor device structure formed by arranging the semiconductor device according to the above embodiment in a three - row by three - column array . in these figures , the same elements or components are defined by a common reference numeral or code . fig6 shows the semiconductor device structure formed by arranging the semiconductor device according to the above embodiment in a three - row by three - column array . fig6 shows an inverter output terminal layer in the semiconductor device structure , and fig6 shows a transistor layer in the semiconductor device structure . fig6 shows a contact layer and a first level metal layer in the semiconductor device structure , and fig7 shows a second level metal layer , and a first level via ( a contact between the first level metal layer and the second level metal layer ), in the semiconductor device structure . fig7 shows a third level metal layer , and a second level via ( a contact between the second level metal layer and the third level metal layer ), in the semiconductor device structure , and fig7 shows a fourth level metal layer , and a third level via ( a contact between the third level metal layer and the fourth level metal layer ), in the semiconductor device structure . an inverter 319 is arranged at an intersection of the 1st row and the 1st column . a selection transistor 337 is arranged at an intersection of the 1st row and the 2nd column . a selection transistor 340 is arranged at an intersection of the 2nd row and the 1st column . an inverter 322 is arranged at an intersection of the 2nd row and the 2nd column . the inverter 319 and the selection transistor 340 are connected to each other by an output terminal 301 . the inverter 322 and the selection transistor 337 are connected to each other by an output terminal 302 . an input terminal 355 of the inverter 319 is connected to the output terminal 302 via a contact 374 . an input terminal 358 of the inverter 322 is connected to the output terminal 301 via a contact 373 . an inverter 320 is arranged at an intersection of the 1st row and the 4th column . a selection transistor 338 is arranged at an intersection of the 1st row and the 3rd column . a selection transistor 341 is arranged at an intersection of the 2nd row and the 4th column . an inverter 323 is arranged at an intersection of the 2nd row and the 3rd column . the inverter 323 and the selection transistor 338 are connected to each other by an output terminal 303 . the inverter 320 and the selection transistor 341 are connected to each other by an output terminal 304 . an input terminal 359 of the inverter 323 is connected to the output terminal 304 via a contact 376 . an input terminal 356 of the inverter 320 is connected to the output terminal 303 via a contact 375 . an inverter 321 is arranged at an intersection of the 1st row and the 5th column . a selection transistor 339 is arranged at an intersection of the 1st row and the 6th column . a selection transistor 342 is arranged at an intersection of the 2nd row and the 5th column . an inverter 324 is arranged at an intersection of the 2nd row and the 6th column . the inverter 321 and the selection transistor 342 are connected to each other by an output terminal 305 . the inverter 324 and the selection transistor 339 are connected to each other by an output terminal 306 . an input terminal 357 of the inverter 321 is connected to the output terminal 306 via a contact 378 . an input terminal 360 of the inverter 324 is connected to the output terminal 305 via a contact 377 . the selection transistor 340 has a gate electrode 393 . the selection transistor 337 and the selection transistor 338 have a gate electrode 391 . the selection transistor 341 and the selection transistor 342 have a gate electrode 394 . the selection transistor 339 has a gate electrode 392 . an inverter 325 is arranged at an intersection of the 3rd row and the 2nd column . a selection transistor 343 is arranged at an intersection of the 3rd row and the 1st column . a selection transistor 346 is arranged at an intersection of the 4th row and the 2nd column . an inverter 328 is arranged at an intersection of the 4th row and the 1st column . the inverter 328 and the selection transistor 343 are connected to each other by an output terminal 307 . the inverter 325 and the selection transistor 346 are connected to each other by an output terminal 308 . an input terminal 364 of the inverter 328 is connected to the output terminal 308 via a contact 380 . an input terminal 361 of the inverter 325 is connected to the output terminal 307 via a contact 379 . an inverter 326 is arranged at an intersection of the 3rd row and the 3rd column . a selection transistor 344 is arranged at an intersection of the 3rd row and the 4th column . a selection transistor 347 is arranged at an intersection of the 4th row and the 3rd column . an inverter 329 is arranged at an intersection of the 4th row and the 4th column . the inverter 326 and the selection transistor 347 are connected to each other by an output terminal 309 . the inverter 329 and the selection transistor 344 are connected to each other by an output terminal 310 . an input terminal 362 of the inverter 326 is connected to the output terminal 310 via a contact 382 . an input terminal 365 of the inverter 329 is connected to the output terminal 309 via a contact 381 . an inverter 327 is arranged at an intersection of the 3rd row and the 6th column . a selection transistor 345 is arranged at an intersection of the 3rd row and the 5th column . a selection transistor 348 is arranged at an intersection of the 4th row and the 6th column . an inverter 330 is arranged at an intersection of the 4th row and the 5th column . the inverter 330 and the selection transistor 345 are connected to each other by an output terminal 311 . the inverter 327 and the selection transistor 348 are connected to each other by an output terminal 312 . an input terminal 366 of the inverter 330 is connected to the output terminal 312 via a contact 384 . an input terminal 363 of the inverter 327 is connected to the output terminal 311 via a contact 383 . the selection transistor 343 has a gate electrode 395 . the selection transistor 346 and the selection transistor 347 have a gate electrode 397 . the selection transistor 344 and the selection transistor 345 have a gate electrode 396 . the selection transistor 348 has a gate electrode 398 . an inverter 331 is arranged at an intersection of the 5th row and the 1st column . a selection transistor 349 is arranged at an intersection of the 5th row and the 2nd column . a selection transistor 352 is arranged at an intersection of the 6th row and the 1st column . an inverter 334 is arranged at an intersection of the 6th row and the 2nd column . the inverter 331 and the selection transistor 352 are connected to each other by an output terminal 313 . the inverter 334 and the selection transistor 349 are connected to each other by an output terminal 314 . an input terminal 367 of the inverter 331 is connected to the output terminal 314 via a contact 386 . an input terminal 370 of the inverter 334 is connected to the output terminal 313 via a contact 385 . an inverter 332 is arranged at an intersection of the 5th row and the 4th column . a selection transistor 350 is arranged at an intersection of the 5th row and the 3rd column . a selection transistor 353 is arranged at an intersection of the 6th row and the 4th column . an inverter 335 is arranged at an intersection of the 6th row and the 3rd column . the inverter 335 and the selection transistor 350 are connected to each other by an output terminal 315 . the inverter 332 and the selection transistor 353 are connected to each other by an output terminal 316 . an input terminal 371 of the inverter 335 is connected to the output terminal 316 via a contact 388 . an input terminal 368 of the inverter 332 is connected to the output terminal 315 via a contact 387 . an inverter 333 is arranged at an intersection of the 5th row and the 5th column . a selection transistor 351 is arranged at an intersection of the 5th row and the 6th column . a selection transistor 354 is arranged at an intersection of the 6th row and the 5th column . an inverter 336 is arranged at an intersection of the 6th row and the 6th column . the inverter 333 and the selection transistor 354 are connected to each other by an output terminal 317 . the inverter 336 and the selection transistor 351 are connected to each other by an output terminal 318 . an input terminal 369 of the inverter 333 is connected to the output terminal 318 via a contact 390 . an input terminal 372 of the inverter 336 is connected to the output terminal 317 via a contact 389 . the selection transistor 352 has a gate electrode 401 . the selection transistor 349 and the selection transistor 350 have a gate electrode 399 . the selection transistor 353 and the selection transistor 354 have a gate electrode 402 . the selection transistor 351 has a gate electrode 400 . a contact 403 is arranged on an nmos transistor of the inverter 319 , and a contact 404 is arranged on a pmos transistor of the inverter 319 . a contact 412 is arranged on the selection transistor 340 . a contact 414 is arranged on an nmos transistor of the inverter 322 , and a contact 413 is arranged on a pmos transistor of the inverter 322 . a contact 405 is arranged on the selection transistor 337 . the contact 414 is also arranged on an nmos transistor of the inverter 323 , and a contact 415 is arranged on a pmos transistor of the inverter 323 . a contact 407 is arranged on the selection transistor 338 . a contact 409 is arranged on an nmos transistor of the inverter 320 , and a contact 408 is arranged on a pmos transistor of the inverter 320 . a contact 416 is arranged on the selection transistor 341 . the contact 409 is also arranged on an nmos transistor of the inverter 321 , and a contact 410 is arranged on a pmos transistor of the inverter 321 . a contact 418 is arranged on the selection transistor 342 . a contact 420 is arranged on an nmos transistor of the inverter 324 , and a contact 419 is arranged on a pmos transistor of the inverter 324 . a contact 411 is arranged on the selection transistor 339 . a contact 406 is arranged on the gate electrode 391 , and a contact 417 is arranged on the gate electrode 394 . a contact 430 is arranged on an nmos transistor of the inverter 328 , and a contact 431 is arranged on a pmos transistor of the inverter 328 . a contact 421 is arranged on the selection transistor 343 . a contact 423 is arranged on an nmos transistor of the inverter 325 , and a contact 422 is arranged on a pmos transistor of the inverter 325 . a contact 432 is arranged on the selection transistor 346 . the contact 423 is also arranged on an nmos transistor of the inverter 326 , and a contact 424 is arranged on a pmos transistor of the inverter 326 . a contact 434 is arranged on the selection transistor 347 . a contact 436 is arranged on an nmos transistor of the inverter 329 , and a contact 435 is arranged on a pmos transistor of the inverter 329 . a contact 425 is arranged on the selection transistor 344 . the contact 436 is also arranged on an nmos transistor of the inverter 330 , and a contact 437 is arranged on a pmos transistor of the inverter 330 . a contact 427 is arranged on the selection transistor 345 . a contact 429 is arranged on an nmos transistor of the inverter 327 , and a contact 428 is arranged on a pmos transistor of the inverter 327 . a contact 438 is arranged on the selection transistor 348 . a contact 433 is arranged on the gate electrode 397 , and a contact 426 is arranged on the gate electrode 396 . a contact 439 is arranged on an nmos transistor of the inverter 331 , and a contact 440 is arranged on a pmos transistor of the inverter 331 . a contact 448 is arranged on the selection transistor 352 . a contact 450 is arranged on an nmos transistor of the inverter 334 , and a contact 449 is arranged on a pmos transistor of the inverter 334 . a contact 441 is arranged on the selection transistor 349 . the contact 450 is also arranged on an nmos transistor of the inverter 335 , and a contact 451 is arranged on a pmos transistor of the inverter 335 . a contact 443 is arranged on the selection transistor 350 . a contact 445 is arranged on an nmos transistor of the inverter 332 , and a contact 444 is arranged on a pmos transistor of the inverter 332 . a contact 452 is arranged on the selection transistor 353 . the contact 445 is also arranged on an nmos transistor of the inverter 333 , and a contact 446 is arranged on a pmos transistor of the inverter 333 . a contact 454 is arranged on the selection transistor 354 . a contact 456 is arranged on an nmos transistor of the inverter 336 , and a contact 455 is arranged on a pmos transistor of the inverter 336 . a contact 447 is arranged on the selection transistor 351 . a contact 442 is arranged on the gate electrode 399 , and a contact 453 is arranged on the gate electrode 402 . a first level metal 457 is connected to the contact 403 , and a first level metal 458 is connected to the contact 404 . a first level metal 459 is connected to the contact 405 , and a first level metal 460 is connected to the contact 406 . a first level metal 461 is connected to the contact 407 , and a first level metal 462 is connected to the contact 408 . a first level metal 463 is connected to the contact 409 , and a first level metal 464 is connected to the contact 410 . a first level metal 465 is connected to the contact 411 . a first level metal 466 is connected to the contacts 412 , 421 , and a first level metal 467 is connected to the contacts 413 , 422 . a first level metal 468 is connected to the contacts 414 , 423 , and a first level metal 469 is connected to the contacts 415 , 424 . a first level metal 470 is connected to the contacts 416 , 425 . a first level metal 471 is connected to the contact 417 , and a first level metal 472 is connected to the contact 472 . a first level metal 473 is connected to the contacts 418 , 427 . a first level metal 474 is connected to the contacts 419 , 428 , and a first level metal 475 is connected to the contacts 420 , 429 . a first level metal 476 is connected to the contacts 430 , 439 , and a first level metal 477 is connected to the contacts 431 , 440 . a first level metal 478 is connected to the contacts 432 , 441 . a first level metal 479 is connected to the contact 433 , and a first level metal 480 is connected to the contact 442 . a first level metal 481 is connected to the contacts 434 , 443 . a first level metal 482 is connected to the contacts 435 , 444 , and a first level metal 483 is connected to the contacts 436 , 445 . a first level metal 484 is connected to the contacts 437 , 446 , and a first level metal 485 is connected to the contacts 438 , 447 . a first level metal 486 is connected to the contact 448 , and a first level metal 487 is connected to the contact 449 . a first level metal 488 is connected to the contact 450 , and a first level metal 489 is connected to the contact 451 . a first level metal 490 is connected to the contact 452 , and a first level metal 491 is connected to the contact 453 . a first level metal 492 is connected to the contact 454 , and a first level metal 493 is connected to the contact 455 . a first level metal 494 is connected to the contact 456 . a first level via 495 is arranged on the first level metal 460 , and a first level via 496 is arranged on the first level metal 471 . a first level via 497 is arranged on the first level metal 466 , and a first level via 498 is arranged on the first level metal 467 . a first level via 499 is arranged on the first level metal 468 , and a first level via 500 is arranged on the first level metal 469 . a first level via 501 is arranged on the first level metal 470 , and a first level via 502 is arranged on the first level metal 473 . a first level via 503 is arranged on the first level metal 474 . a first level via 505 is arranged on the first level metal 479 , and a first level via 504 is arranged on the first level metal 472 . a first level via 506 is arranged on the first level metal 477 , and a first level via 507 is arranged on the first level metal 478 . a first level via 508 is arranged on the first level metal 481 , and a first level via 509 is arranged on the first level metal 482 . a first level via 510 is arranged on the first level metal 483 , and a first level via 511 is arranged on the first level metal 484 . a first level via 512 is arranged on the first level metal 485 . a first level via 513 is arranged on the first level metal 480 , and a first level via 514 is arranged on the first level metal 491 . a second level metal 515 is connected to the first level vias 495 , 496 . a second level metal 516 is connected to the first level via 497 , and a second level metal 517 is connected to the first level via 498 . a second level metal 518 is connected to the first level via 499 , and a second level metal 519 is connected to the first level via 500 . a second level metal 520 is connected to the first level via 501 , and a second level metal 521 is connected to the first level via 502 . a second level metal 522 is connected to the first level via 503 . a second level metal 523 is connected to the first level vias 505 , 504 . a second level metal 523 is connected to the first level via 506 , and a second level metal 525 is connected to the first level via 507 . a second level metal 526 is connected to the first level via 508 , and a second level metal 527 is connected to the first level via 509 . a second level metal 528 is connected to the first level via 510 , and a second level metal 529 is connected to the first level via 511 . a second level metal 530 is connected to the first level via 512 . a second level metal 531 is connected to the first level vias 513 , 514 . a second level via 532 is arranged on the second level metal 516 , and a second level via 533 is arranged on the second level metal 517 . a second level via 534 is arranged on the second level metal 518 , and a second level via 535 is arranged on the second level metal 519 . a second level via 536 is arranged on the second level metal 520 , and a second level via 537 is arranged on the second level metal 521 . a second level via 538 is arranged on the second level metal 522 , and a second level via 539 is arranged on the second level metal 524 . a second level via 540 is arranged on the second level metal 525 , and a second level via 541 is arranged on the second level metal 526 . a second level via 542 is arranged on the second level metal 527 , and a second level via 543 is arranged on the second level metal 528 . a second level via 544 is arranged on the second level metal 529 , and a second level via 545 is arranged on the second level metal 530 . a third level metal 546 is connected to the second level via 534 , and a third level metal 549 is connected to the second level via 532 . a third level metal 550 is connected to the second level via 536 , and a third level metal 551 is connected to the second level via 537 . a third level metal 547 is connected to the second level vias 533 , 535 , 538 , 539 , 542 , 544 . a third level metal 552 is connected to the second level via 540 , and a third level metal 553 is connected to the second level via 541 . a third level metal 554 is connected to the second level via 545 , and a third level metal 548 is connected to the second level via 543 . a third level via 561 is arranged on the third level metal 549 , and a third level via 564 is arranged on the third level metal 550 . a third level via 565 is arranged on the third level metal 551 , and a third level via 562 is arranged on the third level metal 552 . a third level via 563 is arranged on the third level metal 553 , and a third level via 566 is arranged on the third level metal 554 . a fourth level metal 555 is connected to the third level via 561 , and a fourth level metal 556 is connected to the third level via 562 . a fourth level metal 557 is connected to the third level via 563 , and a fourth level metal 558 is connected to the third level via 564 . a fourth level metal 559 is connected to the third level via 565 , and a fourth level metal 560 is connected to the third level via 566 . having described and illustrated the principles of the present invention by reference to one preferred embodiment , it should be apparent that the preferred embodiment may be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from the principles disclosed herein and that it is intended that the application be construed as including all such modifications and variations insofar as they come within the spirit and scope of the subject matter disclosed herein . 187 ( a ) and 187 ( b ) to 190 : gate dielectric film , high - k film
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the accessory holder of the instant invention enables a significant advance in the state of the art . the preferred embodiments of the apparatus , seen in fig1 through 10 , accomplish this by new and novel arrangements of elements that are configured in unique and novel ways and which demonstrate previously unavailable but preferred and desirable capabilities . the detailed description set forth below in connection with the drawings is intended merely as a description of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention , and is not intended to represent the only form in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized . the description sets forth the designs , functions , means , and methods of implementing the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments . it is to be understood , however , that the same or equivalent functions and features may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention . these variations , modifications , alternatives , and alterations of the various preferred embodiments , arrangements , and configurations may be used alone or in combination with one another as will become more readily apparent to those with skill in the art with reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying figures and drawings . in a basic embodiment , seen in fig1 and 2 , an accessory holding device 50 comprises at least one sidewall 100 having an inner surface 140 and an outer surface 150 , and a base plate 200 , wherein the base plate 200 is attached to the at least one sidewall 100 . there are a plurality of internal attachment members 300 , wherein the members 300 are releasably attached to the at least one sidewall 100 , and are adapted to hold , by way of example and not limitation , such items as hair clips c . the plurality of internal attachment members 300 may vary in shape and size to accommodate varying sizes and configurations of hair clips c . numerous variations are possible on this theme . by way of example and not limitation , as seen in fig3 and 4 , at least one of the plurality of internal attachment members 300 may have a grip enhancing surface 310 . the grip enhancing surface 310 may include a variety of surface texture variations on the plurality of internal attachment members 300 , or they may be externally applied . common externally applied grip enhancing surfaces 310 may include corrugated plastic and rubber coatings that may additionally include antimicrobial characteristics . in the case of corrugated coatings , the corrugations may be sized to cooperate with the teeth spacing of common hair clips c . additionally , there may be at least one suspension device 220 attached to the base plate 200 . the suspension devices 220 may be as simple as common hooks in some variations , yet may incorporate cushioned cleat type devices for use with particular articles of jewelry . further , the at least one sidewall 100 may have a plurality of sidewall recesses 110 in the inner surface 140 of the at least one sidewall 100 that are formed to receive the plurality of internal attachment members 300 . the plurality of sidewall recesses 110 may simply be smooth recesses sized and configured to cooperate with the plurality of attachment members 300 , or they may be fitted with a number of mechanical joining means . for instance , one embodiment may include sidewall recesses 110 that are internally threaded to mate with corresponding threads on the plurality of attachment members 300 . alternatively , the sidewall recesses 110 may include quick - turn mechanical lock fittings to securely retain the plurality of attachment members 300 . with further reference to fig3 and 4 , the device 50 may have the at least one sidewall 100 configured with a plurality of attachment member receivers 120 that are formed to communicate between the at least one sidewall inner surface 140 and the at least one sidewall outer surface 150 , and further formed to releasably receive the plurality of internal attachment members 300 . one skilled in the art will realize that such a plurality of attachment member receivers 120 will allow great flexibility in the possible arrangement of the internal attachment members 300 within the device 50 . utility is not confined to the internal aspects of the device 50 , as it is easily possible to configure the device 50 with a wide variety of external attachments , as seen in fig3 through 9 . the at least one sidewall 100 outer surface 150 may have at least one auxiliary sidewall recess 130 formed to releasably receive at least one external attachment member 400 , as seen in fig3 , and 7 . further , the at least one external attachment member 400 may have a grip enhancing surface 410 similar to that previously described in relation to the plurality of internal attachment members 300 . the at least one external attachment member 400 may be formed , by way of example and limitation , as an accessory retainer 420 , seen in fig9 formed to hold such items , by way of example and not limitation , necklaces n and bracelets b . there may be a flexible attachment member 430 suspended from the at least one external attachment member 400 , as seen in fig7 and 8 . such a flexible attachment member 430 facilitates the attachment and retention of various pinned or clipped articles , such as , by way of example and not limitation , earrings and pins . as one with skill in the art can appreciate , the at least one external attachment member 400 may be integral with one of the plurality of internal attachment members 300 . directing attention now to fig5 , and 10 , the base plate 200 may have at least one auxiliary base plate recess 250 , formed to releasably receive at least one base plate post 230 and , there may be at least one base plate extension 210 extending laterally beyond the point wherein the base plate 200 intersects the at least one sidewall 100 . the base plate extension 210 may have at least one auxiliary base plate recess 250 , as seen in fig5 formed to releasably receive at least one base plate post 230 . such posts 230 are formed to hold a plurality of accessories , such as , by way of example and not limitation , annular elastic hair ties t . storing various elastic devices on the post 230 has the advantage of not storing these elastic devices in a stretched position , and therefore such storage does not contribute to eventual elastic fatigue of the accessory . in yet another embodiment , seen in fig9 the base plate 200 may be formed as a base box 240 . the base box 240 may contain at least one suction grip 244 , seen in fig8 to give the device 50 more secure attachment to a plurality of surfaces , as may be desired when locating the device 50 on a countertop or the top surface of the tank of a water closet . to facilitate the storage of various items , in another embodiment , as seen in fig9 the base box 240 may further include at least one drawer 242 . in an additional embodiment , seen in fig3 through 10 , the device may further include a back plate 500 , connected to at least one of the at least one sidewalls 100 . there may be a mounting device 510 , seen in fig3 and 4 , attached to at least a portion of the back plate 500 . the mounting device 510 may be formed in an over the door type configuration shown in fig3 or may be formed to secure to towel racks and hangers , or simple mechanical fasteners secured to a wall . further , the back plate 500 may further include a mirror 520 , seen in fig5 and 6 , on at least a portion of the back plate 500 . similarly functioning to the auxiliary base plate recess 250 described above , the back plate 500 may include at least one auxiliary back plate recess 530 , seen in fig1 , formed to releasably receive at least one back plate post 540 . various embodiments enclose the device 50 further , as seen in fig3 through 6 and 9 . the device 50 may include a top plate 700 , connected to at least one of the at least one sidewalls 100 , as seen in fig9 . additionally , there may be a face plate 600 , seen in fig3 through 6 , connected to at least one of the at least one sidewalls 100 . further , there may be a mirror 520 on at least a portion of the face plate 600 , as seen in fig5 and 6 , and there may be at least one auxiliary retainer 620 attached to the face plate 600 , seen in fig3 and 4 , formed to releasably retain a plurality of accessories . the at least one auxiliary retainer 620 may be formed as an elastic member designed to stretch and retain items such as brushes and combs . as seen in fig9 the device 50 may be further enclosed by employing at least one door 610 , rotably attached to at least one of the at least one sidewalls 100 . to enhance the user &# 39 ; s ability to locate items within the device 50 , the device 50 may be fitted with an interior light 800 , as seen in fig1 . the device 50 may be crafted of a wide variety of materials , including but not limited to wood , metal , plastics and various composites thereof . while for illustrative purposes , the device 50 is shown illustrated with rectangular sidewalls 100 , base plates 200 , back plates 500 , face plates 600 and top plates 700 , such members may be crafted in a wide variety of aesthetically pleasing shapes , and may bear artistic or informative indicia . numerous alterations , modifications , and variations of the preferred embodiments disclosed herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art and they are all anticipated and contemplated to be within the spirit and scope of the instant invention . for example , although specific embodiments have been described in detail , those with skill in the art will understand that the preceding embodiments and variations can be modified to incorporate various types of substitute and or additional or alternative materials , relative arrangement of elements , and dimensional configurations . accordingly , even though only few variations of the present invention are described herein , it is to be understood that the practice of such additional modifications and variations and the equivalents thereof , are within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims .
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referring now to the drawings , and first to fig1 the synchronization of the circuit is designated generally by the numeral 11 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 synchronization circuit 11 is adapted to produce four pulse width modulated outputs . those skilled in the art will recognize that the synchronization circuit of the present invention can be adapted to produce more or fewer outputs , as desired by the designer of the circuit . the input to circuit 11 is a clock signal 13 . circuit 11 includes a programmable divider 15 that produces a desired circuit clock signal . the output of divider 15 is connected to a four bit counter 17 . four bit counter 17 has four outputs that are connected to a four wire bus 19 . the frequency of circuit 11 is determined by the frequency of clock signal 13 , the divisor of divider 15 , and the size of counter 17 . for example , the frequency of clock signal 13 may be four mhz and the desired frequency of circuit 11 may be twenty - five khz . since four bit counter 17 effectively divides the signal received from divider 15 by sixteen , divider 15 should be programmed to divide by ten . as is well known to those skilled in the art , four bit counter 17 produces a four bit number from zero ( 0000 ) to 15 ( 1111 ) for each clock signal received from divider 15 . four bit counter 17 thus counts through a complete cycle from 0 to 15 for every sixteen clock cycles received from divider 15 . those skilled in the art will recognize that although a four bit counter is disclosed , counters of other sizes may be used according to the teachings of this disclosure . circuit 11 includes for each pulse width modulated output , an output module . in the embodiment shown in fig1 there are four output modules 21a - 21d . output module 21a is shown in detail and output modules 21b - 21d are shown generally . it should be understood that each of output modules 21b - 21d is structurally the same as output module 21a . output module 21a includes a first digital comparator 23 and a second digital comparator 25 . first digital comparator 23 includes a first input 27 that is connected to four wire bus 19 . first digital comparator 23 includes a second input 29 that is connected to a four bit compare register 31 . compare register 31 is programmable to hold a four bit number from 0 ( 0000 ) to 15 ( 1111 ). whenever the four bit number held in compare register 31 is equal to the number received from four bit counter 17 on bus 19 at first input 27 , digital comparator 23 produces a logical high at its output 33 . whenever the number received at first input 27 is not equal to the value held in compare register 31 , a logical low is produced at output 33 . similarly , second digital comparator 25 includes a first input 35 that is connected to four wire bus 19 and a second input 37 that is connected to a four bit compare register 39 . whenever the values at first input 35 and second input 37 are equal , second digital comparator 25 produces a logical high signal at its output 41 . output module 21a includes a j - k flip flop 43 , such as a 54hc73 or 74hc73 industry standard j - k flip flop . j - k flip flop 43 includes a j input 45 that is connected to output 33 of first digital comparator 23 , and a k input 47 that is connected to output 41 of second digital comparator 25 . j - k flip flop 43 also includes a clock input 49 that receives clock signals from divider 15 . as is well known to those skilled in the art , j - k flip flop 43 produces a logical high signal at its output 51 on the next cycle following receipt of a high value at j input 45 and a low value at k input 47 in coincidence with a rising clock signal at clock input 49 . output 51 stays high until it receives a logical low value at j input 45 and a logical high value at k input 47 in coincidence with a rising clock signal at input 49 . from the foregoing , it will be understood that output module 21a produces a pulse width modulated output ( pwm1 ) that is programmable to be high or low based upon the values held in compare registers 31 and 39 . similarly , each of output modules 21b - 21d produce outputs pwm2 - pwm4 , respectively , that are high and low based upon the values held in their respective compare registers . thus , each of output modules 21a - 21d can be programmed to produce independent pulse width modulated outputs synchronized to the frequency of four bit counter 17 with independently selectable duty cycles and phase shifts . for example , as shown in fig4 each of output modules 21a - 21d is programmed to produce an output pwm1 - pwm4 respectively , each having a duty cycle of 5 / 16ths and phase shifted 90 ° with respect to each other . according to the example of fig4 pwm1 goes high at 0 ( 0000 ) and low at 5 ( 0101 ). similarly , pwm2 is programmed to go high at 4 ( 0100 ) and low at 9 ( 1001 ). it will be observed in fig5 that none of outputs pwm1 - pwm4 go high or low at the same time . accordingly , noise due to current changes is minimized . those skilled in the art will recognize that although in the example of fig5 the outputs are all of the same duty cycle and phase shift , the circuit is programmable such that the outputs may have unequal duty cycles or phase shifts . for example , the outputs may be programmed to be high around a center point . more specifically , a three - output system may be programmed such that the outputs are high symmetrically around 8 ( 1000 ) in the cycle . thus , the first output could go high at 6 ( 0110 ) and low at 10 ( 1010 ), for a duty cycle of 1 / 4 . the second output could go high at 4 ( 0100 ) and low at 12 ( 1100 ), for a duty cycle of 1 / 2 . finally , the third output could go high at 2 ( 0010 ) and low at 14 ( 1110 ), for a duty cycle of 3 / 4 . from the foregoing , those skilled in the art will recognize that by placing appropriate values in compare registers , including compare registers 31 and 39 , output modules 21a - 21d can be programmed to output pulse width modulated signals of any duty cycle and phase within the frequency determined by divider 15 and four bit counter 17 . additional flexibility is achieved in the embodiment of fig1 by the inclusion of a third digital comparator 51 . third digital comparator 51 includes a first input 53 that is connected to four wire bus 19 and a second input 55 that is connected to a compare register 57 . the output 59 of third compare register 51 is connected to a reset pin 61 of four bit counter 17 . accordingly , by inserting an appropriate value into compare register 57 , the frequency of circuit 11 can be changed . for example , by inserting the value 8 ( 1000 ) into register 57 , the frequency of circuit 11 is doubled . in the event four bit counter is reset at 8 ( 1000 ) the compare registers of output modules 21a - 21d would have to be reprogrammed to hold values between 1 and 7 . referring now to fig2 there is shown an alternative embodiment of the synchronization circuit of the present invention , which is designated generally by the number 71 . synchronization circuit 71 again is adapted to produce four independently programmable outputs pwm1 - pwm4 and it includes four output modules 73a - 73d . again , output module 73a is shown in detail and output modules 73b - 73d are structurally the same as output module 73a . a clock signal 75 is received at a divider 77 that is connected to the input of a johnson counter 79 . johnson counter 79 has 16 outputs that are connected to a sixteen wire bus 81 . johnson counter 79 sequentially produces a high value at one of its outputs and a low value at each of its other outputs for each clock signal received from divider 77 . output module 73a includes a first multiplexer 83 that has sixteen inputs connected to sixteen wire bus 81 and a single output 85 connected to j input 87 of a j - k flip flop 89 . a select register 91 is programmable to hold a value between 0 and 15 , and the value held in select register 91 determines which of the 16 inputs to first multiplexer 83 is connected to output 85 . output module 73a also includes a second multiplexer 93 having 16 inputs connected to sixteen wire bus 81 and a single output 95 connected to the k input 97 of j - k flip flop 89 . a value held in select register 99 determines which of the 16 inputs to second multiplexer 93 is connected to output 95 . j - k flip flop 89 works in the same way as j - k flip flop 43 of fig1 . thus , when j input 87 receives a high input and k input 97 receives a low input in coincidence with a rising clock signal at clock input 101 , a high value is produced at output 103 . similarly , whenever k input 97 receives a high value and j input 87 receives a low value in coincidence with a rising clock signal at input 101 , a low value is produced at output 103 . accordingly , the embodiment of fig2 produces multiple independently programmable pulse width modulated signals each having a duty cycle and phase shift determined by the values placed in select registers , such as registers 91 and 99 , and a frequency determined by divider 77 and johnson counter 79 . referring now to fig3 a further alternative embodiment of the synchronization circuit of the present invention is designated generally by the numeral 111 . circuit 111 includes a divider 113 that receives a signal from clock 115 and sends a clock output signal to the input of a johnson counter 117 . again , johnson counter 117 has 16 outputs that are connected to a 16 × 16 programmable logic array 119 . selected ones of the 16 outputs of programmable logic array 119 are connected to the inputs of 4 j - k flip flops 121a - 121d . programmable logic array 119 is programmable to connect a selected input to a selected output . accordingly , the outputs pwm1 - pwm4 of j - k flip flops 121a - 121d , respectively are independently programmable with respect to duty cycle and phase shift . referring now to fig5 yet a further alternative embodiment of the synchronization circuit of the present invention is designated generally by the numeral 125 . circuit 125 includes a divider 127 that receives a signal from clock 129 and sends a clock output signal to the input of a four bit counter 131 . each of the outputs of four bit counter 131 is branched and includes an inverter 133 . accordingly , four bit counter 131 effectively has eight outputs , and with each clock signal received from divider 127 , four bit counter 131 produces an eight bit number . the eight outputs of four bit counter 131 are connected to the inputs of an 8 × 8 programmable logic array 135 , such as a pal16r8 . the eight outputs of programmable logic array 135 are connected to the inputs of four j - k flip flops 137a - 137d . programmable logic array 135 is programmable to produce a high output at each of its outputs in response to receipt of particular numbers at its inputs . accordingly , the outputs pwm1 - pwm4 of j - k flip flops 137a - 137d , respectively , are independently programmable with respect to duty cycle and phase shift . from the foregoing , those skilled in the art will recognize that the circuit of the present invention is well adapted to produce multiple pulse width modulate outputs based on the same frequency and having user selectable duty cycles and phase shifts . although the invention is disclosed with reference to preferred embodiments , the disclosed embodiments are intended to illustrate the invention and not to limit it . different size counters may be used , and different numbers of outputs may be provided , all as would be apparent to those skilled in the art , given the benefit of this disclosure .
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a preferred embodiment of the electric vehicle and the equipment therefor according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings . fig1 is a right side view of an electric vehicle 1 according to this preferred embodiment . as shown in fig1 , the electric vehicle 1 includes a storing portion 3 for storing a sheet - shaped solar battery 2 . the storing portion 3 is provided at a part of a luggage space defined in a rear portion of the vehicle . for example , the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 includes a flexible base sheet and a photoelectric conversion layer formed on the base sheet , thereby forming a functional sheet . both sides of the functional sheet are sealed with a transparent resin sheet . as shown in fig1 , the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 is stored in the storing portion 3 in the condition where it is rolled compactly . electric power generated by the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 is drawn from the right or left end of the core of the roll of the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 , and then introduced to a connector 6 shown in fig2 . as shown in fig2 , the electric vehicle 1 includes an electrical drive system 5 . the electrical drive system 5 includes a storage battery 51 as a power source , an electric motor 53 for driving the drive wheels of the vehicle , and control means 52 for controlling the current to be supplied to the electric motor 53 . the electrical drive system 5 further includes switches sw 1 and sw 2 constituting connecting means 54 for providing the connection between the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 and the storage battery 51 or the connection between the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 and the electric motor 53 . a diode for preventing reverse current is provided on the circuit connecting the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 and the connecting means 54 . the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 stored in the storing portion 3 is connected through the connector 6 as coupling means to the electrical drive system 5 . the connector 6 is composed of a male terminal 6 a and a female terminal 6 b . by providing the connector 6 , the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 is prepared as equipment detachable with respect to the electric vehicle 1 . that is , the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 can be disconnected from the electrical drive system 5 as required . the body of the electric vehicle 1 is provided with a charging port ( not shown ), and the storage battery 51 can be charged from a commercial power supply through the charging port in normal use . the operation of the electric vehicle 1 configured above will now be described . while the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 is detachably connected through the connector 6 to the electric vehicle 1 , the following description will be given provided that the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 is normally stored in the storing portion 3 and electrically connected through the connector 6 to the electrical drive system 5 . in normal use , the roll of the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 is stored in the storing portion 3 of the electric vehicle 1 , and power generation is not performed by the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 in this rolled condition . further , the switches sw 1 and sw 2 shown in fig2 are both turned on to make a condition that electric power is supplied from the storage battery 51 through the control means 52 to the electric motor 53 . a driver in this electric vehicle 1 can check a meter indicating a storage capacity at a driver &# 39 ; s seat . when the driver recognizes that the storage capacity has been reduced , the storage battery 51 can be charged through the charging port provided on the vehicle body at home having any charging equipment or at an external charging station . however , in general , a storage battery provided in an electric vehicle requires several hours or more until a full - charged state is reached , even by using a quick charging system . accordingly , it is assumed that the storage battery cannot be easily charged during driving the electric vehicle . in the case that a charging station is absent nearby in driving the electric vehicle , it is difficult to charge the storage battery with good timing . to cope with this problem , the following configuration has been made by the present invention . it is assumed that the electric vehicle 1 is driven under the sun in an area apart from an urban area where relatively many charging systems are installed , such as in a suburb where no charging station or equipment is present or on a deserted plain , and that the good timing of charging the storage battery is lost to result in a reduction in storage capacity down to a lower limit . in this case , the driver stops driving the electric vehicle 1 and then take the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 out of the storing portion 3 . more specifically , as shown in fig3 , an opening portion 4 is provided on the lower surface of the rear portion of the vehicle where the storing portion 3 is located . the storing portion 3 is provided at a part of the luggage space in the rear portion of the vehicle . the roll of the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 stored in the storing portion 3 is unwound to be drawn out of the storing portion 3 through the opening portion 4 and then spread on the back side of the vehicle as shown in fig3 . the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 is formed from a flexible resin sheet , which is thin and light in weight . accordingly , as compared with the case of mounting a solar panel on the roof or hood of the vehicle body , much larger area can be ensured , so that sufficient solar irradiation can be obtained to result in large amount of power generation . after spreading the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 , the switches sw 1 and sw 2 may be set according to the circumstances to thereby change the connected condition among the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 , the storage battery 51 , and the electric motor 53 . for example , in the case that strong solar irradiation is obtained to ensure a sufficient amount of power generation and that higher priority is given to the movement of the vehicle from the present rest position , the switch sw 1 is turned off and the switch sw 2 is turned on . in this case , all the electric power from the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 can be supplied through the control means 52 to the electric motor 53 in the condition where the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 is kept spread . that is , the electric vehicle 1 can be driven by only the electric power from the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 . in the case that the solar irradiation is not enough and the electric power of the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 is insufficient for the movement of the electric vehicle 1 , the switch sw 1 is turned on and the switch sw 2 is turned off . in this case , the storage battery 51 is charged by the electric power of the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 in the condition where the rest condition of the electric vehicle 1 is maintained . that is , all the electric power from the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 is supplied to the storage battery 51 . even when the electric power to be supplied from the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 to the electric motor 53 is insufficient for the movement of the electric vehicle 1 , the storage capacity of the storage battery 51 can be increased to allow the movement of the electric vehicle 1 by supplying the electric power from the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 to the storage battery 51 for some long period of time . accordingly , the switches sw 1 and sw 2 are preferably set as mentioned above to charge the storage battery 51 by supplying the electric power of the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 . in the case that the amount of power generation by the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 is more sufficient , both the switches sw 1 and sw 2 may be turned on . in this case , the electric power generated by the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 can be supplied to both the electric motor 53 and the storage battery 51 . accordingly , the electric vehicle 1 can be driven by the electric power from the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 and at the same time the storage battery 51 can be charged . according to the present invention as described above , even in the case that the storage capacity is reduced or reaches a lower limit during running in an area where no charging equipment is present , the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 stored compactly in the storing portion 3 of the electric vehicle 1 in normal use can be largely spread to be used for power generation . accordingly , the distance that can be traveled by the electric vehicle 1 can be increased . further , the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 is prepared as the equipment detachably connected through the connector 6 as coupling means to the electric vehicle 1 . accordingly , the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 can be removed from the electric vehicle 1 as required , and the storing portion 3 can be used as a luggage space . while the connecting means 54 for switching the connected condition among the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 , the storage battery 51 , and the electric motor 53 simply includes the switches sw 1 and sw 2 in this preferred embodiment , a modification may be made in the following manner . for example , the connecting means 54 may be incorporated in the control means 52 , wherein the connecting means 52 may be connected through a generally known overcharge preventing circuit to the sheet - shaped solar battery 2 . accordingly , even when charging of the storage battery 51 is started in the condition near the full - charged state and the storage capacity of the storage battery 51 has reached 100 %, the charging operation can be automatically stopped to thereby protect the storage battery 51 . further , while the electric vehicle 1 in this preferred embodiment is an electric vehicle not including an internal combustion engine or the like as vehicle driving means , but including only the electric drive system 5 , the present invention is not limited to such a configuration . for example , the present invention is applicable also to a hybrid electric vehicle including an internal combustion engine to be used for electric power generation and a fuel cell vehicle including a fuel cell . the present invention is not limited to the details of the above described preferred embodiment . the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and all changes and modifications as fall within the equivalence of the scope of the claims are therefore to be embraced by the invention .
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the following description of the preferred embodiment is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention , its application , or uses . in contrast to conventional beam scanning , which includes changing the angle of an incident beam at an objective lens , the beam scanning of the present invention can be achieved by moving an optical fiber , which delivers a laser beam for excitation and collects signals back along the same fiber . conventional fibers , either single - mode or multimode fibers , cannot be practically used in this way . although a single - mode fiber ( smf ) has an acceptable mode for excitation , the numerical aperture ( na ) is typically only about 0 . 1 , which results in a very inefficient signal collection . on the other hand , although a multimode fiber multimode fiber has a larger numerical aperture that is good for collecting signals , the output mode is unable to be tightly focused , thus resulting in inefficient excitation and low resolution . in addition , in case of multiphoton excitation , the multimode fiber leads to further lower excitation rate , because an ultra short laser pulse is severely deformed during propagating through a multimode fiber . in order to address this trade - off issue for biosensing , a double - clad fiber may be used for enhancing both excitation and collection efficiency for through - fiber biosensing as described in u . s . provisional application no . 60 / 434 , 604 . this application is incorporated herein by reference . in that application , two - photon fluorescence detection sensitivity , represented by line a , is increased by a factor of 40 using a photonic crystal double - clad fiber in comparison with a conventional smf , represented by line b ( see fig1 ). referring to fig2 , a schematic diagram of a double - clad fiber scanning microscope , generally indicated at 10 , is illustrated , although it should be understood that alternative configurations might also be possible based on this double - clad fiber scanning mechanism . double - clad fiber scanning microscope 10 is illustrated having a laser 12 capable of outputting a laser beam 14 , which will also be referenced as excitation laser beam . laser 12 is operably coupled to a double - clad fiber or fiber member 16 via a fiber coupler 18 . more specifically , double - clad fiber 16 includes an inner core 20 , an outer core 22 , and an outer cladding 24 . inner core 20 is illustrated being coaxial with each of outer core 22 and outer cladding 24 ; however , it should be understood that this is not required . it should be noted that outer core 22 also serves as an inner cladding to inner core 20 and , thus , serves a dual purpose . it should be understood that double - clad fiber 16 may be a fiber member system comprised of a plurality of fibers 16 . laser 12 is coupled with double - clad fiber 16 through fiber coupler 18 such that laser beam 14 is introduced into inner core 20 at a proximal end 26 of double - clad fiber 16 . a distal end 28 of double - clad fiber 16 is coupled to a 3 - d rapid scanning stage 30 that is operable to move laser beam 14 , exiting distal end 28 of double - clad fiber 16 , across a sample of interest 32 . a micro - lens 34 , such as a grin lens , may be attached to distal end 28 of double - clad fiber 16 to focus laser beam 14 to an even smaller spot to achieve higher resolution . resultant signals , such as , but not limited to , flourescence signals , raman signals , back reflection of the laser beam 14 , and the like ), emitted from sample of interest 32 are then collected back through both inner core 20 and outer core 22 of double - clad fiber 16 and separated from excitation laser beam 14 using an optical separation system 36 , such as a dichroic mirror , before reaching an optical detection system 38 . a filter 40 may also be used for filtering undesirable signals from reaching optical detection system 38 . with respect to double - clad fiber 16 , the numerical apertures of the inner core and outer core ( inner clad ) can be adjusted independently . the outer core numerical aperture can be as large as about 0 . 8 or even just in air , which is comparable with most high magnification objective lenses . furthermore , when a lens , such as a gradient index ( grin ) lens , is connected with double - clad fiber 16 to further focus excitation light , the collection efficiency of fluorescence signals received back from the lens to the double - clad fiber is high , because the larger outer core can efficiently collect fluorescence even if chromatic aberration of the lens exists . the resultant signal collection efficiency is low if a conventional fiber is used in this case . fig3 a - 3e illustrate that the collected fluorescence from a grin lens forms a large spot on distal end 28 of double - clad fiber 16 . that is , as seen in fig3 a , distal end 28 of double - clad fiber 16 includes the aforementioned inner core 20 and outer core 22 . as seen in fig3 b , when an excitation beam 300 exits double - clad fiber 16 it passes through a lens 34 , such as a grin lens , and is focused on sample 32 . the excitation beam 300 causes a resultant signal 302 to be produced from sample 32 generally indicated in fig3 c . this resultant signal 302 may , for example , have a radius of about 1 μm . however , as seen in fig3 d , resultant signal 302 then passes back through lens 34 . ideally , resultant signal 302 would be focused perfectly on distal end 28 of double - clad fiber 16 . however , due to chromatic aberration and / or other anomalies , a larger footprint of resultant signal 302 is produced and may have a radius of about 49 μm , as seen in fig3 e . in conventional collection , this larger footprint would not be collected and thus would reduce the efficiency of the system . however , in the present invention , outer core 22 , having a high numerical aperture , is capable of collecting more of resultant signal 302 , thereby providing improved detection efficiency . as should be appreciated , double - clad fiber scanning microscope 10 of the present invention provides a number of advantages over conventional scanning microscopes . for example , as described above , double - clad fiber scanning microscope 10 has extremely simple structure . however , it has revolutionary and fundamental changes of the scanning mechanism , which ensures many unique features of this new type of scanning microscope . double - clad fiber scanning microscope 10 of the present invention is extremely flexible . more particularly , double - clad fiber scanning microscope 10 can be freely adjusted without affecting the excitation source and the detection , because the scanning head containing distal end 28 of double - clad fiber 16 is controlled by small translation ( i . e . x - y or x - y - z ) of scanning stage 30 through a single fiber . thus , scan , imaging can be performed in either upright or inverted configurations , or at an arbitrary angle , if needed . scanning stage 30 can also easily achieve any scanning pattern on a sample of interest . still further , scanning stage 30 can be used to construct a stand - alone microscope together with an excitation source and detection system . it can also be used as a unit to be incorporated into a conventional light microscope . for instance , scanning stage 30 can be made as a standard component to be screwed in a nosepiece . thus , one can easily convert a conventional microscope into a scanning microscope with the beneficial functions as described herein . unlike conventional beam scanning microscope , the scanning range of double - clad fiber scanning microscope 10 is determined by the travel range of scanning stage 30 used to control distal end 28 of double - clad fiber 16 . in fact , it has been found that this travel range may be increased to millimeters or larger while maintaining high resolution , such as less than a micron . this feature allows one to obtain a whole image of a large sample . for example , a conventional beam - scanning microscope has a scanning range only on a cellular scale due to the limited field of view of the objective lens . in contrast , the new beam - scanning mechanism based on double - clad fiber 16 makes it possible to image a whole organism or a tumor with a single scan . fast scan rate is required for constructing a practical instrument . for conventional stage - scanning microscope , the scan rate is normally very slow , because it takes time to translate a massive stage together with a sample and sample holder . the scanning mechanism described herein only involves moving a lightweight fiber tip . similar to scanner mirrors used in beam scanning , the fiber tip can scan in a fast rate with a rapid scanner . despite the fast scan rate noted above , there is no vibration disturbing the imaging sample , because the sample remains stationary during the scanning process , which is in contrast to stage scanning . beside the light weight of the fiber tip , this is another practical reason that fast scan rate is allowed here . in addition , far field excitation from a fiber tip is utilized here to achieve a quiet beam scan , which avoids an inevitable problem in near field scanning optical microscopy where interaction between a scanning tip and samples is generally a serious problem . in conventional beam scanning , two scanner mirrors are used to change the incident angle of excitation light at the entrance pupil of an objective lens , which causes severe off - axis aberrations . it is very difficult and costly to design and fabricate an objective lens that is corrected for the off - axis aberrations . moreover , even with a lot of effort , one still must compromise between the field of view and the image quality , because the off - axis aberration is hard to be fully compensated , especially for a relatively large fields of view . the scanning of excitation beam with flexible double - clad fiber 16 fundamentally solved the problem of aberrations associated with conventional beam scanning . in double - clad fiber scanning microscope 10 , each scanned point of a sample is equally illuminated and signal collection remains the same throughout the entire scanning range . this feature ensures a high quality image of a large sample of interest . the cost for constructing double - clad fiber scanning microscope 10 is much lower than a conventional beam - scanning microscope with a scan unit based on - scanner mirrors . as described above , the requirement of an objective lens is important in order to achieve a relatively large flat field of view and to compensate for off - axis aberrations . in addition , an imaging system with high optical quality is also needed to image the scanner mirrors onto the entrance pupil of the objective lens . these factors make a conventional beam - scanning microscope very expensive . in contrast , in double - clad fiber scanning microscope 10 , the objective lens used in fiber coupler 18 solely focuses light onto proximal end 26 of double - clad fiber 16 . thus , the objective lens in fiber coupler 18 satisfies the requirements , yet may be manufactured relatively inexpensively . the beam scanning is achieved by controlling distal end 28 of fiber double - clad fiber 16 with a scanning stage 30 , which replaces the expensive scanning unit composed of scanner mirrors and a high quality imaging system used in conventional beam - scanning microscope . therefore , the new scanning mechanism based on double - clad fiber 16 makes it possible to construct a low cost , high performance microscope . in the above , a double - clad fiber scanning microscope 10 utilizing a single double - clad fiber 16 is discussed . however , it has been determined that the scanning rate can be further enhanced by using a 1 - d or 2 - d array , generally indicated at 200 , of double - clad fibers 16 , as illustrated in fig4 . excitation light can be coupled into double - clad fiber array 200 utilizing existing techniques , such as a mems switch . when double - clad fiber array 200 scans simultaneously instead of scanning a single fiber , the scan rate increases by a factor of the number of double - clad fibers in the array . for example , employing five double - clad fibers 16 aligned with 1 mm spacing between each other and mounted on a single translation stage 30 , a 5 - mm line to be scanned only requires a translation of 1 mm . thus , the scan rate increases by five times compared with a single fiber scanning . if a 2 - d array of double - clad fibers is used , one should be able to maintain a high scan rate even for a large imaging area . a novel mechanism for a new generation of scanning microscopes based on double - clad fiber scanning is provided . this microscope overcomes the drawbacks of conventional stage - and beam - scanning microscopes , and possesses many advantages as described above , i . e ., excellent flexibility , large scanning range , fast scan rate , quiet scanning , aberration - free scanning , and low cost . with all these benefits integrated into one microscope , a wide range of potential applications is anticipated . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and , thus , variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . for example , scanning stage 30 can support the sample of interest 32 and be used to move the sample of interest 32 relative to distal end 28 of double - clad fiber 16 . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention .
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the present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , which form a part hereof , and which show , by way of illustration , specific exemplary embodiments by which the invention may be practiced . this invention may , however , be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein ; rather , these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete , and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art . among other things , the present invention may be embodied as methods or devices . accordingly , the present invention may take the form of an entirely software embodiment , an entirely hardware embodiment or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects . the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be taken in a limiting sense . briefly stated , embodiments of the present invention are directed towards providing a method and system for associating , displaying , and managing notes or other annotations with messages . the embodiment described below discusses annotations associated with messages in a listing maintained by an online message service and accessed by a browser . however , the invention is not so limited and may include a stand - alone message system , a peer - to - peer message system , a listing of data items other than messages , and other variations . fig1 illustrates one embodiment of an environment in which the present invention may operate . however , not all of these components may be required to practice the invention , and variations in the arrangement and type of the components may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . as shown in the figure , a system 10 includes client devices 12 - 14 , a network 15 , and a server 16 . network 15 is in communication with and enables communication between each of client devices 12 - 14 and server 16 . client devices 12 - 14 may include virtually any computing device capable of receiving and sending a message over a network , such as network 15 , to and from another computing device , such as server 16 , each other , and the like . the set of such devices may include devices that are usually considered more general purpose devices and typically connect using a wired communications medium such as personal computers , multiprocessor systems , microprocessor - based or programmable consumer electronics , network pcs , and the like . the set of such devices may also include mobile devices that are usually considered more specialized devices and typically connect using a wireless communications medium such as cell phones , smart phones , pagers , walkie talkies , radio frequency ( rf ) devices , infrared ( ir ) devices , cbs , integrated devices combining one or more of the preceding devices , or virtually any mobile device , and the like . similarly , client devices 12 - 14 may be any device that is capable of connecting using a wired or wireless communication medium such as a personal digital assistant ( pda ), pocket pc , wearable computer , and any other device that is equipped to communicate over a wired and / or wireless communication medium . each client device within client devices 12 - 14 includes a user interface that enables a user to control settings , such as an annotation setting , and to instruct the client device to perform operations . each client device also includes a communication interface that enables the client device to send and receive messages from another computing device employing the same or a different communication mode , including , but not limited to email , im , sms , mms , internet relay chat ( irc ), mardam - bey &# 39 ; s internet relay chat ( mirc ), jabber , and the like . client devices 12 - 14 may be further configured with a browser application that is configured to receive and to send web pages , web - based messages , and the like . the browser application may be configured to receive and display graphics , text , multimedia , and the like , employing virtually any web based language , including , but not limited to standard generalized markup language ( sgml ), hypertext markup language ( html ), extensible markup language ( xml ), a wireless application protocol ( wap ), a handheld device markup language ( hdml ), such as wireless markup language ( wml ), wmlscript , javascript , and the like . network 15 is configured to couple one computing device to another computing device to enable them to communicate . network 15 is enabled to employ any form of medium for communicating information from one electronic device to another . also , network 15 may include a wireless interface , such as a wired interface , such as the internet , in addition to local area networks ( lans ), wide area networks ( wans ), a cellular network interface , direct connections , such as through a universal serial bus ( usb ) port , other forms of computer - readable media , or any combination thereof . on an interconnected set of lans , including those based on differing architectures and protocols , a router acts as a link between lans , enabling messages to be sent from one to another . also , communication links within lans typically include twisted wire pair or coaxial cable , while communication links between networks may utilize cellular telephone signals over air , analog telephone lines , full or fractional dedicated digital lines including t 1 , t 2 , t 3 , and t 4 , integrated services digital networks ( isdns ), digital subscriber lines ( dsls ), wireless links including satellite links , or other communications links known to those skilled in the art . furthermore , remote computers and other related electronic devices could be remotely connected to either lans or wans via a modem and temporary telephone link . in essence , network 15 includes any communication method by which information may travel between client devices 12 - 14 and / or server 16 . network 15 is constructed for use with various communication protocols including transmission control protocol / internet protocol ( tcp / ip ), user datagram protocol ( udp ), wap , code division multiple access ( cdma ), global system for mobile communications ( gsm ), and the like . server 16 may comprise a messaging server , a web server , and / or other server . server 16 may provide one or more services , such as an email service , an im service , an sms service , a news service , a sales service , a financial management service , and the like . other servers and / or other network nodes may communicate data between client devices and / or a subset of services , such as between phone carriers , between data services providers , and / or between other service providers . server 16 and / or other network devices may perform data conversions , routing , filtering , and / or other services . the media used to store and / or transmit information in communication links as described above generally includes any media that can be accessed by a computing device . computer - readable media may include computer storage media , wired and wireless communication media , or any combination thereof . additionally , computer - readable media typically embodies computer - readable instructions , data structures , program modules , or other data generated as or received as a modulated data signal over wires , air , or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media . by way of example , communication media includes wireless media such as acoustic , rf , infrared , gaseous , liquid , and other wireless media , and wired media such as twisted pair , coaxial cable , fiber optics , wave guides , and other wired media . one embodiment of a general purpose computing device , such as a client device 20 , is described in more detail below in conjunction with fig2 . briefly , client device 20 may include any computing device , including those capable of connecting to network 15 to enable a user to communicate with other client devices and / or server 16 . client device 20 may include many more components than those shown . the components shown , however , are sufficient to disclose an illustrative embodiment for practicing the invention . many of the components of client device 20 may also be duplicated in server 16 and / or other server devices . as shown in the figure , client device 20 includes a processing unit 22 in communication with a mass memory 24 via a bus 23 . mass memory 24 generally includes a ram 26 , a rom 28 , and other storage means . mass memory 24 illustrates a type of computer - readable media , namely computer storage media . computer storage media may include volatile and nonvolatile , removable and non - removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions , data structures , program modules or other data . other examples of computer storage media include eprom , flash memory or other semiconductor memory technology , cd - rom , digital versatile disks ( dvd ) or other optical storage , magnetic cassettes , magnetic tape , magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices , or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by a computing device . mass memory 24 stores a basic input / output system (“ bios ”) 30 for controlling low - level operation of client device 20 . the mass memory also stores an operating system 31 for controlling the operation of client device 20 . it will be appreciated that this component may include a general purpose operating system such as a version of windows ™, unix , linux ™ and the like . the operating system may also include , or interface with a virtual machine module , such as a java virtual machine module , that enables control of hardware components and / or operating system operations via application programs , such as java . mass memory 24 further includes one or more data storage units 32 , which can be utilized by client device 20 to store , among other things , programs 34 and / or other data . programs 34 may include computer executable instructions which can be executed by client device 20 to implement browsers , schedulers , calendars , web services , transcoders , database programs , word processing programs , spreadsheet programs , and so forth . programs 34 may also include computer executable instructions which can be executed by client device 20 ( and / or server 16 ) to implement an http handler application for transmitting , receiving and otherwise processing http communications . similarly , programs 34 can include an https handler application for handling secure connections , such as initiating communication with an external application in a secure fashion . accordingly , programs 34 can process web pages , audio , video , and enable telecommunication with another user of another electronic device . in addition , client device 20 may include a messaging client 36 , which may comprise computer executable instructions , and which may be run under control of operating system 31 to enable email , instant messaging , sms , and / or other messaging services . similarly , client device 20 and / or a server device configured much like client device 20 , can include another messaging module , such as a messaging server 38 , which may further provide routing , access control , and / or other server - side messaging services . client device 20 also includes an input / output interface 40 for communicating with input / output devices such as a keyboard , mouse , wheel , joy stick , rocker switches , keypad , printer , scanner , and / or other input devices not specifically shown in fig2 . a user of client device 20 can use input / output devices to interact with a user interface that may be separate or integrated with operating system 31 , programs 34 , messaging client 36 , and / or messaging server 38 . interaction with the user interface includes visual interaction via a display , and a video display adapter 42 . for higher capability client devices such as a personal computer , client device 20 may include a removable media drive 48 and / or a permanent media drive 46 for computer - readable storage media . removable media drive 48 can comprise one or more of an optical disc drive , a floppy disk drive , and / or a tape drive . permanent or removable storage media may include volatile , nonvolatile , removable , and non - removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information , such as computer readable instructions , data structures , program modules , or other data . examples of computer storage media include a cd - rom 49 , digital versatile disks ( dvd ) or other optical storage , magnetic cassettes , magnetic tape , magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices , ram , rom , eeprom , flash memory or other memory technology , or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by a computing device . via a network communication interface unit 44 , client device 20 can communicate with a wide area network such as the internet , a local area network , a wired telephone network , a cellular telephone network , or some other communications network , such as network 15 in fig1 . network communication interface unit 44 is sometimes known as a transceiver , transceiving device , network interface card ( nic ), and the like . fig3 shows a screen shot of a computer display illustrating an annotation fragment and a full annotation bound with , or otherwise associated with , a message in a messaging interface 50 . in this exemplary embodiment , messaging interface 50 is provided through a browser in communication with a messaging service and may be implemented with one or more portal servers , carrier gateway servers , and / or other messaging servers . a message listing pane 52 displays a number of message headers ( sometimes referred to as message summaries ), such as message header 54 through message header 56 . a message header represents and enables access to a corresponding full message . each message header may be displayed with a message fragment 58 that may comprise an initial portion of message content . other header information may be displayed in a column format . for example , a “ from ” column 60 may identify a sender of a message . a “ subject ” column 62 may display a subject line of a message . a “ received ” column 64 may display a date and time at which the message was received . a flag column 68 may display an indicator , such as a priority level or other characteristic . an attachment column 69 may indicate whether a file is associated with a message . a “ notes ” column 70 displays an annotation fragment , such as note fragments 72 and 74 , if an annotation is associated with a message . an annotation fragment , referred to here also as an annotation snippet , may include a portion of text , audio data , visual data , and / or other information that a user wishes to associate with a message . an annotation fragment may be displayed when a message header is scrolled into view . the display of annotation fragments may also be toggled on or off with annotation display control 76 . any other control may be used , such as a radio button , a drop down selection , or other user interface control . as a result of toggling , or as an alternative to displaying annotation fragments , a flag or other icon may be displayed in notes column 70 to indicate or represent the presence of annotations . an annotation icon may be useful to indicate or represent an annotation for limited display area devices , such as cellular phones , pdas , point - of - sale devices , and the like . if a user hovers a cursor 75 over an annotation icon or annotation fragment , such as annotation fragment 74 , a full annotation 78 is displayed in a dialogue box , such as a tooltips ™ box . in addition , or alternatively , an annotation fragment or a full annotation may be displayed when the cursor hovers over any portion of a message header . a user may also sort messages based on the date and / or time annotations were revised . for example , the user may click on a column heading for notes column 70 to initiate a sort . fig4 shows a screen shot of a computer display illustrating a messaging interface 80 with an editing interface for editing an annotation . if a user selects an editing button or otherwise issues an editing instruction to edit an annotation , an annotation editing window 82 is displayed and enables the user to enter and / or edit an annotation . for example , the user may click on an annotation fragment or on a full annotation to activate annotation editing window 82 . any other control may be used , such as a button , a right - mouse - button menu , a drop down selection , or other user interface control . the user may enter or revise information that will remain associated with the corresponding message . for instance , after receiving an email from a colleague about a specific company , the user could check the company &# 39 ; s web site and add the web site url as an annotation to the email , using annotation editing window 82 . the user may select a save button 84 to store a new or revised annotation . numerous other editing buttons and controls may be implemented with annotation editing window 82 . the next time the user reviews the listing of emails , the annotation will again be displayed in association with the email , and can be revised through annotation editing window 82 . other editors may also be used , such as an audio editor , a visual editor , and the like . for instance , the user may record or edit a voice message to be associated with an email message . fig5 is a flow diagram illustrating exemplary logic for displaying an annotation fragment . this embodiment may be implemented using asynchronous java ™ and xml ( ajax ) or other code for a browser or other client application . at a decision operation 100 , a messaging client determines whether a message header is scrolled into a view area of a message listing pane . when a message header is scrolled into view , the messaging client accesses message header data and annotation data , at an operation 102 . an http request or other communication request may be sent to a message server to obtain the data . alternatively , if the message header and annotation data were previously retrieved , the messaging client may access the data from a local data store . a local data store may also be used for a standalone messaging system . message data may include a message identifier , a sender identifier , a subject , a message size , a message storage location , an attachment flag , an attachment size , an attachment file name , an attachment storage location , a read flag , an importance flag , a folder identifier , a message fragment , a message content , and / or other data . annotation data may include an annotation flag , an annotation fragment , an annotation size , a date and / or time at which an annotation was last modified , an annotation file name , an annotation storage location , an annotation content , and the like . at an operation 104 , the messaging client sets a timer for detecting a response or otherwise accessing the message header data and annotation data . at a decision operation 106 , the messaging client determines whether a response or the data was accessed before a predefined timeout period has expired . the messaging client may wait for a predetermined period of time , make multiple attempts , and / or check another cutoff threshold . if the timeout period expired , the messaging client processes an error at an operation 108 . if a response is received or the data is otherwise accessed in time , the messaging client displays the message header and annotation data , at an operation 109 . the messaging client may display the entire annotation if it fits within the display area allocated for annotations . conversely , the messaging client may display an annotation icon if the annotation fragment will not fit within the display area allocated for annotations . fig6 is a flow diagram illustrating exemplary logic for displaying a full annotation . at a decision operation 110 , the messaging client or an annotation module determines whether a cursor is hovering over a notes area in a message display listing . when the messaging client detects the cursor over the notes area , the messaging client determines , at a decision operation 112 , weather the cursor is over an annotation fragment . alternatively , the messaging client may detect whether the cursor is over an annotation icon or simply over a message header . if the cursor is over the notes area , but not over an annotation fragment , the messaging client displays a suggestion , at an operation 114 , to add an annotation . for example , the messaging client may display a pop - up dialog box advising the user to click to add a note . if the cursor is over the notes area , and over an annotation fragment , the messaging client accesses full annotation data , at an operation 116 . the messaging client may access the full annotation data from a server or from a local data store . this step may be skipped if other optional logic determines that the full annotation is already displayed within the display area allocated for annotation fragments . at an operation 118 , the messaging client sets a timer for detecting a response or otherwise accessing the full annotation data . at a decision operation 120 , the messaging client determines whether a response or the data was accessed before a corresponding predefined timeout period has expired . the messaging client may wait for a predetermined period of time , make multiple attempts , and / or check another cutoff threshold . if the timeout period expired , the messaging client processes an error at an operation 122 . if a response is received or the data is otherwise accessed in time , the messaging client displays the full annotation data , at an operation 124 . the full annotation data is generally displayed in pop - up dialog box , but may be displayed in a side pane , in a separate window , or in other ways . the method of displaying the full annotation data may depend on display area limitations , processor capability , and / or other factors . fig7 is a flow diagram illustrating exemplary logic for editing an annotation . at a decision operation 130 , the messaging client or annotation module determines whether a mouse click is detected in the notes area of the message display listing . if the messaging client detected a click in another area , the messaging client performs other appropriate process ( es ) at an operation 132 . when the messaging client detects a click in the notes area , the messaging client determines , and a decision operation 134 , weather the click occurred over an annotation fragment . alternatively , the messaging client may detect whether the click occurred over an annotation icon . the messaging client may also , or alternatively , determine whether the click occurred over a message header , although a special click may be more appropriate , such as a right mouse button click and / or selection of a menu button . if the click is over the notes area , but not over an annotation fragment , the messaging client opens an empty editing window , at an operation 136 , to enable the user to enter an annotation . for example , the messaging client may display a pop - up editing box , launch a full editing application program , or provide another editing tool . if the click is over the notes area , and over an annotation fragment , the messaging client accesses full annotation data , at an operation 138 . the messaging client may access the full annotation data from a server or from a local data store . at an operation 140 , the messaging client sets a timer for detecting a response or otherwise accessing the full annotation data . at a decision operation 142 , the messaging client determines whether a response or the data was accessed before a corresponding predefined timeout period has expired . the messaging client may wait for a predetermined period of time , make multiple attempts , and / or check another cutoff threshold . if the timeout period expired , the messaging client processes an error at an operation 144 . if a response is received or the data is otherwise accessed in time , the messaging client loads the full annotation data into the annotation editing window , at an operation 146 . the method of displaying the annotation editing tool may depend on display area limitations , processor capability , and / or other factors . the user may then revise the full annotation data . at a decision operation 148 , the messaging client determines whether a save instruction has been input . when a save instruction is detected , the messaging client stores the revised full annotation data , at an operation 150 . the storage may be local or remote with a communication to a server . other editing commands may be handled in a similar manner . at an operation 152 , the messaging client ( or messaging server ) generates or revises a corresponding annotation fragment based on the full annotation data . a first predefined number of words from the full annotation data may be selected for the annotation fragment , a save or revision date may be included in the annotation fragment , and / or other full annotation data may be incorporated into the annotation fragment . the annotation fragment is stored with an association to the full annotation data . the above specification , examples , and data provide a complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition of the invention . however , other embodiments and aspects will be evident to those skilled in the art . for example , corresponding server - side processes include receiving requests for , and transmit messages , message headers , annotation fragments , full annotation data , annotation indicators , and the like . one or more servers and / or a client may store the various data in databases , files , caches , and / or other storage systems . the annotation data and message data may be organized according to predefined and / or user - defined folders and subfolders . accessing and / or associating annotation data can be keyed to a user identifier , a message identifier , and / or other identifiers . a server or client may also track user actions associated with annotations and determine behaviors , which may enable the server or client to offer information or services that are relevant to each users actions and / or behaviors . another embodiment includes linking annotation data to a calendar and / or other application . for example , a user may enter date information into an annotation , and a corresponding calendar entry is made and / or other link formed . in another embodiment , the annotations can be searched , sorted , filtered , or otherwise managed . a user may then select an annotation to access a corresponding message , calendar entry , and / or other data . since many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended .
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for the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention , reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same . it will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended , such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device , and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates . the general operation of the transceiver of the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 which shows the transceiver in block diagram form . the transceiver , generally designated at 10 , has a receiver section including antenna 12 , antenna switch 14 , radio - frequency ( rf ) amplifier 16 , phase - locked loop ( pll ) frequency synthesizer 18 , mixer 20 , intermediate - frequency ( if ) amplifier 22 , tone encoder / decoder 24 , audio amplifier 26 , and speaker 28 . the transmitter portion of transceiver 10 includes microphone 30 , speech amplifier 32 , pll frequency synthesizer 18 , transmitter power amplifier 34 , antenna switch 14 and antenna 12 . in receive mode operation , rf signals received on antenna 12 pass through antenna switch 14 to rf amplifier 16 which amplifies signals at frequencies within a selected portion of the vhf high band ( 144 to 174 mhz ). it will be understood by those skilled in the art that other bands , for example , the uhf band or the vhf low band , may be desired for certain applications and that corresponding component values may be determined , as for the vhf high band , using a number of well known techniques . frequency synthesizer 18 , which will be described more fully hereinafter , functions as a first local oscillator for mixer 20 , producing a signal which is either 10 . 7 mhz above or below the frequency desired for reception . mixer 20 receives the rf signal output from rf amplifier 16 and the local oscillator signal from frequency synthesizer 18 and produces a number of frequencies , including . if a signal is received on the selected channel , a difference frequency component at 10 . 7 mhz . if amplifier 22 , which includes filter , mixer and fm detector stages , recovers voice and sub - audio tone information from the 10 . 7 mhz signal . the demodulated output signal from if amplifier 22 is fed into programmable filter network 36 of tone encoder / decoder 24 and to squelch circuit 38 . as will be described later , filter network 36 is normally in a standby condition . squelch circuit 38 monitors the demodulated signal for noise , and if no noise is detected , as in the case of a received carrier signal , squelch circuit 38 sends a control signal to encoder / decoder 24 which enables filter network 36 . filter network 36 is programmed by the contents of shift register 40 to respond during receive mode to the presence of a sub - audio tone at a desired frequency . if a sub - audio tone is detected at the desired frequency , filter network 36 outputs the audio portion of the signal to audio amplifier 26 and sends a control signal to squelch circuit 38 to open the squelch . squelch circuit 38 then couples supply current to audio amplifier 26 , and audio amplifier 26 amplifies the audio signal and feeds it to speaker 28 for reception by a listener . pll frequency synthesizer 18 , consisting of voltage - controlled oscillator ( vco ) 42 , prescaler 44 , divider / comparator 46 , low pass filter 48 and reference crystal oscillator 50 , and operating in conjunction with controller 52 and prom 54 , generates the first local oscillator signal for the receiver . data supplied from prom 54 to shift register 56 by controller 52 determines the frequency of the output of vco 42 . controller 52 controls the transfer of data by generating a series of address words in response to commands from talk switch 58 and channel select switch 62 and transferring those address words to prom 54 on address lines 64 . prom 54 responds by outputting data in parallel fashion on data lines 66 . controller 52 couples a selected data line from data lines 66 to the data output of controller 52 . the resulting data stream is shifted from the data output of controller 52 through tone frequency shift register 40 to carrier frequency shift register 56 under control of a clock signal generated by controller 52 . the clock signal is supplied to decoder / encoder 24 and divider / comparator 46 through the clock output of controller 52 . at the end of a read cycle carrier frequency shift register 56 contains the portion of data which corresponds to the selected carrier frequency , and tone freguency shift register 40 contains the data portion corresponding to the selected sub - audio tone signal frequency . when talk switch 58 is depressed , controller 52 reads out data corresponding to a transmit mode carrier frequency and sub - audio tone signal frequency . in that instance , tone frequency synthesizer 68 in tone encoder / decoder 24 generates a tone at a frequency corresponding to the data in shift register 40 . the tone signal output of tone encoder / decoder 24 is coupled to low pass filter 48 during transmit mode , as will be described . the transmitter portion of transceiver 10 will now be described with continuing reference to fig1 . speech amplifier 32 amplifies and limits the voice signal received from microphone element 30 and filters out signals above the voice frequency range . the signal output of speech amplifier 32 is fed to vco 42 as a modulation voltage . as already stated , the tone signal output of tone encoder / decoder 24 is applied to an input of low pass filter 48 . the bandwidth of the phase - locked loop is narrow enough to prevent the loop from responding to sub - audio frequency components , thus allowing vco 42 to deviate in frequency . frequency synthesizer 18 thus functions as a modulator providing direct fm . the output signal from vco 42 is amplified in transmitter power amplifier 34 and coupled to antenna switch 14 which couples the signal to antenna 12 for transmission . antenna switch 14 is set for either transmission or reception depending on the position of talk switch 58 and the state of transmitter power supply ( tx b +) control circuit 70 . when talk switch 58 is in the transmit mode position and tx b + control circuit 70 is enabled for supplying current to antenna switch 14 , antenna switch 14 is tuned to pass output power to antenna 12 and to prevent coupling of output power to rf amplifier 16 . in this position , talk switch 58 disables receiver power supply ( rx b +) control circuit 72 , thereby removing b + power from rf amplifier 16 , mixer 20 and if amplifier 22 . talk switch 58 also sends a disable signal to squelch circuit 38 , which responds by removing b + power from audio amplifier 26 . thus the receiver is inoperative in transmit mode . talk switch 58 indirectly controls tx b + control circuit 70 . applying a command to controller 52 which causes transfer of transmit mode frequency data from prom 54 through controller 52 and shift register 40 to shift register 56 of frequency synthesizer 18 . if the pll locks on the desired frequency , divider / comparator 46 sends an enable signal to tx b + control circuit 70 causing it to apply b + power to transmitter power amplifier 34 and antenna switch 14 . when talk switch 58 is in the receive mode position , tx b + control circuit 70 receives a disable signal from divider / comparator 46 regardless of whether the pll has locked up . in this mode , antenna switch 14 is tuned to pass input signals from antenna 12 to rf amplifier 16 and to decouple transmitter power amplifier 34 from antenna 12 . rf amplifier 16 , mixer 20 and if amplifier 22 are connected to b + power through rx b + control circuit 72 , and audio amplifier 26 is connected to b + power if the other squelch - related conditions , already described , are satisfied . fig2 is a schematic representation of antenna switch 14 , rx and tx b + control circuits 72 and 70 and talk switch 58 shown in block diagram form in fig1 along with associated circuitry . the primary power source for the transceiver is battery 76 which consists of seven 800 milliampere - hour &# 34 ; a f &# 34 ; rechargeable nickel - cadmium batteries connected in series to provide a nominal supply voltage of 8 . 4 volts dc . battery 76 may be recharged by turning the transceiver off and connecting charger jack 78 to a commercially available battery charger adapted for connection to a 110 volts ac wall outlet . when a battery charger is not connected , the anode of diode 80 is connected to test jack 82 and elliptic filter 84 through charger jack 78 and inductor 86 . when on / off switch 88 is switched into the on position , the supply voltage from battery 76 is applied to voltage regulator 90 , rx b + control transistor 92 , and tx b + control transistor 94 , and is also coupled on the b + line to the b + inputs of fig4 and 9 . voltage regulator 90 , consisting of integrated circuit 98 ( national semiconductor lm2931ct ) and associated circuitry , produces a regulated output voltage of 6 . 5 volts dc for freguency synthesizer 18 tone encoder / decoder 24 , controller 52 and prom 54 shown in fig1 . rx b + control transistor 92 is controlled by talk switch 58 , a normally open single - pole , single - throw ( spst ) momentary switch . when talk switch 58 is depressed for transmission , the base of transistor 92 is pulled to ground through switch 58 thereby cutting off transistor 92 and disconnecting rf amplifier 16 , mixer 20 and if amplifier 22 ( fig1 ) from the supply voltage . when talk switch 58 is released , transistor 92 receives base current from battery 76 through resistor 104 which causes transistor 92 to conduct . transistor 92 acts as a voltage follower to supply voltage to rf amplifier 16 , mixer 20 and if amplifier 22 . as stated previously , talk switch 58 indirectly controls tx b + control circuit 70 . in receive mode , as will be described later , the tx b + enable line is held at a logical zero ( low ) level by a low output signal from divider / comparator 46 ( fig1 ) causing zener diode 106 to be reverse biased whereby transistor 108 turns off . with transistor 108 off , no base current can flow out of tx b + control transistor 94 so transistor 94 turns off . as will be explained with reference to fig6 the tx b + enable line is low unless the transceiver is in transmit mode and the phase - locked loop is locked . in that situation , transistors 108 and 94 are both on whereby transmitter power amplifier 34 ( fig1 ) receives b + power . and pin diode 110 of antenna switch 14 receives bias current through inductor 112 and resistor 114 rendering it conductive . talk switch 58 also controls antenna switch 14 consisting of pin diodes 110 and 116 , inductor 118 and capacitors 120 , 122 and 124 connected as shown in fig2 . when talk switch 58 is released , the voltage at the cathode of pin diode 116 is approximately 7 to 8 volts dc , causing that diode to be reverse biased . as has been described , tx b + control transistor 94 is off in receive mode , thus pin diode 110 is also reverse biased . with pin diodes 110 and 116 reverse biased , signals received on antenna jack 126 from antenna 12 shown in fig1 pass through test jack 82 , elliptic filter 84 and inductor 118 of antenna switch 14 , the input of a two - pole bandpass filter circuits 128 and 130 of flg 3 . referring now to flg . 3 , the output signal from bandpass filter circuit 130 is fed to the emitter of common - base rf transistor amplifier 132 . rf amplifier 132 couples the amplified signal to a second two - pole bandpass filter 134 and 136 . bandpass filter circuits 128 , 130 , 134 and 136 are designed to pass signals within a predetermined 8 mhz portion of the frequency range of 144 to 174 mhz . the particular passband is determined by variable inductors 128a , 130a , 134a , and 136a . mixer 20 receives the output of filter circuit 136 , consisting of all received signals within this rf range , as well as the output signal from frequency synthesizer 18 ( fig1 ) which , as has been stated , is either 10 . 7 mhz above or below the frequency desired for reception . mixer 20 produces a number of frequencies for each input signal , including the input frequency , twice the input frequency , and the sum and difference of the input frequency with every other input frequency . two - pole monolithic crystal filter 140 , which has a center frequency of 10 . 7 mhz , attenuates all frequencies produced by mixer 138 except for any difference frequency component at the first if frequency of 10 . 7 mhz , which component corresponds to a signal on the desired channel . the 10 . 7 mhz first if signal is coupled to input 141 of integrated circuit 142 shown in fig4 . if amplifier 22 , audio amplifier 26 , and squelch circuit 38 , shown in block diagram form in fig1 are shown schematically in fig4 . portions of the circuitry of if amplifier 22 and squelch circuit 38 are contained within integrated circuit 142 . integrated circuit 142 is a multifunction fm if integrated circuit manufactured by motorola , incorporated , phoenix , ariz . designated part number mc3357 . input 141 is connected to an internal balanced mixer which mixes the incoming signal with a 10 . 245 mhz second local oscillator signal . the second local oscillator is comprised of internal circuitry combined with an external crystal filter consisting of 10 . 245 mhz crystal 146 and capacitors 148 and 150 . the internal mixer provides a 455 khz second if frequency signal , as well as several higher - frequency components , on output line 152 of integrated circuit 142 and therefrom to 455 khz four - pole ceramic filter 154 . filter 154 passes the signal at the second lf frequency of 455 khz and removes the undesired frequencies . the filtered if signal is then fed through input line 156 to an internal limiting if amplifier and therefrom to a quadrature detector comprised of an internal multiplier and externally connected quadrature coil 158 and associated components . the demodulated signal , which includes audio and sub - audio frequencies , appears on output line 160 of integrated circuit 142 and is coupled therefrom to a de - emphasis circuit consisting of resistor 162 and capacitor 164 . the de - emphasis circuit output signal which appears on capacitor 164 is fed through tone encoder / decoder 24 , shown in block form , to volume control potentiometer 166 and therefrom to audio amplifier 26 . the operation of tone encoder / decoder 24 will be described more fully hereinafter . when squelch transistor 96 is on , as will be described , such that audio amplifier 168 is connected to the supply voltage , audio amplifier 168 amplifies the output signal from tone encoder / decoder 24 and supplies the amplified signal to 8 - ohm speaker 28 through capacitor 170 . the audio output present on line 160 of integrated circuit 142 is also fed to the squelch circuit which includes bandpass filter 172 , detector 174 , internal schmitt trigger circuitry connected between input line 176 and output line 200 of integrated circuit 142 , and squelch transistors 202 and 96 . bandpass filter 172 includes an inverting operational amplifier internal to integrated circuit 142 and connected between input line 178 and output line 180 , as well as resistor 182 and capacitors 184 and 186 . the external components are selected for a center frequency of 8 khz , which is above the voice frequency range . the output of bandpass filter 172 is applied to detector 174 consisting of diodes 188 and 190 , resistors 192 and 194 , potentiometer 196 and capacitor 198 . in the presence of noise , the demodulated signal on output line 160 contains frequency components around 8 khz which are amplified by bandpass filter 172 . the amplified noise is coupled to detector 174 causing the output thereof , connected to input line 176 of integrated circuit 142 , to exceed 0 . 6 volts . this causes the internal schmitt trigger to switch , which in turn causes output line 200 of integrated circuit 142 to appear as an open circuit . in this situation , the base of transistor 202 is pulled to ground through resistor 204 . the base of transistor 202 is also connected to the tone squelch line , and to talk switch 58 ( fig2 ) through diode 205 . as will be described with reference to fig9 the tone squelch line is open if a tone is detected or if tone encoder / decoder 24 is disabled , and is otherwise low . the power save line cannot supply current to line 200 , and diode 205 blocks input current , so output line 200 of integrated circuit 142 is the only source of base current for transistor 202 . thus , transistor 202 is off if any one of the following conditions exists : ( 1 ) line 200 is open ; ( 2 ) the tone squelch line is low ; or ( 3 ) the line from talk switch 58 is held low by depressing the switch . when transistor 202 is off , no base current flows through transistor 96 , and therefore transistor 96 is also off such that audio amplifier 168 is disconnected from the supply voltage . in the case of a received carrier , the output of the fm detector in integrated circuit 142 does not contain frequency components in the bandwidth of bandpass filter 172 , so no signal is applied to detector 174 . as a result , the input voltage at input line 176 of integrated circuit 142 is less than 0 . 6 volts , and output line 200 switches to its logical one ( high ) state . integrated circuit 142 then supplies current through resistor 206 to the base of transistor 202 causing that transistor to turn on . transistor 202 turns on transistor 96 which then supplies power to audio amplifier 26 . potentiometer 196 provides squelch control by determining the threshold of squelch action . microphone 30 converts speech input into an electrical signal appearing on line 209 . speech amplifier 32 and transmitter power amplifier 34 ( fig1 ), the primary transmitter amplifiers , are shown in schematic form , respectively , in fig5 a and 5b . referring now to fig5 a , line 209 is connected to the input of a transistor amplifier consisting of transistor 212 and associated components . the amplified audio signal appearing at the collector of transistor 212 is fed to the diode clipping circuit consisting of diodes 214 and 216 which limits the amplitude of the signal fed to low pass filter 218 . filter 218 , consisting of transistor 220 and associated components , provides a - 18 db / octave gain characteristic for frequencies above a corner frequency of 3 khz . the signal on the wiper of potentiometer 222 is applied through coupling capacitor 224 to capacitor 226 of fig6 . referring more particularly to fig6 capacitors 224 and 226 are both connected to the sw1 output of divider / comparator 46 . the sw1 output , which is controlled , as will be described , by data supplied from prom 54 ( fig1 ), assumes a high - impedance state in transmit mode whereby the signal from capacitor 224 is fed through capacitor 226 to vco 42 . in receive mode , the sw1 output is low . thus residual speech signals propagating through speech amplifier 32 of fig5 a despite the lack of power to that amplifier are prevented from reaching vco 42 . resistors 232 , 234 and 236 and capacitor 238 are the principal components which determine the fundamental pole of low pass filter 48 and thus the bandwidth of the loop . they are selected for a corner frequency lower than the lowest tone signal frequency of 67 hz in order to make the loop substantially insensitive to modulation signal inputs . as a result , vco 42 , which operates under closed loop control at a nominal frequency equal to the desired carrier frequency , deviates in frequency in response to the injected audio signal . potentiometer 222 , connected to the emitter of transistor 220 as shown in fig5 a , controls the modulation level of the transmitter by controlling the maximum deviation from the nominal frequency of vco 42 . the tone signal for encoding the transmitted audio information , the generation of which will be described more fully hereinafter , is coupled to the encode tone input of frequency synthesizer 18 , from which it is fed into vco 42 through capacitor 240 and resistors 242 , 244 and 228 . component values are selected , in a manner known to those skilled in the art , such that filter 48 provides additional attenuation of the incoming tone signal in order to limit the voltage swing at the output of vco 42 in response to the tone signal . thus direct frequency modulation with audio and sub - audio tone modulation signal inputs is accomplished . the resulting fm signal on the collector of buffer transistor 246 of vco 42 is then fed to transistor 250 of transmitter power amplifier 34 shown in fig5 b . with reference to fig5 b , transmitter power amplifier 34 , consisting of transistors 250 , 251 , 252 , 253 , and associated components , amplifies the modulated signal to a power level of appoximately 4 watts . low - power operation can be selected with switch 255 . with switch 255 open , resistors 256 and 257 limit the supply current to transistor 253 . resistors 256 and 257 are selected for a low - power output of less than 1 watt . the amplified output signal from transmitter power amplifier 34 is coupled to impedance - matching network 258 , consisting of inductor 260 and capacitors 262 , 264 , 266 and 267 , and therefrom to antenna switch 14 shown in fig2 . impedance - matching network 258 matches the output impedance of power amplifier 34 to the 50 - ohm impedance of ellipic filter 84 and antenna 12 shown . respctively , in fig2 and fig1 referring again to fig2 when talk switch 58 is depressed and the tx b + enable line is open , the cathode of pin diode 116 is shorted to ground at the end of a lumped equivalent quarter - wavelength line section consisting of inductor 118 and capacitors 120 and 124 in antenna switch 14 . pin diodes 110 and 116 are forward biased due to bias current received from tx b + control transistor 94 , as has been described . therefore , diode 110 passes output power from impedance - matching network 258 ( fig5 b ) to elliptic filter 84 and therefrom through test jack 82 to antenna jack 126 . when shorted , the quarter - wavelength line section isolates the receiver section connected to the transmitter rf power . to further isolate the receiver from the transmitter , diode 268 is connected , as shown in fig3 between capacitor 270 ( fig3 ) and to talk switch 58 . when talk switch 58 is depressed , diode 268 is connected in parallel with capacitor 270 , causing substantially complete attenuation of any residual signal received at the input of filter circuit 128 . referring again to fig6 the operation of the frequency synthesizer will now be described . the major components of the frequency synthesizer are vco 42 , prescaler 44 ( motorola cmos mc12016p ), divider / comparator 46 ( motorola cmos mc145156p ) and low pass filter 48 arranged to form a phase - locked loop . divider / comparator 46 includes a reference oscillator whose frequency is principally determined by externally connected 10 . 240 mhz crystal 276 , which is an at cut crystal operating in fundamental mode . the reference oscillator is trimmed to frequency by variable capacitor 278 . capacitors 278 , 280 , 282 and 284 and thermistor 286 stabilize the reference oscillator frequency against changes in temperature . at temperatures below 5 degrees centigrade the resistance of thermistor 286 rapidly increases and removes the influence of capacitor 284 from the crystal oscillator . this compensates for the sudden decrease in crystal operating frequency for at cut crystals at those temperatures . divider / comparator 46 has control inputs ra0 , ra1 and ra2 which determine the divider value of an internal reference frequency divider . in the preferred embodiment each of these inputs is set high by connection to the supply voltage . this results in a total divider value of 2048 whereby the reference frequency divider produces a 5 khz reference frequency which is applied to the reference input of an internal digital phase detector . the reference frequency may alternatively be set to 12 . 5 khz for applications requiring 12 . 5 khz channel steps . for such applications a 12 . 8 mhz crystal is selected for crystal 276 , and control input ra0 of divider / comparator 46 is held low to obtain a total divider value of 1024 . the digital phase detector has another input for a variable frequency signal having frequency equal to the vco 42 output signal frequency divided by a number determined by data supplied to divider / comparator 46 and prescaler 44 . divider / comparator 46 also includes a 10 - bit programmable divide - by - n ( n ) counter , a 7 - bit programmable divide - by - a ( a ) counter , shift registers and latches for accepting serial input data from prom 54 ( fig1 ), as well as counter and modulus control logic . the data stream , as will be described later , consists of 32 bits including a pll data word and a tone encoder / decoder data word . the data format is illustrated in fig8 . the data stream is shifted into internal shift registers of divider / comparator 46 through the data input under control of the clock signal received on the clock line from controller 52 of fig1 . as will be understood from fig7 and the accompanying description , when the last bit of the pll data word is received , the clock stops and the enable line goes high . the data contained in the shift registers is then transferred into internal latches , and the n and a counters are respectively preset to the numbers n and a . this causes the pll to search for and lock on the frequency corresponding to the new data received . the output signal on the emitter of buffer transistor 246 of vco 42 is fed to signal input 288 of prescaler 44 through shielded cable section 290 . the signai on the emitter of transistor 246 is the local oscillator signal for the receiver and is coupled to mixer 20 ( fig3 ) through capacitor 291 . the interaction of prescaler 44 and divider / comparator 46 may be described as follows . the logic level of output 292 of prescaler 44 changes once every 40 or 41 cycles of the input signal depending on the logic level of modulus control line 294 which is determined , as will be described , by the a and n counters in divider / comparator 46 . prescaler 44 divides by 40 when control line 294 is high and divides by 41 when control line 294 is low . at the beginning of each count cycle , modulus control line 294 is low , so prescaler 44 outputs a single pulse after 41 cycles of the input signal from vco 42 . the output of prescaler 44 is coupled through input 296 of divider / comparator 46 to both the a and n counters , which simultaneously count input pulses . the a and n counters decrement by one for each input pulse received from prescaler 44 . after the a counter decrements to zero , modulus control line 294 goes high and remains high until the n counter has decremented to zero . the n counter reaches zero after an additional n - a input pulses from prescaler 44 , at which time it supplies an output pulse to the variable frequency input of the phase detector . modulus control line 294 is then reset , the counters are again preset to their respective program values , and the next count cycle begins . thus , the phase detector receives one pulse for every 41a + 40 ( n - a ) cycles of the vco output signal . the phase detector compares both the frequency and phase of the reference and variable inputs and produces an output at the pd output of divider / comparator 46 which is used as a loop error signal . the pd output is a three - state output which is low when the variable frequency is greater than the reference frequency of 5 khz , is high when the variable frequency is less than 5 khz and is at a high - impedance state when the two frequencies are equal and the signals in phase . low pass filter 48 averages the positive and negative pulses from the pd output and applies the average voltage to vco 42 to increase or decrease the vco output frequency in order to cancel the loop error voltage generated by the phase detector . at phase lock , the variable frequency input signal to the phase detector equals 5 khz . therefore the vco output frequency can be determined from the equation the sw1 and sw2 outputs of divider / comparator 46 provide latched open drain outputs corresponding to data bits 6 and 7 of the data received from prom 54 ( fig1 ). both bits are high for transmit mode and low for receive mode . the sw1 and sw2 outputs assume a high - impedance state when the bits are high and a low state when the bits are low . the sw1 output is used to pull capacitor 226 substantially to ground in receive mode so that residual speech signals propagating through speech amplifier 32 despite the lack of power thereto cannot reach vco 42 . the sw2 output operates in conjunction with the ld output of divider / comparator 46 to produce the control signal on the tx b + enable line which is applied to tx b + control circuit 70 ( fig2 ). the tx b + enable line is held low by a low level output from either the ld or sw2 output . thus the transceiver must be in transmit mode and the ld output must be high in order for the transmitter sections of the transceiver to receive power . the ld output is high when the pll is locked , and it pulses low if the loop fails to properly lock on a programmed frequency . this turns the transmitter sections off thereby preventing transmission on a spurious frequency . the operation of controller 52 and prom 54 shown in fig1 will be described with reference to fig7 . counter 300 ( national semiconductor cd4060 ) generates address information for prom 54 ( national semiconductor dm74s387 ) when power is applied to it and its reset input is low . when on / off switch 88 ( fig2 ) is turned on , voltage regulator 90 ( fig2 ) applies power to the + 6 . 5 v input line to controller 52 and prom 54 . capacitor 304 performs a power - on reset function , insuring that exclusive - nor gate 320 latches in the low state on power turn - on as well as causing an initial reset signal to be applied to the reset input of counter 300 through transistor 310 . initially oompletely discharged , capacitor 304 receives charging current from the 6 . 5 volts supply through resistor 306 as well as through the path consisting of resistor 308 in parallel with the emitter - base junction of transistor 310 and in series with resistor 312 and diode 314 . the initial base current flowing out of transistor 310 is high enough for transistor 310 to turn on causing the base thereof to reach a potential of approximately 5 . 8 volts dc . when transistor 310 turns on , the reset input of counter 300 goes high . should exclusive - nor gate 320 come up high on power turn - on , the initial low voltage state of capacitor 304 also initially renders diode 316 conductive . gate 320 then supplies current to capacitor 304 . with a voltage drop of approximately 0 . 7 volts dc across each of diodes 314 and 316 , the anode of diode 316 and , consequently , input 318 of exclusive - nor gate 320 , are initially at 1 . 4 volts . output q10 of counter 300 is initially low , so diode 322 is nonconductive . since 1 . 4 volts on input 318 is a low input voltage to exclusive - nor gate 320 , and since the other input is high the output of gate 320 goes low . this latches exclusive - nor gate 320 in the low state and causes diode 316 to become reverse biased . when exclusive - nor gate 320 latches low , base current flows out of transistor 324 through resistor 326 into the output of gate 320 , and consequently transistor 324 turns on and connects 6 . 5 volts dc to prom 54 and counter 300 . as capacitor 304 charges , the base current from transistor 310 decreases until transistor 310 is cut off . the reset input of counter 300 goes low thereby enabling an internal oscillator which then begins to oscillate at a frequency determined by resistors 328 and 330 and capacitor 332 . outputs q5 , q6 , q7 , q8 and q9 of counter 300 representing outputs of internal stages 5 through 9 , form the five least significant bits a0 through a4 of the address word for prom 54 . as address lines a0 through a4 are sequenced by outputs q5 through q9 of counter 300 , 32 4 - bit data words appear at open - collector outputs 01 - 04 of prom 54 . by enabling only one output for any single data read cycle , serial output of a single 32 - bit word is accomplished . fig8 illustrates the bit format for the 32 - bit word . channel select switch 62 determines which output of prom 54 is selected . channel select switch 62 is a binary - coded decimal ( bcd ) switch . for channels 0 , 1 , 2 or 3 neither the 8 &# 39 ; s nor 4 &# 39 ; s output of channel select switch 62 is connected to 6 . 5 volts . therefore , since all outputs of prom 54 are open - collector transistors . outputs 02 and 03 remain in a low state throughout the read cycle for those channels . neither diode 336 nor diode 338 is forward biased . so both inputs of exclusive - nor gate 340 are low whereby the output is high . thus output 01 of prom 54 is enabled , with gate 340 supplying a high output through resistor 342 and diode 344 to the dat terminal and therethrough to tone encoder / decoder 24 ( fig1 ) when output 01 is high . resistor 342 limits current flow from gate 340 into output 01 of prom 54 when output 01 is low . for channels 4 5 , 6 and 7 , the 4 &# 39 ; s output of channel select switch 62 is connected to b + in so as to enable output 02 of prom 54 . when output 02 is high , supply current flows through resistor 346 and diode 348 to the data terminal . only output 02 of prom 54 is enabled . diode 336 is forward biased , thus input 350 of gate 340 is high , which causes the output of gate 340 to go low thereby disabling output 01 of prom 54 . the 8 &# 39 ; s output of channel select switch 62 is not connected to b + in , and diode 338 blocks current flow from diode 336 , thus output 03 of prom 54 is also disabled . similarly , for channels 8 and 9 , the 8 &# 39 ; s output of channel select switch 62 is high but the 4 &# 39 ; s output is low . only output 3 of prom 54 is enabled in this case . the 1 &# 39 ; s and 2 &# 39 ; s outputs of channel select switch 62 control address lines a5 and a7 , respectively , of prom 54 and select one of four possible banks in prom 54 for data acquisition . transmit and receive mode data words are contained in separate banks of the memory . talk switch 58 ( fig1 ) selects the appropriate bank by controlling the logic state of address line a6 of prom 54 . talk switch 58 has one contact connected to the tx / rx line and the other contact connected to ground . when talk switch 58 is not depressed , the tx / rx line is left open , and address line a6 is pulled up to the supply voltage level through resistor 352 . when talk switch 58 is depressed , the tx / rx line is connected to ground causing address line a6 to go low . output q10 of counter 300 goes high after the 32nd data bit has been read from prom 54 , thus generating a signal on the enable line which is coupled to divider / comparator 46 of the pll shown in fig6 . as stated previously , this causes the pll to search for and lock on a new frequency . when the enable line goes high , diode 322 becomes forward biased causing input 318 of exclusive - nor gate 320 to go high , which in turn causes the output of gate 320 to latch high . output q10 of counter 300 also causes the reset input of counter 300 to go high , thus resetting counter 300 and stopping its internal oscillator . transistor 324 turns off when gate 320 goes high . it can thus be appreciated that prom 54 and counter 300 draw no current except when data is being read from prom 54 to establish a new frequency and mode of operation . either a change of channels with channel select switch 62 or a change of position of talk switch 58 causes a memory read operation to begin . any time that a channel is changed , the 1 &# 39 ; s output of channel select switch 62 changes state . input 354 of exclusive - nor gate 356 responds immediately to this change in state but input 358 lags behind because of the delay circuit consisting of resistor 360 and capacitor 362 . gate 356 goes low momentarily as a result , whether the 1 &# 39 ; s output of switch 62 is changed from a low state to a high state or vice versa . it should be recognized that , due to mechanical differences among the four switch poles in channel select switch 62 , the various poles may switch at different times when a channel is changed , especially if the switch is operated slowly . such switch action could cause erroneous readout of frequency data . therefore , the time constant determined by resistor 360 and capacitor 362 is preferably sufficiently long so as to maintain the output of gate 356 low until all contacts of switch 62 have settled into their new positions . the low output of gate 356 forward biases diodes 364 and 316 thereby causing input 318 of gate 320 to go low . gate 320 then latches in the low state as described previously , and a new read cycle begins . similarly , when talk switch 58 is pushed or released , exclusive - nor gate 366 goes low . and a new read cycle begins . reference is now made to fig9 which shows tone encoder / decoder 24 of fig1 in schematic form . the circuit operation will first be generally described . tone encoder / decoder 24 is a continuous tone - coded squelch system ( ctcss ) capable of generating and decoding 37 discrete tones according to the eia rs - 220 - a standard . integrated circuit 368 is a ctcss encoder / decoder manufactured by mx - com , inc ., winston - salem , n . c . and identified as part number mx325a . integrated circuit 368 contains a frequency synthesizer and a comprehensive set of analog and digital notch and bandpass filters which can be programmed either for generation or detection of a single tone frequency . shift register 370 receives an entire 32 - bit data word ( fig8 ) corresponding to frequency and mode information for a selected position of channel select switch 62 ( fig7 ) and talk switch 58 shown in fig1 . the last eight bits remain in shift register 370 for controlling the operation of integrated circuit 368 . in transmit mode , integrated circuit 368 generates a tone having a frequency determined by the data supplied to its programming inputs and couples the tone signal to vco 42 . in receive mode , integrated circuit 368 receives the demodulated signal , including voice and tone signals , and feeds it to two filter networks . one filter network is programmed to sense the presence of a tone of a specific frequency determined by the data on the programming inputs of integrated circuit 368 . the other filter network is a programmable notch filter which is set to the frequency of the desired tone signal so as to greatly attenuate the tone component of the audio signal . the output of the programmable notch filter is fed to an electronic switch which , if the desired tone frequency is present in the received signal , is closed so as to pass the audio signal out of tone encoder / decoder 24 to audio amplifier 26 ( fig1 ). with continuing reference to fig9 the operation of tone encoder / decoder 24 will now be described in more detail . tone encoder / decoder 24 receives supply voltages , at the b + and + 6 . 5 v inputs , from on / off switch 88 and voltage regulator 90 shown in fig2 . transistor 372 is an additional voltage regulator used to provide a supply voltage of + 5 . 8 volts dc to tone encoder / decoder 24 . the 6 . 5 volts dc input provides a reference voltage on the base of transistor 372 , the unregulated input voltage ( approximately 8 . 4 volts dc ) being supplied on the b + input . in either transmit or receive mode , a particular ctcss frequency is selected by setting the appropriate programming inputs of integrated circuit 368 either high or low . the tone frequency data word for these inputs is read out of prom 54 of fig7 as part of the 32 - bit stream previously mentioned . the data stream is fed into the data in input of shift register 370 and shifted through shift register 370 under control of the clock signal generated by counter 300 shown in fig7 . with output q4a and the data b input of shift register 370 connected together as shown , and with the clock a and clock b inputs also tied together , shift register 370 forms an 8 - stage serial - input / parallel - output register . the logic level present at the data in input is transferred into the first register stage , which has its output connected to the q1a output , and shifted over one stage at each positive - going clock transition . data is shifted through shift register 370 in the sequence q1a , q2a , q3a , q4a , q1b , q2b , q3b and q4b . data shifted out of the last stage , q4b , is fed to the data out output of tone encoder / decoder 24 and from there to the data input of divider / comparator 46 shown in fig6 . as mentioned , the data transfer stops after 32 bits have been read out of prom 54 ( fig7 ). the bits remaining in shift register 370 comprise the 8 - bit tone encoder / decoder data word shown in fig8 . the q4b output , bit 25 of the 32 - bit data word , controls an override circuit in integrated circuit 368 . as will be explained more fully hereinafter , the tone squelch function of integrated circuit 368 may be overridden by supplying a high input to the override input of integrated circuit 368 . for channels carrying a sub - audio tone , q4b is high after the data transfer is complete so as to supply base current to transistor 374 through resistor 376 and thereby turn transistor 374 on . this causes the override input of integrated circuit 368 to be normally low . for channels without a sub - audio tone , e . g ., weather channels , integrated circuit 368 must be overridden in order to hear the transmission . this can be accomplished by programming bit 25 low . manual override is also provided , as will be explained . output q3b of shift register 370 , coupled to the mode input of integrated circuit 368 , is high for receive mode and low for transmit mode . the remaining six bits determine the state of the programming inputs of integrated circuit 368 . in transmit mode , data applied to the programming inputs is coupled to and determines the operating frequency of an internal frequency synthesizer . crystal 378 and associated components determine the reference frequency for the internal synthesizer . the generated tone signal appears at the tx output of integrated circuit 368 and is fed to a low pass filter comprised of resistor 380 , potentiometer 382 and capacitor 384 . the filtered output signal is coupled through resistor 386 to the tone out line which is coupled to the encode tone input of vco 42 shown in fig6 . the tone in input of encoder / decoder 24 is connected to the decode tone output of integrated circuit 142 shown in fig4 . in receive mode , then , the demodulated output signal of integrated circuit 142 appears at the tone in input of encoder / decoder 24 . this signal which contains both audio and sub - audio components , is coupled to transistor amplifier 388 and therefrom to the audio input of integrated circuit 368 . this input signal is fed to a low pass filter having a cutoff frequency of 3 . 4 khz , which in turn is coupled to a programmable notch filter as well as to a programmable filter network having a low pass filter and a bandpass filter designed to pass the tone frequency signal component but substantially reject the audio frequency component . the output of the filter network is coupled to a detector which sets a latch high if an individual cycle of the output of the filter network falls within a predetermined frequency range . the latch output appears at the inband output of integrated circuit 368 . the inband output responds to frequency changes in an individual cycle and therefore can change rapidly due to the effects of residual voice frequency signals and noise . for this reason resistor 390 and capacitor 392 are provided as a delay circuit to establish a minimum validity period . when a tone of the programmed frequency is detected , the inband output goes high and causes capacitor 392 to charge through resistor 390 , assuming that transistor 374 is held on such that diode 394 is reverse biased . no charging current flows through the series combination of resistor 396 and diode 398 , connected in parallel with resistor 390 , because diode 398 is reverse biased when the inband output is high and capacitor 392 is charging . resistor 396 and diode 398 are provided to give capacitor 392 a discharge time which is faster than its charge time in order to achieve rapid squelch action in response to absence of the desired tone . this minimizes the so - called &# 34 ; squelch tail &# 34 ; which occurs at the end of a transmission . the ungrounded side of capacitor 392 is further coupled to the inverting input of an internal comparator . to obtain a more positive audio switching action , this comparator is connected in a conventional manner to external resistors 400 , 402 and 404 to form an inverting level detector with hysteresis . as a result of positive feedback through resistor 404 , the comparator circuit has an upper and lower threshold voltage . with capacitor 392 completely discharged , the threshold level assumes the upper threshold voltage . capacitor 392 charges relatively slowly up to the upper threshold voltage , at which point the comparator output switches from a high to a low level and causes the threshold level to switch to the lower threshold voltage . the threshold voltage immediately returns to the upper threshold level when the voltage on capacitor 392 subsequently falls below the lower threshold voltage . resistors 400 , 402 and 404 are most preferably selected to yield upper and lower threshold voltages of approximately 4 volts dc and 2 volts dc , respectively . the output of the internal comparator circuit is connected to one input of a nand gate the other input of which is connected to an override circuit , to be discussed more fully hereinafter . when the override circuit output is high , the nand gate is enabled whereby a low output from the comparator circuit causes the nand gate to go high which then enables the analog switch . the input of the analog switch is connected to the output of the programmable notch filter previously mentioned so that , when the switch is enabled , it passes the audio signal to the switched audio output of integrated circuit 368 . the swltched audio output is loaded by resistor 406 , connected to the bias output of integrated circuit 368 , in order to reduce noise pickup when the internal analog switch is in its high - impedance state . capacitor 408 connected between the bias output and ground decouples noise from the internally generated bias voltage . the signal appearing at the switched audio output is fed to resistor 410 which , with capacitor 412 , acts as an audio filter . the output of this filter is then coupled to the switched audio out line of tone encoder / decoder 24 and therefrom to volume control potentiometer 166 shown in fig4 . the internal programmable notch filter contained in integrated circuit 368 attenuates the level of the tone signal in the demodulated received signal . thus , when a tone signal having the desired ctcss tone frequency is detected for a sufficient length of time , voice signals are passed through integrated circuit 368 and fed to audio amplifier 26 ( fig4 ) through potentiometer 166 . the output of the internal comparator also connects to the base of transistor 414 through resistor 416 . when the comparator output is high , as when no tone is received , transistor 414 turns on and the tone squelch line , which is connected to the base of transistor 202 of fig4 goes low . this causes transistor 202 to turn off and thereby turn off transistor 96 , which then removes supply voltage from audio amplifier 26 , as described with reference to fig4 . when it is desired to monitor a channel before transmitting , the tone squelch system may be manually overridden by closing a tone squelch switch ( not shown ) connected between the sq mon line and ground . this pulls the base of transistor 374 to ground and thereby turns that transistor off . with transistor 374 off , its collector is pulled high through resistor 418 . the override input of integrated circuit 368 is connected by an internal override circuit inverter to the nand gate previously mentioned . when the override input is at a high level , the nand gate output goes high regardless of the output state of the internal comparator . this turns on the analog switch and thereby couples the received audio signal to audio amplifier 26 . integrated circuit 368 has a power save input which sets the decoder into a standby condition when held low . this input is connected by resistor 420 and the power save line to output line 200 of integrated circuit 142 shown in fig4 . when line 200 is high , as in the case of a received carrier , the power save input of integrated circuit 368 assumes a voltage level determined by the level translator formed by resistors 420 and 422 . resistors 420 and 422 are selected such that the power save input voltage is a high input voltage to internal logic in integrated circuit 368 when line 200 is high , whereby the decoder in integrated circuit 368 is enabled . in the presence of noise , output line 200 of integrated circuit 142 appears as an open circuit , and in that case the power save input of integrated circuit 368 is pulled low through resistor 422 . this disables the decoder , although the power save input can be overridden by a transmit or override command . fig1 shows the pertinent portion of an alternative embodiment having twenty - channel capability . all other portions of the transceiver are as previously shown and described . prom 54 &# 39 ; ( national semiconductor dm74s570 ) has a 512 words by 4 bits confiquration which provides sufficient memory space for forty 32 - bit data words as required for twenty channels . input a8 , connected to switch 450 , is an additional address input for determining which bank of prom 54 &# 39 ; is accessed . the position of switch 450 controls the input state of input a8 . the addresses within each bank are determined by talk switch 58 ( fig1 ) and channel select switch 62 and counter 300 ( fig7 ) in the same manner as for the preferred embodiment . while 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 the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected .
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now referring to fig1 , a somewhat schematic diagram showing a system of a preferred method of the present invention is illustrated and indicated generally by the numeral 10 . as shown in fig1 a plurality of trays 12 are carried by conveyor belt 14 for seeding at station 16 by seeding machine 18 . each tray 12 carries a plurality of peat pellets 20 comprising a growth medium for seeds 22 . seeding machine 18 is a conventional seeding machine and has a plurality of tubes 24 which serve to place each individual seed 22 in a selected location on peat pellet 20 . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that in some cases it may be desirable to place a plurality of seeds , for example , a pair of seeds together in each location and that peat pellets 20 may be carried directly on trays 12 or each pellet may be itself carried by a container which is carried by a tray 12 . furthermore , it will be appreciated that peat pellets 20 may be comprised of alternative suitable growth medium such as vermiculite . after seeding station 16 , trays 12 are passed through an optional watering station 26 and then to fixing station 28 . at fixing station 28 a gel film 30 is applied over seeds 22 to secure seeds 22 to peat pellets 20 . as illustrated in fig1 , fixing station 28 has a first spray nozzle 32 and a second spray nozzle 34 . first spray nozzle 32 applies an aqueous solution of a gel precursor onto the selected locations of seeds 22 on peat pellets 20 . then second spray nozzle 34 applies a gelling agent onto the selected locations whereupon the gelling agent comes in contact with the gel precursor solution and interacts therewith to form a gel film 30 over peat pellets 20 and seeds 22 thereby “ fixing ” seeds 22 onto peat pellets 20 . the resulting product is shown in figure that illustrates in cross - section a peat pellet 20 with seed 22 fixed thereon by gel film 30 . gel film 30 helps retain moisture around the seed , thereby potentially increasing the germination rate . suitable gel precursors include high molecular weight molecules that can be cross - linked to form a gel . the gel precursors are natural based polymeric compounds , synthetic polymeric compounds , or a mixture thereof . exemplary of natural based polymeric compounds are latex natural rubber , polypeptides ( i . e ., proteins ) and polysaccharides ( i . e ., alginate ). exemplary of synthetic gel precursors that are normally solutions are polyacrylic acid , copolymers of maleic anhydride , methyl vinyl ethers , polyvinyl pyrrolidone , polyvinyl alcohol . exemplary of synthetic gel precursors that are normally emulsions or dispersions are polyvinyl acetate , and latex rubbers ( i . e . styrene - butadiene with a small percentage of a carboxyl group ). suitable gelling agents are well known , and include calcium ions which can be provided as calcium nitrate , calcium citrate or calcium chloride . of course , other polyvalent ions , such as al + 3 and b + 3 may be suitable depending upon the particular gel precursors . polyvinyl alcohol or polyvinyl acetate can be cross - linked with borax solution . polypeptides can be cross - linked by metals or other functional molecules , where the metal interacts with the electronegative functional groups , such as hydroxyl groups , carboxyl groups , and amines . in cases where the gel precursor is an emulsion or dispersion , gelling can be affected through the application of compounds that disrupt the surface tension , causing the micelles to coalesce . coalescing agents such as ethylene / diethylene glycol 2 - ethylhexyl ether can be added to quicken the process . alternatively , the aqueous solution of gelling agent may be applied before the gel precursor solution or the gelling agent and the gel precursor may be applied at the same time . also alternatively , either one of the gelling agent or gel precursor may be applied to the peat pellet in dry form with the other of the gelling agent or gel precursor being applied in aqueous solution . also alternatively , both the gelling agent and the gel precursor may be applied in dry form and then contacted with water to provide a gelled film over the seed 22 to fix it to peat pellet 20 . now referring to fig2 , the method steps of a preferred embodiment of the present invention are broadly set forth in block diagram . thus , seeds are first sown in peat pellets or other growth medium by selectively placing each seed on an exposed surface of the peat pellet . then , a gel film and gelling composition are commingled or otherwise mixed and placed in contact with each other in film relationship on the surface of the seed and peat pellet . a gel film is thereby formed over the seed and peat pellet surface to fix the seed thereon . then the peat pellet with fixed seed thereon is ready for transport to a greenhouse or the like . further understanding of the present invention will be had from the following examples . ingredient amount alginate ( protonal lf20 / 40 2 % from fmc biopolymers ) sugar ( dispersant ) 8 sodium benzoate ( preservative ) 0 . 1 potassium sorbate ( preservative ) 0 . 1 water 89 . 9 all of the above dry ingredients are combined and mixed and dissolved in the water to form an aqueous pre - gel solution . the solution is then further diluted 1 : 20 to form a 0 . 1 % aqueous solution which is then used in the fixing station and sprayed onto seeds on peat pellets . an aqueous solution of 2 % calcium nitrate is sprayed onto the pre - gel solution to form a thin gel film over the seed and peat pellet . ingredient amount protonal lf20 / 40 41 . 2 % citric acid ( anhydrous ) 29 . 4 potassium carbonate ( anhydrous ) 29 . 4 ingredient amount protonal lf20 / 40 1 % citric acid 8 . 5 potassium carbonate 8 . 5 calcium nitrate 2 vermiculite 80 the mixture is placed on the seed dry and then sprayed with water after the seed is sown on the peat pellet . the dry ingredients dissolve in the water and effervesce to disperse the alginate around the seed and vermiculite . the calcium ion ( in solution ) gels the alginate . this formulation enjoys the advantage that there is no need to mix the product on site and does not use any special equipment to spray the solutions . the product can be applied using the equipment that is already used to apply the vermiculite .
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referring now specifically to fig5 , there is shown a cross section of completed solder bumps of the invention having a first profile . the term profile refers to the difference in which , during one of the final steps of the creation of the solder bumps , the layer of - barrier metal is etched . for the first profile of the solder bumps of the invention , an isotropic etch of the exposed barrier metal is performed , removing the exposed barrier metal except for where this barrier metal underlies the pillar metal of the invention . for the second profile of the solder bumps of the invention , an anisotropic etch of the exposed barrier metal is performed , removing the exposed barrier metal except where the barrier metal is shielded from the anisotropic etch by the solder bump , prior to reflow of the solder bump . shown in cross section in fig5 is the first profile of the solder bump of the invention , the elements of this solder bump are : 10 , the semiconductor surface over which the solder bump is created , typically the surface of a silicon semiconductor substrate 30 , a layer of dielectric that has been deposited over the semiconductor surface 10 32 , contact pads that have been created on the surface of the layer 30 of dielectric 34 , a patterned layer of passivation that has been deposited over the surface of the layer 30 of dielectric ; openings have been created in the layer 34 of passivation , partially exposing the surface of contact pads 32 36 , an isotropically etched layer of barrier metal ; because this layer of barrier metal has been isotropically etched , the barrier metal has been completely removed from the surface of the layer 34 of passivation except where the barrier metal is covered by the overlying pillar metal ( 38 ) of the solder bump 40 , a layer of under bump metal created overlying the pillar metal 38 of the solder bump shown in cross section in fig6 is the second profile of the solder bump of the invention , the elements of this solder bump are the same as the elements that have been described above for the first profile of the solder bump of the invention with the exception of layer 35 which is an anisotropically etched layer of barrier metal which , due to the nature of the anisotropic etch , protrudes for the pillar metal 38 as shown in the cross section of fig6 . fig7 through 16 provide detail of the process of the invention which leads to the solder bumps that have been shown in cross section in fig5 and 6 . fig7 shows a cross section of substrate 10 on the surface , the following elements are highlighted : 10 , a silicon substrate over the surface of which metal contact pads 32 have been created 30 , a layer of dielectric that has been deposited over the surface of substrate 10 32 , the metal contact pads , typically comprising aluminum , created over the surface of the layer 30 of dielectric 34 , a layer of passivation that has been deposited over the surface of the layer 30 of dielectric . openings have been created in the layer 34 of passivation that align with the metal contact pads 32 , partially exposing the surface of the contact pads 32 36 , a layer of barrier metal that has been created over the surface of layer 34 of passivation , including the openings that have been created in the layer 34 of passivation , contacting the underlying contact pads 32 . as dielectric material for layer 30 can be used any of the typically applied dielectrics such as silicon dioxide ( doped or undoped ), silicon oxynitride , parylene or polyimide , spin - on - glass , plasma oxide or lpcvd oxide . the material that is used for the deposition of layer 30 of dielectric of the invention is not limited to the materials indicated above but can include any of the commonly used dielectrics in the art . the creation of metal contact pads 32 can use conventional methods of metal of sputtering at a temperature between about 100 and 400 degrees c . and a pressure between about 1 and 100 mtorr using as source for instance aluminum - copper material ( for the creation of aluminum contact pads ) at a flow rate of between about 10 and 400 sccm to a thickness between about 4000 and 11000 angstrom . after a layer of metal has been deposited , the layer must be patterned and etched to create the aluminum contact pads 32 . this patterning and etching uses conventional methods of photolithography and patterning and etching . a deposited layer of alcu can be etched using cl 2 / ar as an etchant at a temperature between 50 and 200 degrees c ., an etchant flow rate of about 20 sccm for the cl 2 and 1000 sccm for the ar , a pressure between about 50 mtorr and 10 torr , a time of the etch between 30 and 200 seconds . in a typical application insulating layers , such as silicon oxide and oxygen - containing polymers , are deposited using chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) technique over the surface of various layers of conducting lines in a semiconductor device or substrate to separate the conductive interconnect lines from each other . the insulating layers can also deposited over patterned layers of interconnecting lines , electrical contact between successive layers of interconnecting lines is established with metal vias created in the insulating layers . electrical contact to the chip is typically established by means of bonding pads or contact pads that form electrical interfaces with patterned levels of interconnecting metal lines . signal lines and power / ground lines can be connected to the bonding pads or contact pads . after the bonding pads or contact pads have been created on the surfaces of the chip , the bonding pads or contact pads are passivated and electrically insulated by the deposition of a passivation layer over the surface of the bonding pads . a passivation layer can contain silicon oxide / silicon nitride ( sio 2 / si 3 n 4 ) deposited by cvd . the passivation layer is patterned and etched to create openings in the passivation layer for the bonding pads or contact pads after which a second and relatively thick passivation layer can be deposited for further insulation and protection of the surface of the chips from moisture and other contaminants and from mechanical damage during assembling of the chips . various materials have found application in the creation of passivation layers . passivation layer can contain silicon oxide / silicon nitride ( sio 2 / si 3 n 4 ) deposited by cvd , a passivation layer can be a layer of photosensitive polyimide or can comprise titanium nitride . another material often used for a passivation layer is phosphorous doped silicon dioxide that is typically deposited over a final layer of aluminum interconnect using a low temperature cvd process . in recent years , photosensitive polyimide has frequently been used for the creation of passivation layers . conventional polyimides have a number of attractive characteristics for their application in a semiconductor device structure , which have been highlighted above . photosensitive polyimides have these same characteristics but can , in addition , be patterned like a photoresist mask and can , after patterning and etching , remain on the surface on which it has been deposited to serve as a passivation layer . typically and to improve surface adhesion and tension reduction , a precursor layer is first deposited by , for example , conventional photoresist spin coating . the precursor is , after a low temperature pre - bake , exposed using , for example , a step and repeat projection aligner and ultra violet ( uv ) light as a light source . the portions of the precursor that have been exposed in this manner are cross - linked , thereby leaving unexposed regions ( that are not cross - linked ) over the bonding pads . during subsequent development , the unexposed polyimide precursor layer ( over the bonding pads ) is dissolved , thereby providing openings over the bonding pads . a final step of thermal curing leaves a permanent high quality passivation layer of polyimide over the substrate . the preferred material of the invention for the deposition of layer 34 of passivation is plasma enhanced silicon nitride ( pe si 3 n 4 ), deposited using pecvd technology at a temperature between about 350 and 450 degrees c . with a pressure of between about 2 . 0 and 2 . 8 torr for the duration between about 8 and 12 seconds . layer 32 of pe si 3 n 4 can be deposited to a thickness between about 200 and 800 angstrom . layer 34 of pe si 3 n 4 is next patterned and etched to create openings in the layer 34 that overlay and align with the underlying contact pads 32 . the etching of layer 34 of passivation can use ar / cf 4 as an etchant at a temperature of between about 120 and 160 degrees c . and a pressure of between about 0 . 30 and 0 . 40 torr for a time of between about 33 and 39 seconds using a dry etch process . the etching of layer 34 of passivation can also use he / nf 3 as an etchant at a temperature of between about 80 and 100 degrees c . and a pressure of between about 1 . 20 and 1 . 30 torr for a time of between about 20 and 30 seconds using a dry etch process . barrier layers , such as layer 36 , are typically used to prevent diffusion of an interconnect metal into surrounding layers of dielectric and silicon . some of the considerations that apply in selecting a material for the barrier layer become apparent by using copper for interconnect metal as an example . although copper has a relatively low cost and low resistivity , it has a relatively large diffusion coefficient into silicon dioxide and silicon and is therefore not typically used as an interconnect metal . copper from an interconnect may diffuse into the silicon dioxide layer causing the dielectric to be conductive and decreasing the dielectric strength of the silicon dioxide layer . copper interconnects should be encapsulated by at least one diffusion barrier to prevent diffusion into the silicon dioxide layer . silicon nitride is a diffusion barrier to copper , but the prior art teaches that the interconnects should not lie on a silicon nitride layer because it has a high dielectric constant compared with silicon dioxide . the high dielectric constant causes a desired increase in capacitance between the interconnect and the substrate . a typical diffusion barrier layer may contain silicon nitride , phosphosilicate glass ( psg ), silicon oxynitride , aluminum , aluminum oxide ( al x o y ), tantalum , ti / tin or ti / w , nionbium , or molybdenum and is more preferably formed from tin . the barrier layer can also be used to improve the adhesion of the subsequent overlying tungsten layer . a barrier layer is preferably about 500 and 2000 angstrom thick and more preferably about 300 angstrom thick and can be deposited using rf sputtering . after the creation of barrier layer 36 , a seed layer ( not shown in fig7 ) can be blanket deposited over the surface of the wafer . for a seed layer that is blanket deposited over the surface of the wafer any of the conventional metallic seed materials can be used . the metallic seed layer can be deposited using a sputter chamber or an ion metal plasma ( imp ) chamber at a temperature of between about 0 and 300 degrees c . and a pressure of between about 1 and 100 mtorr , using ( for instance ) copper or a copper alloy as the source ( as highlighted above ) at a flow rate of between about 10 and 400 sccm and using argon as an ambient gas . fig8 shows a cross section of the substrate after a layer 37 of photoresist has been deposited over the surface of the barrier layer 36 . the layer 37 of photoresist has been patterned and etched , creating openings 31 in the layer 37 of photoresist . openings 31 partially expose the surface of the barrier layer 36 . layer 37 of photoresist is typically applied to a thickness of between about 100 and 200 . mu . m but more preferably to a thickness of about 150 . mu . m . the methods used for the deposition and development of the layer 37 of photoresist uses conventional method of photolithography . photolithography is a common approach wherein patterned layers are formed by spinning on a layer of photoresist , projecting light through a photomask with the desired pattern onto the photoresist to expose the photoresist to the pattern , developing the photoresist , washing off the undeveloped photoresist , and plasma etching to clean out the areas where the photoresist has been washed away . the exposed resist may be rendered soluble ( positive working ) and washed away , or insoluble ( negative working ) and form the pattern . the deposited layer 37 of photoresist can , prior to patterning and etching , be cured or pre - baked further hardening the surface of the layer 37 of photoresist . layer 37 of photoresist can be etched by applying o 2 plasma and then wet stripping by using h 2 so 4 , h 2 o 2 and nh 4 oh solution . sulfuric acid ( h 2 so 4 ) and mixtures of h 2 so 4 with other oxidizing agents such as hydrogen peroxide ( h 2 o 2 ) are widely used in stripping photoresist after the photoresist has been stripped by other means . wafers to be stripped can be immersed in the mixture at a temperature between about 100 degrees c . and about 150 degrees c . for 5 to 10 minutes and then subjected to a thorough cleaning with deionized water and dried by dry nitrogen . inorganic resist strippers , such as the sulfuric acid mixtures , are very effective in the residual free removal of highly postbaked resist . they are more effective than organic strippers and the longer the immersion time , the cleaner and more residue free wafer surface can be obtained . the photoresist layer 37 can also be partially removed using plasma oxygen ashing and careful wet clean . the oxygen plasma ashing is heating the photoresist in a highly oxidized environment , such as an oxygen plasma , thereby converting the photoresist to an easily removed ash . the oxygen plasma ashing can be followed by a native oxide dip for 90 seconds in a 200 : 1 diluted solution of hydrofluoric acid . fig9 shows a cross section of the substrate 10 after a layer 38 of pillar metal has been deposited ( electroplated ) over the surface of the layer 36 of barrier material and bounded by openings 31 that have been created in the layer 37 of photoresist . over the surface of the layers 38 of metal , which will be referred to as pillar metal in view of the role these layers play in the completed structure of the solder bumps of the invention , layers 40 of under bump metal have been deposited using deposition methods such as electroplating . layer 36 preferably comprises titanium or copper and is preferably deposited to a thickness of between about 500 and 2000 angstrom and more preferably to a thickness of about 1000 angstrom . layer 38 preferably comprise copper and is preferred to be applied to a thickness of between about 10 and 100 . mu . m but more preferably to a thickness of about 50 . mu . m . layer 40 preferably comprises nickel and is preferred to be applied to a thickness of between about 1 and 10 . mu . m but more preferably to a thickness of about 4 . mu . m . fig1 shows a cross section where the process of the invention has further electroplated layers 42 of solder metal over the surface of layers 40 of under bump metal ( ubm ) and bounded by the openings 31 that have been created in the layer 37 of photoresist . layer 40 of ubm , typically of nickel and of a thickness between about 1 and 10 . mu . m , is electroplated over the layer 38 of pillar metal . the layer 42 of bump metal ( typically solder ) is electroplated in contact with the layer 40 of ubm to a thickness of between about 30 and 100 . mu . m but more preferably to a thickness of about 50 . mu . m . the layers 38 , 40 and 42 of electroplated metal are centered in the opening 31 that has been created in the layer 37 of photoresist . in the cross section that is shown in fig1 , it is shown that the patterned layer 37 of photoresist has been removed from above the surface of the barrier layer 36 . the previously highlighted methods and processing conditions for the removal of a layer of photoresist can be applied for the purpose of the removal of layer 37 that is shown in cross section in fig1 . the invention further proceeds with the partial etching of the pillar metal 38 , as shown in cross section in fig1 , using methods of wet chemical etching or an isotropic dry etch , selective to the pillar metal material . it is clear that , by adjusting the etching parameters , of which the time of etch is most beneficial , the diameter of the pillar metal 38 can be reduced by almost any desired amount . the limitation that is imposed on the extent to which the diameter of the pillar metal 38 is reduced is not imposed by the wet etching process but by concerns of metal bump reliability and functionality . too small a remaining diameter of the pillar metal 38 will affect the robustness of the solder bumps while this may also have the affect of increasing the resistance of the metal bump . the final two processing steps of the invention , before the solder metal is reflowed , are shown in the cross section of fig1 and 14 and affect the etching of the exposed surface of the barrier layer 36 . using isotropic etching , fig1 , the exposed barrier layer is completely removed as is shown in fig1 . using anisotropic etching , fig1 , the etching of the barrier layer is partially impeded by the presence of the columns 42 of solder metal . it is believed that the undercut shape of pillar 38 will prevent wetting of pillar 38 and the ubm layer 40 during subsequent solder reflow . it is also believed that exposure to air will oxidize the sidewalls of pillar 38 and ubm layer 40 and therefore prevent wetting of these surfaces during subsequent solder reflow . optionally , the sidewalls of pillar 38 and ubm layer 40 may be further oxidized by , for example , a thermal oxidation below reflow temperature of about 240 degrees c . such as heating in oxygen ambient at about 125 degrees c . fig1 and 16 show the final cross section of the solder bump of the invention after the solder metal has been reflowed . fig1 corresponds to fig1 while fig1 corresponds to fig1 , this relating to the etch in the barrier layer 36 that has been explained using fig1 and 14 . it is noted that the etched layer 36 of barrier material that is shown in cross section in fig1 corresponds to the etched layer of barrier material that is shown in fig1 . the same correspondence exists between fig1 and 14 . the above summarized processing steps of electroplating that are used for the creation of a metal bump can be supplemented by the step of curing or pre - baking of the layer of photoresist after this layer has been deposited . prior to and in preparation for the invention , a semiconductor surface is provided , a layer of dielectric has been deposited over the semiconductor surface , a contact pad has been provided on the layer of dielectric , the contact pad has an exposed surface , a layer of passivation has been deposited over a semiconductor surface including the surface of said contact pad , the layer of passivation has been patterned and etched , creating an opening in the layer of passivation , partially exposing the surface of the contact pad , the opening in the layer of passivation is centered with respect to the contact pad the invention starts with a barrier layer deposited over the surface of the layer of passivation , making contact with the contact pad through the opening created in the layer of passivation the layer of photoresist is patterned and etched , creating an opening through the layer of photoresist , the opening in the layer of photoresist aligns with and is centered with respect to the contact pad in sequence are deposited , bounded by the opening created in the layer of photoresist , a layer of pillar metal , a layer of under bump metal and a layer of solder metal the barrier layer is etched , using either isotropic or anisotropic etching ball height is a very important reliability concern ; in order to prevent thermal mismatch between overlying layers of a package ( such as a semiconductor device and an underlying printed circuit board and the like ) it is important to increase the distance between overlying elements ; the invention provides this ability a larger solder ball ( for better thermal or reliability performance ) results in increased pitch , this is contrary to state of the art design requirements if small solder balls are used without providing height , it is very difficult to underfill the small gaps the solder is , using the invention , relatively far removed from the semiconductor device which means that the application of low - alpha solder is not required ( alpha - particles create soft errors in memory products , lead is known to emit alpha - particles when lead decays ) for the pillar metal a metal needs to be selected that has good conductivity and good ductility , such as copper . this is in order to provide improved thermal performance by counteracting thermal stress the height of the pillar of the solder bump of the invention is important and should be between about 10 to 100 . mu . m in order to achieve objectives of high stand - off the metal that is used for the under bump metal layer is important in that this metal must have good adhesion with the overlying solder during solder reflow while this metal must not solve too fast and in so doing form a barrier to the solder ; in addition , the ubm metal when exposed to air can form a layer of protective oxide thus preventing solder wetting to the pillar metal around the perimeter of the ubm metal during the reflow process ; nickel is therefore preferred for the ubm metal although the invention has been described and illustrated with reference to specific illustrative embodiments thereof , it is not intended that the invention be limited to those illustrative embodiments . those skilled in the art will recognize that variations and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention . it is therefore intended to include within the invention all such variations and modifications which fall within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof .
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in the following description , reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof , and which show , by way of illustration , several embodiments of the present invention . it is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention . fig1 a - 1c illustrate the basic relationship of signal layers in a layered modulation transmission . fig1 a illustrates a first layer signal constellation 100 of a transmission signal showing the signal points or symbols 102 . fig1 b illustrates the second layer signal constellation of symbols 104 over the first layer signal constellation 100 where the layers are coherent . fig1 c illustrates a second signal layer 106 of a second transmission layer over the first layer constellation where the layers may be non - coherent . the second layer 106 rotates about the first layer constellation 102 due to the relative modulating frequency of the two layers in a non - coherent transmission . both the first and second layers rotate about the origin due to the first layer modulation frequency as described by path 108 . fig2 a - 2c illustrate a signal constellation of a second transmission layer over the first transmission layer after first layer demodulation . fig2 a shows the constellation 200 before the first carrier recovery loop ( crl ) and fig2 b shows the constellation 200 after crl . in this case , the signal points of the second layer are actually rings 202 . fig2 c depicts a phase distribution of the received signal with respect to nodes 102 . a relative modulating frequency causes the second layer constellation to rotate around the nodes of the first layer constellation . after the second layer crl this rotation is eliminated . the radius of the second layer constellation is determined by its power level . the thickness of the rings 202 is determined by the carrier to noise ratio ( cnr ) of the second layer . as the two layers are non - coherent , the second layer may also be used to transmit analog or digital signals . a special case of layered modulation is found in hierarchical modulation , such as hierarchical non - uniform 8 psk . fig3 a is a diagram illustrating a signal constellation for a qpsk hp data signal . the signal constellation includes four possible signal outcomes 302 for a and b wherein { a , b }={ 0 , 0 } ( point 302 a in the first quadrant ), { 1 , 0 } ( point 302 b in the second quadrant ), { 1 , 1 } ( point 302 c in the third quadrant ), and { 0 , 1 } ( point 302 d in the fourth quadrant ). an incoming and demodulated signal mapped to one of quadrants ( i - iv ) and the value for { a , b } ( and hence , the value for the relevant portion of the hp data stream ) is determined therefrom . fig3 b is a diagram illustrating an 8 psk constellation created by addition of an lp data stream ( represented by “ c ”). the application of hierarchical modulation adds two possible data values for “ c ” ( c ={ 1 , 0 }) to each of the outcomes 302 a - 302 d . for example , outcome 302 a ({ a , b }={ 0 , 0 }) is expanded to an outcome pair 304 a and 304 a ′ ({ a , b , c }={ 0 , 0 , 1 } and { 0 , 0 , 0 }), respectively , with the members of the pair separated by an angle θ from { a , b }. this expands the signal constellation to include 8 nodes 104 a - 104 d ( each shown as solid dots ). if the angle θ is small enough , a legacy qpsk signal will receive both { a , b , c }={ 0 , 0 , 1 } and { 0 , 0 , 0 } as { a , b }={ 0 , 0 }. only receivers capable of performing the second hierarchical level of modulation ( lp ) can extract the value for { c } as either { 0 } or { 1 }. this hierarchical signal structure has been termed “ non - uniform ” 8 psk . the choice of the variable θ depends on a variety of factors . fig3 b , for example , presents the idealized data points without noise . noise and errors in the transmission and / or reception of the signal vary the actual position of the nodes 304 a - 304 d and 304 a ′- 304 d ′ in fig3 b . noise regions 306 surrounding each node indicate areas in the constellation where the measured data may actually reside . the ability of the receiver to detect the symbols and accurately represent them depends on the angle θ , the power of the signal ( e . g . the carrier ), represented by r c , and the noise ( which can be represented by r n ). as can be seen by inspecting fig3 b , interference of lp into hp is reduced as signal power increases , or as θ decreases . the performance of this hierarchical modulating system can be expressed in terms of its carrier to interference ratio ( c / i ). with a layered - type demodulation as in this invention , the noise contributed by ul symbol errors to the extracted ll signal is avoided . with a layered modulation mapping , the lp bit value for the 8 nodes alternates between 0 and 1 around the circle , i . e ., { 0 , 1 , 0 , 1 , 0 , 1 , 0 , 1 }. this is in contrast with the { 0 , 0 , 1 , 1 , 0 , 0 , 1 , 1 } assignment in fig3 b for the conventional hierarchical modulation . layered demodulation first fec - decodes the upper layer symbols with a quasi - error free ( qef ) performance , then uses the qef symbols to extract the lower layer signal . therefore , no errors are introduced by uncoded lower layer symbol errors . the delay memory required to obtain the qef upper layer symbols for this application presents a small additional receiver cost , particularly in consideration of the ever - decreasing solid state memory cost over time . in a conventional hierarchical receiver using non - uniform 8 psk , the lp signal performance can be impacted by hp demodulator performance . the demodulator normally includes a timing and carrier recovery loop . in most conventional recovery loops , a decision - directed feedback loop is included . uncoded symbol decisions are used in the prediction of the tracking error at each symbol time of the recovery loop . the tracking loop would pick up an error vector whenever a symbol decision is in error ; the uncoded symbol error rate ( ser ) could be as high as 6 % in many legacy systems . an fec - corrected demodulator of this invention avoids the degradation . fig4 a is a block diagram illustrating a first layered modulation system 400 using a single transponder 402 in a satellite . the uplink signal 406 is processed at the broadcast center 408 . both the upper layer ( ul ) and lower layer ( ll ) signals 410 , 412 are encoded and mapped and modulated together 414 before frequency upconversion 416 . the signals 410 , 412 are combined after fec encoding . a receiver 418 decodes the downlink from the transponder 402 . conventional single traveling wave tube amplifiers ( twtas ) are suitable for constant - envelope signal such as 8 psk and derivatives . this system is suited for layered modulation using coherent ul and ll signals . fig4 b is a block diagram illustrating a second layered modulation system 420 using multiple transponders 402 a , 402 b . the upper layer ( ul ) and lower layer ( ll ) signals 410 , 412 are separately encoded and mapped and modulated 414 a , 414 b before separate frequency upconversion 416 a , 416 b . a separate broadcast center 408 can be used for each layer . the signals 410 , 412 are combined in space before downlink . a receiver 418 decodes the downlinked signals simultaneously received from transponders 402 a , 402 b . separate twtas for the transponders 402 a , 402 b allow nonlinear twta outputs to be combined in space . the upper layer and lower layer signals 410 , 412 can be coherent or non - coherent . fig5 is a block diagram of an exemplary receiver 500 of a layered modulation signal , similar to those described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 844 , 401 , filed on apr . 27 , 2001 , and entitled “ layered modulation for digital signals ”, by ernest c . chen . fec re - encoding and remodulation may begin prior to the final decoding of the upper layer . in addition , processing is simplified for signals that are coherent between layers , particularly processing of the lower layer . the effect of two layered modulation on channel capacity can be demonstrated by the following analysis . s l : power of lower - layer signal with gaussian source distrib . n u : effective power of upper - layer noise ( n u = s l + n ) s u : power of upper - layer signal with gaussian source distrib . c cm : channal capacity for conventional modulation ( bps / hz ) c lm : channel capacity for layered modulation ( bps / hz ) c cm = log 2 ( 1 + s l + s u n ) c lm = log 2 ( 1 + s l n ) + log 2 ( 1 + s u n u ) = log 2 [ ( 1 + s l n ) ( 1 + s u n u ) ] ( 1 + s l n ) ( 1 + s u n u ) = 1 + s l n + ( 1 + s l n ) s u s l + n = 1 + s l + s u n thus , assuming gaussian source and noise distributions , sharing power between two layers does not reduce the total capacity of a layer modulation system . the effect of an additional layer in a layered modulation system on channel capacity can also be demonstrated by the following analysis . s b : power sum of bottom 2 signal with gaussian source distrib . ( b ≡ u + l ; s b = s u + s l ) n t : power of top - layer noise ( n t = s b + n ) s t : power of top - layer signal with gaussian source distrib . c cm : channal capacity for conventional modulation ( bps / hz ) c lm : channel capacity for layered modulation ( bps / hz ) c cm = log 2 ( 1 + s b + s t n ) c lm = log 2 ( 1 + s b n ) + log 2 ( 1 + s t n t ) = log 2 [ ( 1 + s b n ) ( 1 + s t n t ) ] ( 1 + s b n ) ( 1 + s t n t ) = 1 + s b n + ( 1 + s b n ) s t s b + n = 1 + s b + s t n thus , again assuming gaussian source and noise distributions , sharing power among any number of layers does not reduce the total capacity . fig6 is a example plot illustrating channel capacity shared between upper and lower layers . this example is for a 11 . 76 db total signal power ( referenced to thermal noise ). the power is shared between upper and lower layer signals . a gaussian source distribution is assumed for both layers as well as a gaussian noise distribution . channel capacity is approximately 4 bps / hz for cnr of 11 . 76 db . as shown , the sum of the two layer capacities always equals the total capacity . hierarchical 8 psk can be viewed as a special case of layered modulation . referring to fig3 b , constant power can be applied for all signals . the high priority ( hp ) data signal , represented by the nodes 302 a - 302 d corresponds to the upper layer . the low priority ( lp ) signal , represented by the nodes 304 a - 304 d and 304 a ′- 304 d ′, corresponds to the lower layer . the hp and lp signals are synchronous , having coherent phase and identical baud timing . the hp layer of an 8 psk hierarchically modulated signal can be demodulated as if the composite signal were qpsk , typically using a decision - direct feedback tracking loop . fig7 & amp ; 8 are block diagrams of exemplary receivers for hierarchical modulation similar to those described in pct patent application no . pct / us03 / 20862 , filed on jul . 1 , 2003 , and entitled “ improving hierarchical 8 psk performance ”, by ernest c . chen et al . embodiments of the invention comprise systems and methods for simulating a layer - modulated signal , including a hierarchically modulated signal . the methods and systems presented herein can be used to accelerate the study and development of layered modulation systems while reducing costs . many different proposed layered modulation implementations can be quickly and inexpensively evaluated . in one exemplary embodiment an end - to - end simulation of communication channel , including satellite distortions , downlink noise , receiver phase noise and receiver implementation errors is developed . the simulator can be developed using a mathematical programming tool such as matlab . standard signals can incorporated into the simulator for ready application , e . g . directv and dvb - s signals as well as turbo codes and other signals . the simulator can be used to process computer - simulated signals or data captured from modulators and / or satellites . for example , lm signals can be emulated by rf - combining real - time signals . in addition , cross - check laboratory tests can be performed with synthesized signal performance . a field programmable gate array ( fpga ) lm signal processor essentially mimics a lm simulator of the invention , but with real time processing . fig9 is a block diagram of a complete simulation 900 of a layer modulated signal . pseudorandom binary sequence ( prbs ) generators 902 , 904 are used to create the upper and lower layer data . data from each layer is then passed through an forward error correction ( fec ) encoder 906 , 908 . after fec encoding the signals can be processed to simulate either a single or dual - transponder system . see fig4 a and 4b . if a dual - transponder system is being simulated ( as in fig4 b ), the upper and lower layers are processed separately . each signal layer is separately passed through a signal mapper 910 a , 910 b , a pulse shaping filter 912 a , 912 b ( e . g ., a root raised cosine filter ), a baud timing and carrier frequency offset simulator 914 a , 914 b , and a satellite distortion simulator 916 a , 916 b . if a single transponder system is being simulated ( as in fig4 a ), the upper and lower layers are combined and passed through the same set of processes together with a weighted summation contained in signal mapper 910 . for a dual - transponder system , the upper and lower layers are combined at the output in a weighted summation 918 . in either case , modeled channel interference effects 920 ( adjacent and co - channel ) are added . the composite signal is then processed by adding white guassian noise provided by a noise generator 922 , phase noise from a phase noise generator 924 and frequency filtering by a receiver front end filter 926 before receiver processing 928 . captured data 930 from laboratory equipment that provide the same functionality as the simulation modules ( 902 , 904 . . . all items in fig9 except 930 and 928 ) can be applied to the receiver processing to evaluate performance . fig1 is a graphical user interface ( gui ) 1000 of an exemplary layer modulated signal simulator including several blocks of fig9 showing ber test results . the display outlines the simulator signal processing flow . upper and lower layer signal transmitters 1002 , 1004 are shown with signal outputs combined and passed through the additive white gaussian noise ( awgn ) channel 1006 . the composite signal then arrives at the receiver 1008 . lower layer ouputs are provided to a lower layer performance measurement block 1010 along with the original lower layer signal from the lower layer transmitter 1004 . similarly , upper layer ouputs are provided to an upper layer performance measurement block 1012 along with the original upper layer signal from the upper layer transmitter 1002 . an error rate and frame based bit error calculation are performed for each layer to establish a performance measurement . operational parameters can be set in a dialog box 1014 . fig1 a is a block diagram of an exemplary system 1100 for synthesizing a layer modulated signal in a laboratory . a first modulator 1102 is used to modulate a first bit stream , e . g . a prbs , of the upper layer to produce an upper layer signal . a noise generator 1106 can be used to add noise to the upper layer signal . a second modulator 1104 is used for modulating a second bit stream of a lower layer to produce a lower layer signal . an attenuator 1108 , ( such as variable attenuator ) can be used for appropriately attenuating the lower layer signal . a combiner 1110 is then used to combining the noise - added upper layer signal and the attenuated lower layer signal to produce the composite layer modulated signal . ( equivalently , noise generator 1106 with a corresponding output power level may be placed on the lower layer path instead of the upper layer path .) the composite layer modulated signal can then be upconverted 1112 before being communicated to a tuner 1114 to extract the in - phase and quadrature components of the separate signal layers , analyzed using a scope 1116 as desired . if a digitizing oscilloscope is used , the digitized in - phase and quadrature signals can be introduced as the captured data 930 in fig9 . directional couplers 1118 , 1120 can be used to tap the upper layer signal ( prior to noise addition ) and the lower layer signal ( after attenuation ) to be used in evaluating the relative power levels of the upper and lower layer signals prior to the addition by the combiner 1110 . similarly , the composite signal can also be tapped by a direction coupler 1122 . fig1 b is a block diagram of an exemplary system 1150 for simulating a layer modulated signal using satellite signals . distinct satellite signals 1152 , 1154 are received at separate antennas 1156 , 1158 . it is important to note that the two received signals 1152 , 1154 are not layered modulation signals . both signals 1152 , 1154 are passed through separate amplifiers 1160 , 1162 . the satellite signal 1154 to be used as the lower layer signal is passed through an attenuator 1164 ( such as a variable attenuator ) to appropriately attenuate the signal . both signals are then combined at the combiner 1166 to form the composite layered modulation signal . the composite signal can then be communicated to a tuner 1168 to extract the in - phase and quadrature components of the separate signal layers which may be analyzed using a scope 1176 . if a digitizing oscilloscope is used , the digitized in - phase and quadrature signals can be introduced as the captured data 930 in fig9 . directional couplers 1170 , 1172 , 1174 can be used to tap the upper layer signal , lower layer signal and the composite signal , respectively . these tapped signal are used to evaluate the signal and / or attenuator performance . this system 1150 requires less expensive equipment than the embodiment of fig1 a ( particularly , omitting the modulators 1102 , 1104 ). in addition , because actual satellite signals 1152 , 1154 are used , real signal effects are included in the composite layer modulated signal . fig1 is flowchart of an exemplary method 1200 for simulating a layer modulated signal . the method applies to the systems of both fig1 a & amp ; 11b . the method 1200 simulates a layer modulated signal having a first modulation of an upper layer and a second modulation of a lower layer . at step 1202 an upper layer signal is provided comprising a first modulated bit stream . at step 1204 , a lower layer signal is provided comprising a second modulated bit stream . next at step 1206 , the lower layer signal is attenuated . finally at step 1208 , the upper layer signal and the attenuated lower layer signal are combined to produce the composite layer modulated signal . the method can be further modified consistent with the foregoing system embodiments . fig1 is a flowchart of processing for a layer modulated signal . further detail of layered modulation processing can be found u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 844 , 401 , filed on apr . 27 , 2001 , and entitled “ layered modulation for digital signals ”, by ernest c . chen . layered modulation simulation methods and systems of the invention can be used to evaluate the performance of layered signals as well as receiver processes . an exemplary computer simulation of a layered modulation signal can be defined with the following parameters . both layers can use a nominal symbol frequency of 20 mhz ( not necessarily synchronized to each other in timing frequency and phase ). the carrier frequencies are not necessarily coherent with respect to each other either . the excess bandwidth ratio is 0 . 2 . it is assumed that no satellite degradation of the signal occurs ; twta and filter effects can be modeled separately if necessary . the upper and lower layer signals can each be a convolutional code 6 / 7 , reed - soloman ( 146 , 130 ) signal with an assigned reference power of 0 db to the upper layer . upper layer cnr is approximately 7 . 7 db . lower layer cnr is approximately 7 . 6 db . noise ( awgn ) of − 16 db can be applied . a turbo - coded signal may alternately be used for the lower layer . phase noise of the low noise block ( lnb ) and tuner are included . the following table summarizes the simulation results . input output cnr ( db ) cnr ( db ) dynamic ul ll ul ll range 7 . 6 none 7 . 43 none 7 . 43 7 . 7 7 . 6 7 . 51 7 . 22 15 . 48 the first row applies to processing only the upper layer , which reduces cnr by approximately 0 . 2 db ( 7 . 6 db − 7 . 43 db ). the second row applies to processing both layers . the lower layer cnr is reduced by approximately 0 . 4 db ( 7 . 6 db − 7 . 22 db ). this result compares favorably with nominal 16 qam performance . further details of the simulation process are shown hereafter . fig1 is power spectrum plot of an exemplary layer modulated signal that can be simulated by the method and system previously described . the composite upper and lower layer signals are added with thennal noise . a sampling frequency of 100 mhz is used and a display resolution of 1 mhz is shown . the spectrum peak is scaled to 0 db , showing a thermal noise floor of approximately − 17 db . a front end receiver filter is used to taper the noise floor . fig1 a - 15c are plots illustrating upper layer symbol timing recovery for an exemplary layer modulated signal . fig1 a is a plot of the comparator output , based on a zero - crossing method . fig1 b is the low pass filter ( lpf ) output of the loop filter ; a decision - directed second order filter is applied . a nominal baud rate of 20 mhz is recovered . fig1 c is a plot of the tracked symbol times ( indicating a delta baud rate ) with a fitted curve overlaid . a small rms error is exhibited . fig1 d - 15f are plots illustrating an upper layer symbol timing recovered signal for an exemplary layer modulated signal . fig1 d and 15e illustrate respectively the upper layer signal before and after the timing recovery loop . fig1 f is a plot of the cnr estimate after the timing recovery loop . the estimated output cnr of 7 . 78 db , which includes measurement errors , compares very favorably with the input cnr of 7 . 7 db . fig1 a - 16c are plots illustrating upper layer carrier recovery for an exemplary layer modulated signal . fig1 a is a plot of the phase comparator output , based on quadrature multiplication . fig1 b is a plot of the loop lpf output , using a decision - directed second order scheme . a baud rate of approximately 20 mhz is recovered . fig1 c is a plot of the phase tracked out for the simulated carrier frequency and phase noise . a small rms error in phase is exhibited . fig1 d - 16f are plots illustrating an upper layer carrier recovered signal for an exemplary layer modulated signal . fig1 d illustrates the upper layer signal before the carrier recovery loop . fig1 e illustrates the upper layer signal after the carrier recovery loop when the signal constellation is stabilized ; the upper layer qpsk signal in the presence of the lower layer qpsk and noise are apparent . fig1 f is a histogram of the phase error about a constellation node . the estimated output cnr of 7 . 51 db compares well with the input cnr of 7 . 7 db . fig1 a is a plot of uncoded upper layer bit errors at the demodulator output for an exemplary layer modulated signal . the errors at the carrier recovery loop output are shown . the plot identifies 80 r - s packets of data by the “ packet ” number versus the two - bit symbol number . the plot reports approximately 0 . 16 % of ber at an estimated cnr of 7 . 5 db . fig1 b is a plot of upper layer byte errors at the viterbi decoder output for an exemplary layer modulated signal . the packet number is displayed versus an eight - bit symbol number , showing 95 packets worth of data . a ber of 0 . 282 % is reported . fig1 c is a plot of upper layer byte errors at the de - interleaver output for an exemplary layer modulated signal . the packet number is displayed versus an eight - bit symbol number , showing 83 packets worth of data . fig1 d is a plot of upper layer errors correctable by a reed - solomon decoder for an exemplary layer modulated signal . of the 83 packets worth of data , only 3 packets with one r - s correctable error byte each occurred , which is well below the correction threshold of eight errors . thus , no uncorrectable errors were exhibited in 83 packets at an estimated cnr of 7 . 5 db . fig1 is a plot of upper layer signal matching calculated between received signal and reconstructed signal for an exemplary layer modulated signal . as shown , nearly constant matching coefficients ( in magnitude and phase ) are exhibited over 300 , 000 100 - mhz samples , despite the presence of the lower layer signal . fig1 is power spectrum plot of an extracted lower layer signal of an exemplary layer modulated signal . a sampling frequency of 100 mhz is used and a display resolution is 1 mhz . the spectrum peak is scaled to 0 db with a thermal noise floor of approximately − 9 db after canceling out the upper layer signal . the plot can be compared with the power spectrum of the composite signal shown in fig1 . fig2 a - 20c are plots illustrating the extracted lower layer symbol timing recovery for an exemplary layer modulated signal . fig2 a is a plot of a lower layer comparator output , based on a zero - crossing method . fig2 b is the loop low pass filter ( lpf ) output ; a decision - directed second order filter is applied . a nominal baud rate of 20 mhz is extracted . fig2 c is a plot of the tracked symbol times ( indicating a delta baud rate ) with a fitted curve overlaid . a small rms error is exhibited . fig2 d - 20f are plots illustrating a lower layer symbol timing recovered signal for an exemplary layer modulated signal . fig2 d and 20e illustrate respectively the upper layer signal before and after the timing recovery loop . the lower layer forms a ring in signal constellation . fig2 f is a plot of the cnr estimate after the timing recovery loop . the estimated output cnr of 7 . 22 db compares well with the input cnr of 7 . 6 db . fig2 a - 21c are plots illustrating lower layer carrier recovery for an exemplary layer modulated signal . fig2 a is a plot of the lower layer phase comparator output , based on quadrature multiplication . fig2 b is a plot of the loop lpf output , using a decision - directed second order scheme . a nominal baud rate of 20 mhz is extracted . fig2 c is a plot of the phase tracked out for the simulated carrier frequency and phase noise . a nominal rms error in phase is exhibited . fig2 d - 21f are plots illustrating an lower layer carrier recovered signal for an exemplary layer modulated signal . fig2 d illustrates the upper layer signal before the carrier recovery loop . fig2 e illustrates the upper layer signal after the carrier recovery loop when the signal constellation is stabilized ; the lower layer qpsk signal in the presence of noise are apparent . fig2 f is a histogram of the phase error about a constellation node . the estimated output cnr of 7 . 22 db compares reasonably well with the input cnr of 7 . 6 db . fig2 a is a plot of uncoded lower layer bit errors at the demodulator output for an exemplary layer modulated signal . the errors at the carrier recovery loop output are shown . the plot identifies 80 r - s packets of data by the “ packet ” number versus the two - bit symbol number . the plot reports approximately 1 . 1 % of ber at an estimated cnr of 7 . 2 db . fig2 b is a plot of lower layer byte errors at the viterbi decoder output for an exemplary layer modulated signal . the packet number is displayed versus an eight - bit symbol number , showing 95 packets worth of data . a ber of 0 . 297 % is reported . fig2 c is a plot of lower layer byte errors at the de - interleaver output for an exemplary layer modulated signal . the packet number is displayed versus an eight - bit symbol number , showing 83 packets worth of data . fig2 d is a plot of upper layer errors correctable by a reed - solomon decoder for an exemplary layer modulated signal . of the 83 packets worth of data , onlyl 1 packets with one r - s correctable error byte each occurred , which is well below the correction threshold of eight errors . thus , no uncorrectable errors were exhibited in 83 packets at an estimated cnr of 7 . 2 db . fig2 a is a plot of uncoded bit error rates for upper and lower layers of an exemplary layer modulated signal . the plot identifies the lower layer and upper layer simulation results relative to a theoretical result based on additive white gaussian noise ( awgn ) curve , illustrating the result of 65k samples ( 130k bits ) of data . the lower layer at the estimated cnr is shown with a ber right on the awgn curve . the upper layer shows a ber below the curve equaling a 2 . 1 db increase . thus , qpsk interference is more benign than awgn of the same power . fig2 b is a plot of viterbi decoder output bit error rates for upper and lower layers of an exemplary layer modulated signal . the plot identifies the lower layer and upper layer simulation results relative to the awgn curve , illustrating the result of 65k samples ( 130k bits ) of data . in this case , the estimated cnr and ber for both upper and lower layers occur close to the awgn curve . the foregoing description including the preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching . it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description , but rather by the claims appended hereto . the above specification , examples and data provide a complete description of the manufacture and use of the invention . since many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the scope of the invention , the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended .
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the invention provides frequency combs for analysis of materials and for communications . a frequency comb is a plurality of narrow , spaced - apart light emission lines produced from an essentially monochromatic light source . frequency combs are useful because they provide discrete wavelengths of light separated in space and time for very accurate transmission of information ( either information concerning a substrate to be analyzed or optically - encoded information content ). the present invention provides frequency combs that span the entire spectrum , preferably in frequency ranges of the order of an octave having extremely precise wavelengths with very narrow frequency separations between individual pairs of discrete monochromatic components . frequency combs of the present invention permit the precise measurement of characteristics of materials that are measurable using absorption , emission , reflection , refraction and transmission . in particular , frequency combs of the present invention provide extremely large numbers of discrete lines . in some embodiments the frequency comb comprises millions of discrete monochromatic components or lines . these discrete monochromatic components can be used individually , or they can be combined , to form optical sources that can be tuned to match the characteristics of individual chemical moieties such as atoms , molecules , chemical functional groups , chemical monomers , polymers , ions , salts and / or adducts of molecules . such optical sources can be designed to excite a response from a known material and to elicit no response or a much diminished response from another known material , thereby providing a convenient method of discrimination between the two materials , or alternatively , a convenient method of analyzing a material for the presence of one or another known chemical moiety . in practice there are two preferred applications of frequency combs . the first is in the area of substrate analysis . because frequency combs comprise narrow emission lines that can be pulsed onto a substrate at high frequency , they are useful to detect , identify , and characterize substrates that are not amenable to elucidation with conventional single wavelength light . for example , frequency combs are useful to determine the sequence of nucleic acids , such as dna , rna , and pna . a typical nucleic acid in dna is of the order of tens of angstroms wide . a typical wavelength of light in the visible parts of the spectrum , such as the wavelength of the maximal intensity of sunlight , has a wavelength of thousands of angstroms , or hundreds of nanometers . thus , no matter how rapidly such a wavelength is pulsed onto a nucleic acid , it will never “ see ” the nucleic acid at a resolution fine enough to distinguish one nucleotide from another ( e . g ., an adenine from a thymine ). frequency combs have discrete monochromatic components that differ in wavelength , in some embodiments , by only about 0 . 01 angstroms . the duration of an individual pulse can range from approximately 10 − 12 seconds ( picoseconds ) to 10 − 18 seconds ( attoseconds ). thus , frequency combs obtain time resolution of individual monomer components of a polymer , such as dna , by virtue of their size , selection , and pulse rate . in some embodiments , femtosecond ( 10 − 15 seconds ) pulses coupled with the narrow bands produced in a frequency comb allows detection of nucleic acid sequences through the ability to differentiate the various nucleotides that make up the structure of the nucleic acid . one useful range of pulse durations is the range of about 1 picosecond to less than about 10 femtoseconds . in one embodiment , the differentiation occurs based on the ability or lack thereof of a nucleic acid to interact with a specific wavelength of light . an example is absorption of a discrete wavelength associated with a change in the energy state of the nucleic acid . in another embodiment , the differentiation occurs based on the brevity of duration of a pulse , which at the femtosecond time scale is of the same duration as the time for a molecule to vibrate or to begin to react chemically . methods of the invention for sequencing nucleic acids comprise generating a frequency comb as described in detail below and in the figures . a nucleic acid molecule is then linearized using methods known in the art . see , e . g ., pct published patent application wo 96 / 29593 , incorporated by reference herein . the linearized nucleic acid is passed through a channel having a width approximately equal to , but larger than , the width of the linearized dna . the channel comprises a detection zone in which each nucleotide sequentially passes as the dna proceeds through the channel . at the detection zone , each nucleotide , or a group of nucleotides , is pulsed with at least one monochromatic component of a frequency comb as described below . an optical response is then measured from each nucleotide , or from a group of nucleotides . the cumulative response based on the pulsed light provides a signature for each nucleotide , or group of nucleotides , in the sequence . details are provided below . referring to fig1 , a source 10 , such as a titanium ( ti ): sapphire ( al 2 o 3 : ti 3 + ) laser , operated in pulsed mode , for example at a frequency of 625 mhz , with a pulse duration of 25 femtoseconds ( fs ), provides illumination that is focused by a lens 20 into an optical path . the optical path can be an optical fiber 30 , such as the tapered optical fiber shown in greater detail in fig2 , that has a constriction 32 . in one embodiment , the tapered optical fiber 30 has an overall diameter of about 125 micrometers and a constriction 32 ( or “ waist ”) having a diameter that is 1 . 8 micrometers in diameter . in some embodiments , the waist 32 is 1 . 5 micrometers in diameter . the interaction of the pulsed illumination with the constriction 32 creates a frequency comb 40 (“ frequency comb illumination ”). the frequency comb illumination exiting the tapered optical fiber 30 is focussed by a lens 35 . in one embodiment , the frequency comb illumination contains optical radiation that comprises a series of substantially monochromatic signals having a frequency spacing of about 10 ghz . the pulse train is controlled at a desired frequency by the clock 38 , which controls the pulse rate of the mode - locked laser . the pulses from a mode - locked laser are produced in a periodic train . therefore , the broad frequency spectrum of the laser is composed of a vast array , or comb , of distinct frequency modes spaced by the cavity repetition rate . in principle , a single pulse would contain an infinite number of distinct frequency modes . the repetition rate r is equivalent to the frequency - domain comb spacing of the emitted pulse train . the repetition rate is determined by the cavity length , l , and the group velocity , v g , of the intracavity pulse according to the relation r = v g /( 2 l ), or velocity divided by round trip distance . in an exemplary embodiment , a repetition rate is selected by controlling the cavity length , and hence the round trip distance , for example with a transducer such as a piezoelectric transducer that controls a cavity mirror and a control loop that senses a selected harmonic of the repetition rate so as to obtain phase lock . in one embodiment , a selected substantially monochromatic optical signal impinges on a second harmonic generating crystal 50 , such as a 7 millimeter segment of potassium titanyl phosphate ( ktp ). the frequency doubled radiation emitted therefrom is combined with a second selected frequency , which provides sum and difference radiation frequencies (“ beats ”), the spacing of which is indicative of the frequency spacing in the frequency comb . fig4 is a diagram showing the frequency comb 40 shown in fig1 in greater detail . the frequency comb 40 comprises a plurality of discrete wavelengths ν 1 42 , ν 2 42 ′, ν 3 42 ″. the discrete wavelengths ν 1 42 , ν 2 42 ′, ν 3 42 ″ are separated one from the other by a spacing δν 44 given as a typical example by δν = ν 2 − ν 1 . the range of frequencies in the frequency comb 40 can span an octave ( i . e ., the highest frequency is at least twice the lowest frequency ), or equivalently , in wavelength , the shortest wavelength is no longer than one half the longest wavelength . frequency combs 40 having more than an octave of bandwidth are possible . as shown schematically in fig3 a , the frequency comb illumination may be focused onto substantially a point of light 65 that coincides with a point within a channel 60 through which a fluid 70 can flow , as indicated by the arrow 70 . the channel is fabricated from a suitably transparent material . the channel 60 carries a fluid 70 comprising a chemical substance to be identified or that is intended to otherwise react with at least a portion of the frequency comb illumination . for example , a solution containing dna may move down the channel 60 into the illuminated area . as will be discussed in more detail below , the dna can be caused to move under the action of electric fields , or alternatively the dna can be carried by a moving carrier fluid . as the frequency comb illumination passes through the channel 60 , one or more frequency components of the frequency comb interact preferentially with the chemical substance , such as the individual nucleic acid bases of the dna . in some embodiments , the interaction is a specific absorption of certain peaks in the frequency comb which are characteristic of the substance . in other embodiments , the interaction can be the excitation of a response from the chemical substance such as when a moiety is labeled with a chromophore . in addition the response may be chemical , such as a chemical reaction , or physical , such as an optical reemission at a specific wavelength . the frequency comb illumination passing through the channel 60 can be detected or observed , with or without beam shaping or focusing with a lens 80 . the transmitted frequency comb illumination can for example be observed using a spectrometer or spectrophotometer 90 . in some embodiments , a passageway having an effective diameter of less than approximately 5 nanometers ( nm ) is provided to maintain single strand dna material or other polymers of interest ( e . g ., dna ) for analysis in a linearized form . the literature indicates that linear single - stranded dna has a diameter of about 1 . 6 nm , and linear double - stranded dna has a diameter of about 3 . 4 nm . the literature indicates that dual - strand dna in its natural , or folded , configuration is larger that 5 nm in dimension and so will not pass through a passageway of less than 5 nm effective diameter . equivalently , a passageway of less than 5 nm effective diameter is too narrow to permit the folding of a linearized single or double strand of dna , the literature describes a number of materials that define suitable passageways or apertures therein . passages can be generated in flat plate by damaging the plate material , for example by bombardment with charged particles , followed by etching . see for example , r . l . fleischer , p . b . price , r . m . walker , nuclear tracks in solids ( univ . of california press , berkeley , calif . ( 1975 ); european patent application no . 83305268 . 1 ; and u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 303 , 085 ; 3 , 662 , 178 ; 3 , 713 , 921 ; 3 , 802 , 972 ; 3 , 852 , 134 , 4 , 956 , 219 , 5 , 462 , 467 , 5 , 564 , 959 and 5 , 449 , 917 , each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . various materials comprise passageways or apertures of suitable size when they are manufactured . examples include arrays of carbon nanotubes ( see iijima , nature , 354 : 56 ( 1991 ); u . s . pat . no . 5 , 457 , 343 ; u . s . pat . no . 5 , 346 , 683 ), and anodic porous alumina ( see a . despic and v . p . parkhutik , in modern aspects of electrochemistry , j . o . bockris , r . e . white , b . e . conway , eds . ( plenum , new york , 1989 ), vol . 20 , chap . 6 ; d . almawiawi , n . coombs , m . moskovits , j appl . phys . 70 , 4421 ( 1991 ); martin , c . r ., science , 266 : 1961 ( 1994 )). in addition , anodic porous alumina has been used as a template for making metal structures having the same shape and dimensions ( see matsuda and fukuda , science , 268 : 1466 ( 1995 )). other porous materials with small pores for use as templates have been described in ozin , g ., adv . mater . 4 : 612 ( 1992 ) and in nishizawa et . al ., science 268 : 700 ( 1995 ). each of the above - mentioned publications is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . linearized dna molecules are generated in fluids under the influence of electric fields ( see bustamante , c . 1991 . direct observation and manipulation of single dna molecules using fluorescence microscopy . annu . rev . biophys . biophys . chem . 20 : 415 – 46 ; gurrieri , s . rizzarelli , e . beach , d . and bustamante , c . 1990 . imaging of kinked configurations of dna molecules undergoing orthogonal field alternating gel electrophoresis by fluorescence microscopy . biochemistry 29 : 3396 – 3401 ; and matsumoto , s ., morikawa , k ., and yangida , m . 1981 . light microscopic structure of dna in solution studied by the 4 ′, 6 - diamidino - 2 - phenylindole staining method . j . mol . biol . 152 : 501 – 516 . each of the above - mentioned publications is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . reports of linearized dna passing through passageways under the influence of applied electric fields also appear in the literature ( see kasianowicz , j . j ., brandin , e ., branton , d . ; and deamer , d . w . 1996 . characterization of individual polynucleotide molecules using a membrane channel . proc . natl . acad . sci . usa . 93 : 13770 – 3 ; and bezrukov , s . m ., vodyanoy , i ., and parsegian , v . a . 1994 . counting polymers moving through a single ion channel . nature . 370 : 279 . each of the above - mentioned publications is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . as shown schematically in fig3 b , the region surrounding the channel 60 ′ can be an optical cavity 62 , 64 , within which the frequency comb illumination makes multiple passes through the channel 60 ′, so as to increase an interaction cross - section between the frequency comb illumination and a substance in the channel 60 ′. for ease of understanding , a single ray 66 of the frequency comb illumination is shown in fig3 b . in some embodiments , the end of the optical fiber 30 comprises nanoparticles , such as gold nanoparticles , that interact with the illumination by absorption and re - emission . the presence of nanoparticles modifies the radiation field behavior of the optical fiber 30 . the analysis of the radiation that is transmitted through the channel provides information as to the identity or chemical composition and the concentration of substances in the channel . the signature that results from absorption of selected frequency components of the frequency comb illumination can provide information as to the identity and quantity of a particular substance in the channel . in alternative embodiments , a dual beam geometry can be used to provide a measurement referenced to a defined condition , such as a known quantity of a known substance within fluid in a channel . methods and systems of the invention are applicable to a broad range of materials and to a broad range of measurements . titanium sapphire lasers are tunable with an emission band having a range of approximately 660 nm to approximately 1100 nm . the frequency of the titanium sapphire laser can be increased by factors of integers , such as frequency doubling and frequency tripling the laser light emission , thereby decreasing the emitted wavelength by factors of 2 and 3 , respectively . accordingly , the titanium sapphire laser is useful to generate frequency combs over a range of frequencies . one can also employ other laser sources to generate frequency combs . for example , some nd : glass and ytterbium lasers generate pulses in the 10 – 1000 femtosecond range . in the field of chemistry , reactions are controlled by providing sufficient energy to overcome reaction barriers . chemical reactions depend on complex combinations of such features as thermodynamic stability of reagents and products under specific conditions of pressure , temperature and composition ( i . e ., solvation , ph , the presence of catalysts , and the like ), and detailed molecular features such as energy states including ground states and excited states and the associated electronic wavefunction distributions , internuclear or interatomic distances , molecular conformations , and vibrational modes . the preceding list is not intended to be exhaustive , but rather to indicate the range of features that can have an effect on a given chemical reaction . the path of a chemical reaction and the end products that are obtained can be controlled by controlling some or all of the enumerated features , as well as others . in particular , the use of light having particular frequencies and polarization properties can affect the energy states of atoms and molecules . light of a properly selected frequency and polarization can be absorbed by a chemical substance , which thereby gains energy corresponding to e = hv . as is well understood in the spectroscopic arts , the change in energy can result in a transition to a different energy state , and / or can result in a change in the interatomic spacing of atoms in a molecule . fig5 is an exemplary schematic energy diagram 500 , in which individual curves 510 , 520 represent the relationship between potential energy and interatomic distance for a specific electronic state . the diagram is based on theoretical calculations . at a location 530 in the diagram where two curves 510 , 520 come close together or actually intersect , the molecule can undergo a spontaneous transition from one energy state to another . transitions between curves can also be driven by the absorption or emission of a photon having the appropriate energy . the diagram gives as an example data for the material sodium iodide , nai . in this example , curve 510 is the ground state and curve 520 is the first excited state . the point 530 corresponds to an internuclear distance of 6 . 9 angstroms , which represents the internuclear distance at which a state transition is most likely . for more complex materials , it may not be convenient or possible to construct the appropriate theoretical energy diagram . nevertheless , the conceptual basis for initiating and driving chemical reactions is understandable in terms of applying the correct quantity of energy to a substance in a selected energy state . prior to the development of an optical source such as the frequency comb 40 , which provides discrete monochromatic lines having very closely spaced discrete energies , there has been no practical way to provide precisely tuned , precisely timed energy pulses suitable for use in driving a specific chemical reaction involving a particular molecular entity in a selected energy state . the invention contemplates the use of the entire light spectra ( from ir to uv and the entire range of colors in light combs ) to gain molecular and biological information . in one aspect , methods and systems of the invention provide the ability to detect biological and molecular information through the use of “ light combs ” utilizing the discrete segments in terms of time , distance , light properties and the entire wavelength of a light comb . in one embodiment , methods and systems of the invention use light combs to distinguish biological or molecular information through measured absorption of specific spectra of the light comb . in one embodiment , methods and systems of the invention use light combs to distinguish biological or molecular information through measured , rapidly activated and redundantly activated chemo - luminescence . in one embodiment , methods and systems of the invention use light combs to distinguish biological or molecular information through measured refraction of continuous light wavelength segments . in one embodiment , methods and systems of the invention use light combs to distinguish molecular and biological information through rapidly pulsed discrete fractions of light wavelengths utilizing light combs . in one embodiment , methods and systems of the invention use multiple color markers activated by segments of a light comb as a means of detecting genetic sequences , single nucleotide polymorphisms , single nucleotides , continuum of nucleotides in a specific sequence ( such as genes ) or groups of 3 nucleotides ( such as codons ) in dna or rna . in one embodiment , methods and systems of the invention use shaped pulses to excite molecules as a means of detection of or identification of the molecule based upon a unique signature of the molecular reaction to its excited state . in one embodiment , methods and systems of the invention identify molecules and information about the molecule using selected combinations of specific color bands from the light comb to elicit a detectable reaction . in the field of telecommunication , an exemplary frequency comb having a spacing of approximately 50 mhz and a one octave spectral bandwidth from approximately 600 nm to approximately 1200 nm , which is equivalent to a bandwidth extending from 500 × 10 12 per second or 500 terahertz ( thz ) to 250 thz , ( i . e ., 250 thz bandwidth ), there would be approximately 5 × 10 6 or 5 million discrete monochromatic components in the frequency comb . at a frequency separation of 100 mhz , which is a common separation between adjacent channels in present - day telecommunication , the frequency comb would support approximately 2 . 5 million separate channels . a discussion of some of the features of optical communications appears in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 631 , 758 , the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . because the repetition rate can be controlled , as described above , the frequency spacing in the frequency comb can be controlled . for a comb of a given spectral width , such as an octave , one can control the number of monochromatic spectral lines by determining a repetition rate that divides the spectral width into the desired number of segments . for example , repetition rates can be chosen to divide the spectral width into , for example , any of 1 , 000 , 10 , 000 , 100 , 000 , 1 , 000 , 000 or 10 , 000 , 000 segments the number of monochromatic spectral lines will then be one larger than the number of segments . as those of skill in the art will recognize , the only limitation on the repetition rate is that a mode locked operating condition must be achieved . one exemplary use of frequency combs of the invention for telecommunication employs an individual monochromatic component of the comb as a carrier upon which information is modulated , and transmitted using an optical transmission medium such as an optical fiber , air , or water , depending on the frequency of the monochromatic component and the optical characteristics of the transmission medium . a receiver receives the optical communication and recovers the information by demodulation . the information is any type of information that can be encoded and transmitted in analog or in digital form . as is understood by those of skill in the optical communication arts , general purpose computer hardware and associated software , or dedicated , custom computer hardware can be employed to modulate , demodulate , and control the transmission of information . the information can be transmitted and / or received using conventional or proprietary data transmission protocols . the methods and materials of the invention , including apparatus that is used to perform the analysis , or to communicate using frequency combs , are in one embodiment controlled and operated under computer control , using general purpose computers . a general purpose computer , is a commercially available personal computer that comprises a cpu , one or more memories , one or more storage media , one or more output devices , and one or more input devices . the computer is programmed with software comprising commands that when operating direct the computer in the performance of the methods of the invention . those of skill in the programming arts will recognize that some or all of the commands can be provided in the form of software , in the form of programmable hardware such as flash memory or rom , in the form of hard - wired circuitry , or in some combination of two or more of software , programmed hardware , or hard - wired circuitry . commands that control the operation of a computer are often grouped into units that perform a particular action , such as receiving information , processing information or data , and providing information to a user . such a unit can comprise any number of instructions , from a single command , such as a single machine language instruction , to a plurality of commands , such as a plurality of lines of code written in a higher level programming language such as c ++. such units of commands will be referred to generally as modules , whether the commands comprise software , programmed hardware or hard - wired circuitry , or a combination thereof . in alternative embodiments , the computer is a laptop computer , a minicomputer , a mainframe computer , an embedded computer , or a handheld computer . the memory is any conventional memory such as , but not limited to , semiconductor memory , optical memory , or magnetic memory . the storage medium is any conventional machine - readable storage medium such as , but not limited to , floppy disk , hard disk , cd - rom , and / or magnetic tape . the output device is any conventional display such as , but not limited to , a video monitor , a printer , a speaker , and / or an alphanumeric display device . the input device is any conventional input device such as , but not limited to , a keyboard , a mouse , a touch screen , a microphone , and / or a remote control . the computer can be a stand - alone computer or interconnected with at least one other computer by way of a network . fig6 is a diagram 600 showing an exemplary application of a frequency comb to measuring frequencies of optical sources using a cesium clock microwave standard . in this example , the frequency comb generator is augmented with additional hardware to provide an external reference signal from a cesium clock , as well as laser illumination whose frequency is to be measured . the frequency comb generator is similar to that described in fig1 – 4 above . in this example , the generator is the portion of the diagram indicated by the dotted outline 610 . a second harmonic generator appears within dotted line 620 . the remaining portion of the diagram includes the external standard within dotted line 630 , the lasers whose frequencies are to be measured within dotted line 640 , and the measuring instrumentation within dotted line 650 . the frequency comb generator comprises a femtosecond laser 612 , such as the titanium - sapphire laser described above , an optical fiber 614 having a constriction of about 1 . 7 microns diameter and a length in the range of 5 to 10 centimeters ( cm ), a mode locking device such as a pzt cavity length adjuster 616 , and a pulse rate controller such as the 10 ghz synthesizer 618 . the second harmonic generator 620 comprises a laser sources 622 such as a nd : yag laser and a second harmonic generator crystal 624 such as ktp . as is understood by those of skill in the optical frequency arts , the laser 622 emits light at frequency f and the second harmonic generator absorbs some of the frequency f light and re - emits light at frequency 2 f . the external standard comprises a reference clock 632 such as the nist cesium clocks at boulder , colo ., and a local reference 634 , such as a rubidium clock , situated near the frequency comb generator . the lasers 642 whose frequencies are to be measured generate light with frequency f a the frequency f a is what is to be measured . the light from the laser 642 is added to the optical beam 651 that comprises the frequency comb and the first and second harmonics f and 2 f , the measuring instrumentation comprises a grating 652 to disperse the components of the optical beam 651 , and two detectors 604 whose outputs are beat patterns that are combined and are observed by a counter 656 . not shown is computational equipment that analyzes and displays various signals to confirm the proper operation of the apparatus and the test results . the frequency of the laser under test is determined by computing the offsets of the laser frequency from known frequencies calibrated with the cesium clock microwave frequency . as is commonly done in the optical arts , components that are commonly used are shown without , appreciable discussion . these components include detectors 604 such as photodiodes , mixers 606 denoted by circles containing an “ x ,” and semi - transparent mirrors 608 that denoted by short solid lines placed at approximately 45 degrees to a beam line , appear at several locations in fig6 . their meaning and use is well known in the art . arrowheads denote the direction of propagation of electrical and optical signals in fig6 while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to specific preferred embodiments , it should 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 appended claims .
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referring now to fig1 to 5 , there are shown flame deflecting devices for mounting on a building exterior . fig1 and 2 show a flame deflecting device comprising : ( a ) a fire resistant lamina 1 that is of a substantially rigid material and is stored extending substantially horizontally and that is of the required minimum width and length where the length of the fire resistant lamina 1 is taken as with the width of the opening , e . g . windows , above which the flame deflecting device is mounted , plus 4 feet ( 1 . 2 m ) or a distance that the space left horizontally between the openings allows . a flame deflecting device of this type may have means of placing the fire resistant lamina in a substantially horizontally - extending position comprising at least one spring in the interior of the casing and urging the fire resistant lamina to the extended position , the fire resistant lamina possessing at least one stopper . the fire resistant lamina 1 is made of a material or combination of materials which is capable of withstanding fire exposure without significant deformation and damage for the average duration of a fully developed compartment fire ( about 30 min ). for simplicity , the fire resistant lamina shown in fig1 and 2 is shown as one made of a single material , ( b ) a mounting means by which the flame deflecting device is mounted on the building by being embedded in a wall 2 , of a building to be protected , in rows above the windows , ( c ) the casing 3 whereby the fire resistant lamina 1 is protected when stored in the retracted position , ( d ) the springs 4 installed to spring load and force the fire resistant lamina 1 through an open side in the form of a slot 5 in the casing 3 when released from the horizontally retracted position , until the stopper 6 come into contact with the casing 3 whereby the fire resistant lamina 1 is fully extended and held substantially horizontally , which occurs upon thermal actuation of the flame deflecting device , ( e ) the strip 7 fastened to the casing 3 by a bolt 8 and a flame - or heat - destructible ( e . g . fusible ) nut 9 approximately midway along the length of the flame deflector device whereby the fire resistant lamina 1 is secured within the casing 3 , and ( f ) the securing means is thermally actuated when fire breaks out by the flames or hot gases destroying the flame - or heat - destructible nut 9 . the strip 7 is dislodged and the fire resistant lamina 1 is forced by the springs 4 to advance in the slot 5 until it is stopped by the stoppers 6 . in this deployed position , the panel will protect the building from the spread of fire from storey to storey by deflecting flames impinging on the underside of the fire resistant lamina 1 . where structural elements of a building or a proposed building make the installation of a flame deflecting device of the type illustrated in fig1 and 2 difficult , expensive or impossible , a flame deflecting device wherein the fire resistant lamina is of a substantially flexible material and is stored in the casing in a packed condition to be readily extendible to the substantially horizontally - extending position may be employed . the flame deflecting device may possess means of extending the fire resistant lamina to a substantially horizontally - extending position comprising at least one tong - like mechanism , and spring urging the tong - like mechanism to the substantially horizontally - extending position . such a flame deflecting device may have the tong - like mechanism mounted with the axes of the pivots of the tong - like mechanism being substantially horizontal . fig3 and 5 show a flame deflecting device comprising : ( a ) a fire resistant lamina 10 that is of a substantially flexible material , such as metal reinforced asbestos or ceramic cloth , mounted on a tong - lke mechanism , the tong - like mechanism comprising the following elements : a series of arms 11 joined together by short pins 12 and long rods 14 , the long rods 14 connecting one side of the tong - like mechanism with the other side of the tong - like mechanism . the fire resistant lamina 10 is stretched out by the long rods 14 . the proximal end 15 of the fire resistant lamina 10 is fastened to the rod 16 , which is embedded at its ends in the casing 17 . the distal end 18 of the fire resistant lamina 10 is fastened to the rod 19 ; ( b ) a mounting means by which the flame deflecting device is mounted on a wall 20 of a building to be protected by means of an anchoring device for which holes 21 , 22 are provided in the casing 17 . the flame deflecting devices may be mounted in rows above the openings , usually windows , of the building to be protected ; ( c ) the casing 17 is closed by a lid 23 which is reinforced longitudinally by two webs 24 and 25 whereby the fire resistant lamina 10 is protected when stored in the retracted position ; ( d ) the arms 26 , 27 , 28 and 29 pivotally mounted on the rod 16 connected to the series of arms 11 by short pins 12 or long rods 14 , and connected by the springs 30 , 31 , respectively , to the wings 34 , 35 , respectively , which are mounted in the casing 17 whereby the fire resistant lamina 10 is fully extended and held substantially horizontally upon actuation of the flame deflecting device ; ( e ) the lid 23 reinforced longitudinally by two webs 24 and 25 is attached by web 38 to the long rod 19 and is fastened to the casing 17 through a single bolt 40 , a heat - or flame - destructible ( e . g . fusible ) nut 41 with a washer 42 placed between the nut 41 and the lid 23 . a gasket 43 placed between the lid 23 and the casing 17 to ensure that all parts within the casing 17 are sealed air - tight from the atmosphere to protect them from corrosion ; and ( f ) the securing means outlined in ( e ) above may be actuated when fire breaks out by the flames or hot gases destroying the heat or flame - destructible nut 41 . this process can be speeded up by making the bolt 40 and the washer 42 of materials of low thermal conductivity . the springs 30 , 31 contract and extend the tong - like mechanism to which they are linked by the arms 26 , 27 , 28 and 29 mounted on the rod 16 . as a result , the fire resistant lamina 10 is extended to a substantially horizontally - extended position . the lid 23 moves with the tonglike mechanism and , as can be seen in fig5 by extending the area of the flame deflecting device , increases the effectiveness of the flame deflecting device in protecting the building from spread of fire from storey to storey .
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in a first preferred embodiment ( fig1 - 6 ), the cleaning apparatus of the present invention comprises a housing 1 containing a solvent reservoir 10 to which is operably connected a solvent pump 30 , a solvent feed line 31 , a vacuum hose 40 and a vacuum motor 50 ( fig1 and 5 ). a screen 90 or other object to be cleaned is placed in clean up tray 60 on top of housing 1 against a light panel 70 which illuminates the screen so that the operator can be sure it is cleaned ( fig4 ). solvent is pumped from reservoir 10 by pump 30 , through feed line 31 and onto the surface of the screen to be cleaned at a point generally adjacent the opening of a vacuum tool 42 on the end of vacuum hose 40 . vacuum motor 50 draws a vacuum on reservoir 10 so as to draw residue laden solvent back through vacuum hose 40 and back into reservoir 10 . this process is continued until inspection of the screen in the light emanating from light panel 70 indicates that it is satisfactorily clean . control of the pumping and vacuum functions is controlled by foot pedal control assembly 80 . housing 1 is made of a rigid , structural material such as sheet metal or structural solvent resistant plastic . it comprises a base 2 mounted on four casters 3 to give mobility to the entire apparatus ( fig1 and 5 ). projecting upwardly from each end of base 3 are end walls 4 and 4a . these are joined on one side by a sidewall 5 of comparable height . end wall 4 , 4a includes a vertical slot opening 8 , which serves as a viewing port for determining solvent level in reservoir 10 , as explained below . sidewall 6 opposite sidewall 5 is approximately twice as high as sidewall 5 and end walls 4 and 4a . it comprises a panel 6a secured to an upwardly extending frame consisting of triangular sides 6b and a top wall 6c . panel 6a is removable to facilitate servicing . a combined handle and hanging rail 7 is mounted at the top of high sidewall 6 , at the corners where frame sides 6b join frame top wall 6c , and extends generally from one side thereof to the other . handle 7 is at such a height that it can be readily grasped by the user to move the apparatus from one place to another . handle 7 also provides a convenient rail upon which items can be hung , including the vacuum wand 41 and cleaning tool 42 at the end of vacuum hose 40 . hanging wand 41 up on handle 7 when it is not in use insures that solvent in hose 40 or feed line 31 inside hose 40 will not run out onto the floor . high sidewall 6 serves not only to facilitate this elevated positioning of handle 7 , but also serves as a support for light panel 70 which slopes downwardly and away from the top of high sidewall 6 . the top of housing 1 in front of light panel 70 is covered by the removable clean up tray 60 . solvent reservoir 10 is mounted within the confines of housing 1 ( fig2 and 5 ). reservoir 10 comprises a bottom wall 10a , an inlet end wall 10b , an outlet end wall 10c and spaced sidewalls 10d . sidewalls 10d and end walls 10b and 10c terminate at an outwardly and then upwardly projecting upper rim 16 which snugly receives a top cover 17 which serves to seal the interior of reservoir 10 . reservoir 10 and cover 17 are made of a structural polymeric material which is at least translucent . the plastic used must be inert to solvent attack , e . g ., polyethylene . this allows light from light 71 ( fig1 ) to shine through cover 17 and through inlet end wall 10b so that the level of solvent in reservoir 10 can be determined by looking through the viewing port 8 in end wall 4 of housing 1 . a solvent outlet fitting 11 is positioned in bottom wall 10a ( fig5 ). a metal vacuum and solvent inlet pipe 12 , including a mounting flange 12a , for receiving vacuum hose 40 is mounted in inlet end wall 10b . a metal vacuum outlet pipe 13 , including mounting flange 13a , is located in outlet wall 10c . solvent is drawn out of reservoir 10 through bottom fitting 11 . the dirtied solvent is drawn back into reservoir 10 through inlet pipe 12 . a vacuum is drawn on reservoir 10 by evacuating air through vacuum pipe 13 . inlet pipe 12 and vacuum pipe 13 extends sufficiently far into reservoir 10 , in opposite direction , as to act as a baffle system preventing solvent from being drawn into the open end of vacuum outlet pipe 13 ( fig3 ). inlet pipe 12 extends from inlet wall 10b substantially across the length of reservoir 10 to within a few inches of outlet wall 10c . outlet pipe 13 extends from its point of entry in outlet wall 10c generally across the length of reservoir 10 to within a few inches of inlet wall 10b . with inlet pipe 12 and outlet vacuum pipe 13 so oriented , it is highly unlikely that incoming solvent entering reservoir 10 through the end of inlet pipe 12 could be drawn into the open end of vacuum outlet pipe 13 . reservoir 10 is mounted on bottom brackets 18 which space the bottom wall 10a of tank 10 above the level of base 2 a short distance , e . g . about two inches ( fig5 ). this space leaves room for solvent outlet line 20 to pass beneath the bottom wall 10a of tank 10 . solvent outlet line 20 is connected to solvent outlet fitting 11 and extends outwardly from beneath tank 10 to pump 30 . it is made of a solvent resistant material such as polyethylene tubing . a check valve is optionally located along solvent outlet line 20 . in the most preferred embodiment , a check valve has been found not essential . pump 30 is a high pressure pump using a 1 / 11 horsepower electrical motor . the &# 34 ; little giant &# 34 ; pump from tecumseh products company operates well in this application . pump 30 is mounted on base 2 via bracket 32 . pump 30 must have sufficient draw to overcome the vacuum within tank 10 and draw fluid out of tank 10 . solvent feed line 31 , comprising a solvent resistant material such as polyethylene tubing , extends upwardly from solvent pump 30 through an opening in outlet end wall 10c which is located near the top thereof generally adjacent vacuum outlet pipe 13 ( fig3 and 5 ). solvent feed line 31 then extends through reservoir 10 below cover 17 and out of reservoir 10 through inlet pipe 12 and vacuum line 40 . it extends the length of vacuum line 40 and terminates at a point adjacent the opening of a brush tool 42 mounted on the end of vacuum wand 41 . solvent feed line 31 is intentionally oriented such that it passes through outlet end wall 10c at a point remote from the open end of inlet pipe 12 . this requires that solvent feed line include at least two bends between the end of inlet pipe 12 and the opening in end wall 10c through which it passes , helping to minimize the possibility that solvent entering through inlet pipe 12 might flow down the length of the outside of solvent feed line 31 and migrate to the exterior of reservoir 10 where solvent feed line 31 enters reservoir 10 . it is of course important that a snug seal be maintained at that juncture so that the vacuum drawn on reservoir 10 by vacuum motor 50 is not diminished . vacuum line 40 is a conventional corrugated plastic vacuum hose which communicates with reservoir 10 via connection to the end of inlet pipe 12 . it must be made of a solvent resistant material such as polyethylene . wand 41 is a piece of metal tubing as is conventionally secured to the end of a flexible vacuum hose . brush 42 is a conventional vacuum cleaning tool made of solvent resistant material comprising a body portion which fits over wand 41 and a brush head comprised of a plurality of brush bristles . vacuum motor 50 is of the type used in vacuum cleaners . motor 50 drives an impeller ( not shown ) located in impeller housing 51 ( fig2 and 5 ). motor 50 and impeller housing 51 are mounted on base 2 . a vacuum hose 53 is fixed to the exterior end of vacuum outlet pipe 13 at one end and to the impeller intake opening in impeller housing 51 at the other end . air drawn through outlet pipe 13 is exhausted from impeller housing 51 through a tangential outlet 54 through an outlet opening in base 2 . by exhausting through base 2 , noise is minimized . clean up tray 60 comprises a shallow metal or plastic tray having a peripheral lip flange 61 which facilitates positioning clean up tray 60 in the opening at the top of housing 1 ( fig1 and 5 ). clean up tray 60 thus is positioned directly in front of light panel 70 . it is approximately one inch deep so that it can catch any solvent which may drip from or is allowed to flow from the end of brush tool 42 . tray 60 is preferably made of metal , though it can be made of a plastic material which will resist attack by organic solvents , e . g . polyethylene . metal also provides a smooth surface from which any solvent can readily be wiped up . a drip pan or splash pan 65 is removably mounted on clean up tray 60 ( fig1 and 6 ). clean up tray 60 includes an upwardly and then laterally outwardly projecting catch lip 62 positioned towards its edge remote from light panel 70 . drip pan 65 comprises a large , generally flat metal panel , with a generally &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped deviation along one edge defining a catch mounting flange 66 . in order to mount drip pan 65 in position , one simply hooks catch mounting flange 66 beneath catch lip 62 , leaving the bottom of pan 65 resting on cover lip flange 61 . drip pan 65 allows one to manipulate a screen being cleaned , as for example by turning it around , without having solvent drip off the screen onto the floor . drip pan 65 also helps catch any splash of solvent occurring when one is operating the apparatus . light panel 70 is a sheet of solvent resistant plastic material such as polyethylene . it is translucent so that light will pass through it . it is supported by suitable brackets such that its top is closely adjacent vertical sidewall 6 of housing 1 and its bottom is spaced from vertical wall 6 a distance of about six inches . a light 71 is mounted on the inside of vertical wall 6 behind light panel 70 ( fig1 ). light 71 is a conventional fluorescent tube about two feet long . light 71 is mounted near the middle of vertical sidewall 6 so that it will shine not only upwardly against light panel 70 , but also downwardly into reservoir 10 , thus facilitating solvent viewing through viewport 8 in housing end wall 4 . pump 30 and vacuum motor 50 are controlled by a foot pedal control assembly 80 ( fig1 ). assembly 80 comprises a base 81 and a pair of independently operable pedals , one being pump actuating pedal 82 and the other being vacuum actuating pedal 83 . electrical wiring 84 connects control assembly 80 to housing 1 and operably to vacuum motor 50 on pump 30 . when the master switch of the apparatus is activated , light 71 is turned on . depression of pump pedal 82 operates pump 30 and pumps solvent through solvent feed line 31 . depression of vacuum pedal 83 activates vacuum motor 50 and draws a vacuum through vacuum hose 40 . pump pedal 82 and vacuum pedal 83 are located adjacent one another so that they can be activated simultaneously . reservoir 10 is filled with solvent by placing wand 41 ( with brush 42 attached if desired ) into a five gallon container filled with solvent . the apparatus master switch is activated and the vacuum foot pedal 83 is depressed . this draws solvent out of the five gallon container , through vacuum hose 40 and inlet pipe 12 and into reservoir 10 . reservoir 10 is of such a size that it conveniently holds five gallons of solvent . the solvent used is preferably biodegradable , water soluble and nonflammable . it must of course dissolve the particular ink or non - water soluble residue which one seeks to clean up . by using the preferable biodegradable solvent , one can dispose of the solvent through a conventional drainage system , or a light industrial drainage system . by making the solvent water soluble , one enhances final clean up in that ink or like residue dissolved in the solvent can readily be separated out by introducing water into the ink saturated solvent . by using a nonflammable solvent , one minimizes the danger of explosions or fires . such biodegradable , water soluble , nonflammable solvents are commercially available . harco iv 1000 is commercially available from harco graphic products , inc . to clean a printing screen 90 or the like , one locates the screen in clean up tray 60 , leaning it against light panel 70 ( fig4 ). one first depresses pump pedal 82 , holding vacuum tool 42 over tray 60 , and holds pump pedal 82 down until solvent begins flow out of brush attachment 42 . one then simultaneously depresses pump pedal 82 and vacuum pedal 83 while scrubbing the screen with brush attachment 42 . it is helpful to occasionally release pump pedal 82 while continuing to depress vacuum pedal 83 to remove excess solvent from the screen and clean up tray 60 . the screen can readily be turned around without dripping solvent onto the floor adjacent the apparatus thanks to drip pan 65 . once the screen is clean , it can be set aside and the apparatus cleaned up . using brush 42 , one washes and vacuums any ink or like residue from light panel 70 and one then vacuums all liquid from clean up tray 60 by depressing only vacuum pedal 83 . when the biodegradable , water soluble , nonflammable solvent is so saturated with ink that further cleaning is not possible , one places wand 41 , with brush 42 attached if desired , into a container and depresses pump pedal 82 to pump all of the solvent out of reservoir 10 into the container . preferably , the container 200 is lined with a plastic bag 201 ( fig3 ). once pump out is completed , the ink saturated solvent in container 200 is diluted approximately 50 - 50 with water and allowed to stand a few moments . the ink or other non - water soluble residue will separate from the resulting solution . if a plastic bag 201 has been used , much of the ink will adhere thereto . the water and solvent solution can be decanted off , or more preferably can be poured through a filter into a sink , allowing the filter to filter out any of the separated ink or other insoluble residue . the filter is then disposed of in an environmentally acceptable manner . in a second , most preferred embodiment ( fig7 - 11 ), the cleaning apparatus of the present invention comprises a housing 101 containing a solvent reservoir 110 in which is operably located a submersible solvent pump 130 and to which is operatively connected a vacuum hose 140 and a vacuum motor 150 ( fig7 and 9 ). solvent is pumped from reservoir 110 by pump 130 , through feed line 131 and onto the surface of the screen to be cleaned at a point generally adjacent or within the opening of a vacuum tool 142 on the end of vacuum hose 140 . vacuum motor 150 draws a vacuum on reservoir 110 so as to draw residue laden solvent from the screen back through vacuum hose 140 and back into reservoir 110 . this process is continued until inspection of the screen in the light emanating from light panel 170 indicates that it is satisfactorily clean . excess residue laden solvent is returned to reservoir 110 through return pipe 145 . control of the pumping and vacuum functions is controlled by foot pedal control assembly 180 . housing 101 is made of a rigid , structural material such as sheet metal or structural solvent resistant plastic . it comprises a base 102 mounted on four casters 103 to give mobility to the entire apparatus ( fig7 and 9 ). projecting upwardly from each end of base 102 are end walls 104 and 104a . these are joined on one side by a sidewall 105 of comparable height . end wall 104 includes a vertical slot opening 108 , which serves as a viewing port for determining solvent level in reservoir 110 , as explained below . sidewall 106 opposite sidewall 105 is approximately twice as high as sidewall 105 and end walls 104 and 104a . it comprises a panel 106a secured to an upwardly extending frame consisting of triangular sides 106b and a top wall 106c . panel 106a is removable to facilitate servicing . a combined handle and hanging rail 107 is mounted at the top of high sidewall 106 , at the corners where frame sides 106b join frame top wall 106c , and extends generally from one side thereof to the other . handle 107 is at such a height that it can be readily grasped by the user to move the apparatus from one place to another . handle 107 also provides a convenient rail upon which items can be hung , including the vacuum wand 141 and cleaning tool 142 at the end of vacuum hose 140 . hanging wand 141 up on handle 107 when it is not in use insures that solvent in hose 140 or feed line 131 inside hose 140 will not run out onto the floor . high sidewall 106 serves not only to facilitate this elevated positioning of handle 107 , but also serves as a support for ligh panel 170 which slopes downwardly and away from the top of high sidewall 106 . the top of housing 101 in front of light panel 170 is covered by the clean up tray 160 . solvent reservoir 110 is mounted within the confines of housing 101 ( fig8 and 9 ). reservoir 110 comprises a bottom wall 110a , an inlet end wall 110b , an outlet end wall 110c and spaced sidewalls 110d . sidewalls 110d and end walls 110b and 110c terminate at an outwardly and then upwardly projecting upper rim 116 which snugly receives a top cover 117 which serves to seal the interior of reservoir 110 reservoir 110 and cover 117 are made of a structural polymeric material which is at least translucent . the plastic used must be inert to solvent attack , e . g ., polyethylene . this allows light from light 171 ( fig7 ) to shine through cover 117 and through inlet end wall 110b so that the level of solvent in reservoir 110 can be determined by looking through the viewing port 108 in end wall 104 of housing 101 . a metal vacuum and solvent inlet pipe 112 , including a mounting flange 112a , for receiving vacuum hose 140 is mounted in inlet end wall 110b . a metal vacuum outlet pipe 113 , including mounting flange 113a , is located in outlet wall 110c . the dirtied solvent is drawn by vacuum back into reservoir 110 through inlet pipe 112 or through return pipe 145 . a vacuum is drawn on reservoir 110 by evacuating air through vacuum pipe 113 . inlet pipe 112 and vacuum pipe 113 extends sufficiently far into reservoir 110 , in opposite direction , as to act as a baffle system preventing solvent from being drawn into the open end of vacuum outlet pipe 113 ( fig8 and 9 ). inlet pipe 112 extends from inlet wall 110b substantially across the length of reservoir 110 to within several inches of outlet wall 110c . outlet pipe 113 extends from its point of entry in outlet wall 110c generally across the length of reservoir 110 to within several inches of inlet wall 110b . with inlet pipe 112 and outlet vacuum pipe 13 so oriented , it is highly unlikely that incoming solvent entering reservoir 110 through the end of inlet pipe 112 could be drawn into the open end of vacuum outlet pipe 113 . return pipe 145 extends into reservoir 110 only a few inches from wall 110c . with return pipe 145 so oriented with respect to outlet vacuum pipe 113 , it is highly unlikely that incoming solvent entering reservoir 110 through the open end of return pipe 145 could be drawn into the open end of vacuum outlet pipe 113 . as positioned , return pipe 145 and vacuum outlet pipe 113 act as a baffle system . pump 130 is a submersible high pressure pump . the model 2p406 epoxy encapsulated pump from teel manufacturing company operates well in this application . pump 130 is mounted via its fluid inlet assembly 132 on the bottom of reservoir 110 . pump 130 and its motor ( not shown ) must be enclosed in a liquid sealed housing having sufficient draw to overcome the vacuum within tank 110 and draw fluid out of tank 110 . pump 130 draws solvent through its inlet assembly 132 and discharges solvent under pressure to a discharge line 131a . discharge line 131a , comprising a solvent resistant material , such as polyethylene tubing , extends upwardly from solvent pump 130 to check valve 120 . a solvent feed line 131b ( fig9 ) extends from check valve 120 inside vacuum inlet pipe 112 to a rigid metal tube 131c welded to the interior of vacuum wand 141 ( fig1 ). solvent feed line 131b comprises a flexible , solvent resistant material such as neoprene rubber . a flexible discharge tube 133 extends from tube 131c and is disposed in the opening of brush tool 142 ( fig7 and 11 ). discharge tube 133 terminates in tool 142 slightly before the end of the brush bristles and is made of a flexible solvent resistant material to avoid damaging the screen should brush tool 142 be pressed forcibly against the screen . vacuum line 140 is a conventional corrugated plastic vacuum hose which communicates with reservoir 110 via connection to the end of inlet pipe 112 . it must be made of a solvent resistant material such as polyethylene . wand 141 is a piece of metal tubing as is conventionally secured to the end of a flexible vacuum hose . brush 142 is a conventional vacuum cleaning tool made of solvent resistant material comprising a body portion which fits over wand 141 and a brush head comprised of a plurality of brush bristles . vacuum motor 150 is of the type used in vacuum cleaners . motor 150 drives an impeller ( not shown ) located in impeller housing 151 ( fig8 and 10 ). motor 150 and impeller housing 151 are mounted on base 102 . a vacuum hose 153 is fixed to the exterior end of vacuum outlet pipe 113 at one end and to the impeller intake opening in impeller housing 151 at the other end . air drawn through outlet pipe 113 is exhausted from impeller housing 151 through a tangential outlet ( not shown ) through an outlet opening in base 102 . by exhausting through base 102 , noise is minimized . clean up tray 160 comprises a shallow metal or plastic tray having a peripheral lip flange 161 , which facilitates positioning clean up tray 160 in the opening at the top of housing 101 ( fig7 and 10 ). clean up tray 160 thus is positioned directly in front of light panel 170 . it is approximately one inch deep so that it can catch any solvent which may drip from or is allowed to flow from the end of brush tool 142 . tray 160 comprises a large , generally flat metal panel , with a bottom 163 that slopes downwardly toward return pipe 145 . clean up tray 160 includes an upwardly and then laterally outwardly projecting catch lip 162 positioned towards its edge remote from light panel 170 ( fig1 ). tray 160 is preferably made of metal , though it can be made of a plastic material which will resist attack by organic solvents , e . g . polyethylene . metal also provides a smooth surface from which any solvent can readily be wiped up . a drip pan or splash pan 165 is removably mounted on clean up tray 160 ( fig7 and 10 ). drip pan 165 has a generally &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped deviation along one edge defining a catch mounting flange 166 . in order to mount drip pan 165 in position , one simply hooks catch mounting flange 166 beneath catch lip 162 , leaving the bottom of pan 165 resting on cover lip flange 161 . drip pan 165 allows one to manipulate a screen being cleaned , as for example by turning it around , without having solvent drip off the screen onto the floor . drip pan 165 also helps catch and return to reservoir 110 any splash of solvent occurring when one is operating the apparatus . light panel 170 is a sheet of solvent resistant plastic material such as polyethylene . it is translucent so that light will pass through it . it is supported by suitable brackets such that its top is closely adjacent vertical sidewall 106 of housing 101 and its bottom is spaced from vertical wall 106 a distance of about six inches . a light 171 is mounted on the inside of vertical wall 106 behind light panel 170 ( fig7 ). light 171 is a conventional fluorescent tube about two feet long . light 171 is mounted near the middle of vertical sidewall 106 so that it will shine not only upwardly against light panel 170 , but also downwardly into reservoir 110 , thus facilitating solvent viewing through viewport 108 in housing end wall 104 . pump 130 and vacuum motor 150 are controlled by a foot pedal control assembly 180 ( fig7 ). assembly 180 comprises a base 181 and a pair of independently operable pedals , one being pump actuating pedal 182 and the other being vacuum actuating pedal 183 . electrical wiring 184 connects control assembly 180 to housing 101 and operably to vacuum motor 150 and pump 130 . when the master switch ( not shown ) of the apparatus is activated , light 171 is turned on . depression of pump pedal 182 operates pump 130 and pumps solvent through solvent feed line 131 . depression of vacuum pedal 183 activates vacuum motor 150 and draws a vacuum through vacuum hose 140 . pump pedal 182 and vacuum pedal 183 are located adjacent one another so that they can be activated simultaneously . reservoir 110 is filled with solvent by placing wand 141 ( with brush 142 attached if desired ) into a five gallon container filled with solvent . the apparatus master switch is activated and the vacuum foot pedal 183 is depressed . this draws solvent out of the five gallon container , through vacuum hose 140 and inlet pipe 112 and into reservoir 110 . reservoir 110 is of such a size that it conveniently holds five gallons of solvent . to clean a printing screen 190 or the like , one locates the screen in clean up tray 160 , leaning it against light panel 170 . one first depresses pump pedal 182 , holding vacuum tool 142 over tray 160 , and holds pump pedal 182 down until solvent begins flow out of brush attachment 142 . one then simultaneously depresses pump pedal 182 and vacuum pedal 183 while scrubbing the screen with brush attachment 142 . it is helpful to occasionally release pump pedal 182 while continuing to depress vacuum pedal 183 to remove excess solvent from the screen . the screen can readily be turned around without dripping solvent onto the floor adjacent the apparatus thanks to drip pan 165 . once the screen is clean , it can be set aside and the apparatus cleaned up . using brush 142 , one washes and vacuums any ink or like residue from light panel 170 and clean up tray 160 . when the biodegradable , water soluble , nonflammable solvent is so saturated with ink that further cleaning is not possible , one places wand 141 , with brush 142 attached if desired , into a container and depresses pump pedal 182 to pump all of the solvent out of reservoir 110 into the container . of course , the above are preferred embodiments of the invention and various changes and alterations can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects thereof .
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an object of the present invention is to eliminate at least some of the drawbacks of the state of the art . the invention provides a method of patterning layers of organic devices . it also provides organic devices with layers patterned according to the method as defined in the appended independent claims . preferred , advantageous or alternative features of the invention are set out in dependent claims . in a first aspect the present invention provides a method of patterning a conductive layer or a layer stack comprising at least one conductive layer in which between the layer or layer stack and the substrate there is a compressible spacer layer or a spacer layer stack comprising at least one compressible layer . in a second aspect the invention provides organic devices with at least one conductive layer which is patterned according to the claimed method . embodiments of the invention are described hereinafter with reference to the following schematic drawings . fig1 shows a schematic drawing of a first patterning method embodying the invention , fig2 shows a schematic drawing of a second patterning method embodying the invention , fig3 shows a schematic drawing of a third patterning method embodying the invention , fig5 shows a schematic drawing of still another patterning method embodying the invention , fig6 shows an oled device made by a method embodying the invention , and fig7 shows a transistor made by a method embodying the invention . organic devices such as organic light emitting devices ( oleds ), organic field effect transistors ( ofets ) or organic photocells , possess one or more conductive layers in the layer setup . e . g . the simplest layer setup of an oled is a three layer setup with a transparent anode layer , the light emitting layer and a cathode layer . to obtain the desired function of the devices the conductive layers need to be patterned in an appropriate manner . the central point of this invention is to pattern the conductive layer or layers by embossing , whereas between the substrate and the first conductive layer there is a compressible spacer layer or a spacer layer stack with at least one such compressible layer . the thickness of the compressible layer shrinks at the embossed areas due to the pressure applied by the embossing tool ( see fig1 ). the conductive layer or the layer stack comprising at least one conductive layer is disjoint at the edges of the embossed areas and countersunk in the compressible layer . for this the compressible layer should be more compressible than the other layers . if the parameters of the embossing step are chosen adequately only the above mentioned layers are deformed permanently whereas the substrate is not permanently deformed by the process . especially barrier coatings which are deposited to enhance the barrier properties of polymeric substrates can be kept undamaged ( see fig2 ). suitable substrates ( 1 ) for the organic devices are glass , polymer , especially polymeric foil , paper or metal . flexible substrates are well suited for roll - to - roll processes . the substrate can be for example a flexible polymer foil like acrylonitrile butadiene styrene abs , polycarbonate pc , polyethylene pe , polyetherimide pei , polyetherketone pek , poly ( ethylene naphthalate ) pen , poly ( ethylene therephtalate ) pet , polyimide pi , poly ( methyl methacrylate ) pmma , poly - oxy - methylene pom , mono oriented polypropylene mopp , polystyrene ps , polyvinyl chloride pvc and the like . other materials like paper ( weight per area 20 - 500 g / m 2 , preferably 40 - 200 g / m 2 ), metal foil , ( for example al -, au -, cu -, fe -, ni -, sn -, steel - foil etc . ), especially surface modified , coated with a lacquer or polymer , are suitable too . the substrate can be coated with a barrier layer ( 4 ) or a barrier layer stack ( 5 ) to increase the barrier properties ( j . lange and y . wyser , “ recent innovations in barrier technologies for plastic packaging — a review ”, packag . technol . and sci . 16 , 2003 , p . 149 - 158 ). e . g . inorganic materials like sio 2 , si 3 n 4 , sio x n y , al 2 o 3 , alo x n y and the like are often used . they can be deposited e . g . in vacuum processes like evaporation , sputtering or chemical vapour deposition cvd , especially plasma enhanced cvd ( pecvd ). other suitable materials are mixtures of organic and inorganic materials deposited in a sol - gel process . such materials can even be deposited in a wet coating process like e . g . gravure printing . the best barrier properties at present are obtained by multilayer coatings of organic and inorganic materials as described in wo03 / 094256a2 . in the following the term substrate shall denote substrates with and without barrier coatings . suitable materials for the compressible layer ( 2 ) are low density polymer like e . g . low density poly ethylene ( ldpe ) with a density of about 0 . 92 g / cc . most isolating and conducting polymers possess densities & gt ; 1 . 0 g / cc . e . g . poly ( methyl methacrylate ) pmma has a density of 1 . 19 g / cc , poly ( styrene ) ps of 1 . 05 g / cc , poly ( carbonate ) pc of 1 . 2 g / cc and poly ( ethylene terephthalate ) pet of 1 . 3 - 1 . 4 g / cc . the density of metals and tcos is even distinctly higher . e . g . aluminum ( al ) has a density of 2 . 7 g / cc , copper ( cu ) of 8 . 96 g / cc , silver ( ag ) of 10 . 5 g / cc or gold ( au ) of 19 . 3 g / cc and tin doped indium oxide ( ito ) of 7 . 14 g / cc . thus the low density polymer possesses the lowest density of all materials in the organic device . upon embossing such a compressible spacer layer is compressed leading to an increase in the density combined with a decrease in the layer thickness . a much better compressibility for the spacer layer is obtained by the use of meso - or nano - porous materials . e . g . sol - gel processed silica aerogel as described by tsutsui et . al . (“ doubling coupling - out efficiency in organic light - emitting devices using a thin silica aerogel layer ”, adv . mater . 13 , 2001 , p . 1149 - 2252 ) possess an index of refraction as low as 1 . 03 which is only possible if the majority of the volume of the layer is air or gas . this air or gas filled volume takes up the material upon embossing . such porous layers can be produced by other techniques too . inorganic oxides , e . g . silica or boehmite , in a mixture with a binder , like e . g . poly ( vinyl alcohol ) pva or poly ( vinylpyrrolidone ) pvp , are capable of forming layer of high porosity and thus low density as described in the us2005 / 0003179 a1 , ep1464511 a2 and the ep0614771 a1 . in the mentioned documents the porous layer functions as an ink absorbing layer . as the conducting layer or the layer stack comprising at least one conducting layer is coated on top of the spacer layer ( stack ) a flat surface is advantageous . in most cases the porosity of the compressible meso - or nano - porous layer leads to a rough surface . to solve this problem a thin homogeneous and flat layer can be coated on top of the porous layer prior to the conducting layer or layer stack . this homogeneous layer can be made of inorganic dielectrics like sio 2 , al 2 o 3 and the like or of polymer like but not limited to pmma , ps or pva . suitable and preferred thickness ranges for the layers in the spacer layer stack is : a further advantage of the porous layer is that due to the holes in the layer ( similar to a sponge ) residues of the embossed conducting layer can not stick well to the vertical walls . thus shorts between the embossed and the not embossed parts of the conducting layers are less probable . the conductive layers ( 3 ) are often made of metal like e . g . al , cu , ag or au . the metal layers can be semitransparent ( depending on the metal with a thickness of a few tenth of nanometers up to 50 nm ) or opaque ( thickness of & gt ; 50 nm ). other suitable materials are transparent conductive oxides ( tco ) like e . g . ito , aluminium doped zinc oxide ( azo ) or gallium doped zinc oxide ( gzo ). typical thickness of such a tco layer is in the range of 50 nm up to 150 nm . due to a distinct increase of the stress in inorganic layers above a thickness of roughly 200 nm ( depending on deposition method and parameter ) typical values of the conducting layers are below that threshold . organic conducting layers are e . g . made of polymers like poly ( styrene sulfonate ) doped poly ( 3 , 4 - ethylenedioxythiophene ) pedot / pss , poly ( aniline ) pani or polypyrrole . the conducting polymer layers possess the same typical thickness range as the tco layers . also a combination of above mentioned layers may serve as conductive layer , e . g . an ito layer coated with a polymer where the latter acts as injection layer as well as buffer layer to avoid cracking of the ito or at least for binding ito particles during the embossing process . the embossing tool ( 10 ) must be made of a material which is harder than the layers to be embossed . e . g . so called nickel shims are suitable . they are state of the art and widely used in the hologram manufacturing industry as well as in the cd / dvd production . if needed the structure size to be embossed can be down to a few tenth of nanometer . such shims can be flat to emboss sheets or plane objects . on the other hand they can be put around a roll for roll - to - roll embossing of flexible objects like polymeric foil or paper . to get the desired pattern in a nickel shim first of all this pattern is made in a master substrate by photolithography , e - beam lithography or another suitable technique . one possibility is to coat a flat glass substrate with a light sensitive polymer ( a so called resist ) of a certain thickness and illuminate it through a mask , e . g . a chromium mask , which possesses the pattern . depending on the type of resist the illuminated pattern ( positive resist ) or the protected area ( negative resist ) can be removed in a development step . the thickness of the resist defines the height or depth of the pattern . by coating this patterned glass substrate with a conducting material , e . g . evaporated nickel , silver or gold or sprayed silver solution , a starting layer for the electroforming of the nickel shim is deposited . after the electroforming step a first generation nickel shim is obtained from which second and further generation shims can be made by additional electroforming steps . another possible material for the embossing tool is hardened steel . the pattern can be transferred in this material class by diamond turning or other tooling techniques if the desired pattern is suitable for these techniques . wet etching or dry etching techniques can be used likewise as described in the us2004 / 0032667 a1 which is incorporated herein by reference . the etching techniques are well suited for very small patterns , e . g . even subwavelength gratings are possible . for organic devices the size of the pattern in the conducting layer varies at present from 5 μm × 15 μm ( matrix displays ) up to a few cm 2 or more ( logos ). the width of the separator between adjacent pixels should be as small as possible . in current matrix displays it is about 3 μm . in one embodiment of the described invention the width of the separators is defined by the width of the embossed pattern . if the embossed parts of the conducting layer are used in the device too , the separator is defined by the width of the embossed edge . this width of the edges depends on the height of the pattern as the walls of the pattern in the embossing tool are not perfectly vertical . values of & lt ; 20 μm are easily obtainable . in one embodiment of the invention the depth or height of the pattern h patt in the embossing tool is smaller than the thickness d comp of the compressible layer . suitable values for h patt are & lt ; 25 μm , preferred values are & lt ; 9 μm . the deposition of the compressible spacer layer or spacer layer stack can be done by several coating techniques . low density polymers can be wet coated for example by spin - coating , by printing , especially flexo - printing , gravure printing , ink - jet - printing or screen - printing , by curtain or dip coating or by spraying . porous spacer layer can be wet or vacuum coated . e . g . cvd processes are capable of forming porous silica layer if appropriate coating parameters are chosen . other approaches use spin -, curtain - or cascade coating to deposit the porous layer . the latter two techniques are roll - to - roll processes and thus capable for large area production . examples for the deposition of porous layers of inorganic oxides like silica and boehmite are described in ep1464511 a2 and ep0614771 a1 . the optional flat top layer can be deposited by several techniques . top layers of inorganic materials like sio 2 can be vacuum deposited by e . g . evaporation , sputtering or cvd . sol - gel processes are likewise possible ( m . mennig et . al . “ interference multilayer systems on plastic foil by a wet - web - coating technique ”, proceedings of the 5 th international conference on coatings on glass , p . 175 ). organic top layers can be vacuum ( pecvd ) or wet coated . again spin - coating , printing , especially flexo - printing , gravure printing , ink - jet - printing or screen - printing , curtain or dip coating or spraying are possible . in a preferred embodiment of the invention the flat organic top layer is coated on top of the porous spacer layer in the same process . this can be done e . g . by curtain - or cascade coating as described for example in the wo03 / 053597 a1 . these processes are capable of coating more than ten layers of a multilayer stack in one step . the conducting layer can be likewise deposited in wet - or vacuum processes . metal layers are often evaporated or sputtered in large areas . e . g . for security holograms or packaging applications roll - to - roll vacuum coaters with a web speed of more than 10 m / sec are state of the art ( see e . g . http :// www . galileovacuum . com ). tcos are mostly sputter deposited , but evaporation is possible too , if the required conductivity is not too high . first attempts are made to coat tco layers by wet coating techniques . e . g . a spin - coating process for the deposition of ito is described by al - dahoudi and aegerter (“ comparative study of transparent conductive in 2 o 3 : sn ( ito ) coatings made using a sol and a nanoparticle suspension ” proceedings of the 5 th international conference on coatings on glass , p 585 - 592 ). such tco sol - gel or nanoparticle materials can be used in roll - to - roll coating techniques too . e . g . printing , especially gravure printing is a suitable method . organic conducting layer can be deposited by several wet coatings techniques , like but not restricted to , spin - coating , printing , especially flexo - printing , gravure printing , ink - jet - printing or screen - printing , curtain or dip coating or spraying . the embossing of the coated layers can be done in step by step machines or in roll - to - roll embossing machines . the former can be e . g . an evg520he semi - automated hot embossing system . it accepts substrates up to 200 mm . the stamps used can possess pattern sizes ranging from 400 nm to 100 μm ( nils roos et . al ., “ impact of vacuum environment on the hot embossing process ”, spie &# 39 ; s microlithography 2003 , santa clara , calif ., feb . 22 - 28 , 2003 ). one example of a roll - to - roll embossing machine is described on page 34 in the research activities in optoelectronics and electronics manufacturing report 2004 of vtt electronics finland ( www . vtt . fi ). this machine is capable of doing web gravure printing and web embossing in serial units . in general the applied pressure has to be adapted to the materials used in the layer stack , the web speed and the embossing temperature as well as the size and depth of the pattern to be embossed . the embossing can be done at room temperature or at elevated temperature ( hot embossing ). e . g . if a hard conducting material like ito on top of a compressible porous spacer layer with an organic flat top layer needs to be patterned the stress in the conducting layer can be minimised by doing the embossing at a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the organic flat top layer . after the embossing post treatments can be applied if necessary . e . g . plasma processes like oxygen plasma or argon plasma can be applied to remove residues of layers . other post treatment possibilities are wet etching . e . g . an ito etch solution ( 481 ml / l hydrochloric acid ( 32 %), 38 ml / l nitric acid ( 65 %) and 481 ml / l deionised water ) can be used to remove ito residues at the edges of the embossed areas to avoid possible shorts between the separated conducting areas . if an appropriate diluted concentration is chosen the needed conducting ito areas are kept intact . a subsequent coating step of a polymer layer e . g . pedot / pss could cover and repair possible cracks in the ito layer . the ability to do all deposition , patterning and ( if necessary ) post treatment steps in roll - to - roll processes enables the large area production of patterned conducting layers for organic devices at low costs . fig1 shows a schematic drawing of a patterning method embodying the invention . a conducting layer ( 1 ) ( e . g . ito ) on top of a compressible spacer layer ( 2 ) ( e . g . ldpe ) with a thickness of d comp on top of a substrate ( 1 ) ( e . g . pet ) is embossed by an embossing tool ( 10 ) comprising pattern ( 100 ) with a height of h patt . after embossing the spacer layer is compressed at the areas of protruding bars in the embossing tool . fig2 shows a schematic drawing of another patterning method embodying the invention . hereby there is a spacer layer stack with a thick compressible layer ( 2 ) ( e . g . porous silica ) and a flat thin top coat ( 4 ) ( e . g . pva ) between the conducting layer ( 3 ) ( e . g . ito ) and the substrate ( 1 ) ( e . g . pet ). again after embossing the compressible layer is compressed at the areas of protruding bars in the embossing tool . fig3 shows a schematic drawing of still another patterning method embodying the invention . the layer setup is the same as in fig1 . in this case the substrate possesses a barrier coating ( 5 ) ( e . g . barix ™ www . vitexsys . com ). after embossing the multilayer barrier keeps its function . fig4 shows microscope images of embossed samples without and with a compressible spacer layer between a sputtered ito layer and a pet substrate . for the latter a pet substrate of 100 μm thickness was coated with a double layer system consisting of a compressible porous silica layer and a flat top pva layer ( see fig2 ). the thickness of the porous silica layer is about 25 μm and the thickness of the pva layer 120 nm . on top of this spacer layer stack a 110 nm thick ito conducting layer was deposited by sputtering at room temperature . the target composition was 90 % in 2 o 3 and 10 % sno 2 . the bare pet substrate was coated in the same sputtering process . both samples were embossed with a nickel shim at 120 ° c . and with a pressure of 63 kg / cm 2 ( or 620n / cm 2 ) for 10 min and cooled down under pressure for additional 10 minutes . the bars of the pattern in the nickel shim possess a height of 15 μm and thus are distinctly smaller than the thickness of the compressible layer stack . the width of the bars varies from 25 μm up to 800 μm . the embossed patterns are on one hand squares of 5 × 5 mm 2 and 10 × 10 mm 2 with different bar width and on the other hand 10 mm long bars of 100 μm width and varying distance from 300 μm up to 3 mm . fig4 shows the corner of the square with a bar width of 150 μm . as can be seen the ito layer of the sample without the compressible spacer layer stack is crazed , or slivered , all over . the ito layer on top of the compressible spacer layer stack is intact . just a few cracks , or rifts , are visible at the corner . these rifts are not present at embossed squares with thinner bars . the sample with the ito deposited directly on the pet shows shorts between the inner and the outer ito area of the embossed square . the resistivity is & gt ; 20 mω for the sample with the compressible spacer layer stack . furthermore the embossed bars with 100 μm width show no cracks or slivering ( crazing ) even at a distance of 300 μm . fig5 shows a schematic drawing of another patterning method embodying the invention . two conducting layers ( 31 , 32 ) ( e . g . ito ) separated by an isolating layer ( 40 ) ( e . g . sio 2 ) are deposited on top of a compressible spacer layer ( 2 ) ( e . g . porous silica ) and embossed such that the desired pattern forms . the patterned substrate is homogeneously coated with a thin organic semiconductor layer ( 50 ) ( e . g . poly ( 3 - hexylthiophene , p3ht ) followed by thin isolating layer ( 60 ) such that both layers cover the walls of the embossed pattern . the embossed holes are then filled with a conducting material ( 70 ). such a setup can is act as a transistor with a channel length defined by the thickness of the isolating layer between the two conducting layers and the angle of the embossed walls . the following examples illustrate the invention . the invention is not limited to these examples . a 100 nm thick ito anode is patterned on a compressible spacer layer stack analogously as explained in the description of fig4 . prior to the deposition of the spin - coat layer the sample was treated with air plasma for 2 minutes ( harrick plasma cleaner pdc - 002 ) . solutions of tris ( 2 , 2 ′ bipyridyl ) ruthenium ( ii ) hexafluorophosphate ([ ru ( bpy ) 3 ] ( pf 6 )) and poly ( methyl methacrylate ) ( pmma ) with a molecular weight of 120000 g / mol dissolved in acetronitrile are prepared . two solutions of ([ ru ( bpy ) 3 ] ( pf 6 ) 40 mg / ml and pmma 25 mg / ml are mixed in the ratio of 3 : 1 by volume . films are prepared by spin - coating with 1500 rpm resulting in film thicknesses of approximately 120 to 200 nm . the devices are dried under nitrogen atmosphere on a hotplate at 100 ° c . for one hour . without exposure to air the devices are loaded into a vacuum chamber with a base pressure of less than 10 − 7 mbar . a 200 nm thick ag electrode is evaporated on top the devices and patterned via shadow mask . for device characterization a voltage of about 2 . 5 to 5 v is applied to the bottom and the top electrode . the overlap of the bottom electrode and the top electrode defines the light emitting area as it is shown in fig6 . source and drain electrodes consisting of 50 nm sputter deposited au on top of a compressible layer stack are patterned analogously to the method in the description of fig4 . typical channel lengths and widths are 50 μm and 500 μm , respectively . in a top gate structure the semi - conducting polymer , e . g . p3ht is spun on top of the embossed structure . afterwards an insulating layer e . g . pmma is spin - coated as the gate dielectrics . a top metal gate contact is evaporated on top of this structure and patterned via shadow mask as shown in fig7 . the same bottom ito electrode pattern and method as described for fabricating oleds ( see fig6 ) is used to fabricate organic solar cells or photodiodes . in this case a multilayer is fabricated on top of this patterned substrate . first pedot / pss is spin - coated on the substrate resulting in a layer of about 60 nm . this layer is dried for 15 min on a hotplate at 200 ° c . a polymer blend consisting of p3ht and a c60 derivative ( pcbm ) dissolved in dichlorobenzene with a ratio of 1 : 3 is spin - coated on top . the layer thickness of this layer is in the range of 50 to 250 nm . the device is dried under dry nitrogen for 30 minutes on a hotplate with 120 ° c . a cathode is evaporated on top of this structure analogously as mentioned above for the fabrication of oleds . upon irradiation of the solar cell a current can be measured in a wire connecting the two electrodes .
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thus , according to a first aspect , this invention provides compounds of the formula ( 1 ) and pharmaceutically acceptable salts and solvates ( e . g . hydrates ) thereof , wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , w , n and r 5 are as previously defined . throughout this specification , the term aromatic heterocyclic group means a 5 - 6 membered aromatic ring containing one or more atoms selected from oxygen , sulfur and nitrogen atoms on the ring , said ring being optionally condensed with a carbon ring or other heterocyclic ring . examples include pyrrole , indole , carbazole , imidazole , pyrazole , benzimidazole , pyridine , naphthyridine , furopyridine , thienopyridine , pyrrolopyridine , oxazolopyridine , imidazolopyridine , thiazolopyridine , quinoline , isoquinoline , acridine , phenanthridine , pyridazine , pyrimidine , pyrazine , cinnoline , phthaladine , quinazoline , naphthylidine , quinoxaline , isoxazole , benzisoxazole , oxazole , benzoxazole , benzoxadiazole , isothiazole , benzisothiazole , thiazole , benzthiazole , benzthiadiazole , furan , benzofuran , thiophen , benzothiophen and the like . as used herein , “ 1 to 4 carbons ” means a carbon number per a single substituent ; for example , for dialkyl substitution it means 2 to 8 carbons . a c 1 - c 4 alkyl includes methyl , ethyl , n - propyl , isopropyl , n - butyl , isobutyl , sec - butyl and tert - butyl . a c 1 - c 4 alkoxy includes methoxy , ethoxy , n - propoxy , isopropoxy , allyloxy , n - butoxy , isobutoxy , sec - butoxy , tert - butoxy and the like . a c 1 - c 4 aminoalkyl includes aminomethyl , 2 - aminoethyl , 3 - aminopropyl , 4 - aminobutyl and the like . a c 1 - c 4 alkylamino includes n - methylamino , n , n - dimethylamino , n , n - diethylamino , n - methyl - n - ethylamino , n , n - diisopropylamino and the like . a c 1 - c 4 acyl includes acetyl , propanoyl , butanoyl and the like . a c 1 - c 4 acylamino includes acetylamino , propanoylamino , butanoylamino and the like . a c 1 - c 4 alkylthio includes methylthio , ethylthio , n - propylthio and the like . a c 1 - c 4 perfluoroalkyl includes trifluoromethyl , pentafluoroethyl and the like . a c 1 - c 4 perfluoroalkoxy includes trifluoromethoxy , pentafluoroethoxy and the like . a c 1 - c 4 alkoxycarbonyl includes methoxycarbonyl , ethoxycarbonyl and the like . compounds of the formula ( 1 ) may contain one or more asymmetric centers and thus can exist as enantiomers or diastereomers . it is to be understood that the invention includes both mixtures and separate individual isomers of compounds of the formula ( 1 ). furthermore certain compounds of the formula ( 1 ) which contain alkenyl groups may exist as cis - or trans - isomers . in each instance , the invention includes both mixtures and separate individual isomers . compounds of the formula ( 1 ) may also exist in tautomeric forms and the invention includes both mixtures and separate individual tautomers thereof . also included in the invention are radiolabelled derivatives of compounds of formula ( 1 ) which are suitable for biological studies . compounds of the formula ( 1 ) wherein one or more basic nitrogen atoms are present may form pharmaceutically acceptable salts with acids such as hydrochloric , hydrobromic , sulfuric , phosphoric , methanesulfonic , acetic , citric , fumaric , lactic , maleic , succinic and tartaric acids . compounds of the formula ( 1 ) may form pharmaceutically acceptable salts with metal ions , such as alkali metals for example sodium and potassium , or with an ammonium ion . a preferred group of compounds of the formula ( 1 ) is that wherein r 1 is h ; methyl ; or ethyl ; r 2 is h ; methyl ; or a halogen atom ; r 3 is c 1 - c 4 alkyl optionally substituted with one or more fluoro atoms ; r 4 is ethyl ; n - propyl ; or allyl ; w is n ; n is an integer of from 1 to 6 ; r 5 is cor 6 ; or coor 6 ; r 6 is c 1 - c 4 alkyl . a particularly preferred group of compounds of the formula ( 1 ) is that wherein r 1 is methyl ; or ethyl ; r 2 is h ; r 3 is ethyl ; 2 - fluoroethyl ; n - propyl ; or 3 - fluoropropyl ; r 4 is ethyl ; or n - propyl ; w is n ; n is an integer of from 2 to 4 ; r 5 is cor 6 ; or coor 6 ; r 6 is c 1 - c 4 alkyl . 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - acetoxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 5 - ethyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one ; 5 - ethyl - 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - propionyloxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one ; 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - butyryloxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 5 - ethyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one ; 5 - ethyl - 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - isobutyryloxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one ; 5 - ethyl - 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - methoxycarbonyloxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one ; 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - ethoxycarbonyloxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 5 - ethyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one ; 5 - ethyl - 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - n - propoxycarbonyloxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one ; 5 - ethyl - 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - isopropoxycarbonyloxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one ; 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - n - butoxycarbonyloxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 5 - ethyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one ; 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - acetoxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 5 - ethyl - 7 -( 3 - fluoropropyl )- 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one ; 5 - ethyl - 7 -( 3 - fluoropropyl )- 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - propionyloxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one ; 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - butyryloxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 5 - ethyl - 7 -( 3 - fluoropropyl )- 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one ; 5 - ethyl - 7 -( 3 - fluoropropyl )- 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - isobutyryloxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one ; 5 - ethyl - 7 -( 3 - fluoropropyl )- 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - methoxycarbonyloxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one ; 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - ethoxycarbonyloxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 5 - ethyl - 7 -( 3 - fluoropropyl )- 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one ; 5 - ethyl - 7 -( 3 - fluoropropyl )- 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - n - propoxycarbonyloxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one ; 5 - ethyl - 7 -( 3 - fluoropropyl )- 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - isopropoxycarbonyloxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one ; 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - n - butoxycarbonyloxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 5 - ethyl - 7 -( 3 - fluoropropyl )- 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one ; in another aspect , this invention provides processes for the preparation of compounds of the formula ( 1 ) or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof . compounds of the general formula ( 1 ) may be prepared by the reaction of compounds of the general formula ( 2 ) which are disclosed in the pct application ( kr 01 / 00227 ): ( wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 and r 4 are as previously defined in the general formula ( 1 ), and x represents a halogen atom , preferably a chlorine atom ) with a compound of the general formula ( 3 ): wherein w , n and r 5 are as previously defined in the general formula ( 1 ). the coupling reaction is generally carried out at from 0 ° c . to room temperature for 1 - 24 hours in a suitable solvent such as a c 1 - c 3 alkanol , dichloromethane , n , n - dimethylformamide ( dmf ) or water using an excess amount of ( 3 ) or in the presence of an organic tertiary amine such as triethylamine to scavenge the acid by - product . compounds of the general formula ( 1 ) may be also prepared by the esterification reaction of compounds of the general formula ( 4 ) which are disclosed in the pct application ( kr 01 / 00227 ): ( wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , w and n are as previously defined in the general formula ( 1 )) with a compound of the general formula ( 5 ), ( 6 ) or ( 7 ): wherein r 6 is as previously defined , and y represents a hydroxyl group or a halogen atom , preferably a chlorine atom . z in the general formula ( 7 ) represents a halogen atom or a phenoxy group optionally substituted with one or more no 2 groups . the reaction of ( 4 ) with ( 5 ), ( 6 ) ( wherein y represents a halogen atom ) or ( 7 ) is generally carried out at from 0 ° c . to room temperature for 1 - 24 hours in a suitable solvent such as dichloromethane or dmf in the presence of an organic tertiary amine such as triethylamine to scavenge the acid by - product , optionally in the presence of a catalyst such as 4 - dimethylaminopyridine ( dmap ). for convenience , pyridine may be also used as a solvent . alternatively , compounds of the general formula ( 1 ) may be obtained by the treatment of ( 4 ) with ( 6 ) ( wherein y represents a hydroxyl group ) using an appropriate coupling reagent such as 1 , 3 - dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( dcc ) or 1 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl )- 3 - ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride ( edc ) in the presence of an excess of 1 - hydroxybenzotriazole , optionally in the presence of a catalyst such as dmap in an inert solvent such as dichloromethane or dmf at from 0 ° c . to room temperature for 1 - 24 hours . compounds of the general formula ( 4 ) may be prepared from compounds of the general formula ( 8 ): wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , w and n are as previously defined in the general formula ( 1 ). the cyclization reaction is generally carried out by heating at an elevated temperature , for example 50 - 150 ° c ., in the presence of an acid or a base in a suitable solvent such as an aqueous c 1 - c 4 alkanol , water , a halogenated hydrocarbon or acetonitrile . thus , for example , the cyclization may be affected by treatment of a compound of the formula ( 8 ) with a base such as sodium hydroxide , potassium carbonate or potassium tert - butoxide in an aqueous alcoholic medium . compounds of the general formula ( 8 ) may be prepared from compounds of the general formula ( 9 ) and ( 10 ): wherein r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , w and n are as previously defined in the general formula ( 1 ), and r 8 is h or c 1 - c 4 alkyl . the reaction is generally carried out by first converting a carboxylic acid ester of the formula ( 9 ) to the corresponding carboxylic acid using an excess amount of a well - known reagent in the literature , preferably lithium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide , in a solvent such as tetrahydrofuran - water or ethanol - water at room temperature to reflux temperature . the following coupling reaction of ( 9 ) ( wherein r 8 is h ) with a compound of the formula ( 10 ) is generally effected by using an excess amount of a well - known reagent in the literature , preferably dcc or edc , in the presence of an excess amount of 1 - hydroxybenzotriazole , optionally in the presence of a catalyst such as dmap in an inert solvent such as dichloromethane or dmf , at from 0 ° c . to room temperature for 1 - 24 hours . for convenience , pyridine may be also used as a solvent . compounds of the general formula ( 9 ) may be prepared from compounds of the general formula ( 11 ): wherein r 8 , w and n are as previously defined in the general formula ( 9 ). the o - alkylation may be effected under a standard condition using an appropriate alkyl halide in the presence of a base such as potassium carbonate in a suitable solvent such as dmf at room temperature to 100 ° c . for 1 - 24 hours . compounds of the general formula ( 11 ) may be prepared by the reaction of compounds of the general formula ( 12 ) with a compound of the general formula ( 13 ): wherein r 8 and x are as previously defined in the general formulas ( 9 ) and ( 2 ), wherein w and n are as previously defined . the coupling reaction is generally carried out at from 0 ° c . to room temperature for 1 - 24 hours in a suitable solvent such as a c 1 - c 3 alkanol , dichloromethane , dmf or water using an excess amount of ( 13 ) or in the presence of an organic tertiary amine such as triethylamine or an inorganic base such as potassium carbonate , to scavenge the acid by - product . compounds of the general formula ( 12 ) may be prepared from compounds of the general formula ( 14 ): ( wherein r 8 is as previously defined ) by using a known method for the introduction of a sulfonyl halide group into an aromatic ring , for example , when halide represents a chlorine atom , by the reaction of chlorosulfonic acid at 0 ° c . to room temperature for 1 - 24 hours with or without thionyl chloride . compounds of formulas ( 3 ), ( 5 ), ( 6 ), ( 7 ), ( 10 ), ( 13 ) and ( 14 ), when not commercially available , can be obtained by conventional procedures , in accordance with literature precedent , from readily accessible starting materials using standard reagents and conditions . the resulting compounds of this invention represented by the formulas ( 1 )-( 4 ) and ( 8 )-( 12 ) can be separated and purified by appropriate conventional methods such as column chromatography and recrystallization . the pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts of compounds of the general formula ( 1 ) which contain a basic center may be prepared in a conventional manner . for example , a solution of the free base is treated with an appropriate acid , either neat or in a suitable solvent , and the resulting salts are isolated either by filtration or by evaporation under vacuum of the reaction solvent . compounds of the invention may be administered by any suitable route , for example by oral , buccal , sub - lingual , rectal , vaginal , nasal , topical or parenteral ( including intravenous , intramuscular , subcutaneous and intracoronary ) administration . for administration to man in the curative or prophylactic treatment of the disorders identified above , oral , buccal or sub - lingual dosages of a compound of the formula ( 1 ) will generally be in the range of from 0 . 1 - 400 mg daily for an average adult patient ( 70 kg ). thus for a typical adult patient , individual tablets or capsules contain from 0 . 05 - 200 mg of active compound , in a suitable pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle or carrier , for administration in single or multiple doses , once or several times per day . dosages for parenteral administration will typically be within the range of from 0 . 01 - 100 mg per single dose as required . in practice the physician will determine the actual dosing regimen which will be most suitable for an individual patient , and it will vary with the age , weight and response of the particular patient . the above dosages are exemplary of the average case but there can be individual instances in which higher or lower dosage ranges may be merited , and such are within the scope of this invention . for human use , a compound of the formula ( 1 ) can be administered alone , but will generally be administered in admixture with a pharmaceutical carrier selected with regard to the intended route of administration and standard pharmaceutical practice . for example , the compound may be administered orally , buccally or sublingually , in the form of tablets containing excipients such as starch or lactose , or in capsules or ovules either alone or in admixture with excipients , or in the form of elixirs or suspensions containing flavouring or colouring agents . such liquid preparations may be prepared with pharmaceutically acceptable additives such as suspending agent ( e . g . methylcellulose , a semi - synthetic glyceride such as witepsol or mixtures of glycerides such as a mixture of apricot kernel oil and peg - 6 esters or mixtures of peg - 8 and caprylic / capric glycerides ). a compound may also be injected parenterally , for example intravenously , intramuscularly , subcutaneously or intracoronarily . for parenteral administration , the compound is best used in the form of a sterile aqueous solution which may contain other substances , for example salts , or monosaccharides such as mannitol or glucose , to make the solution isotonic with blood . thus , the invention provides in a further aspect a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of the formula ( 1 ), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , together with a pharmaceutically acceptable diluent or carrier therefor . the invention also provides a compound of the formula ( 1 ), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , or a pharmaceutical composition containing either entity , for use in the treatment of impotence , sexual dysfunction in female , stable , unstable and variant ( prinzmetal ) angina , hypertension , pulmonary hypertension , congestive heart failure , renal failure , atherosclerosis , conditions of reduced blood vessel patency ( e . g . post - percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty ), peripheral vascular disease , vascular disorders such as raynaud &# 39 ; s disease , inflammatory diseases , stroke , bronchitis , chronic asthma , allergic asthma , allergic rhinitis , glaucoma and diseases characterized by disorders of gut motility ( e . g . irritable bowel syndrome ). the invention further provides the use of a compound of the formula ( 1 ), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , or a pharmaceutical composition containing either entity , for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of impotence , sexual dysfunction in female , stable , unstable and variant ( prinzmetal ) angina , hypertension , pulmonary hypertension , congestive heart failure , renal failure , atherosclerosis , conditions of reduced blood vessel patency ( e . g . post - percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty ), peripheral vascular disease , vascular disorders such as raynaud &# 39 ; s disease , inflammatory diseases , stroke , bronchitis , chronic asthma , allergic asthma , allergic rhinitis , glaucoma and diseases characterized by disorders of gut motility ( e . g . irritable bowel syndrome ). in a further aspect , the invention provides a method of treating or preventing impotence , sexual dysfunction in female , stable , unstable and variant ( prinzmetal ) angina , hypertension , pulmonary hypertension , congestive heart failure , renal failure , atherosclerosis , conditions of reduced blood vessel patency ( e . g . post - percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty ), peripheral vascular disease , vascular disorders such as raynaud &# 39 ; s disease , inflammatory diseases , stroke , bronchitis , chronic asthma , allergic asthma , allergic rhinitis , glaucoma and diseases characterized by disorders of gut motility ( e . g . irritable bowel syndrome ), in a mammal ( including a human being ), which comprises administering to said mammal a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of formula ( 1 ), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , or a pharmaceutical composition containing either entity . the present invention is further illustrated in the following examples , which should not be taken to limit the scope of the invention . to a cooled solution of socl 2 ( 156 g , 1 . 31 mol ) and clso 3 h ( 460 g , 3 . 94 mol ) at 0 ° c . was added slowly methyl salicylate ( 200 g , 1 . 31 mol ) for 30 minutes , and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 20 hours . the reaction mixture was poured slowly into the ice ( 2 kg ) and h 2 o ( 3 l ) mixture , and the resulting white precipitates were collected by filtration . the filtered solid was washed with h 2 o ( 3 l ), air - dried for 2 days and then dried under vacuum at 40 ° c . for 2 days to afford the titled product ( 232 g , 93 %) as a white solid . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 / tms ) δ 3 . 90 ( s , 3h , och 3 ), 6 . 93 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 3 ), 7 . 70 ( dd , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 4 ), 8 . 03 ( d , j = 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 6 ). to a mixture of 1 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazine ( 27 mg , 0 . 21 mmol ) and k 2 co 3 ( 33 mg , 0 . 24 mmol ) in dmf ( 5 ml ) was added methyl 3 - chlorosulfonyl - 6 - hydroxybenzoate ( 50 mg , 0 . 20 mmol ), and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 1 hour . the reaction mixture was washed with h 2 o ( 10 ml ), and the aqueous layer was further extracted with 5 % meoh in ch 2 cl 2 ( 20 ml ). the combined organic layer was dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered , and the filtrate was evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure . the crude residue was purified by mplc on silica gel ( 5 % meoh in ch 2 cl 2 ) to afford the titled compound ( 59 mg , 86 %) as white solid . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 / tms ) δ 2 . 30 ( br s , 1h , ch 2 oh ), 2 . 63 ( t , j = 5 . 4 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 2 . 70 ( m , 4h , 2 nch 2 ), 3 . 12 ( m , 4h , 2 so 2 nch 2 ), 3 . 64 ( t , j = 5 . 4 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 4 . 01 ( s , 3h , och 3 ), 7 . 12 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 3 ), 7 . 81 ( dd , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 4 ), 8 . 26 ( d , j = 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 6 ), 11 . 26 ( br s , 1h , oh ); to a mixture of methyl 2 - hydroxy - 5 -( 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ) benzoate ( 800 mg , 2 . 32 mmol ) and k 2 co 3 ( 482 mg , 3 . 49 mmol ) in dmf ( 5 ml ) was added 1 - bromopropane ( 253 μl , 2 . 79 mmol ), and the mixture was stirred at 60 ° c . overnight . the reaction mixture was evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure , washed with h 2 o ( 10 ml ), and the aqueous layer was further extracted with ch 2 cl 2 ( 50 ml × 2 ). the combined organic layer was dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered , and the filtrate was evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure . the crude residue was purified by mplc on silica gel ( 3 % meoh in chcl 3 ) to afford the titled compound ( 309 mg , 80 %) as a white solid . 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 / tms ) δ 1 . 09 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 84 - 1 . 95 ( m , 2h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 23 ( br s , 1h , ch 2 oh ), 2 . 54 ( t , j = 5 . 4 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 2 . 60 ( m , 4h , 2 nch 2 ), 3 . 04 ( m , 4h , 2 so 2 nch 2 ), 3 . 58 ( t , j = 5 . 4 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 3 . 91 ( s , 3h , och 3 ), 4 . 08 ( t , j = 6 . 6 hz , 2h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 7 . 07 ( d , j = 9 . 0 hz , 1h , h - 3 ), 7 . 82 ( dd , j = 9 . 0 hz , 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 4 ), 8 . 15 ( d , j = 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 6 ); to a cooled solution of 2 -{ 2 - ethoxy - 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ] phenyl }- 5 - methyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one ( 100 mg , 0 . 20 mmol ) and dmap ( 12 mg , 0 . 10 mmol ) in anhydrous pyridine ( 4 ml ) in an ice bath was added slowly acetic anhydride ( 93 μl , 0 . 99 mmol ), and the mixture was stirred for 20 minutes . the reaction mixture was evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure , and the resulting residue was diluted with aqueous nahco 3 ( 20 ml ), and was extracted with ch 2 cl 2 ( 30 ml × 2 ). combined organic layer was dried ( mgso 4 ) and filtered , and the filtrate was evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure . the crude product was purified by mplc on silica gel ( 1 . 5 % meoh in chcl 3 ) to afford the titled compound ( 101 mg , 93 %) as white solid . ir ( neat ) 3322 ( nh ), 1739 ( c ═ o ), 1685 ( c ═ o ) cm − 1 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 / tms ) δ 0 . 99 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 64 ( t , j = 6 . 9 hz , 3h , och 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 67 - 1 . 79 ( m , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 01 ( s , 3h , o 2 cch 3 ), 2 . 60 ( m , 4h , 2 nch 2 ), 2 . 62 ( t , j = 5 . 7 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 2 . 71 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 3 . 11 ( m , 4h , 2 so 2 nch 2 ), 4 . 08 ( s , 3h , nch 3 ), 4 . 12 ( t , j = 5 . 7 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 4 . 35 ( q , j = 6 . 9 hz , 2h , och 2 ch 3 ), 6 . 89 ( s , 1h , h - 2 ), 7 . 12 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 3 ′), 7 . 80 ( dd , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 4 ′), 8 . 86 ( d , j = 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 6 ′), 10 . 62 ( br s , 1h , nh ); to a solution of 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - acetoxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - ethoxyphenyl }- 5 - methyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one ( 62 mg , 0 . 11 mmol ) in anhydrous ch 2 cl 2 ( 4 ml ) was added 10 % h 2 so 4 in thf ( 70 μl , 0 . 13 mmol ) at room temperature under nitrogen atmosphere , and the solution was stirred for about 30 minutes . the reaction mixture was poured slowly into anhydrous ether ( 20 ml ), and the resulting white precipitates were collected by filtration . the filtered solid was dissolved in h 2 o ( 30 ml ), filtered through a membrane filter ( 0 . 45 μm ), and the filtrate was freeze - dried to afford the titled compound ( 70 mg , 96 %) as a white solid . ir ( neat ) 3330 ( nh ), 1739 ( c ═ o ), 1685 ( c ═ o ) cm − 1 ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ 0 . 93 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 37 ( t , j = 6 . 9 hz , 3h , och 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 58 - 1 . 70 ( m , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 03 ( s , 3h , o 2 cch 3 ), 2 . 58 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 57 - 2 . 78 ( m , 2h , 2 so 2 nch ax ), 3 . 13 - 4 . 18 ( m , 8h , 2 so 2 nch eq , 2h + nch ax , 2h + nch eq , and nch 2 ch 2 o ), 3 . 99 ( s , 3h , nch 3 ), 4 . 24 ( q , j 6 . 9 hz , 2h , och 2 ch 3 ), 4 . 19 - 4 . 32 ( m , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 7 . 24 ( s , 1h , h - 2 ), 7 . 43 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 3 ′), 7 . 87 ( dd , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 4 ′), 7 . 96 ( d , j = 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 6 ′). the titled compound was prepared as described in example 4 by using 2 -{ 2 - ethoxy - 5 -[ 4 -( 3 - hydroxypropyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ] phenyl }- 5 - methyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one in place of 2 -{ 2 - ethoxy - 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ] phenyl }- 5 - methyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one . ir ( neat ) 3334 ( nh ), 1737 ( c ═ o ), 1677 ( c ═ o ) cm − 1 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 / tms ) δ 0 . 99 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 64 ( t , j = 6 . 9 hz , 3h , och 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 66 - 1 . 80 ( m , 4h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 and ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 o ), 2 . 00 ( s , 3h , o 2 cch 3 ), 2 . 40 ( t , j = 6 . 9 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ), 2 . 52 ( m , 4h , 2 nch 2 ), 2 . 71 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 3 . 09 ( m , 4h , 2 so 2 nch 2 ), 4 . 04 ( t , j = 6 . 6 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 o ), 4 . 08 ( s , 3h , nch 3 ), 4 . 36 ( q , j = 6 . 9 hz , 2h , och 2 ch 3 ), 6 . 88 ( s , 1h , h - 2 ), 7 . 13 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 3 ′), 7 . 80 ( dd , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 4 ′), 8 . 87 ( d , j = 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 6 ′), 10 . 63 ( br s , 1h , nh ); a mixture of 2 -( 5 - chlorosulfonyl - 2 - n - propoxyphenyl )- 5 - ethyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrinmidin - 4 - one ( 100 mg , 0 . 24 mmol ) and 1 -( 2 - acetoxyethyl ) piperazine dihydrochloride ( 72 mg , 0 . 29 mmol ) in etoh ( 5 ml ) was added et 3 n ( 204 μl , 1 . 46 mmol ), and the mixture was stirred overnight at room temperature . the reaction mixture was evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure , and the resulting residue was purified by mplc on silica gel ( 2 % meoh in ch 2 cl 2 ) to afford the titled compound ( 114 mg , 86 %). ir ( neat ) 3323 ( nh ), 1737 ( c ═ o ), 1686 ( c ═ o ) cm − 1 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 / tms ) δ 1 . 00 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 19 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 48 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 68 - 1 . 81 ( m , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 99 - 2 . 10 ( m , 2h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 01 ( s , 3h , o 2 cch 3 ), 2 . 60 ( m , 4h , 2 nch 2 ), 2 . 62 ( t , j = 5 . 7 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 2 . 72 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 3 . 11 ( m , 4h , 2 so 2 nch 2 ), 4 . 12 ( t , j = 5 . 7 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 4 . 24 ( t , j = 6 . 3 hz , 2h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 4 . 45 ( q , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 6 . 97 ( s , 1h , h - 2 ), 7 . 13 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 3 ′), 7 . 80 ( dd , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 4 ′), 8 . 89 ( d , j = 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 6 ′), 10 . 69 ( br s , 1h , nh ); the titled compound was prepared as described in example 4 by using 5 - ethyl - 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one in place of 2 -{ 2 - ethoxy - 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ] phenyl }- 5 - methyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one . the titled compound was prepared as described in example 5 by using 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - acetoxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 5 - ethyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one and 10 % h 2 so 4 in etoh in place of 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - acetoxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - ethoxyphenyl }- 5 - methyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one and 10 % h 2 so 4 in thf . 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ 0 . 93 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 0 . 97 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 37 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 58 - 1 . 82 ( m , 4h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 and och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 04 ( s , 3h , o 2 cch 3 ), 2 . 58 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 62 - 2 . 82 ( m , 2h , 2 so 2 nch ax ), 3 . 15 - 3 . 88 ( m , 8h , nch 2 ch 2 o , 2 so 2 nch eq , 2h + nch ax , and 2h + nch eq ), 4 . 15 ( t , j = 6 . 3 hz , 2h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 4 . 29 ( br t , j = 4 . 8 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 4 . 38 ( q , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 7 . 36 ( s , 1h , h - 2 ), 7 . 44 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 3 ), 7 . 88 ( dd , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 4 ′), 7 . 98 ( d , j = 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 6 ′). the titled compound was prepared as described in example 5 by using 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - acetoxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 5 - ethyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one and 1m hcl in ether in place of 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - acetoxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - ethoxyphenyl }- 5 - methyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one and 10 % h 2 so 4 in thf . 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ 0 . 93 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 0 . 96 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 36 ( t , j 7 . 2 hz , 3h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 57 - 1 . 81 ( m , 4h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 and och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 04 ( s , 3h , o 2 cch 3 ), 2 . 59 ( t , j 7 . 5 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 82 - 2 . 96 ( m , 2h , 2 so 2 nch ax ), 3 . 14 - 3 . 31 ( m , 2h , 2 so 2 nch eq ), 3 . 36 - 3 . 47 ( m , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 3 . 49 - 3 . 63 ( m , 2h , 2h + nch ax ), 3 . 73 - 3 . 85 ( m , 2h , 2h + nch eq ), 4 . 15 ( t , j = 6 . 3 hz , 2h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 4 . 32 - 4 . 40 ( m , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 4 . 38 ( q , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 7 . 36 ( s , 1h , h - 2 ), 7 . 44 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 3 ′), 7 . 88 ( dd , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 4 ′), 8 . 01 ( d , j = 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 6 ′). the titled compound was prepared as described in example 4 by using 5 - ethyl - 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one and propionic anhydride in place of 2 -{ 2 - ethoxy - 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ] phenyl }- 5 - methyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one and acetic anhydride . ir ( neat ) 3324 ( nh ), 1733 ( c ═ o ), 1686 ( c ═ o ) cm − 1 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 / tms ) δ 1 . 00 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 09 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , o 2 cch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 19 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 48 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 68 - 1 . 81 ( m , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 99 - 2 . 10 ( m , 2h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 28 ( q , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h , o 2 cch 2 ), 2 . 60 ( m , 4h , 2 nch 2 ), 2 . 62 ( t , j = 5 . 7 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 2 . 72 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 3 . 10 ( m , 4h , 2 so 2 nch 2 ), 4 . 13 ( t , j = 5 . 7 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 4 . 24 ( t , j = 6 . 3 hz , 2h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 4 . 45 ( q , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 6 . 97 ( s , 1h , h - 2 ), 7 . 13 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 3 ′), 7 . 80 ( dd , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 4 ′), 8 . 89 ( d , j = 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 6 ′), 10 . 69 ( br s , 1h , nh ); the titled compound was prepared as described in example 5 by using 5 - ethyl - 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - propionyloxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one and 10 % h 2 so 4 in etoh in place of 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - acetoxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - ethoxyphenyl }- 5 - methyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one and 10 % h 2 so 4 in thf . 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ 0 . 93 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 0 . 96 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 02 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , o 2 cch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 37 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 57 - 1 . 81 ( m , 4h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 and och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 34 ( q , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h , o 2 cch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 58 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 62 - 2 . 78 ( m , 2h , 2 so 2 nch ax ), 3 . 18 - 3 . 35 ( m , 2h , 2 so 2 nch eq ), 3 . 42 - 3 . 50 ( m , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 3 . 52 - 3 . 86 ( m , 4h , 2h + nch ax and 2h + nch eq ), 4 . 15 ( t , j = 6 . 3 hz , 2h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 4 . 31 ( m , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 4 . 38 ( q , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 7 . 38 ( s , 1h , h - 2 ), 7 . 46 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 3 ′), 7 . 90 ( dd , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 4 ′), 8 . 00 ( d , j = 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 6 ′). the titled compound was prepared as described in example 4 by using 5 - ethyl - 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one and butyric anhydride in place of 2 -{ 2 - ethoxy - 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ] phenyl }- 5 - methyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one and acetic anhydride . ir ( neat ) 3324 ( nh ), 1737 ( c ═ o ), 1673 ( c ═ o ) cm − 1 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 / tms ) δ 0 . 89 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , o 2 cch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 00 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 19 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 48 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 53 - 1 . 66 ( m , 2h , o 2 cch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 68 - 1 . 81 ( m , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 97 - 2 . 12 ( m , 2h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 24 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h , o 2 cch 2 ), 2 . 60 ( m , 4h , 2 nch 2 ), 2 . 61 ( t , j = 5 . 7 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 2 . 72 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 3 . 10 ( m , 4h , 2 so 2 nch 2 ), 4 . 13 ( t , j = 6 . 0 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 4 . 24 ( t , j = 6 . 6 hz , 2h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 4 . 46 ( q , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 6 . 97 ( s , 1h , h - 2 ), 7 . 13 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 3 ′), 7 . 80 ( dd , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 4 ′), 8 . 89 ( d , j = 2 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 6 ′), 10 . 69 ( br s , 1h , nh ); the titled compound was prepared as described in example 5 by using 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - butyryloxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 5 - ethyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one and 10 % h 2 so 4 in etoh in place of 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - acetoxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - ethoxyphenyl }- 5 - methyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one and 10 % h 2 so 4 in thf . 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ 0 . 88 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , o 2 cch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 0 . 93 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 0 . 97 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 36 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 48 - 1 . 82 ( m , 6h , o 2 cch 2 ch 2 ch 3 , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 , and och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 31 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h , o 2 cch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 58 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 53 - 2 . 78 ( m , 2h , 2 so 2 nch ax ), 3 . 14 - 3 . 37 ( m , 2h , 2 so 2 nch eq ), 3 . 38 - 3 . 49 ( m , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 3 . 50 - 3 . 66 ( m , 2h , 2h + nch ax ), 3 . 67 - 3 . 90 ( m , 2h , 2h + nch eq ), 4 . 15 ( t , j = 6 . 5 hz , 2h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 4 . 30 ( m , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 4 . 38 ( q , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 7 . 34 ( s , 1h , h - 2 ), 7 . 44 ( d , j = 9 . 0 hz , 1h , h - 3 ′), 7 . 87 ( dd , j = 9 . 0 hz , 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 4 ′), 7 . 98 ( d , j = 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 6 ′), 9 . 37 ( br s , 1h , nh + ), 11 . 78 ( br s , 1h , nh ). the titled compound was prepared as described in example 4 by using 5 - ethyl - 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one and isobutyric anhydride in place of 2 -{ 2 - ethoxy - 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ] phenyl }- 5 - methyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one and acetic anhydride . ir ( neat ) 3325 ( nh ), 1731 ( c ═ o ), 1686 ( c ═ o ) cm − 1 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 / tms ) δ 1 . 00 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 11 ( d , j = 6 . 9 hz , 6h , ch ( ch 3 ) 2 ), 1 . 19 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 48 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 68 - 1 . 80 ( m , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 99 - 2 . 10 ( m , 2h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 43 - 2 . 56 ( m , 1h , o 2 cch ), 2 . 61 ( m , 4h , 2 nch 2 ), 2 . 62 ( t , j = 5 . 7 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 2 . 72 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 3 . 09 ( m , 4h , 2 so 2 nch 2 ), 4 . 12 ( t , j = 5 . 7 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 4 . 24 ( t , j = 6 . 6 hz , 2h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 4 . 45 ( q , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 6 . 97 ( s , 1h , h - 2 ), 7 . 13 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 3 ′), 7 . 80 ( dd , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 4 ′), 8 . 89 ( d , j = 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 6 ′), 10 . 69 ( br s , 1h , nh ); the titled compound was prepared as described in example 5 by using 5 - ethyl - 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - isobutyryloxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one and 10 % h 2 so 4 in etoh in place of 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - acetoxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - ethoxyphenyl }- 5 - methyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one and 10 % h 2 so 4 in thf . 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ 0 . 93 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 0 . 97 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 09 ( d , j = 6 . 9 hz , 6h , ch ( ch 3 ) 2 ), 1 . 36 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 58 - 1 . 82 ( m , 4h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 and och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 53 - 2 . 78 ( m , 5h , o 2 cch , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 , and 2 so 2 nch ax ), 3 . 17 - 3 . 38 ( m , 2h , 2 so 2 nch eq ), 3 . 42 - 3 . 51 ( m , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 3 . 52 - 3 . 66 ( m , 2h , 2h + nch ax ), 3 . 71 - 3 . 88 ( m , 2h , 2h + nch eq ), 4 . 15 ( t , j = 6 . 3 hz , 2h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 4 . 30 ( m , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 4 . 38 ( q , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 7 . 35 ( s , 1h , h - 2 ), 7 . 45 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 3 ′), 7 . 88 ( dd , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 4 ′), 7 . 98 ( d , j = 2 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 6 ′), 9 . 41 ( br s , 1h , nh + ). the titled compound was prepared as described in example 4 by using 5 - ethyl - 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one and benzoic anhydride in place of 2 -{ 2 - ethoxy - 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ] phenyl }- 5 - methyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one and acetic anhydride . ir ( neat ) 3338 ( nh ), 1722 ( c ═ o ), 1659 ( c ═ o ) cm − 1 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 / tms ) δ 0 . 99 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 19 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 48 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 67 - 1 . 80 ( m , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 98 - 2 . 10 ( m , 2h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 68 ( m , 4h , 2 nch 2 ), 2 . 71 ( t , j 7 . 5 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 77 ( t , j = 5 . 7 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 3 . 11 ( m , 4h , 2 so 2 nch 2 ), 4 . 23 ( t , j = 6 . 6 hz , 2h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 4 . 38 ( t , j = 5 . 7 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 4 . 45 ( q , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 6 . 96 ( s , 1h , h - 2 ), 7 . 13 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 3 ′), 7 . 38 - 7 . 43 ( m , 2h , 2 ph - h ), 7 . 51 - 7 . 56 ( m , 1h , ph - h ), 7 . 80 ( dd , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 4 ′), 7 . 96 - 7 . 98 ( m , 2h , 2 ph - h ), 8 . 89 ( d , j = 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 6 ′), 10 . 68 ( br s , 1h , nh ); a mixture of 5 - ethyl - 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one ( 300 mg , 0 . 56 mmol ), ethyl 4 - nitrophenycarbonate ( 131 mg , 0 . 62 mmol ), and dmap ( 14 mg , 0 . 11 mmol ) in pyridine ( 10 ml ) was stirred overnight at 80 - 90 ° c . the reaction mixture was evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure . the crude residue was purified by mplc on silica gel ( 3 % meoh in etoac ) to afford the titled compound ( 198 mg , 58 %) as a white solid . ir ( neat ) 3330 ( nh ), 1744 ( c ═ o ), 1688 ( c ═ o ) cm − 1 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 / tms ) δ 1 . 00 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 19 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 25 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , oco 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 48 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 68 - 1 . 81 ( m , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 99 - 2 . 11 ( m , 2h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 61 ( m , 4h , 2 nch 2 ), 2 . 65 ( t , j = 5 . 7 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 2 . 72 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 3 . 10 ( m , 4h , 2 so 2 nch 2 ), 4 . 13 ( q , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h , oco 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 4 . 17 ( t , j = 5 . 7 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 4 . 25 ( t , j = 6 . 6 hz , 2h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 4 . 45 ( q , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 6 . 97 ( s , 1h , h - 2 ), 7 . 13 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 3 ′), 7 . 80 ( dd , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 4 ′), 8 . 89 ( d , j = 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 6 ′), 10 . 69 ( br s , 1h , nh ); the titled compound was prepared as described in example 5 by using 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - ethoxycarbonyloxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 5 - ethyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one and 10 % h 2 so 4 in etoh in place of 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - acetoxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - ethoxyphenyl }- 5 - methyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one and 10 % h 2 so 4 in thf . 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ 0 . 92 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 0 . 95 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 21 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , oco 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 37 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 57 - 1 . 80 ( m , 4h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 and och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 58 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 62 - 2 . 81 ( m , 2h , 2 so 2 nch ax ), 3 . 17 - 3 . 37 ( m , 2h , 2 so 2 nch eq ), 3 . 45 - 3 . 88 ( m , 6h , nch 2 ch 2 o , 2h + nch ax and 2h + nch eq ), 4 . 09 - 4 . 20 ( m , 4h , oco 2 ch 2 ch 3 and och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 4 . 33 - 4 . 45 ( m , 4h , nch 2 ch 3 and nch 2 ch 2 o ), 7 . 42 ( s , 1h , h - 2 ), 7 . 47 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 3 ′), 7 . 92 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 4 ′), 8 . 02 ( s , 1h , h - 6 ′). the titled compound was prepared as described in example 4 by using 5 - ethyl - 7 -( 3 - fluoropropyl )- 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one in place of 2 -{ 2 - ethoxy - 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ] phenyl }- 5 - methyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one . ir ( neat ) 3319 ( nh ), 1740 ( c ═ o ), 1689 ( c ═ o ) cm − 1 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 / tms ) δ 1 . 20 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 49 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 00 - 2 . 23 ( m , 4h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 and ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 f ), 2 . 01 ( s , 3h , o 2 cch 3 ), 2 . 60 ( m , 4h , 2 nch 2 ), 2 . 62 ( t , j = 5 . 7 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 2 . 87 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 f ), 3 . 10 ( m , 4h , 2 so 2 nch 2 ), 4 . 12 ( t , j = 5 . 7 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 4 . 25 ( t , j = 6 . 3 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 4 . 46 ( q , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 4 . 52 ( dt , j = 47 . 1 hz , 5 . 7 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 f ), 7 . 00 ( s , 1h , h - 2 ), 7 . 14 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 3 ′), 7 . 81 ( dd , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 4 ′), 8 . 88 ( d , j = 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 6 ′), 10 . 73 ( br s , 1h , nh ); to a mixture of 2 -{ 2 - ethoxy - 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ] phenyl }- 5 - methyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one ( 200 mg , 0 . 40 mmol ), n -( tert - butoxycarbonyl )- l - valine ( 172 mg , 0 . 79 mmol ), and dmap ( 10 mg , 0 . 08 mmol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 10 ml ) was added edc ( 114 mg , 0 . 59 mmol ), and the mixture was stirred for 2 hours at room temperature . the reaction mixture was washed with dilute nahco 3 aqueous solution ( 30 ml ), and the aqueous layer was further extracted with ch 2 cl 2 ( 30 ml ). the combined organic layer was dried ( mgso 4 ), filtered , and the filtrate was evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure . the crude residue was purified by mplc on silica gel ( 1 . 5 % meoh in chcl 3 ) to afford the titled compound ( 258 mg , 92 %) as a pale yellow solid . ir ( neat ) 3333 ( nh ), 1722 ( c ═ o ), 1677 ( c ═ o ) cm − 1 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 / tms ) δ 0 . 81 ( d , j = 6 . 9 hz , 3h , chch 3 ), 0 . 89 ( d , j = 6 . 9 hz , 3h , chch 3 ), 1 . 00 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 41 ( s , 9h , 3 ch 3 ), 1 . 64 ( t , j = 6 . 9 hz , 3h , och 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 66 - 1 . 80 ( m , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 98 - 2 . 11 ( m , 1h , chch 3 ), 2 . 57 ( m , 4h , 2 nch 2 ), 2 . 62 ( t , j = 5 . 7 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 2 . 71 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 3 . 09 ( m , 4h , 2 so 2 nch 2 ), 4 . 08 ( s , 3h , nch 3 ), 4 . 15 ( t , j = 5 . 7 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 4 . 18 - 4 . 29 ( m , 1h , coch ), 4 . 36 ( q , j = 6 . 9 hz , 2h , och 2 ch 3 ), 4 . 94 ( br d , j = 9 . 3 hz , 1h , nhboc ), 6 . 88 ( s , 1h , h - 2 ), 7 . 13 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 3 ′), 7 . 80 ( dd , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2 . 4 hz , 1h , h - 4 ′), 8 . 87 ( d , j = 2 . 4 hz , 1 , h - 6 ′), 10 . 64 ( br s , 1h , nh ); to a cooled solution of 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 -( n -( tert - butoxycarbonyl )- l - valinyl ) oxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - ethoxyphenyl }- 5 - methyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one ( 150 mg , 0 . 21 mmol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 5 ml ) at 0 ° c . was added slowly cf 3 co 2 h ( 49 μl , 6 . 39 mmol ), and the mixture was stirred overnight at room temperature . the reaction mixture was evaporated to dryness under vacuum . the crude residue was dissolved in thf ( 2 ml ), and a 6 n aqueous hcl solution ( 89 μl , 0 . 53 mmol ) was added to the solution at 0 ° c . the mixture was evaporated to dryness under vacuum , and the residue was purified by crystallization from meoh / ether to afford the desired product ( 137 mg , 95 %) as white crystals . the product was dissolved in h 2 o ( 20 ml ), filtered through a membrane filter ( 0 . 45 μl ), and the filtrate was freeze - dried to afford the titled compound as a white solid . ir ( neat ) 3339 ( nh ), 1755 ( c ═ o ), 1680 ( c ═ o ) cm − 1 ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ 0 . 94 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 0 . 96 ( d , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , chch 3 ), 0 . 99 ( d , j = 6 . 9 hz , 3h , chch 3 ), 1 . 37 ( t , j = 6 . 9 hz , 3h , och 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 59 - 1 . 71 ( m , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 14 - 2 . 28 ( m , 1h , chch 3 ), 2 . 59 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 91 - 3 . 16 ( m , 2h , 2 so 2 nch ax ), 3 . 04 - 3 . 92 ( m , 9h , 2 so 2 nch eq , nch 2 ch 2 o , 2h + nch ax , 2h + nch eq , coch ), 3 . 99 ( s , 3h , nch 3 ), 4 . 25 ( q , j = 6 . 9 hz , 2h , och 2 ch 3 ), 4 . 42 - 4 . 61 ( m , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 7 . 22 ( s , 1h , h - 2 ), 7 . 41 ( d , j = 9 . 0 hz , 1h , h - 3 ′), 7 . 87 ( dd , j = 9 . 0 hz , 2 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 4 ′), 8 . 03 ( d , j = 2 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 6 ′), 8 . 67 ( br s , 2h , 2h + ); the titled compound was prepared as described in example 20 by using 2 -{ 2 - ethoxy - 5 -[ 4 -( 3 - hydroxypropyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ] phenyl }- 5 - methyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one in place of 2 -{ 2 - ethoxy - 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ] phenyl }- 5 - methyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one . ir ( neat ) 3329 ( nh ), 1749 ( c ═ o ), 1681 ( c ═ o ) cm − 1 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 / tms ) δ 0 . 85 ( d , j = 6 . 6 hz , 3h , chch 3 ), 0 . 92 ( d , j = 6 . 9 hz , 3h , chch 3 ), 0 . 99 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 42 ( s , 9h , 3 ch 3 ), 1 . 64 ( t , j = 6 . 9 hz , 3h , och 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 69 - 1 . 82 ( m , 4h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 and ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 o ), 2 . 01 - 2 . 14 ( m , 1h , chch 3 ), 2 . 41 ( t , j = 6 . 6 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 o ), 2 . 52 ( m , 4h , 2 nch 2 ), 2 . 71 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 3 . 08 ( m , 4h , 2 so 2 nch 2 ), 4 . 08 ( s , 3h , nch 3 ), 4 . 11 ( t , j = 6 . 6 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 o ), 4 . 10 - 4 . 20 ( m , 1h , coch ), 4 . 36 ( q , j = 6 . 9 hz , 2h , och 2 ch 3 ), 4 . 95 ( br d , j = 9 . 0 hz , 1h , nhboc ), 6 . 88 ( s , 1h , h - 2 ), 7 . 13 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 3 ′), 7 . 80 ( dd , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 4 ′), 8 . 87 ( d , j = 2 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 6 ′), 10 . 61 ( br s , 1h , nh ); the titled compound was prepared as described in example 21 by using 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 3 -( n -( tert - butoxycarbonyl )- l - valinyl ) oxypropyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - ethoxyphenyl }- 5 - methyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrmidin - 4 - one in place of 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 -( n -( tert - butoxycarbonyl )- l - valinyl ) oxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - ethoxyphenyl }- 5 - methyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one . ir ( neat ) 3332 ( nh ), 1739 ( c ═ o ), 1678 ( c ═ o ) cm − 1 ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) δ 0 . 93 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 0 . 95 ( d , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , chch 3 ), 0 . 98 ( d , j = 6 . 6 hz , 3h , chch 3 ), 1 . 36 ( t , j = 6 . 9 hz , 3h , och 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 57 - 1 . 70 ( m , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 01 - 2 . 25 ( m , 3h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 o and chch 3 ), 2 . 59 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 82 - 2 . 96 ( m , 2h , 2 so 2 nch ax ), 3 . 10 - 3 . 32 ( m , 4h , 2 so 2 nch eq and ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 o ), 3 . 50 - 3 . 62 ( m , 2h , 2h + nch ax ), 3 . 76 - 3 . 88 ( m , 3h , 2h + nch eq and coch ), 3 . 99 ( s , 3h , nch 3 ), 4 . 23 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 o ), 4 . 24 ( q , j = 6 . 9 hz , 2h , och 2 ch 3 ), 7 . 26 ( s , 1h , h - 2 ), 7 . 42 ( d , j = 9 . 0 hz , 1h , h - 3 ′), 7 . 88 ( dd , j = 9 . 0 hz , 2 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 4 ′), 8 . 00 ( d , j = 2 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 6 ′), 8 . 67 ( br s , 2h , 2h + ); the titled compound was prepared as described in example 20 by using 5 - ethyl - 2 -{ 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ]- 2 - n - propoxyphenyl }- 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one and phenylacetic acid in place of 2 -{ 2 - ethoxy - 5 -[ 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - ylsulfonyl ] phenyl }- 5 - methyl - 7 - n - propyl - 3 , 5 - dihydro - 4h - pyrrolo [ 3 , 2 - d ] pyrimidin - 4 - one and n -( tert - butoxycarbonyl )- l - valine . ir ( neat ) 3331 ( nh ), 1735 ( c ═ o ), 1665 ( c ═ o ) cm − 1 ; 1 h nmr ( cdcl 3 / tms ) δ 1 . 00 ( t , j = 7 . 2 hz , 3h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 20 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 3h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 48 ( t , j 7 . 2 hz , 3h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 69 - 1 . 81 ( m , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 1 . 99 - 2 . 11 ( m , 2h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 2 . 51 ( m , 4h , 2 nch 2 ), 2 . 58 ( t , j = 5 . 7 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 2 . 73 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 2h , ch 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 3 . 02 ( m , 4h , 2 so 2 nch 2 ), 3 . 57 ( s , 2h , o 2 cch 2 ), 4 . 14 ( t , j = 5 . 7 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 2 o ), 4 . 25 ( t , j = 6 . 6 hz , 2h , och 2 ch 2 ch 3 ), 4 . 46 ( q , j = 7 . 2 hz , 2h , nch 2 ch 3 ), 6 . 97 ( s , 1h , h - 2 ), 7 . 14 ( d , j = 8 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 3 ′), 7 . 17 - 7 . 25 ( m , 5h , 5 ph - h ), 7 . 80 ( dd , j = 8 . 7 hz , 2 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 4 ′), 8 . 90 ( d , j = 2 . 7 hz , 1h , h - 6 ′), 10 . 71 ( br s , 1h , nh ); the active ingredient was sieved and blended with the excipients . the resultant mix was compressed into tablets . alternatively , the active ingredient and lactose were dissolved in water and freeze - dried . then , the dried mixture was blended with the excipients and was compressed into tablets . the active ingredient was sieved and blended with the lactose and starch . the polysorbate 80 was dissolved in purified water . suitable volumes of the polysorbate 80 solution were added and the powders were granulated . after drying , the granules were screened and blended with the colloidal silicon dioxide and magnesium stearate . the granules were then compressed into tablets . the active ingredient was sieved and blended with the excipients . the mix was filled into no . 5 hard gelatin capsules using suitable equipment . the rabbit platelet pde v was prepared using the method described by hidaka et al . ( biochim . biophys . acta ., 429 : 485 - 497 , 1976 ) with minor modification . the platelet - rich plasma ( prp ) was prepared by centrifugation of freshly obtained heparinized whole blood at 360 g . platelets were isolated from the prp by centrifugation at 1 , 200 g . platelet homogenates were prepared in the homogenization buffer ( 50 mm tris - hcl buffer containing 1 mm mgcl 2 , ph 7 . 4 ) by sonication for 30 s per 1 ml . the homogenized solutions were then centrifuged at 40 , 000 × g for 2 h at 4 ° c . the supernatant was loaded on the deae - cellulose column ( 20 ml bed volume , sigma ) pre - equilibrated with equilibration buffer ( 50 mm tris - acetate containing 3 . 75 mm 2 - mercaptoethanol , ph 6 . 0 ). the column was then washed with 60 ml of equilibration buffer . the pde isozymes were eluted using a continuous gradient of 0 to 600 mm sodium acetate in the equilibration buffer ( 60 ml total volume ). the 1 . 0 ml fractions were collected . a flow rate of 60 ml / h was used throughout the ion - exchange chromatography procedure . pde activities on camp and cgmp were characterized as described below . the characterized fractions were pooled and stored at − 80 ° c . until the inhibition studies . the cyclic nucleotide pde v activity was determined using pde spa assay kit ( amersham pharmacia biotech , uk ). each reaction mixture ( 100 μl total volume ) consisted of the column elute containing pde v ( 10 μl ), [ 3 h ]- cgmp ( 5 μci / ml ), bovine serum albumin ( 0 . 5 mg / ml ), and mgcl 2 ( 5 mm ) in tris - hcl buffer ( 15 mm , ph 7 . 5 ). the reactions were initiated by the addition of pde v and the samples were incubated at 30 ° c . for 30 min , after which the reaction was stopped by the addition of 50 μl of spa beads . the reaction tube was then settled for 20 min and was counted on the scintillation counter ( tri - carb 1500 , packard , usa ). for the inhibition study of pde v activity , the test compounds were dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide ( dmso ) and was diluted with distilled water . the final concentration of dmso was less than 0 . 2 % ( v / v ). all the inhibition experiments were conducted under the conditions where the level of cgmp hydrolysis did not exceed 15 %, and the product formation increased linearly with time and the amount of enzyme . the following table illustrates the in vitro activities for a range of the compounds of the invention as inhibitors of cgmp pde v . table example no . ic 50 ( nm ) 7 2 . 84 10 5 . 73 12 8 . 87 14 8 . 80 16 14 . 4 17 7 . 65 19 1 . 48 24 8 . 68 several compounds of the invention have been tested at doses of up to 10 mg / kg p . o . in rats with no untoward effects being observed , and up to 100 mg / kg p . o . in rats with no death being observed .
| 2 |
referring now to the drawings and in particular fig1 a conventional v - 6 engine crank shaft , of the type sold by general motors corporation for its buick vehicles , is shown at 12 in a side elevational view , partially schematic . the dotted passages 26 , 28 , 30 , 32 , 34 , and 36 represent straight - line , cylindrical , bored - out passageways that transmit oil from the upper main bearings b1 , b2 , b3 , and b4 , through main journals m1 , m2 , m3 , and m4 and through rod journals r1 , r2 , r3 , r4 , r5 , and r6 , to adjacent rod bearings rb1 , rb2 , rb3 , rb4 , rb5 , and rb6 . each upper main bearing b1 , b2 , b3 , and b4 includes , respectively , a 180 degree groove 38 , 40 , 42 , and 44 that have apertures 60 , 62 , 64 , and 66 disposed therein which receive oil under pressure from the engine oil pump ( not shown ) through oil passages 46 , 47 , 48 , and 49 . thus , within each groove 38 , 40 , 42 , and 44 is oil under pressure as the crank shaft 12 rotates . note that each first , or main , oil passage , such as 26 , has an inlet that opens into upper main bearing b1 groove 38 for 180 degree traverse of the rotating crank shaft 12 . during that time , oil under pressure goes down passage 26 , through main journal m1 and through rod journal r1 , to where it exits at journal r1 onto rod bearing rb1 . note that oil will only be able to flow under pressure during the 180 degree segment where the opening to passageway 26 is within the groove 38 for 180 degree rotation of the crank shaft . when the opening to passage 26 is adjacent the nongroove portion of bearing b1 , no oil is flowing and rod journal r1 does not get oil under pressure . thus , it can be seen with each of the upper main bearings b1 , b2 , b3 , b4 , which function the same way , oil is pulsating for 180 degree segment . the end result is that there is not a continuous distribution of oil to the rod bearings rb1 , rb2 , rb3 , rb4 , rb5 , and rb6 , which can result in failure of the rod journals r1 , r2 , r3 , r4 , r5 , and r6 , then the crank shaft and engine . the present invention is shown in fig2 with a solution that provides for continuous oil flow under pressure to the rod journals and rod bearings . with respect to main journal m1 , there is an additional angular secondary oil passage 50 which is 180 degrees out at its opening from passage 26 and intersecting with passage 26 . therefore , oil under pressure in the main bearing groove 38 will be flowing under pressure either into passage 26 or passage 50 , whichever has its opening disposed in the bearing groove 38 . this insures that oil under pressure will always arrive at rod journal r1 and be constantly supplied to rod bearing rb1 . with respect to the main journal m2 , additional angular secondary oil passage 52 in conjunction with first or main passage 28 provides for continuous oil flow under pressure to rod journals r2 and r3 , and thus rod bearings rb2 and rb3 , commencing either from passage 28 or passage 52 . with respect to main journal m3 , additional angular passage 54 in conjunction with passage 34 provides for continuous oil flow under pressure to rod journals r4 and r5 and thus rod bearings rb4 and rb5 commencing either from passage 34 or passage 54 . finally , with respect to main journal m4 , additional angular passage 56 in conjunction with passage 36 provides for continuous oil flow under pressure to rod journal r6 and thus rod bearing rb6 commencing either from passage 36 or passage 56 . fig2 also shows oil passages 46 , 47 , 48 , and 49 that supply oil under pressure from the engine oil pump ( not shown ) to main bearings b1 , b2 , b3 , and b4 , respectively , through apertures 60 , 62 , 64 , and 66 into grooves 38 , 40 , 42 , and 44 , respectively . note from the construction of the additional oil passages in fig2 which are disposed angularly 180 degrees out from the conventional passage , that this work could be done in an after - market product with the crank shaft removed from a conventional v - 6 engine and the additional oil passages drilled or bored into the crank shaft . fig3 shows the conventional spacing of the rod bearings around the crank shaft in a conventional buick v - 6 engine . utilizing the present invention , which is a fairly non - complex modification , the overall engine efficiency can be greatly improved and potential future damages to these engines alleviated and the engine life greatly increased with such modifications . the instant invention has been shown and described herein in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment . it is recognized , however , that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art .
| 8 |
reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts . in general , an icemaker is an apparatus for freezing supplied water in a predetermined size and discharging outside for supplying ice to a user when the user wants to use the ice . the icemaker provides crushed ice or uncrushed ice to the user in accordance with a choice of the user . in general , a refrigerator is provided with the icemaker , however , may be provided with a drinking apparatus such as a purifier . hereinafter , a preferred embodiment of the dispenser discharging and supplying the ice to the user outside will be described referring to fig6 and fig1 in accordance with the icemaker with such function mentioned above . referring to fig6 to fig7 , a first embodiment of the dispenser of the icemaker in accordance with the present invention includes an ice chute 300 provided at a door and forming a front surface of an outer case of the refrigerator , and a container supporter 400 provided at a lower part of the ice chute 300 . the ice chute 300 is a passage through which the ice produced from the icemaker is discharged . it is desirable that the passage is closed for preventing the ice from being exposed outside when the ice is not discharged . in other words , the ice chute 300 includes an inlet through which the ice is inserted from a side of the icemaker , and an outlet through which the ice is discharged . when the ice is not discharged , it is desirable that the outlet is closed for preventing dirt from being collected thereon . ice chute 300 includes a first chute 310 having an inlet 311 provided on an inner wall of the door and a passage extended bottomward in a direction of an outer wall of the door , and a sliding member 320 with a second chute 321 communicating with the first chute 310 when the ice is discharged and having an outlet 321 a exposed outside . in more detail , the sliding member 320 moves toward the front of the door and projects to be perpendicular to the front surface of the door . in this instance , the second chute 321 is communicated with the first chute 310 . when the ice is not discharged from the ice chute , the sliding member 320 is inserted into a groove formed on the outer surface of the door 1 . in this case , it is desirable that the sliding member 320 is not projected toward outside of the door surface and the sliding member includes a guide rail for a smooth movement . the sliding member 320 also includes a handle on a front surface thereof for being manually inserted or ejected . the dispenser also includes a spring or an oil pressure means ( not illustrated ) provided between a rear surface of the sliding member 320 and the groove for pressing a rear surface of the container supporter . the dispenser includes a binding for biding the sliding member . when the binding is released , the sliding member is ejected to a front of the door . if a front surface of the sliding member is pressed , the sliding member is inserted into the groove and locked by the biding . contrary to the above statement , the sliding member 320 can be automatically inserted and ejected . for this , the sliding member includes a rack 322 provided at a lower surface thereof , and a pinion 323 provided at a lower part of the rack 322 . a motor ( not illustrated ) driven by a controller rotates the pinion 323 . in other words , when the user wants to use the ice and presses an ejection button provided at the controller ( not illustrated ), the motor rotates the pinion 323 and the rack 322 to , and projects the sliding member 320 by moving the sliding member 320 toward the front . the first chute 310 and the second chute 321 are communicated to discharge the ice . when the process for discharging the ice is finished , the motor is inversely rotated to insert the sliding member 320 into the groove so as to close the ice chute 300 . the dispenser of icemaker with a structure mentioned above , further includes a cover 325 having a first end coupled with a front lower end of the sliding member and a second end fixed on the front surface of the door 1 . the cover 325 covers an external appearance of the ice chute 300 as well as prevents dirt from being collected on a top surface of the sliding member . is it desirable that a pipe for supplying drinking water is provided between the cover 325 and the door 1 so as to supply water in the container provided at the container supporter 400 when the user wants water or water with the ice . at the container supporter 400 , a container for receiving the discharged ice is provided at a lower part of the ice chute . the container supporter 400 is provided at the door 1 forming the front surface of the outer case , projected vertically above the front surface of the door 1 when the ice is discharged to outside through the ice chute 300 . contrary to this , when the ice is not discharged , the container supporter is inserted into the groove 401 formed on the door . in this case , it is desirable that the container supporter is not projected to outside of the door and having a guide rail provided at the groove for smoothly moving . in this case , the container supporter 400 includes a handle ( not illustrated ) on the front surface thereof so as to be inserted and ejected manually . the dispenser also includes a spring or an oil pressure means ( not illustrated ) provided between a rear surface of the sliding member 320 and the groove for pressing the rear surface of the container supporter , and a binding for biding the sliding member . when the binding is released , the sliding member is ejected on the front of the door . if a front surface of the sliding member is pressed , the sliding member is inserted into the groove and locked by the biding . contrary to this , the container supporter can be automatically inserted or ejected . for this , the container supporter , as the sliding member , includes the rack provided at the lower surface thereof , and the pinion provided at the lower part of the rack , the pinion rotatably provided for this , the sliding member includes a rack 322 provided on a lower surface thereof , and a pinion provided at a lower part of the rack and mated with the rack so as to rotate together by a motor ( not illustrated ) driven by a controller . in other words , when the user wants the ice and presses the ejection button , the motor rotates the pinion and the rack , and the container supporter is moved to the front and projected on the front of the door . when the ice discharging process is finished , the motor is inversely rotated to insert the sliding member 320 into the groove . in the dispenser of the icemaker with the structure mentioned above , it is desirable that the container supporter 410 is ejected earlier than the sliding member 320 . in other words , it is desirable that the ice is discharged after the container supporter is ejected , the container is provided on top of the container supporter , and the sliding member is ejected . a second embodiment of the dispenser of the icemaker in accordance with the present invention will be described in reference to fig9 to fig1 . referring to fig9 , the dispenser of the icemaker includes an ice - discharging pipe , the pipe having an inlet 351 formed on an inner surface of the door 1 of the refrigerator and an outlet 352 formed on an outer surface of the door , a cover 360 provided on the outer surface of the door for opening and closing the outlet 352 , and a container supporter 450 having the container securely provided thereon for receiving the ice discharged outside through the ice - discharging pipe . the inlet 351 is provided at an upper part of the outlet 352 for discharging the ice inserted from the icemaker by gravity . the cover 360 having a top end coupled with the door 1 of the refrigerator is rotatably provided around the top end 361 . the cover 360 also includes a subsidiary pipe 362 provided on the inner surface of the cover in contact with the outlet of the ice - discharging pipe so as to insert the ice into the inside of passage on a side of the outlet 352 of the ice - discharging pipe . the subsidiary pipe 362 includes an ice - passing hole 363 provided at a lower part thereof in order to discharge the ice when the top cover is rotated upward . in other words , when the cover 360 is rotated , the ice - passing hole 363 of the subsidiary pipe 362 is exposed to the outside of the ice - discharging pipe 350 and the ice is discharged . in this instance , an end 364 of the subsidiary pipe is not exposed to the outside of the ice - discharging pipe . although the user can manually opens and closes the cover 360 , the outlet of the ice - discharging pipe is automatically opened and closed in accordance with the second embodiment . meanwhile , the container supporter 450 is provided at the lower part of the cover and has an end rotatably coupled with the front surface of the refrigerator . when the ice is discharged , the container supporter 450 is rotated downward around the lower end 451 to be projected vertically on the front surface of the door 1 . when the ice is not discharged , the container supporter is rotated upward around the lower end 451 to be in contact with the front surface of the door . although not illustrated , in the present embodiment , the container supporter and the cover are formed in a semicircular form for an external appearance . it is desirable that grooves formed in same forms as the cover and the container supporter are provided on the outer wall of the door such that the container supporter and the cover are not projected on the front surface of the door when the ice is not discharged . in the mean time , when the ice is not discharged , it is not the cover but the container supporter directly opening and closing the ice chute . the container supporter 450 automatically rotates and includes a rotating axis provided horizontally at an end coupled with the outer wall of the outer case , a driven gear provided at the rotating axis , and a driving gear coupled with the driven gear . the structure will be described again in describing a fourth embodiment of the present invention . the motor operated by the controller ( not illustrated ) rotates the driving gear . the rotating method is applicable to a rotation of the cover 360 . contrary to the above statement , a portion 1 a located at an inside of the cover on the outer wall of the door and the cover 360 are formed as a single body , and the top portion of the subsidiary pipe 362 includes the portion 1 a on the outer wall of the door , the portion 1 a integrated with the cover 360 . the dispenser of the icemaker with the structure mentioned above is a third embodiment illustrated in fig1 . in accordance with the third embodiment of the present invention , the other components except the structure of the third embodiment is the same as the second embodiment and it will be omitted . meanwhile , the container supporter 460 covers the cover 360 as illustrated in fig1 to fig1 . the structure mentioned above is a fourth embodiment . in accordance with the present invention , all other compositions except the components explained below are the same as the second and the third embodiments . in accordance with the present invention , as illustrated in fig1 , the dispenser of the icemaker includes a link member 500 coupling the container supporter 460 and the cover 360 . the link member 500 has a first end coupled with the lower side of the cover 360 and a second end coupled with a side of the container supporter 460 . for this , the link member includes a top coupler 501 rotatably coupled with the lower side of the cover , and a bottom coupler 502 having a first end rotatably coupled with a second end of the top coupler and a second end rotatably coupled with the lower side of the container supporter . contrary to the above statement , the link member 500 may include a soft string 503 . the link member 500 becomes parallel to the cover for supporting weight of the container supporter having the container when the container supporter is rotated downward to be perpendicular to the outer wall of the outer case for discharging the ice . the container supporter 460 is automatically rotated . for this , the container supporter 460 includes a rotating axis 461 provided horizontally at an end coupled with the outer wall of the outer case , a driven gear 462 provided at the rotating axis , and a driving gear 463 mated with the driven gear for driving the driven gear . the dispenser of the icemaker with the structure mentioned above is operated as follows . first , when the user wants the ice and presses the ejection button of the controller , the container supporters ( 400 , 450 , 460 ) are provided to be perpendicular to the front surface of the door of the refrigerator . for this , the container supporter 400 in the first embodiment of the present invention is withdrawn to the front surface of the door by the rotation of the pinion and the container supporters 450 and 460 in the second and fourth embodiments are rotated downward by the driving gear to be perpendicular to the front surface of the door . next , when the ice chute 300 and 350 are opened , the ice is discharged outside and received into the container provided on top of the container supporter . then , the user takes the ice to put in a beverage or in food . the opening process of the ice chute is described above and a detailed description will be omitted . when the ice is discharged as much as the user needs , the container supporter is inserted into the inside of the groove provided at the door or is rotated upward by the driving gear , and adhered to the front surface of the door to be horizontal thereto in accordance with the present embodiment . then , the container supporter or the cover closes the outlet of the ice chute . effects of the present invention with above mentioned structure is summarized as follows . first , a space taken by the container supporter or the ice chute is minimized and an inner space of the refrigerator or an apparatus with an ice - discharging function is maximized in accordance with the present invention . second , the space taken by the container supporter of the ice chute is minimized and the total size of the refrigerator or the apparatus with an ice - discharging function is minimized in accordance with the present invention . third , the outlet of the ice chute provided on the ice discharging passage is completely closed when the ice is not discharged in order to prevent the dirt from being collected on the passage in accordance with the present invention . fourth , the external appearance is improved because the ice chute and the container supporter are not projected outside or caved - in in accordance with the present invention . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions . thus , it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents .
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presently , skip - points are predetermined by the manufacturer of the recording based on the manufacturer &# 39 ; s knowledge of the recorded content . for example , in a recorded movie on a dvd , the chapter selection and scene selection skip - points are all selected according to the manufacturer &# 39 ; s knowledge of the movie content . the illustrative embodiments recognize that such manner of creating skip - points only creates segments of interest according to the manufacturer of the recording . the illustrative embodiments recognize that users who hears or views the content often like or dislike certain portions of the content as well . such portions are also user - selected segments of interest , which cannot be presently identified in the recording of the content . for example , suppose that a live debate is being broadcast by a television station . many viewers watch the debate ( content ) live , and produce opinions about which portions of the debate they found particularly interesting . similarly , a football game may be broadcast live , and viewers might particularly like certain plays , such as touchdowns or penalties , during the game ( content ). recordings of previously broadcasted live content are often made available to users for later viewing . for example , digital video recorders are ubiquitously available for recording live television broadcast for later viewing . the illustrative embodiments recognize that presently segments of interest cannot be identified in such recordings based on the responses of the users to the content . the illustrative embodiments used to describe the invention generally address and solve the above - described problems and other problems related to identifying segments of interest in recorded content . an embodiment can be implemented as a software application . the application implementing an embodiment can be configured as a modification of an existing recording application or device , as a separate application that operates in conjunction with an existing recording application or device , a standalone application , or some combination thereof . broadcast content either includes metadata , or metadata can be extracted from the content . for example , a broadcast content , such as a sporting event or a debate , has a title and a time of the broadcast . a broadcast content , such as a movie or a television show , may include the names of the cast , the producer , the director , and the studio , or such information can be extracted from the movie or show &# 39 ; s content . the title , the time of the broadcast , and the names of the cast , the producer , the director , and the studio are some non - limiting examples of metadata associated with content and contemplated by the illustrative embodiments . a set of metadata can be associated with content , and a subset of the set of metadata is usable to uniquely identify the content . an embodiment detects a live broadcast of a particular content . using a subset of the metadata associated with the content , the embodiment searches one or more social media sources for data that references the subset of the metadata and is added to the one or more social media at the time of the broadcast . for example , for a live broadcast of a sporting event content , the embodiment selects a name metadata of a team that is participating in the event . the embodiment searches , as a non - limiting example , twitter data to extract a stream of data that is being contributed to the hashtag of the team &# 39 ; s name while the team is playing in the event . in this example , twitter may receive data contributions to more than one hashtags , e . g ., the hashtag of the team name , the hashtag of the sporting event name , the hashtag of the television network that is providing the live broadcast , and the like . similarly , facebook may receive data contributions to a page of the team , a page of the television network , a handle of a player on the team , and the like . the ongoing contribution and availability of data relative to a metadata , e . g ., relative to a hashtag or other suitable mechanism in social media , is referred to herein as a data stream . thus , the embodiment collects such data from one or more streams of data being added or contributed to one or more social media sources . the embodiment collects the data up to the end of the broadcast . the embodiment analyzes the data at the end of the broadcast to determine a normal or baseline level of data contribution relative to the content during the broadcast . for example , in case of content that has low viewership or is relatively uncontroversial , the baseline amount of data contributed to a data stream may be less than the amount of data contributed to a high viewership or controversy evoking content . a level of data contribution is indicative of a volume or amount of data contribution , a frequency of data contribution , or both . a baseline level is a level that is observed consistently throughout the duration of the broadcast of the content without a significant increase or decrease in the amount or frequency of the data being contributed to a stream . for example , it may be normal to have one hundred data contributions per minute , e . g ., tweets per minute , to a college football team &# 39 ; s hashtag when their game is being broadcast , and it may be normal to have ten thousand data contributions per minute to a national football team &# 39 ; s hashtag when their championship game is being broadcast . a baseline level may be a baseline band . for example , it may be normal to have between one hundred and two hundred data contributions per minute to a college football team &# 39 ; s hashtag when their game is being broadcast . the embodiment further determines whether the data contributions during the broadcast exhibit any significant deviation from the baseline level . for example , the embodiment determines whether for any duration within the duration of the broadcast , the level of data contribution exceeds the baseline by at least a threshold amount or frequency . a duration where the data contributions deviate significantly from the baseline is selected by the embodiment as a duration spanning a segment of interest . conversely , if for any duration within the duration of the broadcast , the level of data contribution falls below the baseline by at least a threshold amount or frequency , such a duration is selected by the embodiment as a duration spanning a segment of interest . in this case , the segment is of interest because the users appear to have less than a normal level of interest in the segment , such as when the game is suspended for a duration due to weather . the embodiment further determines a data fragment that is common to a threshold amount of the data contributed during the segment of interest . for example , if the segment pertains to a touchdown , a majority of the data contributed during the touchdown segment of interest is likely to include the word “ touchdown ”— an example data fragment — in the contributed data . similarly , if the segment pertains to pause in the game due to weather , a majority of the data contributed during the pause segment of interest is likely to include the word “ rain ” or “ bad weather ” or something similar — another example data fragment — in the contributed data . in many cases , data contributions deviate from the baseline by more than a threshold value sometime after an event that makes a segment interesting or uninteresting has occurred in the content . accordingly , the embodiment determines a starting time of a duration of a segment of interest by identifying a time at which the data contribution level deviated by more than a threshold value , and adding a predetermined amount of lead time . the embodiment determines an ending time of the duration of the segment of interest by identifying a time at which the deviation of the data contribution level returns within the threshold value of the baseline . optionally , the embodiment can be configured to add a trailing amount of time after the deviation returns within the threshold value of the baseline . operating in this manner , the embodiment determines any number of segments of interest that might be present within the duration of the broadcast content . the embodiment extends the metadata of the content in the recording . specifically , the extended metadata includes the starting time and ending time of each segment of interest in the recording . optionally , the embodiment also stores in the extended metadata , the extracted data fragment for some or all segments of interest . a method of an embodiment described herein , when implemented to execute on a device or data processing system , comprises substantial advancement of the functionality of that device or data processing system in intelligent segment marking in recordings . for example , presently available recorded content identifies only predetermined skip - points but not segments of interests according to the users of the content based on the broadcast of the content . an embodiment crowd - sources data from social media data streams to identify one or more segments of interest in a broadcast content . the embodiment modifies the metadata of the content in a recording to indicate the starting and ending points of the segments of interest according to the users . the embodiment optionally also associates a descriptive data fragment extracted from the social media data streams relative to a segment . this manner of intelligent segment marking in recordings is unavailable in the presently available methods . thus , a substantial advancement of such devices or data processing systems by executing a method of an embodiment is in enabling a user to be able to skip to , or avoid , a segment based on other users &# 39 ; interest in the segment . the illustrative embodiments are described with respect to certain content , broadcasts , recording , events , times , durations , thresholds , amounts , frequencies , levels , data fragments , data streams , social media sources , metadata , devices , data processing systems , environments , components , and applications only as examples . any specific manifestations of these and other similar artifacts are not intended to be limiting to the invention . any suitable manifestation of these and other similar artifacts can be selected within the scope of the illustrative embodiments . furthermore , the illustrative embodiments may be implemented with respect to any type of data , data source , or access to a data source over a data network . any type of data storage device may provide the data to an embodiment of the invention , either locally at a data processing system or over a data network , within the scope of the invention . where an embodiment is described using a mobile device , any type of data storage device suitable for use with the mobile device may provide the data to such embodiment , either locally at the mobile device or over a data network , within the scope of the illustrative embodiments . the illustrative embodiments are described using specific code , designs , architectures , protocols , layouts , schematics , and tools only as examples and are not limiting to the illustrative embodiments . furthermore , the illustrative embodiments are described in some instances using particular software , tools , and data processing environments only as an example for the clarity of the description . the illustrative embodiments may be used in conjunction with other comparable or similarly purposed structures , systems , applications , or architectures . for example , other comparable mobile devices , structures , systems , applications , or architectures therefor , may be used in conjunction with such embodiment of the invention within the scope of the invention . an illustrative embodiment may be implemented in hardware , software , or a combination thereof . the examples in this disclosure are used only for the clarity of the description and are not limiting to the illustrative embodiments . additional data , operations , actions , tasks , activities , and manipulations will be conceivable from this disclosure and the same are contemplated within the scope of the illustrative embodiments . any advantages listed herein are only examples and are not intended to be limiting to the illustrative embodiments . additional or different advantages may be realized by specific illustrative embodiments . furthermore , a particular illustrative embodiment may have some , all , or none of the advantages listed above . with reference to the figures and in particular with reference to fig1 and 2 , these figures are example diagrams of data processing environments in which illustrative embodiments may be implemented . fig1 and 2 are only examples and are not intended to assert or imply any limitation with regard to the environments in which different embodiments may be implemented . a particular implementation may make many modifications to the depicted environments based on the following description . fig1 depicts a block diagram of a network of data processing systems in which illustrative embodiments may be implemented . data processing environment 100 is a network of computers in which the illustrative embodiments may be implemented . data processing environment 100 includes network 102 . network 102 is the medium used to provide communications links between various devices and computers connected together within data processing environment 100 . network 102 may include connections , such as wire , wireless communication links , or fiber optic cables . clients or servers are only example roles of certain data processing systems connected to network 102 and are not intended to exclude other configurations or roles for these data processing systems . server 104 and server 106 couple to network 102 along with storage unit 108 . software applications may execute on any computer in data processing environment 100 . clients 110 , 112 , and 114 are also coupled to network 102 . a data processing system , such as server 104 or 106 , or client 110 , 112 , or 114 may contain data and may have software applications or software tools executing thereon . only as an example , and without implying any limitation to such architecture , fig1 depicts certain components that are usable in an example implementation of an embodiment . for example , servers 104 and 106 , and clients 110 , 112 , 114 , are depicted as servers and clients only as example and not to imply a limitation to a client - server architecture . as another example , an embodiment can be distributed across several data processing systems and a data network as shown , whereas another embodiment can be implemented on a single data processing system within the scope of the illustrative embodiments . data processing systems 104 , 106 , 110 , 112 , and 114 also represent example nodes in a cluster , partitions , and other configurations suitable for implementing an embodiment . device 132 is an example of a device described herein . for example , device 132 can take the form of a smartphone , a tablet computer , a laptop computer , client 110 in a stationary or a portable form , a wearable computing device , or any other suitable device . any software application described as executing in another data processing system in fig1 can be configured to execute in device 132 in a similar manner . any data or information stored or produced in another data processing system in fig1 can be configured to be stored or produced in device 132 in a similar manner . application 105 implements an embodiment described herein . broadcasting platform 107 is any suitable manner of broadcasting content . application 105 makes recording 109 of the content broadcast by platform 107 . application 105 collects data contributions corresponding to the content of recording 109 from the data streams of one or more social media source 142 . application 105 identifies one or more segments of interest in recording 109 and annotates recording 109 with the starting time and ending time of each such segment . player 134 is usable to playback recording 109 by skipping to a starting time of a segment of interest , or skipping past a segment of interest , as the case may be . servers 104 and 106 , storage unit 108 , and clients 110 , 112 , and 114 may couple to network 102 using wired connections , wireless communication protocols , or other suitable data connectivity . clients 110 , 112 , and 114 may be , for example , personal computers or network computers . in the depicted example , server 104 may provide data , such as boot files , operating system images , and applications to clients 110 , 112 , and 114 . clients 110 , 112 , and 114 may be clients to server 104 in this example . clients 110 , 112 , 114 , or some combination thereof , may include their own data , boot files , operating system images , and applications . data processing environment 100 may include additional servers , clients , and other devices that are not shown . in the depicted example , data processing environment 100 may be the internet . network 102 may represent a collection of networks and gateways that use the transmission control protocol / internet protocol ( tcp / ip ) and other protocols to communicate with one another . at the heart of the internet is a backbone of data communication links between major nodes or host computers , including thousands of commercial , governmental , educational , and other computer systems that route data and messages . of course , data processing environment 100 also may be implemented as a number of different types of networks , such as for example , an intranet , a local area network ( lan ), or a wide area network ( wan ). fig1 is intended as an example , and not as an architectural limitation for the different illustrative embodiments . among other uses , data processing environment 100 may be used for implementing a client - server environment in which the illustrative embodiments may be implemented . a client - server environment enables software applications and data to be distributed across a network such that an application functions by using the interactivity between a client data processing system and a server data processing system . data processing environment 100 may also employ a service oriented architecture where interoperable software components distributed across a network may be packaged together as coherent business applications . with reference to fig2 , this figure depicts a block diagram of a data processing system in which illustrative embodiments may be implemented . data processing system 200 is an example of a computer , such as servers 104 and 106 , or clients 110 , 112 , and 114 in fig1 , or another type of device in which computer usable program code or instructions implementing the processes may be located for the illustrative embodiments . data processing system 200 is also representative of a data processing system or a configuration therein , such as data processing system 132 in fig1 in which computer usable program code or instructions implementing the processes of the illustrative embodiments may be located . data processing system 200 is described as a computer only as an example , without being limited thereto . implementations in the form of other devices , such as device 132 in fig1 , may modify data processing system 200 , such as by adding a touch interface , and even eliminate certain depicted components from data processing system 200 without departing from the general description of the operations and functions of data processing system 200 described herein . in the depicted example , data processing system 200 employs a hub architecture including north bridge and memory controller hub ( nb / mch ) 202 and south bridge and input / output ( i / o ) controller hub ( sb / ich ) 204 . processing unit 206 , main memory 208 , and graphics processor 210 are coupled to north bridge and memory controller hub ( nb / mch ) 202 . processing unit 206 may contain one or more processors and may be implemented using one or more heterogeneous processor systems . processing unit 206 may be a multi - core processor . graphics processor 210 may be coupled to nb / mch 202 through an accelerated graphics port ( agp ) in certain implementations . in the depicted example , local area network ( lan ) adapter 212 is coupled to south bridge and i / o controller hub ( sb / ich ) 204 . audio adapter 216 , keyboard and mouse adapter 220 , modem 222 , read only memory ( rom ) 224 , universal serial bus ( usb ) and other ports 232 , and pci / pcie devices 234 are coupled to south bridge and i / o controller hub 204 through bus 238 . hard disk drive ( hdd ) or solid - state drive ( ssd ) 226 and cd - rom 230 are coupled to south bridge and i / o controller hub 204 through bus 240 . pci / pcie devices 234 may include , for example , ethernet adapters , add - in cards , and pc cards for notebook computers . pci uses a card bus controller , while pcie does not . rom 224 may be , for example , a flash binary input / output system ( bios ). hard disk drive 226 and cd - rom 230 may use , for example , an integrated drive electronics ( ide ), serial advanced technology attachment ( sata ) interface , or variants such as external - sata ( esata ) and micro - sata ( msata ). a super i / o ( sio ) device 236 may be coupled to south bridge and i / o controller hub ( sb / ich ) 204 through bus 238 . memories , such as main memory 208 , rom 224 , or flash memory ( not shown ), are some examples of computer usable storage devices . hard disk drive or solid state drive 226 , cd - rom 230 , and other similarly usable devices are some examples of computer usable storage devices including a computer usable storage medium . an operating system runs on processing unit 206 . the operating system coordinates and provides control of various components within data processing system 200 in fig2 . the operating system may be a commercially available operating system such as aix ® ( aix is a trademark of international business machines corporation in the united states and other countries ), microsoft ® windows ® ( microsoft and windows are trademarks of microsoft corporation in the united states and other countries ), linux ® ( linux is a trademark of linus torvalds in the united states and other countries ), ios ™ ( ios is a trademark of cisco systems , inc . licensed to apple inc . in the united states and in other countries ), or android ™ ( android is a trademark of google inc ., in the united states and in other countries ). an object oriented programming system , such as the java ™ programming system , may run in conjunction with the operating system and provide calls to the operating system from java ™ programs or applications executing on data processing system 200 ( java and all java - based trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of oracle corporation and / or its affiliates ). instructions for the operating system , the object - oriented programming system , and applications or programs , such as application 105 in fig1 , are located on storage devices , such as hard disk drive 226 , and may be loaded into at least one of one or more memories , such as main memory 208 , for execution by processing unit 206 . the processes of the illustrative embodiments may be performed by processing unit 206 using computer implemented instructions , which may be located in a memory , such as , for example , main memory 208 , read only memory 224 , or in one or more peripheral devices . the hardware in fig1 - 2 may vary depending on the implementation . other internal hardware or peripheral devices , such as flash memory , equivalent non - volatile memory , or optical disk drives and the like , may be used in addition to or in place of the hardware depicted in fig1 - 2 . in addition , the processes of the illustrative embodiments may be applied to a multiprocessor data processing system . in some illustrative examples , data processing system 200 may be a personal digital assistant ( pda ), which is generally configured with flash memory to provide non - volatile memory for storing operating system files and / or user - generated data . a bus system may comprise one or more buses , such as a system bus , an i / o bus , and a pci bus . of course , the bus system may be implemented using any type of communications fabric or architecture that provides for a transfer of data between different components or devices attached to the fabric or architecture . a communications unit may include one or more devices used to transmit and receive data , such as a modem or a network adapter . a memory may be , for example , main memory 208 or a cache , such as the cache found in north bridge and memory controller hub 202 . a processing unit may include one or more processors or cpus . the depicted examples in fig1 - 2 and above - described examples are not meant to imply architectural limitations . for example , data processing system 200 also may be a tablet computer , laptop computer , or telephone device in addition to taking the form of a mobile or wearable device . with reference to fig3 , this figure depicts a block diagram of an example configuration for intelligent segment marking in recordings in accordance with an illustrative embodiment . application 302 is an example of application 105 in fig1 . a broadcast platform provides content 304 as input to application 302 . one or more social media sources , such as social media source 142 in fig1 , provide one or more data streams 306 as inputs to application 302 . recording 308 is an example of recording 109 in fig1 . component 310 analyzes content 304 to determine a set of metadata associated with content 304 . using a subset of the metadata , component 310 selects one or more data streams 306 , the selected data streams corresponding to the selected subset of metadata . component 312 analyses the data in one or more data streams 306 to establish a baseline level of data contribution during the period of the broadcasting of content 304 . component 312 also analyses data streams 306 to determine a deviation from the baseline level . component 312 also optionally isolates or extracts one or more data fragments from the data contributions made during the period of the deviation . component 314 uses the period of the deviation to identify a segment of interest in content 304 . particularly , component 314 determines a starting time and an ending time of the segment according to the period of the deviation and a predetermined lead time as described herein . optionally , component 314 can be configured to also adjust the ending time of the segment using a predetermined trailing time . component 314 can be further configured to extract one or more data fragments from data streams 306 relative to a segment of interest . any number of segments of interest in content 304 , their starting and ending times , and their related data fragments can be determined in this manner . component 316 extends the metadata of content 304 with information about the segment . particularly , component 316 extends the set of metadata of content 304 by adding , for each segment of interest , a starting time and an ending time within the duration of content 304 . optionally , component 316 can be configured to further extend the set of metadata of content 304 by adding , for each segment of interest , one or more data fragments that are descriptive of the segment according to one or more data streams 306 . application 302 thus produces recording 308 . metadata 318 is the extended metadata of recording 308 and includes not only the set of metadata originally associated with content 304 but also the extended metadata added by component 316 as described herein . annotation information 320 is the extended metadata , e . g ., the starting time , the ending time , and optionally one or more descriptive data fragments associated with each segment of interest in recording 308 of content 304 . with reference to fig4 , this figure depicts a manner of identifying a segment of interest in a given content in accordance with an illustrative embodiment . recording 403 is an example of recording 308 in fig3 . content timeline 404 depicts the progression of time in recording 402 . social media data timeline 406 shows the progression of time in a social media data stream . graph 408 shows a level of data contribution in the data stream over timeline 406 . for clarity and simplicity , assume that graph 408 represents the volume of data contributed to the data stream . baseline 410 is a baseline volume level of data contribution during the original broadcast of the content that formed recording 402 . for clarity of the depiction , assume a negligible threshold that has to be exceeded above or below baseline 410 for a segment of interest . further assume that the content that produced recording 402 pertains to a football game . an application implementing an embodiment , such as application 302 in fig3 , detects at time t 1 that a volume of data in the data stream exceeded baseline 410 by more than the threshold ( not shown ). the application records time t 1 a , which is a predefined lead amount of time before time t 1 , as the starting time of a segment of interest . the application determines that the volume of data in the data stream returned to baseline 410 at time t 1 b . the application records time t 1 b , which is the time at which the data volume returned to baseline 410 , as the ending time of a segment of interest . for the clarity of the description and not to imply a limitation , assume that the application is configured not to add a trailing time . optionally , the application may add a predefined trailing amount of time after time t 1 b , to record time t 1 b ′ as the ending time of the segment of interest . furthermore , optionally , the application may extract one or more data fragments from the data between t 1 a and t 1 b . a word or a phrase can be a data fragment . as an example , the application may find that the data fragment “ penalty ” or a phrase containing the data fragment is found in greater than a threshold number of data contributions between times t 1 a and t 1 b . the application extracts data fragment “ penalty ” and associates the data fragment with the segment of interest 1 ( 412 ). for segment of interest 1 , the application adds to the metadata of recording 402 time t 1 a , time t 1 b , and data fragment “ penalty ”. suppose another segment of interest occurs at a touchdown in the game . in a similar manner , the application identifies segment 2 ( 414 ) and adds to the metadata of recording 402 time t 2 a , time t 2 b , and data fragment “ touchdown ”. segment of interest 3 is a segment where the users lacked interest according to graph 408 . the application finds that the lack of interest was due to rainy conditions during the game . in the manner described herein , the application identifies segment 3 ( 416 ) and adds to the metadata of recording 402 time t 3 a , time t 3 b , and data fragment “ rain ”. other segments of interest may occur for same or different reasons . for example , the application identifies segment 4 ( 418 ) and adds to the metadata of recording 402 time t 4 a , time t 4 b , and data fragment “ injury ”. these examples of data contributions , event scenarios , and segment detection in a single data stream are not intended to be limiting . from this disclosure , those of ordinary skill in the art will be able to conceive many other patterns of data contributions , event scenarios , and segment detection under other circumstances in one or more data streams , and the same are contemplated within the scope of the illustrative embodiments . with reference to fig5 , this figure depicts a flowchart of an example process for intelligent segment marking in recordings in accordance with an illustrative embodiment . process 500 can be implemented in application 302 in fig3 . the application receives or detects an initial broadcast of a given content ( block 502 ). the application correlates the broadcast content with a social media data stream based on a subset of a set of metadata of the content ( block 504 ). the application may correlate any number of data streams in this manner . the application collects data from a correlated stream during the broadcast ( block 506 ). the application determines , at the end of the broadcast , a baseline volume or frequency of data in the stream during the broadcast ( block 508 ). the application identifies , by analyzing the data collected for the broadcast period , where the data deviated from the baseline by at least a threshold amount ( block 510 ). in other words , the application establishes duration tx to txb for segment x as shown in fig4 . the application identifies from the stream analysis a data fragment that appears at least in a threshold number of data contributions during the segment period , with at least a threshold frequency during the segment period , or both ( block 512 ). the application adds a predetermined lead time to the segment period ( block 514 ). in other words , the application rolls back time tx to time txa as shown in fig4 . optionally , the application adds a predetermined trailing time to the segment period ( block 516 ). in other words , the application advances time txb to time txb ′ as shown in fig4 . the application annotates , marks , or otherwise enables an identification of a beginning of a segment of interest in a recording of the content ( block 518 ). in other words , the application marks the starting time of the segment , e . g ., txa as shown for segment x in fig4 . the application annotates , marks , or otherwise enables an identification of an ending of a segment of interest in a recording of the content ( block 520 ). in other words , the application marks the ending time of the segment , e . g ., txb as shown for segment x in fig4 . if available , the application also associates the data fragment from block 512 with the segment ( block 522 ). the application updates the metadata of the recording with the starting time , the ending time , and the data fragment descriptive of the segment ( block 524 ). the application repeats blocks 510 - 524 for as many segments as may be present in the content . the application ends process 500 thereafter . thus , a computer implemented method , system or apparatus , and computer program product are provided in the illustrative embodiments for intelligent segment marking in recordings . where an embodiment or a portion thereof is described with respect to a type of device , the computer implemented method , system or apparatus , the computer program product , or a portion thereof , are adapted or configured for use with a suitable and comparable manifestation of that type of device . where an embodiment is described as implemented in an application , the delivery of the application in a software as a service ( saas ) model is contemplated within the scope of the illustrative embodiments . in a saas model , the capability of the application implementing an embodiment is provided to a user by executing the application in a cloud infrastructure . the user can access the application using a variety of client devices through a thin client interface such as a web browser ( e . g ., web - based e - mail ), or other light - weight client - applications . the user does not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure including the network , servers , operating systems , or the storage of the cloud infrastructure . in some cases , the user may not even manage or control the capabilities of the saas application . in some other cases , the saas implementation of the application may permit a possible exception of limited user - specific application configuration settings . the present invention may be a system , a method , and / or a computer program product at any possible technical detail level of integration . the computer program product may include a computer readable storage medium ( or media ) having computer readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of the present invention . the computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device . the computer readable storage medium may be , for example , but is not limited to , an electronic storage device , a magnetic storage device , an optical storage device , an electromagnetic storage device , a semiconductor storage device , or any suitable combination of the foregoing . a non - exhaustive list of more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium includes the following : a portable computer diskette , a hard disk , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), an erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom or flash memory ), a static random access memory ( sram ), a portable compact disc read - only memory ( cd - rom ), a digital versatile disk ( dvd ), a memory stick , a floppy disk , a mechanically encoded device such as punch - cards or raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon , and any suitable combination of the foregoing . a computer readable storage medium , as used herein , is not to be construed as being transitory signals per se , such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves , electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media ( e . g ., light pulses passing through a fiber - optic cable ), or electrical signals transmitted through a wire . computer readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded to respective computing / processing devices from a computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or external storage device via a network , for example , the internet , a local area network , a wide area network and / or a wireless network . the network may comprise copper transmission cables , optical transmission fibers , wireless transmission , routers , firewalls , switches , gateway computers and / or edge servers . a network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives computer readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium within the respective computing / processing device . computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations of the present invention may be assembler instructions , instruction - set - architecture ( isa ) instructions , machine instructions , machine dependent instructions , microcode , firmware instructions , state - setting data , configuration data for integrated circuitry , or either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages , including an object oriented programming language such as smalltalk , c ++, or the like , and procedural programming languages , such as the “ c ” programming language or similar programming languages . the computer readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user &# 39 ; s computer , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer , as a stand - alone software package , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server . in the latter scenario , the remote computer may be connected to the user &# 39 ; s computer through any type of network , including a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or the connection may be made to an external computer ( for example , through the internet using an internet service provider ). in some embodiments , electronic circuitry including , for example , programmable logic circuitry , field - programmable gate arrays ( fpga ), or programmable logic arrays ( pla ) may execute the computer readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry , in order to perform aspects of the present invention . aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods , apparatus ( systems ), and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention . it will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , can be implemented by computer readable program instructions . these computer readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer , special purpose computer , or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine , such that the instructions , which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus , create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . these computer readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer , a programmable data processing apparatus , and / or other devices to function in a particular manner , such that the computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an article of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects of the function / act specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer , other programmable data processing apparatus , or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer , other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computer implemented process , such that the instructions which execute on the computer , other programmable apparatus , or other device implement the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture , functionality , and operation of possible implementations of systems , methods , and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention . in this regard , each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module , segment , or portion of instructions , which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function ( s ). in some alternative implementations , the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the figures . for example , two blocks shown in succession may , in fact , be executed substantially concurrently , or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order , depending upon the functionality involved . it will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration , and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration , can be implemented by special purpose hardware - based systems that perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions .
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referring to fig1 to 3 and fig4 a to 4 g , the preferred embodiment of a three - dimensional surgery simulation system according to the present invention is shown to include a storage unit 1 , a display unit 2 , a three - dimensional visual imaging unit 3 , an input unit 4 , and a computing unit 5 . the system is adapted to be operated by an operator 6 ( such as an intern ) to simulate a knee arthroplasty operation for replacing a damaged knee joint of a patient to be operated upon ( hereinafter referred to as the patient ) and for correcting a mal - positioned tibia . while the storage unit 1 , the display unit 2 and the computing unit 5 in this embodiment correspond respectively to a hard disk , a display and a processing system ( e . g ., central processing unit and relevant chips ) of a personal computer 7 , they can be substituted by equivalent means or can be components of independent apparatuses . in addition , the present invention is applicable to other anatomical parts or tissues of the human body or animal body . the storage unit 1 is disposed to store a plurality of voxelized three - dimensional model image data sets that are needed for reference , utilization and computation during surgical procedures . the data sets include a pre - operation anatomical data set 11 , a surgical instrument data set 12 , an implant data set 13 , and a simulation result data set 14 . the pre - operation anatomical data set 11 refers to a set of three - dimensional model image data reconstructed by the computing unit 5 from two - dimensional images of an anatomical part of the patient , which is to undergo surgery ( i . e ., the knee of the patient in this embodiment ), that are obtained using any medical image capturing device . in this embodiment , the two - dimensional images are a plurality of ct slices ( 24 slices in this embodiment ) having a specific resolution ( e . g ., 256 × 256 ) and obtained of the patient &# 39 ; s damaged knee by computerized tomography . the computing unit 5 is disposed to reconstruct the three - dimensional model images from the two - dimensional images and to simulate surgical procedures . specifically , each three - dimensional model image is defined by a plurality of voxels ( regularly positioned cuboids ). by computing whether boundaries of voxels of a simulated sectioned part of a body form a closed area , whether the sectioned part is completely severed from the body can be determined . based on this principle , various surgical procedures ( to be described in further detail hereinafter ) can be computed and simulated . since the principle of computation is known in the art and is relatively complicated , a detailed description thereof is omitted herein for the sake of brevity . however , reference can be made to an article by the applicants , entitled “ diagnosis of herniated intervertebral disc assisted by 3 - dimensional , multiaxial , magnetic resonance imaging ” found in formosan med . assoc . 98 ( 5 ) ( 1999 ), and a paper entitled “ accurate surface voxelization for manipulating volumetric surfaces and solids with application in simulating musculoskeletal surgery ” and presented by the applicants during the ninth pacific conference on computer graphics and applications convention held in tokyo , japan on october , 2001 . the surgical instrument data set 12 includes three - dimensional models of machines and instruments commonly used in surgical operations , which include bone saws and osteotomes for sectioning bones , virtual plates and staples for fixation , virtual dissectors and currectors for removing tumors , and a virtual hand for moving bones , bone grafts and prostheses . the construction of the surgical instrument data set 12 will be described in more detail in the paragraphs pertaining to the input unit 4 . the implant data set 13 is optionally pre - constructed in the storage unit 1 depending on requirements , and includes three - dimensional models of implants to be implanted into anatomical parts that are to be operated upon at specific positions , such as the aforesaid bone grafts and prostheses . the implants are first designed by using an autocad system or any other three - dimensional model plotting software according to predetermined parameters , and then converted to three - dimensional voxelized structures so as to facilitate processing and computation thereof together with the data sets 11 , 12 . the simulation result data set 14 includes results of surgery simulations computed by the computing unit 5 based on the specified manipulation inputted through the input unit 4 , in combination with the aforesaid pre - operation anatomical data set 11 and the surgical instrument data set 12 and / or implant data set 13 . further details will be described in the paragraphs dedicated to the computing unit 5 . the three - dimensional model image data sets stored in the storage unit 1 can be displayed on the display unit 2 in three - dimensional image form through the use of relevant software and hardware , such as a graphics accelerator card , of the personal computer 7 . in this embodiment , the three - dimensional visual imaging unit 3 is a pair of conventional shutter glasses to be worn by the operator 6 for viewing the three - dimensional images on the display unit 2 . in this embodiment , the input unit 4 includes a surgical tool 41 selected from the aforesaid surgical machines and instruments , and a tracker 42 releasably coupled to a front end of the surgical tool 41 . the tracker 42 is connected to the personal computer 7 by a signal transmission cable 43 at a specific position . after selecting the appropriate surgical tool 41 , the input unit 4 is held by the operator 6 against the display unit 2 such that the tracker 42 at the front end of the surgical tool 41 is in direct contact with the surface of a screen 21 of the display unit 2 . the input unit 4 is then moved across the surface of the screen 21 according to the desired manipulations ( including position , track and angle of the tracker 42 and magnitude of applied force ). the position , track and angle of the tracker 42 relative to coordinates of a virtual space ( not shown ), together with the dimensions ( e . g ., length ), are sent to the personal computer 7 via the cable 43 for computation by the computing unit 5 with reference to the three - dimensional model image data sets 11 , 12 , 13 stored in the storage unit 1 and for construction of the relative positions of the three - dimensional model image of the surgical tool 41 and the associated three - dimensional model image data sets 11 , 13 , as well as the states of contact of the surgical tool 41 during a simulated surgical procedure . the tracker 42 has a force sensor ( not shown ) disposed therein to detect a counter force ( equivalent to the magnitude of the force applied by the operator 6 ) from the screen 21 when the operator 6 applies an appropriate amount of force on the tracker 42 to bring the latter into contact with the screen 21 . the value of the magnitude of the applied force is also sent to the personal computer 7 to serve as one of the parameters based on which the computing unit 5 operates ( e . g ., a greater force indicates a deeper cut into the bone or tissue ). the input unit 4 provides a selection input interface 44 , which , in this embodiment , is a keyboard operable using the left hand of the operator 6 , as shown in fig3 . the selection input interface 44 cooperates with a downward - scroll menu at the upper left corner of the screen 21 of the display unit 2 to permit selection of various surgery simulating functions , adjustment of brightness and contrast of the screen 21 , altering of model material parameters , and loading of the implant data set 13 from the autocad system into the surgery simulation system of this invention . the computing unit 5 is mainly used in computing and constructing the three - dimensional model images of the pre - operation anatomical data set 11 , the surgical instrument data set 12 and the implant data set 13 . according to the three - dimensional model images thus constructed and the information pertaining to the desired manipulations ( including the position , track and angle of the tracker 42 , and the magnitude of the applied force ) inputted by the operator 6 through the input unit 4 , the computing unit 5 obtains through computations a three - dimensional surgery simulation result of the anatomical part of the patient undergoing the desired manipulations . the surgery simulation result is then outputted by the computing unit 5 for displaying on the display unit 2 in order to allow the operator 6 to observe the surgery simulation result . in this embodiment , the computing unit 5 provides various simulation functions directed to various forms of sectioning commonly employed in clinical orthopedic surgeries and topological changes in the tissues of the anatomical part to undergo surgery , including : recognition : determining whether the sectioned structure is completely detached from the original skeleton ; removal : removing a part of the skeletal structure to accommodate prosthesis ; fusion determining : determining state of fusion of a repositioned skeletal structure with the original tissue structure . as described hereinabove , the computing unit 5 utilizes three - dimensional model computations to construct and simulate , and the resultant three - dimensional model image is defined by the plurality of voxels . when the present invention is employed to simulate a musculosketal system , a boundary pointer is used to represent and simulate boundary changes of skeletal structures and soft tissues , and values of the voxels are normalized so as to be independent of tissue type . with the voxel values normalized , repositioning of the bone structures and soft tissues will not influence the values of the surrounding voxels . therefore , contents of the voxels can be changed to simulate various surgical procedures . thus , the system of this invention can compute changes of soft tissues together with the bones , simulate sectioning , recognition , translation , rotation , and removal of anatomic structures along arbitrary directions , and simulate fusion and healing of bones and soft tissues . take the sectioning procedure as an example . when a bone saw is used to cut a bone structure at two positions , the computing unit 5 will generate two swept surfaces of the surgical tool 41 , compute intersections between voxels of the bone structure and the two swept surfaces , and change boundary pointers and values of the voxels at the intersections to represent the section . after the simulated sectioning procedure , if the operator 6 wants to move or remove the structure , the computing unit 5 first implements the recognition computation . in this embodiment , a seed and flood algorithm is used to find the voxels inside a set of sectioned boundaries . if the boundaries of the sectioned structure do not form an enclosed area , the computation will flood out of the side of the structure that is still connected to the skeleton . by interchanging the contents of the voxels at an initial position and a predetermined new position , translation of the sectioned structure can be simulated . simulation of rotation also works according to a similar principle . removal of the sectioned structure can be simulated by deleting the contents of the voxels thereof . when the structure is repositioned , the computing unit 5 will detect whether bone voxels are present between the initial position and the predetermined new position of the structure so as to perform a collision test . to simulate fusion of two structures , the operator 6 needs to specify fusion surfaces on the two structures to be fused . the computing unit 5 generates callus bone voxels between the fusion surfaces , and the two structures are recognized to be one continuous structure . to simulate healing , the operator 6 needs to specify healing surfaces on the two soft tissues to be healed . the computing unit 5 will generate soft tissue voxels between the healing surfaces , and recognizes the two soft tissues as being a continuous structure . in the present invention , when the computing unit 5 detects the surgery simulation result to have a first boundary face with a discontinuous edge that is common to at least a second boundary face , the computing unit 5 processes the first and second boundary faces as a common closed surface , and assigns two voxels sharing the common closed surface as seeds for seed - and - flood algorithm computations during surface voxelization in the generation of the simulation result data . in the preferred embodiment , the computing unit 5 is configured to record the first and second boundary faces and any discontinuous edge therein in corresponding node lists . when the computing unit 5 detects a common edge relationship between the discontinuous edge of the first boundary face and the second boundary face , the node lists for the first and second boundary faces are merged by the computing unit 5 to create a new node list . the computing unit 5 is further configured to determine continuity of the boundary faces in the surgery simulation result in accordance with a new boundary face contained in the new node list . the computing unit 5 designates the new boundary face as a continuous face when edges of the new boundary face are determined by the computing unit 5 to be continuous . based on the foregoing description of the system according to this invention , and with reference to fig4 a to 4 g , the steps and results of the simulation of a knee arthroplasty using the present invention will now be explained in the succeeding paragraphs . [ 0045 ] fig4 a shows a proximal tibia that is sectioned by a bone saw , i . e ., the result of employing the aforesaid “ sectioning ” procedure . a downward - scroll menu for selection and input by the operator 6 is shown at the upper left corner of the figure . [ 0046 ] fig4 b shows two flat sections on the femur and tibia , respectively , to remove a near flat bone fragment of the femur and a wedge - shaped fragment of the tibia , i . e ., the result of employing the “ recognition ” and “ removal ” procedures . a hand ( i . e ., a virtual instrument ) is also shown to reposition the tibia . [ 0047 ] fig4 c shows that the tibia is moved to a new position by the virtual hand to correct the mal - position thereof , i . e ., the result of employing the “ repositioning ” procedure . [ 0048 ] fig4 d shows that a vertical bone fragment was sectioned away so that the femur can accommodate the posterior of the prosthetic femur , the bone fragment being moved by the virtual hand . as shown in fig4 e , a vertical bone fragment and an oblique bone fragment are sectioned away such that the femur can accommodate the anterior of the u - shaped prosthetic femur . an oblique section on the posterior of the femur is sectioned away for accommodating the u - shaped prosthetic femur . an oblique section on the patella is sectioned away to accommodate the prosthetic patella . [ 0050 ] fig4 f shows that the prosthesis has been recognized as three separate structures : a curved femur part , a disk - like tibia part , and a dome - like patella part . the tibia part has been repositioned for insertion into the tibia by the virtual hand . as shown , the dome of the prosthetic patella is inside the groove of the prosthetic femur and the prosthetic tibia , and the prosthetic tibia matches the tibia plateau . [ 0051 ] fig4 g shows that the u - shaped prosthetic femur has been repositioned for insertion into the femur . the prosthetic patella has been inserted into the patella , but cannot be observed from the outside since it is concealed within the patella . the prosthetic femur can match the residual femur properly , which indicates that the sectioning of the tibia was appropriate . as the u - shaped curve of the prosthetic femur is well within the groove of the prosthetic tibia , the prosthetic femur and tibia are considered to be well - positioned . [ 0052 ] fig5 a to 5 f illustrate simulation results when the present invention is used to remove a tumor inside the tibia . referring to fig5 a , the proximal tibia is shown to be sectioned by a virtual saw . in fig5 b , a window - shaped bone fragment is shown to have been sectioned away from the tibia and repositioned by a virtual hand . fig5 c shows that the tumor is dissected by a virtual dissector . fig5 d shows that a graft bone is held by the virtual hand in preparation for filling the space of the resected tumor . in fig5 e , the graft bone is planted in the space of the resected tumor , and the window - shaped bone fragment , which has been sectioned away , is repositioned at its original position . fig5 f shows the result of fusion of the repositioned window - shaped bone fragment and the tibia . in view of the foregoing , the three - dimensional surgery simulation system according to the present invention has the following salient advantages : 1 . since the operator can simulate surgical procedures in a three - dimensional environment which approximates the real world , the coordination between the operator &# 39 ; s hand that holds the selected surgical instrument and his / her visual judgment during simulated manipulations , including the position , track and angle of the surgical instrument , as well as the magnitude of the applied force , is very close to that in actual surgical procedures . therefore , the operator can achieve better and more effective training . 2 . furthermore , the use of three - dimensional model images in surgery simulation enables the operator to have a better spatial perception of changes in skeletal morphology and thus achieve better manipulations in actual surgical procedures . thus , this invention is useful as a pre - operation training tool . 3 . in addition to providing a three - dimensional or stereographic environment , this invention offers various simulation modes , including sectioning , fusion , removal , recognition and repositioning , to help train the operator in different surgical procedures . 4 . this invention requires mainly a personal computer with a window interface , and is therefore simple in construction . the three - dimensional visual imaging unit 3 and the input unit 4 are easy and convenient to use . 5 . as the storage unit , the display unit and the computing unit are standard components of the personal computer , and as the three - dimensional visual imaging unit 3 and the input unit 4 are also relatively low - cost , this invention is on the whole inexpensive and convenient to install , and can be widely applied for both educational and training purposes . while the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment , it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements .
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with further reference to the drawings , the prior art , shown in fig1 includes a greenhouse type structure 17 having mullions 10 which are cross supported by meeting rails 11 . the mullions 10 and meeting rails 11 have transparent or translucent panels mounted therebetween . a mesh type screen 13 formed from fiberglass , or similar material is stretched across the upper panels and is secured by clips 14 or similar means to the meeting bars 11 which form part of the support structure for the greenhouse . although this method of securing mesh type screens has been used for several years , wrinkles as illustrated at 15 invariably occur and even when cam type pull down clips or locks have been used on the meeting rails , the wrinkle problem has not been overcome and is thought to those skilled in the art to be an inherent part of this type of shade means . the improved screen means of the present invention , indicated generally at 16 in fig2 can be mounted on any standard greenhouse or other structure 17 which needs shading . an angle bar 18 is mounted on one edge of the area to be shaded and extends between and is secured to mullions 10 or other structural members by means such as screws , bolts , or the like 19 . since securing means of this type are well known to those skilled in the art , further detailed discussion of the same is not deemed necessary . a second angle bar 18 &# 39 ; is disposed across the mullions 10 or other structural portions of the greenhouse or other means to be shaded . although in some installations it may vary , usually angle bars 18 and 18 &# 39 ; will be disposed parallel to each other and generally define the edges of the area over which the mesh type screen 20 is to be disposed . the screen 20 will usually be rectangular although , as mentioned above , since installations of this type are often custom orders , some variations can be made without departing from this spirit and scope of the present invention . the edges of the mesh type screen 20 adjacent angle bars 18 and 18 &# 39 ; are mounted to screen bars 21 and 21 &# 39 ; by pressing the same into a groove 22 with locking bar 23 as can clearly be seen in fig4 , and 8 . each of the screen bars 21 also includes an elongated presser foot 24 to prevent any tendency of the screen to chaf . each of the screen bars 21 and 21 &# 39 ; additionally includes a lock engaging shoulder 25 whose purpose will hereinafter be described in greater detail . spaced at pre - determined , relatively close intervals , preferably not exceeding 15 inches , are a plurality of cam locks or link fasteners as indicated at 26 . each of these locks includes a hook - like pull down 27 operatively mounted within mechanism housing 29 and actuated by folding wing nut 28 . this housing is pivotively mounted , as indicated at 30 , to lock base 31 . each of the lock bases 30 are fixedly secured to their respective angle bar at the spaced intervals as described above . locks of the type described above are well known to those skilled in the art and are commercially available . one such device with a pull down pressure of 90 pounds and is specially manufactured to carry loads up to 600 pounds tension is &# 34 ; special number 3 - 10 linked - lock &# 34 ; manufactured by simmons - fastener corporation of north broadway , albany , n . y . 12201 . in view of this ready availability , further detailed discussion of the lock fasteners and their method of operation is not deemed necessary . to install the improved screen means 16 of the present invention , an angle bar 18 is attached to the structural members of the house or other desired location to be shaded . next , a second angle bar is fixed to such structure parallel to the first angle bar . in at least greenhouse type installations , securing of angle bars to the mullions has been found satisfactory . this also gives greater versatility to the present invention in that the location of the edges of the screen is not dictated by the location of structural components such as meeting rails 11 . once the angle bars are installed , a properly sized shade means or screen 20 with the screen bars 21 and 21 &# 39 ; secured thereto is disposed over the area to be shaded . next , the hook portions 27 &# 39 ; of pull downs 27 of each of the locks 26 is placed in engagement with the shoulder 25 of the adjacent screen bar . the wing nuts 28 of each of the locks 26 mounted on the angle bars 18 and 18 &# 39 ; opposite sides of the screen are manipulated to move the screen bars from the position shown in fig5 and 6 to the position shown in fig7 and 8 . this cam or pull down action places even tension across opposed edges of screen 20 . since this pressure is evenly applied at close intervals along the entire length of each of these opposed edges , a taunt , wrinkle free screen is caused to lie juxtaposed to the surface being covered , and because of such juxtaposition , wind is unable to get under the same to cause flapping , rippling , and the like as is encountered with the prior art screen means . from the above , it can be seen that the present invention has the advantage of providing a relatively inexpensive and yet highly efficient means of shading desired areas without unsightly wrinkling , objectionable flapping or rippling , or the like . the present invention also can be disposed at any desired location rather than being limited in attachment to meeting rails and similar structural locations . the present invention can , of course , be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention . the present embodiments are , therefore , to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein .
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the objectives of this invention are to resolve above - highlighted problems with traditional cotton - based weft knitted fabrics and , more specifically , to produce a weft knit cotton - based fabric that does not require hemming even after the fabric is cut into desired shapes . many studies were conducted and many trials were performed in order to find a way to prevent curling and fraying in cotton - based weft double knit fabric . the fabric of the present invention resists fraying , laddering , and curling and is comfortable for the wearer . the present invention relates to materials , processes , and the associated technologies used to enhance the anti - curling , anti - fraying , and anti - laddering properties of cotton - based weft knitted fabrics . to generate the fraying and curling resistant fabric of the present invention , most preferably , world superior long staple cotton fibers , preferably of a length greater than 30 mm , are used to create a very fine ( 60 ne - 100 ne ) cotton yarn with a high twist factor between about 3 . 2 and about 4 . 0 . the high twist factor helps to minimize loose fibers in the yarn . most preferably , the very fine cotton yarn has a count of between about 60 ne and about 100 ne . alternatively , regenerated cellulose yarn such as rayon , modal , or viscose or natural yarn such as wool and silk can be used as the very fine yarn . by using very fine yarn , the aesthetic appearance of the fabric is enhanced , as is its value . a secondary fiber yarn is fed together with the very fine cotton yarn in an interlock knitting machine so as to create double knit fabric loops formed by the very fine non - elastic yarn ( cotton ) on both the external and internal surfaces of the fabric , while the loops created by the secondary fiber ( preferably elastane ( also known as spandex )) are arranged on both inner surfaces of the fabric . the secondary fiber yarn most preferably comprises elastane fiber yarn . other fiber yarns such as elaspan , lycra ®, or a similar - type fiber yarn can also be used as the secondary fiber . the linear mass density of the secondary fiber is preferably between about 17 — about 44 decitex and is most preferably between about 22 decitex — about decitex . the very fine cotton yarn is fed in parallel with the secondary yarn in an interlock knitting machine . this interlock knitting process allows the secondary fiber yarn to form its loops on the inner side of the double jersey fabric and the very fine cotton yarn to form its loops on the external surfaces of the double jersey fabric . the yarn feeding tension should be adjusted to make stable conditions , so that knit fabric can be knitted with constantly adjusted yarn feeding tension . the very fine cotton yarn and secondary fiber yarn are tightly knitted together using an interlock knitting machine . in a preferred embodiment , the interlock machine is a 24 gauge interlock knitting machine . in a preferred embodiment , the knitting machine is run smoothly at between about 20 rpm and about 25 rpm due to the yarn strength and so that there is no blocking of the yarn path with loose fibers . in a preferred embodiment , the compactness of the loops of the fabric after the interlock knitting has occurred is between about 55 and about 58 wales per inch . the interlock fabric structure provides front and back surfaces with identical configurations . these identical configurations provide smooth surfaces and appropriate stretch properties in the fabric . it is highly preferable to maintain the same fabric tension at take down and to carefully monitor the courses and wales to make sure that there is consistency in the fabric at this stage . after interlock knitting is complete , the secondary fiber makes up between about 10 % to about 30 % by weight of the fabric the very fine cotton yarn makes up between about 70 % to about 90 % by weight of the fabric . most preferably , this secondary fiber consists of between about 10 %— about 15 % by weight of the fabric composition and the very fine cotton yarn makes up about 85 %— about 90 % by weight of fabric composition . when higher amounts of the secondary fiber , such as 50 % by weight are used , the resulting fabric composition did not display the unexpected results of resisting fraying and curling when cut that were shown by the about 10 % to about 30 % range of secondary fiber . the same is true for lower ranges . for example , when only 2 % of the secondary fiber is used , the resulting fabric composition did not display the unexpected results of resisting fraying and curling when cut that were shown by the about 10 % to about 30 % range of secondary fiber . in a preferred embodiment the fabric is relaxed by steaming before being pre - set . more specifically , in this preferred embodiment , the interlock fabric obtained is preferably processed with a steaming process in the pin chain frame before being fed into the stenter machine heat chambers . the fabric is then pre - set using a seven - chambered stenter machine set with chamber temperatures between about 180 ° c . and about 205 ° c . most preferably , the thermal fusion of the secondary fiber occurs at a temperature of 200 ° c . preferable curing hold time is between about 15 s and about 25 s . during presetting it is preferable not to apply additional width - wise tension to the fabric in order to maintain width - wise fabric compactness . this helps allow the fabric to become properly bound during pre - setting in such a way as to control and prevent a running of the loops known as laddering . with heat setting temperatures below about 180 ° c ., the effect of heat setting is not always sufficient prevent the fraying and curling problems described above . when the heat setting temperature exceeds about 205 ° c ., it is likely that fabric properties would be degraded . it is theorized that during the pre - setting process , the secondary fibers , which have been brought closely together in the interlock process are thermally fused . this thermal fusion process allows the fabric , once cut , to resist the normal unraveling and curling that is associated with cut cotton fabrics . fabric consistency plays a major role in ensuring that the pre - setting process provides the desired results in the fabric . therefore , it is important to monitor the compactness , density , and stretch properties of the fabric during the process . following the pre - setting process , the fabric is optionally dyed and preferably , but also optionally , treated with a concentrated enzyme to reduce stray fibers protruding from the pre - set fabric . in a preferred embodiment , novozyme cellusoft combi 9800 l treatment is used in this treatment process . next , the fabric is optionally but preferably spread out and sprayed with high - pressure water to remove any remaining loose fibers from the fabric . subsequent to the optional high - pressure washing stage , the fabric can be optionally , but preferably relax dried as to improve the compactness of the fabric . when carrying out this optional relax drying process , it is preferable to use a relax belt dryer with vibrator set at about 1000 rpm and hot air nozzles set with gradual increase starting from about 35 mm to about 50 mm to release majority of the tension that occurred during previous processes , specifically dyeing and slitting . in another optional , but preferable embodiment of the present innovation , the fabric is treated with a hydrophilic silicon softener with cationic softener to improve comfort of the wearer . compacting with steaming is also optional but preferable in order to further improve the compactness of the fabric . felt of the machine set at 4 bar pressure with shoe angle of between about 20 %— about 30 % and temperature of the cylinder being set at about 120 ° c .— about 130 ° c . can be used for this process . due to the about 15 %— about 25 % of over feeding , further tensions were released in the length direction . this step helped the finished fabric to remain relaxed and without curling after being cut . surprisingly and unexpectedly , the cotton - based fabric generated by the above - stated process resists fraying or curling when cut . these unique and unexpected properties of the fabric of the present invention allow for exciting and important practical applications . because of these unique and unexpected properties , the fabric of the present invention has many useful applications , including the manufacture of raw cut garments without the need for a hemming process . for example , because the fabric can be cut without curling or fraying , it is not necessary to attach a binding or an elastic waistband on the free edges of the fabric as in traditional cotton fabrics . similarly , the fraying - free cotton interlock weft knitted fabric described herein does not require a hemming process traditionally used on many garments . this remarkable result allows for cotton fabric in garments that can be manufactured without traditional wide seams or bulky elastics allowing wearers to be more comfortable while wearing the fabric . applications of this fraying - free cotton fabric are contemplated for many garment applications , including , but not limited to men and women &# 39 ; s undergarments , women &# 39 ; s intimate apparel and dresses , men &# 39 ; s and women &# 39 ; s shirts , pants , coats , socks and many other articles of clothing . a 24 gauge , 34 inch diameter interlock knitting machine made by santec precision machinery co ., ltd was used with a 1 / 80ne cotton yarn knitted with 1 / 22 decitex polyurethane elastic yarn made by invista . each yarn was fed together with positive feeders in both the dial and cylinder of the machine . cotton yarns appeared in both external surfaces of the knitted fabric and elastane yarn is arranged on both inner surface with elastane stitch length of 0 . 95 mm and cotton yarn with stitch length of 2 . 55 mm . tension was set at 2 - 3 g and 5 - 6 g respectively for the cotton yarn and elastane yarn . these knitting settings allowed the fabric to remain in its optimum elastane percentage of 12 % which made fabric bond at its best level without disturbing the natural recovery of the fabric . thereafter presetting was done at 200 ° c . with a curing hold time of 20 seconds . steam was used to relax the greige before presetting the fabric . this helped release tension generated during knitting and other processes . the pre - set fabric was then bio polished using novozyme cellusoft combi 9800l enzyme and dyed in a thies ecosoft machine . after dyeing , slitting , open width water spraying , and relax drying processes , a steam compacting process was used to make the fabric relaxed , balanced , and compact . an inspection exam machine with “ j ” box was used for inspection to maintain tensions at a minimum level .
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an embodiment of the optical head apparatus according to the present invention is shown in fig3 and fig4 . a case body 21 has an opening provided on its upper surface and is formed of for example , an aluminum alloy . the case body 21 , as shown in detail in fig5 incorporates a semiconductor laser 22 ( opto - electronic components ), a beam splitter 23 , a lens 24 , a polarizing beam splitter 25 and other optical components . the side walls 26 and 27 of the case body 21 have light receiving elements mounted to them . these side walls 26 and 27 have windows 28 and 29 formed in them so as to allow the laser beam to pass through them . in addition , the corner portions of the side walls 26 and 27 have screw holes 53a , 53b , 53c and 53d formed in them to mount the light receiving elements . the wall of the case body 21 that is opposite the beam splitter 23 also has a window 30 formed in it so as to allow the laser beam to pass through . a lid 31 is formed of the same aluminum alloy as the case body 21 . the surface of the lid 31 has a flexible printed circuit board 33 adhered to it . the lid 31 also has holes 36 and 37 formed in it for adjustment knobs and holes 35 for screw fixing . the flexible printed circuit board 33 is formed of a polyimide resin film . as shown in fig6 this flexible printed circuit board 33 has a base portion 33a , a first arm portion 33b that is l - shaped , a second arm portion 33c that has a stepped shape and a third arm portion 33d that has a bend along its length . the first , the second and the third arm portions 33b , 33c , 33d protrude from one side of the base portion 33a . on the surface of the flexible printed circuit board 33 is formed a printed wiring pattern and ic , transistors , resistors , condensors and other electronic components is fixed to the base portion 33a by solder . these electronic circuit configured by these electronic components 24a includes an automatic laser power control circuit ( alpc ) 24 in order to perform output control of the semiconductor laser 22 for example . the underside of the base portion 33a of the flexible printed circuit board 33 is provide with an adhesive sheet which adheres the base portion 33a to the surface of the lid 31 . in this manner , in the status where the flexible printed circuit board 33 is adhered to the lid 31 , the first arm portion 33b , the second arm portion 33c and the third arm portion 33d of the flexible printed circuit board 33 protrude from one side of the lid 31 . the distal end portions of the first arm portion 33b and the second arm portion 33c have formed in them rectangularly shaped windows 33b - 1 and 33c - 1 . in addition , at predetermined positions on the distal end portions of the first arm portion 33b and the second arm portion 33c are formed holes 55a and 55b , and 56a and 56b . the undersides of the first arm portion 33b and the second arm portion 33c are provided with adhesive sheets and these adhesive sheets adhere the base boards 39 and 40 to the undersides of the distal end portions of the first arm portion 33b and second arm portion 33c . adjustment knobs 39a and 40a protrude from predetermined sides of the base board 39 and 40 . the adjustment knobs 39a ( 40a ) and the base board 39 ( 40 ) are incorporated . the base board 39 has a window 39b and holes 61a and 61b formed in it so as to correspond to the window 33b - 1 and holes 55a and 55b for the first arm portion 33b , and the base board 40 has a window 40b and holes 62a and 62b formed in it so as to correspond to the window 33c - 1 and holes 56a and 56b for the second arm portion 33c . the base boards 39 and 40 are formed of an aluminum alloy in the same manner as the lid 31 . as indicated in fig8 the circuit patterns on the surfaces of the distal ends of the first arm portion 33b and the second arm portion 33c of the flexible printed circuit board 33 have light receiving elements ( opto - electronic components ) 41 and 42 soldered to them . the light receiving surfaces of these light receiving elements 41 and 42 are exposed from the windows 33b - 1 and 33c - 1 of the flexible printed circuit board 33 and the windows 39b and 40b of the base boards 39 and 40 . as indicated in fig6 the base portion 33a of the flexible printed circuit board 33 has formed in it a holes 59 so as to correspond to the screw stop holes 35 and holes 57 , 58 so as to correspond to the holes 36 and 37 formed in the lid 31 . the following is a description of the mounting the first arm portion 33b , the second arm portion 33c and the third arm portion 33b to the case body 21 . as indicated in fig7 the first arm portion 33b is bent downwards along a line 45 so that it is in the status shown in fig8 . then , the first arm portion 33b is bent around line 46 and in the direction of the arrow as shown in fig8 . then , as indicated in fig3 the first arm portion 33b and the base board 39 form one unit and is fixed to the side wall 26 of the case body 21 ( refer to fig5 ) by the screws 51a and 51b passing through the holes 55a and 55b in the flexible printed circuit board 33 and the holes 61a and 61b in the printed circuit board 39 . the light receiving surface of the light receiving element 41 fixed to the flexible printed circuit board 33 opposes the window 28 of the side wall 26 and the laser beam that has passed the optical components inside the case body 21 is focussed on the surface of the light receiving element 41 . the adjustment knob 39a formed on the base board 39 is in the status that it protrudes in the upwards direction from the top surface of the case body 21 . the second arm portion 33c is bent around the line 47 of fig7 and in the downwards direction so that it is in the status indicated in fig8 . in addition , the second arm portion 33c is bent around the line 48 indicated in fig3 the second arm portion 33c and the base board 40 form one unit and is fixed to the side wall 27 of the case body 21 ( refer to fig5 ) by the screws 52a and 52b ( screw 52b is not indicated in the figure ) passing through the holes 56a and 56b in the flexible printed circuit board 33 and through the holes 62a and 62b in the printed circuit board 40 . the light receiving surface of the light receiving element 42 fixed to the flexible printed circuit board 33 opposes the window 29 in the side wall 27 and the laser beam that passes through the optical components inside the case body 21 is focussed on the light receiving surface . the adjustment knob 40b formed on the base board 40 is also in the status where it protrudes in the upwards direction from the case body 21 in the same manner as the previously mentioned adjustment knob 39b . the third arm portion 33d is bent around the line 48 indicated in fig7 and in the downwards direction so that it is in the status shown in fig8 . then , as indicated in fig3 terminals 22a of the semiconductor laser 22 ( refer to fig5 ) are inserted into holes in the circuit pattern formed on the distal end of the third arm portion 33d and this terminals 22a are soldered to the circuit pattern . as has been described above , each of the distal end portions of the first arm portion 33b , the second arm portion 33c and third arm portion 33d of the flexible printed circuit board 33 that is adhered to the lid 31 are fixed to the case body 21 so that the case body 21 and the lid 31 are connected . the lid 31 is mounted to the case body 21 in the following manner . as indicated in fig3 the first arm portion 33b , the second arm portion 33c and third arm portion 33d of the flexible printed circuit board 33 are each bent around the lines 50 , 51 and 52 so that the lid 31 covers the upper surface of the case body 21 . the lid 31 covers the upper surface of the opening in the case body 21 . the adjustment knobs 39a and 40a formed on the base boards 39 and 40 protrude in the upwards direction through the holes 36 and 37 in the lid 31 and the holes 57 and 58 in the flexible printed circuit board 33 . then , the lid 31 is fixed to the case body 21 by the screws 55 passing through the holes 59 in the flexible printed circuit board 33 and the holes 35 in the lid 31 . fig4 indicates the status where the lid 31 and the flexible printed circuit board 33 are fixed together to become one unit . in this status , the first arm portion 33b , the second arm portion 33c and third arm portion 33d of the flexible printed circuit board 33 are in the status where they are bent in a u - shape around the portions 50 , 51 and 52 . as has been described above , the case body 21 , the lid 31 and the flexible printed circuit board 33 form an optical head 10 that is a single unit and this unit is mounted to a predetermined position ( not indicated in the figure ) on the chassis of the optical disc apparatus . then , the objective lens assembly unit 62 indicated by a double - dotted line in fig3 and fig4 is controlled to move in the direction of the radius of the optical disc as indicated by the arrow a . the laser beam light emitted from the window 30 ( refer to fig5 ) formed in the wall of the case body 21 passes through the objective lens assembly unit 62 and is focussed on a track of an optical disc . in addition , the beam reflected from the surface of the optical disc passes through the window 30 and is led to the inside the case body 21 . then , this laser beam passes through the optical components inside the case body 21 and is focussed on the light receiving elements 41 and 42 . the following is a description of the adjustment and maintenance procedures for the optical components in the optical head 10 having the configuration as described above . the screw 55 indicated in fig4 is removed and the first arm portion 33b , the second arm portion 33c and the third arm portion 33d in the bent status are returned to the unbent status and the lid 31 is opened as indicated in fig3 . whereby , the lid 31 can be removed from the case body 21 while the electronic circuit 34 is still electrically connected to the semiconductor laser 22 and the light receiving elements 41 and 42 . accordingly , it is possible to maintain the semiconductor laser 22 and the light receiving elements 41 and 42 in the operating status without performing the electrical reconnection work that has been necessary in the conventional optical head . a position adjustment work for the optical components inside the case body 21 can be performed immediately after the lid 31 has been removed from the case body 21 . the work efficiency is therefore good . after the positioning work has been performed , the lid 31 is screwed back to the case as indicated in fig4 . the above described operations for removing the lid 31 from the case main body 21 are performed in the same manner for when maintenance is performed . ( 3 ) position adjustment of the light - receiving elements ( opto - electronic components ) 41 and 42 ; this adjustment is possible without removing the lid 31 from the case body 21 . that is to say , the screws 51a , 51b , 52a and 52b are loosened and the adjustment knobs 29a and 30a protruding through the holes 57 and 58 of the flexible printed circuit board 33 and above the flexible printed circuit board 33 are moved by tweezers or some appropriate tool so that the light receiving elements 41 and 42 are displaced the slightly along with the base boards 39 and 40 and fine adjustment is performed for the positions of the light receiving elements 41 and 42 . as has been described above , fine adjustment of the position of the light receiving elements 41 and 42 can be easily performed . when the first arm portion 33b , the second arm portion 33c and the third arm portion 33d of the flexible printed circuit board 33 are bent , a spring force acts in the first arm portion 33b , the second arm portion 33c and the third arm portion 33d to return them to their former positions . this spring force is larger for the closer to the bend position . accordingly , the distal end portions of the first arm portion 33b and the second arm portion 33c to which the light receiving elements 41 and 42 are fixed is weak , and this return spring force of the flexible printed circuit board 33 does not prevent the adjustment of the position of the light receiving elements 41 and 42 . the lid 31 is formed of aluminum alloy that is the same as that of the case body 21 . the coefficients of thermal expansion of the lid 31 and the case body 21 are the same so that the case body 21 and the lid 31 expand and contract at the same rates . this means that unnecessary thermal stress is not generated in the case body 21 and so there is no distortion of the case body 21 . this is to say that there is not mismatching of the optical axes of the optical components due to the distortion resulting from thermal stress . in addition , the base portion 33a of the flexible printed circuit board 33 is adhered closely to the lid 31 . this lid 31 is formed of an aluminum alloy of a metal which is a good thermal conductor and so the lid 31 functions as a radiator so that the heat generated by the electronic components 34a configuring the electronic circuit 34 on the base portion 33a of the flexible printed circuit board 33 is efficiently dissipated . the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above , as other embodiments such as one where the objective lens is also incorporated into the case can also be thought of . in addition , a zinc alloy could also be used as a substitute for the aluminum alloy of the case body 21 and the lid 31 . in embodiment , the flexible printed circuit board 33 has a base portion 33a and first arm portion 33b , the second arm portion 33c and the third arm portion 33d that protrude from the base portion 33a but these first arm portion 33b , second arm portion 33c and third arm portion 33d can be formed as a single unit corresponding to the shape of the case body 21 . in an optical head apparatus according to the present invention , it is possible to remove the lid from the case body while still maintaining electrical contact . accordingly , the position adjustment of the optical components inside the case body can be performed without having to performed electrical connection work after the lid has been removed from the case . this is to say that adjustment work and maintenance work performed after assembly is facilitated . in addition , by the operation of the adjustment knobs , it is possible to perform fine adjustment of the mounting position of the light receiving elements while the lid is still mounted to the case . furthermore , it is also possible to avoid thermal stresses in the case body and to also improve the heat dissipation ratio of the electronic components . the present invention is not limited to the aforementioned embodiments , and variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention .
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embodiments described herein generally relate to vehicle console assemblies including electronic components , such as vehicle lighting systems , and features for directing fluids away from the electronic components within the vehicle console assemblies . such fluid directing features can reduce the possibility of electrical shortages , for example , due to fluid spillage onto the console assemblies . various embodiments of the console assemblies and fluid directing features will be described in more detail herein . fig1 generally depicts one exemplary embodiment of a console assembly 10 for a vehicle where arrows f and u denote forward and upward directions of the vehicle . the console assembly 10 has a generally box - shaped housing 11 and includes a front 12 facing forward , a rear 14 facing rearward , sides 16 and 18 facing widthwise outward , a top 20 facing upward and a bottom 22 facing downward . the console assembly 10 may be located at any suitable position within a vehicle , such as between front seats , between rear seats , etc . the console assembly 10 may be used with any suitable vehicle , such as automobiles , airplanes , boats , etc . in one embodiment , the console assembly 10 is a center console assembly that is located between seats of an automobile . for example , the console assembly 10 may be located between front seats of an automobile . a cup holder assembly 24 is located at the top 20 of the console assembly 10 . cup holder assembly 24 is located nearer the front 12 and includes cup holders 28 and 30 located side - by - side and extending toward the bottom 22 of the console assembly 10 . each cup holder 28 and 30 may generally include an upward facing opening 36 sized to receive a bottom portion of a cup and a downwardly extending sidewall 38 forming cup - receiving volumes that can be used to hold a cup therein . a recess 40 may be provided between cup holders 28 and 30 . the recess 40 may provide for storage of travel mugs and cups with handles and increased accessibility to the travel mugs and cups located within the cup holders 28 and 30 . a storage bin 44 may be located rearward of the cup holder assembly 24 . a door 46 has an open position and a closed position for providing access to the storage bin 44 through an access opening . a release mechanism ( generally referred to as element 50 ) may be provided for latching and unlatching the door 46 . a button 51 or other suitable unlatching device may be provided for controlling the release mechanism 50 . in some embodiments , the door 46 may be biased ( e . g ., using a spring ) toward the open position . in another embodiment , the door 46 may be openable manually . the console assembly 10 may include a lighting system 66 for illuminating areas within the console assembly 10 ( fig2 ). the lighting system 66 may be used to light the cup holder assembly 24 and the storage bin 44 . in the illustrated embodiment , the lighting system 66 may be used to illuminate the cup holder assembly 24 including both cup holders 28 and 30 and the storage bin 44 . an exemplary lighting system for illuminating the cup holders 28 and 30 and the storage bin 44 is described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 12 / 542 , 227 , filed aug . 17 , 2009 , entitled “ vehicle console assemblies with associated vehicle lighting systems for illuminating cup holder and storage bin assemblies ,” the details of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety . in some embodiments , one or both of the cup holders 28 and 30 may not be fluid - tight . for example , the cup holder 28 of fig1 shows an opening 68 in the sidewall 38 that frames a window through which light may pass from a light source to the cup holder 28 . cup holder 30 may include the same opening 68 . the opening 68 may provide an escape route for liquid spilled into the cup holder 28 . referring to fig2 , an interior 70 of the console assembly 10 includes a cup holder receiving volume 72 that receives the cup holders 28 and 30 . a partitioning panel 74 bounds a portion of the cup holder receiving volume 72 with a horizontal portion 75 and a vertical portion 76 connected by a bend 78 . the horizontal portion 75 extends outwardly from the bend 78 toward a front panel 80 . as can be seen , the horizontal portion 75 terminates at an end 82 that is spaced from the front panel 80 leaving a gap 84 between the front panel 80 and the horizontal portion 75 . an electrical component 86 is located beneath the horizontal portion 75 , attached to a sidewall 88 of interior panel 90 . in some embodiments , the electrical component 86 may be a wire harness connector connecting electronics of the console assembly 10 ( e . g ., led , power outlets , video jacks , etc .) to a main power line running through the vehicle . the electrical component 86 may be connected to the interior panel 90 using any suitable means , such as using fastener 92 . because the cup holders 28 and 30 may not be liquid - tight , a possible leak path indicated by arrows 94 and 96 may be provided where liquid spilled into the cup holders 28 and 30 may travel toward the electrical component 86 . referring also to fig3 , an upper rib structure 98 and a lower rib structure 100 are provided for diverting liquid passing through the gap 84 . rib structure 98 extends horizontally and may extend at a downward angle ( e . g ., of about five degrees to the horizontal ) from a first end 102 to a second end 104 . rib structure 100 has a horizontal portion 106 and a vertical portion 108 that are connected by a corner 110 . the horizontal portion 106 extends horizontally and may extend at a downward angle ( e . g ., about 5 degrees to the horizontal ) from an end 112 to the corner 110 . vertical portion 108 extends downwardly to a bottom 114 . referring particularly to fig2 , the rib structure 98 extends outwardly from the interior panel 90 a distance d 1 greater than a distance d 2 that the horizontal portion 75 extends from the interior panel 90 toward the front panel 80 . while the rib structures 98 and 100 are illustrated in fig2 as being relatively horizontal in cross - section , they may extend outwardly at an angle to the horizontal such that outer edges 116 and 118 of the rib structures 89 and 100 are elevated with respect to opposite edges 120 and 122 that are integrally connected with the interior panel 90 . in some embodiments , the interior panel 90 extends rearward at an angle to the vertical . in some of these embodiments , the rib structure 100 may extend outwardly from the interior panel 90 a distance d 3 greater than distances d 1 and d 2 . in one embodiment , the distance d 3 may be selected such that the outer edges 116 and 118 of the rib structures 98 and 100 are aligned along a vertical line . in other embodiments , the outer edges 116 and 118 may be offset such that one edge 116 or 118 extends outwardly further than the other edge 116 or 118 . for example , in the embodiment of fig2 , the front panel 80 may be angled frontward with respect to the vertical . in these embodiments , the d 3 may be greater than d 1 to locate the outer edge 118 near to the front panel 80 . in some embodiments , d 1 and d 3 of the rib structures 98 and 100 may be selected to maintain a preselected spacing between the rib structures 98 and 100 and the front panel 80 . in many embodiments , gaps between the outer edges 116 and 118 and the front panel 80 may have a width less than gap 84 . referring to fig4 , the rib structures 98 and 100 operate by directing liquid leaking into the console assembly 10 away from the electrical component 86 . as represented by the arrows 124 and 126 , the rib structures 98 and 100 are shaped such that the liquid flows down the widths of the rib structures 98 and 100 toward the vertical portion 108 of the rib structure 100 . the liquid then flows vertically , as represented by arrow 128 toward the floor of the vehicle . the console assembly 10 may be open to the floor such that the liquid escapes the console assembly 10 and flows to the floor , for example , rather than accumulating within the console assembly 10 . the rib structures 98 and 100 may be formed by any suitable method , such as during a plastic ( e . g ., polypropylene ) molding process of the interior panel 90 . in the illustrated embodiment , the rib structures 98 and 100 may be formed as part of a rib matrix 130 formed by a plurality of horizontal and vertically extending strengthening ribs ( e . g ., see ribs 132 and 134 ). the strengthening ribs 132 and 134 may extend outwardly from the interior panel 90 a distance less than the distances d 1 and / or d 2 . the vertically extending strengthening ribs 132 may intersect one or both of the rib structures 98 and 100 . however , the vertically extending strengthening ribs 132 may terminate at a location spaced from the outer edges 116 and 118 of the rib structures 98 and 100 thereby providing an unobstructed path for the liquid to flow away from the electrical component 86 . referring now to fig5 , another console assembly embodiment 140 may include many of the features described above including a cup holder receiving volume 142 , partitioning panel 144 with horizontal portion 146 and vertical portion 148 and electrical component 150 . in this embodiment , rib structures 152 and 154 extend outwardly from a front panel 156 toward an interior panel 158 . other variations are contemplated . the above - described rib structures can inhibit liquid from contacting electrical components of the console assembly , thereby inhibiting electrical malfunction . the rib structures may provide increased strength for the console assembly and may allow for increased freedom in selection of electrical components . for example , some electrical components may provide water resistance , however , these water resistant electrical components may be more expensive . thus , the above - described rib structures may allow for selection less expensive electrical components . for example , the electrical component may not be water resistant . however , the rib structures direct liquid flowing into the console assembly through the cup holders away from the electrical component , as described above . while two rib structures are illustrated above , there may be more or less than two rib structures . it is noted that the terms “ substantially ” and “ about ” may be utilized herein to represent the inherent degree of uncertainty that may be attributed to any quantitative comparison , value , measurement , or other representation . these terms are also utilized herein to represent the degree by which a quantitative representation may vary from a stated reference without resulting in a change in the basic function of the subject matter at issue . while particular embodiments have been illustrated and described herein , it should be understood that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter . moreover , although various aspects of the claimed subject matter have been described herein , such aspects need not be utilized in combination . it is therefore intended that the appended claims cover all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of the claimed subject matter .
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fig1 and 2 show a buckle 10 embodying the present invention in coupled disposition . the buckle 10 is made of synthetic resin and broadly comprises a socket 11 and a plug 12 for coupling engagement with the socket 11 . the socket 11 generally comprises a socket body 13 and a belt attaching portion 21 shown in fig3 through 5 and a locking plate 14 shown in fig6 through 9 . the socket body 13 is in the form of a rectangular hollow case and comprises a pair of upper and lower walls 15 , 23 , a pair of side walls 37 , 38 joining the upper and lower walls 15 , 23 on and along their respective lateral edges and a rear wall 20 connecting the side walls 37 , 38 at their respective rear ends to thus define therebetween a guide chamber 18 made open forwardly for receiving therein protuberant arms 42 of the plug 12 as closely described hereinafter . the front wall 15 has a u - shaped cut - away slit 16 formed therein to thus define therebetween a tongue - like cantilevered resilient presser flap 17 . the presser flap 17 has a groove 19 formed in its upper surface at its proximal end to thus yieldingly flex downwardly or toward the lower wall 23 . as shown in fig4 the rear wall 20 has a thickness such that its upper surface is slightly lower than that of the front wall 15 . the lower wall 23 has a cantilevered resilient engaging flap 24 provided on the inner surface thereof so as to project slantly upwards toward the rear wall 20 . the engaging flap 24 has an engaging step 25 on its upper surface at its distal end for snapping engagement with engaging hooks 43 of protuberant arms 42 , 42 of the plug 12 as described hereinbelow . similarly , the engaging flap 24 has a furrow 26 formed in its lower surface at its proximal end to thus yieldingly flex downwardly or toward the lower wall 23 . the resilient presser flap 17 is recessed at 27 in its middle to thus provide a guide plate 28 . the guide plate 28 has a pair of guide slits 29 , 29 formed therein and arranged in parallel spaced relation to each other along the side walls 37 , 38 . although the pair of guide slits 29 , 29 are formed in the illustrated embodiment ; instead , either one of the guide slits 29 , 29 will do . as shown in fig3 each of the guide slits 29 , 29 has a pair of notches 30 , 30 on its out side edge to coact with the fitting lugs 34 , 34 of the locking plate 14 in retaining the locking plate 14 either in locking position or in unlocking position . although the pair of notches 30 , 30 are shown here to be formed for each slit 29 , the number of the notches 30 may be either one or more than two for each slit 29 . as better shown in fig4 the guide plate 28 has on its lower surface adjacent to the distal side on its middle a presser projection 31 which projects downwardly into the guide chamber 18 and is adapted to depress the resilient engaging flap 24 against its resiliency . the belt attaching portion 21 comprises a pair of extensions 37 &# 39 ;, 38 &# 39 ; integrally extending from the side walls 37 , 38 and a belt attaching rod 21 &# 39 ; joining at its both ends the respective distal ends of the extensions 37 &# 39 ;, 38 &# 39 ; to thus define a belt - inserting transverse slot 22 between the extensions 37 &# 39 ;, 38 &# 39 ;, the belt attaching rod 21 &# 39 ; and the rear wall 20 . as shown in fig6 through 9 , the locking plate 14 is a substantially rectangular flat plate made of synthetic resin . the locking plate 14 has on its lower surface a pair of hooked engaging protuberances 32 , 32 for slidable engagement with the guide slits 29 , 29 of the resilient presser flap 17 . it is to be readily noticed that the number of the hooked engaging protuberances 32 , 32 correspond with the number of guide slits 29 , 29 to be slidably engaged therewith . since the locking plate 14 is made of flexible synthetic resin as mentioned above , forcing the locking plate 14 against the guide plate 28 with the engaging protuberances 32 , 32 of the former registering with the guide slits 29 , 29 of the latter would cause the engaging protuberances 32 , 32 yieldingly come into snapping engagement with the guide slits 29 , 29 as shown in fig1 , so that the locking plate 14 is slidably mounted on the guide plate 28 of the presser flap 17 as shown in fig1 . the locking plate 14 has on its lower surface at its rear end an abutment projection 33 which projects downwardly . reference numerals 34 , 34 denote a pair of engaging lugs one provided on the outer side of each engaging protuberance 32 , 32 . the engaging lugs 34 , 34 are adapted for fitting engagement with the notches 30 , 30 in order to selectively retain the locking plate 14 in locking position and in unlocking position . this lug - notch - engagement advantageously ensures that the locking plate 14 is firmly retained in locking position against unexpected unlocking . although each engaging projection 32 is shown to have only one fitting lug 34 , each engaging projection 32 may have a pair of juxtaposed fitting lugs 34 , 34 , in which event each guide slit 29 has two pairs of notches 30 , 30 correspondingly . this advantageously helps to prevent the locking plate 14 from accidentally getting tilted relative to the guide plate 28 during the manipulation of the locking plate 14 . as shown in fig6 the upper surface of the locking plate 14 is preferably marked with &# 34 ; free &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; lock &# 34 ;, so that the wearer could tell which position the locking plate 14 assumes at a glance . as shown in fig1 and 13 , the plug 12 generally comprises a belt attaching portion 40 and a pair of protuberant arms 42 , 42 . the belt attaching portion 40 is in the form of a rectangular frame and comprises front , intermediate and rear rods 46 , 41 , 45 and a pair of side plates 44 , 44 &# 39 ; joining these rods at their respective opposed ends . the pair of arms 42 , 42 extend integrally from the front rod 46 and project in side - by - side relation with each other in the plane of the belt attaching portion 40 . the protuberant arms 42 , 42 each have on its lower surface at its distal end an engaging hook 43 for snapping engagement with the engaging step 25 of the engaging flap 24 . for coupling the plug 12 and the socket 11 of the buckle 10 , the protuberant arms 42 , 42 of the plug 12 are thrusted into the opening 35 of the socket 11 , thus bringing the engaging hooks 42 , 42 into snapping engagement with the engaging step 25 of the engaging flap 24 so that the plug 12 is coupled with the socket 11 . for uncoupling the plug 12 from the socket 11 , the wearer only has to depress , with any finger of a single hand , the locking plate 14 and hence the cantilevered resilient presser flap 17 downwardly , thus causing the presser projection 31 pass through between the juxtaposed protuberant arms 42 , 42 of the plug 12 and come into depressing engagement with the resilient engaging flap 24 . as a result , the engaging hooks 43 43 of the protuberant arms 42 , 42 of the plug 12 comes out of engagement with the engaging step 25 of the engaging flap 24 , whereby the plug 12 get decoupled from the socket 11 . for locking the plug 12 and the socket 11 in coupled disposition , as shown in fig1 , the wearer only has to slide the locking plate 14 rearwardly , thus bringing the abutment projection 33 into abutting engagement with the rear wall 20 . this abutting engagement precludes further depression of the locking plate 14 , whereby the plug 12 and the socket 11 can be locked in coupled disposition . for unlocking the plug 12 and the socket 11 , as shown in fig1 and 14 , the wearer only has to slide back the locking plate 14 forwardly , thus bringing the abutment projection 33 out of abutting engagement with the rear wall 20 , so that the plug 12 and the socket 11 have now been unlocked . depressing the locking plate 14 in such unlocking position causes the plug 12 to be decoupled from the socket 11 , as described hereinabove . in the embodiment described hereinabove , the pair of protuberant arms 42 , 42 extend integrally from the front rod 46 and project in side - by - side relation with each other and the presser projection 31 of the presser flap 17 passes through between the thus juxtaposed protuberant arms 42 , 42 of the plug 12 so as to come into depressing engagement with the resilient engaging flap 24 . instead of the pair of protuberant arms 42 , 42 , only one arm 42 may extend integrally from the front rod 46 , which protuberant arm 42 has a through hole therein . in this instance , the presser projection 31 of the presser flap 17 passes through the through hole of the protuberant arm 42 to thus come into depressing engagement with the resilient engaging flap 24 . alternatively , the resilient engagement flap 24 may extend somewhat beyond the distal end of the single protuberant arm 42 of the plug 12 , when the plug 12 is fully inserted into the socket 11 . the presser projection 31 passes off the distal end of the protuberant arm 42 to thus depress the resilient engaging flap 24 . fig1 shows the buckle 10 wherein the locking plate 14 assumes the locking position . that portion of the guide plate 28 which is exposed by the assumption of the locking position by the locking plate 14 may depict the mark &# 34 ; lock &# 34 ;. with this mark depicted there , the wearer advantageously can tell whether the locking plate 14 assumes the locking position easily at a glance . with the construction of the present invention mentioned hereinabove , it is very easy to couple the plug and socket and lock them in the coupled disposition as well as to unlock and uncouple them ; particularly , in the latter event , the wearer can unlock and uncouple the plug and socket with only one touch , specifically by sliding and concurrently depressing the locking plate with one finger of one hand . furthermore , the locking plate can be assuredly retained either in the locking position or in the unlocking position so that there would be no likelihood that the buckle is uncoupled unexpectedly due to accidental unlocking of the locking plate even under severe stresses exerted on the buckle . obviously , various modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teaching . it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described .
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embodiments disclosed herein intelligently reduce or eliminate noise when matching and scoring concepts in a deep question answering ( deep qa ) system , improving the accuracy and confidence of the system &# 39 ; s answer . the deep qa system is initially trained against a sample case ( or cases ) in order to produce a machine learning ( ml ) model . the ml model assigns weights to the systems &# 39 ; various analysis programs according to how well they predict correct answers to the case . the ml approach is then applied at the concept level to further improve accuracy . therefore , after the system has been trained , there will be an additional ml model , the concept ml model , which is used at runtime to reduce or eliminate concept noise and improve scoring accuracy . in creating the concept ml model , embodiments disclosed herein use concept matching as a technique to establish the degree of relevancy for a candidate answer to a given question , or for a piece of supporting evidence to a question / candidate answer pair . concept matching involves detecting a set of domain specific concepts within both the question and the item being evaluated for relevancy ( either a candidate answer or a supporting evidence article ), then computing a relevancy score based on the presence of matching concepts in the question / candidate answer pair , or the presence of relationships between concepts in the question and those within the candidate answer being evaluated . an example of a type of concept relationship may be a specialization relationship where one concept can be viewed as a more specialized instance of another . for example , “ adenocarcinoma ” may be a more specific type of the concept “ cancer .” a highly relevant article or candidate answer may have a higher degree of congruence with the concepts and related concepts within the question . the relevancy score computed in this manner may be combined with overall sentiment to arrive at a feature score that may be used to rank candidate answers and establish confidence in those answers . sentiment may refer to the overall positive or negative statement made in one set of information about another . sentiment may be important when evaluating how supportive a piece of supporting evidence is of a given candidate answer . furthermore , the combination of relevance and sentiment are important to consider . embodiments disclosed herein may find highly relevant articles and combine them with sentiment to arrive at a view of how much a given article supports a candidate hypothesis . for example , an article may talk about a given treatment in light of patients that are very similar to the current patient . if the article goes on to say patients had diminished life expectancy , the article may be labeled as having negative sentiment . if the article goes on to say patients using the treatment were cured , the sentiment of the article may be positive . it may be desirable for a highly relevant candidate answer or supporting evidence article to carry more weight in this determination , e . g ., a highly relevant article that indicates a given cancer treatment has been proven to be effective may carry more weight than a less relevant article relative to the same question and / or candidate answer . concept matching may be applied in any domain for which there is a bounded ontology or defined set of concepts . in healthcare , the unified medical language system ( umls ) has been used for this purpose . umls identifies a wide range of concepts which apply in the field of healthcare , including synonymous ways of expressing the same concept , a semantic type system over the concepts , and various type relationships which exist between concepts . a problem with using ontologies like umls for concept matching may be that some of the concepts defined within the ontology may be useful for establishing relevancy , while others contribute no value to the relevancy determination . this latter set of concepts may be referred to as “ noise .” for example , temporal concepts defined within umls include the terms “ year ” and “ old .” the term “ found ” is a sign or symptom concept also defined in umls . none of these concepts are very useful for establishing relevancy to most classes of questions . therefore , in those cases , it may be desirable to remove these “ noisy ” concepts from the concept matching algorithm in order to minimize their effect . determining which concepts to exclude from matching and how to weight various types of relationships between concepts has heretofore been a manual , experiment driven process . embodiments disclosed herein utilize machine learning to determine , statistically , how well a given concept contributes to our understanding of relevancy . the features used for this purpose may include the concepts and concept relationships within a given ontology . concept matching scores may be computed to reflect whether matching concepts were found in question and candidate answers or supporting evidence , or whether specific related concepts were found between questions and candidate answers or supporting evidence . an answer key may be used during the machine learning process to indicate whether a given candidate answer or supporting passage was relevant or not relevant to a given question . the model produced through the machine learning process may define how to weight each concept and each concept relationship , such that those concepts that are good predictors of relevancy are weighted highly , and those that are poor predictors are weighted lower . these weights may be used to aggregate a set of concept and concept relationship scores into a single relevancy score , or to filter out those concepts that fall below a given threshold , as defined by the machine learning model . both approaches result in noisy concepts having little or no impact where overall relevancy is determined based on the concept matching approach . accordingly , approaches are disclosed herein for reducing the presence of noisy concepts . in the following , reference is made to embodiments of the disclosure . however , it should be understood that the disclosure is not limited to specific described embodiments . instead , any combination of the following features and elements , whether related to different embodiments or not , is contemplated to implement and practice the disclosure . furthermore , although embodiments of the disclosure may achieve advantages over other possible solutions and / or over the prior art , whether or not a particular advantage is achieved by a given embodiment is not limiting of the disclosure . thus , the following aspects , features , embodiments and advantages are merely illustrative and are not considered elements or limitations of the appended claims except where explicitly recited in a claim ( s ). likewise , reference to “ the invention ” shall not be construed as a generalization of any inventive subject matter disclosed herein and shall not be considered to be an element or limitation of the appended claims except where explicitly recited in a claim ( s ). as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art , aspects of the present disclosure may be embodied as a system , method or computer program product . accordingly , aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment ( including firmware , resident software , micro - code , etc .) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “ circuit ,” “ module ” or “ system .” furthermore , aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable medium ( s ) having computer readable program code embodied thereon . any combination of one or more computer readable medium ( s ) may be utilized . the computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium . a computer readable storage medium may be , for example , but not limited to , an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system , apparatus , or device , or any suitable combination of the foregoing . more specific examples ( a non - exhaustive list ) of the computer readable storage medium would include the following : an electrical connection having one or more wires , a portable computer diskette , a hard disk , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), an erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom or flash memory ), an optical fiber , a portable compact disc read - only memory ( cd - rom ), an optical storage device , a magnetic storage device , or any suitable combination of the foregoing . in the context of this document , a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain , or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . a computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal with computer readable program code embodied therein , for example , in baseband or as part of a carrier wave . such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms , including , but not limited to , electro - magnetic , optical , or any suitable combination thereof . a computer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate , propagate , or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium , including but not limited to wireless , wireline , optical fiber cable , rf , etc ., or any suitable combination of the foregoing . computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages , including an object oriented programming language such as java , smalltalk , c ++ or the like and conventional procedural programming languages , such as the “ c ” programming language or similar programming languages . the program code may execute entirely on the user &# 39 ; s computer , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer , as a stand - alone software package , partly on the user &# 39 ; s computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server . in the latter scenario , the remote computer may be connected to the user &# 39 ; s computer through any type of network , including a local area network ( lan ) or a wide area network ( wan ), or the connection may be made to an external computer ( for example , through the internet using an internet service provider ). aspects of the present disclosure are described below with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods , apparatus ( systems ) and computer program products according to embodiments of the disclosure . it will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams , can be implemented by computer program instructions . these computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer , special purpose computer , or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine , such that the instructions , which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus , create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . these computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable medium that can direct a computer , other programmable data processing apparatus , or other devices to function in a particular manner , such that the instructions stored in the computer readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function / act specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . the computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer , other programmable data processing apparatus , or other devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer , other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks . embodiments of the disclosure may be provided to end users through a cloud computing infrastructure . cloud computing generally refers to the provision of scalable computing resources as a service over a network . more formally , cloud computing may be defined as a computing capability that provides an abstraction between the computing resource and its underlying technical architecture ( e . g ., servers , storage , networks ), enabling convenient , on - demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction . thus , cloud computing allows a user to access virtual computing resources ( e . g ., storage , data , applications , and even complete virtualized computing systems ) in “ the cloud ,” without regard for the underlying physical systems ( or locations of those systems ) used to provide the computing resources . typically , cloud computing resources are provided to a user on a pay - per - use basis , where users are charged only for the computing resources actually used ( e . g . an amount of storage space consumed by a user or a number of virtualized systems instantiated by the user ). a user can access any of the resources that reside in the cloud at any time , and from anywhere across the internet . in context of the present disclosure , a user may access a deep question answering system or related data available in the cloud . for example , the deep question answering system could execute on a computing system in the cloud and score concept relevance in an effort to reduce the number of irrelevant concepts used in answering questions . in such a case , the deep question answering system could score different concepts and store the concept scores at a storage location in the cloud . doing so allows a user to access this information from any computing system attached to a network connected to the cloud ( e . g ., the internet ). fig1 is a block diagram illustrating a system 100 for concept noise reduction in deep question answering systems , according to one embodiment disclosed herein . the networked system 100 includes a computer 102 . the computer 102 may also be connected to other computers via a network 130 . in general , the network 130 may be a telecommunications network and / or a wide area network ( wan ). in a particular embodiment , the network 130 is the internet . the computer 102 generally includes a processor 104 connected via a bus 120 to a memory 106 , a network interface device 118 , a storage 108 , an input device 122 , and an output device 124 . the computer 102 is generally under the control of an operating system ( not shown ). examples of operating systems include the unix operating system , versions of the microsoft windows operating system , and distributions of the linux operating system . ( unix is a registered trademark of the open group in the united states and other countries . microsoft and windows are trademarks of microsoft corporation in the united states , other countries , or both . linux is a registered trademark of linus torvalds in the united states , other countries , or both .) more generally , any operating system supporting the functions disclosed herein may be used . the processor 104 is included to be representative of a single cpu , multiple cpus , a single cpu having multiple processing cores , and the like . similarly , the memory 106 may be a random access memory . while the memory 106 is shown as a single identity , it should be understood that the memory 106 may comprise a plurality of modules , and that the memory 106 may exist at multiple levels , from high speed registers and caches to lower speed but larger dram chips . the network interface device 118 may be any type of network communications device allowing the computer 102 to communicate with other computers via the network 130 . the storage 108 may be a persistent storage device . although the storage 108 is shown as a single unit , the storage 108 may be a combination of fixed and / or removable storage devices , such as fixed disc drives , solid state drives , floppy disc drives , tape drives , removable memory cards or optical storage . the memory 106 and the storage 108 may be part of one virtual address space spanning multiple primary and secondary storage devices . as shown , the memory 106 contains the qa application 112 , which is an application generally configured to operate a deep question answering ( qa ) system . one example of a deep question answering system is watson , by the ibm corporation of armonk , n . y . a user may submit a case ( also referred to as a question ) to the qa application 112 , which will then provide an answer to the case based on an analysis of a corpus of information . the qa application 112 may analyze the questions presented in the case to identify concepts in the question . based on the questions , the qa application 112 may identify a number of candidate answers . the qa application 112 may then find supporting evidence for the candidate answers . the qa application 112 may then score and rank the candidate answers , merge the results , and present the best answer as its response to the case . additionally , the qa application 112 may be trained to identify concepts which are particularly relevant ( or irrelevant ) in answering particular types of questions . based on this machine learning , the qa application 112 may , when presented a case at runtime , identify and score concepts in the case which are relevant or irrelevant . upon scoring the concepts , the qa application 112 may place extra weight on relevant concepts and discard concepts identified as irrelevant in returning a response / answer to the case . as shown , storage 108 contains the ontology 110 , which provides a structural framework for organizing information . an ontology formally represents knowledge as a set of concepts within a domain , and the relationships between those concepts . the storage 108 also includes a corpus 114 , which is a body of information used by the qa application 112 to generate answers to cases . for example , the corpus 114 may contain scholarly articles , dictionary definitions , encyclopedia references , and the like . additionally , the storage 108 includes machine learning ( ml ) models 116 , which are models created by the qa application 112 to reduce or eliminate concept noise and improve scoring accuracy . although depicted as a database , the ontology 110 , corpus 114 , and ml models 116 may take any form sufficient to store data , including text files , xml data files , and the like . in one embodiment , the ontology 110 is part of the corpus 114 . although depicted as residing on the same computer , any combination of the qa application 112 , the ontology 110 , corpus 114 , and ml models 116 may reside on the same or different computers . the input device 122 may be any device for providing input to the computer 102 . for example , a keyboard and / or a mouse may be used . the output device 124 may be any device for providing output to a user of the computer 102 . for example , the output device 124 may be any conventional display screen or set of speakers . although shown separately from the input device 122 , the output device 124 and input device 122 may be combined . for example , a display screen with an integrated touch - screen may be used . fig2 is a flow chart illustrating a method 200 for concept noise reduction in deep question answering systems , according to one embodiment disclosed herein . generally , the method 200 implements techniques to reduce the number of irrelevant concepts analyzed in generating a response to a case presented to a deep question answering ( deep qa ) system , such as the qa application 112 . at step 210 , the qa application 112 is trained to generate concept machine learning models using machine learning . when the qa application 112 is trained , a machine learning ( ml ) model is produced which assigns weights to the various analysis programs of the qa application 112 according to their ability to predict correct answers to the cases presented . the qa application 112 may apply this machine learning approach at the concept level to further improve accuracy . therefore , after the qa application 112 is trained , there will be an additional ml model , a concept ml model , which is stored in the ml models 116 and used by the qa application 112 at runtime to reduce or eliminate concept noise and improve scoring accuracy . one embodiment of training a deep question answering system to generate a concept machine learning model using machine learning in step 210 is described in greater detail below with reference to fig3 . at step 220 , the qa application 112 receives a case from a user . the case may be a question , such as , “ which university from north carolina has the most basketball championships ?” the case may also be a more complex , detailed scenario , such as a patient &# 39 ; s medical information , history , and symptoms , which are provided to the qa application 112 with the expectation that the qa application 112 will provide an accurate diagnosis , recommend appropriate treatments , and the like . at step 230 , the qa application 112 analyzes the case to generate candidate answers from the corpus 114 . in one embodiment , the qa application 112 may identify concepts in the case to facilitate the generation of candidate answers . at step 240 , the qa application 112 retrieves supporting evidence for the candidate answers from the corpus 114 . at step 250 , the qa application 112 scores concepts in the candidate answers and supporting evidence to apply the appropriate weight to the concepts in reaching a final answer . if the concept is particularly relevant in determining a correct answer to the question / case , the qa application 112 may weigh the concept accordingly . if the concept is not relevant , then the qa application 112 may ignore the concept . the scoring of concepts in step 250 is described in greater detail with reference to fig4 . in some embodiments , a case may have many questions , and the steps 230 - 250 of the method 200 must be performed for each question such that a correct answer for each question may be generated . at step 260 , the qa application 112 returns a response to the case with the correct answers to each question . fig3 is a flow chart illustrating a method 300 corresponding to step 210 to train a deep question answering system to generate a concept machine learning model using machine learning , according to one embodiment disclosed herein . generally , the method 300 includes providing the qa application 112 with enough training data , which , over time , allows the qa application 112 to produce appropriate weights for a given concept . in one embodiment , the qa application 112 performs the steps of the method 300 . at step 310 , the qa application 112 receives a training case and an answer key to the training case . the answer key may indicate the correct answers to the training case , and is used to train the qa application 112 to reach the correct answers . in one embodiment , the answer key may indicate one or more documents or articles in the corpus 114 which contain the correct answer to the training case . at step 320 , the qa application 112 executes a loop containing steps 330 - 380 for each question presented in the case . a case , which is the overall query submitted to the qa application 112 , may be comprised of multiple questions , each of which may have several concepts . at step 330 , the qa application 112 identifies the concepts in the case . in one embodiment , the qa application 112 may identify concepts by applying an ontology to the unstructured text of the question , candidate answer , or supporting evidence . ontologies may define domain specific terms and synonyms for those terms . the set of terms and synonymous terms may be used to detect concepts which fall within the scope of the ontology in question . the qa application 112 may also use text analysis to identify the concepts in the case . at step 340 , the qa application 112 executes a loop containing steps 350 - 370 for each concept in the question . at step 350 , the qa application 112 computes a concept matching score . the concept matching score may be computed based on the likelihood that the concept leads the qa application 112 to produce the correct answer as defined in the answer key . concept matching scores reflect the extent to which a concept found in one place ( e . g . the question ) is also expressed within another ( e . g . the candidate answer ). a number of approaches may be used to arrive at a concept match score . in one embodiment , the qa application 112 may look for an exact match in concepts between the two sources in question . in another embodiment , the qa application 112 may assign partial scores based on existence of a related concept in the other source ( e . g . a match score may be given , recognizing there is a relationship between bevacizumab and chemotherapy drugs , such as bevacizumab “ is a ” chemo drug ). the concept matching score may be based on any scale suitable to indicate a range of scores . for example , the question may ask , “ who was the 10 th president of the united states ?” a concept labeled “ u . s . presidents ” in the ontology 110 may lead to an ordered listing of u . s . presidents in the corpus 114 , through which the qa application 112 may determine the correct answer . based on such a scenario , the qa application 112 may compute a very high concept matching score for the concept “ u . s . presidents ” when the question pertains to u . s . presidents . additionally , the qa application 112 may note the type ( or class ) of question that the concept was particularly effective at answering , as there may be other types of questions for which the concept “ u . s . presidents ” may not be relevant for producing correct answers . the qa application 112 may include in a respective concept ml model a coefficient weighting the question class accordingly . expounding on this president example , a question may mention “ george washington ,” a candidate answer may mention “ abraham lincoln ,” and the ontology recognizes the concept “ u . s . presidents .” in such a scenario , both the question and candidate answer would contain an instance of that concept , but with different values for the concept . a concept matching algorithm may result in a low score , since the values for the concepts do not match . embodiments disclosed herein determine how much weight to give to the fact that we did ( or did not ) match the “ u . s . president ” concept . if the question asked , “ what currency is george washington featured on ?” the “ u . s . president ” concept may be heavily weighted , while another concept , such as “ monetary value ” would not . at step 360 , the computed concept matching score is inputted to the concept machine learning model . at step 370 , the qa application 112 determines whether more concepts remain in the question . if more concepts remain , the qa application 112 returns to step 340 . otherwise , the qa application 112 proceeds to step 380 . at step 380 , the qa application 112 determines whether more questions remain in the case . if more questions remain , the qa application 112 returns to step 320 . otherwise , the qa application 112 proceeds to step 390 . at step 390 , the concept machine learning model is returned . in one embodiment , the concept machine learning model may be stored in the ml models 116 , which may be used by the qa application 112 during runtime execution to reduce concept noise . fig4 is a flow chart illustrating a method 400 corresponding to step 250 to score concepts in candidate answers and supporting evidence , according to one embodiment disclosed herein . generally , the steps of the method 400 allow the qa application 112 to use the concept ml models at runtime to eliminate noisy concepts and place more emphasis on relevant concepts when producing a response to a case . in one embodiment , the qa application 112 performs the steps of the method 400 . at step 410 , the qa application 112 executes a loop including steps 420 - 450 for each concept appearing in each candidate answer and the supporting evidence for each candidate answer . at step 420 , the qa application 112 computes a concept matching score for the current concept . in one embodiment , the concept matching score may be based on the qa application 112 determining that the concept is present in both the question and the candidate answer or supporting evidence . for example , if the concept “ farming ” is found in both the question and the candidate answer ( or supporting evidence for the candidate answer ), the qa application 112 may assign a concept matching score indicative of a high relevance to the concept of “ farming .” in another embodiment , the concept matching score may be based on the qa application 112 determining that concepts related to the concept were found between the question and the candidate answer or supporting evidence . for example , if the concept in the question is “ farming ,” and the candidate answer or supporting evidence includes the concept “ organic gardening ,” which is defined in the ontology 110 as being related to “ farming ,” the qa application 112 may assign a concept matching score indicative of a high relevance to the concept of “ organic gardening .” additionally , if the concept , or related concepts , are not found between the question and candidate answer / supporting evidence , the qa application 112 may assign a concept matching score indicative of a low relevance to the concept , such that it may not be considered when computing a final answer . in one embodiment , two concept matching scores for each concept may be produced . an exact match concept matching score may indicate that an exact match for the concept was found , while a related concept matching score may indicate that a related concept was found . the qa application 112 may look to the concept machine learning model to weigh these two scores , as the nature of the data used to train the machine learning model influences how much weight is applied to each of the two concept matching scores . the qa application 112 may also consider directionality . in some cases , it may be important to consider which “ side ” ( the question side or the candidate answer / evidence side ) the concept falls on when scoring concepts . for example , the qa application 112 may receive a question asking whether a medical procedure is medically necessary from an insurance company to determine whether to pay for a procedure . if a case indicates that the patient has “ breast cancer ,” and the appropriate answer ( based on the company &# 39 ; s policies , stored in the corpus ) is that treatment for all types of “ cancer ” is medically necessary , then this should receive a very high score . however , if the case requires more specificity , such as where the case mentions “ cancer ,” but the candidate answer mentions “ breast cancer ,” then that should receive a low score indicating whether the procedure is medically necessary . at step 430 , the qa application 112 may choose the appropriate concept ml model based on the current question class . as stated above , during training , the qa application 112 includes the question class in computing the ml concept models , because a concept may be relevant for one type of question , but irrelevant for a large number of other classes of questions ( or vice versa ). therefore , in the “ farming ” example given above , the concept model for farming questions may be chosen from the ml models 116 . at step 440 , the qa application 112 applies the model &# 39 ; s coefficient to adjust the concept matching score . for example , if the “ farming ” concept model indicates that “ organic gardening ” should be weighted more heavily , the coefficient may be applied to increase the concept matching score for “ organic gardening .” conversely , if the model indicates that “ organic gardening ” is not relevant , and should be ignored , the coefficient may be applied to further decrease the concept matching score for “ organic gardening .” additionally , if “ farming ” returned a low concept score , but the ml concept model indicates that “ farming ” is an important concept in answering this class of question , the concept will be included for scoring the answer , as the concept matching score will be increased to reflect this importance . at step 450 , the qa application 112 determines whether more concepts and candidate answers or supporting evidence remain to be analyzed . if so , the qa application 112 returns to step 410 . otherwise , the qa application 112 proceeds to step 460 . in one embodiment , at step 460 , the qa application 112 may aggregate all concept matching scores into a single relevancy score . in one embodiment , the qa application 112 applies weighting factors to each concept matching score prior to aggregation . the weighting factors may be established by the machine learning concept model to reflect the overall significance and impact each concept has on establishing relevancy . in another embodiment , at step 470 , the qa application 112 may filter out irrelevant concepts . for example , if the adjusted concept matching score falls below a predefined minimum concept relevance threshold , the concept may not be considered in reaching a final answer . any concepts whose matching score is above this threshold may be considered important and should be included in scoring the candidate answer . in one embodiment , multiple overall relevance scores may be calculated using different threshold values in concept weight from the machine learning model . one relevancy score may then be computed , using just the concepts , with a model weight above , for example , 0 . 5 , and another relevancy score may be computed using concepts with a model weight above 0 . 7 . at step 480 , the qa application 112 may compute the final score and return an answer to the case based on the computed concept matching scores . in one embodiment , a total concept matching score may be computed by summing the computed concept matching score of each concept , which may be used to determine an ultimate answer to the case . additionally , the ul machine learning concept model may provide weights the qa application 112 may apply to each individual concept in determining the total concept matching score . by training the qa application 112 , it will produce appropriate weights for each concept . when each candidate answer is evaluated at runtime , the qa application 112 will take into account the concept &# 39 ; s weight during answer scoring . if a concept is generally “ meaningless ,” it will have a corresponding low weight , and thus , if there are no matches to the concept within the question , the resulting score for that concept will not adversely affect the overall score . additionally , when a candidate answer is evaluated at runtime , each concept within the candidate answer is given a score based on how well it matches to similar concepts in the question . the qa application 112 may then employ the machine learning to filter out concept noise . if the concept ml model weight for a particular concept is greater than a predefined noise threshold , then the qa application 112 keeps the concept , regardless of the concept matching score , as the concept has been determined to be relevant for answering this type of question . in addition , the qa application 112 compares the computed concept matching score to the concept noise threshold on a question by question basis . the flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture , functionality , and operation of possible implementations of systems , methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present disclosure . in this regard , each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module , segment , or portion of code , which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function ( s ). it should also be noted that , in some alternative implementations , the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures . for example , two blocks shown in succession may , in fact , be executed substantially concurrently , or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order , depending upon the functionality involved . it will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration , and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustration , can be implemented by special purpose hardware - based systems that perform the specified functions or acts , or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions . while the foregoing is directed to embodiments of the present disclosure , other and further embodiments of the disclosure may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof , and the scope thereof is determined by the claims that follow .
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the present invention has general applicability but is most advantageously utilized in an appliance , an example of which is shown in fig1 . it is to be understood that the present invention also has use in an automatic washer , but the present invention will be described as used primarily in an automatic clothes dryer , which constitutes the preferred embodiment . a clothes dryer 10 has an outer cabinet 12 with an access port 14 in a front of the cabinet 12 . within the cabinet 12 there is provided a clothes tumbling drum 16 mounted for rotation about a horizontal central axis . the drum 16 is cylindrical in shape and has paddles 17 . the drum 16 is driven by a belt 19 which is connected to a motor 21 as is known in the art . the clothes dryer 10 is typically provided with a control arrangement such that an operator , by manually setting a control knob 18 and activating a push to start switch ( not shown ) causes the machine to start and automatically proceed through a desired drying cycle . the clothes dryer 10 is provided with an inlet duct 20 which has a cover grill 22 out of which air flows after being heated by a heating element 24 in the inlet duct 20 . a blower housing assembly 26 is also provided and air from the drum 16 exits through a cover grill 28 through a discharge duct 30 and out to the atmosphere . within the discharge duct 30 a thermostat 32 is located and adjacent the thermostat is a bias heater 34 . a blower motor ( not shown ) causes air to be pulled out of the drum 16 thus causing the air to flow through the inlet duct 30 . as the air exits the drum 16 it flows over the thermostat 32 . the thermostat 32 has a predetermined set point at which it will cause the heating elements 24 in the inlet duct to turn off . for example , the thermostat may be set at 75 ° c . the thermostat is heated by both the air flowing out of the drum 16 and by the bias heater 34 . a microprocessor via a control circuit operates the motor 21 as well as the thermostat 32 and bias heater 34 to effect proper drying of a load of clothes . the present invention is most advantageously utilized in the control of an induction motor used in an automatic washing machine and / or an automatic clothes dryer . fig2 is a schematic block diagram of an induction motor 100 having a winding 102 connected to an alternating voltage , v l , at terminal 104 , and via a triac 106 to ground or the neutral of the alternating voltage . as is well known in the art , the motor 100 may be controlled by means of a microprocessor 108 via a trigger boost circuit or control circuit 110 which is connected to a gate g of the triac 106 . the microprocessor 108 causes a signal from the control circuit 110 to be applied to the gate g of the triac 106 typically during each half cycle of the alternating voltage v l . once the triac 106 is triggered into conduction , and a current flows through the winding 102 , thus energizing the motor 100 , the triac 106 will continue to conduct until the next zero crossing of the current . the amount of time after the zero crossing at which the triac is re - triggered into conduction affects the speed of the motor 100 . as shown in fig3 the voltage v l may be sinusoidal , having a zero voltage level or a zero crossing at v zx . the current which flows through the winding 102 of the induction motor 100 is out of phase with the applied voltage v l and when the motor is operating at a high speed , may be represented for example by the &# 34 ; fast &# 34 ; curve i mf and when the motor is operated at a low speed may be represented by the &# 34 ; slow &# 34 ; curve i ms . for a particular operation and speed of the motor 100 , for example , the triac 106 may be triggered into conduction at point in time t 1 . at a later point in time t 2 , corresponding to the zero crossing of the current , the triac 106 will turn off . the zero crossing of the current through the winding 102 is referred to in fig3 as c zx . the time from the zero crossing of the current c zx until the following triggering at time t 1 of the triac 106 may be a fixed value or may be a variable value which is determined by the microprocessor from other parameters . the induction motor 100 has a speed which may be controlled by maintaining the timing interval between the zero current crossing c zx and the moment of triggering t 1 . as explained above , the time interval between the voltage zero crossing v zx and the current zero crossing c zx is shorter for a motor losing speed . in other words , the current lags the voltage by a smaller phase angle amount and thus c zx moves closer to v zx . when triggering is based on a fixed time interval from c zx the triggering also moves to the left in fig3 for a motor losing speed . this triggers the triac 106 earlier in time , which will make the motor speed up . these two opposing conditions , therefore , cause the motor to seek equilibrium . it can be seen that this condition can occur at every half line cycle . as shown in fig2 circuit block 112 senses the zero crossing of the supply voltage v l and provides an output signal , v zx , indicative of this to the microprocessor 108 . circuit block 114 determines the zero crossing of the current flowing through winding 102 from the voltage v t across the triac 106 and produces the signal c zx for the microprocessor 108 . as shown in fig4 the voltage zero crossing sensor 112 is connected directly to the line voltage v l at terminal 104 . the line voltage v l is connected via resistors and capacitor r1 , r2 and cl as shown in fig3 to the base of a transistor q1 . as the voltage at v l rises above ground , q1 becomes forward biased and turns on , pulling its output , v zx to ground . the current sensing block 114 has its input connected to receive the voltage v t and when the triac 106 is conducting negative current v t is negative which keeps transistor q2 in an off condition . the base of transistor q2 is connected through resistors r3 and r4 to the voltage v t . when the triac 106 goes into the nonconducting state , the voltage v t rises , thereby forward biasing q2 which pulls its output c zx to ground . thus , the time between v zx being pulled to ground and the time c zx is pulled to ground is a function of motor speed and loading . this information can then be used by the microprocessor 108 to determine the time of triggering triac 106 through the circuit 110 . as stated above , the motor 100 can be caused to keep a constant speed in consideration of changing load conditions or can be caused to accelerate or decelerate depending upon the application . the microprocessor 108 is not described or shown in detail as there are many suitable microprocessors available which can be easily programmed by one skilled in the art . fig5 shows a more detailed graph of the voltages in the fig2 and 4 circuits . as was stated above , as long as there is sufficient current flowing through the triac 106 , the polarity of the voltage v t across the triac is always in phase with the current flowing through the triac and the winding 102 . for example , when the motor - triac current flows from v l to n , v t is greater than or equal to + 1 . 6 volts . this biases transistor q2 and turns on q2 thereby pulling c zx low . conversely , when the motor - triac current flows up from n to v l , v t is less than or equal to - 1 . 6 volts . transistor q 2 is off and c zx is held high . it is to be noted that both the positive current zero crossings and the negative current zero crossings can be detected with this circuit . zener diode z 1 as shown in fig4 prevents excessive power dissipation in the base of the transistor q 2 . during times when the triac 106 is in an off condition and the voltage v t approaches the line voltage v l , excessive voltage levels which could stress the transistor q2 are diverted through the zener diode z 1 . as can be seen in fig5 the voltage v t changes state between a near zero level and a higher level at each zero crossing of the current flowing through the triac 106 and the winding 102 . the voltage , v t , across the triac 106 provides certain information which may be utilized by the microprocessor in operating the automatic dryer and / or washer . for example , if v t is significantly less than v l because of the motor 100 &# 39 ; s large back emf , this indicates to the microprocessor that the motor is running . if the voltage v t is approximately equal to the voltage v l because of a decrease in the back emf of the motor , this result indicates to the microprocessor that the motor is in a locked rotor position . this is so because when the induction motor is running there is always a certain amount of what may be referred to is as a back emf . this can be seen in fig5 as a difference v emf between v l and v t . also , if the motor 100 is jammed , the back emf of the motor will be small , which in turn means that v t will be very large . the circuit and method described above can be used to sense and redistribute an unbalanced load of clothes in either an automatic washer or an automatic dryer which has a rotation about a horizontal axis . thus , the load in the appliance may be distributed evenly before accelerating to a high speed . the voltage v t off ( see fig5 ) varies as a function of rotor speed in an induction motor . the harder the motor is working , for example , when it is lifting an unbalanced load of clothes , the slower the rotation and the closer to applied line voltage v t off approaches . when variations in successive measurements of v t off exceed some threshold limit , an unacceptably balanced distribution of the clothes load has been detected . in order to effect the redistribution of this unbalanced load , a time is determined at which the speed of the rotating drum is to be suddenly slowed or suddenly accelerated . sudden slowing of the drum causes the clump of clothes to begin to fall off one of the paddles that is lifting it . since the items in this group of clothing are not all equally distant from the bottom of the drum towards which they are falling , the sudden increasing of the surface speed to which the items are falling tends to spread out the items . breaking and accelerating of the drum can be controlled by the microprocessor 108 . since it is possible now to evenly balance the clothes in a horizontal axis washer , higher spin rates are possible as compared to prior art devices . in another embodiment of the present invention , illustrated in fig7 it is possible to predict the drying time of a load of clothes in an automatic dryer . as shown in fig7 the voltage vt is connected to a diode d , and a resistor network r 5 , r 6 is connected to an eight bit analog - to - digital converter 120 , which receives an input approximately equal to v t / 40 . the output of the converter 120 is the value v - triac - off . this output is read by the microprocessor 108 and successive readings are stored internally . the microprocessor 108 accesses a memory 109 in which is stored the data for different drying curves . every load of clothes dries at a rate which is determined by its size and character . larger loads take longer than small loads , cottons take longer than synthetics , and bulky loads take longer than shears . the graph shown in fig6 shows the time versus water retention for different sizes and types of materials in loads . the microprocessor memory 109 contains data with respect to the rate of drying for different types of loads . this data may be empirically prepared by experimentally weighing the clothes every few minutes and graphing the water retention versus time . from this data an extrapolation can be made as to when the clothes should be dry . the slope of the graph is a function of the rate that water is being removed . it has been found that these graphs follow a linear curve quite closely as the clothes are tumbled , for example , in a horizontal axis automatic dryer . when the heater coils in a dryer are cycled on and off , nonlinearities are introduced into the curve of the graph . to finish drying a load of clothes , an additional drying time period is added on according to the operator &# 39 ; s dryness selection . from the graph of fig6 it can be seen that loads of 3 #, 6 #, 9 # and 12 # take about 9 minutes longer to dry for each 3 # increment from a 65 % retention level to a 15 % retention level . the present invention implements the above method to effect the drying of loads as follows : from a stopped drum position , the voltage v t is digitized by converter 120 to provide a direct measurement of line voltage and then the drum is started . when the clothes fall off a paddle , the motor will attain full speed . the voltage v t across the triac after the triac has commutated off will be at a minimum value , v triac - off - min , indicating maximum speed has been achieved . the clothes will be lifted in a clump by a paddle until several tumbles have occurred and will slow the motor down in proportion to the weight of the load . when the motor has slowed to a minimum speed , the voltage v t across the triac will be at a maximum value , v triac - off - max , indicating maximum lift . the magnitude of the difference between v - triac - off - max and v - triac - off - min , adjusted for line voltage variations , will be a function of the load weight . the calculated difference is stored by the microprocessor as the initial weight of the load . the microprocessor next takes at least two successive measurements of v - triac - off . if the first measurement of v - triac - off - max minus v - triac - off - min is large , then the microprocessor can assume the load contains much water and wait , for example , for 10 minutes before stopping the drum and taking another measurement of load weight . if the initial value of v - triac - off - max minus v - triac - off - min is small , then the load contains less water and another measurement can be taken , for example , after 5 minutes . successive measurements of v - triac - off - max minus v - triac - off - min are taken to determine data points that will define a graph of the rate of change of the percentage of water retention versus time . these can be matched with one of , for example , 16 different drying curves stored in the memory of the microprocessor . from a look - up table and the operator &# 39 ; s selected degree of dryness desired , the time remaining until the load is dry can be predicted . as a check , v - triac - off - max minus v - triac - off - min will approach zero as the load becomes dry . this is because a dry load tumbles with much , much less clumping than a wet load , thereby applying a more constant loading to the motor . in addition , the present invention can estimate time remaining to dryness , and can detect an empty drum . furthermore , the present invention can detect a broken belt , in which case the drum is not turning . additionally , the present invention can detect a jammed or locked rotor by detecting that the value v t off exceeds a predetermined threshold value . the invention is not limited to the particular details of the apparatus depicted and other modifications and applications are contemplated . certain other changes may be made in the above described apparatus without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention herein involved . it is intended , therefore , that the subject matter in the above depiction shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense .
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referring to the accompanying drawings , an embodiment of the present invention is explained hereinbelow . fig2 illustrates an electronically controlled fuel injection system of an internal combustion engine which is provided with the oxygen concentration sensor according to the present invention . in this system , a detection part 10 of the oxygen concentration sensor is disposed in an exhaust gas passage 32 of an internal combustion engine 31 , on the upstream side of a three - way catalytic converter 33 . a detection output signal of the detection part 10 of the oxygen concentration sensor is supplied to an ecu ( electronic control unit ) 34 . in a protection case 35 of the detection part 10 of the oxygen concentration sensor , there is provided an oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte member 1 having a generally cubic configuration as shown in fig3 . in the oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte member 1 , a gas retaining chamber 2 is formed . the gas retaining chamber 2 leads to the outside of the oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte member 1 through a gas introduction hole 4 for introducing the measuring gas , i . e . the exhaust gas of the engine . the gas introduction hole 4 is positioned in an exhaust gas passage 32 so that the exhaust gas can easily flow into the gas retaining chamber 2 . the oxygen - ion conductive solid electrolyte member 1 is provided with a reference atmospheric air chamber 5 into which atmospheric air is introduced , in such a manner that the reference atmospheric air chamber 5 is separated from the gas retaining chambers 2 by means of a partition wall between them . in the partition wall between the gas retaining chamber 2 and the reference atmospheric air chamber 5 , and in the wall of the gas retaining chamber 2 on the opposide side of the atmospheric air chamber 5 , there are two pairs of electrodes 7a and 7b , and 6a and 6b , respectively . the solid electrolyte member 1 and the pair of electrodes 6a and 6b together operate as an oxygen pump element 8 . on the other hand , the solid electrolyte member 1 and the pair of electrodes 7a and 7b together operate as a sensor cell element 9 . further , a heater element 3 is provided on an outer wall of the reference atmospheric air chamber 5 . for the oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte member 1 , zirconium dioxide ( zr0 2 ) is suitably used , and platinium ( pt ) is used as the electrodes 6a , 6b , 7a and 7b . the electronic control unit 34 includes a differential amplifier 11 , a reference voltage source 12 , a current detection resistor 13 and a control circuit 14 . the electrode 6a of the oxygen pump element 8 in the detection part 10 is connected to an output terminal of the differential amplifier 11 , and the electrode 6b is grounded through the current detection resistor 13 . the electrode 7b of the sensor cell element 9 is grounded and the electrode 7a is connected to an inverting input terminal of the differential amplifier 11 . the differential amplifier 11 produces an output voltage corresponding to the difference between a voltage generated across the electrodes 7a and 7b of the sensor cell element 9 , and a reference voltage vr supplied from the reference voltage source 12 to a noninverting input terminal thereof . the output voltage of the differential amplifier 11 is supplied to a series circuit formed by the electrodes 6a and 6b and the current detection resistor 13 . the reference voltage vr generated by the reference voltage source 12 is set at a level ( 0 . 4 v for example ) corresponding to the stoichiometric air / fuel ratio . terminals of the current detection resistor 13 operate as output terminals of the oxygen concentration sensor , and a voltage derived across the terminals of the current detection resistor 13 is supplied to the control circuit 14 as an oxygen concentration detection value . to the control circuit 14 , there are connected output signals from a throttle opening sensor 15 which comprises a potentiometer and generates an output voltage whose level corresponds to the opening of a throttle valve 37 , an absolute pressure sensor 16 provided in an intake pipe 36 , on the downstream side of the throttle valve 37 , which generates an output signal whose level corresponds to the absolute pressure in the intake pipe 36 , a cooling water temperature sensor 17 for generating an output voltage whose level corresponds to the cooling water temperature of the engine , and a crank angle sensor 18 for generating a pulse train signal in synchronism with the rotation of the crankshaft ( not shown ) of the engine . the control circuit 14 includes an a / d ( analog to digital ) converter 20 having differential inputs which converts the voltage across the terminals of the current detection resistor 13 to a digital signal , a level converting circuit 21 for performing the level conversion of the output signals of the throttle opening sensor 15 , the absolute pressure sensor 16 , and the water temperature sensor 17 , a multiplexer 22 for selectively outputting one of the output signals of the sensors through the level converting circuit 21 , an a / d converter 23 for converting the signal supplied from the multiplexer 22 into a digital signal , a waveform shaping circuit 24 for performing the waveform shaping of the output signal of the crank angle sensor 18 and outputting it as a pulse signal such as a tdc signal , a counter 25 for detecting the interval of the tdc signal outputted by the waveform shaping circuit 24 by counting the number of clock pulses supplied from a clock pulse generating circuit ( not shown ), a drive circuit 26 for driving an injector 19 , a heater current supply circuit 27 for supplying a drive current of the heater element 3 , a cpu ( central processing unit ) 28 for executing digital operations , for example , according to various operation programs and data previously stored in a rom 29 and a ram 30 . the injector 19 is provided on the intake pipe 36 of the engine 31 near intake valves ( not shown ). the heater element is supplied with a voltage from a heater power source 40 and the output voltage of the heater power source 40 is controlled by the heater current supply circuit 27 . by applying the voltage to the heater element 3 , heat is generated at the heater element 3 , and the oxygen pump element 8 and the sensor cell element 9 are heated to a suitable temperature which is higher than the temperature of exhaust gas . with this arrangement , data indicative of the pump current i p flowing through the oxygen pump element 8 from the a / d converter 20 , information of the throttle opening θth , the absolute pressure p ba in the intake pipe , the cooling water temperature t w selectively from the a / d converter 23 and information of the count value in the intrval of generation of the rotation pulses from the counter 25 are supplied to the cpu 28 through an input / output bus 38 . the cpu 28 reads the above - mentioned various information in accordance with the program stored in the rom 29 and calculates a fuel injection time t out of the injector 19 corresponding to the amount of the fuel to be supplied to the engine 31 using a calculation formula described later , in response to these information in a fuel supply routine synchronized with the tdc signal . the fuel injector 19 is actuated by the drive circuit 26 only for the fuel injection time t out so as to supply the fuel to the engine 31 . the fuel injection time t out is , for example , calculated by the following formula : where t i represents a basic supply amount determined by the engine rotational speed ne and the pressure p ba in the intake passage , k 02 represents a feedback correction coefficient of the air / fuel ratio which is determined in accordance with the output signal level of the oxygen concentration sensor , k wot represents a fuel increment correction coefficient for a high load operation , and k tw represents a coefficient of the engine coolant temperature . the values of t i , k 02 , k wot , and k tw are set in subroutines of the fuel supply routine . when the supply of the pump current to the oxygen pump element 8 is started , a voltage developing across the electrodes 7a and 7b of the sensor cell element 9 becomes lower than the reference voltage generated by the reference voltage source 2 if the air / fuel ratio of the mixture supplied to the engine 31 is in the lean region . therefore , the differential amplifier 11 produces a positive output signal . this positive output signal is supplied to the electrode 6a of the oxygen pump element 8 . since the pump current flows from the electrode 6a to the electrode 6b of the oxygen pump element 8 , oxygen in the gas retaining chamber 2 is ionized at the electrode 6b , and moves through the inside of the oxygen pump element 8 , and released in the form of oxygen gas at the electrode 6a . the oxygen in the gas retaining chamber 2 is pumped out in this way . by the pumping of the oxygen in the gas retaining chamber 2 , a difference of oxygen concentration develops between the exhaust gas in the gas retaining chamber 2 and the atmospheric air in the reference atmospheric air chamber 5 . a voltage vs corresponding to this difference of oxygen concentration develops across the electrodes 7a and 7b of the sensor cell element 9 , and this voltage vs is supplied to the inverting input terminal of the differential amplifier 11 , where the output voltage of the differential amplifier 11 has a voltage proportional to the difference between the voltage vs and the reference voltage vr . and this output voltage is supplied to the series circuit of the oxygen pump element and the current detection resistor 13 . on the other hand , the voltage vs exceeds the output voltage of the reference voltage source when the air / fuel ratio of the mixture is in the rich region . therefore , the output signal level of the differential amplifier 11 changes from the positive level to the negative level . by this negative level output signal , the direction of the pump current flowing across the electrodes 6a and 6b of the oxygen pump element 8 is turned over . under this condition , the pump current flows from the electrode 6b to the electrode 6a , and oxygen in the outside is ionized at the electrode 6a , and moves through the inside of the oxygen pump element 8 to the electrode 6b where the oxygen ion is released into the gas retaining chamber 2 in the form of oxygen gas . in this way , the oxygen is pumped into the gas retaining chamber 2 . the leakage of the heater current to be supplied to the heater element will be explained . when the air / fuel ratio is in the lean region , a part of the heater current 3 supplied from the heater power source 40 is , as shown by the broken line a in fig3 flows from the heater element through the solid electrolyte member 1 , and reaches a portion between the electrodes 6a and 6b of the oxygen pump element 8 . this leakage current is combined with the pump current generated by the positive output signal level of the differential amplifier 11 , and flows toward the electrode 6b , and further flows into the ground through the current detection resistor 13 . also by this leakage current , the oxygen in the gas retaining chamber 2 is pumped out , and the voltage is generated across the electrodes 7a and 7b of the sensor cell element accordingly , by which the output voltage of the differential amplifier 11 is controlled . therefore , a voltage representing the pump current including the leakage current from the current detection resistor 13 is supplied to the control circuit 14 as the oxygen concentration detection value . fig4 shows an output signal characteristic of the oxygen concentration sensor according to the present invention , in which the broken line a shows the current flowing through the oxygen pump element 8 by means of the output voltage of the differential amplifier 11 , i . e ., the current detected as the pump current value in the conventional arrangement by means of the current detection resistor . on the other hand , the characteristic shown by the solid line b represents the pump current including the leakage current which is detected by means of the current detection resistor 13 . when the air / fuel ratio is in the rich region , the leakage current of the heater current supplied to the heater element 3 from the heater power source 40 flows into the electrode 6b and the current detection resistor 13 , to decrease the pump current . therefore , te voltage representing the pump current obtained by subtracting the leakage current from the current generated by the output voltage of the differential amplifier is supplied to the control circuit 14 as the oxygen concentration detection value . therefore , even if the leakage of the heater current occurs , the pump current including the leakage current flows through the oxygen pump element 8 to pump in or out the oxygen so that the oxygen in the gas retaining chamber is maintained constant , i . e ., the state of equlibration is attained . therefore , the pump current i p detected by means of the current detection resistor 13 becomes proportional to the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas both in the lean region and in the rich region . in accordance with this pump current value i p , the above mentioned feedback correction coefficient ko 2 is determined . referring to fig5 the second embodiment of the present invention will be explained . as shown , the electrode 6a of the oxygen pump element 8 is grounded and the electrode 6b located in the gas retaining chamber 2 is connected to the output terminal of the differential amplifier 11 through the current detection resistor 13 . with this arrangement , the pump current from the differential amplifier 11 flows through the oxygen pump element 8 in the reverse direction with respect to the embodiment of fig3 . therefore , the electrode 7a of the sensor cell element 9 is connected to the noninverting input terminal of the differential amplifier 11 and the inverting input terminal of the differential amplifier 11 is connected to the reference voltage source 12 . in this embodiment , the leak current of the heater current which may flow through the electrode 6b flows through the current detection resistor 13 as in the case of the previous embodiment . it will be appreciated from the foregoing , according to the present invention , the current detection resistor inserted in the circuit for supplying the pump current is connected to the electrode of the oxygen pump element located on the gas retaining chamber &# 39 ; s side . therefore , all of the current flowing through this electrode of the oxygen pump element including the leak current of the heater current is detected by means of the current detection resistor . thus , the oxygen concentration value is detected accurately , and the accuracy of the air / fuel ratio control is improved by controlling the air / fuel ratio of the mixture supplied to the engine in accordance with the this detection value of the oxygen concentration .
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in accordance with fig1 the switching device according to the present invention includes at least one semiconductor switching element 1 which is integrated into a movable contact member 2 serving to produce an isolating distance . in the case of the switching device in accordance with fig1 two bidirectionally connected semiconductor switching elements 1 , whose substrate consists , for example , of silicon or silicon carbide , are a component of the movable contact member 2 . in this arrangement , the connections of the movable contact member 2 are advantageously constructed as blade contacts , as is known from fuse disconnecting switches . in this case , fig1 shows the closed state of the switching device , whereas in fig2 its open state is represented , in which an isolating distance 4 is visible after opening of the movable contact member 2 . the switching device can be of single - phase and / or multi - phase design . a further embodiment of the switching device according to the present invention is represented in fig3 and in this case the semiconductor switching elements 1 are arranged in a fixed fashion , and connected in series therewith is an isolator or switch 3 which can be remotely actuated and by means of which the requirement for a visible isolating distance can be fulfilled . remotely actuated switches and semiconductor switches can form a hardware unit in this case . the semiconductor switching elements can also be remotely actuated , for example by a motor . in the case of the multi - phase design of the switching device having a semiconductor switching element 1 integrated in the contact member 2 , it disadvantageous to provide a common drive for the circuit .
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referring to fig1 , a server 50 in accordance with the present invention is shown installed in a protective wall cabinet 12 on board a carriage 14 of a public - transport train , which is shown in dotted lines . the server is installed in this way to avoid tampering and accidental damage . within the carriage 14 , there are a number of passengers ( not shown ), two of which have cellular telephones 16 equipped with a bluetooth interface 18 , and internet browsing software . the server 50 is an off - the - shelf laptop pc programmed with software to operate as a www - server , which is described in more detail hereinafter , and provided with three wireless interfaces implemented by three pcmcia cards . the first interface 55 is a bluetooth interface which provides a broadband connection to the passengers &# 39 ; cellular telephones . the second interface 60 is a wcdma interface providing a connection to an external , public , mobile wcdma network 62 . the third interface 65 is a hiperlan wireless lan interface providing a broadband connection to an external network 67 , when broadband access is possible in hot - spot areas such as at major train stations . the external network 67 is part of a private network installed by the public - transport company . as shown in fig2 , via either the second interface 60 , or the third interface 65 , the server 50 is given access to a service controller server 90 . in the case of the wcdma network 62 , the connection between the wcdma network and the service controller server 90 is achieved via an isdn connection 64 . the service control server 90 is connected to the internet via a single gateway 92 including a firewall . the software in the service controller server 90 includes a number of functional modules . a dhcp ( domain home control protocol ) module 94 assigns an individual address to the server 50 . a nat ( network address translator ) module 96 locally - expands the number of ip addresses recognized within the company &# 39 ; s network . an smtp relay module 98 forwards emails . a mirror site module 108 , includes a rsync program , cvsup program , and a proxy module proxypass directive , for duplicating a database of information at a remote site . a snmp ( simple network management protocol ) is module 102 . a ssl ( secure socket layer ) is module 104 . a local content source is module 106 . a remote network management protocol and useage monitoring is module 108 . the software in the server 50 includes a number of functional modules 70 , 72 , 74 , and 76 . an encryption , authentication and billing module 70 handles the commercial aspects of the transactions with passengers &# 39 ; terminals . web authentication 70 is necessary for properly establishing the identity of the customer , thereby preventing fraud . encryption is also necessary to prevent fraud and to protect the privacy of the customer . customer billing facilities are needed when a customer makes use of services which are not free . a local content module 72 provides an extensive body of local content including services and information for the passengers &# 39 ; to access . examples include news , cartoons , music , video , timetables , games , electronic commerce , and advertisements . some of the content is free and for other content a fee is levied . an access control module 74 controls and balances access to the external network by the second and third interfaces 60 and 65 . the module 74 also operates to restrict free access to the whole internet at the discretion of the server operator . an update module 76 enables the server software , including the content , to be updated when broadband access in hot - spot areas is possible . in use , when a passenger boards the carriage 14 for the daily journey to or from the workplace , the passenger can pass time or engage in some more fruitful activity by logging on to the server 50 via the bluetooth connection between the first interface 55 of the server 50 and that of the cellular telephone . the module 70 ensures the integrity of the connection by providing authentication and encryption . once the user is authenticated locally , this information is passed to the service controller server 90 via the wcdma network 62 and then the isdn line 64 , where the dhcp protocol module assigns an individual ip address to the user . because there may be more user terminals at one time than there are ip addresses allocated to the transport company &# 39 ; s network , the nat 96 is also needed . if the passenger wants to make use of the non - free content , then the module 70 also takes care of registering the passenger for billing purposes and running the billing process . for the local content 72 , the passenger enjoys a very speedy service because of the high data rates which the bluetooth connection can support . if the passenger attempts to access a remote server , this request is passed to the access control module 74 . the access control module 74 is responsible for determining whether to permit access to the requested sever . the access control module 74 provides an ip address filtering function and may also contain a black - list of specific internet addresses for which it denies access to an access request from a passenger . if the module 74 determines that access is permitted , it also determines by which of the second and third interfaces 60 , 65 external network access is to be achieved . the access control module 74 determines which interface to use by first instructing the third interface 65 to attempt to make a connection with an external network 67 . in the normal case when the train is not in a hot - spot , such as for example , when the train is moving between stations or stationary in a minor station which is not equipped with a broadband access point to an external network , the third interface 65 fails to make a connection , whereby in default , the access control module 74 makes a mobile connection to the wcdma network 62 via the second interface 60 . through this connection , access to the service controller server 90 is achieved , through the gateway 92 of which access to the internet and finally the remote servers 80 can be achieved . in the less frequent case where the train is in a hot - spot area , for example , stationary in a train station where a broadband access point to an external network is available , then the attempt by the third interface to make a connection with the external network 67 is successful and the access control module 74 makes use of the third interface 65 . through this connection . access to the service controller server 90 is achieved , through the gateway of which access to the internet and finally the remote content on remote servers 90 is accomplished . from a passenger &# 39 ; s perspective , the speed of access to remote servers compares favorably with that via the second interface 60 because the downlink connection between the network 67 and the third interface does not act as a data bottleneck . it will be appreciated that it is a significant advantage of this embodiment of the advantage that internet access is maintained at all times ( within the coverage of the wcdma network ). in a hot - spot area , the update module 76 can take advantage of the broadband connection with the external network 67 and download updates in the content provided locally , for example , the latest news or other information updates , or additional / replacement services to be offered as local content , an updated list of black - listed internet addresses or additional software for the server to run . the downloading is handled in the service controller module 108 by the mirror site module 108 which brings the local server into line with the local content source module database in the service controller module . the request for updating can be made by either server 50 or the server 90 . in other embodiments , instead of a cellular telephone , other types of user terminal such as a wearable computer , multimedia terminal , pda , communicator , wristwatch or a laptop fitted with a wireless network adapter may be used . in other embodiments , instead of a gsm interface , the first interface 55 can be pdc , phs , edge , gprs , wcdma , imt - 2000 , cdmaone , ico iridium or goldstar interface . in other embodiments , instead of a bluetooth interface , the second interface 60 can be a hiperlan wireless lan , ieee 802 . 11 wireless lan , mmac wireless lan , wireless ieee 1394 , home rf or irda interface . in other embodiments , instead of a hiperlan wireless lan interface , the third interface 65 can be an ieee 802 . 11 , mmac wireless lan , bluetooth ieee 802 . 16 , ieee 802 . 15 , etsi hiperaccess , arib t - 58 or arib t - 59 interface . the external network 67 may also be part of a public network . the server can be installed in other vehicles such as a bus , metro , tram , taxi , private car , aircraft , ferry or boat . in other embodiments of the invention , functionality can be shifted between the service controller server 90 and the server 50 according to practical system requirements . for example , the ip address filtering function of the access control module 74 can be resident in the service controller server 90 instead of the server 50 as described above . likewise , the client billing functionality can also be shifted to the service controller server 90 . from the server provider &# 39 ; s / service provider &# 39 ; s point of view , the above - illustrated embodiment is an advantageous way of carrying out e - commerce . importantly , the service provider has a ready - made set of customers , that is the passengers , with nothing much to do except access the content available from the server 50 . in addition , the content which is local to the server 50 by virtue of its ready accessibility as compared to with that available from a remote server 90 , if for no other reason than speed of access , is likely to be highly preferred by the passengers , and so with no costs to be incurred for mobile network connections and with reasonable pricing of the local content , long - lasting use of the services will be encouraged . if slow access alone proves to be insufficient disincentive to access certain remote servers 90 , then the access control module 74 can prevent access to certain remote servers . these factors combine to give the service provider unprecedented influence over the range of content a customer can access . further , the service provider has the opportunity to charge third party companies for storing content locally . the above - illustrated embodiment makes extensive good use of the public cellular architecture to maintain a mobile connection via the second interface 65 . also , the updating module 76 of the server enables the service provider to keep the content stored locally on the server up - to - date with minimum bother , the updating of the local content taking place via the third interface 65 , thereby avoiding the need to physically visit the server , for example , to install an updated cd - rom . because of these favorable circumstances , the internet portal initially presented by the server 50 to the passengers would become very familiar , whereby the portal could be made into a valuable brand . a premium can be charged by the service provider for links to content residing locally on the server 50 , as compared with links to content on remote servers 70 . fig3 represent a different way of implementing the present invention . in this drawing , similar parts have been given the same number . the server 120 is similar to the server 50 in the fig1 embodiment . it differs in that the second interface which provides connection to a network external of the carriage is not a link providing mobility , like a cellular system link , but can be any other kind of rf connection , for instance , any of the wlan standards previously mentioned . also , the server is provided with mesh and / or ad - hoc routing protocols . the effect of this is that each carriage in the train behaves as the node of mesh and / or adhoc network , whereby if a server cannot , for a time , communicate with a part of the core network 125 , the network routing paths are reconfigured such that the traffic which it wishes to transmit is routed over the air to another server in another carriage which is able to currently access the core network . otherwise , this embodiment has all the functionality and advantages of the previously described embodiment .
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turning now to the drawings wherein like components are designated by like reference numerals throughout the various figures , an apparatus for processing cylindrical articles , and particularly cans , is illustated in fig1 and 2 and generally designated 10 . more specifically , processing apparatus 10 includes starwheel 12 -- shown in segmented form -- mounted on shaft 13 . a plurality of pockets 15 are defined in starwheel 12 and interface with loading means 16 to provide for depositing of unprocessed cylindrical articles 18 in pockets 15 . a number of loading means 16 are known to those skilled in the art which function with , for instance , either indexing starwheels 12 or continuously rotating starwheels 12 . reference is made to copending u . s . patent application ser . no . 606 , 683 for &# 34 ; method and apparatus for transferring cans &# 34 ; as a specific example of such auxiliary features . starwheel 12 also cooperates with unloading means 20 which removes processed cylindrical articles 21 from pocket 15 of starwheel 12 . again , unloading means are quite common and often take the form of rails which fit between the segments of starwheel 12 and guide articles 21 out of pockets 15 . processing of articles 18 into processed articles 21 is accomplished by axially moving articles 18 from pocket 15 onto mandrels 24 . for purposes of discussion and illustration , a trimming step will be illustrated and described . however , the trimming step per se is conventional and is intended to be equivalent to the other conventional processes which may be practiced upon cylindrical article 18 while supported on mandrel 24 . knife 25 serves to turn cylindrical article 18 to form processed cylindrical article 21 . reference is made to copending u . s . patent application ser . no . 612 , 159 , for &# 34 ; method and apparatus for trimming cylindrical articles ,&# 34 ; now u . s . pat . no . 4 , 014 , 228 for the details of a particularly advantageous trimming process as illustrated . mandrels 24 are mounted upon mandrel support 26 which in turn is carried on shaft 13 . as shown particularly well in fig1 mandrels 24 and pockets 15 are axially aligned . the spacing is more readily apparent from fig2 in which it is shown that mandrels 24 are adjacent to but axially spaced from starwheel 12 . pocket 15 is of sufficient length to support and carry processed article 21 as illustrated . mandrels 24 are preferably rotatably mounted to mandrel support 26 by means of , for instance , shaft 27 carried in bearings 28 . adjacent the end of shaft 27 spur gear 30 is provided which in turn interfaces with ring gear 32 . thus as shaft 13 rotates , gear 30 and gear 32 serve to induce a rotary motion to mandrel 24 . alternatively , mandrel 24 may be fixedly mounted to mandrel support 26 as may be required by the particular process being practiced upon cylindrical article 18 . also mounted to shaft 13 is conduit member 34 having a number of conduits 35 defined therethrough . conduits 35 are arranged with outlets 36 aligned with pockets 15 . first valve means 37 is provided adjacent conduit member 34 and fixedly mounted with , for instance , bearing 40 accomodating rotation of shaft 13 . the details of first valve means 37 will be apparent with reference to fig3 . thus , as shown , first valve means 37 is non - rotatably mounted while conduit member 34 rotates with shaft 13 . accordingly , conduit inlets 42 sequentially come into communication with arcuate port 44 defined at the interface of conduit member 34 and first valve means 37 . in this manner , at specific arcs of rotation , selected conduits 35 are brought into communication with , as shown in fig1 and 2 , pressurized pipe 45 which communicates with a pressure source ( not shown ). during this period , a compressed gas is forcefully expelled through outlet conduit 36 impinging upon adjacent cylindrical article 18 in starwheel pocket 15 and urging cylindrical article 18 onto mandrel 24 . in this manner , cylindrical article 18 is positively loaded onto mandrel 24 without reliance upon complicated mechanical push rods , vacuum cups , etc ., without axial movement of a mechanical component into the pockets of starwheel 12 and , without reliance upon movement of mandrel 24 towards , or relative to , pockets 15 of starwheel 12 . at such time that inlet 42 of any given conduit 35 is not in communication with arcuate port 44 , there is no pressure or compressed gas flow through such conduit 35 . though it is preferable that a moving conduit member 34 be employed to maintain conduit outlet 36 in alignment with pocket 35 , it is conceivable and , particularly in low speed operation , workable , that a fixed outlet be employed . in such an arrangement , a constant compressed gas flow through a fixed conduit could be maintained and would impinge upon cylindrical article 18 only as starwheel 12 moved cylindrical articles 18 into the appropriate position for transfer . this approach avoids the need for dynamic valving and timing but does not afford precise alignment of the gas flow and picket 15 as does the preferred first described arrangement . also , other valving means could be employed . for instance , as shown at , for instance , fig2 on the opposite end of shaft 13 ( as first valve means 37 ), second valve means 48 may take the form of shoes 50 and 51 which sealingly interface with shaft 13 . as illustrated , shoe 50 communicates with vacuum line 53 connected to a vacuum source ( not shown ). similarly , shoe 51 communicates with a pressure line 54 which in turn is connected to a pressure source ( not shown ). a number of u - passages 55 at a common axially position as shoes 50 and 51 at one opening are defined in shaft 13 and communicated in turn at the other opening with radial pipes 57 which terminate at a rotary union 58 . rotary union 58 , in turn , is connected to passageway 60 defined through shaft 27 and mandrel 24 . in operation , as shaft 13 rotates , u - passages 55 sequentially come into communication with , for instance , shoe 50 thereby generating a vacuum in the exposed u - passage 55 , attached radial pipe 57 and rotary union 58 and , in turn , provides a vacuum through passageway 60 to the end of mandrel 24 . such a vacuum at the end of mandrel 24 is preferably provided and timed to cooperate with the gas jet from outlet 36 of corresponding conduit 35 . thus conduit 35 produces a gas jet which urges cylindrical article 18 towards mandrel 24 and , upon location of cylindrical article 18 at mandrel 24 , mandrel port 62 , and the accompanying vacuum provided by the above - discussed operation of vacuum shoe 50 of second valve means 48 serves to create a vacuum internal of cylindrical article 18 to securely locate cylindrical article 18 on mandrel 24 . preferably , such vacuum is mantained while the processing step is carried out . thereafter , the subject u - passage 55 rotates out of communication with shoe 50 and into communication with shoe 51 . at that time , pressure line 54 connected to shoe 51 pressurizes subject u - passage 55 , radial pipe 57 and rotary union 58 and , ultimately provides a pressurized gas at mandrel ports 62 through passageway 60 . this serves to expel processed cylindrical article 21 from mandrel 24 back into axially aligned pocket 15 of starwheel 12 . of course , other conventional unloading means such as mechanical push members may be employed . as discussed above , use of pressurized air per se is not novel for purposes of unloading a processed cylindrical article 21 from mandrel 24 . however , the advantages of using a pneumatic unload for cylindrical article 21 in conjunction with a gas jet load for cylindrical article 18 , and thus avoiding axially moving mechanical mechanisms , are substantial . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that first valve means 37 and second valve means 48 are fundamentally interchangeable . for instance , to use second valve means 48 in place of first valve means 37 , only a pressure shoe would be employed and u - shaped passages would extend from the fixed valve means through shaft 13 into conduit member 34 . conversely , in the event first valve meams 37 were to be used in place of second valve means 48 , two arcuate ports 44 would be defined in first valve means 37 , one to communicate with a vacuum source and the other to communicate with a pressure source . other functional valve means will also be apparent to those skilled in the art . summarily , the loading means of the instant invention provides for synchronized , pure axial displacement of a cylindrical article out of the starwheel pocket onto an aligned mandrel for various types of processing of the cylindrical article . the mandrel may be fixed or rotating relative to its support . preferably , the mandrel is provided with a channel which may be selectively connected to a vacuum source to aid in loading and securing of the cylindrical article on the mandrel , and at an appropriate time , connected to a pressure source to expel the trimmed or otherwise processed cylindrical article from the mandrel into the starwheel pocket . although only limited embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated , it is apparent that various changes and modifications can be readily made by those skilled in the art , and that such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims .
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the radiotelephone network shown in fig1 which is described in the second publication mentioned in the preamble to this disclosure , comprises radiotelephone transceivers bts each covering a geographical area or cell such as the cell cel . 1 . these cells overlap in part and can together cover all of a country . a mobile such as the mobile sm1 in cell cel . 1 uses the transceiver bts of the cell for radiotelephone calls . transceivers bts of a number of neighbouring cells are part of a common base station which comprises control and switching equipment bsc1 , bsc2 , etc . neighbouring base stations are connected to a common mobile switching center msc1 , msc2 , etc and the mobile switching centers are connected to the general telecommunications network rtp . a typical call from or to a mobile sm1 is set up via a communication channel ve connecting a party reached through the main telecommunications network rtp to a mobile switching center msc1 , a switching path in the center msc1 , a communication channel vc1 going from the center msc1 to the control and switching equipment bsc1 of a base station , a switching part in the equipment bsc1 , a communication channel vc1a from the equipment bsc1 to the transceiver bts of a cell and a radio channel to the mobile sm1 . as it moves around , this mobile will leave the cell cel . 1 and enter a neighbouring cell such as the cel . 2 . the call in progress at this time must continue via the transceiver bts of the cell cel . 2 . this will require handover of the radiotelephone call from one cell to the other , in other words from one transceiver to the other . any such handover will require the setting up of another switching path in the base station bsc1 extending via another communication channel vc1b to the transceiver of the other cell . if the mobile enters a cell which is part of another base station , the switching to be carried out will involve setting up a switching path in the switching center msc1 leading via a communication channel vc2 to said other base station ( bsc2 , for example ) and via a switching path in the base station bsc2 to a communication channel ( bc2a , for example ) leading to the transceiver of the cell . if the other base station is connected to another switching center , the handover will involve setting up a switching path in the switching center msc1 via a communication channel ( vc3 , for example ) to the base station bsc3 in question , in which a switching path will lead to a communication channel ( such as vc3a ) to the transceiver of the cell in question . switching operations to hand over the radiotelephone call when the mobile sm1 moves each comprise , as is well known from switching installations , the preparation of a handover branch by reserving switching paths and communication channels from the handover level which is represented by the symbol for a switching matrix in a base station or a switching center . a handover instruction is then given which frees the abandoned branch and connects the handover branch . the call is briefly interrupted , for around 30 ms , between freeing one branch and connecting the other . in the mobile sm1 itself , the movement from one cell to the other requires a switching operation . this is controlled by the base station with which the mobile is communicating before the switching . it is initiated by monitoring in the mobile the level at which pilot signals are received not only from the transceiver of the cell in which the mobile is located but also from transceivers of surrounding cells . the base station is therefore able to determine whether it is necessary to hand over the call in progress for this mobile from the cell in which it is still located to a neighbouring cell . this results in the sending of a switching instruction which tells the mobile the radio channel ( of the neighbouring cell ) to which it will have to connect . the call is then cut off . the mobile then sets up the links with the base station ( which may be the same base station or another base station ) via the latter channel , after which the call is reestablished . the call is cut off for 150 ms , as specified in recommendation no 0208 of the cept gsm group [&# 34 ; qualitede service &# 34 ;, chapter a . 1 . 9 , items a ) and b )]. the present invention , as shown in fig2 provides for the switching instruction to be transmitted to the mobile under conditions such that it causes the call to be interrupted in a defined cut - off time interval and for the instruction to execute the operation which hands over the call to the handover branch to be given under conditions such that the interruption of the call which may result from this handover operation occurs during said defined cut - off time interval . the decision to hand over the call ( rcp ) is taken at any level of the network ( fig1 ). this decision gives rise to a handover instruction oa which starts a time - delay rcpt at the end of which the handover operation sjo is initiated . fig2 shows the time - delay rcpt and the handover execution time - delay sjo which occurs after a time interval shown in dashed lines , and which may be comparatively short . the interruption of the call is shown at sw to the right of the time - delay sjo to clarify the description , although in fact they are substantially simultaneous . the same decision rcp gives rise to a switching instruction ob which triggers the switching operation hoc . the duration of the switching operation is shown at hoc . the corresponding interruption of the call is shown at msw , to the right of the time - delay hoc , to locate it on the same time scale as the interruption sw . it is clear that irrespective of the level at which the handover decision is taken , it is sufficient to choose the duration of the time - delay rcpt to time execution of the handover operation relative to the switching operation , given that the handover operation is considerably shorter than the switching operation . this makes it possible to time the call interruption sw due to the switching operation , under nominal operating conditions for the switching equipments , in the middle of the call interruption caused by the switching operation , under nominal operating conditions of the mobile and of the base stations . the interruption sw ( fig2 ) can be offset by 60 ms in either direction relative to the interruption msw by reason of unfavorable circumstances in the execution of the handover or switching operations , without prejudice to its being coincident with the latter . estimates indicate that this will be so in the very great majority of cases , so that the invention will generally reduce the interruption of the call caused by handing over the call to just the interruption needed for the radiotelephone call switching . it will be noted that , apart from the saving in terms of conference circuits , the invention makes it possible to eliminate the cost , in terms of the control unit operating time , of the insertion and the withdrawal of these conference circuits , and to eliminate the delay in executing the handover necessitated by the insertion of the conference circuit , while all calls , whether voice or data , are processed the same way .
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[ 0013 ] fig1 is a functional block diagram of a computing arrangement 100 in which services are made accessible to client systems via downloadable applications . client 102 is the device through which a user interacts with a service 104 that is hosted by server system 106 . client 102 and server 106 are coupled via a network , for example the internet or a organization &# 39 ; s intranet 108 . example services include personal information management services , travel services , and entertainment services . in general , the features provided by the service dictate the types of devices that are suitable for use as client 102 . for some services , users may desire accessibility on a variety of devices ranging from workstations to hand - held devices . many services interact with users via downloadable application programs . for example , service 104 is initiated via a control mechanism that is provided at client 102 . based on application - specific requirements , the service at some time in its process flow transmits a downloadable application to client 102 . the downloadable application implements one or more functions that are associated with the service 104 . client 102 hosts software that executes the downloadable application . adaptations of legacy applications ( services ) to today &# 39 ; s mobile computing environment must address the issues related to data storage and disconnection . to support remote storage and disconnections , either the application or the virtual machine has to be modified . in changing the application source code , there will be a significant cost incurred , along with the possibility of introducing protocol / server dependencies into the application . another problem is that the source code may be unavailable . if the virtual machine is modified , not only is access to the source code required , but all the different variants of the virtual machine must be maintained . [ 0016 ] fig2 is a functional block diagram that illustrates the interposition of an interposed class for an original class in accordance with one embodiment of the invention . in one embodiment of the invention , standard java application programming interface ( api ) classes and methods are extended without modifying either the application source code or the java virtual machine and standard api library . for a java - based implementation , java byte - codes are modified at load time and prior to resolution , such that standard java application programming interface ( api ) class intantiations and method invocations are replaced by instantiations and invocations of extensions of the original class or substitutes of the original methods . in a more general embodiment of the invention , a class loader 156 retrieves a class file in response to a load class directive from the virtual machine 152 . the virtual machine issues the load class directive in response to the constructor invoked by an application 152 executing within the virtual machine . it will be appreciated that the class may also be loaded in response to being referenced by another class . the class file 160 , for example foo . class , can be read from either local or network storage . the class foo . class references an example standard api class bar . class . classes 158 represents a set of classes to be transformed by class loader 156 . class loader 156 uses a list 162 of classes and methods to determine which classes and methods are to be interposed . list 162 maps names of classes and methods to corresponding names of classes and methods to interpose . for example , an entry in the list maps bar . class to interpose . bar . class . depending on implementation requirements , list 162 may also map methods that are to be interposed in addition to mapping classes . for example , “ final ” and “ abstract ” classes can not be extended . thus , individual method invocations in substituted instead . it will be appreciated that list 162 can be provided in various forms to class loader 156 , for example as a downloadable configuration file or as a locally stored configuration file . alternatively , the list may be statically built into the class loader . after class loader 156 retrieves the class file for foo . class , references in the class file for foo . class to the class names and method names in list 162 are replaced with the corresponding name of the substitute class . for example , because foo . class includes the reference to bar . class and bar . class is in the list 162 , references to bar . class in class file 166 are replaced with interpose . bar . class . in one embodiment , the modified class file is stored in class cache 164 to accelerate subsequent loading of subclasses and methods of foo . class . it will be appreciated that the class file need not be cached if the reduction in access time is not deemed beneficial relative to the costs associated with implementing and maintaining the cache . thereafter , the modified class file , referencing interpose . bar . class , is returned to the virtual machine . thus , the interposition of the substitute class is entirely transparent to the application 152 as well as virtual machine 154 . in the general case , classes 158 are classes that will be transformed by interposition of the interposed classes 170 . for example , in a specific embodiment , classes 158 are selected java system classes that are transformed . the interposed classes 170 are used in lieu of or as extensions of the selected java system classes . it will be appreciated that in one embodiment , the interposed classes are installed on the client as a “ middleware ” software layer . application 152 refers to the interposed classes 170 instead of classes 158 ( e . g ., the java system classes ). the following description describes an example implementation of the present invention . the example implementation interposes substitute classes and methods for standard java api classes and methods . the particular classes and methods that are interposed are selected to address various issues relating remote storage , disconnection , and concurrency within a single java virtual machine . management of the user &# 39 ; s data in a mobile environment impacts the java implementation . for example , access to distant resources ( java classes , user data , urls ) must be detected and locally cached so that disconnection is a non - fatal event and performance remains acceptable . in order for an end - user &# 39 ; s personal data and profiles to be available on the possible devices at the user &# 39 ; s disposal , the data must be persistent and securely stored . this requirement implies a third party storage provider to store and retrieve the data . in the java implementation , an objective is to support legacy services without imposing any software changes to support the remote storage . many embedded and mobile devices do not facilitate remote storage . because applications use the standard java . io package to store data , the java implementation is arranged such that when methods are invoked from this package , the files are transparently loaded , refreshed and updated on the remote storage server . similarly methods such as java . awt . toolkit . getimage are redirected to the remote storage server . disconnection issues also impact the java implementation . continuous internet connectivity can be expensive and interruptions in service can be expected . some types of services or applications may proceed locally if the user &# 39 ; s data and urls are cached on the client device . the cache content is regularly synchronized and flushed if required . in the example embodiment , the java implementation table 1 briefly summarizes the standard java apis that are modified . the following paragraphs present example java source code in which substitute classes and methods are interposed . the examples are presented for illustration only , and it will be clear from the discussion accompanying fig2 that the application source is not required . the interposition is accomplished instead by modification to the class files . the following example code illustrates interposition of a class . in the general case , interposition of the instances of class “ a ” with instances of class “ interposed . a ” requires that “ new ” statements and constructor invocations for class a be respectively replaced by “ new ” statements and constructor invocations for class “ interposed . a ”. the following class : import java . io . file ; public class simplefile { static public file file ; public file add ( ) { return new file (“ add ”); } public static void main ( string argv []) { file = new file (“ afile ”); string name = file . getname ( ); file = new simplefile ( ) . add ( ); } } [ 0028 ] import interpose . java . io . file ; public class simplefile { static public java . io . file file ; public java . io . file add ( ) { return new file (“ add ”); } public static void main ( string argv []) { file = new file (“ afile ”); string name = file . getname ( ); file =+ 00 new simplefile ( ) . add ( ); } } the class public fields declaration ( file file ), and method signatures ( file add ) are not modified since they are exported outside of the class . the class extension would contain statements such as : package interpose . java . io ; public class file extends java . io . file { public file ( string name ) throws nullpointerexception { // . . our own initilalization } public long lastmodified ( ) { // . . . } // other modified apis . . . } since the newly created object is an extension , no other statements need to be modified . any number of apis from this class can be overwritten in the extension . because abstract and final classes cannot be interposed , the methods associated with these types of classes in interposed instead . example final classes include java . net . url , java . lang . system , and java . lang . class . example abstract classes include java . awt . toolkit and java . net . urlconnection . instead of replacing new and & lt ; init & gt ; method invocations , calls to the class methods that need to be altered are replaced with calls to a static method of a new abstract class . the following is an example of the getproperties method from the java . lang . system abstract class . an initial class such as : public abstract class getproperty { public static void main ( string argv []) { string s ; s = system . getproperty (“ foo ”); } } would be modified to : public abstract class getproperty { public static void main ( string argv []) { string s ; s = interposed . system . getproperty (“ foo ”); } } package interpose . java . lang ; public abstract class system { public static string getproperty ( string s ) { // . . . any specific code . . . return ( string ) . . . ; } } the following example relates to the final class java . net . url : import java . net . url ; public class simpleurl { public static void main ( string argv []) { try { url url = new url (“ foo ”); inputstream is ; is = url . openstream ( ); } catch ( exception e ) { } } } import java . net . url ; public class simpleurl { public static void main ( string argv []) { try { url url = new url (“ foo ”); inputstream is ; is = interposed . java . net . url . openstream ( url ); } catch ( exception e ) { } } } package interpose . java . net ; public abstract class url { public static inputstream openstream ( java . net . url url ) throws ioexception { // . . . specific code return ( inputstream ) . . . } } it will be appreciated that the substituted method may be a constructor (& lt ; init & gt ;) as it is the case for the url ( java . net . url , java . lang . string ) constructor . whereas for class interposition the replacement method initializes an instance of the extended class , in the final class the method must return ( versus initialize ) an instance of the initial class . thus , the following class : import java . net . url ; public class simpleurl { public static void main ( string argv []) { try { url url = new url (“ foo ”); url = new url ( url , “ bar ”); }+ 00 catch ( exception e ) { } } } import java . net . url ; public class simpleurl { public static void main ( string argv []) { try { url url = new url (“ foo ”); url = interposed . java . net . url . url ( url , “ bar ”); } catch ( exception e ) { } } } package interpose . java . net ; public abstract class url { public static java . net . url url ( java . net . url context , string spec ) throws malformedurlexception { // . . . any specific code . . . return ( java . net . url ) . . . } } [ 0038 ] fig3 illustrates an example class file 202 that has been modified by class loader 156 . the class file 156 includes a constant pool 204 and a set of descriptors . the constant pool includes constant types such as constant strings , class names ( e . g ., 206 ), method references , and method signatures . all references to constant types in a bytecode or other constant are stored as indices into the constant pool . reference number 206 refers to the modified class name interpose . bar . class . the set of descriptors describe fields , interfaces , methods ( e . g ., 208 , 212 ), exception tables , and inner classes and other attributes of classes . descriptors of fields , interfaces , and method descriptors include indices into the constant pool for the attribute name along with additional information that describes the attribute , for example , access flags , type , and initial value for a field or bytecode for a method . reference number 210 refers to the modified bytecode for method 208 . note that not all substitute methods need not be provided for all the method codes in a class file . for example , method code 212 references a method for which no alternative method is interposed . when loading a class , the class loader first checks the constant pool 204 of the class file to determine whether the class ( or method ) needs to be interposed before parsing the method bytecodes . if the class does not need to be interposed , then the method bytecodes don &# 39 ; t need to be parsed for the interposed method . because it is computationally expensive to parse the bytecodes , it is quicker to first check the constant pool , for example to see whether the foo . class refers to bar . class . if there is not reference , parsing the bytecodes is unnecessary . even though the invention is described in terms of service infrastructure such as java , those skilled in the art will appreciate that teachings of the present invention could be adapted to other infrastructures , such as the . net platform from microsoft . it will also be appreciated that the invention is applicable to application programs that are not downloadable . in addition to the example embodiments described above , other aspects and embodiments of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein . it is intended that the specification and illustrated embodiments be considered as examples only , with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims .
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fig1 and 2 show an auto - injector 1 in an initial state prior to an injection . fig2 a and 2 b are two longitudinal sections in different section planes of the auto - injector 1 , the different section planes approximately 90 ° rotated to each other . the auto - injector comprises an elongate outer casing 2 . a syringe 3 with a hollow needle 4 is arranged in a proximal part of the auto - injector 1 . when the auto - injector 1 is assembled a protective needle shield 5 is attached to the needle 4 and protruding through an orifice 6 at the proximal end p . a finger guard 7 in the shape of a sheet metal spring is arranged near the protective needle shield 5 . the finger guard 7 is shown in detail in fig4 and 5 . the finger guard 7 comprises two spring arms 8 ( cf . fig4 and 5 ) which are inwardly biased so they bear against the protective needle shield 5 as long as it is still in place . a respective locking arm 9 is assigned to each spring arm 8 . the locking arms 9 are biased in distal direction d so they bear against a part of the spring arms 8 when the protective needle shield 5 is in place . as the protective needle shield 5 is pulled away from the needle 4 ( see fig5 ) the spring arms 8 move inwards and relax leaving a small gap between them just wide enough to let the needle 4 pass without touching it . this allows the locking arms 9 to come clear of the spring arms 8 and move distally into a position where they prevent the spring arms 8 from being pushed outward again so despite the rather big orifice 6 the user cannot touch the tip of the needle 4 . the tips of the spring arms 8 where the spring arms 8 bear against the protective needle shield 5 are rounded off in order to facilitate removal of the protective needle shield 5 . in alternative embodiments the spring arms 8 and / or the locking arms 9 may be made of or comprise spring wire and / or plastic instead of sheet metal . the spring arms 8 and locking arms 9 may be integrally formed as illustrated . they may also be separate parts , e . g . attached to inner walls of the proximal part of the auto - injector 1 . referring now to fig4 and 5 , the spring arms 8 are essentially s - shaped with a longitudinal leg 8 . 1 in the middle and two transversal legs 8 . 2 , 8 . 3 adjoining the longitudinal leg 8 . 1 . when the spring arm 8 is relaxed , the transversal legs 8 . 2 , 8 . 3 are essentially parallel to each other . an outer transversal leg 8 . 2 of each spring arm 8 adjoins a wall portion 7 . 1 of the sheet metal spring 7 . the other , inner transversal 8 . 3 leg of each spring arm 8 is intended to bear against the protective needle shield 5 . when the protective needle shield 5 is removed , a small gap is defined between the two inner transversal legs 8 . 3 of the spring arms 8 . the locking arm 9 is a short arm with an outer end 9 . 1 adjoining a front portion 7 . 2 of the sheet metal spring 7 and with an inner end 9 . 2 bearing against the inner transversal leg 8 . 3 in distal direction d when the protective needle shield 5 is in place . when the protective needle shield 5 is removed the spring arms 8 move together and the locking arms 9 come clear of the inner transversal leg 8 . 3 when the joint between the inner transversal leg 8 . 3 and the longitudinal leg 8 . 1 passes the inner end 9 . 2 . the inner end 9 . 2 locks behind the longitudinal leg 8 . 1 thus preventing the spring arm 8 from being pushed outward again . the tips of the spring arms &# 39 ; 8 inner transversal legs 8 . 3 where the spring arms 8 bear against the protective needle shield 5 are rounded off in order to facilitate removal of the protective needle shield 5 . at the distal end d of the auto - injector 1 a trigger button 10 for releasing a torsion spring 11 is arranged . the torsion spring 11 is arranged inside the outer casing 2 and grounded with its distal end 11 . 1 in a ring - shaped locking slider 12 arranged in the outer casing 2 near the distal end d of the auto - injector 1 . the proximal end 11 . 2 of the torsion spring 11 is grounded in a follower tube 13 arranged inside the torsion spring 11 and rotatable with respect to the outer casing 2 . in the initial state the locking slider 12 is in a splined engagement with the follower tube 13 preventing rotation of the follower tube 13 relative to the locking slider 12 and hence preventing release of the torsion spring 11 ( see fig3 ). the locking slider 12 is arranged to be translated in the proximal direction p by the trigger button 10 for disengaging its splined engagement to the follower tube 13 but is splined into the outer case 2 to statically resolve any torque from the torsion spring 11 . in the initial state , full depression of the trigger button 10 is prevented by a skin interlock mechanism described below . if the trigger button 10 is depressed , a beam element 10 . 1 on the trigger button 10 is forced to deflect inwards through ramped interference with a first rib 34 in the outer case 2 . when deflected , the beam element 10 . 1 is located such that it interferes with a first shoulder 13 . 2 on the distal end of the follower tube 13 preventing further depression of the trigger button 10 and thus initiation of the auto - injector 1 ( see fig6 ). the skin interlock is arranged to change the position of the follower tube 13 such that the first shoulder 13 . 2 is located distally from the beam element 10 . 1 so the beam element 10 . 1 no longer interferes with the follower tube 13 . hence the trigger button 10 can be fully depressed for starting an injection cycle . ( see fig9 ) the follower tube 13 is telescoped with a lead screw tube 16 . the lead screw tube 16 is supported and guided in a retraction slider tube 17 arranged in the proximal part of the outer casing 2 in a manner to prevent the lead screw tube 16 from rotating while allowing it to be moved axially in proximal direction p . the retraction slider tube 17 in turn is engaged with the outer casing 2 by flats 18 ( cf . fig2 and latches 19 in a manner to prevent both rotation and translation with respect to the outer casing 2 at least in the initial situation shown in fig1 and 2 . it will be shown in the following how the retraction slider tube 17 is disengaged from the latches 19 for being axially moved . the retraction slider tube 17 and the follower tube 13 are provided with respective second and third shoulders 17 . 1 , 13 . 1 held together by a coupling ring 20 for allowing relative rotation but preventing them from being independently axially moved . the lead screw tube 16 has an external lead screw which is engaged with the follower tube 13 by one or more ball bearings 21 . rotation of the follower tube 13 therefore results in translative movement of the lead screw tube 16 . in the initial situation shown in fig1 and 2 the retraction slider tube 17 cannot rotate but move axially in the distal direction d , the follower tube 13 is prevented from rotating by the spline engagement with the locking slider 12 and the lead screw tube 16 is prevented from rotation by its engagement with refraction slider tube 17 . a number of skin contact elements 17 . 2 arranged proximally on the retraction slider tube 17 protrude through recesses in the proximal end of the outer case 2 . a sequence of operation of the auto - injector 1 is as follows : the user removes the protective needle shield 5 from the needle 4 . for this purpose a device cap ( not shown ) may be attached to the protective needle shield 5 . when the protective needle shield 5 is removed the finger guard 7 locks into place to protect the user from accidental needle - stick injuries . when ready to do so , the user pushes the auto - injector 1 against the injection site . the user presses the proximal end p of the auto - injector 1 against the injection site . this causes the skin contact elements 17 . 2 of the retraction slider tube 17 to be depressed inside the outer casing 2 ( see fig7 ). the follower tube 13 is axially fixed to the retraction slider tube 17 through the coupling ring 20 and thus the whole assembly of the refraction slider tube 17 and the follower tube 13 translate within the outer casing 2 in the distal direction d with depression of the skin contact element 17 . 2 . this motion is opposed by a button spring 35 . once translated , the first shoulder 13 . 2 on the follower tube 13 no longer interferes with the beam element 10 . 1 on the trigger button 10 . the beam element 10 . 1 may deflect inwards proximally behind the first shoulder 13 . 2 . hence , the trigger button 10 can now be fully depressed . the button spring 35 may be arranged as a metal compression spring as illustrated , but it could equally be embodied as an integrally moulded flexible beam feature on either the trigger button 10 or the locking slider 12 . when the trigger button 10 is depressed it comes into contact with the locking slider 12 translating it in proximal direction p when fully depressed . with axial movement of the locking slider 12 its splined coupling with the follower tube 13 is disengaged so load from the proximal end of the torsion spring 11 is no longer statically resolved . the torque from the torsion spring 11 is released causing the follower tube 13 to rotate and drive the lead screw tube 16 forward . when the trigger button 10 is fully depressed the resilient beam element 10 . 1 flexes outward again behind the first rib 34 thus locking the trigger button 10 in this depressed position . ( see fig1 ). this could likewise be achieved by a separate locking feature . the rotation of the follower tube 13 causes translative movement of the lead screw tube 16 in proximal direction p . inside the lead screw tube 16 a two part plunger with a plunger rear 22 and a plunger front 23 is arranged , the plunger rear 22 telescoped into the hollow plunger front 23 . in the plunger front 23 a plunger spring 24 in the shape of a compression spring is arranged which bears against the plunger rear 22 when the plunger rear 22 pushed in proximal direction p . the plunger front 23 in turn pushes against a stopper 25 arranged for sealing the syringe 3 distally and for displacing a liquid medicament m through the hollow needle 4 . the syringe 3 is held in a tubular syringe carrier 26 and supported at its proximal end therein . the plunger rear 22 is coupled for joined axial movement to the lead screw tube 16 by a plunger ball 27 arranged in a recess in the lead screw tube 16 and guided in a circumferential notch 28 of the plunger rear 22 . in the initial position shown in fig1 and 2 , the plunger ball 27 is held in position by the follower tube 13 in order to keep the plunger rear 22 and lead screw tube 16 from disengaging . consequently , when the lead screw tube 16 is advanced in proximal direction p the syringe 3 is driven forward by the plunger pushing on the stopper 25 . the external lead screw of the lead screw tube 16 has a variable pitch . in the embodiment shown in the figures the pitch is steeper in the proximal part of the external lead screw . this allows for a rapid insertion of the hollow needle 4 into the patient &# 39 ; s skin in order to avoid unnecessary pain for the patient . the load required to insert a siliconized fine gauge needle is thought to be in the region of 5 n , which is relatively low so a steep screw pitch can be used with little risk of the screw engagement locking fig1 shows the auto - injector 1 with the hollow needle 4 fully advanced . in case the screw engagement between the follower tube 13 and the lead screw tube 16 comprises more than one ball bearing 21 each ball 21 may be engaged with a respective screw thread so the lead screw tube 16 would have a multi - start thread . in fig1 the syringe carrier 26 has bottomed out at the proximal end p of the outer casing 2 thus defining an injection depth , e . g . for a subcutaneous injection . as the torsion spring 11 continues rotating the lead screw tube 16 , and plunger rear 22 are further forwarded . due to friction effective between the stopper 25 and the inner wall of the syringe 3 and due to the thin fluid channel inside the hollow needle 4 opposing the displacement of the medicament m the stopper 25 exerts a load against the forward movement of the plunger front 23 . thus , the plunger spring 24 is slightly compressed ( see fig1 ). the thrust load is reacted through the coupling ring 20 into the retraction slider tube 17 which is coupled to the outer casing 2 by the latches 19 . thus the follower tube 13 is kept from moving further in distal direction d . with continued forward movement of the plunger the stopper 25 is advanced and injects the medicament m from the syringe 3 into the injection site ( see fig1 ). during injection of the dose of medicament m the pitch of the lead screw is slightly reduced compared to the needle insertion in order to give a greater mechanical advantage to the lead screw engagement and avoid it stalling due to the increased load . in fig1 the auto - injector 1 is shown towards the end of the dose , i . e . just before the stopper 25 bottoms out in the syringe 3 . in this situation viscous dampers 29 contained in pockets in the proximal end of the lead screw tube 16 contact small second ribs 30 in the proximal end p of the outer casing 2 . thus load from the torsion spring 11 is shared between the stopper 25 and the contact between the second ribs 30 and the viscous dampers 29 , so the plunger spring 24 is allowed to extend and complete the dose by fully advancing the stopper 25 . this allows for fully emptying the syringe 3 before starting to retract the needle 4 . the viscous damper 29 has a speed dependent load characteristic . in this instance the load from the torsion spring 11 is almost constant over the small axial travel of the viscous damper 29 so the speed can be tuned so that the plunger spring 24 has enough time to fully expel the residual contents of the syringe 3 . the material of the viscous damper 29 may be viscoelastic foam or a fluid forced through a small orifice . a change in the lead screw pitch at this point allows a controlled increase in the mechanical advantage to apply sufficient force to the mechanism . in fig1 the stopper 25 has bottomed out in the syringe 3 and the lead screw tube 16 reaches the end of travel . the plunger ball 27 disengages the plunger rear 22 from the lead screw tube 16 by dropping out of its recess into a pocket 31 in the follower tube 13 . just after this the latches 19 are released by ramp features 32 of the lead screw tube 16 pushing them outward so the retraction slider tube 17 and the follower tube 13 are released from the outer casing 2 for translation . since the lead screw tube 16 has bottomed out at the proximal end p of the outer casing continued rotation of the torsion spring results in a backward movement of the retraction slider tube 17 and the follower tube 13 which is still rotating . the retraction slider tube 17 takes along the syringe carrier 26 and syringe 3 with the needle 4 and retracts them into the auto - injector 1 until the needle 4 is fully covered ( see fig1 ). for this purpose the retraction slider tube 17 has one or more dog features 33 ( see fig2 ) extending inwardly through recesses in the lead screw tube 16 and engaging the syringe carrier 26 . the auto - injector 1 may preferably be used for subcutaneous or intra - muscular injection , particularly for delivering one of an analgetic , an anticoagulant , insulin , an insulin derivate , heparin , lovenox , a vaccine , a growth hormone , a peptide hormone , a protein , antibodies and complex carbohydrates .
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fig1 depicts a bus arrangement or bus system 10 according to the present invention . bus system 10 is comprised of a poll bus 11 , a message bus 12 and , connected to these buses , a bus controller 13 and a plurality of processing elements 14a , 14b . . . 14n ( referred to collectively as processing elements 14 ). there can be as many as 128 processing elements 14 connected to buses 11 and 12 since poll bus 11 contains seven leads for addressing . if processing element 14a wishes to communicate with processing element 14b it does so by sending messages on message bus 12 first to bus controller 13 where they are stored momentarily before being forwarded to processing element 14b . in short each message transfer requires two traversals of the message bus 12 : once to get from the sending or source processing element 14 to bus controller 13 and once again to get from bus controller 13 to the destination processing element 14 . before it is described in more detail , the functions provided by bus controller 13 will be described . bus controller 13 provides the following functions : ( 1 ) it arranges cooperative use of message bus 12 by other processing elements 14 ; ( 2 ) it effects message transfers on message bus 12 ; and ( 3 ) it distributes messages evenly between destination processing elements 14 where several destination processing elements 14 are eligible . bus controller 13 can itself be considered as a processing element of the bus system 10 and hence can send and receive messages over message bus 12 . note that each processing element 14 , and in addition bus controller 13 , has a bus interface 16 in order to communicate on the pool bus 11 and the message bus 12 . bus controller 13 and processing elements 14 use poll use 11 to arrange a transfer of messages over message bus 12 . this separation of arbitration traffic ( i . e . traffic on poll bus 11 ) from message traffic ( i . e . traffic on message bus 12 ) allows the arbitration activity for waiting messages to proceed while a message is being transferred on message bus 12 . the elements of bus controller 13 will now be briefly described . polling circuit 17 is the bus controller component that drives the poll bus 11 . message circuit 18 is the component that drives message bus 12 . master controller 19 is a high speed microcoded processor that controls message circuit 18 and polling circuit 17 and manages controller 13 &# 39 ; s message queues and message buffers ( in shared memory 20 ). processor 21 in bus controller 13 ( e . g . a motorola 68000 ) monitors and controls bus controller 13 , loads code into and manages master controller 19 and message circuit 18 , and manages polling circuit 17 and bus interface 16 . in the embodiment depicted in fig1 , 000 messages pass through bus controller 13 each second . note that each message comprises on average 50 bytes . this means that master controller 19 must process each message in a total time of 45 microseconds or less . a more detailed description of a message will now be given . every message sent on message bus 12 from one processing element 14 to another processing element 14 passes on message bus 12 from the source processing element 14 to bus controller 13 , where it is stored momentarily in a queue of messages having the same immediate destination . when the processor 21 ( in one of the processing elements 14 ), which is the immediate destination , indicates its readiness to receive a message , the message is sent back over message bus 12 to it . for the simplified block diagram of fig1 the immediate destination of the message is the final destination of the message . message bus 12 carries messages between bus controller 13 and processing elements 14 . poll bus 11 is the means by which bus controller 13 and the processing elements 14 arrange cooperative use of message bus 12 . bus controller 13 takes approximately 400 nanoseconds to poll a processing element 14 . thus , each processing element 14 is polled approximately once every 52 microseconds if there are 128 processing elements . note that the polling activity on poll bus 11 continues at all times while messages are being transferred on message bus 12 . each poll is a signal which consists of a poll address and a poll mode . a poll address is a number between zero and one hundred and twenty seven which is allocated to and recognized by , one of the processing elements 14 on bus 11 . the poll modes of interest here are : poll message , poll no message and allocate . when a bus controller 13 polls a valid poll address for which it has queued a message , it polls with a poll message poll mode . if the addressed element is in a state in which it can receive a message it will respond with a read request . bus controller 13 queues the read request in a request queue in shared memory 20 . while processing element 14 is waiting for bus controller 13 to service the read request , bus controller 13 continues to send poll message polls to it to which the processing element 14 must respond up . when the other outstanding requests have been dealt with , bus controller 13 will send an allocate poll to the processing element 14 during the last transfer on message bus 12 before it is the turn of the waiting processing element 14 . just before the allocate , bus controller 13 changes the poll mode to poll no message if there are no further messages . the processing element 14 receiving the allocate poll knows that the next message on the message bus 12 will be the one it is waiting for . when bus controller 13 polls a valid poll address for which it has an empty message queue , it polls with a poll no message poll mode . to this poll , the element 14 may respond up if it has no message to send or write if it has a message to send . the procedure for a write response is similar to that for the read , except that the allocate is the signal for the element to send its message after the end of the current transfer on the message bus . the poll list is the list of poll addresses of processing elements 14 to be polled . the poll list is kept in a dedicated memory in polling circuit 17 where it can be accessed quickly enough to poll one address every 400 nanoseconds . there may be up to 256 entries in the poll list . each entry of the poll list is polled once in each poll cycle . the poll list may contain more than one copy of a poll address . the number of occurrences of a poll address in the poll list is termed the repetition factor of the poll address . repetition factors greater than one may be used to reduce the poll latency for processing elements 14 receiving a disproportionate share of the total traffic load on message bus 12 . bus controller 13 will normally poll all 128 poll addresses at least once in each poll cycle . when bus controller 13 first becomes active , the poll list is set to contain all poll addresses with a repetition factor of one . polling circuit 17 can be commanded to change the repetition factor of any poll address . each message sent to or received by bus controller 13 is prefixed by a message header placed at the beginning of the message by the source processing element 14 . the message header is displayed in fig2 to which attention is directed . the message header contains the addressing information that is used by bus controller 13 to route the message to the destination . the whole message , including the message header and a 32 bit crc ( cyclic redundancy check ) appended to the message by the sending buffer interface 16 , is passed on unmodified by bus controller 13 to the destination . bus controller 13 validates the message and consequently the message header by validating the message &# 39 ; s crc . if the information in the message and thus the message header is found to be wrong , bus controller 13 simply discards the message with no further action taken . the significance of the fields of the message header may be described in terms of physical addressing , logical addressing , and external bus system addressing . when the en field of the message header is less than 128 , the en field is interpreted as a physical address . this means that the en field of the message header specifies the poll address of the destination processing element 14 on buses 11 and 12 . the poll address of a processing element 14 is a number to which that processing element will respond when the number is detected on poll bus 11 . when the en field of the message header is greater than 127 , the en field is interpreted as a logical address . a logical address is not needed for the simplified embodiment shown in fig1 . logical addressing is a method of applying the same address to several elements 14 ( that are members of a logically defined group ) when the message can be sent to any one of those elements . the element 14 that the message is actually sent to , is determined by scanning the queue sizes of each member of the group of elements so addressed and sending the message to the element 14 with the lowest queue size . the incoming messages are distributed to the element 14 in the group with the lowest queue size . if more than one of the elements 14 has the same size queue , then the messages are distributed evenly across those elements 14 . the translation of logical addresses to the list of possible destination elements 14 is done by master controller 19 using a translation table contained in shared memory 20 controlled by processor 21 . each message header contains a priority field , pr , containing a priority value from 0 to 7 that is used to order the queue such that the highest priority messages are sent first . the queue , for any element 14 , has a maximum size in order to prevent the queue of one element 14 taking a disproportionate number of the available messages due to overload . the fixed maximum queue size will require messages to be discarded once the quene is full . if a new message arrives and the destination queue is full then the priority of the new message is compared to the priority of the messages in the queue and the most recently received message with the lowest priority is discarded . the rm field of the message header specifies the identification number of the destination bus system . there are 255 destination bus system addresses from 1 to 255 . if the rm field is 0 , tne rm field is to be ignored and the message routed within the same bus system 10 according to the en field . this facility is provided so that messages can be sent to addresses within the same bus system 10 without having to be configured to contain the rm number . if the rm number is other than 0 or the actual number of the subject bus system , master controller 19 routes the message to the correct bus system 10 by treating the rm number as a special class of logical address as described above . this logical address has a separate translation table in shared memory 20 , controlled by processor 21 .
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the present invention comprises first isomerizing mixtures of cis - and - trans - 1 , 4 - dichlorobutene - 2 to a high level of trans - 1 , 4 - dichlorobutene - 2 by the catalytic influence of thiols or anhydrous hydrogen bromide or hydrogen chloride with ultraviolet light and / or chemical initiators so that an 80 / 20 trans / cis mixture is isomerized to a 95 / 5 trans / cis mixture in as little as ten minutes followed immediately by the cyclocondensation with dialkyl malonate and metallic alkoxide . the temperature of the isomerization reaction is not critical and may conveniently be from room temperature up to 80 ° c . or higher depending upon the catalyst employed for the isomerization . likewise , the amount of catalyst is not critical and may conveniently be from 0 . 5 mole % based on the weight of the dichlorobutene to about 20 mole % and preferably from 5 mole % to 10 mole %. the time of the reaction is likewise not critical and depends to some extent upon the catalyst employed for the isomerization . thus with the thiol catalyzed isomerization the time may range from 30 minutes to an hour or more at reaction temperatures of from 70 ° c . to 90 ° c . whereas with the anhydrous hydrogen bromide or chloride catalyzed isomerization the time is frequently from twenty to thirty minutes or so at temperatures preferably at about room temperature . with both the thiol catalyzed and hydrogen bromide and chloride catalyzed isomerizations , ratios better than 93 / 7 trans / cis - dichlorobutene - 2 have consistently been obtained with 95 - 97 % recovery of the dichlorobutene - 2 . the cyclocondensation of the isomerized 1 , 4 - dichlorobutene - 2 with the malonic esters is preferably carried out in the presence of an inert organic solvent , e . g . a lower alcohol , at reflux temperatures . preferably the procedure involves the rapid addition of 25 % methanolic sodium methoxide to a solution of 1 , 4 - dichlorobutene - 2 and dimethyl malonate in minimum amount of methanol . the reaction temperature is maintained at 65 °- 70 ° c . by methanol reflux and maintenance of a low temperature by the slow addition of methoxide is not needed . after the reaction is complete , the mixture is vacuum filtered , neutralized preferably with concentrated hydrochloric acid and filtered a second time to complete the removal of all salts . the solvent is then removed under vacuum to produce a yield of crude product of 80 - 85 %. final vacuum distillation produces a product of 75 - 80 % yield . suitable organic solvents for the reaction include the lower alcohols , for example , methanol , ethanol , propanol , and the like , methanol being preferred for ease of handling . suitable metallic alkoxides include , for example , sodium or potassium methoxide , ethoxide , propoxide , butoxide , and the like . again , a methanolic sodium methoxide solution is preferred . the reaction may be neutralized with any strong mineral acid , e . g . sulfuric acid , hydrochloric acid , etc . typical thiols useful in the described isomerization reaction are 2 - mecaptoethanol , thiophenol , thiolacetic acid , methanethiol , thioglycolic acid , mercaptosuccinic acid , etc . in the thiol catalyzed isomerization of the dihalobutenes as well as in the anhydrous hydrogen bromide or chloride isomerization reaction it is necessary to employ an initiator for the reaction . typical chemical initiators may be , for example , 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- azobisisobutyronitrile ( aibn ), benzoyl peroxide , t - butyl peroxide , etc . the amount of chemical initiator employed in the reaction is not critical but must be present in sufficient amount to initiate the reaction . typically from about 0 . 1 mole % to about 5 mole % based on the weight of the dichlorobutene has been found to be effective . as indicated above , 2 - mercaptoethanol as the catalyst and 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- azobisisobutyronitrile ( aibn ) as the initiator are preferred and have been found to be highly useful in the isomerization of dichlorobutene as they consistently provide ratios greater than 93 / 7 trans / cis - dichlorobutene with 95 - 97 % recovery of the dichlorobutenes . hydrogen bromide with either aibn or ultraviolet light has also been found to be effective in producing remarkably high trans / cis ( 95 / 5 ) ratios of dichlorobutene at room temperature . hydrogen bromide is the preferred catalyst in the described reaction and has been found to be equally effective with either aibn or ultraviolet light initiation . however , 2 - mercaptoethanol with ultraviolet light and hydrogen chloride with ultraviolet light showed marginal activity and hydrogen iodide and i 2 showed no catalytic activity with either aibn or ultraviolet light . 1 , 4 - dichlorobutene - 2 ; 1 , 4 - dibromobutene - 2 ; 1 - bromo - 4 - chlorobutene - 2 ; 1 , 4 - dichloro - 2 - methylbutene - 2 ; 1 , 4 - dibromo - 2 - methylbutene - 2 ; 1 , 4 - dichloro - 2 , 3 - dimethylbutene - 2 ; 1 , 4 - dibromo - 2 , 3 - dimethylbutene - 2 ; 1 , 4 - dichloropentene - 2 ; 1 , 4 - dibromopentene - 2 ; 1 , 4 - dichloro - 4 - methylpentene - 2 ; and 1 , 4 - dibromo - 4 - methylpentene - 2 ; 1 , 4 - dichloro - and 1 , 4 - dibromobutene - 2 are particularly useful for the present process in view of their commercial availability , reactivity and ability to yield highly useful vinylcyclopropane derivatives with minimal undesirable by - product formation . suitable malonic esters for use in the present process are the lower alkyl malonates , such as dimethyl malonate , diethyl malonate , dibutylmalonate , disopropyl malonate , ethyl ( n , n - dimethyl - 2 - aminoethyl ) malonate , and di ( n , n - dimethyl - 2 - aminoethyl ) malonate and the like , dimethyl malonate being preferred because of its ready availability . the invention will be described in greater detail in conjunction with the following specific examples in which the parts are by weight unless otherwise specified . sodium methoxide ( 108 . 02 g , 2 . 0 moles ) 25 % in meoh was added slowly (˜ 2 . 25 hrs .) to dimethyl malonate ( 132 . 12 g , 1 . 0 mole ) in a heated and stirred flask having a bottom opening ; 200 ml additional meoh was required to maintain fluidity of the slurry . the sodiomalonate was then added (˜ 30 min .) through the bottom opening to 1 , 4 - dichlorobutene - 2 ( 125 g , 1 . 0 mole ) in a second heated and stirred flask . the mixture was heated at reflux ˜ 4 . 5 hours , cooled , and vacuum filtered . the clear filtrate was then concentrated under vacuum at which point additional salts precipitated . an attempted second filtration was unsuccessful due to the slimy cake , and the salts were finally removed by centrifuging to give 146 g of crude product . vacuum distillation ( 60 °/ 0 . 4 mm - 90 °/ 0 . 55 mm ) gave a small forecut , 87 . 6 g of product ( 47 . 6 % yield ), and 44 . 5 g of residue . ˜ 80 % trans - 1 , 4 - dichlorobutene - 2 ( 150 g , 1 . 2 moles ) and 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- azobisisobutyronitrile ( aibn ) ( 3 . 94 g , 0 . 024 mole ) were heated with stirring to 60 ° c . at which point hbr gas addition was started . after 10 minutes , heating and gas flow were terminated (˜ 94 / 6 trans / cis by gc ) and the reaction allowed to cool with n 2 purge to remove hbr . dimethylmalonate ( 132 . 12 g , 1 . 0 mole ) in 50 ml of meoh was then added to the flask . naome ( 108 . 02 g , 2 . 0 moles ) 25 % in meoh was added in 17 minutes and the reaction allowed to cool ( 80 . 5 % dimethyl 2 - vinylcyclopropane - 1 , 1 - dicarboxylate and 3 . 3 % dimethyl cyclopent - 3 - ene - 1 , 1 - dicarboxylate by gc ). after workup and distillation as above , 139 . 2 g ( 75 . 6 % yield ) of product consisting of 95 . 5 % dimethyl 2 - vinylcyclopropane - 1 , 1 - dicarboxylate and 4 . 5 % dimethyl cyclopent - 3 - ene - 1 , 1 - dicarboxylate was obtained . to ˜ 80 % trans -, 20 % cis - 1 , 4 - dichlorobutene - 2 ( 150 g , 1 . 2 moles ) was added 2 - mercaptoethanol ( 7 . 03 g , 0 . 09 moles ) and aibn ( 1 . 9 g , 0 . 0116 moles ). the mixture was then heated at 80 ° c . with stirring for 30 minutes at which point the trans / cis ratio was ˜ 92 / 8 . after cooling to 23 ° c ., and without further treatment , the cyclocondensation , workup , and distillation were conducted as in example 2 . distillation afforded 114 g of product containing 95 . 5 % dimethyl 2 - vinylcyclopropane - 1 , 1 - dicarboxylate and 4 . 5 % dimethyl cyclopent - 3 - ene - 1 , 1 - dicarboxylate .
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reference is now made to fig1 through 5 , where there is shown a cigarette and cigar lighter 100 according to just one of the infinite number of possible embodiments of the present invention . lighter 100 includes an upright elongate housing 102 having a lid 104 pivotally attached thereto at hinge 106 . the lighter is shown in its storage position in fig1 and 3 , where the lid is closed , at zero angular degrees with respect to the housing &# 39 ; s upper surface 108 , to cover and protect the inner components of the lighter . when opened to its upright position for use , at ninety angular degrees from the housing &# 39 ; s upper surface , the housing &# 39 ; s flame - producing nozzle 112 is exposed . the lighter is shown in its use position in fig1 and 3 , where the lid is opened . pressing against the actuation button 114 on the front side of the housing causes release and ignition of fuel within the housing and the ejection of flame 116 from the nozzle . any typical fuel release and ignition means may be employed within the lighter to cause the flame from the nozzle , and the invention is not meant to be limited thereby . as seen best in fig4 , the nozzle 112 is angularly positioned and thereby adapted to eject the flame , as seen best in fig2 and 5 , at a diagonal angle relative to the housing and lid , that bisects the ninety angular degree opening angle of the lid from the housing . preferably , the flame 116 is directed at an angle of approximately forty - five angular degrees above the top surface 108 , and forty - five angular degrees below the lid 104 . as seen in fig5 , the foot of a cigar 200 is easily disposed against the flames tip 120 , while the flames base 122 is sufficiently sheltered by the lid to avoid being inadvertently extinguished . and the disposition and direction of the flame tip avoids any inadvertent heating of the lid . in summary , the invention may be embodied as a lighting device for cigarettes and cigars having a housing encasing fuel , an igniter for causing the fuel into a flame , and a nozzle for directing the flame , a lid attached to the housing and pivotable relative thereto between a closed position at a first angle relative to the housing and covering the nozzle , and an open position at a second angle relative to the housing and exposing the nozzle , wherein the nozzle directs the flame at a third angle between the first and second angles . the first and second angles may be separated by approximately ninety angular degrees . the third angle may be between twenty and seventy angular degrees from the first angle . the third angle may more specifically be between thirty and sixty angular degrees from the first angle . the third angle may more specifically be approximately forty - five angular degrees from the first angle . the housing may be an elongate rectilinear housing having an upper end , and the nozzle may be disposed at and direct the flame from the upper end . the lid may be pivotally affixed to the housing at a hinge disposed at the upper end . the lid may be disposed substantially parallel to the upper end during the closed position and substantially perpendicular to the upper end during the open position . the lid may be disposed substantially upright during the open position , when the elongate rectilinear housing is disposed substantially upright . the invention may also be embodied as a lighting device for cigarettes and cigars having an upright elongate body , and a flame exiting the body at a direction between zero and ninety angular degrees from upright . the body may have an upper end and the flame may exit the body from the upper end . the lighting device may have a lid hingedly attached to the body at the upper end . the lid may be pivotable relative to the body between a closed position covering the upper end and denying exit of the flame therefrom and an open position exposing the upper end and allowing exit of the flame therefrom . the lid may be substantially disposed in a direction approximately ninety angular degrees from upright during the closed position , and may be substantially disposed in a direction approximately zero angular degrees from upright during the open position . the flame may exit the body in a direction substantially bisecting the upper end and lid when the lid is in the open position . the invention may also be embodied as a lighter having a body producing a flame , the flame having a flame base adjacent the body and a flame tip at the distal end of the flame , and a sheltering lid attached to the body , wherein the flame base is substantially nearer to the lid than the flame tip is to the lid . the flame base may more specifically be less than seven - eighths of an inch from the lid , and the flame tip may more specifically be more than seven - eighths of an inch from the lid . the flame base may more specifically be approximately three - quarters of an inch from the lid , and the flame tip may more specifically be approximately one inch from the lid . while the invention has been shown and described with reference to a specific exemplary embodiment , it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , and that the invention should therefore only be limited according to the following claims , including all equivalent interpretation to which they are entitled .
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the present invention relates to a hydraulic supply device for a closed - circuit installation . the installations targeted by the invention are in particular heating and / or cooling installations in which a heat transfer fluid flows along a closed circuit in order to pass successively through a heat or coldness production equipment , a utilising device , a pump , a buffer tank , a filter , etc . it can be a heating installation , a cooling installation , or else an installation which can operate either as a heating or as a cooling installation , the thermal source then consisting of e . g . a reversible refrigerating machine , that is to say one capable of operating either as a heating means or as a cooling means . the object of the present invention is to rationalise installations of the said type with regard to their components other than their utilising devices . according to the invention , the hydraulic supply device for an installation using a heat transfer fluid in a closed circuit , this device comprising the following components for the heat transfer fluid : an expansion vessel , is characterised by furthermore comprising an enclosure which houses at least part of said components while bringing them together in order to form a hydraulic unit . preferably , the enclosure is substantially fluid - tight . in this way substantial entries of water vapour into the enclosure and consequently the problems of condensation on the outside face of the wall of the tank are prevented . it is also preferred that the enclosure should carry on its inside face a heat insulating lining . such an internal lining is much easier to produce than external lagging on components having complex shapes such as tanks , pumps and their interconnecting pipes . the enclosure being thus internally insulated makes it possible to dispense with heat insulation on the components housed in the enclosure . in particular , if the enclosure is substantially fluid - tight , the heat insulating lining can be made from a material which is not intrinsically fluid - tight , such as rock wool . such a material is inexpensive and easy to apply . thanks to the fluid - tightness of the enclosure there is no risk of it being saturated with water . preferably , between the inside face of the heat insulating lining and the outside face of the components housed in the enclosure , there is a space filled with air which constitutes additional insulation . the arrangement of components inside the enclosure is such that possible condensates can flow without wetting the insulating lining . according to an important feature of the invention , the filter is fitted inside the tank like a permeable partition subdividing the inside of the tank into a return chamber connected to the return orifice and a feed chamber connected to the feed orifice . this arrangement has multiple advantages . it eliminates the necessity of providing a location and a fitting for the filter in the circuit outside of the tank . furthermore , in the tank , the filter has a large diameter and thus offers a negligible head loss . similarly , for a closed circuit installation , where clogging prominently occurs just after the first operation , a filter of such size proves capable of stopping the initial impurities and then of continuing to allow normal operation without having to be cleaned . if the return chamber is in the low position under the feed chamber , the impurities in any case have a tendency to fall to the bottom of the return chamber instead of remaining suspended on the bottom surface of the filter . one of the important optional features of the present invention consists in fitting certain of the components such that they traverse the wall of the enclosure . in particular the pump or pumps are preferably fitted in such a way that the motor is outside of the enclosure . in this way the motor is ventilated better and the heat dissipated by the motor is prevented from heating up the inside of the enclosure , which is undesirable when the function of the installation is to cool the utilising devices . it is also possible to fit the expansion vessel such that it traverses the wall of the enclosure in such a way that its adjustment device is accessible from outside of the enclosure . it is also possible chat a flow - regulating valve installed downstream of the pump be so mounted that said valve extends through the wall of the enclosure . it is advantageous that all of the components thus fitted such that they traverse the wall of the enclosure are grouped on one and the same side of the enclosure forming the back of a compartment adjacent to the enclosure itself . such a compartment can assume the form of a cabinet in which the electrical box is also installed . if the return and feed orifices of the tank are oriented at about 90 ° with respect to each other , the feed path , making a 90 ° turn because of the usual geometry of pumps such as centrifugal ones , can exit on the same side of the enclosure as that through which the return path passes . this favours a rational connection with the rest of the installation . according to a second subject of the invention , the heating and / or cooling installation comprising , along a closed circuit of heat transfer fluid : is characterised in that the supply device conforms with the first aspect . other features and advantages of the invention will furthermore emerge from the following description , given with reference to non - limitative examples . fig1 and 2 are two diagrams relating to two variants of an installation according to the invention ; fig3 is a side view of the supply device according to the invention , with a vertical cross - section of the enclosure and tear - aways of the tank ; fig4 is a top view of the supply device of fig3 with a horizontal cross - section of the enclosure ; fig5 is a view of a detail of fig3 in a larger scale ; fig6 is a view similar to fig2 but relating to another embodiment ; fig7 is a view similar to fig3 but relating to a possible embodiment of the supply device of fig6 ; and fig8 and 9 are two plan - view diagrams relating to two other embodiments of the hydraulic supply device . in the example shown in fig1 the thermal conditioning installation comprises a device for supplying heat transfer fluid 1 , an equipment 2 forming a thermal source , and utilising devices 3 . these elements 1 , 2 , 3 are interconnected by a pipe 4 going from the source 2 to a return pipe 6 of the supply device 1 , a pipe 7 connecting a feed path 8 of the supply device 1 with the utilising devices 3 , and a pipe 9 extending from the utilising devices 3 to the inlet 11 into the thermal source 2 . the installation therefore forms a closed circuit for the heat transfer fluid going from the supply device 1 to the utilising devices 3 and then to the thermal source 2 from where the fluid returns to the supply device 1 . the utilising devices 3 are connected in parallel between the pipes 7 and 9 which serve them . in the example shown , each utilising device 3 is illustrated in the form of an exchanger 12 with the ambient air 13 . each utilising device 3 tends to vary the temperature of the heat transfer fluid in the sense opposite to that of the temperature variation produced by the thermal source 2 . the thermal source 2 is illustrated in the form of a refrigeration machine in which one of the thermally active constituents 16 is in a heat - exchange relationship with the heat transfer fluid closed circuit . the example shown in fig2 will be described only where it differs in comparison with that of fig1 . in this example , the feed path 8 of the supply device 1 is connected by a pipe 17 to the inlet 11 of the thermal source 2 and the return path 6 of the supply device 1 is connected by a pipe 14 to the outlets of the utilising devices 3 . a pipe 19 connects the outlet 18 of the thermal source 2 with the inlets of the utilising devices 3 . the supply device 1 will now be described in more detail referring principally to fig3 and 4 . the supply device 1 comprises a tank 21 of generally cylindrical shape disposed along a vertical axis in the example shown . the tank 21 comprises a return orifice 22 which connects with the return path 6 and a feed orifice 23 which connects with the feed path 8 . the tank 21 forms part of the closed circuit for the heat transfer fluid . the return path 6 and the feed path 8 are connected with each other only by the tank 21 which , in service , is filled with heat transfer liquid . at its top the tank 21 has an automatic bleed device 24 for the automatic elimination of possible gas pockets . the tank 21 has the function of a thermal accumulator preventing sudden variations of temperature in the heat transfer fluid when the thermal source is started or stopped manually or automatically and when the consumption of the utilising devices 3 varies suddenly . the supply device 1 furthermore comprises an expansion vessel 31 comprising a liquid chamber connected with the inside of the tank 21 by a pipe 32 . in a conventional manner , the vessel 21 encloses a moving partition ( not shown ) separating the liquid chamber from a gas chamber whose pressure can be regulated through an access 33 . in this way the pressure of the liquid in the tank 21 is at the same time regulated in a way which is independent of the variations in the volume of the liquid contained in the closed circuit of the installation . the feed path 8 comprises pumping means produced in the shown example in the form of two centrifugal pumps 41 connected in parallel . the use of two pumps 41 is intended to avoid the risk of failure of the whole installation in the event of one of the pumps failing . each pump 41 has an axial intake 42 connected to a respective feed orifice 23 of the tank 21 . each pump 41 also has a radial delivery orifice 43 connected to a common delivery pipe 44 . in a way which is not shown , between each delivery orifice 43 and the delivery pipe 44 there is a non - return valve preventing one pump 41 in operation from delivering into another pump 41 which is stopped . the delivery pipe 44 is equipped with a valve 51 for regulating the flow of the heat transfer liquid delivered by the pumps 41 . the tank 21 is installed in an enclosure 61 of generally parallelepipedic shape supported by a base 62 upon which stands a support 26 of the tank . the enclosure 61 comprises an outer shell 63 , for example made of sheet steel . against the inside face of the shell 63 is fixed a heat insulating lining 64 which covers it completely along the four lateral walls , under the top panel as well as over the frame 62 . additional lining 66 is provided inside the support 26 . an air gap 67 is formed between the inside face of the lining 64 and the whole outside face of the tank 21 . one of the side walls of the enclosure 61 comprises an opening 67 for an inspection hatch 68 which is also made thermally insulating . the enclosure is made substantially fluid - tight in order to prevent as far as possible the entry of atmospheric water vapour and consequently the formation of a large quantity of condensation on the surface of the tank 21 and of the other cold parts located inside the enclosure . it is not possible however to avoid small entries of vapour and consequently the formation of a small quantity of condensation which runs towards the bottom of the enclosure . for this reason , there is provided in the bottom of the enclosure , above the lining 64 of the bottom , a collecting receptacle 68 equipped with an evacuation orifice 69 . a filter 81 is installed inside the tank 21 like a partition which is permeable to the heat transfer liquid , subdividing the interior of the tank 21 into a return chamber 27 connecting with the return orifice 22 and an feed chamber 28 connecting with the feed orifices 23 . the filter 81 is for example made in the form of a grid of substantially circular shape , flat or preferably dish - shaped in order to resist the pressure difference between the chambers 27 and 28 by a vault effect . the filter 81 is welded all around its periphery to the inside face of the peripheral wall of the tank 21 . the filter 81 is disposed in a horizontal plane . the wall of the tank 21 is also traversed by two openings 29 , one of them located just below and the other one just above the filter 81 . as shown in fig4 these openings 29 allow the fitting of heating elements 82 each one in the form of a rod which protrudes radially inside the tank 21 and are secured against the outer face of the wall of the tank 21 by a flange 83 which is extended outwardly by an electrical connection device 84 . such elements are intended to serve as a complementary source of heating in addition to the thermal source 2 if the latter is insufficient when it is operating as a heat source , or else is substituted for the thermal source 2 when the latter for example consists of a refrigeration machine which is not reversible as a heat pump , so that , despite this , the installation can operate as a heating installation for example during the winter period . the orifices 29 are oriented towards the inspection hatch 68 . furthermore , an electrical heating mat 86 is secured against the outer face of the wall of the tank 21 in the vicinity of the feed orifices 23 because as this zone comprises many walls separating the heat transfer fluid from the gaseous space 67 inside the enclosure 63 , it is more exposed to the risk of freezing . the pumps 41 , the expansion vessel 31 , and the valve 51 are installed in a fluid - tight manner in appropriate openings of the enclosure 61 , while extending through a same wall 71 of that enclosure . said wall 71 simultaneously forms the back of a compartment 87 configured as a technical cabinet also housing the electrical box 88 . the power supply cable 89 ( fig4 ) of the heating mat 86 extends through the wall 71 of the enclosure in a fluid - tight manner and is connected to the electrical box 88 . in a way which is not shown , the power supply cable of each element 82 can connect the connecting device 84 with the electrical box 88 via a cable which is for example grouped with the cable 89 for traversing the wall 71 . the assembly is such that the pump body 46 of each of the pumps 41 is inside the enclosure 61 whilst the motors 47 of the pumps 41 protrude into the compartment 87 . the delivery path of the pumps 41 from the delivery orifices 43 and passing through the body 52 of the valve 51 extends in a plane parallel with the wall 71 traversed by the components 31 , 41 and 51 , close against the inside lining of this wall 71 . the actuating device 53 of the valve 51 protrudes into the compartment 87 so that it is accessible and allows adjustment of the valve 51 from this compartment . the expansion vessel 31 is installed in such a way that the cover 33 providing access to the adjustment means is in the compartment 87 to allow adjustment of the pressure of the tank 21 from the compartment 87 . the return pipe 6 and the delivery pipe 44 leave the enclosure through two orifices 72 formed through the same lateral wall 73 of the enclosure 61 . the wall 73 is adjacent to the wall 71 through which the components 31 , 41 , 51 are mounted , and opposite the wall 74 equipped with the hatch 68 . the return pipe 6 is a short pipe oriented radially with respect to the tank 21 and ending directly at the return orifice 22 located immediately behind the wall 73 . the feed path 8 forms , as seen from above ( fig4 ), a 90 ° bend inside the pump body 46 . the feed orifices 23 are oriented towards the wall 71 , substantially at 90 ° to the return orifice 22 about the vertical axis of the tank 21 , so that after the 90 ° turn in the pumps the feed path 8 ends at the same wall 73 as the return path 6 , as has been described . the axis of the pumps 41 is horizontal and radial with respect to the tank 21 . the inlet pipes 42 of the pumps 41 are very short straight pipes directed radially with respect to the axis of the tank 21 . the delivery pipe 44 is also straight . if a single pump 41 were provided , all the pipes provided for the heat transfer fluid in the supply device 1 could be strictly straight . in the example shown , this very advantageous condition could not be achieved entirely due to the necessary connection between the deliveries of the two pumps 41 . as shown in detail in fig5 the wall 71 can , for the mounting of the components 31 , 41 , 51 , have a large window 76 obturated by a heat insulating shield 77 through which the components 31 , 41 , and the valve 51 ( not shown in fig5 ) are mounted . the operation and use of the supply device 1 will now be described . when at least one of the pumps 41 is operating , the heat transfer liquid is taken in through the return orifice 22 , enters into the tank 21 in the return chamber 27 , passes through the filter 81 into the feed chamber 28 which it leaves through at least one of the feed orifices 23 . the impurities stopped by the filter 81 tend to drop spontaneously to the bottom of the tank 21 where they are in no way harmful . the temperature inside the enclosure 61 is close to that of the heat transfer liquid , which is generally regulated where it passes in contact with the thermal source 2 ( fig1 and 2 ). the heat dissipated by the motors 47 remains outside . if this temperature becomes close to 0 , the heating mat 86 can be put into operation automatically in order to prevent freezing at the intakes of the pumps . such a supply device can operate for years without necessitating any maintenance inside the enclosure 61 . if it is desired to clean the inside of the tank 21 , the latter is drained through a bottom tap which is not shown , the two elements 82 are removed and a suction nozzle is introduced through the corresponding openings 29 in order to unclog the return chamber 27 and the feed chamber 28 respectively , including both sides of the filter 81 . this operation is facilitated by the fact that the openings 29 are opposite the hatch 68 . the supply device is particularly economic to manufacture , very practical in use and minimises maintenance and head losses undergone by the heat transfer fluid . the example shown in fig6 will be described only where it differs with respect to the one in fig1 . in this example , a section 101 of the thermal source 2 is an integral part of the hydraulic supply device 1 and is integrated inside the enclosure 61 and in particular inside the volume surrounded by the heat insulating lining 64 . more particularly , the section 101 of the thermal source 2 which is inside the enclosure 61 comprises the refrigeration compressor 103 , a refrigeration fluid tank 106 , a refrigeration fluid pressure relief device 107 and a device 116 serving as an evaporator for the refrigeration fluid and as a cooling exchanger for the heat transfer liquid . the pipe 17 is now entirely inside the enclosure 61 between the delivery of the pump 41 and the inlet into the evaporator - exchanger 116 . the outlet 118 of the evaporator - exchanger 116 consists of a pipe which emerges outside of the enclosure 61 through the same face of the enclosure 61 as that on which the connector 6 for return to the inside of the tank 21 is located . as regards the refrigeration circuit , the delivery 108 of the compressor 103 consists of a pipe which traverses the wall of the enclosure 61 and then is connected to the inlet of the condenser 104 which constitutes the essential element of the section 102 of the thermal source 2 which is located outside of the enclosure 61 . an outlet pipe 109 of the condenser 104 also passes through the enclosure 61 and is then connected to the refrigeration fluid tank 106 . the region 106 f of the tank 106 which is located below the liquid level in this tank is connected through the pressure relief device 107 with the inlet of the evaporator section of the evaporator - exchanger 116 . the outlet of this evaporator section is connected by a pipe 111 with the inlet of the compressor 103 . the advantage of this embodiment is that the parts of the refrigeration machine and more generally of the thermal source which also need to be heat insulated are also grouped inside the insulated enclosure 61 . in this way the problems of heat insulation in the installation are greatly simplified , a major portion of the technical components of the installation are grouped inside a same enclosure and external insulation is dispensed as regards elements such as the compressor or the evaporator , which makes these elements more accessible for maintenance . thermodynamically speaking , the compressor operates for compressing the refrigeration fluid up to a temperature which can be rather high . practically however , the compressor nevertheless constitutes a cold section of the installation because it is usually maintained at low temperature by a cooling system using the vapour coming from the evaporator of the refrigeration circuit just before its inlet into the compression chamber of the compressor . in a way which is not shown , inside the enclosure 61 there are also the regulating devices , if any , of the refrigeration machine , such as the regulation of the throttle carried out by the pressure relief device 107 for the refrigeration fluid flowing therethrough . independently from the above , the embodiment of fig6 also distinguishes from that of fig3 in that there is mounted inside the enclosure 61 , a different filter 181 of cylindrical shape having an annular edge 182 surrounding the return orifice 6 and , at the opposite end , an annular edge 183 surrounding an inspection orifice 184 formed in the wall of the tank 21 , and normally obturated by a closing plate . when the pump 41 is operating , it produces a depression inside the tank 21 . the cylindrical shape of the filter 181 has an excellent resistance to the bursting stress which results from this depression , particularly when the filter is clogged . at the same time , the production of a cylindrical filter is inexpensive . the inspection hole 184 conveniently allows insertion of a heating element , or of a suction nozzle for cleaning purposes , or else allows replacement of the filter 181 . in the embodiment shown in fig7 the condenser 104 , instead of being physically separated from the enclosure 61 , is secured to the latter , on the outside of the heat insulation lining 64 . furthermore there can be seen on this figure , better than in fig6 the particular embodiment of the refrigeration tank 106 in the form of an elongated bottle with a substantially vertical upper region 106 g , intended to contain the gaseous phase and a lower region 106 f intended to contain the liquid phase and which forms an obtuse angle of about 100 °, thereby to be virtually horizontal . the region 106 f is integral with supports 121 which extend upwards in order to also support the evaporator - exchanger 116 and the compressor 103 . another support 122 of the compressor 103 stands solely on the tank 106 . fig6 shows that the gaseous region 106 g is connected to the delivery 108 of the compressor 103 by a connecting pipe 123 . in the example shown in fig8 the thermal source 2 is no longer a refrigeration machine but a system of heat exchange with the water 131 of a swimming pool 132 having a water treatment device 133 . such a treatment device takes water from the swimming pool 132 and subjects it to cleaning and filtration treatments etc . the water is then returned to the swimming pool 132 . in this version of the invention , the water flowing through the treatment device 133 is diverted into the enclosure 61 through an inlet pipe 134 and then returns to the treatment device 133 through a return pipe 136 . in the enclosure 61 , the water from the swimming pool flows through a heat exchanger 141 whose other path is traversed by the delivery 17 of the pump 41 upstream of the orifice 118 for feeding the heat transfer fluid out of the enclosure 61 . starting from the orifice 118 , the heat transfer fluid can go directly to the utilising devices or can pass through a refrigeration machine intended to further lower its temperature . in the example shown in fig9 the heat transfer fluid has two separate circuits . a first circuit simply provides for the circulation of the heat transfer fluid from the tank 21 through the pump 41 to the utilising devices and the return through the inlet orifice 6 into the tank 21 . the other circuit comprises a second pump 148 with an intake 149 in the tank 21 , and a delivery 151 into the thermal source 2 which can , as shown , be at least partly located inside the enclosure 61 . from the source 2 , the heat transfer fluid returns directly to the tank 21 through a pipe 152 . this invention is not of course limited to the examples shown and described . in particular , the device can , with minor modifications , be installed in such a way that the axis of the tank 21 is horizontal . the filter 81 is then , without disadvantage , disposed in a vertical plane .
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different steps of a process of forming a single crystal region in a method of epitaxially growing semiconductor crystal of a preferred embodiment of the present invention are illustrated in fig1 ( 1 ) to 1 ( 3 ). referring first to fig1 ( 1 ), an insulating film 12 of silicon oxide ( sio 2 ) is formed on an upper face of a substrate 11 made of silicon by , for example , a low pressure chemical vapor phase growing method . then , an amorphous semiconductor layer 13 of amorphous silicon is formed with the thickness of , for example , 40 nm on an upper face of the insulating film 12 by a low pressure chemical vapor phase growing method using mono - silane ( sih 4 ) of disilane ( si 2 h 6 ) as reaction gas or by another chemical vapor phase growing method which employs plasma or by a like method . the film forming temperature then is set to a value equal to or lower than 50 ° c . in order to obtain a film of the amorphous phase if ion implantation of si + is not performed after formation of the film . the step described above may be replaced by another step at which a polycrystalline silicon layer is formed on the upper face of the substrate 11 by the chemical vapor phase growing method , and then , ions of silicon ( si + ) are implanted into the polycrystalline silicon layer thus formed , whereafter the polycrystalline silicon layer is converted into the amorphous phase to form the amorphous semiconductor layer 13 . or else , it is also possible to form , without forming the insulating film 12 of silicon oxide on the upper face of the substrate 11 , the substrate 11 from quartz glass and the forming the amorphous semiconductor layer 13 made of amorphous silicon on the substrate 11 by a chemical vapor phase growing method in a similar manner as described above . subsequently , a silicon oxide film 14 of the thickness of about 500 nm and a silicon film 15 of the thickness of about 100 nm are formed in a layered condition on an upper face of the amorphous semiconductor layer 13 as seen in fig1 ( 2 ) by , for example , a chemical vapor phase growing method . it is to be noted that the silicon oxide film 14 is formed with a thickness which is sufficient to allow , when an excimer laser beam is irradiated upon the silicon oxide film 14 , that heat produced from the excimer laser beam by the silicon film 15 to radiate sufficiently from the silicon oxide film 14 . meanwhile , the thickness of the silicon film 15 is not limited to 100 nm so long as if it does not pass an excimer laser beam therethrough . since a laser beam cannot pass through a silicon film normally if the silicon film has the thickness of 80 nm , the silicon film is formed with the thickness equal to or greater than 80 nm . then , an etching mask of resist not shown is formed on an upper face of the silicon film 15 by ordinary photolithography . subsequently , using the etching mask , the silicon film 15 and the silicon oxide film 14 are anisotropically etched to remove portions of the films 15 and 16 indicated by alternate long and two short dashes lines in fig1 ( 2 ) by , for example , reactive ion etching . consequently , a shield mask 17 including the silicon film 15 and the silicon oxide film 14 in which through - holes 16 are formed is formed . each of the through - holes 16 is formed at the center of a region in which crystal is to be grown , and has a diameter smaller than 0 . 8 μm . when the through - holes 16 are formed with the diameter equal to or greater than 0 . 8 μm , polycrystalline silicon will be grown at the locations of the through - holes 16 by low temperature solid phase growing processing , which will be hereinafter described . subsequently , the etching mask is removed , for example , by ushering processing as seen from fig1 ( 3 ). then , excimer laser light 31 is irradiated toward the amorphous semiconductor layer 13 by way of the shield mask 17 . the excimer laser light 31 passes through the through - holes 16 and irradiates the amorphous semiconductor layer 13 , whereupon cores 18 are produced at the thus irradiated portions in the amorphous semiconductor layer 13 . the energy density of the excimer laser light 31 to be irradiated is set to a level at which the amorphous semiconductor layer 13 is not crystallized in accordance with the thickness of the amorphous semiconductor layer 13 , and for example , when the thickness of the amorphous semiconductor layer 13 is 40 nm , to for example , at 160 mj / cm 2 . subsequently , the shield mask 17 shown in fig1 ( 3 ) is removed as seen in fig1 ( 4 ) by suitable means which does not damage the amorphous semiconductor layer 13 such by wet etching or plasma etching . then , the amorphous semiconductor layer 13 in which the cores 18 have been produced is processed by low temperature solid phase annealing to grow dendrite from the cores 18 until single crystal regions 19 and 20 of dendrite having a width and a length of about several μm are produced . the low temperature solid phase annealing processing is performed , for example , by keeping the substrate 11 for 40 hours at the temperature of 600 ° c . in an atmosphere of nitrogen ( n 2 ) in an electric furnace . a growing condition of the single crystal regions 19 and 20 produced by the low temperature solid phase annealing processing is described subsequently with reference to fig2 ( 1 ) and 2 ( 2 ). referring first to fig2 ( 1 ), there is shown a growing condition of crystals after excimer laser light is irradiated at a region of the diameter of 0 . 7 μm as shown in fig1 ( 3 ) and then the low temperature solid phase annealing processing is performed for three hours . as seen in fig2 ( 1 ), a core now shown from which a crystal is to be grown is produced in a region in which an excimer laser beam has been irradiated ( portion surrounded by an alternate long and two short dashes line ). dendrite 21 grows substantially radially from the core to form a single crystal region 19 or 20 . a condition after the low temperature vapor phase annealing processing is further continued is shown in fig2 ( 2 ). in this instance , the dendrite 21 further grows so that the single crystal region 19 in which the crystal has grown from a core finally makes contacts with an adjacent single crystal region 20 . in this instance , a grain boundary 22 is formed at a location at which the single crystal regions 19 and 20 make contact with each other . the single crystal regions 19 and 20 formed in such a manner as described above are superior in uniformity in film quality and have a high carrier mobility with low leakage . further , since the single crystal regions 19 and 20 can be formed at desired positions of the amorphous semiconductor layer 13 , when a transistor is to be formed on the amorphous semiconductor layer 13 , it is possible to form a channel layer of the transistor in the single crystal region 19 or 20 . when the single crystal regions 19 and 20 are employed for channel layers of transistors , the carrier mobility μ is high . incidentally , in the case of a thin film transistor , the value of the carrier mobility μ is higher than 100 cm 2 / vs or so . consequently , the transconductance gm is high , and consequently , the leakage current is small . further , since no grain boundary exists in a channel layer , the dispersions of the leakage current and the threshold voltage vth are small . further , since the temperature of heat processing for crystallization is equal to or lower than 600 ° c ., low temperature processing is allowed . referring now to fig4 ( a ) to 5 ( b ), there are shown different steps of another method of epitaxially growing semiconductor crystals according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention . in the present embodiment , a single crystal grain thin film transistor is formed on a silicon substrate using a focused ion beam . first , an insulating film 12 is formed on a silicon substrate 10 by a thermal oxidation method or a chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) method , and then , an amorphous silicon thin film 14 of the thickness of 40 nm or so is on the insulating film 12 by an ordinary chemical vapor deposition method as shown in fig4 ( a ). it is to be noted that it is otherwise possible to deposit a polycrystalline silicon thin film on the insulating film 12 and then effect ion implantation of si at a dose of 10 14 cm - 2 to 10 15 cm - 2 to form an amorphous silicon thin film 14 . subsequently , an energy beam is irradiated on a region of the silicon thin film 14 which is positioned substantially at the center of a region which is to form an active region of a thin film transistor . a focused ion beam which is formed from he + ions and has a beam diameter converged to 0 . 2 μm or less is used as the energy beam . preferably , the surface density of energy irradiated upon the amorphous silicon thin film 14 is 150 mj / cm 2 or so . as a result of the irradiation of the energy beam , a silicon core 16 is formed in the predetermined region of the amorphous silicon thin film 14 as seen in fig4 ( b ). the operation is performed for each of regions of the silicon thin film 14 which are to become active regions of the thin film transistors . after the irradiation of the energy beam has been performed for all of the regions of the silicon thin film 14 which are to become active regions of the thin film transistors , solid phase growth is performed at a low temperature of 600 ° c . or so to grow crystals 18 until a desired grain diameter is reached as seen in fig4 ( c ). preferably , heat processing for a short period of time at a high temperature by means of an excimer laser beam or the like is thereafter performed in order to improve the characteristic of the thin film transistors . subsequently , a gate oxide film 20 and a gate electrode 22 are formed in a thus obtained single crystal region 18a by a conventional chemical vapor deposition method or lithography technique as seen in fig5 ( a ). finally , ion implantation of b + or so is performed , and then the ions thus implanted are activated by annealing processing such as electric furnace annealing , rapid thermal annealing or excimer laser annealing to form a source region 24a and a drain region 24b as seen in fig5 ( b ). while a method of epitaxially growing semiconductor crystal of the present invention is described above with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof , the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above . the conditions of the numerical values and so forth indicated at the various steps can be changed suitably . the silicon substrate 10 can be replaced , for example , by a glass substrate . further , for example , a silicon nitride film may be used in place of sio 2 as the insulating film 12 . the focused ion beam can be replaced by an electron beam the diameter of which can be further converged small . having now fully described the invention , it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many changes and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth herein .
| 2 |
as shown in fig1 , the right ventricular assist device [ rvad ] 1 taps into a systemic vein for its input 2 and its output 3 taps into a pulmonary artery . the left ventricular assist device [ lvad ] 4 taps into a pulmonary vein for its input 5 and its output 6 taps into a systemic artery . both ventricular assist devices operate in parallel with their respective ventricles , and both tap into blood vessels for their inputs and outputs . the heart itself is never tapped . because our aim is to restore the natural heart to good health . it is preferable not to do any damage to the natural heart . the output electrical pulses 8 from the artificial pacemaker 7 is applied to the av node of the heart . since the electrical wiring which is specially designed for transmitting such pulses , is very soft and flexible , it moves with the heart freely . the pulse rate and intensity of 8 are controlled by signal 9 which is issued either by the physician or by an autopro . the electronic means for the convenience of the physician is realized in fig2 . as shown in fig2 , the instruction set converter aims at isolating the physician from doing mechanical routine work . in our preferred embodiment , lfbps are used for each vad . one reason is that the lfbp output blood pressure and flow volume can be independently controlled by using the following lfbp algorithm : “ a pressure pulse in the direction of flow is generated by a sudden increase in the magnitude of the motor currents followed by a relatively gradual increase in the frequency of the motor currents . a pressure pulse against the direction of flow is generated by a sudden decrease in the magnitude of the motor currents followed by a relatively gradual decrease in the frequency of the motor currents . the ‘ relatively gradual ’ increase and decrease in frequency are in controlled amounts which are still quite fast . a gradual change in flow without pressure pulse is generated by a very slow and gradual change in the frequency of the motor currents . thus the timing , magnitude , and direction of pressure pulses and change in flow volume without pressure pulses can be independently ordered by the physician .” while the lfbp algorithm can be easily followed electronically by a computer or a digital signal processor ( dsp ), it would be much too much a distraction for the physician to give his clinical instructions in terms of motor current magnitude and frequency . in our preferred embodiment , inputs from the physician can be simple commands , for example : ( i ) lfbp output pressure pulses , magnitude , duration . ( ii ) gradual change in blood flow volume . ( iii ) combination of ( i ) and ( ii ). ( iv ) time sequences of the above inputs . ( v ) if a , then b we refer to the above commands ( i ) through ( v ) as prototype commands . each of these has one or more assignable parameters . for instance : ( i ) may have parameters on the exact times for each pulse to occur , and the magnitude and duration of each . ( ii ) may have a parameter on the amount of change , or the final value of the desired flow volume , etc . ( v ) represents a conditional occurrence in which a defines a condition for the event b to occur . there can be associated parameters on both a and b . for instance , if a exceeds a given threshold , b is to occur with an assigned magnitude . for each prototype command , there can be default values for the parameters . the default values are selected by the physician . in our preferred arrangement , fig2 illustrates a digital signal processor based device for conversion of the prototype commands to the lfbp electrical motor currents which are specifically constituted for carrying out these commands . a digital signal processor , or dsp for short , is a specialized micro - computer whose architecture is optimized for executing arithmetic instructions . [ 2 ] the dsps , which currently run at 300 mega hz , can execute multiplication in one clock cycle . furthermore , the dsp &# 39 ; s are software programmable . to follow the lfbp algorithm in well designed steps is no problem . referring to fig2 , dsp 11 has two major components : a programming and arithmetic logic ( pal ) unit 12 and a memory unit 13 . both the physician &# 39 ; s prototype command set 14 and the lfbp algorithm 15 are placed in the memory unit . with the physician &# 39 ; s input , the selected prototype command 16 is placed in a memory slot 17 which is especially provided for the prototype command being executed . the pal unit 12 then converts the entry in memory slot 17 into lfbp currents 18 with specified amplitudes and frequencies as functions of time . the autopro 20 is to take care of the patient in the physician &# 39 ; s absence . an autopro program starts with the physician &# 39 ; s command where a is a threshold condition on the clinical signal set 19 and b can be a prototype command 21 on the vad ( s ) and / or a command 9 on the ap pace rate and / or intensity . the physician composes the autopro program by selecting a and b or a time sequence of a and b . with dsp &# 39 ; s high speed , the conversion can be completed within a few millionth of a second , which is the equivalence of instantaneous in human time scale . fig3 illustrates an scg arrangement . the output 8 from ap 7 is also connected to the horizontal sweep voltage synchronizing input terminal 32 of monitor 30 . selected clinical signal voltages 33 , 34 , and 35 are connected to the vertical input terminals 36 , 37 , and 38 of monitor 30 . each clinical signal voltage is the sum of two components : ( i ) the component resulting from heart &# 39 ; s response to each ap pulse , and ( ii ) the component resulting from other physiological factors . since only the component ( i ) repeats after each ap pulse , component ( i ) is brightened by repetition . in contrast , component ( ii ) becomes a weak random blur . thus scg illustrates to the physician only the heart &# 39 ; s responses to ap 8 pulses . in general , there can be many pertinent clinical signals 39 , and viewing all these signals simultaneously can be confusing . the switching dsp 40 offers the physician a way of viewing only a few selected signals such as 33 , 34 , and 35 at a time . the dsp 40 can also be used for other meaningful computations : for instance , the heart &# 39 ; s output blood volume after each ap pulse , and the heart &# 39 ; s output blood volume per minute , etc . fig4 illustrates a distributed blood vessel tapping system . because of the large volume of blood being pumped by the vads , a single tapping may cause too much disturbance in the blood vessel at the point being tapped . fig4 illustrates an alternative arrangement for the input line 2 of rvad 1 in fig1 . instead of tapping at one point on the vein , a plural number of taps 41 , 42 , and 43 are made with cannulae 44 , 45 , and 46 respectively which converge to a single large cannula , 47 , before entering to the rvad . cannulae are specially designed blood conduits , which can be bent and also have the capability of standing up to external pressure or internal suction . if necessary , similar distributed arrangements can also be made for other vad input output conduits 3 , 5 , and 6 of fig1 . fig5 illustrates the placement of a lvad 52 below the diaphragm 51 . the output end 53 of 52 is branched into two blood conduits : a lower main outlet 54 , which supplies the arteries below the diaphragm 51 , and an upper main outlet which is connected to a cannula 55 the cannula 55 penetrates the diaphragm 51 to supply arteries above 51 . the blood inlet of lvad 52 is supplied by a cannula 56 and a lower main inlet 57 . the cannula 56 collects blood from veins above the diaphragm 51 , and the main inlet 57 collects blood from veins below 51 . all the blood collected by 56 and 57 goes into the inlet end of lvad 52 . fig6 is an operational diagram illustrating two modes of operation : ( i ) in the presence of a physician , ( ii ) not in the presence of a physician . in mode ( i ) operation , the physician derives his inputs from three sources : the synchro - cardiac graph of fig3 , slow varying clinical signals or data , and the physician &# 39 ; s direct examination of the patient . from all these information , the physician decides on a therapeutic course of action which can include a prototype command , an ap instruction , and possible also some other means . the prototype command is then placed in memory slot 17 to be carried out through time varying lfbp motor currents 18 . however , in most of the time the patient is not with the physician , and the autopro is a sequential set of prototype instructions selected in advance by the physician . it starts with the instruction , where a is a condition on the clinical signal 19 , and b is the physician selected course of action , including prototype command 21 , which is then placed in slot 17 for execution . fig6 also illustrates the signal feed backs in a curing process , the physician derives his information about the patient from three sources : direct examination of the patient , the scg , and other slow - varying clinical signals . based on the total information , the physician selects a prototype command . this selection is made easier by the isc which sets up the prototype commands . the isc also helps in the conversion of the selected command into vad motor electrical currents for its execution . in the mean time , the physician also sends controlling radio signal to the ap . both the changes in ap output and in vad output will have an effect on the patient . in its turn , the patient &# 39 ; s response will have an effect on the outcome of the physician &# 39 ; s observation or examination of the patient , on the scg , and also on the clinical signals . in the absence of the physician , the autopro puts out a selected command , which has the same effect as a physician selected command in its execution , and also an ap controlling radio signal . in its turn , the patient &# 39 ; s response will have an effect on the clinical signals , which in turn affects the autopro outputs . in our preferred arrangement , linear flow blood pumps ( lfbps ) are used for both the vads . by varying the lvad electrical motor current magnitude and frequency as a function of time , the pressure pulses and blood flow volume at the lvad output can be independently controlled . only the flow volume is controlled for the rvad . since its only function is to provide adequate blood flow through the pulmonary circuit such that the red blood cells flowing into the lvad and left vertricle carry sufficient oxygen 1 . other types of vad can also be used with the present invention with their corresponding set of prototype commands . thus , using other types of vad does not constitute a new different invention . 2 . general purpose microprocessors or computers can be used instead of the dsps . it is a designer &# 39 ; s choice , and does not constitute a new and different invention . 3 . in our preferred embodiment , magnetic induction means are used for transference of signal , information , and power across the skin without puncturing the skin . these devices and methods are well known to persons skilled in the art , and will not be described here .
| 0 |
the invention provides a new system clock switch circuit for a computer main board . referring to fig4 a computer main board 400 comprises a cpu 110 , a chipset 120 , a pci interface 130 , an agp interface 140 , a clock generator 450 , and a status latch 470 . the clock generator 450 provides a system clock frequency and a system clock switch circuit needed for operating the computer main board . the cpu 110 is in charge of the operations of the entire computer main board . the chipset 120 integrates controlling circuits on the computer main board 400 into an integrated circuit ( ic ), so that the cpu 110 communicates with peripherals , such as a pci interface 130 and an agp interface 140 , on the computer main board 400 through the chipset 120 . the agp interface 140 is used to install a display card , and the pci interface is used to install other peripheral interfaces . the status latch 470 stores a status parameter of the system clock frequency . when the system is reset , the chipset 120 retrieves the status parameter of the system clock frequency from the status latch 470 to update the system clock frequency and setup the clock frequencies of the peripherals on the computer main board 400 . the clock generator 450 provides a system clock frequency and a clock frequency switch circuit needed for operating the computer main board . the clock signal clk and the reset signal rst are sent to the chipset 120 from the clock generator 450 for operating the computer main board 400 . the cpu 110 controls the clock generator 450 through a control signal bus 425 , such as an i 2 c bus , of the chipset 120 , which is equipped with the interface corresponding to the control signal bus . as the cpu 110 sends a command to change the system clock frequency clk to the clock generator 450 through the chipset 120 , a status parameter is set and stored in the status latch 470 . as soon as the clock generator 450 receives the command to change the system clock frequency clk , it changes the system clock frequency and , in the mean time , activates the reset signal rst . the reset signal rst remains its activation until the system clock frequency clk is completely changed to the new setting . during the activation of the reset signal rst , the chipset 120 retrieves the status parameter from the status latch 470 to obtain the new setting of the system clock frequency clk for determining the ratios between the system clock frequency and peripherals . the foregoing system clock switch circuit , which is based on a modified clock generator , simultaneously sends out a reset signal with the system clock frequency change . however , the clock generator used in the foregoing design contains a new circuit , so an existing clock generator cannot be employed in that design . therefore , another preferred embodiment of the invention that contains a reset signal generator working with an existing clock generator is introduced . referring to fig5 a computer main board 500 contains a cpu 110 , a chipset 120 , a pci interface 130 , an agp interface 140 , a clock generator 550 , a reset signal generator 560 , and a status latch 570 . the clock generator 550 and the reset signal generator 560 provide a system clock frequency and a system clock switch circuit for operating the computer main board . similar to the circuit in the previous embodiment , the cpu 110 is in charge of the operations of the entire computer main board . the chipset 120 integrates controlling circuits on the computer main board 500 into an ic , so that the cpu 110 communicates with peripherals , such as a pci interface 130 and an agp interface 140 , on the computer main board 500 through the chipset 120 . the status latch 570 stores a status parameter of the system clock frequency . when the system is reset , the chipset 120 retrieves the status parameter of the system clock frequency from the status latch 570 to update the system clock frequency and setup the clock frequencies of the peripherals on the computer main board 500 . the clock generator 550 and the reset signal generator 560 provide a system clock frequency and a system clock switch circuit needed for operation of the computer main board . the clock generator 550 sends a system clock frequency clk to the chipset 120 , and the reset signal generator 560 sends a reset signal rst to the chipset 120 . the cpu 110 controls both the clock generator 550 and the reset signal generator 560 through the chipset 120 and a control bus 525 . the control bus 525 includes an i 2 c bus , and the chipset 120 contains an interface corresponding to the control bus . when commands are sent from the cpu 110 to the clock generator 550 through the chipset 120 and the control bus 525 , the reset signal generator 560 keeps checking on the commands from the chipset 120 to the clock generator 550 . as soon as a command to change system clock frequency is found , the reset signal generator immediately activates a reset signal rst . the reset signal rst remains activated until the system clock frequency is completely changed to the new setting . hence , if the system clock frequency clk needs to be changed , a command to change system clock frequency has to be sent from the cpu 110 to the clock generator 550 through the chipset 120 , and a status parameter needs to be set and stored in the status latch 570 . then , the clock generator 550 gradually changes the system clock frequency clk to the new setting . at the same time , the reset signal generator 560 detects that the system clock is to be changed ; it immediately activates a reset signal rst , wherein the reset signal rst is cancelled until the system clock frequency clk is completely changed to the new setting . while the reset signal rst is activated , the chipset 120 obtains a status parameter from the status latch 570 , and determines the ratios between the system clock frequency and clock frequencies of peripherals by referring to the status parameter . in accordance with the foregoing , the two preferred embodiments of the invention both activate a reset signal as soon as the system clock frequency is changed . as shown in fig6 a flowchart is used to provide more detailed description on the functions of the two embodiments according to the invention . first , for the first preferred embodiment of the invention , the block 610 represents the cpu 110 sending a command to change system clock frequency to the clock generator 450 through the chipset 120 . then , in block 620 , the clock generator 450 changes the system clock frequency clk gradually to the new setting after it receives the command from the cpu 110 . in the next step , block 630 , the clock generator 450 sends a reset signal rst to the chipset 120 as soon as it starts to change the system clock frequency clk . then , in block 640 , the reset signal rst from the clock generator 450 remains activated until the next step , block 650 , in which the system clock frequency clk is completely changed to the new setting , is done . in block 660 , the clock generator 450 then cancels the reset signal rst , and the chipset 120 obtains a status parameter from the status latch 470 . and then , in block 670 , the computer is restarted with the new system clock frequency and new status parameter . next , for the second preferred embodiment of the invention , the block 610 represents the cpu 110 sending a command to change system clock frequency to the clock generator 550 and the reset signal generator 560 through the chipset 120 . then , in block 620 , the clock generator 550 gradually changes the system clock frequency clk to the new setting after it receives the command from the cpu 110 . in the next step , block 630 , the reset signal generator 560 sends a reset signal rst to the chipset 120 as soon as it detects the command sent to the clock generator 550 from the chipset 120 is about to change the system clock frequency clk . then , in block 640 , the reset signal rst from the reset signal generator 560 remains activated until the next step , block 650 , in which the system clock frequency clk is completely changed to the new setting , is done . in block 660 , the reset signal generator 560 then cancels the reset signal rst , and the chipset 120 obtains a status parameter from the status latch 570 . then , in block 670 , the computer is restarted with the new system clock frequency and new status parameter . according to the foregoing , the invention includes at least the following advantages over a conventional system clock switch circuit : 1 . as soon as the clock generator starts to change the system clock frequency , a reset signal is sent to alert the chipset that the system clock frequency is about to be changed , so that the chipset and peripherals are able to communicate with each other with correct clock frequencies . 2 . even though the system clock frequency is gradually changed to a new setting , the presence of a reset signal prevents the clock frequencies of peripherals from being steeply changed before the system clock frequency is completely changed to a new setting , so that glitches are avoided . the invention has been described using exemplary preferred embodiments . however , it is to be understood that the scope of the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments . on the contrary , it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements . the scope of the claims , therefore , should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements .
| 7 |
fig1 is a circuit diagram of an air bag starter according to embodiment 1 , in which a two - stage ignition type air bag system is taken as an example . in the drawings , the same numerals indicate same parts as those in the drawings used to explain the conventional air bag starter , and a detailed explanation of them is , thus , not repeated . now referring to the drawings , reference numeral 1 is a battery installed in a vehicle , and numeral 2 is an ignition switch for starting an engine of the vehicle . numeral 3 is a driver &# 39 ; s seat air bag disposed in the driver &# 39 ; s seat , and numeral 4 is an igniter ( e . g ., detonating primer ) for a first - stage inflator ( e . g ., detonating powder or the like , though not shown in the drawing ) used to inflate the driver &# 39 ; s seat air bag 3 . numeral 5 is an igniter for a second - stage inflator that is ignited , when required , synchronously with the first - stage inflator or after a predetermined delay following the ignition of the first - stage inflator . numeral 6 is an assistant driver &# 39 ; s seat air bag disposed in the assistant driver &# 39 ; s seat , and numeral 7 is an igniter for a first - stage inflator used to inflate the assistant driver &# 39 ; s seat air bag 6 . numeral 8 is an igniter for a second - stage inflator ( e . g ., detonating powder or the like , not shown ) that is ignited , when required , synchronously with the first - stage inflator or with a predetermined delay after the ignition of the first - stage inflator . numeral 109 is an air bag control unit including an electric circuit for transmitting an electric signal to each of the foregoing igniters to ignite them . numeral 10 is a dc - to - dc converter for boosting an input voltage supplied from the battery 1 installed in the vehicle and outputting the boosted voltage , and numeral 11 is a backup condenser ( feeding means ) charged with power outputted by the dc - to - dc converter . numeral 12 is a mechanical acceleration switch arranged to close when a decelerating acceleration of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined level . numeral 13 is an acceleration sensor that measures an acceleration of the vehicle and outputs a signal corresponding to the acceleration . numeral 114 is ignition - judging means that makes a judgment on whether to ignite the first - stage inflator and the second - stage inflator of the driver &# 39 ; s seat air bag 3 as well as the first - stage inflator and the second - stage inflator of the assistant driver &# 39 ; s seat air bag 6 on the basis of the acceleration signal inputted from the acceleration sensor 13 . this ignition judging means 14 turns on related driving transistors ( described later ) and , synchronously with this turning on , outputs a signal b 1 for first - stage forced ignition and a signal b 2 for second - stage forced ignition . numeral 115 is a forced igniting means , which is disposed in parallel to the mechanical acceleration switch 12 , for forcedly igniting the second - stage inflators in response to the signals from the ignition judging means 114 . this forced igniting means 115 assists , serving as a backup , first - stage ignition to ignite the first - stage inflators without fail as described later . numeral 31 is a driving transistor ( switching means for forced ignition ) disposed in parallel to the mechanical acceleration switch 12 . numeral 32 is closure detecting means that detects the mechanical acceleration switch 12 being closed and outputs a closure signal ( hereinafter referred to as signal a ) for a predetermined time after the mechanical acceleration switch 12 is once closed and then opened . numeral 133 is a three - input - two and gate in which three input terminals are connected respectively to a signal b 1 terminal of the ignition judging means 114 , a signal b 2 terminal of the ignition judging means 114 , and a signal a of the closure detecting means 32 . the three - input - two and gate is logic means that outputs an “ on ” signal on condition that , among the three inputs a , b 1 , and b 2 , the inputs a and b 1 are both “ on ” or the inputs a and b 2 are both “ on ”. an output terminal of the three - input - two and gate 133 is connected to a gate ( control terminal ) of the driving transistor 31 . for convenience of explanation , numeral 133 is hereinafter referred to as a two / three and gate . the driving transistor 31 , the closure detecting means 32 , and the two / three and gate 133 constitute the forced igniting means 115 . numerals 16 and 17 are driving transistors ( switching means ) for controlling an ignition circuit of the first - stage inflator of the driver &# 39 ; s seat airbag 3 . numerals 18 and 19 are driving transistors ( switching means ) for the second - stage inflator of the driver &# 39 ; s seat air bag 3 . numerals 20 and 21 are driving transistors ( switching means ) for the first - stage inflator of the assistant driver &# 39 ; s seat air bag 6 . numerals 22 and 23 are driving transistors ( switching means ) for the second - stage inflator of the assistant driver &# 39 ; s seat air bag 6 . in addition , the ignition judging means 114 is connected to gates ( control terminals ) of the driving transistors 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 and 23 . the ignition judging means 114 controls an on / off state of the driving transistors 16 , 17 , 20 and 21 or the driving transistors 18 , 19 , 22 and 23 in response to the acceleration signal inputted from the acceleration sensor 13 . the ignition judging means 114 outputs the signal b 1 synchronously with an “ on ” state of the driving transistors 16 , 17 , 20 and 21 , and outputs the signal b 2 synchronously with an “ on ” state of the driving transistors 18 , 19 , 22 and 23 . in other words , the signal b 2 is equivalent to the signal x in the foregoing description of the conventional air bag starter . fig2 is a timing chart to explain various situations in an igniting operation of the two - stage type air bag starter shown in fig1 . upon occurrence of a collision , during a period when acceleration caused by the collision exceeds a predetermined acceleration level , the mechanical acceleration switch 12 is closed and chattering is present . at this time , the closure detecting means 32 detects that the mechanical acceleration switch 12 is closed , converts the signal a for the two / three and gate 133 from an l level to an h level , and holds the foregoing signal level . the ignition judging means 114 judges the signal of the acceleration sensor 13 and decides the igniting method as described in the foregoing conventional example . the ignition judging means 114 turns on the driving transistors 16 , 17 , 20 and 21 in order to ignite the first - stage inflators of the driver &# 39 ; s seat air bag 3 and 5 the assistant driver &# 39 ; s seat air bag 6 according to the decided igniting method . at the same time , the output signal b 1 for the two / three and gate 133 is converted from an l level to an h level . the signal bi is substantially synchronized with a closing operation of the mechanical acceleration switch 12 , but is not always synchronized with the closing operation . the two / three and gate 133 outputs a signal of an h level and turns on the driving transistor 31 ( shown as a first - stage forced ignition signal in the drawing ) when signals of an h level are inputted to two of the three input terminals . accordingly , the first - stage igniters 4 and 7 and the backup condenser 11 are conductively connected by turning on the driving transistor 31 , such that an electric current 98 is delivered to the igniters 4 and 7 . as a result , it is possible to prevent a reduction in the electric current caused by any chattering of the mechanical acceleration switch 12 , and it is possible to ignite the air bags without failure ( i . e ., more reliably ). the subsequent operations of igniting the second - stage igniters are the same as those described referring to fig5 , 6 and 7 of the conventional air bag starter , and any further explanation thereof is , thus , unnecessary . when a predetermined time has passed since the first - stage igniting operation , the ignition judging means 114 turns on the second - stage driving transistors 18 , 19 , 22 and 23 , and outputs the signal b 2 at the same time . then , the logic circuit 133 turns on the forced igniting means 31 on the basis of the logical and value of the signal a and the signal b 2 . since chattering of the mechanical acceleration switch 12 does not influence the first - stage ignition current , it is not necessary to take measures to reduce such chattering in constitution of the mechanical acceleration switch 12 . furthermore , it is not necessary to take measures such as boosting a voltage with which the condenser 11 is charged and expanding a capacity of the capacitor . as a result , it is possible to avoid an increase in cost and an enlargement in configuration . although two air bags are shown for the driver &# 39 ; s seat and the assistant driver &# 39 ; s seat , respectively , in fig1 , it is also possible to dispose only one air bag or more than two air bags without changing the fundamental operation as a matter of course . although the foregoing description relates to a two - stage ignition type air bag system , in an air bag system with more than two stages , the operations and advantages thereof essentially remain unchanged . that is , the ignition judging means outputs plural signals b ( b 1 . . . bn ) and the semiconductor switch 31 is turned on by a forced ignition signal outputted on the basis of a logical and value of the signal a and any of signals b 1 . . . bn , thereby overcoming the problem of chattering in the mechanical acceleration switch 12 in the same manner as in the two - stage ignition type air bag system . now , a case of a one - stage ignition type air bag system is hereinafter described with reference to fig3 . the fundamental constitution is the same as that in fig1 and , thus , any further detailed explanation is unnecessary . air bags 3 and 6 are not provided with any second - stage igniter and , consequently , no driving transistors to be connected to such a second - stage igniter exist . the forced igniting means 115 is provided with an and gate 33 that acts upon receipt of the signal a outputted by the closure detecting means 32 and the signal b outputted by the ignition judging means 114 . operation of the air bag starter in fig3 is hereinafter described with reference to a timing chart of fig4 . upon occurrence of a collision involving the vehicle , during the period when acceleration caused by the collision exceeds a predetermined acceleration level , the mechanical acceleration switch 12 is closed and chattering may occur . at this time , the closure detecting means 32 detects the mechanical acceleration switch 12 being closed , converts the signal a for the and gate 133 from an l level to an h level , and holds the foregoing signal level . the ignition judging means 114 judges the signal of the acceleration sensor 13 and decides the igniting method . the ignition judging means 114 turns on the driving transistors 16 , 17 , 20 and 21 in order to ignite the inflators of the driver &# 39 ; s seat air bag 3 and the assistant driver &# 39 ; s seat air bag 6 . the output signal b for the and gate 33 is converted from l level to h level at the same time . when signals having the h level are inputted to both of the two input terminals of the and gate 33 , the and gate 33 outputs a signal of an h level and turns on the driving transistor 31 ( shown in fig4 as a forced ignition signal ). the igniters 4 and 7 and the backup capacitor 11 are conductively connected by turning on the driving transistor 31 such that an electric current 98 is delivered to the igniters 4 and 7 . as a result , it is possible to prevent a reduction in the electric current caused by the chattering of the mechanical acceleration switch 12 , and it is possible to ignite the air bags without failure ( i . e ., more reliably ). in the foregoing embodiments 1 and 2 , an air bag starter to be connected to the air bags is specifically described in detail . however , it is to be noted that the most essential part of the invention is a backup circuit . this backup circuit is arranged to back up the mechanical acceleration switch 12 and avoid the negative influence of the chattering thereon by turning on the transistor 31 connected in parallel to a contact of the mechanical acceleration switch 12 when a detection signal of the acceleration sensor 13 disposed separately from the mechanical acceleration switch 12 exceeds a predetermined level . specifically , the backup circuit is constituted as a device including the forced igniting means 115 , the ignition judging means 114 , and the acceleration sensor 13 in fig1 , for example . therefore , the same advantage is achieved even in a case of constituting , for example , the backup circuit alone . in such a constitution , the dc - to - dc converter 10 , the condenser 11 , the mechanical acceleration switch 12 , the first - stage and second - stage driving transistors 16 to 23 , etc . are disposed separately from the air bag starter , and subsequently , the backup circuit is connected to a separately disposed air bag starter . in the case of a two - stage ignition type air bag system , it is possible to use in common the second - stage igniting means and the forced igniting means connected in parallel to the mechanical acceleration switch , such that a more economical air bag system is obtained .
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